Saturday, March 23, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS - JOAN LUNDEN
From Wikipedia:
Joan Lunden (born Joan Elise Blunden on September 19, 1950) is an American journalist, an author, and a television host. Lunden was the co-host of ABC's ‘Good Morning America’ from 1980 to 1997, and has authored eight books. She has appeared on the ‘Biography’ program and Biography Channel.
As of 2014, Lunden is a special correspondent for NBC's ‘Today’.
For more about the newswoman, click here.
Here are the credits which qualify her for membership as a League of Themselves representative:
- Al Anonymous (1998)
O’Bservation:
A roman a clef novel titled “Tanged Banners” was published anonymously (a la “Primary Colors” in the Trueniverse) and people began to believe that it had been written by ‘Lateline’ reporter Al Freundlich. But a little girl who was the “reporter” for the kids’ version of ‘LateLine’ figured out it was actually written by Joan Lunden, based on similar phrases in the book and used by Lunden in a cooking show.
- Murphy Redux (1997)
From the IMDb:
Murphy decides not to work for the White House and goes back to her old job at FYI. All is well again until she finds out thanks to the news piece that was assigned to her that she may have breast cancer.
From the IMDb:
Murphy gets invited to the White House by the Clintons. Once she gets back to the office, she finds out she has a furry stowaway.
O'Bservation:
Apparently she accidentally ended up with the Clintons' pet cat.
From the IMDb:
Murphy is feeling even crankier at the end of her pregnancy and isn't happy that Corky is throwing her a baby shower. But she changes her mind when she realizes she will be getting terrific gifts from her peers [who] work in national news.
The episode "A Chance of Showers" (episode 4.25) featured cameos by actual newscasters Katie Couric, 'Faith Daniels', Joan Lunden, Mary Alice Williams and Paula Zahn.
Joan Lunden is a multi-dimensional. Along with the appearances in ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘LateLine’, she also appeared in the alternate Toobworld of sitcom Presidents….
- Evil Good and Good Evil (2016)
From the IMDb:
Former President Graves is giving a speech at a VA facility. Rudy Giuliani and Bill Richardson, are with him. On the drive back to Graves' residence they have the driver pull over, and Graves leaves there, out in the desert. At home, Graves meets his new assistant, Isaiah. He sneaks out without his Secret Service detail, goes to his Presidential library, takes a few things, then to a restaurant, and end up outside the waitress' trailer, smoking pot. Isaiah goes into the trailer for some munchies and when he returns, Graves and the waitress are gone. Both Graves and Isaiah eventually return to the residence. Graves' wife, Margaret and his daughter Olivia are also introduced.
O'Bservation:
Joan Lunden introduced former President Graves at the VA ceremony.
- Lions in Winter
O’Bservation:
Ms. Lunden may have only been name-checked in this episode.
From the ‘Graves’ wiki:
After learning his longtime friend and political ally ex-U.K. Prime Minister Trevor Lloyd is dying of cancer, Graves takes off to see him in Baltimore for one last adventure. Isaiah and Sammy join him, and Isaiah gets a peek behind the curtain when she takes him to visit her family. Olivia enlists Jeremy’s help when she realizes she’s in over her head with Arturo and Margaret finds herself falling into familiar patterns as she and Dalton strategize on her campaign.
Not that it adds to her tally for membership in the Hall, but Joan Lunden has also appeared in several movies which reside in the Cineverse:
- “Thank You For Smoking”
- “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home”
- “Conspiracy Theory”
- “What About Bob?”
She appeared on ‘The New Hollywood Squares’ back in November of 1987 and ‘Hollywood Squares’ will one day be a part of the TVXOHOF itself one day. She also appeared in a lot of wrestling shows – now, I’m not as keen about their legitimacy for my view of the TV Universe, but there’s no denying their fictional aura and even a few fictional characters who have appeared in those shows. Joan Lunden doesn’t need those shows to qualify for Hall membership but they add “flavor” to her tally.
Welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, Ms. Lunden!
Thursday, March 21, 2019
THURSDAY THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY - THE MAYHEM LINE
‘AMERICAN GODS’
“THE BEGUILING MAN”
From the IMDb:
Promising vengeance for the death of a beloved old god, Mr. Wednesday begins preparation for a great battle; Laura and Mad Sweeney chase Shadow's diminishing light after he disappear
Dean Winters who plays Mr. Town, is best known as "Mayhem" in the Allstate commercials.
Mr. Town is one of the Spooks who works for Mr. World
Mr. Town has been tasked by Mr. World to find out what Shadow knows about Mr. Wednesday’s plan. His brutal efficiency and technique just may get him the answers to his curious questions.
Mr. Town wants to know why he goes with the flow and Shadow replies it is because of curiosity.
Mr. Town discusses how the New Gods have brought medicine and technology while the Old Gods are relics.
I haven’t read the novel by Neil Gaiman, so I know anything else about Mr. Town than this. The IMDb only lists this one episode for Dean Winters, so it could be this was all we were going to learn about him. And I don’t understand the significance of the names for Mr. World’s acolytes – Mr. Town, Mr. Road, Mr. Stone, Mr. Wood…. I understand the deal with Mr. World – he’s one of the new gods, AKA Globalization.
Mister Town must be a demi-god, serving World as his inquisitor. As such, he is far younger than the Old Gods, but still with a longer lifespan of the humans, perhaps they’re even immortal.
So I have a theory of relateeveety….
I’m not going to champion this extension of the theory, merely suggest it, but it could be that Mayhem, like many of the Greek gods, copulated with human females long in the past and his genealogical traits have been passed down over the eons. By this point, without any other “influx” of genetic material from non-human sources (as was the case with Miquelito Quixote Loveless), Mayhem’s human descendants share nothing except his physical likeness. It could be all of his descendants down through the ages looked exactly like him (sorry, ladies), but there has been a plethora of them in the last twenty years or so:
- Brian Cassidy (‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’)
- Tony Silvercreek (‘Divorce’)
- Detective Pembroke aka “The Vulture” (‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’)
- Russ Agnew (‘Battle Creek’)
- Dennis Duffy (’30 Rock’)
- Johnny Gavin (‘Rescue Me’)
- Ryan O’Reilly (‘Oz’)
As for Mister Town, he would be of a more relatively recent vintage of Mayhem’s Spawn, and more than likely his mother was a demi-goddess herself which would guarantee his longevity.
Everything about this theory could come crashing to the ground should Mr. Town return to ‘American Gods’ and more is revealed about his past. But the focus of the series is on Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday, so a minor character like Mr. Town? I doubt his family tree would ever come up.
Watch – somebody involved with the show sees this and does a rewrite to screw it up!
Maybe even Mayhem might have a hand in it....
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
WIKI TIKI WEDNESDAY - SPRINGTIME FOR SPRINGTIME
Spring 2019 starts on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 and ends on Friday, June 21st 2019.
Spring, also often called "springtime", is one of the four seasons that make up the year. It is the intervening period between the coldest time of the year (winter) and the warmest time of the year (summer) and gets its name from the growth of new plants during this time: plants "spring forth".
Ēostre or Ostara is a Germanic goddess who, by way of the Germanic month bearing her name is the namesake of the festival of Easter in some languages. Ēostre is attested solely by Bede in his 8th-century work “The Reckoning of Time”, where Bede states that during Ēosturmōnaþ (the equivalent of April), pagan Anglo-Saxons had held feasts in Ēostre's honour, but that this tradition had died out by his time, replaced by the Christian Paschal month, a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
Theories connecting Ēostre with records of Germanic Easter customs, including hares and eggs, have been proposed. Debate has occurred among some scholars about whether or not the goddess was an invention of Bede.
Ēostre and Ostara are sometimes referenced in modern popular culture and are venerated in some forms of Germanic neopaganism.
Ostara takes its name after the Germanic goddess, Eostre/Ostara, who was traditionally honoured in the month of April with festivals to celebrate fertility, renewal and re-birth. It was from Eostre that the Christian celebration of Easter evolved. The Goddess Ostara has the shoulders and head of a hare. (In “American Gods”, Easter is described as curvaceous with platinum blonde hair and crimson-painted lips. She looks to be somewhere between twenty-five and fifty.)
Easter is the Germanic goddess of the earth, spring, fertility, and the harvest.
Environmental Manipulation:
Easter is able to directly change the seasons and control the weathers. In "Come to Jesus," Easter brings an immediate end to spring by setting winter upon the land.
Resurrection:
It is revealed in "Come to Jesus" that Easter has the power to "relife" people after death, however, she cannot return life to people who have been killed by gods (i.e. Laura Moon).
Animal Communication:
Easter is able to communicate with her rabbits.
Ostara has a mansion in Kentucky and that’s where Wednesday finds her celebrating Easter with all the incarnations of the Christ. Wednesday was hoping to recruit her for his war with the New Gods.
Wednesday argues that millions might observe some of the rituals of Easter but not many actually speak her name in worship. Ostara does all the work of bringing spring, yet Jesus gets all the prayers. Wednesday suggests to Ostara that she should take away the spring to make the people pray to her.
Whether they fight or not makes no difference to Wednesday’s enemy Mr.. World because the Old Gods will die out either way. Wednesday responds by dedicating deaths to Ostara just as lightning strikes.
O'Bservation:
In the TV series “Mulberry”, Ostara reappeared but in a new form (as gods can change their appearance) and going by the her occupational title of “Springtime”. (Above to the right) She is the mother of Mulberry, thanks to her relationship with Death.
Happy Spring!
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
SUPER SIX LIST - SAYINGS OF McGOOHAN
It's also the birth date for Number Six, McGoohan's character in 'The Prisoner' - in my humble opinion, one of the greatest TV characters ever. (I've also read that it's the birth date for John Drake as well. McGoohan played Drake in 'Danger Man'/'Secret Agent'.*)
To pay tribute to him this year, I'm offering up one of my Super Six Lists. For this one, I'm choosing my favorite quotes by his characters in both TV shows and in the movies.
1) "Be seeing you."
Number Six and others
'The Prisoner' (entire series)
&
Nelson Brenner
'Columbo' - "Identity Crisis"
On paper, it doesn't look like much. But it's the way he says it, and the many interpretations there could be.
It's such a powerful yet simple "greeting" that McGoohan brought it back about a decade later....
2) "You have the wrong room."
Nelson Brenner
'Columbo' - "Identity Crisis"
What in fact has been created? An international community. A perfect blueprint for world order. When the sides facing each other suddenly realize that they're looking into a mirror, they'll see that this is the pattern for the future.
Number 6: The whole world as the Village? Number Two: That is my dream. What's yours? Number 6: To be the first man on the moon. 'The Prisoner' - "The Chimes of Big Ben"
Our first inclusion of dialogue on this list. Won't be the last. For over forty years, 'The Prisoner' had been my favorite TV show. (It's been usurped by 'Doctor Who', but it will always be "the new Number Two".) And this dialogue exchange sums up the dynamic of the relationship between McGoohan and Leo McKern as the best of the Number Twos.
Roger Devereaux
"The Silver Streak"
McGoohan only played black or white characters, he once said. His bad guys were meant to be extremely bad. And they were, boy were they ever! And it's not a redeeming feature, but at least he did exude some charm as Devereaux.
O'Bservation - I'll have to see this movie again, not that I ever need an excuse. But I found this version at a movie transcript page and it doesn't sound right. I use the line a lot and this doesn't have the right feel even though it conveys the basic intent. But it's burned into my memory banks as "Do try the marmalade. The Silver Streak may have its faults, but they have an excellent cuisine."
So I may be wrong on this. But I have to say, my version sounds more like something McGoohan would say.
John Drake
'Secret Agent'
I don't remember which episode this was from. But I've saved it for years and it's very special for me. It's part of the chapter heading for the second "episode" of my first Toobworld novel, still a work in progress.
For the last item in this Super Six List, we're back at the movies and we have another dialogue exchange. But we will need a visual aid....
I'm going to try to observe McGoohan's birthday every year, that's how great I thought he was. So this was the first one. I hope you enjoyed it.
Monday, March 18, 2019
MONDAY MEMORIAL TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - KING KONG BUNDY
Professional wrestler King Kong Bundy has died at age 61.
Promoter and longtime friend David Herro says Bundy died on Monday. Herro posted on Facebook: "Today we lost a Legend and a man I consider family." The cause of death and other details were not disclosed.
Bundy, whose real name was Christopher Pallies, was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters), 458-pound (208-kilogram) wrestler made his World Wrestling Federation debut in 1981.
He was best known for facing Hulk Hogan in 1986 in a steel cage match at WrestleMania 2, which Hogan won.
Mr. Bundy is one of those special cases with regards to membership status in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame. First off, we don’t consider appearances in sporting events, as is the case also with talk shows and for the most part variety programs and game shows. However, professional wrestling is more like theater and the wrestlers are playing characters, oftentimes fictional televersions of themselves..
Even though the TVXOHOF might not mean much to others, I think his passing should be acknowledged - even though he barely squeaks by with two appearances as a member of the League of Themselves and as a mention in another series which verifies his existence.
- Flight of the Bumblebee (1995)
From the IMDb:
In order to join Al's group NO MA'AM, Bud must go through a process where he must crash a televised wrestling match in order to get an photograph taken of him with pro-wrestler King Kong Bundy. Bud not only gains backstage access by dressing in a Bumblebee outfit, but thank to Kelly's big mouth, he lands in the ring facing the star wrestler as well.
Weird Science
- Men in Tights (1996)
Wyatt and Chett become professional wrestlers.
The wrestling event of the show is the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) however the only actual WWF wrestler making an appearance is King Kong Bundy. Neither Michael Clark Duncan or Brian Thompson where actual wrestlers.
Billions
- Kompenso (2018)
From the IMDb:
It's bonus time at Axe Cap and Bobby has an iron fist around all things compensation, which has Taylor wondering if they are in the right place. Chuck goes out on a limb to save his closest friend, and tries a new tactic to build momentum with the destruction of his boss.
On top of your other bonus that's more than a two-ball for this year. But that is not a repeatable trick. When we're here 12 months from now, if you're not still body-slamming like uh-#
Mafee
King Kong Bundy!Did you pretend not to remember that to make me feel good?
As a final (for now) entry in his resume, check out this ESPN commercial which my brother Crossoverist Matt Hickman pointed out to me:
Even though everybody in this blipvert is appearing as themselves, this was a fictional occurrence. So it has as much validity as a mini-TV show as Bundy's appearances in the sitcoms. Thanks, Matt!
Should there be any other references to King Kong Bundy in the future in some TV show, I'll be sure to add it to his "gallery" in the TVXOHOF page on Facebook. Check that page out when you get the chance!
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