TV Q&A: How lords get their name on 'Downton Abbey'

Q: On "Downton Abbey," why he is called Lord Grantham but his family name is Crawley?

A: Crawley is the family name. Earl of Grantham is the title held by Robert, which passes through heirs. Matthew Crawley was set to become the next of Earl of Grantham before his untimely death; Matthew and Mary's son is now due to receive the title.

As for why Robert is called Lord Grantham, the Royal Central website says, "In Britain Barons, Viscounts, Earls and Marquesses can be referred to as Lord X instead of by their full title — this is why you may have heard him called Lord Grantham and the Earl of Grantham throughout the show."

Q: I am looking for "A Walk in the Woods," with Nick Nolte and Robert Redford. It was supposed to be released in January. Did I miss it?

A: The film did appear in January — at the Sundance Film Festival. At the time of that showing, it was picked up for theatrical distribution beginning in September.

"A Walk in the Woods" is based on the humor-laden book of the same name by Bill Bryson, who described his attempt to walk the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. The cast also includes Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman and Kristen Schaal.

Q: Will "Red Band Society" be returning?

A: The Fox drama seems unlikely to return. Production was shut down after 13 episodes were made, and the last three were shown on Saturday night, often a dumping ground for unsuccessful shows. EW.com noted that the ratings started small and declined from there.

Q: I was wondering if "The Heights," which was canceled in middle of its first season, ever got a DVD release. Or is there some other way to view it?

A: "The Heights" was certainly a curious TV case. Airing on Fox in 1992, the drama about a fictional rock band generated a real-life No. 1 hit, "How Do You Talk to an Angel?" But you can have a hit record and still fail to collect enough viewers to succeed in TV, and the show was canceled after a few months on the air. That said, I do not know of an authorized release of the series for home viewing.

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rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.