TOOBWORLD TIMELINE - DODGE CITY AND THE WILD WEST SHOW

'THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP'

"WYATT'S LOVE AFFAIR"

Wyatt Earp told Judge Fabian that his daughter Sally probably saw the allure of Dodge City as being "just a great big wild west show".

Earp must have known something the rest of the country didn't.  He was in Dodge City from 1876 to 1879 before moving on to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and then Tombstone.

But the first wild west show wasn't formed until 1883, begun by Buffalo Bill Cody.  Maybe Cody had it in the planning stages for years before that.  And if so, perhaps he told Earp about it (if they ever met.)  Maybe that scenario didn't happen in the real world, but it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble in Toobworld. 

Citing Occam's Razor, that splainin is the simplest and that's the one we'll stick with.  Better than trying to get my audience to believe the televersion of Wyatt Earp had the power of Sight, or that he traveled into the future with someone like the Doctor.....

O'BSERVATION:
The picture is from an episode of 'The Murdoch Mysteries'.

BCnU! 

"Toby, why don't you stop dogging Mr. Earp?"

Deputy Hal Norton

'The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp'

CHIEFLY O'HARAS - THE FIRST DOCUMENTED GENERATION

'THE ADVENTURES OF RIN TIN TIN'
"O'HARA'S MOTHER"

Two years ago I abandoned a "Theory of Relateeveety" project because it was getting out of hand and leading me to invent storylines for the characters that had nothing to do with what was either seen on TV or suggested by previously established storylines.  Things like Governor Drinkwater being a Nazi sleeper agent!  I needed to step away from the O'Hara family tree.

But I'm returning to it for this special occasion - my recent* discovery of an O'Hara family member from even earlier in the timeline which I had already established.

Previously in "Chiefly O'Haras", the earliest known member of the family tree was Aloysius O'Hara who was stationed at Fort Apache in the American Southwest of the 1870s.  Although he was not married in 'The Adventures Of Rin Tin Tin', it's pozzb'le, just pozz'ble, that he fathered a child with a local saloon girl.  (It's a Toobworld theory that many family trees are helped along by the Wild West's Most Wanton.)

But with this episode, we got to meet his mother, Mrs. O'Hara.  She was a true frontier woman, as rough and tumble as they come, and when she was reunited with her son Aloysius, it was during her journey to claim a stake for herself in California.  More than likely, they probably never saw each other again.....

Her first name wasn't given, but I like to think it was Agnes or Agatha.  She just has the look of an "Aggie O'Hara".

Technically she is not of O'Hara blood; she married into the family.  And I'd like to think that her husband was Aloysius O'Hara, Senior, with the Sergeant being named after him.

But I do have another theory of relateeveety for her, one that would supply "Aggie" with a maiden name.  I'm going to suggest that she was the sister of a con man named Silky O'Sullivan, who on occasion helped two former outlaws by the names of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, 'Alias Smith And Jones'........

Silky may have borrowed some of her clothing when she stopped by to visit him on her way to California.....

BCnU!

* And by recent, I mean the last day of January.  I'm writing this on February 3rd!

THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY: WELCOME TO VACAVILLE!

'BONANZA' - "THE LAST VIKING"

'THE X-FILES' - "TWO FATHERS" & "ONE SON"

The real name of the "Fourth Elder" in the Syndicate was never revealed to the Trueniverse audience, not even after he was killed by the faceless aliens in February of 1999.  One possible identity could be former Organized Crime boss Ernie "The Tailor" Marzell, who operated out of Atlanta.  (It wouldn't have been the first time that shadowy government black ops worked with the Mob.....)

While it may not have been his own name, this theory of "relateeveety" will contend that the Fourth Elder was descended from a Mexican bandit named Vaca.

Vaca may have abandoned his family to ride through the wild, wild west with a band of brigands who passed themselves off as Comancheros.  

In November of 1860, Vaca killed his gang's leader, Gunnar Borgstrom, but was then killed in turn - shot dead by Gunnar's nephew, Erik Cartwright.

O'BSERVATION:

All three roles were played by Al Ruscio, who died last year......

BCnU!

THEORIES OF RELATEEVEETY - THE WASHBURN WOMEN

Around 1870, Tobias Jones and his young "ward" Midge of Coopertown stowed away on a wagon train headed to California, which was led by Major Seth Adams.  Toby had been working in the Coopertown livery stable and had a fondness for "cough medicine".  Midge was an orphan who was going to be forced to live in an orphanage after her father died in the Civil War and her mother died from being heart-sick about that.  Neither Midge nor Toby had anybody else in their lives and turned to each other for emotional support.

During the trek West, Toby nearly got hanged for a murder he didn't commit, despite Midge's entreaties that he was innocent.  Eventually he was saved by the confession of the real killer, and so Tobias Jones and Midge were able to continue on their way to California.  

Midge's love for Toby was more paternal in the beginning, but as she grew older it became something more.  She was fifteen when they began their journey together and within a few years she had become a young woman.  And her love for Toby led her to become his wife despite the age difference.  (He was fifty-one at the time they crossed the prairie.)

SHOW CITED:

'Wagon Train' - "The Tobias Jones Story"

It is unclear how many children Tobias and Midge Jones had before he passed away, but one of them continued a family tree which included several young women down through the years, four of whom deserve special attention....

DOREEN & DORRIE LANG

Their grand-daughter Doreen was mixed up with Ma Gantry and her family of low-lifes, who were brought to justice by farmer turned bounty hunter Dave Barrett.  When she grew older, Doreen married a man named Lang and they named one of their twin daughters after Doreen (who probably died in childbirth.)  

As a child, Dorrie was rescued by Superman when the Mole Men came up from their subterranean realm in the desert region separating Metropolis from Los Angeles.  In her teens, Dorrie Lang couldn't resist the lure of the dark side and she got mixed up with trouble on the Lover's Lane near the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

SHOWS & MOVIE CITED:

'The Manhunter' - "The Ma Gantry Gang"

"Superman And The Mole Men"

'77 Sunset Strip' - "Lover's Lane"

JANET LANG JOHNSON

The other Lang daughter, Janet, kept out of trouble for the most part while growing up.  As a teen-aged girl, Janet lived in the Los Angeles area where she was on the periphery of the music business.  Becoming disillusioned with the scene, she moved to San Francisco to attend college and remained there for the rest of her life.

To support herself, she worked as a telephone operator and as a tour guide.  It was through that job that she met her husband, a man named Johnson, who was able to provide a very good lifestyle for Janet.  Having once led tours past the St. Gregory Hotel, Janet was now able to stay there as a guest.  She and her husband also made frequent trips to Las Vegas, where they always stayed at the Montecito.

SHOWS CITED:

'Getting Together' - "The Great Pretender"

'MacMillan & Wife' - "Terror Times Two"

'The Streets Of San Francisco' - "Letters From The Grave"

'Hotel' - "Hearts And Minds"

'Las Vegas' - "Pilot"

Lt. ARLENE GALWAY

Finally, there was Arlene Galway, descended from Janet Johnson.  Even after several centuries, the family still had roots in San Francisco and this proximity to the headquarters for Starfleet fed Arlene's desire to attend the Academy.

Unfortunately, during a supply run to Gamma Hydra IV in 2267, Lt. Galway was a member of the landing party which all contracted a rapid aging disease caused by the radiation from a passing comet.  Because of her metabolism, Lt. Galway aged far faster than the other members of the landing party and she died before a cure could be found.

SHOW CITED:

'Star Trek' - "The Deadly Years"

All of these roles were played by Beverly Washburn.  There are more of her characters that could have been included, but these four had an organic connection between them.....

And the thing I like best about it is that it connects 'Wagon Train' to 'Star Trek', which was pitched as being 'Wagon Train To The Stars'.......

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 2015 IN MEMORIAM - FRANK GIFFORD

[Frank] Gifford, a former NFL star who made a seamless transition into sportscasting and ultimately spent 27 years with ABC’s “Monday Night Football,” died Sunday at his home in Greenwich, Conn. He was 84.

Gifford died unexpectedly from natural causes, according to a statement from his family. He was married to TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford.

For all his success as a football player, first at USC, then with the New York Giants — and that success led to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 — Gifford later became more famous for his low-key role as the even-handed play-by-play announcer, counter-balancing the pontificating Howard Cosell, the hayseedy Don Meredith, the bombastic Alex Karras and others who traipsed in and out of the ABC booth for the weekly pro football ritual.
- Mike Kupper
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

I decided a few years back that if someone deserves membership in the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame, but who dies before it can happen, then they should be inducted immediately.  My fear was that I would forget about them over time.

And so, even though this is a year in which the Hall of Fame is celebrating a "British Invasion", we're going to take the time to honor Frank Gifford. 

Here are Mr. Gifford's appearances as a member of the League Of Themselves which more than make him qualified for membership......

Captain Kangaroo 
- Episode dated 6 October 1962 

Hazel
- Hazel and the Halfback (1963)
New York Giants football star, Frank Gifford, visits with The Baxters.

The Reporter 
- How Much for a Prince? (1964)
Nick Castle [Jack Lord] is a popular baseball star and Danny's writing a series featuring him, only Castle's son is kidnapped by a crazy reader [Nick Adam].

O'Bservation: Nick Castle may be related to the Richard Castle of Earth Prime-Time.  However, only his books have been seen in the main Toobworld.  The Richard Castle of 'Castle' is in an alternate dimension.

The Six Million Dollar Man
- The Bionic Boy (1976)
In special two-hour show of "The Six Million Dollar Man", Andy Shefield has been injured in a landslide that also killed his controversial father. OSI chooses the youth to receive atomic/bionic implants that will restore his paralyzed legs. The result is superhuman strength in those legs. Andy immediately uses this new power to do what he can to restore the good name of his father. Once he gets in over his head, Colonel Steve Austin comes to his aid.

O'Bservation: According to the Bionic Wiki, "Steve claims to have played against Frank Gifford while playing college football. In order for this statement to be true, Steve would have to be about ten years older than is generally accepted for the character." I think we have to look for a different splainin. For example, maybe Frank Gifford took part in an exhibition game at Steve's college.

The San Pedro Beach Bums
- The Shortest Yard (1977) 
The Bums decide to teach a lesson in fair play to a football team that specializes in cheating and cheap shots.

Webster
- You Can't Go Home Again (1984) 
After ten years of inactivity, George gets a change to practice his favorite sport again.

O'Bservation: I wonder if Frank Gifford's televersion recognized George's resemblance to Alex Karras?

Life Goes On
- Corky Witnesses a Crime (1989)
Corky (Chris Burke) dreams that he is playing football, with Becca (Kellie Martin) serving as commentator, and he scores the winning touchdown. At breakfast, he tells his family about his dream, wishing he could play in real life. 

O'Bservation: This is a dream sequence, but it does acknowledge the existence of Gifford, Dan Dierdorfer, and Al Michaels.

The Adventures of Pete & Pete
- Rangeboy (1993)
Big Pete has to work at his father's golf course for a summer job and also has to be the mascot the day of a golf tournament.

Coach
- The Day I Met Frank Gifford (1995) ... Frank Gifford
Hayden is asked to be guest speaker for a charity featuring Luther's idol.

- The Tight End (1995) ... Frank Gifford
Hayden is desperate to win the final game of the season for his first NFL win, but Dorris has a different priority concerning Hayden's hunky back up tight end that turns into a major distraction.

- You Win Some, You Lose Some (1996) ... Frank Gifford
Hayden doesn't want to go to the playoffs because he wants to spend his Christmas with his family.

Spin City
- An Affair to Remember (1997)
For the Mayor's 50th birthday, Paul is determined to get his "old friend" George Stephanopoulos to attend the event; as Michael arranges for birthday wishes from David Letterman, Patrick Ewing, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, Frank Gifford, Rosie O'Donnell, Larry King, and the cast of Rent. But in the midst of the planning, a scandal swirls about the Mayor's presumed affair with a staffer from the Governor's office.

O'Bservation: This episode takes place in an alternate TV dimension, the same one which houses 'Mr. President', 'Nancy', and 'Hail To The Chief'.

Psych
- Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central (2009)

O'Bservation: Gifford is only heard as the color commentator.

One final point: Frank Gifford is also represented in Docu-Toobworld in which he was played by Kevin Anderson in the TV movie "Monday Night Mayhem".  And he was played by Phil Hartman and Darrell Hammond in Skitlandia, thanks to Skitlandia.

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

A RUSTY WESTERN ZONK

'MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY'

"EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME"

While Danny Williams was packing for a trip to Hollywood, his son Rusty brought him his autograph book, with instructions to get the autographs from everyone connected to the following TV Westerns:

• 'Wagon Train'
• 'Gunsmoke'
• 'Have Gun - Will Travel'
• 'Wyatt Earp'

(The full title for 'Wyatt Earp' would be 'The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp', unless Toobworld had another TV series about the lawman.  Most people just abbreviated it to Earp's name.)

I don't see this as a Zonk, even though Rusty mentions four TV shows from the Real World which should be part of the same dimension in which he lives.  That's because these are all about the historical past (or at the very least, the legends about the wild, wild West.)

Let's take a look at them individually.....

'WAGON TRAIN' - Rusty wanted everyone's autograph, but there was no mention of John McIntyre, Robert Horton, Frank McGrath, or Terry Wilson.  (This episode took place in March of 1961, which is why he wouldn't be getting the autograph of Ward Bond.  The actor, who played the lead character of Major Seth Adams, had died the previous October at the age of 57.)

'Wagon Train' is a pretty generic title as Westerns go, so while the show we could see from the Trueniverse viewpoint serves as the historical record of one such wagon train, the televersion of the program could have had "fictional" stories not based on "fact".  It did look quite similar to the show from the Trueniverse however, as seen in the 'Mad Men' episode "Indian Summer".  And it used the same actors although that was because they looked the "real" people involved.

These are some other shows that mentioned 'Wagon Train' as a series:

• 'The Patty Duke Show'
• 'Leave It To Beaver'
• 'Designing Women'
• 'Hancock's Half Hour'

'GUNSMOKE' - This is the colossus of the four, the longest lasting drama on American prime-time television.  (Have to put in those qualifiers because of certain soap operas and Britain's 'Doctor Who'.)  In similarity to 'Wagon Train' in that it's a generic title, its characters were mentioned as a combination of "historical" legends and TV characters in other shows ('Stony Burke', 'Mr. Ed', 'Dennis The Menace', and 'Car 54, Where Are You?' among many others.)  Because it ran for so long, there are a LOT of references to it, so I won't bother naming any more.

'HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL' - That quote on the business card for Paladin was reality for Lady Cora Grantham of 'Downton Abbey', whose father may have had dealings with Paladin decades before.  And his memory was invoked in a high stakes poker game in San Francisco the night before the great earthquake of 1906 (as mentioned in "The Gambler: Luck Of The Draw".)  But like the others, Paladin's life was dramatized in Toobworld and mentioned by characters in:

• 'Homicide: Life On The Street'
• 'Leave It To Beaver'
• 'Law & Order'
• 'Justified'

and several others.

'WYATT EARP' - Definitely there's no problem in having this TV series in Toobworld, nor in casting Hugh O'Brian as the legendary lawman - O'Brian resembled Earp's televersion, simple as that.  (In fact, getting back to the show that started all of this, Hugh O'Brian visited the Williams' household in another episode.)

Among the TV shows that have mentioned 'Wyatt Earp' as a TV show:

• 'Leave It To Beaver'
• 'Father Knows Best'
• 'A Date With The Angels'

So, Rusty gets a pass on all four near-Zonks.....

BCnU!

VIDEO SUNDAY - "THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E."

This remake of the TV spy classic will be released on Friday.  This is the first trailer, which was released back in February:

Personally, I still wish they had done a continuation story in which the plot revolved around the United Network Command for Law Enforcement, but that these were new agents working for the organization.  And Robert Vaughn and David McCallum could have appeared as the much older versions of Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin.  Toobworld Central could have then absorbed the movie into the Toobworld Dynamic.

As it stands, this origin story must remain in the Cineverse along with so many other adaptations of TV shows - like "The Wild, Wild West", "McHale's Navy", and "The Addams Family" & "Addams Family Values".

BCnU!