Friday, September 25, 2020

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS, 09/25/2020 - "THE TWILIGHT ZONE"

 
Once again I’m running so late with my blog posts for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  And it’s only five posts a month!  I guess after thirty years of working on my Toobworld concept, I’m finally burned out.  I find I would much rather be exploring my realm of Wayside, Connecticut.  Those stories may not be good but almost everything is mine… almost, and I’m not restricted in the structure of those stories by any limitations on the universe.

Shameless plug time – if you’re interested in reading any of them, I have a Facebook page – “Wayside, Connecticut”.  I would suggest reading them via the photo galleries; pick a category and read them in order.  And please like the page even if you don’t plan on visiting very often (or ever again!)  It helps…..

Let’s move on….

This was supposed to be the final entry in eptember and as we’ve been doing all year, it’s a Real World TV series which has a Toobworld “televersion”.  And so….

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

From Wikipedia:
‘The Twilight Zone’ is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, supernatural drama, black comedy, and psychological thriller, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist, and usually with a moral. A popular and critical success, it introduced many Americans to common science fiction and fantasy tropes.

The first series, shot entirely in black and white, ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964.

‘The Twilight Zone’ followed in the tradition of earlier television shows such as ‘Tales of Tomorrow’ (1951–53) and ‘Science Fiction Theatre’ (1955–57); radio programs such as ‘The Weird Circle’ (1943–45), ‘Dimension X’ (1950–51) and ‘X Minus One’ (1955–58); and the radio work of one of Serling's inspirations, Norman Corwin. The success of the series led to a feature film (1983), a TV film (1994), a radio series (2002–12), various literature, theme park attractions and various other spin-offs that spanned five decades, including three revival television series. The second series (1985–89) ran on CBS and in syndication in the 1980s, while the third series ran on UPN (2002–2003). In December 2017, CBS All Access officially ordered the fourth ‘Twilight Zone’ series, helmed by Jordan Peele. The series premiered on April 1, 2019.

TV Guide ranked the original TV series #5 in their 2013 list of the 60 greatest shows of all time and #4 in their list of the 60 greatest dramas.

One might think ‘The Twilight Zone’ should have been saved for the October TV show.  But one would be wrong. This show really is more attuned to the world of show business which is depicted throughout the series in one aspect or another.

Besides, there is another show which will be inducted next month for the Halloween tradition.

Rod Serling, the creator of the series, was inducted into the Hall not only for contributing such a vital element to Toobworld, but also for taking part in the show as its host, an Observer, and at least as a participant in the story.  (“A World Of His Own”)

For Toobworld, the anthology series not only takes place on Earth Prime-Time – Past, Present, and Future – but also on other planets and in other dimensions.  And most Toobworlders only know of that as being fictional, as seen in their televersion of the show that we watch.  They have no clue they’re watching actual events being transmitted thanks to the powers of Rod Serling’s televersion.  So what we see as the Trueniverse audience is “real life” as it plays out on Toobworld, other worlds, and on alternate Toobworlds.  And for the Toobworlders, they’re watching depictions of that, plus a few episodes only to be found in that TV world.

Here's an example of Toobworld’s fictional televersion of ‘The Twilight Zone’:

Saved by the Bell: The College Years:
A Thanksgiving Story
(1993)

Alex says that she watched an episode of "The Twilight Zone" that included goat people.

When TV characters mention ‘The Twilight Zone’, sometimes it can be a toss-up as to it being a reference to the TV show or to the actual location/state of being.

Here’s an example in which the Twilight Zone had to be real:

Xena: Warrior Princess:
Lifeblood
(2000)

Cyane mentions in disbelief that she must be in the Twilight Zone

Here are many of the shows which have referenced their own version of ‘The Twilight Zone’:

The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, Mister Ed, The Donna Reed Show, The Jack Benny Program, Leave It to Beaver: Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Petticoat Junction, The Lucy Show, Gilligan's Island, Green Acres, Bewitched, The Beverly Hillbillies, All in the Family, Laverne & Shirley, Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, B.J. and the Bear, The Bad News Bears, Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, The Greatest American Hero, Open All Night, Knots Landing, Fame, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, St. Elsewhere, The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, Moonlighting, Girls on Top, Remington Steele, The A-Team, Growing Pains, ALF, Night Court, The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, Designing Women, Perfect Strangers, Not Necessarily the News, Beauty and the Beast, The Charmings, Neighbours, Hot Metal, Degrassi High, Quantum Leap, Small Wonder, The Wonder Years, Saved by the Bell, Tales from the Crypt, Northern Exposure, The Flash, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Cool It, Hey Dude, Hi Honey, I'm Home, Ranma ½: Nettô-hen, The Golden Girls, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Get a Life, Melrose Place, Law & Order, Home and Away,
Married... with Children, The Red Green Show, Seinfeld, The Nanny, Beverly Hills, 90210, Ballykissangel, The Vicar of Dibley, Touched by an Angel, Men Behaving Badly, Hang Time, Frasier, 7th Heaven, Homicide: Life on the Street, Red Dwarf, Lassie, The X-Files, Freaks and Geeks, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, Queer as Folk, The Dead Zone,
Star Trek: Enterprise, Scrubs, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Veronica Mars, EastEnders, Blood+, Supernatural, Eureka, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Psych, Blood Ties, Mad Men, Flikken Maastricht, Chuck, General Hospital, Entourage, The Good Wife, Criminal Minds, Royal Pains, Pretty Little Liars, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Under the Dome, Revenge, The Vampire Diaries, Red Band Society, Major Crimes, Bloodsworth, NCIS, iZombie, Awkward, Person of Interest, Orange Is the New Black, Frequency, Ray Donovan, Hap and Leonard, GLOW, 12 Monkeys, Take Two, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Outsider

Missing from that list are cartoons, talk shows, remakes, game shows, documentaries, and sketch comedy shows.  It could be that some of those which are listed might not actually belong.





Welcome to the Hall, Twilight Zone!


Friday, September 18, 2020

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS, 09/18/2020 - LOU FERRIGNO


I wanted to make sure that the Television Crossover Hall of Fame had a League of Themselves actor inducted this month as we look behind the scenes into the making of the Television Universe.  And I wanted that actor to be someone whose “televersion” appearances keyed into the role he or she was known for.  At first I thought Wil Wheaton would be the perfect choice, but his credits, despite ‘The Big Bang Theory’, leaned too heavily on appearances in alternate Toobworlds or on reality programming like game shows and talk shows.

So instead….

LOU FERRIGNO!

From Wikipedia:
Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (born November 9, 1951) is an American actor, fitness trainer, fitness consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary “Pumping Iron”. As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the CBS television series ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and vocally reprising the role in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. He has also appeared as himself in the sitcom ‘The King of Queens’. 

Here are the appearances which will allow Ferrigno to smash his way into the TVXOHOF:

The Hollywood Squares (Daytime)
- Episodes from February 4-8, 1980


The Fall Guy
- License to Kill: Part 1 (1982)
- The Winner (1984)

O'Bservation - This is a great example of seeing both sides of Toobworld - from the Earth Prime perspective as well as from within Earth Prime-Time. (This episode would also be at home in Toobworld-Toobworld, where the making of real TV shows are dramatized.)  In this case, the Hulk (a TVXOHOF member) does exist in the main Toobworld, and that's who we saw in his TV series.  But in Toobworld, a TV show was naturally made from such a newsworthy concept and Lou Ferrigno starred in it.  This negates any Zonk mentions in other shows. 
 


The King of Queens
18 episodes
(2000-07)



The Price Is Right
- Episode #37.105 (2009)
O’Bservation - While not a member of the TVXOHOF yet, ‘The Price Is Right’ has established its televersion in shows like ‘Martial Law’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ in more ways than just playing on TV sets in the background.


The Apprentice
- And the Winner Is ... (2012)
- Winning by a Nose (2012)
- Ad Hawk (2012)
- Walking Papers (2012)
- Party Like a Mock-Star (2012)
- I'm Going to Mop the Floor with You (2012)
- Failure to Launch (2012)
- How Much is That Celebrity in the Window? (2012)
- Getting Medieval (2012)
- Hero Worship (2012)

O'Bservation - Drumpf was inducted as the April Fool in 2009.


Con Man
- I'm with Stupid (2017)
- Pin Cushion (2017)

The Grindhouse Radio
- GHR: Alan Robert - Life of Agony (2018)

O’Bservation – This is basically a radio show taped for television, which has been a format that’s been around for some time.  I thought it odd enough to be included.


Velvet Prozak
- Cougar Hunting (2020)

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Ferrigno!


And better luck next time, H’Wil H’Wheaton!

Friday, September 11, 2020

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMER, 09/11/2020 - MASTER OF CEREMONIES

 
On January 8th of this annus horribilis, the television industry lost an early idol, Edd Byrnes, who rocketed to fame for playing Gerald Lloyd Kookson III, best known as “Kookie”, on ’77 Sunset Strip’.  Less than a week later, Kookie found a new address – the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

A second character played by Byrnes is now being inducted into the Hall.  Appropriately enough, as one of the Friday Hall of Famers in September, the month in which we celebrate people connected to the television industry.

This may be TVXOHOF history; off the top of my unreliable noggin, I can think of only one other time when two separate characters played by one actor were inducted in the same year.  And of course, that would be Patty and Cathy Lane of ‘The Patty Duke Show’.

I’d love to tell you what his name was, but I don’t know it….

THE EMCEE

From Wikipedia:
The success of the film [GREASE] led to Byrnes being cast in the lead of a TV series ‘$weepstake$’ but it only lasted nine episodes.

From the IMDb:
Similar to the series ‘The Millionaire’, as well as ‘The Love Boat’/’Fantasy Island’ use of a different supporting cast each episode. Like ‘The Millionaire’, Edd Byrnes presents the winnings, and the episode follows his or her adventures (good or bad).

In each episode of this series, three persons each buy a sweepstakes ticket and each of them has their own reason for wanting to win the jackpot which is one million dollars. And they all become finalists and when the winner is announced, we see how he/she does after winning the money. And we also see what happens to the other two after losing the jackpot.

Of course, the fact that the emcee is nameless in that series makes it easy to claim that other emcees (Masters of Ceremonies) in episodes from other shows played by Byrnes are all the same man, beginning with ‘Sweepstakes’ in 1979.

Here all the appearances by the Emcee:

1979-1991
Sweepstakes
9 episodes (1979)
as the Emcee




Rags to Riches
- Beauty and the Babe (1987)
... Emcee

Diane decides to enter a beauty pageant with Nick's permission as long as she promises to keep her grades up. 

Mr. Belvedere
- The Pageant (1990)
... The Emcee

Heather attempts to sabotage a beauty pageant.

Empty Nest
- Talk, Talk, Talk (1991)
... M.C.

Barbara and Charley enter a chili cook-off.



Conflating these characters into one raises questions about the life during prime-time for the Emcee.  The jobs as a Master of Ceremonies seemed to get smaller and shabbier as Time went on.

Did he have a drinking problem?  Drugs?  How did he lose that national gig with the sweepstakes event?

The great thing about having the Emcee in the TVXOHOF is that we can now imagine him hosting future induction ceremonies for new members.

Welcome to the Hall, Sir!  (Whatever your name is….)


Friday, September 4, 2020

TVXOHOF, SEPTEMBER 2020 - LORNE MICHAELS

 
With the September showcase, we look behind the scenes and salute the Powers That Be who helped to expand the many facets of the TV Universe.

This year, being the dreaded 2020, by this point we really need to salute somebody who helps to make us laugh.  And so we turned to a man who has created a major “Borderland” combining the Cineverse with Skitlandia….

LORNE MICHAELS

From Wikipedia:
Lorne Michaels CC (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American television producer and screenwriter best known for creating and producing ‘Saturday Night Live’ and producing the ‘Late Night’ series (since 1993), ‘The Kids in the Hall’ (from 1989 to 1995) and ‘The Tonight Show’ (since 2014).

In 1975, Michaels created (with fellow NBC employee Dick Ebersol and president of the network Herb Schlosser) the TV show ‘NBC's Saturday Night’, which in 1977 changed its name to ‘Saturday Night Live’ (initially there was a name conflict with an ABC show titled ‘Saturday Night Live’ with Howard Cosell, which debuted September 20, 1975, and was cancelled on January 17, 1976). The show, which is performed live in front of a studio audience, immediately established a reputation for being cutting-edge and unpredictable. It became a vehicle for launching the careers of some of the most successful comedians in the United States.

Originally the producer of the show, Michaels was also a writer and later became executive producer. He occasionally appears on-screen as well, where he is known for his deadpan humor. Throughout the show's history, SNL has been nominated for more than 156 Emmy Awards and has won 36. It has consistently been one of the highest-rated late-night television programs. Michaels has been with SNL for all seasons except for his hiatus in the early 1980s (seasons 6–10).

Perhaps Michaels's best-known appearance occurred in the first season when he offered the Beatles $3,000 (a deliberately paltry sum) to reunite on the show.  He later increased his offer to $3,200, but the money was never claimed. According to an interview in Playboy magazine, John Lennon and Paul McCartney happened to be in New York City that night and wanted to see the show. They very nearly went, but changed their minds as it was getting too late to get to the show on time, and they were both tired. This near-reunion was the basis for the TV movie “Two of Us”.

On the November 20, 1976, show, musical guest George Harrison appeared, but Michaels told him the offer was conditional on all four members of the group showing up, not just any Beatle. Harrison told Michaels his refusal to pay him his share is "chintzy," and Michaels countered by saying, "The Beatles don't have to split the money equally. They can give, say, Ringo less if they want."

‘Saturday Night Live’ has made several efforts to develop some of the more popular sketches into feature-length films, with varying degrees of commercial and critical success. The first foray into film came with the successful Aykroyd and Belushi vehicle, “The Blues Brothers” (1980), which earned over $115 million on a $27 million budget.

The success of “Wayne's World” (1992) encouraged Michaels to produce more film spin-offs, based on several popular sketch characters. Michaels revived 1970s characters for “Coneheads” (1993), followed by “It's Pat” (1994); “Stuart Saves His Family” (1995); “A Night at the Roxbury” (1998); “Superstar” (1999) and “The Ladies Man” (2000).

Some did moderately well, though others did not—notably, “It's Pat”, which did so badly at the box office that the studio that made the film, Touchstone Pictures (owned by The Walt Disney Company, which also owns NBC's rival ABC), pulled it only one week after releasing it, and “Stuart Saves His Family”, which lost $14 million. Many of these films were produced by Paramount Pictures. The films based on “The Blues Brothers” were produced by Universal Studios, which merged with NBC in 2004 to form NBC Universal.  (Universal also has a joint venture with Paramount for international distribution of the two studios' films.)

Those movies were responsible for a unique Borderland in which those movies are merged with the sketches on which they were based.

And Michaels also brought in characters from many alternate Cineverses and Toobworlds to make them part of Skitlandia, like Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (played by Chris Hemsworth) and Jesse Pinkman of LLSLS‘Breaking Bad’ (played by Aaron Paul.)

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Michaels!


Friday, August 28, 2020

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMERS, 08/24/2020 - "GUNSMOKE"

 
Last Friday of the month and as is our custom (this year), I’m inducting a TV show which has its own televersion in the main Toobworld.  No consideration for the alternate Toobworlds, like Skitlandia, the Tooniverse, or even Nosferatoob.  In this case, with August being the month for Westerns, there are enough other shows which verify the existence of…..


From Wikipedia:
‘Gunsmoke’ is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television. When aired in the United Kingdom, the television series was initially titled ‘Gun Law’, later reverting to ‘Gunsmoke’.

The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. John Dunning wrote that among radio drama enthusiasts, "’Gunsmoke’ is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time." The television series ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975, and lasted for 635 episodes. At the end of its run in 1975, Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith wrote: "Gunsmoke was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west. Our own ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’, created from standard elements of the dime novel and the pulp Western as romanticized by [Ned] Buntline, [Bret] Harte, and [Mark] Twain. It was ever the stuff of legend."


And that legend was recounted over and over again by those who watched it.

The show ran twenty years, yet only spawned one spin-off.  But it did have several sequel movies.

THE SPIN-OFF

Dirty Sally (1974)
Sally Fergus is introduced on ‘Gunsmoke’: “Pike: Part 1” (1971) & ‘Gunsmoke’: “Pike: Part 2” (1971).

THE SEQUEL MOVIES

  • Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987)
  • Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990)
  • Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992)
  • Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993)
  • Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (1994)
So that give the historical events of ‘Gunsmoke’ a solid base in the “Reality” of Earth Prime-Time; plenty to work with in making the idea of a TV series based on that history believable.

There is no Zonk in other TV shows mentioning ‘Gunsmoke’ as a TV show.  On the Toobworld timeline, it took place during the mid-1800s and into the early 20th Century of Earth Prime-Time and would be considered History by “modern-day” Toobworlders. It would be the perfect candidate for a TV series.

Every mention of the TV series, every time a character is referenced or imitated, every imitation of the series serves as a qualification for the Toobworld version of the TV show to be inducted into the TVXOHOF.



Here are the examples of TV shows in which it could easily be treated as both History and a TV series.

The Phil Silvers Show:
Bilko's TV Pilot (1958)
While watching another show, Rizik recognizes a bad guy from "Gunsmoke".

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet:
Top Gun
(1958)
While wearing cowboy hats and western-style vests, Dave introduces a limping Rick as "Chester".

Hancock's Half Hour:
The Set That Failed
(1959)
Hancock acts out a scene from this show.

The Larkins:
All the Answers
(1960)
Eddy likes this show

The Danny Thomas Show:
Everything Happens to Me
(1961)
One of four western series from which Rusty wants autographs from everyone.

Dennis the Menace:
The School Play
(1961)
Dennis's school play is a takeoff on Gunsmoke. It includes characters such as Marshal Mellon and his limping sidekick, Lester.

The Danny Thomas Show:
The P.T.A. Bash
(1962)
Danny mentions the show, while performing a comedy routine for the P.T.A.

Car 54, Where Are You?:
No More Pickpockets
(1962)
Wearing a cowboy hat, while working undercover, Muldoon is mistaken for Marshal Dillon.

Mister Ed:
Ed the Beachcomber
(1962)
Mister Ed mentions Matt Dillon.

Stoney Burke:
Child of Luxury
(1962)
Stoney is told he'll ride in "like Marshal Dillon."

The Andy Griffith Show:
 Lawman Barney
(1962)
Barney is called Marshall Dillon.

Dennis the Menace:
Wilson's Second Childhood
(1962)
While the neighborhood kids are playing cowboys and Indians, Mrs. Wilson calls her husband "Matt", and Mr. Wilson calls his wife "Miss Kitty".

O’Bservation – Sorry to sully your childhood memories, but could this have led to a little “afternoon delight” role-playing upstairs?

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis:
Will the Real Santa Claus Please Come Down the Chimney?
(1962)
Maynard says that even though he's never actually seen him, he believes in Marshal Dillon (but he's not so sure about Chester).

The Andy Griffith Show:
Aunt Bee's Medicine Man
(1963)
Aunt Bee calls Andy "Sheriff Matt Dillon" and asks "Where's Chester?"

The Dick Van Dyke Show:
Racy Tracy Rattigan
(1963)
Sally limps out of the office calling for Mr. Dillon

Dennis the Menace:
A Man Among Men
(1963)
Dennis mentions Sheriff Matt Dillon, and then he starts to limp.

Gilligan's Island:
The Sound of Quacking
(1964)
In the "Marshal Gilligan" dream sequence, which also features limping deputy Skipper and barmaid "Miss Ginger"

The Andy Griffith Show:
Fun Girls
(1964)
Gomer says Goober can walk just like Chester on "Marshall Dillon", which was the title for the half-hour episodes of "Gunsmoke" when the series was expanded to a full hour.

Password:
Lucille Ball & Gary Morton vs. Luci Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.
(1964)
When the password is COWBOY, Gary's clue is GUNSMOKE, to which Desi Jr.'s reply is CHESTER. That is the first name of a central character played by Dennis Weaver on the TV show.

O’Bservation – I included this since ‘Password’ has its own televersion thanks to ‘The Odd Couple’.

My Favorite Martian:
The Time Machine Is Waking Up That Old Gang of Mine
(1965)
Mistakenly believing that Tim and Martin are claiming to be Frank and Jesse James, the railroad detective sarcastically introduces himself as Marshal Dillon.

Gilligan's Island:
The Postman Cometh
(1966)
The Skipper pretends to be Marshal Dillon

Green Acres:
The Deputy
(1966)
When Oliver becomes deputy sheriff, Eb calls him 'Mr. Dillon'

The Monkees:
Monkees in a Ghost Town
(1966)
Davy calls up Chester who tells him Marshal Dillon is absent.

O'Bservation - It's the Monkees; I'm not going to throw my back out trying to splain that away!

Gilligan's Island:
Gilligan Goes Gung-Ho
(1966)
Newly appointed Deputy Gilligan limps and calls the Skipper, "Mr. Dillon"

The Monkees:
Monkees in Texas
(1967)
referenced in musical cues

Petticoat Junction:
One of Our Chickens Is Missing
(1969)
Buck refers to Orrin as Marshal Dillon.

All in the Family:
Flashback - Mike and Gloria's Wedding: Part 2
(1972)
Mentioned by Archie

The Bob Newhart Show:
Last TV Show
(1973)
Mentioned several times, including Mrs. Bakerman claiming she hasn't missed it in seventeen years.

All in the Family:
Archie the Gambler
(1973)
Archie says Edith whips out a pencil like Matt Dillon.

Here's Lucy:
The Carters Meets Frankie Avalon
(1973)
In their comic banter as Sonny and Cher, Avalon (Sonny) mentions being cast in "Gunsmoke"

O'Bservation - I'd have to see the actual quote.  But I don't see evidence either Bono or Avalon were actually on 'Gunsmke'.  If the quote asserts one of them was a guest star, then Toobworld has a fictional episode of the Western.

Q & Q:
Ding dong!!!
(1976)
Title mentioned by Yvonne

Sanford and Son:
The TV Addict
(1976)
Fred says he's in love with Miss Kitty.

The Muppet Show:
Juliet Prowse
(1977)
"Cowboy Time" sketch spoofs Gunsmoke

CHiPs:
High Explosive
(1978)
Grossman compares Jon to Matt Dillon

The Twilight Zone:
Gramma/Personal Demons/Cold Reading
(1986)
Rockne S. O'Bannon wrote for the series.

The A-Team:
The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair
(1986)
Mentioned by Tour Guide

Night Court:
The New Judge
(1986)
Characters referenced

Night Court:
Contempt of Courting
(1986)
"Let's go, Ms. Kitty."

The Golden Girls:
Long Day's Journey Into Marinara
(1987)
Sophia says that Angela still tries to watch Gunsmoke on Sunday nights.

O'Bservation -
'Gunsmoke' first aired on Saturdays before moving to Mondays.  So that quote probably questioned Angela's mental state - not ony trying to watch it on Sundays, but because the show had been off the air for twelve years. 

The Golden Girls:
A Piece of Cake
(1987)
Sophia mentions by name.

Cheers:
The Crane Mutiny
(1987)
Carla calls Woody "Festus".

It's Garry Shandling's Show:
No Baby, No Show
(1987)
Expectant-couple mistakes Bob Dylan for Marshal Matt Dillon.

Wiseguy:
Last Rites for Lucci
(1987)
Referred to.

Miami Vice:
The Cows of October
(1988)
Izzy says "Get out of Casablanca", which he was bumbling the quote "Get out of Dodge", heard in one manner or another on the old series set in Dodge City.

Quantum Leap:
How the Tess Was Won - August 5, 1956
(1989)
Sam sarcastically quips, "Aw, gee shucks, Mr. Dillon."

Hey Dude:
Amnesia
(1990)
Title is referenced

Quantum Leap:
Rebel Without a Clue - September 1, 1958
(1990)
Sam jokingly refers to Dillon as "Marshal Dillon."

The Gambler Returns:
The Luck of the Draw
(1991)
 (TV Movie)
action takes place in the Longbranch Saloon

The Larry Sanders Show:
Hey Now
(1992)
Larry tells Hank that he looks like Kitty from Gunsmoke

Baywatch:
A Matter of Life and Death
(1993)
When Hobie mentions actor Matt Dillon from “The Flamingo Kid”, Mitch's dad thinks it's the James Arness character.

Married... with Children:
Get Outta Dodge
(1994)
Reference to "Get the hell out of Dodge [City]"

Friends:
The One with the Breast Milk
(1995)
Chandler tells Joey to go see Miss Kitty who will fix him up with a nice hooker.

3rd Rock from the Sun:
Dickmalion
(1997)
The show is on when Dick turns on Mary's new TV.

Law & Order:
Castoff
(1998)
Congressman Maxwell refers to the series.

Nash Bridges:
Skin Deep
(1998)
A tattoo artist looks at Evan's old-time sheriff badge he bought and says he must be Miss Kitty. Though Kitty was not an officer of the law or deputized.

3rd Rock from the Sun:
Dr. Solomon's Traveling Alien Show
(1998)
Mary tells Don that she and Dick have a game based on the show.

Nash Bridges:
Shoot the Moon
(1999)
Joe tells Nash, "Come on, Chester" while helping him walk after being shot in the butt and having trouble. This refers to a deputy named Chester who walked with a limp.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer:
This Year's Girl
(2000)
"I tell you, if I were her, I'd get out of Dodge post hasty." This phrase originated on Gunsmoke

American Dreams:
The One
(2003)
Roxanne refers to the series.

Monk:
Mr. Monk and Little Monk
(2005)
"Gunsmoke" lunchbox in Young Sherry's locker.

Veronica Mars:
Debasement Tapes
(2007)
Marshal Dillon mentioned.

Chuck:
Chuck Versus the Predator
(2009)
Emmett, comparing the situation to a Western, says, "It was a lawless town: Shane, Marshal Dillon, Clint Eastwood."

Justified:
Riverbrook
(2010)
Mentioned in dialogue

iCarly:
iSam's Mom
(2010)
Name of the overly macho bodyguard protecting Freddie

Sam & Cat:
#BlooperEpisode
(2014)
Two fans mention some of Maree Cheatham's past work

Cocaine Cowboys:
Reloaded
(2014)
The Matt Dillon character is mentioned.

Masters of Sex:
Kyrie Eleison
(2014)
Dr. Greathouse says that Dr. Masters has a bigger following than "Gunsmoke".

Masters of Sex:
Story of My Life
(2014)
mentioned by Lester

This Is Us:
Moonshadow
(2017)
Darryl mentions the show to Jack.

Endeavour:
Pylon
(2019) 
Mrs Thursday was watching this on television.



Inspector Fred Thursday:
'Gunsmoke', is it?

Win Thursday:
I don't know. Something....

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit:
I'm Going To Make You a Star
(2019)
short clip of unidentified black-and-white episode seen on TV.


And so the televersion of another TV series has been added to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  It’s 635 episodes and five TV movies probably guarantee its place as the member series with most viewing hours.

Get outta Dodge, ‘Gunsmoke’, and into the TVXOHOF!

Friday, August 21, 2020

FRIDAY'S HALL OF FAMERS, 08/21/2020 - BENITO JUAREZ

 We’re getting closer to catching up….

We have an historical figure for this week’s TV Western candidate for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame….


BENITO JUAREZ

From Wikipedia:
Benito Pablo Juárez García (21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican lawyer and politician, who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in 1872. He was the first president of Mexico who was of indigenous origin. Born in Oaxaca to a poor Zapotec rural family and orphaned young, he moved to Oaxaca City at the age of 12 to go to school. He was aided by a lay Franciscan, and enrolled in seminary, later studying law at Institute of Sciences and Arts and becoming a lawyer. After being appointed as a judge, in his 30s he married Margarita Maza, a socially prominent woman of Oaxaca City.

From his years in college, he was active in politics. Appointed as head justice of the nation's Supreme Court, Juárez identified primarily as a Liberal politician. In his life, he wrote briefly about his indigenous heritage.

When moderate liberal President Ignacio Comonfort was forced to resign by the Conservatives in 1858, Juárez, as head of the Supreme Court, assumed the presidency and the two governments competed. His succession was codified in the Constitution of 1857 but he survived in internal exile for a period. He weathered the War of the Reform (1858–60), a civil war between the Liberals and the Conservatives, and the French invasion (1861–1867), which was supported by Conservative monarchists.

Never relinquishing office, although forced into exile to areas of Mexico not controlled by the French, Juárez tied Liberalism to Mexican nationalism. He asserted his leadership as the legitimate head of the Mexican state, rather than Emperor Maximilian, whom the French had installed.

When the French-backed Second Mexican Empire fell in 1867, the Mexican Republic with Juárez as president regained full power. For his success in ousting the European incursion, Latin Americans considered Juárez's tenure as a time of a "second struggle for independence, a second defeat for the European powers, and a second reversal of the Conquest."
Juárez is revered in Mexico as "a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism and resistance to foreign intervention."

He understood the importance of a working relationship with the United States, and secured its recognition for his government during the War of the Reform. He held fast to particular principles, including the supremacy of civil power over the Catholic Church and part of the military; respect for law; and the de-personalization of political life. Juárez sought to strengthen the national government, asserting its central power over the states, a position that both radical and provincial liberals opposed.

After his death, the city and state of Oaxaca added "de Juarez" to their formal names in his honor, and numerous other places and institutions were named for him. His birthday (March 21) is celebrated as a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico. He is the only individual Mexican to be so honored.

In January 1959, the episode entitled "The Desperadoes" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western television series, ‘Sugarfoot’, starring Will Hutchins in the title role, focuses upon an imaginary plot to assassinate Juárez. Set at a mission in South Texas, the episode features Anthony George as a Catholic priest, Father John, a friend of the series character Tom "Sugarfoot" Brewster.

O'Bservation - President Juarez doesn't appear in this episode, but his existence is confirmed.



The actor Jan Arvan (1913-1979) was cast as President Juárez in the 1959 episode, "A Town Is Born" on the syndicated television anthology series, ‘Death Valley Days’, hosted by Stanley Andrews. Than Wyenn played Isaacs, a storekeeper in Nogales, Arizona Territory, who hides gold for the Mexican government in the fight against Maximilian. Jean Howell played his wife, Ruth Isaacs.


Frank Sorello (1929-2013) portrayed Juárez in two episodes of Robert Conrad's ‘The Wild, Wild West’, an American espionage adventure television program: "The Night of the Eccentrics" (1966), and "The Night of the Assassins" (1967).



O’Bservation – All four of these episodes would have to take place before July of 1872, the month and year in which Juarez died.
Trying to “reschedule” the dates for the televersions of historical figures.  The only time I felt comfortable in doing so was with Jules Verne, whose televersion in ‘The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne’ was at least a decade younger than he was in the Real World.

As for Juarez, I think it makes things simpler on a global scale even in Toobworld to stick with the facts as they truly stand.

I've seen a WWW timeline in which "The Night Of The Assassins" takes place in 1873.  One of these days I'll have to let them know about this glitch; they do incredible work otherwise.

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. President!



"President Benito Juarez" with
fellow Hall of Famer James West


Friday, August 14, 2020

FRIDAY'S HALL OF FAMERS, 08/14/2020 - BELLE STARR

 
I figured we needed some Old West feminine pulchritude this month, so I decided to go with a multidimensional historical character….

BELLE STARR

From Wikipedia:
Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848– February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death.

She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaws. She was convicted of horse theft in 1883. She was fatally shot in 1889 in a case that is still officially unsolved. Her story was popularized by Richard K. Fox — editor and publisher of the National Police Gazette — and she later became a popular character in television and films.

Here are the portrayals of Belle Starr in several alternates Toobworlds:


In 1954, former Miss Utah Marie Windsor played Starr in the premiere episode of Jim Davis's television series ‘Stories of the Century’.



O’BservationThe entire series was a series of tall tales told by Matt Clark, an inveterate liar.  In almost all of the episodes, Matt inserts himself into the story and either captures the bad guy(s) or shoots them dead himself, despite what History says on the topic. So Marie Windsor’s portrayal of Belle Starr isn’t from some alternate Toobworld; she is Matt Clark’s manifestation of a total falsehood.


In 1957, Jeanne Cooper, later a soap opera star, played Belle Starr in an episode of Dale Robertson's ‘Tales of Wells Fargo’. In this episode, Starr calls herself Mrs. Reed. There is mention of "Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker, and the episode makes mention of his sentencing Starr to a comparatively short prison term in a correctional facility at Detroit. In 1960, Cooper again played Belle Starr in an episode of the TV series Bronco titled "Shadow of Jesse James".



O’Bservation
Because Ms. Cooper played Belle Starr in two different series, I’m leaning towards making her the official Belle Starr for Earth Prime-Time.



In 1959, Jean Willes portrayed Starr in the ‘Maverick’ episode "Full House" opposite James Garner.


O’BservationEven if Jeanne Cooper is the official Belle Starr of the main Toobworld, this one can stay as well.  She was an impostor and most likely delusional.  All the “famous outlaws” of that episode were escapees from the sanitarium just outside Bubbly Springs.


In 1960, Lynn Bari played Belle in the premiere episode, titled "Perilous Passage", of the short-lived NBC western ‘Overland Trail’.

O’BservationI want to keep that series on the main Toobworld, so that Belle Starr was an impersonator.  As themselves, impersonators don’t add to the tally for a TVXOHOF candidate, but they do supply verification that the real candidate did exist in Toobworld.


In 1961, Carole Mathe
ws appeared as Belle in "A Bullet for  the D.A.", an episode of ‘Death Valley Days’, hosted by Stanley Andrews.

O’Bservation
As this was an anthology series, we can go one of two ways – Carole Matthews was either from an alternate Toobworld, or the audience in the Trueniverse was privy to the thoughts of the Old Ranger and saw Belle as he envisioned her.


Elizabeth Montgomery portrayed Belle in the 1980 television movie “Belle Starr”, made by Hanna-Barbera.

O’BservationThis is an easy one.  It’s a TV movie, so off it goes to Toobworld-MOTW.


In 1995, Belle Starr was portrayed [by Melissa Clayton] in season 3 of ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ in an episode titled "Baby Outlaws" as a 14-year-old outlaw who falls under the care of the good doctor and her family. This episode takes place in 1870, when Belle actually would have been 22.

O’BservationTricky.  I don’t like to play hob with the timelines of historical figures.  And I don’t want to lose Dr. Quinn to some other Toobworld.  I think either the family was taken in by a teenaged trickster passing herself off as Belle or Belle was very youthful looking and she passed herself off as 14, in hopes of getting a lighter sentence for being a child.


In the 2013 series 'Quick Draw!’, a fictionalized account of Belle Starr portrays her as the deceased spouse of the protagonist Sheriff John Henry Hoyle. She is referenced as wife to Cole Younger and Sam Starr. Arden Myrin appears in two episodes as Belle Starr, and Alexia Dox appears as Pearl Starr as a series regular.

O’BservationEasy peasy.   No Zonk here – Belle is already dead and her two appearances are flashback memories of Sheriff Hoyle’s which are filtered through how he wants to remember her.

A late 2014 episode of ‘The Pinkertons’ features Sheila Campbell as Belle Carson at the beginning of Belle's exploits as an outlaw (highly fictionalized, with the name Belle Starr as her fantasy persona and an affair with Jesse James in Kansas City).

O’BservationThe jury is still out on this one.  I’ve never seen it so I’m not familiar with its use of historical figures, in what format.  For now I’ll treat it as Toobworld-worthy.  It could be the case of another imposter.

Welcome to the Hall as a multidimensional, Belle Starr!



Friday, August 7, 2020

FRIDAY HALL OF FAMER, 08/07/2020 - WALTER JAMESON


Trying to catch up with the August inductions into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, I’m fortunate that I had already written up a Facebook post which laid out the case for accepting this week’s candidate for the Hall.  So I’m just going to tweak that post a bit and I’ll be closer to catching up.

WALTER JAMESON
[aka Major Hugh Skelton]

Jameson only showed up in one episode of “The Twilight Zone”, but in my TV Universe of Toobworld, Major General Hugh Skelton and Major Walter Kroll ('The Wild, Wild West' - "TNOT Doomsday Formula") were one and the same, among the many aliases he assumed over his unnaturally long life. Wrong series and episode true, but it could be said this character had a real “Identity Crisis”!

Once Matthew Harrison Brady took his photograph, Major Skelton knew it was time to move on to a new persona. So he became Major General Kroll, still with the Union Army, but with more venal goals in mind for his future and life after wartime.

At the end of the WWW episode, he was knocked unconscious and left behind in a building that was set to explode. We didn’t see him die however so for my theory, he revived and escaped in time to begin life anew as some other Kevin McCarthy character. Eventually he became Tom Bowen which was the catalyst for his death as Walter Jameson. (Using that first name again.)



Let's take a look at one of his TV performances which took place after that 'Twilight Zone' episode.  Even though Kevin McCarthy's ‘Columbo’ episode ('Requiem For A Fallen Star') tie it into the immortal’s family tree. Dr. Simmons was one of many descendants of the immortal, his branch of the family tree begun at any point over the last two thousand years

Although not as encompassing as Archibald Beechcroft (The Twilight Zone) and The Master (Doctor Who), Walter Jameson can link together dozens of TV series, perhaps as many as one hundred. (Beechcroft and The Master each link together every TV show in existence at the time they became every single person on Toobworld.)

Every TV character played by Kevin McCarthy before the events of this episode would be eligible to be Hugh Skelton by other names.  (Any character McCarthy played in later TV shows but which took place before the events of “Long Live Walter Jameson” could also be a candidate for another alias… so long as the character didn’t definitely die.  This could include Carter Gladstone in an episode of ‘Bearcats!’)



With Major Kroll, we didn’t see him actually die in that munitions explosion.  We saw West render him unconscious and then leave him behind.  It would be several minutes before the place blowed up real good.  That left plenty of time for Kroll to recover, escape by some back way, and flee to resume life under a new alias.

Walter Jameson must have used both identities during the War Between The States; Hugh Skelton was the main identity and he assumed the role of Walter Kroll while off on another assignment for the Union Army.  This helped him to establish a reputation for his attempt to run for President.  (And he resurrected that first name when he became his final alias, Walter Jameson.)

It could be that his thwarted experience as Major Kroll led him to rethink his future; maybe we can winnow down the other McCarthy roles from after the Civil War to just use those characters who tried to lead decent lives.  I’m sure we would still have enough characters to make his candidacy for the TVXOHOF valid.

Here are the credits which could qualify Walter Jameson as a candidate for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

THE OFFICIAL ENTRY


The Twilight Zone
- Long Live Walter Jameson
(1960)
Professor Walter Jameson
Tom Bowen
Maj. Hugh Skelton

OTHER POSSIBILITIES
(These are not presented in any particular order, certainly not in any chronological order.)


The Wild Wild West
- The Night of the Doomsday Formula
(1968)
Major General Walter Kroll

Garrison's Gorillas
- The Expendables
(1967)
Maj. Richards

The Guns of Will Sonnett
- Ride the Man Down
(1967)
Sheriff Tom Mills

The High Chaparral
- North to Tucson
(1968)
James Forrest


Bearcats!

- Conqueror's Gold
(1971)
Carter Gladstone

The Oregon Trail
- The Army Deserter
(1977)
Levering

The Road West
- Never Chase a Rainbow
(1967)
Rando


12 O'Clock High
- Massacre
(1966)
Major Baladin

The Legend of Jesse James
- A Burying for Rosey
(1966)
Sheriff Dockery


The Rifleman
- The Shattered Idol
(1961) ... Mark Twain
- Suspicion (1963) ... Winslow Quince

O’Bservation – McCarthy’s portrayal of Twain was one of the best I’ve ever seen from Toobworld.  However, the distortions to his personal timeline are not easy to splain away.  (I tried once; nearly threw out my back trying to splain it.)  I think it’s now more likely that this was Walter Jameson hiding in plain sight as a known figure, but he didn’t do his homework on Samuel Clemens as well as he should. Still, he fooled Lucas and Mark McCain.  Later, when Jameson returned to North Fork, New Mexico, he was now using the alias of Winslow Quince and the McCains were never the wiser.

JUST ONE MORE THING:

Kevin McCarthy did plenty of anthology series during the 1950s, playing more than one role in some of them.  Anything set in the “modern day” before 1960 would thus be eligible to be considered as a Walter Jameson alias, unles the character dies or the episode takes place in an alternate Toobworld.

I will spare your eyes from glazing over, but the list can be found on McCarthy’s page in the IMDb.  However, one of the entries did catch my eye….

Inner Sanctum
- The Stranger
(1954)
The Stranger
A young man walks into an inn to register for a room and finds himself accused of murdering three people.

O’Bservation – The fact that McCarthy’s character is known only as “The Stranger” just begs for this to be Walter Jameson.  But the IMDb description gives no indication whether he survives the end of the episode or not.  And if the Stranger proved to be the killer, that would make it difficult to continue his existence hiding in plain sight at the college as Professor Jameson.

As for all those “modern day” characters played by McCarthy after his appearance in ‘The Twilight Zone’, I hate to let them go to waste.  They could all be descendants of Walter Jameson, from many of his aliases throughout History; this would account for three characters from ‘Murder, She Wrote’ all resembling each other.  So not all of them had to be good guys nor survive their episodes.  (‘The Invaders’, ‘Tales From The Crypt’)

The Friday Hall of Famers plays a bit fast and loose with established rules and this is a good example of that.  However, I think the splainins presented here are not outside the realm of possibility.

So welcome to the Hall, Walter Jameson, matter what other names you had or even your very first identity.

Just don’t make a mess on the carpet; now Alice Nelson is a member as well, she no longer vacuums the carpeting here….