TVXOHOF, SEPTEMBER 2022 - JAROSLAV GEBR & MAX BARSINI

With the month of September, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame salutes those behind the scenes who contribute to the viability of the TV Universe’s cohesiveness.  This year we’re celebrating Jaroslav Gebr, whose paintings appear in so many TV shows – most notably in ‘Night Gallery’, and ‘Columbo’.  But in addition, we’re inducting a TV character who can take the credit for those paintings in universe – Max Barsini.  We see him in his episode of ‘Columbo,’ painting in the style recognized in the portraits of Grace Wheeler and General Martin Hollister as seen in their episodes, plus paintings of characters in other shows, including ‘Night Gallery’ (at least for the stories which starred Joan Crawford and Columni Richard Kiley and Sam Jaffe.)

First up, we salute the actual artist….

JAROSLAV GEBR

From AskArt.com:
Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr, longtime head of the Scenic Arts Department at Universal Studios and is perhaps best known as the artist who created the paintings featured in the pilot episode of Rod Serling’s ‘Night Gallery’. Gebr worked for some of the biggest names in directing including Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Alfred Hitchcock and George Roy Hill during his career, and also sidelined in painting portraits and copies of artworks for stars’ collections. “They’d put the originals in safe storage and hang Jerry’s versions on the wall. Nobody could tell the difference.”

From the Jaroslav Gebr website:

Jaroslav Gebr
1926 - 2013
Acclaimed motion picture artist

Over the last 60 years, Jaroslav 'Jerry' Gebr enjoyed one of the longest exhibitions any one artist could have ever wished for.

His works might not have crossed the auction blocks of Sotheby's, Christie's or Bonham's yet, but throughout your life-long romance of Motion Pictures and Television, you have subliminally admired his work over the last six decades.

With an endless wave of amazing portraits, murals and visual effects for motion pictures and television, Jaroslav enticed our emotions and our hearts with an array of exquisite creations.

We have not witnessed an artist before or since Jaroslav Gebr that has so brilliantly accomplished such a wide range of styles, periods, mediums and materials at the highest standard of artistry over the last seventy-five years.  

Jaroslav was a prodigy from a small village, Pisek, just south of Prague Czechoslovakia, who in spite of the horrors of World War II was able to refine his creative skills at the Academy of Arts in Prague then post-war Munich and Vienna.

Born to a generation of close colleagues such as both Emil Kosa Sr. and Jr., (students of Alphonse Mucha) and Gerhard Richter, Jaroslav was well on his way to becoming another one of the great Czechoslovakian artists of his day.  But the brutal war in Europe changed the trajectory of his career.  But with this tragic event, came Hollywood’s profound gain.

Jaroslav married his wife in Munich. Adela Gebrova: a coloratura soprano-opera singer who would become an exceptional creative force in her own right.

They saved their money for their impending migration overseas through portraits and sketches of local officials, Army brass and foot soldiers within the occupying sector from Munich to Vienna as Adela sang for Armed Forces Radio and Radio Free Europe, military dances and government balls.

From there they began their journey from Europe to England to South America and finally the United States.

Armed with one suitcase a winter coat each and their talents, they set upon a journey that would be a gift to so many art lovers around the world.

Little did Jaroslav know, the next sixty years of his life, would be a cascade of the most stunning body of work that has not since been matched by any one artist in the Film Industry to this day.

Since his escape from communist occupied Czechoslovakia in 1949, Jaroslav Gebr's journey through numerous mediums and styles have evolved - from portraits and frescoes in Bogotá Columbia - to portraits, murals and visual effects in such Hollywood productions as "The Sound Of Music," "Camelot," “Towering Inferno,” "Dune," "The Sting," "Scarface," television's "Night Gallery," "24" and countless others.

Gebr had an incredible gift to immerse himself within an unlimited range of artistic styles. Such as in the replication of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel for MGM's "Shoes Of The Fisherman" and then transforming his artistic technique and aesthetic nuances within the same work-year to perform within the abstract / impressionistic fantasies via the mind of Rod Serling in his mesmerizing and haunting paintings for 'Night Gallery'.

No historical period or medium posed an obstacle for Gebr.  From the western scene on the semi-truck-trailer in "Smokey and The Bandit" to a Baroque style portrait on a set for Alfred Hitchcock and all works delivered within a film production window of one to two weeks.

Jaroslav worked hard to satisfy the insatiable thirst of the Film Studio's drive for commercial short cuts. But while doing so, he always stood his artistic ground displaying his classic 'Prague Academy’ craftsmanship in even the most rudimentary of works for a network 'sit-com' or for a farcical feature film comedy as in Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood, Men In Tights."  No job was too small or too big for Gebr.  The love and attention to his work was constant.

This commitment to his artistic excellence ensured his role as chief artist for such legendary filmmakers as Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling, George Roy Hill, Vincent Minnelli, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and David Lynch and more.

It was the Hollywood portrait commissions that have given him much of his notoriety since retiring from studio work: To name a few, Roddy McDowell, Joan Crawford, Kim Novak, Robert Culp, Rachel Welch, Barbara Streisand, Jack Lemmon and John Candy, all enjoy[ed] their privately purchased works by Jaroslav.

Not only did his artwork find a continuous showcase via Motion Pictures and Television over his sixty-year career, his works on set have become part of the aforementioned Directors and Producers private collections for such Hollywood greats as Orson Wells, Lucille Ball, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Lou Wasserman, Jules Stein, and countless others.

His years of retirement were spent mostly traveling and enjoying the rest he so rightly deserved.

And now we offer a quick salute to the artist from the late 20th Century – in the TV Universe – who theoretically is the vessel for those paintings….

MAX BARSINI

From the ‘Columbo’ Wiki:
Patrick Bachau [plays] Max Barsini, a renowned but "temperamental" artist who killed his unscrupulous agent years ago. Worried his ex-wife could expose his secret, he murders her too.

From the 'Columbo' blog:

Celebrated artist Max Barsini appears to live a charmed life, residing in a stunning beach-front home where he is waited on hand and foot by three women: current wife Vanessa, first wife Louise, and live-in lover/model/muse Julie.

While Barsini revels in the four-way relationship, things are a lot more fraught for the women in his life. Mature Louise (who lives next door) is outwardly happy enough with her lot in life, while Vanessa is fiendishly (and understandably) jealous and young Julie just wants to be loved by them all.

The tension this situation creates seems to help Barsini thrive. He lives to control them and takes pleasure in watching them fight for the scraps of his affections. It is Louise, however, who shatters his perfect existence when she reveals her intentions to MOVE OUT of her home (and Barsini’s life) and MOVE IN with her psychologist/lover, Dr Sydney Hammer.

Barsini can’t let this happen – because Louise is the only person who knows about his shadowy past. Although we don’t initially know what happened, we find out that Louise has been repressing memories from her early life with Barsini that suggest a terrifying, traumatic event. These manifest as a series of nightmares, which she is working to decipher with Dr Hammer. 

Here are some of the paintings from other TV series which could have been painted by Max Barsini.  Not all of them use his noteworthy "Barsini Red".

Here's to the memory of Jaroslav Gebr.  Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Gebr.  And thank you for the Toobworld legacy you left behind.

And welcome to the TVXOHOF as well, Barsini.  Not that you'll have a chance to enjoy your membership; unlike many of your paintings, you weren't framed....

TVXOHOF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

“Brunettes have no place in show business.”

Olivia Newton-John

‘Glee’

From NBC News:
Aug. 8, 2022, 3:41 PM EDT / Updated Aug. 8, 2022, 7:33 PM EDT
By Ethan Sacks
Olivia Newton-John, a British Australian pop star who dominated the pop culture of an era, has died after repeated treatments for cancer, her family announced Monday. She was 73.

"Dame Olivia Newton-John ... passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends," John Easterling, her husband, said in a statement on her official Facebook page. "We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time."

"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer."

In the late '70s and early '80s, Newton-John was one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. She stole hearts in the 1978 blockbuster "Grease" and dominated the charts with songs like the 1981 hit "Physical," which was the No. 1 single of that decade, according to Billboard.

She is credited with selling more than 100 million records over the course of a five-decade career.

In more recent years, however, Newton-John became best known as an advocate for breast cancer survivors, being one herself since first her first diagnosis in 1992.

"I think, you know, what you think creates your reality. So it's a decision. You have to make that decision," she told the "TODAY" show in March 2019. "You can be a victim, or you can be a winner and enjoy your life.”

By all accounts, Newton-John lived a winning life.

I knew I would have to check her list of TV credits because I felt certain that her televersion had amassed enough appearances as a member of the League of Themselves to warrant induction into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame; she was that iconic a personage.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

From Wikipedia:
Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-born Australian singer, songwriter, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number-one hits and another ten top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200; If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975).

Eleven of her singles (including two Platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two Platinum and four 2× Platinum) have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With global sales of more than 100 million records, Newton-John is one of the best-selling music artists from the second half of the 20th century to the present.

In 1978, Newton-John starred in the musical film Grease, whose soundtrack remains one of the world's best-selling albums of all time. It features two major hit duets with co-star John Travolta; "You're the One That I Want" – which ranks as one of the best-selling singles of all time – and "Summer Nights".

Her signature solo recordings include the Record of the Year Grammy winner "I Honestly Love You" (1974) and "Physical" (1981) – Billboard's Top Hot 100 Single of the 1980s. Other hit singles include "If Not for You" and "Banks of the Ohio" (both 1971), "Let Me Be There" (1973), "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" (1974), "Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975), "Sam" (1977), "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (also from Grease), "A Little More Love" (1978) and from the 1980 film Xanadu, "Magic" and "Xanadu" (with Electric Light Orchestra).

Newton-John was an activist for environmental and animal rights causes, and advocated for breast cancer research. She died of breast cancer after decades of fighting the disease.

Although originally from the United Kingdom and living in the United States for most of her adult life, she considered herself an Australian.

I really wasn’t a fan of hers, although I do like “You’re The One That I Want”.  I’ve never seen “Grease”, but I watched the music video for that song recently and I couldn’t believe people liked that as a movie.  (I’m sure as a whole, it works better on stage.)  

I wasn’t sure if I would find enough material to give her fair representation in her induction ceremony.  So I’d like to salute a very dedicated fan site, “Only Olivia”, which had a ton of information on all things Ms. Newton-John; certainly more than I needed for this tribute.  If you are a devotee of Olivia, click on the link.

Here are the Toobworld appearances made by her televersion:

Ned and Stacey

- Reality Check (1995)

From OnlyOlivia:
Olivia's guest appearance playing herself is clearly written as a joke about her sweet and wholesome image. The lead male character, Ned, wants Olivia to present a commercial about his computer so he takes her out to lunch at a restaurant where Stacey is waitressing. Stacey is star-struck by THE Olivia Newton-John delivering lines such as "I'm Hopelessly Devoted to taking your order" and presenting Olivia's drink, singing: "Here's your fizzy cola, your fizzy cola, let's get into fizzy cola" to the tune of “Physical.”

However, Stacey makes a mess of Olivia's order giving her straight scotch instead of cola and then on realizing her mistake blurting out to Olivia "Sorry, you're an alcoholic aren't you?" To add insult to injury Stacey then gives Olivia a cloth covered with ketchup. This causes Olivia to lose her cool and to our delight becomes all angry and just downright mean. (All in the name of acting of course!)

Stacey tries to calm Olivia down with the fact that she played Sandy in high school but Olivia isn't to be mollified and replies with a voice dripping with sarcasm "Oh what a coincidence I was in the mooovie!" Then telling Ned to shut up and shouting at the top of her voice that the computer he's selling sucks, Olivia rushes out of the restaurant declaring that she's never felt so good!

Murphy Brown

- I Hear a Symphony (1997)

From OnlyOlivia:
Murphy and Olivia meet up at a charity auction both bidding for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to conduct an orchestra. Murphy wins but not until she's had to out bid Olivia to the tune of $2000 (proceeds going to the National Zoo). But Olivia has the last laugh when she reveals that she was put up to bidding to get a good donation for the zoo! Olivia's parting words are a triumphant "Yeeessss."

Olivia's appearance on set is met with cheers from the studio audience as this was one of her first appearances on network US TV since discovering breast cancer. The episode also touches on Olivia's breast cancer when Olivia gives encouragement to Murphy.

Bette

- The Invisible Mom (2001)

From the IMDb:
While volunteering at Rose's school, Bette finally learns why Olivia Newton-John has been holding a grudge against her.

From OnlyOlivia:
Olivia and daughter Chloe played themselves in a guest slot for Bette Midler's sitcom "Bette".

Olivia, playing against form, is really quite nasty to both Bette and the school headmaster. This provides Olivia with some good lines and the opportunity to act very annoyed and peeved.

Glee

- Bad Reputation (2010)

From the IMDb:
Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch, becomes the laughing stock of the school when members of the Glee club find an embarrassing personal video of her dancing to Physical on the internet. She gets the last laugh when Olivia finds out about the clip and asks Sue to help her remake the song.

O’Bservation:
This may be the only time she comes off as being nice in her Toobworld appearances.

- Journey to Regionals (2010)

From OnlyOlivia:
Olivia plays a mean judge in her second appearance in the first season of Glee.

"I'm just so sick of being nice!"

Olivia Newton-John

‘Ned & Stacey’

O'Bservations:
Every so often a member of the League of Themselves shows why they are appearing as characters and not as true representatives of who they are in the real world.

In Toobworld…

• Kevin Bacon is a jerk and kind of an asshole. (‘Bored To Death’)
• Emma Thompson was born in Akron, Ohio. (‘Ellen’)
• Dennis Rodman is an extraterrestrial. (‘Third Rock From The Sun’)
• Jean-Claude Van Damme died in Las Vegas back in 2004.  In the real world, he is still alive (as of this writing.) (‘Las Vegas’)
• Lloyd Bridges was a cross-dressing, kleptomaniacal Neo-Nazi. (‘Ned & Stacey’)

So it looks as though the writers of these various shows in which Ms. Newton-John appeared all thought the same thing – take her public image and turn it on its head.  In Toobworld, the televersion of Olivia Newton-John is cruel, manipulative, mean, a bad drunk, and vindictive.  If you were hoping to find examples of her being sweet and kind, you’d better check her movies or TV shows in which she played other characters.

Good night and may God bless, Ms. Newton-John.  Thank you for being a good sport when it came to lampooning your image.

Welcome to the TVXOHOF….

“At a certain point in life,

you realize that all the time in the world isn't all that long.”

Murphy Brown

Remember:
Fans of Olivia Newton-John should visit Only Olivia…. 

TVXOHOF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE - VIN SCULLY, "THE VOICE OF DODGERS BASEBALL"

From CNN:
Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than six decades, has died at the age of 94, the team announced Tuesday.

“We have lost an icon,” said Stan Kasten, the President and CEO of the Dodgers in a statement.

“Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian,” Kasten said.
By Seán Federico-O'Murchú, CNN
Updated 7:52 AM EDT, Wed August 3, 2022

If Scully only had the baseball games he called to his credit, no matter how many thousands, even if they were World Series games, that wouldn’t make him eligible for the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame.  But when you’re “the Voice of Baseball,” and various TV series come to you to be that Voice in their shows set in Toobworld, then even though you are only heard but not seen, that Voice becomes the unifying factor between those series, which might not have had anything else in common.

But he did show up in physical form in at least two of his appearances as himself.

In remembrance of Vin Scully as that Voice in Toobworld baseball, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame honors him with this tribute and induction.

VIN SCULLY

From Wikipedia:
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster. He was best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 (when the franchise was located in Brooklyn) and ending in 2016.

Scully's tenure with the Dodgers was the longest of any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history, and he was second only to Tommy Lasorda (by two years) in terms of number of years associated with the Dodgers organization in any capacity. He retired at age 88 in 2016, ending his record-breaking run as the team's play-by-play announcer. In his final season behind the microphone, Scully announced most Dodgers home games (and selected road games) on SportsNet LA television and KLAC radio.

He was known for his distinctive voice, lyrically descriptive style, and signature introduction to Dodgers games: "It's time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good (afternoon/evening) to you, wherever you may be." He is considered by many to be the greatest baseball broadcaster of all time, according to fan rankings, Bleacher Report and Fox Sports.

In addition to Dodgers baseball, Scully called various nationally-televised football and golf contests for CBS Sports from 1975 to 1982, and was NBC Sports' lead baseball play-by-play announcer from 1983 to 1989. He also called the World Series for CBS Radio from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1997.

On the evening of August 2, 2022, Scully died at his home in Hidden Hills, California, at the age of 94.

Here are the TV series episodes, listed as they would have played out on the Toobworld timeline, during which the fictional televersion of Vin Scully's Voice was heard or he was actually seen:

Alcoa Premiere

- Flashing Spikes (1962)
... Announcer

From the IMDb:
An old ballplayer, thrown out of baseball due to a bribery scandal, becomes friends with a young phenom. The younger player is at first tainted by his association with the old-timer, but eventually the truth about the scandal is revealed.

Brooklyn Bridge

- Death in Brooklyn (1991)
... Voice of the [Brooklyn] Dodgers (voice)

O’Bservation:
While Alan was stuck taking part in a minyan for his great uncle Ira, his brother Nathaniel was outside listening to Scully call the National League pennant clincher on Sunday, September 30, 1956.

General Electric Theater
- The Playoff (1960)
... Sports Announcer

O'Bservation:
I know nothing about this teleplay, let alone how Vin Scully factors into it.

Michael Shayne
- Strike Out (1961)
... Vin Scully

From Wikipedia:
Shayne investigates the death by sleeping pills of Danny Blake, a former baseball star crippled in an accident, and uncovers a clandestine affair between Danny's wife Carol and his brother Marty, as well as an embezzlement. Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and pitchers Sandy Koufax, Ed Roebuck, Larry Sherry and Stan Williams appear as themselves.

The New Breed

- To None a Deadly Drug (1961)
... Baseball Announcer (voice, uncredited)

O'Bservation:
A waitress was listening to a game Vin Scully was calling when Karl Lippert and Felix Pascal came into the diner to discuss a crime which they committed.

Mister Ed

- Leo Durocher Meets Mister Ed (1963)
... Announcer (voice)

O'Bservation:
At the beginning of the episode, Vin Scully is calling the first game of a Dodgers/Giants double-header in San Francisco which the Dodgers lost, 4-3.

The Fugitive

- Man on a String (1964)
... Baseball Announcer (voice, uncredited)

From the IMDb:
Heard in the background of the scene where Kimble tells Lois Nettleton's character he must leave is none other than Vin Scully announcing a baseball game.

The baseball game called by Vin Scully on TV features references to real-life ballplayers Maury Wills, Willie Davis, and Wally Moon (all of whom played for the L.A. Dodgers throughout the early 1960s), as well as pitcher Warren Spahn, who played for the Milwaukee Braves through the end of 1964. The specific events described in the game, however, are fictional and do not match the events of any real-life Milwaukee/L.A. game in which these players were involved.

O'Bservation:
I love when there are differences between similar people and things shared by Earth Prime and Earth Prime-Time.  Fictional episodes of shared TV shows, Emma Thompson being born in Akron, that sort of thing.  So this game never took place in the real world, highlighting that Vin Scully's televersion is not the actual Vin Scully.

The Joey Bishop Show
- Joey and the L.A. Dodgers (1964)
... Announcer for the Dodgers-Mets Game (voice)

Here was an actual appearance in the flesh!

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
- Vida Blue, Johnny Carson, Roman Gabriel, Andy Granatelli, Joe Namath, Sugar Ray Robinson, Bill Russell, Doug Sanders, Vin Scully, Jill St. John, Willie Shoemaker (1971)
... Guest Performer

Highway to Heaven

- Popcorn, Peanuts and CrackerJacks (1985)
... L.A. Dodgers Radio Announcer (voice, uncredited)

O’Bservation:
While they were driving along, Mark really wanted to hear the Dodgers on the car radio, but the static was horrible.  “The Boss” interceded and he got a clear signal, but now it was in Spanish.  Mark sarcastically thought that was a cute trick.  But at least "The Voice Of Dodgers" was recognizable despite the static before he was replaced by a Spanish-speaking announcer.

The X-Files
- The Unnatural (1999)
... Baseball Announcer (voice, uncredited)

From the IMDb:
Mulder is Chris Carter's mother's maiden name. Mulder's first name, Fox, is the name of Carter's childhood friend. Scully is the name of the LA Dodgers' sports announcer Vin Scully, to whom Carter listened as a child. In episode #6.19, The Unnatural, the voice announcing the Dodgers game is none other than Vin Scully.

From 'The X-Files' Wiki:
Although budget problems initially prevented Vin Scully from being hired as the baseball announcer, the famed sportscaster - who Dana Scully was named after - agreed to meet an X-Files sound crew in his Dodger Stadium broadcast booth and record the part for free.

SCENE 2:
FBI HEADQUARTERS
(Basement corridor for the X-Files office. There is [a] baseball game on a small TV which is sitting on a cleaning cart in the hall. Vin Scully is announcing for the LA team.)

VIN SCULLY: It's a gorgeous day for baseball here in the City of Angels and I'm told it is a gorgeous day all over our republic today-- from Bangor to Bellflower, from Amarillo to Anchorage, the sun is shining and it's a perfect day to play baseball... That ball is ripped... and it's going, going, gone...

Thank you for what you brought to the game, Mr. Scully.

Good night and may God bless….

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - JAMES CAAN, MULTIDIMENSIONAL (1940-2022)

From Wikipedia:

James Edmund Caan (March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor known for his film and television performances. He was nominated for several entertainment industry honors, including for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

After early roles in Howard Hawks's "El Dorado" (1966), Robert Altman's "Countdown" (1967) and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rain People" (1969), he came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in Coppola's "The Godfather" (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in "The Godfather Part II" (1974).

Caan gained acclaim for his portrayal of Brian Piccolo in the 1971 television movie "Brian's Song" for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nomination. Caan received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in the drama "The Gambler" (1974), and the musical "Funny Lady" (1975). He continued to receive significant roles in feature films such as "Cinderella Liberty" (1973), "Rollerball" (1975), "A Bridge Too Far" (1977), "Comes a Horseman" (1978), and "Chapter Two" (1979).

His work after 1980 was more sporadic, with performances including "Thief" (1981), "Gardens of Stone" (1987), "Misery" (1990), "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992), "Bottle Rocket" (1996), "Eraser" (1996), "Mickey Blue Eyes" (1999), "The Yards" (2000), "City of Ghosts" (2002), "Dogville" (2003), "Elf" (2003), and "Get Smart" (2008).

From Deadline:
The 82-year-old Caan died this month of a heart attack and coronary artery disease, according to the death certificate signed by his doctor.

His family announced his death earlier in July on the actor’s official Twitter account.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” the tweet reads. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

In Toobworld, Caan didn’t have that many characters, as his movie career – even during his later lean years – kept him as a strong presence in the Cineverse.  Along with the aforementioned Brian Piccolo, what comes to mind for me would be the ‘Las Vegas’ casino owner who was possibly “connected” (and who crossed over to an episode of ‘Crossing Jordan’); his former baseball player helping his daughter with a Little League team in ‘Back In The Game’; a Chicago mob boss in 1950s Miami in a handful of episodes of 'Magic City'; and among his guest star roles, my favorite was Rupert of Rathskellar in a two-part spoof of “The Prisoner of Zenda” on ‘Get Smart’.

Ed Deline from ‘Las Vegas’ came the closest to fulfilling the requirements for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, but fell short by one episode.  (An appearance in the ‘Law & Order’ franchise was all that was needed.)

However, there is a way for me to tip my cap to “The Godfather” capo, saluting his standing in the League of Themselves….

JAMES CAAN

Three separate shows, commercials, or TV movies are needed to qualify new members in the TVXOHOF.  As himself, Caan qualifies by being a multidimensional.

EARTH PRIME-TIME

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

(1972 episode)
... Guest Performer

NewsRadio

- Movie Star (1996)
... James Caan

ALTERNATE TOOBWORLDS

TOOBWORLD-TOOBWORLD

The Offer

- Kiss the Ring (2022)
... “James Caan”
- Crossing That Line (2022)
... “James Caan”

[Damian Conrad-Davis portrayed Caan.]

O’Bservation:
Toobworld-Toobworld was an alternate dimension created for the spate of TV movies which dealt with the behind-the-scenes look at the making of certain TV shows from the real world.  Among them: ‘Gilligan’s Island’, ‘Dynasty’, ‘Mork & Mindy’, ‘Steptoe & Son’, and ‘American Dreams’ (about the world of ‘American Bandstand’.)  While there are televersions of those shows referenced in the main Toobworld, those are based on the lives of the characters as real people.  The world of Toobworld-Toobworld (or Toobworld’s Toobworld) doesn’t allow for that.  It’s all fictional, just as it is in Earth Prime, AKA the Real World.  Toobworld-Toobworld has been expanded to include TV movies or series which deal with the making of real movies as well, such as “Mank,” “RKO 281,” and in keeping with the Orson Welles theme, “The Night That Panicked America” and ‘Studio One’ – “The Night America Trembled” regarding the “War Of the Worlds” radio broadcast.

THE TOONIVERSE

Family Guy

He's Too Sexy for His Fat (2000)

O’Bservation:
Depicted, but producer Danny Smith provided his voice.

The Simpsons

- All's Fair in Oven War (2004)
... James Caan (voice)

From the IMDb:

In the final scene, James Caan parodies his death scene from “The Godfather” (1972).

Family Guy

- Something, Something, Something, Dark Side (2009)
... James Caan (voice)

O’Bservation:
Caan played himself in Peter Griffin’s recounting of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.”  (“I’ll be your friend if you let me kick your ass.”)

Good night and may God bless, Mr. Caan.

And welcome to the Hall…..

TVXOHOF, AUGUST 2022 - GOLDIE

August is the month in which the Television Crossover Hall of Fame celebrates the TV Western.  For 2022, we’re featuring something a little different and without making a big deal out of the induction….

GOLDIE

From myfriendflicka.dom -
Some have suggested that this horse that was ridden by Jack Kelly in the ‘Maverick’ TV series which ran from 1957 to 1962 was our Goldie.  Kelly played Bart Maverick, starting with the eighth episode of the series.  In the storyline, Bart--in desperate need of transportation--purchased the horse (coincidently named Goldie) from a passer-by in the episode "Betrayal."  Just a few episodes later, he gave Goldie to a young admirer in the episode "The Lass With the Poisonous Air."

The shows which qualify this distinctive horse just make the bare minimum requirements for membership.  But I would not be surprised if Goldie was featured in other shows….                                                                                                         

‘Maverick’

- ‘Betrayal’
- ‘The Lass With The Poisonous Air’

- 'Hadley's Hunters'

- "Duel At Sundown"

O'Bservation - In this shot, we now have four members of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  In order of induction: Bart Maverick, Bret Maverick, John Wesley Hardin, and now Goldie!

O'Bservation: There are O'Bviously more team-ups between Bart and Goldie.

‘Sugarfoot’

‘F Troop’

In my interpretation of the Toobworld timeline, Goldie is the same horse throughout, changing ownership as the years passed.  Corporal Randolph Agarn, in the years immediately following the American Civil War, was perhaps Goldie's first saddlemate.

Welcome to the TVXOHOF, Goldie!