HER BIG BROWN EYES... AND POINTY HORNS

Must be 'Reaper' Day in our Toobworld Fall Season Guide!

Although it was never stated explicitly in the series, it is believed that 'Dead Like Me' takes place in Seattle. With its first episode, the new series 'Reaper' is definitely situated in the "Emerald City" - Sam Oliver's brother was reading a Seattle newspaper in one of the opening scenes.

In 'Dead Like Me', Christine Willes played George's boss at the temp agency, Delores Herbig - as in "her big" brown eyes - and she appeared in the 'Reaper' pilot as well. She was Gladys, the Devil's minion at the DMV, which of course is literally Hell on Earth.

Even though 'Dead Like Me' is canceled as a series, it will be coming back as a direct-to-DVD movie next year. So the DMV clerk and Delores can't be one and the same, with "Gladys" being an alias. Besides, Delores hardly seems like the type to be making deals with the Devil or committing any sin that might get her soul sent packing to Hell. But despite her horns, Gladys did look enough like Delores to suggest that they might be related.

Sadly, I think the Devil's Minion at the DMV is Delores' Mom!

DM DM DM!

I've only just started watching 'Dead Like Me' and so far I don't remember any mention of Delores' parents being still alive, nor what their names might have been. And we've seen in other shows - like 'Maverick', 'The Brady Bunch', 'The Odd Couple', 'Wiseguy', and 'F Troop' - that a parent could look exactly like their offspring.

So here's my theory of "relateeveety" - Gladys Herbig made a deal with the devil and is now paying it off by being his servant at the DMV. Of course, it could have been a situation like Sam's, in which her parents bartered away her soul which the Devil collected after she began her own family. (He probably conscripted her into service when she was about the same age as her daughter Delores is now and that's why she still looks to be that age.)

According to Ms. Willes' profile at the William Davis Centre, it looks as though her role as Gladys will be recurring on 'Reaper'. If we don't learn too much more about her personal life and background, then this theory should hold up......

BCnU!
Toby OB

THE DEVIL, YOU SAY

Describe the basic premise of 'Reaper' to somebody who knows their TV, and you should get this response: "That already was a TV show, called 'Brimstone'!"

There are a lot of differences, however. And the big one is that 'Brimstone' was too dark and depressing; 'Reaper' is light-hearted fun.

But even so, somebody might want to call out 'Reaper' as being a copy. But as Toobworld's Ambassador without portfolio, I'd say it's a continuation of the premise.

The Devil, as played by Ray Wise, is the same guy as portrayed by John Glover in 'Brimstone'. And the mission is still the same, just nine years later. Being the Devil, he can assume any visage he wants. Old Scratch probably figured the latter day Rat Pack look would make for a better mentor to Sam instead of that skeevy, long-haired look he sported while dealing with Zeke Stone.

It would seem that the Devil's problem with souls escaping from Hell is growing. Originally the number was 113. (And thanks to a suggestion by my "Iddiette" friend, Listener Mara, we can count the vampire 'Angel' among their number.) But now he's got so many loose on Earth Prime-Time that he's had to open branch offices and "hire" on more bounty hunters.

Miami and Dallas might make for interesting locations if Sam Oliver ever has to take his act on the road.... JR Ewing once had to confront his own personal demon, but I don't think that was a different guise for THE Devil. I think "Adam" used to be the personal Christmas Past for an Ebenezer Scrooge in some TV dimension. After Scrooge finally died, Adam needed to find employment elsewhere.

And the Devil probably has a couple of bounty hunters working around the clock in Cleveland. According to Rupert Giles, Cleveland was located right over a Hellmouth......

SHOWS CITED:
'Reaper'
'Brimstone'
'Dallas'
'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'
'Angel'
"A Christmas Carol"

BCnU!
Toby OB

THE GREAT BALLANTINE

I'm two days late in this. I just read the news over in Mark Evanier's "News From ME" site. (Link to the left)

Thursday was Carl Ballantine's 85th birthday.

All the best to Lester Gruber of 'McHale's Navy' as well as to the Great Ballantine!

BCnU!
Toby OB

SARAH JANE AND THE SLITHEEN

Since 'Doctor Who' returned to the airwaves back in 2005, I've been able to see the episodes long before they reach the USA by way of... Magic & Mystery as well as by Something Else Really Good & Clever. The same holds true for 'Torchwood' and the special hour-long episode of 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'. But now I can state where I found the first regular series episode of 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' - someone has posted them up on YouTube - not only the first half-hour episode which aired Monday, but the conclusion to the two-parter which won't be airing until this coming Monday over in the UK.

(Just type in "Sarah Jane" and Slitheen - you'll get all the chapters.)

It's not giving anything away to say that the Clan Slitheen made a return appearance, as their name appears in the episode title, "The Revenge Of The Slitheen". But I won't give anything else away of major importance for the many who have yet to see it. However, I will say that the show tackles a moral quandary near the end that I think an American production would have taken the opposite approach, ignoring the details of the character's past. And Maria gets off a risque joke that seemed out of place for what is supposed to be a children's show. ('Doctor Who' is supposed to be a children's show as well, but I think they've tossed that concept aside long ago; they know who their true audience is!)

I have to admit though that the joke was pretty funny and probably something a 14 year old girl would have said......

Sarah Jane Smith is already a member of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, as of this past May, and with this episode two more candidates emerged for eventual inlcusion should they complete the requirements with a third appearance on another series.

First up is the actress Lachele Carl, who appears in the second episode as the American news anchor for the news network AMNN. She has appeared four times in that role on 'Doctor Who', and it's likely she could pop up again in 'Torchwood' someday.

And then there are the Slitheen Family, of the calcium-based alien race from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius. Members of the Clan Slitheen have appeared in three episodes of 'Doctor Who' and now in these two episodes of 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'. If they show up in 'Torchwood', the Raxacoricofallapatorians will be just as eligible as an alien race to be inducted into the Hall as are the Vulcans and Klingons. (I'm hoping I'll be able to add the Minbari to that list as well. Anybody know if that's possible yet?)

You know "Inner Toob" isn't really supposed to be about reviews; that's not why you come visit here. But I will say that it looks to me as though 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' will be a worthy member of the 'Doctor Who' franchise, finding its mark straight off (unlike 'Torchwood' which didn't have a handle on what it really wanted to be by the end of its first season).

There was also a Zonk that must be dealt with. Maria's airhead mother complained about the time that the lights went out when she was a kid and she was watching 'Manimal'. (She was devastated.)

'Manimal', no matter that it's recognized as one of the worst concepts for a TV show (a man can turn into any animal to fight crime), is an accepted part of the TV Universe. It also is linked to the series 'Nightman' with an actual crossover. So we can't just dismiss out of hand this reference to the TV show as a TV show.

Of course, the easiest thing to do would be to just dismiss it because 'Manimal' is definitely in the main Toobworld, whereas 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' could be located in an alternate dimension like the current incarnation of 'Doctor Who'. The parent series had to finally be shipped off to a "mirror universe" (not the original series, however) because of all of its deviations from the world of the main Toobworld - like Prime Ministers Harriet Jones and Harold Saxon and the death of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

However, until such time as 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' forces the issue - by dealing with or even just by mentioning those Prime Ministers - I'm inclined to view the series as returning to the main dimension of Earth Prime-Time. Even though the Slitheen appeared in 'Doctor Who' and therefore were also in that alternate TV Land, it's my contention that the events of the new 'Doctor Who' still also took place in the main Toobworld... but without all of those Zonking deviations.

I know. It gets pretty damned confusing.

So getting back to 'Manimal', here's an option: news of Professor Jonathan Chase's ability to transform himself into animals must have eventually leaked out after the series ended. (If secrets were easy to keep, Nixon would never have resigned.) So some enterprising hotshot producer in Hollywood decided to capitalize on the idea and created a version of Chase's story. That producer may have even coined the word "manimal" to describe his main character, who didn't necessarily have to be Jonathan Chase.

Since Maria's mom wasn't forthcoming with details about the show, that splainin should hold.......

I'm hoping for two things in the future for this show: one, that at some point - perhaps in the second season - the Doctor should make a crossover visit. Sarah Jane certainly held out hope that he might someday. And secondly, that an American network won't take too long to pick up this series. My blogging buddy Rob over in the UK suggested Nickelodeon and I think that would be perfect. Or maybe even Noggin and especially its night-time version "N".

But in the meantime, if you want to see it, head over to YouTube. I'm not sure for how much longer the shows might be allowed to stay up there!

BCnU!
Toby OB

ECCE PROMO: GETTING BUGGED

Promos for TV shows are just as much a part of the TV Universe as are commercials. And no network does a better job in integrating their shows in the same world than the USA Network. Small plays have been acted out with characters from their various shows mingling with each other, and for the most part these jibe with the established realm of Earth Prime-Time: Shawn Spencer and Adrian Monk arguing over the benefits and advantages of the numbers 9 and 10. (For the audience, the debate dealt with timeslots for their shows. But within the context of that interstitial, the main characters of 'Psych' and 'Monk' may as well have been arguing over their rankings as police consultants, or even an episode of 'Sesame Street'.)

When it comes to the promos that have united Mr. Monk with John Smith, then we have to accept that this is not the Adrian Monk of Earth Prime-Time, but rather from an alternate dimension where 'The Dead Zone' takes place. The adaptation of the Stephen King novel was chugging along nicely in the main Toobworld until last season, when they decided to create their own President and Vice President of the United States. And then they killed off the Veep so that Greg Stillson could be maneuvered into the office. So now 'The Dead Zone' is out there on its own in its own TV dimension.

But as I said, that show now has an alternate version of 'Monk' to keep it company.

With 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' moving from NBC to USA, Detectives Goren, Eames, and Logan have been exposed for their own "promoscuity". To trumpet their network change, scenes of the detectives at work have been interrupted by moving men who come in to remove all the props, including a corpse. Although they seem angered and confused by the disruptions, they're not traumatized by it at all. So it's probable that, like many TV characters like David Addison of 'Moonlighting', they have a touch of tele-cognizance. (They understand that they live in a universe based on Television.)

They've also been intercut and super-imposed into scenes with other USA Network characters. Goren and Eames are seen entering Monk's apartment for some reason and remarking on how nice the place looks, much to Adrian's delight. (It reminded me of the scene in "Hadley's Hunters", an episode of 'Maverick' in which Bart tried to hail down 'Cheyenne' Bodie as he rode past.)

But best of all is the shot of Mike Logan being given directions by Jordan Collier of 'The 4400' in the background because they share the same shot.

There's another promo I like a lot for 'Criminal Intent' in which characters from the main Toobworld finally acknowledge the presence of those annoying ID "bugs" in the corner of the screen. This has happened plenty of times in the past with shows like 'Family Guy' and 'The Simpsons', but those take place in the Tooniverse, not on Earth Prime-Time, and they subscribe to the laws of "quantoon phsyics".

Once 'Criminal Intent' has settled into its new home, maybe we'll be seeing a new batch of promos in which Goren and Monk share screen time, or Logan butts heads with Shawn Spencer.

The great thing about Toobworld - always something to look forward to.......

BCnU!
Toby OB

PLAYA AZUL'S THE THING

In order to protect themselves from a real sugar and rum-producing Cuban family in Florida, the producers of 'Cane' moved the location of the series from Palm Beach to Playa Azul, only to be found in Toobworld.

If the location is developed properly, it may overtake Deepwater (from the series 'Maximum Bob') as the best fictional Florida town in Toobworld!

BCnU!
Toby OB

SIMPLY DARLING

'Dirty, Sexy Money' premiered tonight on ABC. I'm too lazy to get off my Jabba the Hut butt to go into the other room and see if I "divvered" it or not, but I had already seen the pilot at the Paley Center about a month ago on their ABC Preview Party night. Short analysis - I liked it, I may come back to it, but it's not a must-see.

But then, you don't come to visit Toobworld for reviews.......

As often noted here in the past, tele-genetics are strong in Toobworld. Genetic combinations repeat far more often in the TV Universe than they do in the "Trueniverse". That's why 'Columbo' kept running into so many people who looked like an actor named Vito Scotti.

And they can repeat down through countless generations.

But they don't always have to be an exact match, just close enough so that we can recognize that there must be some kind of family tie.

And having the same family name certainly helps in that argument.

There is a clan of music-loving, moonshine-swilling backwoods folk in the hills surrounding Mayberry, North Carolina, who go by the name of Darling. Back in the 1960s, Briscoe Darling was the patriarch of the clan and for alls I know, he may yet be. (Breaking out of the moment for a moment, the actor who played him - Denver Pyle - has passed away.)

At some point back in the late 1800s, it's my contention that someone in the Darling clan decided to head north to seek his fortune in the big city. (That would be, of course, New York City, not Big Town of 'Captain Nice'.) Down through the ensuing generations, the two branches of the Darling family lost contact with each other, and more than likely neither side would have felt any inclination to re-establish the family bond as they had become so different from each other.

The New York Darlings gained their fortune long ago and probably found a way to hold onto it through the Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. By 2007, the Darling wealth was looked upon as "old money", with Patrick "Tripp" Darling III held up as the patriarch of the family.

Meanwhile, the Darlings of North Carolina continued with their simpler lives and were probably the richer for it in comparison to their northern kinfolk.

However, there appears to have been a hiccup in the genetic mix-n-match lottery; so that near-perfect facsimile of some common Darling ancestor was reborn to both branches of the families. Take a look at the two patriarchs, Tripp and Briscoe Darling:
Not exact matches, but just enough of a resemblance to suggest that they shared the same branch in the family tree once upon a time.......

The family name of "Darling" looks to be quite popular this season. We've also met Chuck Darling, the Pittsburgh anchorman at WURG Channel 9. I'm thinking that at best he may be a second cousin to the New York Darlings - close enough to perhaps trade on the family name but without the fortune, and yet distant enough so that he never interacts with those members of the family.

Also - unless there were significant changes to the 'Pushing Daisies' pilot after I saw it at that ABC Preview Party - there are these two weird sisters named Vivian and Lily Darling. They used to have a synchronized swimming act known as the Darling Mermaid Darlings, until Lily lost an eye in a tragic cat litter accident.

I'm not sure where Couer de Couer - the town in which they live - is located, but I think the Darling sisters would be more closely related to the Darlings from the North Carolina hills.

Isn't that all just Darling?

BCnU!
Toby OB

"JOURNEYMAN" & "TREK": THE REGISTERED LINK

It looks like we're still being paper-trained for Toobworld links with the new fall season of shows.....

Dan Vasser is a reporter for the San Francisco Register, which has its headquarters on Market Street in the televersion of Frisco. The newspaper has been around since at least the 1890s, as Lt. Commander Data found a copy of the newspaper when he was stranded in the year 1893. (One of its headlines mentioned a recent cholera outbreak.)

In 1986, other time-traveling members of Starfleet wanted to retrieve an edition of the Register from a vendor box on the street, but none of them had any currency of the time period.
Even in other TV dimensions, the San Francisco Register exists. For example, when Quinn Mallory and his dimensional sliding friends landed in a San Francisco in which the United States were still a Crown Colony for England, the headline on the Register read:

"King Thomas Missing in French War!
Sheriff of San Francisco named Acting Regent of Western British States
until Prince Harold crowned next week."

I looked through my copy of the 'Murder, She Wrote' episode guide book, and there were about eleven episodes that took place in San Francisco. But only one newspaper was mentioned, that of the Daily Union. A reporter was killed in tele-Frisco in one of the episodes, but I don't know for which publication he was working.

With all of the time travel that seems to be associated with the newspaper, I'm wondering if there's somebody in the Bay area who gets a copy of the San Francisco Register one day early so that he or she is able to alter future events.....

SHOWS (AND MOVIES) CITED:
'Journeyman'
'Star Trek: The Next Generation'
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"
'Sliders'
'Murder, She Wrote'
'Early Edition'

BCnU!
Toby OB

MATRICULATIN' RHYTHM

Bryce Larkin had been Chuck Bartowski's roommate at Stanford when they were both going there in the early 2000s. Although they lost touch over the years, Chuck thought that maybe Bryce had become an accountant.....

In fact, Bryce Larkin had been a spy who had gone rogue. Before he died, Bryce downloaded all of the government's secrets into Chuck's brain via a powerful email.

To get into Stanford, it probably helped if Bryce had excelled at a prestigious high school back in Connecticut. This is why I think it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble that Bryce went to school at the Chilton Academy, not far from Hartford.

Therefore, just as a suggestion, mind you, but until proven otherwise by the writers of 'Chuck' in some upcoming episode, I'm declaring the late Bryce Larkin to have been a Chilton Preparatory Academy alumnus.


SHOWS CITED:
'Chuck'
'Gilmore Girls'

BCnU!
Toby OB

LA TRIVIATA: READ ALL ABOUT IT!

The second season premiere of 'Heroes' made a trivial connection to the 1970s fish-out-of-water cop story, 'McCloud' last night.

Kaito Nakamura was sitting in Kirby Plaza with his son's friend Ando. When he opened his copy of the New York Chronicle, a picture floated out that showed Mr. Nakamura with that strange DNA-like glyph painted over him in red. Mr. Nakamura divined that it meant he would be dead in 24 hours.

The New York Chronicle was a newspaper where Chris Coughlin worked as a reporter. And she became very close to Marshal Sam McCloud.

She also had great job security - her father owned the Chronicle.

(The New York Chronicle should not be confused with the World Chronicle, which was also published in NYC. But I'll bet that paper had a handle on the story about the heroes......)

SHOWS CITED:
'Heroes'
'McCloud'
'The Chronicle'

BCnU!
Toby OB