THE 5TH ANNUAL "WHO'S ON FIRST" CELEBRATION!

Geronimo!

WHO'S ON FIRST 2013!

In yesterday's wrap-up of the literary edition of the ASOTV, I thought that the 2013 "Who's On First" celebration would be the fourth annual. Turns out that it'll be the FIFTH annual! And the third to be a marathon (at least one post every hour. This year? One ever half hour!)

It just shows to go ya how expansive the show is, that I've been able to find topics to write about. I did a marathon for 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' on its fiftieth anniversary, with additional posts once a month for the next year. And I always worried if I could come up with something as the deadline neared.

But with 'Doctor Who' - with all of Time and Space to play in - I will never have that problem. In fact, there were several stories I just had to turn down and save for next year - mostly of the connections between 'Doctor Who' and 'Star Trek', including the theory of relateeveety between the Sontarans and the Heirarchy of 'Voyager'.

So I hope you'll keep coming back today to see what I've come up with for this marathon. Actual posts will be running on the hour. On the half hour there are mostly videos. (And a special guest appearance coming up soon at 12:15 AM.)

And this project would have been the poorer visually had it not been for the several 'Doctor Who' groups I belong to on Facebook.  So I want to give them their well-deserved props now:

Doctor Who And The TARDIS by Craig Hurle

Derpy Who

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Zone

The High Council Of Time Lords

The Matrix of Gallifrey

Live long and prosper! (Woops.....)

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - THE ACTORS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.  The following list is always the toughest, because they visually contributed so much to our enjoyment of the World of the Toob.  And this year we lost far too many of the greats......

THE ACTORS

• Jenny Tomasin ('Upstairs, Downstairs')
• William Duell ('Police Squad')
• Joaquin Martinez ('Centennial', 'Alias Smith And Jones')
• Morgan Jones ('The Blue Angels', 'Highway Patrol', 'Mannix' - first season)
• Dick Tufeld (voice of Robot in 'Lost In Space', many voice-over credits)
• James Farentino ('Vanished', 'Blue Thunder', 'The Bold Ones: The Lawyers', 'Mary')
• Robert Hegyes ('Welcome Back, Kotter', 'Cagney & Lacey')
• Dimitra Arliss ('Rich Man, Poor Man: Book II', 'General Hospital')
• Nicol Williamson ('Columbo')
• Ian Abercrombie ('Seinfeld')
• Silvana Gallardo ("Calendar Girl Murders")
• Frederick Treves ('Regiment', 'Doctor Who')
• Ben Gazzara ('QBVII', 'Run For Your Life')
• Ruth Hausmeister ('Zwei Bruder', 'Arzte')
• Peter Breck ('The Big Valley', 'The Black Saddle', 'Maverick')
• Phil Bruns ('Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman', 'Forever Fernwood')
• Zina Bethune ('The Nurses', 'Love Of Life')
• David Kelly ('Strumpet City', 'Fawlty Towers')
• Elyse Knox (B-movie actress of the 40s, mother of Mark Harmon, Kristin Nelson, grandmother to Tracy Nelson & the Nelson twins)
• Laurie Main ('Family Affair', 'Mayberry RFD', 'Welcome To Pooh Corner')
• Dick Anthony Williams (Malcolm X in "King", 'Homefront')
• Peter Halliday ('A For Andromeda'/'The Andromeda Breakthrough', 'Chico The Rainmaker', 'Doctor Who')
• Erland Josephson (longtime collaborator with Ingmar Bergman TV: 'Il giudice istruttore', 'Som löven i Vallombrosa', 'Dubbelsvindlarna', 'Röda rummet')
• Neal Hope ('Degrassi Junior High', 'Degrassi High')
• Dennis Chinnery ('Doctor Who')
• Philip Madoc ('Doctor Who')
• Leonardo Cimino ('Ryan's Hope', 'Naked City')
• Pierre Tornade (French, 'Nestor Burma')
• Wallace Earl ('The Rifleman', 'The Big Valley' - a woman)
• Faith Brook ('The Irish RM', 'Miss Marple')
• Jose Rubio ('La Casa De Los Martinez', 'Musica y Estrellas')
• Ed Brigadier ('House', 'Alias', 'Nip/Tuck')
• Gerard Rinaldi (French - 'Marc and Sophie')
• Joan Taylor (Rose Freeman) (Millie on 'The Rifleman', oversaw her late husband's 'Hawaii Five-O' estate)
• Dennis Bowen ('How The West Was Won', over 1000 commercials)
• Tamas Pinter (Hungarian - 'Linda T.I.R.')
• Eileen McDonough ('The Waltons', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show')
• Warren Stevens ('Tales Of The Bengal Lancers', 'Bracken's World', 'Star Trek', 'Bonanza', 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea', 'Peyton Place', 'M*A*S*H', 'ER')
• Nick Santini (soaps, suicide)
• Barry Cahill (many Westerns, married to Rachel Ames)
• Luke Askew (many Westerns)
• Garry Walberg ('Quincy, M.E.', 'The Odd Couple')
• James E. Brodhead ('Here's Lucy', 'McMillan & Wife', 'The Wonder Years')
• Julio Aleman (Mexican telenovelas)
• James Tarwater ('Walker, Texas Ranger')
• William Finley ('Tales From The Crypt', 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch', 'Masters of Horror')
• Jonathan Frid ('Dark Shadows')
• Peter Carsten ('Povratak otpisanih', 'Ein Schloß am Wörthersee')
• Marcelo Alfaro ('Montecristo')
• Robert Broyles ('The High Chapparel', 'Bonanza')
• Hank Robinson (baseball players and cowboys)
• Nicholas King ('One Man's Family')
• Patricia Medina ('Bonanza', 'Mannix', Mrs. Joseph Cotton)
• George Lindsey ('The Andy Griffith Show' & 'Mayberry RFD')
• John Forrest (Thunder in the West, Good Wives, Emergency Ward 10, Armchair Theatre, Doctor Finlay's Casebook and A Requiem for Modiglian)
• Joyce Redman ('Vanity Fair')
• Walter Matthews ('General Hospital', 'Another World', Fram Oil Filter ads)
• C. Lindsey Workman ('Here Come The Brides')
• Janet Carroll ('Murphy Brown', 'Melrose Place', 'Married With Children')
• Dick Beals (voice of 'Speedy Alka Seltzer', Gumby, Davy)
• Kathryn Joosten ('The West Wing', 'Desperate Housewives')
• Frank Cady ('Petticoat Junction', 'Green Acres', 'Beverly Hillbillies', former crossover king)
• Yvette Wilson ('Moesha', 'The Parkers')
• Susan Tyrell ('Open All Night', Madam DeBarge in 'I Am Weasel' & 'Cow And Chicken')
• Victor Spinetti ('Two In Clover', 'An Actor's Life For Me', Super Ted')
• Richard Lynch ('Galactica 1980', 'Murder, She Wrote')
• Caroline John (Liz Shaw on 'Doctor Who')
• Anthony Bate ('Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy', 'Smiley's People', 'Game, Set, Match', 'Cambridge Spies')
• Doris Singleton ('I Love Lucy')
• Don Grady ('The Mickey Mouse Club', 'My Three Sons')
• Andy Griffith ('The Andy Griffith Show', 'Matlock', 'Pray For The Wildcats')
• Ernie Sykes ('Dress Rehearsal', 'Sykes And A....', 'Sykes'
• Ernest Borgnine ('McHale's Navy', 'Airwolf', 'The Single Guy')
• Dara Singh ("Vikram Aur Betaal")
• Celeste Holm ("Nancy", "The Delphi Bureau", "Promised Land")
• Isuzu Yamada (Japanese actress)
• Michael Lipton ("Somerset", "One Life To Live")
• Simon Ward ("The Tudors", Churchill on TV and movies)
• Angharad Rees ("Poldark")
• Chris Wedes (P.J. Patches of Seattle kids TV)
• Sherman Hemsley ("All In The Family", "The Jeffersons", "Amen")
• Chad Everett ("Medical Center", "Centennial", "Manhattan, Az")
• Mary Tamm (Romana 1 of "Doctor Who", EastEnders")
• Susanne Lothar (German actress, "Poirot - Murder On The Orient Express")
• Lupe Ontiveras ("Desperate Housewives")
• Paco Moran (2500 WIN Spanish TV programs)
• Morgan Paull ("Centennial", "The Fall Guy", "Gunsmoke", "The Patty Duke Show" - debut)
• Dolphy (Filipino actor, "Buhay Artista", "John en Marsha")
• Geoffrey Hughes ("Coronation Street", Onslow on "Keeping Up Appearances")
• R.G. Armstrong (MANY TV westerns!)
• Norman Alden ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", Lou the Repairman)
• Fern Persons (101, missed 102nd b'day by five days. "ER", "Early Edition", "Missing Persons")
• John Finnegan ("Columbo", my friend)
• Al Freeman, Jr. ("One Life To Live", "Sweet Charlie")
• Ron Palillo ('Welcome Back, Kotter')
• Joan Roberts ('Fantasy Island", "Jack And The Beanstalk")
• Phyllis Thaxter ("Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Climax!", "Lux Video Theater", "Wagon Train")
• William Windom ("My World & Welcome To It", "Parenthood", "Murder, She Wrote", MANY guest star roles!)
• Michael Clark Duncan ('The Finder')
• Lance LeGault ('The A-Team', 'Airwolf')
• Jeffrey Stone ('The Three Musketeers' in Italy)
• Maite Nahyr ('Maigret', "Mademoiselle O")
• Biff Elliot ('Alfred Hitchcock Presents', 'Cannon', 'Mission Impossible')
• Anna Orso ('Io e mio figlio - Nuove storie per il commissario Vivaldi')
• Lucy Gallardo ('Deborah', 'Gran Teatro')
• Sancho Garcia ('Curro Jiminez')
• Lloyd Kino ('McHale's Navy', 'Star Trek', 'C.S.I.')
• John Moffatt ('The Adventures Of Ben Gunn', 'Love In A Cold Climate', 'Crown Court', 'Maigret')
• John Ingle ('General Hospital', 'Days Of Our Lives', 'The Drew Carey Show')
• Stephen Dunham ('DAG', 'Oh Grow Up')
• Herbert Lom ('The Human Jungle', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.', "Pink Panther" movies)
• Johnny Lewis ("Sons Of Anarchy", "The O.C.")
• Alex Karras ('Centennial', 'Webster', "The 500 Pound Jerk")
• John Clive ('Robert's Robots', 'How Green Was My Valley', 'The Nesbitts Are Coming')
• Sylvia Kristel (the Emmanuelle TV movies)
• Russell Means ('Into The West' 'Buffalo Girls', 'Nash Bridges')
• Elizabeth Bell ('Harriet's Back In Town', 'The Bill', 'Casualty', 'Sexton Blake', 'Doctors')
• Brian Cobby (The Speaking Clock)
• Clive Dunn ('Dad's Army')
• Lucille Bliss (voice of Crusader Rabbit)
• Trevor Lawrence ('Doctor Who')
• David Webb ('Doctor Who')
• Deborah Raffin ("Nightmare In Badham County")
• Larry Hagman ('I Dream Of Jeannie', 'Dallas')
• Dinah Sheridan ('Don't Wait Up', 'Just Us', 'Doctor Who' - Chancellor Flavia)
• Joy Parker ("Henry IV", "Dixon Of Dock Green", widow of Paul Scofield)
• Susan Luckey ('Telephone Time', 'The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show')
• Don McArt ('Adam 12', 'The Addams Family', 'My Little Margie', 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents')
• Jack Klugman ('The Odd Couple', 'Quincy, M.E.', 'You Again?', 'The Twilight Zone')
• Charles Durning ('Evening Shade', 'Captains And The Kings', 'Rescue Me', Santa Claus of Toobworld)
• Cliff Osmond ("The Rifleman," "Twilight Zone," "Gunsmoke," "All in the Family," "The Bob Newhart Show")
• Harry Carey Jr. ('Wagon Train', 'Bonanza', 'Gunsmoke', 'Have Gun, Will Travel')
• Thelma Reston ('Escrito nas Estrelas' 'Bicho de Mato', many Brazilian tele-novelas)
• Milo Quesada ('The Aeronauts', 'Estudio1')
• Axel Anderson ("Die Schwarze Hand", 'Mañana puede ser verdad')
• Sakari Jurkka ('Rauhanranta 12', 'Nitrokabinetti')
• Alida Cheli ('Docteur Caraibes', 'Casa Dolce Casa')
• Ed Grady, ('Dawson's Creek', 'I'll Fly Away')
• Frederick Neumann ('Law & Order', 'Crime Story', 'Spencer: For Hire', 'The Equalizer')
• Carolyn Conwell ('The Young And The Restless')
• Pat Renella ('Mannix', 'The New Phil Silvers Show', 'General Hospital')

Good night and may God bless......

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - "THE HYPHENATES" & OTHERS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

"THE HYPHENATES"

• Tony Blankley (child actor - 'Lassie', politician, political commentator)
• Mae LaBorde (actress - 'Talkshow with Spike Ferestein', book-keeper - 'The Lawrence Welk Show'. Started her acting career at 93, lived to be 102)
• Zalman King (actor - 'The Young Lawyers', producer/writer/director - 'The Red Shoe Diaries')
• Andrew Wight (Australian writer-producer of documentaries)
• Sue Dwiggins (writer - 'The Gene Autry Show', production manager - "Shogun")
• Jerome Courtland (actor - Lucas' brother-in-law on 'The Rifleman', director - many shows for A. Spelling)
• Hazel Medina (actress - 'I Spy', 'One Live To Live', 'Baretta', writer - 'Baretta')
• Earl Scruggs - banjo player, performer as himself, composer (all 'Beverly Hillbillies')
• Tony Giorgio (tech consultant on magic and gambling for 'Mission Impossible', also actor)
• Levon Helm of the Band (actor - 'Midnight Caller', 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers', performer - 'Saturday Night Live')
• Ronan O'Casey (writer-actor, 'The Larkins')
• Donna Summer ("Donna Summer - One Hot Summer Night", "The Donna Summer Special", actress - 'Family Matters')
• Stephen Lord (writer -'Death Valley Days', 'CHiPs' and associate producer/director - 'Zane Grey Theater')
• Robert Finkel (director/producer - 'Barney Miller', 'The Bob Newhart Show', TV specials)
• Richard Dawson (actor - 'Hogan's Heroes', 'The New Dick Van Dyke Show' & game show host - 'Family Feud')
• Ray Bradbury (writer - 'The Martian Chronicles', host, 'Ray Bradbury theatre')
• Edward Adler (writer - East Side/West Side', 'Hawk', producer - 'The Equalizer' & 'Night Heat')
• Julian Goodman (producer - Kennedy/Nixon debate #2, head of NBC)
• William Asher (producer-writer - "Bewitched")
• Tom Davis (writer-performer - "Saturday Night Live")
• Paul Price
• Gore Vidal (writer, actor)
• Marvin Hamlisch (composer, performer)
• Phyllis Diller (comedienne, actress - "The Pruitts Of Southhampton')
• Gary Collins (actor - 'The Wackiest Ship In The Army', 'The Sixth Sense', 'Born Free', host - 'Hour Magazine', Miss America Pageant)
• Bob Brunner ('Happy Days' writer-producer)
• Henry Colman ('Love Boat' producer, TV archives interviewer)
• Emily Squires (director for 'Sesame Street', writer for 'Guiding Light', 'Search For Tomorrow', 'As The World Turns', 'Sesame Street')

OTHER

• Mike DeGruy (undersea documentary cinematographer)
• Ric Waite (Cinematographer - Emmy for 'Captains And The Kings')
• Buck Compton (portrayed by Neal McDonough in "Band Of Brothers")
• Ralph McQuarrie (concept artist, "Star Wars", 'Battlestar Galactica')
• Robert Ayres (illustrator of the Bonanza burning map)
• Don Markstein (site creator of Toonopedia)
• Neil Travis (editor, Emmy for 'Roots')
• Vidal Sassoon (hair care products maker who had his own talk show)
• Eugene Polley (invented the wireless TV remote)
• Jim Paratore (created Bonnie Hunt and Ellen DeGeneres' talk shows, TMZ executive)
• Nolan Miller (costume designer for 'Dynasty')
• Bryce Parker (was killed two hours after he and his New Orleans house appeared on 'Undercover Stings')
• Barry Becher (created Ginsu knife infomercial craze)
• Dennis Dalzell (cinematographer, "V", "The Rookies", "Murder, She Wrote")
• Judith Christ (movie reviewer in TV Guide and on 'Today')
• Irving Fein, 101 (manager for jack Benny and George Burns)
• Ted Holtzclaw (operations manager, WABC Channel 7)
• Jerry Nelson (Muppet performer - Count Von Count, Thog, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry)
• Robert Kotlowitz (shaped Channel 13, died during 50th anniversary year)
• Stanford Ovshinsky (established ovonics which led to flat screen tvs)
• Dann Cahn ('I Love Lucy' editor)
• John D. Silva (created the concept of the "tele-copter")
• Joe Allbritton (founded Allbritton Communicatons)
• Donnie Andrews (inspiration for Omar on 'The Wire')

Good night and may God bless......

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - WRITERS & COMPOSERS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

WRITERS

• Reginald HIll (author created 'Dalziel and Pascoe')
• John Christopher (sci-fi author created the "Tripods" trilogy)
• Bruce Howard ('Arrest And Trial')
• Jan Berenstein (co-creator of the Berenstein Bears)
• Jermone Ross ('Marcus Welby', 'I Remember Mama', 'Saints And Sinners', many Golden Age dramas & comedies, one day after 101st birthday)
• Richard Carpenter (created 'Catweazle' and 'Robin of Sherwood', adapted 'The Borrowers')
• Digby Wolfe (created 'Laugh-In')
• Maurice Sendak ('Seven Little Monsters', 'Really Rosie')
• Henry Denker
• Al Gordon (wrote for Jack Benny)
• William Hanley ("Something About Amelia", "The Attic: The Hiding Of Anne Frank")
• Judy Freudberg ('Sesame Street' for 35 years)
• Joan Scott (fronted for husband during blacklist, wrote for 'Lassie')
• Nelson Lyon ("Saturday Night Live")
• Margaret Mahy ("Maddigan's Quest", "Aliens In The Family")
• Don Brinkley ("Trapper John, MD.", "The Untouchables")
• Frank Pierson ("The Good Wife" & "Mad Men" consultant, oscar for "Dog Day Afternoon")
• Sidney Reznick ("The Garry Moore Show", "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson")
• Gustave Field ('Wide Country, Gunsmoke', 'Combat', '12 O’Clock High', 'Then Came Bronson', 'The Bold Ones', 'The Six Million Dollar Man')
• David Chantler ('The Adventures Of Superman', 'Interpol Calling', 'Zero One', 'The Human Jungle', and 'Paul Temple', Lassie, Richard Diamond Private Detective, Daniel Boone, and The Invaders)
• Esther Mitchell ('The Land Of The Giants', 'Combat!', 'Perry Mason', 'Cannon', 'S.W.A.T.', and 'Charlie’s Angels')
• Alan Kirschenbaum ('Yes, Dear')
• Don Rhymer ('Valerie', 'Evening Shade', 'Hearts Afire')
• Reinhold Weege (created 'Night Court')

COMPOSERS

• Robert Sherman ('Zorro' theme, 'It's A Small World')
• Ralph Ferraro ('The Virginian', 'It Takes A Thief' episodes)
• Joel Goldsmith ('Stargate: Atlantis', "Star Trek: First Contact")
• Mort Lindsey ("Liza With A Z", "A Happening In Central Park")
• Billie Barnes ('Laugh-In' novelty songs)

Good night and may God bless......

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

THE DIRECTORS

• John Rich ('The Dick Van Dyke Show', 'All In The Family')
• Paul Bogart ('All In The Family', 'The Defenders')
• Charles Washburn ('Star Trek' -TOS & TNG)
• Mel Stuart
• Winrich Kolbe ('Star Trek: The Next Generation')

THE PRODUCERS

• Richard Hopkins ('Dancing With The Stars')
• Bob Henry ('The Nat King Cole Show', 'The Flip Wilson Show', 'The Andy Williams Show')
• Bob Stewart ('To Tell The Truth', 'The Price Is Right', 'The $10,000 Pyramid')
• Lee Rich (of Lorimar - 'The Waltons', 'Dallas', 'Eight Is Enough')
• Sam Manners ('The Adventures Of Rin Tin Tin', 'Route 66', 'The Wild Wild West')
• Lillian Gallo ("Hustling", "Stranger Who Looked Like Me", "Fun And Games", "Haunts Of The Very Rich")
• Norman Felton ('The Man From UNCLE', 'Dr. Kildare', 'The Girl From UNCLE')
• Lynn Gambles ("Today" - Thames TV, "Tomorrow's World" - BBC, 20/20 Vision - Channel 4)
• Joan Stein ("The Scholar", "The Downer Channel")
• Tony Scott ("The Good Wife", "Numb3rs", "Pillars of the Earth", "The Andromeda Strain", "The Company", "The Hunger: The Series", "World Without End". Won Emmy for producing "The Gathering Storm")
• Michael Hurll ('The Late Late Breakfast Show', 'Blind Date', 'Cilla')
• Frank Peppiatt ('Hee Haw')
• Paul Rauch ('One Life To Live', 'Another World', 'Santa Barbera')
• Gerry Anderson ('Thunderbirds', 'Fireball XL-5', 'Joe 90', 'Diver Dan')

Good night and may God bless......

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - THE JOURNALISTS & COMMENTATORS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

JOURNALISTS & COMMENTATORS

• Jim Huber ('This Sporting Life' on CNN)
• Richard Threlkeld, (CBS News)
• Dr. Mel Goldstein (WTNH Channel 8 meteorologist in New Haven, Ct.)
• Jay McMullen (CBS investigative reporter)
• Gil Noble (ABC journalist on black issues)
• Mike Wallace (CBS, ''60 Minutes')
• Andrew Walker (BBC World Services)
• Eleanor Jeffery (ITN and Sky news)
• Barbara Brown (BBC news)
• Bob Banfield (KABC reporter)
• Sir Alastair Burnet (ITV newsreader)
• Sid Waddell (BBC and ITV commentator - the Voice of Darts)
• Derek Jameson (Do They Mean Us?)
• Mike Baker (BBC commentator)
• Chris Economaki (motor sports commentator, CBS, ABC, ESPN)
• Beano Cook (ESPN college football commentator)
• Arnold Dean ("The Dean Of Sports" at WTIC-TV, basically created the sports call-in radio talk show)
• Kenneth Kendall (First BBC newsreader to appear on screen)

Good night and may God bless......

THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - THE PERSONALITIES

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

First up: 

THE PERSONALITIES

• Bob Holness (host of Brit game shows 'Blockbusters' and 'Call My Bluff')
• Don Cornelius ('Soul Train')
• Professor Tristram P. Coffin ('Lyrics and Legends' on PBS)
• Whitney Houston (megastar singer, spoofed on 'Saturday Night Live')
• Russell Arms ('Your Hit Parade')
• Gary Carter ('86 Mets catcher, played himself in two episodes of 'Arli$$')
• Baykal Kent (Turkish comedian with many TV appearances)
• Frank Carson (Irish comedian, 'TisWas', 'The Comedians', 'The Melting Pot')
• Davy Jones (The Monkees)
• Steve Bridges (George W. Bush impersonator)
• Marisa Medina (Spanish presenter - 'Antena Infantile', Eurovision)
• Pete Fornatale (WNEW & WFUV deejay, 'Biography' - "Mamas & Papas")
• Adam Yauch (MCA of Beastie Boys, 'Futurama', music videos)
• Mitchell Guist ('Swamp People')
• Randy Paar (Jack Paar's daughter, appeared on his show)
• Dan Dorfman (on-air stock market analyst)
• Ben Davidson (Oakland Raider, Miller Lite commercials)
• Maria Cole (Nat King Cole's widow, co-hosted L.A. afternoon talk show)
• Kitty Wells (country singer queen)
• Ginny Tyler ("Casper The Friendly Ghost", Mickey Mouse club rerun host)
• Sally Ride (woman astronaut, "Touched By An Angel")
• David Barby ("Antiques Road Trip", "Flog It", "Bargain Hunt")
• Joey Kovar ("Real World: Hollywood", "Celebrity Rehab")
• Neil Armstrong (first man on the Moon)
• Terry Nutkins ('The Really Wild Show', 'Animal Magic')
• Max Bygraves ('Max', 'Side By Side', 'Family Fortunes')
• "Sahara Davenport" ('RuPaul's Drag Race')
• "Sheriff" John Rovick (L.A. kids' show host, 'Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade')
• Togus, weather mascot at WCSH-TV in Maine, a Maine coon cat
• Senator George McGovern ('Saturday Night Live', 'Newhart')
• Joe Melia ('Full House' arts show on BBC2)
• Wendell D. Garrett (Americana expert, 'Antiques Roadshow')
• Bonnie Lynn Fields (Mouseketeer)
• Art Ginsburg (Mr. Food on WFSB-TV)
• Sir Patrick Moore ('The Sky At Night', 'Doctor Who')
• Jenni Rivera ('Chiquis 'n' Control', 'I Love Jenni')
• Philip Coppens ('Ancient Aliens')
• Ian Humphries (BBC's 'Music Time')

Good night and may God bless......

AS SEEN ON TV 2012 - THE END

So we're wrapping up the literary edition of the ASOTV showcase today........

It's been a lot of fun and I hope you enjoyed it. It certainly turned out to be a lot easier than I expected!

This was a project that I had in mind for a few years now.......

DEEP SIX: ALL LIT UP

When I started this version of the ASOTV showcase back in January, I thought it would be rough going in finding at least 365 characters (more because of the "Two For Tuesday" policy!)  As it turned out, I never did have enough time to get to all the characters I wanted to feature - characters from "The Hogfather", "The Colour Of Magic", "The Virginian", other charactes from 'Gulliver's Travels', plus Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, and other incarnations of Sherlock Holmes.  I wanted to cover "Earthsea" and why Ursula K. LeGuin hated the casting.  And even though I spent the month of August on James Michener's 'Centennial', there were still plenty of characters from that book I could have featured.

Oh well.  What the hell.*

Next year we're revising the "As Seen On TV" feature once again.  This time the focus will be on the League of Themselves - those people who play their own televersions.  This showcase begins tomorrow and since New Year's Day is also the fourth(?) annual "Who's On First" marathon (maybe the third.....) AND it's a Tuesday we'll have a "Two For Tuesday" showcase from 'Doctor Who'!

BCnU and Happy New Year!

*I think Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" should be adapted for a long-range project on one of the premium networks......

AS SEEN ON TV: JIM CARTER

Here it is - the last literary edition of the As Seen On TV showcase for 2012!

JIM CARTER

AS SEEN IN:
"The Ruby In The Smoke"

CREATED BY:
Philip Pullman

PORTRAYED BY:
Matt Smith

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOOKWORLD AND TOOBWORLD:
In the book, Jim Carter is thirteen years old.

From BBC Drama:
Jim's the dogsbody [someone who does drudge work] at the Lockhart and Selby shipping firm. 

He's lively, intelligent, and above all a true and loyal friend. Jim's a great amateur detective, which makes him an absolutely indispensible help for Sally as she attempts to piece together the mystery surrounding the Ruby of Agrapur.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

GERONIMO!

AS SEEN ON TV: REVEREND GIBSON

REVEREND GIBSON

AS SEEN IN:
'He Knew He Was Right'

CREATED BY:
Anthony Trollope

PORTRAYED BY:
David Tennant

[The Tenth Doctor]

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
"He Knew He Was Right" is an 1869 novel written by Anthony Trollope which describes the failure of a marriage caused by the unreasonable jealousy of a husband exacerbated by the stubbornness of a willful wife. As is common with Trollope's works, there are also several substantial subplots. Trollope makes constant allusions to Shakespeare's "Othello" throughout the novel. Trollope considered this work to be a failure; he viewed the main character as unsympathetic, and the secondary characters and plots much more lively and interesting. It was adapted for BBC One in 2004 by Andrew Davies as 'He Knew He Was Right'.

Aunt Stanbury tries to promote a marriage between her niece and a favoured clergyman, Mr Gibson. This causes much resentment with Arabella and Camilla French, two sisters who had considered him a future husband for one of them (though which was still a matter of much debate). However, this plan is derailed.

Aunt Stanbury had always intended to bequeath her wealth back to the Burgess family, rather than to her Stanbury relations. She had chosen as her heir Brooke Burgess, the nephew of her former fiancé. When he visits her for the first time as an adult, everyone is charmed by his warm, lively personality, especially Dorothy. When Gibson finally proposes to her, she cannot avoid unfavourably comparing him to Brooke and declines. Her aunt is at first much put out by Dorothy's obstinacy. Eventually however, she places the blame on the clergyman, which results in a serious breach between them.

The feud with his former patron leaves Gibson so distracted that he finds himself engaged to a domineering Camilla French. After a while, he comes to regret his choice. Finally, finding Camilla's overpowering personality unbearable, he extricates himself by agreeing to marry the milder Arabella instead. Camilla is driven to extravagant threats and is finally sent to stay with her stern uncle in the period leading up to the wedding.

BCnU!

TOOBMUSIC: ONE DIRECTION

My eight year old nephew supposedly likes these guys, but that could be due to influence from his peers. But I will admit that I found the song to be catchy.....

TVXOHOF - THE EDISON

Jack Benny mentions my place of employ, a recent Birthday Honors List inductee into the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame.  It comes up at the 3:07 mark.....

BCnU!

FIZZIES THE CLOWN

Time to pay the bills.....

It's a different type of Fizzies that will be needed on Tuesday morning by all those end-of-the-year revelers!

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: POD CLOCK

One last 'Doctor Who'-connected entry in the ASOTV showcase which has a Christmas flavor*.....

POD CLOCK

AS SEEN IN:
"The Borrowers" (2010)

CREATED BY:
Mary Norris

PORTRAYED BY:
Christopher Eccleston

TV STATUS:
Recastaway

TV DIMENSION:
The 'West Wing' Dimension
(Why not?)

Christopher Eccleston on playing the role:

From Wikipedia:
"The Borrowers" is a children's fantasy novel by the English author Mary Norton, published by Dent in 1952. It features a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of an English house and "borrow" from the big people in order to survive. Alternatively, The "Borrowers" is the series of five novels including four sequels that feature the same family after they leave "their" house.

Pod Clock is Arrietty's father and, according to his wife Homily, the most talented Borrower.

From SHMOOP.COM:
Oh Pod. He's really a good guy, but sometimes his parenting leaves a bit to be desired. He loves Arrietty, and he's a good husband to Homily, sure. But he's also more than a little overprotective. So he spends much of the book trying to walk the line between loving dad and total control freak.

And what a fine line it is. See, in Pod's mind, he faces the dangers of borrowing upstairs to ensure a life of safety for his family. As the narrator tells us, "His wife and child led more sheltered lives in homelike apartments under the kitchen, far removed from the risks and dangers of the dreaded house above".

But because only Pod knows how to open the many gates that create a barrier between their home and the outside world, he winds up controlling how much freedom his family has, which is not the fairest thing in the world.

BCnU!

*Only this version is set in the weeks leading up to Christmas.....

AS SEEN ON TV: CAPTAIN BUSH

CAPTAIN WILLIAM BUSH, RN

AS SEEN IN:
'Horatio Hornblower'

CREATED BY:
C.S. Forrester

PORTRAYED BY:
Paul McGann
(The Eighth Doctor)

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Wikipedia:
Captain William Bush RN is a fictional character in C.S. Forester's "Horatio Hornblower series". He is Hornblower's best friend, and serves with Hornblower in the Royal Navy prior to the Peace of Amiens and again during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the Hornblower TV series, Bush was played by Paul McGann. Few changes were made to the character, although some aspects of his role in Lieutenant Hornblower were transferred to Lt. "Archie" Kennedy, who does not appear in the novel.

Bush's role in the novels is that of Hornblower's best friend and second-in-command. He is characterized chiefly by his loyalty, his patience, good nature, and stolid matter-of-fact outlook. Although Hornblower genuinely cares for Bush, he often frustrates and hurts him through harsh criticism. Hornblower, although a brilliant strategist, is a painfully self-conscious and hyperactively introspective man who tries desperately to conceal from the world what he perceives as "weaknesses". However, Bush sees Hornblower as he is:

Bush could be fond of [Hornblower] even while he laughed at him, and
could respect him even while he knew of his weaknesses.
Bush's loyalty to Hornblower is in fact strengthened by Hornblower's
limitations and his attempts to conceal them.

As the Hornblower novels progress, Bush often worries that Hornblower is depriving himself not only of food and rest, but also of human contact. Although Bush is an excellent judge of character, he is not a diplomat; and he must often keep his concern for his sensitive friend to himself. The friendship survives because of Bush's perseverance.

Little of the private life of William Bush is revealed in the Hornblower novels. A significant personal detail about Bush is that he has a mother and four sisters who live in a cottage in Chichester and depend upon Bush for their support. His sisters "devoted all their attention to him whenever it was possible," and he is as devoted to them as he gives them half of his pay. Forester does not reveal whether Bush grew up in Chichester, or at what age he left home. He was "brought up in a harsh school," an experience which taught him caution and perhaps contributed to his natural stolidity.

Forester did not give a date of birth for Bush: indeed, Bush's age changes over the course of the novels. Bush is first described as being a few years older than Hornblower (similar to an older brother), but is later described as ten years older. Nevertheless, Forester does portray Bush consistently as a character who is wistfully protective of his younger friend.

In July 1796 Bush received his commission as lieutenant while serving on the HMS Superb, and thus took the first significant step in his career as a naval officer. Bush recalls that he relied more on "seamanship and not navigation" to pass the requisite examination.

Bush served on board HMS Conqueror just prior to his assignment to Renown. However, Hornblower "biographer" C. Northcote Parkinson remarks that "Bush's last ship had been the HMS Dolphin sloop".

BCnU!

FROM TELEVERSION CITY: MY COUSIN, THE BLOGGER MOM

In one of my very first postings about the TV Universe, back in the olden days of The Tubeworld Dynamic, I wrote about how everybody here in the "Trueniverse" has a counterpart in Toobworld.  And with reality programming, news reports, crowd shots at televized sports events, prank shows like 'Candid Camera' and home video programs, eventually we'll all show up on TV.

Take - oh, I don't know... say!  How about me?  Yes, take me for instance.  Thanks to 'The Hap Richards Show', 'Ranger Andy', "Late Show with David Letterman' and the TV movie "The Deadliest Season", my televersion grew up as a citizen of Joyville, visited the Ranger Station, was given a photocopy of Letterman's vacation picture by Dave himself, and went to a lot of hockey games.  (I'm not a hockey enthusiast, but I played one on TV.)

I'm fairly certain some of my friends would find that their televersions were aliens from other planets; some of them might even be clones; and I've got my suspicions that one of them is an android.  Two women I know would be witches, but the good type.  (Perhaps my goddaughter Rhiannon is a white witch in training......)

I'd also like to think that certain people in my life would still be alive in the TV Universe.....

A person's televersion doesn't even have to show up on TV to become a part of the Tele-Folks Directory......

For example:

In the penultimate episode of 'Leverage' ("The Toy Job"), the crew called on the services of a national network of "Blogger Moms" to help get their fake toy (Baby Joy-Rage or Baby Feels-A-Lot) some much needed hype.

I've got a second cousin who's a Blogger Mom.  And I'd like to think that even though the episode took place in Portland, Oregon, and she lives in Connecticut, Kelly was still called on to do her part in marketing the doll.

For those who might be interested in the musings of the Blogger Mom in my extended family, check out "The Teeny Tiny Mommy".  (The link can also be found to the left among those from other family members and friends.)

I'd love to hear about your televersions, either as seen on TV or what you'd like it to be.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: MR. DOWLING

MR. DOWLING

AS SEEN IN:
'Tom Jones, A Foundling'

CREATED BY:
Henry Fielding

PORTRAYED BY:
Sylvester McCoy
(The Seventh Doctor)

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time

From Ruth Nestvold:
The neatly constructed plot reflects a basic eighteenth century faith in the order of the world, which Fielding, despite skeptical overtones, displayed in this huge but far from sprawling novel. Samuel Taylor Coleridge saw the plot of "Tom Jones" as one of the three most perfectly planned plots in literature. Even seemingly random details have a place, and at the end of the tale the reader notices that elements which might have appeared superfluous are necessary to round off the story. 

The role of the lawyer Dowling is a case in point. In his original appearance he seems only to contribute to the busy atmosphere of the scene, but at the end he is revealed to have been instrumental to the development of events. The scene at the inn in Upton, exactly halfway through the novel, is a plot node of great complexity: here all of the major actors and plot threads come together, and actions and misunderstandings occur which will be crucial for the climax and denouement. Despite the involved construction and numerous plot twists, the author is at great pains to provide adequate motivation for these machinations, creating an appearance of causality usually lacking in the monumental prose romances popular in his day.

From the source:
Jones, who in the compliance of his disposition (though not in his prudence) a little resembled his lovely Sophia, was easily prevailed on to satisfy Mr. Dowling’s curiosity, by relating the history of his birth and education, which he did, like Othello.         

—Even from
his boyish years,
 To th’ very moment he was bad to tell:
the which to hear, 

Dowling, like Desdemona, did seriously incline;
    He swore ’t was strange, ’t was passing strange;
 ’T was pitiful, ’t was wonderous pitiful.
     
Mr. Dowling was indeed very greatly affected with this relation; for he had not divested himself of humanity by being an attorney. Indeed, nothing is more unjust than to carry our prejudices against a profession into private life, and to borrow our idea of a man from our opinion of his calling. Habit, it is true, lessens the horror of those actions which the profession makes necessary, and consequently habitual; but in all other instances, Nature works in men of all professions alike; nay, perhaps, even more strongly with those who give her, as it were, a holiday, when they are following their ordinary business. A butcher, I make no doubt, would feel compunction at the slaughter of a fine horse; and though a surgeon can feel no pain in cutting off a limb, I have known him compassionate a man in a fit of the gout. The common hangman, who hath stretched the necks of hundreds, is known to have trembled at his first operation on a head; and the very professors of human blood-shedding, who, in their trade of war, butcher thousands, not only of their fellow-professors, but often of women and children, without remorse; even these, I say, in times of peace, when drums and trumpets are laid aside, often lay aside all their ferocity, and become very gentle members of civil society. In the same manner an attorney may feel all the miseries and distresses of his fellow-creatures, provided he happens not to be concerned against them.

O'BSERVATIONS:
Mr. Dowling could be the "roots" of the family tree in Toobworld which would lead to Father Dowling.....

BCnU!