CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK

I've written in the past about the Divine intervention that I believe I receive when it comes to flipping channels; that I always hpapen to land on something I could use for Toobworld at just the right moment.

The way I figger it, a lot of planning Upstairs went into the latest example, and it came at the right time because I had bupkis for this week's Crossover.

I took Saturday night off from work so that I could go to Connecticut. I had been invited to the surprise birthday and retirement party for my friend Maurice Steinberg in Torrington. The change in my natural sleep habits (I work overnight) and all the travel did me in; so I was back at my sister's house by 9 pm.

As she isn't living there year round, my sister pays for minimal cable service and I was severely limited in what to watch. So I chose 'Medium' over the Britcoms on PBS.

'Medium' was a repeat of the season premiere, but it was new to me as I've only seen three other episodes. And had it not been for all of that set-up, getting my cosmic ducks and drakes in a row, I never would have known about the crossover!

Mrs. DuBois kept having this interrupted dream about a sperm bank in 1983. And in one of the rooms where a donor made his deposit, there was a pile of magazines for "inspiration". And at the top of that pile?
Playpen Magazine.

Playpen is a member of the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame, inducted with other publications like the National Inquisitor, the NY Ledger, the LA Sun and the LA Tribune. But Playpen has the most appearances in other TV shows.

'Ally McBeal' - Like on 'Medium', it was a source of inspiration. Ally smuggled a copy into prison so that a client could smuggle out a deposit to impregnate his wife.

'Renegade' - Reno had to protect the grande dame who owned the company.

'That Girl' - Ann Marie found her head superimposed on a nude centerfold's body.

'The X-Files' - Fox Mulder had a big collection of the magazine.

'Millennium' - A murder victim had an even bigger collection; he had a copy of every issue published up to the point of his death.

'CSI' - An issue was found during the execution of a search warrant following the death of a baby.

'Homicide: Life On The Street' - Meldrick claimed that he only read it for the articles. Uh-huh....

And it even surfaced in the Tooniverse, on an episode of 'Family Guy'.

Now, if only another show would have a character eating Nutty Nuggets for breakfast, like the D.A. of 'Medium', then the addition of this show to the official TV Universe might be more secure.

But I've also got an historical missing link based on location, location, location.

This episode featured Captain Push...... I'm thinking one of his ancestors founded the town of 'Push, Nevada'.......

BCnU!
Tele-Toby