Q: It’s good to see Jessica Stroup in the new season of “The Following.” I know she was on “90210,” but what else has she done?

— Paul Darwin, Milwaukee

A: The actress has been quite active ever since she started her professional career about 10 years ago. She had guest roles on such series as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “True Blood” and (in voice only, of course) “Family Guy.” She’s also been in several movies, including a remake of “Prom Night,” “The Hills Have Eyes II” and a suspense film called “Homecoming” that seems to be shown every other week by either Lifetime or Lifetime Movie Network. Stroup also is evident in an office scene in the comedy hit “Ted,” playing a co-worker of Mila Kunis’ character.

Q: What happened to “Chicago Fire”? I thought it was a decent program.

— Carol Lackey, Auburndale, Fla.

A: NBC thought so, too … and still does, indicated not only by the series’ current second season but also by the fact it gave the show a spinoff (“Chicago PD,” which has fared well enough in its early going for the network to add two episodes to its initial order). “Fire” had some recent pre-emptions for coverage of the State of the Union address and the Winter Olympics, but it’s back now.

Q: Will PBS’s “Call the Midwife” be returning?

— Kirsten Newland, Brighton, Mich.

A: A special, stand-alone episode was shown during the holiday season to whet appetites for Season 3 of the series, which is set to begin March 30. The new episodes will move the characters to the brink of the decade known as the “Swinging ’60s” in England.

Q: Some years ago, I watched the movie “The Dollmaker” with Jane Fonda on television. Is it available on DVD? If not, will it ever be aired on TV again?

— Margi Memoli, Pottstown, Pa.

A: Regular readers know our response to “ever.” That is a long, long time, so there’s always a possibility something will be shown again. As for the immediate, measurable future, we have no indication of another telecast in this case.

An Internet search of the title will reveal DVD copies of “The Dollmaker,” but those look to have been made either from broadcasts or a VHS tape edition that was issued in 1992. As always, we advise caution in regard to those, since there isn’t the same quality guarantee as with a disc officially issued by a studio. The VHS version also can be found for purchase on the Web, but because it’s so rare now, it’s somewhat pricey.

Q: Have there been more repeats of shows than usual lately, or is it just me?

— Dave Peters, Buffalo, N.Y.

A: It’s definitely not just you. In fact, some networks took ratings hits in January by bringing back certain shows new for a week, then reverting to repeats for the following week or two — challenging viewers to figure out exactly when new episodes would be on.

The bounty of repeats was more expected in February, a “sweeps” month that usually sees mostly original episodes, since NBC had the Winter Olympics. Other networks typically use other product — repeats, movies, specials, etc. — against the games, which are tough to challenge in the ratings. That also gives the rival networks the chance to stockpile new episodes, so you should be seeing quite a few of those for the remainder of this television season.

Q: Are the “American Idol” judges enjoying working together as much as they appear to be this season?

— Jean Morris, Columbus, Ohio

A: Yes, from what Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. have told us. Urban appreciates that Connick’s process is much like his, analyzing how a contestant presents himself or herself — not just the vocal sound but the entire presentation, including how physically comfortable the performer is. That becomes apparent quickly when singing a cappella for three music stars (also including Jennifer Lopez, of course).

Connick is enjoying his first full-time “Idol” round, he explains, because it reminds him of the mentoring he got at the start of his career. He wants to fill that role for aspiring singers, and he accepts that means being honest — which he surely is.

— Email questions of general interest to tvpipeline@tribune.com. Writers must include their names, cities and states.