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: Reruns like “The Big Bang Theory” and “Friends” are constantly on TV. Why are these on so often? I would love to watch reruns of “The Middle,” but I don’t see it broadcast anywhere. (I suppose it comes down to money somehow, but how is it determined which shows are rerun?)

— Mary Ann, via email

Rob: Like many things in life, TV is a popularity contest.

The most popular shows draw the most eyeballs, which means they also make the most money. “Big Bang” and “Friends” are popular; hence, they air more often. “The Middle” was syndicated to local stations in 2013 but it likely didn’t rate well, which is why you don’t see it on linear TV now.

But unlike some shows that never see the light of day again, “The Middle” is available with subscriptions to Amazon Prime via Prime Video and via subscription to Peacock.

Q: I am watching “NCIS: Origins.” Besides the foul language, I noticed something else that is questionable: One of the actors plays a young Mike Franks. Every once in a while, the actor lights a cigarette. I thought the SAG mandated that bad habit was to stop years ago amid health concerns because some scenes might need to be shot more than once before the director is satisfied. Or am I misunderstanding something?

— Jon, via email

Rob: There is no ban on smoking on TV or film via SAG or any other Hollywood entity, but generally actors do not smoke real cigarettes that contain tobacco or nicotine, instead using prop cigarettes. These substitutes are often herbal cigarettes that “usually contain marshmallow root, passion flower, cloves or jasmine,” per Backstage.com.

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Q: Do you know when new episodes of “The Morning Show” will be available on Apple TV+?

— Don, via email

Rob: When I first got this question, I could not get any answer from Apple, not even what year, even though it seemed obvious, based on the production schedule, that “The Morning Show” would return later in 2025. Now I can provide more information.

Apple TV+ announced last week “The Morning Show” will return for its 10-episode fourth season Sept. 17 with a two-year time jump from the events of season three.

Q: What happened to History Channel show “The Death Coast”? I was a treasure diver for Robert MacKinnon, the father of Capt. Jeff in the five-episode series. From what I understood, they had a seven- or eight-week window to recover treasure from the shipwreck. However, they had only shown five episodes and there was no real ending. Are there more episodes or was it poor ratings that caused the show to end so soon?

— Frank, via email

Rob: History has not determined if “The Death Coast” will return for a second season but it seems like the odds for the show to continue are not good, given that “Death Coast” was pulled from the schedule after its first five episodes.

The final three episodes air 11 a.m.-2 p.m. June 7. After that, those three episodes will be available to stream at history.com or via the History Channel app.

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