TV Q&A: Can we get ACC Network for Pitt games?

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: Why can’t we get ACC Network locally for University of Pittsburgh games?

— Dave via voicemail

Rob: Pittsburghers can get ACCN locally, just not through Comcast which has yet to iron out a deal to carry the channel.

ACCN is carried by Verizon’s FiOS TV and it’s also available from live streaming services AT&T TV, fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

Q: Does WTAE-TV plan to replace Brittany Hoke on the anchor desk weekend evenings?

— David via email

Rob: I am sure they do, the question is how far along are they in the search process and will the new weekend evening anchor be a promotion from within or someone brought in from outside? Neither WTAE news director Jim Parsons nor general manager Charles Wolfertz responded when I inquired about David’s query.

Q: Why does KDKA-TV have so many weatherpersons?

— Paul via email

Rob: KDKA has the same number as WTAE and WPXI: four meteorologist positions for each station.

Q: Why is the Hallmark Channel now showing the movies beginning at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. etc.? They changed the time from the beginning of the year from even hour start times to odd hour start times. We are senior citizens and we go to bed at 10 p.m. We are missing some good movies especially on the weekends.

The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movies have 8 p.m. start times (even hour start times).

— Suzanne via email

Rob: The movies have different start times to avoid direct competition.

Only during “Countdown to Christmas” did the movie premieres start at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel; now they begin at 9 p.m. Saturday.

And during the holidays movie premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries didn’t start until 10 p.m. and are now on at 8 p.m. Sunday so across the two channels it’s kind of a wash.

Q: Wondering if the “Hallmark Home & Family” show will be back weekday mornings? It came back during pandemic for a while but then went off again and hasn’t been back.

— Nancy via Facebook

Rob: The show has not been canceled and it will be back but there’s not yet an ETA on when that might be.

Q: I have NEVER binged watch anything during this pandemic until a friend recommended “Outlander.” I watched the first several seasons on Netflix and was totally hooked. Then I actually paid for Starz to watch the last two seasons because it was that good. Since then, I have watched the free versions over and over! Please tell me that there will be more to the storyline?

— Suzanna, Oakmont

Rob: Production began earlier this year on season six of “Outlander” in Scotland. My guess is the first half of season six will premiere late this year.

Q: Why such a short season for NBC’s “Mr. Mayor”? I am really enjoying it and was sad to see a commercial for the season finale. Any word on a season two?

— Patrick via Facebook

Rob: “Mr. Mayor” had a nine-episode first season, which is short but not unusual for NBC’s prestige comedies. The first seasons of NBC’s “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” were only six episodes each.

In addition, “Mr. Mayor” was produced in a covid-19 environment so a short order isn’t surprising.

Ratings have been a mixed bag. It started strong, then dipped, then stabilized but ended on Feb. 25 sort of weak. Demo ratings have been decent but not spectacular and it gets a healthy delayed viewing lift so I expect “Mr. Mayor” will be renewed although NBC has not yet announced a renewal.

Creatively “Mr. Mayor” seemed to find its stride in its last few episodes of the first season, becoming funnier than it was in earlier episodes. I’m still not convinced the Holly Hunter character works, although Hunter’s Arpi also got better dialogue near the end of the season.