SKED ALERT! "BOARDWALK EMPIRE" - SUNDAY OCTOBER 23

Here's the sked alert for tomorrow's episode of 'Boardwalk Empire':

 'Boardwalk Empire' airs on HBO Sunday nights at 9 PM EST.......

BCnU!

DUCKS IN THE WIND

And finally, an odd little bit o' nature....

Thanks, Bruddah Bob Cohen - especially for the subject heading!

BCnU!

WHO'S ON TV: THE HAND-BOTS

I always like throwing in some 'Doctor Who' during the Video Weekends, so here's a missing scene from the episode "The Girl Who Waited"....

This actually happened in the main Toobworld; we just never got to see it during the episode.  Must have happened during the commercials.  (Over here, at any rate.....)
 
BCnU!

PRODUCT UNBECOMING: GONNA GO FLACK IN TIME

Outside forces manipulate the TV Universe for nefarious objectives, none so heinous as Alfred Hitchcock would probably agree than the insertion of future product placements into shows that are already set in Time.

Here's a look at the practice.....

By doing this, these unseen forces are creating new timelines for alternate TV dimensions.  The original version of the episode as first broadcast would always remain the official "reality".

Within the TV Universe?  I think the Silence might be in league with these ne'er-do-wells!

BCnU!

THE JOKER OF MANY EARTHS

Here's a look at a great character who maniacally sweeps across the Multiverse. I wouldn't be surprised if one day he finds himself inducted as the honorary Multiverse representative into the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame...

BCnU!

AYE YAI EYE! THE CBS LOGO TURNS SIXTY!

This past Thursday, the 60th anniversary was observed for the debut of the CBS logo - the CBS Eye.........

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: THE DEATH OF QADDAFI (AFTERMATH)

From a Skitlandia that never was....

Chevy Chase: "And now, as a public service to those of our viewers who have difficulty with their hearing, I will repeat the top story of the day, aided by the Headmaster of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing, Garrett Morris.

"Our top story tonight...."

Garrett Morris: "OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT...!"

Chevy Chase: "..Colonel Moammar Qaddafi..."

Garrett Morris: "..COLONEL MOAMMAR QADDAFI....!"

Chevy Chase: "..is dead."

Garrett Morris: "..IS DEAD!"

Chevy Chase: "And after thirty-six years...."

Garrett Morris: "..AND AFTER THIRTY-SIX YEARS...."

Chevy Chase: "Generalissimo Francisco Franco....."

Garrett Morris: "..GENERALISSIMO FRANCISCO FRANCO...."

Chevy Chase: "..is still dead."

Garrett Morris: ".. IS STILL DEAD!"

Chevy Chase: "Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow."

Garrett Morris: GOOD NIGHT AND HAVE A PLEASANT TOMORROW!

COLONEL MOAMMAR QUADDAFI

AS SEEN IN:
'Second Chance'

AS PLAYED BY:
Zitto Kazann

Amazingly, they got the year of Qaddafi's death right back in 1987. The month and day may be wrong, but that's okay. Since that episode aired, the timeline of Earth Prime-Time had been "rebooted" at least three times by events depicted in at least three different series:

'Primeval' - Season One/Episode Six & Season Two/Episode One

'Doctor Who' - "The Big Bang"

'Fringe' - "The Day We Died"

Qaddafi's death is apparently not a fixed point in Time except for the year.  Certain details like the month and day could be fudged with each adjustment to the established timeline.

BCnU!

TOOBWORLD TAKE-AWAY: "CHARLIE'S ANGELS"

Okay, this Toobworld Take-Away may seem like a moot point since the series has been canceled already, but I think that because of its impact on the Toobworld Dynamic, it needs to be addressed.

'CHARLIE'S ANGELS'

Although technically they belong in the "Cineverse", the two "Charlie's Angels" movies can be absorbed into the TV Universe because of their connections to the original series. Both movies were wise enough to bring back John Forsythe to the unseen role of Charlie Townsend, who was no more than a voice emanating from a speaker box for these three new angels. And the sequel had an uncredited cameo turn by Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett.

As for the recasting of Bosley, first as Bill Murray and then as Bernie Mac, it would appear that the first John Bosley, as played by David Doyle in the series, was something of a player: both of these recastaways were actually his sons by different women. (Whether he was married to them or not is unknown to me.)

And the location remained Los Angeles, California. For this new series, however, the action was moved to Miami Beach. And the Charlie Townsend who operated this branch of the detective agency was voiced by Victor Garber.

With no other connections to the original series, one might think this should be shunted off to an alternate TV dimension.

Not so fast, Gumshoe Breath!

One small detail mentioned in the original series was that Charlie Townsend had once been married. What was never stated definitely - one way or the other - was if he had any children from that short-lived union.

So it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Charlie Townsend had a son. And his son could have been named after him. Charlie, Jr.

After the death of his father, Charlie Jr. - who must have been estranged from the Old Man once he reached adulthood (which is why we never saw him or heard of him in the original series) - inherited the Townsend Detective Agency. But rather than take over the company and run it from there in California, Charlie, Jr. decided to move all the assets back East. (Living in Miami Beach all those years would also be a reason why Charlie Jr. never dropped in on Pops.)

As his new angels - Kate Prince, Eve French, and Abby Sampson - had backgrounds as criminals rather than in law enforcement, it seems O'Bvious that Charlie, Jr. was going to take a new approach to how he ran the family business. The previous three employees who were doing the leg work - Alex Munday, Natalie Cook, and Dylan Sanders - most likely decided to branch out on their own and stay rooted in Los Angeles. The same was probably true for the two Bosleys.

As for the new John Bosley working as the major domo for the Townsend agency, I think it's safe to say that he is of the same age as the actor who plays him, Ramon Rodriguez. Being born in 1979, he's old enough to be the son of Bill Murray's character, making him the grandson of the original John Bosley. (His family tree is quite the Benetton ad!)


Uh-oh!
Looks like Bosley just woke up to find a bed-bug!



Even though 'Sliders', as an essential for the Toobworld Dynamic, showed that there were an infinite number of alternate TV universes, it's always nice when we can keep a remake anchored in the main Toobworld, Earth Pime-Time.

One thing I haven't mentioned yet has been the merits of the show....? Like I said, it's a moot point since the show has been put on the Big Hiatus, but I will admit that I never got around to watching an episode. If I need to, I'm sure I can scare up a copy of the pilot still online.

BCnU, Angels......

AS SEEN ON TV: A.J. BALFOUR

There's no other reason for this next long line of historical characters from the Edwardian Age in the "As Seen On TV" showcase besides the fact that I finally finished Disk Three of the 1975 mini-series 'Edward The King'. I only had the thing from Netflix since March! If they're going to raise the rates on me, I better get the flow of product going. (But there will be some variety - Halloween is coming up, plus I have a few more historical action figures from "The Long Walk To Finchley" and 'The Devil's Whore'.......

So let's to it, then!

A.J. BALFOUR

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward The King'

AS PLAYED BY:
Lyndon Brook

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time (conditional)

From Wikipedia:
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL (pronunciation: bal-foor ; 25 July 1848 – 19 March 1930) was a British Conservative politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from July 1902 to December 1905, and was later Foreign Secretary in 1916–1919.

Born in Scotland and educated as a philosopher, Balfour first entered parliament in the 1874 general election. At first seen as something of a dilettante, he attained prominence as Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1887–1891. In this post, he authored the Perpetual Crimes Act (1887) (or Coercion Act) aimed at the prevention of boycotting, intimidation and unlawful assembly in Ireland during the Irish Land War.

Balfour succeeded his uncle Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in July 1902 (Balfour had been Conservative leader in the House of Commons since 1891). As Prime Minister, Balfour oversaw such events as the Entente Cordiale, but his party was split over tariff reform and in December 1905 he relinquished power to the Liberals. The general election the following January was a disaster for the Conservatives and their Liberal Unionist allies, left with a mere 157 seats in Parliament. Balfour himself lost his Manchester East seat and was rushed back to parliament in a by-election for the City of London constituency. He continued as Leader of the Opposition throughout the crisis over the Lloyd George People's Budget and the Parliament Act, but after failing to win either of the two General Elections in 1910 he resigned as leader in November 1911.

He returned to the Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty in the coalition government formed in May 1915, then in David Lloyd George's coalition government he was Foreign Secretary (1916–1919). In this post, he authored the Balfour Declaration of 1917, supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, and for which his name perhaps remains best known today. Balfour retired from the House of Commons at the 1922 general election, and was granted an Earldom. In the late 1920s he served as an elder statesman in the second government of Stanley Baldwin.

Brook appeared in three episodes of 'Edward The King'; as played by Adrian Ropes, he appeared in four episodes of 'Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill'. I'd have to see that mini-series first to see who had more clout to be included in the main Toobworld.

As an unseen character working behind the scenes, Balfour also has a presence in 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. He promoted Richard Bellamy to the post of Civil Lord of the Admiralty....

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: NORMAN CORWIN

By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times

October 19, 2011
Norman Corwin, the legendary writer, director and producer of original radio plays for CBS during the golden age of radio in the 1930s and '40s when he was revered as the "poet of the airwaves," has died. He was 101.

Corwin, a journalist, playwright, author and Oscar-nominated screenwriter who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, said his caregiver, Chris Borjas. The cause was not given.

With his often poetic words, Corwin moved and entertained a generation of listeners tuned to the CBS Radio Network during the late 1930s and '40s, with landmark broadcasts ranging from celebrations of the Bill of Rights and the Allied victory in Europe to a light-hearted rhyming play about a demonic plot to overthrow Christmas.

He also wrote for the movies, getting an Academy Award nomination in 1957 for his script "Lust For Life", about Vincent Van Gogh.

In 1972, Group W presented a television anthology series called 'Norman Corwin Presents'. One of his stories, "You Think You've Got Troubles?", has stayed with me for two reasons. One was the fact that the main character - a "Martian" who considered his planet to be named Delala - was played by one of my favorite actors, Michael Dunn, the man who gave life to my all-time favorite TV character Dr. Miguelito Loveless.

The second reason was this final speech given by the Martian:

Since I shall, against my will, be leaving you shortly, I have asked permission to sum up my impressions of this planet and of the life I have observed here at some slight remove from it.

Let me put it this way, you human beings are god-like in many ways, and lower than the ant in many others. You can fly the air and swim under the sea, and fling your voice around the world. You can turn night into day by the flick of a switch, you can take pictures of your insides from without. You weigh the earth you stand on, harness the pull of the magnetic pole, blast off into the vacuum of illimitable space and scrape your feet on the sand pits of the Moon.

Yet when you wonder men are given a problem in humaneness, such as how to keep from killing several million other wonder men just like yourselves every twenty years or so, you're baffled. You who have formulas for harmony and chemistry and the speed of light and the annihilation of primal matter; you who understand the most profound mathematics, you still divide so poorly that there is want among abundance. You can build a city overnight and yet there are people without shelter. You understand the meaning of the spectrum of a star and yet not the meaningless of the color of a skin. You comprehend the structure of a leaf, split the atom, teach whales to frolic and fleas to dance. Yet you don't know how to grasp the simplest truths and bend them to your will.

Yet... I did not despair for you. For always within you are the seeds of your own betterment and one day they will sprout.

I knew when I first heard Michael Dunn speak those words that it might make for a good monologue for the acting classes I would be taking once I got into college. However, back then I didn't have the means to record it and then transcribe it. And I thought it lost until I found it again at the Paley Center for Media in New York as part of a 1990's TV special about Norman Corwin and his works. That special is now available for online viewing at Amazon.com and I highly recommend it.

But that speech has come to mean far more than just a monologue; it's message has perhaps even more meaning today. And like everything Corwin wrote, it will resonate long after his death, and perhaps even after all of ours as well.

Good night and may God bless.

BCnU......

JUST SAYIN', IS ALL.....

TOOBWORLD TAKE-AWAY: "MAN UP!"

I didn't bother with watching the pilot for 'Man Up!'. I was bored even by the commercial for it. And if something meant to promote a series proves to be boring.....

I won't even bother with finding a related picture to go along with this mention of the series. Instead I'll just grab something at random from my overly-stuffed hard drive....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: DENIS THATCHER

DENIS THATCHER

AS SEEN IN:
"The Long Walk To Finchley"

AS PLAYED BY:
Rory Kinnear

From Wikipedia:
Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE, TD (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was a British businessman, and the husband of the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He was born in Lewisham, London, the elder child of a New Zealand-born British businessman, Thomas Herbert (Jack) Thatcher, and his wife (Lilian) Kathleen, née Bird. He is the most recent person outside the Royal Family to be awarded a hereditary title.

On 28 March 1942, Thatcher married Margaret Doris Kempson, (23 January 1918 – 8 June 1996), the daughter of Leonard Kempson, a businessman at St. Mary's Church, Monken Hadley. They had met at an officer's dance at Grosvenor House the year before.

Although initially very happy, Thatcher and his first wife never lived together. Their married life became confined to snatched weekends and irregular leaves as Thatcher was often abroad during the war. When Thatcher returned to England after being demobilised in 1946, his wife told him she had met someone else and wanted a divorce. Their childless marriage ended in the first weeks of 1948. Kempson married Sir (Alfred) Howard Whitby Hickman, 3rd Baronet (1920–1979) on 24 January the same year.

Thatcher was so traumatised by the event that he refused fully to talk about his first marriage or the separation, even to his daughter, as she states in her 1995 biography of him. Thatcher's two children found out about his first marriage only in February 1976 (by which time Margaret was leader of the Conservative Party) and only when the media revealed it.

In February 1949, while attending a Paint Trades Federation function in Dartford, he met Margaret Roberts, a chemist and newly-selected parliamentary candidate. They married on 13 December 1951, at Wesley's Chapel in City Road, London. That was because not only were the Roberts Methodists but also because as a divorced man, Thatcher could not at that time remarry in an Anglican church.

They later had twin children, Carol and Mark, who were born on 15 August 1953.

BCnU!

FANSHAWE: THE GAME OF THE NAME

I can't speak with any authority on which surnames are the most common in Great Britain. Alls I know is that the St. John-Mollusc family tree has died out, thanks mostly to the annual Upper Class Twit Of The Year awards.

Even so, I don't think a surname like "Fanshawe" could be that commonplace in the UK. It recently popped up on American TV screens last week as the name for the British Ambassador and his son. (By the way, as sainted a memory as his late wife might enjoy, Ambassador Fanshawe really should get a paternity test on that d-bag kid....)

So it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Ambassador Fanshawe could be descended from Harry Fanshawe, from episode one of the historical mini-series 'The Devil's Whore'.

Harry was soon unjustly killed off in that opening episode on orders of Charles I's government and the rest of the series dealt with his widow Angelica and her taking up the cause of revolution, bringing her in contact with historical figures like Thomas Rainsborough and Oliver Cromwell.

I haven't seen the mini-series; I hadn't heard of it until I started research into the name "Fanshawe". But I don't think Harry and Angelica were married long enough to have children and I don't think he left her with child before she died. But there's always a chance that, despite his love for Angelica, Harry did have his way with some saucy tavern wench in the district and saddled her with a bastard. And this unofficial Fanshawe could have begun his own family tree which would eventually lead to Ambassador Richard Fanshawe*.

BCnU!

* I'm seeing the name spelled as "Fanshaw" at certain sites, notably the IMDb, which as we all know is always correct. However, in the episode we saw the layout for the ambassador's residence labeled as "Fanshawe Mansion".

TOOBWORLD TAKE-AWAY: "ENLIGHTENED" & "LAST MAN STANDING"

This is going to be a real tele-quickie, for both shows - with thanks to two of my favorite TV reviewers.....

"LAST MAN STANDING"

In the headline for his review of 'Last Man Standing', HitFix TV columnist Alan Sepinwall said that the new Tim Allen sitcom was "groan-worthy".

That was good enough for me; I didn't even bother to record an episode to sample it. I only saw a handful of 'Home Improvement' episodes (for Toobworld purposes, like the 'Soul Man' crossover, for example), so it was as though I had to give up a new chance to visit with an old favorite.

As for its place on Earth Prime-Time, I think it's safe. They won't be changing the President to somebody fictional, because that would rob Tim Allen's character of the chance to rail against Obama, just as Archie Bunker used to praise Nixon.

"ENLIGHTENED"

As for the new Laura Dern series on HBO, 'Enlightened', I had the first episode in my DVR queue, but never got around to watching it. But after reading Rob Buckley's review at his blog "The Medium Is Not Enough", I'm going to erase it without sampling it.

Quoth the Buckley:

"Possibly the dullest, most pointless TV drama since… oh, 'Pan Am', but even less happens..... One episode was enough and so little is happening in it, that I couldn't even work out what I'd put in a full review. So this is all it's getting."

I'll take his word for it.

The show seems to be low in social standing for any of its character to have any kind of impact on the status of 'Enlightened' in the main Toobworld. So even if it is that bad, it still has a home in Earth Prime-Time.

Another sign I'm not going to invest any time in these shows?  I didn't bother to find pictures for either one of them.  Instead I'm just going to pull out a random picture from my Augean stables of a hard drive:

By the way, links to both Rob's "The Medium Is Not Enough" and Alan's "What's Alan Watching?" can be found among the links to the left, you last men enlightened. Because that's how I blogroll.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: THOMAS RAINSBOROUGH

THOMAS RAINSBOROUGH

AS SEEN IN:
'The Devil's Whore'

AS PLAYED BY:
Michael Fassbender

TV Dimension:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
Thomas Rainsborough (1610 – 30 October 1648), or Rainborough or Raineborough or Rainborowe or Rainbow or Rainborow, was a prominent figure in the English Civil War, and was the leading spokesman of the Levellers in the Putney Debates.

Rainsborough commanded the Swallow and other English naval vessels in the first civil war. By May 1645, he was a colonel in the New Model Army, taking an active part in the battles at Naseby and at Bristol. Later that year, he captured the symbolic stronghold of Berkeley Castle. In 1646, he helped conclude the Siege of Worcester.In January 1647, Rainsborough became a member of parliament for Droitwich. He was the highest ranking supporter of the Levellers in the New Model Army and one of the speakers for the Leveller side in the Putney Debates (July 1647), where he opposed any deal with the King.

In early 1648, he was due to return to the Navy as a Vice-Admiral, but his Leveller sympathies were unpopular with some officers, and a mutiny ensued. He was returned to Army service.

In October, Rainsborough was sent by his commander, Sir Thomas Fairfax, to the siege at Pontefract Castle, where he was killed by four Royalists during a bungled kidnap attempt. His funeral was the occasion for a large Leveller-led demonstration in London, with thousands of mourners wearing the Levellers' ribbons of sea-green and bunches of rosemary for remembrance in their hats.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: MARIE LLOYD II

MARIE LLOYD

AS SEEN IN:
"Edward The King"

AS PLAYED BY:
Adrienne Posta

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time (Conditional)

The Toobworld Central rules for inclusion of a character in the main Toobworld are as fluid as some of the scripts themselves which feed the TV Universe.

First rule of thumb - the first depiction of a character should get precedence. This has been the overall case for shows like 'The New Addams Family' and the remake of '87th Precinct', as examples. But sometimes the original must be jettisoned in favor of a remake that has more compelling reasons to be included.

As an example: "The Incredible World Of Horace Ford", an episode of 'The Twilight Zone' starring Pat Hingle. This story was previously done with Art Carney in the title role, written by the legendary Reginald Rose for 'Westinghouse Studio One'. But that version is probably only available at museums like the Paley Centre for Media in New York and Los Angeles., whereas the T-Zone version pops up frequently, mostly when Syfy has a 'Twilight Zone' marathon. So that's the one that is a more permanent part of the consciousness which powers the TV Universe.

When it comes to historical figures, many of whom are recast in different productions, several factors come into play. If the character is the focal point of their own story, that has more weight than if he or she is a supporting player in someone else's drama. It also doesn't hurt if they appear in a regular series and have interactions with the main fictional characters.

In the case of Marie Lloyd, there were three portrayals of her in television. Because "Marie Lloyd - Queen Of The Music Hall" was all about her, then Jessie Wallace's portrayal gets the preferential gig in Toobworld.

As for Georgia Brown playing the popular entertainer in an episode of the anthology series 'The Edwardians', the main thrust of the story centered on a fictional character in a fictional confrontation during a real-life event, the Music Hall War of 1907. Therefore the whole production could be looked upon as a Toobworld dramatization that we happen to see in the Trueniverse.

The last portrayal of Marie Lloyd, in the real world chronology the second one to be broadcast, was by Adrienne Posta in an episode of the mini-series 'Edward The King'. The argument could be made that we're seeing Marie Lloyd as the Prince of Wales envisions her and not as she really appeared. Or we could say that she is the same Marie Lloyd as we would later see played by Jessie Wallace. However, for this one performance with the future King present, she underwent a massive transformation with make-up and a blonde wig to please His Royal Highness.

(It would have been nice if it remained a distant shot from the audience so that we never really got to see what she looked like. But I'm sure Ms. Posta was happy to get the close-up.)

I used to have a strict policy that if I accept one historical adaptation, then I was accepting every portrayal of the historical figures from that one version and all others had to be packed off to alternate TV dimensions unknown. But I've accepted that the Toobworld Dynamic is a sloppy mess, just like real life is. And I've come to accept blended versions of historical reality, usually based on that principle regarding having one's own story told. So it's Timothy West as Bertie from 'Edward The King', but it's Marie Lloyd from "Marie Lloyd - Queen Of The Music Hall". (As for the portrayal of Queen Victoria by Annette Crosbie in 'Edward The King', I'm afraid that as great as she was, her performance is trumped by that of Prunella Scales in three different TV productions.)

BCnU!
 
(We got a "Two for Tuesday" after all......)

I ZONK LUCY

Ann Perkins:

"I bought this Mackerel at the Supermarket.

I've been standing in the water with the fish on my hook for 30 minutes.

I saw it on an episode of 'I Love Lucy'.

Pathetic?

Maybe, but it feels pretty good to have a bunch of little boys be super in to me.

That came out wrong....."

'Parks & Recreation'

There's no getting around it - Lucy Ricardo is one of the many TV characters who would have their lives adapted for a TV show within TV shows.

And when you think about it, her life was worthy of a TV show - she was the wife of a celebrity who tried many far-fetched ideas to get into the business herself. A similar situation would be of Alan Brady adapting Rob Petrie's memoirs into a sitcom for himself. First as a vehicle for himself in which the character based on him (while he played Rob Petrie) would be called Alan Sturdy; and then as a vehicle in which Rob Petrie look-alike Dick Van Dyke assumed the role.

BCnU!

A big thanks to Lisa of the Flaming Nose Blog (link to the left, lucites!) for the picture of Lucy.....

AS SEEN ON TV: MARIE LLOYD

I didn't find out about her until it was too late to mark the occasion of either her death or her funeral on the proper dates....

MARIE LLOYD

AS SEEN IN:
"Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen Of The Music Hall"

AS PLAYED BY:
Jessie Wallace

From Wikipedia:
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922) was an English music hall singer, best known as Marie Lloyd. Her ability to add lewdness to the most innocent of lyrics led to frequent clashes with the guardians of morality. Her performances articulated the disappointments of life, especially for working-class women.

Marie's first major success was "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery", and she quickly became one of the most famous of English music hall singers. Despite her own success she supported other performers during the Music Hall War of 1907, when performers demonstrated outside theatres for better pay and conditions. During the First World War, in common with most other music hall artists, she enthusiastically supported recruitment into the army.

She first appeared in the USA in 1897, but in 1913 was initially refused entry to that country for "moral turpitude". On 4 October 1922 Marie collapsed on stage as she was performing at the Empire Music Hall in Edmonton, London, and died three days later. Her funeral on 12 October was attended by more than 100,000 people.
BCnU!

INVASION OF THE COUGAR TOWNIES

From "USA Today":
In an unusual spectacle of stunt casting, Courteney Cox and her co-stars on the third-season ABC comedy ['Cougar Town'] will pop up in background roles on more than a dozen shows across several networks before its season premiere early next year.

Ian Gomez [kicked] things off as a doctor on 'Grey's Anatomy', followed by Cox and Christa Miller as a lesbian couple at a fertility clinic on 'Private Practice'.

Almost all the roles are designed to be uncredited, non-speaking appearances for a cast that also includes Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Busy Philipps and Brian Van Holt. To date, 13 shows are on board, says Lawrence, who hopes eventually to have more than 20. Series include:

•ABC: 'Body of Proof', 'Castle', 'Dancing With the Stars', 'Man Up!' and 'The Middle'

•CBS: 'How I Met Your Mother'

•Nick Jr.: 'Yo Gabba Gabba!'

NBC's 'Parenthood' and CBS' '2 Broke Girls' are also likely.

In return, 'Cougar Town's writers and actors, some of whom have thousands of Twitter followers, will tweet to promote their appearances.

AOLTV reported the story and then bleeped it up with their own observation:
This isn't the first time 'Cougar Town' stars have done crossovers. Last season, series stars Dan Byrd and Busy Phillips appeared as background characters on 'Community,' a nod to the NBC show's running story about Danny Pudi's characters' love of the series. Pudi himself also appeared in an episode of 'Cougar Town.'

These new appearances by the cast of 'Cougar Town' will NOT be crossovers (for the most part). These are actors appearing on other shows as different characters. With 'Dancing With The Stars', Courtney Cox wasn't even a character - she appeared as herself in support of her husband David Arquette.

There's always the pozz'bility that some of these appearances, if they remain nameless and perhaps without dialogue, could be considered to be their characters from down in TV-Florida. But we'll just have to wait and see if these roles can support that hypothi- hypotha- can support that splainin.

As for those appearances between 'Cougar Town' and 'Community', I've written about that already.
 BCnU!

My thanks to my "Little Buddy" Sean for suggesting this topic.....

GAME OF ZONKS II

Leonard:

“It’s from Game of Thrones … what do you think?”

Sheldon:

“I don’t know. If we’re going to start a fantasy sword collection —

and I’ve long thought we should —

is this really the sword to start with?”

Leonard:

“What did you have in mind?”

Sheldon:

“Well, off the top of my head, I’d have to go with Excalibur.

It gives you the right to rule England.” Leonard:

“It’s a replica of movie prop.”

Sheldon:

“Fair enough –

It would give you the right to rule a replica of England.”

'The Big Bang Theory'

Donna:

"What is wrong with you today?

Did they cancel 'Game of Thrones'?"

Ben:

"Nothing is wrong, just do your job.

And they would never cancel 'Game of Thrones'.

 It's a crossover hit.

It's not just for fantasy enthusiasts,

they're telling human stories in a fantasy world."

'Parks & Recreation'

Both of those mentions of 'Game Of Thrones' happened on the same night. And they weren't the first time that the fantasy series has been mentioned in other television shows......

"Chuck: Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff (#4.20)" (2011)
Chuck is reading a book (presumably "A Game of Thrones") and he says "Eddard, you don't let your kids keep a direwolf. That's a terrible idea".

"Castle: Heroes and Villains (#4.2)" (2011)
When Castle's told the victim was killed by a sword, he says "That's so 'Game of Thrones'!"

With those last two references, it's geared more towards the book series by George R.R. Martin. O'Bvious with 'Chuck', since he's reading the book. But with 'Castle', I think it's because he's a novelist as well, maybe even knows Martin, and his mind would naturally lean towards the books first. But being a big kid at heart, I'm sure he's an avid follower of the TV series.

There's no Zonk here. I have no problem with there being a 'Game Of Thrones' TV show in a world that should be sharing the same dimension. (They aren't sharing the same world, however. It's the Toobworld Central stance that 'Game Of Thrones' took place in the distant past on Earth's twin planet Mondas.)

I've written about this before, and about where the televersion for Mr. Martin got the idea for those books within the TV world.

By the way, I made a fearless prediction in that post and I would have been right if it hadn't been for that meddling 'Castle':

So that's good enough for the book series; but what about any future Zonks that might mention the TV series? (And my prediction is that it will be 'The Big Bang Theory' that does it first.)

It may never reach the level of geekery mentions that 'Doctor Who', 'Star Trek', and 'The Twilight Zone' get in other TV shows, but I'm sure such Zonkish references to 'Game Of Thrones' will eventually rival 'Battlestar Galactica' someday......

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: FRANK HARRIS

FRANK HARRIS

AS SEEN IN:
'The Infinite Worlds Of H.G. Wells'

AS PLAYED BY:
Robert Demeger

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time (Conditional)
His appearance here is in a flashback remembrance by H.G. Wells, and imagined by his audience, Miss Ellen McGillvray....

From Wikipedia:
Frank Harris (February 14, 1856 – August 27, 1931) was a British-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Though he attracted much attention during his life for his irascible, aggressive personality, editorship of famous periodicals, and friendship with the talented and famous, he is remembered mainly for his multiple-volume memoir My Life and Loves, which was banned in countries around the world for its sexual explicitness.

Harris first came to general notice as the editor of a series of London papers including the Evening News, the Fortnightly Review and the Saturday Review, the last-named being the high point of his journalistic career, with H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw as regular contributors.

Harris returned to New York during World War I. From 1916 to 1922 he edited the U.S. edition of Pearson's Magazine. Pearson's has been described as "Probably second in fame to The Strand Magazine, which it imitated ... a heavily romantic publication" Married three times, Harris died in France on August 27, 1931, of a heart attack.

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: DAN WHELDON

Two-time winner of the Indy 500, Dan Wheldon, was killed in a fiery 15 car crash in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Back on my birthday, he appeared on 'The Late Show With David Letterman' to talk about his latest title win.....

Good night and may God bless.

BCnU.....

THE TOOBWORLD TAKE-AWAY: "BOSS"

Thanks to an online preview, I've seen the first episode of 'Boss', the gritty Starz political drama starring Kelsey Grammar as the mayor of Chicago. It will premiere on October 21st.

If the Fall 2011 TV season left you little to choose from in new drama series - if yet another police procedural or a coven of simpering teen-aged witches leaves you uninspired - then 'Boss' may be the one to hold out for.

I found it to be rough, moody, gripping, violent, sexy. It's the political heir to 'The Sopranos'. There are a lot of interesting actors - Martin Donovan, Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Kathleen Robertson, Jeff Hephner - whose roles hold the promise for compelling, divergent story lines. And as for the central character of Mayor Tom Kane, it's Grammar's best work in years. In fact, not once during the pilot episode did I ever think of Frasier Crane.

If you have the Starz premium channel, I'd suggest checking this out when it debuts on October 21.......

Now, for the report more specific to my Toobworld interests....

Unlike the televersion of New York City, in which the current mayor of the City MUST be Mike Bloomberg (because of his appearances as a League of Themselves member in shows like 'Law & Order', '30 Rock', and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'), Chicago's mayor isn't as nationally known to the average TV viewer. This could all change with an episode of 'Happy Endings', which I think may be the only other Chicago-based series on the air now. 'The Chicago Code' from last year did have John Heard playing Mayor McGuinness in two episodes. Depending on how long Tom Kane has been in office, maybe the timeline splainins can be toyed with.

For example, this series may be taking place in 2013, because Kane talked about the Reverend Jeremiah Porter's arrival in the Chicago area as having taken place 180 years before. Since that occurred in 1833, it's either 2013, or Kane just like to round off his figures.

Perhaps McGuinness was a deputy mayor acting as the temporary mayor under emergency guidelines while Kane was hopitalized.  (It would be this treatment that first clued him in to there being something seriously wrong with him physically....)

So, unless some wild Zonk rears its head to negate the ruling, I think 'Boss' can remain in Earth Prime-Time, the main TV dimension.  Otherwise, this is a show worthy of inclusion in the alternate TV dimension of 'The West Wing'.

At the very least, its depiction of the uses for a kitchen sink garbage disposal and of the enforcement of the Hyppocratic Oath will send a chill up your spine.

Now....

I'm trusting this works - at the site where I saw the preview for 'Boss', they had an embed code to be copied. I'm hoping this code brings that first episode to you, Team Toobworld, as well:

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 10/2011 - UNDER O'BSERVATION

By tradition, October has been the month in which the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame inducts its scarier members, or those with a sci-fi/fantasy theme - Rod Serling, Frankenstein's Monsters, Sweet the Demon, Hellboy, Uncle Martin, Dr. Bombay, Grandpa & Lily Munster, the televersions of Orson Welles and Charles Manson, and - for something REALLY scary, kids! - Frank Barone among others.

We're keeping with that tradition by inducting......

THE OBSERVER

"FRINGE"

He has been seen, or at least somebody resembling him (There is more than one Observer.) has been seen at key points in history. And his appearances on our TV screens has not been limited to episodes of 'Fringe':

Some of these appearances have been kind of sketchy......

And as they are known for being in alternate dimensions, apparently there is one in the Promoverse.....

These are the current shows in which I wish he'd make an appearance:
'Supernatural'
'Doctor Who'
'Alphas'
'Eureka!'
'Warehouse 13'
'The Killing' (despite how much I now loathe that show!)
'Boardwalk Empire'
'Boss'
'Breaking Bad'
'Person Of Interest'
'Bodies Of Proof'
'How I Met Your Mother'
'Modern Family'
'Happy Endings'
'Suburgatory'
'Community'
'Parks & Recreation'
'The Mentalist'
'Castle'
'Inspector Lewis'
'Mad Men' (perfect setting for him to blend in!)

Yeah, pretty much every show that's out there......

And with the advancements in CGI, why not insert the Observer into the backgrounds of old episodes from classic TV shows like 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' (I'm thinking of the train station scene in "Uhny Uftz", 'Columbo', 'Kojak', 'Naked City', 'NYPD' and 'NYPD Blue'?  The opening credits for 'That Girl', 'The Odd Couple', and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'?

So welcome to the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, Mr. Observer....

Mind if I call you Uatu?

BCnU!

AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR BLIPVERT.....

We now know that 'Seinfeld' exists in the Promoverse....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: TAMMY FAYE BAKKER

TAMMY FAYE BAKKER

AS SEEN IN:
"Fall From Grace"

AS PLAYED BY:
Bernadette Peters

From Wikipedia:
Tamara Faye LaValley Bakker Messner (March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American Christian singer, evangelist, entrepreneur, author, talk show host, and television personality. She was married to televangelist, and later convicted felon, Jim Bakker (1961–92). She co-hosted with him on 'The PTL Club' (1976–87). She was a participant in the 2004 season of the reality show 'The Surreal Life'.

On July 20, 2007, at 4 am, Messner died following an 11-year battle with cancer. What had started as colon cancer had spread to her lungs. She died in her home, said her publicist, Joe Spotts. A family service was held on the morning of July 21, 2007, in the Messner family plot in Waldron, Kansas, where her ashes were interred. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Randy McCain, the pastor of Open Door Community Church in Sherwood, Arkansas.

She had frequently spoken about her medical problems, saying she hoped to be an inspiration to others. "Don't let fear rule your life," she said. "Live one day at a time, and never be afraid."

She had written on her website in May that the doctors had stopped trying to treat the cancer. She died the day after the airing of her interview on 'Larry King Live' on CNN. According to CNN.com, the family requested that King officially report the news of her death on July 21, 2007.

For More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Faye_Messner

Today's "As Seen On TV" spotlight is dedicated to my friend Jeffrey Paul Baker (NOT Bakker!) It's sort of a belated birthday present, since he's such a HUGE fan of Bernadette Peters......

BCnU!