RIPPED FROM THE BLOODLINES

During the run of 'The Larry Sanders Show', it bothered me that we were not being told the last name for Rip Torn's character Artie, who was producing Larry's talk show. (Artie - R.T., I guess?) With a last name, I could have looked for some kind of family ties for Arthur.

But as it turned out, maybe that's a good thing. Without a last name officially attached, I can make some improbable claim for his family background to link him to some other character.

And that's what I've done.

When Larry Sanders floated the idea of taking his talk show back to New York City, Arthur pointedly informed his star that he couldn't go back with him. He didn't give his reasons, but it sounded dark, as though there might have been some mob connection.

But it could be that he just couldn't go back where his twin brother already held incredible power in television broadcasting on the East Coast.

Don Geis is the head honcho at Toobworld's version of NBC, as seen on '30 Rock', and he may have poisoned the business against his twin brother so that Artie was basically blacklisted from ever working in New York again.

Not that Don Geis is actually evil. I suppose if there is an evil twin in that family, it would be Don and Artie's half-brother, Leon Lamarr. Lamarr killed his nephew (probably on his ex-wife's side of the family?) in order to gain his lottery winnings, with the help of his nephew's soon-to-be ex-wife who was Lamarr's lover. (This can be seen in "Columbo: Death Hits The Jackpot".)

BCnU!
Tele-Toby