TVXOHOF, FEBRUARY 2022 - HOLBROOK'S LINCOLN

 
If an historical figure appears as a guest character in several TV series, but has been recast with every appearance, the priority is to keep as many of those shows together in the same universe, preferably in Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld.

The easiest way to do this is to accept the physical differences as being due to perspective.  What we see as the Trueniverse audience would be the point of view of a particular character within that show.  Take for example, President/General Ulysses S. Grant.  He has been a member of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame since November, 2020, but that is not based on just one actor playing Grant.  His membership for Earth Prime-Time was based on appearances in such series as ‘Cheyenne’, ‘The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin’, and ‘The Wild, Wild West.’  Each of them had a different actor playing Grant, but to keep them together in the same dimension, we have to accept that that’s how he looked to Cheyenne Bodie, Corporal Rusty, and Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon, respectively.  That holds true for the other shows – ‘Grizzly Adams’, ‘Black Saddle’, ‘Wagon Train’, ‘Branded’, ‘Hell on Wheels’, and ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’.

But when the historical character appears in stand-alone mini-series and TV movies, each of those get shunted off to their own TV dimension.  The only time those TV movies can share the same Toobworld is if that historical character is played by the same actor.

When it then comes to the other historical figures in those connected TV movies and/or mini-series being played by different actors, that’s when we call on the P.O.V. option. That way we are seeing those characters from somebody else’s perspective, not from the perspective of that one common historical figure.  After all, he or she should have been seeing them all from the same point of view.

I bring that all up because of our “newest” member into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  I used quotation marks around “newest” because the historical figure involved is already a member of the TVXOHOF, but for Earth Prime-Time.  This time we’re inducting his doppelganger from another TV dimension, one shared by four mini-series....

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

This incarnation of Lincoln, who is the linchpin for this dimension, was played by the late Hal Holbrook.  The actor died just over a year ago and so we’re honoring his memory with this memorial induction ceremony for his portrayal of our sixteenth President.

Holbrook played Honest Abe in three TV mini-series:

LINCOLN

(aka SANDBURG’S LINCOLN)
6 episodes
1974-1976

From Wikipedia:
Sandburg's Lincoln scholarship, primarily in these volumes, had an enormous impact on the popular view of Lincoln. The books were adapted by Robert Sherwood for his Pulitzer Prize-winning play Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1938) and David Wolper's six-part dramatization for television, Sandburg's Lincoln (1974).

From the IMDb:

NBC aired the six-hour mini-series on a staggered basis. The first three segments aired during the 1974-75 television season. The final three segments aired during the 1975-76 television season.

Also from the IMDb:

This is not a typical mini-series, in that its 6 episodes were made and shown over a period of some 20 months between 1974 and 1976, are not sequential, and cover Lincoln only from around the time he met Mary Todd until his assassination. Indeed, the 5th episode covers his activities on the day of his shooting, while the 6th one covers his trip to, and early days in, Washington in 1861. It makes little difference, however, in that each episode is totally self-contained and each is a viewing delight in itself.

Hal Holbrook also played President Abraham Lincoln in ‘North & South: Books 1 and 2.

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 1

- Episode #1.6 (1985)

O’Bservation – For the first five episodes in this mini-series, Holbrook received credit, but did not appear.

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 2

[‘North & South: Book 2, Love & War’]
5 episodes

O’Bservation – Holbrook was credited with six episodes, but did not appear in the fifth one.

The events in the first two ‘North & South’ mini-series dealing with Abraham Lincoln include:

(From Wikipedia)

• Abraham Lincoln is elected president; several Southern states make plans to secede from the U.S. and establish themselves as a separate nation.
• Billy joins the U.S. Sharpshooters regiment, while George becomes a military aide to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
• President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves in the rebel Southern states.
• George learns that Orry is wounded and searches for him, finally finding him in a Union hospital. Their reunion is spoiled when both learn that President Lincoln has been shot.

O’Bservation - I did say this Toobworld was home to four mini-series.  The fourth wasn’t dependent on Holbrook’s participation:

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 3
[‘North & South, Book 3: Heaven & Hell’]
O’Bviously it belongs with the first two mini-series in the franchise, even though Lincoln, and thus Hal Holbrook, was no longer involved in the adaptation of John Jakes’ books.  (This TV dimension may end up including three other mini-series – ‘The Bastard’, ‘The Rebels’, and ‘The Seekers’.  All of those were part of the grand design in books by John Jakes.)

Lincoln is not the only historical, real-world figure who is in the TVXOHOF more than once.  Santa Claus is the other.  Charles Durning is the main physical form of Santa in the main Toobworld, while in the Evil Toobworld, the jolly old elf looks like Art Carney.

If you’ve got a problem with what I just said, you keep your nog-hole shut!

This may not be the only time Lincoln shows up in the TVXOHOF.  Eventually there could be another actor who plays Abe in several TV movies and mini-series, enough to lock down an alternate Toobworld for himself.

Here’s to President Abraham Lincoln and to Hal Holbrook.  Welcome back, both of you, to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame!

TVXOHOF, FEBRUARY 2022 - ROSEY GRIER

I think the Television Crossover Hall of Fame entry in February has always reflected Black History Month.  In the very first class of inductees – 1999 – Abraham Lincoln was the honoree, so while he was white, he O’Bviously played a major role in Black History.

I see no reason to stop the trend now….

ROSEY GRIER

From Wikipedia:
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932) is an American actor, singer, Protestant minister, and former professional football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary list of 100 most influential student athletes. As a professional player, Grier was a member of the New York Giants and the original Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the Pro Bowl twice.

After Grier's professional sports career, he worked as a bodyguard for Senator Robert Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. Grier was guarding Ethel Kennedy when Senator Kennedy was shot. Although unable to prevent the assassination, Grier took control of the gun and subdued the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan.

Grier hosted his own Los Angeles television show and made approximately 70 guest appearances on various shows during the 1960s and 1970s.

As a singer, Grier first released singles on the A label in 1960, and over the following twenty-five years he continued to record on various labels including Liberty, Ric, MGM, and A&M. His recording of a tribute to Robert Kennedy, "People Make the World" (written by Bobby Womack), was his only chart single, peaking at No. 128 in 1968.

Grier is known for his serious pursuit of hobbies not traditionally associated with men. He has authored several books, including "Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men" in 1973. Grier became an ordained Protestant minister in 1983 and travels as an inspirational speaker. He founded American Neighborhood Enterprises, a nonprofit organization that serves inner city youth. He was also a featured speaker at the 1984 Republican National Convention; during its evening session on August 20, 1984, he endorsed President Ronald Reagan for re-election.

Okay, so nobody’s perfect.

Rosey Grier will be inducted as a member of the League of Themselves, which means he is entering as the Televersion of himself.  Fictional roles like frontiersman Gabe Cooper and bounty hunter Salathiel Harms (one of the coolest names ever in Toobworld!) do not come into play here.

These are the appearances which qualify him for TVXOHOF membership:

1962-1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson [This series was inducted in 2020, which is why it is included]
- Sheila MacRae, Roosevelt Grier, Carl Ballantine (1962)
- Episode dated 27 August 1971 
- Episode dated 11 June 1973

1968-1970
The Rosey Grier Show
105 episodes  

1974-75

Captain Kangaroo
- Episode dated 20 September 1974
- Episode dated 3 September 1975

1977
Chico and the Man
- Black Tie Blues 

1978

Quincy M.E.
- Accomplice to Murder 

1979

Sesame Street
- We are shooting a Movie 

1980

The White Shadow
- Georgia on My Mind 
- If Your Number's Up, Get It Down 

1981-2014
Praise
6 episodes

1998
The Larry Sanders Show 
- I Buried Sid 

And over in the Tooniverse….

1999

The Simpsons
- Sunday, Cruddy Sunday (voice)

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Grier.
You’ll find the Activities Room has everything you’ll need for needlepoint.

TVXOHOF CENTENARY TRIBUTE - LT. THEO KOJAK

"Kojak is sexier

than Cannon and Barnaby Jones put together."

Marge Simpson

‘The Simpsons’

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Telly Savalas.  There are so many movies and TV show episodes for which he will be remembered (perhaps chief among them in both categories are “The Dirty Dozen” and “Living Doll”, an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone’, respectively.)  But I doubt there could be any argument that the detective series ‘Kojak’ is the pinnacle of his career.

From Wikipedia:
‘Kojak’ is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ‘Cannon’ series, it aired on CBS from 1973 to 1978.

In 1999 TV Guide ranked Theo Kojak number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.

The series was set in the New York City Police Department's Eleventh Precinct (the building shown was actually Ninth Precinct), Manhattan South Patrol Borough.

The show revolved around the efforts of the tough and incorruptible Lieutenant Theodore ("Theo") Kojak (Telly Savalas), a bald, dapper, New York City policeman, who was fond of Tootsie Roll Pops and of using the catchphrases, "Who loves ya, baby?" and "Cootchie-coo!" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes—and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice. He frequently ribbed his subordinates, especially the rotund Stavros, whom he referred to as "Fatso". Foot chase scenes involving Stavros also brought on the same type of physical humor. However, Kojak was especially abusive toward criminals, often stretching the truth: in one case Kojak said he witnessed them do something he did not actually witness (setting a bomb) to get them to talk. Kojak was so abusive, Mad magazine carried a TV satire titled, "Kojerk".

In the context of the script, Kojak's was seen as typical squad room humor, which would be picked up later in the TV drama ‘Hill Street Blues’. Savalas described Kojak as a "basically honest character, tough but with feelings—the kind of guy who might kick a hooker in the tail if he had to, but they'd understand each other because maybe they grew up on the same kind of block."  Kojak's Greek American heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was featured prominently in the series. In the early episodes of the series, he is often seen smoking cigarettes. Following the 1964 Surgeon General's Report on smoking, cigarette commercials were banned from American television in 1971, and public awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking increased dramatically during the 1970s.

To cut down on his own habit, Kojak began using lollipops as a substitute. The lollipop made its debut in the Season 1 episode "Dark Sunday", broadcast on December 12, 1973; Kojak lights a cigarette as he begins questioning a witness, but thinks better of it and sticks a lollipop (specifically, a Tootsie Pop) in his mouth instead. Later in the episode, Kevin Dobson's character Crocker asks about the lollipop and Kojak replies, "I'm looking to close the generation gap." Although Kojak continued to smoke, as he was frequently seen lighting a cigarillo, the lollipop eventually became his identifying characteristic; in fact, when the series debuted a new opening montage in season five, Kojak is seen both lighting a cigarillo and popping a lollipop into his mouth.

‘Kojak’ came out during the wave of TV detectives who had some sort of gimmick – Barnaby Jones was old. Frank Cannon was fat.  Mike Longstreet was blind.  And Lt. Frank Columbo was rumpled.

For Lt. Theo Kojak, his detective was bald.  Kojak was suave yet coarse.  And he always had a lollipop at hand.

It’s no wonder that some TV producer (to be found only in Toobworld) decided to make a TV show about this brash NYPD cop.  As I always say, stealing and mangling Warhol’s famous saying – in Toobworld, everybody will have their own TV show.

We’ve seen ‘Kojak’ playing on TV – but not technically in Toobworld.  It was playing on Sam Tyler’s TV in “Out Here In The Fields”, an episode of ‘Life On Mars’, the U.S. remake of the British series.

Ladies and gents, it’s spoiler time!

From Wikipedia:
At the end of the series, it is revealed that Tyler's 2008 and 1973 realities were both fictitious, created by the onboard computer of a spacecraft that is carrying Tyler [and other crew members on a mission to Mars.]

To sustain the crew, their minds were routinely kept active while asleep using virtual reality "neural stimulation" programs of their own choosing, but Sam's choice of a scenario - where he was a police officer c. 2008 - was abruptly changed to a 1973 setting by a computer glitch induced by a meteor-storm.  

So in order to create that dreamscape, the computer had to draw on the memory banks full of information from back on Toobworld.  And that would include the televersion of the TV show ‘Kojak’, based on the “real” Toobworldling, Theo Kojak.

Of course, Theo Kojak in the TV show looks remarkably like the actor Telly Savalas who does have an official televersion.  As a member of the League of Themselves, Savalas was seen in “Has Anyone Here Seen Telly?” – an episode of ‘Alice’. (In the episode, nobody believes Vera when she tells them that Telly Savalas and his brother George – who was a co-star in the series – stopped in to Mel’s Diner.)

That Savalas and Kojak shared the same TV dimension was also confirmed by a Toobworldling named Balki Bartokomous.  In the ‘Perfect Strangers’ episode “Knock Knock, Who’s There?”, Balki asked "Does Telly Savalas love you, baby?“  As was the case with many of Balki’s bon mots, he was confusing the two men – the detective and the actor who played him.

Here is a list of some TV shows from the Trueniverse which have mentioned ‘Kojak’:

I’m sure there are plenty of other series out there which have mentioned ‘Kojak’.  In some of those references, Kojak is mentioned by name without any connection to the TV show.  Those are probably references to the actual detective in Toobworld.  The rest of the citations would be for the TV show based on his life.

Therefore, looking at it from a televisiologist’s perspective, all of those shows which mentioned either the show or the detective confirm that he actually existed in their world.  Therefore… all of those TV series listed above are connected to the man himself either directly or indirectly.

Not only that, but 'Kojak' is a TV program in alternate Toobworlds:

• ‘The West Wing’’
• ‘Agents of SHIELD’
• ‘Z Nation’
• ‘Castle’

(O’Bservation - Because the NYC Mayors differ from Earth Prime and Earth Prime-Time, 'Castle' might exist in the same Toobworld as ‘The West Wing’.)

• ‘The Simpsons’
• ‘BoJack Horseman’

(O’Bservation – Despite the wildly different artistic styles and storylines, ‘BoJack Horseman’ and ‘The Simpsons’ share the same Borderland – The Tooniverse, along with all of the other animated series.)

We also know that Lt. Kojak exists in an alternate Toobworld.  Ving Rhames played the bald detective in a reboot of the series.  As Mr. Rhames is black, Toobworld Central figured the best home for the show would be Black Toobworld which also houses the black versions of 'The Equalizer', 'The Odd Couple', 'Barefoot In The Park', 'Ironside', 'S.W.A.T.' and the movie adaptation of 'The Honeymooners.'

Finally, here are the TV shows and TV movies which are included in the official tally for Theo Kojak’s membership in the Hall of Fame:

• The Marcus-Nelson Murders
• Kojak - 117 episodes
• Kojak: The Belarus File
• Kojak: The Price of Justice
• Kojak: Flowers for Matty
• Kojak: It's Always Something
• Kojak: None So Blind
• Kojak: Ariana
• Kojak: Fatal Flaw

It’s a well-deserved honor for Theo Kojak.

Who loves ya, Baby?

Toobworld does!

Welcome to the Hall, Lieutenant!

And happy birthday wherever you are....

You know what?  This crossover marks a special event - the 100th birthday of Telly Savalas.  And since we know he has a televersion, and we know that avatar of Savalas, that "Savatar", starred in the Toobworld TV show version of 'Kojak', then all those references to the show are also references to Telly Savalas as well.  

So even though Savalas only had one appearance as his own televersion, I'm counting all of those shows to qualify the actor for membership also.

I don't make such an allowance often, but how often do I get to mark the centennial of an actor like Telly Savalas?

BCnU!

TVXOHOF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE - DOBIE GILLIS

DWAYNE HICKMAN

From Variety:

Dwayne Bernard Hickman, an actor, producer and television director best known for his starring role in the 1950s and ’60s sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” died of complications related to Parkinson’s disease on Sunday, [January 9th]. He was 87 years old.

Hickman’s death was confirmed to Variety by the actor’s public relations head Harlan Boll.

Born on May 18, 1934 in Los Angeles, Calif., Hickman began screen acting at a young age with appearances in “The Boy With the Green Hair” and 1940’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” As a teenager, he starred as Chuck MacDonald in “The Bob Cummings Show,” acting alongside the titular comedian across the sitcom’s four-year run.

In 1959, Hickman earned the marquee role on “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” The actor starred in all 148 episodes of the 20th Century Fox sitcom. As the first major television series to feature teenagers as its primary characters, “Dobie Gillis” solidified Hickman as one of the first and primary cultural emblems for the generation of Baby Boomers in the 1950’s and ’60s.

To honor the memory of Dwayne Hickman, Dobie Gillis is being inducted into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  While he qualifies from his appearances in Earth Prime-Time, Dobie is a multiversal as well as a multidimensional in the Toobworld Universe.  He started “life” in short stories by Max Shulman and also appeared in comic books, and also in a movie in the Cineverse.  As for being a multidimensional, Dobie once crossed over from Earth Prime-Time to the alternate Toobworld in which ‘Hi Honey, I’m Home’.

DOBIE GILLIS

From Wikipedia:
‘The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis’ (also known as simply ‘Dobie Gillis’ or ‘Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis’ in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5, 1963. The series was adapted from the "Dobie Gillis" short stories written by Max Shulman since 1945, and first collected in 1951 under the same title as the subsequent TV series, which drew directly on the stories in some scripts. Shulman also wrote a feature-film adaptation of his "Dobie Gillis" stories for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1953, titled ‘The Affairs of Dobie Gillis’, which featured Bobby Van in the title role.

Hickman in ‘Dobie Gillis’ was one of among the first leads to play a teenager on an American television program. Dobie Gillis broke ground by depicting elements of the current counterculture, particularly the Beat Generation, primarily embodied in a stereotypical version of the "beatnik". Series star Dwayne Hickman later said that Dobie represented “the end of innocence of the 1950s before the oncoming 1960s revolution”.

The series revolved around teenager Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman), who aspired to have popularity, money, and the attention of beautiful and unattainable girls. He did not have any of these qualities in abundance, and the tiny crises surrounding Dobie's lack of success made the story in each weekly episode. Also constantly in question, by Dobie and others, was Dobie's future, as the boy proved to be a poor student and an aimless drifter.

Dwayne Hickman as Dobie Gillis is a clean-cut teenager (later young adult) and unremarkable student whose young heart finds poetry and literature resonant. He aspires to have dates with all of the beautiful girls he pursues, despite the pressures of home life, high school, and later the military and college. Dobie also serves as the series narrator, relating his observations to the audience from in front of a statue of Rodin's The Thinker.

Dwayne Hickman, at the time the breakout star on ‘The Bob Cummings Show’ (also known as ‘Love That Bob’) as nephew Chuck MacDonald, gained the part of Dobie Gillis over several other candidates, including Michael Landon. Despite being cast as a 17-year-old, Hickman was 24 when he starred in the pilot in the summer of 1958. Because Hickman had appeared for several years on ‘Bob Cummings’ as Chuck, he was required by Shulman and CBS to bleach his dark brown hair blond for the role of Dobie to distance himself from that character in the public's (and the sponsors') minds. By the second season, however, Hickman was permitted to return to his natural hair color, after he had complained to the producers that the constant bleaching required to keep his low crew cut hairstyle blond was causing his scalp to break out.

DC Comics published a “Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” comic book that ran for 26 issues from 1960 to 1964, featuring artwork by Bob Oksner. Stories from this comic-book series were later reprinted, with updates to the artwork and lettering to remove any references to Dobie Gillis, by DC as a short-lived series titled “Windy and Willy” in 1969.

The program spawned two 20th Century Fox-produced sequels, the pilot “Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?” (1977) and the TV movie “Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis” (1988). “Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?” was an unsuccessful pilot for a new weekly sitcom series, which was produced, directed, and developed by James Komack after creator Max Shulman was fired from the production. It was broadcast by CBS on May 10, 1977, as a one-shot special. In the pilot, Dobie had married Zelda and is helping his father Herbert run the Gillis Grocery when Maynard comes back to Central City from his world travels.

Depressed over turning 40 and not living the life he had dreamed of as a teenager, Dobie goes to his beloved Thinker statue and attempts to destroy it, landing in jail. The production starred Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver, Sheila James, Frank Faylen, and Steven Paul as Dobie and Zelda's teenaged son Georgie, who was a lot like Dobie had been at his age.

“Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis”, first aired as the CBS Sunday Movie on February 22, 1988, was directed and co-written by Stanley Z. Cherry after Dwayne Hickman, who was the film's producer, was forced by the network to fire Max Shulman and Rod Amateau, with whom he had originally conceived the film. The plot features the married Dobie and Zelda running the Gillis Grocery – now also a pharmacy – on their own, Dobie's parents having died.

Meanwhile, Thalia (played by Connie Stevens after Weld declined to reprise the role) returns to Central City – with Maynard, whom she has rescued from a deserted island – after 20 years (implying that Maynard was Gilligan all along), and offers a $50,000 bounty to anyone who will kill Dobie when he refuses to divorce Zelda and marry her. Hickman, Denver, and James returned for “Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis”, which featured Steve Franken as Chatsworth, William Schallert as Mr. Pomfritt, and Scott Grimes as son Georgie Gillis. Connie Stevens' daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher, played Chatsworth's daughter Chatsie, who chased Georgie Gillis with the same zeal Zelda had once used chasing Dobie.

Here are Dobie’s qualifications to join the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

1959-1963

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
148 episodes

1977
Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?

1988
Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis
 

1992

Hi Honey, I'm Home
- The Many Loves of Mike Duff

It could be that either "Whatever Happened To Dobie Gillis?" or "Bring Me The Head Of Dobie Gillis" should be relegated to another Toobworld because of two factors - that Zonk about Maynard's 20 years stranded on a desert island.  If they were both allowed to remain in Earth Prime-Time, all of the characters would have to be at least 20 years older than they were in 1977.  The other reason is that the suggestion that Maynard was actually Gilligan (which would mean the middle initial of "G" stood for "Gilligan".)  But we know the "G" stands for "Walter" with the "G" being silent.  Besides, Gilligan returned from the island a decade earlier than Thalia claimed.

At any rate....

Good night and may God bless Dwayne Hickman.

And welcome to the Hall, Dobie Gillis.

THE HAT SQUAD 2021 - HYPHENATES & OTHERS

 
HYPHENATES
AnnaRose King (Co-creator, writer & director - 'American Viral')
Allan Burns (Creator, producer, writer - 'The Munsters', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 'Rhoda', 'Phyllis', 'Lou Grant')
Norman Lloyd
actor - 'St. Elsewhere', 'Wiseguy', 'Seven Days', 'Home Fires', 'The Practice'
producer - 'Name of the Game', 'Journey into the Unknown', 'Tales of the Unexpected'
director - 'Omnibus', 'Chevron Theatre', 1 episode of 'Columbo' ("Lady In Waiting")
all three jobs - 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', 'Alfred Hitchcock Hour')
Paul Mooney (WRITER - 'Chappelle's Show', 'Pryor's Place', 'In Living Color', 'Sanford and Son' ACTOR - 'Judge Mooney', 'Chappelle's Show', 'The Larry Sanders Show', 'The Richard Pryor Show', "Carter's Army")
Douglas Livingstone (WRITER - 'Cockles', 'Day Of The Triffids', 'Midsomer Murders', 'The Cazalets', 'Clayhanger', 'A Question Of Guilt' ACTOR - 'Z Cars', 'Emergency - Ward 10', 'The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling', 'A Man Of Our Times', 'The Saint', 'Coronation Street')
Mary Ahern (Editorial Department: 'Omnibus', 'Theater of Tomorrow', 'The Interviews: Oral Histories of Television'.  First Curator of Paley Center of Media)
Norman S. Powell (Producer - 'Saints & Sinners', 'Washington: Behind Closed Doors', 'Rafferty, '24' Production Manager - 'The Big Valley', 'Burke's Law', 'Honey West', 'The Law and Mr. Jones', 'Dante', 'The Rogues', 'Wanted: Dead or Alive')
Irma Kalish (PRODUCER - 'Too Close For Comfort', 'Valerie', '227', 'The Facts Of Life', 'Oh Madeline', WRITER - 'All In The Family', 'The Facts of Life', 'F Troop', 'Family Affair', 'Good Times', 'My Three Sons', 'Too Close For Comfort')

OTHERS
Richard Bates (Disney SVP)
Chris Cramer (Head of BBC News then CNN)
Barbara Rickles (Don's widow, target of his barbs)
Prince Philip (Consort of Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed on TV by Sir Christopher Lee, Matt Smith, Stewart Granger, Bill Hader, Tobias Menzies, Donald Douglas)
Anne Douglas (widow of Kirk Douglas)
Gustave M. Hauser (Started cable TV in Columbus, Ohio)
Nickolas Davatzes (Created A&E and The History Channel)
John J. Rigas (Built Adelphia Communications then robbed it blind)
General Colin Powell (Former Secretary of State.  Played an alternate version of himself in an episode of 'Madame Secretary'.  Portrayed by Tim Meadows, Dean Edwards, Finesse Mitchell, Kenan Thompson [all in SNL], and in the Cineverse by Jeffrey Wright in "W" and Tyler Perry in "Vice".)  
Margaret York (model for the characters in 'Cagney & Lacey')
Henry Orenstein (created Transformers and invented a way to show hole cards in televised poker)

THE HAT SQUAD 2021 - BEHIND THE SCENES

WRITERS
Marc Wilmore ('In Living Color')
Betty Willingale ('Midsomer Murders' script editor')
Larry McMurtry ('Lonesome Dove', 'Streets Of Laredo', 'Buffalo Girls')
Anne Beatts ('Saturday Night Live', 'Square Pegs')
Maggie Perkins, script editor ('The Saint', 'The Avengers', 'The Professionals', 'Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)')
Delia Fiallo ('Milagros', 'Morelia', 'Emelia', Cristal'. Check out her incredible output here.)
Bob Baker ('Doctor Who', Z Cars')
Suzette Winter (Hollywood star documentaries)

DIRECTORS
Michael Apted, ('Masters of Sex', 'Rome', 'ITV Playhouse')
Richard Donner ('The Twilight Zone', 'The Man From U.N.C.LE.', 'The Wild, Wild West', 'Perry Mason', 'The Rifleman', 'Get Smart', 'Cannon', Kojak', 'Gilligan's Island', 'The Banana Splits Adventure Hour')
Michael Gargiulo ('The Match Game', 'The $10,000/$25,000 Pyramid', 'Password', CBS Thanksgiving Parade', 'Tournament of Roses Parades', Moscow "Kitchen Debate")

PRODUCERS
David Richardson ('The Simpsons', 'Two And A Half Men', 'F Is For Family')
Mike Pearl (ESPN, "Halloween On Ice", 'Calgary 1988: XV Olympic Games')
Mamood Jamal ('Turning World', 'Hotel London', 'Rahm')
Roger Englander ('Young People's Concerts')
Karen Hudson-Samuels (WGPR news producer/director)
Francesca Kirby-Green (BBC current affairs programs in the 1970s)
John Sacret Young ('China Beach'), 'The West Wing', 'Firefly Lane')
John Langley ('COPS' creator, producer, writer)
Gareth Hughes (The Masters, The NFL, '60 Minutes Sports')
Amanda Bayard ('Last Week Tonight', 'Bunk', 'The Onion News Network')
Michael Ferguson ('Doctor Who', EastEnders', 'The Bill', 'Casualty')
David H. DePatie (Pink Panther cartoons, 'The ABC Afternoon Special', 'The Fantastic Four', 'Return To The Planet Of The Apes', 'Spiderman And His Friends', 'What's New, Magoo?')

MUSIC
Elliott Lawrence ('The Edge Of Night', 'Search for Tomorrow', "The Tony Awards")
David Frishberg (Composer for 'Schoolhouse Rock')

ANIMATION
Dave Creek,('Bob's Burgers')
Charles Boyer (Disney Legend, Master Illustrator)

CREW
Tony Mendez (cue card guy for 'The Late Show with David Letterman')
William G. Clotworthy (Censor for 'Saturday Night Live')
Izzie Blechman (Cameraman for 'On The Road', 'CBS Sunday Morning')
Roy Neher ('CBS Sunday Morning' Cameras)
Ryan Davis (Recording mixer: 'Bull', 'Claws', 'The 100', 'The Fosters', 'The Chi', 'SEAL Team')

THE HAT SQUAD 2021 - IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA

ACTORS
Mark Eden ('Coronation Street', 'The Newcomers', 'Crime Buster", 'Doctor Who')
Tanya Roberts ('Charlie's Angels', 'That 70s Show', 'Hot Line')
Barbara Shelley ('Oil Strike North', 'People Like Us', 'The Borgias', 'Doctor Who')
Gregory Sierra ('Barney Miller', 'A.E.S. Hudson Street', 'Sanford and Son', 'The Flying Nun', 'Soap', 'Something is Out There', 'Murder She Wrote', 'Miami Vice')
Marion Ramsey ('Cos', 'The Addams Family', 'MacGyver', 'Johnny Bago') 
Alan Igbon ('Coronation Street', 'G.B.H.', 'The Front Line')
James Greene ('William & Mary', 'Mapp & Lucia', 'The Moon Stallion', 'Downton Abbey', 'Doctor Who')
Ronald Pickup ('Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill', 'The Jury', 'Holby City', 
Deezer D ('ER', 'Hope & Gloria')
Ed Bruce ('Bret Maverick')
John Reilly ('General Hospital', 'Passions', 'Sunset Beach')
George Gerdes ('Bosch', 'Nowhere Man', 'ER')
Peter Mark Richman ("Cain's Hundred', 'Santa Barbara', 'Dynasty')
Mira Furlan ('Babylon 5', 'Lost'. 'Najbolje Godine')
Charlotte Cornwell ('Rock Follies', 'Rock Follies of  '77', 'No Excuses', 'Bognor')
Bruce Kirby ('Columbo', 'Holmes & Yoyo', 'Car 54, Where Are You', 'The Sopranos')
Jessica Campbell ('Freaks and Greeks', 
Gunnar Lindblom ('Kaspar i Nudadalen', 'Trapatronerna')
Cloris Leachman ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show'. 'Phyllis', 'Lassie', 'Raising Hope', 'Thanks', 'Mad About You', 'Walter & Emily', 'The Facts of Life', 'Charlie Wild, Private Eye', 'Doctor Kildare', 'Malcolm In The Middle')
Cicely Tyson ('East Side/West Side', "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman", 'Roots')
Dustin Diamond ('Saved By The Bell')
Hal Holbrook ('Evening Shade', 'Designing Women', 'Brighter Day', "That Certain Summer", "Attack On The Pueblo", "Mark Twain Tonight")
Christopher Plummer ('The Thorn Birds', 'Departure', 'Madeline', 'The Moneychangers')
Zito Kazann ('Hell Town', 'Days Of Our Lives', 'Melrose Place')
Mike Henry ('General Hospital', 'Six Million Dollar Man', '77 Sunset Strip')
Trisha Noble ('Executive Suite', 'Testimony Of  Two Men', 'How The West Was Won')
Yaphet Kotto ('Homicide: Life On The Street', 'For Love And Honor')
Christopher Pennock ('Dark Shadows', 'Days Of Our Lives', 'General Hospital')
Kim Tyler ('Please Don't Eat The Daisies', 'The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet')
Johnny Briggs ('Coronation Street', 'Thick As Thieves',  'Crossroads', 'No Hiding Place')
Jahmil French ('DeGrassi: The Next Generation')
Trevor Peacock ('The Vicar of Dibley')
Nicola Pagett ('Upstairs, Downstairs')
Cliff Simon ('Stargate SG-1)
Henry Darrow ('High Chaparral', 'Harry O', 'Zorro')
George Segal ('The Goldbergs', 'Just Shoot Me', 'Murphy's Law', 'Retired At 35', 'The Real Adventures Of Jonny Quest')
Jessica Walter ('Arrested Development', 'Amy Prentiss' 'Dinosaurs!', 'Archer', 'For The People', 'Retired At 35', 'Three's A Crowd')
Isela Vega ('Italian Bride', 'Nina de mi corazon', 'Gente bien')
David Baillie ('Ransom For A Pretty Girl', 'Doctor Who', 'Attila', 'Adam Smith')
Paul Ritter ('Sunday Night Dinner', 'Chernobyl')
James Hampton ('F Troop',
Joseph Siravo ('The Sopranos', 'The People vs. O.J. Simpson: The American Crime Story')
Myra Frances ("Girl", 'Survivors', 'Doctor Who')
Helen McCrory ('Peaky Blinders', 'Life', 'Penny Dreadful', 'To Appomattox', 'Fearless')
Felix Silla ('The Addams Family', 'Buck Rogers', 'Liddsville')
Frank McRae ('ER', 'Columbo', 'The Rockford Files', 'Magnum P.I.')
Lee Aakers ('Rin Tin Tin', 'Loretta Young Show', 'The Lucy Show')
Johnny Crawford ('The Rifleman', 'The Gambler IV')
Lois De Banzie ('Generations', 'Newhart', 'Streets of San Francisco')
Olympia Dukakis ('Tales Of The City' - 4 series, 'Search For Tomorrow', 'Center Of The Universe', 'Bored To Death', "The Librarian: Quest For The Spear")
Tawny Kitaen (Videos for Ratt & White Snake, 'Moms Anonymous', 'Eek! The Cat', 'The New WKRP In Cincinatti', 'Santa Barbara', 'Capitol')
Paulo Gustavo ('Vai que Cola', 'A Vila', '220 Volts', 'Pirlimpimpim')
Charles Grodin ('The Young Marrieds', 'Louis', 'Madoff', 'Fresno', 'Tonight Show', 'The Late Show') 
Martha Stewart (the first one - 'My Three Sons', 'Our Man Higgins')
Rahul Vohra (Indian actor & vlogger)
Paul Soles (voice actor)
Damaris Hayman ('Ours Is A Nice House', 'The Small World Of Samuel Tweet', 'Doctor Who')
Robert Hogan ('Peyton Place', 'The Young Marrieds', 'Secrets of Midland Heights', 'As The World Turns', 'Richie Brockelman, Private Eye') 
Marcus A. York ('The Office', '8 Simple Rules', 'CSI: NY')
Gavin MacLeod ('The Love Boat', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 'McHale's Navy')
Samuel E. Wright ('The Little Mermaid', 'Enos', 'Ball Four', Marsupilami')
Shane Briant ('Serangoon Road', 'All Saints', 'Search For Treasure Island')
Joe Lara ('Tarzan: The Epic Adventures', "Gunsmoke: The Last Apache")
Arlene Golonka ('Mayberry RFD', 'The Andy Griffith Show', 'The Doctors', 'Joe & Valerie')
Romy Walthall ('Man Of The People', 'Civil Wars', 'Murder One', 'Hotel Malibu')
Clarence Williams III ('The Mod Squad', 'Mystery Woman' 'Twin Peaks')
Larry Gelman ('The Bob Newhart Show', 'The Odd Couple', 'Eight Is Enough', 'Maude')
Joyce McKenzie ('Perry Mason', 'Topper', 'City Detective', 'Cavalcade of 'America')
Lisa Banes ('The Trials Of Rosie O'Neill', 'Sons Of The Beach', 'One Life To Live')
Ben Roberts ('The Bill', 'Angels', 'Tales Of Sherwood Forest')
Ned Beatty ('Homicide: Life On The Street', 'Szysznyk', 'Roseanne', 'The Boys')
Frank Bonner ('WKRP In Cincinnati', 'Saved By The Bell')
Jackie Lane ('Doctor Who' - played Dodo Chaplet, companion to the First Incarnation)
Stuart Damon ('General Hospital', 'Port Charles', 'The Champions', 'Cinderella')
Suzanne Douglas ('The Parent 'Hood', 'Against The Law', 'When They See Us')
William Smith ('Laredo', 'Rich Man Poor Man', 'Hawaii Five-0', 'Wildside', 'Zero One', 'The Asphalt Jungle')
Chick Vennera ('Vega$', 'The Golden Girls', 'Animaniacs')
Charlie Robinson ('Night Court', 'Love & War', 'Ink', 'Buffalo Bill', 'Buddy Faro', 'Hart of Dixie', 'Home Improvement', 'Mom')
Daniel Mickelson ('Mani')
Jackie Mason (Comic - 'Chicken Soup', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', 'The Simpsons')
Rick Aiello ('Dellaventura', 'The Sopranos', 'Clueless', son of Danny)
Jay Pickett ('Port Charles', 'General Hospital', 'Matlock')
Markie Post ('Night Court', 'The Fall Guy', 'Hearts Afire')
Jane Withers (child actress, Comet Cleanser's Josephine, 'The Munsters', 'Murder, She Wrote')
Francis Mossman ('Spartacus', 'The Horizon')
Una Stubbs ('Sherlock', 'Til Death Us Do Part', 'Worzel Gummidge', 'The Worst Witch')
Sonny Chiba ('The Trusted Confidante', 'Dekichatta Kekkon')
Ed Asner ('The Mary Tyler Moore', 'Lou Grant', 'Thunder Alley', 'The Closer', 'Hearts Afire', 'The Trials Of Rosie O'Neill', 'The Bronx Zoo', 'Off The Rack', 'Fish Police', 'Captain Planet and The Planeteers', 'Gargoyles', 'Freakazois!', 'Spiderman: The Animated Series', 'Zorro', 'Center of the Universe', 'Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip', 'The Line', 'Working Class', 'Michael: Every Day')
Matthew Mindler ('As The World Turns', 'Chad: An American Boy', ''Last Week Tonight')
Sarah Harding ('Coronation Street', 'Popstars: The Rivals', "Freefall")
Michael K. Williams ('The Wire', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Lovecraft Country', 'Hap & Leonard', 'Alias', 'Community', 'The Night Of...', 'F Is For Family')
Jean Paul Belmondo ("The Three Musketeers", "Kean", "Cyrano de Bergerac")
Dilys Watling ('Coronation Street', 'Compact', 'The Two Ronnies', 'Twice A Fortnight')
Michael Constantine ('Room 222', 'My Big Fat Greek Life', 'Sirota's Court', 'Hey, Landlord!')
Nino Castelnuovo ('Tuscan Passion', 'Incantesimo', 'Vida Privada')
Tony Selby ('Get Some In!', 'Love Hurts, 'Ace Of Wands', 'Mulberry', 'Doctor Who') 
Don Collier ('The High Chaparral', 'Outlaws', 'The Young Riders') 
Norm MacDonald ('Saturday Night Live', 'Norm', 'The Orville')
Art Metrano ('The Chicago Teddy Bears', 'Joanie Loves Chachi', 'LA Law', 'The Tim Conway Comedy Hour', 'Amy Prentiss' & 'Ironside', 'Movin' On', 'Tough Cookies')
Jane Powell ('Growing Pain', 'Red Skelton Hour', 'As The World Turns', 'Loving')
Jimmy Garrett ('The Lucy Show', 'Mister Ed', 'Burke's Law', 'The Twilight Zone')
John Challis ('Only Fools And Horses' & 'The Green, Green Grass', 'Z Cars', 'Coronation Street', 'Benidorm', 'Doctor Who')
Willie Garson ('White Collar', 'Sex And The City', 'Hawaii Five-0', 'John From Cincinnati', 'Whole Day Down', 'NYPD Blue', 'Ask Harriet', 'Mr. Belvedere')
Melvin Van Peebles ('Sonny Spoon', 'The Sophisticated Gents', 'The Shining')
Al Harrington ('Hawaii Five-0', 'Hawaii Five-0' remake, 'The Jeffersons')
Robert Fyle ('Last of the Summer Wine', 'Coronation Street', 'No Strings')
Jean Hale ('The Survivors', 'Batman', 'Perry Mason', 'The Virginian')
Tommy Kirk ('The Hardy Boys', 'Magical World of Disney', 'Mr. Novak')
Michael Tylo ('Zorro', 'Y&R', 'Guiding Light', 'B&B', 'Gabriel's Fire') 
Cynthia Harris ('Mad About You', 'Edward & Mrs. Simpson', 'Sirota's Court', 'Ann Jillian', 'LA Law', 'Husbands, Wives, and Lovers', Bradlee's commercials)
Ricardo Flanagan ('Shameless', 'Walk The Prank', 'The Neighborhood')
Betty Lynn ('The Andy Griffith Show', 'My Three Sons', 'Matlock', 'Family Affair')
Peter Scolari ('Newhart', 'Bosom Buddies', 'Girls', 'Dweebs', 'Gotham', 'Goodtime Girls', 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids')
Marilyn Eastman ('Perry Mason')
James Michael Tyler ('Friends', 'Modern Music', 'Episodes')
Tim Donnelly ('Emergency!', 'Dragnet 1967', 'Adam-12', 'Project UFO')
Val Bisoglio ('Quincy, M.E.', 'Roll Out', 'Working Stiffs', 'The Sopranos')
Joanna Cameron ('The Secret of Isis', 'Shazam!', 'Marcus Welby MD')
Camille Saviola ('Deep Space Nine', 'The Heights', 'First Monday', 'Entourage')
Clifford Rose ('Secret Army', 'Callan', 'Buccaneer', 'Kessler', 'The Pallisers')
Jerry Douglas ('The Young & The Restless', 'Barnaby Jones', 'Police Story')
Gavan O'Herlihy ('Happy Days', 'We'll Meet Again', 'A Killing On The Exchange', 'Lonesome Dove', son of Dan O'Herlihy)
Ira Hawkins ('Santa Barbara', 'White Collar', 'Law & Order', L&O:SVU'
Mario Rocuzzo ('Barney Miller', 'Luck', 'Mr. Belvedere')
Art LaFleur ('Hyperion Bay', 'The Practice', 'CPA Holes')
Bernard Holley ('Z Cars', 'Hollyoaks', 'Eureka', 'Jackanory', 'Doctor Who')
Lou Cutell ('Betty White's Off Their Rockers', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', 'Mad About You')
Yvonne Wilder ('Operation Petticoat', 'Condo', 'Full House', 'the Equalizer', 'Archie Bunker's Place')
Cara Williams ('Pete and Gladys', 'The Cara Williams Show', 'Rhoda')
Arlene Dahl ('One Life To Live', 'The Love Boat', 'Burke's Law', 'Renegade', former wife of Fernando Lamas, mother of Lorenzo Lamas)
David Gulpili ('The Timeless Land', 'Boney', 'The Leftovers')
Tania Mendoza ('Mujer, casos de la vida real', 'El precio de tu amor', 'For Your Love')
Carmen Salinas ('Mi marido tiene familia', 'Sueno de amor', 'Mi corazon es tuyo')
&
Betty White ('Life With Elizabeth', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 'The Golden Girls' & 'The Golden Palace' & 'Empty Nest' & 'Nurses', 'Hot In Cleveland', 'Date With The Angels', 'Betty White's Off Their Rockers', 'Ladies' Man', 'Bold & The Beautiful', 'Mama's Family', 'The Betty White Show', 'Maybe This Time', 'Boston Legal' & 'The Practice', 'Bob!', 'That 70s Show', 'Pound Puppies', 'Community', 'Saturday Night Live', 'Snickers')

PERSONALITIES

Kerry Vincent ('Food Network Challenge' judge)
Tommy Lasorda ('CHiPs', 'Fantasy Island', 'Police Squad')
Pat Loud ('An American Family')
Joanne Rogers ('Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood', Fred Rogers' widow)
Angie Jakusz ('Survivor: Palau')
Hank Aaron ('Mr. Belvedere', 'Arli$$'. MacGyver')
Mick Norcross ('The Only Way Is Essex')
Larry King ('30 Rock', 'Frasier', 'Murphy Brown')
Sonny Fox ('Wonderama')
Rush Limbaugh (talk show host & actor - 'Family Guy')
Mary Wells of The Supremes, actor - 'Tarzan' & League of Themselves - '227', "Tiger Town')
Nelson Robinette Webb (Voice of '60 Minutes', and  'CBS Evening News')
Billy Brown ('Alaskan Bush People')
Brayden Smith ('Jeopardy!')
Vernon Jordan ('The Good Fight')
Nikki Grahame ('Big Brother')
Erica Faye Watson (Chicago morning comic)
Mark Wilson ('The Magic Land Of Allakazam')
Sabine Schmitz ('Top Gear', 'Extra Gear')
Deshayla Harris ('Bad Girls Club')
Gerron Taylor ('Baldwin Hills')
Adam Perkins (Tik-Tok & Vine celebrity)
Jill Corey ('Music On Ice', 'Your Hit  Parade', 'The Johnny Carson Show', 'The Ed Sullivan Show', 
Martin Bookspan (Voice of 'Live From Lincoln Center')
Freddy Marks ('Rainbow', 'Roddy, Jane, and Freddy')
Raffaella Carra ('!Hola Raffaella!', 'En Casa Con Raffaella', 'Raffaella Venerdi, Sabato e Domenica... E Saranno Famosi') 
Tom O'Connor ('Countdown', 'Name That Tune', 'Crosswits', 'The Doctors')
Ron Poleil (Infomercial King)
Dusty Hill (ZZ Top videos, 'Two and a Half Men', 'King Of The Hill', 'The Drew Carey Show')
Mal Z. Lawrence ('Law & Order', 'The Merv Griffin Show', comedy specials)
Alan Kalter (The voice of 'Late Show with David Letterman', Michelin Man, 'Commander USA's Groovie Movies', 'USA Saturday Nightmares')
Fuller Goldsmith ('Chopped Junior', 'Top Chef Junior')
Mort Sahl (Comedian with political commentary edge)
Rose Lee Maphis ('Ranch Party', 'This Is Your Life', 'Hee Haw')
Skilyr Hicks ('America's Got Talent')
Elfrida Von Nardroff ('Twenty-One' - won more than anyone else, but she got caught up in the fixed game scandal.)
Mike Nesmith ('The Monkees', 'Television Parts', 'Elephant Parts')
Jason Hitch ('90 Days Fiance')
Tiffini Hale ('The Mickey Mouse Club', 'Blossom')
Robert Bruce ('Comic Book Men')

NEWS & SPORTS
Patricia Lynch (NBC investigative journalist specializing in cults)
Katherine Creag (WNBC, NY1 reporter)
Irv Cross ('NFL Today')
Murray Walker (Formula 1 commentator)
Bob Abernethy (Journalist for NBC & PBS, 'Religion and Ethics News Weekly)
Bill McCreary (Pioneering black journalist, WNEW in NYC)
Tony Esposito
Trevor Moore ('The Whitest Kids U Know')
Lloyd Dobyns ('NBC New Overnight', 'Weekend', 'NBC White Paper')
Willard Scott ('Today', 'Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade')
Jovita Moore (WSB-TV anchorwoman)
Brad Davis (WTIC )
John Madden (CBS football, Super Bowls, Miller's Lite commercials)

TVXOHOF, JANUARY 2022 - ROSE NYLUND

THE FIRST TVXOHOF ENTRY FOR 2022!

It’s a new year for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame! But unfortunately, we need to deal with old business from last year with our first entry….

(CNN)

Betty White, the self-described "lucky old broad" whose sweetly sarcastic senior citizen characters were a beloved fixture on TV shows and movies such as "The Golden Girls," "Boston Legal" and "Hot in Cleveland," died Friday, her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told People magazine in a statement.

At 99, she was just weeks away from celebrating her 100th birthday on Jan. 17.

"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas said. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."

For the first half of her career -- eventually honored by Guinness World Records as the longest television career by a female entertainer -- White was a regular, but not widely noticed, presence on radio and television.

There were '50s sitcoms, a 1954 talk show and even a role in the 1962 film "Advise and Consent." She'd pop up on game shows occasionally, particularly "Password," hosted by her third husband, Allen Ludden.

"It was a little out of character, a little unfeminine, to be ... you shouldn't be funny," White recalled in a 2017 interview with CNN, reminiscing about her early days in Hollywood. Noting that women at the time were expected to simply "come in and be pretty," White countered: "No, it's so much more fun to get that laugh."

But starting with her performance as acerbic kitchen diva Sue Ann Nivens on the 1970s sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" -- beginning when she was 51 -- White developed a knack for portraying the apparently pure-hearted elder, full of Midwestern sincerity, who had a randy inner life. In doing so, she created a new generation of fans, a base that only grew larger as she entered her 90s.

She was the sexually experienced, if otherwise naïve, Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls."

White also played a flinty and sometimes violent secretary on "Boston Legal." She had a guest spot on "The Simpsons," hosted "Saturday Night Live" -- the oldest person ever to do so -- and even appeared in a self-mocking ad for Snickers candy bars.

Through it all, she took her success -- if not her work -- lightly.

 "I'm having the time of my life, and the fact that I'm still working -- how lucky can you get?" she told the Huffington Post in 2012.

The TVXOHOF recognized Betty White for her televersion as herself in 2008.  Her roster of appearances as a member of the League of Themselves has grown since then.

But she also gave us our newest member, representing Classic TV for the Month of January…

ROSE NYLUND

From Wikipedia:
Rose Nylund (née Lindström) is a character from the sitcom television series ‘The Golden Girls’, and its spin-off ‘The Golden Palace’. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totaling 204 episodes. Rose was originally supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan, whereas Blanche Devereaux, one of Rose's roommates, was to be played by White. However, Jay Sandrich, the director of the show, suggested that Betty and Rue switch parts. He felt that Betty would be a better fit for Rose because she had already played Sue Ann Nivens in the television show ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, which is similar to the character of Blanche Devereaux. In a January 2017 interview with Katie Couric, White stated she jumped at the opportunity to take the role of Rose, noting she loved the character and describing Rose as "so innocent, not the brightest nickel in the drawer, but funny."

Rose Lindström was a Norwegian American born in St. Olaf, Minnesota, to a monk named Brother Martin and a 19-year-old girl named Ingrid Kerklavoner, who died giving birth. Brother Martin claimed not to have known about Rose's existence until after she had been given up for adoption. She spent the first eight years of her life at the St. Olaf Orphanage before being adopted by Gunter and Alma Lindström (although she erroneously says "Gunter and Alma Nylund" when retelling the story).

Rose explains that she was adopted after she was left on a doorstep, in a basket with some hickory-smoked cheese and some crackers "that didn't go with anything". She used to daydream about her birth father, feeling that Bob Hope was in fact he, and she wrote the comedian many letters whenever she fell on tough times.

It is stated that she was valedictorian in her high school graduation, fourth out of nineteen, and was chosen valedictorian because she drew the longest straw. It is revealed that Rose attended St. Paul Business School, Rockport Community College, and St. Gustaf University, but also that she had never graduated from high school due to a case of mono. Nevertheless, she was voted "most likely to get stuck in a tuba" by one of her graduating classes. Her parents did not allow her to date until she was a high school senior, and between then and her wedding day, she had fifty-six boyfriends.

Rose fell in love with Charlie Nylund, a salesman, and they later married. Rose met Charlie when she was seven and he was eight, and he sold her an insurance policy for her red wagon. She and Charlie had a long and happy marriage, and a very active sex life, to the extent that she was unaware of the existence of a popular television show called ‘I Love Lucy’.

Over the course of the series, Rose names five children: Brigit, Jenella, Kirsten, Adam, and Charlie Jr. Rose also has two granddaughters by Kirsten - Charley (named for Kirsten's father) and another unnamed, mentioned in the episode where Rose had her heart attack. Of her children, only Brigit and Kirsten appeared on the show, although Kirsten was played by two different actresses.

Charlie died of a heart attack while he and Rose were making love and this gave Rose a fear of sexual intimacy for several years thereafter. Years later, a boyfriend named Al Beatty (Richard Roat) dies in a similar fashion. On one episode Rose confides to Blanche and Dorothy that she and Charlie made love twice every day, once in the morning before breakfast and then once after dinner, getting Blanche to remark "No wonder you still mourn that man".

Charlie and Rose's marriage length is unclear. Although it was mentioned in the 1985 pilot episode that Charlie had been dead for 15 years, in the first-season episode "Job Hunting", Rose says that she had been a housewife for 32 years when Charlie died in 1980. In the same episode, Rose is 55 years old in 1985, which would put her birth year in 1930. This would make her 63 when ‘The Golden Palace’ goes off the air in 1993.

Charlie is the only spouse of the four women on ‘The Golden Girls’ that the audience never sees. In an episode of ‘The Golden Palace’, a man said to bear an incredibly strong resemblance to Charlie makes an appearance; the look-alike is played by Eddie Albert.

Rose is laid off from her job at the grief counseling center in season 1, and briefly works as a waitress at the Fountain Roc Coffee Shop before being rehired at the counseling center shortly after. Later on in the series, Rose suffers financial difficulties when her late husband's employer files for bankruptcy and her pension is cut off. She suffers from age discrimination in her attempts to get a new job, but her luck changes when she gets a position as assistant to TV consumer reporter Enrique Más.

Rose finally finds a significant romance with college professor Miles Webber, though their relationship is put through a serious strain when it is revealed that Miles is actually a former mobster accountant named Nicholas Carbone, and a participant in the witness protection program. His former employer, "The Cheese Man," begins dating Rose in order to get information on Miles's whereabouts.

Eventually The Cheese Man is apprehended, Rose and Miles resume their lives together, and all goes well for approximately the next year. In season 7, Rose and Miles consider marriage, but ultimately decide against rushing into anything. Their relationship later ends permanently during an episode of ‘The Golden Palace’ when Rose discovers that Miles loves and subsequently marries another woman.

Rose Nylund in ‘The Golden Girls’ was part of the Susan Harris empire of the time, and so appeared in the other TV series under the Harris aegis, all of which were set in the Miami area.  Plus there was a little off-beat appearance which nevertheless qualifies as an Earth Prime-Time entry….

Here are Rose Nylund’s qualifications for joining the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

1985-1992

The Golden Girls
177 episodes

1989-1992

Empty Nest
- Strange Bedfellows (1989)
- Rambo of Neiman Marcus (1989)
- Dr. Weston and Mr. Hyde (1992)

1991

Nurses
- Begone with the Wind (1991)

1992-1993

The Golden Palace
24 episodes  

In 1990, the Golden Girls appeared in “The Earth Day Special” which I was originally going to list as a Skitlandian version of Rose Nylund and her three friends. But having seen it, in which the Golden Girls are watching the special on TV, it qualifies a “minisode” sequel to the sitcom.

I’m sorry I was spurred to induct Rose into the Hall because of the death of Betty White.  And it made me realize that it’s time for the quartet to join the TVXOHOF. So they will be sprinkled throughout the year to join Rose.  (The funny thing is that for years, I’ve been thinking of inducting Sophia Petrillo into the Hall as the Queen of the May, but something always came up to bump her.  Now that they’re all reunited in the Hereafter, I can do my part by bringing them back together in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.)

Welcome to the Hall, Ms. Nylund. Enjoy the cheesecake in the commissary. 

Miami and St. Olaf’s loss is the TVXOHOF’s gain.