TV Q&A: Are WPXI-TV’s DeLuca reporters related?

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Q: There are two DeLucas on the WPXI-TV news staff. Are they related?

– Mike, Beaver

Rob: We noted when reporter Pete DeLuca was hired at Channel 11 that he and reporter Gabriella DeLuca are not related.

Q: Adweek recently wrote that the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” showed growth in both demos and households. I would be interested in whether there was any gain locally. They are finally running promos within the local news for the national program.

– Roberta via email

Rob: “The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” on KDKA-TV came in second place (6.5 rating/12 share) behind “Jeopardy!” on WPXI-TV (9.5/18) in households and in the 25-54 demo (3.9/14 for “Jeopardy!” vs. 2.4/9 for “CBS Evening News”) in November 2021.

Compared to 2020, the “CBS Evening News” on KDKA showed ratings improvement in households and was flat in the 25-54 demo.

Q: I’m curious about a Christmas-themed TV movie from 1977 called “The Gathering.” It starred Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton. I haven’t seen it in years. Do Christmas-themed movies have a shelf life?

– Eric via Facebook

Rob: Most TV movies have a shelf life. You’re not seeing non-Christmas movies-of-the-week that aired in the 1970s on TV any more, either. It has nothing to do with the holiday. Stuff that looks old just doesn’t work for audiences today – or at least that is the thinking of programmers if a show looks dated. (I could find no evidence that “The Gathering” will air on TV this year.)

“The Gathering” is available on Amazon to rent or buy digitally and it’s available on DVD.

Q: Is the Hallmark Channel producing more “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movies? The “Hall of Fame” movies were exceptional stories. The movies were always new at the holidays – Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

– Elaine, Mt. Lebanon

Rob: My sense is the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” banner has been on life support, at best, since relocating from broadcast channels (on NBC for three decades, then CBS for a decade, then ABC for five years) about seven years ago to Hallmark Channel, which hasn’t aired one in several years.

A Hallmark Channel publicist confirmed the last “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production was 2019’s “A Christmas Love Story” starring Kristin Chenoweth.”

When I asked if any more were being planned, the response was “no additional news at this time.”

Q: What happened to the older lady ghost, Hetty (York, Pa., native Rebecca Wisocky) on “Ghosts”? She was not in the last three episodes

– Peter via Facebook

Rob: Single-camera comedies like CBS’s “Ghosts” are more expensive than multi-cam sitcoms that are filmed in front of a studio audience (like CBS’s “The Neighborhood”). “Ghosts” has a cast of 10 series regulars (“The Neighborhood” has seven) and “Ghosts” has special effects work, which adds to the cost further. Something had to give.

My understanding is to make a show like “Ghosts” work financially, some of the cast members have contracts that call for them to be in something like 10 of 13 episodes rather than all the episodes. Already this season there have been episodes where Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long), Sasappis (Roman Zaragoza) or Flower (Sheila Carrasco) have been absent.

Q: When are new episodes of “Chad” slated to air on TBS?

– Lucas via email

Rob: TBS renewed “Chad” for a second season, but it’s also relocating production from Portland, Ore., to Los Angeles after snagging California film tax credits. There’s no specific timetable for when “Chad” will return with new episodes, but I expect it will be mid-2022 at the earliest.