"Dalek" takes place underneath the Utah desert in 2012. The subterranean facility is a private museum of alien artifacts owned by Henry Van Statten.
Van Statten boasted that he owned the Internet, and when Rose scoffed at the idea, because "nobody owns the Internet", he was secure enough in the claim that he preferred everbody to keep on thinking that way.
Apparently he's so rich and powerful that he can even control the outcome of presidential elections. It looks as though he chose the last President (whoever is elected in 2008), but now doesn't like what his money bought him. As to who the nexT President should be, Van Statten leaves the choice up to the whims of his staff - should the next one be Republican or Democrat?
So who was Henry Van Statten, and how was he able to make a claim to a title that even Bill Gates has yet to secure (despite all his attempts)?
Who was the "Owner Of The Internet"?
I have an idea where he might have been working behind the scenes in the TV Universe before, but as usual, it's all hypothetical. (It's my favorite word for the week.) I can't prove this, and yet at the same time it can't be disproved.
That's the fun of Toobworld.
Let's start with Henry Van Statten's age. If we assume that he's the same age as the actor who portrays him, (Corey Johnson), then Van Statten is 39 in 2012.
So he was born in 1973, (Corey Johnson was born in 1966), and he would have been about 25 in 1998, more than old enough to have established himself as a computer genius. Hell, never mind what we see in the Real World, Toobworld has several times established the premise of teenaged hackers screwing up the system.
And as one would expect in Toobworld, there would be forces out there who would take notice of such geniuses and ensnare them into their organizations.
Such an organization would have been a shadowy group known as the Praetorians who were going to take over the world through control of computer systems.
One of the stumbling blocks in their way was a woman named Angela Bennett, who discovered one of their plots. They erased her existence (as far as computers go) in order to easier erase her totally. But she stayed one step ahead of them, thanks to an email contact known only as The Sorceror.
Eventually we met Sorceror... and found he was no more than just a skateboarding kid named Jacob Resch. (As for that voice of Sorceror, I think Jacob took audio recordings of an actor named Simon Ferguson and fed them into the computer to reconstitute into a computerized voice for the system.)
But Jacob had to get his inside info from somewhere, and that's where Henry Van Statten comes in.
As we saw in "Dalek", Van Statten was ambitious and ruthless in getting what he wanted. And he would never have stood in the background and let Mr. Trelawney grab all the glory as the leader of the Praetorians. By working from the inside using treachery, and by helping Angela Bennett through Jacob Resch, it's my belief Van Statten was able to rise to the leadership of the Praetorians and then used his power to take control of the Internet.
And that's how things stood when we officially met him in Utah in 2012.
Shows cited for this essay:
'Doctor Who'
'The Net'
'Over The Top'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Monday, August 1, 2005
WYATT IN DEADWOOD
Producer David Milch reportedly is thinking about adding the character of Wyatt Earp to the cast of 'Deadwood', his HBO series that takes a semi-historical look at life in the Black Hills of Dakota back in the 1870s..
Mary Kopco, director of the Adams Museum and House, said Earp spent a winter in Deadwood in 1875 or 1876.
"Milch will take a real historical figure and make some dramatic changes and really explore different personality types of them as a larger-than-life person," Kopco said.
For Toobworld, Hugh O'Brian IS Wyatt Earp. He played the role in the TV series 'The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp', as a guest in the series 'Guns Of Paradise'/'Paradise', in 'Gambler 4: The Luck Of The Draw', and in a TV movie that blended scenes from his old TV show with new footage.
When it comes to historical figures, our criteria has a lot of leeway. Sometimes when there's an overflow of portrayals of a particular historical character, say Abe Lincoln or JFK, it's easier just to ship 'em out to an alternate TV dimension.
But in this case, I don't want to lose either the Hugh O'Brian Earps or the 'Deadwood' series. So I'm willing to find some loopy splainin to reconcile the two visions of Earp into one person.
So far, Milch is just thinking about adding the character. This might be a moot point in the end.
But if I was to cast the role, and try to keep it all in alignment with Hugh O'Brian's work, I'd get George Eads away from 'CSI' long enough to play the role. I've always thought Eads would be perfect as a descendant of O'Brian's Earp (Toobworld has plenty of them!) and there's just enough similarity in their square-jawed features to pull it off.
Just sayin', is all.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Mary Kopco, director of the Adams Museum and House, said Earp spent a winter in Deadwood in 1875 or 1876.
"Milch will take a real historical figure and make some dramatic changes and really explore different personality types of them as a larger-than-life person," Kopco said.
For Toobworld, Hugh O'Brian IS Wyatt Earp. He played the role in the TV series 'The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp', as a guest in the series 'Guns Of Paradise'/'Paradise', in 'Gambler 4: The Luck Of The Draw', and in a TV movie that blended scenes from his old TV show with new footage.
When it comes to historical figures, our criteria has a lot of leeway. Sometimes when there's an overflow of portrayals of a particular historical character, say Abe Lincoln or JFK, it's easier just to ship 'em out to an alternate TV dimension.
But in this case, I don't want to lose either the Hugh O'Brian Earps or the 'Deadwood' series. So I'm willing to find some loopy splainin to reconcile the two visions of Earp into one person.
So far, Milch is just thinking about adding the character. This might be a moot point in the end.
But if I was to cast the role, and try to keep it all in alignment with Hugh O'Brian's work, I'd get George Eads away from 'CSI' long enough to play the role. I've always thought Eads would be perfect as a descendant of O'Brian's Earp (Toobworld has plenty of them!) and there's just enough similarity in their square-jawed features to pull it off.
Just sayin', is all.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Sunday, July 31, 2005
WHITHER "OVER THERE"?
In several of the reviews for 'Over There', mention was made of the fact that this drama about the War in Iraq is probably the first to be actually made and broadcast during the war it depicts.
As an example, here is what Alessandra Stanley, Queen of the Obscure References had to say in her New York Times article:
"Until now, television shows also dramatized fighting from a safe remove: series about World War II like "The Rat Patrol" and "Hogan's Heroes" were made in the 1960's. (The true horrors of war were veiled even in dramas, like "Combat!," also made in the 60's and now on DVD and in reruns on cable.) The antiwar comedy "M*A*S*H" began in 1972 before the Vietnam War was over, but it was set in Korea. "China Beach," a dark-edged series about nurses in Vietnam, went on the air in 1988."
There are built-in hazards to making 'Over There' a contemporary look at the war. And one of those problems is something I hope we're all rooting for.....
"The top military commander in Iraq set a tentative timetable for 'fairly substantial' U.S. troop reductions by next spring - if Iraqi forces are able to pick up the slack.
Gen. George Casey said drawing down the 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq will also depend on establishing an Iraqi constitution by October and successful elections in December.
'If the political process continues to go positively, if the developments with [Iraqi] security forces continue to go as [they are] going, I do believe we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions after these elections - in the spring and summer of next year,' he said in Baghdad.
At a joint news conference with visiting Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari welcomed Casey's words, saying, 'We desire speed in that regard.' "
- from several news sources
So if the troops do start coming home sooner than Bochco might hope - for a long-running series, that is, I suppose the series could then focus on the post-traumatic stress the returning soldiers might experience.
Or they could be spun-off into other series......
I've only seen the pilot episode so far, same as most folks. And most of the characters so far seem to be kind of cliched.
But Erik Palladino is a cool actor, (I thought it was a mistake to lose him from 'Joan Of Arcadia'), and I like what he has to offer as Sgt. Scream in this show.
I could see him become a tough cop with lingering emotional problems; sort of an upgrade to the idea from 'Blind Justice'.
But Bochco blew it with that show, and 'NYPD Blue' was 86'd last season. So perhaps Sgt. Scream could be farmed out to one of the procedurals. 'CSI: NY', 'Law & Order', 'The Closer', 'Cold Case', or 'Wanted'.
The sergeant doesn't seem the type to have been an FBI agent before being called into service, so I don't think he'd be part of 'Without A Trace' or 'The Inside' - oops, sorry. As much as I liked that show, it's already been cancelled.
I suppose Bochco could go all out and create a gimmick show like 'The A-Team' and 'Broken Badges'. He could
keep the entire squad together back in the States and they fight crime under their war nicknames of "Angel", "Double-Wide", "Mrs. B", "Dim", and "Beau" - and all led by Sgt. Scream.
I can see it now: "The Scream Team".
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
As an example, here is what Alessandra Stanley, Queen of the Obscure References had to say in her New York Times article:
"Until now, television shows also dramatized fighting from a safe remove: series about World War II like "The Rat Patrol" and "Hogan's Heroes" were made in the 1960's. (The true horrors of war were veiled even in dramas, like "Combat!," also made in the 60's and now on DVD and in reruns on cable.) The antiwar comedy "M*A*S*H" began in 1972 before the Vietnam War was over, but it was set in Korea. "China Beach," a dark-edged series about nurses in Vietnam, went on the air in 1988."
There are built-in hazards to making 'Over There' a contemporary look at the war. And one of those problems is something I hope we're all rooting for.....
"The top military commander in Iraq set a tentative timetable for 'fairly substantial' U.S. troop reductions by next spring - if Iraqi forces are able to pick up the slack.
Gen. George Casey said drawing down the 135,000 U.S. troops in Iraq will also depend on establishing an Iraqi constitution by October and successful elections in December.
'If the political process continues to go positively, if the developments with [Iraqi] security forces continue to go as [they are] going, I do believe we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions after these elections - in the spring and summer of next year,' he said in Baghdad.
At a joint news conference with visiting Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari welcomed Casey's words, saying, 'We desire speed in that regard.' "
- from several news sources
So if the troops do start coming home sooner than Bochco might hope - for a long-running series, that is, I suppose the series could then focus on the post-traumatic stress the returning soldiers might experience.
Or they could be spun-off into other series......
I've only seen the pilot episode so far, same as most folks. And most of the characters so far seem to be kind of cliched.
But Erik Palladino is a cool actor, (I thought it was a mistake to lose him from 'Joan Of Arcadia'), and I like what he has to offer as Sgt. Scream in this show.
I could see him become a tough cop with lingering emotional problems; sort of an upgrade to the idea from 'Blind Justice'.
But Bochco blew it with that show, and 'NYPD Blue' was 86'd last season. So perhaps Sgt. Scream could be farmed out to one of the procedurals. 'CSI: NY', 'Law & Order', 'The Closer', 'Cold Case', or 'Wanted'.
The sergeant doesn't seem the type to have been an FBI agent before being called into service, so I don't think he'd be part of 'Without A Trace' or 'The Inside' - oops, sorry. As much as I liked that show, it's already been cancelled.
I suppose Bochco could go all out and create a gimmick show like 'The A-Team' and 'Broken Badges'. He could
keep the entire squad together back in the States and they fight crime under their war nicknames of "Angel", "Double-Wide", "Mrs. B", "Dim", and "Beau" - and all led by Sgt. Scream.
I can see it now: "The Scream Team".
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Friday, July 29, 2005
FEAR OF A BLACK TV LAND
Back in February, I wrote about the idea that there might be an alternate TV dimension in which characters we know of as being white are instead black. An Earth Prime-Time-BET.
And then, back in May, Suits made sure that it wouldn't become a standard practice.....
[Sun May 22,10:34 AM ET ]
A black Huck Finn and a white Jim might be OK for a high school production of Mark Twain's classic tale — but those performances had to be edited out of a C-Span talent show after the copyright holder objected to the cross-casting.
Jay Frisby, a black student who played Huck, and Nick Lehan, a white student who played Jim, taped their performance of the song "Muddy Water" for 'Close Up', a weekly show that highlights high school excellence.
When the program aired Friday, the two Glenelg Country School seniors were introduced, but viewers were told that 'Close Up' could not show their performance because of "copyright restrictions."
Lehan and Frisby had played the roles of Jim and Huck in the school's production of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" without complaint. But when the show's executive producer asked for the right to air the students' performance, permission was denied.
Bert Fink, a spokesman for R&H Theatricals — the Rodgers & Hammerstein organization, which holds the license to the play — said his organization is not against cross-casting in general.
"But when you're dealing with a theatrical work and race or ethnicity is a key factor, many authors or playwrights feel strongly that ethnicity has to be reflected in the actors who portray the characters," he said.
"In the books, Jim is a runaway slave. He is clearly in the novel an African-American man. And Huck is a free white man — that is central to the story. To ignore that component or to comment on it by switching is not faithful to the story."
Frisby's father, Washington attorney Russell Frisby, said he was appalled by the decision.
"The only rationale for it is that someone in New York believes Huck Finn can't be played by an African-American. I thought we were past the days of 'whites only' clauses," the elder Frisby said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050522/ap_en_tv/theater_mark_twain_race/nc:763
And then, back in May, Suits made sure that it wouldn't become a standard practice.....
[Sun May 22,10:34 AM ET ]
A black Huck Finn and a white Jim might be OK for a high school production of Mark Twain's classic tale — but those performances had to be edited out of a C-Span talent show after the copyright holder objected to the cross-casting.
Jay Frisby, a black student who played Huck, and Nick Lehan, a white student who played Jim, taped their performance of the song "Muddy Water" for 'Close Up', a weekly show that highlights high school excellence.
When the program aired Friday, the two Glenelg Country School seniors were introduced, but viewers were told that 'Close Up' could not show their performance because of "copyright restrictions."
Lehan and Frisby had played the roles of Jim and Huck in the school's production of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" without complaint. But when the show's executive producer asked for the right to air the students' performance, permission was denied.
Bert Fink, a spokesman for R&H Theatricals — the Rodgers & Hammerstein organization, which holds the license to the play — said his organization is not against cross-casting in general.
"But when you're dealing with a theatrical work and race or ethnicity is a key factor, many authors or playwrights feel strongly that ethnicity has to be reflected in the actors who portray the characters," he said.
"In the books, Jim is a runaway slave. He is clearly in the novel an African-American man. And Huck is a free white man — that is central to the story. To ignore that component or to comment on it by switching is not faithful to the story."
Frisby's father, Washington attorney Russell Frisby, said he was appalled by the decision.
"The only rationale for it is that someone in New York believes Huck Finn can't be played by an African-American. I thought we were past the days of 'whites only' clauses," the elder Frisby said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050522/ap_en_tv/theater_mark_twain_race/nc:763
Thursday, July 28, 2005
"COLUMBO", "THE FUGITIVE"
We've seen with TV episodes like "Trials And Tribble-ations" on 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' that old clips inserted into new shows can become part of a new scenario.
I'm not sure this actually should be of any significance or not, but I did find it interesting. The following posts come from the excellent website which celebrates 'Columbo', The Ultimate Lieutenant Columbo Site:
Subject: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 13, 05 - 4:09 PM
Message: This was pretty weird. This past Sunday, I decided to watch "A Friend In Deed". If you watch that episode, we first encounter the Commish at his "club". The establishing shot of the club is that of a spanish-style building (spanish type arches). The building has a circular drive in front of it and cars parked in front. This shot goes past very quickly.
After watching the episode, I decided to get my tapes of "The Fugitive" out of the bin they've been sitting in for the past six years. I have all the episodes on about 25 VHS tapes I taped off the A&E network about 14 years ago.
I chose a tape at random and popped it into my VCR. I can't recall the title of the episode right now, but it featured Jack Lord as a weasel who with some forced help, plans to kill his wheel-chair bound wealthy wife and frame Dr. Kimble for the murder.
Anywho, I pop in the tape and the episode begins. The first thing I see? The same spanish-style building with the spanish type arches and the circular driveway and cars parked out in front.
No, this isn't much of anything. I realize that. I just thought it was pretty weird that I just happened to choose these two episodes to watch, one after the other and both featured the exact same building. "The Fugitive" episode was a color episode, so that means it was from 1967. "A Friend In Deed" was long after that.
Of little more interest, Halperin's club seen in "Deed" was not the true interior of that spanish-style building. "The Fugitive" episode was actually filmed on location, and we follow David Janssen and Jack Lord from the outside of the building right into the lobby of the building.
I didn't see Columbo's car parked anywhere near the building though in the "Fugitive" episode!
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 13, 05 - 4:48 PM
Message: The title of the "Fugitive" episode was "Goodbye My Love".
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 15, 05 - 5:10 PM
Message: About those clips from "A Friend In Deed" and "The Fugitive". I checked it out thoroughly. It's somewhat interesting. The clip used in "Deed" (which goes by in about 4 seconds) is indeed from "The Fugitive". But interestingly enough, it's not the "exact" same clip.
At the beginning of the "Fugitive" episode, we see a Cadillac pulling around the circular drive and stopping in front of the entrance to the spanish-style-arched building. And that's it. The scene changes to the interior of the building.
Interestingly enough, the clip from "Columbo/Deed" follows on immediately from the point the "Fugitive" scene ended!
The Cadillac is stopped in front of the spanish-style-arched building. A guy wearing a light blue jacket gets out of the Cadillac and walks around the front of the car to the passenger side. That is where the "Columbo" scene ends.
But get this, that guy wearing the light blue jacket? Guess who that is? DAVID JANSSEN!
I know this, because back in the "Fugitive" episode, even though we didn't see the driver get out of the Cadillac, when the action switches to the interior of the spanish building, Janssen (as Dr. Richard Kimble) enters the building and is wearing that light blue jacket. The character is employed at that club (a golf course club) and one of his jobs is to valet park the golfer's cars.
So isn't that interesting? Now we can indeed say that David Janssen did in fact appear in an episode of "Columbo"! (But no, he's too far from the camera to be seen clearly. And because he is, it could just be a stand-in.)
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: cassavetes45
Date Posted: Apr 15, 05 - 5:27 PM
And as far as the clips are concerned...Wow! that is something else...so of course I had to go to the video tape!! And this time I wasn't standing in the kitchen, I put the tape on in my living room, because we have a 51 incher and I wanted to see it better...and there was the guy with the light blue jacket!! Amazing! I would tend to think that it was a stand-in..only for the reason that the guy had a bit of a spring to his step...and Janssen never really revealed that side of himself to me. For me, he has always followed the motto.."Slow and Steady, Wins The Race."
~~~~~~~
As for me, I was all set to whip up a few hypotheticals to deal with this trivial information. Perhaps, after "the running stopped", Dr. Kimble and his new wife retired to the sunny climes of California. Perhaps he then became a member of the same club to which Police Commissioner Mark Halperin belonged.
But then I figured, ah, let it go. I've already got Dr. Kimble linked to the TV Universe through one of his last episodes, in which he passed the U.N.C.L.E. headquarters located in Seattle. Lt. Columbo's connections include a hypothetical concerning the robot Double-M7 ("Mind Over Mayhem") and tele-versions of certain celebrities playing themselves.
And yet... it would be nice to have that direct link as well........
At any rate, that bit of trivial info adds another layer of interest for the 'Columbo' episode, which would probably be found in my top five faves.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
For those who are interested in visiting The Ultimate Lieutenant Columbo Site, here's the URL:
http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/
It's a fantastic site!
I'm not sure this actually should be of any significance or not, but I did find it interesting. The following posts come from the excellent website which celebrates 'Columbo', The Ultimate Lieutenant Columbo Site:
Subject: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 13, 05 - 4:09 PM
Message: This was pretty weird. This past Sunday, I decided to watch "A Friend In Deed". If you watch that episode, we first encounter the Commish at his "club". The establishing shot of the club is that of a spanish-style building (spanish type arches). The building has a circular drive in front of it and cars parked in front. This shot goes past very quickly.
After watching the episode, I decided to get my tapes of "The Fugitive" out of the bin they've been sitting in for the past six years. I have all the episodes on about 25 VHS tapes I taped off the A&E network about 14 years ago.
I chose a tape at random and popped it into my VCR. I can't recall the title of the episode right now, but it featured Jack Lord as a weasel who with some forced help, plans to kill his wheel-chair bound wealthy wife and frame Dr. Kimble for the murder.
Anywho, I pop in the tape and the episode begins. The first thing I see? The same spanish-style building with the spanish type arches and the circular driveway and cars parked out in front.
No, this isn't much of anything. I realize that. I just thought it was pretty weird that I just happened to choose these two episodes to watch, one after the other and both featured the exact same building. "The Fugitive" episode was a color episode, so that means it was from 1967. "A Friend In Deed" was long after that.
Of little more interest, Halperin's club seen in "Deed" was not the true interior of that spanish-style building. "The Fugitive" episode was actually filmed on location, and we follow David Janssen and Jack Lord from the outside of the building right into the lobby of the building.
I didn't see Columbo's car parked anywhere near the building though in the "Fugitive" episode!
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 13, 05 - 4:48 PM
Message: The title of the "Fugitive" episode was "Goodbye My Love".
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: Headache2112
Date Posted: Apr 15, 05 - 5:10 PM
Message: About those clips from "A Friend In Deed" and "The Fugitive". I checked it out thoroughly. It's somewhat interesting. The clip used in "Deed" (which goes by in about 4 seconds) is indeed from "The Fugitive". But interestingly enough, it's not the "exact" same clip.
At the beginning of the "Fugitive" episode, we see a Cadillac pulling around the circular drive and stopping in front of the entrance to the spanish-style-arched building. And that's it. The scene changes to the interior of the building.
Interestingly enough, the clip from "Columbo/Deed" follows on immediately from the point the "Fugitive" scene ended!
The Cadillac is stopped in front of the spanish-style-arched building. A guy wearing a light blue jacket gets out of the Cadillac and walks around the front of the car to the passenger side. That is where the "Columbo" scene ends.
But get this, that guy wearing the light blue jacket? Guess who that is? DAVID JANSSEN!
I know this, because back in the "Fugitive" episode, even though we didn't see the driver get out of the Cadillac, when the action switches to the interior of the spanish building, Janssen (as Dr. Richard Kimble) enters the building and is wearing that light blue jacket. The character is employed at that club (a golf course club) and one of his jobs is to valet park the golfer's cars.
So isn't that interesting? Now we can indeed say that David Janssen did in fact appear in an episode of "Columbo"! (But no, he's too far from the camera to be seen clearly. And because he is, it could just be a stand-in.)
Subject: Re: Columbo/The Fugitive
Name: cassavetes45
Date Posted: Apr 15, 05 - 5:27 PM
And as far as the clips are concerned...Wow! that is something else...so of course I had to go to the video tape!! And this time I wasn't standing in the kitchen, I put the tape on in my living room, because we have a 51 incher and I wanted to see it better...and there was the guy with the light blue jacket!! Amazing! I would tend to think that it was a stand-in..only for the reason that the guy had a bit of a spring to his step...and Janssen never really revealed that side of himself to me. For me, he has always followed the motto.."Slow and Steady, Wins The Race."
~~~~~~~
As for me, I was all set to whip up a few hypotheticals to deal with this trivial information. Perhaps, after "the running stopped", Dr. Kimble and his new wife retired to the sunny climes of California. Perhaps he then became a member of the same club to which Police Commissioner Mark Halperin belonged.
But then I figured, ah, let it go. I've already got Dr. Kimble linked to the TV Universe through one of his last episodes, in which he passed the U.N.C.L.E. headquarters located in Seattle. Lt. Columbo's connections include a hypothetical concerning the robot Double-M7 ("Mind Over Mayhem") and tele-versions of certain celebrities playing themselves.
And yet... it would be nice to have that direct link as well........
At any rate, that bit of trivial info adds another layer of interest for the 'Columbo' episode, which would probably be found in my top five faves.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
For those who are interested in visiting The Ultimate Lieutenant Columbo Site, here's the URL:
http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/
It's a fantastic site!
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
IMMERSED IN "MORSE"
Kevin Whately is to reprise his Inspector Morse role in a new spin-off show for ITV.
Filming on 'Lewis' is due to begin this month - three years after the death of actor John Thaw who played Morse.
In the two-hour film, Whately reprises his role of Robbie Lewis, with his very own sidekick, Det Sgt James Hathaway.
Whately said it would be "very strange" returning to the role. He appeared alongside Thaw in the popular drama for 13 years.
He said: "I know it's going to be strange returning to the character of Lewis without John, but Morse's spirit pervades a great new script and I am looking forward to filming it and to seeing what has happened in Lewis' life and career."
Michele Buck, controller of Granada Drama, London, said Inspector Morse was a "television institution" that came to a natural end with the death of Morse in 2000.
He said: "I am delighted that Kevin has agreed to return as Lewis in a terrific story, which will re-unite many of the team behind Morse, and which will have the same high production values."
Five years after the death of Morse, Lewis - who is now an inspector - returns to the Thames Valley police and the university city of Oxford.
Lewis is joined by Cambridge graduate Det Sgt James Hathaway, played by Laurence Fox, and reporting to new boss Chief Supt Jean Innocent.
Also reprising her Morse role in the drama will be Clare Holman, who was introduced as pathologist Laura Hobson in the 1995 film "The Way Through The Woods" and subsequently appeared in four Morse films.
The last 'Inspector Morse' - "The Remorseful Day" - was broadcast in November 2000.
In the episode, Morse collapsed in an Oxford college quad and later died in hospital.
John Thaw died in February 2002 at the age of 60 after suffering from cancer.
So both Inspector Lewis and Laura Hobson will be two-thirds of the way towards qualifying for the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Filming on 'Lewis' is due to begin this month - three years after the death of actor John Thaw who played Morse.
In the two-hour film, Whately reprises his role of Robbie Lewis, with his very own sidekick, Det Sgt James Hathaway.
Whately said it would be "very strange" returning to the role. He appeared alongside Thaw in the popular drama for 13 years.
He said: "I know it's going to be strange returning to the character of Lewis without John, but Morse's spirit pervades a great new script and I am looking forward to filming it and to seeing what has happened in Lewis' life and career."
Michele Buck, controller of Granada Drama, London, said Inspector Morse was a "television institution" that came to a natural end with the death of Morse in 2000.
He said: "I am delighted that Kevin has agreed to return as Lewis in a terrific story, which will re-unite many of the team behind Morse, and which will have the same high production values."
Five years after the death of Morse, Lewis - who is now an inspector - returns to the Thames Valley police and the university city of Oxford.
Lewis is joined by Cambridge graduate Det Sgt James Hathaway, played by Laurence Fox, and reporting to new boss Chief Supt Jean Innocent.
Also reprising her Morse role in the drama will be Clare Holman, who was introduced as pathologist Laura Hobson in the 1995 film "The Way Through The Woods" and subsequently appeared in four Morse films.
The last 'Inspector Morse' - "The Remorseful Day" - was broadcast in November 2000.
In the episode, Morse collapsed in an Oxford college quad and later died in hospital.
John Thaw died in February 2002 at the age of 60 after suffering from cancer.
So both Inspector Lewis and Laura Hobson will be two-thirds of the way towards qualifying for the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
SPIKED AGAIN?
Currently working on 'Smallville' as the latest incarnation for "Brainiac", James Marsters may yet fulfill the minimal requirement to gain entry into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame as his most famous character, the vampire Spike.
At the Television Critics Association press tour, the Big Kahuna for The WB, David Janollari, said he would "gladly" do a TV movie featuring the Spike character... if Marsters and "Buffy"/"Angel" creator Joss Whedon want to do one.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
At the Television Critics Association press tour, the Big Kahuna for The WB, David Janollari, said he would "gladly" do a TV movie featuring the Spike character... if Marsters and "Buffy"/"Angel" creator Joss Whedon want to do one.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK!
'Doctor Who' is back on Earth!
Fifteen years after the last regular episode, six years after the one TV movie for the Eighth Doctor, we've had a full series of thirteen episodes featuring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Incarnation.
The final episode for this year has aired, signaling the end of Eccleston's tenure and marking the debut of David Tennant in the role.
And so to celebrate, most of my essays and all of the Crossovers will be dedicated to the Doctor for the rest of the summer.
Be forewarned: In my essays during this summer salute to 'Doctor Who', there will be spoilers for each of the episodes, especially in regard to summaries.....
First off, here's a recap of the episode:
Location: Beneath the Utah Desert
Date: 2012
Enemy: Dalek soldier
The Doctor and Rose find themselves in an underground museum in Utah in the year 2012. The museum houses all kinds of extraterrestrial artifacts; the only living exhibit being one of the Doctor's oldest enemies - a Dalek!
[Thanks to TV.com]
Beneath the Salt Plains of Utah, the billionaire collector Henry Van Statten holds the last relic of an alien race. When the Doctor and Rose investigate, they discover that the Doctor’s oldest and most deadly enemy is about to break free. It’s a fight to the death, with Rose caught in the middle.
[Thanks to The Doctor Who Reference Guide]
We owe the quartet of connections to this week's episode to the fact that the "Owner of the Internet", Henry Van Statten, is a collector of alien artifacts and relics.
In his collection there was the mileometer from the alien spacecraft that crashed at Roswell back in 1947. And these four shows touched on that crash without risking being banished to an alternate TV dimension for mucking about with an established timeline.
This is why 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' is not included for its episode that touched on the Roswell incident. By sending three Ferengi back in Time to alter the original chain of events, a new timeline was created. With the other four series, a bit of finagling and dancing with logic can keep them tied together to the same event, in the same TV Land.
Because it was the crustacean Dr. Zoidberg who was the alien back in time, 'Futurama' also creates an alternate timeline. But then again, that series could be set in the Tooniverse.....
Anyway, the ship that contained the three alien pods (who would grow up to become Max, Michael, and Isabel) crashed in Roswell in 1947. The cover-up was instigated by the clandestine group known as Majestic 12, many of whose members would one day become famous in the world of politics.
Probably among the later staff members (quickly to become one of the most powerful) was known as the Cigarette Smoking Man. He would have been brought into the cabal during the 1960s, and probably after the death of Major Frank Bach.
The aliens that were known about initially from the crash were probably just guards-for-hire for the three alien embryo pods. Those guards probably served as meta-McGuffins, whose deaths and alien autopsies drew attention away while the embryos were secreted away to a hidden cave to develop in secrecy.
Luckily they were removed before they could be discovered, as the wreckage was combed over for any technological advances that might have helped Mankind. Van Statten mentions in "Dalek" that broadband was one of the benefits which derived from the Roswell debris.
But another marvel retrieved from Roswell was the ability to go back in Time seven days, which Operation Backstep used for a covert government project to rewrite History (but of course for only the most dire of emergencies).
Van Statten also made mention of the medical find his researchers recovered from the mysterious crater that had been created by some sort of seismic blast in 1908 Russia - the cure for the common cold. (Of course, his corporation decided to keep that a secret for fear of ruining the cold & flu medicinal industry.)
Scientists are still baffled as to what may have caused that crater, but some sort of extraterrestrial blast has always been a popular theory. And according to FBI Agent Fox Mulder's personal experiences, the alien black oil could be traced back to the site.
(It's also one of the Toobworld hypotheticals that another alien involved in that blast {and survived} had been a Conehead from Remulac. This Conehead, whether it was a male or a female somehow fit into the human society during the early stages of Soviet Russia and even fathered a half-human hybrid child who grew up to become an arch-villain in Gotham City.... Egghead.)
So that's where we find the links for this episode of 'Doctor Who'. It was set in Utah, but we had to travel to Roswell, New Mexico.
Shows cited:
'Doctor Who'
'Roswell'
'Dark Skies'
'7 Days'
'The X-Files'
'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'
'Futurama'
'Saturday Night Live'
'Batman'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Fifteen years after the last regular episode, six years after the one TV movie for the Eighth Doctor, we've had a full series of thirteen episodes featuring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Incarnation.
The final episode for this year has aired, signaling the end of Eccleston's tenure and marking the debut of David Tennant in the role.
And so to celebrate, most of my essays and all of the Crossovers will be dedicated to the Doctor for the rest of the summer.
Be forewarned: In my essays during this summer salute to 'Doctor Who', there will be spoilers for each of the episodes, especially in regard to summaries.....
First off, here's a recap of the episode:
Location: Beneath the Utah Desert
Date: 2012
Enemy: Dalek soldier
The Doctor and Rose find themselves in an underground museum in Utah in the year 2012. The museum houses all kinds of extraterrestrial artifacts; the only living exhibit being one of the Doctor's oldest enemies - a Dalek!
[Thanks to TV.com]
Beneath the Salt Plains of Utah, the billionaire collector Henry Van Statten holds the last relic of an alien race. When the Doctor and Rose investigate, they discover that the Doctor’s oldest and most deadly enemy is about to break free. It’s a fight to the death, with Rose caught in the middle.
[Thanks to The Doctor Who Reference Guide]
CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK
'DOCTOR WHO' - "DALEK"
&
'ROSWELL', 'DARK SKIES', '7 DAYS' & 'THE X-FILES'
'DOCTOR WHO' - "DALEK"
&
'ROSWELL', 'DARK SKIES', '7 DAYS' & 'THE X-FILES'
We owe the quartet of connections to this week's episode to the fact that the "Owner of the Internet", Henry Van Statten, is a collector of alien artifacts and relics.
In his collection there was the mileometer from the alien spacecraft that crashed at Roswell back in 1947. And these four shows touched on that crash without risking being banished to an alternate TV dimension for mucking about with an established timeline.
This is why 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' is not included for its episode that touched on the Roswell incident. By sending three Ferengi back in Time to alter the original chain of events, a new timeline was created. With the other four series, a bit of finagling and dancing with logic can keep them tied together to the same event, in the same TV Land.
Because it was the crustacean Dr. Zoidberg who was the alien back in time, 'Futurama' also creates an alternate timeline. But then again, that series could be set in the Tooniverse.....
Anyway, the ship that contained the three alien pods (who would grow up to become Max, Michael, and Isabel) crashed in Roswell in 1947. The cover-up was instigated by the clandestine group known as Majestic 12, many of whose members would one day become famous in the world of politics.
Probably among the later staff members (quickly to become one of the most powerful) was known as the Cigarette Smoking Man. He would have been brought into the cabal during the 1960s, and probably after the death of Major Frank Bach.
The aliens that were known about initially from the crash were probably just guards-for-hire for the three alien embryo pods. Those guards probably served as meta-McGuffins, whose deaths and alien autopsies drew attention away while the embryos were secreted away to a hidden cave to develop in secrecy.
Luckily they were removed before they could be discovered, as the wreckage was combed over for any technological advances that might have helped Mankind. Van Statten mentions in "Dalek" that broadband was one of the benefits which derived from the Roswell debris.
But another marvel retrieved from Roswell was the ability to go back in Time seven days, which Operation Backstep used for a covert government project to rewrite History (but of course for only the most dire of emergencies).
Van Statten also made mention of the medical find his researchers recovered from the mysterious crater that had been created by some sort of seismic blast in 1908 Russia - the cure for the common cold. (Of course, his corporation decided to keep that a secret for fear of ruining the cold & flu medicinal industry.)
Scientists are still baffled as to what may have caused that crater, but some sort of extraterrestrial blast has always been a popular theory. And according to FBI Agent Fox Mulder's personal experiences, the alien black oil could be traced back to the site.
(It's also one of the Toobworld hypotheticals that another alien involved in that blast {and survived} had been a Conehead from Remulac. This Conehead, whether it was a male or a female somehow fit into the human society during the early stages of Soviet Russia and even fathered a half-human hybrid child who grew up to become an arch-villain in Gotham City.... Egghead.)
So that's where we find the links for this episode of 'Doctor Who'. It was set in Utah, but we had to travel to Roswell, New Mexico.
Shows cited:
'Doctor Who'
'Roswell'
'Dark Skies'
'7 Days'
'The X-Files'
'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'
'Futurama'
'Saturday Night Live'
'Batman'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
MISSING LINKS: "MARS"/"MONK"
"With Milton Hershey's success came a profound sense of moral responsibility and benevolence. His ambitions were not limited to producing chocolate: Hershey envisioned a complete new community around his factory.
He built a model town for his employees that included comfortable homes, an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public school system and extensive recreational and cultural opportunities. Unlike other industrialists of his time, Hershey avoided building a faceless company town with row houses. He wanted a "real home town" with tree-lined streets, single- and two-family brick houses, and manicured lawns.
He was concerned about providing adequate recreation and diversions, so he built a park that opened on April 24, 1907, and expanded rapidly over the next several years. Amusement rides, a swimming pool, and a ballroom were added. Soon, trolley cars and trains were bringing thousands of out-of-town visitors to the park.
Many of the town's impressive structures were built during the Great Depression, as part of Milton Hershey's "Great Building Campaign," to provide jobs. It was then that monumental structures such as the community center, theatre, sports arena and stadium were constructed, transforming the town into a major tourist attraction that continues to grow in popularity each year.
The town of Hershey continues to be a special place for its residents and a popular attraction for millions of visitors annually."
With the 'Monk' episode "Mr. Monk Goes Home Again", the producers had no trouble using the name of a real trash bag company; they even showed a close-up of the product. Since that scene was followed immediately by a commercial for that same trash bag, it was obviously a very overt case of product placement.
But God forbid the candy bar that played a pivotal role in the episode be a real chocolate bar! The fact that the chocolate was poisoned probably played a prime role in the decision.
(Ya think?)
So a fictitious one was created - the Neptune bar.
The first connection would be to think of the Mars Bar which is no longer officially on the shelves in this country.
But I started thinking in terms of the Hershey Company as well, and that they had a whole town with the name of the chocolate bar named after it.
Could something similar have happened with the fictitious Neptune bar?
Instead of the town being named after the chocolate, perhaps the chocolate took its name from the town in which it was first produced.
Neptune, California, 90909.
And that's the town where 'Veronica Mars' has hung her shingle to be a high schoolin' private eye.
Like many of the crossovers I bring up here in the Inner Toob, it's just a hypothetical link. Nothing to confirm it.
But I gotta figure Neptune's a big enough suburb of Los Angeles that we'd never learn that there WASN'T a Neptune Chocolate Bar Company in town.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
He built a model town for his employees that included comfortable homes, an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public school system and extensive recreational and cultural opportunities. Unlike other industrialists of his time, Hershey avoided building a faceless company town with row houses. He wanted a "real home town" with tree-lined streets, single- and two-family brick houses, and manicured lawns.
He was concerned about providing adequate recreation and diversions, so he built a park that opened on April 24, 1907, and expanded rapidly over the next several years. Amusement rides, a swimming pool, and a ballroom were added. Soon, trolley cars and trains were bringing thousands of out-of-town visitors to the park.
Many of the town's impressive structures were built during the Great Depression, as part of Milton Hershey's "Great Building Campaign," to provide jobs. It was then that monumental structures such as the community center, theatre, sports arena and stadium were constructed, transforming the town into a major tourist attraction that continues to grow in popularity each year.
The town of Hershey continues to be a special place for its residents and a popular attraction for millions of visitors annually."
- from the Hershey website
Here endeth the history lesson.With the 'Monk' episode "Mr. Monk Goes Home Again", the producers had no trouble using the name of a real trash bag company; they even showed a close-up of the product. Since that scene was followed immediately by a commercial for that same trash bag, it was obviously a very overt case of product placement.
But God forbid the candy bar that played a pivotal role in the episode be a real chocolate bar! The fact that the chocolate was poisoned probably played a prime role in the decision.
(Ya think?)
So a fictitious one was created - the Neptune bar.
The first connection would be to think of the Mars Bar which is no longer officially on the shelves in this country.
But I started thinking in terms of the Hershey Company as well, and that they had a whole town with the name of the chocolate bar named after it.
Could something similar have happened with the fictitious Neptune bar?
Instead of the town being named after the chocolate, perhaps the chocolate took its name from the town in which it was first produced.
Neptune, California, 90909.
And that's the town where 'Veronica Mars' has hung her shingle to be a high schoolin' private eye.
Like many of the crossovers I bring up here in the Inner Toob, it's just a hypothetical link. Nothing to confirm it.
But I gotta figure Neptune's a big enough suburb of Los Angeles that we'd never learn that there WASN'T a Neptune Chocolate Bar Company in town.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
LEGAL SURROUNDINGS
The set for 'Law & Order: Trial By Jury' has not been struck, even though the show itself was struck down. It's getting a new lease on life now that the network is developing a new series from Dick Wolf about assistant district attorneys in New York.
The 'Trial By Jury' set will remain standing for at least a year in New York to be used in the production on the planned ADA series, which was pitched to NBC brass late last week.
"I fully expect to be in production within the time period" of the agreement on keeping the sets up, Wolf said.
Wolf said the new show would be much more character-driven with closed-end story lines and less of the procedural format of Wolf's 'Law & Order', and its offshoots 'Law & Order: SVU' and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'. He said the show also would be part of a youth movement at the franchise, with the average age of Manhattan assistant district attorneys being 28.
"It will be much more of an ensemble than the other shows, with time spent not necessarily on their personal lives but how they're driven, what made them, who they will become," Wolf said. "It's a very transitional age."
Yeah, not necessarily personal.... but maybe there'll still be some sex in the offices. Hey, it's time to bring back that 'L.A. Law' licentiousness!
But still, just having the set alone works for me in making a crossover for this un-named show. And what I'd like to see would be the return of Amy Carlson as ADA Kelly Gaffney.
I suppose at - what? 38 by then? - the other ADAs would be calling her Granny......
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
The 'Trial By Jury' set will remain standing for at least a year in New York to be used in the production on the planned ADA series, which was pitched to NBC brass late last week.
"I fully expect to be in production within the time period" of the agreement on keeping the sets up, Wolf said.
Wolf said the new show would be much more character-driven with closed-end story lines and less of the procedural format of Wolf's 'Law & Order', and its offshoots 'Law & Order: SVU' and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'. He said the show also would be part of a youth movement at the franchise, with the average age of Manhattan assistant district attorneys being 28.
"It will be much more of an ensemble than the other shows, with time spent not necessarily on their personal lives but how they're driven, what made them, who they will become," Wolf said. "It's a very transitional age."
Yeah, not necessarily personal.... but maybe there'll still be some sex in the offices. Hey, it's time to bring back that 'L.A. Law' licentiousness!
But still, just having the set alone works for me in making a crossover for this un-named show. And what I'd like to see would be the return of Amy Carlson as ADA Kelly Gaffney.
I suppose at - what? 38 by then? - the other ADAs would be calling her Granny......
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
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