DATELINE: TOOBWORLD - ONE YEAR AGO TODAY... IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE

Submitted for your disapproval......

There's a sign-post up ahead.  It reads "For Shame".......

CHARACTER STUDIES - THE MANY LIVES OF HARRISON WELLS

The "Arrowverse" is the Toobworld which contains the shows 'Arrow', 'The Flash', and technically 'Legends of Tomorrow'.  The DC Comics shows on the CW celebrate the idea of a Multiverse and there's no better personification of it than in Harrison Wells, the scientific wunderkind who started S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City.

The Original Harrison Wells was dead before the series 'The Flash' even began.  He was killed by a time traveling scientist from the Future, Eobard Thawne, who replaced Wells as a perfect copy.  But then the S.T.A.R. Lab Rats (or whatever they called themselves) began tapping the dimensional veil and found plenty of other Earths and its inhabitants. 

And many of the sample residents resembled Harrison Wells since he was the one who sought them out in order to work with his like-minded geniuses.  After a bit of discourse, the "Council of Wells" eventually worked together to determine the true identity of Clifford DeVoe.

Here are the Harrison Wellses we have met so far....

Harrison Wells
From Earth 1

THE ORIGINAL

Dr. Harrison Wells (died 2000) was a brilliant scientist, the husband of Tess Morgan, a close friend of Tina McGee, and an identity theft victim of Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash.

Harrison Wells
From Earth 2

THE ORIGINAL DUPLICATE
Dr. Harrison "Harry" Wells is the founder of S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth Two and the father of Jesse Wells who was taken by the meta-human criminal Zoom. Harry then traveled to Earth One, joining the team led by Barry Allen to take down Zoom. While he was at one point forced to work as a mole for Zoom, Harry eventually turned on the speedster criminal, and with the help of Barry Allen and Cisco Ramon, freed his daughter from captivity. He continued working with Team Flash as its main scientific mind to defeat Zoom before returning to Earth Two with his daughter and Jay Garrick after Zoom was no more.

After Jesse developed her meta-human powers as a speedster and began establishing herself as vigilante protector in Earth Two, Harry's overly protective and controlling nature caused a strain in their relationship, making Jesse determined to work alone. Feeling he had no other reason to be on Earth Two, Harry decided to rediscover himself on Earth One by rejoining Team Flash.

Harrison Wells
From Earth 19

AUTHOR, CON ARTIST, AND SCIENTIFICALLY CLUELESS
Harrison "H.R." Wells (died May 23, 2017) was the former face of S.T.A.R. Labs on Earth Nineteen. However, he eventually was exposed for being a fraud of a scientist, and everything fell apart for him on his Earth. When his partner solved the cryptogram sent by Team Flash, H.R. was given an opportunity to come to Earth One to write a novel on his adventures. To disguise himself on Earth One, H.R. took on his partner's likeness and dubbed himself "H.R. Randolf".  He was killed by Savitar to prevent the insane speedster's terrible future from being real.

O'BSERVATION:
As these TV shows are based on comic books, I would not be surprised if HR Wells one day returned to the show even if he is dead.

Harrison Wells (the Francophone)
Unknown Earth Designation

FROM FRENCH TOOBWORLDIn late 2016, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow and Earth Two Harrison Wells put out an equation to all of the multiverse in order to find another Harrison Wells that could be used on Team Flash. The French-speaking Harrison Wells was smart enough to figure out the equation and submitted a holographic interview, but was quickly shot down by Earth Two Wells, believing that they couldn't trust a "mime".

O'BSERVATION:
French Toobworld is one of the earliest alternates of Toobworld officially designated by Toobworld Central.  Okay, by me.  Originally I thought the deviation from the timeline occurred with Cardinal Richelieu, but I have seen shows with characters who should have been speaking English but who parlais vous francais instead.

Harrison Wolfgang Wells
From Earth 12

FROM GERMAN TOOBWORLD
Harrison Wolfgang Wells is the Harrison Wells of Earth-12. He is a successful author and genius, earning him an invitation to join the Council of Wells. 
Harrison Wolfgang Wells earned himself 4 PhD's and wrote the book, "Everything is Meaningless, so Why Did I Buy This Book?"

O'BSERVATION:

German Toobworld is the alternate TV dimension in which Germany at some point took over the entire world which was then forced to speak German.

H. Lothario Wells
From Earth 47

FROM LIBIDO EARTH
Harrison Wells also known as H. Lothario Wells is from Earth 47 within The Multiverse and at an unknown period in time he met Harrison Wells of Earth 2. 
This Wells appears to be a playboy/Hugh Hefner type who publishes erotica.

O'BSERVATION:

Libido Earth is probably "Skinemax" and has been throughout its entire existence.  It is pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Captain Jack Harkness was not only from the Future but from this alternate TV dimension.

One other note - he reminds me of my college roommate, Gary Ginsburg.  Hey there, Ginz.....

Wells 2.0
From Earth 22

FROM ONE OF THE RAVAGED TOOBWORDS
Harrison Wells also known as Wells 2.0 is from Earth 22 within The Multiverse and at an unknown period in time he met Harrison Wells of Earth 2. 
Wells 2.0 is the Harrison Wells of Earth-22, a post-apocalyptic world that forced man to merge with machines in order to survive. 

O'BSERVATION:
This could be a world in which the televersion of the Terminator took place.  It would certainly eliminate plenty of Zonks from keeping 'The Sarah Connors Chronicles' in the main Toobworld.

Harrison "Hells" Wells

Unknown Earth Designation

FROM COWBOY TOOBWORLD
Hells Wells had his own secrets to hide, deciding not to tell Team Flash of his past. He also had poor manners, deciding not to re-create the hologram recording to Earth One, despite burping during the recording because of his bad stomach. His hobby that he described to Team Flash was hauling wagons.

O'BSERVATION;

Cowboy Toobworld is the type of world one might have seen during the run of 'Star Trek: The Original Series'.  There was a Nazi planet, a Gladiator planet, a Gangster planet.... Why not a Cowboy planet?  And before you point it out, the OK Corral episode was a simulation which was soon after visited by the First Incarnation of the Doctor.  [I'll be playing with that idea this summer during the TV Western showcase.]

Harrison Wells
From Earth 17

FROM STEAMPUNK TOOBWORLD
Harrison Wells is a genius from Earth Seventeen.

Harrison Wells cracked the cryptogram sent out by Earth Two Harrison Wells, Cisco Ramon, and Caitlin Snow. He has a pronounced English accent and seems to wear steampunk-like attire.

Wells the Grey
From Earth 13

FROM MAGICAL TOOBWORLD
Wells the Grey is a resident from Earth Thirteen who may or may not be a user of magic.

Wells the Grey accidentally connected to a meeting for the Council of Wells. Just as he introduced himself, he was disconnected from the meeting by Harry Wells.

O'BSERVATION:

Magical Toobworld is the alternate TV dimension in which we can find the TV shows 'Gallivant', 'Wizards And Warriors', 'Legend Of The Seeker', and 'Krod Mandoon And The Flaming Sword Of Fire', among other sword and sorcery series.

Regarding Earth-X
[The Nazi Earth]

O'BSERVATION:
Even though we saw Tom Cavanaugh in last year's four-way crossover ('Supergirl', 'The Flash', 'Arrow', and 'Legends of Tomorrow'), he was actually Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom the Reverse Flash wearing the face of Harrison Wells as the original did during season one of 'The Flash'.  From outside the inner perspective of the Toobworld Dynamic it was a brilliant ploy to utilize one of the major actors in the series without hiring a past guest star to come back again.

I think one of the main reasons Tom Cavanaugh has remained with the show for as long as he has is the chance to riff on all these variants of his original character.  As such, don't be surprised if even more iterations of the character pop up over the rest of the series' run!

BCnU!

BIG SCREEN TV - ZONK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS

'THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW'
"LAURA'S LITTLE LIE"

When Ed Rubin, the Petries' insurance agent was coming over to get Laura to sign her insurance policy, she instead sneaked out of the house and went to a movie in order to avoid him.  The movie she went to see was "The Horrible Dr. Charming" starring Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.

This is a fictional movie to be found only in Toobworld.  But it adds to the "Unseen On TV" credits to Mr. Karloff's tally for his membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.  (Mr. Karloff was inducted last November in celebration of the 130th anniversary of his birth.)

As for Mr. Lorre, it puts him one step closer to his own induction as a member of the League of Themselves.  He already has a guest starring role, also with Mr. Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr. as well, in an episode of 'Route 66'.

By the end of that episode of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', the movie is mentioned again... but with a twist:

Rob Petrie: 
Why don't we run out and get married?
Laura Petrie: 
When?
Rob Petrie: 
Tonight.
Laura Petrie: 
You mean we elope?
Rob Petrie: 
Yeah! Yeah, we can... we can get Millie and Jerry, drive up to Greenwich and get married. And on the way back, we'll stop and see the last showing of the... of "The Charming Dr. Horrible." Ha-ha-ha.
Laura Petrie:
A marriage and a movie?
Rob Petrie: 
Sure. It's a perfect evening. Whadda ya say?
Laura Petrie: 
Wait a minute. We can't elope tonight.
Rob Petrie: 
Why not, Honey?
Laura Petrie: 
'cause WE haven't got a babysitter.
Rob Petrie: 
Aw, darn!
Laura Petrie: 
Well, wait! We can get married tomorrow night.
Rob Petrie:
Well, yeah, but tomorrow night the movie's not playin'.

As you can see, the words "Charming" and "Horrible" were reversed.

I think it was Rob who made the mistake.  Laura actually saw the film and knew she would need to corroborate her story about going out to a movie with an actual movie title.  And the name of the film may have been printed on her ticket - something else she would need for evidence and which she probably stared at often as she made her way home.

Meanwhile, Rob had just been gobsmacked with the news that there was a possibility that he and Laura were not technically/legally married because she had lied about her age on the marriage certificate.  And now he had come up with this brilliant idea for getting married again for the first time.  So he can be excused for confusing the title.

Besides, "Charming" is an actual last name so "The Horrible Dr. Charming" makes more sense.  "Dr. Horrible" would not actually become a character in one of the alternate dimensions of Toobworld for another forty years......

WIKI TIKI WEDNESDAY - THE BISHOP AND THE ACTRESS

Lt. Monaghan: 

The case is already wrapped. 

Dr. Quincy:  

Said the bishop to the actress.

'Quincy, M.E.'

"Gone But Not Forgotten"

From Wikipedia:
The phrase "Said the actress to the bishop" is a colloquial and vulgar British exclamation, offering humour by serving as a punch line that exposes an unintended double entendre. An equivalent phrase in North America is "that's what she said".  Each phrase is an example of aWellerism, exposing a second meaning of what precedes it. The versatility of such phrases, and their popularity, lead some to consider them clichéd.

The term, or its variant "as the actress said to the bishop", may have been used as far back as Edwardian times, and is apparently British in origin.

The phrase is frequently used by the fictional character Simon Templar(alias "The Saint") in a long-running series of mystery books by Leslie Charteris. The phrase first appears in the inaugural Saint novel Meet the Tiger, published in 1928.

The version "as the girl said to the soldier" appears in a recorded sound test for Alfred Hitchcock's 1929 film Blackmail.

Kingsley Amis uses the line in his 1954 novel Lucky Jim, where a woman offering relationship advice to Jim Dixon says "I can't show you, as the actress said to the bishop."

TV as a teaching tool.....

BCnU!

JANICE & GREAT+-GRANDMA CATHY - A THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY

With our earlier post which paid tribute to two of the characters played by the late Harry Landers, I thought this second theory of relateeveety would work in tandem with it since one of the other characters mentioned also had an interesting family tree.

'COLUMBO'

"THE GREENHOUSE JUNGLE"

Cathy Goodland was married to Tony Goodland and both of them enjoyed a lavish lifestyle which accommodated their open marriage.  Cathy had a lover named Ken Nichols who only really loved that she kept him comfortable with her access to the family fortune.

Tony took part in a phony kidnapping scheme with his uncle Jarvis Goodland in order to break the trust on the money held for him via his father's will.  Unfortunately for Tony, his uncle planned to keep that money for himself.  Jarvis then tried to frame Cathy for the murder and would have gotten away with it had it not been for that meddling Columbo.

O'Bservation: Jarvis forgot another rule of thumb in a 'Columbo' episode - Never frame somebody for murder if they're still alive and able to refute the charge in some way.

Cathy Goodland had gone through one hell of a week when this happened back in late 1972 - her husband kidnapped and later murdered, her lover revealed to be a money-hunting gigolo, and then to be framed for Tony's murder.  

It's a wonder that with all that stress on her, she didn't have a miscarriage!

That's right.  It's the contention of Toobworld Central that at the time of the events in the "Greenhouse Jungle" case (as Lt. Columbo tagged the file), Cathy Goodland was pregnant.  Whether it was with Tony as the father or with Ken is unknown. What does matter was that several hundred years later, the lineage that could be traced from Cathy's child resulted in a woman who replicated the exact telegenetics to produce Cathy Goodland's mirror image.

'STAR TREK'

"TURNABOUT INTRUDER"

From Memory Alpha:
Doctor Janice Lester was a Human scientist of the Federationin the 23rd century.

From 2267 to 2269, Lester was the leader of an expedition to Camus II, exploring the ancient remnants of an advanced civilization. Among the ruins, she discovered a sophisticated mechanism still in working order. The device was capable of life-energy transfer – the exchange of one being's complete personality and memory with another's. 

Janice Lester used this device to swap her mind into the body of Captain James T. Kirk and vice versa:

She was aided in this scheme by Dr. Arthur Coleman, who was in love with her.  (See the previous post today about Dr. Coleman and his famous forebear and the actor who played them both.)

As I stated in that earlier post, when Dr. Coleman offered to take care of Dr. Lester after her plans failed, he could have succumbed to his obsession with her and had sex with her while she was still mentally fragile.  Basically, it would be seen as rape.  And it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that he impregnated her.  If so, that family tree, which could be traced back to Cathy Goodland in the 1970s, had a possibility to continue far into the Future.

Unfortunately, because of the devastation caused first by World War III and then about a century later by the Dalek invasion of Earth Prime-Time, records of those times are fragmented.  So the ability to trace family trees during that dark period were lost.

Still, the physical evidence of how much Dr. Janice Lester resembled her forebear Cathy Goodland cannot be denied.  I think it's a safe bet that they were related.  

THE THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - A HAT SQUAD TRIBUTE TO HARRY LANDERS

We're running the Theory of Relateeveety on Tuesday this week because we have two connected theories.....

HARRY LANDERS
(seen here with guest star Gloria Swanson)

From Deadline:

Harry Landers, who co-starred in the popular 1960’s series 'Ben Casey' as neurologist Dr. Ted Hoffman, has died. The actor passed in October at 96 years old.

While working on 'Medic' with Richard Boone, he got to know Jim Mosher, the series’ head writer, who went on to pen the pilot for 'Ben Casey'. He was cast as Ted Hoffman and also directed three episodes. Following the series’ successful five-year run (1961-1966), Landers continued to work in film and television.

As noted, Landers died in October, but his death was not announced until January.

This Theory of Relateeveety is dedicated to his memory.  But be warned: there be speculations here.....

Dr. Ted Hoffman was a neurologist at County General Hospital alongside Dr. Ben Casey from the 1950s onward.  In 1950, when he was about to turn thirty, Dr. Hoffman's girlfriend gave birth to a son who was named Theodore Hoffman Jr.  But before Teddy Junior was a year old, they separated, with the girlfriend granted custody of the boy.  She moved to Los Angeles to raise the child on her own.

Hoffman had an older brother who was already living in Los Angeles where he was an LAPD sergeant in the Homicide Department.  Sgt. Hoffman had been mentored by veteran detective Les Hart and eventually worked on at least one case with Lieutenant Frank Columbo.

Like several other characters in Toobworld, the Hoffman brothers were related to the televersion of a celebrity - their second cousin was Dustin Hoffman. 

Dr. Hoffman’s son Teddy grew up in L.A. with an affinity for the Law and with no interest in following in his father's footsteps.  (He may have been inspired by a lawyer who lived next door to them, one Perry Mason.)

Having established himself as a criminal investigator in the City of Angels, Teddy Junior began his own law firm, Hoffman & Associates.  He was married to a woman named

Annie and they had a daughter named Elizabeth.  It is through Elizabeth that the Hoffman lineage continues, although when she married and took her husband’s name (perhaps combining it as Hoffman-What’s-His-Name), the actual nominal link to the Hoffman family tree was obscured.  That distance from the Hoffman name would continue far into the future as the women in the lineage changed their name upon marriage.

Unfortunately, the definitive Toobword information… information… information… about the Hoffmans is lost at some point around the year 2174 when Earth was invaded by the Daleks.  Records were destroyed by the Daleks and by the Rebels.

But we pick up the family tree again in 2219, the year Arthur Coleman was born.  Here we had a case of telegenetics in which the DNA of Dr. Ted Hoffman was echoed exactly.  And like his look-alike ancestor, Arthur Coleman became a doctor.

From the TARDIS Data Wiki:

Dr. Arthur Coleman was a former Starfleet officer, and chief surgeon on Dr. Janice Lester's two-year expedition on Camus II.

Coleman was removed from his last starship posting as chief medical officer after Starfleet Command, in cooperation with the Starfleet Surgeon General, cited him for "administrative incompetence" and making "flagrant medical blunders".

In 2267, Coleman joined an expedition headed by Dr. Janice Lester to Camus II as the expedition surgeon. For the next two years, he fell in love with and conspired with Dr. Lester to use a life-energy transfer device to switch her mind into Kirk's body and vice versa. When the plot was foiled and Dr. Lester was deemed insane, he asked to be allowed to care for her. (TOS: "Turnabout Intruder")

It was probably ethically wrong for Dr. Coleman to care for Dr. Lester when he was in love with her.  And it could be that he crossed the line in medical standards by having a sexual relationship with her… which resulted in a pregnancy.

And so we’ll keep an eye out for any future Colemans and Lesters who might show up in Future Toobworld after 2270. (2300 if they’re adult characters.)

Good night and may God bless Harry Landers......

THE HAT SQUAD TVXOHOF - REMEMBERING KEITH JACKSON

From the Los Angeles Times:
For decades during college football season, his homespun phrases moved across the airwaves.

Linemen were not guards and tackles, they were “the big uglies.” Running backs didn’t drop the ball, there was a “fuumm-bull!” Of an undersized player, he might say, “He’s a little-bitty thing, a bantam rooster. But he’s young. If he keeps eatin’ his cornbread, he’ll be man-sized someday.”

And, of course, there was “Whoa, Nellie!,” which became known as his signature phrase.

Keith Jackson, the folksy voice of college football who for decades weaved backwoods wit through ABC broadcasts, died Friday night. He was 89.

The longtime Sherman Oaks resident worked 15 Rose Bowls, more than any other announcer. No cause of death or other details were given in a statement from ESPN, which, along with ABC, Jackson’s longtime employer, is owned by the Walt Disney Co.
- Mike Kupper and Mike DiGiovanna

Even as the voice of college football and covering so many sports events would not have been enough to bring Keith Jackson into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  Such appearances, along with visits to talk shows, participation in game shows, can "flavor" an inductee's resume, but they still need to have those basic requirements - appearances in at least three different TV shows, movies, or commercials.

And Mr. Jackson scored a touchdown on that deal.

Here are the appearances as himself which proved he should be inducted into the Hall.

The Streets of San Francisco
- The Hard Breed (1974)

At the Cow Palace, Jackson covered a rodeo with Lex Connelly, the manager of the Cow Palace and a member of the Rodeo Hall of Fame.  During the televised event, one of the cowboys was murdered.

AT THE MORGAN HOME

LATER AT THE BAR

When She Was Bad... (1979 TV Movie)

Probably Cheryl Ladd's first showcase roles, this TV movie about child abuse featured a University of Texas Longhorns game on the TVs at home and at the bar which was called by Jackson.

Coach
- If Keith Jackson Calls, I'll Be at My Therapist's (1989)

Coach undergoes hypnotism in order to overcome a nervous facial twitch, but with adverse affects.  (This marks the first appearance the team makes on 'ABC Sports'. Minnesota State loses to Penn State (a real-life football team), 31 to 7.)

Three appearances are all that was needed and so Keith Jackson qualified.  But he goes beyond that with an appearance in an alternate TV dimension known as Toobworld's Toobworld.  The Toobworld's Toobworld dimension is where the dramatizations of the behind the scenes productions of real TV shows take place.  

The Bronx Is Burning
- Mr. October (2007)

In this episode of the mini-series, footage from the 1977 World Series game with Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson as the commentators.  The cameras had turned away from the game to cover a burning building just a few blocks away.

It became a symbol of that turbulent summer.

(The reason I included the mini-series in Toobworld's Toobworld because in a way, this look behind the scenes of the Yankees' run for the Series title during the Summer of the Son of Sam was the same kind of situation as those TV movies about the productions of shows like 'Three's Company', 'Dynasty', 'Steptoe and Son' etc.)

So we tip the Toobworld hat to the memory of Keith Gordon with this induction into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.

Good night and may God bless....  

VIDEO SUNDAY - REMEMBERING ROSE MARIE

With the passing of Rose Marie, both days of this Video Weekend will be dedicated to episodes of TV shows in which she appeared.  

For Part Two, we're going to look at four characters she played over the years with special emphasis (of course!) on Sally Rogers......
But first, a word from our sponsor.....

THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS

MY SISTER EILEEN

THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

Here are five episodes of the Camelot of Sitcoms which had great spotlights for Rose Marie's talent.

THUMBS UP!