WARNING: UNBLEEPED VIDEO AHEAD!

And here now with the news......

SKED ALERT! TONIGHT'S "DOCTOR WHO"

A little taste of the episode premiering tonight.....

Dom of the Facebook page "Doctor Who And The TARDIS by Craig Hurle" has made this fantastic video about the TARDIS to serve as a "Previously On" introduction to tonight's episode:

This may be the first episode of 'Doctor Who' which lays out a cultural difference between the British and American audiences in print with that title......

BCnU!

SONDHEIM'S MAYBERRY?

THE HAT SQUAD/LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES: GEORGE JONES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — George Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today," has died. He was 81.

Jones died Friday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, according to his publicist Kirt Webster. He had been hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, forcing him to postpone two shows.

With one of the most golden voices of any genre, a clenched, precise, profoundly expressive baritone, Jones had No. 1 songs in five separate decades, 1950s to 1990s. He was idolized not just by fellow country artists, but by Frank Sinatra, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, James Taylor and countless others. "If we all could sound like we wanted to, we'd all sound like George Jones," Waylon Jennings once sang.

Here is a full episode of his TV show from the late 1990s, with guest stars Loretta Lynn and Billy Ray Cyrus.....

Good night and may God bless.....

FLEETWOOD WHO

Wondering about the name of this post?  I chose it because this is a "Who's On TV" post about 'Doctor Who'... and it's all about rumours........

The following is from the Morning Spoilers column at io9:

Here's an insane, thoroughly unsourced rumor floating around that the 50th Anniversary special's major guest star, legendary actor John Hurt, is going to be playing... the Doctor. And not just some future or alternate Doctor, but the real 9th Doctor, an incarnation that was somehow forgotten in the insanity of the Time War. And in case you're thinking this is all part of an absurdly elaborate "Screw you" to Christopher Eccleston, fear not — the rumor claims that, as Hurt emerges as the forgotten 9th Doctor, Eccleston becomes the 10th, David Tennant the 11th, and Matt Smith the 12th. While I can kind of imagine Steven Moffat doing something like that, if only to piss off insane fans like myself with retroactive renumbering, it's worth stressing that there's no clear source for this rumor at present, and even if there were, it would still be wise to take it with a grain of salt.

JOHN HURT ON THE SET

THE TRUE 9th DOCTOR?

Personally, I'll probably be happy with whatever story we get, in large part due to John Hurt and Joanne Page taking part, not to mention the returns of David Tennant and Billie Piper.

But I think that if this rumor has legs, then I can see why Moffat came up with it.....

It's been long established that Time Lords can only regenerate twelve times, leaving them with thirteen incarnations.  But in 'The Sarah Jane Adventures', the 11th incarnation of the Doctor told Clyde that he could regenerate 507 times.  I think this was just the Doctor's way of getting Clyde to shut up and stop asking questions.

But it must have been something the 9th incarnation of the Doctor has wondered about ever since he absorbed the time stream out of Rose, triggering his regeneration into the 10th incarnation.  Did all of that excess temporal energy "renew" him?  Could he regenerate now beyond the established limit of thirteen lives?

And now this is where showrunner Steven Moffat comes in.....

The Grand Moff must know that Matt Smith will want to leave the show for new projects, although Smith has stated he'll be with the program at least through 2014.  But when he does leave, it will most likely be on Moffat's watch as the caretaker for the series.

Moffat himself has said that the work has been overwhelming and that one day he too would hand over the reigns to a new showrunner.  But the chance to oversee the transition of the Doctor's role from one actor to another is probably too tempting to resist; he would probably stay with the show long enough to see that through.

And what if he wanted to stay longer, to get the new Doctor off to a rousing start?  First and foremost, I think he would want to have one hell of a storyline - not just for the fans, but mostly for himself, to keep his interest in the series vested.

Currently, he's running an arc on the series which provides a new facet to the "new Companion" trope - rather than the newbie exploring the mystery of the Doctor anew (for the sake of new viewers, keeping it fresh), the Companion herself is the mystery.  The Doctor is desperately trying to learn the truth behind the various incarnations of Clara whom he's met so far..., two of whom have died.

So if Moffat wants to recharge his enthusiasm batteries with a storyline about a new incarnation of the Doctor, it will have to be really off the wall.  And this is why I think the re-ordering of the sequence of incarnations for the Doctor will be needed.

Technically, there's nothing inherently interesting about the penultimate Doctor; just another in a long line, with only variations on wardrobe and personality quirks to change it up.  

Not so with the Thirteenth Doctor.  The Doctor wouldn't know whether or not this was his last opportunity at Life, the Universe, and Everything.  He's always labored under the assumption that it was thirteen chances and then you're out of the Living Time Lords club.  

So now here he would be in his thirteenth incarnation, and I would imagine it would affect him deeply - perhaps it would leave him skittish about getting involved in death-defying challenges to save the Universe if it meant he could permanently die this time.  

There's a major theme right there - how would the Doctor fight this fear?  Would he fight it?  Or would we see him mostly trying to avoid any such confrontation?

(A good role model for this version of the Doctor would be Bret Maverick, who would do whatever it took to get out of a difficult situation, usually by talking or conning his way free.)

So by bumping up the numerical sequence of the Doctors by adding in John Hurt as the new Number 9, that would make Matt Smith the penultimate Doctor and thus give Moffat something new and interesting to play with in shaping the newest and perhaps last incarnation.

Here's another possibility - if it turns out that the residue energy from absorbing the time stream has given the Doctor unlimited regenerations, it would serve as a good reason for bringing back the Master on a recurring basis.  Up until now, it's always been about the Master trying to kill the Doctor just for the sake of doing so.  There have been hints that there could be a familial bond between them, some aggrieved slight from back in their school days, but mostly it was just a matter of the Master wanting the bragging rights that he killed the Doctor.

But if he got wind of the Doctor's unlimited power source when it comes to regeneration, then he would definitely want that for himself.  He's side-stepped the ultimate fate too many times now and has probably run out of options to keep himself going.  He would want to take that power away from the Doctor, so there's the new rationale for hunting down the Doctor to kill him.

But again, this is all speculation.  We'll just have to wait and view to see what the 50th anniversary special has in store for us.....

I just hope the inclusion of John Hurt would mean we would at least get a flashback to how he regnerated from Paul McGann's too brief tenure as the Eighth incarnation.  McGann deserves at least that......

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - BILL RUSSELL

BILL RUSSELL

From Wikipedia:

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketballplayer who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-timeNBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty,winning eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of theNational Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.

AS SEEN IN:

'The White Shadow'

"B.M.O.C."

SYNOPSIS:

Coolidge starts having problems stemming from his abnormal height and size, such as normal clothes not fitting and "how's the weather up there" jokes. He gets self-conscious and defensive until Coach Reeves, who has dealt with the same problems, takes him under his wing and tries to let him know he's not alone, with help from NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell.

- TV.com

BCnU!

WISH-CRAFT - CURRAN AFFAIRS

Here's what I'd like to see happen in 'Defiance'......

Catithian power-broker Datak Tarr is looking at a print of a self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh.  (Or maybe it's an original that was in a local museum which survived the terra-forming over Old St. Louis.)

It's just a quick moment, but before the scene gets down to the real business at hand, Tarr shakes his head and mutters, "I'm told there's a resemblance, but I just don't see it....."

Why, you ask?  I was rather hoping you already knew.  I'm sure most of Team Toobworld knows....

Tony Curran is playing Datak Tarr in 'Defiance'.  He also played Van Gogh in an episode of 'Doctor Who'......

I just think it would make for an excellent in-joke.

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: ALLAN ARBUS AS DR. SIDNEY FREEDMAN

 

ALLAN ARBUS

as

DR. MILTON SIDNEY FREEDMAN

From Wikipedia:

"Radar’s Report" was the 27th episode of 'M*A*S*H', and third of season two. The episode aired on September 29, 1973. This was the first episode to feature Allan Arbus as Army psychiatrist Dr. Freedman. In this episode, he is called "Milton Freedman"; in later episodes, the character is renamed "Sidney Freedman".

Synopsis:
After Frank mistakes Klinger for Margaret, the two majors decide to get rid of Klinger. They convince Col. Blake to have Klinger undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Dr. Milton Freedman (Allan Arbus), an Army psychiatrist, interviews Klinger, and tells him that although he believes Klinger to be sane, he is willing to grant him a Section 8 discharge if he will sign a report confirming that he is a transvestite and a homosexual (a report which Freedman notes will follow him into civilian life). Insisting that he is neither ("I'm just crazy!"), Klinger refuses to sign, and Freedman files a report saying that Klinger is sane.

I never understand why TV series will have continuity guides if they don't end up following them. Those guides are called bibles, and you're not supposed to break faith with your bible, right?

No matter. We can splain our way out of this.....

The good doctor's full name was Milton Sidney Freedman. Since this was his first visit to the 4077, they addressed him by the name listed in his "jacket". Only later, as he got to know them better, did he let them know that he preferred to be known by his middle name. And from that point on, they called him "Sidney".

Could there have been a reason? There are probably dozens, if not more. Maybe he thought "Sidney" sounded stronger than "Milton"... or that it lent itself better as a connection to his chosen field of study. Perhaps there was another Dr. Freedman whose first name was Milton. Maybe even his own father, which opens up issues Sidney might need to address with his own psychiatrist.

At any rate, it wasn't an insurmountable Zonk so we didn't need to get Colonel Potter to yell "Bug out!"

Allan Arbus, who portrayed Sidney Freedman, just passed away at the age of 95. A very respectable age.

As for Dr. Freedman?

If he was the same age during the Korean Conflict as Arbus was during the show's production, then he was 65 when the war ended (looking remarkably fit for his age!) Another thirty years of life after that and the televersion of Dr. Freedman died in 1983, the same year Arbus filmed the final 'M*A*S*H' episode in the Trueniverse.

In closing, I'd like to leave you with the 'M*A*S*H' quote most often associated with Dr. Freedman:

"Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice -
pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

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

(This is dedicated to Robin Douglas, who gave me the idea.....)

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - KATE UPTON

KATE UPTON

From Wikipedia:

Katherine "Kate" Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress, known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue first in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year, and again in 2012 and 2013, when she was announced as the cover model.

AS SEEN IN:

"Soul"

(Mercedes Benz Super Bowl commercial)

BCnU!

ECCE PROMO - "PSYCH" MEETS "DEFIANCE"

The little TV dimension that could, the Promoverse, has added a new entry to its ranks, featuring promo vets Shawn and Gus from 'Psych' meeting the newest member of the club:

What's interesting about the crossover is that their respective TV series are on different networks - 'Psych' is on USA while 'Defiance' is on Syfy.  Of course, both networks are part of the big NBC family at "Kabletown", so it's all good.

(I think NBC should toss in shows from the mothership of the franchise - wouldn't you like to see Gus and Shawn meeting Monroe from 'Grimm'?)

This match-up also gives the promoverse its own storyline, since 'Psych' and 'Defiance' take place in two different time periods.  'Psych' is set in the present day, while Irisa Nyira and her big blue buddy are from the near future of 2046.

So wha' hoppint?  (As Ricky Ricardo would say.)  I would guess that the two Votans fell through a rogue wormhole and ended up in the past.  It was a wormhole of both Time and Space, as Irisa should be in the town of Defiance (which used to be St. Louis, Missouri), while Shawn and Gus are comfortably entrenched in Santa Barbara, California.

Because 'Defiance' so changed the playing field of its own dimension, I'm tempted to cliam that the Promoverse is the only Toobworld in which it takes place.  Hey, I'm not going to be around by the 2040s, so what do I care?

But for now, I'll just say that this is only the Promoversion of 'Defiance'.  And the same goes for 'Psych' - the show about a pseudo-psychic psleuth may share the same Toobworld as 'Grimm', 'Doctor Who', and 'The Vampire Diaries', that doesn't mean it would be believable for wesens, vampires, and Cybermen to show up in Santa Barbara... except in the Promoverse.

Speaking of the Doctor, it would be the Gallifreyan Time Lord of the Promoverse who would come to the rescue of the Irathient and the Bio-Man.  He would bring them back to their own timeline in the future via the TARDIS so as not to disrupt the present.

And we know the Doctor exists in the Promoverse - we saw him a few Christmas seasons ago.....

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - DAVID DUCHOVNY

DAVID DUCHOVNY

AS SEEN IN:

'The Larry Sanders Show'

1. "The Bump"  
2. "Everybody Loves Larry"  
3. "Flip"

 

 

From Wikipedia:

David William Duchovny (born August 7, 1960) is an American actor, writer, and director. He is best known for playing Fox Mulder on The X-Files and Hank Moody on Californication, both of which have earned him Golden Globe awards.

Some of the most famous episodes of ['The Larry Sanders Show'] were made in [Season 5]: "Everybody Loves Larry", in which Larry starts suspecting that David Duchovny has sexual feelings for him.

David Duchovny received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [during this time].

For more pictures from his appearances on the show, click here.

BCnU!

DOUBLE VISION - CAREY ON

Banacek 
Art Gallagher
– Rocket to Oblivion (1974)

All in the Family 
Steve
– Judging Books by Covers (1971)

Archie Bunker knew a former pro football player who owned a camera shop in New York City after he retired from the Game.  We only learned that his name was Steve, but I'm prepared to claim that his last name was Gallagher.  And that he had a twin brother named Arthur.

Art Gallagher had been a former running back who became a big businessman in technology after his career ended.  He was one of several suspects in the disappearance of a rocket engine prototype from a science & industry expo in Boston.

It's my claim that they were twin brothers who played professional football during the same time period.  And we know there is precedence for this in the real world with the Barber brothers.

As it turned out, both of them had big secrets in their respective episodes.  But you'll have to watch them to find out.....

Both roles were played by Philip Carey.

BCnU!

[This post is dedicated to my friend Mary Brooks.]

HAT SQUAD/LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - RICHIE HAVENS

RICHIE HAVENS

From the Los Angeles Times:
Richie Havens, the veteran folk singer whose frenetic guitar strumming and impassioned vocals made him one of the defining voices and faces of Woodstock and 1960s pop music, died Monday of a heart attack at his home in Jersey City, N.J. He was 72.

Richie Havens made many TV appearances, but only once did he appear as his "televersion" in the main Toobworld....

From Wikipedia:

"The Promised Land" is an episode from the police drama television series New York Undercover, and was first broadcast on February 20, 1997 on Fox. Written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and directed by Don Kurt, it is the 18th episode of the third season, and the 69th episode of the series.

In the episode, the primary characters undercover evidence of a governmental conspiracy in the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. While the events depicted in the episode are fictional, they reflect suspicions and beliefs held by a number of people regarding the true circumstances surrounding Dr. King's death.

Folk singer Richie Havens appeared as himself, performing a rendition of "God Bless the Child", a jazz standard customarily associated with singer Billie Holiday.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture or video of Mr. Havens on the show, but there is a YouTube video of his original rendition of the song......

Good night and may God bless.....

ASOTV: BEN FRANKLIN FROM "DANIEL BOONE"

Speaking of previous members in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.....

Last November, Benjamin Franklin - as played by Fredd Wayne - was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  This was based on Mr. Wayne's portrayals of Ben in:

• 'Voyagers!'
• 'Bewitched'
• 'Simon and Simon'
• 'Daniel Boone'

and a reality program called "A More Perfect Union: America Becomes A Nation"

Aside from a few promotional pictures, I only had screencaps from 'Bewitched' and 'Voyagers!'  But now I have a few from the 'Daniel Boone' episode "The Printing Press" to share with you:

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - JACK BENNY

In the first organized year of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, Jack Benny was inducted as a member of the League of Themselves.  He had created a fictional caricature of himself which he parlayed into show business legend - so much so that it was rare when he was seen on TV as anybody but his fictional televersion.  (Offhand, I can only think of his appearance in that patriotic John Wayne special as the guy who found the coin tossed across the Potomac by Washington.  But I know there are others.)

So it's not surprising that if Danny Williams and his family saw somebody who looked like Jack Benny in Las Vegas, most likely it would be Jack Benny......

JACK BENNY

AS SEEN ON:

'Make Room For Daddy'

"Lose Me In Las Vegas"

SYNOPSIS:

While the Williams family was vacationing in Las Vegas, Rusty kept pestering his dad for a dime to buy an ice cream.  Finally he said all he needed was a nickel because a man offered to put up the other half and they could split the ice cream.  When Rusty pointed him out, Jack Benny turned tail and sauntered away.

BCnU!

PATTON PENDING

"The Khan-Chekov Encounter" refers to the time Khan Noonian Singh met Ensign Pavel Chekov on the starship Enterprise in the episode "Space Seed".  It was mentioned by Khan in the movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan"... but was never actually seen happening in the TV show episode.

It's the perfect example of "Life During Prime-Time", that the lives of TV characters don't go into suspended animation just because they're not on our TV screens.

Here's the latest example - Patton Oswalt played Garth Blundin on 'Parks And Recreation' this past week.  Garth wanted to protect the town's "blue book" of laws exactly as they were, even if they were antiquated.  So he decided to filibuster the town council meeting to prevent the vote.

The director told Oswalt to just wing it, and then they would whittle his improv down to a few minutes that they could actually use in the episode.  And so off he went with this dream of how the next "Star Wars" movie should be:



Most of this was never seen by the general public on their TV sets, only by those of you who saw it online.  And yet it did happen in the TV Universe......

BCnU!

BEBÉS MARIONETA DE JIM HENSON

Just further proof that one of the many TV dimensions is an Earth that was conquered by the Spanish......

BLIPVERTS - THE WACKY RACES

It's time to pay the bills........

Did that remind you of anything?

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - SAMUEL JAMES SEYMOUR

I planned six months ago to run this League of Themselves entry on April 14th.  I KNEW I should have set it up in advance.  But nooooooo, I just kept putting it off.  So of course, the date rolls around and I forgot.

So here it is, a week late, but still worthwhile an entry.....

SAMUEL JAMES SEYMOUR

AS SEEN ON:

'I've Got A Secret'

From Wikipedia:
Samuel James Seymour (March 28, 1860 – April 12, 1956) was the last surviving person who had been present in Ford's Theater the night of the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. He was from Maryland and lived in Arlington, Virginia in his later years.

At the age of five, Seymour was taken by his godmother, Mrs. George S. Goldsboro, to see "Our American Cousin". He claimed the two sat in the balcony on the side opposite Lincoln's box. Seymour reported that "I complained tearfully that I couldn't get out of the coach because my shirt was torn—anything to delay the dread moment—but Sarah (nurse Sarah Cook) dug into her bag and found a big safety pin. I shook so hard from fright, it caused Sarah to accidentally stab me with the pin. I hollered 'I've been shot! I've been shot!'"

Once in the theater, Seymour settled down. He saw the President across the balcony as he was waving and smiling at people. Seymour said "I began to get over the scared feeling I'd had ever since we arrived in Washington, but that was something I never should have done. All of a sudden a shot rang out—a shot that always will be remembered—and someone in the President's box screamed. I saw Lincoln slumped forward in his seat." Seymour did not actually see the assassination but did witness Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth jump off the balcony. In fact, he revealed that because he did not know Lincoln was shot or that Booth had shot him, his real concern was for Booth.

Just two months before his death, at age 95, he appeared on the February 9, 1956 episode of the CBS TV quiz show 'I've Got a Secret' as a mystery subject, in an episode in which Lucille Ball made an unusual appearance as a guest panelist. Seymour incorrectly gave his age on the show as 96, although his 96th birthday was actually not until March 28, several weeks later. Seymour died at the home of Mrs. Irene (Horn) Hendley, his daughter in Arlington, Va. He had been in failing health since February when he fell in a New York City hotel while preparing to appear on 'I've Got A Secret'. He came on the show with his left eye swollen. Garry Moore had suggested he not appear, but Seymour insisted. In the episode, he was initially questioned by Bill Cullen but it was Jayne Meadows who guessed Seymour's claim to fame. Moore generously awarded Seymour the $80.00 he would have won had he stumped the panel, and a can of Prince Albert pipe tobacco rather than the usual prize of a carton of Winston cigarettes (Winston was the show's sponsor, but Seymour did not smoke cigarettes).

Seymour died 15 days after his 96th birthday, two days shy of the 91st anniversary of the Lincoln assassination, and 63 days after his appearance on 'I've Got A Secret'.

BCnU!