'LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY' & 'LAW & ORDER' & 'DEADLINE'
The week isn't even over yet but we already know who'd be the Crossover of the Week. Fans of great TV characters would have known there was never any doubt....
The latest spin-off in the venerable 'Law & Order' franchise made its debut this week. 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury' premiered with two episodes in its first week and both of them contained elements that linked it immediately to two other shows.
Obviously the flagship of the line, 'Law & Order', is one of those series for a number of reasons.
1] Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch is a regular cast member for the new show as well as the original, thus making him the Alexander Waverly of the new millennium. (Waverly was the man in charge on both 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.'.)
2] In the first episode, ADA Jack McCoy sat in on a bullpen session among the ADAs to map out strategy for the high-profile case.
3] In the second episode, we saw the return of former ADA Jamie Ross. She had returned once before to the main show as a defense attorney; but since then she had become a judge. And in portraying her as such, 'Trial By Jury' did the same thing as the finale of 'NYPD Blue' earlier in the week: it showed that even though they are no longer on our TV screens, TV characters have lives that continue to develop.
4] In both episodes, the trials were presided over by Judge Amanda Anderlee. She had been seen before in the TV Universe, and of course it was on 'Law & Order' in an episode in which she needed police protection during a very volatile case. (She may have been a character inspired by the real life Chicago judge who so tragically dominated the news this week. More on that in a later entry.)
5] And finally, these two episodes marked the final chances to see a legendary TV character in action. Detective Lennie Briscoe had retired from the NYPD at the 2-7 and was now working as an investiator for the D.A.'s office. He was pale and gaunt and couldn't speak above a whisper at times, but he still had the same brio and pithy wisecracks as he used to display in 'Law & Order' until the end of last season.
Sadly, an episode in the near future will mark the character's passing as actor Jerry Orbach himself passed away near the end of December.
As for the other TV show that could claim a link to 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury'?
Of course, it would be another Dick Wolf production. 'Deadline' was short-lived (It might have done better if he had found some way to stick 'Law & Order' in the title!), but its base of operations was the fictional newspaper the New York Ledger. The Ledger made many appearances over the years on all three of the other 'Law & Order' series, including 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent'.
Lately, I began to fear that the newspaper had been phased out of our 'L&O' memories, as mock-ups of the Post and the Daily News were being used instead. I was afraid Wolf didn't want any reminders that 'Deadline' had failed to snare an audience.
But in the second episode, defense attorney Mike LaSalle proudly held up a copy of the New York Ledger with its front page story blaring a big story about his cop-killer client. So that prop gave props to another show in Dick Wolf's corner of the TV Universe.
It would be interesting if some future episode of 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury' had its ADAs go to the offices of the New York Ledger in preparation for a big case. The reason I say this is because ADA Tracy Kibre is an exact double for one of the editors at the Ledger, Nikki Marsucci.
And by an "amazing coincidence", both of them look like a psychologist in Boston named Lilith Sternin Crane......
While 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury' establishes itself, more than likely other characters from the franchise will be making appearances on the show, just as they have done on each other shows already. But unless it has some kind of sensational value, more than likely these appearances won't be enough to grab the Crossover of the Week honors again. It's that "been there, done that" quality that makes these cameo appearances expected.
But who knows? Sooner or later, I'll come up a cropper crossovers and might have need of such a standby.
We shall see what the Great Link brings us.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Friday, March 4, 2005
"LOST" IN THOUGHT
In one of the fan forums in Live Journal which are dedicated to 'Lost', one of the other chatters brought up an interesting question:
What other shows are you so passionate aboutI hope this doesn't seem too off topic, but I am curious about the fans.
We're so into the minutia and the hidden meanings and the significance of this # or that #. Few shows inspire such rabid passion and attention to detail. I'm wondering if there are any other shows that you guys are into with such passion?
What shows keep you twisting week after week?
So I decided to respond:
For me there have been only two shows before this in which I was so slavishly attentive to detail.
The first is 'The Prisoner'. It's my all-time favorite tv series. At only 17 episodes, it had a beginning, middle and an end, but don't think everything wrapped up neatly and all the answers were provided by that final episode.
Trying to reconcile the discrepancies and the possible explanations could leave me feeling like Mr. Gumby, pounding my head with bricks!
It's over thirty years later and I still am finding something new all the time about that show. McGoohan never wanted to provide all the answers - he felt audiences had become "rotten cabbages"; too lazy and expecting everything to be spoon-fed to them.
The best way I can describe this show - it's over thirty years after it aired and it's still twenty years ahead of its time.
The other show, of a similar nature, would be 'Nowhere Man'which starred Bruce Greenwood. Although it didn't wrap up conclusively, it came to an ending with its single season that again left many more questions than answers.
This was the last series I religiously taped each episode as a keeper. This is the series I hope one day will find its way to DVD (as does Entertainment Weekly) so I can pore over it some more without risking those tapes.
It also came along when I first began exploring the Internet. I found my tele-visiologist voice in the AOL bbs about the show, and have this great sense of deja vu when showing up in this Live Journal several times a day to see what new theories and wild ideas my fellow fans have come up with. 'Nowhere Man' engendered such speculation back then as well.
For me, 'The X-Files' collapsed under its own weight by the end, and by a conflict of vision between its creator and its star.
Here's hoping the producers of 'Lost' remain true to their overall vision for the show and keep the exit strategy in sight. I'm all for letting them proceed at their pace and I don't feel compelled to urge them to give us answers quickly. But at the same time, I hope they don't fall to the temptation to keep the show running longer than it really should, to either please the network or the more rabid fan-base.
Otherwise, they'll fall victim to the same problems 'X-Files' had by the end.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
What other shows are you so passionate aboutI hope this doesn't seem too off topic, but I am curious about the fans.
We're so into the minutia and the hidden meanings and the significance of this # or that #. Few shows inspire such rabid passion and attention to detail. I'm wondering if there are any other shows that you guys are into with such passion?
What shows keep you twisting week after week?
So I decided to respond:
For me there have been only two shows before this in which I was so slavishly attentive to detail.
The first is 'The Prisoner'. It's my all-time favorite tv series. At only 17 episodes, it had a beginning, middle and an end, but don't think everything wrapped up neatly and all the answers were provided by that final episode.
Trying to reconcile the discrepancies and the possible explanations could leave me feeling like Mr. Gumby, pounding my head with bricks!
It's over thirty years later and I still am finding something new all the time about that show. McGoohan never wanted to provide all the answers - he felt audiences had become "rotten cabbages"; too lazy and expecting everything to be spoon-fed to them.
The best way I can describe this show - it's over thirty years after it aired and it's still twenty years ahead of its time.
The other show, of a similar nature, would be 'Nowhere Man'which starred Bruce Greenwood. Although it didn't wrap up conclusively, it came to an ending with its single season that again left many more questions than answers.
This was the last series I religiously taped each episode as a keeper. This is the series I hope one day will find its way to DVD (as does Entertainment Weekly) so I can pore over it some more without risking those tapes.
It also came along when I first began exploring the Internet. I found my tele-visiologist voice in the AOL bbs about the show, and have this great sense of deja vu when showing up in this Live Journal several times a day to see what new theories and wild ideas my fellow fans have come up with. 'Nowhere Man' engendered such speculation back then as well.
For me, 'The X-Files' collapsed under its own weight by the end, and by a conflict of vision between its creator and its star.
Here's hoping the producers of 'Lost' remain true to their overall vision for the show and keep the exit strategy in sight. I'm all for letting them proceed at their pace and I don't feel compelled to urge them to give us answers quickly. But at the same time, I hope they don't fall to the temptation to keep the show running longer than it really should, to either please the network or the more rabid fan-base.
Otherwise, they'll fall victim to the same problems 'X-Files' had by the end.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
NYPD ADIEU
I wasn't one of the faithful who followed 'NYPD Blue' from its inception all the way through its 12 year run. I watched the first few episodes to get a feel for what it was doing, and then only checked in for certain milestones and guest stars.
The departure of Kelly, the deaths of Bobby and Sylvia, a storyline with Peter Boyle. I think I finally considered watching the finale seriously once I learned Danica McKellar would be making a guest appearance in the episode.
So having admitted that, I'm sure Bochco and Company (BochcoCo?) could care less what I thought of how it all ended. And I know they certainly didn't set out to make sure a Caretaker for Toobworld would be happy with the results.
Well... I am.
The ending for the series beautifully illustrated a central belief for Toobworld - that just because a show might no longer be on the air, that doesn't mean the lives of these characters don't continue.
Sure, I love those finales that seemed almost apocalyptic in their finality. Everybody but the most likely candidate gets fired. War's over, go home. The one-armed man really did kill her so the running stops. It was all a dream caused by Japanese food. Everybody's trapped inside a snow globe.
But then there are those shows that just quietly fade away on their own terms, leaving us with the comforting knowledge that if we did want to revisit them, they'll be there.
We know Sam Malone is still tending bar in Boston; his old buddy Dr. Crane is starting a new chapter of his life in the Windy City. And even though 'Seinfeld' ended with a sense of "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!", the jail term for the foursome was for only a year. So you know Jerry and his pals are back in Manhattan and back to their old ways, having learned no lessons whatsoever.
The finale for 'NYPD Blue' celebrated a TV show's circle of life. New detectives showed up for work. Old friends departed. (The visit by Medavoy was particularly bittersweet; Greg should have remembered the old adage - "You can't go home again.") And we were left with the image of Sgt. Andy Sipowicz settling down at the command desk, ready to face all the headaches the job would bring.
This was only an ending in the sense that we saw how far Andy had come in his personal growth since the first episode. And for someone like me who was only the occasional viewer, the changes were epochal.
When we first met Sipowicz, he was a racist, homophobic, foul-mouthed, bad-tempered alcoholic (not to mention the show's second banana). But now he had been tempered by adversity and still found the inner strength to face his ordeals and inner demons without resorting to crutches like booze. Not once during the hour - and I would guess this has been true for a long time on the show - did we feel as if Andy might need a stiff drink to get through the bullshit being dumped on him from his higher-ups.
If 'NYPD Blue' came back next week with a fresh episode, then this finale would have been no more than a good example of the quality writing, acting, and directing the show has displayed over 12 years.
And that's just the way it should be.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
The departure of Kelly, the deaths of Bobby and Sylvia, a storyline with Peter Boyle. I think I finally considered watching the finale seriously once I learned Danica McKellar would be making a guest appearance in the episode.
So having admitted that, I'm sure Bochco and Company (BochcoCo?) could care less what I thought of how it all ended. And I know they certainly didn't set out to make sure a Caretaker for Toobworld would be happy with the results.
Well... I am.
The ending for the series beautifully illustrated a central belief for Toobworld - that just because a show might no longer be on the air, that doesn't mean the lives of these characters don't continue.
Sure, I love those finales that seemed almost apocalyptic in their finality. Everybody but the most likely candidate gets fired. War's over, go home. The one-armed man really did kill her so the running stops. It was all a dream caused by Japanese food. Everybody's trapped inside a snow globe.
But then there are those shows that just quietly fade away on their own terms, leaving us with the comforting knowledge that if we did want to revisit them, they'll be there.
We know Sam Malone is still tending bar in Boston; his old buddy Dr. Crane is starting a new chapter of his life in the Windy City. And even though 'Seinfeld' ended with a sense of "Th-th-th-that's all, folks!", the jail term for the foursome was for only a year. So you know Jerry and his pals are back in Manhattan and back to their old ways, having learned no lessons whatsoever.
The finale for 'NYPD Blue' celebrated a TV show's circle of life. New detectives showed up for work. Old friends departed. (The visit by Medavoy was particularly bittersweet; Greg should have remembered the old adage - "You can't go home again.") And we were left with the image of Sgt. Andy Sipowicz settling down at the command desk, ready to face all the headaches the job would bring.
This was only an ending in the sense that we saw how far Andy had come in his personal growth since the first episode. And for someone like me who was only the occasional viewer, the changes were epochal.
When we first met Sipowicz, he was a racist, homophobic, foul-mouthed, bad-tempered alcoholic (not to mention the show's second banana). But now he had been tempered by adversity and still found the inner strength to face his ordeals and inner demons without resorting to crutches like booze. Not once during the hour - and I would guess this has been true for a long time on the show - did we feel as if Andy might need a stiff drink to get through the bullshit being dumped on him from his higher-ups.
If 'NYPD Blue' came back next week with a fresh episode, then this finale would have been no more than a good example of the quality writing, acting, and directing the show has displayed over 12 years.
And that's just the way it should be.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
NUMBERED AMONG THE GREATS
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed, or numbered. My life is my own."
- Number Six, 'The Prisoner'
Perhaps. But it is also ours to celebrate.
It's March in the year marking the fiftieth anniversary of my arrival on your world. And as such, every candidate for membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame is granted waivers from the usual strict (shyeah right!) regulations for induction.
At 4:31 am on the morning of March 19th, 1928, actor Patrick McGoohan made his debut in the Real World.
By an "amazing" coincidence, this was also the date and time of birth for a secret agent who would grow up to have an incredible resemblance to Mr. McGoohan. Once he resigned from the service, this secret agent was drugged and kidnapped, only to awaken in a place known simply as "The Village". Here he was stripped of his identity and referred to as Number Six.
"They've given you a number, and taken away your name." Sounds familiar, right? It's from the hit pop song that accompanied the TV spy show 'Secret Agent', which was sort of a sequel to 'Danger Man'. In this series, an agent for NATO (later for British Intelligence) named John Drake also bore an incredible similarity to the actor Patrick McGoohan.
And it's this writer's opinion that Mr. Drake and Number Six were one and the same man.
Mr. McGoohan has long denied this. But then he would have to, from a purely business standpoint. To acknowledge that it is John Drake we see in the opening sequence of nearly every episode of 'The Prisoner' as he resigns would then leave him open to having to pay royalties to the creators of 'Danger Man' and 'Secret Agent'.
But aside from the physical resemblance, Drake and Six both share a deep moral ethos; something of an outlook based on a Catholic upbringing, perhaps. We never saw either the 'Secret Agent' or 'The Prisoner' involved in a sexual relationship of a transitory nature as one would expect from a spy during the swinging sixties.
(In his past life, Number Six did have a fiance, however. When they were reunited, it appeared as though they must have had only a very chaste relationship, although that could be attributed to the fact that he returned to her with his mind trapped in the body of another man.)
And both men shared other things in common from their pasts, including a former associate by the name of Potter.
In the years I've been a caretaker for the TV Universe, I've posited that many characters from different series were in fact one and the same. But I've never had so compelling an argument as I have with John Drake of 'Secret Agent', 'Danger Man', and the theatrical release of "Koroshi" (actually two episodes of the series edited together) and Number Six, 'The Prisoner'.
Number Six appears in more than one TV dimension; in fact, he's also crossed over through the multiverse vortex to other worlds. In the Tooniverse, he met Homer Simpson when the resident of Springfield was whisked away to an island version of "The Village" because he knew too much.
And there have been several novels as well as a limited comic book series based on his time served as 'The Prisoner'.
Connections can be made as well to other TV series where, although he does not actually appear, references are made to the fact that he must have existed in their reality.
A good example of this would be in the future as depicted by 'Babylon 5'. The black ops organization known as Psi-Corps uses the salute of "Be Seeing You", which could almost be considered traditional in "The Village".
(One day soon I'll get around to posting the theory I have that links 'The Prisoner' not only to 'Babylon 5', but also to 'Deep Space Nine', 'Enterprise', and 'Alias'.)
I use a guest character in another series to make a link to 'The Prisoner' - Nelson Brenner, the double agent/murderer in the 'Columbo' episode "Identity Crisis". Not only did Brenner repeatedly use the phrase "Be seeing you" and was surrounded by visual imagery suggesting the other series ("Number One" signs, his style of clothing), but he also bore a remarkable resemblance to the actor Patrick McGoohan.
For me, this is easy to splain away. Nelson Brenner had been in "The Village". No, he wasn't Number Six and thus John Drake. He was in fact Number Twelve, the agent brought in to help break Number Six's sense of his own identity in the episode "The Schizoid Man".
Those who know this episode might protest that Number Twelve dies at the end of this episode, smothered by "Rover" during an Orange Alert. However, at the end of the penultimate episode of "Once Upon A Time", Number Two also perished during Degree Absolute, only to be revived in the finale "Fall Out".
"The Village" had the technology to revive him, why not for Number Twelve as well? Wouldn't it make sense to bring him back from the dead so that he could return to his previous life and avoid raising questions?
So the link to 'Columbo' isn't to Number Six or to John Drake but rather to the man who was hired to impersonate him and thus it's an implicit admission that Number Six is in the same TV Universe as 'Columbo'.
"He has revolted. Resisted. Fought. Held fast. Maintained. Destroyed resistance. Overcome coercion. The right to be Someone, a Person, an Individual. We applaud his private war and conced that despite materialistic efforts he has survived intact and secure. All that remains is recognition of a man."
- President of the Assembly, 'The Prisoner'
And we'd like to recognize this Individual as well, with his induction into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
- Number Six, 'The Prisoner'
Perhaps. But it is also ours to celebrate.
It's March in the year marking the fiftieth anniversary of my arrival on your world. And as such, every candidate for membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame is granted waivers from the usual strict (shyeah right!) regulations for induction.
At 4:31 am on the morning of March 19th, 1928, actor Patrick McGoohan made his debut in the Real World.
By an "amazing" coincidence, this was also the date and time of birth for a secret agent who would grow up to have an incredible resemblance to Mr. McGoohan. Once he resigned from the service, this secret agent was drugged and kidnapped, only to awaken in a place known simply as "The Village". Here he was stripped of his identity and referred to as Number Six.
"They've given you a number, and taken away your name." Sounds familiar, right? It's from the hit pop song that accompanied the TV spy show 'Secret Agent', which was sort of a sequel to 'Danger Man'. In this series, an agent for NATO (later for British Intelligence) named John Drake also bore an incredible similarity to the actor Patrick McGoohan.
And it's this writer's opinion that Mr. Drake and Number Six were one and the same man.
Mr. McGoohan has long denied this. But then he would have to, from a purely business standpoint. To acknowledge that it is John Drake we see in the opening sequence of nearly every episode of 'The Prisoner' as he resigns would then leave him open to having to pay royalties to the creators of 'Danger Man' and 'Secret Agent'.
But aside from the physical resemblance, Drake and Six both share a deep moral ethos; something of an outlook based on a Catholic upbringing, perhaps. We never saw either the 'Secret Agent' or 'The Prisoner' involved in a sexual relationship of a transitory nature as one would expect from a spy during the swinging sixties.
(In his past life, Number Six did have a fiance, however. When they were reunited, it appeared as though they must have had only a very chaste relationship, although that could be attributed to the fact that he returned to her with his mind trapped in the body of another man.)
And both men shared other things in common from their pasts, including a former associate by the name of Potter.
In the years I've been a caretaker for the TV Universe, I've posited that many characters from different series were in fact one and the same. But I've never had so compelling an argument as I have with John Drake of 'Secret Agent', 'Danger Man', and the theatrical release of "Koroshi" (actually two episodes of the series edited together) and Number Six, 'The Prisoner'.
Number Six appears in more than one TV dimension; in fact, he's also crossed over through the multiverse vortex to other worlds. In the Tooniverse, he met Homer Simpson when the resident of Springfield was whisked away to an island version of "The Village" because he knew too much.
And there have been several novels as well as a limited comic book series based on his time served as 'The Prisoner'.
Connections can be made as well to other TV series where, although he does not actually appear, references are made to the fact that he must have existed in their reality.
A good example of this would be in the future as depicted by 'Babylon 5'. The black ops organization known as Psi-Corps uses the salute of "Be Seeing You", which could almost be considered traditional in "The Village".
(One day soon I'll get around to posting the theory I have that links 'The Prisoner' not only to 'Babylon 5', but also to 'Deep Space Nine', 'Enterprise', and 'Alias'.)
I use a guest character in another series to make a link to 'The Prisoner' - Nelson Brenner, the double agent/murderer in the 'Columbo' episode "Identity Crisis". Not only did Brenner repeatedly use the phrase "Be seeing you" and was surrounded by visual imagery suggesting the other series ("Number One" signs, his style of clothing), but he also bore a remarkable resemblance to the actor Patrick McGoohan.
For me, this is easy to splain away. Nelson Brenner had been in "The Village". No, he wasn't Number Six and thus John Drake. He was in fact Number Twelve, the agent brought in to help break Number Six's sense of his own identity in the episode "The Schizoid Man".
Those who know this episode might protest that Number Twelve dies at the end of this episode, smothered by "Rover" during an Orange Alert. However, at the end of the penultimate episode of "Once Upon A Time", Number Two also perished during Degree Absolute, only to be revived in the finale "Fall Out".
"The Village" had the technology to revive him, why not for Number Twelve as well? Wouldn't it make sense to bring him back from the dead so that he could return to his previous life and avoid raising questions?
So the link to 'Columbo' isn't to Number Six or to John Drake but rather to the man who was hired to impersonate him and thus it's an implicit admission that Number Six is in the same TV Universe as 'Columbo'.
"He has revolted. Resisted. Fought. Held fast. Maintained. Destroyed resistance. Overcome coercion. The right to be Someone, a Person, an Individual. We applaud his private war and conced that despite materialistic efforts he has survived intact and secure. All that remains is recognition of a man."
- President of the Assembly, 'The Prisoner'
And we'd like to recognize this Individual as well, with his induction into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK!
'FEAR FACTOR' & 'LAS VEGAS'
I'm not the only one out there in cyberspace celebrating TV crossovers. Over the years I've seen at least two other sites and countless articles delving into the concept of a TV Universe in which characters from various TV shows can meet each other.
The best site is Thom Holbrook's Crossovers & Spin-offs. (You'll find the link over on the left.) Long ago, I acknowledged Thom as the greatest when it came to TV crossovers.
But Thom, like others, takes too strict a view as to what is eligible for inclusion in the integrated TV Universe. He won't consider celebrities playing themselves, even though their scripted plots make them just as fictional as the characters with whom they interact.
In the Real World, Sammy Davis, Jr., left his briefcase in a cab driven by Archie Bunker; and he was never magically summoned by a genie in Cocoa Beach, Florida. But it happened in Toobworld, and so as far as I'm concerned, that links 'All In The Family' to 'I Dream Of Jeannie'.
Many of the other sites snub game shows, even when fictional characters appear on them.
Felix and Oscar appeared on 'Password' and 'Let's Make A Deal' in episodes of 'The Odd Couple'.
Sammi Law was on 'The Price Is Right' as soon as he arrived in America on 'Martial Law'.
Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Sheffield conceived twins backstage at 'Hollywood Squares' on 'The Nanny'.
And there has to be at least a dozen shows and commercials in which Alex Trebek had fictional characters competing for fabulous cash prizes on 'Jeopardy'.
The use of game shows and celebrities as crossover connections is acceptable by Toobworld standards though. If it makes for a sloppy, undisciplined dimension, so be it. There is no perfection in our universe, so why should everything be neat and tidy in the TV Universe?
That's a long way to go to defend my choice for the Crossover of Last Week. It was the double-header on NBC last Monday of 'Fear Factor' and 'Las Vegas'.
This past week's 'Fear Factor' was a special-themed edition set in Sin City, but no characters from the fictional series of 'Las Vegas' appeared on the game show. (And it IS a game show, not a series in that stupid category of so-called "reality television"!)
However, the final scene was set at a real casino's blackjack table where the winning couple tried to beat the house.
When the show ended, the scene continued, flowing through the credits right into the opening of 'Las Vegas'.
We now had a P. O. V. behind the scenes of 'Fear Factor' as host Joe Rogan (still dressed as he was seen in the previous hour) was surrounded by production staff and led away from the set constructed in the real casino.
And what did Rogan want to do next? It was off to the fictional casino of the Montecito! And so the credits ran for 'Las Vegas'.
Now I can understand those objections when the fictional characters are appearing in a fictional version of the game show. (Like when Arnie Becker gave his desire for Vanna White a spin on 'Wheel Of Fortune' in an episode of 'L.A. Law'.) I'd still include those, but I understand why others don't.
But here, here you have an actual episode of a game show feeding into the fictional series. How could you ignore the connection?
There were three subplots for the hour, with Sly Stallone in one of them. (But as he was playing a fictional character and not appearing as himself, there can be no crossover potential with his upcoming "reality" show 'The Contender'.)
As for Joe Rogan, he let the three main women of the Montecito to compete amongst themselves for a chance to appear on 'Fear Factor'. They paraded their "talents and attributes" in front of him.
Best of all was Samantha Jane taking Joe into a very cold meat locker and showing him what she looked like in a T-shirt in such an extreme temperature drop.
"You raise some very interesting points," he said with admiration.
In the end, Joe Rogan finally copped to the truth - he had no say in who got picked to be on 'Fear Factor'; he was just the host.
Had he been his exact lookalike Joe Garelli of WNYX 'NewsRadio', at least one of those women would have then slapped his face. Obviously the scene was crying out for Catherine Duke to take a swing at him.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
I'm not the only one out there in cyberspace celebrating TV crossovers. Over the years I've seen at least two other sites and countless articles delving into the concept of a TV Universe in which characters from various TV shows can meet each other.
The best site is Thom Holbrook's Crossovers & Spin-offs. (You'll find the link over on the left.) Long ago, I acknowledged Thom as the greatest when it came to TV crossovers.
But Thom, like others, takes too strict a view as to what is eligible for inclusion in the integrated TV Universe. He won't consider celebrities playing themselves, even though their scripted plots make them just as fictional as the characters with whom they interact.
In the Real World, Sammy Davis, Jr., left his briefcase in a cab driven by Archie Bunker; and he was never magically summoned by a genie in Cocoa Beach, Florida. But it happened in Toobworld, and so as far as I'm concerned, that links 'All In The Family' to 'I Dream Of Jeannie'.
Many of the other sites snub game shows, even when fictional characters appear on them.
Felix and Oscar appeared on 'Password' and 'Let's Make A Deal' in episodes of 'The Odd Couple'.
Sammi Law was on 'The Price Is Right' as soon as he arrived in America on 'Martial Law'.
Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Sheffield conceived twins backstage at 'Hollywood Squares' on 'The Nanny'.
And there has to be at least a dozen shows and commercials in which Alex Trebek had fictional characters competing for fabulous cash prizes on 'Jeopardy'.
The use of game shows and celebrities as crossover connections is acceptable by Toobworld standards though. If it makes for a sloppy, undisciplined dimension, so be it. There is no perfection in our universe, so why should everything be neat and tidy in the TV Universe?
That's a long way to go to defend my choice for the Crossover of Last Week. It was the double-header on NBC last Monday of 'Fear Factor' and 'Las Vegas'.
This past week's 'Fear Factor' was a special-themed edition set in Sin City, but no characters from the fictional series of 'Las Vegas' appeared on the game show. (And it IS a game show, not a series in that stupid category of so-called "reality television"!)
However, the final scene was set at a real casino's blackjack table where the winning couple tried to beat the house.
When the show ended, the scene continued, flowing through the credits right into the opening of 'Las Vegas'.
We now had a P. O. V. behind the scenes of 'Fear Factor' as host Joe Rogan (still dressed as he was seen in the previous hour) was surrounded by production staff and led away from the set constructed in the real casino.
And what did Rogan want to do next? It was off to the fictional casino of the Montecito! And so the credits ran for 'Las Vegas'.
Now I can understand those objections when the fictional characters are appearing in a fictional version of the game show. (Like when Arnie Becker gave his desire for Vanna White a spin on 'Wheel Of Fortune' in an episode of 'L.A. Law'.) I'd still include those, but I understand why others don't.
But here, here you have an actual episode of a game show feeding into the fictional series. How could you ignore the connection?
There were three subplots for the hour, with Sly Stallone in one of them. (But as he was playing a fictional character and not appearing as himself, there can be no crossover potential with his upcoming "reality" show 'The Contender'.)
As for Joe Rogan, he let the three main women of the Montecito to compete amongst themselves for a chance to appear on 'Fear Factor'. They paraded their "talents and attributes" in front of him.
Best of all was Samantha Jane taking Joe into a very cold meat locker and showing him what she looked like in a T-shirt in such an extreme temperature drop.
"You raise some very interesting points," he said with admiration.
In the end, Joe Rogan finally copped to the truth - he had no say in who got picked to be on 'Fear Factor'; he was just the host.
Had he been his exact lookalike Joe Garelli of WNYX 'NewsRadio', at least one of those women would have then slapped his face. Obviously the scene was crying out for Catherine Duke to take a swing at him.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Saturday, February 26, 2005
"LOST" IN THOUGHT, MUSICALLY
Recently in USA Today, they ran a list of songs that should comprise the soundtrack for the TV show (and my current mania) 'Lost'.
Among the songs chosen were some that appeared in episodes, others that just have the right theme for a particular scene or character.
With the first cut chosen, I've left the description and the sample lyrics. But if you want to read the whole article, (and the reasons for some of the choices) go to:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-02-23-lost-songs_x.htm
Guns N' Roses, Welcome to the Jungle
"Sure, it's a little on the nose. But upon reading the lyrics, it's like Axl wrote it just for packrat Sawyer:
Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me"
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Run Through the Jungle
John Legend, Burning Down the House (Talking Heads cover)
Talking Heads, Psycho Killer
Biz Markie, Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee
Will Smith, Just the Two of Us
Thompson Twins, Doctor, Doctor
The Police, Message in a Bottle
Peter Murphy, Cuts You Up
Pearl Jam, Leash
Def Leppard, Animal
Driveshaft, You All Everybody
Weezer, Island in the Sun
Lou Reed, Perfect Day
Joe Purdy, Wash Away
Bobby Darrin, Beyond the Sea
Willie Nelson, Are You Sure?
Patsy Cline, Leavin' on Your Mind
As of this past week's episode, we can also add a song called "Delicate" by Damien Rice. Perhaps it should end the CD in the exact same way it ended the episode: cutting off abruptly as if the batteries have died.
After reading the article, this is what I wrote to the editors of USA Today:
'Jayme Deerwester's column about the "Lost" soundtrack could have used a Peter Gabriel number.
Either "In Your Eyes" due to all the episodes that begin with a closeup of a single eyeball, or "Shaking The Tree" which is a nice feel for any of the women and the strength they find within themselves while in the jungle.'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Among the songs chosen were some that appeared in episodes, others that just have the right theme for a particular scene or character.
With the first cut chosen, I've left the description and the sample lyrics. But if you want to read the whole article, (and the reasons for some of the choices) go to:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-02-23-lost-songs_x.htm
Guns N' Roses, Welcome to the Jungle
"Sure, it's a little on the nose. But upon reading the lyrics, it's like Axl wrote it just for packrat Sawyer:
Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal
In the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see
You'll take it eventually
You can have anything you want
But you better not take it from me"
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Run Through the Jungle
John Legend, Burning Down the House (Talking Heads cover)
Talking Heads, Psycho Killer
Biz Markie, Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee
Will Smith, Just the Two of Us
Thompson Twins, Doctor, Doctor
The Police, Message in a Bottle
Peter Murphy, Cuts You Up
Pearl Jam, Leash
Def Leppard, Animal
Driveshaft, You All Everybody
Weezer, Island in the Sun
Lou Reed, Perfect Day
Joe Purdy, Wash Away
Bobby Darrin, Beyond the Sea
Willie Nelson, Are You Sure?
Patsy Cline, Leavin' on Your Mind
As of this past week's episode, we can also add a song called "Delicate" by Damien Rice. Perhaps it should end the CD in the exact same way it ended the episode: cutting off abruptly as if the batteries have died.
After reading the article, this is what I wrote to the editors of USA Today:
'Jayme Deerwester's column about the "Lost" soundtrack could have used a Peter Gabriel number.
Either "In Your Eyes" due to all the episodes that begin with a closeup of a single eyeball, or "Shaking The Tree" which is a nice feel for any of the women and the strength they find within themselves while in the jungle.'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
NEWS BLIPS
The subway between Grand Central Station and Times Square is going back in time to promote the return of 'Deadwood',' HBO's hit, gritty series about the Old West.
Starting March 1 and running for at least one month, the interior of a three-car S train will be redecorated with fake wood, tiles and even faux cushions to look like western-saloon train cars.
The second season of the popular drama debuts on March 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some news combining two different aspects of Toobworld - The League of Themselves and multiverse connections:
Part time pain-in-the-neck, full time genius, Larry David ['Curb your Enthusiasm'] might be set for a role in "Spider-Man 3", says a scooper for Aint it Cool.
David told BBC Radio 4 that he had been asked to film a part in the forthcoming - still a good year or so away - second sequel to Sam Raimi's original money spinner.
Hard to think of David playing anyone other than himself, so chances are we'll be seeing just that - a cameo as himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NBC has ordered a pilot for a comedy starring 'Saturday Night Live' head writer Tina Fey, while ABC has given the go-ahead to a project featuring former 'SNL' cast member Chris Kattan.
The untitled Fey project will star the Weekend News Update anchor as the head writer of an 'SNL'-like variety show, focusing on her efforts to control a volatile star and executive producer. She also wrote the pilot and will serve as an executive producer.
ABC's untitled Kattan comedy centers on an egocentric consumer reporter (Kattan) who thinks the world revolves around him. Kattan will serve as a producer.
~~~~~~~~~~~
NBC has ordered a pilot for 'Notorious', starring Tori Spelling as a version of herself in the period immediately after 'Beverly Hills, 90210', with her character depicted as an underdog in the un-celebrity world that she desperately tries to be a part of.
If there's going to be references to her old TV show and/or other projects, this show sounds like it's going to be one big Zonk! nightmare.
Starting March 1 and running for at least one month, the interior of a three-car S train will be redecorated with fake wood, tiles and even faux cushions to look like western-saloon train cars.
The second season of the popular drama debuts on March 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some news combining two different aspects of Toobworld - The League of Themselves and multiverse connections:
Part time pain-in-the-neck, full time genius, Larry David ['Curb your Enthusiasm'] might be set for a role in "Spider-Man 3", says a scooper for Aint it Cool.
David told BBC Radio 4 that he had been asked to film a part in the forthcoming - still a good year or so away - second sequel to Sam Raimi's original money spinner.
Hard to think of David playing anyone other than himself, so chances are we'll be seeing just that - a cameo as himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NBC has ordered a pilot for a comedy starring 'Saturday Night Live' head writer Tina Fey, while ABC has given the go-ahead to a project featuring former 'SNL' cast member Chris Kattan.
The untitled Fey project will star the Weekend News Update anchor as the head writer of an 'SNL'-like variety show, focusing on her efforts to control a volatile star and executive producer. She also wrote the pilot and will serve as an executive producer.
ABC's untitled Kattan comedy centers on an egocentric consumer reporter (Kattan) who thinks the world revolves around him. Kattan will serve as a producer.
~~~~~~~~~~~
NBC has ordered a pilot for 'Notorious', starring Tori Spelling as a version of herself in the period immediately after 'Beverly Hills, 90210', with her character depicted as an underdog in the un-celebrity world that she desperately tries to be a part of.
If there's going to be references to her old TV show and/or other projects, this show sounds like it's going to be one big Zonk! nightmare.
Friday, February 25, 2005
FROM HUGHNIVERSE TO BLIPVERSE!
My thoughts on the Super Bowl commercials brought forth another great email from Hugh Davis. And it would be selfish of me if I didn't share it with whoever might be out there reading this. (Besides the two of us!)
Toby:
Your latest take on the Super Bowl ads has me thinking that its time to announce the discovery of a new world: The Blipverse. It's a bridge universe, really, allowing connections between different worlds, although it is a sub-set of the televerse first and foremost. In it, the laws of physics are even less stable than in the televerse; its inhabitants are also more prone to be Serlinguists.
The nature of the world tends to be intense dramatic concerns with generally quick resolutions, a sort of Deus Ex Machina motif. It's a world in which animated characters, talking/dancing/singing/etc. animals, and puppets all interact easily with humans.
The Blipverse has actually existed for many years, and it originally actually was seen intersecting with the televerse, as commercials were built into shows. There are plenty of Cineverse interactions--the Pierce Brosnan James Bond for Diet Coke, for instance, or Alfred from the Batman movies for Diet Coke--and many of these connect to comics and superheroes and science fiction. The Droids from Star Wars advertise SW toys (later followed by a variety of Darth Vader ads, including the Energizer Bunny Spot, and a Taco Bell ad with the Droids, Vader, Chewbacca, and Storm Troopers); Ferengi and Romulans from ST advertise Hallmark ornaments; Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) of four Superman movies and Supergirl advertises Super Powers figures. These then are windows allowing universes to merge.
I think the most remarkable Blipverse spots for mergings come from the Batman On*Star ads. Clearly, these connect the Batman movies to the small subset of Televerse that comes from commercials. They are visually tied without a doubt to those movies, plus Michael Gough is in there as Alfred. The actor playing Batman in them then played that role in a flashback sequence on Birds of Prey, so it links Cineverse to Televerse, and, since Mark Hamill gave the Joker's voice in this and the WB animated show, there's a further Toon tie that can all be brought forth thanks to Blipvert spots.
(The Blipverse can also be seen superheroically way back, with Superman and Jimmy shilling for Kellogg's Pep).
I'm brought to this realization from your discussion of how the Marvel heroes in the Check Card ad aren't the TV or Movie versions. That's right--they are the Blipverse versions. Spiderman has appeared in live-action on the Televerse in the 1970s--both the tv-movie specials and as part of The Electric Company (easily one could argue these are the same) and in animated versions in each decade since the 1960s, but his Blipverse incarnation has also been there in live-action form. A theme park ad from the late 1990s had him battling Doc Octupus atop a plane, for example.
The key to show that the Blipverse has live action versions of these superheroes today is another ad, however, from three or four years ago. A milkman pushed a doorbell at a mansion and is dropped through a trapdoor into a hidden room. It turns out he's at Avengers Mansion and is being interviewed for a possible spot on the super-team's roster.
The Milkman, however, has no powers...he just provides milk, which gives you strong bones. Interviewing him were the Hulk (who might be connected to the Cineverse Hulk, seen in Blipverts for Mountain Dew two summers ago), Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, and (key here) Captain America, Spiderman, and Thor. These Blipverse inhabitants then are the ones seen again in the most recent SuperBowl spot.
Oh, and Underdog did appear in a cereal commercial (Frosted Cheerios, which flopped) six or seven years ago which also featured, among others, Reggie Miller of the NBA and James Doohan, who, though not labelled as such, did appear to be playing Scotty, as he made a "can't take anymore" comment.
Hugh
PS
You haven't mentioned the Simpsons SuperBowl episode yet, with the celebrities getting showboat training from Homer. Among others, it included Warren Sapp (who's been in some NFL Network ads this year for "Space Raiders," an SF version of the Oakland team) and Yao Ming (who appeared, albeit with someone else voicing him) on Static Shock!
Toby's Take:
Hugh's got too many good ideas of his own regarding Toobworld that he really should be doing a companion blog of his own! If you agree with me and want to read more of his theories and ideas, help me light the fire under him - write us a comment to this blog entry and let Hugh know you'd like to see more of his ideas on a regular basis!
Toby:
Your latest take on the Super Bowl ads has me thinking that its time to announce the discovery of a new world: The Blipverse. It's a bridge universe, really, allowing connections between different worlds, although it is a sub-set of the televerse first and foremost. In it, the laws of physics are even less stable than in the televerse; its inhabitants are also more prone to be Serlinguists.
The nature of the world tends to be intense dramatic concerns with generally quick resolutions, a sort of Deus Ex Machina motif. It's a world in which animated characters, talking/dancing/singing/etc. animals, and puppets all interact easily with humans.
The Blipverse has actually existed for many years, and it originally actually was seen intersecting with the televerse, as commercials were built into shows. There are plenty of Cineverse interactions--the Pierce Brosnan James Bond for Diet Coke, for instance, or Alfred from the Batman movies for Diet Coke--and many of these connect to comics and superheroes and science fiction. The Droids from Star Wars advertise SW toys (later followed by a variety of Darth Vader ads, including the Energizer Bunny Spot, and a Taco Bell ad with the Droids, Vader, Chewbacca, and Storm Troopers); Ferengi and Romulans from ST advertise Hallmark ornaments; Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) of four Superman movies and Supergirl advertises Super Powers figures. These then are windows allowing universes to merge.
I think the most remarkable Blipverse spots for mergings come from the Batman On*Star ads. Clearly, these connect the Batman movies to the small subset of Televerse that comes from commercials. They are visually tied without a doubt to those movies, plus Michael Gough is in there as Alfred. The actor playing Batman in them then played that role in a flashback sequence on Birds of Prey, so it links Cineverse to Televerse, and, since Mark Hamill gave the Joker's voice in this and the WB animated show, there's a further Toon tie that can all be brought forth thanks to Blipvert spots.
(The Blipverse can also be seen superheroically way back, with Superman and Jimmy shilling for Kellogg's Pep).
I'm brought to this realization from your discussion of how the Marvel heroes in the Check Card ad aren't the TV or Movie versions. That's right--they are the Blipverse versions. Spiderman has appeared in live-action on the Televerse in the 1970s--both the tv-movie specials and as part of The Electric Company (easily one could argue these are the same) and in animated versions in each decade since the 1960s, but his Blipverse incarnation has also been there in live-action form. A theme park ad from the late 1990s had him battling Doc Octupus atop a plane, for example.
The key to show that the Blipverse has live action versions of these superheroes today is another ad, however, from three or four years ago. A milkman pushed a doorbell at a mansion and is dropped through a trapdoor into a hidden room. It turns out he's at Avengers Mansion and is being interviewed for a possible spot on the super-team's roster.
The Milkman, however, has no powers...he just provides milk, which gives you strong bones. Interviewing him were the Hulk (who might be connected to the Cineverse Hulk, seen in Blipverts for Mountain Dew two summers ago), Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, and (key here) Captain America, Spiderman, and Thor. These Blipverse inhabitants then are the ones seen again in the most recent SuperBowl spot.
Oh, and Underdog did appear in a cereal commercial (Frosted Cheerios, which flopped) six or seven years ago which also featured, among others, Reggie Miller of the NBA and James Doohan, who, though not labelled as such, did appear to be playing Scotty, as he made a "can't take anymore" comment.
Hugh
PS
You haven't mentioned the Simpsons SuperBowl episode yet, with the celebrities getting showboat training from Homer. Among others, it included Warren Sapp (who's been in some NFL Network ads this year for "Space Raiders," an SF version of the Oakland team) and Yao Ming (who appeared, albeit with someone else voicing him) on Static Shock!
Toby's Take:
Hugh's got too many good ideas of his own regarding Toobworld that he really should be doing a companion blog of his own! If you agree with me and want to read more of his theories and ideas, help me light the fire under him - write us a comment to this blog entry and let Hugh know you'd like to see more of his ideas on a regular basis!
GUAVA GEORGE GUESTS!
As an "Iddiot" in the Idiot's Delight Digest, I've come across Toobworldian musings from many of my fellow Iddiots. Recently "Guava George" posted this piece about an upcoming show on ABC and its multiverse beginnings.........
Stephen Bochco, creator of NYPD Blue, put out a novel in 2003 called "Death By Hollywood" about a screenwriter who kills his wife’s lover. Lots of in-jokes in the book, including references to NYPDB and the fact that the story in the book is turned into a screenplay by one of the characters. Integral to the plot is a short story called "First Dog," written by Bobby, the screenwriter character.
In the short story, a writer named Ron is working on a script late at night, when his girlfriend’s dog Bob starts talking to him. Bob gives an idea for a screenplay called "First Dog," about a talking dog who becomes President. Ron’s response is lukewarm, so a few days later Bob gives him another idea, which Ron turns into a hit show about a professor who’s really a spy.
After that, Bob says nothing to Ron for a couple of years.
Then one day he gives Ron another idea. Here’s the last paragraph of the short story:
"Well," Bob says," there’s this one idea I’ve been working on, it’s about this tough cop who gets blinded in a gun battle, and he’s too young to retire, he still wants to be a cop, so he gets this guide dog named Bob…"
It would give away a huge plot twist to say what happens next, but I can say that, in the novel, the show Bob describes is eventually created and called "Blind Justice."
"Blind Justice" starts on ABC in a couple of weeks.
Guava George
Stephen Bochco, creator of NYPD Blue, put out a novel in 2003 called "Death By Hollywood" about a screenwriter who kills his wife’s lover. Lots of in-jokes in the book, including references to NYPDB and the fact that the story in the book is turned into a screenplay by one of the characters. Integral to the plot is a short story called "First Dog," written by Bobby, the screenwriter character.
In the short story, a writer named Ron is working on a script late at night, when his girlfriend’s dog Bob starts talking to him. Bob gives an idea for a screenplay called "First Dog," about a talking dog who becomes President. Ron’s response is lukewarm, so a few days later Bob gives him another idea, which Ron turns into a hit show about a professor who’s really a spy.
After that, Bob says nothing to Ron for a couple of years.
Then one day he gives Ron another idea. Here’s the last paragraph of the short story:
"Well," Bob says," there’s this one idea I’ve been working on, it’s about this tough cop who gets blinded in a gun battle, and he’s too young to retire, he still wants to be a cop, so he gets this guide dog named Bob…"
It would give away a huge plot twist to say what happens next, but I can say that, in the novel, the show Bob describes is eventually created and called "Blind Justice."
"Blind Justice" starts on ABC in a couple of weeks.
Guava George
HEAD'S UP FOR GOD
Recently, former detective Adrian Monk met the rock band Korn while stuck in a mult-car pile-up on Highway 101.
Julie Treeger, daughter of Monk's assistant Natalie, had to go to the bathroom really bad and they were granted the use of the facilities on Korn's tour bus.
That was less than a month ago.
And now, one of the band members, Brian "Head" Welch, has announced his retirement from the band because he has found religion. As such, he couldn't go on playing the type of music Korn was known for, but he wished his mates well as their roads took separate routes.
So....
In Toobworld, what was it that caused the tele-version of "Head" Welch to be reborn? As he and the other members of Korn met Monk and Julie, they are no longer considered to be the same people as those in Korn here in the Real World. And therefore, the reasons for their actions can often be ascribed to fictional events.
Because this life-changing decision was made after another life-altering event like the traffic jam caused by a murder, I think it's possible that Mr. Welch took stock of the situation, reevaluated his purpose in Life, and decided that perhaps he had a higher calling.
And after seeing what Mr. Monk was like, maybe "Head" remembered a basic tenet to live by:
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Julie Treeger, daughter of Monk's assistant Natalie, had to go to the bathroom really bad and they were granted the use of the facilities on Korn's tour bus.
That was less than a month ago.
And now, one of the band members, Brian "Head" Welch, has announced his retirement from the band because he has found religion. As such, he couldn't go on playing the type of music Korn was known for, but he wished his mates well as their roads took separate routes.
So....
In Toobworld, what was it that caused the tele-version of "Head" Welch to be reborn? As he and the other members of Korn met Monk and Julie, they are no longer considered to be the same people as those in Korn here in the Real World. And therefore, the reasons for their actions can often be ascribed to fictional events.
Because this life-changing decision was made after another life-altering event like the traffic jam caused by a murder, I think it's possible that Mr. Welch took stock of the situation, reevaluated his purpose in Life, and decided that perhaps he had a higher calling.
And after seeing what Mr. Monk was like, maybe "Head" remembered a basic tenet to live by:
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
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