TVXOHOF, MARCH 2022 MEMORIAL - LOUIE ANDERSON

With March, we celebrate members of the League of Themselves, those real life people who have played fictional versions of themselves – “televersions” - in at least 3 different series, TV movies, or sometimes even commercials.

Sadly, this March will be a memorial induction.

LOUIE ANDERSON

From Wikipedia:
Louis Perry Anderson (March 24, 1953 – January 21, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and game show host. Anderson created the cartoon series ‘Life with Louie’ and the television sitcom ‘The Louie Show’, and wrote four books, including “Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too”, which was published in 2018. He was the fourth host of the game show ‘Family Feud’, from 1999 to 2002, in its third run and second revival.

For his performance on the FX comedy television series Baskets, Anderson received three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” nominations and won once in 2016.

Anderson performed a stand-up show called “Louie: Larger Than Life” in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 2003 through 2012. The show originated at the Union Plaza hotel downtown, before moving to Excalibur, South Point, and Palace Station hotels.

On January 18, 2022, it was announced that Anderson had been hospitalized in Las Vegas for large B-cell lymphoma; he had first been diagnosed with cancer a decade earlier, but kept the information private. He died of complications from the cancer three days later, on January 21, at the age of 68.

These are the series which got him into the Hall:

Scrubs

-My Two Dads (2001)

From IMDb:
In a fantasy sequence, J.D. appears as a contestant on "Family Feud." (Anderson was hosting at the time.)

Joey

- Joey and the Poker (2005)

From the IMDb:
Alex teaches Joey fake poker rules to keep him away from a girl. When Joey threatens to leave because he is losing, she invents new rules to Texas Hold'Em to make him win. Bobby convinces Joey to go on to "Celebrity Poker Showdown", competing for a charity Zach recently got him involved in, a center for young destitute boys. Joey then plays along those rules at "Celebrity Poker Showdown", and gets into trouble. Ignoring the real rules to poker, Joey makes a fool of himself.

Half & Half

- The Big Credit Check Episode (2005)

From the IMDb:
Mona gets upset when she feels she is not getting the credit she deserves for her talent search idea. Big Dee Dee meets with her old talent agent hoping that he will represent her again.

O’Bservation:
I don’t know if Anderson was playing himself; the IMDb only lists him as “Louie”.   But if he was Big Dee Dee’s former agent, then Louie of Toobworld had a different life path than the Louie of the Real World.

Louie Anderson also had a presence in the Tooniverse, beginning with his childhood….

Life with Louie

39 episodes

Tom Goes to the Mayor

- White Collarless (2006)
... Mining Team of Louie Andersons (voice)

American Dad

Old Stan In The Mountain (2012)

From the 'American Dad' Wiki:
Steve misinterprets Stan's intentions and thinks he was out to whittle some wood and carves him a totem of five of the hosts of Family Feud including Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, Richard Karn and Steve Harvey but omitting John O'Hurley.

Several TV series are now part of the Hall; these appearances, even though they be game shows or talk shows, form the second tier of Anderson’s qualifications.  Of them all, ‘Family Feud’ tops the list since he hosted the series’ first revival and the celebrity version as well.

Family Feud

1999-2002

Hollywood Squares

12 episodes
2002

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 

13 episodes

I’ve included this because of his interactions with the Muppets, who are living beings in Toobworld.

The Jim Henson Hour

From the IMDb:
In the "MuppeTelevision" segment, Digit overloads his circuits while trying to show programming from outer space. Louie Anderson appears in sketches.

Ryan Roe: “Tonight’s theme is science fiction, and while Kermit and new Muppet Digit discover TV signals transmitted from other planets, Louie Anderson patiently waits inside a monitor for his sketch to begin. “

Good night and may God bless, Louie Anderson.  Welcome to the Hall….

TVXOHOF, FEBRUARY 2022 - HOLBROOK'S LINCOLN

 
If an historical figure appears as a guest character in several TV series, but has been recast with every appearance, the priority is to keep as many of those shows together in the same universe, preferably in Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld.

The easiest way to do this is to accept the physical differences as being due to perspective.  What we see as the Trueniverse audience would be the point of view of a particular character within that show.  Take for example, President/General Ulysses S. Grant.  He has been a member of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame since November, 2020, but that is not based on just one actor playing Grant.  His membership for Earth Prime-Time was based on appearances in such series as ‘Cheyenne’, ‘The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin’, and ‘The Wild, Wild West.’  Each of them had a different actor playing Grant, but to keep them together in the same dimension, we have to accept that that’s how he looked to Cheyenne Bodie, Corporal Rusty, and Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon, respectively.  That holds true for the other shows – ‘Grizzly Adams’, ‘Black Saddle’, ‘Wagon Train’, ‘Branded’, ‘Hell on Wheels’, and ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’.

But when the historical character appears in stand-alone mini-series and TV movies, each of those get shunted off to their own TV dimension.  The only time those TV movies can share the same Toobworld is if that historical character is played by the same actor.

When it then comes to the other historical figures in those connected TV movies and/or mini-series being played by different actors, that’s when we call on the P.O.V. option. That way we are seeing those characters from somebody else’s perspective, not from the perspective of that one common historical figure.  After all, he or she should have been seeing them all from the same point of view.

I bring that all up because of our “newest” member into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  I used quotation marks around “newest” because the historical figure involved is already a member of the TVXOHOF, but for Earth Prime-Time.  This time we’re inducting his doppelganger from another TV dimension, one shared by four mini-series....

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

This incarnation of Lincoln, who is the linchpin for this dimension, was played by the late Hal Holbrook.  The actor died just over a year ago and so we’re honoring his memory with this memorial induction ceremony for his portrayal of our sixteenth President.

Holbrook played Honest Abe in three TV mini-series:

LINCOLN

(aka SANDBURG’S LINCOLN)
6 episodes
1974-1976

From Wikipedia:
Sandburg's Lincoln scholarship, primarily in these volumes, had an enormous impact on the popular view of Lincoln. The books were adapted by Robert Sherwood for his Pulitzer Prize-winning play Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1938) and David Wolper's six-part dramatization for television, Sandburg's Lincoln (1974).

From the IMDb:

NBC aired the six-hour mini-series on a staggered basis. The first three segments aired during the 1974-75 television season. The final three segments aired during the 1975-76 television season.

Also from the IMDb:

This is not a typical mini-series, in that its 6 episodes were made and shown over a period of some 20 months between 1974 and 1976, are not sequential, and cover Lincoln only from around the time he met Mary Todd until his assassination. Indeed, the 5th episode covers his activities on the day of his shooting, while the 6th one covers his trip to, and early days in, Washington in 1861. It makes little difference, however, in that each episode is totally self-contained and each is a viewing delight in itself.

Hal Holbrook also played President Abraham Lincoln in ‘North & South: Books 1 and 2.

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 1

- Episode #1.6 (1985)

O’Bservation – For the first five episodes in this mini-series, Holbrook received credit, but did not appear.

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 2

[‘North & South: Book 2, Love & War’]
5 episodes

O’Bservation – Holbrook was credited with six episodes, but did not appear in the fifth one.

The events in the first two ‘North & South’ mini-series dealing with Abraham Lincoln include:

(From Wikipedia)

• Abraham Lincoln is elected president; several Southern states make plans to secede from the U.S. and establish themselves as a separate nation.
• Billy joins the U.S. Sharpshooters regiment, while George becomes a military aide to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
• President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves in the rebel Southern states.
• George learns that Orry is wounded and searches for him, finally finding him in a Union hospital. Their reunion is spoiled when both learn that President Lincoln has been shot.

O’Bservation - I did say this Toobworld was home to four mini-series.  The fourth wasn’t dependent on Holbrook’s participation:

NORTH & SOUTH: BOOK 3
[‘North & South, Book 3: Heaven & Hell’]
O’Bviously it belongs with the first two mini-series in the franchise, even though Lincoln, and thus Hal Holbrook, was no longer involved in the adaptation of John Jakes’ books.  (This TV dimension may end up including three other mini-series – ‘The Bastard’, ‘The Rebels’, and ‘The Seekers’.  All of those were part of the grand design in books by John Jakes.)

Lincoln is not the only historical, real-world figure who is in the TVXOHOF more than once.  Santa Claus is the other.  Charles Durning is the main physical form of Santa in the main Toobworld, while in the Evil Toobworld, the jolly old elf looks like Art Carney.

If you’ve got a problem with what I just said, you keep your nog-hole shut!

This may not be the only time Lincoln shows up in the TVXOHOF.  Eventually there could be another actor who plays Abe in several TV movies and mini-series, enough to lock down an alternate Toobworld for himself.

Here’s to President Abraham Lincoln and to Hal Holbrook.  Welcome back, both of you, to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame!

TVXOHOF, FEBRUARY 2022 - ROSEY GRIER

I think the Television Crossover Hall of Fame entry in February has always reflected Black History Month.  In the very first class of inductees – 1999 – Abraham Lincoln was the honoree, so while he was white, he O’Bviously played a major role in Black History.

I see no reason to stop the trend now….

ROSEY GRIER

From Wikipedia:
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier (born July 14, 1932) is an American actor, singer, Protestant minister, and former professional football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary list of 100 most influential student athletes. As a professional player, Grier was a member of the New York Giants and the original Fearsome Foursome of the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the Pro Bowl twice.

After Grier's professional sports career, he worked as a bodyguard for Senator Robert Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign. Grier was guarding Ethel Kennedy when Senator Kennedy was shot. Although unable to prevent the assassination, Grier took control of the gun and subdued the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan.

Grier hosted his own Los Angeles television show and made approximately 70 guest appearances on various shows during the 1960s and 1970s.

As a singer, Grier first released singles on the A label in 1960, and over the following twenty-five years he continued to record on various labels including Liberty, Ric, MGM, and A&M. His recording of a tribute to Robert Kennedy, "People Make the World" (written by Bobby Womack), was his only chart single, peaking at No. 128 in 1968.

Grier is known for his serious pursuit of hobbies not traditionally associated with men. He has authored several books, including "Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men" in 1973. Grier became an ordained Protestant minister in 1983 and travels as an inspirational speaker. He founded American Neighborhood Enterprises, a nonprofit organization that serves inner city youth. He was also a featured speaker at the 1984 Republican National Convention; during its evening session on August 20, 1984, he endorsed President Ronald Reagan for re-election.

Okay, so nobody’s perfect.

Rosey Grier will be inducted as a member of the League of Themselves, which means he is entering as the Televersion of himself.  Fictional roles like frontiersman Gabe Cooper and bounty hunter Salathiel Harms (one of the coolest names ever in Toobworld!) do not come into play here.

These are the appearances which qualify him for TVXOHOF membership:

1962-1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson [This series was inducted in 2020, which is why it is included]
- Sheila MacRae, Roosevelt Grier, Carl Ballantine (1962)
- Episode dated 27 August 1971 
- Episode dated 11 June 1973

1968-1970
The Rosey Grier Show
105 episodes  

1974-75

Captain Kangaroo
- Episode dated 20 September 1974
- Episode dated 3 September 1975

1977
Chico and the Man
- Black Tie Blues 

1978

Quincy M.E.
- Accomplice to Murder 

1979

Sesame Street
- We are shooting a Movie 

1980

The White Shadow
- Georgia on My Mind 
- If Your Number's Up, Get It Down 

1981-2014
Praise
6 episodes

1998
The Larry Sanders Show 
- I Buried Sid 

And over in the Tooniverse….

1999

The Simpsons
- Sunday, Cruddy Sunday (voice)

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Grier.
You’ll find the Activities Room has everything you’ll need for needlepoint.

TVXOHOF CENTENARY TRIBUTE - LT. THEO KOJAK

"Kojak is sexier

than Cannon and Barnaby Jones put together."

Marge Simpson

‘The Simpsons’

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Telly Savalas.  There are so many movies and TV show episodes for which he will be remembered (perhaps chief among them in both categories are “The Dirty Dozen” and “Living Doll”, an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone’, respectively.)  But I doubt there could be any argument that the detective series ‘Kojak’ is the pinnacle of his career.

From Wikipedia:
‘Kojak’ is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ‘Cannon’ series, it aired on CBS from 1973 to 1978.

In 1999 TV Guide ranked Theo Kojak number 18 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.

The series was set in the New York City Police Department's Eleventh Precinct (the building shown was actually Ninth Precinct), Manhattan South Patrol Borough.

The show revolved around the efforts of the tough and incorruptible Lieutenant Theodore ("Theo") Kojak (Telly Savalas), a bald, dapper, New York City policeman, who was fond of Tootsie Roll Pops and of using the catchphrases, "Who loves ya, baby?" and "Cootchie-coo!" Kojak was stubborn and tenacious in his investigation of crimes—and also displayed a dark, cynical wit, along with a tendency to bend the rules if it brought a criminal to justice. He frequently ribbed his subordinates, especially the rotund Stavros, whom he referred to as "Fatso". Foot chase scenes involving Stavros also brought on the same type of physical humor. However, Kojak was especially abusive toward criminals, often stretching the truth: in one case Kojak said he witnessed them do something he did not actually witness (setting a bomb) to get them to talk. Kojak was so abusive, Mad magazine carried a TV satire titled, "Kojerk".

In the context of the script, Kojak's was seen as typical squad room humor, which would be picked up later in the TV drama ‘Hill Street Blues’. Savalas described Kojak as a "basically honest character, tough but with feelings—the kind of guy who might kick a hooker in the tail if he had to, but they'd understand each other because maybe they grew up on the same kind of block."  Kojak's Greek American heritage, shared by actor Savalas, was featured prominently in the series. In the early episodes of the series, he is often seen smoking cigarettes. Following the 1964 Surgeon General's Report on smoking, cigarette commercials were banned from American television in 1971, and public awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking increased dramatically during the 1970s.

To cut down on his own habit, Kojak began using lollipops as a substitute. The lollipop made its debut in the Season 1 episode "Dark Sunday", broadcast on December 12, 1973; Kojak lights a cigarette as he begins questioning a witness, but thinks better of it and sticks a lollipop (specifically, a Tootsie Pop) in his mouth instead. Later in the episode, Kevin Dobson's character Crocker asks about the lollipop and Kojak replies, "I'm looking to close the generation gap." Although Kojak continued to smoke, as he was frequently seen lighting a cigarillo, the lollipop eventually became his identifying characteristic; in fact, when the series debuted a new opening montage in season five, Kojak is seen both lighting a cigarillo and popping a lollipop into his mouth.

‘Kojak’ came out during the wave of TV detectives who had some sort of gimmick – Barnaby Jones was old. Frank Cannon was fat.  Mike Longstreet was blind.  And Lt. Frank Columbo was rumpled.

For Lt. Theo Kojak, his detective was bald.  Kojak was suave yet coarse.  And he always had a lollipop at hand.

It’s no wonder that some TV producer (to be found only in Toobworld) decided to make a TV show about this brash NYPD cop.  As I always say, stealing and mangling Warhol’s famous saying – in Toobworld, everybody will have their own TV show.

We’ve seen ‘Kojak’ playing on TV – but not technically in Toobworld.  It was playing on Sam Tyler’s TV in “Out Here In The Fields”, an episode of ‘Life On Mars’, the U.S. remake of the British series.

Ladies and gents, it’s spoiler time!

From Wikipedia:
At the end of the series, it is revealed that Tyler's 2008 and 1973 realities were both fictitious, created by the onboard computer of a spacecraft that is carrying Tyler [and other crew members on a mission to Mars.]

To sustain the crew, their minds were routinely kept active while asleep using virtual reality "neural stimulation" programs of their own choosing, but Sam's choice of a scenario - where he was a police officer c. 2008 - was abruptly changed to a 1973 setting by a computer glitch induced by a meteor-storm.  

So in order to create that dreamscape, the computer had to draw on the memory banks full of information from back on Toobworld.  And that would include the televersion of the TV show ‘Kojak’, based on the “real” Toobworldling, Theo Kojak.

Of course, Theo Kojak in the TV show looks remarkably like the actor Telly Savalas who does have an official televersion.  As a member of the League of Themselves, Savalas was seen in “Has Anyone Here Seen Telly?” – an episode of ‘Alice’. (In the episode, nobody believes Vera when she tells them that Telly Savalas and his brother George – who was a co-star in the series – stopped in to Mel’s Diner.)

That Savalas and Kojak shared the same TV dimension was also confirmed by a Toobworldling named Balki Bartokomous.  In the ‘Perfect Strangers’ episode “Knock Knock, Who’s There?”, Balki asked "Does Telly Savalas love you, baby?“  As was the case with many of Balki’s bon mots, he was confusing the two men – the detective and the actor who played him.

Here is a list of some TV shows from the Trueniverse which have mentioned ‘Kojak’:

I’m sure there are plenty of other series out there which have mentioned ‘Kojak’.  In some of those references, Kojak is mentioned by name without any connection to the TV show.  Those are probably references to the actual detective in Toobworld.  The rest of the citations would be for the TV show based on his life.

Therefore, looking at it from a televisiologist’s perspective, all of those shows which mentioned either the show or the detective confirm that he actually existed in their world.  Therefore… all of those TV series listed above are connected to the man himself either directly or indirectly.

Not only that, but 'Kojak' is a TV program in alternate Toobworlds:

• ‘The West Wing’’
• ‘Agents of SHIELD’
• ‘Z Nation’
• ‘Castle’

(O’Bservation - Because the NYC Mayors differ from Earth Prime and Earth Prime-Time, 'Castle' might exist in the same Toobworld as ‘The West Wing’.)

• ‘The Simpsons’
• ‘BoJack Horseman’

(O’Bservation – Despite the wildly different artistic styles and storylines, ‘BoJack Horseman’ and ‘The Simpsons’ share the same Borderland – The Tooniverse, along with all of the other animated series.)

We also know that Lt. Kojak exists in an alternate Toobworld.  Ving Rhames played the bald detective in a reboot of the series.  As Mr. Rhames is black, Toobworld Central figured the best home for the show would be Black Toobworld which also houses the black versions of 'The Equalizer', 'The Odd Couple', 'Barefoot In The Park', 'Ironside', 'S.W.A.T.' and the movie adaptation of 'The Honeymooners.'

Finally, here are the TV shows and TV movies which are included in the official tally for Theo Kojak’s membership in the Hall of Fame:

• The Marcus-Nelson Murders
• Kojak - 117 episodes
• Kojak: The Belarus File
• Kojak: The Price of Justice
• Kojak: Flowers for Matty
• Kojak: It's Always Something
• Kojak: None So Blind
• Kojak: Ariana
• Kojak: Fatal Flaw

It’s a well-deserved honor for Theo Kojak.

Who loves ya, Baby?

Toobworld does!

Welcome to the Hall, Lieutenant!

And happy birthday wherever you are....

You know what?  This crossover marks a special event - the 100th birthday of Telly Savalas.  And since we know he has a televersion, and we know that avatar of Savalas, that "Savatar", starred in the Toobworld TV show version of 'Kojak', then all those references to the show are also references to Telly Savalas as well.  

So even though Savalas only had one appearance as his own televersion, I'm counting all of those shows to qualify the actor for membership also.

I don't make such an allowance often, but how often do I get to mark the centennial of an actor like Telly Savalas?

BCnU!

TVXOHOF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE - DOBIE GILLIS

DWAYNE HICKMAN

From Variety:

Dwayne Bernard Hickman, an actor, producer and television director best known for his starring role in the 1950s and ’60s sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” died of complications related to Parkinson’s disease on Sunday, [January 9th]. He was 87 years old.

Hickman’s death was confirmed to Variety by the actor’s public relations head Harlan Boll.

Born on May 18, 1934 in Los Angeles, Calif., Hickman began screen acting at a young age with appearances in “The Boy With the Green Hair” and 1940’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” As a teenager, he starred as Chuck MacDonald in “The Bob Cummings Show,” acting alongside the titular comedian across the sitcom’s four-year run.

In 1959, Hickman earned the marquee role on “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” The actor starred in all 148 episodes of the 20th Century Fox sitcom. As the first major television series to feature teenagers as its primary characters, “Dobie Gillis” solidified Hickman as one of the first and primary cultural emblems for the generation of Baby Boomers in the 1950’s and ’60s.

To honor the memory of Dwayne Hickman, Dobie Gillis is being inducted into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  While he qualifies from his appearances in Earth Prime-Time, Dobie is a multiversal as well as a multidimensional in the Toobworld Universe.  He started “life” in short stories by Max Shulman and also appeared in comic books, and also in a movie in the Cineverse.  As for being a multidimensional, Dobie once crossed over from Earth Prime-Time to the alternate Toobworld in which ‘Hi Honey, I’m Home’.

DOBIE GILLIS

From Wikipedia:
‘The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis’ (also known as simply ‘Dobie Gillis’ or ‘Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis’ in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5, 1963. The series was adapted from the "Dobie Gillis" short stories written by Max Shulman since 1945, and first collected in 1951 under the same title as the subsequent TV series, which drew directly on the stories in some scripts. Shulman also wrote a feature-film adaptation of his "Dobie Gillis" stories for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1953, titled ‘The Affairs of Dobie Gillis’, which featured Bobby Van in the title role.

Hickman in ‘Dobie Gillis’ was one of among the first leads to play a teenager on an American television program. Dobie Gillis broke ground by depicting elements of the current counterculture, particularly the Beat Generation, primarily embodied in a stereotypical version of the "beatnik". Series star Dwayne Hickman later said that Dobie represented “the end of innocence of the 1950s before the oncoming 1960s revolution”.

The series revolved around teenager Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman), who aspired to have popularity, money, and the attention of beautiful and unattainable girls. He did not have any of these qualities in abundance, and the tiny crises surrounding Dobie's lack of success made the story in each weekly episode. Also constantly in question, by Dobie and others, was Dobie's future, as the boy proved to be a poor student and an aimless drifter.

Dwayne Hickman as Dobie Gillis is a clean-cut teenager (later young adult) and unremarkable student whose young heart finds poetry and literature resonant. He aspires to have dates with all of the beautiful girls he pursues, despite the pressures of home life, high school, and later the military and college. Dobie also serves as the series narrator, relating his observations to the audience from in front of a statue of Rodin's The Thinker.

Dwayne Hickman, at the time the breakout star on ‘The Bob Cummings Show’ (also known as ‘Love That Bob’) as nephew Chuck MacDonald, gained the part of Dobie Gillis over several other candidates, including Michael Landon. Despite being cast as a 17-year-old, Hickman was 24 when he starred in the pilot in the summer of 1958. Because Hickman had appeared for several years on ‘Bob Cummings’ as Chuck, he was required by Shulman and CBS to bleach his dark brown hair blond for the role of Dobie to distance himself from that character in the public's (and the sponsors') minds. By the second season, however, Hickman was permitted to return to his natural hair color, after he had complained to the producers that the constant bleaching required to keep his low crew cut hairstyle blond was causing his scalp to break out.

DC Comics published a “Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” comic book that ran for 26 issues from 1960 to 1964, featuring artwork by Bob Oksner. Stories from this comic-book series were later reprinted, with updates to the artwork and lettering to remove any references to Dobie Gillis, by DC as a short-lived series titled “Windy and Willy” in 1969.

The program spawned two 20th Century Fox-produced sequels, the pilot “Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?” (1977) and the TV movie “Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis” (1988). “Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?” was an unsuccessful pilot for a new weekly sitcom series, which was produced, directed, and developed by James Komack after creator Max Shulman was fired from the production. It was broadcast by CBS on May 10, 1977, as a one-shot special. In the pilot, Dobie had married Zelda and is helping his father Herbert run the Gillis Grocery when Maynard comes back to Central City from his world travels.

Depressed over turning 40 and not living the life he had dreamed of as a teenager, Dobie goes to his beloved Thinker statue and attempts to destroy it, landing in jail. The production starred Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver, Sheila James, Frank Faylen, and Steven Paul as Dobie and Zelda's teenaged son Georgie, who was a lot like Dobie had been at his age.

“Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis”, first aired as the CBS Sunday Movie on February 22, 1988, was directed and co-written by Stanley Z. Cherry after Dwayne Hickman, who was the film's producer, was forced by the network to fire Max Shulman and Rod Amateau, with whom he had originally conceived the film. The plot features the married Dobie and Zelda running the Gillis Grocery – now also a pharmacy – on their own, Dobie's parents having died.

Meanwhile, Thalia (played by Connie Stevens after Weld declined to reprise the role) returns to Central City – with Maynard, whom she has rescued from a deserted island – after 20 years (implying that Maynard was Gilligan all along), and offers a $50,000 bounty to anyone who will kill Dobie when he refuses to divorce Zelda and marry her. Hickman, Denver, and James returned for “Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis”, which featured Steve Franken as Chatsworth, William Schallert as Mr. Pomfritt, and Scott Grimes as son Georgie Gillis. Connie Stevens' daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher, played Chatsworth's daughter Chatsie, who chased Georgie Gillis with the same zeal Zelda had once used chasing Dobie.

Here are Dobie’s qualifications to join the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

1959-1963

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
148 episodes

1977
Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?

1988
Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis
 

1992

Hi Honey, I'm Home
- The Many Loves of Mike Duff

It could be that either "Whatever Happened To Dobie Gillis?" or "Bring Me The Head Of Dobie Gillis" should be relegated to another Toobworld because of two factors - that Zonk about Maynard's 20 years stranded on a desert island.  If they were both allowed to remain in Earth Prime-Time, all of the characters would have to be at least 20 years older than they were in 1977.  The other reason is that the suggestion that Maynard was actually Gilligan (which would mean the middle initial of "G" stood for "Gilligan".)  But we know the "G" stands for "Walter" with the "G" being silent.  Besides, Gilligan returned from the island a decade earlier than Thalia claimed.

At any rate....

Good night and may God bless Dwayne Hickman.

And welcome to the Hall, Dobie Gillis.