AULD LANG ZONK

'MY FAMILY', 'THE SOPRANOS'

This will be my last post of the year, as I'll be away from Toobworld Central for the day tomorrow. So I thought I'd take this moment to dismantle one last Zonk threat to the integrity of the TV Universe....

SUSAN HARPER:
"You're a suburban dentist, not Tony Soprano."
BEN HARPER:
"We both kill people."
'My Family'

For the benefit of the audience viewing at home, that was meant to be just a joke reference to HBO's 'The Sopranos', which I guess has found a home on British TV. But within their own reality, Tony Soprano is a real American mobster who has gained fame - and infamy! - not just in New Jersey, but in England as well.

This shouldn't be a surprise, as American gangsters, both real and imagined, have long held the attention of the world. I'll bet that even in Calcutta, people know of Al Capone, Don Corleone, and John Gotti.

So why not Tony Soprano? He's certainly gaining more notoriety even as he tries to maintain a low profile behind the scenes in the mob. But after being shot and nearly murdered by his uncle Corrado Soprano, Tony's story was broadcast as news and probably transmitted across the wires to be picked up by news services all around the globe, if they desired.

Therefore, Ben and Susan Harper would have heard of Tony Soprano and his reputation as a mobster, and so both of them were able to play off of that.

And therefore, no Zonk!

Happy New Year!

BCnU!
Tele-Toby