FAIRCHILD: NO FOUL

Because 'Persons Unknown' is pretty much centered around the ghost town in which the main characters have found themselves held captive, there doesn't seem to be much chance to find connections to other shows (save for theories of relateeveety.) Similarities to 'The Prisoner' don't count, by the way. (It also reminds me of a movie from the 1970's, "Chosen Survivors".)

Of course, that all might change by the end of the summer when all will be revealed.

If anything, there's a good pozz'bility that the whole enterprise might end up riddled with Zonks, those discrepancies that shatter the illusion of the Television Universe.

One of these could have been the introduction of James Read as the American Ambassador to Italy, Franklin Fairchild. After all, if a different president can send 'Flash-Forward' into an alternate TV dimension, shouldn't this be a factor in removing 'Persons Unknown' from Earth Prime-Time?

No, and the reason will probably be an insult to the U.S.A.'s ambassadors around the world and to the diplomatic corps in general, not to mention to the country's legislative branch.

Everybody knows (or they should, if they're smarter than a fifth grader) that Barack Obama is the President of the United States. And they knew that George W. Bush was his predecessor - much as they'd like to forget. (Partisan much, Toby?) TV shows - dramas and sitcoms alike - will either make reference to the current Commander-in-Chief or poke fun at him. (It was during the Clinton administration when this trait seemed to reach its zenith.) To maintain consistency in Toobworld, every show in Earth Prime-Time must share the same POTUS and the same Veep.

(The Vice President is why 'Flash-Forward' had to be cut loose, even before we met President David Santiago. We learned in the first episode that Air Force Two had crashed during the blackout on October 6, 2009, and that the Vice President died. Since that didn't happen to Joe Biden, then 'Flash-Forward' is not of Earth Prime-Time.)

But when you get down to cabinet positions, senators and congressmen, most governors and mayors, and of course, ambassadors, the rules - like most of Toobworld - are in flux.

To Tell The Truth: Can you name the current Ambassador to Italy from the United States? I couldn't, until I googled him: David Thorne.

Thorne.... Is Life imitating Art? Could we have a potential "Omen" situation in the future?

Anyhoo.

David Thorne isn't likely to be making a big impact on other TV shows, like President Obama would. So, there's no threat of a Zonk in having Franklin Fairchild rather than David Thorne as the Ambassador to Italy in Toobworld.

BCnU!