ShareThisQ: Is "Rubicon" based on a book? If so, who is the author and what is the book's name? I cannot get enough of the story one week at a time. -- Gregory, Ben Avon Heights, Pa.
Rob: No, "Rubicon" is not based on a book. The show's press notes say producers were inspired by 1970s-era conspiracy-paranoia films such as "The Parallax View," "Three Days of the Condor" and "The Conversation."
I grew increasingly fond of "Rubicon" as the story gained momentum before its Oct. 17 season finale. No word yet on whether it will be renewed for a second season.
Q: Did "Flashpoint" wrap it up for this season? If so, I apparently was not aware. -- Jonathan
Rob: Not all TV shows are created equal. As a Canadian import, "Flashpoint" is an afterthought to the CBS brass. After concluding its summer run, no decision on the show's future on CBS has been made.
Q: I could not stand "My Name is Earl," but I truly like "Memphis Beat." Is Jason Lee really singing the songs? Or is he just lip singing? -- Diane, Arlington, Va.
Rob: According to a TNT publicist, Jason Lee is not singing. That's done by Mark Arnell.
Q: "The Gates" had its season finale on Sept. 19. Do you know if it's coming back or was it canceled? -- Donna, Plum Boro, Pa.
Rob: It won't be back.
Q: What happened to Stella on "CSI: NY"? -- Rita, Brookline, Pa.
Rob: Melina Kanakaredes chose to leave the series over the summer, so her character was written out of the show.
Q: Watching all the shows that are on 24/7 on hundreds of channels seems like an impossible task. How do you do it? -- Kathleen, Pittsburgh
Rob: One person can't watch everything. I try to keep up with the shows that are most likely to lead to viewer questions -- serialized shows more than procedurals -- and I do a lot of reading about TV, even the shows I don't make time to watch.
(Ask TV questions by sending your query, name, age, city and state to owner(at)shns.com. Follow Scripps Howard News Service TV writer Rob Owen on Twitter or Facebook under RobOwenTV.)
