ASNER AS....

I mentioned in my "Dateline Toobworld" piece yesterday that I was leaning toward Joe Danzig of 'The Bronx Zoo' as the character Ed Asner is playing as the unbillbed juror in that 1957 'Studio One' episode "The Defender".

And perhaps he was - over in the TV dimension where that episode can be found. (Sorry, but even though it arrived afterwards, the TV series of 'The Defenders' must occupy Earth Prime Time!)

I guess I was thinking in terms of 'The Defender' taking place in NYC. But I imagine the re-imagined editing for the scenes used in 'Boston Legal' - turning Kenneth Preston into Denny Crane, for instance, - might be situated in Boston now.

So with that in mind, I've taken up a suggestion from Dana, who runs boston-legal.org. Dana pointed out that Asner played a judge on 'The Practice', from which 'Boston Legal' sprang.

Actually he played two judges. He was the Honorable Marcus Winnaker for three episodes in 2004, and the Honorable Matlin Platt in 1997 or 1998.

My memory's vague on both characters, but I'd go with Marcus Winnaker, if only for the number of episodes and even more so because of the name. Matlin Platt? Bleeech. One of the worst I've ever heard!

So it could be that IF Ed Asner survives the editing process to be seen in the flashbacks from that 'Studio One' episode, then he was serving as a juror by the name of Marcus Winnaker!

It's much simpler that way. No sense trying to drag in some other TV character just to make a link and then jumping through hoops to splain the reasoning!

BCnU!
Tele-Toby