WEEKLY ROUND-UP

"I just pretend it's not me.

If you start to play yourself, you second-guess yourself,

And you'll really look like a fool."

Joan Rivers

Here's a sampling of the things and events that helped to expand the TV Universe over the last week (or so):

THE GREAT LINK
Judge Amanda Anderlee (as played by Candice Bergen) presided over a murder case, making her debut in anticipation of the mid-season spin-off in which she will be appearing more often.
['Law & Order' & 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury']

THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
"You must be writing about another Ernie Anastos, in another New York City in a parallel universe, because the Ernie Anastos in this New York has been a ratings disaster in recent years."
- Stephen Wilson
in an E-mail to Richard Huff of the Daily News.

Jesse McCartney performed when Holly began promoting Ben's music.
['What I Like About You']

Joan Rivers visited Drs. McNamara and Troy to find out about getting work done which no one had ever considered before. She wanted to have all of her plastic surgereries undone.

Her reason? She wanted her grandson Cooper to understand that no one needed to be perfect.

But when she found out what she would look like after the procedure - hoo boy! So much for THAT idea!
['Nip/Tuck']

Although not seen, it was mentioned that John Glenn had once been a speaker at the school attended by the Kleinman kids. But the assembly shouted at him "Go back to the Moon!"

Senator Glenn pointed out that he had never been to the Moon, just before he ran crying from the stage.

This would be a link to 'Frasier' because the Senator visited the studios at KACL.
['Listen Up!']

CROSSOVER HALL OF FAME
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog added to his membership qualifications by leading the savage roast of Jay Mohr and the remaining contestants on 'Last Comic Standing'.

LA TRIVIATA
Aside from Robert McCallister in 2041, only one other president in the history of the United States had been a minister in his past life. And that was James Garfield.
['Jack & Bobby']

Will and Jack were part of a focus group for a new gay tv network: OUT-TV.

Among the possible shows that were suggested:

'Good Morning, Lesbians'
'Gay Jeopardy'
'The Price Is Right AND Gay'
'Shamed Family Feud'
'Big Gay Brother'
'Gay Ombudsman'
'Queer Factor'
['Will & Grace']

MISSING LINK
James Gandolfini appeared during Weekend News Update but was only identified as "an unidentified New Jersey resident".

But everything about him - what he said, how he dressed, how he carried himself, even the gift he brought Tina (a Sanyo DVD player), screamed "Bada Bing!"

So what's to stop us from assuming he was actually Tony Soprano?
('Saturday Night Live' & 'The Sopranos')

ZONKS
At an AA meeting, Val mentioned that she liked the motivational slogan "One Day At A Time" - because it was also a TV show.Grace pointed out that she liked the slogan "Cheers!" better and that it was a TV show too.

Karen was angered at her maid for not taping 'One Life To Live' for her.
[Both from 'Will & Grace']

CLASSIC ZONK
Sylvia Fine: Doctor, can you make me look like this?
Fran Fine: Linda Evangelista? Mom! He's not Doctor Bombay!
['The Nanny']

SPLAININS
Between the pilot and the first few episodes of 'Jack & Bobby', the older version of Marcus Ride was recast, from James A. Pickens, Jr. to Ron Canada.

I was offered a Splainin for this from someone who would have been supported by Archie Bunker, but I'm not going there.

Instead, I think the reason for the slight difference in looks can be attributed to a physical condition. Perhaps one similar to that suffered by Jerry Lewis, pulmonary fibrosis, in which the steroid treatment causes the patient to look bloated.
['Jack & Bobby']

In the aftermath of the crash of Oceanic 815, Hurley dubbed the dying federal marshal "Johnny Fever".

It's not likely we'll be learning everybody's secret on that island anytime soon - after all, the producers would like to stretch out this mystery for as long as they can. So until such time as we find out where Hurley is from, I'd like to think that he grew up in the Cincinnatti, Ohio, area. That would be where he heard the legendary deejay, Dr. Johnny Fever, on WKRP-FM.

If this proves not to be the case, we can still play out that theory. It could be that wherever Hurley is from, Dr. Johnny Fever ended up there after he left KRP. After all, we haven't seen Johnny since 1993 when he was working the graveyard shift (aka 'the lobster trick') at WKRP. He could have moved on since then to several other stations; any of which could have counted on Hurley as a listener.
['Lost' & 'WKRP In Cincinnatti']

OBITUARIES
Mary Alice Young committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. Not that it kept her from hanging around Wisteria Lane and commenting on the lives of her former friends and neighbors.
['Desperate Housewives']

The Federal Marshal who was escorting Kate back to prison was dying from the shrapnel that had pierced his chest during the crash of Oceanic 815. And then, thinking that he was doing the guy a favor, Sawyer shot him with the last bullet in the gun. But that only punctured his lung, making his inevitable death even more painful. (It's possible that Jack delivered the coup de grace even though it went against everything that he believed in as a doctor.)
['Lost']

Remember - I can't watch everything, so if you found something trivial of interest in the shows that you watch, contact me and let me share them with the other visitors to the TV world.

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

"Your mind is an open book, with large print and lots of pictures!"
- Maldis
'Farscape'