Welcome to "Talk Time USA"! Hi, I'm Amber-Louise. And this is Jack.
Today's special guest got his name in outer space,
JACK:
No! I won't do it! George Takei is a prancing, giggling queen!
WILL:
Live long and prosper, Jack!
'Will & Grace'
During the entire year of 2004, even before "Inner Toob" had started up, the TV Crossover Hall of Fame celebrated/mourned the 35th anniversary of the cancellation of the original 'Star Trek' by inducting an original 'Trek' character (plus creator Gene Roddenberry) into the Hall each month.
But for the Birthday Honors that year, I inducted the original cast members into the hall based on their collective League of Themselves standings.
This year George Takei, who portrayed Hikaru Sulu, added to his roster of appearances as himself in the season finale of 'Psych'. He was the guest of honor at Tri-Con, a comic book convention held in Santa Barbara. (The timing for the episode wasn't bad - just a few weeks earlier here in the Trueniverse, the San Diego Comic-Con was held.)
Mr. Takei has to be saluted for poking fun at himself with his fictional televersion. In fact, he mentioned that aspect in an interview he did for a great online site called TVSquad (link to the left):
So I saw you guest star on 'Will & Grace' not too long ago.
George Takei:
The characters are named "George Takei", but it isn't me.
Of course not. It's his televersion.
In the 'Psych' finale, Mr. Takei was easily agitated over the smallest detail snafu or personal affront. For example, he was as obsessed over his choice of blueberries as Captain Queeg had been for his strawberries. Of course, he had been treated shabbily in the past when it came to the amenities for his personal appearances. When he appeared on Jack MacFarland's last episode of "JackTalk" (retitled "Talk Time USA") on OutTV, he was given a gift bag that contained only a half-eaten muffin and a dirty freezer bag. And Jack even took back the gift bag itself for his own use. ('Will & Grace')
Mr. Takei finally lost his cool when Gus deliberately called him "Chekov" as an insult. At least when Shawn referred to the actor as "Scotty" or "Bones", he was genuinely mistaken.
It seems sci-fi and comic book conventions have been the best way to see the televersion of George Takei in Toobworld:
"3rd Rock from the Sun"
- Hotel Dick (1996) TV Episode .... Himself
Aghast at the treatment of aliens in a hit science fiction movie, the Solomons attend a science fiction convention to try to set the record straight -- and Sally's first experience of hotels get her hooked on room service.
"Brotherly Love"
"The Comic Con" gs: George Takei [ Himself ]
Lies and deceptions multiply "like tribbles" when Lloyd meets a potential sweetheart on the Internet, and Matt tries to hid a blemish in anticipation of a first date.
As we don't always see what happens outside the camera's range in any particular TV show episode, it's always possible that Mr. Takei also appeared at a Miami 'Star Trek' convention during an episode of 'Nurses', at a Seattle sci-fi convention in a 'Frasier' episode, and at the San Diego Comic-Con when Dharma's friend Jane left "Mr. Whiskers" in Dharma's care.
Here are a few other shows in which George Takei appeared as himself, but for which I don't have the specifics for most of them as to how the actor fit into the episodes......
"Will & Grace"
- Buy, Buy Baby (2006) TV Episode .... Himself
George Takei makes a cameo appearance playing himself as a guest on a gay-themed talk show hosted by Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) on the fictional "OutTV" network.
"Alienated"
- The Weekly Inquisitor (2004) TV Episode .... Himself
After a supermarket tabloid publicizes the family's abductions, a crowd shows up at the Blundell house, hoping to be abducted.
"Watching Ellie"
- Fruit Shots (2003) TV Episode .... Himself
Ellie reluctantly takes a gig doing a commercial for a fruit juice containing alcohol that seems to be targeting teenagers. Meanwhile, Don Zimmerman and Ingvar get Ellie and Ben in on a sure bet - a race horse who is certain to win at the track thanks to a special veterinarian "elixir" that causes the horse to bolt.
"V.I.P."
- A.I. Highrise (2001) TV Episode .... Himself
V.I.P. are hired by Wilton Knight, the head of Trans Global Internet Finance, to test out the new security system on one of his buildings. While there Val, Quick, Kay and Dave, Wilton Knight's software developer, get trapped in the building with a group of thieves when the artificial intelligence program Dave created locks them in and tries to kill them because he thinks they're trying to destroy him. Meanwhile Tasha, Nikki and Johnny try get back a car that was stolen from the parking lot at Foam and discover that it was used to smuggle Viagra from Mexico into the states.
"Muppets Tonight"
- Episode #2.11 (1998) TV Episode .... Himself
"Homeboys in Outer Space"
- The Adventures of Ratman and Gerbil or, Holy Homeboys in Outer Space (1997) TV Episode .... Himself
gs: John Astin [ Rhymer ], Burt Ward [ Gerbil ], George Takei [ Himself ], Peter MacKenzie [ Ratman ]
Ty and Mo purchase the Ratman and Gerbil superhero franchise; little realizing the evil Rhymer has a villainous coalition ready to destroy them.
"Brotherly Love"
- The Comet (1996) TV Episode .... Himself
In addition, George Takei has a pen and ink identical twin over in the Tooniverse.....
"Futurama"
- Where No Fan Has Gone Before (2002) TV Episode (voice) .... Himself
As opposed to the future of 'Homeboys From Outer Space', Takei survives as just his head by the year 3000.
Don't read anything more into that.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
This is Sulu. An original member from a show called 'Star Trek'.
JACK:
Paper-mache rocks and Christmas lights poking through cardboard?
WILL:
It was about tolerance and acceptance, no matter what your color, species, or hairstyle.
GEORGE:
That's what the show was about? Well, now I'm glad I did it.
'Will & Grace'
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