THE HAT SQUAD: DON S. DAVIS

Don S. Davis had that look to fill a particular need among characters - a man in power, perhaps a bit full of himself, somewhat stuffy and officious, and yes, a bit dull. I'm not saying this as an insult. There are characters out there like that in Toobworld, and Don S. Davis could capture that description in just moments upon entering the scene. It was that stocky, bald image with the deep monotone of a voice, I think.

It was with his role as General George Hammond on 'Stargate: SG-1', however, that we got to see the fully rounded portrayal he was capable of.

Don S. Davis passed away the other day. He was 65 years old. The 'Stargate SG-1' website "Gateworld" marked the sad news:

"With great sadness we must report that veteran actor Don S. Davis passed away on June 29, 2008. He was 65 years old.Don co-starred on Stargate SG-1 for the show's first seven years, helping to launch the enduring science fiction franchise. Davis played Major General George Hammond, base commander and a father figure to many of the show's characters.He is also well-known for his portrayal of Major Garland Briggs in Twin Peaks."

I would add to this that he was also well-known in the TV cult community for his portrayal of Scully's father in 'The X-Files'.

Although I watched 'Wiseguy' and 'Northern Exposure', it wasn't until 'Twin Peaks' that I really noticed Don S. Davis. In fact, he is responsible for the one quote from that show that I still remember:

"The owls are not what they seem."

I always wished we could have found out what that meant.....

Here are the list of TV series roles Don S. Davis added to the registrar of Toobworld:

"Stargate SG-1" - Major General George Hammond

"Stargate: Atlantis" - Major General George Hammond

Home (10 September 2004)

"Twin Peaks" (16 episodes) - Major Garland Briggs

"Broken Badges" - Chief Sterling

Pilot (24 November 1990)

Westside Stories (1 December 1990)

Chucky (22 December 1990)

"Madison" - Mr. Winslow

Family Passions (1 January 1994)

Learning Curves (1 January 1994)

Can't Get No Satisfaction (1 January 1995)

Taking Care of Business (1 January 1995)

House of Cards (1 January 1995)

Family Affairs (1 January 1995)

Love You Forever (1 January 1996)

"The Guard" - Chuck

When I'm Sixty Four (12 February 2008)

"Supernatural" - Trotter

Sin City (25 October 2007)

"Flash Gordon" - Mr. Mitchell

Conspiracy Theory (19 October 2007)

Revolution: Part 1 (1 February 2008)

"Psych" - Mr. McCallum

Pilot (7 July 2006)

"The Dead Zone" - Senator Harlan Ellis

Vanguard (7 August 2005)

Saved (28 August 2005)

Forbidden Fruit (18 June 2006)

"The West Wing" - Reverend Don Butler

In God We Trust (23 March 2005)

"Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" - MTAC Control Officer

Chained (14 December 2004)

"Andromeda" - Avineri

The Eschatology of Our Present (22 October 2004)

"The Twilight Zone" - Dr. Tate

Memphis (26 February 2003)

"The Chris Isaak Show" - Del

Farm Boys (4 June 2002)

"Just Cause" - Thornton

Pilot: Part 1 (1 January 2002)

"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show" - Mr. Washington

Honey, It's No Fun Being an Illegal Alien (28 November 1998)

"The Sentinel" - Wilton Fisker

Crossroads (22 April 1998)

"Viper" - Lloyd

Street Pirates (25 November 1996)

"Poltergeist: The Legacy" - Harold Taggart

The Inheritance (30 August 1996)

"Profit" (2 episodes) - former Sheriff Crew

Pilot (8 April 1996)
Hero (15 April 1996)

"The Outer Limits"

Living Hell (12 May 1995) - Detective Wilson

The Voice of Reason (20 August 1995) - General Callahan

"The Marshal" - Tiger Larkin

Pilot (31 January 1995)

"M.A.N.T.I.S." - Admiral Farallon

Tango Blue (2 September 1994)

"Northern Exposure" - Lloyd Hillegas

Blood Ties (16 May 1994)

"Cobra" - Thorne

A Few Dead Men (17 February 1994)

"Birdland" - Birdwell

Grand Delusion (9 February 1994)

"The X Files" - Captain William Scully

Beyond the Sea (7 January 1994)

One Breath (11 November 1994)

"Highlander" - Palance

The Return of Amanda (8 November 1993)

"Street Justice" - Sargeant Pritchard

Honor and Trust (13 February 1993)

"Knots Landing" - Warden Vernon Howard

Little Girl Lost (9 April 1992)

"Nightmare Cafe" - Sheriff Dan Filcher

Aliens Ate My Lunch (3 April 1992)

"L.A. Law" - Judge Richard Bartke

Bound for Glory (22 March 1990)

"Booker"

Flat Out (12 November 1989) - Prison Guard

Crazy (15 April 1990) - Judge

"Unsub"

Burn Out (14 April 1989)

"Bordertown" - Josiah Richmond

Over the Line (18 February 1989)

"Wiseguy" - Dr. Morris

Stairway to Heaven (1 February 1989)

"The Beachcombers" - Howard Usher

The Bay Mystery (1 January 1988)

"MacGyver"

Blow Out (21 December 1987) - Cement Truck Driver

The Endangered (2 May 1988) - Wyatt Porter

"The New Adventures of Beans Baxter" - Agent Ruck

Beans Finds His Dad But...: Part 1 (26 September 1987)

"21 Jump Street"

Blindsided (31 May 1987) - Principal Harris

Chapel of Love (14 February 1988) - Frank

School's Out (22 May 1988) - Principal

2245 (5 February 1990) - Prison Warden

Film at Eleven (9 February 1991)

"Joanie Loves Chachi" - Benny

Goodbye Delvecchio's, Hello World (25 November 1982)

Just a few O'Bservations.....

1] Behind the scenes back in the real world, Davis did stand-in work for Dana Elcar on 'McGyver'. So the argument could be made that his character of Thornton in the pilot episode of 'Just Cause' could have been related to Pete Thornton.

2] Could it be that Lloyd Hillegas of 'Northern Exposure' might have also been Lloyd in an episode of 'Viper'?

3] Could the prison warden he played in '21 Jump Street' have been Vernon Howard, the warden he played in an episode of 'Knots Landing'?

4] As General Hammond, Davis is eligible for entry into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, although perhaps on an honors list. After 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate: Atlantis', his third qualification is due to his participation in the upcoming direct-to-video "Stargate: Continuum".

5] The judge played by Davis on 'Booker' could be Judge Bartke from 'L.A. Law'.

6] Did his prison guard in an episode of 'Booker' could have landed his job thanks to his family ties - specifically to Warden Vernon Howard of 'Knots Landing'.

7] I think it's a fair assumption to make that the two principals he played on '21 Jump Street' are one and the same man.

I'll have a second part to this Hat Squad tribute soon, with his other Toobworld roles from TV movies.

But for now, as Red Skelton would say, "May God Bless...."
BCnU...
Toby OB