TVXOHOF, MAY, 2020 - DELLA STREET

We celebrate the ladies of Television in the month of May, the Queens of May as it were, beginning with our showcase star for the month and then each Friday, including the TV show to be inducted on the last Friday of May.

This month’s showcase inductee is a tribute to a great lady whom we lost three years ago.  She may not have accrued actual crossovers, but she certainly cleaned up in the sequels department.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…

DELLA STREET

From Wikipedia:

Della Street is the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Gardner described her this way:

"Della Street … Secretary, twenty-seven, quiet, fast as hell on her feet, had been places. Worked in a carnival or side show, knows all the lines, hard-boiled exterior, quietly efficient, puzzled over the lawyer, chestnut hair, trim figure, some lines on her face, a hint of weariness at the corners of her eyes."

When Gardner submitted “Reasonable Doubt” to William Morrow, an editor suggested that "Della Street is a better character than the secretary." Gardner took this suggestion when he rewrote “Reasonable Doubt” as “The Case of the Velvet Claws” and made Della Street Perry Mason's secretary. In the published novel, the carnival or side show was jettisoned, and Street came from a more "respectable" background.

On television, Della Street was played by Barbara Hale in the series, for which she received an Emmy Award, and in the 30 made-for-TV movies.

Hale was considering retirement from acting when she accepted her best known role as legal secretary Della Street in the television series ‘Perry Mason’, starring Raymond Burr as the titular character.

The show ran for nine seasons from 1957 to 1966, with 271 episodes produced. The role won Hale a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

In 1985, Hale and Burr (by then the only surviving cast members from the original series) reprised their roles for the TV movie Perry Mason Returns. The film was such a ratings hit, that a further 29 movies were produced until 1995.

Hale continued her role as Della in the four telefilms produced after Burr's death in 1993, subtitled “A Perry Mason Mystery” (and starring Paul Sorvino as Anthony Caruso in the first film and Hal Holbrook as "Wild" Bill McKenzie in the remaining three). Hale is thus the only actor to feature in all 30 films.

From the Perry Mason wiki:
Della Street is Mason loyal, compent, confidential secretary.  Not as clever as Mason, she is a very smart, practical self possessed person.  Paul Drake is very respectful to her and teases her with the words "Hi Beautiful"

Usually referred to as Della Street; there is a question as to whether or not she is unmarried or a widow.  One episode refers to her as Mrs. Della Street.

[I have no way of verifying that.]

Here are the list of Della Street’s qualifications for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

Perry Mason
271 episodes

THE TV MOVIES

• Perry Mason Returns (1985)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (1986)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace (1988)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal (1993)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss (1993)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives (1993)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995)  

 30 in all.

That’s close to 331 hours of television featuring Della.  Not too shabby!

Welcome to the Hall, Miss Street!

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS 04/24/2020 - "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND"

I’m Toby O’Brien and this… is ‘2020’.

Even though the artificial demarcation of Time known as 2020 is not any kind of anniversary for the Inner Toob blog, I always thought there was something cool about the idea of the year; maybe it was just its look when printed out.

So I thought I would celebrate 2020 with a special theme this year – the last week of every month I would induct TV shows from our world, Earth Prime, which have counterparts in Toobworld, AKA Earth Prime-Time into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame as the last Friday Hall of Famer.  Just a little something to make the year memorable….

Who knew 2020 wasn’t going to need my little contribution to be memorable?

I’m not sure if the entry each month will tie into the general tradition of their particular month.  But so far it has – January is Classic TV, so ‘Star Trek’ was brought into the fold.  Black History Month is February, and since I had already inducted both Odafin Tuatola and Ice-T into the Hall, I chose ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ as the honoree  With March, celebrating the “League of Themselves”, ‘Tonight with Johnny Carson’ seemed like a logical choice.

And now here we are in April, the month of the Fool.  We kicked off the month with a salute to the Skipper, Jonas Grumby, so why not continue that tradition by bringing the sitcom about the greatest ship of fools into the fold?

"GILLIGAN'S ISLAND"

From Wikipedia:
‘Gilligan's Island’ is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show had an ensemble cast that featured Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Russell Johnson, Tina Louise, and Dawn Wells. It aired for three seasons on the CBS network from September 26, 1964, to April 17, 1967.

The series followed the comic adventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive on an island on which they had been shipwrecked. Most episodes revolve around the dissimilar castaways' conflicts and their unsuccessful attempts, for whose failure Gilligan was frequently responsible, to escape their plight.

‘Gilligan's Island’ ran for 98 episodes. All thirty-six episodes of the first season were filmed in black and white and were later colorized for syndication. The show's second and third seasons (62 episodes) and the three television movie sequels (aired between 1978 and 1982) were filmed in color.

The show received solid ratings during its original run, then grew in popularity during decades of syndication, especially in the 1970s and 1980s when many markets ran the show in the late afternoon. Today, the title character of Gilligan is widely recognized as an American cultural icon.

I depend on the IMDb Connections sections to find all of the TV shows which make reference to the shows I want to honor; I had to accept that a lot of TV shows which should be sharing the same universe might mention each other as being TV shows so then I had to find the splainin as to why some shows had TV shows made about them, which was especially difficult when the lives of the characters were – well, not so much bland but certainly not interesting enough to be worthy of national attention.

‘Gilligan’s Island’ doesn’t have that problem.  Within the reality of the TV Universe, the mystery of a missing tour boat would have captured the public’s attention, at least for a few news cycles, if only because a multi-millionaire and a Hollywood actress of some fame were both on board the S.S. Minnow.

Like I said, I depend on the Connections section of the IMDb and according to that, the first pop culture reference for ‘Gilligan’s Island’ didn’t occur until 1972.  I’m sure it had to come up at least once before then, if only in Johnny Carson’s monologue.  But since I don’t count the ‘Tonight’ show as a defining qualification - even if it is now a member of the Hall itself – I’m not going to worry about it.

But if that holds up, it would mean the televersion of Sherwood Schwartz might have waited a few years before tackling a TV sitcom about such a tragedy.

What we saw on our screens here in the Trueniverse was Toobworld’s Reality – what actually happened to the Castaways.  Our ‘Gilligan’s Island’ is not the same as that seen by the viewers in Toobworld.    First off, there were less than 100 episodes of the sitcom for us, but in Toobworld, there were over 3,000… at least according to Al Bundy.  So any weird plot lines which are mentioned in other TV shows may have actually be seen by those viewers, but more than likely never did happen.

But then again…

Our view of what was happening on that island ended in 1967; the Castaways returned to civilization about ten years later.  For Toobworld, the series might have continued for those ten years, adding to the total of episodes.  And once they came back, letting their experiences be known to the public, the producers of that sitcom would have more grist for the script mill.  (That is, if they weren’t sued by the Castaways for their share of the profits.)

But to actually get 3,000 episodes?  They would have had to have at least switched the format to be more like a soap opera, broadcasting every day to even come close.  Had they stayed with the original schedule, figuring on about 26 episodes a year….  It would take over a hundred years to get that many.  So yeah, Al Bundy was exaggerating.

Since the Castaways returned in Toobworld time, any reference to ‘Gilligan’s Island’ could be about their version of the sitcom, or to the actual “real-life” events of the Castaways’ lives on the island recounted by the Castaways.

My favorite reference comes from ‘Cheers’ when the gang at the bar was watching an episode with Rebecca’s father, a Naval officer.  Commander Howe remarks that had the other Castaways had killed Gilligan, they would have been off the island quickly.  To me, this combined both options.  There was the sitcom made from suppositions about what happened to the Castaways and then the Commander’s estimation could have been based on what he learned about them after they returned.

Here is a list of some of the references made over the years about ‘Gilligan’s Island’:

Men of Crisis:
The Harvey Wallinger Story (1972)
Harvey Wallinger claims that US Vice President Spiro Agnew has been extremely upset over television ever since Gilligan's Island (1964) was cancelled.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show:
Who's in Charge Here? (1972)
Reruns of the show are listed as part of WJM's program schedule. (This happens in several episodes.)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show:
Mary's Father (1975)
a promo for the show is heard following an WJM documentary

Happy Days:
It Only Hurts When I Smile (1981)
Mr. and Mrs. C. and the Fonz watch this show on television.
(So we know the show's timeline reaches at least into late 1964)

The A-Team:
Bad Time on the Border (1983)
Murdock is singing the theme song while steering the boat.

Family Ties:
Diary of a Young Girl (1984)
Mallory: "'Gilligan's Island' is on now.’

Newhart:
Desperately Desiring Susan: Parts 1&2 (1986)
Susan mentions that it was her favorite show growing up.  (Dr. Hartley’s dream was influenced by his own experiences, so he watched it as well.)

Perfect Strangers:
Babes in Babylon (1986)
In the beginning of the episode, Balki talks to Gilligan and Skipper on the TV.

Silver Spoons:
Let It Snow, Let It Snow (1987)
Brad is watching an episode of the series

Growing Pains:
Carnival (1987)
Heidi says that her mom is "the one who looks like Mary Ann from 'Gilligan's island,'" when in fact her mother is played by Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on that show.

ALF:
Somewhere Over the Rerun (1987)
ALF dreams being on Gilligan's Island.

Full House:
Sea Cruise (1987)
Jesse says it's like spending an evening with Thurston Howell III.

Day by Day:
The Lost Weekend (1989)
When his girlfriend asks him to recite a poem, Ross recites the theme song.

Full House:
Luck Be a Lady: Part 1 (1989)
Michelle says instead of watching her father's talk show she'd prefer to watch 'Gilligan' and such comments as 'They're never going to get off that island' are said later

Doogie Howser, M.D.:
Simply Irresistible (1989)
One of the pseudonyms that Doogie applies to the Gonzales

Saved by the Bell:
The Election (1989)
Mr. Belding mentions that Gilligan received six write-in votes in the election.

Night Court:
Futureman (1990)
"Buddy, we couldn't very well tell people that you spent a year tryin' to figure out ways to get Gilligan off the island."

Perfect Strangers:
Nightmare Vacation (1990)
Balki: "This is nicer than the Howells' hut on 'Gilligan's Island.'"

Acropolis Now:
Shakespeare Was a Greek (1990)
Jim and Ricky were in a stage production of 'Gilligan's Island' in school.

Saved by the Bell:
House Party (1990)
Screech says, "I usually dream that I'm on 'Gilligan's Island,' surrounded by beautiful girls."

Roseanne:
Bird Is the Word (1990)  
Jackie says, "Say guys, your son just gave Gilligan the Finger." Dan says "Well he's the reason they're still stuck on that island."

Wings:
All in the Family (1991)
In a fight with Roy, Lowell mistakenly states that John Denver played Gilligan in Gilligans Island.

The Golden Girls:
What a Difference a Date Makes (1991)
A minstrel sings the theme song to this series in the style of a medieval ballad.

Hi Honey,
I'm Home: Make My Bed (1991)
Mike asks Honey what Gilligan is like in real life.  (We're talking alternate dimensions now.)

Saved by the Bell:
The Surgery (1991)
Screech says: "Gilligan's Island is on."

Perfect Strangers:
Going Once, Going Twice (1992)
Balki and Larry attend an auction for the estate of "Howell Thurston," which references Thurston Howell III of "Gilligan's Island."  (I’ll have to find this somewhere.  Could it have been pronounced as “Howell, Thurston”?)

Growing Pains:
The Truck Stops Here (1992)
Jason: "It's just three hours." Ben: "That's what they told Gilligan!" (I could see his knowledge of that being based on a tell-all book written after their return.)

Married... with Children:
The Goodbye Girl (1992)
Mentioned as a show Marcy used to watch.

Roseanne:
Don't Make Me Over (1992)
"It's your choice, Deej, you can either grow up to be Gilligan or the Professor."

Cheers:
Heeeeeere's... Cliffy! (1992)
Frasier is watching the show on the TV at Cheers.

Saved by the Bell:
Screech's Spaghetti Sauce (1992)
Screech suggests "Gilligan's Island: The Next Generation" for the student TV show.

Saved by the Bell:
The Will (1992)
Screech claims that his locker combination, 10-22-42, is the date of Gilligan's birthday.  (Did that ever come up on the show?)

Roseanne:
Halloween IV (1992)
Roseanne's high school costume is 'Ginger from Gilligan's Island, if they never found the island'

Saved by the Bell:
School Song (1992)
Screech suggests "The Complete Gilligan's Island Video Library" as the senior class gift.

Cheers:
Daddy's Little Middle-Aged Girl (1992)
Commander Howe mentions that Gilligan is the reason the rest are stranded on the island.

Married... with Children:
You Can't Miss (1993)
Kelly wonders: "What did Gilligan do when he had magnesia?" (She actually means 'amnesia'.) Later Peggy mentions Bud's interest in Ginger and Mary Ann.

Married... with Children:
Hood in the Boyz (1993)
When Al apparently can't wait to sleep with her Peggy says: "Well, I haven't seen you like this since Ginger week on 'Gilligan's Island'."

Saved by the Bell: The College Years:
Guess Who's Coming to College? (1993)
Zack quotes the theme song to Leslie when he tries to explain his past with Kelly, and Slater tells Mr Rogers he "got an A in Gilligan's Island".

Saved by the Bell: The New Class:
Belding's Baby (1993)
Weasel sings the theme tune of the series to Zack Belding.

Married... with Children:
The Worst Noel (1993)
Al says an episode of this show is on TV.

Home Improvement:
Reel Men (1994)
Tim watches the show on his portable TV while ice fishing with Al

Saved by the Bell: The College Years:
Marry Me (1994)
Zack reminds Screech of "the tragedy of the S.S. Minnow."

The Nanny:
Schlepped Away (1994)
Maxwell and Niles watch the show on TV.

Married... with Children:
Kelly Knows Something (1994)
While Kelly is studying sports trivia, she's shown thinking of Gilligan and the Skipper.

Married... with Children:
Business Sucks (1994)
Miranda: "Since it's 4 a.m. you're either watching 'Gilligan's Island' or you're on it."

The George Carlin Show:
George Gets Caught in the Middle (1994)
George murmurs "Ginger... Maryann..." in his sleep.

Saved by the Bell: The New Class:
Belding's Prize (1994)
Screech is a member of the "Gilligan's Island" fan club.

Married... with Children:
The Naked and the Dead, But Mostly the Naked (1995)
At the nudie bar Al asks "Ginger or Mary Ann?", followed by "Gilligan or Mrs. Howell?".

Married... with Children:
Ship Happens (1995)
When they discuss who knows the most about the sea, Al says: "And two, I watched all 3000 episodes of 'Gilligan's Island'."

Married... with Children:
How Bleen Was My Kelly (1995)
Kelly says she'd make a more convincing Ginger or Mary Ann than a fake scientist. Later she calls a fellow scientist "Gilligan."

High Society:
Tomb with a View (1995)
Ellie talks about how she emulated Mr. and Mrs. Howell when she was a child.

Married... with Children:
I Can't Believe It's Butter (1995)
When they talk about who they pretend the other one to be during sex, Peg calls Al "Fabio" and Al calls Peg "Ginger... and Mary Ann".

The Red Green Show:
The Satellite Dish (1995)
Harold says this is his second favorite show

Married... with Children:
Turning Japanese (1996)
Mr. Shimokawa thinks that the D'Arcys serving him Sushi is "like Gilligan getting off the island and being offered a coconut."

Friends:
The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner (1997)
When Monica tells Joey that Ginger called him, she calls Ginger "the movie star".

Married... with Children:
Birthday Boy Toy (1997)
Peg distracts Al with a hologram picture that shows Ginger and Mary Ann.

Breaker High:
Radio Daze (1997)
Sean organises a Gilligan's Island (1964) theme night.

Teen Angel:
Marty Buys the Farm (1997)
Steve asks Marty if he's stuck in the same outfit forever, and Marty replies, "Yeah, I'm just like Gilligan!"

NewsRadio:
Look Who's Talking (1998)
Joe mentions a line of Mrs. Howell's while rehearsing with Beth

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show:
Honey, Meet the Barbarians (1998)
Wayne recites the lyrics to the theme song to entertain the barbarians.

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place:
Two Guys, a Girl and a Guy (1998)
Waitress calls Berg and Pete 'Thurston and Luvey' after they order Martinis.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch:
Fear Strikes Up a Conversation (1998)
Zelda temporarily thinks she is Ginger from Gilligan's Island.

Hang Time:
Nothing in Common (1998)
Hammer says, "I look like something that washed up on Gilligan's Island (1964)." Betty later refers to him as "Gilligan."

CA:
Scott's Old Girlfriend (1998)
Mentioned by Samantha.

That '70s Show:
First Date (1999)
The gang watches it in the beginning of the episode.

Big Wolf on Campus:
The Bookmobile (1999)
Dean watches the series on television.

Harsh Realm:
Inga Fossa (1999)
Pinocchio calls the protagonist and the hacker Gilligan and Mary Ann.

That '70s Show:
I Love Cake (1999)
Eric compares Donna's parents' separation to an episode of Gilligan's Island.

That '70s Show:
Sleepover (1999)
Fez asks Eric if he wants to watch this show.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit:
The Third Guy (2000)
A suspect refers to "that Gilligan's Island looking guy"

Farscape:
Crackers Don't Matter (2000)
John says, "Gilligan and Mary Ann. Maybe you're Ginger."

Friends:
The One with the Proposal (2000)
Chandler looks at Joey dressed like a Captain and says: "I was making a coconut phone with the Professor."

Dark Angel:
Heat (2000)
Cindy compares Eric to Gilligan

The King of Queens:
Fatty McButterpants (2000)
Doug watches this show on TV and says: "I'm fatter than Skipper."

That '70s Show:
Radio Daze (2001)
Red is watching Gilligan's Island

The King of Queens:
Queens'bro Bridge (2003)
Doug says it's like he and Carrie have been on Gilligan's Island for the last five years.

That '70s Show:
Join Together (2003)
Eric mentions to Donna it's the last time they see the show together before she would go to college.

Tru Calling:
Brother's Keeper (2003)
While watching "Jeopardy!" Gardez says to Tru: "The only questions I know are about 'Gilligan's Island."

The King of Queens:
Frigid Heirs (2004)
Doug and Carrie make the observation that, when Arthur wears one of his hats, he "looks like a 90-year-old Gilligan".

Arrested Development:
Best Man for the Gob (2004)
Ira Gilligan is the Bluth Company's accountant. When framed by Gob for the death of a stripper, Gob says "Gilligan killed the skipper...the stripper!" Ira also dresses like Gilligan in the final scene.

Stargate SG-1:
It's Good to Be King (2005)
Daniel says the planet has "no phones, no lights, no motor cars".

House:
Control (2005)
Foreman asks Cameron if she ever watches "'Gilligan's Island' reruns and really, really thinks they're gonna get off the island this time?"

That '70s Show:
Fun It (2005)
The gang are watching the show.

The Office:
Booze Cruise (2006)
Michael sings the theme and compares the regulars to "Gilligan" regulars.

That '70s Show:
Leaving Home Ain't Easy (2006)
Fez thinks about breaking Jackie's TV as payback for the damage she caused to his property, but decides not to because he'll miss the show.

Stargate SG-1:
200 (2006)
Vala starts a story which Martin identifies as being from Gilligan's Island

Dirt:
Ovophagy (2007)
Julia is instructed to refer to her sitcom costar as "Thurston Popeye, III," which is a reference to Thurston Howell.

Everybody Hates Chris:
Everybody Hates Cutting School (2007)
referring to Greg's overstuffed backpack, Chris tells Greg they're going to the movies, not to Gilligan's Island

Gilmore Girls:
Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore? (2007)
Kirk says, "You can be Ginger to Lulu's Mary Ann" to Lorelai.

George Lopez:
George Is Lie-able for Benny's Unhappiness (2007)
George asks where Gilligan and the Skipper are going to sleep

Scrubs:
My Rabbit (2007)
J.D. suggests "Gilligan" for the baby's middle name.

Hannah Montana:
Knock Knock Knockin' on Jackson's Head (2009)
Jackson says, "What do you think this is, an episode of Gilligan's Island?"

Supernatural:
Lucifer Rising (2009)
Zachariah offers to hook Dean up with Ginger & Mary Ann

Psych:
Death Is in the Air (2010)
Shawn refers to Ginger from "Gilligan's Island" as "a filthy pirate hooker."

Royal Pains:
Mulligan (2011)
Hank talks about Evan going on a three hour tour on the yacht he won, and then starts singing the Gillian's Island theme song.

State of Georgia:
Locked Up, a Broad (2011)
Georgia: "No one escapes from Gilligan's Island!"

Raising Hope:
Prodigy (2011)
Burt and Virginia and their doctor discuss Gilligan Island.

How I Met Your Mother:
Tick Tick Tick (2011)
Robin says "It's a 3 hour boat ride; what can happen?” And then Barney says "I'm sure that's what Gilligan said"

Hot in Cleveland:
Tangled Web (2012)
Victoria mentions Gilligan's Island and the amount of luggage Ginger brought on the trip

Bones:
The Friend in Need (2013)
crossword answer

The Cinema Snob:
I Spit on Your Grave: Part 1 (2013)
"This reminds me of that episode of 'Gilligan's Island' where Mr. Howell had Gilligan stab that prostitute who made him coconuts". (This doesn't fit the preferred format of Toobworld, but I included this only because the line makes me laugh.)

The Mysteries of Laura:
The Mystery of the Morning Jog (2016)
Mentioned in dialogue by Leo Diamond: "I needed a little me time. But before I sent them upstairs, the boys and I watched two solid hours of 'Gilligan's Island' reruns. Still holds up."

The Great Indoors:
Friends Like These (2017)
Jack compares Rachel's friends to the characters on the show.

Difficult People:
The Silkwood (2017)
Julie and Arthur discuss the series

Big Mouth:
Requiem for a Wet Dream (2017)
"Hey, Gilligan. What...are we doing here?"

Fresh Off the Boat:
Do You Hear What I Hear? (2017)
Jessica says if she wanted to see white people sink a boat she'd watch 'Gilligan's Island'.

Curb Your Enthusiasm:
Insufficient Praise (2020)
Leon says that Larry's sex doll looks like Mary Ann from this show.

There were other TV shows which made references to ‘Gilligan’s Island’; most of these consist of a character calling other characters by the names of the Castaways.  (“Gilligan” was the obvious choice to indicate somebody was a dumbass, but several of the others were cited as well.)

Other references included:
Bones, Revenge, Dexter, General Hospital, Charles In Charge, Miamin Vice, NCIS: Los Angeles, Webster, Community, Lou Grant, Growing Pains, Joan of Acadia, Mad Love, Corner Gas, Silver Spoons, Full House, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Blossom, Happily Divorced, Clarissa Explains It All For You, California Dreams, Homicide: Life On The Streets, Smart Guy, Chuck, Lost, Seventh Heaven, Dawson’s Creek, Scrubs, Becker, Freaks and Geeks, ER, Malcolm In The Middle, The Wire, Primetime Glick, Modern Family, Mom, Mad Men, Fargo, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Better Call Saul, The Goldbergs, Still The King, NCIS, SEAL Team, Glow, Young Sheldon, Grace & Frankie, The Kids Are Alright, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, The X-Files

I did not include TV series from Skitlandia, the Tooniverse, or alternate dimensions... as far as I know.

And I’m sure there will be more in years to come.

Yeah, it was silly; it was dumb.  But what does that say for all of us who keep it alive in syndication by watching it?

Basically, Obi Wan Kenobi phrased that type of question better....

Congrats, ‘Gilligan’s Island’!  Welcome to a very select group….

THE FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS 04/17/2020 - BILL. JUST... BILL

Wow.  Really running late on this Friday Hall of Famer! My excuse is CBS All Access.  I got the free trial and then just binged my way through ‘Picard’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, and ‘The Good Fight’.

So let’s get started! For this week of the April team of Hall of Famers, we’re looking at something completely different….

JUST A BILL

From Wikipedia:
"I'm Just a Bill" is a 1976 ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ segment, featuring a song of the same title written by Dave Frishberg. The segment debuted as part of "America Rock", the third season of the Schoolhouse Rock! series.

In one of the commercials made by the now-defunct retail store Mervyn's as part of its renowned "Open, Open, Open" campaign, a woman and the Bill are waiting outside at one of the store's locations. An employee walks to the front to open the automatic door, but opens a smaller version of it for the Bill to enter, much to the woman's chagrin. At the close of this commercial, the woman wakes up as if it is a dream, while her child watches the "I'm Just a Bill" video on the TV screen.

The sketch was parodied in The Simpsons episode "The Day the Violence Died", in which Krusty the Clown presents "I'm an Amendment to Be", depicting a Constitutional amendment's attempt to ban flag burning.

The sketch was later briefly parodied in another Fox produced animated series, 'Family Guy'. In the episode, "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", an anthropomorphic legal bill sings on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building until he is stabbed and stuffed into a garbage bag by a sanitation engineer. Jack Sheldon provided the voice of the amendment in both parodies.

At the end of another ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ song, Tyrannosaurus Debt (Money Rock), the Bill runs off after the tour guide says, "Feeding time is ALL the time!" This made Bill one of the only characters to appear on more than one of the main Schoolhouse Rock! cartoons. (Mr. Morton & Interplanet Janet appeared in 2 direct-to-video episodes.)

The Board of Education character from the Drawn Together episode "Foxy vs. the Board of Education" is a parody of the Bill.

The video was referenced in Johnny Bravo: when Johnny walks past the Congress Building, he sees a bill sitting on the steps, just like the video. However, when they announce that the bill will not make it to the White House, a man comes out and destroys the bill with a flamethrower.

The Bill appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Robot Fight Accident", with a few other Schoolhouse Rock! characters (voiced by Seth Green).

Stephen Colbert parodied the opening of the song in a segment on ‘The Late Show’ on March 27, 2017 in response to the withdrawal of the American Healthcare Act in the US House of Representatives the prior week.

There are plenty of anthropomorphic bills out there, beginning in that original ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ segment.  Each of them are different, but I think there is one which keeps getting reincarnated and comes back as another bill.  (That would be those bills which employ the voice of Jack Sheldon.  But I’m including several others as well.)

Or it could be like the regenerations of the Time Lords and they keep coming back with new personality quirks and new looks and new voices.  Meh.  It’s the Tooniverse; anything goes.

Here are the actual appearances of Bill in the Tooniverse:

First up, the original:

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!
I’M JUST A BILL

And its sequel....

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK1!
TYRANNOSAURUS DEBT

THE SIMPSONS

FAMILY GUY

JOHNNY BRAVO

This is a compilation of the Mervyn’s “Open Open Open” commercials.  Bill is featured in the last one  and it sounded a bit like Jack Sheldon.  (For my crossover friend Matt, there’s also a blipvert in there which might be of special interest to him.)

And now for the others….

THE DAILY SHOW

THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT

LATE WEEK TONIGHT with JOHN OLIVER

A political action group also used the concept for their own ends…..

TAKE PART

Bill also exists in Skitlandia, albeit with alterations to his appearance….

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Not every rolled-up piece of anthropomorphic paper is a bill, let alone Bill….

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE

It always seems Bill gets killed.  A lot.  But as was established in the clip with Stephen Colbert, he always comes back because there are always copies.  So he is in a way, immortal.

At any rate, Bill, welcome!  You may be just a bill, but now you’re also a member of the TVXHOF!  You won't have to languish on our doorstep!

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS 04/10/2020 - JONAS GRUMBY, THE SKIPPER

For the second week of April Fools being inducted as a Friday Hall of Famer into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, I’ve decided it was time to bring Jonas Grumby into the mix?

“Who?” you may be asking.  And well you may be!

JONAS GRUMBY

“THE SKIPPER”

(Brave And Sure)

From Wikipedia:
The Skipper is the title and nickname of Jonas Grumby, a fictional character from the 1960s situation comedy ‘Gilligan's Island’. Played by Alan Hale Jr., the Skipper (the character's actual name was rarely mentioned after the show's pilot episode) was the owner and captain of the S. S. Minnow on its "three-hour tour" in Hawaii when he, the first mate Gilligan (portrayed by Bob Denver), and their tourist passengers were caught in a violent storm and stranded on a deserted island.

He acts often in his legal role as the group's leader, albeit with a decidedly collegial and democratic bent; the only individual whom he routinely orders about is Gilligan. In times of crisis, the Skipper tends to defer to the more level-headed and educated passenger, Professor Roy Hinkley (portrayed by Russell Johnson). He is sort of a strongman succumbed to lack of exercise, despite doing most of the physical work on the island or making Gilligan do it. He is also the most superstitious castaway, sometimes putting him in conflict with the Professor's rationalism.

The Skipper is lovable but is irritated continually by the clumsiness and ineptitude of his "little buddy" Gilligan, despite that they are good friends. A running gag is that whenever Gilligan messes up a rescue, the skipper conks Gilligan on the head with his hat; a variation of this gag is that whenever Gilligan is in a tree as a lookout and falls down, he usually lands on the Skipper, or if Gilligan (on rare occasion) does something right or correctly predicts an outcome, the Skipper is about to conk Gilligan, then restrains himself due to the fact Gilligan was right. The dynamic of their relationship, at times, resembles that of Laurel and Hardy.

Before the producers hired Alan Hale Jr., Carroll O'Connor had been considered for the role of the Skipper, but was rejected because he was too unsympathetic.

In the 2003 book “Gilligan's Wake”, Esquire film and television critic Tom Carson writes a backstory that the Skipper served with John F. Kennedy of the PT-109 and Quinton McHale of ‘McHale's Navy’. The book was acclaimed critically, drawing comparisons to the works of Thomas Pynchon.

John F. Kennedy was also skipper of his boat, and the 1964 ‘Gilligan's Island’ would follow the 1961 pilot episode of ‘McHale's Navy’, the 1962 series, and the 1963 movie “PT 109” as films about PT-sized boats that were shipwrecked with Navy sailors on board. Little was ever learned about his past, but in several episodes, he mentions variously having several ships blown out from under him, and his veteran's status, implying that he'd served in World War II.

Two episodes indicate the Skipper was a veteran of the Battle of Guadalcanal as he relived an experience from the battle where he turned the radio into a transmitter, reliving the scenario in his sleep. In one episode he gets amnesia, and thinks he's on a covert mission behind enemy lines, mistaking the others to be Japanese soldiers, including Ginger, whom he mistakenly believes to be a ventriloquist.

He claims to be the CO of the 177th Infantry Regiment, which is a U.S. Army regiment, but whether that actually happened or was just a wish-fulfilling fantasy is open to debate, for later on in the series he says that he was simply a cook. In one episode he claimed to have been a Navy Bandmaster and in another he claims to have been the best poker player in the US Navy.  

O’Bservation:
I don’t count those discrepancies as Zonks.  Skipper was just telling tall tales, yarns like any sailing man would.

Captain Grumby was a multidimensional in that he also has a presence in the Tooniverse and in Toobworld Toobworld, the dimension of remakes.

Here are the shows which qualify the Skipper to finally join his ‘Little Buddy” Gilligan who was inducted in the Hall’s sophomore year as the first official April Fool inductee.
Jonas 'The Skipper' Grumby

Gilligan's Island
99 episodes

Rescue from Gilligan's Island
(1978 TV Movie)

The Castaways on Gilligan's Island
(1979 TV Movie)

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
(1981 TV Movie)

Those are the four official qualifications for Skipper Grumby’s eligibility into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame – the original series plus three reunion movie sequels.  From this point, here be theories….

Crazy Like a Fox
- Just Another Fox in the Crowd (1986)

From the IMDb:
Harrison finds a photo from the 1961 All-Star Game with Harry in the background and gives it to him for his birthday. However, when Harry sees it, he claims he never went to the game. So, he and Harrison go to see the photographer who took it, who tells them the photo is authentic. However, after they leave someone pulls a gun on them demanding the photo.  

O’Bservation:
Unfortunately, the name of Hale’s character in this episode is not listed at the IMDb.  I’m going to assume he was one of the guys in the picture with Harry.  Or maybe the guy in the photo shop.  At any rate, this will remain here as a placeholder until I can find out the details, one way or t'other.

There are only three ways this fellow could be disqualified from being conflated with the Skipper:

1] His character’s name is revealed.
If he is only identified by a nickname, I think it could still be the Skipper.  Splainin: People get different nicknames from the various aspects of their lives.  A nickname in college, a nickname from co-workers, nicknames from the exes.  (No need to share those here….)

2] His character is the bad guy.
People change.  But there are certain characters I refuse to believe would ever become evil.  The Skipper falls into that category.

3] His character dies.
All characters eventually die.  I know the Skipper is dead there in Toobworld now.  But not in 1980.  Too soon.  Besides, I have other theories of conflation to go.

Simon & Simon
- Rough Rider Rides Again (1982)
... Bartender

O’Bservation:
Bartending has always been a great way for people to pick up a little extra gilt.  The Skipper may have needed the money once that ridiculous resort idea crashed due to some unscrupulous financier, a roman a clef televersion of Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.  (Harold Hecuba’s identical cousin Shifty Shaefer, perhaps?)

ALF
- Somewhere Over the Rerun (1987)

From the IMDb:
ALF dreams being on ‘Gilligan's Island’.
ALF has taken a liking to watching ‘Gilligan's Island’ (1964). He dresses accordingly and has coconut drinks. He's bored at the Tanners' house and takes things one step too far towards ‘Gilligan's Island’ (1964)

O’Bservation:
There is no Zonk! here.  The fate of the people on board the SS Minnow would have made the news and eventually would have led to a TV show about what might have happened to them.  Sure, it would have been cruel to turn it into a farce, but that’s show business.

Growing Pains
- This Is Your Life (1987)
... The Cabbie

From the IMDb:
When Ben is in the taxi, he comments on how much the driver looks like the Skipper on ‘Gilligan's Island’, and notices that the license has the name J. Grumby on it. The cab driver was played by Alan Hale Jr. who played the Skipper, and his character's real name - which was mentioned only in the pilot episode - was Jonas Grumby.

O’Bservation:
The Seaver family lived in Long Island.  But who knows what might have happened in the five years since the Skipper was last seen tending bar in California?

Before we get to the Skippers from alternate Toobworlds, I’d like to hang around Earth Prime-Time a little while longer and delve into the Grumby family tree for a few theories of relateeveety.

McMillan & Wife
- The Fine Art of Staying Alive (1973)
... The Port Captain

O’Bservation:
At this point in the Toobworld timeline, the Skipper was still marooned on the island.  It’s a shame, because a job like this would have been perfect for Jonas Grumby getting back into the swing of things.  I imagine there were plenty of crossoverists who saw this episode before the first TV reunion movie came out who might have thought it was the perfect example of conflation.

But ‘twas not to be.  However, there’s nothing to say that he couldn’t have been the Skipper’s identical cousin… in the more insidious interpretation of that term.

Batman
- The Ogg and I (1967)

From the IMDb:
Alan Hale, Jr. plays the owner/chef of the restaurant Chief O'Hara goes to for lunch. The character's name is 'Gilligan.' Alan Hale, Jr. is best known as The Skipper from "Gilligan's Island," with first mate named Gilligan (played by Bob Denver).  

O’Bservation:
Not only do I think this Gilligan is an “identical cousin” to the Skipper, but I’m going to go all in on the claim that this Gilligan is also related to that Gilligan.

That common ancestor to all three lookalikes either had two or three children who carried that particular DNA combination onwards, or he took the more direct route and dallied with three women himself to spread his seed, making him the father to the Skipper, the Port Captain, and the Bartender.

But if we went with that first option, the common ancestor could go back a few generations, perhaps back to a Toobworldling from the Old West….

The Wild, Wild West
- The Night of the Sabatini Death (1969)
... Ned Brown

O'Bservation:
Ned Brown was a Secret Service agent who spent most of his career behind a desk in Washington and was finally able to get a chance in the field working with Agent James T. West.  When it was over, having sated his desire to see action, Ned planned to take a vacation.  His dream was to travel to a deserted island in the South Pacific.  (Unbeknownst to either Ned or Jim, a snippet of the ‘Gilligan’s Island’ theme began playing at that moment.)

So I’m thinking Ned Brown was the great-grandfather to Jonas Grumby, the San Francisco Port Captain, and the Publican.

But one of his sons or grandsons might have had an affair with Mrs. Gilligan of Gotham City and “donated” a cousin to Willy Gilligan.  (Not that Gilligan ever mentioned this fact to his boss on that pleasure boat.  But surely he had to have noticed the resemblance between the Skipper and his cousin.)

The Fates are strong in Toobworld.  It could be that this desire by Ned Brown to visit a deserted isle was later forced upon his grandson Jonas Grumby.

As I stated earlier, the Skipper had a presence in alternate Toobworlds, making him multidimensional….

TOOBWORLD-TOOBWORLD
[The Land O’ Remakes]

The New Gidget
- Gilligidge Island (1987)
... Captain Hale

O’Bservation:
I have no other information on this episode other than Bob Denver also guest starred as Gilligan.  It could be that this was similar to the appearance in ‘ALF’ – a dream sequence.  If so, that would go far in splainin why his last name was ‘Hale’ and not Grumby.  Dreams always jumble things up.

THE TOONIVERSE

The New Adventures of Gilligan
24 episodes

O’Bservation:
This is basically a continuation of the adventures from the live-action TV show.  I see no reason to think that there was a cartoon version of all of the original series episodes.  I can’t say whether or not the cartoon stories happened to the live-action castaways, however; there could have been storylines even too weird for what happened to them in real life.  (Full disclosure, I’ve never seen it.)

The only difference was that Ginger Grant had white hair.  I see no Zonk! in that.  They were always tripping over weird plants, irradiated meteors, and other items which altered them in some way.  So, this is what happened to Ginger’s tooniversion.

Gilligan's Planet
13 episodes

From the IMDb:
The same passengers that got shipwrecked in the tv series get space-ship-wrecked on distant planet.  

O’Bservation:
As this is considered one of the worst TV shows ever produced (according to the IMDb), and with me not knowing anything about it, I thought I might be able to at least come up with a cool idea to make it interesting to die-hard televisiologists.

Originally I thought it had to be set in the far Future to have them be castaways on an alien planet.  I could have worked with that, calling upon the ‘Futurama’ episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before” as inspiration.

The cloned heads of the stars of ‘Star Trek’ were grafted to robotic bodies and that could have been what happened to the original castaways a thousand years after they all died and before they went off on their tour.  (A three light year tour?)

But now I know better.  The Professor built an actual rocket on that island and they blasted off, eventually landing on that planet.

::sigh::

“Forget it, Jake.  It’s the Tooniverse.”

Yeah.  The Tooniverse is not my bailiwick; I’m the curator for Earth Prime-Time and as far as that is concerned, I think I’ve made the case for how much of the main Toobworld can be connected by Jonas Grumby.

There's one other incarnation of Jonas Grumby which we have to consider - that of the Skipper as seen in the original pilot of 'Gilligan's Island'.

Gilligan's Island
- Marooned (1963/1997)

From the IMDb:The pilot episode that tells the tale of a tiny ship which set off on a three-hour tour but got caught in a storm and beached on an island. The pilot was filmed in November 1963, and not aired until almost 30 years later.  

It can''t be the same Jonas Grumby because three of his passengers were played by other actors;

• John Gabriel - The Professor
• Kit Smythe - Ginger
• Nancy McCarthy - Bunny

As you can see, two of the Castaways are Recastaways, and Bunny was a totally different character from Mary Ann.

So I have an alternate Toobworld for pilot episodes which would go on to have cast changes before the first actual episode.  This dimension also contains failed pilots.  Might as well fill up that Toobworld, you know?

I just need a good name for it....

Here's to you, Skipper.  Welcome to the Hall!