TV Q&A: Liberty Mutual emu a mix of real and CGI bird (2024)

You have questions. I have some answers.

Q: Is the emu in that insurance commercial real or CGI?

A: The "LiMu Emu," featured in ads for Liberty Mutual Insurance, has been a big hit for the company, which has gotten requests for emu-themed merchandise and has plans for more emu commercials later this summer. As for how the emu appears in the ads, here's the word from Jenna Lebel, vice president, brand and integrated marketing for the company: "LiMu Emu is a mix of a real bird and CGI. Live emus were used during the initial shoot on set. The final images of the emu in the commercials are a blend of footage captured from the live emus and our digitally created emu. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (Liberty Mutual's advertising agency of record) collaborated with The Mill LA, a creative technology and visual effects studio, to bring LiMu Emu to life. For the commercials, the team created a digital model based on the live emu, which was used to supplement the footage."

Q: A lot of my friends loved watching the new TV show "The Village" and now we hear it was canceled! It was such a nice show about the people in a building and how their lives entwined with each other. Why was it canceled?

A: The ratings just were not good enough for NBC. While the show appeared likely to appeal to viewers of the NBC hit "This Is Us," it "got off to a slow ratings start" and did not really improve, Deadline.com reported. TVLine.com added that even the early numbers faded when the show had to stand on its own, without lead-in help from other, more established shows.

Q: Will "Power" and "Outlander" on Starz be coming back? Why do they take so long between seasons?

A: "Power" will be back on Aug. 25 for its sixth season, dubbed "the final betrayal" as it wraps up the series. Two more seasons of "Outlander," the fifth and sixth, have been ordered but I have not seen an airdate for its return. Shows these days do not always follow what we older TV viewers saw as routine schedules. Long gaps between seasons are not unusual, especially when the shows involve big stars with other commitments, elaborate locations, methodical writers and other challenges – or when programmers want to spread out the goodies in their lineups. For example, HBO's "Big Little Lies" with its array of award-winning stars went two years between the end of the first season and the beginning of the second.

Q: I love the series "Pure" on WGN America. Will there be a third season and, if so, when?

A: There's no word yet about the drama continuing.

Q: I was wondering if the TV show "Finder of Lost Loves" is available in DVD. It wasn't on very long in the '80s so I am not sure how many episodes there are. My daughter and I loved watching it. It had a very catchy theme song, too.

A: "Finder of Lost Loves" starred Tony Franciosa as a man devoted to reuniting loved ones; the cast also included Deborah Adair and Anne Jeffreys. It was one of the many shows producer Aaron Spelling was making for ABC, which also included "Dynasty" and "The Love Boat," but not one of the hits. "Finder" lasted only one season in 1984-85. That theme song you liked was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and performed by Dionne Warwick and Glenn Jones.

But ... I do not know of an authorized release of the show on DVD. There are some episodes available on YouTube; the audio and video are not great – but there are some old commercials in them, which may entertain.