Jack Palance (and that's PAL-ance, bub!) died yesterday at his home in California at the age of 87. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for 'City Slickers' in the early nineties, but is remembered now more for the one-handed pushups he did onstage as he accepted the award.
Probably his most memorable role is that of the killer in "Shane", and the enduring image from that is of him gunning down Elisha Cook Jr. He received his second Oscar nomination for that movie and his first came as Joan Crawford's stalker/husband in "Sudden Fear".
Every obituary I've seen for Mr. Palance seems to only focus on his career in the movies. At best, they mention his hosting duties for 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not'.
But he played an important role in the early days of television when he starred as "Mountain McClintock in the TV version of Rod Serling's 'Requiem For A Heavyweight'. This was one of those TV productions, along with 'Marty', 'Patterns', and 'Twelve Angry Men' which proved that TV could stand right up there with the movies in creating great, instant classics. In fact, all of these productions went on to be adapted into movies.
Palance could arguably be said to have been the ultimate Count Dracula (Bram Stoker style) for Television. And his Edward Hyde, in another Dan Cutris production, was also memorable. (Although it definitely erased any memories on my part of his counterpart, Dr. Henry Jekyll.)
He also played one of the few variations of the Ebenezer Scrooge character that I've seen which actually worked. His Ebenezer lived in an Old West setting and followed the basic story but with the appropriate twists to fit the motif.
According to a poster at TVSquad.com, Jerry Lewis asked Palance to appear in his Muscular Dystrophy telethon one year as the personification of the disease; to urge viewers to give, or else he would show up to visit them or somebody they love.
I can just imagine kids all over the country emptying their parents' wallets and rainy day money jars just to make sure they send in enough money to keep him away!
Jack Palance had a unique look, a memorably hoarse whisper of a voice, and an imposing presence that won't ever be forgotten.
Believe it.... or not.....
TV SERIES
"Ripley's Believe It or Not!" (1982) TV Series .... Himself (Host) (1982-1986)
"Bronk" (1975) TV Series .... Lt. Alex Bronkov (1975-1976)
"The Greatest Show on Earth" (1963) TV Series .... Johnny Slate (1963-1964)
PILOTS & SEQUELS
Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994) (TV) .... Dr. Jeremy Wheaton (segment "Where the Dead Are")
Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1981) .... Himself - Host
Bronk (1975) (TV) .... Det. Lt. Alex 'Bronk' Bronkov
TV MOVIES
Back When We Were Grownups (2004) (TV) .... Paul 'Poppy' Davitch
Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End (1999) (TV) .... John Witting
I'll Be Home for Christmas (1997) (TV) .... Bob
Ebenezer (1997) (TV) .... Ebenezer Scrooge
Keep the Change (1992) (TV) .... Overstreet
Evil Stalks This House (1981) (TV) .... Stokes
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story (1980) (TV) .... Whitey Robinson
The Ivory Ape (1980) (TV) .... Marc Kazarian
The Godchild (1974) (TV) .... Rourke
TELEVERSIONS
Living with the Dead (2002) (TV) .... Allan Van Praagh
Dracula (1973/I) (TV) .... Count Dracula
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968) (TV) .... Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde
TELE-HISTORY
Buffalo Girls (1995) (TV) .... Bartle Bone
The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979) (TV) .... Will Smith
The Hatfields and the McCoys (1975) (TV) .... Devil Anse Hatfield
"NET Playhouse"
- Trail of Tears (1971) TV Episode .... President Jackson
TELE-CLASSICS
Alice Through the Looking Glass (1966) (TV) .... Jabberwock
GUEST APPEARANCES
"Night Visions"
- Bitter Harvest (2001) TV Episode .... Jake Jennings
"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"
- Planet of the Slave Girls (1979) TV Episode .... Kaleel
"The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour"
- Episode dated 10 October 1973 (1973) TV Episode .... Svengarlic
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
- The Concrete Overcoat Affair: Part 2 (1966) TV Episode .... Louis Strago
- The Concrete Overcoat Affair: Part 1 (1966) TV Episode .... Louis Strago
"Run for Your Life"
- I Am the Late Diana Hays (1966) TV Episode .... Julian Hays
"Convoy"
- The Many Colors of Courage (1965) TV Episode .... Harvey Bell
"Frontier Justice" .... Dan Morgan (2 episodes, 1958-1961)
- Lariat (1961) TV Episode .... Dan Morgan
- Lariat (1958) TV Episode .... Dan Morgan
"Playhouse 90"
- The Death of Manolete (1957) TV Episode .... Manolete
- The Last Tycoon (1957) TV Episode .... Monroe Stahr
- Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956) TV Episode .... Harlan 'Mountain' McClintock
"Zane Grey Theater" .... Dan Morgan (1 episode, 1956)
- The Lariat (1956) TV Episode .... Dan Morgan
[I'm not sure if this is just the first broadcast of the role later to be found in the show 'Frontier Justice'.]
"Suspense" (2 episodes, 1953)
- Cagliostro and the Chess Player (1953) TV Episode
- The Kiss-Off (1953) TV Episode
"The Motorola Television Hour"
- Brandenburg Gate (1953) TV Episode .... Scott Malone/Kurt Bauman
"The Web" (1 episode, 1953)
- The Last Chance (1953) TV Episode
"Danger" (1 episode, 1953)
- Said the Spider to the Fly (1953) TV Episode
"The Gulf Playhouse" (1 episode, 1952)
- Necktie Party (1952) TV Episode
"Studio One" (2 episodes, 1951-1952)
- Little Man, Big World (1952) TV Episode
- The King in Yellow (1951) TV Episode (as Walter Palance)
"Curtain Call" (1 episode, 1952)
- Azaya (1952) TV Episode
"Lights Out" (1 episode, 1950)
- The Man Who Couldn't Remember (1950) TV Episode
THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
"Dame Edna's Hollywood" .... Himself (1 episode, 1991)
- Episode #1.1 (1991) TV Episode .... Himself
"Ripley's Believe It or Not!" (1982) TV Series .... Himself (Host) (1982-1986)
"The Porter Wagoner Show" (1 episode, 1970)
- Episode #1.312 (1970) TV Episode (performer: "The Green, Green Grass of Home", "Blackjack County Chains")
Why did I include that appearance? PALANCE SINGS!
BCnU......
Tele-Toby
Saturday, November 11, 2006
VETERANS' DAY IN TOOBWORLD
Today is Veterans' Day. We remember and pay tribute to the men and women in the military who risk all to protect us and our freedoms back home, here in the United States.
Far too many make the ultimate sacrifice in defending us.
Last year we paid tribute to the memory of Virgil Peterson from 'The Bob Newhart Show'. "The Hostile Mouse" had been a Marine at Iwo Jima and had been portrayed by John Fielder, who passed away earlier in 2005.
This year, we honor two veterans who are still with us, on TV every week:
Both of them had been in the Marines back in the early 1980s and served together in Beirut, Lebanon.
Of course, when I say they served together, that doesn't necessarily mean that they knew each other. There was a large contingent of Marines there in Beirut, hoping to maintain some semblance of peace in Lebanon.
Unfortunately, it all came crashing down on their heads, literally, as they slept.....
From Wikipedia:
The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing was a major incident during the Lebanese Civil War. Two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut housing U.S. and French members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, killing hundreds of soldiers, the majority being U.S. Marines. The October 23, 1983, blasts led to the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping force from Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the Israeli invasion in 1982.
The death toll was 241 American servicemen: 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and 3 Army soldiers. Sixty Americans were injured.
To read the full story, go here.
In their respective jobs, Mac and Gibbs try not to dwell on the past, but there are times when they are forced to confront that history in their lines of work - Mac as a forensics criminologist for the NYPD, and Gibbs as an investigator for the Navy's equivalent department.
Just last year, Mac had to track down a fellow survivor of the attack who was blowing up buildings to prove that America was not yet safe from more attacks. This dredged up memories he thought long buried.
It's not like he wanted to forget; it's just that he was saddled with additional sorrows because his wife perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers.
All in all, I'm sure Mac and Gibbs would say that they were the lucky ones. They survived.
But for Toobworld, they remain the faces to stand in for their fallen comrades, the 241 Marines who didn't survive the attack.
And hopefully, with the presence of Mac and Gibbs on our TV screens each week, we won't be thinking of those other 241 Marines only on Veterans' Day and Memorial Day, but instead throughout the TV season......
BCnU.....
Tele-Toby
Here are some other sites to visit on this topic:
The Beirut Memorial Online
Arlington Cemetery Remembrance
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/terror.htm
Beirut Veterans Info
Far too many make the ultimate sacrifice in defending us.
Last year we paid tribute to the memory of Virgil Peterson from 'The Bob Newhart Show'. "The Hostile Mouse" had been a Marine at Iwo Jima and had been portrayed by John Fielder, who passed away earlier in 2005.
This year, we honor two veterans who are still with us, on TV every week:
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
('NCIS')
&
Mac Taylor
('CSI: NY')
('NCIS')
&
Mac Taylor
('CSI: NY')
Both of them had been in the Marines back in the early 1980s and served together in Beirut, Lebanon.
Of course, when I say they served together, that doesn't necessarily mean that they knew each other. There was a large contingent of Marines there in Beirut, hoping to maintain some semblance of peace in Lebanon.
Unfortunately, it all came crashing down on their heads, literally, as they slept.....
From Wikipedia:
The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing was a major incident during the Lebanese Civil War. Two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut housing U.S. and French members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, killing hundreds of soldiers, the majority being U.S. Marines. The October 23, 1983, blasts led to the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping force from Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the Israeli invasion in 1982.
The death toll was 241 American servicemen: 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and 3 Army soldiers. Sixty Americans were injured.
To read the full story, go here.
In their respective jobs, Mac and Gibbs try not to dwell on the past, but there are times when they are forced to confront that history in their lines of work - Mac as a forensics criminologist for the NYPD, and Gibbs as an investigator for the Navy's equivalent department.
Just last year, Mac had to track down a fellow survivor of the attack who was blowing up buildings to prove that America was not yet safe from more attacks. This dredged up memories he thought long buried.
It's not like he wanted to forget; it's just that he was saddled with additional sorrows because his wife perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers.
All in all, I'm sure Mac and Gibbs would say that they were the lucky ones. They survived.
But for Toobworld, they remain the faces to stand in for their fallen comrades, the 241 Marines who didn't survive the attack.
And hopefully, with the presence of Mac and Gibbs on our TV screens each week, we won't be thinking of those other 241 Marines only on Veterans' Day and Memorial Day, but instead throughout the TV season......
BCnU.....
Tele-Toby
Here are some other sites to visit on this topic:
The Beirut Memorial Online
Arlington Cemetery Remembrance
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/terror.htm
Beirut Veterans Info
Timothy McGee:
"Did I miss someone in his unit?"
Leroy Jethro Gibbs:
"No, all Marines are deceased."
Ernie Yost:
"They look alive."
'NCIS'
Friday, November 10, 2006
SCOBIE DUDE!
So many episodes of 'Doctor Who' to catch up on!
I just finished watching 'Time-Flight", one of the adventures for the Fifth Incarnation of the Doctor. What surprised me about the episode was that I didn't recognize actor Richard Easton as Captain Stapley. I've only become familiar with his work in the last few years. It's hard to believe so many years have passed between that episode and now....
At any rate, I just had one minor note of interest about "Time-Flight" when it comes to Toobworld trivia....
During this adventure, the Doctor first met the Navigator, Roger Scobie. But it was not the first time he met a member of the Scobie family. In the first adventure for the Third Incarnation of the Doctor, "Spearhead From Space", the Time Lord dealt with Major General Scobie.
Major General Scobie didn't look to be the type to marry and raise a family; he was married to the military. So I don't think Roger Scobie was his son. Rather, I think Roger Scobie could call the Major General "Uncle".
That's my theory, at any rate. And there's nothing I can see that says "boo" to it. Especially since both men are still in the same dimension. (The adventures of the Doctor did not transfer to a different dimension for our viewing pleasures until some time between the Eighth Doctor and the Ninth.)
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
I just finished watching 'Time-Flight", one of the adventures for the Fifth Incarnation of the Doctor. What surprised me about the episode was that I didn't recognize actor Richard Easton as Captain Stapley. I've only become familiar with his work in the last few years. It's hard to believe so many years have passed between that episode and now....
At any rate, I just had one minor note of interest about "Time-Flight" when it comes to Toobworld trivia....
During this adventure, the Doctor first met the Navigator, Roger Scobie. But it was not the first time he met a member of the Scobie family. In the first adventure for the Third Incarnation of the Doctor, "Spearhead From Space", the Time Lord dealt with Major General Scobie.
Major General Scobie didn't look to be the type to marry and raise a family; he was married to the military. So I don't think Roger Scobie was his son. Rather, I think Roger Scobie could call the Major General "Uncle".
That's my theory, at any rate. And there's nothing I can see that says "boo" to it. Especially since both men are still in the same dimension. (The adventures of the Doctor did not transfer to a different dimension for our viewing pleasures until some time between the Eighth Doctor and the Ninth.)
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
"CHEERS" 4 "BOSTON LEGAL"!
Check out this item by my crossover compadre, Thom Holbrook:
http://www.poobala.com/bostonandcheers.html
He mentions in the piece that when the name of Melville's restaurant was mentioned, little bells went off in his head, but he couldn't remember at first why it sounded important.
I had the opposite problem. I recognized its significance right away, but forgot all about it by the time the episode ended.
But that's the way it goes in this biz. Thom scoops me and I tip my non-Hat Squad hat to him.
But if David E. Kelley does someday put a "Poobala" reference in one of his shows, it sounds like I may have to tip my Hat Squad hat to Thom!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
http://www.poobala.com/bostonandcheers.html
He mentions in the piece that when the name of Melville's restaurant was mentioned, little bells went off in his head, but he couldn't remember at first why it sounded important.
I had the opposite problem. I recognized its significance right away, but forgot all about it by the time the episode ended.
But that's the way it goes in this biz. Thom scoops me and I tip my non-Hat Squad hat to him.
But if David E. Kelley does someday put a "Poobala" reference in one of his shows, it sounds like I may have to tip my Hat Squad hat to Thom!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
"JACK & BOBBY", MEET THE "BROTHERS & SISTERS"
From Gail Shister's column in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Former 'West Wing' hottie Rob Lowe begins his six-episode arc on 'Brothers & Sisters' Nov. 19, ABC said yesterday. He'll play conservative Sen. Robert McCallister, an interviewee and potential boyfriend for Calista Flockhart's Kitty...
Exciting, yes? No? Well it should be to Toobworld's True Believers!
See, Robert McCallister was the character in 'Jack & Bobby' who grew up to become the President of the United States... in some other TV dimension.
As with the timeline for the TV show remakes in Earth Prime-Time/Delayed, the life of Robert/Bobby McCallister is not aligned between these two dimensions. Unlike with the remakes, however, that's all that is out of alignment; the rest of the timeline appears to be in synch for the time being. (Bush beat Kerry in 2004 in both dimensions, for example.)
At some point after 2009, however, the timelines do split off into different directions, especially because of the "War Of The Americas" which will occur in the 'Jack & Bobby' timeline.
But at least both Robert McCallisters remain true to their political beliefs: according to a website that details the 'Jack & Bobby' chronology, at some point after 2018:
Bobby comes out of the political closet to his mother...as a Republican. (Date is uncertain. It must have been sometime before he ran for Congress. 1x02 "Better Days")
The fact that he looks to be representing California, rather than Missouri, could be easily splained. Besides the difference in age, perhaps his family moved to California, or he moved on his own after growing up as he made his mark in the world after college.
The only way for this exciting tidbit of Toobworld linkage could go off the rails is if we meet any more members of Senator McCallister's family and find out that he doesn't have a brother named Jack and his mother's name isn't Grace.
And since the producers would clearly like to keep Rob Lowe on the show past his six episode arc commitment, that could very well happen.
But it'll be fun to consider while it lasts.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Former 'West Wing' hottie Rob Lowe begins his six-episode arc on 'Brothers & Sisters' Nov. 19, ABC said yesterday. He'll play conservative Sen. Robert McCallister, an interviewee and potential boyfriend for Calista Flockhart's Kitty...
Exciting, yes? No? Well it should be to Toobworld's True Believers!
See, Robert McCallister was the character in 'Jack & Bobby' who grew up to become the President of the United States... in some other TV dimension.
As with the timeline for the TV show remakes in Earth Prime-Time/Delayed, the life of Robert/Bobby McCallister is not aligned between these two dimensions. Unlike with the remakes, however, that's all that is out of alignment; the rest of the timeline appears to be in synch for the time being. (Bush beat Kerry in 2004 in both dimensions, for example.)
At some point after 2009, however, the timelines do split off into different directions, especially because of the "War Of The Americas" which will occur in the 'Jack & Bobby' timeline.
But at least both Robert McCallisters remain true to their political beliefs: according to a website that details the 'Jack & Bobby' chronology, at some point after 2018:
Bobby comes out of the political closet to his mother...as a Republican. (Date is uncertain. It must have been sometime before he ran for Congress. 1x02 "Better Days")
The fact that he looks to be representing California, rather than Missouri, could be easily splained. Besides the difference in age, perhaps his family moved to California, or he moved on his own after growing up as he made his mark in the world after college.
The only way for this exciting tidbit of Toobworld linkage could go off the rails is if we meet any more members of Senator McCallister's family and find out that he doesn't have a brother named Jack and his mother's name isn't Grace.
And since the producers would clearly like to keep Rob Lowe on the show past his six episode arc commitment, that could very well happen.
But it'll be fun to consider while it lasts.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
KRYPTON'S 11/11
From Brent McKee:
For those of you who get Turner Classic Movies, they’ve been showing the Kirk Allyn Superman serial from 1948 on Saturday mornings just before their Cartoon Alley show (one of the only place on TV where you can see classic Warner Brothers and MGM animation on an actual TV without shelling out for DVDs). TCM will wind up the 1948 serial next Saturday (November 11) and then start Atom Man vs. Superman (featuring the only appearance of the Lex Luthor character in either the live action movies or TV until the 1978 movie) the week after.
Months ago I posted some ideas about who could have played classic Superman villains on the TV series. I'm sticking with my idea of RG Armstrong as Luthor.....
So this Saturday, at 10 am EST, TCM will wind up the current serial with Chapters 11 through 15:
"Superman's Dilemma"
"Blast In The Depths"
"Hurled To Destruction"
"Superman At Bay"
"The Payoff"
Then at 11:30, it's 'Cartoon Alley' with some early Bugs, 1940-41:
A Wild Hare (1940), Elmer's Pet Rabbit (1941) and Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941).
Thanks for the head's up, Brent! (You can find the link to Brent's website there to the left: "I Am A Child Of Television".)
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
For those of you who get Turner Classic Movies, they’ve been showing the Kirk Allyn Superman serial from 1948 on Saturday mornings just before their Cartoon Alley show (one of the only place on TV where you can see classic Warner Brothers and MGM animation on an actual TV without shelling out for DVDs). TCM will wind up the 1948 serial next Saturday (November 11) and then start Atom Man vs. Superman (featuring the only appearance of the Lex Luthor character in either the live action movies or TV until the 1978 movie) the week after.
Months ago I posted some ideas about who could have played classic Superman villains on the TV series. I'm sticking with my idea of RG Armstrong as Luthor.....
So this Saturday, at 10 am EST, TCM will wind up the current serial with Chapters 11 through 15:
"Superman's Dilemma"
"Blast In The Depths"
"Hurled To Destruction"
"Superman At Bay"
"The Payoff"
Then at 11:30, it's 'Cartoon Alley' with some early Bugs, 1940-41:
A Wild Hare (1940), Elmer's Pet Rabbit (1941) and Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt (1941).
Thanks for the head's up, Brent! (You can find the link to Brent's website there to the left: "I Am A Child Of Television".)
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Thursday, November 9, 2006
THE HAT SQUAD: ED BRADLEY
Today CBS newsman Ed Bradley passed away in NYC of leukemia. He was 65.
For the last 26 years, he served as one of the correspondents on '60 Minutes'. My brother, who's an editor at the Waterbury Republican-American, remembers when Don Hewitt, the show's former executive producer, told an anecdote at Columbia's School of Journalism about the only story they could never wrestle into shape to be presentable on '60 Minutes', and that "it had to be one Ed Bradley's."
He can't remember what the piece was about, but I imagine that whatever difficulties they had with it was due to Bradley sticking to his guns about how it should be presented.
Along with his work on '60 Minutes' and 'Street Stories', Bradley also served as host for the reworked presentations of '60 Minutes' interviews which dealt with classic television when they were presented as 'TV Land Legends'.
While covering a story in Cambodia back in 1973, Bradley was shot and wounded. "In the instant that that round landed and blew me in the air, I had those separate and distinct thoughts. The guy who was standing right next to where I had been standing had a hole in his back I could put my fist into. I got some shrapnel in my back and it blew a hole through my arm. It just sliced through my arm, so I was lucky. I was lucky."
From his CBS News biography:
Bradley's 60 MINUTES interview with condemned Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh (March 2000) was the only television interview ever given by the man guilty of one of the worst terrorist acts on American soil; it also earned Bradley an Emmy. His reporting on the worst school shooting in American history, "Columbine" (April 2001), revealed on 60 MINUTES II that authorities ignored telling evidence with which they might have prevented the massacre.
Other hourlong reports by Bradley have prompted praise and action: "Death by Denial" (June 2000) won a Peabody Award for focusing on the plight of Africans dying of AIDS and helped convince drug companies to donate and discount AIDS drugs; "Unsafe Haven" (April 1999) spurred federal investigations into the nation's largest chain of psychiatric hospitals; and "Town Under Siege" (December 1997), about a small town battling toxic waste, was named one of the Ten Best Television Programs of 1997 by Time magazine.
Bradley's significant contribution to electronic journalism was also recognized by the Radio/Television News Directors Association when it named him its Paul White Award winner for 2000. He joins other distinguished journalists, such as Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings, as a Paul White recipient.
Mike Wallace, a cohost on 60 Minutes, remarked that Bradley's approach is "instinctive—he has no idea how he does it." Bradley himself resists analyzing his style. He said in an interview, "I'd rather not think about it and just go out and do it, and it will come naturally."
Bradley has a long list of awards. In 1975 he won the Overseas Press Club of America Award for best radio news from abroad. He received an award from the Association of Black Journalists in 1977. His 1979 television documentary, “The Boat People,” earned him an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club of America, and Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for Broadcast Journalism. Bradley’s television documentary, “Blacks in America: With All Deliberate Speed,” won him an Emmy Award, an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award in Broadcast Journalism, a George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award from University of Georgia, and an Ohio State award. In 1995, Bradley won his eleventh Emmy, and was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award grand prize and television first prize for his documentary “CBS Reports: In the Killing Fields of America.” In 2000, the Radio-Television News Directors Association honored Bradley with the Paul White Award. In 2002 he received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.
Here's Ed Bradley, from when he appeared on 'Larry King Live':
BRADLEY: Well, Lena Horn, was certainly -- I've always said when I die and if I do get to the pearly gates and St. Peter says, what have you done to deserve entry, I'd ask him if he saw my Lena Horn piece. It's always been a favorite of mine.
When Bradley interviewed singer Lena Horne (1917–) in December 1981, TV Guide described the journalist's work as "a textbook example of what a great television interview can be."
Bradley alternated Horne's performances with interview segments in which Horne discussed her personal and professional life. Bradley created an intimate (personal) portrait of the singer. Bradley said "it told a lot about the way women are treated, a lot of things about the way blacks are treated. It told a lot of things about interracial marriages, difficulties in the film and entertainment industries and how those things have changed and not changed."
"Lena" won Bradley his first Emmy as a member of the 60 Minutes team.
In closing, I just want to reprint this excerpt from the Congressional Record from thirteen years ago in tribute to the departed newsman:
Mr. BLACKWELL: Mr. Speaker, I am extremely delighted to stand here today to pay tribute to Mr. Ed Bradley, an exceptional gentleman who is well respected for his extraordinary accomplishments and contributions in the field of media broadcasting.
Born in Philadelphia, as the only child of Edward and Gladys Bradley, Ed Bradley has long been known for his ability to boldly face any challenge that is set before him with professionalism and vigor.
In 1959, he entered Cheyney State College as an education major. In addition to his interest in the field of education, Bradley also exhibited a profound enthusiasm in the area of media broadcast. In the early 1960's he worked as an unpaid news reporter and disc jockey at WDAS-FM in Philadelphia whereby he made a remarkable contribution.
Upon graduation from Cheyney, Bradley began his teaching career in a Philadelphia elementary school. While teaching the sixth grade in the 1960's, he became increasingly interested in events that took place during the historic civil rights movement. As a result, he utilized his journalistic talents and spent 48 hours covering the race riots in Philadelphia.
Following that event, he divided his time between teaching, working as a disc jockey, and as a news reporter. In 1967, Bradley made the decision to become a news reporter on a full-time basis. He vigorously sought out to begin his career by applying for a job with WCBS radio in New York.
Many say that the secret to Ed Bradley's success has a lot to do with his honesty, innovative style, and commitment to quality productions.
In 1971 he joined CBS News as a stringer in the Paris Bureau. By September 1972, he was reassigned to Southeast Asia where he covered the Vietnam war as a television correspondent. Unfortunately, during that time he was wounded by mortar fire while on assignment in Cambodia. Nevertheless, his injury did not halt his commitment to his work. In 1974 he returned to Southeast Asia to cover the evacuation of the last Americans in Vietnam.
In 1976, Bradley was assigned to cover the Presidential campaign, covering Jimmy Carter. After Carter became President, he served as a CBS White House correspondent. In 1976 he left that position to become the principal correspondent for CBS Reports.
Bradley received much praise and notoriety for his reports, some of the most outstanding include:
`The Boat People,' written in January 1979; won: Emmy, Alfred I duPont Columbia University, and Oversees Press Club Awards;
`The Boston Goes to China,' written in April 1979; a report on the historic visit by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to China; won: Emmy, George Foster Peabody, and Ohio State Awards;
`Blacks in America: With All Deliberate Speed?' written in July 1979; won: Emmy and Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Awards.
This list of outstanding works, led Bradley to attain overwhelming success and respect as a leader in his field. As a result, in 1981, he joined the well-known `60 Minutes' as a co-editor.
During the time that he has been with `60 Minutes,' Ed Bradley has completed a number of phenomenal reports. His valuable work has been both insightful and inspiring. Much of Ed Bradley's work has exposed both the positive and negative things that occur in the world around us; but most of all, he has helped to educate millions of people through the broadcast media.
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely happy to congratulate Ed Bradley on his vast achievements. He is definitely a role model and a highly skilled professional. Most of all, he has gained his place as a significant part of African-American history, of which we can all be proud.
TV SERIES
"60 Minutes" .... Himself - Correspondent / Himself (35 episodes, 1981-2006)
"TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews" (2002) TV Series .... Host
"Street Stories" (1992) TV Series .... Himself - Host (1992-1993)
TV SPECIALS
CBS at 75 (2003) (TV) .... Himself
Breaking the News (2001) (TV) .... Himself
CBS: The First 50 Years (1998) (TV) .... Himself
We Were There: CBS News at 50 (1998) (TV) .... Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1995) (TV) .... Himself
60 Minutes: The Entertainers (1991) (TV) .... Himself
THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
"Murphy Brown" .... Himself (1 episode, 1993)
- All the Life That's Fit to Print (1993) TV Episode .... Himself
CINEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The Last Party (1993) (uncredited) .... Himself (at GOP convention)
BCnU.....
Tele-Toby
For the last 26 years, he served as one of the correspondents on '60 Minutes'. My brother, who's an editor at the Waterbury Republican-American, remembers when Don Hewitt, the show's former executive producer, told an anecdote at Columbia's School of Journalism about the only story they could never wrestle into shape to be presentable on '60 Minutes', and that "it had to be one Ed Bradley's."
He can't remember what the piece was about, but I imagine that whatever difficulties they had with it was due to Bradley sticking to his guns about how it should be presented.
Along with his work on '60 Minutes' and 'Street Stories', Bradley also served as host for the reworked presentations of '60 Minutes' interviews which dealt with classic television when they were presented as 'TV Land Legends'.
While covering a story in Cambodia back in 1973, Bradley was shot and wounded. "In the instant that that round landed and blew me in the air, I had those separate and distinct thoughts. The guy who was standing right next to where I had been standing had a hole in his back I could put my fist into. I got some shrapnel in my back and it blew a hole through my arm. It just sliced through my arm, so I was lucky. I was lucky."
From his CBS News biography:
Bradley's 60 MINUTES interview with condemned Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh (March 2000) was the only television interview ever given by the man guilty of one of the worst terrorist acts on American soil; it also earned Bradley an Emmy. His reporting on the worst school shooting in American history, "Columbine" (April 2001), revealed on 60 MINUTES II that authorities ignored telling evidence with which they might have prevented the massacre.
Other hourlong reports by Bradley have prompted praise and action: "Death by Denial" (June 2000) won a Peabody Award for focusing on the plight of Africans dying of AIDS and helped convince drug companies to donate and discount AIDS drugs; "Unsafe Haven" (April 1999) spurred federal investigations into the nation's largest chain of psychiatric hospitals; and "Town Under Siege" (December 1997), about a small town battling toxic waste, was named one of the Ten Best Television Programs of 1997 by Time magazine.
Bradley's significant contribution to electronic journalism was also recognized by the Radio/Television News Directors Association when it named him its Paul White Award winner for 2000. He joins other distinguished journalists, such as Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings, as a Paul White recipient.
Mike Wallace, a cohost on 60 Minutes, remarked that Bradley's approach is "instinctive—he has no idea how he does it." Bradley himself resists analyzing his style. He said in an interview, "I'd rather not think about it and just go out and do it, and it will come naturally."
Bradley has a long list of awards. In 1975 he won the Overseas Press Club of America Award for best radio news from abroad. He received an award from the Association of Black Journalists in 1977. His 1979 television documentary, “The Boat People,” earned him an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club of America, and Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for Broadcast Journalism. Bradley’s television documentary, “Blacks in America: With All Deliberate Speed,” won him an Emmy Award, an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award in Broadcast Journalism, a George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award from University of Georgia, and an Ohio State award. In 1995, Bradley won his eleventh Emmy, and was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award grand prize and television first prize for his documentary “CBS Reports: In the Killing Fields of America.” In 2000, the Radio-Television News Directors Association honored Bradley with the Paul White Award. In 2002 he received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.
Here's Ed Bradley, from when he appeared on 'Larry King Live':
BRADLEY: Well, Lena Horn, was certainly -- I've always said when I die and if I do get to the pearly gates and St. Peter says, what have you done to deserve entry, I'd ask him if he saw my Lena Horn piece. It's always been a favorite of mine.
When Bradley interviewed singer Lena Horne (1917–) in December 1981, TV Guide described the journalist's work as "a textbook example of what a great television interview can be."
Bradley alternated Horne's performances with interview segments in which Horne discussed her personal and professional life. Bradley created an intimate (personal) portrait of the singer. Bradley said "it told a lot about the way women are treated, a lot of things about the way blacks are treated. It told a lot of things about interracial marriages, difficulties in the film and entertainment industries and how those things have changed and not changed."
"Lena" won Bradley his first Emmy as a member of the 60 Minutes team.
In closing, I just want to reprint this excerpt from the Congressional Record from thirteen years ago in tribute to the departed newsman:
HON. LUCIEN E. BLACKWELL
in the House of Representatives
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1993
in the House of Representatives
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1993
Mr. BLACKWELL: Mr. Speaker, I am extremely delighted to stand here today to pay tribute to Mr. Ed Bradley, an exceptional gentleman who is well respected for his extraordinary accomplishments and contributions in the field of media broadcasting.
Born in Philadelphia, as the only child of Edward and Gladys Bradley, Ed Bradley has long been known for his ability to boldly face any challenge that is set before him with professionalism and vigor.
In 1959, he entered Cheyney State College as an education major. In addition to his interest in the field of education, Bradley also exhibited a profound enthusiasm in the area of media broadcast. In the early 1960's he worked as an unpaid news reporter and disc jockey at WDAS-FM in Philadelphia whereby he made a remarkable contribution.
Upon graduation from Cheyney, Bradley began his teaching career in a Philadelphia elementary school. While teaching the sixth grade in the 1960's, he became increasingly interested in events that took place during the historic civil rights movement. As a result, he utilized his journalistic talents and spent 48 hours covering the race riots in Philadelphia.
Following that event, he divided his time between teaching, working as a disc jockey, and as a news reporter. In 1967, Bradley made the decision to become a news reporter on a full-time basis. He vigorously sought out to begin his career by applying for a job with WCBS radio in New York.
Many say that the secret to Ed Bradley's success has a lot to do with his honesty, innovative style, and commitment to quality productions.
In 1971 he joined CBS News as a stringer in the Paris Bureau. By September 1972, he was reassigned to Southeast Asia where he covered the Vietnam war as a television correspondent. Unfortunately, during that time he was wounded by mortar fire while on assignment in Cambodia. Nevertheless, his injury did not halt his commitment to his work. In 1974 he returned to Southeast Asia to cover the evacuation of the last Americans in Vietnam.
In 1976, Bradley was assigned to cover the Presidential campaign, covering Jimmy Carter. After Carter became President, he served as a CBS White House correspondent. In 1976 he left that position to become the principal correspondent for CBS Reports.
Bradley received much praise and notoriety for his reports, some of the most outstanding include:
`The Boat People,' written in January 1979; won: Emmy, Alfred I duPont Columbia University, and Oversees Press Club Awards;
`The Boston Goes to China,' written in April 1979; a report on the historic visit by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to China; won: Emmy, George Foster Peabody, and Ohio State Awards;
`Blacks in America: With All Deliberate Speed?' written in July 1979; won: Emmy and Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Awards.
This list of outstanding works, led Bradley to attain overwhelming success and respect as a leader in his field. As a result, in 1981, he joined the well-known `60 Minutes' as a co-editor.
During the time that he has been with `60 Minutes,' Ed Bradley has completed a number of phenomenal reports. His valuable work has been both insightful and inspiring. Much of Ed Bradley's work has exposed both the positive and negative things that occur in the world around us; but most of all, he has helped to educate millions of people through the broadcast media.
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely happy to congratulate Ed Bradley on his vast achievements. He is definitely a role model and a highly skilled professional. Most of all, he has gained his place as a significant part of African-American history, of which we can all be proud.
TV SERIES
"60 Minutes" .... Himself - Correspondent / Himself (35 episodes, 1981-2006)
"TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews" (2002) TV Series .... Host
"Street Stories" (1992) TV Series .... Himself - Host (1992-1993)
TV SPECIALS
CBS at 75 (2003) (TV) .... Himself
Breaking the News (2001) (TV) .... Himself
CBS: The First 50 Years (1998) (TV) .... Himself
We Were There: CBS News at 50 (1998) (TV) .... Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1995) (TV) .... Himself
60 Minutes: The Entertainers (1991) (TV) .... Himself
THE LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES
"Murphy Brown" .... Himself (1 episode, 1993)
- All the Life That's Fit to Print (1993) TV Episode .... Himself
CINEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The Last Party (1993) (uncredited) .... Himself (at GOP convention)
BCnU.....
Tele-Toby
"When it gets to the point where it's not fun anymore,
I've always hoped that I would have the courage to say goodbye and walk away from it. "
Ed Bradley
SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM
The guys over at "Tommy Westphall's Mind" (link to the left), and their faithful followers, have come up with plenty of new additions to the Westphallian version of the TV Universe, thanks to the Morley's brand of cigarettes.
Morley's first came to notice with many appearances on 'The X-Files' as the brand of choice for Cigarette Smoking Man. (But according to Wikipedia, they first appeared in an episode of 'Mission: Impossible'.)
It was thanks to my Toobworld ally Hugh that I learned they also made an appearance in an episode of 'The Power Rangers'. Then it turned out that Spike the vampire on 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' smoked the brand as well.
After that, the mentions and sightings of Morley's cigarettes kept piling up, like the butts at an all-night poker game.
Recently, the Westphallians found out from a visitor that Morley's made an appearance in an episode of 'CSI'. This was cause for excitement, as that automatically brings in the two spin-offs, 'CSI: Miami' and 'CSI: NY'.
And then it happened again just a few weeks ago with 'Criminal Minds':
"On tonight's episode, "North Mammon", 13 Morley 100s cigarette butts are an important piece of evidence. I don't watch the show, but I happened to flip past it just as this reference appeared."
As I watch 'Lost', there was no way I was going to find that out myself, which is why it's always good to hang out with the competition. LOL!
Wikipedia has a list of other sightings for the cancer sticks, to which can now be added 'CSI':
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
'Criminal Minds'
'CSI'
'ER'
'Jake 2.0.'
'Killer Instinct'
'Malcolm in the Middle'
'Millennium'
'Mission Impossible'
'Nash Bridges'
'The Outer Limits'
'Space Above And Beyond'
'The X-Files'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Morley's first came to notice with many appearances on 'The X-Files' as the brand of choice for Cigarette Smoking Man. (But according to Wikipedia, they first appeared in an episode of 'Mission: Impossible'.)
It was thanks to my Toobworld ally Hugh that I learned they also made an appearance in an episode of 'The Power Rangers'. Then it turned out that Spike the vampire on 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' smoked the brand as well.
After that, the mentions and sightings of Morley's cigarettes kept piling up, like the butts at an all-night poker game.
Recently, the Westphallians found out from a visitor that Morley's made an appearance in an episode of 'CSI'. This was cause for excitement, as that automatically brings in the two spin-offs, 'CSI: Miami' and 'CSI: NY'.
And then it happened again just a few weeks ago with 'Criminal Minds':
"On tonight's episode, "North Mammon", 13 Morley 100s cigarette butts are an important piece of evidence. I don't watch the show, but I happened to flip past it just as this reference appeared."
As I watch 'Lost', there was no way I was going to find that out myself, which is why it's always good to hang out with the competition. LOL!
Wikipedia has a list of other sightings for the cancer sticks, to which can now be added 'CSI':
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
'Criminal Minds'
'CSI'
'ER'
'Jake 2.0.'
'Killer Instinct'
'Malcolm in the Middle'
'Millennium'
'Mission Impossible'
'Nash Bridges'
'The Outer Limits'
'Space Above And Beyond'
'The X-Files'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
FOX TELEVISION (MICHAEL J., THAT IS)
There are different ways to interpret the TV Universe. First off there's my Toobworld concept, in which everything is tossed into the mix and then sorted out when need be. There are also those who accept only those TV shows with legitimate connections, either by crossovers or mentions of and appearances by characters (or props or fictional locations). Then there's the Tommy Westphall group, who only accept established connections, but which have to ultimately lead back to 'St. Elsewhere', because the whole TV Universe takes place in an autistic boy's head. (He's a young man now, of course. But you get what I mean, right?)
Except for the bit about it only existing within Tommy's mind, Toobworld automatically has absorbed all of those versions within itself.
And then there are those who focus only one particular corner of the TV Universe, expanding it only so far as it may concern their interests.
Take for example a new member of the Tommy Westphall's Mind gang of commenters, "bttf4444". This person is a Marty McFly fan from "Back To The Future", a movie trilogy which has a somewhat tenuous connection to Toobworld. (We'd see Doc Brown's hand as he narrated some cartoons from underneath the DeLorean which he was repairing.)
"bttf4444" introduced herself (I'm guessing on the gender, but that's the take I get on the writing.) with this:
"My interest in the Tommy Westphall Universe has been brought on by my love for Michael J Fox - and the connection of his respective characters in 'Family Ties' and 'Spin City'. So here's something to ponder on. For of all, does MJF even exist Tommy Westphall's Universe? If so, did he marry Tracy Pollan? Also, how did MJF get his big break? Or did he just remain being a little known actor?
Here are my thoughts: yes, MJF does exist in the Tommy Wistful Universe. No, he didn't marry Tracy Pollan - because, in 'our' world, he met her on the set of 'Family Ties'. Because 'Family Ties' obviously doesn't exist as a series in the Tommy Westphall Universe, MJF ends up marrying someone else. However, Alex Keaton does end up marrying Ellen Reed. I initially said that MJF got his big break, when 'Class of 1984' became a sitcom. However, upon learning more about that movie, I decided that it doesn't really fit. Instead, I'll probably say that 'Leo and Me' had spawned a sitcom spin-off in the Tommy Westphall Universe - and the sitcom spin-off becomes very successful."
Okay, "bttf4444" kind of lost me by the end there with all the talk about "Class of 1984" and "Leo and Me", but I did enjoy the theory about Fox marrying Pollan - did it happen in the TV Universe?
Okay, here's the Toobworld take, and the generalities can be applied to just about anybody, even if they aren't celebrities.
Everybody in the Trueniverse has a doppelganger in Toobworld. Their lives are basically the same, altered only by the dynamics of "better living through Television".
Here's what I wrote about the subject in "The Tubeworld Dynamic", a prototype for this blog, the introductory page of which still exists on the web. (See the link to the left.)
"Fred Murphy visited the website and asked: "Who/what are the doppelgangers of non-watchers like me?"
Since Tubeworld is an alternate version of our own Earth, there would be TV versions of everybody here in the Real World, even if we never did show up on TV; even if ::shudder:: we don't even watch. We've coined the term "tele-version" to describe these characters. [With the widespread use of home videos in comedy shows, and crowd scenes at sports events, and background shots for news broadcasts, more of us ordinary folk are showing up on TV every day!]
Our counterparts on Tubeworld would probably be similar to us here, with only a few minor adjustments due to the influence of TV. There would be a lot more single-parent families with wisecracking kids; we would all have wacky neighbors and off-the-wall co-workers; and we'd suffer from amnesia a lot!
Let's say you're a cop here in the Real World. You'd probably be a cop in Tubeworld as well. But Tubeworld cops have one of the following differences:
1) a distinctive last name 2) a unique vehicle
3) a gimmick 4) a handicap
So take a look at your life and see what influence TV cliches might have on it if you were a TV character. Work in an office? Maybe you'd be stuck in a soul-numbing cubicle like Matt Peyser on 'Working'. Are you adopted and perhaps with unique features; somewhat different from those around you? Maybe your doppelganger's real father was an alien disguised as a human like on 'Starman'!
Or, thanks to 'America's Funniest Home Videos', maybe you just get hit in the crotch with a rake...."
The same would apply to Michael J. Fox. He exists in the TV Universe as do his characters of Mike Flaherty ('Spin City') and Alex Keaton ('Family Ties') and - up until two weeks ago, Daniel Post ('Boston Legal').
(However, in the TV Universe which is made up of many parallel dimensions, 'Spin City' is in an alternate dimension where Randall Winston was the mayor instead of Rudy Giuliani. That dimension does have its own Alex Keaton however, even though 'Family Ties' stays rooted in the main Toobworld. This is because Flaherty got to meet that dimension's Alex Keaton, now a congressman, in Fox's final episode as the star of 'Spin City'.)
When anybody - it never has to be a celebrity - appears on a TV show as themselves, they become automatic members of the League of Themselves. Here at Toobworld Central, we give favor to those appearances that take place in fictional settings like sitcoms and dramas. Two good examples from the worlds of sports and politics - Keith Hernandez on 'Seinfeld' and former President Gerald Ford on 'Dynasty'.
Because Toobworld is made up of EVERYTHING that is broadcast, appearances by people as themselves on talk shows, game shows, reality shows, infomercials, and news reports are also included. However, Toobworld Central tries (as best we can - the temptation is great!) to ignore these appearances in favor of the more interesting fictional ones. At best, we may use them in such things as our "Hat Squad" tributes if they provide some interesting flavor which informs the basic nature of the person's TV personality.
Tom Cruise's appearance on 'Oprah' last year, jumping on the couch, is a good example. It's a pop culture moment that has been referenced in other shows by now, I'm fairly certain, so we have to accept it as a true Toobworld moment.
And the same would go for the "tele-version" of Michael J. Fox. Most recently, his TV life would, like his real life, be under scrutiny for the campaign spots he did for Democratic candidate Claire McCaskill in Missouri, now the Senator-Elect.
Looking over his credits in the IMDb.com, I don't see any shows where he has made fictional appearances as himself. The closest thing would be the Saturday morning PSAs for 'One To Grow On', in which a fictional scene - one to which kids could relate - would be acted out and then a celebrity would step out and instruct the viewers on the best way to handle that particular situation.
(This appearance marks Michael J. Fox as a serlinguist, able to communicate through the fourth wall to the audience viewing at home in the Trueniverse.)
David Spade's portrayal of Michael J. Fox in an episode of 'Saturday Night Live' doesn't count toward Fox's televersion in the main Toobworld. Instead, that's part of his ever-changing genetic makeup in the sketch comedy dimension, Skitlandia.
But since his talk show appearances do count for background information and flavor, we have to accept that TV's Michael J. Fox is married to TV's Tracy Pollan. However, as is the case with his ability of serlinguism, there are some differences in his circumstances.
As "bttf4444" pointed out, it's likely he never met her on the set of 'Family Ties', as that show really exists in Toobworld. Michael J. Fox and Alex Keaton share the same world and could conceivably even meet each other someday. If 'Family Ties' has been mentioned in other TV shows as a pop culture reference, it could either be that it's the same title but a different show, or - the reference is really specific - a show was created about the Keaton family over there because some network executive thought they'd make the basis for a good TV series based on their lives. (That line of thinking avoids the headache of Zonks.)
In that second supposition, it could be that the TV version of Michael J. Fox also starred on the fictional 'Family Ties', because of his amazing resemblance to Alex Keaton. And if so, then Fox could still have met his future wife on that show because Tracy Pollan was also cast due to her amazing resemblance to the character she was playing, Ellen Reed. (By the way, in Toobworld theory, Ellen Reed is related to the Reed 'Sisters'.)
But suppose Fox is never mentioned when it comes to the pop culture references to 'Family Ties'? Then we work on the assumption that he had no connection to the show whatsoever. And in that case, he didn't meet Tracy Pollan on the set of the show.
However, since his talk show appearances would include mention of his marriage (especially now with the topic invariably turning more to his physical ailments than to his career), we just have to assume that somehow Fox finally did meet Pollan under different circumstances than he did in the Real World.
Some things are kismet and just can't be avoided.
(By the way, according to the IMDb.com, references about 'Family Ties' were made in 'Family Guy' and in 'South Park'. But as both of those shows exist in the Tooniverse, and not the main Toobworld, they don't count.
'Psych' also made a reference to 'Family Ties' in one episode. As kids, both Shawn and Gus had major crushes on Meredith Baxter Birney, who played Elyse Keaton on the show. But Shawn claimed that his infatuation was due to her being the mother of his hero, Alex Keaton. Since Fox isn't named, maybe some other actor played Alex to Baxter-Birney's Elyse?)
I'm hoping Michael J. Fox does get the chance to appear as himself in a fictional setting someday in either a drama (the upcoming '3 lbs.' on CBS, perhaps?) or in a sitcom. (Ideally, this would probably be either 'Entourage' or 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on HBO. Or maybe '30 Rock' for his old home network, NBC!)
Well, I'm sure that was a long and confusing and meandering essay. But Toobworld is nothing if not a time-waster. And if you feel like you've just lost ten minutes of your life in reading this....
Sorry. No refunds.
Thanks for the inspiration, "bttf4444"!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Except for the bit about it only existing within Tommy's mind, Toobworld automatically has absorbed all of those versions within itself.
And then there are those who focus only one particular corner of the TV Universe, expanding it only so far as it may concern their interests.
Take for example a new member of the Tommy Westphall's Mind gang of commenters, "bttf4444". This person is a Marty McFly fan from "Back To The Future", a movie trilogy which has a somewhat tenuous connection to Toobworld. (We'd see Doc Brown's hand as he narrated some cartoons from underneath the DeLorean which he was repairing.)
"bttf4444" introduced herself (I'm guessing on the gender, but that's the take I get on the writing.) with this:
"My interest in the Tommy Westphall Universe has been brought on by my love for Michael J Fox - and the connection of his respective characters in 'Family Ties' and 'Spin City'. So here's something to ponder on. For of all, does MJF even exist Tommy Westphall's Universe? If so, did he marry Tracy Pollan? Also, how did MJF get his big break? Or did he just remain being a little known actor?
Here are my thoughts: yes, MJF does exist in the Tommy Wistful Universe. No, he didn't marry Tracy Pollan - because, in 'our' world, he met her on the set of 'Family Ties'. Because 'Family Ties' obviously doesn't exist as a series in the Tommy Westphall Universe, MJF ends up marrying someone else. However, Alex Keaton does end up marrying Ellen Reed. I initially said that MJF got his big break, when 'Class of 1984' became a sitcom. However, upon learning more about that movie, I decided that it doesn't really fit. Instead, I'll probably say that 'Leo and Me' had spawned a sitcom spin-off in the Tommy Westphall Universe - and the sitcom spin-off becomes very successful."
Okay, "bttf4444" kind of lost me by the end there with all the talk about "Class of 1984" and "Leo and Me", but I did enjoy the theory about Fox marrying Pollan - did it happen in the TV Universe?
Okay, here's the Toobworld take, and the generalities can be applied to just about anybody, even if they aren't celebrities.
Everybody in the Trueniverse has a doppelganger in Toobworld. Their lives are basically the same, altered only by the dynamics of "better living through Television".
Here's what I wrote about the subject in "The Tubeworld Dynamic", a prototype for this blog, the introductory page of which still exists on the web. (See the link to the left.)
"Fred Murphy visited the website and asked: "Who/what are the doppelgangers of non-watchers like me?"
Since Tubeworld is an alternate version of our own Earth, there would be TV versions of everybody here in the Real World, even if we never did show up on TV; even if ::shudder:: we don't even watch. We've coined the term "tele-version" to describe these characters. [With the widespread use of home videos in comedy shows, and crowd scenes at sports events, and background shots for news broadcasts, more of us ordinary folk are showing up on TV every day!]
Our counterparts on Tubeworld would probably be similar to us here, with only a few minor adjustments due to the influence of TV. There would be a lot more single-parent families with wisecracking kids; we would all have wacky neighbors and off-the-wall co-workers; and we'd suffer from amnesia a lot!
Let's say you're a cop here in the Real World. You'd probably be a cop in Tubeworld as well. But Tubeworld cops have one of the following differences:
1) a distinctive last name 2) a unique vehicle
3) a gimmick 4) a handicap
So take a look at your life and see what influence TV cliches might have on it if you were a TV character. Work in an office? Maybe you'd be stuck in a soul-numbing cubicle like Matt Peyser on 'Working'. Are you adopted and perhaps with unique features; somewhat different from those around you? Maybe your doppelganger's real father was an alien disguised as a human like on 'Starman'!
Or, thanks to 'America's Funniest Home Videos', maybe you just get hit in the crotch with a rake...."
The same would apply to Michael J. Fox. He exists in the TV Universe as do his characters of Mike Flaherty ('Spin City') and Alex Keaton ('Family Ties') and - up until two weeks ago, Daniel Post ('Boston Legal').
(However, in the TV Universe which is made up of many parallel dimensions, 'Spin City' is in an alternate dimension where Randall Winston was the mayor instead of Rudy Giuliani. That dimension does have its own Alex Keaton however, even though 'Family Ties' stays rooted in the main Toobworld. This is because Flaherty got to meet that dimension's Alex Keaton, now a congressman, in Fox's final episode as the star of 'Spin City'.)
When anybody - it never has to be a celebrity - appears on a TV show as themselves, they become automatic members of the League of Themselves. Here at Toobworld Central, we give favor to those appearances that take place in fictional settings like sitcoms and dramas. Two good examples from the worlds of sports and politics - Keith Hernandez on 'Seinfeld' and former President Gerald Ford on 'Dynasty'.
Because Toobworld is made up of EVERYTHING that is broadcast, appearances by people as themselves on talk shows, game shows, reality shows, infomercials, and news reports are also included. However, Toobworld Central tries (as best we can - the temptation is great!) to ignore these appearances in favor of the more interesting fictional ones. At best, we may use them in such things as our "Hat Squad" tributes if they provide some interesting flavor which informs the basic nature of the person's TV personality.
Tom Cruise's appearance on 'Oprah' last year, jumping on the couch, is a good example. It's a pop culture moment that has been referenced in other shows by now, I'm fairly certain, so we have to accept it as a true Toobworld moment.
And the same would go for the "tele-version" of Michael J. Fox. Most recently, his TV life would, like his real life, be under scrutiny for the campaign spots he did for Democratic candidate Claire McCaskill in Missouri, now the Senator-Elect.
Looking over his credits in the IMDb.com, I don't see any shows where he has made fictional appearances as himself. The closest thing would be the Saturday morning PSAs for 'One To Grow On', in which a fictional scene - one to which kids could relate - would be acted out and then a celebrity would step out and instruct the viewers on the best way to handle that particular situation.
(This appearance marks Michael J. Fox as a serlinguist, able to communicate through the fourth wall to the audience viewing at home in the Trueniverse.)
David Spade's portrayal of Michael J. Fox in an episode of 'Saturday Night Live' doesn't count toward Fox's televersion in the main Toobworld. Instead, that's part of his ever-changing genetic makeup in the sketch comedy dimension, Skitlandia.
But since his talk show appearances do count for background information and flavor, we have to accept that TV's Michael J. Fox is married to TV's Tracy Pollan. However, as is the case with his ability of serlinguism, there are some differences in his circumstances.
As "bttf4444" pointed out, it's likely he never met her on the set of 'Family Ties', as that show really exists in Toobworld. Michael J. Fox and Alex Keaton share the same world and could conceivably even meet each other someday. If 'Family Ties' has been mentioned in other TV shows as a pop culture reference, it could either be that it's the same title but a different show, or - the reference is really specific - a show was created about the Keaton family over there because some network executive thought they'd make the basis for a good TV series based on their lives. (That line of thinking avoids the headache of Zonks.)
In that second supposition, it could be that the TV version of Michael J. Fox also starred on the fictional 'Family Ties', because of his amazing resemblance to Alex Keaton. And if so, then Fox could still have met his future wife on that show because Tracy Pollan was also cast due to her amazing resemblance to the character she was playing, Ellen Reed. (By the way, in Toobworld theory, Ellen Reed is related to the Reed 'Sisters'.)
But suppose Fox is never mentioned when it comes to the pop culture references to 'Family Ties'? Then we work on the assumption that he had no connection to the show whatsoever. And in that case, he didn't meet Tracy Pollan on the set of the show.
However, since his talk show appearances would include mention of his marriage (especially now with the topic invariably turning more to his physical ailments than to his career), we just have to assume that somehow Fox finally did meet Pollan under different circumstances than he did in the Real World.
Some things are kismet and just can't be avoided.
(By the way, according to the IMDb.com, references about 'Family Ties' were made in 'Family Guy' and in 'South Park'. But as both of those shows exist in the Tooniverse, and not the main Toobworld, they don't count.
'Psych' also made a reference to 'Family Ties' in one episode. As kids, both Shawn and Gus had major crushes on Meredith Baxter Birney, who played Elyse Keaton on the show. But Shawn claimed that his infatuation was due to her being the mother of his hero, Alex Keaton. Since Fox isn't named, maybe some other actor played Alex to Baxter-Birney's Elyse?)
I'm hoping Michael J. Fox does get the chance to appear as himself in a fictional setting someday in either a drama (the upcoming '3 lbs.' on CBS, perhaps?) or in a sitcom. (Ideally, this would probably be either 'Entourage' or 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' on HBO. Or maybe '30 Rock' for his old home network, NBC!)
Well, I'm sure that was a long and confusing and meandering essay. But Toobworld is nothing if not a time-waster. And if you feel like you've just lost ten minutes of your life in reading this....
Sorry. No refunds.
Thanks for the inspiration, "bttf4444"!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
"Hey, hold on. What are you guys doing?
You guys, you're better than this, alright?
I mean, you made people happy once, and you can do it again!
Come on, what do you say?"
"Michael J. Fox"
'Saturday Night Live'
You guys, you're better than this, alright?
I mean, you made people happy once, and you can do it again!
Come on, what do you say?"
"Michael J. Fox"
'Saturday Night Live'
THEORY OF RELATEEVEETY
'LOST' & 'VERONICA MARS'
But it did bring back, in flashback, US Marshal Edward Mars, Kate's personal Jalvert as played by Frederick Lehne.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Edward Mars is - in Toobworld theory - the cousin of Keith Mars who is a private investigator in Neptune, California.
I just wish either one of the shows had mentioned that as well.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
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