It was a VW commercial that first turned me on to Nick Drake and his song
"Pink Moon". Now, a blipvert for Sprint has led me to discover Alexei
Murdoch.....
Saturday, October 13, 2012
ECCE PROMO! (ME-TV)
Time to pay the bills......
Last week, my friend Mary Brooks (to me, "Mayr") clued me in that our cable
provider was finally offering ME-TV. Since then, my DVR is slowly filling up
with episodes of 'Perry Mason'.
Just as enjoyable as the old shows are the interstitial promos for the
network. A lot of effort went into finding the appropriate clips to trumpet the
network and its individual shows and many of these promos are available on
YouTube:
AS SEEN ON TV: BERNARD MARX
BERNARD MARX
AS SEEN IN:
"Brave New World"
CREATED BY:
Aldous Huxley
PORTRAYED BY:
Bud Cort
TV DIMENSION:
Alternate Future Timeline
From Wikipedia:
Bernard Marx [is] a sleep-learning specialist at the Hatchery and
Conditioning Centre. Bernard is a misfit. He is unusually short for an Alpha; an
accident with alcohol in Bernard's blood-surrogate before his decanting has left
him slightly stunted. Bernard's independence of mind stems more from his
inferiority-complex and depressive nature than any depth of philosophical
conviction. Unlike his fellow utopians, Bernard is often angry, resentful and
jealous. At times, he is also cowardly and hypocritical. His conditioning is
clearly incomplete. He doesn't enjoy communal sports, solidarity services, or
promiscuous sex. He doesn't even get much joy out of soma. Bernard is in love
with the highly beddable Lenina. He doesn't like her sleeping with other men,
though in BNW "everyone belongs to everyone else". Bernard's triumphant return
to utopian civilisation with John the Savage from the Reservation precipitates
the downfall of the Director, who had been planning to exile him. Bernard's
triumph is short-lived. Success goes to his head. Despite his tearful pleas, he
is ultimately banished to an Island, one for others like himself, for his
non-conformist behaviour.
BCnU!
Friday, October 12, 2012
RAHM-COMM
My blogging buddy in the Great White North, Brent McKee of "I Am A Child
Of Television" (Link to the left, my Hosers), left this comment on my article about 'Revolution' and 'Last Resort':
The new show "Chicago Fire" emphatically placed itself in the Main
Toobworld on Wednesday night. The firefighters of the station were supposed to
be reviewed by the Mayor, but after a certain number of complications eventually
went on a call to a fire. at the end of that scene, someone said "It looks like
we're going to meet the mayor after all." A motorcade arrives at the scene of
the fire and out steps the mayor of Chicago...played by Rahm Emmanuel, mayor of
Chicago.
So that means 'Boss' starring Kelsey Grammer on Starz! has to be relegated
to an alternate TV dimension. And I don't see any reason why that couldn't be
the same dimension which houses 'The West Wing', 'Smallville', and 'Mr.
Sterlling'.....
BCnU!
"MUST ZONK THURSDAYS"
Once upon a time, NBC dubbed their Thursday night line-up as "Must See
TV". Those days are long past, but several of their shows on that night are
still enjoyable. For me, that would be 'Parks & Recreation' and sometimes
'The Office'.
Last week, it was "Must Zonk Thursday" from those two shows, both of a
sci-fi/fantasy bent. I've covered both specific Zonks in the past in regards to
other shows, but blogs are somewhat transient in nature so it's good to refresh
the memories of Inner Toob visitors now and again.
First up.....
SHOW: 'Parks & Recreation'
ZONK: 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'
Thanks to a re-enactment seen in a TV program about the history of
television, everybody knows that Gene Roddenberry was an L.A. motorcycle cop who
kept pitching TV show ideas. Eventually he came up with 'Star Trek', which he
summarized as "'Wagon Train' to the stars." Although it only lasted three
seasons, 'Star Trek' thrived in syndication and spawned it's own industry of
movies, TV sequels, publications of books and comic books, and tons of
merchandise. It's gone on toe be name-checked in quite a few TV shows that have
come along since then.
The splainin from Toobworld Central? Someone from the Future went back in
Time to give "The Great Bird Of The Galaxy" all of the information...
information... information needed to create a TV show which would then inspire
that future history. creating a temporal loop. "I am my own Grandpa" - that
sort of thing.
Who could do such a thing? My guess is the Gallifreyan Time Lord known as
the Doctor.
Sound far-fetched? 'Star Trek' fans were responsible in getting the first
space shuttle named "Enterprise". The pressure may one day be on for a young
couple named Kirk in the town of Riverside, Iowa, to name their son James
Tiberius when he is born in March of 2233......
SHOW: 'The Office'
ZONK: 'Game Of Thrones'
Up until now, I've dealt with mentions of 'Game Of Thrones' to be about the
book cycle by George R.R. Martin, which was supported by a shot of 'Chuck'
actually reading and remarking on one of the novels. So now we just have to
expand that view so that Toobworld's HBO is making a TV series from those books,
just like in the real world.
But in the real world, everything came from Martin's imagination. In
Toobworld, what we see in the TV series is actually what happened millennia ago
on Earth's twin planet Mondas which was the home of the original Cybermen (as
seen in 'Doctor Who'.)
So how did Martin gain access to the histories of the long-missing planet
in order to chronicle the age of ice and fire in the Seven Kingdoms?
Refugees - such as Eve Norta in 'The Twilight Zone' - "Probe 7 - Over And
Out" - escaped Mondas before they could be rounded up and turned into Cybermen.
Their spaceships crash-landed at various points around Earth Prime-Time and
among the belongings they brought with them would have been a history of their
people so that Mondasians would never be forgotten. (Among the only things left
in their legacy among the mix of human descendants would be their names like
Stark, Tully, Robert, Reed, Brandon.....)
Somehow the televersion of George R.R. Martin discovered a copy of this
material and was able to translate it.
So those are my splainins and I'm sticking to them.
BCnU!
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
While watching the 'Supernatural' episode "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?", I
thought I had a link to 'Chuck' when the angel Samandriel showed up using the
body of a Wiener Hut employee named Alfie as his vessel.
Unfortunately, it was Wienerlicious where Sarah worked undercover while
protecting Chuck.....
Oh well.
BCnU!
AS SEEN ON TV: LINDA LYSENKO
LINDA LYSENKO
AS SEEN IN:
"Brave New World"
CREATED BY:
Aldous Huxley
PORTRAYED BY:
Julie Cobb
TV DIMENSION:
Alternate future timeline
From Wikipedia:
[Linda Lysenko is] John’s mother, and a Beta. While visiting the New Mexico
Savage Reservation, she became pregnant with the Director’s son. During a storm,
she got lost, suffered a head injury and was left behind. A group of Indians
found her and brought her to their village. Linda could not get an abortion on
the Reservation, and she was too ashamed to return to the World State with a
baby. Her World State–conditioned promiscuity makes her a social outcast. She is
desperate to return to the World State and to soma. When she returned she was
treated to a series of soma baths and a pleasant death.
BCnU!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
O'BSERVATIONS - ALTERNATE VIEWINGS
One problem I've had in being so fixated on Earth Prime-Time is that I
become O'Bsessed with cramming as many TV shows into that particular TV
dimension, to the point where I lose interest in any TV show that just can't
qualify to be worthy of the main Toobworld.
There are exceptions, of course - currently 'Veep' and 'Castle' with 'The
West Wing' being the high point in extra-dimensional series. But it's because
of this focus on Earth Prime-Time prevented me from enjoying and staying
involved with '24', 'Scandal', 'The Walking Dead', 'Prison Break', and the final
season of 'The Dead Zone'.
In this new TV season, we've got two new shows which must be relegated to
alternate dimensions - 'Revolution' and 'The Last Resort'.
There can be no doubt that 'Revolution' is taking place in another TV
dimension - in the first ten minutes of the pilot episode, all electrical power
is lost all over the world. And fifteen years later, it's still gone and the
world is radically changed. There's no way Ted Mosby is going to be telling his
kids about that on 'How I Met Your Mother' in the future!
As for 'The Last Resort', the POTUS was under impeachment in the pilot
episode and by the time it was over, Pakistan was a nuclear wasteland. So
that's not going to be mentioned any time soon around the study table in
'Community'.
What I'd like to see would be an ABC crossover with their other TV series
set in an alternate dimension - 'Scandal'. Of course, that would mean Shonda
Rhimes would have to agree President Grant being impeached and to the nuclear
strike on Pakistan. And at least on that latter point, I doubt she'd want to
stray too far from events in the real world.
But it would be better than her making a crossover between 'Scandal' and
'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice'. I'd rather not lose them from Earth
Prime-Time.
O'Bservations:
I watched the pilot of 'Revolution' and liked it a lot - especially the
fact that it didn't remain stuck in the time period immediately following the
massive blackout. Instead it jumped ahead fifteen years. But when it came time
to watch the second episode, I couldn't bring myself to do so. When the third
episode rolled around, I canceled the recording adn then deleted that second
episode.
Maybe my friend Ivy was right - I am too deeply immersed into the Toobworld
concept to enjoy any alternate TV worlds. (She wants me to watch 'The Walking
Dead', but aside from it not being the main Toobworld, I just see no future for
the storyline.)
I think the reason I enjoyed the pilot for 'Revolution' so much is due to
the circumstances in which I watched it: I was alone at my cottage on vacation;
it was online and so I could watch it at the dinner table; it was a drizzly
evening; and there was nothing else to watch at that hour.
The viewing ambience is always critical. I can't take watching 'The
Office' when I'm alone, but when I'm with others, I like it a lot.
For now, I'll stick with 'The Last Resort'. If certain details were
altered, it could have happened on Earth Prime-Time. But Thursdays are a busy
night for recording shows and 'Community' hasn't even come back yet. I'm
already sacrificing 'The Big Bang Theory' to catch this on my DVR......
And so it goes.
BCnU!
END OF DAYS FOR AUGUST MARCH
Ed Asner made his second appearance as art thief August March last week on
the new version of 'Hawaii Five-O'. It was his third appearance overall,
however he played March the first time on the original series over thirty years
ago.
So he was two different men named August March, each in a separate TV
dimension. Had he played the role in a third TV series, Asner's character might
have been eligible to be inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.
But that's not going to happen now. In this recent episode, August March
deliberately stepped backward into the street and was mowed down by a huge
truck.
Because that alternate August March was interacting with counterparts to
McGarrett and Dann-O, his life was already different from that of the August
March from Earth Prime-Time. So that original televersion probably had a
different destiny.
There's no real option for that August March to show up again in
Toobworld. ('NCIS: Los Angeles' might have been a candidate, but that would
mean a lot of splainin for me since that show already crossed over with the new
'Hawaii Five-O'. 'CSI' might work.....) So I like to think it wouldn't have
been possible anyway.
I think the original August March should be considered dead in Earth
Prime-Time as well. But not hit by a truck - he probably died in prison.
BCnU!
AS SEEN ON TV/HAT SQUAD: POTATO BRUMBAUGH
HANS BRUMBAUGH
AS SEEN IN:
'Centennial'
CREATED BY:
James A. Michener
PORTRAYED BY:
Alex Karras
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
From Wikipedia:
Hans Brumbaugh (Alex Karras), a Wolgadeutsche immigrant seeking his
fortune, passes through the trading post. While panning in a stream near Zendt's
trading post, he rediscovers the gold vein that Pasquinel found before he died.
To defend his claim however Brumbaugh kills a fellow prospector. He becomes so
distraught about the killing that he leaves the claim without taking any of the
gold. Returning to Zendt's trading post, he purchases land from Clay Basket and
becomes a farmer. By using irrigation, he turns marginal land into rich cropland
and becomes such a success he is given the nickname of "Potatoes Brumbaugh." He
will later switch to sugar beets and become wealthy.
From the source:
From "James A. Michener: A Critical Companion" by Marie Severson:
I knew I'd be returning to the cast of characters from 'Centennial' before
the year was out for the literary edition of the "ASOTV" showcase. I just wish
there was a better reason to do so......
Alex Karras, an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions who later
worked as a "Monday Night Football" co-host and parlayed his hulking strength
into a Hollywood acting career, died Wednesday. He was 77.
Karras died at his Los Angeles home, his attorney Craig Mitnick told the Associated Press. Karras had suffered kidney failure days earlier, the latest in a variety of health problems that included dementia and cancer.
A dominant fixture on Detroit's defensive front for 12 seasons, Karras was known to millions for his role as "Mongo," the monosyllabic, horse-punching brute in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy "Blazing Saddles." He later starred in the ABC sitcom "Webster," which ran from 1983 to 1987.
Karras died at his Los Angeles home, his attorney Craig Mitnick told the Associated Press. Karras had suffered kidney failure days earlier, the latest in a variety of health problems that included dementia and cancer.
A dominant fixture on Detroit's defensive front for 12 seasons, Karras was known to millions for his role as "Mongo," the monosyllabic, horse-punching brute in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy "Blazing Saddles." He later starred in the ABC sitcom "Webster," which ran from 1983 to 1987.
- Sam Farmer
The Los Angeles Times
Good night and may God bless......
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
TV ON TV: NEW & OLD ADDITIONS
'30 Rock' added a couple more TV shows to the TV on TV lineup for
Toobworld. One is 'God Cop' where God helps a police detective to solve crimes.
(But where's the mystery when your partner is omniscient?)
The other is a game show called 'Homonyms' where the host supplies the word
and the contestant has to supply the meaning. But which version of the word did
the host mean? (Scent/sent, meat/meet, au pair/Oh! Pear!, etc.....)
No matter what the contestant chooses, it always seems to be the other
one.
While flipping around the dial yesterday, I hit upon 'The Goldbergs' on
JLTV. Molly Goldberg appeared on a TV game show called 'Reach For The Moon',
and it looked every bit as archaic as the show that spawned it.
:
BCnU!
"COLUMBO" REMINDERS
"What the hell was that?
We suddenly have Columbo on the jury?"
Will Gardner
'The Good Wife'
We've covered the mentions of Lt. Columbo by other TV shows before in the
Inner Toob Blog:
I believe the Lieutenant is dead in Earth Prime-Time, but death has never
stopped any of us from name-checking somebody. So why would it stop
Toobworldlings?
BCnU!
AS SEEN ON TV: MIKE STAMFORD
MIKE STAMFORD
AS SEEN IN:
'Sherlock'
CREATED BY:
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
PORTRAYED BY:
David Nellist
TV DIMENSION:
Limbo
From Wikipedia:
The story begins in 1881, where Dr. John Watson runs into an old friend, Stamford. Due to a shoulder injury sustained in the Anglo-Afghan War, Watson was forced to retire and is now looking for a place to live. Stamford reveals that an acquaintance of his, Sherlock Holmes, is looking for someone to split the rent at a flat at 221B, Baker Street.
Stamford takes Watson to the local hospital's lab, where Holmes experiments with a reagent for haemoglobin detection. Watson reveals that he is willing to split the rooms at 221B and he and Holmes list all of their faults to make sure that they accept living with each other.
Stamford takes Watson to the local hospital's lab, where Holmes experiments with a reagent for haemoglobin detection. Watson reveals that he is willing to split the rooms at 221B and he and Holmes list all of their faults to make sure that they accept living with each other.
From the "Sherlock Wiki":
Mike Stamford is a doctor who attended medical school with John Watson at St Bartholomew's Hospital and went on to teach there. He seems to be on good terms with Sherlock Holmes. Stamford introduces him to John Watson after hearing both state separately that they are looking for a flatshare in London. He appears only in "A Study in Pink", but is mentioned in "A Scandal in Belgravia ".
He is seen commenting on John's blog, and according to Sherlock's observations, he and John still go out drinking occasionally.
He is seen commenting on John's blog, and according to Sherlock's observations, he and John still go out drinking occasionally.
There is only one Sherlock Holmes in Earth Prime-Time, and he is portrayed by Jeremy Brett and situated in the correct time period for Conan Doyle's stories. It is the Toobworld Central premise that the Dr. John Watson of 'Sherlock' is from the modern era of Earth Prime-Time who did not survive his wounds in Afghanistan and is now in Limbo - in much the same way as happened to others in the TV shows 'Life On Mars' (UK), 'Ashes To Ashes', 'Madigan', and the sixth season of 'Lost'.
There, his soul soon teams up with that of Sherlock Holmes, who serves as his mentor until he's ready to move on to the next stage. He is just one in a long line of John Watsons who have been shepherded through the afterlife by Holmes' soul. (And like the soul of Gene Hunt, Holmes has also altered his appearance.)
In Limbo, there are other souls who sometimes help Holmes out in fleshing out this version of the world, and who have been seen in other TV shows as such. Inspector Lestrade, for example - on 'Ashes To Ashes', he took on the identity of Danny Moore in order to interact with Alex Drake at one point in her time in Limbo.
Forensics investigator Anderson, a thorn in the side of Sherlock Holmes, reached out to the world of the living (through the television screen, of course) in order to entice a character to commit suicide in 'Being Human'. In his own life, he was probably not a nice person and Sherlock Holmes probably picked up on that.....
And then there's Mike Stamford. I believe that within the Limbo world of 'Sherlock', "Mike Stamford" is an angel who serves as a ferryman type - making sure each new John Watson over the decades finds his way to meeting the soul of Sherlock Holmes. And to maintain the illusion of a modern version of Sherlock Holmes' life, he has adopted the name of "Stamford". ("Mike" is his own touch, but not because he's Michael the Archangel. Michael the Archangel has a different destiny as seen in other shows, like 'Supernatural'.)
There was no way 'Sherlock' could ever be part of Earth Prime-Time, and just to be relegated to a parallel Toobworld in modern times wasn't interesting enough for such a great show. (Best to leave that to 'Elementary' - a good show, but not brilliant.) So I came up with the Limbo angle to help flesh out the world of those other series. And I think Stamford as the ferryman is a nice touch.....
Everybody limbo!
Everybody limbo!
BCnU!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
TOP TEN ALTERNATE TV DIMENSIONS (CURRENT)
Usually I do a "Super Six List", but for this topic, I had to go with the
full Top Ten.....
Top Ten Current TV Shows
That Take Place In An Alternate TV Dimension
1] 'Castle'
The mayor of New York and the Vice President of the United States are
different from Toobworld.
2] 'Veep'
The main character is different from the Vice President as seen in the main
Toobworld, who should always reflect the real world.
3] 'Homeland'
The Vice President is different from Toobworld.
4] 'Scandal'
The President and Vice President are different from Earth Prime-Time
5] 'Hawaii Five-O'
This is a series remake. The original TV series occupies the main
Toobworld.
6] 'Elementary' & 'Sherlock'
Sherlock Holmes was a Victorian era consulting detective in the London
area as far as Toobworld is concerned. (The alternate TV dimension of 'Sherlock' is the Limbo from 'Life On Mars' & 'Ashes To Ashes'.)
7] 'Blue Bloods'
The mayor of NYC is different from that in the real world who has a large
presence in Toobworld. The police commissioner is different as well.
8] 'The Last Resort'
Their President is under impeachment and Pakistan was wiped off the
map.
9] 'Revolution'
Fifteen years before, the entire world lost electrical power. Now there
are smaller countries making up the area of the United States.
10] 'The Walking Dead'
The world has been taken over by zombies.
Let's crank it up to eleven!
11] 'Being Human' (USA)
The original British version belongs in Earth Prime-Time. Had this version
not been so slavishly similar in its premise at the beginning, it might have
been allowed to co-exist.
Remember, these are current shows. This is why I didn't include TV series like 'The West Wing', 'Commander-In-Chief', 'Hail To The Chief', 'Mr. President', 'Cory In The House', 'DAG', '24', 'Sliders', and certain episodes of 'The Twilight Zone'.
Other shows belong to alternate timelines that will cease to exist once
they are cancelled and are then subject to the universal reboot as seen in
'Doctor Who'. These would include 'True Blood'. 'Fringe' dealt with a parallel dimension but now they're embroiled in an alternate timeline story. And as for 'Game Of Thrones', that's set in the dimension of Earth Prime-Time, but on another planet - Earth's twin Mondas from 'Doctor Who', to be exact.
BCnU!
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE: PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGERY
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times has provided the transcript of the
meeting between President Barack Obama and former President Jed Bartlet from the
alternate TV dimension of 'The West Wing'........
It sounds like good advice for the next two debates. Hopefully Obama will
get back in the game and expose Romney for the liar he is.
Oh. Sorry. You didn't realize the Toobmeister has a horse in this
race?
BCnU!
AS SEEN ON TV: BRAT FARRAR & SIMON ASHBY
Two for Tuesday!
SIMON ASHBY & BRAT FARRAR
AS SEEN IN:
'Brat Farrar'
CREATED BY:
Josephine Tey
PORTRAYED BY:
Mark Greenstreet
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
From Wikipedia:
"Brat Farrar" is a 1949 crime novel by Josephine Tey.
The story centers around the Ashbys, an English country-squire family. Their centuries-old family estate is Latchetts, in the fictional village of Clare near the south coast of England. It takes place in 1946 or 1947 – the date is not given, but it is after World War II, but no more than eight years after the start of the war.
The Ashby family consists of Miss Beatrice Ashby ("Aunt Bee"), a 50-ish spinster, and the four children of her late brother Bill: Simon, 20; Eleanor, 18–19; and twins Jane and Ruth, 9. Bill and his wife Nora died in an airplane crash eight years before. Since then, the Ashbys, like many old families, have been short of money. Bee has kept the estate going by turning the family stable into a profitable business. The Ashbys breed and sell horses, train horses, and give riding lessons. All of them except Ruth ride frequently and work with the horses. The young Ashbys ride in equestrian competitions and win prizes. There is also great-uncle Charles Ashby in the Far East. Charles is coming home for Simon's 21st birthday, which is in a few weeks, though he will be a month or so late.
When Simon turns twenty-one, things will change: he comes into a large trust fund left by his mother. He is also the heir to Latchetts. Simon had a twin brother, Patrick, who was 15 minutes older. But soon after Bill and Nora died, Patrick disappeared, leaving what was taken as a suicide note.
The title character, Brat Farrar, is a young man recently returned to England from America. He was a foundling. At the age of 13, the orphanage placed him in an office job, but he ran away instead. He ended up in the western U.S., where he worked at ranches and stables for several years, and became an expert horseman.
On a street in London, a complete stranger greets Brat as "Simon". He is Alec Loding, a second-rate actor. Alec's real name is Ledingham, and the Ledingham estate (now sold off for debts) was also in Clare. He knows the Ashby family intimately, and even after Brat identifies himself, Alec is certain that Brat is an Ashby. The family resemblance is that strong — including the love of horses.
This gives Alec an idea: Brat should impersonate the missing twin, Patrick, and as the elder brother, claim the trust and the estate. Alec remembers a great deal about the Ashbys, Latchetts, and the village, and this, combined with his photographs and other memorabilia will allow him to coach Brat on all the background details, and in return Brat will give him a share of the money. Barring a misstep on Brat's part, there is little to distinguish between himself and Patrick: neither has distinguishing scars or birthmark and the Ashbys' dentist and all his records were destroyed by a German bomb. Conveniently, Brat left the orphanage at nearly the same time that Patrick vanished. Brat is reluctant – but tempted, especially by Alec's insistence that he must be an Ashby, which makes him want to find out about his possible family. He agrees.
After two weeks of tutoring, "Patrick" appears at the London office of Mr. Sandal, the Ashby family solicitor. Sandal is astonished, but convinced. "Patrick" says he adopted the name "Brat Farrar" after running away, and gives his own story as the account of "Patrick"'s missing years. Mr. Sandal informs Bee, who meets "Patrick" and is also convinced. Over the next two weeks, Sandal verifies "Patrick"'s story.
"Patrick" now comes to Latchetts. Ruth and Eleanor accept him, though Jane is hostile at first. Simon professes to accept him, and shows no apparent resentment at being displaced as heir. But Brat can tell that Simon is not deceived. Brat wonders why Simon seems to be certain that "Patrick" is a fake, and why he keeps silent.
"Patrick" settles in at Latchetts, and is accepted by all of the neighbors; he makes a few errors, but these are easily explained by seven years of absence. He has a home and family for the first time in his life. He becomes particularly fond of Bee, and feels guilty about deceiving her. He also wonders how long he can get away with it, though. Simon is clearly though covertly hostile. He invites "Patrick" to ride Timber, an exceptionally fine horse — without warning him that Timber sometimes tries to kill or cripple his rider. He loosens "Patrick"'s saddle-girth just before a race. And once, in a fit of rage, he openly calls "Patrick" an impostor, though he quickly withdraws the statement. Eleanor is confused, because she likes "Patrick" — but not the way a sister should like a brother. Then Simon tells Brat he knows Brat is not Patrick — because he murdered Patrick. Of course, Simon knows Brat cannot repeat this to anyone without destroying his impersonation.
The story centers around the Ashbys, an English country-squire family. Their centuries-old family estate is Latchetts, in the fictional village of Clare near the south coast of England. It takes place in 1946 or 1947 – the date is not given, but it is after World War II, but no more than eight years after the start of the war.
The Ashby family consists of Miss Beatrice Ashby ("Aunt Bee"), a 50-ish spinster, and the four children of her late brother Bill: Simon, 20; Eleanor, 18–19; and twins Jane and Ruth, 9. Bill and his wife Nora died in an airplane crash eight years before. Since then, the Ashbys, like many old families, have been short of money. Bee has kept the estate going by turning the family stable into a profitable business. The Ashbys breed and sell horses, train horses, and give riding lessons. All of them except Ruth ride frequently and work with the horses. The young Ashbys ride in equestrian competitions and win prizes. There is also great-uncle Charles Ashby in the Far East. Charles is coming home for Simon's 21st birthday, which is in a few weeks, though he will be a month or so late.
When Simon turns twenty-one, things will change: he comes into a large trust fund left by his mother. He is also the heir to Latchetts. Simon had a twin brother, Patrick, who was 15 minutes older. But soon after Bill and Nora died, Patrick disappeared, leaving what was taken as a suicide note.
The title character, Brat Farrar, is a young man recently returned to England from America. He was a foundling. At the age of 13, the orphanage placed him in an office job, but he ran away instead. He ended up in the western U.S., where he worked at ranches and stables for several years, and became an expert horseman.
On a street in London, a complete stranger greets Brat as "Simon". He is Alec Loding, a second-rate actor. Alec's real name is Ledingham, and the Ledingham estate (now sold off for debts) was also in Clare. He knows the Ashby family intimately, and even after Brat identifies himself, Alec is certain that Brat is an Ashby. The family resemblance is that strong — including the love of horses.
This gives Alec an idea: Brat should impersonate the missing twin, Patrick, and as the elder brother, claim the trust and the estate. Alec remembers a great deal about the Ashbys, Latchetts, and the village, and this, combined with his photographs and other memorabilia will allow him to coach Brat on all the background details, and in return Brat will give him a share of the money. Barring a misstep on Brat's part, there is little to distinguish between himself and Patrick: neither has distinguishing scars or birthmark and the Ashbys' dentist and all his records were destroyed by a German bomb. Conveniently, Brat left the orphanage at nearly the same time that Patrick vanished. Brat is reluctant – but tempted, especially by Alec's insistence that he must be an Ashby, which makes him want to find out about his possible family. He agrees.
After two weeks of tutoring, "Patrick" appears at the London office of Mr. Sandal, the Ashby family solicitor. Sandal is astonished, but convinced. "Patrick" says he adopted the name "Brat Farrar" after running away, and gives his own story as the account of "Patrick"'s missing years. Mr. Sandal informs Bee, who meets "Patrick" and is also convinced. Over the next two weeks, Sandal verifies "Patrick"'s story.
"Patrick" now comes to Latchetts. Ruth and Eleanor accept him, though Jane is hostile at first. Simon professes to accept him, and shows no apparent resentment at being displaced as heir. But Brat can tell that Simon is not deceived. Brat wonders why Simon seems to be certain that "Patrick" is a fake, and why he keeps silent.
"Patrick" settles in at Latchetts, and is accepted by all of the neighbors; he makes a few errors, but these are easily explained by seven years of absence. He has a home and family for the first time in his life. He becomes particularly fond of Bee, and feels guilty about deceiving her. He also wonders how long he can get away with it, though. Simon is clearly though covertly hostile. He invites "Patrick" to ride Timber, an exceptionally fine horse — without warning him that Timber sometimes tries to kill or cripple his rider. He loosens "Patrick"'s saddle-girth just before a race. And once, in a fit of rage, he openly calls "Patrick" an impostor, though he quickly withdraws the statement. Eleanor is confused, because she likes "Patrick" — but not the way a sister should like a brother. Then Simon tells Brat he knows Brat is not Patrick — because he murdered Patrick. Of course, Simon knows Brat cannot repeat this to anyone without destroying his impersonation.
BCnU!
Monday, October 8, 2012
CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK (10/6/12)
Last week ended with a big crossover - a Big Bird crossover, that is.
Big Bird appeared on the Weekend News Update segment 'Saturday Night Live'
to talk about Mitt Romney's attack on PBS during last week's debate. As
expected, he kept it sweet rather than political - talking about learning he had
been name-checked from a million tweets, for example. (Tweets being the way
birds talk.) And he told a political joke about "de baits".
This was the second time that 'Sesame Street' has crossed over into
'Saturday Night Live'. Near the end of 2010, Cookie Monster came on the show to
sing a song with host Jeff Bridges. Appearances by Fozzie, Animal, and Rowlf
were connections to 'The Muppet Show' and 'Muppets 2Night'. And of course,
Skred and Poobis and the other inhabitants from the Land of Gortch were original
members of the 'SNL' cast.
As for Kermit's appearances, he is the Uber-Muppet, and transcends all of
the shows he's ever been connected to......
BCnU!
THEORIES OF RELATEEVEETY: THE HALPERTS
One quarter million Scots-Irish settled in America during the 1700's. Many
of them gravitated to the Appalachian region, which stretched from Mississippi
to New York.
One of these Scots-Irish families would have been the Halperts, who settled
in that area of Appalachia which ran through North Carolina.
Elmo Halpert was born in the western area of North Carolina at the turn of
the 20th Century. He was a pharmacist with his own business in Greenwood (not
far from the Greenwood City Hall.)
I don't know how many children Elmo had, but I believe one of them to have
been Duncan Halpert, who was born around 1920. Growing up during the Great
Depression, Duncan left Greenwood and moved north once he came of age in order
to find work. He eventually settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he fell in
love with a local girl and married her. In 1941, they had a son, whom they
named Gerald.
Several months later, America was at war and Duncan Halpert enlisted in the
army. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, not far from where he grew up in Greenwood. So his wife and son left Scranton,
Pennsylvania, and moved in with Elmo Halpert and his wife in order to be closer to Duncan while he was still in the States. It
couldn't have been an easy transition since her father-in-law Elmo was a bit
cantankerous. And if he had any other children, they all left the area as
well.
Duncan Halpert made the Army his career and remained stationed at Fort
Bragg after World War II. He and his family moved into their own residence near the base, which
was a great relief to his wife, finally getting free from living with
Elmo.
When the Korean Conflict flared, Captain Duncan Halpert was shipped to
Seoul and soon found himself in command of a unit near the front lines. He was
wounded in a skirmish and medevaced to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #4077,
but unfortunately he died on the operating table. (A Major Frank Burns was the
surgeon and he claimed it wasn't his fault.)
Distraught, Duncan's wife moved back to Scranton, Pennsylvania, with her
son Gerald. Elmo remained in Greenwood, North Carolina, until his wife died in
the mid-1960's. He then sold his pharmacy and moved east to Mayberry, probably
to avoid the memories of his late wife and son.
In Mayberry, Elmo bought one of the town's two pharmacies, probably the one
previously owned by Fred Walker and staffed by his niece Ellie May Walker. (The
other pharmacy was Crawford's Drugs, run by Mr. and Mrs. Crawford. She remarried
after her husband died, and Mrs. Mason kept the pharmacy going under its old
name.)
Elmo Halpert lived out the rest of his days in Mayberry, North Carolina,
only seeing his daughter-in-law and his grandson on rare occasions. (Certainly
never while we saw Elmo on screen!) He died at the age of 77, one year before
the birth of his great-grandson, James Duncan Halpert.....
Once he was an adult, Gerald Halpert met a local girl named Betsy (last
name unknown) and married her. They had four children together - Thomas, James,
Peter, and Larisa. Larisa could have been a family name from Betsy's side,
perhaps with a Greek origin - either she was named after a figure in Greek
mythology or for the town in the Thessaly region where Betsy's family may have
come from. Again, not much is known about Betsy's family tree.
Gerald was definitely proud of his own Scottish ancestry and trumpeted that
fact at any official family gatherings by wearing a kilt.
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert was born on October 1, 1978, a year after the
death of his great-grandfather, Elmo Halpert. He grew up in Scranton, as the middle son - younger than Tom, but older than Pete. (Larisa was the baby of the family.)
Jim became the assistant office manager of the local branch of the Dunder-Mifflin
Paper Company. While there, he fell in love with the office receptionist, Pam
Beesley, and eventually married her. They have two children, Cecelia Marie and
Philip.
And that's where things stand in the Halpert family tree, from Elmo Halpert
to Jim Halpert. (At least as far as Toobworld Central is concerned.) Many of the
details, including the life of Duncan Halpert especially, were pure conjecture.
If you know of any details in the life of Jim Halpert's grandfather, I hope
you'll write in and share them.
This theory of "relateeveety" was in response to a challenge issued by my
blogging buddy Ivan from "The Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear". He covers old-time
radio, classic movies and serials, as well as old TV. I'd like to suggest you
check in at his site (Link to the left, members of the Regal Order of the Golden
Door to Good Fellowship!) on Mondays to read his latest recap of episodes from
'Mayberry RFD'. It was in one of the most recent posts on this topic in which
Ivan issued his challenge to flesh out the link between 'Mayberry RFD' and 'The
Office'.
So here it is! I hope you liked it....
SHOWS CITED:
- 'Mayberry RFD'
- 'The Andy Griffith Show'
- 'The Office'
- 'The New Andy Griffith Show'
- 'M*A*S*H'
BCnU!
GAME OF THE NAME: IN PASSING
Dr. Mark Sloan of Seattle Grace Hospital died from his wounds in a woodland
plane crash. (His lover, Lexie Grey, also perished.) And so ended the theory of relateeveety which linked 'Grey's Anatomy' to 'Diagnosis Murder'.
BCnU!
O'BSERVATIONS: A McGOOHAN SUPER SIX LIST
Fouquet in "The Man In The Iron Mask" is my third favorite TV character played by Patrick McGoohan - as long as 'The Prisoner' and John Drake the 'Danger Man' are considered the same character.
So here's a quickie Super Six list:
1] John Drake/Number Six, 'Danger Man', 'Secret Agent', 'The Prisoner'
2] Nelson Brenner, 'Columbo' - "Identity Crisis" (who is also Curtis from 'The Prisoner' - "Schizoid Man"
3] Fouquet, "The Man In The Iron Mask"
4] Reverend Syn, 'The Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh'
5] Colonel Lyle C. Rumford, 'Columbo' - "By Dawn's Early Light"
6] Oliver Quayle, 'Murder, She Wrote' - "Witness For The Defense"
BCnU!
AS SEEN ON TV: NICOLAS FOUQUET
Today's "ASOTV" showcase is of an historical figure whose life has been fictionalized.....
NICOLAS FOUQUET
AS SEEN IN:
"The Man In The Iron Mask"
CREATED BY:
Alexandre Dumas
PORTRAYED BY:
Patrick McGoohan
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
Fouquet's story is often entwined with that of the Man in the Iron Mask, who is often identified as the true king or even as an identical twin brother of Louis XIV. As such, he is a pivotal character in Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", where he is depicted sympathetically. Aramis, an ally of Fouquet, tries to seize power by replacing Louis XIV with his identical twin brother. It is Fouquet who, out of sheer loyalty to the crown, foils Aramis' plot and saves Louis. This does not, however, prevent his downfall.
James Whale's film "The Man in the Iron Mask" is very loosely adapted from Dumas' novel and, by contrast, depicts Fouquet as the story's main villain, who tries to keep the existence of the King's twin brother a secret. In the 1977 version, Fouquet is portrayed by Patrick McGoohan.
The fictional televersion of Fouquet would certainly be in keeping with
Fouquet's fate when he falls out of favor with Louis. That Louis XIV would
actually be the twin brother Philippe.
BCnU!