MAKING "DOCTOR WHO" -

As usual, I don't want to leave you without a properly off-beat video for 'Doctor Who', so here's the comparison between the storyboard and the actual scene from the final moments of last week's episode - "Day Of The Moon":

BCnU!

"THE CURSE OF THE BLACK SPOT" - THE PREQUEL

Here's the prequel to tonight's episode of 'Doctor Who' ("Curse Of The Black Spot"):

ARRRGH!

THE HAT SQUAD: SADA THOMPSON

Actress Sada Thompson was better known for her theater work Off-Broadway than on Broadway, let alone her work in television. But she made her mark in Toobworld as the matriarch of 'Family' from 1976 - 1980. She was nominated as Best Actress for the role and won the Emmy award once.

She passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83.

Here are three inter-related clips from the early period in the history of 'Family', showcasing Sada Thompson's incredible talent, with able support from James Broderick, Elaine Heilveil, Kristy McNichol, and John Rubinstein.

Now, I didn't even realize that the role of Nancy was ever played by anyone else but Meredith Baxter-Birney. And now having seen just a sampling of Ms. Heilveil in the role, I think it's likely she was replaced in order to "goose" the ratings with "a hot blonde". Because Elaine Heilveil is good in the role, and she looks more like she was the daughter of Broderick and Thompson.

Anyhoo, here's Meredith Baxter-Birney in the role of Nancy, having no choice but to be outshined by Sada Thompson:

I always believed that Sada Thompson would have been the perfect embodiment of 'Mrs. Columbo'.

Good night and may God bless Jackie Cooper, Marian Mercer, and Sada Thompson.

BCnU........

THE HAT SQUAD: MARIAN MERCER

I was first introduced to the actress Marian Mercer when I was in college and she appeared in the soap opera-sitcom 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' as Wanda Jeter (nee Rittenhouse). As with several other women living in Fernwood, Ohio, I developed a crush on her. Ms. Mercer brought a charming sophistication to the role.

And you might not agree, but I think it's evident even in this scene:




Sadly, Marian Mercer passed away at the age of 75, around the same time as Jackie Cooper. She was also known in Toobworld for her roles in 'It's A Living' and 'The Wacky World Of Jonathan Winters'.

BCnU......

THE HAT SQUAD: JACKIE COOPER ON "WHAT'S MY LINE?"

Jackie Cooper was just as comfortable being himself in front of the camera as he was playing his various characters. (Although it could be said that he was playing a character when he appeared on 'What's My Line'.....)

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: JACKIE COOPER, "THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE"

Most of Jackie Cooper's obituaries this week led off with the fact that the public at large would probably remember him best as Perry White in the 'Superman' franchise when Christopher Reeve was playing the role. But he also had a career as a child actor (winning an Oscar nomination at the age of nine and starring in "Our Gang" movies), as a director, and as a network executive.

But he also had two TV series of his own - 'Hennessey' and 'The People's Choice'. Cooper was upstaged in 'The People's Choice' by his bassett hound Cleo - who could speak serlinguistically to the audience viewing at home.

If Cooper was upset about being upstaged by Cleo, I don't think he ever let it show....

Here's the first part of an episode of 'The People's Choice', which should give you the option to continue watching the rest of the program.....

 
BCnU......

THE HAT SQUAD: JACKIE COOPER IN "COLUMBO"

With the death of Jackie Cooper this week at the age of 88, my first thought of his career went to his portrayal of Senatorial candidate Nelson Hayward, the "Candidate For Crime" in an episode of 'Columbo'.

Here are two video excerpts from that episode the provide a great showcase for Cooper. But a word of warning - if you haven't seen the episode yet, that second video is the solution to the murder!

From the best damned 'Columbo' website online:
Columbo alludes to Candidate For Crime in both of the episodes that immediately followed it in the original broadcast schedule.

In Double Exposure, Columbo says that he has been "working late on the Hayward case." There can be little doubt that Columbo means Nelson Hayward, the politician who murders his campaign manager in "Candidate For Crime," because "Double Exposure" was the next episode after "Candidate For Crime". This is an unusual acknowledgement that Columbo must handle multiple cases at the same time.

Then in the next episode, Publish Or Perish, Columbo tells killer Riley Greenleaf (Jack Cassidy) that he wants to write a book about his experiences as a policeman. As an example of his potential book material, Columbo describes the plot of "Candidate For Crime". Greenleaf responds, "Lieutenant, very frankly, I don't give a damn about your Senator or your story."

BCnU.....

AS SEEN ON TV: KING WILHELM I OF PRUSSIA

WILHELM I

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:
Geoffrey Wincott

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
William I, also known as Wilhelm I (full name: William Frederick Louis, German: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig) (22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888), of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia (2 January 1861 – 9 March 1888) and the first German Emperor (18 January 1871 – 9 March 1888).

Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the establishment of the German Empire.

Full title as German Emperor
His Imperial and Royal Majesty William the First, by the Grace of God, German Emperor and King of Prussia; Margrave of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg, Count of Hohenzollern; sovereign and supreme Duke of Silesia and of the County of Glatz; Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen; Duke of Saxony, of Westphalia, of Angria, of Pomerania, Lunenburg, Holstein and Schleswig, of Magdeburg, of Bremen, of Guelders, Cleves, Jülich and Berg, Duke of the Wends and the Kassubes, of Crossen, Lauenburg and Mecklenburg; Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Prince of Orange; Prince of Rügen, of East Friesland, of Paderborn and Pyrmont, of Halberstadt, Münster, Minden, Osnabrück, Hildesheim, of Verden, Cammin, Fulda, Nassau and Moers; Princely Count of Henneberg; Count of Mark, of Ravensberg, of Hohenstein, Tecklenburg and Lingen, of Mansfeld, Sigmaringen and Veringen; Lord of Frankfurt.

BCnU!

TWIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES: "CHUCK" & OSAMA

'Chuck' - "Chuck vs. Agent X"

What should have been a throw-away gag poking fun at Colonel John Casey's take-no-prisoners approach to a "good time", Casey was planning on spending his time in Las Vegas for Chuck Bartowski's bachelor party at various gun ranges. And he brought along some of his favorite targets:

The episode aired Monday night. The bachelor party was to begin on Friday night for the whole weekend. Nobody said anything about Osama bin Laden having been killed already in Abbottabad, Pakistan*. And the episode should hew closely to the time it was broadcast.

Therefore, the Toobworld timeline for this episode begins on Friday, April 29th of this year, with Osama dead by Sunday night, the First of May.

BCnU!

* Yes, I know the episode was filmed weeks in advance. However, we deal with the "inner reality" of Toobworld here......

AS SEEN ON TV: GEORGE I OF GREECE

KING GEORGE I

AS SEEN IN:

'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:

Paul Greenhalgh

TV DIMENSION:

Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:

George I (24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of the Hellenes from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former King Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire and the Russian Empire).

As the first monarch of the new Greek dynasty, his reign of almost 50 years (the longest in modern Greek history) was characterized by territorial gains as Greece established its place in pre-World War I Europe. Two weeks short of the fiftieth anniversary of his accession, and during the First Balkan War, he was assassinated. In sharp contrast to his own reign, the reigns of his successors would prove short and insecure.

During a trip to the Russian Empire to meet with his sister Dagmar, who had married into the Russian imperial family, he met Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia. Olga was just 16 when she married George on 27 October 1867 (Gregorian calendar), in Saint Petersburg. They had eight children.

When alone with his wife, George usually conversed in German. Their children were taught English by their nannies, and when talking with his children he therefore spoke mainly English. Intent on not letting his subjects know that he missed Denmark, he discreetly maintained a dairy at his palace at Tatoi, which was managed by native Danes and served as a bucolic reminder of his homeland.

Queen Olga was far less careful in hiding her nostalgia for her native Russia, often visiting Russian ships at Piraeus two or three times before they weighed anchor.

The king was related by marriage to the rulers of Great Britain, Russia and Prussia, maintaining a particularly strong attachment to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who visited Athens in 1869. Their visit occurred despite continued lawlessness which culminated in the murder of a party of British and Italian tourists.

The death of Britain's Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901 left King George as the second-longest-reigning monarch in Europe. His always cordial relations with his brother-in-law, the new King Edward VII, continued to tie Greece to Britain. This was abundantly important in Britain's support of the King's son George as Governor-General of Crete. Nevertheless, George resigned in 1906 after a leader in the Cretan Assembly, Eleftherios Venizelos, campaigned to have him removed.

The King went about Salonika without any meaningful protection force. While out on an afternoon walk near the White Tower of Thessaloniki on 18 March 1913, he was shot at close range in the back by Alexandros Schinas, who was "said to belong to a Socialist organisation" and "declared when arrested that he had killed the King because he refused to give him money".

The Greek government denied any political motive for the assassination, saying that Schinas was an alcoholic vagrant. Schinas was tortured in prison and six weeks later fell to his death from a police station window.

BCnU!

SNOOZE CLUES

If the Silence have been around throughout the run of 'Doctor Who', there may have been another episode in which their presence might be suggested.....

In "School Reunion", we were introduced to another alien race who thought they could take over the planet - the Krillitane.

The Krillitane had the power to absorb the physical features and abilities of other species, usually those they had conquered. For example, Mr. Finch seemed to prefer remaining in his human form even after school was done for the day.

But the Krillitane may have also absorbed something from the Silence who were in their midst, observing them.

Here are the Silence at rest:

And here are the Krillitane as they snoozed......

The Krillitane probably thought it was a talent they picked up from some of the humans. After all, they only saw the humans during the school day, not as they slept. And like the humans, the Krillitane would be unable to remember if they saw a Silent.

BCnU!

SIGNS OF SILENCE

By July of 1969, there would have been millions of the Silence around. The Doctor gave them a chance to run, but where could they have gone? They had no spaceships, and no need of them - the human population had no clue up until that point in Time that the Silence were even among them.

So even though the humans were given a post-hypnotic suggestion to kill the Silence on sight, there may be still millions of the aliens on Earth Prime-Time.

That means they're still out there, in every TV show we watch, and have watched since 1949 (farther back for the British). And that includes the Westerns, the sitcoms, the medical and courtroom dramas, cop shows, the historical dramas from the Greeks and Romans through the Shakespearean age into the Victorian age and on throughout the 20th Century.

So... anytime a character turns around quickly for seemingly no reason in those earlier shows, they may have just seen a Silent. And in any TV series in which a character not only spins around but also fires a gun at something they thought they saw, then we can assume that they just shot and probably killed one of the Silence.

If you can think of any good examples, let me know!

BCnU!

SUPER-SIX LIST: SILENCE WILL FALL - IN OTHER TV SHOWS

With so many of the Silence inhabiting the Earth (at least until July of 1969), then they must be present in every single TV show that ever was, including the foreign-made series.

Here's a Super Six List of some of the more O'Bvious (to me) choices.....

1] 'Fringe'
Check out the post about the Silence and the Observers.

2] 'The X-Files'
I'll bet there was a Silent monitoring Mulder and Scully, as well as Deep Throat and others, for a long time.....

3] 'The Invaders'
We could use the Silence as the splainin as to why the Invaders are no longer a threat among us.

4] 'The Adventures Of Superman'
I don't think even the Last Son of Krypton would be immune to their power. And they'd want to keep an eye on him until he died back in the early 60's.....

5] 'The Wild, Wild West'
They've been around since the dawn of Man, so out of all the TV Westerns, this would be the most logical place to find them.

6] 'The Governor And J.J.'
No, really! There had to be at least one Silent monitoring every important political figure in the world, so there must have been one stationed in the governor's mansion even in this sitcom. In 'Benson' as well, most likely. (But not in 'The West Wing' - that's a different TV dimension and may or may not have an infestation of the Silence....)

BCnU!

SILENT OBSERVATION

From the 'Fringe' wiki "Fringepedia":

According to the episode "August", The Observers (though it is not made clear which observer specifically) have been spotted at various important events throughout history evidenced by his appearance in notable historical paintings and images.

An Observer is present as an onlooker in the crowd depicted in the painting "The Bloody Massacre" which depicts the Boston Massacre of 1770.

An Observer is present, again as an onlooker in a crowd in a painting of Marie Antoinette being taken for execution during the French Revolution

An Observer is present in a photograph of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife leaving a building moments before their assassination which served as the catalyst for World War I.

"It's more like they're observing time. I think these guys show up at important moments. Um, historical, technological, scientific. But it's rare. Maybe two dozen different definite occurrences in the past 5,000 years of human history. But recently, I've charted twenty-six sightings in the past three months alone. It kind of makes you wonder." - (Lab technician Brandon, to Olivia and Peter in "August" about the research and data he had collected)

Since the Observers from 'Fringe' have been around for a few centuries (at least), were they ever able to detect the presence of the Silence? It really wouldn't matter if they could - their function seems to be just to observe.....

BCnU!

THE SILENCE AND "GALACTICA 1980"

With so many millions of the Silence on Earth Prime-Time, there were probably plenty still alive by 1980 - despite the Doctor's post-hypnotic suggestion to all the inhabitants of the planet to kill the aliens on sight. Therefore, the Silence would have still been around when the Galactican fleet arrived. With their numbers greatly reduced, the Silence were unable to prevent the Galacticans from intermingling with their Terran cousins. They couldn't prevent those Galacticans from cannibalizing the spaceships of that ragtag fleet to give a boost to the technology of Earth.

It certainly splains how the communications and computer software industries (of Toobworld, at least) had such an incredible leap in development after 1980.

BCnU!

A FEW RENFREWS

SHIRLEY RENFREW PARTRIDGE
"THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY"

DOCTOR RENFREW
"DOCTOR WHO"

Shirley Partridge's maiden name was Renfrew, so it could be that she was the cousin of Dr. Renfrew, who ran the Greystark Hall Orphanage and who was under the domination of the Silence.

It can't be any closer a relationship than cousin, because Shirley Renfrew grew up in Southern California, while Dr. Renfrew had a Southern accent. (I'm thinking Louisiana, perhaps the Delta region.)

They also don't look anything alike, but that's not a problem when it comes to cousins. Hey, they're not all "identical cousins" in Toobworld.....

BCnU!

VIDEO-PHONING IT IN

In July of 1969, former FBI agent Canton Everett Delaware III used Amy's video-phone to record the wounded alien, but he said he had no idea what a video-phone was.

However, the "picture phone" was displayed five years earlier at the 1964 World's Fair. Canton should have been familiar at least with the publicity if he didn't see it in person. It should have been simple to extrapolate that Amy's phone was a future version.

Besides, "Dick Tracy" had a televersion, so the FBI had access to Diet Smith's invention of the two-way wrist radio. Had the show kept going and it stayed current with events depicted in the comic strip mothership, then the two-way wrist TV would have eventually followed in the Toobworld timeline. And that was also in 1964.

Gee....  I'm surprised Canton Everett Delaware III didn't know about Dick Tracy and his communication device.  I would have thought "Three Part Canton" of all people would have been familiar with Dick......

  
BCnU!

DAY OF THE MOON I - FIRE-STARTERS

The Silence had been on Earth since "the wheel and the fire". In the second episode ever of 'Doctor Who', we watched as cavemen tried to start a fire. So there may very well have been a Silent present, observing them in that "Cave Of Skulls".

By the way, there was mention of another tribe of cavemen living on the other side of the mountain. Why couldn't this have been the tribe in which we'd find Gronk and Shad and their family from 'It's About Time'? The title alone makes the idea hard to resist......

BCnU!

SKED ALERT - "DAY OF THE MOON" DAY @ INNER TOOB

I've watched the second half of the 'Doctor Who' season debut ("Day Of The Moon") three and a half times already. (I watched as much as I could as it was first broadcast Saturday night before I had to leave for work.) As faithful followers may have guessed, I made some theoretical connections to other TV shows.

So over the next couple of hours, we're going to have a bit of a blogging marathon for this episode, even though it's not the traditional "Who's On First Day".

I hope you'll enjoy it. Let me know what you think, one way or t'other......

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: CZAR ALEXANDER III

CZAR ALEXANDER III

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:
Bruce Purchase

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
Alexander III Alexandrovich (10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) also known as Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894.

Though he was destined to be one of the great counter-reforming Tsars, during the first twenty years of his life, Alexander had little prospect of succeeding to the throne, because he had an elder brother, Nicholas, who seemed of robust constitution.

Even when this elder brother first showed symptoms of delicate health, the notion that he might die young was never seriously taken; Nicholas was betrothed to the Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

Under these circumstances, the greatest solicitude was devoted to the education of Nicholas as Tsarevich, whereas Alexander received only the perfunctory and inadequate training of an ordinary Grand Duke of that period, which did not go much beyond secondary instruction, with practical acquaintance in French, English and German, and a certain amount of military drill.

On his deathbed, Alexander's elder brother Nicholas is said to have expressed the wish that his affianced bride, Princess Dagmar of Denmark, should marry his successor.

This wish was swiftly realized, when on 9 November [O.S. 28 October] 1866 in the Imperial Chapel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Alexander wed the Princess of Denmark.

The union proved a most happy one and remained unclouded to the end. Unlike that of his parents, there was no adultery in the marriage. (Alexander III had six children of his marriage with Princess Dagmar of Denmark, also known as Marie Feodorovna.)

Emperor Alexander and his Danish-born wife regularly spent their summers in their Langinkoski manor near Kotka on the Finnish coast, where their children were immersed in a Scandinavian lifestyle of relative modesty.

Alexander III became ill with nephritis in 1894, and died of this disease at the Livadia Palace on 1 November 1894. His remains were interred at the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg. He was succeeded by his eldest son Nicholas II of Russia.

BCnU!

EASTER EGG HUNT

I realize Easter was over a week ago - shut up.

Anyhoo......

NBC ran a promotional tie-in to not only Easter (which doesn't pay the bills) but also to the new movie "Hop" (which does). Over the course of the Thursday night comedies, on the eve before the movie's premiere, each sitcom had an Easter Egg "hidden" in the episode. Apparently there were prizes if you could find them all......

Out of the six episodes, I only found four of them. I watched 'Perfect Couples' and 'Outsourced' twice and never found their Easter Eggs.

But here are the four that I found.....

'COMMUNITY'

It was behind the "Pulp Fiction" briefcase on the table, glowing with the same golden light that emanated from inside the case in the movie.

'PARKS & RECREATION'

It's there on the bureau at the bed&breakfast, given its own spotlight from the lamp to make sure we saw it. But not all the shows made it that easy to find.

'THE OFFICE'

The Easter Egg was on the far end of Oscar's table (stage right, audience left), a dull purple dye job that made it harder to spot.

'30 ROCK'

This time it was placed in the background, on Jonathan's desk in the outer office.......

But there may have been a ringer egg earlier at Devon Banks' apartment.  That looks like an egg to me on the coffee table in the background.....

If you actually watched the NBC Thursday night line-up that week in order to find the Easter Eggs, please get in touch with me and let me know where they were in 'Outsourced' and 'Perfect Couples'. Thanks!

By the way, just in case you were wondering, I don't consider these to be links between the four series.  I realize I play fast and loose with Toobworld connections, so many of them theoretical, but this is too weak a reason to connect four.......

BCnU!

ECHOES: CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA



From 'The Young Rebels'



From 'Supernatural'


BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: NAPOLEON III

NAPOLEON III

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:
Julian Sherrier

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte. Elected President by popular vote in 1848, he initiated a coup d'état in 1851, before ascending the throne as Napoleon III on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of Napoleon I's coronation. He ruled as Emperor of the French until 4 September 1870. He holds the unusual distinction of being both the first titular president and the last monarch of France.

Napoleon III is primarily remembered for an energetic foreign policy which aimed to jettison the limitations imposed on France since 1815 by the Concert of Europe and reassert French influence in Europe and abroad. A brief war against Austria in 1859 largely completed the process of Italian unification. In the Near East, Napoleon III spearheaded allied action against Russia in the Crimean War and restored French presence in the Levant, claiming for France the role of protector of the Maronite Christians. A French garrison in Rome likewise secured the Papal States against annexation by Italy, defeating the Italians at Mentana and winning the support of French Catholics for Napoleon's regime.

In the Far East, Napoleon III established French rule in Cochinchina and New Caledonia. French interests in China were upheld in the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion; an abortive campaign against Korea was launched in 1866 while a military mission to Japan participated in the restoration of Imperial rule. French intervention in Mexico was less successful and was terminated in 1867 due to mounting Mexican resistance and American diplomatic pressure.

Domestically, Napoleon's reign was a major period of industrialisation for the French economy. He also oversaw a major renovation of Paris that created the outline of the modern city. The Second French Empire was overthrown three days after Napoleon's disastrous surrender at the Battle of Sedan in 1870, which resulted in both the proclamation of the French Third Republic and the cession of the territory of Alsace-Lorraine to the newly-formed German Empire.

BCnU!

DATELINE TOOBWORLD: GRIM REAPER REPORTS

Michael Ausiello of TV\Line has published his May Sweeps scorecard with plenty of room for spoilers and debate.

And ClickClaque has analyzed the segment about the deaths of regular TV characters.

Neither of them address it, but there is going to be a death on 'Parks & Recreation' and I have this fear it's going to be lovable schlub Jerry. I'm hoping I'm wrong.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: OSAMA BIN LADEN

OSAMA BIN LADEN

AS SEEN IN:
'Family Guy'

AS VOICED BY:
Seth MacFarlane

OSAMA BIN LADEN

AS SEEN IN:
'South Park'

AS VOICED BY:
Mohammed Babak

TV DIMENSION:
The Tooniverse
(Despite the differences in animation, these are both the same man.)

So Osama bin Laden goes straight to Hell and is greeted by the Devil himself. (If this had been Skitlandia, you could have referred to the Devil as "Toby".) The Devil offers to show the former head of Al Quaeda around, to see if there's a special place where a VIP such as himself would like to spend Eternity. (Which, as you know, is a very long time indeed.)

First they visit where Saddam Hussein is being held. Hussein is a fairly recent arrival and he's being dipped into a vat full of piranhas who eat away at his flesh until he's nothing but a skeleton. He's lifted out of the vat and his body is restored, only to be lowered into the vat once again.

"I do not want this to happen to me!" cries Osama.

The Devil takes him next to see Adolph Hitler. Hitler is strapped to a giant frying pan and he's sizzling like bacon while hot oil is dripped on his genitals. Eventually he is flipped over to fry the front of his body and that's when a red-hot poker is shoved up his ass.

"No! No! This is not the fate for me!" Osama begs.

Then the Devil takes him to a small alcove, where Nikita Kruschev is on a couch, pawing at the breasts of Marilyn Monroe. Every time he reaches for one, Marilyn swats his meaty digits away.

"Ah!" Osama sighs, nodding. "It may not be the 72 virgins I was expecting, but this will do nicely! I want this. I want Kruschev's Hell!"

"Oh, this isn't Kruschev's Hell," replied the Devil. "This is Marilyn Monroe's Hell........"

I realize I said that we'd be going through a spate of 'Edward The King' ASOTV showcases, but I couldn't pass up a chance to piss on Osama's corpse.

Roast in Hell, Osama!

Two for Tuesday!

BCnU!

OSAMA JACKED-OFF?

I'm not the only one out there blending today's top story with TV "reality".  In the top Twitter trend of the day, Jack Bauer of '24' is being given credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden......

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:
Derek Fowlds

From Wikipedia:
He was featured in the [mini-series] 'Edward the King' as a more natural character, sociably similar to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and his other friends. His downfall is represented when he confronted Alexandra, Princess of Wales and demanded her to use her influence with the Prince to stop Lord Aylesford proceeding with a divorce from his wife, Lady Aylesford, after she had planned to elope with Lord Randolph's elder brother, the Marquess of Blandford. He threatens to expose letters from the Prince to Lady Aylesford, so scandalous, so he says, that if they were to be exposed, "the Prince of Wales would never sit on the throne of England." Outraged, the Princess goes to see the Queen, who is equally indignant. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, informs the Prince, who is so angry that he challenges Lord Randolph to a duel in the South of France. Eventually, Lord Aylesford does not attempt to seek a divorce from his wife, and Lord Blandford does not elope with Lady Aylesford. Lord Randolph sends a note of apology to the Prince, which is merely acknowledged. Disgraced, Lord Randolph and his wife leave for America.

For the foreseeable future, the ASOTV showcase will be featuring historical figures from the time of Queen Victoria. This is not due to the recent Royal Wedding, but because I'm in the process of watching 'Edward The King' and I have quite a stockpile of such historical characters.

BCnU!

SKED ALERT - "GAME OF THRONES" TONIGHT!

Episode Three of 'Game Of Thrones' is broadcast tonight on HBO at 9 pm.

Here are a couple of preview clips for your enjoyment.....

First up, Jon Snow get in a little "schoolyard exercise".......

And in this clip, Jaime Lannister and Ned Stark size each other up, but no matter who might feel the bigger man, they are both dwarfed by the enormity of that throne room!

It's never too late to dive into this fantasty series, which Toobworld Central has placed on Earth's "twin" planet of Mondas......

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: WILLIAM CAMPBELL

From The Hollywood Reporter:

William Campbell, who guest-starred in two memorable episodes of the original Star Trek TV series, died Thursday at the Motion Picture & Television Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, according to StarTrek.com. He was 84.

Campbell played the all-powerful Trelane in the episode "The Squire of Gothos" and Koloth, a Klingon, in "The Trouble With Tribbles," both of which aired in 1967. He reprised the role of Trelane for a Star Trek: Judgment Rites video game in 1993, returned for a 1994 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and was a regular at Star Trek conventions and cruises.

Koloth was my favorite of all the Klingons who have appeared throughout the 'Star Trek' franchise. There was this arch, sophisticated villainy about him and Campbell delivered the lines perfectly to fit that attitude, subtle and yet over the top in harmonic balance.

Here's a quick clip of Koloth from that episode about the Tribbles:

I also enjoyed his performance as Squire Trelane, and I agree with many that Trelane must have been a baby Q from the Q Continuum. Peter David wrote the novel "Q-Squared" based on this premise, and I'm told that Gene Roddenberry once said at a convention that the two characters were somehow related.

Here's the trailer for that episode about "The Squire Of Gothos":

Getting back to William Campbell as Koloth, when his character returned - along with the other two original Klingons, Kor (John Colicos) and Kang (Michael Ansara) - they had been cured of the affliction that caused their foreheads to be smoothed out and so resorted back to their original Klingon appearances.

Here's a tribute video to Koloth, Kang, and Kor:

It skews in favor of Kor, probably because Colicos died not long before the video was made. Still, it gives a good idea of Koloth as warrior equal in skill to his talents as a diplomat.

I've been working on this piece for Inner Toob about the many characters who appeared in 'Columbo' who were played by the same actors over and over again - four murderers played by Patrick McGoohan, three by Jack Cassidy and Robert Culp (with Culp coming back as the father of a murderer), etc. And I'm making up a list of which characters those actors should keep and which actors would work as replacements in the other roles.

And I think William Campbell would have made a brilliant Riley Greenleaf, the publisher played by Jack Cassidy in "Publish Or Perish". I understand that Falk liked to bring back certain actors he enjoyed working with, and that (for the most part) NBC top-loaded the episodes with big-name stars. So this would never have been considered. Still, it makes for a nice bit o' "wish-craft".

Rest in peace, Mr. Campbell. As Red Skelton used to say, "Good night and may God bless."

BCnU......

FELINE TAKIN' A WALK?

I always enjoy a good cat video, and this fits in nicely with that 'CBS Sunday Morning' kind of feel...

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: REMEMBERING PHOEBE SNOW

Singer/songwriter Phoebe Snow passed away earlier this week, and Toobworld Central wanted to celebrate her music and her life with these two videos.

First off, 'CBS Sunday Morning' did a profile on her last year that was very moving.....

From Sunday morning to Saturday night.....

To close out this tribute - my favorite song which she performed, a number by the Roche Sisters. She performed this in 1979 on 'Saturday Night Live' with Linda Ronstadt, and I just love how impish she acts as Ronstadt talks about their collaboration......

Rest in peace, Phoebe. I know you're reunited with your daughter now....

BCnU.......

AS SEEN ON TV: BOB DYLAN

BOB DYLAN

AS SEEN IN:
'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'

AS PLAYED BY:
Jimmy Fallon

TV DIMENSION:
Skitlandia

As this took place in the sketch comedy TV dimension, there's no need to worry about a Zonk when it comes to the song choice of "Dylan". As a matter of fact, since the TV show was not mentioned, 'Charles In Charge' could just be the subject of the song. It could just as easily have been about Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts in charge.....

BCnU!