Q I'm a big fan of The District with Craig T. Nelson. Each episode ends with a notation: "For Jack Maple, who lived it." Who was he?
—Maxine McNeese, Madison, Ind.
Maple, a crusading, crime-busting New York City deputy police commissioner, was the inspiration behind Nelson's character on The District. He also was co-creator of the show and technical adviser until his death in 2001 of colon cancer.