THURSDAY'S THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - THE BUDDY SYSTEM

Team Toobworld probably knows that Maurice "Buddy Sorrell" is one of my all-time favorite TV characters.  In fact, he ranks as Number Two, right after Dr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless.

I inducted him into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame as the April 2017 member.  (Traditionally, April is the month we bring in the "Fools" - those TV characters who are humorous in some way, not always in a good way.)

In that salute to Buddy Sorrell, I came up with a lot of theoretical appearances in other shows and passed them off as being real.  It was April Fool's Day when I ran the post, after all.  But there were enough actual appearances for him to qualify for entry.  

But one that I skipped was the possibility Buddy was related to a small-time criminal who bore an incredible likeness to him.  That criminal was named Morey (probably short for "Maurice", Buddy's real name.)  

From the 'Young & The Restless' wiki:
Morey (alias Robert) was a fictional character on 'The Young and the Restless', portrayed by Morey Amsterdam.

Morey was a small-time criminal and bumbling kidnapper. In 1990, Marge Cotroke was discovered by Rex Sterling's former cellmate, Clint Radison. Clint realized Marge was a dead ringer for Katherine Chancellor and plotted to steal the wealthy woman's fortune by kidnapping her and putting Marge in her place. Clint planted two cohorts, Morey and Lil in the Chancellor household first. They worked for Kay as houseman Robert and maid Shirley. This pair then trained Marge to act like Katherine. The bunch kidnapped Kay and a pregnant Esther Valentine, and held them captive.

I think Buddy and Morey/Robert fall into the category of "identical cousins".  And that type of identical cousin brought about by some philandering cad.  In this case, I think Buddy's father fooled around with Morey's mother back around 1907.

I can't state categorically that Morey was Buddy's full brother.  He had a brother, a pool hustler and con man nicknamed Blackie.  (Blackie once tried to follow in his brother's footsteps by working as a nightclub comic - he used the stage name Jackie Silvers and worked in small dives across the country.  He was seen doing this during the 1950s in Milwaukee.)

But when Buddy told Rob Petrie about Blackie/Jackie, I think he would have mentioned that he had other siblings as well.

Morey may have looked like his half-brother Buddy, but he was more like his half-brother Blackie.

If I recall that storyline (it was 27 years ago!) correctly, Morey became a sympathetic character who finally took off, regretting that he was involved in the kidnapping Katherine and Esther.

By the mid-1990s, I think Morey passed away, probably in a dingy SRO, alone and without anything of value in his possession.  

SHOWS CITED:

• 'The Young & The Restless'
• 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
• 'Happy Days'

Until next time....