Small Screen: Bonanza’s Little Joe relied on dozen-plus horses

You have questions. I have some answers.

Q: What happened to “White Collar”? I can’t be the only one to latch onto it! Great looks, great acting, etc. Now, on May 28, I’m sitting down, waiting for my new favourite show to start. It didn’t. No warning! Are there any more future showings?

A: I am guessing that you were watching the caper series on ION, which at this writing lists the program among its properties but does not indicate more telecasts on its schedule. Still, while you and others may have just discovered “White Collar,” it is not new. It originally aired on USA Network for six seasons, the last of which wrapped up the series in December 2014 with a finale called “Au Revoir.” But many folks belatedly discover departed series when they are repeated, particularly viewers who scroll through the lineups on services such as Netflix and Hulu.

Getting back to “White Collar,” the complete series is available on Netflix, and as a DVD and download. If you don’t want to buy it, you could see if your local library has copies.

Q: On “Bonanza,” why did Michael Landon have so many different Paint horses, at least four, and sometimes two in one episode?

A: According to several “Bonanza” websites, Landon — who played Little Joe on the long-running western — had more than a dozen horses playing his mount over the course of the show. One reason was the need for stunt doubles chosen to fit the demands of different scenes. In one case, a horse had to be euthanized after being injured during a break-in at its stable.

Q: A most excellent movie was a medical drama about a cardiac surgeon and his patient. It had Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Mare Winningham. Darned if I can remember the name. I believe it was a Canadian film around the 1980s.

A: The name is “Threshold,” a Canadian film from 1981. Richard Pearce directed.

Q: I read a book and later saw a movie based on it, about several young teens from Hell’s Kitchen who got in trouble and went to prison. They were violently abused by the guards. I can’t remember the name and would appreciate your help.

A: That would be “Sleepers,” from 1996, and based on the book of the same name by Lorenzo Carcaterra. The cast included Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. Barry Levinson directed.

Q: Will there be more of “The Man in the High Castle”?

A: Amazon has ordered a third season of the speculative drama, in which the U.S. has lost World War II and different parts are controlled by Germany and Japan.

Q: I have noticed that (at least on MSNBC), when the first of many commercials during a station break starts, the first one is 2-3 seconds long. It abruptly stops, then another commercial comes on and runs to the end. The rest of them run full length. Just curious if there is a reason for this, local or national issue? Has anyone else noticed this? It is annoying to say the least.

A: What you are seeing, and not just on MSNBC, is most likely your local program provider inserting a local advertisement into a show. It’s no different from the way local TV stations will put ads in national programs at certain times as part of their ad deals. But if the local and national ad are not lined up quite right, or the cue to insert the ad is mistimed, then you may see a piece of the national spot before or after the local one.