DE-ZONKING "DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D."

I've been running the Inner Toob blog since 2004; in the early days I sometimes would post ten times a day.  But in the last few years it's been a steady once per day, save for the "Two For Tuesday" theme.  Or something comes along that needs to share the same day (my brother's birthday and Gandhi's as well back on October 2nd, for example.)

But with an output like that, sometimes I fear I won't have enough "grist for the mill" so to speak, even with 70 years worth of TV output to work with.  So I'm always happy when you, Team Toobworld, send me something to inspire a post.

And recently, my muppetational Facebook friend Andrew Leal did just that:

Something unrelated but it suggested an alternate Toobworld (which you may already have), so thought I'd share with you. PERFECT STRANGERS referenced DOOGIE HOWSER, as in a show on TV... by saying an FBI agent (you know how they always show up for hijinks) looks like "the neighbor on DOOGIE HOWSER."

Except in our world, there *was* no neighbor on DOOGIE HOWSER. They may have written the bit and inserted a show title later, and it just happened to be one of the shows of its time with no neighbor as a regular or recurring character. Except in the universe of STRANGERS (and the shows it spun-off or crossed over with).

As the Ninth Incarnation of the Doctor would say, "Fantastic!"

Long ago I had to reconcile myself to the idea that eventually every TV character living in Toobworld would have a TV show made about them. This was in order to disable Zonks created by TV shows and characters being mentioned in other TV shows, when they are supposed to be sharing the same world. It was one of several compromises I had to make in order to keep as many TV series as possible in Earth Prime-Time.  (Another compromise?  The change in appearance for historical figures - mostly - because of recastaways was due to our view of the historical portrayal from the perspective of some other character in the scene.)

When it comes to TV characters having TV shows made about them, it is a bit of a stretch sometimes, but hey - if it was a concept that was good enough to get its own TV show in the Trueniverse, than it's good enough for Toobworld as well.

At least with 'Doogie Howser, MD', I think we have an excellent reason to have a TV show made - a kid who becomes a licensed doctor.

And that TV series was made probably as soon as Doogie got his medical license, since – according to ‘The Goldbergs’ – it began airing in 1980-something.  

The Goldbergs: 
Baré (2017) 
‘Doogie Howser, MD’ clips are shown in the episode.  
[The series began in 1989 and ran until 1993 in the Real World.]

As Andrew pointed out, the TV show within a TV show of 'Doogie Howser, MD' is different from the one we know here in the Real World because of the mention of that next door neighbor.  (I didn't get to watch the series due at that time due to work and a lack of a VCR, so I'm assuming Doogie's friend Vinnie was a friend with whom he grew up, not an actual neighbor.)

Here's what the website "Perfect Strangers Online" had to say about the reference:

One would almost except to see the series Doogie Howser M.D. in the credits of actor Richard Hoyt-Miller after Balki comments that he looks like the neighbor from that series and the audience reacts so strongly.  But in fact that joke was written before the role was even cast and his name is not listed in that series at all.  He has appeared in many other series, such as Falcon Crest, Hill Street Blues, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote and more recently The Bold and the Beautiful.  

'Perfect Strangers' is not the only TV show which mentioned 'Doogie Howser, MD' as a TV show.  Its existence on air is confirmed by the following references in other TV series.  And we’ll start off with the mention that got us started:

Perfect Strangers: 
A Blast from the Past (1990) 
Balki mentioned Doogie Howser.

Mama's Family: 
Bye Bye Baby (1990) 
Mama mentions the title

Night Court: 
Melvin and Harold (1990) 
Main character reference

Night Court: 
Still Another Day in the Life (1990) 
A child surgeon is called Loogie by Christine.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose: 
Jerry's First Date (1991) 
Parker says, "I'll bet Doogie Howser never went through this!"

Parker Lewis Can't Lose: 
Love Handles (1991) 
Parker types his final thoughts in his computer journal and says, "Hey, it works for Doogie."

Saved by the Bell: 
S.A.T.s (1991) 
Screech says: "Zack's even smarter than Doogie Howser."

Roseanne:
Less Is More (1992) 
Doogie Howser appears in Roseanne's dream.

Married with Children:
High I.Q. (1992)  
When he tries to get into the Alpha meeting Bud gives his name as "Howser, Doogie Howser".

Melrose Place:
Leap of Faith (1992) 
Billy says, "Move over, Doogie Howser".

Saved by the Bell: 
Screech's Spaghetti Sauce (1992) 
Screech says: "I really look like Doogie Howser."

Designing Women: 
Oh Dog, Poor Dog (1993) 
Mentioned by name.

Caroline in the City: 
Caroline and the Twenty-Eight-Pound Walleye (1996) 
As her brother Chris is the youngest heart surgeon in the history of Wisconsin General, Caroline refers to him as 'Doogie Duffy, M.D.'.

The Outer Limits: 
Music of the Spheres (1997) 
To Devon's irritation, Vic's nickname for him is "Doogie."

Friends: 
The One Hundredth (1998) 
To a young looking doctor, Phoebe says, "shhh, Doogie, shhh" and makes him leave the room in tears.

PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal: 
Old Wounds (1999) 
Matt references the show.

Big Wolf on Campus: 
The Exor-Sis (1999) 
Dean confuses Tommy with Doogie Howser.

Action: 
Re-Enter the Dragon (1999) 
Peter calls Adam 'Doogie'

Action: 
Twelfth Step to Hell (1999) 
Peter mentions the show.

ER: 
The Longer You Stay (2001) 
Carter called Doogie

Scrubs: 
My Fifteen Minutes (2001) 
Dr. Cox refers to J.D. as "Doogie."

Gilmore Girls: 
Run Away, Little Boy (2001) 
Luke says, "Doogie Howser was a doctor 16."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 
Help (2002) 
Willow mentions Doogie Howser fan fic.

Gilmore Girls: 
The Lorelais' First Day at Yale (2003) 
Lorelai calls one of Rory's dormmates "Doogie." 

The O.C.: 
The Rager (2005) 
Reed: You're like a Doogie Howser meets Gordon Gekko.

Gilmore Girls: 
Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out (2005) 
When Jess finds out that Rory is not at Yale, he assumes she has graduated early and calls her "Doogie."

Veronica Mars: 
Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner (2005) 
Veronica mentions Doogie Houser when she writes the e-mail to Wallace

Scrubs: 
My Buddy's Booty (2006) 
JD is called Doogie

Scrubs: 
My Extra Mile (2006) 
Mentioned in dialogue

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: 
The Unusual Suspect (2006) 
Hodges refers to Marlon as Doogie Howser.

House: 
The Jerk (2007) 
Nate calls Chase 'Doogie'

Psych: 
If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead? (2007) 
Shawn calls a kid Doogie.

The Big Bang Theory: 
The Grasshopper Experiment (2007) 
Raj's parents want to hang up from their web-cast because it's time for Doogie Howser to air, and they don’t want to miss it. Then Leonard, Sheldon, and Wolowitz discuss why Doogie Howser might be so popular in India.

Psych: 
The Old and the Restless (2008) 
Shawn introduces himself as Dr. Howser, the title character played by Neil Patrick Harris.

General Hospital: Night Shift: 
Truth and Consequences (2008) 
Doctor is called Doogie

Nip/Tuck: 
Ronnie Chase (2009) 
Doogie Howser mentioned

Nip/Tuck: 
Ricky Wells (2009) 
mentioned in dialogue

Drop Dead Diva: 
Dead Model Walking (2009) 
Millie mentions it.

Community: 
Social Psychology (2009) 
Troy refers to Jeff as "Dr. Doogie Seacrest."

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: 
Doctor Who (2010) 
mentioned by Brass

The Big C: 
Musical Chairs (2011) 
Doogie Howser mentioned

Breaking Bad: Shotgun (2011) 
mentioned in dialogue30 Rock: 

Dance Like Nobody's Watching (2012) 
Liz says her gynecologist is a Doogie Howser type, but younger

The Newsroom: 
Bullies (2012) 
Dr. Habib mentions the title character.

Hot in Cleveland: 
The Conversation (2013) 
Joy calls Lloyd "Doogie Howser".

Arrested Development: 
A New Attitude (2013) 
Mentioned in dialogue

The Vampire Diaries: 

Dead Man on Campus (2013) 
Damon Salvatore tells Elena Gilbert over the phone, "that's what Doogie says," referring to Dr. Wes Maxfield when she asks him if Jesse feeds on vampires.

O'Bservation: I'm not sure if this show and its spin-off 'The Originals' belong in Earth Prime-Time.  I do have a vampire-infested Toobworld - Nosferatoob - because 'Being Human' and 'True Blood' became too entrenched into everyday life of their world to remain in the main Toobworld.

Psych: 
Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement (2014) 
Referenced by Morty

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series: 
Pilot (2014) 
Mentioned in dialogue

The Night Shift: 
Coming Home (2014) 
Mentioned in dialogue

Gilmore Girls: 
A Year in the Life: Winter (2016) 
Paris refers to one of her clients as "Doogie Howser."

The Goldbergs: 
Baré (2017) 
Barry wants to go to medical school and be like Doogie Howser.

LA to Vegas: 
The Yips and the Dead (2018) 
Artem refers to Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser during a discussion 

Instinct: 
I Heart New York (2018) 
Mentioned by Dylan

And then there were all the mentions by the Bots on the Satellite of Love as they watched the following movies…..

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Carnival Magic (2017) 
Tom: "Never fear! Doogie Howser is here."

12 to the Moon (1994) 
Crow: "Cram it, Doogie!"

Zombie Nightmare (1994) 
Crow: "Doogie Howser, detective"

Rocket Attack U.S.A. (1990) 
Tom: "That's Doogie Howser, all grown up."

The Hellcats (1990) 
Joel: "Last time he made me watch 'Doogie Howser.''"

It Conquered the World (1991) 
Crow: "Who am I, Doogie Howser?!"

The Castle of Fu Manchu (1992) 
"Howser...Doogie Howser"

All of those entries were supplied by the IMDb.
That was a long list!  And that’s after I excised the talk show mentions and references in reality competition shows, animation (‘The Simpsons’, ‘Rugrats’) and series which were set in other TV dimensions (‘Veep’, ‘Castle’, ‘Shameless’).  

So thank you, Andrew, for giving me another day’s grace in maintaining the blog!

BCnU!