Q: Has “Flying Wild Alaska” on the Discovery Channel been renewed? Thanks. – Marlowe, 49, Bethel Park, Pa.
Rob Owen: Indeed it has. According to a Discovery Channel publicist, the Tweto family and the Era Alaska team will be back this fall on Discovery Channel.
Q: My husband and I have a running argument about “Cake Boss.” I say that the customers on “Cake Boss” pay retail prices for the cakes that Buddy and his team make for the show. My husband says that the production company picks up part of the cost because they’re so large, ornate and expensive and often done for nonprofits. Who’s right? By the way, what’s the price range for those cakes?
– Kay, 57, Pittsburgh
Rob: Depending on the particular cake, it seems that sometimes you’re right and sometimes your husband is right. A publicist for the show says each cake offers a unique situation.
“In some cases, TLC will supplement the cost of the cake for its role within the show,” the TLC spokesman wrote in an email. “The bakery doesn’t release the individual pricing of its cakes from the show, but cakes with that skill and craftsmanship can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.”
Q: I know that soaps are not really your field, but I have a question: The other day I was reading a major soap-opera website. They had an article about the Internet company that will be airing “All My Children” and “One Life to Life.” One of the issues addressed in the piece was the question of it being “pay for view” or not.
Since “AMC” goes Internet in September, shouldn’t the company have a policy in place already or are they trying to get fans hooked and then spring it?
– Eric, 51, Monroeville, Pa.
Rob: This is all new territory — migrating a network series to the Internet — so there are a lot of details to be ironed out. It’s not at all surprising that nothing has been solidified. Also, the soaps are not expected to start appearing online until January.
