THE HAT SQUAD: "TELE-DOM"

As a member of the "League Of Themselves", Dom DeLuise has been eligible for induction into the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame for some time. And even if he never learned about it, I wish I had thought to do so while he was still alive. He was a favorite of mine, one of the big personal losses for 2009 (like McGoohan), so I may pull a few strings to get him inducted sooner than might have happened otherwise.

Here's a look at the shows that qualify him for entry into the Hall......

First off, we don't often include variety show appearances as part of the qualification process, but they can be included just to flavor the overall tally. However, when someone appears as himself on a puppet variety show, then an exception is made. After all, they are now truly fictionalized, acting alongside "living" puppets. So Dom's appearances on 'The Shari Lewis Show' and 'The Muppet Show' would count towards his induction into the Hall.

As for the sitcom appearances of "Tele-Dom":

"The Naked Truth"
- The Neighbor of Bath (1998)
Nora told the fiancee of her friend Dave that she was lucky to have such a good man, even if Dave shook a margarita like Dom DeLuise. That night, while he was fixing them margaritas, the fiancee couldn't help but envision him as DeLuise.

Now, technically he was an hallucination, but in order for the girl to imagine him Dom DeLuise has to exist in Toobworld in the first place. So that does count.

"Cybill"
- Bringing Home the Bacon (1996)
While working on a new show that was similar to the movie "Babe", Cybill rescued a pig that lost its acting gig and so was doomed to become a different kind of ham. Dom DeLuise, along with Daisy Fuentes and Denver Pyle, appeared in the episode.

"Murphy Brown"
- Dick and Dottie (1995)
After making an insulting comment about a popular talk show host, Murphy's boss ordered her to make a public apology which only worsened the situation. DeLuise may have a guest on that talk show.....

Dom DeLuise was a big man whose body housed an even bigger spirit. I'm surprised that with such an outsized personality, he didn't appear in more sitcoms as himself, to rival the likes of Milton Berle in the League of Themselves. But with all of those variety show and talk show appearances, plus so many funny characters in the movies, I guess I shouldn't be greedy.

There was a cameo he did with Burt Reynolds in an episode of the 1980's version of 'Mike Hammer', but I'm going to save that for a separate post. I think that has a more interesting pozz'bility for Toobworld....

BCnU!