THE HAT SQUAD: REMEMBERING UNCLE SKIPPY

One of the major events in my life this past year was a sad one - the death of my Uncle Skippy, who was also my godfather. I consider him and my godmother, Auntie Ellie, to be major influences in my life - she with her "Auntie Mame" joie de vivre, and he with his puckish sense of humor, darting in and out with quick little quips.

Norman Smith, Senior, was one of the first ten licensed TV repairmen in the state of Connecticut, and he was quite proud of that fact. As far as I know, my cousins still have his original license certificate. For a time he was the president of TELSA, a local organization for electronics dealers. When he finally retired and sold his company in West Hartford - Tip Top TV, which also sold televisions - Uncle Skip showed excellent timing, as we became more of a disposable society and the need for TV repairmen was dramatically reduced.

I accompanied him a few times on his appointments and it was cool to sit on those rooftops with my cousin Norman while Uncle Skippy worked on the antennae. And on one call, I got to meet an actual local TV celebrity - Ralph Kanna, the host of a Connecticut kids' show, "Draw With Me", on the local NBC affiliate.

So in these last few minutes of 2010, I just wanted to take a personal moment to remember Norman "Skip" Smith. Like the Eleventh Incarnation of the Doctor, who'll be the focus of a deluge of posts beginning at midnight, Uncle Skippy made bowties cool.

BCnU......

SKED ALERT: "PRIMEVAL" IS BACK FROM EXTINCTION!

While you're celebrating/recovering on New Year's Day, pry yourself away from the "Who's On First" celebration here at Inner Toob long enough to watch the return of 'Primeval' on BBC-America.......

And you can see five prequels to the new season at the BBC-America page for the show.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: JESS OPPENHEIMER

A little something different for the last "As Seen On TV" showcase of the year.....

In the opening credits for the sitcom 'Angel', its creator and head writer Jess Oppenheimer got his own animated avatar. Such acknowledgement of the writer is more common over in Great Britain I think, where their credits are often listed before the actors involved.

JESS OPPENHEIMER

AS SEEN IN:
'Angel'

AS PLAYED BY:
Not Applicable

From Wikipedia:
Jess Oppenheimer (November 11, 1913 – December 27, 1988) a radio and television writer, producer, and director, was producer and head writer of the landmark CBS sitcom I Love Lucy.

Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer "the brains" behind I Love Lucy. As series creator, producer, and head writer, "Jess was the creative force behind the 'Lucy' show," according to I Love Lucy director William Asher. "He was the field general. Jess presided over all the meetings, and ran the whole show. He was very sharp."

In December, 1950, when CBS agreed to produce a TV pilot starring Lucille Ball and her first husband, Desi Arnaz, Sr., Lucy insisted on Oppenheimer to head up the project. But with a completed pilot due in just a few weeks, nobody knew what the series should be about. "Why don't we do a show," Oppenheimer suggested, "about a middle-class working stiff who works very hard at his job as a bandleader, and likes nothing better than to come home at night and relax with his wife, who doesn't like staying home and is dying to get into show business herself?" He decided to call the show "I Love Lucy."

He remained as producer and head writer of the series for five of its six seasons, writing the pilot and 153 episodes with Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. (joined in the fall of 1955 by writers Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf). Oppenheimer appeared on the show in Episode #6 ("The Audition"), as one of the three unimpressed TV executives for whom Ricky performs at the Tropicana.

Oppenheimer left I Love Lucy in 1956 to take an executive post at NBC, where he produced a series of TV specials, including the "General Motors 50th Anniversary Show" (1957), "Ford Startime" (1959), "The Ten Commandments" (1959), and the "1959 Emmy Awards." Oppenheimer and Ball were reunited in 1962 when he produced "The Danny Kaye Show with Lucille Ball," which was nominated as "Program of the Year" by the TV Academy, and again in 1964, when he executive produced "The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour."

During the 1960s, Oppenheimer created and produced three short-lived sitcoms: Angel, starring Annie Fargé and Marshall Thompson), Glynis (fall of 1963) (starring Glynis Johns), and The Debbie Reynolds Show (1969-70). His other TV credits included writing "The United States Steel Hour," producing "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre," and writing, producing, and directing most of the 1967-68 season of "Get Smart," starring Don Adams. Oppenheimer received two Emmy Awards and five Emmy nominations, a Sylvania Award, and the Writers' Guild of America's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Achievement.

These animated characters in the credit sequences for sitcoms - from 'Bilko' and 'Bewitched' to 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis' - belong in the Tooniverse. So those characters have at least two counterparts in alternate TV dimensions. And Jess Oppenheimer can be counted among them, as the "Network Sponsor" he played in that 'I Love Lucy' episode may have been what his televersion turned out to be....

BCnU next year!

AS SEEN ON TV: MARGARET THATCHER

Since the year is almost over, we should have at least one more female historical figure in the spotlight for the "As Seen On TV" showcase. They were unforturnately under-represented this year in the "ASOTV" feature, but I think that reflects their overall numbers in TV productions. If I tried to focus more often on the women, I'd end up with an overload of "women in danger" true-life movies from Lifetime.....

MARGARET THATCHER

AS SEEN IN:
"Margaret"

AS PLAYED BY:
Lindsay Duncan

From Wikipedia:
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. Thatcher is the only woman to have held either post.

At the 1979 general election she became Britain's first female Prime Minister.

In her foreword to the 1979 Conservative manifesto, Thatcher wrote of "a feeling of helplessness, that a once great nation has somehow fallen behind." She entered 10 Downing Street determined to reverse what she perceived as a precipitate national decline. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation, particularly of the financial sector, flexible labour markets, and the selling off and closing down of state owned companies and withdrawing subsidy to others.

Amid a recession and high unemployment, Thatcher's popularity declined, though economic recovery and the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support and she was re-elected in 1983. She took a hard line against trade unions, survived the Brighton hotel bombing assassination attempt and opposed the Soviet Union (her tough-talking rhetoric gained her the nickname the "Iron Lady"); she was re-elected for an unprecedented third term in 1987. The following years would prove difficult, as her Poll tax plan was largely unpopular, and her views regarding the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet.

She resigned as Prime Minister in November 1990 after Michael Heseltine's challenge to her leadership of the Conservative Party.

BCnU!

MUSEUM PIECE: DECEMBER 29, 1957

AS SEEN ON TV: PABLO CASALS

PABLO CASALS

AS SEEN IN:
'Kennedy'

AS PLAYED BY:
Unknown

From Wikipedia:
Pau Casals i Defilló (December 29, 1876 – October 22, 1973), known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He made many recordings throughout his career, of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, also as conductor, but Casals is perhaps best remembered for the recording of the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939.

In 1961, he performed at the White House by invitation of President Kennedy. This performance was recorded and released as an album.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WILLIAM DEMAREST AND WILLIAM FRAWLEY

William Demarest died on December 28, 1983 at the age of 91.

WILLIAM DEMAREST

AS SEEN ON:
'Saturday Night Live'

AS PLAYED BY:
Dana Carvey

From Wikipedia:
William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 28, 1983) was an American character actor. He frequently played crusty but good-hearted roles. His most famous TV role was in the ABC and then CBS sitcom 'My Three Sons' from 1965 to 1972, playing Uncle Charley. He replaced William Frawley, whose failing health had made procuring insurance impossible. William Demarest had worked with Fred MacMurray previously in the 1935 film "Hands Across the Table", the 1945 film "Pardon My Past" and the 1955 film "The Far Horizons".

WILLIAM FRAWLEY

AS SEEN ON:
'MADTV'

AS PLAYED BY:
Matt Braunger

From Wikipedia:
William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American stage entertainer, screen and television actor. Although Frawley acted in over 100 films, he achieved his greatest fame playing landlord Fred Mertz for the situation comedy I Love Lucy (and as "Bub" O'Casey on 'My Three Sons').

Two for Tuesday!

BCnU!

THE 2010 TV CROSSOVER HALL OF FAME

With the Christmas Day announcement of the December inductee, the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame has concluded its membership drive for 2010.

Here's a rundown of those who joined the pantheon this year:

2010
JANUARY
Jay Leno
'Entourage'
'Just Shoot Me'
'Homicide: Life On The Street'

FEBRUARY
Dr. Raymond Langston
'CSI'
'CSI: Miami'
'CSI: NY'

MARCH
Howdy Doody
'Puppet Playhouse'
'Happy Days'
'Andy's Funhouse'

APRIL
Radar O'Reilly
'M*A*S*H'
'AfterMASH'
'W*A*L*T*E*R'

MAY
Marilyn Monroe
'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
'Dark Skies'
'Quantum Leap'

JUNE
Sgt. Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon
'Dragnet'
'The Simpsons'
"Dragnet" movies
several TV commercials

BIRTHDAY HONORS
The Master (John Simm version)
The Master became every single TV character living on Earth Prime-Time during the events of 'Doctor Who' - "The End Of Time"

JULY
Cochise
'Broken Arrow'
'Bonanza'
'High Chapparal'

AUGUST
Hoby Gilman
'Trackdown'
'Wanted: Dead Or Alive'
'I Spy'

Robert Culp
'The Chris Isaak Show'
'The Jack Benny Show'
'Law & Order'

SEPTEMBER
Anthony E. Zuiker & Madeline Briggs
'CSI'
'CSI: Miami'
'CSI: NY'

OCTOBER
Hellboy
Commercials with
'Chuck'
'American Gladiators'
'Backstage At The Actors' Studio'

NOVEMBER
Edwin Newman
'Murphy Brown'
'Wings'
'The Golden Girls'

Sparky Anderson
'The White Shadow'
'Arli$$'
'WKRP In Cincinnatti'

DECEMBER
The Spirit of Christmas
'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'
"A Town Without Christmas"
'Eureka'

I'm not sure if there will be a set theme next year. There are so many League of Themselves members who are qualified. We shall see what we shall view.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: JON STEWART

JON STEWART

AS SEEN IN:
'Saturday Night Live'

AS PLAYED/VOICED BY:
Not Applicable

From Wikipedia:
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian. He is widely known as host of 'The Daily Show', a satirical news program that airs on Comedy Central.

Stewart started as a stand-up comedian, but branched into television as host of 'Short Attention Span Theater' for Comedy Central. He went on to host his own show on MTV, called 'The Jon Stewart Show', and then hosted another show on MTV called 'You Wrote It, You Watch It'. He has also had several film roles as an actor.

Stewart became the host of 'The Daily Show' on Comedy Central in early 1999. He is also a writer and co-executive-producer of the show. After Stewart joined, 'The Daily Show' steadily gained popularity and critical acclaim, which led to his first Emmy Award in 2001.

This Jon Stewart lives in the same TV dimension that is home to 'Davy & Goliath', 'Robot Chicken', 'Moral Orel', and those waifs in the Puffs Plus blipverts.

BCnU!

"I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS"

For me, it just isn't Christmas until I've heard three seasonal songs:

"Christmas Wrapping" by the Motels

"Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" by Bing Crosby and David Bowie

"I Believe In Father Christmas" by Greg Lake

That last one is a double blast of pleasure because it uses music from the "Lieutenant Kije Suite", one of my favorite bits of classical music.

So I'm shining the spotlight on Greg Lake's song, and I chose the day after Christmas because it just has that feel to it.....

THE ORIGINAL VIDEO


THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG


U2'S COVER VERSION


GREG LAKE LIVE ON ALBANY TV


Now with this version, I have to warn you - it's bloody, violent, and very very disturbing. I was appalled upon seeing it for the first time, and that's really saying something.....

HAPPY TREE FRIENDS



BCnU!

BLIPVERTS OF THE SEASON

For this Boxing Day, here are a few more blipverts that for me summon up TV Christmas memories.....


BUDWEISER





NORELCO




FOLGER'S



HoHoHo!

CHRISTMAS IN KANDOR

I don't think any TV sponsor has been more identified with Christmas than Coca-Cola. In fact, if I remember the MusicChoice factoid correctly (from their "Sounds Of The Season" channel), it was Coca-Cola's depiction of Santa Claus in 1931 which became the standard ever after. (And Coca-Cola's website confirms that claim.)

For a couple of years now, the Coca-Cola Christmas commercials featured CGI polar bears and penguins bonding over bottles of Coke. In the past, the company also reworked their most famous blipvert into a seasonal solstice song. (Man, I do love me some alliteration!)

But this year, there's a very imaginative spot which brings Santa Claus back in the picture. And it provides a very Toobworldian theory which brings another segment of the DC Comics Universe into the TV Universe.

First off, let me remind you that only one version of the Superman mythology exists in the main Toobworld, and that's 'The Adventures Of Superman'. 'Smallville', 'Lois & Clark', and 'The Adventures Of Superboy' - plus the various cartoon series over the years - are all off in their own TV dimensions.

(This is especially disappointing with regards to 'Smallville', as it has brought the most DCU characters into the TV Universe.)

'The Adventures Of Superman' never gave us more from the DCU than the basic premise, characters, and origin story. We never got the 1950's version of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Mister Mxyzptlk, Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, or Bizarro Superman. They may not have been seen during the run of the series, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist in the main Toobworld.

(In fact, I wrote a blog post about who could have been cast in those roles. At the time, I couldn't insert pictures into my posts, so I relied on links to the actors I suggested for the roles.)

So what does all of this have to do with the new Coca-Cola Christmas commercial?

I think the blipvert suggests that the Bottle City of Kandor exists in the main Toobworld.

Here's the basic legend for the Bottle City of Kandor, from Wikipedia:

Kandor is the name of the former capital city of the fictional planet Krypton in the DC Universe. It is best known for being stolen and miniaturized by the supervillain Brainiac. Upon its recovery by Superman, it has been traditionally kept and monitored in the Fortress of Solitude.

Kandor showed up or was mentioned in these animated series:

'Super-Friends'
'Justice League Unlimited'
'Legion Of Superheroes'

But those are exclusive to the Tooniverse. And its presence in 'Smallville' was just too convoluted to be of any use for any kind of synchronicity between fictional universes.

As for the main Toobworld, we don't have to take it on the flabby sentimentality known as faith that Kandor exists in Earth Prime-Time. A character from Toobworld actually talked about it as being real!

Penny:
What is this?
Leonard Hofstadter:
Oh, that is the bottled city of Kandor.
Penny:
Uh-huh.
Leonard Hofstadter:
You see, Kandor was the capital city of Krypton, until it was shrunk by Braniac before Krypton was destroyed. It was then rescued by Superman.
Penny:
Oh. It's nice.
Leonard Hofstadter:
It's a lot cooler when girls aren't looking at it.....
'The Big Bang Theory'

Leonard talked about it as though Kandor and its history were facts. (However, he was not referring to his own bottled city as the actual Kandor. That was clearly a model.)

By the new millennium, everybody in the main Toobworld knew the basics about Superman, including that his alias was Clark Kent. That's because Superman died back in the early 1960's, saving Ray Luca and his henchman Paulie from a nuclear bomb blast. (This happened off-screen between the first and second seasons of 'Crime Story'.)

"The Man of Steel" might have survived the blast had it not been for the kryptonite particles that were in those desert sands. The force of the blast drove those particles into Superman's once-impenetrable skin and he later died of kryptonite radiation poisoning.

After his death, the truth came out about his double life as that mild-mannered reporter for a large metropolitan newspaper. Even details like the name of his Kryptonian father was revealed - which is how Jerry Seinfeld knew enough to use "Jor-El" as his ATM password.

In the DCU, Superman and Santa Claus have known each other since 1938. Why couldn't it be that their televersions had the same kind of friendship? And since the Fortress of Solitude was in the Arctic Circle, as is Santa's workshop, wouldn't Santa have done what he could for his late friend by taking care of those miniaturized Kandorians who had been left under the guardianship of Superman?

Eventually, after so many decades within that bottled city, Nature still took its course. The population threatened to expand beyond the capacities of Kandor's enclosed environment. So, as seen in the Coca-Cola blipvert, Santa Claus made snow globe suburbs to be homes for any of the Kandorians who wished to emigrate. (The more adventurous of those to do so were probably the ones who had best acclimated themselves to the idea of living on Earth, tiny though they were. As could be seen in the commercial, they had taken to wearing terran-style clothing in the snow globes, and living in homes and working in buildings that could have been found on Earth.)

For the time being, since Santa Claus is immortal, I'm sure he's planning to keep the satellite snow globe suburbs with the original bottled city of Kandor. That way the gene pool won't become stagnant and corrupted in any of them. But if he should ever give them out, being the great gift-giver that he is, Santa would probably only do so to other TV super-heroes, maybe to a powerful yet benevolent alien being - just to make sure the snow globes remain safe from harm by outside forces of evil. (Among those Santa Claus may have entrusted with the snow globes would be Wonder Woman and the Vulcan Mestral, who had been living on Earth Prime-Time since 1957.)

All of that from one TV commercial.....

SHOWS CITED:

Coca-Cola - "Snow Globes"
'The Adventures Of Superman'
'Smallville'
'The Adventures of Superboy'
'Lois & Clark'
'Super-Friends'
'Justice League Unlimited'
'The Legion Of Super-Heroes'
'The Big Bang Theory' - "The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization"
'Wonder Woman'
'Enterprise' - "Carbon Creek"
'Crime Story'


HoHoHo!

For more on Kandor, click here.....

AS SEEN ON TV: HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

The perfect choice for Boxing Day.....

HIILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

AS SEEN ON:
'Saturday Night Live'

AS PLAYED BY:
Vanessa Beyer

From Wikipedia:
In late November 2010, Clinton led the U.S. damage control effort after WikiLeaks released confidential State Department cables containing blunt statements and assessments by U.S. and foreign diplomats. A few of the cables released by WikiLeaks concerned Clinton directly: they revealed that directions to members of the foreign service had gone out in 2009 under her name to gather biometric and other personal details on foreign diplomats, including officials of the United Nations and U.S. allies.

BCnU!

TVXOHOF - 12/2010: THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Toobworld Central has been running the TV Crossover Hall of Fame since 1999. And in that time I had thought I would have run out of Christmas-themed inductees for the month of December by now - especially with four entries last year to mark the tenth anniversary of the Hall.

Of course, we were able to stretch it out, thanks to some off-beat selections - at least two versions of Santa Claus, for example. And we've got a bit of a stretch this year.

It's because of the nature of the inductee that I held off the announcement until Christmas Day - because Toobworld Central is welcoming the Christmas Spirit into the ranks of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.

I don't mean that sappy bleep about keeping Christmas in your heart the whole year through. In Toobworld, the Christmas Spirit was personified in human form, in much the same way as Death, Springtime (both in 'Mulberry'), Guilt, and Love (both in 'Amazing Stories') have been in other TV shows. And as with Death at least, the Spirit of Christmas can assume different appearances. About a week before Christmas in 1973 (although it was first seen on TV screens in 1964), the Seaview submarine picked up a man adrift at sea named Old John. The stranger proved to be the only one who could get through to the Crown Prince of a small country who was about to assume the throne after his father's assassination. But Prince Ang was petulant, immature, and irresponsible - unfit to be a true ruler. Old John was able to guide Ang to becoming more of a man, putting aside his childish ways as it were. Once they reached Ang's nation, Old John mysteriously disappeared. And it was Admiral Nelson who picked up on what Old John's true nature was when he remembered that they found him near Christmas Island......

For a time, the Spirit of Christmas took the form of Max the Christmas Angel, as seen in three TV movies:

"A Town Without Christmas"

"Finding John Christmas"

"When Angels Come To Town"
But it was a guise that would probably not pass muster when the Spirit of Christmas filled the town of Eureka in 2010. As it was founded on the principles of science, the Christmas Spirit took the form of a scientist named Doctor Noel Drummer. Noel Drummer helped the townsfolk - especially a scientist named Taggart - to accept that not everything had to have a scientific explanation. Some things were just meant to be accepted on faith.
Perhaps the Spirit of Christmas has been seen elsewhere in Toobworld before those five appearances; we may yet see it again pop up in some seasonal episode of a sitcom. But in the meantime, we have these five appearances. And even if you don't think the theory is valid, there's still the matter of Max the Christmas Angel appearing three times in Toobworld, thereby satisfying the requirements for membership in the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame.

BCnU!

"Christmas Day will always be,

just as long as we have we."
The Narrator
"How The Grinch Stole Christmas!"

SOME COLE FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS STOCKING

When my mother was alive, there was one TV show which she hoped I would be able to track down for her so that she could see it again - an episode of 'The Danny Kaye Show' with Mary Tyler Moore and Nat King Cole as the guest stars.

All I was able to find was this publicity photo. The episode was the Christmas special which aired on Christmas Day, 1963. (That scheduling would probably be unheard of today, at least in the United States. Great Britain's BBC has made a tradition of specials shown on Christmas day.)

Apparently this picture was from the segment in which Danny and Nat sang "Jingle Bells".

But as I wasn't able to track down that episode, I'd like to present this video in her memory.....

To learn more about the episode, click here.

So that's for you, Mom. If there really is a Heaven, they better have shown that TV episode to you already......

HoHoHo.......

THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

I'm sending this scene out to my six year old nephew Thomas. When he wanted to watch the special last year, I grumbled against it. The stop motion puppetry was archaic; and I would rather have been watching either "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!" or "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol".

But I watched this scene and found myself very moved by its emotional kick.

I just hope it didn't bleep off Jesus because they played fast and loose with the actual story........

HoHoHo!

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

I send this out to Patricia, the boss in my department. (I'm only a front desk infiltrator....)

HoHoHo!

AS SEEN ON TV: WASHINGTON CROSSES THE DELAWARE

Last year for Christmas Day, we celebrated the birth of the baby Jesus with his portrayal in a TV production. This year, we're looking at this day in American history.....

WASHINGTON CROSSES THE DELAWARE

AS SEEN IN:
'You Are There'

AS PLAYED BY:
Russ Conway as General George Washington

From Wikipedia:
Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, occurring on December 25, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a planned surprise attack organized by George Washington against the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey.

Planned in partial secrecy, Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River in a logistically challenging and potentially dangerous operation. Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from successfully surprising and defeating the troops of Johann Rall quartered in Trenton. The army crossed the river back to Pennsylvania, this time burdened by prisoners and military stores taken as a result of the battle.

It was planned in only partial secrecy because Washington revealed his plans to a CBS news crew who had traveled back in Time to cover the event.

BCnU!

A VERY BLECHMAN CHRISTMAS

My all-time favorite Christmas TV promo.....

HoHoHo!

LUCY'S CHOIR - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Let's go back and look at that scene from 'The Lucy Show' where Mrs. Carmichael conducts the boys' choir.....

What many people never think about when it comes to televisiology and the alternate universe of Toobworld is that EVERY character seen on the screen has a life outside of the scenes in which they actually appear.

So all of the boys in that choir (portrayed mostly by the St. Charles Boys Choir from St. Charles Borromeo Church) could have turned out to grow up to become known as other TV characters. At least four of them were named in the episode - Barry, Newton, Lenny, and Malcolm. And then there's Jerry Carmichael as well, the son of Lucy Carmichael. So we'd have to be very specific in finding TV continuations for them. (At this point, we'd have to put Jerry Carmichael aside. Unless he changed his name, there has never been any other Jerry Carmichael in Toobworld.)

Most of the boys in that choir - who were supposed to be fellow students with Jerry at his military academy - were probably born between 1954 - 1958, meaning they'd all be TV characters in their fifties by now. Some of them may already be dead - hey, those victims in all of those L.A. based crime dramas had to be somebody as kids.....

Just one of the little bits o' trivia that keeps what's left of my mind occupied.......

BCnU!

CHRISTMAS IN BEVERLY HILLS

Here's the opening for a TV special featuring three ghosts of Christmas Past.....

CHRISTMAS IN DANFIELD

I mentioned yesterday that sometimes the highlights of a TV episode were preferable to watching the show's entire episode. Here's a case in point, with Lucille Carmichael and Vivian Bagley from one of the first Christmas episodes of 'The Lucy Show'........

That was a variation on a classic routine by Laurel and Hardy (and I'm sure somebody must have done it before them. For all I know, it was first written by Aristophanes....)

BCnU!

HERE'S LUCY AND HER CHRISTMAS EPISODE

As part of the Two For Tuesday O'Bservations this week, we ran the Christmas episode of 'I Love Lucy' twice - one of those times colorized.

For Christmas Eve, we're running one of the later Christmas episodes of 'The Lucy Show'......






















BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: HEROD THE GREAT

HEROD THE GREAT

AS SEEN IN:
'Jesus Of Nazareth'

AS PLAYED BY:
Peter Ustinov

From Wikipedia:
Herod also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (born 73 or 74 BCE, died 4 BCE in Jericho, according to one writer, 1 BCE), was an Edomite (an Arab from the region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba) client king of the Roman provinces of Judea, Galilee and Samaria (near present-day Bethlehem). He was described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple). Important details of his biography are gleaned from the works of the 1st century CE Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius.

BCnU!

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY... TYLER MOORE

Finally.....

Because the early part of her Toobworld career is so intertwined with Dick Van Dyke, I thought this video would be a nice musical close to today's general theme for the holidays....

Don't you think that cat logo would have made for an excellent Christmas tree ornament? So, who's going to make me one?

BCnU!

"TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" WITH DICK VAN DYKE

The Vantastix are the a cappella group that has been working with Dick Van Dyke since 2000. They were supposed to be playing the Geffen Playhouse through the holidays in Van Dyke's musical memory revue, "Step In Time", but that was scotched when DVD had problems with his Achilles tendon.

But at least they got some TV exposure in a recent feature about Dick Van Dyke on 'CBS Sunday Morning' in honor of his 85th birthday. And they also sang to Mary Tyler Moore in a 'Larry King Live' show on CNN a few years back.

So that gives me the excuse to use this video.....

BCnU!

ANOTHER DICK-FILLED CHRISTMAS

Oh, I'm going to be in deep bleep for that post heading.

Bringing it back to Dick Van Dyke.....

We do have a full Christmas episode from a Dick Van Dyke show, this time from 'The New Dick Van Dyke Show' which co-starred Hope Lange and Fannie Flagg.......

Quite a time capsule, just looking at their wardrobe.....

BCnU!

A CASH-FILLED CHRISTMAS WITH ANDY KAUFMAN

Andy Kaufman also celebrated Christmas with Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash. And this time, he was Santa Claus.....

BCnU!

ANDY KAUFMAN ON SANTA CLAUS

Veering off Van Dyke via Andy Kaufman, the late comic took his squeaky-voiced immigrant character over to 'The Dating Game', where he was asked a sexually suggestive question about Santa Claus.

BCnU!

CHRISTMAS WITH ANDY, DICK, BUT NOT ANDY DICK

Dick Van Dyke also had a Christmas episode for his short-lived variety show in the mid-1970's, 'Van Dyke And Company'. His company of players included the legendary Chuck McCann, Richard "Jaws" Kiel, and Bob Einstein (of "Super Dave Osborne" fame and now known as Funhouser on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'). Also in the cast was Andy Kaufman, usually portraying his mousy little immigrant first made famous on 'Saturday Night Live' and then adapted into Latka Gravas on 'Taxi'.

So here's Dick Van Dyke and Andy Kaufman in the 'Van Dyke And Company' Christmas show....

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DICK VAN DYKE AND THE CHRISTMAS BLIPVERT

Dick Van Dyke's connection to Christmas in Toobworld didn't end with that episode from his first sitcom. Here he is practicing serlinguism as a member of the League of Themselves, pitching for a product that is probably extinct by now. (So is his marriage, since he and the wife he mentions were divorced in the early 1980's, by which time he was already involved with the late Michelle Triola who was best known for that Lee Marvin palimony case......)

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"ALAN BRADY PRESENTS" - THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE

Sometimes it's easier to find the best bits from a TV series' Christmas episode than it is the whole show. And in the end, I have to figure most of my readership might just prefer the highlights.

So here are some of those best bits from "Alan Brady Presents", the Christmas episode of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'.

And just to be clear - the whole episode is great!

This last one has been edited, most likely by TV Land to squeeze in more blipverts, and sadly it was at the expense of my hero, Buddy Sorrell......

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AS SEEN ON TV: GEORGE VI

A movie about King George VI of the United Kingdom and his battle to overcome his stuttering affliction is currently playing in theatres. And it looks as though "The King's Speech" will be nominated for several major Academy Awards next year.......

KING GEORGE VI

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward And Mrs. Simpson'

AS PLAYED BY:
Andrew Ray

From Wikipedia:
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was also the last Emperor of India (until 22 June 1948), the last King of Ireland (until 18 April 1949), and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

As the second son of King George V, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. He served in the Royal Navy during World War I, and after the war took on the usual round of public engagements. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth (who succeeded him as Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret.

George's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII on the death of their father in 1936. However, less than a year later Edward revealed his desire to marry the American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that, for political and religious reasons, he would not be able to remain king if he married Simpson, who was twice divorced. So Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George VI ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor.

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SIMPLY THE MESSENGER....

Longtime readers know I'm not a fan of "reality" TV, but in case any of my readership is interested.....

We are looking for REAL PEOPLE who are SUPER FANS of one of these reality shows to be featured in an interview series being shot in Miami Beach on January 7, 2011. DIE HARD FANS ONLY, casual viewers need not apply! We want to hear you tell us WHY you love the show. Those interested may be male or female, of any ethnic background and any age between 22 & 70.

Casting will be held in the North Miami, Florida area on Tuesday, December 28. If you are available for the above dates - the 28th for a casting interview and the 7th for the shoot day - and interested in trying out for this fun job that pays $200.00 for the shoot day, please e-mail a RECENT snapshot of yourself, along with all pertinent contact information to jpinardo@mac.com.

Nurse Jackie:
Are you a Nurse? A hospital employee working the nightshift? Do you think you could teach Nurse Jackie a thing or two? Are you a Nurse Jackie Super Fan?

Jersey Shore:
Do you “GTL”? Do people mistake YOU for Ed Hardy? Are you a Jersey Shore Guido and proud of it? Do you Jersey Shore?

Kendra:
Do you know where Kendra met Hank? Do you have what it takes to keep up with a Pro Football Player? Are you more of a lady than she? Are you a fan of the Kendra Show?

19 Kids and Counting:
Are you the exhausted mother of three or more? Is your family car a school bus? Do people often ask, “Do they all belong to you?” Do you believe 19 Kids and Counting is the best show EVER?

Dexter:
Are you the prodigal son of Harry and Doris? Are you smart enough to understand “The Code”? Can you tell us where Miami “buries the bodies?” Are you a Dexter SUPER FAN?

Remember: contact jpinardo@mac.com, not Toobworld Central. We're not involved.....

CHRISTMAS GARLANDS

Remembering the classic (and infamous) Christmas special of Judy Garland's, here are a few clips from the show... featuring Mel Torme, Jack Jones, and Liza Minnelli.

And here's Judy on 'The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson'....

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AS SEEN ON TV: JUDY GARLAND

There should always be a Christmas garland.....

JUDY GARLAND

AS SEEN ON:
'Saturday Night Live'

AS PLAYED BY:
Kristen Wiig
Mike Myers

From TV Party:
Judy Garland didn't pretend to drink on her CBS series (1963-64), it was painfully obvious that she was occasionally drunk when she showed up for tapings.

This may or may not have been true of The Judy Garland Show's Christmas episode, guest-starring daughters Lorna Luft, Liza Minnelli, son Joey Luft, Mel Torme, and Jack Jones, but producers were minutes away from calling off the show because no one knew where the star was.

Behind the scenes production turmoil and mediocre ratings made Garland's Television City studio a tense place, or so it seems from what's been written - but the MGM vet still delivered more bang than any three stars could, even if she was a little edgy on the series' Christmas episode.

That's part of what makes this special a must see - Garland and her guests delivered electrifying performances.

This was the ultimate sixties Christmas special - the art direction was superb and you've got Mort Lindsey conducting his first rate, brassy orchestra. The tension on the set seemed to bring out the best in everyone as they maneuvered around the spacious multilevel living room set - singing and dancing like their lives depended on it.

You can read the rest of Billy Ingram's article on the "Judy Garland Christmas Show" at the TV Party website.....

BCnU!

THE WINTER SOLSTICE IN TOOBWORLD

"I LOVE LUCY" - THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE, TWICE

Since today is "Two For Tuesday" in the "As Seen On TV" department of Inner Toob, and since I'm hoping to run a full Christmas episode from a TV series each day, today I'm presenting two versions of the classic 'I Love Lucy' Christmas episode - one in the original black & white, and the other is the colorized version.

In this case, I prefer the colorized version. Although I respect the work done by cinematographers when they had to compensate for the black & white film and tape, there's just something about Christmas on TV that needs to be in color - even if it does look unnatural at times.

Also, the "Turnerized"* version is more complete. The only thing original in that first version is the fact that it's in black & white. Watch just those first few minutes in the Ricardo apartment as they get ready for the arrival of Santa and then compare it to the color version. You'll see that the black & white copy has been surgically edited. "Surgically" as in 'M*A*S*H' - meatball surgery, performed by meat-heads.

So either watch them both or pick the one that best suits your viewing needs and enjoy!

'I LOVE LUCY' - BLACK & WHITE
PART ONE



PART TWO



'I LOVE LUCY' - COLORIZED
PART ONE



PART TWO



BCnU!

* "Turnerized" is a term that came from the sitcom 'Hi Honey, I'm Home'. The sitcom characters now living in the "real" world had a device that put them in living color among the "real people".

MACY'S CHRISTMAS BLIPVERT (2009)

In keeping with the spirit of the season and today's Two for Tuesday "As Seen On TV" spotlight......

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AS SEEN ON TV: VIRGINIA'S LETTER TO THE SUN

VIRGINIA O'HANLON'S LETTER

AS SEEN IN:
"Yes, Virginia" (2009)
AS SEEN IN:
"Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" (1991)

Two for Tuesday!

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PRIME TIME CRIME PRIMER

Here's a great list from the Huffington Post which has very Toobworldian sensibilities (if anything in Toobworld ever makes sense!)

What We Learned From Crime Dramas

I passed the link along to Bill Crider of the blog "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine". (Link to the left, my friends!) I figured it would be just his type of article.....

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THE HAT SQUAD: TCM REMEMBERS

Here's the annual remembrance by TCM for those in the movie business who departed this world during 2010. According to what I've read online, TCM will be able to keep editing this right up until the end of the year so that they can keep adding those who passed away since it was finished. (It's too bad that they have to be.)

Case in point: Blake Edwards has since been added.

As Mark Evanier pointed out in his "News According To ME" blog (link to the left, Team Toobworld!), the TCM memorial video is far superior to the one produced each year for the Academy Awards......

A VERY MISERLY CHRISTMAS (WITH JACK BENNY)

I'm not doing much prep work on this, basically taking it one day at a time, but I hope to be able to put one full Christmas episode of a TV series here at Inner Toob every day this week, with a variety of Christmas short videos on Christmas Eve and Christmas. So far, we've had episodes from 'Hazel', 'Petticoat Junction', and a story from the 1985 version of 'The Twilight Zone'.

Today, we go back to 'The Jack Benny Show', for the full episode featuring that black humor segment which we showcased last week.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: YOKO ONO

YOKO ONO

AS SEEN IN:
"Lennon Naked"

AS PLAYED BY:
Naoko Mori

From Wikipedia:
Yoko Ono (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon. Ono brought feminism to the forefront through her music which prefigured New Wave music (whether she was a direct influence is still debated). She is a supporter of gay rights and is known for her philanthropic contributions to the arts, peace and AIDS outreach programs. [Her daughter] Kyoko [by second husband Anthony Cox] is also referenced on the first line of "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" when Yoko whispers "Happy Christmas Kyoko" followed by Lennon whispering "Happy Christmas Julian".

BCnU!