A few years ago, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame inducted at least 12 televersions of the TV shows we watch here in the Trueniverse, but which definitely existed in Toobworld. (As is the case with the huma-# er, the living members of the TVXOHOF, all they needed were three other TV series verifying their existence in Earth Prime-Time.)
But we’ve never inducted a movie into the Hall before… and that ends this month. And considering it’s December, with its holiday season, there was only one movie which was the perfect choice to be the first film to be granted the “honor”….
From Wikipedia:
"It's a Wonderful Life" is a 1946 American Christmas supernatural drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra. It is based on the short story and booklet "The Greatest Gift" self-published by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1943, which itself is loosely based on the 1843 Charles Dickens novella "A Christmas Carol". The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams in order to help others in his community and whose thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve bring about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Oddbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he touched and what the world would be like if he did not exist.
Theatrically, the film's break-even point was $6.3 million, about twice the production cost, a figure it did not come close to achieving on its initial release. Because of the film's disappointing sales, Capra was seen by some studios as having lost his ability to produce popular, financially successful films. Although "It's a Wonderful Life" initially received mixed reviews and was unsuccessful at the box office, it became a Christmas classic after its copyright expired in 1974 following a lack of renewal and it entered the public domain, which allowed it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees.
Today, "It's a Wonderful Life" is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and among the best Christmas films. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made. It was No. 11 on the American Film Institute's 1998 greatest movie list, No. 20 on its 2007 greatest movie list, and No. 1 on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time.
Capra revealed that it was his favorite among the films he directed and that he screened it for his family every Christmas season. It was one of Stewart's favorite films.
In 1990, "It's a Wonderful Life" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being deemed as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
An interesting bit of trivia regarding those TV series which were inducted into the Hall – Due to script references, usually delivered as punchlines, they could be radically different from the shows which we saw here on Earth Prime. Perhaps the most famous of these would be the casting of Joey Tribbiani as Dr. Drake Ramoray in ‘Days Of Our Lives’ for an extended story arc on ‘Friends’. It’s a shrug-worthy splainin that the televersion of those shows had episodes which were just not available to us on the other side of the Fourth Wall.
But I don’t think that can be applicable to the televersions of movies, as their finished prints should be locked in without alterations… unless George Lucas gets his mitts on them and changes them for the worse. The only place to find such alterations to movies in the mutliverse of the TV Universe would be in the alternate dimension of Skitlandia, the sketch comedy Toobworld. (Probably the best example of that ties into our December inductee – the lost ending to “It’s A Wonderful Life” as seen in the December 20, 1986 edition of ‘Saturday Night Live’ hosted by William Shatner.)
I can’t confirm this, but I think “It’s A Wonderful Life” could be the most cited movie in all of Toobworld; not too shabby for something which usually only gets trotted out for seasonal references. Maybe one of the few flicks which could rival that claim might be the original “Star Wars” or at least the entire franchise.
Here are the most important qualifications for “It’s A Wonderful Life” to be eligible for inclusion – scenes of the movie actually being watched by fictional (to us) TV characters. (I have included inserts of the scenes being watched when the image is not too clear.)
"The Twilight Zone" Button, Button (TV Episode 1986)
The film is playing on television but Norma Lewis turns it off.
O'Bservation - This was my favorite story in the first TV reboot of 'The Twilight Zone'.
"Cheers" Christmas Cheers (TV Episode 1987)
Everyone watches the final scene on the bar's TV.
O’Bservation – They all claim it’s sappy hokum. Of course, moments later they’re all reaching for the tissues.
"Hard Time on Planet Earth" Stranger in a Strange Land (TV Episode 1989)
Jesse watches the movie on TV. The scene where Jimmy returns to his family is shown.
O’Bservation – This time, Jesse and his robotic Jiminy Cricket - known as Control - are the insert."Parker Lewis Can't Lose" Lewis and Son (TV Episode 1992)
It plays on a TV in the video store.
O’Bservation – This was the most inventive use of the movie I’ve found so far, which had nothing to do with the Christmas season. As his customers are preparing to flee Mondo Video for the competition, Mr. Lewis mirrors the action in that scene as it plays out on the store TV.
"Roseanne" It's No Place Like Home for the Holidays (TV Episode 1992)
Darlene and David watch the movie on TV.
"Beverly Hills, 90210" It's a Totally Happening Life (TV Episode 1992)
The Walsh family is watching the film on TV.
O’Bservation – The following two episodes of ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ are not available in their streaming options, probably because the music rights could not be secured. This was not an issue with the 1992 episode, which had a distinct IAWL resonance with two angels reviewing the lives of the characters and eventually taking action to alter the course of their futures a la Clarence.
"Beverly Hills, 90210" Somewhere in the World It's Christmas (TV Episode 1993)
Erica watches the film on television.
"Beverly Hills, 90210" Nine Yolks Whipped Lightly (TV Episode 1999)
Dylan watches the ending at the After Dark.
"Men Behaving Badly" Gift of Jami (TV Episode 1997)
Brenda and the guys are watching It's a Wonderful Life on TV.
O’Bservation – Too cheap probably to use an actual clip; the music we hear was most likely generic and had no relation to the movie. Of course, I could be wrong. It's not unheard of.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" The Alma Matter (TV Episode 1993)
A fragment of this film is shown in this episode
"Melrose Place" Oy! to the World (TV Episode 1995)
Allison is watching the movie on TV….
“Allison, you are in no condition to watch ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’!”
O'Bservation - I don't know who that is in the picture. She said that line.
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas (Video 1996)
1] Elmo is watching the movie as he tries to stay awake to see Santa.
2] Ernie and Bert are surprised to hear their names are used by characters in the movie when they see it on a tiny TV at the electronics shop.
"JAG" Answered Prayers (TV Episode 2001)
Featured on the TV while Bud and Mikey are talking.
"One Tree Hill" Songs to Love and Die By (TV Episode 2006)“It's a Wonderful Life” is playing on the TV set in Haley's hospital room.
O'Bservation - Not that she was in any condition to watch it....
"MacGyver" Bullet + Pen (TV Episode 2017)
This movie is playing in the police station.
"Happy!" When Christmas Was Christmas (TV Episode 2017)
Clips are shown.
"EastEnders" Episode dated 23 December 2019 (TV Episode 2019)
Mo, Kat, Kush, and Tommy watch the film while they're barricaded in the house.
O’Bservation - At a critical moment in the film, the power gets cut to drive them out of the house.
"Ted Lasso" Carol of the Bells (TV Episode 2021)
Ted watches it on TV Christmas morning as he drinks because he misses his son Henry back in the States.
"Hawkeye" Partners, Am I Right? (TV Episode 2021)
It’s playing on the TV at a safe house, after "the Blip".
"Designing Women" The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century: Part 1 (TV Episode 1990)
Charlene watches it on TV.
O’Bservation – Yet another TV series episode missing from the roster at Amazon! I don’t know whether it’s because of music rights or they just don’t want to lock in to a holiday….
"The King of Queens" Food Fight (TV Episode 2002)
Arthur is watching this classic and says he wishes George Bailey would have never been born.
O'Bservation - We never see the movie, but at least in this case, we hear the soundtrack. Everybody is gathered at the Bailey house to help George and they all start singing a Christmas carol.
"EastEnders" - Episode #1.2944 (TV Episode 2005)
The Slaters watch the film. Little Mo mentions the film to Alfie.
O'Bservation - I was lucky I found that other 'EastEnders' clip. But that was part of a major plot development. Couldn't expect lightning to strike twice.
"My So-Called Life" Pilot (TV Episode 1994)
A clip from the film is shown.
"The Sopranos" To Save Us All from Satan's Power (TV Episode 2001)
It comes on when Tony turns the TV on after coming home from dinner.
As I find screen grabs for those missing examples, I will add them in.
This won’t be the only blog post today celebrating the gift of having “It’s A Wonderful Life” in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame. What kind of a Christmas would it be with just one present?
Merry Christmas, you old movie featuring a Building & Loan!
And welcome to the Hall!
PS
These posts are dedicated to my sister, Leah. It’s her favorite movie. It’s taken her years, but she’s won me over into enjoying it as well.
“Miracle On 34th Street” is still my favorite Christmas movie though….
