THE FINAL TWD: THE 2008 HAT SQUAD

I waited until the last day of 2008 to post this, unlike most entertainment sources (not that I can claim to be one!) who posted about a week before Christmas and thus missed names like Eartha Kitt and Harold Pinter.

I'm not claiming my list is complete, but I didn't leave anybody off because they might have been deemed by others as being too trivial to consider. Toobworld is trivia of epic proportions and "Inner Toob" is a place where they can get some recognition.

If I missed anybody, please let me know and I'll add them in. They probably just never crossed my radar space.

Not everybody has a credit next to their names, just those for whom I probably needed a reminder.......

ACTORS
Maila Nurmi (Vampira)
Allan Melvin
George Keymas (Eye of the Beholder leader, TZ)
Suzanne Pleshette
Lois Nettleton
Heath Ledger
Jack Eagle (Brother Dominic)
Kevin Stoney
Barry Morse
Shell Kepler
Louisa Horton Hill
Christopher Allport
Timothy Stetson
Margaret Truman
Kathryn Ish
Augusta Dabney (Loving for 12 years)
Roy Scheider
Emily Perry (Dame Edna's sidekick Madge Alsopp)
Robert DoQui
Perry Lopez
Mary Barclay (Crossroads)
Lionel Mark Smith
John Bliss (Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide)
Eva Dahlbeck (The Markurells of Wadkoping)
Gloria Cromwell (Kate & Allie)
Jim Begg
Charlton Heston
Richard Widmark
Estelle Getty
Stanley Kamel
Madeline Lee Gilford (Jack's widow, judge on L&O)
Stephen Oliver (Peyton Place)
John Phillip Law
Harvey Korman
Bob Anderson (young George Bailey, Spin & Marty)
Terry Duggan (X Files)
Bruce Purchase (Doctor Who)
George Carlin
Dody Goodman
Don S. Davis
John Furlong
Henry Beckman
Lilyan Chauvin (Joey's Grandmother, Friends)
Clive Hornby (Emmerdale)
Larry Haines (Search For Tomorrow)
Keith Charles (Guiding Light)
Greg Burson (Bugs Bunny, Foghorn Leghorn, Huckleberry Hound, Mr. Magoo)
Elizabeth Spriggs (Shine On, Harvey Moon)
Hugh Lloyd
George Furth
Bernie Mac
Isaac Hayes
Julius Carrey
Jeff McKay
Fred Crane
Ruth Cohen (Seinfeld cashier)
Michael Pate
Mark Priestley (All saints)
Eva Pflug (German series "Space Patrol")
Richard Monette (Adderly, Peep Show)
Paul Newman
Irene Dailey
Eileen Herlie (All My Children)
Gil Stratton Jr. (My Little Margie, Life With Luigi)
Edie Adams
Ken Ogata
Odetta
Beverly Garland
Nina Foch
Robert Prosky
Van Johnson
Kathy Staff (Last Of The Summer Wine)
Sam Bottoms (East Of Eden)
Majel Barrett Roddenberry
John Costelloe ('The Sopranos')
Eartha Kitt
Bernie Hamilton

ACTOR/WRITERS
Bill Idelson (Herman Glimsher, 'The Dick Van Dyke Show')
Alex Sharp (Bonanza)
Kate Phillips (the Blob, Riverboat)

ACTOR/DIRECTORS
Ivan Dixon
George Tyne
Dick Martin
Sidney Pollack

PERSONALITIES
Boyd Coddington (American Hot Rod)
Mark Speight (Brit presenter)
Joe Feeney (Lawrence Welk show singer)
Don Gillis (Boston sports)
Jim Hager (Hee Haw)
Eddy Arnold
Les Crane
Walter "Killer" Kowalski (wrestler from the 50s)
Jerry Reed
Don LaFontaine
Lloyd Thaxton
Charles Runyon (Chucko the Clown)
Engineer Bill Stulza
Jack Narz
Levi Stubbs

WRITERS
James Costigan ("Love Among The Ruins")
Edward D. Hoch (mystery writer)
Robert Guy Barrows (Big Valley, Alias Smith and Jones, The Fugitive)
Phil Dusenberry (Pepsi & GE slogans)
Robert Cuniff (Sesame Street, Today show)
Ron Leavitt (Married with Children creator)
Harry Kleiner
Richard Baer (F Troop, Bewitched)
WC Heinz aka Richard Hooker (original MASH)
Malvin Wald (Naked City)
Arthur C. Clarke
Anthony Minghella
Raymond Goldstone (Knot's Landing, Falcon Crest)
Abby Mann (Kojak, Judgement at Nuremberg)
Johnny Byrne (Space: 1999)
Jack Hanrahan (comedy writer)
Ted Key (cartoonist who created "Hazel")
Richard DeRoy (Twilight Zone, 'Name Of The Game)
Sandy Howard
Bill Dial (WKRP in Cincinnatti (turkeys episode)
Mark Tuttle Sr. (Beverly Hillbillies)
Eliot Asinof - Maverick, Eight Men Out
Irving Pearlberg (Columbo, Alias Smith & Jones, Ironside)
Michael Turner (comic book artist, Witchblade)
Tad Mosel (Playhouse 90, Studio One)
Sheldon Keller (Dick Van Dyke show)
Oliver Crawford (Bonanza, Wild, Wild West, Star Trek)
Studs Terkel
Tony Hillerman
Michael Crichton (ER)
Harold Pinter

ANIMATORS
Bill Melendez (voice of Snoopy)
Gary Mooney (George of the Jungle)
Oliver Postgate (Bagpuss)

DIRECTORS
Dwight Hemion (The Tonight Show, Color Me Barbra, Frank Sinatra: A Man And His Music)
Kirk Browning (Live From Lincoln Center)
Paul Louis Tayler (Face The Nation, Nightwatch)
Herbert Kenwith (Star Trek, MTM, Here's Lucy)
Alex Grasshoff (Rockford Files, Toma, Kolchak)
Jack Roe (Big Valley)
Dick McDonough (Death Valley Days)
Joseph Pevney ('Star Trek')
Robert Calhoun ('As The World Turns', 'Guiding Light')
Claudio Guzman ('I Dream of Jeannie')
Dave Powers ('Carol Burnett Show')
Geoff Theobald (Let's Make A Deal)

PRODUCERS
Catherine Wearing (UK)
Carl Pingitore (Fantasy Island)
Milton Ebbins (The Thin Man)
Lawrence Hertzog (Nowhere Man)
Sophie B. Altman
David Mitton (co-created Thomas The Tank Engine)
Tony Schwartz (created the Johnson "Daisy" ad)
Yannah Kroy Brandt ('The American Experience')
Eric Lieber (Omnibus, Love Connection)
Jim Gates (The ABC Afterschool Specials)
Andrew Ackerman (Eli Stone)
Robert Monroe (Jigsaw John)
E. Roger Muir ('Howdy Doody', 'Concentration')
Robert Chandler (created '60 Minutes' format)

EXECUTIVES
Terrence Elkes (Viacom President, 1980s)
Steve Levin (SI TV, Telemundo, WNJU)
Paul Tilley (ad exec, created "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell" & "I'm Lovin' It")
Charles M. Smith (ABC veep)
John Jay Iselin (WNET innovator)
James Day (PBS executive & host)
Clay Whitehead (Nixon's telecom advisor)
Geoffrey Perkins (BBC Head of Comedy)
Mel Harris (Paramount, Sony Television)
Lou Dorfsman (CBS interior designer)

NEWSCASTERS & COMMENTATORS
John McWethy (ABC)
William F. Buckley
Ron Stone (Houston, 30 years)
Tim Russert
Jim McKay
Charlie Jones (football announcer, abc & nbc)
Neil McNeill
Sir Charles Wheeler (BBC news presenter)
Tony Snow
George Putnam (LA news legend)
Bob Friend (SkyNews presenter)
John Leonard (CBS Sunday Morning TV critic, book critic)

CREW
Gayne Rescher - Cinematographer (The Day After)
Trevor Williams - designer/art director (Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker)
Wade Battley - art designer (Days Of Our Lives)
John McPherson
Kermit Love - ballet costume designer, designer of Big Bird
Gerald Wilson - editor on 'Washington: Behind Closed Doors', 'Ozzie & Harriet'

COMPOSERS
Earle Hagen (DVD Show, Andy Griffith, I Spy, That Girl)
Alexander Courage (Star Trek)
David Kahn ('Leave It To Beaver')
Neal Hefti ("Batman", "The Odd Couple"

MUSICIANS
Hiram Bullock ('Late Night Orchestra' for Letterman - guitarist)
Levi Stubbs

TV COLUMNISTS
Mark Schwed

AGENTS
J. Michael Bloom
Warren Cowan

May God Bless.....

BCnU....
Toby O'B

TRUE BLOOD OF HEROES

I had decided earlier this year that it was time to banish 'Heroes' to another TV dimension. At least from the point that Future Hiro came back in Time to warn Peter about what was going to happen. After that, a new timeline was created and we've not been watching the same "heroes" from the beginning of the series. (Well, you haven't been watching the same heroes. I stopped watching altogether earlier this season.)

The dimensional change is best illustrated by the fact that Bruce Boxleitner has been on the series as the Governor of New York, and Michael Dorn apparently has shown up as the President. It's a Toobworld rule of thumb that the President of the United States in the main Toobworld, Earth Prime-Time, must be the same as in the real world. (This is because too many sitcoms and dramas will be making references to the current Commander-In-Chief, and that will be especially true, I'm sure, once Barack Obama is in office!)

As for the Governor of New York, I'd prefer that it be David Paterson, but his appearances on the local news and on the national stage (due to the Democratic Convention) are trumped by Tom Everett Scott's portrayal of Governor Donald Shalvoy on 'Law & Order'. It's always possible that one day a sitcom will make mention of Governor Paterson (his predecessor, for obvious reasons, already was), and I'll just have to deal with it then. (Fred Armisen's lampooning of him on 'Saturday Night Live' doesn't count, as that would take place in the sketch comedy dimension, "Skitlandia".)

My decision to relegate 'Heroes' to another dimension was made easier by a recent episode of 'True Blood'. I'm only catching up now on the last seven episodes of the series, thanks to the holiday hiatus, and have just met a character played by Stephen Root. Eddie is a vampire who was "embraced" in middle age at some point in the past, and whose sexual preference is for men. Currently, he's been enjoying the weekly visitation by Lafayette Reynolds, who also procures a vial of Eddie's blood to sell as "V".

But Lafayette's "talents" aren't the only things Eddie likes about Monday nights.....

Eddie:
"I always look forward to Monday night.
First 'Heroes' then ... you."

So I could have gone into a long, drawn-out splainin as to how the 'Heroes' mentioned by Eddie was not the same show as the one we watch in the real world. That it could have been a sports show, or a documentary series, or a game show. But in the end, it's not worth the bother if it's not Zonking the integrity of Earth Prime-Time.

At any rate, based on this picture of Eddie with Jason Stackhouse and Amy Burley (a Nutmeg State native!) from the next episode I'll be watching, it doesn't look like Eddie will be watching any version of 'Heroes' for very much longer.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B

CINEMATIC RICHES

Eddie Izzard announced that he'll be making a movie version of 'The Riches', the cancelled FX series about a family of "travellers" (con artists/gypsies) who settled into a gated community under new identities where they adapted their way of life to their benefit.

"We've had the meeting and the writers are going to go off and slam out a story," Izzard told the BBC. "We're going to raise money like Barack Obama through the internet, and we're going to shoot it guerilla-style; using gorillas to actually shoot it. We're going to give them cameras...

"No, we're going to just get in there and maybe not have permission to do things, but just film it. People will be going, 'Who are they? Who are they?'"

He plans on doing it that way because of the current economic crisis. "Everything's getting tight, money's getting tight and there's the credit crunch - so it's the time to go out and be inventive."

Because of that strategy, I think it's far more likely we'll be seeing a movie version of 'The Riches' long before we ever see a film based on 'Arrested Development' which keeps popping up in the news at least once a month.

So long as the original cast is involved in the movie, or at the very least, no original characters are recast, there should be no problem in poaching the movie version of 'The Riches' from the "Cineverse" and smuggling it over the border into Toobworld. But if they end up recasting Gregg Henry's or Todd Stashwick's roles, or those of any of the kids, then we'll just leave it where it is as the counterpart to the TV series.

BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: THE POTUS

With 2008 winding down, two things are coming to an end for Toobworld Central: the Daily Tiddlywinkydink and the presidency of George W. Bush. And I am looking forward to both!

We have to wait a few more weeks before "W" is finally out of office, but in the meantime, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the fictional presidents from the alternate dimensions of Earth Prime-Time. The names are grouped according to the dimensions in which they should be found. Some are officially linked together this way (the POTUSii of '24', 'Commander In Chief', and 'The West Wing'), but others are my own theories of relateeveety.

I've lifted most of this list from Wikipedia, but that's okay - if the President of Toobworld Central does it, it's not illegal!

Earth Prime-Time (Revised) Dimension:
Ken Kercheval
President Cliff Barnes (a what-if scenario)
'Dallas' - "Conundrum"

Ford Rainey
President Henry Talbot McNeil
'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'
&
President McNeil's son (?)
'Lost in Space'

(President McNeil served from the late 1960's into the early 1970's. The POTUS for 'Lost In Space' would be from 1997. Considering the strong echoes in tele-genetics, and since '24' - as well as the real world! - offers a precedent in several family members being the President, I don't have a problem with Rainey's appearance on 'Lost In Space' being a son, maybe a nephew, two decades later. In the end, it doesn't matter since that aspect of the main Toobworld's timeline was radically revised - either by a time-traveling 'Journeyman', or by a quirk caused in the 'Primeval' past.)

The West Wing Dimension:
Martin Sheen
President Josiah Bartlet
'The West Wing'

Jimmy Smits
President Matthew Santos
'The West Wing'

John Goodman
Acting President Glen Allen Walken
'The West Wing'

James Cromwell
former President D. Wire Newman
'The West Wing'

The Commander In Chief Dimension:
Geena Davis
President Mackenzie Allen
'Commander in Chief'

Will Lyman
President Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) Bridges
'Commander in Chief'

The Stargate Dimension:
Beau Bridges
President Hank Landry
'Stargate SG-1'

Ronny Cox
President Robert Kinsey
'Stargate SG-1'

William Devane
President Henry Hayes
'Stargate SG-1'

The '24' Dimension:
Dennis Haysbert
President David Palmer
'24'

Geoff Pierson
President John Keeler
'24'

Gregory Itzin
President Charles Logan
'24'

D.B. Woodside
President Wayne Palmer
'24'

Cherry Jones
President Allison Taylor
'24'

Movies of the Week Dimension:
Carroll O'Connor
President John P. Wintergreen
"Of Thee I Sing"

Jason Robards
President Richard Monckton
"Washington: Behind Closed Doors"

Hal Holbrook
President Maxwell Monroe
"Under Siege"

Gregory Harrison
President Jonathan Hayes
"First Daughter"
"First Target"
"First Shot"

Robert Urich
President Adam Mayfield
"The President's Man : A Line In The Sand"

Ralph Waite
President Mathews
"The President's Man"

Dabney Coleman
President Richmond
"My Date with the President's Daughter"

'The Agency'/'The District'/'Prison Break' dimension:
Never Shown
President Morland
'The Agency'

Patricia Wettig
President Caroline Reynolds
'Prison Break'

Sitcom POTUS dimension:
Patty Duke
President Julia Mansfield
'Hail to the Chief'

George C. Scott
President Samuel A. Tresch
'Mr. President'

Gary Cole
President Mike Brady
"The Brady Bunch in the White House"

John D'Aquino
President Richard Martinez
'Cory in the House'

Catastrophic Storm Dimension:
Beau Bridges
President Paul Hollister
"10.5"

Other Dimensions:
Robert Foxworth
President Charles Halsey
'The Outer Limits' - "Trial By Fire"

Paul Frees
President James Norcross (from the Tooniverse)
'Super President'

William H. Macy
The President
'The Unit'

Barry Morse
President Johnny Cyclops
'Whoops Apocalypse'

Michael Dorn
The President
'Heroes'

And then there's the "Doofus Dimension", in which the established Presidents of the real world and Toobworld are portrayed as idiots. This would include 'That's My Bush!' [for W] and 'The Secret Files Of Desmond Pfeiffer' [for Abraham Lincoln].

BCnU!
Toby O'B

2009 BAKER STREET

Stephen Moffat, the British writer who brought us 'Coupling' and some of the best episodes in the revived series of 'Doctor Who', will be taking on the role of show-runner for that sci-fi series once Russell T. Davies finally takes his death grip off the controls. But Moffat won't be just focused on 'Doctor Who'; he'll also be updating the story of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson to modern times, just as he did for the story of 'Jeckyll'.

Bernard Cumberbatch, whom I just saw in the 2003 series 'Fortysomething', will be Sherlock Holmes, the great consulting detective, while Martin Freeman, of the original 'The Office' and (unfortunately) that horrid movie adaptation of 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy', will be Dr. Watson.

In Moffat's script for the pilot, even some of the situations established in the Conan Doyle canon will be updated along with the characters. For instance, Holmes was able to ascertain that Watson was recently returned from service in Afghanistan, where he was wounded in the Battle of Maiwand. This works nicely for the modern version, as troops are still serving in Afghanistan....

If the BBC likes what they see - and hey! It's the Grand Moff writing this! - they will order a full series.

If so, I'm thinking that it just may be possible to keep the series in the main Toobworld, rather than depositing it into some alternate TV dimension, like the one for updated TV remakes where shows like this usually go.

Toobworld has a habit of rewinding past lives and situations and letting them play out again. We're seeing that happen even now with the American version of 'Life On Mars'; for a while, the plots of the US copy of 'The Office' followed those of the original.

So why couldn't it be that these "Fabulous Baker Street Boys" are descendants of the originals? Destined by the Fates to relive the adventures shared by their great(plus) grand-sires? As such, we can not only link them to the Jeremy Brett incarnation of the Great Detective, but it could stave off any Zonks caused by mentions in other Toobworld series of the original Holmes and Watson. (The existence of the original stories has long been splained away as being written by Dr. Watson, and that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle merely served as their literary agent.

The game's afoot!

BCnU!
Toby O'B

THE PASSWORD IS "HISTORY"

I'm not much of a fan for game shows as far as they relate to Toobworld on their own. There are the exceptions - like when 'Jeopardy' is incorporated into the plot of 'Cheers', or the use of 'Wheel Of Fortune' in 'L.A. Law', or when 'Mama's Family' of the Harpers competed on 'Family Feud'. 'The Odd Couple' of Felix and Unger got dressed up for 'Let's Make A Deal' and even exchanged clues on 'Password'.

And speaking of 'Password', the show is back on CBS in primetime as 'Million Dollar Password', with Regis Philbin hosting. And on the recent episode, his celebrity guests were Adam Carolla and TV Crossover Hall of Famer Betty White.
Betty White's history with 'Password' is deep - especially so, as she married the former host, the late Allan Ludden. And not only did she appear in over forty episodes of the original series, but she and her husband appeared as themselves in that 'Password' episode of 'The Odd Couple'.

To honor her past association with the game show, Regis showed a very moving clip of one episode's finale in which Betty White asked Allan Ludden to take her home. It was the first show they did as husband and wife, having been married only hours before. They literally taped the program as soon as they got to the studio, right off the airplane.
It was a really sweet moment......

And I can state definitely that it ranks as the best game show moment of the year for Toobworld, beating out even the recent win on 'The Price Is Right' in which the contestant came up with the exact figure of his showcase - thus winning both of the showcases!

Just one thing - an open plea to the producers of this new version...... Provide some seats for your contestants! Betty White is 80something! She shouldn't be forced to stand during the game!

Just sayin', is all.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: MADAME DE POMPADOUR

December 29, 1721:

Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV of France is born. (d. 1764)

The Marquise de Pompadour was an accomplished woman, responsible for the development of the manufactory of Sèvres, which became one of the most famous porcelain manufacturers in Europe and which provided skilled jobs to the region. She had a keen interest in literature: she had known Voltaire before her ascendancy, and the writer, essayist, philosopher apparently advised her in her courtly role. She also discreetly endorsed Diderot's Encyclopédie project.

After the War of the Austrian Succession, when economy was the thing the French state needed most, she drew more and more resources into the lavish court. Her influence over Louis increased markedly through the 1750s, to the point where he allowed her considerable leeway in the determination of policy over a whole range of issues, from military matters to foreign affairs.

Mme de Pompadour was a woman of verve and intelligence. She planned buildings like the Place de la Concorde and the Petit Trianon with her brother, the Marquis de Marigny. She employed the stylish marchands-merciers, trendsetting shopkeepers who turned Chinese vases into ewers with gilt-bronze Rococo handles and mounted writing tables with the new Sèvres porcelain plaques. Numerous other artisans, sculptors and portrait painters were employed, among them the court artist Jean-Marc Nattier, François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste Réveillon and François-Hubert Drouais.
[edited from Wikipedia]

Madame de Pompadour has been depicted on screen in the movie universe on many occasions, beginning with Madame Pompadour in 1927, in which she was played by Dorothy Gish.

Other actresses to have played her include:

Anny Ahlers

(Die Marquise von Pompadour, 1931);

Jeanne Boitell,

(Remontons les Champs-Élysées, 1938);

Micheline Presle,

(Si Versailles m'était conté, 1954);

Monique Lepage,

(Le Courrier du roy, 1958);

Elfie Mayerhofer

(Madame Pompadour, 1960);

Noemi Nadelmann

(Madame Pompadour, 1996);

Hélène de Fougerolles

(Jeanne Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, 2006).

For Toobworld, she has been portrayed by:

Katja Flint

. . . Giovane Casanova, Il (2002)

Carole Franck

. . . "Nicolas Le Floch" (2008)

{L'homme au ventre de plomb (#1.1)}

Monique Lepage

. . . "Courrier du roy, Le" (1958)

But it was her portrayal by Sophia Myles in the 'Doctor Who' episode of "The Girl In The Fireplace" that Toobworld Central prefers, since it so wonderfully intertwined the life of her televersion with that of one of the greatest of TV characters......

In the court of Versailles the dignitary of France are running for their lives. Chased by an unseen pursuer the masked entourage tear down the corridors of the palace. In one of the rooms of the court King Louis XV is warning his mistress Madame de Pompadour that they are under attack by inhuman creatures that can’t be stopped.

Madame de Pompadour however is more concerned with the clock on the mantle, which stands with its face cracked. She states that the clock is broken, he is coming. Louis rants in disbelief but she turns to him, and tells him that a man is coming to Versailles, a man who has watched over her her entire life and he will not let her down now. Louis asks exactly who this man is and she explains that he is the only other man apart from him she has ever loved. He glares at her but she stops him before he can speak. She tells him to go to his queen and then turns to the fireplace below the mantle, staring into the flames.

She calls out, asking if the man is there and if he is listening. She explains the clock is broken; it is time. He promised. She calls out to him again. She calls out to the Doctor…
[from "The Doctor Who Reference Guide"]

BCnU!
Toby O'B

PS:

As one of the last in the 2008 series of daily Tiddlywinkydinks, this serves as a preview for two features in 2009's Inner Toob: the daily "As Seen On TV", and the second annual "Who's On First" for January 1st.....

"LOST" IN THE BUY MORE!

The Christmas-themed episode of 'Chuck' for this year ("Chuck vs. Santa Claus") gave us more than just a great movie crossover in Al Powell and a heart-breaking rift between Chuck and Sarah. There was also a reference to "the Numbers" from 'Lost'!

My thanks to Sean, the Little Buddy to my Skipper and father of my god-daughter Rhiannon, for supplying me with the frame grab!


BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: DIAMOND JIM BRADY

The year of the Daily Tiddlywinkydink experiment is running down in "Inner Toob", and I don't think I'll be continuing on with it into 2009. This past week has been a good example in that I wasn't sure I'd find the topics to write about each day. And to do it all over again for the next? No thanks!

I may do something along the lines of As Seen On TV instead, in which a diffferent famous person is shown as portrayed by an actor on TV. We'll see.....

Thanks to Time Warner Cable giving out with the special preview weekend of over 40 premium cable channels, I was able to grab some stuff to watch, especially 'Bat Masterson', 'Gene Autry', and 'Maverick' from the Westerns channel. And there I found the subject for today's Tiddlywinkydink, Diamond Jim Brady, an old friend of Bart Maverick's.......

James Buchanan Brady (12 August 1856 – 13 April 1917), also known as Diamond Jim Brady, was an American businessman, financier, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age.

Born in New York City to a modest household, Brady worked his way up from bellboy and messenger. After gaining employment in the New York Central Railroad system, he became the chief assistant to the general manager by the age of 21. At 23, Brady parlayed his knowledge of the railroad industry and its officials to become a highly successful salesman for Manning, Maxwell and Moore, a railroad supply company

Known for his penchant for jewels, especially diamonds, he collected precious stones and jewelry in excess of US$ 2 million (adjusted for 2005 dollars, approx. $50 million).

Brady's enormous appetite and resultant girth were as legendary as his wealth. It was not unusual for Brady to eat enough food for ten people at a sitting. George Rector, owner of a favorite restaurant, described Brady as "the best 25 customers I ever had". A typical Brady breakfast would be: eggs, pancakes, pork chops, cornbread, fried potatoes, hominy, muffins, and a beefsteak. For refreshment, a gallon of orange juice—or "golden nectar", as he called his favorite drink. Lunch might be two lobsters, deviled crabs, clams, oysters and beef, with a few pies for dessert. The usual evening meal began with an appetizer of two or three dozen oysters, six crabs, and a few servings of green turtle soup, followed by a main course of two whole ducks, six or seven lobsters, a sirloin steak, two servings of terrapin and a host of vegetables. For dessert, the gourmand enjoyed pastries and a two pound box of candy.

"Diamond Jim" is also known for his romantic association with singer Lillian Russell, a famously voluptuous beauty of the era. It is said that her eating habits were a perfect match for his own.

A gregarious man, Brady was a mainstay of Broadway nightlife. He often dined with popular society. After further investments in the stock market, Brady accumulated wealth estimated at $12 million. He was also known for being the first person in New York City to own an automobile (in 1895).

Thank you, Wikipedia....

In the last episode of the 'Maverick' series, Diamond Jim was portrayed by Barrey Kelley. Although their paths didn't cross later, both Diamond Jim and Bart Maverick appeared in the TV movie "Gambler 4 - Luck of the Draw". (For that, Dion Anderson played Mr. Brady.)

BCnU!
Toby O'B

MISSED KITTY

Recastaways in 'Batman' were never a problem when it came to the Riddler or the Catwoman, as the name is an occupation title; anyone could be those characters. (Mr. Freeze, on the other hand, did need extra splainin, as they should all be the same man - and yet three different actors played the role.)

Frank Gorshin was the original Riddler, but at one point the role was played by John Astin. No problem - Gomez Addams was hit on the head and not only lost his memory but also became eeeeevil! I covered this back in 2005.

As for Catwoman, I believe I covered this as well, but perhaps not since the days of the old Tubeworld Dynamic website.

The first Catwoman was portrayed by Julie Newmar, perhaps appearing as Selena Kyle. But she died when she fell in the caverns underneath stately Wayne Manor. That left the persona of the Catwoman available for some other feline-oriented villainess.

Enter Tina Mara.....
'Mission: Impossible' - "The Traitor"
An American agent defects, and Briggs and his team must stop some secret information that the agent carries falling into enemy hands. In order to get into the embassy's air conditioning system, IMF agent Tina Mara is recruited, and Barney guides her through the system by radio. Rollin poses as a code breaker, Dan and Cinnamon pretend to be American agents, and Willy uses his strength as a heating maintenance man.

This was the only episode of 'Mission: Impossible' which featured Tina Mara as a member of the IMF. So the character was free to follow any career path or lifestyle she chose once the cameras no longer focused on her and kept her locked into a particular scenario. And so it is my contention that Tina Mara decided to capitalize on her skills as a cat burglar and go into "business" for herself.

Learning of the death of the original Catwoman, Tina Mara took on the identity for herself and tried to reap her fortune in Gotham City. However, she was eventually caught by the Dynamic Duo and sent to the women's wing of Gotham Penitentiary.

That's always been the contention of Toobworld Central, and that's where we've left it for a few years. But now, I think we can postulate how the life of Tina Mara aka Catwoman turned out......

'The Famous Jett Jackson' - "Field Of Dweebs"
When Jett buys the local minor league baseball team, he hires an eccentric woman to manage the team.
Eartha Kitt appeared in this 1999 episode as that eccentric woman, Albertine Whethers. As there's no way to actually dispute this anymore through future scripts, it's going to be the Toobworld position that the nickname for Albertine is "Tina", and that "Whethers" is the married name for Tina Mara; after being released from prison, she married and moved to that town where Jett Jackson was living. Perhaps she had children; hopefully she stayed on the straight and narrow.

As for the other Catwomen, the splainins follow the same pattern - for the 1966 movie, which was just an extension into the movie universe, the Catwoman was a woman named Betty. Later she reformed and married her arresting officer - who happened to be the son of private detective Barnaby Jones....

As for the return of Julie Newmar to the role, that was more complicated (considering I claimed that she died originally). That was still the physical body of the original Catwoman, but the soul had departed. Instead, she was possessed by the spirit of the ancient cat-goddess of Egypt, Bastet, who had already established her presence in Toobworld.

As always, it can't be proven and can't be disproven either. As such, I seen no reason why Albertine Whethers, the former Tina Mara aka Catwoman, can't be considered for membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame... especially as an honorary inductee.

Now, this could happen as part of the traditional "Birthday Honors", but considering that these were all characters played by Eartha Kitt, perhaps it might be better for the ceremony to be held in December... considering she is "Santa's Baby", after all......

BCnU!
Toby O'B

THE HAT SQUAD: EARTHA KITT

Eartha Kitt, know for (among other things) originating "Santa Baby", passed away at the age of 81 on Christmas Day. Her participation in the 'Batman' craze during the sixties is of importance to Toobworld, because I can argue the hypothesis that her character links 'Batman' to 'Mission: Impossible' as well as to 'The Famous Jett Jackson'.

But it was also important as a step forward with regards to Television and the topic of race in America. When the producers of 'Batman' needed another actress to take on the role of Catwoman after Julie Newmar, they could have gone with someone who resembled Miss Newmar somewhat - as they did with Lee Meriweather in the theatrical movie. Instead, they went completely in the opposite direction - not only with someone of color, but also a woman of diminutive stature, unlike the statuesque Miss Newmar.
Eartha Kitt appeared on many other TV shows, not only in dramatic roles but also as herself as a singer. One of these appearances happened in 1998 when she showed up on Roseanne's talk show for Halloween. At the time she was appearing at Madison Square Garden in 'The Wizard Of Oz' as the Wicked Witch, and "The Jitterbug" was returned to the score for her to sing.

So she appeared on 'Roseanne' in full Wicked Witch of the West garb, with Roseanne decked out in the same get-up as well. It made for a great Oz-Bit double vision!

I paid a small compliment to Ms. Kitt in my Toobworld novel with the naming of one of my government agents. In recreating the sense of TV in-jokes, one theme has all of the government agents, no matter the agency they work for, bearing names of actors who played the same role in a TV series: Reed BelGeddes, Brooke Oppenheimer, Foster Gless, Hunter Bruns, and in this instance, Kitt Newmar.

As for her version of Catwoman, I'll have more on that later....

May God Bless.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: ST. NICHOLAS

Nate Ford, the founder of the "do-good con men" team of 'Leverage', Inc., was old friends with a priest named Father Paul, ever since they both were in seminary together. When Father Paul was beaten by street punks hired by a real estate developer (to keep Father Paul from making an impassioned plea to save his church from being razed), Nate and his friends stepped in to save the day.

And they did this by faking "The Miracle Job" for the patron saint of the church, St. Nicholas.......

Saint Nicholas (270 - December 6, 342) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints. In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nicholas of Bari.
The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December, is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus, as well as the Anglo-Canadian and British Father Christmas, derive from these legends.

Born
c. February 15, 270 (the Ides of March), Patara, Lycia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey)
Died
December 6, 346 (aged 76), Myra, Lycia
Venerated
in All Christianity
Major shrine
Basilica di San Nicola, Bari, Italy.
Feast
December 6 (main feast day)
May 9 (translation of relics)
Attributes
Vested as a Bishop. In Eastern Christianity, wearing an omophorion and holding a Gospel Book.
Patronage
Children, sailors, fishermen, merchants, the falsely accused, pawnbrokers, prostitutes, repentant thieves, many cities.
A real miracle involving St. Nicholas could be said to have occurred in Toobworld. A computerized presence of St. Nicholas was brought forward in Time during an episode of 'Mentors'. Dee was having a hard time getting a senior citizen to accept her charity donation of groceries. She had Oliver summon St. Nicholas in order to help her force Mrs. Tatlow into accepting the gift, but St. Nicholas showed both children that true charity has no conditions, which was something Dee was trying to impose on the old lady.
BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: A DIFFERENT CLAUS FOR CHRISTMAS

As one of those heart-warming movies that open at Christmastime, Tom Cruise is now appearing in "Valkyrie", based on the true story about the plot to kill Hitler.

Tom Cruise is playing Claus Von Stauffenberg......

Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer and Roman Catholic aristocrat who was one of the leading officers of the failed 20 July plot of 1944 to kill German dictator Adolf Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from power in World War II Germany. He was one of the central figures of the German Resistance movement.

Stauffenberg's part in the original plan required him to stay at the Bendlerstrasse offices in Berlin, from where he would phone regular Army units all over Europe and the Reich in an attempt to convince them to arrest leaders of Nazi political organizations such as the Sicherheitsdienst and the Gestapo. Unfortunately, he found himself forced to do both, to kill Hitler far away from Berlin and to trigger the military machine in Berlin during the office hours of the very same day. He was the only conspirator who had regular access to Hitler (during his briefing meetings) by mid-1944, as well as being the only officer among the conspirators who was considered to have the resolve and persuasive power to convince German military leaders to throw in with the coup once Adolf Hitler was dead.

Stauffenberg was able to arm only one of the two bombs, which he placed back into the briefcase. He left the small room, handing the second, unarmed bomb in the briefcase to Haeften and proceeded back to the briefing room, where he placed the briefcase under the conference table and as close as he could to Hitler. Some minutes later he excused himself, pretending to need to make an urgent phone call to Berlin, and left the meeting room. He waited in a nearby shelter until the explosion tore through the hut. From what he saw, he was fully convinced that no one in the room could have survived. Although four people were killed and almost all survivors were injured, Hitler himself was shielded from the blast by the heavy, solid-oak conference table and was only slightly wounded.

Stauffenberg and fellow officers Colonel General Olbricht, Lieutenant von Haeften, and Oberst (Colonel) Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim were shot before 01:00 a.m. that night (21 July 1944) by a makeshift firing squad in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock, which was lit by the headlights of a truck.

As his turn came, Stauffenberg spoke his last words: "Es lebe unser heiliges Deutschland!" ("Long live our holy Germany!") Fromm ordered that the executed officers (his former co-conspirators) receive an immediate burial with military honors in the Matthäus Churchyard in Berlin's Schöneberg district. Today there is a stone in memorial of this event. The next day, however, Stauffenberg's body was exhumed by the SS, stripped of his medals, and cremated.

On 10 August 1944, his brother, Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, was tried before Judge-President Roland Freisler in the special "People's Court" (Volksgerichtshof]). This court was established by Hitler for political offenses and Berthold was one of eight conspirators executed by slow strangulation (reputedly with piano wire used as the garrote) in Plötzensee Prison, Berlin, later that day.

[courtesy of Wikipedia]

Now, the reason I'm writing about von Stauffenberg and - ugh! - a Tom Cruise movie is because the story was originally told on Television nearly twenty years ago. In "The Plot To Kill Hitler", Brad Davis stars as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. The film was shot in the United States and Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

Cast

Brad Davis Claus von Stauffenburg
Madolyn Smith Osborne Nina von Stauffenberg
Ian Richardson General Ludwig Beck
Kenneth Colley Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel
Michael Byrne General Friedrich Olbricht
Helmut Lohner General Friedrich Fromm
Jonathan Hyde Joseph Goebbels
Rupert Graves Axel von dem Bussche
Helmut Griem Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Mike Gwilym Adolf Hitler
Vernon Dobtcheff General Erich Fellgiebel
Christoph Eichhorn General Helmuth Stieff
Michael Fitzegerald Major Ernst John von Freyend

BCnU!
Toby O'B

GOD BLESS US, EVERY ONE!

Astrid:

"This Christmas thing? What's it about?"

The Doctor:

"Long story. I should know. I was there. I got the last room."

'Doctor Who' - "Voyage Of The Damned"

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Luke 2:8-14
(King James Version)

BCnU....
Toby O'B

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

MERRY CHRISTMAS

from

ALL OF ME

@

TOOBWORLD CENTRAL!

TODAY'S TWD: THE CHRISTMAS EVE BROADCAST OF APOLLO 8

December 24, 1968:
The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.

William Anders
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.....

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."

Jim Lovell
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."

Frank Borman
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."

BCnU....
Toby O'B

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

THE LINDELOF-CUSE PARADOX

There's a new DHARMA special access video floating out there with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and with their future selves as well. It's fun, no real info imparted... until the very end.

And then we see two quick pictures of new characters.

BCnU!

Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD/DEEP SIX CROSSOVER: THOSE WHO LEFT US

I've mentioned here in the past how depressing it is to work on my Hat Squad tributes to those actors, writers, directors, etc. who played a role in expanding the TV Universe after they pass away. There's just something about tallying up their TV credits from the IMDb.com, and remembering moments from many of them, and knowing we'll never see them create another Toobworld citizen for us that just makes it all such a downer.

In the last few weeks, we lost six actors who each made their mark in Television (some known more for their roles in the movie universe, but still....) and deserved the full Hat Squad treatment. But I just couldn't bring myself to delve into it, and as the year draws to a close, I'm finding I just don't have the time. (I'm toiling away on the annual Toobits Awards.)

And yet, I didn't want 2008 to end without giving them some sort of acknowledgement, so I'm presenting today as the Tiddlywinkydink a group Hat Squad, showcasing the character (in some cases, characters) for whom these actors were best known in Toobworld.

BEVERLY GARLAND

Barbara Harper Douglas
'My Three Sons'

[seen here with Fred MacMurray]

NINA FOCH

Carol Flemming
'Columbo' - "Prescription Murder"
[seen here with Gene Barry]

ROBERT PROSKY

Sgt. Stan Jablonski
'Hill Street Blues'

PAUL BENEDICT

Harry Bentley
'The Jeffersons'

The Painter
'Sesame Street'

VAN JOHNSON

The Minstrel
'Batman'

as Himself
'I Love Lucy'

[seen here with Lucille Ball]

as Himself
several game shows

MAJEL BARRETT RODDENBERRY

Christine Chapel
'Star Trek'

Lwaxana Troi
'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

As Red Skelton would sign off, "May God Bless......."

BCnU......
Toby O'B

PS
In the new year, with many TV shows still on hiatus from the holidays, I'll have the time to present their TV credits for proper Hat Squad tributes.

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

CASE OF THE STORCH ZONK

As 'Boston Legal' said goodbye earlier this month, it just wouldn't have been a proper send-off without at least one more Zonk from the show that not only broke the fourth wall but knocked it down and danced a jig on it. And boy, did they deliver!

As the litigation department took the elevator to meet their new bosses from China and hopefully to persuade them to keep them on, they discussed whether or not Larry Storch played Agarn on 'F Troop'.

At least with this one, it's far easier to splain it away than some of the doozies they Zonked us with in the past. Since Toobworld has its own 'F Troop' (which was probably established in an episode of 'Married... With Chidlren), we can make the assumption that they were talking about an historical representation of what really happened with Fort Courage back in the wild wild west days. And as they didn't go into any details as to what type of show 'F Trioop' was, we don't have to assume that it was a sitcom; it could have been an hour-long drama like 'Bonanza' or 'Gunsmoke'.

As for Larry Storch's participation in the project, we know from that episode of 'Married... With Children' - in which he gave his name to an acting school franchise - he has a televersion in Toobworld. And being an actor, he probably was cast as Agarn because of his incredible genetic resemblance to the historical figure of Randolph Agarn. (Toobworld Central uses Agarn as the basic example of how strong a genetic echo can be in Toobworld; not only because of the many relatives who resembled him on the show, but also because of the many other characters Larry Storch played on TV.)

So for once, 'Boston Legal' gave us an easy Zonk to prosecute; a parting gift to go along with the entire series as a whole.

BCnU!
Toby O'B

19 DOWN

As an addendum to yesterday's salute to the crossword puzzle in Toobworld, the last new episode of 'CSI' for this year was entitled "19 Down" and showed a crossword puzzle that Gil Grissom had not finished before he tossed it in the trash can. (Only the answer for 19 Down had not been filled in.)

Anyone want to take a stab at what the answer could be?

BCnU!
Toby O'B

TODAY'S TWD: BARBARA BILLINGSLEY

Too often "Inner Toob" is marking the passing of somebody who enriched the TV Universe, either behind the scenes or in creating characters to populate Toobworld. (I've got about five waiting to be honored, as a matter of fact, but it's just so depressing.)

So when presented with the opportunity to celebrate someone's life while they're still alive, I'm going to take it!

And so it is that Today's Tiddlywinkydink is a salute to Barbara Billingsley, who is most famous in Toobworld for playing June Bronson Cleaver, the mother of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, on 'Leave It To Beaver'. Today is her birthday.

She's guaranteed membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame one day, thanks to the "Beaver" franchise. Besides the original series, there was the TV reunion movie "Still The Beaver" and the sequel series, also called 'Still The Beaver'.

Earlier this year, I saw her in an episode of 1955's 'The Lone Wolf'; and although I figured she was indelibly stamped in my mind as June Cleaver, she quickly established this new character (who just might have been June's evil twin!)

Ms. Billingsley had a movie career as well, which included a cameo in the theatrical remake of 'Leave It To Beaver' in which she portrayed the legendary Aunt Martha. That's the type of casting that brings good karma to cinematic remakes of TV shows.

And I'm going to hazard a guess that her cameo in 1980's "Airplane!" has to be her most famous movie role.

Attendant: Can I get you something?
Jiveman #2: S'mo fo butter layin' to the bone. Jackin' me up. Tightly.
Attendant: I'm sorry I don't understand.
Jiveman #1: Cutty say he cant hang.
Woman (Barbara Billingsley) : Oh stewardess, I speak jive.
Attendant: Ohhhh, good.
Woman : He said that he's in great pain and he wants to know if you can help him.
Attendant: Would you tell him to just relax and I'll be back as soon as I can with some medicine.
Woman : Jus' hang loose, blooood. She gonna catch up on the`rebound wi de medcide.
Jiveman #2: What it is big mamma, my mamma didn't raise no dummy, I dug her rap.
Woman : Cut me som' slac' jak! Chump don wan no help, chump don git no help. Jive ass dude don got no brains anyhow.

Here's the link to a six-part interview with Barbara Billingsley from the Archive of American Television Interviews. The woman is just a delight!

Happy birthday, Barbara Billingsley, from all of us at Toobworld Central!

BCnU!
Toby O'B

TWA: TOOB WORLD AIRLINES

In this week's 'Cold Case' episode ("Wings"), the case centered around a stewardess murdered late in the year of 1960. She worked for Global World Airlines, which according to Lt. Stillman, hasn't been around since the early 1960s.

That's probably because it was bought up and combined with another smaller airline to become Trans-Global Airway.

I went googling for TV shows that used Trans-Global, and what to my wondering eye should appear but a post that I wrote; 2006 was the year!

The Trans-Global links are all solid, but having GWA become Trans-Global requires a leap of faith. But as that airline has not been around since the early 1960's, who gets hurt?

In a related story, one of the suspects in the case, Captain Rowland Hughes, left GWA just before he was guaranteed tenure and instead went to work for South Ocean Air. It's going to be the contention of Toobworld Central that South Ocean Air, if it still exists in the Toobworld timeline, is a subsidiary of Oceanic Airlines, most famously represented on 'Lost'.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B