LOOKING BACK AT THE "DANIEL BOONE" SERIES

Here's a reprint of the NY Times overview of the Daniel Boone legend as seen on TV.......

October 29, 2006
DVD

A Tubful of Coonskin and Corn
By VINCENT COSGROVE

EIGHTEEN months after the premiere of the television series “Daniel Boone” in 1964, the Kentucky Legislature approved a resolution to express its displeasure with the show’s historical inaccuracies.

The actor Fess Parker responded in much the same way he played Boone: with a gentle firmness. Pointing out that his show was a mix of fact and legend, he described “Daniel Boone” as an entertaining and wholesome series for the whole family.

Then, with a wryness the real Boone (1734-1820) might have appreciated, Mr. Parker added that he was “certain that if Boone were alive today he would be as astonished as I that that august body of men, the Kentucky Legislature, has turned into a passel of television critics.”

The controversy faded, and “Daniel Boone” went on to a lucrative six-year run. The first season is now available in an eight-DVD collection.

Of course, the Kentucky Legislature was right. In the series, Boone and his wife, Rebecca (Patricia Blair), have but two children. In reality, they had seven surviving offspring by the mid-1770’s, the era in which these episodes are set. Boone did not explore Kentucky and establish Boonesborough at the behest of George Washington. He did not save Benjamin Franklin from hanging by the British. Unlike the strapping 6-foot-5 Parker, Boone stood 5-foot-10 by the most generous estimate. And he hated coonskin caps.

That cap is a telling link between Mr. Parker’s Boone and Davy Crockett, the role that made Mr. Parker a star in the 1950’s. John Mack Faragher, in his excellent 1992 biography, “Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer,” wrote that “Mr. Parker’s Crockett/Boone, in fact, is largely responsible for the persistent popular confusion that exists today between these two frontier heroes. Is it true, people ask, what they say about Daniel Boone’s death at the Alamo?”

Unlike Crockett, Boone was one trailblazer who avoided violence whenever possible. Mr. Parker’s Boone shares this philosophy, although he does raise Tick Licker, his trusty rifle, in self-defense, usually against attacking Indians. It’s unfortunate that over the opening credits, Boone shoots an Indian as the theme song declares, “He fought for America to make all Americans free.”

On the other hand, one of Boone’s closest friends in the series is Mingo, an Oxford-educated Cherokee played by Ed Ames. (Mr. Ames made broadcast history during a 1965 appearance on the “Tonight” show, demonstrating his prowess with a tomahawk by hurling one at the painted outline of a man — and embedding the blade in the figure’s crotch.)

Mr. Parker was correct when he told the legislators that his series was wholesome family entertainment. “Daniel Boone” at its best offers exciting stories of conflict that teach tolerance and stress a basic humanity among pioneers, Native Americans and Redcoats. Some incidents are grounded in fact, though filtered through the standard Hollywood simplifications. At its most routine, the series can be slow and contrived, with Daniel endlessly stalking an enemy or bear. Given that there are 28 black-and-white episodes in Season 1, the show’s batting average is solid. But what appeal “Daniel Boone” may have among kids in an iPod-Xbox-YouTube world is unclear.

The real Boone’s adventures became the stuff of folklore, tales told around a campfire. Boone’s event-filled life inspired writers as diverse as James Fenimore Cooper (Natty Bumppo owes much to Boone) and Lord Byron, who devoted seven stanzas to Boone in “Don Juan.”

Mr. Parker’s series, in a way, added its own shades to Boone’s legend, luring an audience around the modern version of the campfire — the television.

That image of television as a campfire would be invoked again in the opening credits of 'Amazing Stories'.

BCnU!

MRS. CROCKETT GETS BOONED

Fess Parker's roles as 'Davy Crockett' and 'Daniel Boone' are the official televersions of Earth Prime-Time. Other portrayals - like Peter Graves' Boone and Tim Dunagin's Crockett - would be assigned their own Toobworlds in the TV Multiverse.

As such, you look at them side by side and you can't help noticing how similar the two men looked. (Remember, we're now looking at them from within the Toobworld perspective. The fact that Parker played both roles doesn't enter into it.)

Since telegenetics is so strong in Toobworld, there should be only one conclusion - Daniel Boone was the biological father of Davy Crockett.

Daniel Boone was 52 when Crockett was born. He'd be around for another 34 years and Davy would only outlive him by 16 years. So Boone was hale and hearty enough to have made a really solid Tennessee excursion in his fifties. And while there he could have sired the young cub Davy.

Now, there's no way either of these men could live up to their legends in the real world. Maybe Boone was uncouth and unfaithful in real life, but the rules should apply in this as well when it comes to Toobworld. The facts of the real world should not contradict what is established in the televised story. Therefore, the Toobworld Daniel Boone doesn't seem likely to have betrayed his betrothed, Rebecca.

Still, Toobworld does provide an exit strategy to get out of this situation.

The precedent can be found in a 1973 'Gunsmoke' two-parter, "Matt's Love Story". Marshall Dillon was in Arizona when a bullet grazed his head and caused him to suffer amnesia. He fell in love with the woman who tended to his wounds, but he left her behind once he regained his memories and returned to Dodge City.

It wasn't until the 'Gunsmoke' TV movies of the 1990's that we - and Matt - found out that he fathered a daughter. (I wrote about this just the other day in a theory of relateeveety to connect 'Gunsmoke' to 'Fury'.)

The same situation could apply to Daniel Boone. He could have traveled south to Tennessee from Kentucky, only to get a head wound, perhaps from a tomahawk. After losing his memory, he meets Rebecca Hawkins Crockett who takes him in to bring him back to health. Perhaps her husband John was away with his former mountain men cronies from the war, but there would still be four children underfoot. (There would be four more children after Davy.) Still, she might have taken a fancy to this big man (as he is described in the theme song.) She may have wanted to find out exactly how big a man he really was.

Maybe Boone was able to remember that he was supposed to be with a woman named Rebecca and so easily acquiesced to her advances. And pretty soon he had her spread wider than that tree he split in the show's opening credits. (Whoa, Nellie! Don't want this turning into slash-fic!) Daniel Boone's memory may have returned while he was away from Mrs. Crockett's company, and he might have returned to his own Rebecca without ever remembering what he had done. Nine months later, David Crockett would be born on a mountain top in Tennessee, the spitting image of his biological father, Daniel Boone.

Daniel Boone was a man, alright!

BCnU!

FESS PARKER AS DANIEL BOONE: A GALLERY

Continuing with our memorial of Fess Parker, here are some publicity pictures of him as Daniel Boone.......

Good night and may God bless.....

"DANIEL BOONE" SUNG BY FESS PARKER

AS SEEN ON TV: DANIEL BOONE

Remembering Fess Parker, who passed away at the age of 85.....

AS SEEN IN:
'Daniel Boone'

AS PLAYED BY:
Fess Parker

From Wikipedia:
Daniel Boone (October 22, 1734 – September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and hunter whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the U.S. state of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of the Thirteen Colonies. Despite resistance from American Indians, for whom Kentucky was a traditional hunting ground, in 1778 Boone blazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky. There he founded Boonesborough, one of the first English-speaking settlements beyond the Appalachian Mountains. Before the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 people entered Kentucky by following the route marked by Boone.
BCnU!

DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE FINAL FRONTIER

"The only real question is whether you believe in the legend of Davey Crockett or not. If you do, then there should be no doubt in your mind that he died a hero's death. If you do not believe in the legend, then he was just a man, and it does not matter how he died."

- Worf

The legend of Davy Crockett at the Alamo informed several episodes of 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'.....

From the Memory Alpha wiki:

In 2374, a holosuite program recreating the battle was designed by Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir aboard Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") O'Brien was to play the role of Crockett; Bashir the role of Travis. Because Garak, who was contracted for making their clothes, was busy decoding messages for Starfleet Intelligence, Bashir offered the role of Crockett to Garak as incentive to hurry up on their costumes. O'Brien was not amused with the offer. (DS9: "Afterimage")

After experiencing the battle, they later had a heated discussion on the subject in Quark's. O'Brien believed that Santa Anna executed Crockett at the battle, supporting his position with the fact that Santa Anna didn't care about the "rules of war," and therefore would have considered the execution a point of pride.

Bashir, however, felt that Crockett was quite old for his time, and that his best days were behind him and that he was surviving on nothing but reputation. He believed that due to these factors, he would not be a man who would fight to his last breath in a clearly hopeless battle. He believed Crockett ultimately surrendered, to which O'Brien neither agreed nor disagreed with, noting that either way, there was no proof.

Worf, however believed that they were both wrong and that the only question is whether of not they believe in the legend of Crockett. If they did believe, then there would be no doubt in their minds that Crockett died the death of a hero. If they did not believe, then Crockett was just a man, and it did not matter how he died. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")

The Federation starship USS Crockett was presumably named after Davy Crockett. (DS9: "Paradise")

Memory Alpha is a great source for Trek info. You'll find the link to the left....

BCnU!

"DAVY CROCKETT": THE SHOW

From Wikipedia:
By the late 19th century, Crockett was largely forgotten. His legend was reborn in a 1950s TV show by Walt Disney, which also introduced his legendary coonskin cap. In 1948, Disney told columnist Hedda Hopper that it was "time to get acquainted, or renew acquaintance with, the robust, cheerful, energetic and representative folk heroes". As part of a deal that allowed him to build a theme park, Disneyland, Disney would produce weekly one-hour television programs for ABC. Disney wished to highlight historical figures and his company developed three episodes on Crockett—"Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter", "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress", and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo"— starring Fess Parker as Crockett. According to historians Randy Roberts and James Olson, "by the end of the three shows, Fess Parker would be very well known, the power of television would be fully recognized, and Davy Crockett would be the most famous frontiersman in American history." The shows sparked heated debate, with many questioning whether Crockett was really deserving of the amount of attention he was now receiving. Letter writers also questioned the series' historical accuracy.

Nevertheless, the shows proved very popular. They were combined into a feature-length movie in the summer of 1955, and Parker and his co-star Buddy Ebsen toured the United States, Europe, and Japan. By the end of 1955, Americans had purchased over $300 million worth of Davy Crockett merchandise ($2 billion by 2001). The television series also introduced a new song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett". Four different versions of the song hit the Billboard Best Sellers pop chart in 1955. The versions by Bill Hayes, TV series star Fess Parker, and Tennessee Ernie Ford charted in the Top 10 simultaneously, with Hayes' version hitting #1.

The shows were repeated on NBC in the 1960s after Disney had moved his program to that network. The 1960 repeats marked the first time that the programs had actually been shown in color on TV. Davy Crockett made a return with Disney in two further adventures: "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". In these two episodes Crockett faced off against Mike Fink, another early American legend. A three-episode 1988-89 revival was made entitled "The New Adventures of Davy Crockett", in which Tim Dunigan took over Fess Parker's famous role. Johnny Cash played an older Davy in a few scenes set before he went to Texas.

BCnU!

DAVY CROCKETT'S COONSKIN CAP CRAZE

From Wikipedia:
In the 20th century, the iconic association [of the coonskin cap] was in large part due to Disney's television program 'Disneyland' and the first three "Davy Crockett" episodes starring Fess Parker. In the episodes, which once again made Crockett into one of the most popular men in the country, the frontier hero was portrayed wearing a coonskin cap. The show spawned several 'Disneyland' Davy Crockett sequels as well as other similar shows and movies, with many of them featuring Parker as the lead actor. Parker went on to star in a 'Daniel Boone' television series (1964-1970), again wearing a coonskin cap.

Crockett's new popularity initiated a fad among boys all over the United States as well as a Davy Crockett craze in the United Kingdom. The look of the cap that was marketed to young boys was typically simplified; it was usually a faux fur lined skull cap with a raccoon tail attached. A variation was marketed to young girls as the Polly Crockett hat. It was similar in style to the boys' cap, including the long tail, but was made of all-white fur (faux or possibly rabbit). At the peak of the fad, coonskin caps sold at a rate of 5,000 caps a day.

By the end of the 1950s, Crockett's popularity waned and the fad slowly died out.
BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: DAVY CROCKETT AT THE ALAMO

In memory of Fess Parker....

DAVY CROCKETT

AS SEEN IN:
'Disneyland'

AS PLAYED BY:
Fess Parker

From Wikipedia:
David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was a celebrated 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician; referred to in popular culture as Davy Crockett and often by the epithet “King of the Wild Frontier.” He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the Battle of the Alamo.

The siege ended on March 6, when the Mexican army attacked just before dawn while the defenders were sleeping. The daily bombardment by artillery had been suspended, perhaps a ploy to encourage the natural human reaction to a cessation of constant strain. But, the garrison awakened, the final fight began.

Meanwhile, most of the noncombatants gathered in the church sacristy for safety. According to Susana Dickinson, before running to his post, Crockett paused briefly in the chapel to pray. When the Mexican soldiers breached the north outer walls of the Alamo complex, most of the Texians fell back to the barracks and the chapel, as previously planned. Crockett and his men were too far from the barracks to be able to take shelter. and were the last remaining group within the mission to be in the open. The men defended the low wall in front of the church, using their rifles as clubs and relying on knives, as action became too furious to allow reloading their weapons. After a volley of fire and a charge with bayonets, Mexican soldiers pushed the few remaining Texians back toward the church.

The Battle of the Alamo lasted almost 90 minutes.

Once all of the defenders were dead, Santa Anna ordered his men to take the bodies of the Texans to a nearby stand of trees where they were stacked together and wood piled on top of them. That evening, a fire was lit, and the bodies of the defenders were burned to ashes.



Fess Parker died 12 days after the anniversary of Davy Crockett's death.....

BCnU!

FESS PARKER AS DAVY CROCKETT: A GALLERY

BCnU....

THE HAT SQUAD: A DREAM COME-A TRUER

In remembrance of Fess Parker, here's the 1965 version of the credits and theme song for 'Daniel Boone'.....



BCnU.....

THE HAT SQUAD: FESS PARKER

A League Of Themselves remembrance of Fess Parker.....



Rest in peace, Fess Parker. Good night and may God bless.

BCnU....

"JUSTIFIED"

I watched the 'Justified' pilot Wednesday morning. Really liked it. Who knew you'd have to come back East to get a good Western?

I'm not sure how committed I'll be to the show, however, once 'White Collar' comes back for its second season. But since both shows are on cable networks, there'll be a later opportunity that same night to record one or the other if they overlap.

I watch TV differently than most folks, always with the mind working the various Toobworld angles. And that can affect my enjoyment of even a great series. For example, a show could lose interest for me quickly if it has to be considered in its own TV dimension with no hope of being linked to the rest of the TV Universe. There has to be a major draw to keep me coming back to those shows - like the excellent writing and acting of 'The West Wing', for example.

I don't see anything about 'Justified' that's going to banish it to some other TV dimension. The setting of Harlan, Kentucky, is real; I'm sure the President is Obama, just as he is for all of the main Toobworld.

About the only thing that fired up my Toobworld brain cells was the opening scene in Miami, when Raylan Givens gave "Tommy Bucks" the opportunity to surrender. Seeing him in action made me wonder why Givens hadn't crossed paths with Michael Weston of 'Burn Notice' yet. And now that I'm thinking of it, did 'Dexter' come in after the shootout to analyze the blood spatter on the patio?

At least Crockett and Tubbs must be retired by now....

BCnU!

HOLMES AND WIMSEY

In "The Nine Tailors", Lord Peter Wimsey complimented Hilary Thorpe by saying "As Sherlock Holmes would say, a colleague after my own heart."

There is no mention of the quote coming from the canon, and even if there were, we would have claimed that the stories were written by Dr. John Waton and that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was his literary agent. How, indeed, could I not take such a position?

Instead, we're claiming that Wimsey quoted Sherlock Holmes from the source, having heard the Great Detective utter the line himself. In fact, Holmes probably directed it to Lord Wimsey upon the completion of some case which they both worked on.

And I also subscribe to the theory that Holmes would be hale and hearty still in the mid-1930's, thanks to the attributes to be found in a diet of queen bee royal jelly. This is a traditional belief among those who dabble in "Sherlockiana" or "Holmesiana". (Based on my calculations, "The Nine Tailors" occurred in 1935. The bulk of the story takes place about twenty years after a jewel theft in 1918, and the main mystery seems to kick off on the night of December 29th, a Sunday. 1935 is the only year that would fit that criteria.)

In fact, this is a situation in which the Toobworld concept can mesh slightly with that of our friends who are devotees of Philip Jose Farmer's brilliant idea of the Wold Newton Universe. According to published treatises on the subject, both Holmes and Wimsey share a common ancestry among those affected by the Wold Newton meteor crash.

So Lord Peter Wimsey probably received that compliment from his own cousin.....

BCnU!

A GLEEFUL COMMUNITY

JEFF:
"We always watched what she wanted to watch.
I hate 'Glee'."

PIERCE:
"I hate 'Glee' too."

JEFF:
"I hate it; I don't understand the appeal."
'Community'

On this, I have to agree with Jeff. I've seen two episodes, and I just don't get why the show has buzz. (I'll probably go back again, however, when Neil Patrick Harris guests on the show.)

Nevertheless, the show will probably gain more popularity and thus get referenced more often on other shows. This won't do, as they should all be sharing the same TV dimension.

So far, only 'Community' has made the reference to 'Glee', and that because they share the same production stages. For the time being then, we can claim that "Glee" can be just about any TV show except for the actual one seen in the real world. A comedy variety program. A sci-fi series about an alien named "Glee". An infomercial about a household cleaning product.

As time goes by and other shows make more specific references to 'Glee', then we'll have to work up a more detailed splainin to disable the Zonks. But until then, this will do.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: NOEL COWARD

"Why", asked Coward, "am I always expected to wear a dressing-gown, smoke cigarettes in a long holder and say 'Darling, how wonderful'?"

NOEL COWARD

AS SEEN IN:
"Agatha Christie Marple: 4.50 From Paddington"
(also in "Ian Fleming: Bondmaker")

AS PLAYED BY:
Pip Torrens

From Wikipedia:
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 1899 – 26 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Coward won an Academy Honorary Award in 1943 for his naval film drama, In Which We Serve, and was knighted in 1969. In the 1950s he achieved fresh success as a cabaret performer, performing his own songs, such as "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", "London Pride" and "I Went to a Marvellous Party".

His plays and songs achieved new popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work and style continue to influence popular culture. Coward did not publicly acknowledge his homosexuality, but it was discussed candidly after his death by biographers including Graham Payn, his long-time partner, and in Coward's diaries and letters, published posthumously. The former Albery Theatre (originally the New Theatre) in London was renamed the Noël Coward Theatre in his honour in 2006.

This televersion of Noel Coward would have to be from an alternate TV dimension as Miss Jane Marple was played by Geraldine McEwan and not by the official Miss Marple of Toobworld, Joan Hickson. This works out perfectly as there was another TV production about the life of Ian Fleming, "Goldeneye", with its own televersions not only of Coward but also of Fleming.

But I think the Noel Coward of Earth Prime-Time may be portrayed by David Benson in six episodes of the time-traveling rom-com 'Goodnight, Sweetheart'.

Here are the televersions of Noel Coward:

Daphne (2007) Played by Malcolm Sinclair

Ian Fleming: Bondmaker (2005)

Agatha Christie Marple: 4.50 from Paddington (2004) Played by Pip Torrens

"Goodnight Sweetheart" (1998-99) Played by David Benson

Dieppe (1993) Played by John Mezon

"Red Dwarf" (1991) Played by Roger Blake

"You Rang, M'Lord?" (1990) Played by Guy Siner

Goldeneye (1989) Played by Julian Fellowes

"Ike" (1979) Played by Francis Matthews

"BBC2 Play of the Week"
- Exiles (1977) Played by Ned Sherrin

BCnU!

BROTHERLY LINKS

It was an unspoken fact in 'Gunsmoke' that Katherine Russell, AKA Miss Kitty, wasn't just running a saloon; she was running a brothel. And it was usually inferred that she and Marshall Matt Dillon had a VERY close relationship.

And yet, the family line of Matt Dillon was carried on by his daughter Beth, whom he fathered with Mike Yardner. This wasn't brought up in the regular TV series, not exactly. In a two-part episode in 1973 ("Matt's Love Story"), Marshall Dillon suffered amnesia after a head wound in Arizona. He was tended to by a woman named "Mike" Yardner, and they fell in love - only to part once he regained his memory and returned to Dodge City.

In the second 'Gunsmoke' TV movie in the 1990's, "The Last Apache", Matt discovered that Mike had given birth to a daughter Beth. Beth would take the name Dillon once she met her father (as seen in the third TV movie "To The Last Man", but in the next two films, "The Long Ride" and "One Man's Justice", she was married to Josh Reardon and bore his name.

In the last two days, since hearing of the death of Peter Graves, the idea came to me of adding one of his characters into the family tree of Matt Dillon. For those who don't know (and several of my Facebook friends were surprised by this), Mr. Graves and James Arness, who played Dillon, are brothers in real life. So one could say that there could be common DNA between characters that they played.

I'm thinking that horse rancher Jim Newton, the character played by Peter Graves in the kids' show 'Fury', was descended from Josh and Beth Reardon. His wife and son were killed in an auto accident by a drunk driver and he later raised a young boy named Joey at the Broken Wheel Ranch. (I'm not sure where the ranch is actually located out West, but it's near Capitol City - which is where the Martin Family, including Timmy and 'Lassie' lived.)

Just a theory, can't be proven nor disproved, but that goes for most of the theories here at Toobworld Central......

Behind the scenes in the real world, both shows debuted in 1955 - not that it should influence the connection.

And if you took the bloodline far enough, it could be that you might be able to add Noah Cooper into the family. He was a character played by Peter Graves in an episode of 'Buck Rogers In The 25th Century'!

BCnU!

JUST SAYIN', IS ALL.....

When writing up that ASOTV tribute to Casey Jones for his birthday on the 14th, there was one picture of Alan Hale in the role that made me think of another actor currently on TV - Brian Holt, who plays Bobby in 'Cougar Town'.

I think it's something to do with the smile/smirk: BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: GEORGE WASHINGTON

In his television career, Peter Graves played the televersions of three historical figures:

GEORGE WASHINGTON - "The Rebels"

DANIEL BOONE - 'The Great Adventure'
(two episodes: "The Siege of Boonesborough" & "Kentucky's Bloody Ground")

O. HENRY - "The Gift Of The Magi"

The official TV portrait of Daniel Boone is that by Fess Parker in the TV series, so those two episodes of 'The Great Adventure' can be placed into an alternate TV dimension. As far as I can tell, Mr. Graves was the only person to ever portray O. Henry on TV, so he could lay claim to be the official televersion of the short story writer.

As for the "Father Of Our Country".....

GEORGE WASHINGTON

AS SEEN IN:
"The Rebels"

AS PLAYED BY:
Peter Graves

I'm leaning toward Barry Bostwick as being the official representative of George Washington in Earth Prime-Time. But we can cobble together a theory in which the General had a series of stand-ins for security, to maintain the illusion that he was in various places at the same time (a gimmick used by Winston Churchill in "The Eagle Has Landed").

George Washington as played by Peter Graves would be one of those men - unless he was a quantum leaper......

It's an absurd idea from our perspective (although I'll bet there's an author out there who could make it work), but since when has Toobworld been concerned with reality? In an alternate universe in which cars can talk and billowing smoke can be a major character, the idea of a George Washington impersonator is rather tame.....

BCnU!

REALI-TV: SMOOCHIES!

Usually the "Two For Tuesday" theme is reserved for the "As Seen On TV" feature here at Inner Toob. But it works in this case as well.....





It's funny that Al mentioned 'Will & Grace', as that same situation happened to him with Jack and Will on the sitcom. I don't know which happened first - the actual kiss on the 'Today' show, or the 'Will & Grace' scene. So it's either Art imitates Life or vice versa.

BCnU!

PETER GRAVES: ONE LUCKY WOMAN

"Airplane" would not be the only time the late Peter Graves would spoof his own image. And this Geico blipvert can also count towards his inclusion in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, along with 'Diagnosis Murder', 'Funny Face', and maybe even the Steve Martin special "Comedy Is Not Pretty"....




BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: PETER GRAVES

Peter Graves passed away this weekend at the age of 83. His most famous role may end up being that of Captain Clarence Oveur in 'Airplane', but for Toobworld it has to be that of Jim Phelps, leader of the IMF teams on 'Mission: Impossible'. He first made his mark as the star of 'Fury' (well, technically the horse was the star, but you know what I mean) and also starred in 'Whiplash'. He played a major role in the two mini-series 'The Winds Of War' and 'War & Remembrance' (which may have to be placed in two different TV dimensions because of significant recasting).

He had a recurring role as the grandfather on 'Seventh Heaven' and was the host for a lot of specials and the TV series 'Biography', which honed his serlinguistic ability. His last guest star role was in the Tooniverse, in an episode of 'American Dad'.

Peter Graves also played televersions of himself in two series, and perhaps even a third time in a Steve Martin TV special, which would then qualify him for membership in the League of Themselves wing of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.

Here's a clip of Peter Graves as himself - playing the lead role of 'Dr. Danger', a TV show within a TV show, which of course means that it's the real deal in Toobworld. Reruns may still be playing in syndication over there.....



Peter Graves had a long career in television, and I expect there will be more posts to come about the various characters he contributed to its population. Good night, and may God bless.

BCnU......

ZONK: "PSYCH" vs "NIGHT COURT"

When Officer McNab suggested the modus operandi for the serial killer known as Mr. Yin, Mary Lightly responded: “I think that bailiff from Night Court is spot-on.”

This quote doesn't have to be seen with the air-quotes around "Night Court", making it a Zonk reference to the classic 80's sitcom. It could be that McNab moonlighted as a bailiff in the Santa Barbara night court. And since Lightly was living in Santa Barbara for at least the past year, perhaps their paths crossed at some point at the courthouse.

So that Zonk would be erased, leaving behind only a sweet pineapple scent.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: SIGMUND FREUD

We've already showcased Dr. Freud this year, but on February 2nd, Bernard Kates passed away.....

SIGMUND FREUD

AS SEEN IN:
'Star Trek: The Next Generation' - "Phantasms"

AS PLAYED BY:
Bernard Kates

The holographic image of Dr. Freud does not necessarily mean this is how he looked in the "real life" of Toobworld. It's more the projected image of him as conceived by the holographic programmer who installed the program. In the year 2370, Lt. Commander Data would visit the holographic projection in order to work out the dreams he was having about the Enterprise being attacked. Data stopped consulting with him when Dr. Freud diagnosed him as a "polymorphous perverse" with a desire to possess his own mother. Data realized that this treatment was of no help since, as an android, he had no mother.

SIGMUND FREUD

AS SEEN IN:
'Freud'

AS PLAYED BY:
David Suchet

Although I haven't given it much thought yet, the six episodes of this 1984 mini-series could be the definitive portrayal of Freud in the main Toobworld. Suchet carries the life of the psycho-analyst from a young man to his death.

Because Kates' portrayal was a hologram, there is no discrepancy in allowing both portrayals to remain in Earth Prime-Time.

Two for Tuesday!

BCnU!

TIME FOR SOME CULTURE.....

WISH-CRAFT: CASTING VLAD

I caught up to the last two episodes of 'The Inbetweeners' this morning. In one of them, Simon had to "baby-sit" with an exchange student from France.

Here's the actor who played the part, Vladimir Cosigny:

I'm putting this out there as a suggestion to casting directors - get this kid for some TV show over here in America! I think you'll find he's going to bring in a lot of female eyes to whatever show you put him in.

Here are a few suggestions:

'ENTOURAGE' - Remember "Bizarro Jerry" on 'Seinfeld'? Cosgny could be the French version of Vincent Chase, and a possible threat when it comes to landing certain roles - and women.

'GOSSIP GIRL' - He'd be perfect as a foreign exchange student, but whether he ends up with one of the girls or one of the guys....?

'VAMPIRE DIARIES' or 'TRUE BLOOD' - Perhaps as a vampire from France or even down home-grown Louisiana bloodsucker? How hard can it be to take his natural accent and fine-tune it to Cajun?

Any of the procedural shows as a possible suspect in a murder investigation would be a likely way to go, or a 'White Collar' case, a 'Leverage' caper; maybe a 'Burn Notice' client ......

Sitcoms like 'Community', 'How I Met Your Mother', '30 Rock'......

I wonder if he'll turn up in other Brit shows like 'New Tricks' or 'Doctor Who'.....?

There's a YouTube video out there of a scene from this movie "Hellphone". I don't feel right embedding it or even linking to it, but it certainly shows Cosigny would be willing to take chances in a production.

You'll find it, don't worry.....

BCnU!

STANDING IN FOR CAGNEY & LACEY

In the pilot episode of 'New Tricks', one of Gerry Standing's ex-wives compared him to "Cagney and Lacey".

Within the "reality" of Toobworld, she wasn't referring to the TV show; we can't allow that since both shows should be sharing the same universe.

But she could have been referring to the characters as real people. For their time (which in my perspective, wasn't that long ago), NYPD detectives Chris Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey could be seen as pioneers, ground-breakers, giving the women who came after them on the force the opportunity to break their own glass ceilings. And in a world where everybody will have their own TV show eventually, that stance most likely garnered them notice from some TV producer.

That's the simplest splainin possible. Probably the only one. It's not like we can claim that the mention of "Cagney and Lacey" was about two totally different people. After all, too many shows have mentioned the series in the past.

Among them:

'Mayo'
'Dempsey & Makepeace'
'Burn Notice'
'Angel'
'Married... With Children'
'Veronica Mars'
'Growing Pains'
'The Nanny'
'Red Dwarf'
and
'Mystery Science Theater 3000'

As a matter of fact, a character in an episode of 'Mayo' used it as her alibi in an investigation.....

BCnU!

JOY OF ZONK DISABLING

Every so often a scrap of paper rises from a deep strata of detritus here at my desk in Toobworld Central, with some TV quote I scribbled down for one of my blog riffs someday.

That day has arrived for this one:

"Joy can tell how a 'CSI' episode will end by the 45 minute mark."
Crabman (probably)
'My Name Is Earl'

'My Name Is Earl' was rife with Zonks. Remember that episode where they acted out 'Friends'? The girl in Earl's class with a mustache, whom Earl tagged as 'Magnum, P.I.'?

Luckily, this Zonk is easy to cross off the list.......

'CSI' is such a generic title that in Toobworld it could be a reality series about crime scene investigations. If the location or the characters on that show are mentioned in any other series, then it's a reality show about the Las Vegas crime lab officers.

And an O'Bservation? I don't think figuring out the ending by the 45 minute mark is all that spectacular. Try figuring out a 'Monk' episode before the opening credits!

BCnU!