THEORIES OF RELATEEVEETY: FAHEY SIBLINGS

With the latest episode of 'Scorpion', we came up with this theory of "relateeveety" for two of the more recent Toobworld citizens portrayed by Jeff Fahey......

'Scorpion'
Kenneth Dodd
- "Sun of a Gun" (2016)

'The Librarians'
Isaac Stone
- "And What Lies Beneath the Stones" (2015)

Jacob and Isaac Stone were twin brothers who were raised separately after their Jewish parents divorced, probably at some point around 1955 when they were quite young.  Kenneth went to live with their mother while Isaac stayed behind with Dad in Oklahoma.  Isaac took over the family business, Stone Family Rigging and Pipeline, and had a son born in 1972 whom he named Jacob after a brother he barely remembered.  

Meanwhile, the former Mrs. Stone, who had converted to Judaism in order to marry, renounced the faith and married a defense industry lobbyist named Kenneth Dodd from California.  And they decided to change young Jacob's name to that of his step-dad who adopted him.  Kenneth Dodd grew up in Southern California where his father's influence led to him joining the military and rose to become a consultant on weaponry.  He also married and had a son named Sylvester born in 1993.

This would make Jake Stone the older first cousin to Sly Dodd.

As always, much of this is conjecture on my part.  Should either series bring their Fahey character back which might void this theory, so be it.  The Toobword Dynamic is always in flux.

BCnU.....

RECASTAWAYS - GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST

One of the recastway splainins which I came up with in regards to historical televersions (of which I'm very proud) is specific to 'Bewitched'.  Every so often Samantha or some other witch - usually Aunt Clara - conjured a figure right out of History.  However, it's my claim that the only one that was the true historical figure was Ben Franklin, since he was played by the official Franklin of Toobworld, Fredd Wayne.

As for the others?  They were summoned as fictionals out of books that could found in the Westport home of Darrin and Sam Stephens.  Usually they were originally illustrations of the original person - Napoleon, Washington, etc. - but in the case of Julius Caesar, he was magically transformed from a photograph.

How did the author get a photograph of Julius Caesar?  He didn't.  It was actually a photograph of Jay Robinson as Caligula in the big screen movie "The Robe" which starred Richard Burton and Jean Simmons.  

But this author, who probably wrote text books for the school system in TV's Texas, used that picture of the mad emperor to illustrate an article in his book about Julius Caesar.  (And the publisher, probably Whitestone Press, never caught the error in the proof-reading stage.)

We know "The Robe" exists as a movie in Toobworld: Gracie Allen mentioned it in a 'Burns And Allen' episode.

As for Cleopatra, she was probably summoned from a photograph in that same book from an unknown movie unique to Toobworld.  The Queen of the Nile would have been played by the televersion of Elizabeth Thompson, whose only other big screen accomplishments (at least in the real world) were in "Come Blow Your Horn" and "Critic's Choice".

SHOWS & MOVIES CITED:

• 'Bewitched'
• 'The Librarians'
• 'The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show'
• "The Robe"
• "Come Blow Your Horn"
• "Critic's Choice"

BCnU!

TVXOHOF - THE FIRST MEMORIAL OF 2016: DAVID BOWIE

I knew that eventually I would be doing some memorial inductions into the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame for this year.  Just based on last year alone, I knew there would always be a few as Time marched on.  But I never expected it to happen so quickly and so early in the year.  And God help me, I had no clue it would be for David Bowie.
 

Bowie was the true chameleon as an entertainer, dominating the music scene from the late 1960s onward with a parade of characters - the Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust....  (And the chameleon was married to Iman, who played a Chamelard in one of the "Star Trek" movies.....)

In the movies he flowed gracefully from one genre to another - sci-fi, fantasy, a war movie, a biblical epic, comedies, a couple of biographical roles, and even a pirate movie. 
 
In Toobworld, he had a few characters to inhabit the TV Universe, my favorite being Sir Roland Morecock - the movie director seen in an episode of 'Dream On'. You can tell the scriptwriter for "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told" had a lot fun writing his lines:
 
 "This is not a tornado! I've felt more wind from my grandmother's ass."

"I don't generally fraternize with the help but as I have no friends of my own I am going to invite you all to my little shack in the country this weekend.  It will give me the opportunity to see how pale and flabby your bodies are in swimming attire."

"I don't know what to say except... I DON'T CARE! And I will see you all in Brazil!"

"It's alright, Roselle. He's nobody."

And my personal favorite.....
 

But for the TVXOHOF, we honor him for being himself.
 

"He has gloriously vindicated the right of the Individual to be individual."

The President

'The Prisoner'

 
And what an individual he was!
 
To qualify for membership in the TVXOHOF, one needs three different shows which could be linked together by their presence.  As a member of the League of Themselves, David Bowie accomplished that easily with the following three appearances:

'Full Stretch'
- "Ivory Tower" (1993)
Baz Levick is "an ex-footballer who is now the proprietor of the Ivory Towers Limousine Car Service. The fast-talking Baz has to use all his ingenuity and charm to fend off competitors and keep his business on the road, while his team of hard-working drivers find themselves chauffeuring everyone from rock stars to insufferable aristocrats.  Bowie was a regular client who was slightly perturbed when his new driver, Tarquin, effused about his career.....

Tarquin: 
I really liked "Tin Machine". And the early stuff - well, it's brilliant! 

The first album of yours I ever heard was "A Lad Insane". 

Of course, it was me Dad's. I was only nine at the time.
David Bowie: 
Thanks for sharing that, Tarquin.

 
'Nathan Barley'
- "Pilot" (2005)
Bowie is listed (albeit uncredited) as being in the pilot episode, but as was the case with Kylie Minogue and Jamie Oliver, they were the subjects of photographs at an art gallery which depicted them in various displays of urination.  For Bowie, he was seen peeing into a toaster.....

 

'Extras'
- "David Bowie" (2006)

The first episode of Andy's sitcom, "When the Whistle Blows" is getting harsh reviews but draws respectable viewing numbers. Andy begins to get recognized on the street and in pubs.

And that's all that he needed.  But he crossed over into another TV dimension as well, that of Doofus Toobworld:

"The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch"
David Bowie - Interviewee

 (It could be argued that the Rutles exist in the main Toobworld as well.  Personally, I don't see any reason why they can't be in both.)

I would also argue that his appearance in Bing Crosby's last Christmas special could co-exist in the main Toobworld as well as in Skitlandia.  

As with his "appearance" in 'Nathan Barley', Bowie's existence in Toobworld could be verified by references in other TV shows even if he didn't really appear himself.  One of the best examples of this would be in 'Life On Mars'.  The very title of the show is thanks to him!

In the pilot episode, Manchester detective Sam Tyler was struck down by a hit-and-run driver as he stood beside his car.  The CD in his car was playing that song at the time.  When he came to, Sam found himself in 1973 and the car he had now had an 8-track player in the dashboard.  But it was still "Life On Mars" that was playing.

The strangest reference to Bowie came last year in an early episode of 'American Horror Story: Freakshow'.  The show took place in the late 1950s but there was Elsa Mars singing "Life On Mars" on stage at her freak show.  

 

How was this possible?  I'm going to put it out there that the Doctor was somehow involved.  (Don't you think that of all the celebrities of the last half of the 20th Century and into the first decades of the new millennium, it would be David Bowie who might be invited to travel for a time in the TARDIS?)

And there's one last reason, a bit o' reali-TV, for which Mr. Bowie deserves recogntion - one of socio-political significance that led to a major change to the cultural landscape of television.....

The stars look very different today now that David Bowie is gone.  

Good night and may God bless......

TVXOHOF FOR JANUARY, 2016: DANNY THOMAS

I won't be posting as often in the blog for a while; I think my body can hopefully handle such a shock.  I really do need to get back to work on the Toobworld Chronicles.  Even if it does end up being a load of tripe, it will at least be my tripe.

In 2015 I did a theme for the year when posting about the Television Crossover Hall of Fame: "The British Invasion", in which almost all of the inductees (minus the special tributes) were of British origin.  I have a theme in mind for this year, one which I had used back in 2009 as part of a mega-celebration of the Toobworld Dynamic concept.  For 2016 we will be honoring members of the League of Themselves - those people whose fictional televersions (played by the real versions from the Trueniverse) interacted with characters from various TV shows.  (Their appearances on game shows, variety programs, talk shows, and in the news could be counted as part of their tally, but would not make them eligible for membership.)

More often than not, January has been the month in which a classic TV star was inducted.  And I think I have a great League of Themselves member for this singular "honor":

DANNY THOMAS

About two months ago, I joined a fun page on Facebook dedicated to Danny Thomas and 'Make Room For Daddy'.  I've always intended to induct the main character from that show, Thomas' alter-ego Danny Williams, a nightclub comic and family man.  And eventually I will.  But I hadn't given any consideration to Danny Thomas and his role in the fictional universe of Earth Prime-Time.

This will rectify that.....

'The Jack Benny Program'

- "Johnnie Ray Show" (1953)
Johnnie Ray's contract to appear on Benny's TV show arrives and Jack is horrified by his $10,000 fee. He storms over to Ray's home and offers him $250 instead. Johnny sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," and "Cry" for Jack and the performance is so devastating, Jack is turned into a helpless bowl of jelly. Jack pays him $15,000. At the end of the show, Danny Thomas makes a guest appearance to plug his show 'Make Room for Daddy' (1953).

- "Jack Goes to Nightclub" (1959)
His sponsor walks out on Jack's show, when his sponsor's in town for contract renewal, so Jack's afraid to take him to a nightclub featuring a comic competitor. A puppet show seems a safe (and cheap) alternative, but filling in for the sore-throated puppeteer is golden throated Danny Thomas, whose charity and charm entrance the sponsor, but paralyze Jack.

'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
- "It May Look Like a Walnut" (1963) ... Kolak

Rob enjoys a scary televised sci-fi movie while Laura cowers in fear from it, but the next day details of that movie, where Earthlings are being taken over, appear to be coming true.

Kolac was merely a figment of Rob's nightmare, but it was acknowledged that he looked like Danny Thomas, which guaranteed his place in Earth Prime-Time even if he never did appear in any of these other shows.

"Danny Thomas?
What is a Danny Thomas?"
Kolac
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
"It May Look Like A Walnut"

'The Joey Bishop Show' 

- "Danny Gives Joey Advice" (1963)
Joey discusses parenting challenges with Danny and they imagine themselves as rebellious younger versions of themselves.

- "My Buddy, My Buddy" (1963) 
The cameo appearance for Danny Thomas is listed in the end credits as follows: 

Thanks, Danny 

Joey

- "Andy Williams Visits Joey" (1964) 
Andy Williams guests on Joey's show, than he and wife Claudine visit Joey's home. Ellie and Claudine are members of the same woman's club and their benefit dinner is coming up. Andy and Joey have no doubt who they expect to entertain.

'The Bill Dana Show'
- "Danny Thomas, I Love You" (1964)

Danny Thomas checks into the Park Central but due to a mix-up, the penthouse is not available. Jose comes to the rescue and gives Danny his quarters.

'The Lucy Show'
- "Lucy Helps Danny Thomas" (1965) 

As Mr. Mooney's new secretary, Lucy is sent to a television station to deliver some papers. While waiting in the lobby, she's mistaken for one of the new dancers hired for a Danny Thomas TV special. Not about to pass up the opportunity, Lucy forges ahead despite knowing none of the choreography. The rehearsal is disastrous as she goes the wrong way, throws a shoe, and constantly wallops Danny with her prop umbrella.

'That Girl' 

- "Those Friars" (1971)

Ann inherits her Uncle Harry's old vaudeville trunk which stars Danny Thomas and Milton Berle insist on buying.

(All of the episode summaries are from the IMDb....)

As you can see, there were more than enough appearances as himself to qualify for entry into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  And as for those game shows and variety programs......

Welcome aboard, O Danny Boy!

January 6 marked the 104th birthday for Danny Thomas, so there's another good reason to induct him into the Hall for January!

BCnU!

CONVERSATION PIECE - SOCIOPATHICAL STUDIES

"I'm not a psychopath, Anderson. 

I'm a high-functioning sociopath. 

Do your research."

Sherlock Holmes

'Sherlock'

"Look at me!  I'm a sociopath!"

Bart Simpson

'The Simpsons'

MY BIRTHDAY POST FOR SHERLOCK HOLMES

'THE TWILIGHT ZONE'

"A WORLD OF HIS OWN"

&
'SHERLOCK'
"THE SIGN OF THREE"

From Sherlock's "Best Man Speech": 

SHERLOCK: We’ve had some frustrating cases ...
SHERLOCK  ... ‘touching’ cases ...
SHERLOCK: ... and of course I have to mention the elephant in the room.

FLASHBACK -
Holmes & Watson stand in the doorway of what looks like a fairly ordinary room somewhere. They stare up wide-eyed at what they can see inside. Offscreen, an elephant trumpets loudly.
-----------
And suddenly I wondered if they had become involved with Gregory West.....

Although the online blog for Dr. Watson is a tie-in to 'Sherlock', I tend to ignore it.  I'm generally concerned only with what I can see on the screen.  However, I don't think the entry for the "Elephant In The Room" has any impact on Earth Prime-Time, nor does it conflict with what I have in mind for Mr. West.

Here are a few lines from that blog entry:

Sherlock's had some mad cases over the last couple of years and I wouldn't say I've ever got entirely used to them but nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for what we found at 29 Ryder Lane in Brockley.

It was a typical suburban house in a typical suburban street. But inside that typical suburban house were two bodies. And an elephant. An actual elephant. Standing there in the middle of the room looking, well a bit bored, to be honest.

If the name is not familiar to you, Gregory West was a playwright in "A World Of His Own", the final episode for the first season of 'The Twilight Zone'.  He had a gift for the descriptive, a command over the power of the Word - anything he described into his tape recorder would become Reality.  And so long as he didn't erase that tape or burn it, then his creation would remain a reality.  (At one point he summoned an elephant to prevent his wife Victoria from escaping the house.)

It's the Toobworld belief that West was descended from Evander, the demi-god from the Age of Legend, who was able to summon anything from his imagination and make it real.  Other TV characters who share his bloodline would be Anthony Fremont, also of 'The Twilight Zone', a comic book artist played by Harry Anderson in an episode of 'Tales From The Crypt', a gunner trapped on a disabled bomber during World War II (as seen in 'Amazing Stories') and a cartoonist whose comic strip could come to life in 'The People Next Door'.

For Gregory West, his life achieved harmonic bliss once he created his vision of a perfect wife and after both his first wife and Rod Serling himself were banished back into the aether from which they were created.  To my mind, it is one of the most perfect season-ending cliff-hangers ever (Would the show come back and would Rod?), a category for which it's not often considered.  

But what happened to West and his new wife Mary after the episode ended?

The universe of Television, like any world which was based on plot, would have demanded a dramatic situation to arise from that ending.  The neighbors - and surely there would have been a Gladys Kravitz type next door?* - would most likely have brought it to the attention of the police that Victoria West had disappeared, only to be replaced by Mary.

Eventually I think the Wests would have had to move away from such prying eyes.  And with his powers to create his own Realiy, Greg West might have teleported them anywhere to live.  And when the mood struck them, perhaps they would spend the theatre season in the suburbs of London so that he could keep an eye on any productions of his plays.

So it could have been the home of Gregory and Mary West at 29 Ryder Lane in Brockley.  And falling back on old habits, he had summoned the elephant again.  Perhaps it was meant to "run interference' for them as they made their escape from those two dead bodies - when they were still alive, of course.

And who were they?  Who can say?  Agents of THRUSH or KAOS?  Gatherers from "The Village"?  At any rate, they represented some shadowy organization who knew of the "magical" powers of Gregory West.  And as to whether they saw West as a threat to the world in general or as an asset to be used for their own purposes, I don't have the answer.

It's just a theory, one which I could never state categorically to be true.  For you see, I believe 'Sherlock' takes place in Limbo.  That character we see as a modern day consulting detective is actually the soul of the real Sherlock Holmes.  

Dr. John Watson, however, is the soul of a different man by the same name, one actually from the modern era who perished during active duty in Afghanistan.  Holmes is probably acting as this Watson's mentor in the afterlife, just as Gene Hunt did for Sam Tyler and Alex Drake in 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' respectively.

As was the case with Gene Hunt, the soul of Sherlock Holmes looked nothing like he did in real life.....

And this means that more than likely Gregory West was dead as well.  (Had to be - I doubt he dictated such a scenario to live in!)  

I'm afraid Mary would have been left behind in Earth Prime-Time, immortal so long as her snippet of recording tape survived.  Even if she had "died" at some point, she would have simply vanished back into starstuff.  I don't think she would have had an actual soul.

So there's my post celebrating Sherlock Holmes on what may have been his birthday.....

BCnU!

* And now I have an idea for a new entry about Gregory West!

TIDDLYWINKYDINKS: VIRGINIA WOOLF IN THE TELEVISION UNIVERSE

From Wikipedia:

Adeline Virginia Woolf (née Stephen; 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the foremost modernists of the twentieth century.

During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a central figure in the influential Bloomsbury Group of intellectuals. 

Her most famous works include the novels "Mrs Dalloway" (1925), "To the Lighthouse" (1927) and "Orlando" (1928), and the book-length essay "A Room of One's Own" (1929), with its famous dictum, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

Woolf suffered from severe bouts of mental illness throughout her life, thought to have been what is now termed bipolar disorder, and committed suicide by drowning in 1941 at the age of 59.

RECASTAWAY TOOBWORLD
"Life in Squares" 

Played by Lydia Leonard
    - Episode #1.1 (2015) 

Played by Catherine McCormack

[This was a case of recastaways.  It's best to keep it out of Earth Prime-Time.]

EARTH PRIME-TIME or TV'S TOOBWORLD

"Doll & Em"
    - Episode #2.4 (2015) TV episode, Played by Erica Fae

[I think an actress is playing the role in a stage play by Dolly.]

EARTH PRIME-TIME

"Downton Abbey"

    - Episode #4.1 (2013) 

Played by Christina Carty

SKITLANDIA
"Psychobitches"
    - Episode #1.2 (2013) 

Played by Sharon Horgan

SPANISH SKITLANDIA

"Muchachada nui"
    - Episode #4.13 (2010)
    - Episode #4.11 (2010)
    - Episode #4.7 (2010)

Played by Joaquín Reyes

TOOBWORLD-MOTW 2

London (2004) 

Played by Harriet Walter

DOCU-TOOBWORLD 2

"Art That Shook the World"
    - Virginia Woolf's Orlando (2002) 

Played by Joley Richardson

TOOBWORLD-MOTW 1

A Room of One's Own (1991)

Played by Eileen Atkins

DOCU-TOOBWORLD 1
"Ten Great Writers of the Modern World"
    - Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway' (1988) 

Played by Eileen Atkins

FRENCH TOOBWORLD

"Une femme, une époque"
    - Virginia Woolf (1981) 

Played by Maud Rayer

O'BSERVATION:
I never noticed her in that Season 4 episode of 'Downton Abbey', but in the sixth season premiere she was mentioned again in connection to that earlier appearance.

BCnU!

TVXOHOF - A LOOK BACK AT 2015

2015 is over and so ends the "British Invasion" theme for last year's inductions into the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame.  Every month we inducted a British TV character or member of the League of Themselves into the Hall, with so many left over that could have been considered.  Perhaps we might do it again, should a special occasion in the timeline of the real world gives us a good reason.

But they weren't the only new members for 2015.  We had several tributes added, mostly in memory of actors who had passed away - Leonard Nimoy and Dick Van Patten as themselves and Al Floss in remembrance of Alex Rocco, for example - or in celebration of milestone birthdays - Bette Midler at 70, Robert Conrad at 80, and Old Blue Eyes on what would have been his 100th.

So here is a rundown of the newest members of the TVXOHOF, Class of 2015......

THE BRITISH INVASION

JANUARY - Alf Garnett

FEBRUARY - Dr. Martha Jones

MARCH - Det. George Bulman

APRIL - Wilburforce Humphries

MAY - Agent Peggy Carter

JUNE - DSI Charlie Barlow & DS John Watt

BIRTHDAY HONORS - The Constable (Frank Jarvis)

JULY - Harry Palmer

AUGUST - Phileas Fogg

SEPTEMBER - Sidney Newman

OCTOBER - Mr. Stabs

NOVEMBER - Princess Diana

DECEMBER - John "Steed" (Sir John Raleigh)

CHRISTMAS - Ebenezer Scrooge

TRIBUTES - Robert Conrad

      Leonard Nimoy

      Dick Van Patten

      Al Floss

      Frank Gifford Yogi Berra

      Bette Midler

      Frank Sinatra

THE WHO'S ON FIRST BLOGATHON FINALE

Well, that's it for another year's "Who's On First?" blogAthon.  I hope you enjoyed it.

I'll leave you with this link to someone's idea of the perfect ending to 'Doctor Who'.  I'll leave it to you to decide if it could work......

THE PERFECT ENDING FOR 'DOCTOR WHO'?

BCnU!

THE RETURN OF MONDAS

I wrote a very extensive piece about the lost planet of Mondas back in 2009, using only the 'Doctor Who' story "The Tenth Planet" for the basic information... information... information.

Here is all the pertinent information from the TARDIS Data Core Wiki, minus my own musings:

Mondas was the twin planet of Earth and original homeworld of the Cybermen. In ancient times, it was dislodged from its old position out into space when the Moon was formed.
 
Originally, Earth and Mondas occupied the same orbit in the solar system. It was stated that "Mondas" was another name for Earth in one of the ancient languages.
 
Mondas left that orbit and drifted on a journey to "the edge of space", (TV: The Tenth Planet) caused by the sudden arrival of a moon between Earth and Mondas. This upset the gravitational equilibrium of Mondas, causing it to escape its orbit.
Their only recourse now was to use Mondas' last remaining energy to return to the Earth's orbit and plunder her energy. (TV: The Tenth Planet)

In December 1986, the Cybermen invaded Antarctica while Mondas drew closer, draining Earth's energy to replace and supplement its own. However, the energy absorbed was too much, and Mondas disintegrated. The destruction of Mondas destroyed all of the Cybermen on Mondas and also killed all of the Cybermen on Earth, who were dependent upon Mondas for energy. As the planet plundered Earth's energy, the First Doctor's life-force was caught up in the maelstrom, triggering his regeneration into his second incarnation. (TV: The Tenth Planet)
Those who consider the audio dramas, the prose stories and the comics to be canon will notice that I didn't accept any of their additions to the Mondas mythos.  I can only use what is played out on our TV screens.  After that I can apply my Toobworld Dynamic logic to smooth out any discrepancies that might arise.
 
After all, Toobworld is my sandbox........
 

So, near the end of November, but probably early December, I found this image on Facebook.  For me, it evoked my claim that Mondas was the planet where one would find the continent of Westeros from 'Game Of Thrones'.  I can't work George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy into the back history of Earth Prime-Time, but it works so well as being part of Mondas.  And other TV shows have had episodes which help buttress that claim.
 
So I can see this being a picture of the Cyber-Controller pondering the return of Mondas to the Sol System in 1986.....
 
BCnU!