BLACK HISTORY MONTH TVXOHOF SHOWCASE - HANK AARON

 This blog post was originally going to run on January 25 as a Monday Memorial TVXOHOF Tribute.  But I realized that if the Television Crossover Hall of Fame was going to showcase Black History Month with the February inductee, than it should be someone who actually made history and not just another black TV character.  So I held this back until today….

HANK AARON

From The New York Daily News:
Baseball has lost Its legitimate all-time home run king.

Hank Aaron, who fought vile racial prejudice in his lonely vigil to break Babe Ruth’s all-time major league home run record, and went on to also establish the all-time records for RBI, total bases and extra base hits as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, died Friday morning.  [January 22, 2021]

He was 86.

From Wikipedia:
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank," was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. He spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL). Aaron is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His 755 career home runs stood as the MLB record for 33 years, and he still holds many MLB offensive records. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and he is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times.

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players". In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Aaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama. Aaron had seven siblings, including Tommie Aaron, who played major-league baseball with him. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career.  By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last Negro league baseball player on a major league roster.

TWO TVXOHOF ALL-TIME GREATS

Aaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter. Aaron was an NL All-Star for 20 seasons and an AL All-Star for 1 season, and he holds the record for the most All-Star selections (25), while sharing the record for most All-Star Games played (24) with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, and in 1957, he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award when the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBI) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). Aaron is also in the top five for career hits (3,771) and runs (2,174). He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits.  Aaron is in second place in home runs (755) and at-bats (12,364), and in third place in games played (3,298). At the time of his retirement, Aaron held most of the game's key career power hitting records.

After his retirement, Aaron held front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including senior vice president. In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1999, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award to recognize the top offensive players in each league. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia's founders. Aaron resided near Atlanta.

It’s time Hank Aaron entered one last Hall of Fame.  Here are the TV show episodes in which he appeared as a member of the League of Themselves and which qualify him for the Hall of Fame:

Happy Days

- The Hucksters (1980)
When Richie's amateur commercial doesn't bring more customers into his Dad's hardware store, the Cunninghams hire a smooth-talking advertising expert who promises a huge increase in business but who also has a hidden agenda that challenges Howard's business ethics.

MacGyver

- Back from the Dead (1987)
The episode featured Joe Santos as Jimmy Kendal, a former mob informant now in the witness protection program with a new identity as a minor league baseball manager. With the team getting ready for the playoffs, Santos’ character brings in a professional ballplayer to help the team prepare for the competition. Hank Aaron trots out to the field to face the young pitcher, who, after a pep talk from Santos, strikes him out.

The Incredible Ida Early (1987 TV Movie)
Single parent hires a housekeeper for his motherless children.

School principal and widowed father Paul Sutton (Ed Begley Jr.) hires a housekeeper named Ida Early (Jackée Harry) to help care for his home and four children where she amazes the kids with her tall tales, magical ways & stories about famous friends of hers (such as baseball legend Hank Aaron).

Mr. Belvedere

- The Field (1989)
It's George's birthday. He's been pushing Wesley to excel at baseball and when Wesley decides to cheat, George is upset at him and Wesley say he did it for him. When they throw George a party, and help him relive some of life's greatest moments.  But that only shows him how he has done nothing he set out to do, like play baseball with some greats.

So Belvedere decides to give George a different present. The next day at Wesley's game, he arranged for some great players [Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, Robert Goulet, Mickey Mantle. Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson] to be there. Along with George and Robert Goulet, they play Wesley's team.

Arli$$
- The Real Thing (1997)
One of Arliss's clients hits his 500th home run, but the guy who has the ball wants a million bucks for it.

O'Bservation - It's hard to find frame grabs from 'Arli$$' online.  So this will have to serve - Robert Wuhl, who played Arliss, at the premiere for the documentary "Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream".

Touched by an Angel

- The Perfect Game (2001)
A father tries to control his son's life and is obsessed with his baseball performance. The angels must help heal the father and son relationship by showing the father that he must first heal the relationship he has with his own father.

Aaron came out from the Braves main office to scout how the son did as a pitcher.

THE TOONIVERSE

Futurama

- A Leela of Her Own (2002)
O’Bservation – Hank Aaron provided the voices of both Hank Aaron’s head and Hank Aaron XXIV.

At one point, Hank Aaron’s head derisively calls Hank Aaron XXIV "you Fungo." Despite its use as a generic sci-fi insult in this instance, in baseball, "fungo" is the term for a fly ball hit to players for fielding practice.

[Most of those notes came from the IMDb....]

As with many pro baseball players, Aaron appeared in plenty of TV blipverts:

MASTERCARD

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PROMO

POLAROID

CHARLES SCHWAB

WHEATIES

• TV commercial for Wheaties (1970s)
• TV commercial for Gillette Super Speed razors (1960s)
• TV commercial for MasterCard International (1999)
• TV commercial for Charles Schwab (2002)
• TV commercial for MasterCard (archive footage) (2002)
• Television commercial for "Oh, Henry!" Candy Bar (1970s)

Plus he was the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses parade on January 1, 1975, which is always televised. 

I've also included pics from his appearances with David Letterman - twice (out of three) on 'Late Night' and once on 'The Late Show' - because these were more than typical talk show spots; Letterman often turned the format on its head.  In this case, he had Aaron interviewed again, backstage after his first visit; he had Aaron come out to read the monologue jokes for him off the cue cards; and onc ehe moved over to CBS, they compared their baseball cards.

So here’s to you, Mr. Aaron.  Good night and may God bless....

Welcome to the Hall!

 

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE 2021 - PHYLLIS LINDSTROM

 

From CNN:

Cloris Leachman, the acclaimed actress whose one-of-a-kind comedic flair made her a legendary figure in film and television for seven decades, has died, according to a statement from her longtime manager and representatives. She was 94.

"It's been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. There was no one like Cloris," said a statement from her manager, Juliet Green. "With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh 'til the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic."

Leachman died Wednesday of natural causes in Encinitas, California, according to the statement.

During her extensive career, Leachman, who was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2011, earned 22 Emmy nominations and eight Primetime Emmy awards and one Daytime Emmy Award.

Two of her statues were won for playing what was arguably her most iconic role -- cunning landlady Phyllis Lindstrom. The character originated on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and later received a spin-off series.

When Georgia Engel died, I mourned the fact that I didn’t induct Georgette Franklin Baxter into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame while she was still alive (not that she would ever have seen it.)  But I thought she had so many more years ahead of her.

In this case, I kept delaying the induction of Phyllis Lindstrom because I thought Cloris Leachman would never die.  She was indomitable, giving us strong performances right up until the end; she was on ‘Dancing With The Stars’, for Judith Christ’s sake!

And so here we are with the inevitable -  a Memorial TVXOHOF Tribute….

PHYLLIS LINDSTROM

From Wikipedia:
Phyllis Lindstrom, nee Sutherland, portrayed by Cloris Leachman, is a fictional character on the television sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and subsequent spin-off, “Phyllis”.

Phyllis Lindstrom (born in 1931 in San Francisco) is Mary Richards' snobbish, self-absorbed and interfering friend and downstairs neighbor in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. She married dermatologist Dr. Lars Lindstrom in 1955; Phyllis frequently mentions and quotes Lars, but he is never seen by the audience. (Lars was also the name of Cloris Leachman's husband-to-be on the 1962 Laramie episode titled "Trial by Fire".)

It is later revealed to Mary and another friend and neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern, that the Lindstroms manage the large Minneapolis boarding house in which they all live. Mary also develops a close relationship with Phyllis's daughter Bess.

Rhoda and Phyllis maintain an adversarial but talkative relationship. Phyllis had actively prevented Rhoda from switching apartments to the newly vacated apartment she had earmarked for Mary that Mary ultimately took.

Phyllis was a recurring character in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, appearing in a total of 35 episodes. She was in 12 of 24 episodes for season 1, 12 of 24 episodes for season 2, 4 of 24 episodes for season 3, 3 of 24 episodes for season 4, 3 of 24 episodes for season 5, and one episode in season 7.

In season 4 opener "The Lars Affair", Phyllis clashes with Sue Ann Nivens who hosts ‘The Happy Homemaker’ on WJM-TV, after Sue Ann and Lars have an affair. The second meeting of Phyllis and Sue Ann was in episode "Phyllis Whips Inflation", Phyllis's final appearance in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” before moving to her spin-off series. Colleagues attempt to prevent their accidentally meeting at the studio; when they do it is played off as a joke and the self-centered Phyllis plaintively asks Sue Ann if there are any jobs available on her show.

"I'll kill you...."

Phyllis appeared in the first two episodes of fellow “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” spinoff “Rhoda”.  (O'Bservation - Phyllis forgot to pick up Rhoda and bring her to the wedding.)

Phyllis (and Rhoda) return for one scene in the final episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. This was Phyllis's only return to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” after the spinoff.

In 1975 Leachman left “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” to star in spin-off series “Phyllis”. In the spin-off Phyllis and Bess relocate to Phyllis's hometown San Francisco after the death of Lars.

Phyllis and Bess live with Lars' mother Audrey, as well as Audrey's new husband, Judge Jonathan Dexter. Phyllis's major nemesis is Jonathan's mother, Sally (Judith Lowry), a sharp-tongued, irritable, impatient woman known as Mother Dexter. Mother Dexter gets along well with Bess.

Mary Tyler Moore appears in two episodes as Mary Richards: one in season 1 and one in season 2.

After Barbara Colby was murdered,
the role of Julie Erskine was recast with Liz Torres.
Toobworld splainin?
Plastic surgery  

In the first season, Phyllis works at Erskine Photography Studio. In the second and last season the series was retooled with Phyllis switching to work as administrative assistant for a city supervisor.

Here are the TV shows which qualify Phyllis to join her friends from WJM in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame….

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
35 episodes (1970-1977)

Rhoda

- Rhoda's Wedding Parts I & II (1974)

Phyllis

48 episodes (1975-1977)

I like to think that in her life after cancellation, Phyllis Lindstrom eventually remarried; I’m not sure if it was to her boss, Dan Valenti, although they did have a flirty rapport at times… when she wasn’t driving him crazy.  

(Thinking in sitcommish terms, maybe they could have established that the character played by Carmine Caridi in one episode of the first season – Vince – was Dan’s twin brother.  Maybe she could have married him, giving Caridi a larger role(s) and giving a whole new level to Phyllis’ life during prime-time.)

In the years since her sitcom went off the air, I imagine Phyllis became a doting, if overbearing, grandmother to any children whom her daughter Bess might have had.  (By this point in the Toobworld timeline, she could even be a great-grandmother by now!)

It's a shame Ms. Leachman didn’t appear in any other TV sitcoms as Phyllis, even if those shows weren’t produced by the MTM company.  And the crossover wouldn’t have to be with another sitcom; it’s happened before – ‘Alice’ & ‘The Dukes Of Hazzard’, ‘The Associates’ & ‘The Paper Chase’, and the biggest of all, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ & ‘Lou Grant’.

If she  stayed in the San Francisco area, it would have been fun to see Phyllis Lindstrom show up in an episode of 'Dharma & Greg', 'Hooperman', 'Suddenly Susan', and 'Full House', with a return guest appearance in 'Fuller House''!

There’s only one person left from WJM-TV (Channel 12) who needs to be inducted into the TVXOHOF.  My plan is to take care of that next January as our Classic TV Crossover showcase….

In the meantime, welcome to the Hall, Mrs. Lindstrom.  I'm sure we'll find a way to con people - I mean, convince them - to come to the induction ceremony....

  And good night and may God bless, Cloris Leachman....