I don't watch Jay Leno, which is no slight against him as I don't watch any of the late night talk shows on a regular basis - only if there's going to be something special that I need to see.
So I didn't know about the latest entry in his "Headlines" routine until a few days later, thanks to a mention in the Facebook page for my hometown newspaper. It was their turn to get tweaked when Leno turned the spotlight on one of their own headlines.
It'll be the one about the advice given by an energy conservation expert.....
The first half of the season has ended for 'Doctor Who', and I just figured that there would be a break in the coming attractions videos for the show until Autumn. But the good folks at the BBC have presented us with a bit of a teaser to whet our appetites. (As if the episode title for the return wasn't enough - "Let's Kill Hitler"!)
When it comes to stirring up the fanbase, ya gotta hand it to 'em!
I finally got around to watching the series premiere of 'Franklin & Bash' and found it better than I expected. I've got two more episodes in the queue and if they hold up as well, I may add it to my summertime queue.
About halfway through the episode, the character of Peter Bash brought back the glory days of 'NYPD Blue'.......
And I'm sending that out to my friend Mark Thompson on this, his birthday. I'm sure he won't mind that the gift was already unwrapped.....
On this date in 1942, Paul McCartney was born.....
PAUL McCARTNEY
AS SEEN IN: "Two Of Us"
AS PLAYED BY: Aidan Quinn
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles (1960–1970) and Wings (1971–1981), McCartney is the most commercially successful songwriter in the history of popular music, according to Guinness World Records.
McCartney gained worldwide fame as a member of The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. McCartney and Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular songs in the history of rock music. After leaving The Beatles, McCartney launched a successful solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda Eastman, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine. McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100 million singles in the UK.
In a 1980 interview, Lennon said that the last time he had seen McCartney was when they had watched the episode of 'Saturday Night Live' (May 1976) in which Lorne Michaels had made his $3,000 cash offer to get Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr to reunite on the show. McCartney and Lennon had seriously considered going to the studio, but were too tired. This event was fictionalised in the 2000 television film "Two of Us".
His last telephone call to Lennon, which was just before Lennon and Ono released Double Fantasy, was friendly. During the call, Lennon said (laughing) to McCartney, "This housewife wants a career!" which referred to Lennon's househusband years, while looking after Sean Lennon. In 1984, McCartney said this about the phone call: "Yes. That is a nice thing, a consoling factor for me, because I do feel it was sad that we never actually sat down and straightened our differences out. But fortunately for me, the last phone conversation I ever had with him was really great, and we didn't have any kind of blow-up." Linda McCartney, speaking in the same 1984 interview stated: "I know that Paul was desperate to write with John again. And I know John was desperate to write. Desperate. People thought, well, he's taking care of Sean, he's a househusband and all that, but he wasn't happy. He couldn't write and it drove him crazy. And Paul could have helped him... easily."
But more importantly about this date, it's the birthday of my friend Mark Thompson!
Here's the Friday Mug-Shot. This actor is seen in a turn of the 20th Century mystery in which he was a rather seedy corporate/industrial spy. It will be a Toobworld theory of relateeveety that his grandson will restore honor to the family name by joining the police force, even serving after his retirement.
That should be enough of a clue. Tell me the name of the actor, and what show he's best known for today.....
I'll let you know Monday and spell out the entire theory about his look-alike grandson.....
BCnU!
Addendum:
Turns out that I missed James Bolam's birthday by a day with this post. Pure serendipiteevee that I chose him over a few other options I had. Well, once again my brother is in good company for being born on the 16th of June.....
Well, we featured Stan Laurel yesterday on my brother's birthday. And although it might seem more appropriate to wait until August 7th to run this, it didn't feel right to separate Stan in the lists from Babe.....
OLIVER HARDY
AS SEEN IN: "Stan"
AS PLAYED BY: Trevor Cooper
From Wikipedia: Oliver Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.
In May 1954, Hardy suffered a mild heart attack. During 1956, Hardy began looking after his health for the first time in his life. He lost more than 150 pounds in a few months which completely changed his appearance. Letters written by Stan Laurel, however, mention that Hardy had terminal cancer, which has caused some to suspect that this was the real reason for Hardy’s rapid weight loss. Hardy was a heavy smoker, as was Stan Laurel. Hal Roach made the statement they were a couple of "freight train smoke stacks".
Hardy suffered a major stroke on September 14, which left him confined to bed and unable to speak for several months. He remained at home, in the care of his beloved Lucille. He suffered two more strokes in early August 1957, and slipped into a coma from which he never recovered. Oliver Hardy died on August 7, 1957, aged 65 years old. His remains are located in the Masonic Garden of Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Stan Laurel was too ill to go to his film partner and friend's funeral. He stated, "Babe would understand."
Today, "Bloomsday" in the literary universe, is my brother Andrew's birthday here in the Trueniverse. I would happily embarrass him by proclaiming how old he is, were it not for the fact that I am twelve years his senior.
So in honor of my youngest brother, today's ASOTV Showcase features one of the greatest celebrities to share his birthday.....
STAN LAUREL
AS SEEN IN: "Stan"
AS PLAYED BY: Jim Norton
The one-hour teleplay, based on a radio drama, was about Stan's visit to "Babe" one last time after he suffered a massive stroke, with flashbacks to their past together. (Not mentioned was the involvement of a certain Time Lord in one of their movies.)
From Wikipedia: Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson (16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965), better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film The Music Box (1932). In 1961, Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.
In May 1954, Oliver Hardy had a heart attack and canceled the tour [of Europe]. In 1955, they were planning to do a television series, 'Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables', based on children's stories, but the plans were delayed after Laurel suffered a stroke, from which he recovered. But as he was planning to get back to work, Oliver Hardy had a massive stroke on 15 September 1956. Paralyzed and bedridden for several months, Hardy was unable to speak or move.
On 7 August 1957, Oliver Hardy died. Laurel did not attend his funeral, stating "Babe would understand". People who knew Laurel said he was absolutely devastated by Hardy's death and never fully recovered for the rest of his life.
In 1961, Stan Laurel was given a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award for his pioneering work in comedy. He had achieved his lifelong dream as a comedian and had been involved in nearly 190 films. He lived his final years in a small apartment in the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica, California.
Always gracious to fans, he spent much time answering fan mail. His phone number was listed in the telephone directory, and fans were amazed that they could dial the number and speak to Stan Laurel. Dick Van Dyke told a similar story: When Van Dyke was just starting his career, he looked up Laurel's phone number, called him, and then visited him at his home.
Laurel was a heavy smoker until suddenly giving up when he was about seventy years of age. He died on 23 February 1965, aged 74, several days after suffering a heart attack. Just minutes away from death, Laurel told his nurse he would not mind going skiing right at that very moment. Somewhat taken aback, the nurse replied that she was not aware that he was a skier. "I'm not," said Laurel, "I'd rather be doing that than this!" A few minutes later the nurse looked in on him again and found that he had died quietly.
"If anyone cries at my funeral, I will never speak to him again."
As the Trickster once said, "Reality is boring, that's why I change it whenever I can."
I'm just "The Man Who Viewed Too Much", and "Inner Toob" is a blog exploring and celebrating the 'reality' of an alternate universe in which everything that ever happened on TV actually takes place.
Most of my theories about the TV Universe come from thinking inside the box and thus can't be proven. But I've never been one to shy away from a tall tale.....
Remember: "The more you watch, the more you've seen!"
