CLASSIC TELEVISION THEATER - LOU GRANT READS RAYMOND CHANDLER

Earlier this week, Inner Toob noted the 125th anniversary of Raymond Chandler's birth.  So I thought it only fitting that we replayed the episode of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' in which Lou Grant read the opening paragraph to "Red Wind".

So here is "Mary The Writer" in its entirety.  But if you're only interested in the Chandler bit, skip ahead to 8:15 in the show.......

BCnU!

AS BILL CRIDER WOULD SAY, "CRIMSON LANDSLIDE" WBAGNFAB

Even when you can get a corporation to respond to your "complaints", it's rarely done with such humor and panache......

THE COMPLAINT:

THE RESPONSE:

BCnU!

#9000 - MUPPET MISSIVES TO THE ROYAL WHELP

Now that the birth of Prince George Alexander Louis is now officially part of the TV Landscape (thanks to 'EastEnders'), other Toobworld characters are noting it as well.....

I apologize if the video doesn't fit into my blog's frame......

BCnU!

THIS IS "INNER TOOB" POST NUMBER 9000!

OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

For this week's 'Doctor Who' content, here's a fan-made video for an all-new opening credit sequence:

With a new Doctor to be introduced at the end of the Christmas special, I think the series needs a bold, new look to open the show.  This could be the way to go.....

BCnU!

TOOBMUSIC - "YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY"

In a recent episode of 'Futurama', the song "Yummy Yummy Yummy, I've Got Love In My Tummy" was used to underscore a chase scene in a parody of 'Scooby-Doo'.

It's not the first time the song has been heard in a setting outside the normal music video.  For instance, over in Skitlandia.....

Presenter:

And we end the show with music.

And here with their very latest recording

'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I've got love in my tummy'

Jackie Charlton and the Tonettes.

'Monty Python's Flying Circus'

From the IMDb:
Yummy Yummy Yummy
Performed by Jackie Charlton and the Tonettes
Written by Joey Levine (as Joe Levine), Arthur Resnick

From the SOTCAA Monty Python Pages:

The credits of Series 2, Show 11 roll over footage of "Jackie Charlton and The Tonettes", a pop group hidden inside a series of wooden packing crates standing completely motionless under Top Of The Pops-style studio lights to the accompaniment of the definitive bubblegum pop song 'Yummy Yummy Yummy'. The version of the song as heard in the episode is however not the original as performed by Ohio Express, but a very close approximation, released on an LP called Autumn Chartbusters(Marble Arch MAC 848). Some people seem to remember that the original tx of the show boasted the original rather than a facsimile, but all official paperwork points toward the cover version being used in all transmissions.

[NOTE (1): Inclusion of the original track in its entirety would have caused major problems in the event of the series being sold overseas. Ohio Express' recording of the song had already been licensed twice - by Kasenatz Katz productions and the American record label Buddah (amusingly the same label which later released Python LPs in the US) - before it was released in any other territories around the world. Moreover, using the genuine article wouldn't have been a fraction as funny.Autumn Chartbusters was, as you may have guessed, a 'not the original artists' hit collection, released in 1968 (Marble Arch was a Pye offshoot). The LP also included a version of The Kinks''Days'.]

[NOTE (2): Johnson notes that, in the camera script, Jackie Charlton and the Tonettes were going to perform Helen Shapiro's 'Don't Treat Me Like A Child'. We can only assume that either the PRS demands were unreasonably high or the team no longer found it funny enough on the day of recording.].

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - THE BIG UNIT

It's the weekend; let's play ball!

RANDY JOHNSON

From Wikipedia:

Randall David "Randy" Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams.

The 6-foot-10-inch Johnson was celebrated for having one of the most dominant fastballs in the game. He regularly approached, and occasionally exceeded, 100 miles per hour during his prime. He also threw a hard, biting slider. Johnson won the Cy Young Award five times, second only to Roger Clemens' seven.

Johnson finished his career first in strikeouts per nine innings pitched among starting pitchers (10.67), second all-time in total strikeouts (4,875; first among left-handed pitchers), third in hit batsmen (188), tenth in fewest hits allowed per nine innings pitched (7.24), 22nd in wins (303), and 57th in shutouts (37). He pitched two no-hitters, the second of which was the 17th perfect game in baseball history.

AS SEEN IN:

'Franklin & Bash'

"Control"

SYNOPSIS:

Since Peter spent the entire case bemoaning his lost opportunity at a major league baseball career, Jared arranged for him to swing at a few pitches thrown by Randy Johnson.  (Johnson agreed since Stanton Infeld represented him during his contract negotiations to be a sports drink sponsor.)

BCnU!

TELEFLUVIA - THE WEEKLY ROUND-UP

1]  This week's episode of 'McMillan & Wife' on Cosi-TV was from 1971 and took place after telephone numbers in Toobworld all began with the prefix of "555".  And yet the McMillans' phone number was stated as being "536-6674".  No area code was given, but I bet it still causes a headache for anybody who has that number anywhere in the United States, not just San Francisco.  (The episode was "Requiem For A Bride.")

2]  Pinder Singh didn't show up in this week's episode of 'Franklin & Bash'.  Perhaps the actor took time off to film another role; the script certainly survived without him - the agoraphobe would have been very uncomfortable had he been forced to go to one of the Stars' home games.  But then again, what if he never came back?  What if he was a victim of the recent Sharknado disaster?

3]  The birth of Prince George Alexander Louis this past week has already been folded into the tele-mosaic of Toobworld, thanks to a last minute scene filmed and inserted into the episode of 'EastEnders' which aired the next evening.  In the scene, Dot and Abi discussed the birth of the royal baby.

4]  In this week's episode of 'King & Maxwell', FBI Agent Rigsby announced that the US Marshals had arrived to take Tommy Smith and Ms. Culpepper into the WITSEC program.  

But we never saw the US Marshals.

So I'd like to think that the Marshals who showed up were Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann of 'In Plain Sight'!  They work out of Albuquerque and Smith did say he hoped they'd go somewhere warm....

Their series may be over, but they continue to thrive in Toobworld!

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - GAIL SIMMONS

GAIL SIMMONS

From Wikipedia:

Gail Simmons (born May 19, 1976) is a Canadian trained culinary expert, food writer and television personality, and is the Special Projects Director with Food & Wine magazine. In addition to her role with Food & Wine, she is a regular judge on the television show 'Top Chef' and hosts its spin-off, 'Top Chef: Just Desserts'.

She offers advice for anyone who's new to the food world and wants to break into the culinary limelight: you should "love what you’re doing and you’ll manage to do it - no matter how hard it is".

The good taste necessary to be a food critic is not just something she was born with, but, as she explains, it is a natural balance that can easily be found through understanding flavor and a passion to learn.

AS SEEN IN:

'Royal Pains'

"Can Of Worms"

SYNOPSIS:

Ms. Simmons appeared at a charity function:

BCnU!

OUTSIDE THE BOX - LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY

One of my college roommates, Gary Ginsburg, became a grandfather the other day.....  

Now guess on what day Roxas Grey Khalifa was born?

Yep, he shares the same birth date as the future King George.

In 'The Daily Show' report on the royal subject ("On Her Majesty's Secret Cervix" - definitely in the running for the "Best Episode Title" Toobits Award!), John Oliver referred to Roxas... generally speaking:

"This boy's entrance into the world came with so much pomp and circumstance it's hard for it not to seem like a royal "F@&% You" to the other 370,000 babies born that day."

Maybe if Gary and his wife Pam, or some other family member, decides to make a video to commemorate the occasion of Roxas' birth, they might include that video snippet.  For the time being, it's still available on the Comedy Central web site.

All the best for the future, Roxas Khalifa.  You're already a prince in your family's eyes!

BCnU......

FROM THE "LEXXICON" - ANOMALY VS. WORMHOLE

Today's science lesson from Toobworld:

"Wormholes are in space; anomalies are through Time."

Mac Rendell

'Primeval: New World'

I've often used the term "temporal wormhole" or "temporal vortex" when talking about passageways through Time.  But I'll bow to this statement and start using the term "anomaly".  At the very least, it's less to type.

Maybe it's not scientifically correct itself; I'm not about to do research on it.  But I want to keep the Toobworld Dynamic aligned with what's on TV itself - hence the use of "splainin" as the best example.....

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - JUSTINE BATEMAN

JUSTINE BATEMAN

AS SEEN IN:

'Easy To Assemble'

SYNOPSIS:

Illeana Douglas plays a fictional version of herself trying to quit acting and work a "real job" at the IKEA in Burbank, CA. She soon finds she cannot leave Hollywood behind when fellow actress Justine Bateman starts an internet talk show called "40 and Bitter" on the floor of IKEA.  [Wikipedia]

From Wikipedia:

Justine Tanya Bateman (born February 19, 1966) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her regular role as Mallory Keaton on the sitcom 'Family Ties' (from 1982 until 1989). Until recently, Bateman ran a production and consulting company, SECTION 5. In the fall of 2012, she started studying Computer Science at UCLA.

O'BSERVATION:

Although 'Easy To Assemble' is a web-series, it is part of the Toobworld Dynamic.

BCnU!

ECHOES - ROYAL NAME OF THE GAME

"I proclaim this the Summer of George!"

George Costanza

'Seinfeld'

MISSING LINKS - HIDDEN VALET

I'm always indebted to my fellow Crossoverists in the Facebook forums who find hidden treasures that would otherwise escape my notice.

For instance, James Bojaciuk came up with this in-joke reference:

Disney Sitcom Crossover Time. I'm sorry.

In the Jessie episode "The Princess and the Pea Brain," Bertram--the Ross family butler--will be speaking at his club's roast of Alfred Pennyworth.

It's not a crossover, but it's easy to imagine Bertram and Alfred are members of the American branch of the Junior Ganymede Club, the primer club for gentlemens' gentlemen.

I'm especially interested to see how Toby deals with this.

For those who may not realize it, Alfred Pennyworth is the gentleman's gentleman who attends to the needs of Bruce Wayne at stately Wayne Manor.  In the 1966 TV series - which is the official source of information... information... information about Batman in the main TV Universe - Alfred was portrayed by Alan Napier.  Although his last name was never used in the series, I see no reason why "Pennyworth" can't be appropriated from the world of comic books and supplied to his televersion.

Others in the Crossover Forums joined in with suggestions that could be utilized, like Gordon Long.  When I mentioned that the reason why Alfred was being feted could have been due to his longevity - If he was the same age as Alan Napier, then he was born in 1903 and would be 110 years old this year! - Gordon offered this splainin for Alfred's long life:

I don't know why Alfred couldn't be treated with the same stuff as Dr. Watson or Doc Savage's assistants...oh wait, wrong universe....

It's true, Doc Savage has yet to be found in the TV Universe, but Alfred and Doctor Watson (played by David Burke and Edward Hardwicke, of course, of course) do share the same TV dimension.  

However, there are other options, like a live-action version of the Immortality Stone, seen in the Tooniverse adventure "Mummies".  Or Feminum, found only on Paradise Island in 'Wonder Woman'.  Both references sound like they could have linked back to Batman foe King Tut, who might have used his purloined immortality source on Alfred as an experiment to make sure it was okay for him to use.

Christofer Nigro had another idea regarding Alfred Pennyworth's identity:

 Could this possibly have been a ref to an early 21st century member of the Pennyworth family of the TVCU, who also has the given name of Alfred?

And I could live with that as well.  We only saw Alfred in the 1960s, when he was already in his later years.  Could it be that before he devoted himself fully to taking care of the needs of Bruce Wayne, Mr. Pennyworth had a family?  Could the Alfred Pennyworth who was going to be honored at the club be Alfred's grandson?

I'm good with that suggestion as well.

But however it plays out, I definitely want to see this mention of Alfred Pennyworth in that episode of 'Jessie' to be a confirmed connection to the original TV 'Batman'!

By the way, James also mentioned the Junior Ganymede Club, so we could consider a connection to the works of P.G. Wodehouse, which have been adapted for television as well....

BCnU!

PS:

This is the second post today connected to the Batman.  Two for Tuesday!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - VAL KILMER

VAL KILMER

From Wikipedia:

Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959)[1] is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with "Top Secret!" (1984), then the cult classic "Real Genius" (1985), as well as the blockbuster action films "Top Gun" and "Willow".

His best known roles include Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's "The Doors", Doc Holliday in "Tombstone", Chris Shiherilis in Michael Mann's "Heat" and Bruce Wayne/Batman in Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever".

AS SEEN IN:

'Life's Too Short'

"The Finale Special"

O'BSERVATIONS:

All of the "Batman" movies are movies in Toobworld as well.  For Earth Prime, they were based on the DC comic book franchise.  But in Earth Prime-Time, they were based on the life of the real Batman.  Bruce Wayne was the Caped Crusader in Gotham City seen on our TV screens in the mid-1960s, but who probably served in that capacity since the 50s and until the early 1980s (maybe even longer!)

BCnU!

BOOK 'EM - REMEMBERING CHANDLER ON HIS 125TH

Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of mystery writer Raymond Chandler.  Besides his books, he is most often thought of in terms of some classic movies - "Strangers On A Train", "Double Indemnity", and any film that gave us new incarnations of Philip Marlowe.  (One of them, played by Dick Powell, could be from the Borderlands.  Powell played Marlowe in "Murder, My Sweet" and in the 'Climax!' episode "The Long Goodbye".)

But he made his mark in television as well, living long enough to see his work on the small screen.  (He died at the age of 70 in 1959.)

The following anthology series adapted his works:

• 'Fallen Angels'
• 'Storyboard'
• 'TV de Vanguarda'
• 'Climax'
• 'Schlitz Playhouse'
• 'Lux Video Theatre'
• 'Studio One In Hollywood'
• 'Nash Airflyte Theatre'
• 'Robert Montgomery Presents'
• 'The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse'

Recastaways of Chandler's gumshoe Philip Marlowe can be counted among several of those entries listed above.  (The "Red Wind" episode of 'Fallen Angels' takes place in the TV dimension of Black Toobworld since Marlowe was played by Danny Glover.)  

And there were two TV series about Marlowe as well.  (Philip Carey's televersion from 1959 is the official portrayal for Toobworld.)

There were TV movies based on his work, including other entries for Marlowe, "Marlowe" and "Poodle Springs".  There was an updated version of his screenplay for "Double Indemnity" (which I admit to liking a lot, despite comparisons to the superb original.)  And for the TV dimension of German Toobworld (that Earth Prime-Time which was conquered by the Nazis), there was an adaptation of his short story "I'll Be Waiting" - "Ich werde warten".  

Another Chandler story to be found in an alternate dimension would be the adaptation of his screenplay for "Strangers On A Train".  "Once You Meet A Stranger" takes place in Distaff Toobworld, in which Guy Haines is now Sheila Haines and twisted Bruno Antony becomes Margo Anthony.

And that 'TV de Vanguarda' mentioned above presented "Pacto Sinistro", which was a Brazilian adaptation of that same Hitchcock movie.  Being in Portuguese, that alternate Toobworld must have been created when Portugal never surrendered control of the high seas.

Raymond Chandler even wrote an episode for the classic private eye show '77 Sunset Strip' called "One False Step", which was broadcast the year before he passed away.

But my favorite of all isn't an adaptation.  It's basically a staged reading... in Lou Grant's office on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'.

I wrote about it here when I marked the 120th anniversary of his birth.

So here's to the memory of Raymond Chandler, one of the top five writers ever from the United States!  

BCnU, Kid!

"ENDEAVOUR" AND "THE LION IN WINTER"

In the latest 'Masterpiece Mystery' episode of 'Endeavour' ("Rocket"), a family of suspects added up to something of an in-joke. 

The Broomes ran British Imperial Electric and their small dynasty could be seen as reflecting main characters of "The Lion In Winter".

[Missing from the 'Endeavour' cast photo are Alice Vexin & Prince Nabil]

Here's a side by side comparison:

"Rocket" - "The Lion In Winter"

Henry Broome - Henry II

The head of the family in whom the power lies

Nora Broome - Eleanor of Aquitaine

The estranged wife kept in exile and brought back only for holidays or for her involvement in important business affairs/affairs of state

Henry "Harry" Broome, Jr. - Henry the Younger

Both are unseen in their respective stories, having died years earlier.  Henry the Younger in fact died after revolting against his father.

Richard Broome - Richard the Lion-Hearted

The supposed heir apparent after older brother Henry, with secret weaknesses of his own

John Broome - Prince John

Weakling younger son

Although Henry II and Eleanor had daughters, none of them really figured into the play's storyline.  So Estella Broome might instead serve as the counterpart to Prince Geoffrey, dismissed by the rest of the family for the most part

Finally there's one last comparison:

Alice Vexin - Princess Alais (Alys of Vexin)

Mrs. Broome thought Alice was more than her husband's personal assistant, that they were having an affair.  Princess Alais was Henry II's ward who did carry on an affair with her guardian.

In both stories, there are dealings with the French, with Prince Nabil of the United Hashemite Kingdoms standing in for King Philip of France as the royal guest of the family.  And whereas King Philip had an affair with Richard, it is Estella who is carrying on with Nabil.

One last connection - the action of "The Lion In Winter takes place during the Christmas Court at Chinon, while the Broome family resides near Oxford at their home known as Chinon Court.....

Since there was a TV production of "The Lion In Winter" (starring Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close), it has been absorbed into the Toobworld Dynamic.  And as such, this could be the alignment of all the souls of the originals born to rerun.......

BCnU!

PRIME-TIMELINE: THE AGE OF ENDEAVOUR

Generally - unless otherwise stated in the course of a series, the age of a character matches that of the actor playing the role.  But with Endeavour Morse, based on the character from the Colin Dexter mystery novels, that poses a bit of a problem.

John Thaw brilliantly played Inspector 'Morse' in the character's first incarnation, totally erasing any memories of his hard-boiled copper in 'The Sweeney' decades earlier.  Thaw was born in 1942, but looked older.  In the prequel series, Constable 'Endeavour' Morse is played by Shaun Evans who is 33 years old.

But if we take 1942 as the year of birth for Morse because of Thaw, then Endeavour should only be 23 at the time of the prequel.  But if Shaun Evans is considered the actor playing his age, then Endeavour is 33 years old.  And that would mean Thaw's Morse would be a decade older than the actor playing the role.

We know the series is set in 1965 because of the chronological math presented in the episode "Rocket": Olive Ricks disappeared 12 years before on the day of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation which was June 2, 1953.

(As a side note from a Whovian, on that date the Time Lord known only as The Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler battled an alien known as The Wire.)

So I could have gone either way on this matter.  Either Shaun Evans is playing his age and John Thaw was playing ten years older than himself, or vice versa.

However, "Rocket" did also provide another clue - in a conversation with Alice Vexin, Endeavour mentions that it had been about seven years since he left University.  And that would at least be closer to the idea of him being born around 1933.  

When his mentor Inspector Fred Thursday mentions that Morse would have been too young to have remembered what life was like during WWII when it came to the German scientists now working in England, the idea of Endeavour as a ten year old fits this hypothetical timeline.

The year 1965 as the date for 'Endeavour' had another potential temporal glitch during "Rocket":  Even though she was still among the list of suspects, Constable Morse bedded old friend Alice Vexin, who always had a crush on him.  The next evening, when he planned to take her to the movies, Morse mentioned to PC Strange that there was a new Bergman movie....  Jim Strange thought he was referring to Ingrid Bergman.  The bemused smile on Endeavour's face most likely meant that he was referring to Ingmar Bergman.

But Bergman only made one movie released in 1965, and that was a TV film called "Don Juan".  Most likely Morse was referring to "All These Women", which was released in Sweden in June of 1964.  It reached the United States by October of that year and Sweden's neighbors still later - December of '64 for Finland and April of '65 for Denmark.  (Spain had to wait until 1969 and Portugal finally got it in 1973!)

The IMDb does not give the release date for the British premiere of "All These Women", but it's reasonable to assume that it might have come out late in 1964 or at some point in 1965 and still be considered new by Morse.

Just some more trivial tidbits to enrich your viewing experience!

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND & THE PRINCE OF WALES

The newest member of the United Kingdom's Royal Family has made his debut into the world, an eight pound bundle which resembles Winston Churchill according to Ken Levine (link to the left).  As Andy Borowicz put it on Facebook, millions of Britons had nothing better to do than stand around in the streets waiting to hear the news.

So for the League of Themselves Two for Tuesday showcase, we're going to feature the grandfather and great-grandmother of the future heir to the throne (third in line.)

HER MAJESTY, ELIZABETH II

AS SEEN IN:

"The London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremonies"

SYNOPSIS:

James Bond escorted the Queen by helicopter to the Opening Ceremonies, but they had to use parachutes to get there in time.

HRH CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES

[As seen on TV with Audrey Roberts]

[Here's how it would have looked on site.]

AS SEEN IN:

'Coronation Street'

Episode #1.4946 

SYNOPSIS:

Prince Charles was seen on TV with Weatherfield Councillor Audrey Roberts.  (That's the actual shot from the show; not somebody taking a snap from their own TV set.)

O'BSERVATIONS:
This episode of 'Coronation Street' was recorded and transmitted live on December 8, 2000, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the live broadcast of the series' very first episode on 9 December 1960.

The following pictures were publicity shots for the upcoming visit and not officially "canon".  However, they could be considered part of the "life during prime-time" which didn't get seen on the telly.

 

 

Apparently, the old lady in the hospital bed was in a coma at the time, but she must have regained consciousness for a brief time when the Prince of Wales visited.  (Just unseen by the viewers.)

 

BCnU!

TELE-QUICKIE - "UNDER THE DOME"

Brian K. Vaughn did his part in keeping 'Under The Dome' in the main TV Universe tonight (albeit unwittingly.)

We learned that the Chinese thought the Dome was some sort of new military weapon and were on the brink of attacking the United States because of it.

According to one resident of Chester's Mill, the President was able to "talk them down off the ledge."  Crisis averted.

The President was never named, so we can assume it was Barack Obama, who is the POTUS in both the real world and in Toobworld.

BCnU!

TWIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES - "THE SIMPSONS" MEET "FAMILY GUY"

More crossover news from the upcoming Fall TV season:

Despite the jabs the two TV series have taken at each other over the years, but 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' will have a crossover when the Griffin family pays a visit to Springfield.

I'm unsure if TVLine has the actual scoop on details or if it's just projecting their suggestions, but the two shows do lend thsmselves to some natural team-ups.

According to TVLine:

• Homer thinks Peter is an albino, but the two bond over a discussion about Duff beer vs. Pawtucket beer.
• Marge Simpson and Lois Griffin become bosom buddies.
• Lisa Simpson tries to help Meg Griffin find her talent.
• Stewie Griffin finds a hero to emulate in Bart Simpson.

I don't know... does that mean Griffin family "pet" Brian has to baby-sit Maggie Simpson?  Will Chris Griffin get teamed up with Grampa Simpson?  (Perhaps a cameo by Quahog's resident pervert Herbert at the old folks' home in Springfield?)

The TVLine report states that this is scheduled for the Fall of 2014, but I'm not sure if that's a misprint or not....

BCnU!

LA TRIVIATA - IT'S-A TWISTER! IT'S-A TWISTER!

The newspaper at which my brother Bill is an editor has a weekday feature called "The Morning 5".  It's their Top Ten list, just as Toobworld Central has the "Super Six".

Recently, Bill took my suggestion for a Morning 5, probably because I did all the research for him.....

Morning 5: Twister

The creator of the game Twister has died at 82. Here are five TV episodes where the game was used:

1) "Ellen," 1998 — Ellen and Paige try to fix Ellen's leaky roof with a Twister mat.

2) "Days of Our Lives," 2002 — As Shawn is too gloomy worrying about Zach and Hope for anyone to enjoy Halloween, Philip, Belle and the twins try to cheer him up; Mimi brings Twister and falsifies the "college rules."

3) "Wiseguy," 1989 — In a black-and-white flashback, Vinnie's father and his friends play Twister in the basement and suddenly figure out why the kids are playing it.

4) "Men in Trees," 2007 — Various couples find out a little more about each other than they really wanted to know during a game of Twister.

5) "Mad About You," 1997 — As Jamie Buchman enters the room, she is asked: "Twister?" And she replies: "Been there, done that." Jamie was played by Helen Hunt, who starred in the 1996 movie, "Twister."

If I was desperate enough for new members, the Twister board game could be considered eligible for inclusion into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame!

BCnU!

LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES - ROBERT CUMMINGS

ROBERT CUMMINGS

From Wikipedia:
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990), mostly known professionally as Robert Cummings but sometimes as Bob Cummings, was an American film and television actor.

Cummings performed mainly in comedies, but was effective in his few dramas, especially two Alfred Hitchcock films, "Saboteur" (1942) and "Dial M for Murder" (1954).

From 1955 through 1959, Cummings starred on a successful NBC sitcom, 'The Bob Cummings Show' (known as 'Love That Bob' in reruns), in which he played Bob Collins, an ex-World War II pilot who became a successful professional photographer. As a bachelor in 1950's Los Angeles, the character Bob Collins considered himself to be quite the ladies' man. 

This sitcom was noted for some very risque humor for its time. A popular feature of the program was Cummings' portrayal of his elderly grandfather. His co-stars were Rosemary DeCamp, as his sister, Margaret MacDonald, and Dwayne Hickman, as his nephew, Chuck MacDonald. 

AS SEEN IN:

'The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show'

"Gracie Thinks Bob Cummings Is In Love With Her"

SYNOPSIS:

The title pretty much sums it up.

From TV.com:

Actor Robert Cummings stops at the Burns' home to pick up George for a round of golf, and makes a remark, in jest, to Gracie. True to form, Gracie takes the actor seriously and immediately goes into action.

O'BSERVATIONS:

• This episode aired on December 27, 1955, a Monday.  In the Toobworld timeline, the Burnses attended a party at Danny Kaye's home that night.  Tuesday morning is when Cummings comes over to get George.
• George mentions to Harry Von Zell that Bob's new TV series begins that coming Sunday.  According to the records, 'The Bob Cummings Show' began on January 2, 1955 so the timing is right.
• No mention is made of the TV show's plot, not even of its title.  So within the reality of Toobworld, the show could have been about anything else other than Bob Collins.  Therefore both Bob Cummings and Bob Collins exist in the same TV dimension and a Zonk is averted.
• Members of the League of Themselves' "Choir Invisible" who are mentioned include Danny Kaye, "Prince" Michael Romanoff, and Claudette Colbert.

BCnU!