You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Is Netflix planning on airing any more seasons after Season 6 of "Heartland"? Season 6 left us hanging.
A: The Canadian drama, which has a lot of fans among mailbag readers, is a little complicated to keep track of. So bear with me.
So far, nine seasons have aired in Canada, with a 10th coming to the CBC on Oct. 2. If you're not getting the CBC, then UP TV at present has the U.S. cable rights to eight seasons, which it has aired; UP carries some reruns at present. But the UP deal is ending later this year and Heartland expects to announce new TV partners near the end of August.
Netflix airs the series in its original cut, where the episodes are about two minutes longer than on UP, which adds more commercials than in the Canadian version, a Heartland rep said. And Netflix's package will be expanding beyond the six seasons it has, with the seventh season arriving in September, and seasons eight and nine coming in April 2017.
There are also DVD releases through Season 8, with Season 9 coming in November. You should look for sets marked as having the Canadian cuts.
And here's more about a recent question and answer involving TV content.
Q: I read the recent question that was sent in to you about the level of sexuality that appeared in the "Family Night" game show series, and I thought I'd also throw in my opinion.
I guess somewhere in the early '90s when I was busy with my newborn, the level of morality and respect dropped significantly. I clearly remember hearing an ABC soap opera that our local TV station broadcast on the radio, and within the first few seconds, pretty much all of the dialogue was foul language, words that it seems like just months before were unacceptable.
Nudity, innuendo, cursing, etc. were all restricted to the serious cable stations, such as HBO. But at some point, they worked their way over to mainstream TV. There are no "family night" shows anymore. I do agree with your statement that "Family Feud" always had a level of implied raciness, but the level we are stooping to is really sad.
I'm not a prude, I have a great sense of humor, but now with everything put out there in the media, there really is no romance, no sweetness that one can look forward to when you meet the right person and engage in a real relationship, not just a hookup.
A: I get that plenty of people are upset about changing content on TV (and in the movies, books and so on). I've been doing this long enough to remember various fights over the years and how the battlegrounds have changed. More than 25 years ago, a colleague was outraged that an 8 p.m. show had a child saying "you suck." Now that wouldn't raise an eyebrow most places.
That said, there are still shows and networks aimed at families, such as UP, mentioned above, and Hallmark. But you have to be diligent to find them and willing to pay for a nonbroadcast service to get them. What many people think of as television _ the major commercial broadcast networks _ are interested in an adult audience, especially young adults, and know they have to compete with less fettered programmers to get them.
