ZONKS - KEEPING "LAW & ORDER" IN TOOBWORLD

For years I've been trying to pass off any mention of 'Law & Order' (and its spin-offs) as being references to a reality show, or at the very least, it was a different TV show altogether from the one seen in the real world.  That at least was easy enough to pull off for most of the references.  Most of those were along the lines of "You watch too much 'Law & Order'."  That sort of thing....

Here's a list of TV shows which have mentioned 'Law & Order' as a TV show:

• 'Seinfeld'
• 'Frasier'
• 'Friends'
• 'V.I.P.'
• 'Girlfriends'
• 'MythQuest'
• 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'
• 'Monk'
• 'Witchblade'
• 'Joan of Arcadia'
• 'The Sopranos'
• 'Wonderfalls'
• 'Corner Gas'
• 'Weeds'
• 'Boston Legal'
• 'The King of Queens'
• 'Joey'
• '30 Rock'
• 'Psych'
• 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'
• 'House M.D.'
• 'Hrysa koritsia'
• 'In Plain Sight'
• 'Hannah Montana'
• 'The Starter Wife'
• 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'
• 'Supernatural'
• 'Drop Dead Diva'
• 'Heroes'
• 'Greek'
• 'Community'
• 'The Big Bang Theory'
• 'Glee'
• 'The Office'
• 'Justified'
• 'In Plain Sight'
• 'Atop the Fourth Wall'
• 'Awkward.'
• 'Parks and Recreation'
• '2 Broke Girls'
• 'Switched at Birth'
• 'The Middle'
• 'I Hate My Teenage Daughter'
• 'Supernatural'
• 'White Collar'
• 'Community'
• 'Raising Hope'
• "Snow Bride" [TV movie]

From alternate TV dimensions:

• 'The West Wing'
• 'Castle'
• 'Blue Bloods'

At least two TV characters have appeared on the show, (Joey Tribbiani of 'Friends' and one of the 'Girlfriends') which makes the version seen in Toobworld a different show from the one seen by the Trueniverse audience.

Out of all the mentions of 'Law & Order' as a TV show, it was on 'Friends' where we finally saw the actual televersion of the show.....

Rachel: I am so proud of Joey, I can't believe he's going to be on 'Law & Order'!

Phoebe: I know. But don't you think that it should be called 'Order and Law'?

Rachel: No, because first they arrest the guy and then they try him.

Phoebe: Don't get me started on that.

Joey Tribbiani being in an episode is enough to change the show from the reality.  But there are ripple effects, like the change to the plot:

[Time Lapse, the gang is now watching 'Law & Order'.)

Joey: Okay, see that blind guy right there? I'm gonna bash his head in later.

(His grandmother asks him something.)

Joey: Oh umm, my big scene is coming up. Big scene coming up.

Joey: Okay, here's my big scene. My big scene's here! (They have two of the cops on the street, then they cut to where they're entering an apartment.) Oh my God.

Monica: What?

Joey: (smiling) Okay, everybody just keep smiling. It'll kill my grandmother if she finds out.

Chandler: (smiling) Well, what is it?

Joey: (smiling) Oh, they cut me out of the show.

Rachel: (smiling) What?!

Ross: (smiling) Are you sure?

Phoebe: (smiling) Maybe your scene's coming up?

Joey: (smiling) Not likely.  'Cause you see that body bag right there

Rachel: (smiling) Yeah.

Joey: (smiling) I'm in it.

And then we learn that the actors playing those roles in the real world are also playing the role in Toobworld......

Grandma Tribbiani: (Something in Italian to Joey.)

Joey: Soon, soon, I'm gonna be on soon. There I am! (Points to the screen, of course it isn't him.)

Grandma Tribbiani: (pointing at the screen) No! Sam Waterston!

Joey: No-no-no, that-that's me, that's me.

Grandma Tribbiani: No, it's Sam Waterston! "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Capricorn One".

Chandler: Doesn't know "Hello." But she knows "Capricorn One".

On an episode of 'Psych', Shaun and Gus had a discussion of the actors who played the D.A.s over the years.  One was Angie Harmon and they threw in the cop played by Mariska Hargitay as well.  (Those horndogs!)  Then there's 'The Sopranos' mentioned one of the show's producers, Rene Balcer!

And as so often happens in Toobworld, the actors are cast because they look so much like the real people portrayed in the shows.  In this case, Sam Waterston landed the plum role because of his amazing similarity to Jack McCoy.

So no more splainin my way around it.  It'll be a lot easier around Toobworld Central now that I've accepted it.

BCnU!