BACK TO THE FUTURAMA

"Futurama is the perfect gift
for graduations, bridesmaids, birthdays, and anniversaries."
Hal March
'The $64,000.00 Question'

Just so long as the original cast members return to do the voice-work!

BCnU!

LINKING JACK'S FLASH

At the very end of the mini-series 'Torchwood: Children Of Earth', Captain Jack Harkness sent a signal into space via his repaired wrist-thingie. He did this in order to be picked up by a cold fusion cruiser which was surfing the ion reefs at the edge of the Solar System.

I'm thinking he contacted the Dentrassi who were on board, the in-flight caterers for that cruiser. Or it could have been an alien up on the Lido Deck.... This could mean that he was hitching a ride on another Vogon cruiser, but it's more likely that the Dentrassi hire out their services to other alien races - and therefore we're not limited to just 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy' for this theoretical cross-over......

BCnU!

UNSTUCK IN TIME: THE END OF "PRIMEVAL"

Spoilers ahead!

The final episode of 'Primeval' aired in the United States last night, and as I expected, it ended with a cliff-hanger. Team leader Danny Quinn was trapped 3-4 million years ago at Site 333 in the Afar Triangle of Ethiopia. This is where early hominids were on the rise in evolutionary development. In fact, the episode provided a Toobworld splainin as to why the remains of 13 early hominids were discovered there in 1975. (Scientists believe that they all died at the same time, giving a possible “snapshot” view of how they lived.) As for Connor and Abby, they were trapped in the Jurassic age, literally up a tree to protect them from velociraptors. Meanwhile, back in the "present", Sarah told Captain Becker that she had an idea as to how to get them all back. To me, that's the real cliff-hanger. Otherwise, we're just going to have to assume that Connor and Abby and Danny could be trapped in the distant past until they died. If so, the three of them must have made sure they did nothing to alter the timeline. Danny arrived in the past long before the arrival of the Golgafrinchams from 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy', so he didn't have the opportunity to breed with them or even with the Neanderthals. (And I don't think he'd be THAT desperate to try with the native hominids he did meet!)

As for Connor and Abby, if they could even have made it through the next day, it's doubtful they'd be able to survive long enough to start a family and be Earth Prime-Time's Adam and Eve far sooner than expected. (The real Adam and Eve for the main Toobworld would be Adam Cook and Eve Norda from 'The Twilight Zone' episode "Probe 7 - Over And Out". The Biblical Adam and Eve can be found in the history of Earth Prime-Time's orbital neighbor, Mondas (from 'Doctor Who'). Then again, maybe one of them did alter the timeline for Earth Prime-Time, just as Nick and Helen Cutter did at the end of the first season for 'Primeval'. If so, we can use them as an excuse to correct any future problems caused by other TV shows.

The show's creators didn't have a clue they were about to be cancelled; maybe if they had, we could have been spared the cliff-hanger and some closure could have been provided. As stated in the Guardian's blog, " 'Primeval' looked like [it was] having a real future. The rescue package proposed by Impossible Pictures, which might have seen ITV share production costs with an independent channel like Sci Fi, was clearly deemed a leap of faith too far into the realms of common sense. And ITV now find themselves in the insane position of having just axed a successful show that has a Hollywood movie in development and a US spin-off as a strong likelihood." If that's true, maybe a US spin-off could provide that closure for the characters of Danny Quinn, Connor Temple, and Abby Maitland......

Anyhoo, I'd like to think that Sarah Page and Captain Becker did find a way to bring them all back to our time. After all, life continues in Toobworld even after cancellation; we just don't get the chance to see what happens.

Oh well. At least we don't have to worry about the future of that bitch Helen Cutter. I wouldn't exactly call her fate a "cliff-hanger". "Cliff-faller", maybe. Who'd-a guessed that one could be thankful to a velociraptor?

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: HOWARD CARTER

HOWARD CARTER

AS SEEN IN:
'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'

AS PLAYED BY:
Pip Torrens

Howard Carter (9 May 1874 – 2 March 1939) was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

In 1908, after three hard years, Carter was employed by Lord Carnarvon. In supervising Carnarvon's excavations Carter imposed modern archaeological methods and systems of recording.

Carnarvon financed Carter's work in the Valley of the Kings from 1914, but it was interrupted by World War I until 1917, when serious work was resumed. After several years of fruitless searching, Carnarvon became dissatisfied with the lack of results and, in 1922, he gave Carter one more season of funding to find the tomb he was searching for.

On 4 November 1922, Carter's water boy found the steps leading to Tutankhamun's tomb (subsequently designated KV62), by far the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. He wired Carnarvon to come, and on 26 November 1922, with Carnarvon, Carnarvon's daughter, and others in attendance, Carter made the famous "tiny breach in the top left hand corner" of the doorway, and was able to peer in by the light of a candle and see that many of the gold and ebony treasures were still in place.

He did not yet know at that point whether it was "a tomb or merely a cache", but he did see a promising sealed doorway between two sentinel statues. When Carnarvon asked him if he saw anything, Carter replied: "Yes, I see wonderful things".

(from Wikipedia)

BCnU!

TORCHWOOD SPOOKS

In April, the BBC announced that 'Spooks' (known over in the US as 'MI-5') would be going back into production for broadcast in autumn... at least in the United Kingdom. It seems the first episode upon its return for an 8th series will reveal the fate of team leader Harry Pearce after he was kidnapped by Soviet agents.

Although the Beeb won't say what will happen with Harry, it is known that the characters of Ros Myers and Lucas North will be returning to the show.

Here's how things stood in the last episode of 'Spooks', which aired on December 8, 2008:

"With the Russian mole inside MI-5 now in custody, the team tries to decipher the information Lucas North obtained in Moscow. It is apparent that the Russian intelligence service had their own equivalent to the British Sugar Horse network and have sleeper agents across Britain and throughout the various security agencies. Information from the mole indicates that a thermonuclear device will be exploded in central London and offers to reveal the identity of all sleeper agents in the UK if they agree to provide protection and a relocation package. The Russians have issued instructions to kill Harry Pearce and all of the members of Section D so getting to the mole's information will be difficult. Harry decides to meet his Russian counterpart to ensure he knows that they will all die if they don't work together to stop the bombing."

[That's from an episode summary on IMDb.com.] Here's a quick update on various characters:

When last seen, Harry was bundled into the trunk of a car.

Colin Wells, Danny Hunter, Zafar Younis, Adam Carter and his wife Fiona Carter of MI6 were all dead by series end.

Ruth Evershed, having been framed, faked her own death and disappeared.

Zoe Reynolds is also in hiding with her boyfriend, after a disastrous mistake in judgement during an operation.

Tom Quinn was forced out of the service, even after being cleared of wrong-doing.

Sam Buxton left the service on her own.

Juliet Shaw was left paralyzed in a bomb attack and was later exposed as the chief of Yalta. She tried to kill Ros.

Still in service with MI5: Malcolm Wynn-Jones, a genius at deductive analysis, is somewhat colorless in personality, much like George Smiley; the face of what spies should be really like.

Lucas North spent eight years in a Russian prison and when he came back, his loyalties were questioned by others.

Ros Myers, formerly of MI6, is now in charge of Section D. I bring this all up because when 'Spooks' returns in August, those characters who had been on the show previously will need to have had some excuse to be away from Thames House (home of MI5) during the 4-5-6 crisis. This was seen in the 'Torchwood: Children Of Earth' mini-series, which just concluded in the United States.

When Torchwood members Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones stood up against the Ambassador of the 4-5-6, the alien released a virus that locked off Thames House and killed all but a man named Dekker. (He was smart enough to get into a HAZMAT suit.) Jack, of course, later came back to life. Ianto was not so fortunate...... There were several shots of various MI5 personnel running to the doors in order to escape, but the lock-down kept them sealed in. As they died, the bodies were piled up ten deep at the front door, according to Dekker. If Ros and Lucas are definitely coming back, then they must have been off on some mission. Or just happened to luckily take a lunch break at the time. The same could be said for Malcolm Wynn-Jones, although I don't know if that actor is coming back to the series.

Whoever doesn't come back among recurring players, it could be said that they died in that stampede at the gates......
BCnU!

AXE MAN NEWS

The TV Universe, by way of DVD, may soon be getting a prequel to 'Burn Notice' which will be all about Michael Westen's buddy Sam Axe. To this televisiologist, it's a sure winner since Bruce Campbell, who plays Sam, has a very loyal fan base.

Apparently, the USA network is talking with Fox, which makes the series, about producing the prequel which would cover Axe's adventures before his attempts to help blacklisted spy Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan). It's too early to celebrate Sam reaching the 2/3rds of the way to membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame. But a deal may be likely to have it in place for the end of the year.

It could be that Sam could make his full membership if a 'Burn Notice' feature film gets made. At Comic-Con this weekend, Creator Matt Nix was asked about just such a possibility.

"We've entertained the idea," Nix said. "We all start thinking, 'Wow, we should crash two helicopters into each other. Maybe we need a movie budget.' "

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: VANN THE MAN

AS SEEN IN:
"A Bright Shining Lie"

AS PLAYED BY:
Bill Paxton

John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War [as a whistleblower and the first civilian commander of US troops].

Journalist Neil Sheehan wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam history and biography of Vann, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. In this book, Sheehan examines Vann's alleged career-stunting incident involving a morals charge during his service in West Germany, and how this possibly affected Vann's future actions and resulting career path in Vietnam. In 1998, HBO made a film (IMDB link) adapted from the book, with Bill Paxton playing the role of Vann.

For more, go to Wikipedia's entry.

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 07/2009-C: QUEEK STRAW

I'm running late with this week's induction into the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame. But I was waiting to borrow a DVD from a co-worker to get just the right frame grab for this piece.

For the third week of the month in this 10th anniversary year, we've been inducting characters from the Tooniverse. And since it's July, I wanted to keep it in a Western theme, per tradition. And that's why our honorees this month are that Durango Duo....

QUICK DRAW McGRAW
&
BABA LOUIE

Sure, they were eligible not only for their many Hannah-Barbera crossovers - like "Yogi Bear's Laff-a-Lympics" - to go along with their own series of cartoons, but also because of a cameo appearance that is so over the top, it demanded special mention. (Sure, Quick Draw McGraw was a client of 'Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law', but then, so were a lot of H-B characters; that wasn't anything special. Nevertheless, it does add to the legend!)

In the far future of the Tooniverse, long after the devestation of the world (but before the 'Futurama' world in which Fry and Bender live), there is a ronin wandering the world named 'Samurai Jack'. In the episode "The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful", Samurai Jack was in the desolate regions of the American West: and he was on board a train crossing the plains which also had Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Louie as passengers.

That he shared the same world as anthropmorphized animals isn't so unusual; you should see some of the other denizens of that future! Besides, n the Tooniverse, they co-exist equally. (But they don't necessarily like to share each other's company, which is why talking animals don't show up in 'Jonny Quest'.)

What was strange was that Quick Draw and Baba Louie should be found so far into the future. Although it was never explained, the two of them must have tumbled through a rogue temporal wormhole from Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine. Or perhaps it was after a disastrous encounter with the Time Squad.

Although it was just a quick cameo, it was more than enough to elevate the two into the Hall of Fame.

Brazos!

NUMBERS RUNNING: "BETTER OFF TED"

By the way......

A couple of "The Numbers" of 'Lost' showed up at that Digivation press conference on 'Better Off Ted'......

BCnU!

FEATS OF KLAE

When Veronica's father Elija Palmer, who was the head of Digivation, was about to announce a new 7 year battery, one of the stations covering his news conference was KLAE, Channel 8. (As seen this week on 'Better Off Ted' - "Father, Can You Hair Me?".)

Toobworld Central can't prove it of course, but the KLAE TV station could have been a subsidiary of the Klae Corporation. Back in the mid to late 1970's, the Klaie Corporation was worth almost 1 billion dollars; it has to be at least double that by now - unless it was looted during the 1980's by some greedy member of the Klae family. Back in those days in the late 1970s, Dr. Daniel Westin worked as a research scientist for the Klae Corporation. Whether he still does, whether he found a cure for his invisibility, or whether he eventually died from the toll taken on his body.... we'll never know.

And for alls I know, the Klae Corporation also owned Veridian Dynamics and their TV station was there to learn all they can - or capture Palmer's hoped-for embarrassment so that Veronica could enjoy the view back in her own office. BCnU!