TWIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES - ARIEL SHARON

Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel has died, after spending the last eight years on life support because of a massive stroke.

In the TV Universe, Sharon was played by the following actors:

"Eretz Nehederet"
... aka "A Wonderful Country"
Played by Tal Friedman

This show would be found in Skitlandia, probably along the lines of 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' & 'Not Necessarily The News'.
 
DC 9/11: Time of Crisis
Played by Howard Jerome

As a stand-alone TV movie, this would go into one of the alternate TV  dimensions.

Sadat
Played by Ben Slack

Another TV movie that would be relegated to an alternate TV dimension, but not the same one where the movie listed above would be located.

"Ha-Chartzufim"
Played by Tuvia Tzafir

This is very similar to 'Spitting Image', so the Puppet People could be in the main Toobworld, but probably on the island of Yazoo, where the various puppet kingdoms can be found.

"Rak Beyisrael"
... aka "Only In Israel"
Played by Eli Yatzpan

This is the version for Earth Prime-Time; it's a sitcom about a TV-Holic news broadcast producer and his staff.  Sharon was one of the real world televersions covered by their show within the show.  I'd liken it to 'Murphy Brown' & 'Lateline'.

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

LITTLE BIG SCREEN: "CASABLANCA" ITSELF

As a movie, "Casablanca" exists in Toobworld and its many alternate dimensions.  Too many TV characters have cited it in their own shows.

Here are just a few of so many examples......

First off, let's start off with five of the more famous quotes from the movie:

"Round Up The Usual Suspects"

'Flash Forward'

'Mystery Science Theater 3000'

'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air'

'Millennium'

'Ghost Whisperer'

'House, M.D.'

'White Collar'

'Grimm'

'Castle'

'Alphas'

'The Inbetweeners'

"We'll Always Have Paris"

'Pee-Wee's Playhouse'

'ALF'

'Full House'

'The Nanny'

'Gilmore Girls'

'The West Wing'

'NCIS'

'Rookie Blue'

'Gossip Girl'

'American Horror Story'

"Play it again"

(Technically not in the movie; famously misquoted)

'V'

'JAG'

'M*A*S*H'

'Remington Steele'

'The Cosby Show'

'Sledge Hammer!'

'Over The Top'

'Red Dwarf'

'Lovejoy'

"Here's looking at you, Kid"

'A Different World'

'No. 73'

'Voyagers!'

'Home And Away'

'Married... With Children'

'Frasier'

'EastEnders'

'As The World Turns'

Variations on "A beautiful friendship"

[start, beginning, etc.]

'Sanford And Son'

'B.J. And The Bear'

'The Incredible Hulk'

'Amazing Stories' - "Guilt Trip"

'Dempsey And Makepeace'

'Parker Lewis Can't Lose'

'Cracker'

'Wishbone'

'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'

'Stargate: SG-1'

'nip/tuck'

'Eureka'

'General Hospital'

'Hannah Montana'

'Common Law'

'Breaking Bad'

And there were so many others I could have chosen from!

Some characters had the movie poster on their wall, as seen in:

'Our Old Friends'

'Family Ties'

'Deke Wilson's Mini-Mysteries'

'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

'Sea Change'

'Sabrina The Teenage Witch'

'In Plain Sight'

'Pretty Little Liars'

'Inspector Lewis'

The movie is often mentioned by name, such as in:

'That Girl'

'Fame'

'T.J. Hooker'

'Poirot: Thirteen At Dinner'

(The Ustinov Poirot, from the Borderlands)

'Becker'

'Chuck'

'Mad Men'

'EastEnders'

'Suits'

Some characters even imagine they are in the movie:

'Sisters'

'Ottifanten'

'That 70's Show'

'Remington Steele'

'Two Guys, A Girl, And A Pizza Place'

As seen in 'Fringe' ("The Abducted")

And finally, the movie can be seen or heard playing (or the title seen on a marquee) during various scenes of:

'Fringe'

'Homicide: Life On The Street'

'Chuck'

'Gilmore Girls'

'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'

'The Mentalist'

And that list never even took into account TV movies!

Here's lookin' at - well, you know the deal.......

"DOWNTON ABBEY" & "TREASURE ISLAND"

It is standard practice in the Toobworld Dynamic that if a fictional character or place from another source is mentioned in a TV show, with no reference to the original source, then we can take the liverty of claiming it exists in Toobworld, even if there never was a TV adaptation for it.

'Downton Abbey' has been a source for several of these.  One of them is that there were two references to pirates made famous in 'Treasure Island' written by Robert Louis Stephenson.  Back in 1912, Thomas Barrow, the first footman, called Lord Grantham's new valet John Bates "Long John Silver" because of his bad leg and use of a cane.

A few years later Isobel Crawley's cook Mrs. Bird called Mrs. Pattmore (the cook of Downton Abbey) "Blind Pew".

In our world, "Treasure Island" is a work of fiction.  But in Toobworld, it's an historical account.  Actor Robert Newton is the official portrayal of Long John Silver in Earth Prime-Time.  All of the other televersions of the one-legged plunderer occupy other TV dimensions.

As for Blind Pew, his character was killed off before the start of the TV series 'Long John Silver'.

BCnU!

TOOBWORLD GOES TO THE MOVIES: "CASABLANCA" - SON OF STRASSER 1

We're starting off our TV salute to the movies with a film that some (not me) consider to be the greatest movie of all Time - "Casablanca".  There will be four parts to this tribute.

Here's the next installment, a theory of "relateeveety".....

As most cinephiles know, Major Heinrich Strasser was the major antagonist in the classic "Casablanca".  He has a televersion as well in the Lux Video Theatre adaptation of the movie.  (I'm speaking here of Earth Prime-Time, of course.  He existed in other sequels and prequels to the movie, but those take place in other TV dimensions.)

As that was a 60 minute broadcast in 1955, I can only assume at this time that at least his death at the end was still included in the production.

But his family name lived on, at least n Toobworld.

Karl Strasser was a sadistic Nazi who butchered a platoon of American soldiers after they had surrendered.  Once the war was ended, the British took him in and gave him a new identity because he allegedly could help them track down Russian spies.

It is the Toobworld Central contention that Karl Strasser was the son of Heinrich Strasser - again, at least in Earth Prime-Time....

'LUX VIDEO THEATRE' - "CASABLANCA"

'FOYLE'S WAR' - "SUNFLOWERS"

BCnU!

THE FIRST FIFTEEN MINUTES OF "HELIX"

Syfy is debuting its new series 'Helix' on Friday night.  And to jack up interest in the show, they've released the first fifteen minutes of the premiere.

WATCH IT HERE.

From what I've seen, I can't find any reason why it can't remain as part of Earth Prime-Time, especially while it's so isolated down in Antarctica.  Things could change as the series progresses however... especially if the pathogen spreads beyond the containment area.

I'll have to keep track of it via episode summaries, as it looks a little too bleak for me to enjoy.  But I will watch the full first episode.

BCnU!

A NEW "MURDER, SHE WROTE"?

NBC is once again giving the TV series remake idea a spin, this time with a new version of 'Murder, She Wrote'.

I think this is a misleading statement, as they are not trying to bring back a new version of Jessica B. Fletcher.  (And a black one

at that since the project will star Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.

Instead she would play a hospital administrator who self-publishes her first mystery novel.  She ends up becoming an active participant in the investigations which she hears about in the news because of her interest in true crime.

Supposedly Angela Lansbury, who starred in the original CBS series for twelve years and several follow-up TV movies, was approached to take part in some way.  (Perhaps JB Fletcher might meet Spencer's character at a publishing function and - in a way - give her blessing to the other character's pursuits; perhaps even provide the needed insight to the solution.)

But now it looks like Ms. Lansbury has thrown some cold water on her participation at least if not on the whole project.  She stated in an interview that she thinks the whole idea was wrong-headed:

"I think it's a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote, because Murder, She Wrote will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person." 


And not much has been heard of the project since that was published back on November 11.

As for me, I would have no problem with it, so long as Ms. Spencer was NOT playing Jessica Baines Fletcher.  Based on the scant description given so far, there are plenty of differences between her hospital administrator and the former school teacher from Cabot Cove, Maine.  There are plenty of female authors out there, so why can't more than one be an amateur sleuth?

But yeah, why re-use the title?  

Of course, if they did something foolish - as was done earlier this year with 'Ironside' - and make Octavia Spencer be named Jessica Fletcher, then the project would lose the support of Toobworld Central (such as it is.)  It would be cast off into the alternate dimension of Black Toobworld, where it would likely wither away from neglect.

So far, it's still a moot point as NBC has only committed itself to a pilot episode.  But that's all that is needed for inclusion into the great mosaic that is the Toobworld Dynamic.  So we'll see how it goes.....

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD - JOSEPH RUSKIN

Joseph Ruskin was one of the last actors who had a hand in expanding Toobworld to have passed away in 2013.  He played several roles in 'Mission: Impossible' as well as villainous roles in 'Get Smart', 'The Wild, Wild West', and in 'The Outer Limits'.  He was also a guest star in both the original 'Star Trek' series and in the last one as well, 'Enterprise'.

But it is his turn in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone' for which Toobworld Central salutes him.  As the Genie in "The Man In The Bottle", Ruskin is one of the "Essentials" of the Toobworld Dynamic.  We turn to him as the splainin as to why there were so many recastaways of Adolph Hitler in so many TV series.

It's one thing to toss off mini-series and TV movies to alternate TV dimensions because of so many different actors playing roles like Abraham Lincoln and JFK.  But if we were to do that with the TV series as well, then it would be like somebody had pulled the plug out and drained everything out of the fictional universe.

In "Man In The Bottle", a pawnbroker named Arthur Castle used one of the wishes granted to him by the Genie (who looked more at home in a Turkish production of "Guys And Dolls") to become a man of great power who could not be removed from his position.  And so he found himself as Adolph Hitler on the last day in the bunker.

After the Genie left the pawnbroker and his wife back in 1960, he was free to go out into the world and deliver his style of karmic lessons to the greedy.  And giving those men a chance to become Hitler must have proven to be a harsh but constant lesson.

Among the many Hitlers we have seen in TV series which are situated in Earth Prime-Time have been:

• 'Doctor Who' played by Albert Welling
• 'Misfits' played by David Barass
• 'Passions' played by Benton Jennings
• 'Ace London' played by Alexander Falcao
• 'Timecop' played by Tony Papenfuss
• 'Highlander' played by Patrick Keating
• 'Forever Knight' played by Duff MacDonald
• 'Private Schulz' played by Gawn Grainger
• 'The Tomorrow People' played by Michael Sheard
• 'Wonder Woman' played by Barry Dennen
• 'The Time Tunnel' played by Bob May
• 'Red Dwarf' played by Kenneth Hadley

(The actual Hitler could be seen in archive footage in an episode of 'Grimm', and he proved to be not truly human but a wesen species known as the "blutbad".  And even he was not the true Adolph Hitler: the true Hitler was drowned in an icy river as a baby, only to have a gypsy baby substituted for him (as seen in an episode of the third incarnation of 'The Twilight Zone'.)  And as it turned out, that baby was a blutbad.

All of the other men listed above had been transported into various stages of Hitler's life but most of them proved more adaptable to the situation than Arthur Castle had been.  So it must have been a later event during their tenures as the Fuhrer which led them to relinquish the role. 

Because his role as the Genie serves to connect so many TV shows for the purposes of the Toobworld Dynamic, Joseph Ruskin is eligible to be inducted one day as that character into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.....

Good night and may God bless.....

 

THE HAT SQUAD - 2013

At some pont near the end of the year, I accidentally erased my file while working on my cell phone.  Luckily I had a backup, but not since the death of August Schellenberg.  So I apologize if you notice some names missing this year.

I tip my hat to all of their contributions in expanding Toobworld and making it richer....

ACTORS

Tony Lip ('The Sopranos')

Ned Wertimer ('The Jeffersons')

Katherine Kath ('The Prisoner')

Merry Anders (many 50s shows)

Billy Brown (Australian TV)

Jeff Cahill ('Deadwood')

Conrad Bain ('Maude' & 'Diff'rent Strokes')

Bernard Horsfall ('Doctor Who' - four roles, 'Enemy At The Door', 'Crown Court')

Garrett Lewis ('Hey, Dude', "Of Thee I Sing", 'Shirley Temple Storybook')

Peter Gilmore ('The Onedin Line')

Robin Sachs ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer', "Galaxy Quest")

John Kerr ('Peyton Place', 'Arrest And Trial', 'Columbo')

Richard Briers ('Good Neighbors', 'Monarch of the Glen')

Lou Myers ('A Different World')

Elspet Grey ('Blackadder')

Randy Runyon (Chucko the Clown, Jr.)

Joaquin Cordero (Mexican actor)

Enio Girolami (Italian actor)

Paul Smith ("Masada And The Beast", "Have Gun Will Travel", Bluto in "Popeye")

Fred Alexander

Miguel Angel Ferriz (Mexican actor)

Dale Robertson ('Tales of Wells Fargo', 'The Iron Horse', 'J.J. Starbuck')

Bonnie Franklin ('One Day At A Time', played Margaret Sanger)

Malachi Throne ('It Takes A Thief', 'Batman' [Falseface], 'Star Trek' & 'ST:TNG')

Harry Reems (porn star, did some TV, was portrayed on 'Swingtown')

Pat Keen ('Matilda's England', 'The Baker Street Boys', 'Drummonds', 'Westbeach', 'Down To Earth')

Richard Griffiths ('Pie In The Sky', Harry Potter movies)

Milo O'Shea ('The West Wing')

Sara Montiel (Spanish actress, 'Sara y Punto')

Annette Funicello ('The Mickey Mouse Club', 'Annette')

Frank Bank ('Leave It To Beaver')

Richard LeParmentier ('Capital City','We'll Meet Again', "Star Wars")

Allan Arbus ('MASH')

Jeanne Cooper ('The Young & The Restless', 'The Twilight Zone')

Jacqueline Brookes ('Another World', 'Ryan's Hope')

Aubrey Woods ('Doctor Who', 'Blake's 7')

Christine Woods ('Ichabod And Me', 'The Twilight Zone')

Lawrence Haddon ('Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman', 'Knots Landing', 'Lou Grant', 'Dallas', 'Dennis the Menace')

Steve Forrest ('SWAT', 'Testimony of two men')

Linden Chiles ('East Side, West Side', 'Banacek', 'Texas', 'James At 16')

Bill Pertwee ('Dad's Army', 'You Rang, M'Lud?')

Jean Stapleton ('All In The Family', 'Archie Bunker's Place')

Maxine Stuart ('The Twilight Zone', 'The Young And The Restless', 'Wonder Years' Emmy nomination)

Esther Williams (swimming actress of MGM, 'Lux Video Theater', 'The Donna Reed Show', 'Zane Grey Theater')

James Gandolfini ('The Sopranos')

Elliott Reid ('Miss Winslow And Son', 'The New Dick Van Dyke Show', many others)

Jim Kelly ('Highway To Heaven', Nike Ad)

Paul Jenkins ('The Waltons', 'M*A*S*H')

Buddy Garion ('Star Trek', 'Matlock', 'Laredo', 'The A-Team')

Joe Conley ('The Waltons')

Anna Wing ('EastEnders')

Victor Lundin ('The Time Tunnel', 'Get Smart', 'Star Trek', 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', 'Mannix', and 'Batman')

Dennis Burkley ('Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman', 'King of the Hill', 'Sanford', )

Mel Smith ('Alas Smith and Jones', 'Not The Nine O'Clock News', & the Albino in "The Princess Bride")

Paul Bhattacharjee ('EastEnders', 'Spooks', 'The Bill', 'Waking The Dead')

David Spenser ('Z Cars', 'Dixon of Dock Green', 'The Saint' and 'Doctor Who')

Dennis Farina ('Law & Order', 'Buddy Faro', 'Crime Story', 'Luck')

Briony McRoberts ('Take The High Road', 'Taggart', 'EastEnders')

Ponciano Ponce ('Hawaiian Eye')

Eileen Brennan ('Private Benjamin', 'Laugh-In', '13 Queens Boulevard', 'A New Kind of Family', 'Off The Rack', 'Will & Grace', '7th Heaven')

Bernadette LaFont (French actress)

Michael Ansara ('Broken Arrow', 'Law of the Plainsman', Kang the Klingon in four 'Star Trek' series)

Nate Esformes (It Takes a Thief, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible (which used Esformes five times), Ironside, The Six Million Dollar Man.  Esformes also did multiple guest turns on Run For Your Life, The Flying Nun, Mannix, Police Story, and Hunter, and appeared in the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man} 

Margaret Pellegrini (one of the last three Munchkins) 

Karen Black ('Trilogy of Terror', hosted 'Saturday Night Live' twice)

Valentin De Vargas (Bracken's World, Hill Street Blues and The Wild Wild West and appeared on other shows including Broken Arrow, Hawaiian Eye, Bonanza, The Fugitive, Mannix, The F.B.I., That Girl, Death Valley Days, T.J. Hooker, Dallas, The Streets of San Francisco and Airwolf.)

Lisa Robin Kelly ('That 70s Show')

Henry Polic II ('When Things Were Rotten', 'Webster')

August Schellenberg ("Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee")

Ed Lauter ("Gon

Elvira Quintilla (spanish actress - 'No sé bailar'
Farooq Shaikh (Indian actor - "Doosra Kanoon")
Malena Alvarado (Venezuelan actress - 'Mujer Secreta')
Marta Eggerth (Hungarian-American actress - 'Tatort')
Ruzica Sokic (Serbian actress - 'Srecni ljudi')
Azean Irdawaty (Malaysian actress - "Irdawan 2")

Zafer Onen (Turkish actor - 'Ruhun duymaz', 'Sweet Life')

Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack movies, 'Rawhide')

Rossana Podesta (Italian actress, 'Giorna Segreto')

Mado Maurin (French actress, "Un point c'est tout!", "Les diablesses", "The Poisoner")

Kei Suma (Japanese actor - 'Hachidai shôgun Yôshimune')

Nya Quesada (Argentine actress - 'The Strange Lady')

Ronald Hunter (' Law & Order', 'The Big Bang Theory')

Sefi Rivlin ('The Orchestra', 'Itche' - Israeli Archie Bunker character)

Mary Riggans (Scottish actress, 'Take The HIgh Road', 'Balamory', 'Still Game')

Juan Carlos Calabro (Argentine actor, 'Champions of LIfe')

Juan Manuel Tenuta (Uruguayan actor, 'Final Minute', 'Forbidden Love')

Jorge Doria (Brazilian actor, 'Quatro por quatro')

Paul Mantee ('Cagney & Lacey', 'Hunter')

Amparo Rivelles (Spanish actress - 'Una de Dos')

Dragomir Cumic (Serbian actor - "Nepobedivo srce")

Shirley Mitchell ('I Love Lucy', 'Please Don't Eat The Daisies')

George Reinholt ('Another World', 'One Life To Live')

Chieko Aioi (Japanese actress - 'Kyôfu gekijô umbalance')

Sheila Matthews Allen ('Lost In Space', 'The Waltons', widow of Irwin Allen)

Joan Fontaine (Oscar winner, 'Ryan's Hope', 'Cannon', 'Wagon Train')

Peter O'Toole ('Masada', 'Casanova')

Audrey Totter ('Medical Center')

Graham Stark

James Avery ('Fresh Prince Of Bel Air')

Juanita Moore (Oscar nominee for "Imitation Of Life", many guest roles)

Joseph Ruskin ('The Twilight Zone')

PUPPETRY AND VOICE ACTORS

Violet Philpott (one of the Tele-Goons, created Zippy for 'Rainbow')

Jane Nebel Henson (Widow of Jim Henson, a puppeteer who carried on his legacy)

Tonino Accolla (Italian voice for Homer Simpson)

Cosmo Allegretti ('Captain Kangaroo')

PERSONALITIES

Patti Page ('The Patti Page Oldmobile Show' and 'The Big Record') first of 2013

Gloria Pall aka "Voluptua" (KABC hostess of romantic movie show that proved too scandalous to stay on the air)

Huell Howser ('California's Gold,' 'Visiting,' 'Road Trip' and 'Downtown')

Robert Kee ('Ireland' documentary series, TV-am)

Jimmy O'Neill ('Shindig' host)

Patty Andrews ('Here's Lucy', 'The Joey Bishop Show')

Mark Balelo ('Storage Wars')

Reeva Steenkamp ('Tropika Island of Treasure 5' - South African model/lawyer killed by boyfriend Oscar Pistorius the "'Blade Runner")

Mindy McCready ('Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew')

Jerry Buss ('Keeping Up With The Kardashians', 'Poker After Dark', 'Who Wants To Be A Playboy Centerfold?', owner of the Lakers)

Derek Batey (host of 'Mr. & Mrs.')

Debi Austin (anti-smoking PSA's with hole in throat and burp talking)

Gregory Rodriguez (host of 'A Rifleman's Journal' - killed by a jealous husband)

Paul Bearer (William Moody) (manager of the Undertaker and Kane)

Norman Collier (British comedian - 'Madhouse', 'Joker's Wild', 'Punchlines!')

Gérald Babin ('Koh-Lanta' - the French version of 'Survivor'.  On the first day of filming, Babin suffered a fatal heart attack.  He was only 25.  The show was immediately canceled.)

Dr. Thierry Costa ('Koh-Lanta' - the French version of 'Survivor'.  Faced with criticism over the death of Gerald Babin, Dr. Costa committed suicide.)

Roger Ebert (film critic, 'At The Movies')

George Jones (country music super-star, had his own TV series)

Dr. Joyce Brothers (TVXOHOF, 6/2000)

Edgar Allen Jones, Jr. ('Traffic Court', 'Day In Court', 'Accused')

Deacon Jones ('The Odd Couple', 'The Brady Bunch', 'Wonder Woman')

Page Morton Black (sang the Chock Full O' Nuts jingle)

Eydie Gorme (Steve Allen's show, 'The Nanny', 'Sanford & Son', 'Here's Lucy')

Marilyn King of the King Sisters ('The King Family Show')

Gia Allemand ('The Bachelor')

Andy Granatelli (race car driver & STP commercials)

Bo Diddley ('According To Jim', 'Psych')

Mac McGarry, ('It's Academic')

Geoffrey Wheeler ('Winner Takes All', 'Songs of Praise')

NEWS & SPORTS

Brian Garnett (WFSB reporter)

Reginald Turnill (BBC correspondent, 'Newsround')

Bob Teague (WNBC, integrated the news)

Ian Breach (reporter and presenter, 'Tarka's Troubled Waters', 'Public Eye')

Tony Gubba (BBC Sports presenter - 'Dancing On Ice', 'Match Of The Day', 'Sportsnight', 'Grandstand')

Pat Summerall (CBS football commentator)

Mario Machado ( in 1970, he became the first Chinese-American on-air television news reporter and anchor in Los Angeles and perhaps in the nation)

Ken Venturi (CBS golf commentator)

Edward Hotaling (covered race related stories, question to Jimmy the Greek brought about the end of Jimmy's career at CBS Sports)

John Fahy (legal analyst for MSNBC)

Helen Thomas (legendary veteran reporter)

Jon Leyne (BBC correspondent)

Herb Kaplow (ABC & NBC news)

John Palmer (NBC news)

Art Donovan (Colts commentator, "Late Night With David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," as well as TV talk shows hosted by Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, Craig Kilborn and Tom Snyder.)

Jack Germond ('The McLaughlin Group')

Mick Deane (SkyTV news cameraman, shot on assignment in Egypt)

David Coleman (British sports commentator)

John Cole (BBC political editor)

WRITERS

William Watts Biggers (co-created 'Underdog', 'King Leonardo and His Short Subjects', 'Tennessee Tuxedo')

Gerry Day ('Wagon Train', 'Ford Theater', 'Laredo', many other shows)

Peter Meyerson (created 'Welcome Back, Kotter', wrote first episode of 'The Monkees')

Don Payne ('The Simpsons')

Fay Kanin ('Fame', 'Play of the Week' - "Rashomon")

Mickey Rose ('All In The Family', Woody Allen projects)

Eddie Braben ('Morecambe & Wise')

Norman Borisoff ('The Saint', 'Judd For The Defense, 'Ironside', 'I Spy')

Richard Matheson ('The Twilight Zone')

George Burditt ('All in the Family', 'Three's Company', 'Sanford and Son', 'The Ropers' and 'Three's a Crowd')

DIRECTORS 

Don Medford ("The Fugitive" finale)

Jack Shea ('The Jeffersons', 'Silver Spoons', 'The Ropers', 'Designing Women', 'Growing Pains', '704 Hauser', Valerie')

Gail Levin (documentary film-maker for 'American Masters')

PRODUCERS

Richard Collins (blacklisted until he named names, 'Breaking Point', 'Bonanza', 'Matlock', 'Chrysler Theater')

John Ammonds ('Morecambe & Wise')

Merrill Brockway ('Dance In America')

Ray Butt ('Only Fools And Horses', 'Citizen Smith', 'Happily Ever After')

Allan McKeown ('Tracey Takes On....', 'State Of The Union')

Marty Hornstein ("Star Trek" movie franchise)

Titus Munteanu (Romanian, worked with TVR 1)

COMPOSERS & MUSICIANS

Alan O'Day ('Muppet Babies', 1977 #1 'Undercover Angel')

Ed Shaughnessey ('Tonight' drummer)

HYPHENATES

David R. Ellis (Stunt Coordinator for 'Baywatch' & 'V: The Final Battle', 2nd Unit Director for 'Baywatch', acted in one episode of 'Wonder Woman'

Henry Bromell (Producer/Writer - 'Homeland', 'Brotherhood', 'Chicago Hope', 'Homicide: Life on the Street', 'I'll Fly Away', 'Northern Exposure')

Jonathan Winters (actor/improvisational comic - 'Mork & Mindy', 'Davis Rules', 'The Twilight Zone', 'Jack Parr show', 'The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters'

Arnold Eidus (ABC concertmaster, 'Your Show of Shows', ad exec for Kool cigarettes, Scott paper towel commercials etc.)

Gary David Goldberg (producer-writer: 'Family Ties', 'Brooklyn Bridge', 'Spin City')

Gail Kobe (actress: 'Peyton Place', 'Trackdown', 'The Twilight Zone' & producer 'The Bold & The Beautiful')

OTHERS

Michael Cronan (came up with the names for TiVo and Kindle)

Alasdair Milne (BBC Director General)

Pat Derby (animal activist, worked with Flipper & Lassie)

Bob Godfrey ('Roobarb and Custard' animator)

Ray Cusick (Daleks designer for 'Doctor Who')

Darren Rydstrom (reality show cameraman)

Gil Clayton ('M*A*S*H' set designer)

Denis Forman (Granada TV executive responsible for 'Jewel In The Crown', 'Brideshead Revisited', "World In Action' and 'Coronation Street')

Ronnie Marsh (BBC head of drama serials)

Shain Gandee (reality star of MTV's 'BuckWild')

Jim Mees ('Star Trek: The Next Generation' set designer)

Ray Harryhausen (stop-motion effects pioneer)

Richard Ramirez ("Night Stalker" serial killer)

Bernie Sahlins (founder of 'Second City')

James L. Loper (president of KCET)

Sean Sasser (partner to Pedro Zamora on 'The Real World')

Gary Shusett (taught screenwriting at Sherwood Oaks for four decades)

Mark Sutton (parachutist who stood in for "James Bond" at London Olympics)

Robert N. Wold (satellite technology innovator)

Addison Creswell (British agent for comedians)

Marco Zappia ('All In The Family', 'Archie Bunker's Place', 'Who's The Boss?')

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

THE HAT SQUAD: FROM EDITH TO DEANNA

'CBS Sunday Morning' did their own version of an In Memoriam tribute on the morning of December 29, the last Sunday of 2013.

Many of their attempts to make the transition from one remembrance to the next were a bit lame.  For example:

"[Hans Riegel] left the world a little sweeter.

Annette Funicello was irresistibly sweet as a Mousketeer..."

But the very best lead-in to the next subject was from Jean Stapleton to Deanna Durbin....

They ended the tribute to Ms. Stapleton with this clip:

Father Majeski: "Did you ever wish you were somebody else?"

Edith: "No, but when I was a little girl, I used to pretend to be somebody else."
Father Majeski: "Oh, who?"
Edith: "Deanna Durbin!"

And that cut away to their next topic:

"Deanna Durbin was the girl many little girls dreamed of being in the 1930s . . . smart and spunky, with a voice like an angel."

I tip my hat to the show's research team for remembering and finding that clip!

BCnU......