Weekend Update: Bill Walton on LeBron James and the Lakers - SNL

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - REMEMBERING BILL WALTON ON HIS BIRTHDAY

From CBS Sports
[Cameron Salerno]

Former UCLA star Bill Walton, who blossomed at UCLA in the early 1970s under legendary coach John Wooden, died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer, the NBA announced Monday. Walton, a three-time Naismith Award winner and a two-time national champion, is considered one of the greatest college basketball players ever.

After a historic college career at UCLA, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Walton with the No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. Walton became a two-time NBA champion (1977 and 1986) and won NBA MVP in 1978. He retired from the NBA after the conclusion of the 1987-88 season.

Walton became a fixture on college basketball broadcasts after his playing career ended by serving as a color commentator at CBS, NBC and ABC/ESPN. While Walton was known for witty humor on Pac-12 basketball broadcasts, he helped call NBA games for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings.

It would be nice if the TVXOHOF could make it through a full year without a single memorial tribute induction.  But it will not be this year for sadly, Prime Time marches on.

It took me a few days to look into Bill Walton’s “life” as a televersion in Toobworld; it never occurred to me that there would even be the minimum necessity of three TV show appearances of Walton as a League of Themselves member.  So I was surprised that he covered the spread.  (I probably didn’t use that phrase correctly.  What do I know?)

Anyway, Bill Walton qualifies for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, so this is my way of remembering him on my birthday….

BILL WALTON

From Wikipedia:
William Theodore Walton III (November 5, 1952 – May 27, 2024) was an American professional basketball player and television sportscaster. He played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Walton rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the starting center for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins. The 6-foot-11-inch (2.11 m) Walton won three consecutive national college player of the year awards (1972–1974), while leading UCLA to NCAA championships in 1972 and 1973 and an 88-game winning streak.

After being selected as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft, Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to the team's first NBA championship in 1977, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. The following season, Walton was the 1978 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Walton's professional career, however, was significantly hampered by foot injuries, requiring numerous surgeries (Walton underwent 37 orthopedic surgeries in his lifetime).

Walton played in 468 out of 1,148 regular season games across his 14-year NBA career. After his MVP season, Walton sat out the 1978–79 season and was then signed by the Clippers, for whom he played four injury-plagued seasons. His career was rehabilitated during two seasons with the Celtics at the end of his career. Playing as a backup center behind Robert Parish, Walton earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the 1985–86 season, winning his second NBA championship. He was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with several networks and teams. He earned an Emmy Award in 1991.

Walton was a fan of the Grateful Dead, as a self-described "Deadhead", and often mentioned them in his broadcasts. He hosted several podcasts and satellite radio programs featuring the music of the Grateful Dead.

After his retirement as a player, Walton became a basketball color commentator. Walton worked for CBS (1990), NCAA on CBS (1991), NBC (1990–2002), the Los Angeles Clippers (1990–2002) and ABC/ESPN (2002–2009). After 19 years working in broadcasting, he left ESPN in November 2009, as the result of back problems, which dated back to an injury he suffered in college at UCLA. Following surgery on his back, Walton returned to broadcasting as a part-time commentator for the Sacramento Kings for 2010–11 and 2011–12. In July 2012, ESPN and the Pac-12 Network announced that Walton would return to full-time broadcasting as a game analyst for Pac-12 conference basketball coverage.

Walton's 2003 TV series ‘Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip’ aired on ESPN with Walton as subject and star.

While broadcasting a Washington–Oregon January 2019 game with Dave Pasch, Walton mentioned he had appeared in the motion picture “Ghostbusters”. “Ghostbusters” was filmed in 1984 and Pasch questioned Walton about his claim throughout the game as to the specifics of his appearance and character, but Walton refused to provide more details. [Research validated Walton's claim.]

O'Bservation:
More on that later....

In 2001, Walton received an Emmy Award for "Best Live Sports Television Broadcast".

O'Bservation:

I think he deserved a special commendation for popping a cupcake with a burning candle in his mouth!

Here are the appearances which guarantee Bill Walton’s televersion a place on the court out back of the Hall*….

‘THE SENTINEL’
“THREE POINT SHOT” (1997)
Sandburg meets his hero Orville Wallace, legendary Cascade Jags basketball player, when Wallace is suspected in the killing of his confrontational fellow player, Dwight Rossman.

'PACIFIC BLUE' (1997)

"SANDMAN"
The men of Pacific Blue compete in the AVP Miller Lite Open.

O’Bservation:
Walton was at the match, but in his opinion, the only chance the Pacific Blue cops had was to arrest the other team.

'INSIDE SCHWARTZ’

“PILOT” (2001)

O'Bservation:
Walton was one of several sports figures who appeared as dream versions of themselves, serving as Schwartz's inner dialogues.

'ONE ON ONE'
"HE GOT GAME... AGAIN" (2002)
Flex plays in a charity basketball tournament with some big-time ballers.

'LESS THAN PERFECT'

"LOVE STINKS (SOMETIMES)" (2004)
Will tries to use former NBA player Bill Walton to intimidate Carl into trading a player on his fantasy team.

Among his appearances in “reality” TV shows, three should be singled out:

‘SHARK TANK’

From Wikipedia: Walton appeared in the premiere of the third season in the reality TV show Shark Tank on January 20, 2012, where he helped to sell the "Clean Bottle", a water bottle that unscrews at both ends for easier cleaning.

‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE’
1] SUPERSTARS OF SPORTS
S10 E165 (May, 1993)
Walton was one of three celebrity contestants, probably playing for various charities.  The other two were Dick Butkus and Phil Esposito.
2] NBA WEEK 1
S21 E51 (2003)
For his return as a contestant, Walton faced off against Michael Finley and Allan Houston.
3] NBA WEEK 1
S23 E 36 (2005)
Third time's a charm!  Walton had to play against Richard Jefferson AND his own son, Luke Walton!

(Not from the show)

(The total winnings of this NBA Week were matched and donated to charity for Hurricane Katrina relief, with a minimum of $100,000.)

‘JEOPARDY!’
NOVEMBER 03, 2005
According to the IMDb, Walton gave out a clue to the question during the game.  But he also was the answer in two other episodes!

Meanwhile… over in the Tooniverse....

'AMERICAN DAD!'

“SHAKEDOWN STEVE” (2021)
Steve and Jeff try to bond as brothers while the rest of the family visits an escape room.

O’Bservation:

Bill Walton was considered the biggest Deadhead and not just because of his height.

He is even represented in Skitlandia!

‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

O'Bservation:
James Austin Johnson got a free shot at Walton's expense when he appeared during the Weekend News Update as Bill Walton.  Michael Che wanted to know if Walton thought the Lakers had a chance in the playoffs, but the Big Red Deadhead’s vision was off in the future.  Walton just happened to catch it that night from his hotel room in Oregon and he was grokking it.

Now… getting back to that reference to “GHOSTBUSTERS”….

Bill Walton wasn’t kidding.  He shows up, off in the background, during the end credits.  I’m giving this an honorary mention since that movie inspired a Tooniverse series and enough references in other TV series to qualify it for consideration to be inducted into the Hall of Fame – Movie Televersions – like “It’s A Wonderful Life” was last Christmas.

And so it came to pass... on Halloween!

As Red Skelton used to say, “Good night and may God bless,” Bill Walton.  I’m glad I checked to see if you qualified.

What a long strange trip it’s been…. 

* All plot summaries, unless otherwise noted, were from the IMDb.

TVXOHOF, OCTOBER 2024 - HARRY HOUDINI

“Harry. Harry Houdini.

Soon everyone will know my name.”

Harry Houdini

MURDOCH MYSTERIES

I guess it’s time to induct the October 2024 candidate into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame….

It may seem as though I am holding this induction ceremony incredibly late for the month; to the last minute, you might say (and well you might!)  But that’s so I could honor this historical multidimensional televersion on the day he left this world….

HARRY HOUDINI

From Wikipedia:
Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known as Harry Houdini, was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts.
Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it.

In 1904, thousands watched as Houdini tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists, pursuing a personal crusade to expose their fraudulent methods. As president of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts.

Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and became the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia, on March 18, 1910 at Diggers Rest, a field roughly 20 miles (32 km) from Melbourne.

Houdini began his magic career in 1891, but had little success. He appeared in a tent act with strongman Emil Jarrow. He performed in dime museums and sideshows, and even doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. Houdini focused initially on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". Some – but not all – professional magicians would come to regard Houdini as a competent but not particularly skilled sleight-of-hand artist, lacking the grace and finesse required to achieve excellence in that craft. He soon began experimenting with escape acts.

In the early 1890s, Houdini was performing with his brother "Dash" (Theodore) as "The Brothers Houdini".   The brothers performed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 before returning to New York City and working at Huber's Dime Museum for "near-starvation wages".  In 1894, Houdini met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. Bess was initially courted by Dash, but she and Houdini married, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis". For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess worked as his stage assistant.

Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in St. Paul, Minnesota. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country.

In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini's British agent Harry Day helped him to get an interview with C. Dundas Slater, then manager of the Alhambra Theatre. He was introduced to William Melville and gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard.  He succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was booked at the Alhambra for six months. His show was an immediate hit and his salary rose to $300 a week (equivalent to $10,987 in 2023).

Between 1900 and 1920 he appeared in theatres all over Great Britain performing escape acts, illusions, card tricks and outdoor stunts, becoming one of the world's highest paid entertainers. He also toured the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Russia and became widely known as "The Handcuff King". In each city, Houdini challenged local police to restrain him with shackles and lock him in their jails. In many of these challenge escapes, he was first stripped nude and searched. In Moscow, he escaped from a Siberian prison transport van,  claiming that, had he been unable to free himself, he would have had to travel to Siberia, where the only key was kept.

For more on Houdini's life... and death, click here.

Houdini was a multidimensional, with a few confirmed presences in other TV dimensions....

THE TOONIVERSE

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS

THE CABINET OF CALAMARI (1987)

FAMILY GUY

PRICK UP YOUR EARS (2006)

SKITLANDIA

THE BENNY HILL SHOW
SEASON 12 EPISODE 2 - SHOW 40 (1981)
Benny Hill visited Harry Houdini's grave where he was buried... at least a dozen times.

O'Bservation:
None of those dates listed were in the year he actually died.  And seven of them happened after he officially died.

"Seven....  It would be a mythic number."

Melissa Steadman

THIRTYsomething

With all of the other portrayals, there are enough to satisfy some of the demands of TV’s many dimensions.  We can start with the three TV movies which covered Houdini’s life, sending each of them to a different TV dimension:

THE GREAT HOUDINI AKA THE GREAT HOUDINIS (TV Movie 1976)

played by Paul Michael Glaser

YOUNG HARRY HOUDINI (TV Movie 1987)

A highly fictionalized portrayal of Houdini during his childhood. portrayed by Wil Wheaton

HOUDINI (TV Movie 1998)

played by Jonathon Schaech

O'Bservation:
There is the possibility that each of them could have been considered a crossover with some other historical production if one of their actors reprised their role as a member of the Trueniverse.  I didn’t think it likely, but I tried it out with the most likely candidate – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Unfortunately, Peter Cushing, Roy Dotrice, and David Warner assayed the literary agent for John Watson, M.D. once each.  

I also checked the various actors who played Melville of the Yard, but apparently he wasn’t considered significant enough to the history & legend to be included in some of these movies.

Along with this trio of TV Movies, I’ll add this two-part movie, which gets called a “mini-series,” to another TV dimension:

HOUDINI

2 episodes (2014)
played by Adrien Brody
And again, the actor playing Conan Doyle – David Calder – only did so once.

As far as I can find, there are only a few series which can establish Houdini as being a resident of Earth Prime-Time, the main Toobworld.  Four of those are just references but at least two of them provide evidence of his existence.

QUINCY, M.E.

THE DEATH CHALLENGE (1979)
Harry Whitehead references being given a milk can by Houdini, which he used for an escape when on tour in London.
Early in the episode, it is stated several times that Whitehead and Houdini had both successfully performed the water tank escape. Late in the episode, however, it is stated that only Whitehead had ever done the trick successfully.

SIMON AND SIMON

THE GRAND ILLUSION (1983)
The Simon Brothers investigate an illusionist's death and the recovery of Houdini's stolen book of magic secrets.

WAREHOUSE 13

PILOT

A wallet belonging to Harry Houdini is kept at Warehouse 13.

The wallet causes "ghosts" to haunt a person.

The Wallet was acquired on 3 November 1926 by Agent Pocklinton, and possesses the properties of "charonic transfer." The Wallet has a habit of trying to escape storage and temporarily succeeded in 2009 .

O'Bservation:
In the Trueniverse, Houdini's will specified that all of his props and effects be burned upon the death of his brother. His brother, however, sold the majority of the effects to an enthusiast, Sidney Hollis Radner, who in turn put them up for auction in 2004. The wallet was clearly obtained far prior to that time. Houdini died on 31 October 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. According to the label on the warehouse shelf, the wallet was acquired a mere three days after Houdini's passing.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES

HOUDINI WHODUNIT (2009)
played by Joe DiNicol

When a young Harry Houdini visits Toronto with his stage act, he soon finds himself under police scrutiny when the bank next door to the theater in which he is performing is robbed. A bank guard, Joe Decker, was killed during the robbery. Dr. Ogden and several police officers, including Murdoch and Insp. Brackenreid, were in the audience at the time.

For Dr. Ogden the biggest surprise of the evening is that her younger sister Ruby, a reporter and writer, appears on stage as Houdini's assistant. When the autopsy reveals that the dead man's blood has turned black, it would seem that he was poisoned.

Brackenreid is convinced that Houdini, who was locked in a safe for over 11 minutes during one of his escape routines, is the culprit but Murdoch is far from convinced. Working with Houdini, Murdoch is able to show how the robbery itself was based on illusion.

O'Bservation:
That is Houdini, seen from William Murdoch's perspective, at the top of the page.

HOUDINI & DOYLE (2016)

played by Michael Weston

O’Bservation:
I suppose I should chuck this into a parallel Toobworld because of the disparity in the ages between the characters and their actors.  But it didn’t bother me while watching it and I think I’m more forgiving in my dotage.  So I’ll let it stay.

THE MINISTRY OF TIME

TIEMPO DE MAGIA (2016)
played by Gary Piquer

Maybe he spoke Spanish in the episode?  So what?  The televersion of Dennis Rodman is an Alien!

DARK
WARHEITEN (2017)
Houdini doesn't appear.  He's mentioned by name.

THE ALIENIST

ANGEL OF DARKNESS: MEMENTO MORI (2020)
Actor was not identified.

And then there are the shows in which Houdini was in an alternate Toobworld dimension….

VOYAGERS!

AGENTS OF SATAN! (1982)
played by Michael Durrell

Houdini began life in an alternate dimension caused by the changes he caused in the established timeline.  But all was right with the world… eventually.

TIMELESS

THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION (2017)
played by Michael Drayer

The series - as a whole - allegedly started in the official main Toobworld. But with each episode as the agents dabbled in the past, their prime world was no longer aligned with Earth Prime-Time.

Here’s to you, Erik Weisz… Handcuff Houdini.  They will long remember your name.

Welcome to the Hall!

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - THE TELEVERSION OF TERI GARR

From CNN:

Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her work in films like “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. Mom,” has died, according to her manager.

She was 79.

Garr died Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than twenty years after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her manager Marc Gurvitz told CNN.

She first shared her diagnosis publicly in a 2002 interview with CNN in an effort to raise awareness for others living with MS.

“I think everybody is scared and frightened when they hear something like that,” Garr recalled of first learning her diagnosis, after visiting 11 doctors and experiencing years of symptoms they couldn’t explain. “That’s because there’s so much – you know, there’s not a lot of information out there about it. And a lot of people don’t know that it’s not that bad. I mean, I’m going on with my life.”

TERI GARR

From Wikipedia:
Terry Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024), known as Teri Garr, was an American actress. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spanned four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accolades include an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination, and a National Board of Review Award.

As you'll see, there are several unnamed characters whom she played which I'm claiming are Teri Garr's fictional televersion.  

Here are the shows which I'm claiming cement her standing to be a member of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

BATMAN

INSTANT FREEZE (1966)

O'Bservation:
She is listed in the credits as "Girl Outside Skating Rink".  So why couldn't Teri Garr have been in Gotham City back in 1966?

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

THE WEDDING (1968)

O'Bservation:
Same situation as with 'Batman'.  In the credits, she is "Girl In Red Convertible."  So maybe Teri Garr was traveling the country as part of road shows.

THAT GIRL

THE DRUNKARD (1968)

O'Bservation:
Ms. Garr was in two episodes.  In the first season, she played Estelle.  But in the second season, she is "Actress #1 at Audition".  This is even stronger a possibility that she could be playing herself.

THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW

TWO ON THE AISLE (1968)

O'Bservation:
As "The Usherette" in a Broadway theatre, Ms. Garr had a job close to the heart of the Biz while waiting for her own big break.

Also... they spelled her name wrong in the credits:

THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

TURNING PRO (1973)

O'Bservation:
Maybe in hopes of landing a job at the Arizona TV station where Dick Preston had a talk show, the fictional televersion of Ms. Garr got a job nearby as a "Waitress".

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
5 EPISODES (1975)

THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW
2 EPISODES (1975 & 1984)

O'Bservation:
Because it was a fictional plot point on an episode of 'Seinfeld', any appearance by a member of the League of Themselves can include their appearances on this talk show.

THE TONIGHT SHOW with JOHNNY CARSON

42 EPISODES (1977-1992)

O'Bservation:
'Tonight' is a member of the TVXOHOF.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Ms. Garr hosted three times and made two cameo appearances - when Ted Knight hosted, and when Pamela Sue Martin hosted.  

1980

1983

1985

O'Bservation:
If only she was able to host two more times, she could have received the green jacket to signify she was a member of the Five-Timers Club.  It has become something of a joke recently - they were giving it out to just about anybody.  But she also appeared in two other episodes, so I would have announced that she was a posthumous member.  But hey, that's just me.

LATE NIGHT with DAVID LETTERMAN

30 EPISODES (1982-1993)

"Teri Garr’s many appearances on 'Late Night' gave it a cache and importance not possible without her. She was a first class actor and comedian and a lovely human being. A bright star and a real friend to the show. I was lucky to know her. She elevated all, and I’m sad she is gone."
- David Letterman  

LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN

5 EPISODES (1993-2008)

MURPHY BROWN

BUMP IN THE NIGHT (1993)

Frank is excited to be a guest on the Letterman show but makes the mistake of asking Murphy to wait backstage with him. She ends up sabotaging the other guests and endangering Frank's appearance.

O'Bservation:
Now we finally reach the point where Teri Garr could appear as herself.  She was known for her many appearances on 'Late Night with David Letterman' and then on CBS with 'The Late Show with 'David Letterman'.  That's why that show is included in her credits.  (Unless they're in the TVXOHOF, or have been fictionalized in another show [example: 'The Merv Griffin Show' in an episode of 'Seinfeld'], talk shows aren't really qualifiers for someone's membership.)

Murphy thought Teri was in "Sea of Love" with Al Pacino.  She also mentioned Frau Blucher from Teri's movie "Young Frankenstein".

ZONK, DISABLED: Teri mentioned 'Star Search', but if that is a show in Toobworld, it doesn't cause a discrepancy in the life of any fictional Toobworldling.

JEOPARDY!
1993 CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! GAME 2
EPISODE #2112 (1993-11-09)
Ed Asner vs. Teri Garr vs. Pat Sajak

THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW

THE BREAKDOWN: PART 2 (1993)

THE WEIRD AL SHOW

THE TIME MACHINE (1997)

Weird Al turns his clock radio into a time machine, which comes in handy when he realizes he's forgotten Harvey the Wonder Hamster's birthday. The trouble is, he keeps going back 30 minutes in time and then makes a dumb mistake that requires him to go back 30 more minutes in time in order to correct it. Al ticks off the electric company, gets bitten by a radioactive lobster, infuriates Bobby the Inquisitive Boy, enrages Teri Garr, accidentally shaves off part of his head, and gets tripped by a Russian Cossack dancer before realizing that time travel is not the best way to correct a mistake.

JEOPARDY!

1998 CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! LADIES’ NIGHT
EPISODE #3116 (1998-03-02)
Jane Curtin vs. Naomi Judd vs. Teri Garr  

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES

25 EPISODES (2001-2002)

THE VIEW
NOVEMBER 09, 2005

To top it off, Ms. Garr was a multidimensional....

THE TOONIVERSE

DR. KATZ, PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST

PULLMAN SQUARE (1999)

I posted on Facebook that I felt honored to have shared the planet (both Earth Prime as well as Earth Prime-Time - I inducted myself in 2005) with her.  Both of those worlds feel sadder now with her gone.  This is my way of honoring her.

Thank you, Teri Garr, for making the world brighter for a little while.  

Welcome to the Hall....