Q: Since she got an Oscar nomination and has been winning many awards for “I, Tonya,” will Allison Janney stay with “Mom”?

— Kate Johnson, Warren, Ohio

A: We’d expect so, should the CBS comedy be renewed again. Janney has been continuing her movie work throughout the run of the series, which also has brought her a bounty of honors — and the television role of Bonnie has given her plenty to do, in both comedic and dramatic terms. She’s an actress who clearly appreciates good writing, as her “I, Tonya” acceptance speeches indicated, so it would surprise us if she didn’t stay with “Mom” for as long as the show is around.

Q: Are Barba and the actor who plays him really gone from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”?

— Todd Dimmick, via email

A: Yes … though, with the way that franchise works, we’d never rule out a possible guest appearance down the road. (Consider that Sam Waterston returned as the mother ship’s Jack McCoy in that same episode.) The NBC series successfully kept under wraps the fact that Raul Esparza would be leaving until the early-February story aired.

It had been announced that Philip Winchester would transfer his “Chicago Justice” character to the show, but supposedly on a recurring basis rather than as a full replacement. However, that “SVU” tale gave his Peter Stone a considerable amount to do — including in the opening scene that literally laid his father, Ben Stone (represented by a portrait of actor Michael Moriarty), to rest — so eagle-eyed viewers might have suspected something more was up before the hour’s final scene confirmed Barba’s (and Esparza’s) exit.

Q: Why did CBS decide to do a celebrity version of “Big Brother”?

— Alice Kahn, Glen Burnie, Maryland

A: The idea didn’t originate completely with CBS, since other versions of the reality-competition series around the world have done installments featuring famous people. Julie Chen recently told us those behind the American version had thoughts of a star-driven “Big Brother” dating back to very early in the show’s run, with Roseanne Barr among those saying at the time that they’d be interested in participating.

What finally made the idea a reality this year was driven at least in part by programming needs, since it gave CBS a handy way to fill several hours per week with just one cost-efficient new series to counter NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. Just about everything else on CBS was a repeat during that period, and since “Big Brother: Celebrity Edition” got off to a fast and solid start, it did its intended job.

Q: How is Ryan Seacrest going to be able to handle hosting “American Idol” again while also doing “Live With Kelly and Ryan” every weekday?

— Mary Slade, Norman, Oklahoma

A: Don’t think that hasn’t been thought out by the powers that be, though Seacrest also was maintaining a very packed schedule during the Fox era of “Idol.” Admittedly, however, many of his activities (including the morning radio show that he now does from New York) were concentrated in and around Los Angeles.

It’s a given that Seacrest again will be woven into the new “Idol” season that starts March 11 on ABC, but a lot of those activities have been concentrated on weekends — from the auditions around the country to the actual airing of the episodes. Perhaps you’ll notice guest co-hosts with Kelly Ripa a little more often on Mondays, but that’s totally in the interest of Disney, which not only owns ABC but also produces and syndicates “Live.” And if it were anyone but the tireless Seacrest, we might question whether they could keep up with the pace, but that’s not an issue here.

Q: Seeing the ads for Holly Hunter’s series “Here and Now” made me wonder, when was her last series on?

— Greg Pace, via email

A: If you include one in which she wasn’t the top-billed star, that would have been Sundance Channel’s first “Top of the Lake” drama — which reunited the actress with the director who guided her to an Oscar for “The Piano,” Jane Campion — in 2013. Hunter did have the lead role, though, in the 2007-10 TNT drama “Saving Grace.” And on a different note, she supplied the voice of Mary Todd Lincoln for PBS’ six-part “American Experience” offering “Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided” in 2001.