TVXOHOF (OCTOBER, 2022) - SOPHIA PETRILLO... PERFECT FOR HALLOWEEN

In October, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame usually honors some TV character who not only has fulfilled the requirement of appearances in three different shows, TV movies, or commercials, but also is scary AF… some kind of monster.

I think we’ve got a good candidate this year….

SOPHIA PETRILLO

“Though she be but little, she is fierce.”

But if you need a stronger connection to Halloween, here she is in costume....

Because her stroke destroyed those mental circuit breakers, she does not hold back with what she says.  You do NOT want to be on the receiving end of her barbs.

The last time we had a character like this who could instill fear in those around them, I think it was Frank Barone of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’.

From Wikipedia:

Sophia Petrillo is a character from the sitcom television series 'The Golden Girls' and its spin-offs 'The Golden Palace' and 'Empty Nest'. She also appeared in episodes of the series 'Blossom' and 'Nurses'. Her character was played by the actress Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes.

ANGELA & SOPHIA

Sophia Grisanti was born in Sicily to Angelo and Eleanor Grisanti. She had a sister Angela, a sister Regina and a brother Angelo. Although another brother was mentioned, he was unnamed and only spoken of a few times. Dorothy mentions an "Uncle Vito" in Season 2 but it is unclear whether he is Sophia's brother or the brother of her husband, Salvadore.

In the first episode of 'The Golden Palace' (1992) Sophia's was said to be an 87-year-old who experiences flashbacks to her younger life in Sicily, depicting herself as a young peasant girl having multiple romantic affairs earlier in life (1912 and 1922). However, in another Season 2 episode "And Then There Was One", Sophia claims she had been "walking since 1904." These discrepancies are likely due to age-related cognition errors or are possibly just dramatic licenses taken by the show producers.

She moved to New York which left her with no accent to show she had grown up speaking the Sicilian language. Instead, she sports a Brooklyn accent with a fast speaking pace which often contributed to the humor in her one-liners.

Sophia later married Salvadore "Sal" Petrillo (played by Sid Melton in flashback) and had three children with him: Dorothy, a divorced substitute teacher; Phil (an unseen character), a cross-dresser with a wife named Angela; a welder with several children who lived in a trailer park in Newark, New Jersey, but who later died of a heart attack during the series, and Gloria (played by Doris Belack and later Dena Dietrich), who lived in California and married into money but later lost her husband to an unknown cause. She remained with Salvadore until his death from a heart attack. In a 1985 episode, Sophia mentions that Sal died 30 years earlier. However, in a 1988 episode, it is stated that Sal died 27 years ago.

In her later years, Sophia suffered a stroke - the effects of which are said to be a partial explanation for Sophia's blunt, uncensored, and brazen remarks. She was subsequently placed in Shady Pines Retirement Home by her daughter, Dorothy.

However, after Shady Pines was damaged in a fire, Sophia moved in with Dorothy. Sophia didn't have many good things to say about "the home,” alluding to poor treatment by the staff many times. Dorothy sometimes threatened to send her back there if she was "behaving badly".

Due to Sophia's Sicilian descent, there were regular hints in the series that she and her family have some mafia connections. She made reference to several vendettas and it is even hinted that Sophia herself has done mob work; she once stated that no one in her family had "ever left a body to be found". Sophia also claimed to have been present at the 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre, to which she then took back stating, "Oh yeah, I was at the movies that day. All day." It was revealed that she was present at a St. Valentines Day Massacre but not the St. Valentines Day Massacre.

Sophia believed strongly in ancient Sicilian custom and traditions, and in the power of a "Sicilian curse." The list of people she claims to have "cursed" include Shelley Long, the Baltimore Colts, the New York Jets, Giuseppe Mangiacavallo (the boy who stood her up at the altar), and Leonard Barton (the girls' next-door neighbor who expressed disdain for Italians, played by Gordon Jump). She has threatened to cast a curse on Dorothy (before she found that it was prohibited by another arcane custom), and on Stan Zbornak. In the final season, Sophia spent two episodes doing odd tasks in order to save Dorothy from an ancient curse from a Sicilian Strega, or witch.

In the series finale of 'The Golden Girls', Sophia, after initially deciding to follow the now-married Dorothy out of the house, turns back and decides to stay with Rose and Blanche, which sets up the transition to 'The Golden Palace'. When Rose, Blanche, and Sophia invest in a hotel, Sophia is installed as one of the two chefs, specializing in Italian cuisine while the hotel's previous chef, Chuy Castillos (Cheech Marin), handles Mexican food.

Sophia begins to show signs of senile dementia, usually in comical situations (for instance, she is shown to be standing still and apparently unconscious while attempting to operate a vacuum cleaner), and her bluntness is toned down to a certain extent. In the episode "One Angry Stan" she is the only one to witness Stanley Zbornak after he fakes his death to avoid tax troubles; the fact that no one else sees Stan in these episodes (he ducks out of sight whenever someone else enters the room), coupled with Sophia's increased senility, make it unclear whether or not Stan is really alive or if Sophia is hallucinating Stan's appearance.

After the events of 'The Golden Palace' (which ended without a series finale), Sophia returns to the Shady Pines nursing home, joining the cast of 'Empty Nest'.

Outside 'The Golden Girls', Sophia appears on two episodes of 'Empty Nest' ("Libby's Gift" and "Windy") before becoming a regular for the final two seasons. She also appears on the 'Blossom' episode "I Ain't Got No Buddy" and the 'Nurses' episode "Temporary Setbacks".

Here are the shows which qualifies Sophia to be in the TVXOHOF:

The Golden Girls

1985-1992
Sophia Petrillo
177 episodes

Empty Nest

1988-1995
Sophia Petrillo
52 episodes

The Earth Day Special

1990
Sophia Petrillo

Blossom

- I Ain't Got No Buddy (1991)
Sophia Petrillo

O'Bservation:
This might have been a dream sequence.

Nurses

- Temporary Setbacks (1993)
Sophia Petrillo

The Golden Palace

1992-1993
Sophia Petrillo
24 episodes

Ladies Man

- Romance (2000) 
Sophia Gates

In the last episode of the first season, Estelle Getty showed up as "Sophia Gates". 

According to the IMDb:
Reunites former 'The Golden Girls' (1985)/ 'The Golden Palace' (1992) co-stars: Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Only Getty portrays her old "Golden" character, however.

It had been seven years since she was seen in Toobworld.  Her second husband, Max Weinstock, probably died a decade earlier.  So "it's poss'ble, just poss'ble", that she remarried... to a man named Gates.  (Betty White played Alfred Molina's mother throughout the series.  And Rue McClanahan played Aunt Lou in this episode.)

But the gigolo played by George Hamilton thought she was Bill Gates' mother.  Passing herself off as such could have been a sign of her growing dementia.  Or she could be a totally different character, a con artist. (The show was taking place in Los Angeles, after all, the other side of the country from Miami.)

For now, I'll leave it as a possibility that she was Sophia Petrillo.  It's not like this episode is necessary for her inclusion in the Hall.

Welcome aboard, Sophia!  And Happy Halloween!

Can we trust you in making a speech without getting nasty?

I guess not....

TUESDAY TVXOHOF TRIBUTE, OCTOBER 2022 - LORETTA LYNN

From the Associated Press:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Loretta Lynn, the Kentucky coal miner’s daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music, has died. She was 90.

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Lynn’s family said she died Tuesday at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home in her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” the family said in a statement. They asked for privacy as they grieve and said a memorial will be announced later.

Lynn already had four children before launching her career in the early 1960s, and her songs reflected her pride in her rural Kentucky background.

From Wikipedia:

Loretta Lynn (née Webb; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter. In a career which spanned six decades in country music, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)", "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", "One's on the Way", "Fist City", and "Coal Miner's Daughter". In 1980, the film Coal Miner's Daughter was made based on her life.

Lynn received many awards and other accolades for her groundbreaking role in country music, including awards from both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music as a duet partner and an individual artist. She was nominated 18 times for a Grammy Award, and won three times. As of 2022, Lynn was the most awarded female country recording artist, and the only female ACM Artist of the Decade (1970s). Lynn scored 24 No. 1 hit singles and 11 number one albums. She ended 57 years of touring on the road after she suffered a stroke in 2017 and then broke her hip in 2018.

If the Television Crossover Hall of Fame had looser standards (than it already has), she could make it into the Hall on just appearances on talk shows and variety programs alone.  And that wouldn’t even be on a national level; there would be so many from regional television centered around Nashville.

But Ms. Lynn’s “televersion”, the Loretta Lynn who existed in Earth Prime-Time rather than just Earth Prime, qualifies for membership thanks to appearances on a game show whose televersion is already a member of the TVXOHOF and for her association with the Muppets, as well as trips through Lanford, Ohio and Hazzard County….

LORETTA LYNN

Here are the credits which gained her access into the Hall of Fame:

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
17 episodes (1973-1989)
Self - Musical Guest

From Yahoo! Entertainment:
Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment in 2018, [Sissy] Spacek discussed how she nearly turned down the opportunity to play Lynn in Michael Apted's much-loved film, which also starred Tommy Lee Jones and Beverly D'Angelo. "Loretta would go on Johnny Carson all the time saying, 'Sissy Spacek is gonna play me!'" recalled the actress.

O’Bservations:
1] Johnny Carson’s televersion, as well as his televersion of ‘The Tonight Show’ are members of the TVXOHOF.

2] I don't know why, but I can't find any pictures of Ms. Lynn with Carson....

The Muppet Show

- Loretta Lynn (1978)
... Self - Special Guest Star

With the regular theater being fumigated, Kermit and the gang have to stage the show at an active train station.

The Hollywood Squares (Daytime)
1976, 1978
At least six episodes
Self – Panelist

George Burns In Nashville?

1980
Self

O’Bservation:
This variety special gets a mention because of the legendary headliner’s standing as one of the original inductees into the TVXOHOF.

The Dukes of Hazzard

- Find Loretta Lynn (1980)
... Self

While stopped at the Boar's Nest, Loretta Lynn is kidnapped by a trio who want her to offer tips about breaking into the music business.

Sesame Street

- Big Bird and the Stop Sign (1985)
... Self

For Sesame Street, she sang "Count on Me" with the Count, which was also separately recorded for the 1981 album Sesame Country. She also appeared on the show performing "Songs Are For Singing" with the kids.

The New Hollywood Squares

April 1988, May 1989
Self - Panelist

Roseanne

- Lanford Daze (1993)
... Self

The Conners prepare for the 'Founding Fathers Day' celebration in Lanford. Roseanne sets up a food booth, where she meets the one and only, Loretta Lynn.

O'Bservation:
All of the synopses shared above are from the IMDb, except for the Yahoo! Entertainment excerpt and the 'Sesame Street' information which is from the Muppet Fandom wiki.

Here are two other members of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame with Loretta Lynn....

with Dean Martin

with Frank Sinatra

Good night and may God bless Loretta Lynn.  I’m sorry it was under these circumstances, but welcome to the Hall….

MONDAY MEMORIAL TVXOHOF TRIBUTE (OCTOBER 2022) - COOLIO

 

CNN — Coolio, the ’90s rapper who lit up the music charts with hits like “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” has died, his friend and manager Jarez Posey, told CNN. He was 59.

Posey said Coolio died Wednesday afternoon.

Details on the circumstances were not immediately available.

When contacted by CNN, Capt. Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that firefighters and paramedics responded to a call on the 2900 block of South Chesapeake Ave. at 4 p.m. local time for reports of a medical emergency. When they arrived, they found an unresponsive male and performed “resuscitation efforts for approximately 45 minutes.”

The patient “was determined dead just before 5:00 p.m.,” Scott said.

As a member of the League of Themselves, Coolio qualified for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame....

COOLIO

From Wikipedia:
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known professionally as Coolio, was an American rapper. First rising to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio achieved mainstream success as a solo artist in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997).

He is best known for his 1995 Grammy Award-winning hit single "Gangsta's Paradise", as well as other singles "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996), and "C U When U Get There" (1997).

From 1996 on, Coolio released albums independently, and provided the opening track "Aw, Here It Goes!" for the 1996 Nickelodeon television series Kenan & Kel. He created the web series Cookin' with Coolio and released a cookbook.

While at a friend's house in Los Angeles on September 28, 2022, Coolio was discovered unresponsive on a bathroom floor. He was pronounced dead by first responders. He was 59 years old at the time of his death. Police have opened an investigation into his death, though foul play is not suspected, and Coolio's manager stated he appeared to have suffered cardiac arrest.

Coolio was cremated in a private ceremony with no funeral service. His ashes were then encased in jewelry for his family, with the rest of his ashes going into an urn.

There are the appearances which qualified Coolio for membership in the TVXOHOF as themselves:

Martin

- All the Players Came (1995)

Martin hosts a '70s contest. ANTONIO FARGAS, ISAAC HAYES, RUDY RAY MOORE, OUTKAST, COOLIO, PAM GRIER and others guests star as themselves.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

- A Girl and Her Cat (1996)

After Salem stows away in her backpack and gets her thrown out of the local pizzeria, Sabrina washes her hands of the cat, feigning unconcern when the feline fails to return for Christmas dinner with visiting cousin Monty. When she discovers that Salem has in fact been catnapped by a stubborn little boy named Rex, Sabrina launches a desperate plan to rescue him by imp.

Hotel Babylon
- Episode #1.2 (1996)

Something strange occurs to guests as soon as they check in. Even if in real life they are perfectly well-mannered, decent people with proper balanced relationships, as soon as they spin through the revolving hotel doors the normal rules of behavior no longer seem to apply.

Hitz

- Pilot (1997)

As the "A&R guys" at HiTower Records, Robert and Busby are compelled to deal with their obnoxious boss, unruly artists, and confused romantic lives, all while the threat of losing their jobs always hangs ominously over their heads. Can they hit upon a good balance?

Muppets Tonight

- Coolio & Don Rickles (1997)

V.I.P.

- Vallery of the Dolls (1998)

Rapper Coolio hires VIP, being threatened by a stalker with a bomb on her chest.

The Nanny

- Making Whoopi (1998)

Fran is depressed over her inability to conceive. She finds out that she is ovulating just as they are making an appearance on Hollywood Squares.

Maxwell learns that he's been approached to be a celebrity panelist on 'Hollywood Squares' (1998) (they couldn't get Andrew Lloyd Webber), so he, Fran, Sylvia, Yetta and Val traipse off to California. Regardless of Maxwell having a good time on the show or not (he isn't), Fran drags him off the set during the middle of the show for more important matters: she's ovulating.

Hollywood Squares

40 episodes as a panelist

O'Bservation:
Technically, in the world of the Toob, Coolio appeared in 41 episodes as a "Square".  This includes the televersion, that fictional episode seen in the aforementioned episode of 'The Nanny'.

Der Clown
- Stirb langsam (2001)

A truck speeds through the streets of Cologne and drives into the sold-out Kölnarena. Shortly after the crash, an anonymous caller contacts the police chief and demands the release of imprisoned war criminal Mirco Drusic.

Joey

- Joey and the Poker (2005)

Alex teaches Joey fake poker rules to keep him away from a girl. Joey then plays along those rules at "Celebrity Poker Showdown", and gets into trouble.

Coolio's Rules
6 episodes as host

Star-ving
5 episodes

O'Bservation:
This was the closest interaction Coolio had with star David Faustino in this episode.  (A picture from the opening of this particular episode is featured above as his intro picture.)

Black Jesus

- Gangsta's Paradise (2014)

With the garden in danger, our heroes decide to have an online benefit concert with Coolio to raise the money.

THE TOONIVERSE
The televersion of Coolio was a multidimensional, existing not only on Earth Prime-Time, but also in the animated world of The Tooniverse.

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man

- Coolio Runnings (1997)

When Duckman makes an expensive bet hinging on Ajax performing well during an athletic competition, he finds that he has no athletic skills, and ends up adopting a fellow student in better physical shape -- popular rapper Coolio.

Gravity Falls

- Headhunters (2012)
[as Wax Coolio]

The kids discover Stan's collection of wax sculptures, and Mabel decides to create her own. But when someone sabotages it, it's up to her and Dipper to solve the case.

Squidbillies

- The Guzzle Bumpkin (2017)

Follows the adventures of the Cuylers, an impoverished and dysfunctional family of anthropomorphic, air-breathing, redneck squids who live in a rural Appalachian community in the state of Georgia.

O'Bservation:
I did NOT write this entry from the show's wiki:

Coolio is a real-life person who only appeared in "The Guzzle Bumpkin", he & Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, woke up Russell "Rusty" Cuyler on New Years Eve, who was involved in The Guzzles, Rusty told who are they ghosts, Coolio say's "Listen to this lil' punk, frontin' like he don't know who we are, Coolio! "Gangsta's Paradise", in the flesh, cuz!"

All synopses were from either the IMDb or the wikis for the respective series.

I'm sorry it was under these circumstances, but welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, Coolio....