NEW WHO PREVIEW TWO

Here's the opening scene from the season premiere of 'Doctor Who' which will be seen on April 3 in the UK and on April 17 in the USA.



The episode is called "The Eleventh Hour". If you know your Who history, you'll know why this is in the running for the 2010 Toobits Award for best episode title....

BCnU!

NEW WHO PREVIEW

As I stated on Facebook, I'm more than excited about the upcoming season of 'Doctor Who' with a newly regenerated Doctor; I'm moist!

Here's a preview from the episode "Vampires In Venice":



Oh, this is Christmas indeed!

One note: the date listed at the beginning is for the British premiere of the series. America will be getting it on April 17.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: SGT. BASILONE

SGT. JOHN BASILONE

AS SEEN IN:
'THE PACIFIC'

AS PLAYED BY:
Jon Seda

From Wikipedia:
Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. He was the only enlisted Marine in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.

He served three years in the United States Army with duty in the Philippines before joining the Marine Corps. In 1940 he joined the Marine Corps and after attending training was sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Solomon Islands and eventually to Guadalcanal where he held off 3,000 Japanese troops after his 15-member unit was reduced to two men. He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Iwo Jima, after which he was posthumously honored with the Navy Cross. He has received many honors including being the namesake for streets, military locations and a United States Navy destroyer.

From Alan Sepinwall:
"I like to put John Basilone in context with Frank Sinatra," said Bill Connell, the chairman of the Seton Hall Italian Studies department. "Basilone went to war, Sinatra was 4-F. While men like Basilone were off fighting, Sinatra was home singing to the girls. After the war, Sinatra grabbed every war movie role he could."

By then, John Basilone was dead.

You get the point.

Sinatra was a star. Basilone was a hero. There’s a difference, you know.

BCnU....

CROSSING OVER ROBERT CULP

Three times over, Robert Culp is eligible for the TV Crossover Hall of Fame. As a member of the League of Themselves, Culp appeared in three TV programs as his fictional televersion:

"The Jack Benny Program"
- The Airport (1957)

"Law & Order"
- D-Girl (1997)
"The Chris Isaak Show"
- Isaakland (2002)

His first major character on TV will in fact be inducted this summer as a tip of the Stetson to Mr. Culp. Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman was introduced in an episode of 'Zane Grey Theater', had his own series with 'Trackdown', and he was instrumental in introducing bounty hunter Josh Randall to Toobworld. (Randall, played by Steve McQueen, would go on to star in his own series, 'Wanted: Dead Or Alive'.)
As for his most famous Toobworld character, Kelly Robinson of 'I Spy', that would be an honors list induction. He played the character in the series 'I Spy', and in the reunion movie "I Spy Returns". He also played it in the sketch comedy universe of Skitlandia on 'Saturday Night Live' with Eddie Murphy imitating Bill Cosby in his role of Alexander Scott.
Mr. Culp also played Kelly Robinson in a dream sequence on 'Cosby' back in 1999, which caused a big Zonk since Hilton Lucas talked about the TV show of 'I Spy'. But I think I have a way to disable that Zonk. It just came to me, so I need to polish it up before I post it.
Once these three characters are eventually inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, it wouldn't make for any world's record for Mr. Culp. Lucille Ball had four successive entries into the Hall back in 2000 - her three major TV characters plus herself (all part of the year-long salute to women in TV).

But he may be able to tie her record (if not her speed in getting all four inductions) if I can work up a plausible splainin for Trent, "The Demon With A Glass Hand" which Robert Culp played in an episode of 'The Outer Limits'. It would definitely have to be on the Birthdays Honor List.....
BCnU!

PS:
Don't worry about the 'Match Game' photo. It's not being used as a qualification for entry. I just liked Mr. Culp's expression.....

AS SEEN ON TV: XENOPHON

The late Robert Culp played several historical figures in Toobworld, although some of them are questionable. His character of Lyle Pettijohn in 'Roots: The Next Generation', for example, is one of my favorites from that sequel, but I can't claim with any certainty that he was a fictional character meant to represent several others.

Among his other historical roles were:

General Davies in "Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Story" (another which might be a composite)

General Erwin Rommel from "The Key To Rebecca"

Joshua in 'The Greatest Heroes of the Bible'

Sam Houston - 'The Great Adventure'

Thomas Burdue - 'Death Valley Days'

Steve Bell - "Houston, We've Got A "Problem"

Cassius - 'You Are There'

All of those are tough to come by for pictures. But I did find one historical figure played by Robert Culp for whom there were available photographs:

XENOPHON

AS SEEN IN:
'You Are There' - "339 B.C. - The Death Of Socrates"

AS PLAYED BY:
Robert Culp

From Wikipedia:
Xenophon (ca. 430 - 354 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a soldier, mercenary, and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the 4th century BC, preserving the sayings of Socrates, and the life of ancient Greece.

(Xenophon, with Plato, who was played John Cassavetes)

While a young man, Xenophon participated in the expedition led by Cyrus the Younger against his older brother, the emperor Artaxerxes II of Persia, in 401 BC. Xenophon writes that he had asked the veteran Socrates for advice on whether to go with Cyrus, and that Socrates referred him to the divinely inspired Delphic oracle. Xenophon's query to the oracle, however, was not whether or not to accept Cyrus' invitation, but "to which of the gods he must pray and do sacrifice, so that he might best accomplish his intended journey and return in safety, with good fortune." The oracle answered his question and told him to which gods to pray and sacrifice. When Xenophon returned to Athens and told Socrates of the oracle's advice, Socrates chastised him. Socrates did not approve of Xenophon's decision and responded to him by giving his love to Plato and his other students who did not disrespect him. Xenophon was later exiled from Athens, most likely because he fought under the Spartan king Agesilaus II against Athens at Coronea. (However, there may have been contributory causes, such as his support for Socrates, as well as the fact that he had taken service with the Persians.)

Xenophon's writings, especially the Anabasis, are often read by beginning students of the Greek language. His Socratic writings, preserved complete, along with the dialogues of Plato, are the only surviving representatives of the genre of Sokratikoi logoi.

BCnU!

TOOBWORLD TIMELINE: ON THIS DATE

MARCH 25, 1911

BCnU....

ROBERT CULP: PART OF THE UNION 'TIL THE DAY HE DIED

I won't have any personal remembrances of Robert Culp when I'm able to write about him, just a personal appreciation. But writer/director Mark Evanier has a great story about Culp in connection with his support of the Writers' Guild.....

BCnU....

A PRELIMINARY HAT SQUAD: ROBERT CULP

I'm on the road - in a way - so I won't be able to post anything about the death of Robert Culp until Friday. But I'll just say now he was one of my faves and a great symbol for "Cool" on the small screen.

As I do with all my tips of the hat to those in the TV biz who have left us, allow me to quote Red Skelton: Good night, and may God bless.

I'll be back soon.....

UPDATE: SPRINGTIME AT LAST!

This past weekend Toobworld Central O'Bserved the arrival of Spring with mention of the personification of Springtime, as seen in the Britcom 'Mulberry'. At that time, however, I couldn't find the appropriate screen capture for her.

Thanks to Netflix, I now have a few:
I still have a fondness for that loverly young thing in the original post....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: CHESTY PULLER

GENERAL "CHESTY" PULLER

AS SEEN IN:
'The Pacific'

AS PLAYED BY:
William Sadler

From Wikipedia:
Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Puller is the most decorated U.S. Marine in history, and the only Marine to receive five Navy Crosses, the United States Navy's and Marines' second highest decoration after the Medal of Honor. During his career, he fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, and participated in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II and the Korean War. Puller retired from the Marine Corps in 1955, spending the rest of his life in Virginia. BCnU!

A BIT OF WIMSEY UPSTAIRS.....

Richard Bellamy was a British politician in the early years of the 20th Century, as seen in 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. Although he held the title of 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham, it wasn't hereditary, but rather from a combination of his hard work and his wife's family connections. (Lady Marjorie Talbot-Carey Bellamy was the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Southwold.) Richard Bellamy was of simple origins, being the son of a poor parson.

Or so he thought.

Based on his incredible similarity in appearance to Gerald Christian Wimsey, it is the conjecture of Toobworld Central that they are half brothers, each unaware of the other's relationship to themselves. And we're going to maintain that their common father is the 15th Duke of Denver, rather than to cast aspersions on the good - yet unknown - name of the country parson who was father to Richard Bellamy in name only.

Although we never meet the father of Gerald, Peter, and Mary in the televised mysteries, it's not hard to believe - when it comes to the wandering eye - that the tree isn't too far from the apple (as it were) in the Wimsey family. In "Clouds Of Witness", Lord Peter Wimsey finally figured out (long after the audience!) why his older brother the Duke was so reticent in providing an alibi for himself: a young woman was involved. So it's a case of "like father, like son". And Lord Bellamy, even though he never knew his biological father, was cut from the same cloth, as seen in his show. I've been enjoying the practice of dedicating these theories of relateeveety to my friends, so this one is going out to that Master Wold Newtonist, Win Scott Eckert....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LORD NORTH

LORD NORTH

AS SEEN IN:
'The Bastard'

AS PLAYED BY:
John Colicos

From Wikipedia:
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence. He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

BCnU!

NUMBERS RUNNING IN SOUTHAMPTON, 1922

And to bring today's posts all back around to Lord Peter Wimsey, here's a scene from "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club" in which Robert Fentiman confronted a man he believed to be a "Mr. Oliver". It took place in 1922 on the train platform at Southhampton. The number "23" one of "The Numbers" from 'Lost', was being used to indicate that the two train tracks were #2 and #3.

Its use in this case is reminiscent of the aisle numbers seen in an episode from 'Lost' from last season: BCnU!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: HUGH'S VIEW

One of my long-time correspondents, dating back to the original Tubeworld Dynamic website, and one of the original members of Team Toobworld, Hugh Davis has come up with an interesting theory of relateeveety that, by an amazing stroke of coincidence, ties into a post that I'm working on.....

Late in the 'Little House' run, in fact just as it was shifting into its "A New Beginning" final season, Shannen Doherty appeared as Jenny Wilder, a niece (through marriage) of Laura.

Given your emphasis on tele-genetics, that prompted me to think there could be a connection to another series. After all, the Walshes come to Beverly Hills from Minnesota, home state of Walnut Grove and 'Little House'. Therefore, why wouldn't Jenny Wilder (one of the earliest roles and, I think, her first regular series role, for Shannen Doherty) be the ancestor of Brenda Walsh (most famous regular series role for Shannen Doherty)?

That way, if you ever needed it, you can tie 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Little House: The New Beginning' (and, if you count TV movies, there were two "Young Pioneers" ones produced by Michael Landon based on Rose Wilder Lane's autobiographical writings; if only Landon had officially connected his 'Father Murphy', there'd be even more frontier shows to link) with 'Beverly Hills, 90210', which spun off the original 'Melrose Place' (which, in turn, spun off 'Models, Inc.') and begat '90210', which has since spun off the new 'MP'.

Just saying...

Hugh

Works for me!

BCnU!

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND

During last week's "Recon" episode of 'Lost', we saw Detective James Ford of the LAPD relaxing at home with a few beers while watching TV.

Unfortunately for Toobworld purists, he was watching 'Little House On The Prairie'.

Even though they're separated by well over a century, both 'Lost' and 'Little House' should belong in the same TV universe. Luckily, one thing that takes the Zonk pressure off in this case is that this version of Sawyer exists over in the alternate TV dimension being called "the Sideways world". This is the parallel timeline that was created when Juliet detonated the "Jughead" bomb back on the Island in 1977.

But as we don't know whether this alternate dimension will eventually blend back in with the rest of Toobworld, I've come up with several splainin options just to be on the safe side. (Just like Sawyer, I'm playing all the angles.)

First off, nothing about that scene - within the "reality" of Earth Prime-Time - says that it actually is 'Little House On The Prairie'. The two characters never address each other by name, so we don't have to assume they're Laura Ingalls and her paw, Charles Ingalls just because they're being played by Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.

This could have been a fictional TV show or movie in which the televersions of those two stars appeared.

But let's say it was a scene from 'Little House On The Prairie'. That still doesn't make it a Zonk. In the past we've argued that if an actor is mentioned in association with a Western TV show in which he stars on another TV show, it's simply that the TV Western is about an historical figure. And the televersion of that actor was hired for the role because of his incredible resemblance to that historical figure. (Best example of this is when Hugh O'Brian showed up on 'Make Room For Daddy', where Rusty Williams was a big fan of 'Wyatt Earp' - speaking of Hugh's and 'Little House'.....) Basically, 'Little House On The Prairie' is a Western, and it is based on the historical writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder about her childhood growing up on the plains. Landon and Gilbert were hired for the roles because they look so much like the original people.

Anyway, we know 'Little House On The Prairie' does exist in Toobworld. It was mentioned in such shows as 'The Sopranos', 'Scrubs', 'Sanford And Son', 'Saved By The Bell', 'Spooks', and plenty of other TV shows that don't even begin with the letter "S". (And besides, 'Lost' already brought it up as well in the episode "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead".)

So for all of those reasons, Toobworld Central has no problem with seeing the Ingalls on Sawyer's TV.

But I wish it had been a scene from 'Expose'.....

By the way - isn't it a cool idea that Michael Landon would be somehow linked into the world of 'Lost'? Can't explain it; just something that appeals to me.....

BCnU!

KHAN & CHEKOV: TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

While mapping out my theory about the recasting of Bunter during the investigation into "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club", I mentioned how Khan Noonian Singh recognized Pavel Chekov in the movie "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" - and yet never met him during the 'Star Trek' episode "Space Seed".

Here's the scene in the movie:



And here's an interview with Walter Koenig himself, the actor who will be forever associated with Chekov. (I apologize in advance for the quality of the sound on this video, but it doesn't interfere with Koenig's splainin.)



Considering the authoritative source*, Toobworld Central is happy to accept this as the official splainin for why the home audience never saw Khan meet Chekov on 'Star Trek'.

[And since I've been dedicating posts lately, this goes out to fellow Iddiot Jordan Hoffman.]

BCnU!

*Both Pavel Chekov and Walter Koenig have been inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, so I'm looking at this video clip as being inside the box......

AS SEEN ON TV: THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

AS SEEN IN:
'Lord Peter Wimsey' - "The Nine Tailors"

AS PLAYED BY:
Christopher Banks

I've determined that "The Nine Tailors" must take place in 1935, as that was the only possible year in which December 29 fell on a Sunday. Therefore, the Archbishop of Canterbury must be William Lang.

From Wikipedia:
William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, GCVO, PC (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945), was an Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His rapid elevation to Archbishop of York, within 18 years of his ordination, is unprecedented in modern Church of England history. As Archbishop of Canterbury during the abdication crisis of 1936 he took a strong moral stance and comments he made in a subsequent broadcast were widely condemned as uncharitable towards the departed king.

Lang became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1928. He presided over the 1930 Lambeth Conference, which gave limited church approval to the use of contraception. After denouncing the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and strongly condemning European antisemitism, Lang later supported the appeasement policies of the British government. On retirement in 1942 he was created Baron Lang of Lambeth and continued to attend and speak in House of Lords debates until his death in 1945. Lang himself believed that he had not lived up to his own high standards. Others, however, have praised his qualities of industry, his efficiency and his commitment to his calling.

It was somewhat traditional for TV productions of the 1960's and 70's to show historical figures from the back of the head, usually in a high-backed chair. At the very least, you'd only see their hand, something of a Frank Costello effect, with something appropriate nearby to solidify their identification - like a cowboy hat for Lyndon Johnson, for example.

With this method, the producers didn't need to worry about casting someone who looked like Archbishop Lang. At least this way, his portrayal doesn't cause a Zonk with a different portrayal....

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward & Mrs. Simpson'

AS PLAYED BY:
Maurice Denham

It's true his hair is fuller in the first picture. "Luxuriant," as Nelson Brenner once said in 'Columbo'. But maybe the televersion of Archbishop Lang liked to wear a piece in the privacy of his own rectory.....

BCnU!

THE HANDSOME MEN'S CLUB

They're not in character, so the video can't be used to make crossovers, but no matter - it's still a lot of fun!

You know who should have been there? Lank Thompson, Handsome Actor.....

BCnU!

BESIDE HIMSELF WITH A LOVE OF TV THEME SONGS

My cousin Maggie alerted me to this:




BCnU!

BUNTER BANTER

Mervyn Bunter is the gentleman's gentleman serving Lord Peter Wimsey in the stories by Dorothy L. Sayers. In the Television Universe, he was first played by Ronald Adam in a 1947 adaptation of "Busman's Holiday" - which was then adapted again a decade later. In that version, Charles Lloyd Pack portrayed Bunter.

Adam would have been considered the official version of Mervyn Bunter, being the first, following the general rule of Toobworld Central. However, both Adam and Lloyd Pack only appeared in those single adaptations, and Toobworld Central always leans toward a portrayal of some heft - in this type of case, quantity does over-ride quality. And therefore Glyn Houston has the honor of being the Mervyn Bunter of Earth Prime-Time. That his lordship Peter Wimsey as played by Ian Carmichael is also the official version in the main Toobworld helps his case.
However, Bunter, as seen during Lord Wimsey's investigation into "The Unpleasantness Of The Bellona Club", looked markedly different than he did while serving his lordship in three other murder investigations ("Clouds Of Witness", "The Nine Tailors", and "The Five Red Herrings"). In the real world, this is because Derek Newark played Bunter in that second installment, whereas Glyn Houston was the valet in the other three mysteries. (Bunter does not appear at all in "Murder Must Advertise".)

No need for quantum leapers or alien impersonators in this case. Here's the Toobworld splainin:

For whatever reason, Mervyn Bunter had to leave his master's employ temporarily, in order to take care of personal business. We can look to the sitcom 'Family Affair' for the precedent of the splainin: in much the same way as Nigel French (sometimes referred to as "Niles") covered for his brother Giles, Bunter had his younger brother serve in his stead during that time. (The first Mr. French had to abandon his post with Bill Davis in order to serve at Her Majesty's request.)
Unlike the case of the French brothers in 'Family Affair', the matter of the replacement of one Bunter brother for the other was never addressed in the episode. Not everything has to be shown on TV. Take the example of Singh Noonian Khan meeting Pavel Chekov in the "Space Seed" episode of 'Star Trek'. It never happened, and yet Khan recognized Chekov when they met in the movie "Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan".This second Bunter is never addressed or referred to by his first name. So we're spared any need to splain why two brothers would have the same first name of Mervyn. But if he had been? Not a problem. Toobworld Central would have invoked the "George Foreman Ploy" (not a title for a "Big Bang Theory' episode!) in which all the siblings have the same first name. This was also the case with Arthur Dales of 'The X-Files'. Both Darrin McGavin and M. Emmett Walsh played characters with that name, and they were brothers. (Apparently they had a sister and once even had a dog by the name of Arthur Dales.)Whatever the younger Bunter's first name, I don't think it was "William". For those who might be familiar with the boys' adventure stories of the early 1900's, those "ripping yarns", the name of Lord Peter Wimsey's valet - Bunter - should bring to mind Billy Bunter, the overweight schoolboy always getting into a jam at the Greyfriar's school in the stories by Frank Richards aka Charles Hamilton.

Billy Bunter, Mervyn Bunter, and his younger, un-named, brother are likely cousins, a familial connection no closer than that.

(Both Billy Bunter and Frank Richards exist in the TV Universe. Richards was abducted to an alien dimension in order to provide the imagination for the Master Brain.)

BCnU!

[And this Wimsey post is dedicated to my brother Bill.....]

A FEW DEATHS IN THE WIMSEY FAMILY

Whenever possible, Toobworld Central will accept the background information established for some of the fictional characters shared by the TV Universe and the much more expansive Wold Newton Universe. Some of the main figures this would involve would be Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Lord Peter Wimsey. The same can't be said for others that should belong to the Wold Newton family, like Tarzan, Lord Greystoke or Fu Manchu, because they've been updated to more modern times in Earth Prime-Time.

It is of Lord Peter Wimsey whom I'm writing today, in making the claim that his genealogy can link his televised mysteries (at least those five serials starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter) to the TV series 'The Avengers'.

First off, the most minimal of thumbnail biographies for Lord Peter:

Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey (fictional character) is a bon vivant sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries—usually but not always murders. Wimsey is an archetype for the British gentleman detective. [Wikipedia]

In the story "Murder Must Advertise", Lord Peter used his middle names of "Death Bredon" as his alias when he went undercover at an advertising agency.

In the excellent Wold Newton Universe website run by the esteemed Win Scott Eckert, Mark Brown wrote an essay about the Wimsey family tree. In it, he establishes the connection between the families of the Wimseys and the Deaths:

Peter and Gerald's father was Mortimer, the 15th Duke of Denver. His wife, Honoria Lucasta Delagardie, was the aforementioned Dowager Duchess. Mortimer's father was George, the 14th Duke. According to Scott-Giles, his wife was Mary Death, the Deaths being an ancient noble family. Apparently, the Deaths and the Wimsey had intermarried several generations in the past.

This information was culled from a book by C.W. Scott-Giles entitled "The Wimsey Family".

Thanks to that family name, we can theorize a link between the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries and 'The Avengers' TV series.

Aye, there be spoilers ahead, laddie!
In the episode "Castle De'ath", John Steed (top professional) and Mrs. Emma Peel (talented amateur) went undercover at the castle in order to find the link between Clan De'ath and the disappearance of fish along the Scottish coast. (The investigation was sparked by the drowning death of a frogman who was found four inches taller dead than he was alive.)

According to Clan member Angus De'ath, the 5th Laird of the Castle, Ewan De'ath, was executed with William "Braveheart" Wallace. (Angus got some of his facts wrong though - Wallace died in 1305 and Angus placed it a year earlier.) From the current Laird, Iain De'ath, Steed and Mrs. Peel learned that the 13th Laird was a traitor to the family. He betrayed the Clan to the other clans and as punishment, "Black Jamie" De'ath was sealed away in the East Tower until Doomsday.
It turns out that the Castle De'ath was being used by outside agents as an enemy submarine base with the help of Angus De'ath. In his attempt to escape, Angus killed his cousin Laird Iain before being slain himself in a malfunctioning iron maiden.

I have no clue as to who the current Laird of Clan De'ath would be in Earth Prime-Time.

With some alteration to the name of De'ath over the years to be more anglicized as "Death", it can be postulated that Lord Peter Wimsey was related to the Clan. And he may have found time to visit his distant Clan relatives when he and Bunter took a holiday over the border into the highlands (as seen in the serial "The Five Red Herrings).

It's all tele-speculation, of course, but of the best kind - it can't be disproven! I'm only sorry that I couldn't have made the link between the two series stronger by having Lord Peter related to either Steed or Mrs. Peel. (But in a future theory of relateeveety, it will be established that Emma Peel's family tree can link 'The Avengers' to 'Knight Rider' - which some might have expected - but also to 'Columbo'.)

Check out that episode of 'The Avengers' - "Castle De'ath". Not only is it one of the best, but you get to see the characters dressed in traditional Scottish costume - including Mrs. Peel.....
If you're interested in reading more about the background of the Wimsey family, check out Mark Brown's essay at the Wold Newton site......

BCnU!

[This Toobworld post is dedicated to John O'Creagh.]

AS SEEN ON TV: ELEANOR BRON

ELEANOR BRON

AS SEEN IN:
"Not Only, But Always"

AS PLAYED BY:
Josephine Davison

Eleanor Bron (born 14 March 1938) is an English stage, film and television actress and author.

Eleanor Bron's earliest work for television included appearances on 'Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life' and in particular 'BBC-3', where she performed in sketches with John Fortune; they had already worked together at Peter Cook's Establishment Club. Later, her work included such programmes as 'Where Was Spring?' and 'My Father Knew Lloyd George'.

She collaborated with novelist and playwright Michael Frayn on the BBC programmes 'Beyond a Joke' (1972) and 'Making Faces' (1975).

She appeared in a 1982 episode ("Equal Opportunities") of the BBC series 'Yes Minister', playing a senior civil servant in Jim Hacker's Department. Hacker plans to promote her to strike a blow for equal opportunities.

Bron appeared in a brief scene in the BBC science fiction television series 'Doctor Who' serial "City of Death" alongside John Cleese as art critics in Denise Rene's art gallery in Paris. The pair are admiring the TARDIS, thinking it to be a piece of art, when the Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward) and Duggan (Tom Chadbon) rush into it and it dematerialises. Bron's character, believing this to be part of the work, states that it is "Exquisite, absolutely exquisite!"

She also appeared as an art critic in a parody of an Andy Warhol documentary on the BBC sketch comedy show 'French and Saunders'.

Later, she had a more substantial guest role in another 'Doctor Who' television serial, 1985's "Revelation of the Daleks". She has more recently also appeared in an audio drama based on 'Doctor Who' by Big Finish Productions, ("Loups-Garoux"), in which she plays the part of wealthy heiress Ileana de Santos.

She plays, through flashback, the recurring character of Patsy's mother in the sitcom, 'Absolutely Fabulous', an exuberantly horrible woman who "scattered bastard babies across Europe like a garden sprinkler". After giving birth, she would always say "Now take it away! And bring me another lover."

BCnU!

SPRINGTIME FOR PRIME-TIME

When I was in sixth grade, I discovered Edith Hamilton and her re-telling of the Greek myths. I never knew about the Greek gods before and they capture my imagination. I used to say that it was Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' that first ensnared me in my love for fantasy, but now I have to say it was 'Hamilton's Mythology'.

I started handing out Greek gods for all of my classmates - the alpha male being Zeus, his girl friend was Hera, etc., with me being Hermes. (I've always had a soft spot for the Tricksters, probably starting with Bunny Rabbit on 'Captain Kangaroo'.) This fascination with Greek gods did not go over well with the nun I had for that grade.....

Anyhoo, in Greek mythology, everything has its own god or is even personified. And one of those personifications was represented in Toobworld, making her an appropriate "goddess" to talk about today.

March 20th was the first day of Spring, 2010, and in Toobworld, the personification of Springtime was the mother of an apprentice grim reaper named 'Mulberry' (from an eponymous British sitcom). Mulberry's father was Death himself, who despaired that his son would never get the hang of the family trade. But at least he understood why Mulberry was so,,, well, flighty. It was that side of his mother's nature which he inherited.

The union of Death and Spring sounds as if it was short-lived, and that she was not Death's first mistress. This is why 'Mulberry' is a Toobworld essential - it gives us a splainin for why Death never looks the same from TV show to TV show (aside from the boring real world splainin of recasting.) Death has many sons to carry on his work, and on occasion, a daughter as well.

But it's Springtime; we shouldn't be concerned with Death....

Springtime was only seen in the last episode of the series; she was portrayed by Silvia Sims (of whom I have yet to find a picture of in the role.) But whenever I picture her, she also resembles my vision of Goldberry, from the first book in "The Lord Of The Rings", "The Fellowship Of The Ring"......

Your visions may vary.......

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FINDING FAWLTY WITH MISS MARPLE

In "Marple: Sleeping Murder", a mystery starring Geraldine McEwan as Miss Jane Marple,
Gwenda Halliday and Hugh Hornbeam were presented with a choice at a fork in the road: Hugh suggested Torquay, as there was a decent hotel located there.

Even if this had not been an alternate TV dimension because of Ms. McEwan's presences as Miss Marple (Joan Hickson is the official televersion.), then we'd have to throw it over into another world because of that description. In the main Toobworld, 'Fawlty Towers' is located in Torquay, and "decent" is too kind a recommendation.

(I realize that there are other hotels in the Torquay area, supposedly known as the "English Riviera". However, the God of Coincidence in Toobworld doesn't work that way. It's like when Charlie Pace mentioned a paper company in Slough during an episode of 'Lost'.)

O'Bviously, in that alternate TV Land, the hotel must have other owners instead of Basil Fawlty.....

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AS SEEN ON TV: PETE AND DUD

PETER COOK & DUDLEY MOORE

AS SEEN IN:
"Not Only... But Always"

AS PLAYED BY:
Rhys Ifans (Peter Cook)
Aidan McArdle (Dudley Moore)

From Wikipedia:
'Not Only... But Also' was a popular 1960s BBC British television series starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.The show was originally intended as a solo project for Moore, called 'Not Only Dudley Moore, But Also His Guests'. However, unsure about going it alone, Moore invited his partner from Beyond the Fringe, Peter Cook, to guest in the pilot (along with Diahann Carroll and John Lennon, who was to make two more appearances during the course of the series). So popular was the double act — in particular "The Dagenham Dialogues", that Cook was invited to become a permanent fixture and the show became 'Not Only Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, But Also Their Guests', though it was only ever really referred to as 'Not Only... But Also'.

"Not Only But Always" is a British TV movie, originally screened on the Channel 4 network in the UK on December 30, 2004. Written and directed by playwright Terry Johnson, the film tells the story of the working and personal relationship between the comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, a hugely popular duo in the UK during the 1960s and '70s.

Focusing primarily on Cook, the film traces the pair from their first meeting through their career as part of the Beyond the Fringe review, their television series 'Not Only... But Also' (from which the film takes its title) and various other projects before their later estrangement as Moore became a successful Hollywood film star and Cook remained in the UK. Although some events are fictionalised and condensed, and the film was criticised in some quarters for an unsympathetic portrayal of many of Cook's faults, it was generally well-received critically.

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