THE DEPUTY FERGUSONS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?

Martha Plimpton gave one of the best guest-starring performances on TV this year in the 'Fringe' episode "Northwest Passage" as Sheriff Ann Mathis.

Patrick Gilmore appeared as her Noyo County deputy Bill Ferguson, who became the focus of a manhunt when he went missing during a murder investigation. There was an unspoken bond between them that passed for a "relationship" until the case brought it all to the surface. I don't know if we'll ever see these two characters again on the show; the way things ended in the episode - as Peter Bishop met his true father from the Other Side, "Walternate", and Agent Dunham and the main Toobworld's Walter Bishop flew out to Washington state to find Peter - it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that an appearance by Sheriff Mathis would be necessary for continuity.

But if not, I'd like to make a theory of "relateeveety" for Deputy Bill Ferguson. As it's likely we won't ever see him again, and since we never learned any details of his personal life, I'd like to suggest that his father is the former deputy of Mayberry, North Carolina, Warren Ferguson. Warren Ferguson was the nephew of Floyd the Barber, and Andy took him on as his deputy after Barney Fife left the force and moved to Raleigh to become a "big city police detective". But after eight episodes, Deputy Warren Ferguson was no longer seen on 'The Andy Griffith Show'. Basically, he disappeared after the Wild West Show came to town.

I'm going to suggest that he moved out to Washington State and took a job as a deputy there in Noyo County. He may even have been offered the job of Sheriff. There he married and had a son, William, some years later. And when he was old enough, William Ferguson - Bill, as he was known by his sheriff, Ann Mathis - followed in his father's footsteps and joined the local law enforcement. By this time, Warren was long retired from the force, which is why we didn't see him in the 'Fringe' episode.....

Like I said, it's just a theory of relateeveety......

BCnU!

CRACKED THINKING

Sheriff Ann Mathis, the guest character in "Northwest Passage" (this week's episode of 'Fringe'), carried a pen with the inscription "Find The Crack."

It was a gift from her deputy, Bill Ferguson, and the phrase referred to his advice that she should look for the bright spot in even the darkest of scenarios.

The way the over-all storyline on 'Doctor Who' is playing out this season, could this have been a subconscious manifestation of a cosmic warning about the crack in Time? (Like the message of "Bad Wolf" that showed up throughout the 'Doctor Who' season with Christopher Eccleston as the 9th incarnation of the Doctor.)

Just sayin', is all.....

BCnU!

TICKLE CRYSTAL PERSUASION

My crossover compadre, Thom Holbrook (his top-notch site leads the blogroll to the left), published this statement on Facebook the other day:
"They would have you believe "Monchichi means happiness". Yet it turns out the Monchichis maintain an artificial "happiness" via "magical" "tickle crystals". And the only reason, apparently, their enemies are not happy is the Monchichis won't share their stash... I mean... their "tickle crystals". Troubling on so many levels. But, really, tickle crystals means happiness. Monchichi means crackheads."

That would make a great opening salvo in a commentary on 'The Colbert Report'!

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

AS SEEN IN:
'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'

AS PLAYED BY:
Shane Connaughton

From Wikipedia:
William Butler Yeats (pronounced /'ye?ts/; 13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms.
He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years.

In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was the first Irishman so honored.

Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929). BCnU!

LYNN REDGRAVE IN "CENTENNIAL": AN ALBUM OF REMEMBRANCE

The late Lynn Redgrave won two Golden Globe awards in her career, was nominated for Oscars, Emmys, and Tony Awards, and won several awards for her work in the movie "Gods And Monsters".

But it's for one role I'll always remember her for - that of Charlotte Buckland Seccombe Lloyd in the epic mini-series 'Centennial', based on the book by James A. Michener. It's a great book and the show really did it justice, in my opinion.

So in tribute to the late actress, I'd like to present a pictorial history of Charlotte - from her arrival as a young woman in Zendt's Farm, Colorado in the 1870's (I think), to the last we see of her as an Eleanor Roosevelt/Ethel Barrymore-like dowager in the mid 1930's.......

CHARLOTTE BUCKLAND SECCOMBE LLOYD

Young Charlotte Buckland arrives in Zendt's Farm, Colorado,

and is greeted at the train by ranch manager Oliver Seccombe.

Charlotte is given a tour of the Venneford Ranch
and gets an idea of its vast expanse.

The night that Charlotte became a woman,

when she offered herself to Seccombe.....

On her wedding day to Oliver Seccombe.......

As the new mistress of the Venneford......

Charlotte tries to reassure her husband

that everything will be all right.

Charlotte goes out riding........

Trapped inside the Venneford "castle" during the great blizzard.....

Charlotte senses that something is wrong with her husband Oliver.

Charlotte grieves over the body of her husband,

who just committed suicide.

Back in London, Charlotte learns

that she will inherit Lord Venneford's shares in the ranch.

But she must go back to Colorado to oversee its management.

Upon her return, Charlotte is greeted at the train depot

by Jim Lloyd, the ranch foreman.

Jim takes Charlotte on a tour to reacquaint her with the Venneford.

Charlotte has dinner with Jim Lloyd,

and finds herself attracted to the foreman.

Being back at the ranch, and in the company of Jim Lloyd,

lifted Charlotte's spirits.

Charlotte takes a drive through town,

which has been renamed "Centennial."

Charlotte is prepared to fight for Jim's love

when his old flame, Clemma Zendt, returns to town.

Having been successful in driving Clemma away for good,

Charlotte is more than ready to accept Jim's apologies for having strayed.

Just returned to the Venneford Ranch

as the newlywed Mrs. Charlotte Lloyd.

Charlotte brings Jim the news that John Skimmerhorn has been offered a new job:

the general manager of a new ranch run by their old trail boss, R.J. Poteet.

This will free up the position of the Venneford's general manager for Jim.

(Charlotte was behind the deal, of course.)

By the 1930's,

Charlotte has immersed herself into breeding champion bulls.

But her husband thinks she's ruining the stock

as each successive generation is smaller in size.

Charlotte takes up the cause of the Mexicans

living in poor conditions in Centennial,

and even goes to court to argue

against their treatment by the Sheriff.

Charlotte once again finds herself alone

after Jim Lloyd suffers a heart attack.

In her final years, Charlotte renews her purpose with the Venneford

by imparting all she knows about the husbandry and protection of the land

to her grandson, Paul Garrett.

"Only the land lives forever."

Rest in peace, Ms. Redgrave.

BCnU......

AS SEEN ON TV: MICHAEL WILDING

MICHAEL WILDING

AS SEEN IN:
"Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story"

AS PLAYED BY:
Nigel Havers

From Wikipedia:
He appeared in numerous British motion pictures, often opposite Anna Neagle, but had a less productive career in Hollywood. His screen performances include "Sailors Three" (1940), "In Which We Serve" (1942), "Undercover" (1943), "Piccadilly Incident" (1946), "Spring in Park Lane" (1948), "Stage Fright" (1950) and "The World of Suzie Wong" (1960).

His last appearance was in an uncredited, non-speaking cameo in "Lady Caroline Lamb" (1972), which co-starred his last wife, Margaret Leighton.

He also appeared on television, including the title role in the 1957 episode "The Trial of Colonel Blood" of NBC's anthology series, 'The Joseph Cotton Show'.

Wilding had four wives, Kay Young (married 1937, divorced 1951), actress Elizabeth Taylor (married 1952, divorced 1957), Susan Neill (married 1958, divorced 1962), and actress Margaret Leighton (married 1964 until her death in 1976).

He and Taylor had two sons, Michael Howard Wilding (born 1953) and Christopher Edward Wilding (born 1955). In 1957 he had a short-lived romance with actress Marie McDonald, who was nicknamed "The Body"

In the 1960s, he was forced to cut back on his movie appearances due to illness related to his lifelong epilepsy.

Michael Wilding died in Chichester, West Sussex, due to head injuries suffered from a fall down a flight of stairs during an epileptic seizure. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.

BCnU!

30 ROCK BUZZ

When Liz Lemon found out that her Mom had given up on her true love, Buzz Aldrin, she was compelled to go talk to the former astronaut and hear his version of what happened.

Appearing as himself, the former astronaut and second man on the Moon provided the League of Themselves link between '30 Rock' and the following shows and TV movies:

'The Fall Guy'

'The Boy In The Plastic Bubble'

'Numb3rs'
'Da Ali G Show'

'Recess'

'Space Ghost: Coast To Coast'

'Head Of The Class'

'Punky Brewster'

and

'Sesame Street'

His appearance on 'The Simpsons' took place in the Tooniverse, of course, and there is no connection - unlike the 'Space Ghost: Coast To Coast' episode where he was getting beamed into the Tooniverse from back on Earth Prime-Time.

I'm such a geek......

BCnU!

SIGN OF THE CROSSOVER: "30 ROCK" & "MAD MEN"

On '30 Rock' this week, 'TGS with Tracy Jordan' celebrated Mother's Day with all of "The Moms" of the cast and staff during the big finale. That provided the perfect opportunity to bring back Anita Gillette as Liz's Mom, Patti Lupone as Frank's Mom (suspiciously under-used), Jan Hooks as Jenna's Mom, and of course, Elaine Stritch as Jack's Mom Colleen.

During the episode, Liz found out that her mom Maggie had "settled" for her husband Dick Lemon, instead of following her heart with her true love - Buzz Aldrin!

Maggie also let it drop that she had no choice - she had just finished secretarial school and had landed a job at Sterling-Cooper!

Fans of 'Mad Men' know that Sterling-Cooper is the name of the advertising agency at whic most of the characters worked - at least until the last episode of this past season.

For once, there was no over-splainin (suddenly the phrase "obergrupensplainin" popped into my head) about that being a TV reference to spoil it all. So for all intents and purposes, '30 Rock' and 'Mad Men' share the same TV dimension with no strings attached. (They did show that Matt Weiner, creator of 'Mad Men', was one of the writers on an episode of 'Bitch Hunter', but that had no further ramifications in connection to 'Mad Men'.)

I don't know how long Maggie Lemon worked there before the family moved out of state to Pennsylvania, but if Liz was still in NYC as a little girl and she visited her Mom at work, maybe she got to go up the block to visit Rockefeller Center where she would someday work. (Based on this picture from 'Mad Men', Sterling Cooper can be found around the back side of St. Patrick's Cathedral on the opposite side of Madison Avenue.)
BCnU!

THE ANTIQUE ROADSHOW IN TOOBWORLD

A Facebook friend of mine, J.r. Klink, posted a sequence from an episode of 'Ellen' the other day. Not the talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, but her sitcom from back in the 1990s. (In"One For The Roadshow", Ellen found out that her unopened box of the Monopoly game was worth quite a lot of money when 'The Antique Roadshow' was coming to film in Clark.)

And it occurred to me that 'The Antiques Roadshow', like game shows such as 'Jeopardy!', 'Wheel Of Fortune' and 'The Price Is Right', and reality shows like 'Big Brother' and 'American Gladiators', would have its own televersion that could link other shows together. Martin Crain, the father of 'Frasier', appeared on an episode of 'The Antiques Roadshow' when it came to Seattle in 1999. And it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Kirk, the mailman of Stars Hollow, Ct., (as seen in the 'Gilmore Girls' episode "Go, Bulldogs!") saw Martin Crane on the show. (Kirk mentioned that he and his girl-friend Lulu watched the show.)

So in its own small way, 'The Antiques Roadshow' links 'Frasier', 'Ellen', and 'Gilmore Girls' together....

[Thanks, J.r.!]
BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WINSTON CHURCHILL

We're closing out our mini-salute to Winston Churchill with a bit of a trifle.....

WINSTON CHURCHILL

AS SEEN IN:
'WWII: Behind Closed Doors'

AS PLAYED BY:
Paul Humpoletz

BCnU!