CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK - 4/24/06

When 'Love Monkey' premiered, I skipped it for a few weeks in order to see the entire Michael J. Fox arc on 'Boston Legal'. I intended to catch up with the Tom Cavanaugh series as soon as the four 'BL' eps were over, but I never got the chance - CBS yanked the 'Monkey' after only three episodes.

That in itself wasn't shocking - the "13 Weeks" concept is fast fading into legend. But that the Eye Network pulled it from the lineup before letting the fourth episode air was a surprise - because the showcase for one of the biggest stars on CBS was going to be prominently featured.

'LOVE MONKEY'
&
'THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN'

Luckily VH1 came to my rescue so that I could be "Linking the Monkey". (That just sounds so wraaaaaung!)

There's something to be said for monopolistic synergy, after all......

Tom Farrrell's manuevers to get his latest clients onto the Letterman show were nearly derailed by his re-involvement with the gorgeous lead singer of Gladwell. (A horrible band name, I think - it made me picture trash bags full of dietary cookies!)

Tom tried several schemes to get Gladwell heard by the show's booker (a very pregnant and very good Samantha Bee. If she doesn't return to 'The Daily Show' after she weans that Jason Jones spawn, somebody should get her cast into a sitcom ensemble!) He impersonated one of the delivery guys for Hello Deli, which was a great use of the location. All that was missing was an appearance by Rupert Jee.

David Letterman never made an appearance in the episode, but the presence of the "gap-toothed TV Boy" was definitely invoked. We did get Paul Shaffer, however, whose fictional televersion has known Tom Farrell for twelve years. And yet Tom still didn't know how to spell Paul's last name.

[I wonder what Toobworld event could have happened in 1994 at which Paul and Tom first met..... Any ideas out there?]

Like the 'Today' show, the 'Tonight' show, 'Jeopardy', 'Wheel Of Fortune', 'Password', and many other TV shows, 'The Late Show' has a fictionalized presence in Toobworld. And as such, it serves as the conduit to now link 'Love Monkey' to 'The Nanny', 'Murphy Brown', and 'The Larry Sanders Show'. (Both 'The Nanny' and 'Murphy Brown' have definitive links which connect them officially to the established views of the TV Universe in several different interpretations.)

So there you have it, this week's Top Crossover. And yet it's the altar boy in me that somehow feels guilty for "Linking the Monkey".

I keep checking the palms of my hands....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby