I ZONK LUCY

Ann Perkins:

"I bought this Mackerel at the Supermarket.

I've been standing in the water with the fish on my hook for 30 minutes.

I saw it on an episode of 'I Love Lucy'.

Pathetic?

Maybe, but it feels pretty good to have a bunch of little boys be super in to me.

That came out wrong....."

'Parks & Recreation'

There's no getting around it - Lucy Ricardo is one of the many TV characters who would have their lives adapted for a TV show within TV shows.

And when you think about it, her life was worthy of a TV show - she was the wife of a celebrity who tried many far-fetched ideas to get into the business herself. A similar situation would be of Alan Brady adapting Rob Petrie's memoirs into a sitcom for himself. First as a vehicle for himself in which the character based on him (while he played Rob Petrie) would be called Alan Sturdy; and then as a vehicle in which Rob Petrie look-alike Dick Van Dyke assumed the role.

BCnU!

A big thanks to Lisa of the Flaming Nose Blog (link to the left, lucites!) for the picture of Lucy.....

AS SEEN ON TV: MARIE LLOYD

I didn't find out about her until it was too late to mark the occasion of either her death or her funeral on the proper dates....

MARIE LLOYD

AS SEEN IN:
"Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen Of The Music Hall"

AS PLAYED BY:
Jessie Wallace

From Wikipedia:
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922) was an English music hall singer, best known as Marie Lloyd. Her ability to add lewdness to the most innocent of lyrics led to frequent clashes with the guardians of morality. Her performances articulated the disappointments of life, especially for working-class women.

Marie's first major success was "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery", and she quickly became one of the most famous of English music hall singers. Despite her own success she supported other performers during the Music Hall War of 1907, when performers demonstrated outside theatres for better pay and conditions. During the First World War, in common with most other music hall artists, she enthusiastically supported recruitment into the army.

She first appeared in the USA in 1897, but in 1913 was initially refused entry to that country for "moral turpitude". On 4 October 1922 Marie collapsed on stage as she was performing at the Empire Music Hall in Edmonton, London, and died three days later. Her funeral on 12 October was attended by more than 100,000 people.
BCnU!

INVASION OF THE COUGAR TOWNIES

From "USA Today":
In an unusual spectacle of stunt casting, Courteney Cox and her co-stars on the third-season ABC comedy ['Cougar Town'] will pop up in background roles on more than a dozen shows across several networks before its season premiere early next year.

Ian Gomez [kicked] things off as a doctor on 'Grey's Anatomy', followed by Cox and Christa Miller as a lesbian couple at a fertility clinic on 'Private Practice'.

Almost all the roles are designed to be uncredited, non-speaking appearances for a cast that also includes Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Busy Philipps and Brian Van Holt. To date, 13 shows are on board, says Lawrence, who hopes eventually to have more than 20. Series include:

•ABC: 'Body of Proof', 'Castle', 'Dancing With the Stars', 'Man Up!' and 'The Middle'

•CBS: 'How I Met Your Mother'

•Nick Jr.: 'Yo Gabba Gabba!'

NBC's 'Parenthood' and CBS' '2 Broke Girls' are also likely.

In return, 'Cougar Town's writers and actors, some of whom have thousands of Twitter followers, will tweet to promote their appearances.

AOLTV reported the story and then bleeped it up with their own observation:
This isn't the first time 'Cougar Town' stars have done crossovers. Last season, series stars Dan Byrd and Busy Phillips appeared as background characters on 'Community,' a nod to the NBC show's running story about Danny Pudi's characters' love of the series. Pudi himself also appeared in an episode of 'Cougar Town.'

These new appearances by the cast of 'Cougar Town' will NOT be crossovers (for the most part). These are actors appearing on other shows as different characters. With 'Dancing With The Stars', Courtney Cox wasn't even a character - she appeared as herself in support of her husband David Arquette.

There's always the pozz'bility that some of these appearances, if they remain nameless and perhaps without dialogue, could be considered to be their characters from down in TV-Florida. But we'll just have to wait and see if these roles can support that hypothi- hypotha- can support that splainin.

As for those appearances between 'Cougar Town' and 'Community', I've written about that already.
 BCnU!

My thanks to my "Little Buddy" Sean for suggesting this topic.....

GAME OF ZONKS II

Leonard:

“It’s from Game of Thrones … what do you think?”

Sheldon:

“I don’t know. If we’re going to start a fantasy sword collection —

and I’ve long thought we should —

is this really the sword to start with?”

Leonard:

“What did you have in mind?”

Sheldon:

“Well, off the top of my head, I’d have to go with Excalibur.

It gives you the right to rule England.” Leonard:

“It’s a replica of movie prop.”

Sheldon:

“Fair enough –

It would give you the right to rule a replica of England.”

'The Big Bang Theory'

Donna:

"What is wrong with you today?

Did they cancel 'Game of Thrones'?"

Ben:

"Nothing is wrong, just do your job.

And they would never cancel 'Game of Thrones'.

 It's a crossover hit.

It's not just for fantasy enthusiasts,

they're telling human stories in a fantasy world."

'Parks & Recreation'

Both of those mentions of 'Game Of Thrones' happened on the same night. And they weren't the first time that the fantasy series has been mentioned in other television shows......

"Chuck: Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff (#4.20)" (2011)
Chuck is reading a book (presumably "A Game of Thrones") and he says "Eddard, you don't let your kids keep a direwolf. That's a terrible idea".

"Castle: Heroes and Villains (#4.2)" (2011)
When Castle's told the victim was killed by a sword, he says "That's so 'Game of Thrones'!"

With those last two references, it's geared more towards the book series by George R.R. Martin. O'Bvious with 'Chuck', since he's reading the book. But with 'Castle', I think it's because he's a novelist as well, maybe even knows Martin, and his mind would naturally lean towards the books first. But being a big kid at heart, I'm sure he's an avid follower of the TV series.

There's no Zonk here. I have no problem with there being a 'Game Of Thrones' TV show in a world that should be sharing the same dimension. (They aren't sharing the same world, however. It's the Toobworld Central stance that 'Game Of Thrones' took place in the distant past on Earth's twin planet Mondas.)

I've written about this before, and about where the televersion for Mr. Martin got the idea for those books within the TV world.

By the way, I made a fearless prediction in that post and I would have been right if it hadn't been for that meddling 'Castle':

So that's good enough for the book series; but what about any future Zonks that might mention the TV series? (And my prediction is that it will be 'The Big Bang Theory' that does it first.)

It may never reach the level of geekery mentions that 'Doctor Who', 'Star Trek', and 'The Twilight Zone' get in other TV shows, but I'm sure such Zonkish references to 'Game Of Thrones' will eventually rival 'Battlestar Galactica' someday......

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: FRANK HARRIS

FRANK HARRIS

AS SEEN IN:
'The Infinite Worlds Of H.G. Wells'

AS PLAYED BY:
Robert Demeger

TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time (Conditional)
His appearance here is in a flashback remembrance by H.G. Wells, and imagined by his audience, Miss Ellen McGillvray....

From Wikipedia:
Frank Harris (February 14, 1856 – August 27, 1931) was a British-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Though he attracted much attention during his life for his irascible, aggressive personality, editorship of famous periodicals, and friendship with the talented and famous, he is remembered mainly for his multiple-volume memoir My Life and Loves, which was banned in countries around the world for its sexual explicitness.

Harris first came to general notice as the editor of a series of London papers including the Evening News, the Fortnightly Review and the Saturday Review, the last-named being the high point of his journalistic career, with H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw as regular contributors.

Harris returned to New York during World War I. From 1916 to 1922 he edited the U.S. edition of Pearson's Magazine. Pearson's has been described as "Probably second in fame to The Strand Magazine, which it imitated ... a heavily romantic publication" Married three times, Harris died in France on August 27, 1931, of a heart attack.

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD: DAN WHELDON

Two-time winner of the Indy 500, Dan Wheldon, was killed in a fiery 15 car crash in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Back on my birthday, he appeared on 'The Late Show With David Letterman' to talk about his latest title win.....

Good night and may God bless.

BCnU.....

THE TOOBWORLD TAKE-AWAY: "BOSS"

Thanks to an online preview, I've seen the first episode of 'Boss', the gritty Starz political drama starring Kelsey Grammar as the mayor of Chicago. It will premiere on October 21st.

If the Fall 2011 TV season left you little to choose from in new drama series - if yet another police procedural or a coven of simpering teen-aged witches leaves you uninspired - then 'Boss' may be the one to hold out for.

I found it to be rough, moody, gripping, violent, sexy. It's the political heir to 'The Sopranos'. There are a lot of interesting actors - Martin Donovan, Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Kathleen Robertson, Jeff Hephner - whose roles hold the promise for compelling, divergent story lines. And as for the central character of Mayor Tom Kane, it's Grammar's best work in years. In fact, not once during the pilot episode did I ever think of Frasier Crane.

If you have the Starz premium channel, I'd suggest checking this out when it debuts on October 21.......

Now, for the report more specific to my Toobworld interests....

Unlike the televersion of New York City, in which the current mayor of the City MUST be Mike Bloomberg (because of his appearances as a League of Themselves member in shows like 'Law & Order', '30 Rock', and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'), Chicago's mayor isn't as nationally known to the average TV viewer. This could all change with an episode of 'Happy Endings', which I think may be the only other Chicago-based series on the air now. 'The Chicago Code' from last year did have John Heard playing Mayor McGuinness in two episodes. Depending on how long Tom Kane has been in office, maybe the timeline splainins can be toyed with.

For example, this series may be taking place in 2013, because Kane talked about the Reverend Jeremiah Porter's arrival in the Chicago area as having taken place 180 years before. Since that occurred in 1833, it's either 2013, or Kane just like to round off his figures.

Perhaps McGuinness was a deputy mayor acting as the temporary mayor under emergency guidelines while Kane was hopitalized.  (It would be this treatment that first clued him in to there being something seriously wrong with him physically....)

So, unless some wild Zonk rears its head to negate the ruling, I think 'Boss' can remain in Earth Prime-Time, the main TV dimension.  Otherwise, this is a show worthy of inclusion in the alternate TV dimension of 'The West Wing'.

At the very least, its depiction of the uses for a kitchen sink garbage disposal and of the enforcement of the Hyppocratic Oath will send a chill up your spine.

Now....

I'm trusting this works - at the site where I saw the preview for 'Boss', they had an embed code to be copied. I'm hoping this code brings that first episode to you, Team Toobworld, as well:

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 10/2011 - UNDER O'BSERVATION

By tradition, October has been the month in which the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame inducts its scarier members, or those with a sci-fi/fantasy theme - Rod Serling, Frankenstein's Monsters, Sweet the Demon, Hellboy, Uncle Martin, Dr. Bombay, Grandpa & Lily Munster, the televersions of Orson Welles and Charles Manson, and - for something REALLY scary, kids! - Frank Barone among others.

We're keeping with that tradition by inducting......

THE OBSERVER

"FRINGE"

He has been seen, or at least somebody resembling him (There is more than one Observer.) has been seen at key points in history. And his appearances on our TV screens has not been limited to episodes of 'Fringe':

Some of these appearances have been kind of sketchy......

And as they are known for being in alternate dimensions, apparently there is one in the Promoverse.....

These are the current shows in which I wish he'd make an appearance:
'Supernatural'
'Doctor Who'
'Alphas'
'Eureka!'
'Warehouse 13'
'The Killing' (despite how much I now loathe that show!)
'Boardwalk Empire'
'Boss'
'Breaking Bad'
'Person Of Interest'
'Bodies Of Proof'
'How I Met Your Mother'
'Modern Family'
'Happy Endings'
'Suburgatory'
'Community'
'Parks & Recreation'
'The Mentalist'
'Castle'
'Inspector Lewis'
'Mad Men' (perfect setting for him to blend in!)

Yeah, pretty much every show that's out there......

And with the advancements in CGI, why not insert the Observer into the backgrounds of old episodes from classic TV shows like 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' (I'm thinking of the train station scene in "Uhny Uftz", 'Columbo', 'Kojak', 'Naked City', 'NYPD' and 'NYPD Blue'?  The opening credits for 'That Girl', 'The Odd Couple', and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'?

So welcome to the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, Mr. Observer....

Mind if I call you Uatu?

BCnU!

AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR BLIPVERT.....

We now know that 'Seinfeld' exists in the Promoverse....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: TAMMY FAYE BAKKER

TAMMY FAYE BAKKER

AS SEEN IN:
"Fall From Grace"

AS PLAYED BY:
Bernadette Peters

From Wikipedia:
Tamara Faye LaValley Bakker Messner (March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American Christian singer, evangelist, entrepreneur, author, talk show host, and television personality. She was married to televangelist, and later convicted felon, Jim Bakker (1961–92). She co-hosted with him on 'The PTL Club' (1976–87). She was a participant in the 2004 season of the reality show 'The Surreal Life'.

On July 20, 2007, at 4 am, Messner died following an 11-year battle with cancer. What had started as colon cancer had spread to her lungs. She died in her home, said her publicist, Joe Spotts. A family service was held on the morning of July 21, 2007, in the Messner family plot in Waldron, Kansas, where her ashes were interred. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Randy McCain, the pastor of Open Door Community Church in Sherwood, Arkansas.

She had frequently spoken about her medical problems, saying she hoped to be an inspiration to others. "Don't let fear rule your life," she said. "Live one day at a time, and never be afraid."

She had written on her website in May that the doctors had stopped trying to treat the cancer. She died the day after the airing of her interview on 'Larry King Live' on CNN. According to CNN.com, the family requested that King officially report the news of her death on July 21, 2007.

For More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Faye_Messner

Today's "As Seen On TV" spotlight is dedicated to my friend Jeffrey Paul Baker (NOT Bakker!) It's sort of a belated birthday present, since he's such a HUGE fan of Bernadette Peters......

BCnU!