TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - MIKE DITKA!

 
From Wikipedia:
Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939 – October 9, 2026) was an American professional football player, coach, and commentator. During his playing career as a tight end, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL); he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ditka was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in his rookie season.

He was an NFL champion with the 1963 Bears and a three-time Super Bowl champion, playing on the Cowboys' Super Bowl VI team, winning as an assistant coach for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, and coaching the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX. He has been named to the NFL's 75th- and 100th-Anniversary All-Time Teams.

As a head coach for the Bears from 1982 to 1992, he was twice both the AP and UPI NFL Coach of Year (1985 and 1988). He also was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.

Ditka and Tom Flores are the only people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. Ditka, Flores, Gary Kubiak, and Doug Pederson are also the only people in modern NFL history to win a championship as head coach of a team for which they played previously.[1] Ditka is the only person to participate in both of the last two Chicago Bears' league championships, as a player in 1963 and head coach in 1985.

MIKE DITKA

With his oversized, bellicose personality, Ditka was a natural for playing himself in various TV shows, mostly sitcoms.  (While he did appear in '3rd Rock From The Sun' as another character, he was still a coach.)  That's why he's going into the TVXOHOF as a member of the League of Themselves.

Here's his tally which qualified him for membership.

BRIAN'S SONG (1971)

O'Bservation: A unique situation in that Ditka shows up in the archival footage of the games, but an extra stood in for him during scenes of practice.

THE TONIGHT SHOW with JOHNNY CARSON (1987)

O'Bservation: Both the televersions of Carson and the show itself are in the Hall, so I'm including this appearance.

CAMPBELL'S CHUNKY SIRLOIN BURGER SOUP COMMERCIAL (1988)

O'Bservation: Behind the scenes in Toobworld, a celebrity endorsement is a sign that you made it.  

L.A. LAW
THE LAST GASP (1990)

From the IMDb: Kelsey represents a frustrated Chicago Bears fan who is suing the team's staff.

O'Bservation: Mike Ditka was sworn in to testify and I don't think his combative attitude helped either side.

CHEERS
ONE FOR THE ROAD (1993)

O'Bservation: In the series finale, Ditka and Kim Alexis presented a Cable Ace award for writing to Diane Chambers.

COACH
A PLAYER TO BE NAMED LATER (1996)

O'Bservation: In a panic, Hayden Fox called Ditka for advice during the draft picks.  Ditka thought it was somebody pranking him.  

BECKER
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (2001)

O'Bservation: Becker entered the coffee shop with a typical rant, complaining about pro football players.  Ditka was already in there and he shot down Becker's argument.  I don't know about the other characters, but I don't think Dr. Becker realized who that was.  

ACCORDING TO JIM
CARS & CHICKS (2002)

O'Bservation: Jim saw Mike Ditka and was awestruck by the aura of his celebrity status.

SECOND STRING (TV MOVIE 2002)

O'Bservation: This was fictional, but using real team names (the Buffalo Bills) and people like Ditka.  But that's okay.  All of these entries took place only in Earth Prime-Time.  We're not inducting the real Ditka, but his televersion.  That's how it's always been for the League of Themselves.

ENTOURAGE
THE END (2011)

O'Bservation: Alls I know is that Ditka met with Ari Gold in the series finale.

Because he appeared in sketches in two episodes of 'Saturday Night Live,' Ditka is a multi-dimensional.

SKITLANDIA

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
S18 E10

S23 E04

O'Bservations: In both shows, he made cameo appearances in "Da Bears" sketches.

In another episode, a Christmas show hosted by John Goodman, Ditka was played by Phil Hartman who was hosting his own holiday special.  Ditka got into a fight with Santa Claus (played by Goodman.)

"As I go to press" (always wanted a reason to say that!), I'm curious if 'Saturday Night Live' will have a tribute vanity card for him at the end of the show.  We shall see what we shall view.

Welcome to the Hall, Coach.  

TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - GLORIA STEINEM

 
NEW YORK (AP) — Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the U.S. women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes throughout her life, has died. She was 92.

With her trademark streaked hair parted down the middle and large aviator glasses, Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. Magazine, was a hugely recognizable presence wherever she went. And she went everywhere: Much of her life as an advocate was spent on the road, speaking at college campuses and community centers, at rallies and marches.

She died Wednesday at her home in New York City, according to her and her foundation’s social media pages.

GLORIA STEINEM

From Wikipedia:
Gloria Marie Steinem (March 25, 1934 – September 2, 2026) was an American journalist and social movement activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and who was particularly popular in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine, and co-founder of Ms. magazine. In 1969, Steinem published an article, "After Black Power, Women's Liberation," which brought her national attention and positioned her as a feminist leader. In 1971, she co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus which provides training and support for women who seek elected and appointed offices in government. Also in 1971, she co-founded the Women's Action Alliance which, until 1997, provided support to a network of feminist activists and worked to advance feminist causes and legislation. In the 1990s, Steinem helped establish Take Our Daughters to Work Day, an occasion for young girls to learn about future career opportunities. In 2005, Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Robin Morgan co-founded the Women's Media Center, an organization that "works to make women visible and powerful in the media."

Here are her appearances as her fictional televersion which secured her a place in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

TANNER '88
SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING NEW (1988)

NEW YORK NEWS
GOODBYE, GATOR (1995)

THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW
LARRY'S ON VACATION (1995)

THE L WORD
LACUNA (2005)

THE COLBERT REPORT
4 EPISODES (2006-2014)

THE GOOD WIFE
DEAR GOD (2014)

AND JUST LIKE THAT....
ALIVE! (2023)

Welcome to the TVXOHOF....

"Good night and may God bless."

TVXOHOF - JUNE, 2026.... BABA LOOEY!

Last year, Quick Draw McGraw was the TV Western inductee into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  It seemed only right that his sidekick should tag along as well.

BABA LOOEY

As the Western entry is usually inducted in August, this year that honor is going to a very special real life historical figure of the Old West who is multidimensional.  So Baba Looey is joining "Queek Straw" in June, which is geared toward a loose definition of the Gemini concept of duos.

From Wikipedia:
Baba Looey is a fictional Mexican donkey that appeared in 'The Quick Draw McGraw Show.' He is the deputy and familiar to Sheriff Quick Draw McGraw. He speaks English with a Mexican accent. He was originally voiced by Daws Butler.

Baba Looey, McGraw's sidekick, is often portrayed as the more thoughtful half of the duo. At times realizing some detail about a given situation, Baba Looey tries desperately to caution Quick Draw of a trap or other danger, before Quick Draw charges headlong into the fray without listening or giving consideration to his surroundings. His masked vigilante identity is El Kapoli, "champion of champions" as he declared. In the episode "Dizzy Desperado", he gets knocked in the head and switches to the criminal Little Cucaracha.

In an episode of 'The Brady Bunch', Marcia can be seen watching Baba Looey and Quick Draw McGraw on TV.

Baba Looey, along with Quick Draw McGraw, makes an appearance in the 'Samurai Jack' episode "The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful", voiced by Joe Lala.

He appears in the 'Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law' episode "Guitar Control", voiced by Rob Paulsen. He is seen hanging out with Peanut and shows him Quick Draw's guitars. Peanut wonders how it works and kills Baba Looey with it.

Baba Looey made a brief cameo in a MetLife commercial in 2012.

In the 'Drawn Together' episode "Breakfast Food Killer", Baba Looey made an appearance going by the name "Baba Booey". He was waiting in line to become the new mascot of Quackers cereal and randomly started jumping around and attacking people.

Baba Looey appears in the series 'Jellystone!' and is female and Cuban in this version called "Bobbie Louie" due to the character being voiced by Jenny Lorenzo. She works for the Jellystone government and has an American accent.

Baba Looey and Quick Draw McGraw make a cameo as silhouettes in the 2020 'Animaniacs' revival segment "Suffragette City".

From the Yogi Bear Wiki:

• "Yogi's Birthday Party" (The Yogi Bear Show, no lines)
• Yogi Bear (comic strips) (August 5, 1962)
• Yogi's Ark Lark
• Yogi's Gang
• "Yogi's Heroes" and "Yogi and the Beanstalk" (Yogi's Treasure Hunt)
• The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound
• Fender Bender 500
• "Yippee-Yo, Yogi" (Yo Yogi!)
• Jellystone!
  O'Bservation:
  This is an alternate Tooniverse, where characters previously established as one gender are instead rendered as the other.
  

And of course, there was the commercial work for Kellogg's:

Bienvenidos al Salón, Baba Looey!

TVXOHOF - HELLO, DOLLY! (THE MAY QUEEN OF 2026)

Here it, the last day of May and it just occurred to me that I never posted the 2026 May Queen of The Television Crossover Hall of Fame!

I need some new interns to keep me on my toes.  My two cats just aren't cutting it!

Well, "Better Late Than Never."  Interestingly enough, that's the title of a Country-Western song, a genre of music which plays a major role in the life of this month's honoree.  Only thing is, Tanya Tucker sings that song, while our inductee into the Hall is....

DOLLY PARTON

From Wikipedia:
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman. After achieving success as a songwriter for other artists, Parton's debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, was released in 1967, commencing a career spanning 60 years and 50 studio albums. Referred to as the "Queen of Country", Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers in history and has received various accolades, including eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards including a humanitarian honorary Oscar win in 2025, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

Here is a list of shows in which Ms. Parton was involved as a member of the League of Themselves.  And as you'll see, she covered the gamut of genres....

THE 49TH ANNUAL MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (1975)
O'Bservation: She was on the Tom Turkey float.

THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES (1976)

CAPTAIN KANGAROO (1976)
O'Bservation: The Captain would appear in an episode of her variety series the following year.

DOLLY (1976-1977)
O'Bservation: This was her own variety series.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (1989)
O'Bservation: She only hosted this one time and only had two demands - she wouldn't use "cuss words," and she didn't want fun poked at Jesus.

DESIGNING WOMEN
THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAST DECADE OF THE ENTIRE TWENTIETH CENTURY, PARTS 1&2 (1990) 

BABES
HELLO, DOLLY (1991)

BIG DREAMS, BROKEN HEARTS: THE DOTTIE WEST STORY (TV Movie 1995)
O'Bservation: She was one of several Country stars who appeared as "talking heads" to add background and/or memories.

JACKIE'S BACK! (TV Movie 1999)

BETTE
HALLOWEEN (2000)

HANNAH MONTANA
1] GOOD GOLLY, MISS DOLLY (2006)
2] I WILL ALWAYS LOATHE YOU (2007)
3] KISS IT ALL GOODBYE (2010)

THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (2007)

THE YEAR DOLLY PARTON WAS MY MOM (2011 TV Movie)

A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS STORY (2013 TV Movie)
From the IMDb: A young Appalachian mountain girl pursues her dream of becoming a country star against the wishes of her mother. Her journey to the stage at Dollywood with a singing competition hosted by Dolly Parton reunites her with her musician father and uncovers the musical legacy of African-Americans in the world of country music.

AMERICAN PICKERS
MAD AS A PICKER (2014)
O'Bservation: The main reason I included this is because 'American Pickers' has a televersion which played a key role in an episode of 'NCIS'.

SPROUT HOUSE
A DAY WITH DOLLY (2017)

CALL ME KAT (2023)
Where the Soul Never Dies
Written by Wayne Raney
Performed by Dolly Parton
[Acapella rendition at the beginning of the memorial segment]
I Will Always Love You
Written by Dolly Parton
Performed by Dolly Parton
[Acapella at the end of the memorial segment]
Where the Soul Never Dies
Written by Wayne Raney
Performed by Leslie Jordan and Dolly Parton
[Ending montage]
O'Bservation: Dolly appeared at the end of the episode to pay tribute to her friend Leslie Jordan, who had passed away two months earlier. 

ALTERNATE TOOBWORLD

THE ORVILLE

MIDNIGHT BLUE (2022)

O'Bservation: This has to be an alternate Earth because it is set during the same basic timeline as 'Star Trek', which takes precedence.

THE TOONIVERSE

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS 

URBAN CHIPMUNK (1983)

THE SIMPSONS
SUNDAY, CRUDDY SUNDAY (1999)

A Case of Serendipiteevee?  As I write this, it was the same day when I realized I never posted the induction.  It may have been a sign....  It's May 30th.  And on May 30th, 1966, Dolly Parton wed Carl Dean.  Sixty years ago today. 

Sadly, he passed away last year, so while she is the honoree for May, I'm dedicating this to his memory.

Welcome to the Hall, Ms. Parton!