The BBC premiered 'Holby Blue' last week, a spin-off from a spin-off ('Holby City' from 'Casualty') to less-than-stellar reviews. But a character from the 'Casualty' mothership to make it official: Charlie Fairhead, as played by Derek Thompson, appeared in just a cameo bit.
TV Today, part of The Stage online, said of his appearance that "The poor fella looks a tad mystified, as if he’s wandered into the wrong show.I know just how he feels."
Still it's nice to see the Sign of the Crossover hard at work over in the UK.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
ALL APOLOGIES
Sorry I've dropped the ball when it comes to reporting on the Upfronts, but that's what happens when Life intrudes on my So-Called Life.
Thursday I'll play catch-up, but it's not like anybody would be turning to Inner Toob for the specific news on this Holy Week of O'Bligation, anyway.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
Thursday I'll play catch-up, but it's not like anybody would be turning to Inner Toob for the specific news on this Holy Week of O'Bligation, anyway.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
THE FRIENDLY ANGEL
It's not for us in the Real World to know the destiny of the soul of Reverend Jerry Falwell, who passed away yesterday. As such, his fate depends on the personal viewpoints about him and about the afterlife (if any); and then whether or not he ended up in Heaven, Hell, reincarnated, or lost in the void of nothingness.
Toobworld is not under any such compunction. As Falwell had a fictional televersion, TV writers - especially for the sketch comedy shows like 'SNL' and 'MadTV' - are free to imagine his eternal fate. Perhaps he might face a reincarnated existence as a dog, as is often the case for humans in Toobworld.
I doubt he regenerated as if he was a Gallifreyan Time Lord!
As for me, I think the spirit of Jerry Falwell will become imprisoned in a cave on the planet Triacus, as seen forty years ago on 'Star Trek'.
(Click here to see the pictorial splainin for my theory.)
As to why he murdered those colonists on Triacus, he probably saw them as being similar to those pagan liberal gay feminists who brought about 9/11.
Hey - his spirit will have had a long time to fester in that cave by that point. It's no wonder he didn't look like his corporeal being when he first appeared to those children.
That's just a theory of course. It'll never grow legs outside of this blog.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Toobworld is not under any such compunction. As Falwell had a fictional televersion, TV writers - especially for the sketch comedy shows like 'SNL' and 'MadTV' - are free to imagine his eternal fate. Perhaps he might face a reincarnated existence as a dog, as is often the case for humans in Toobworld.
I doubt he regenerated as if he was a Gallifreyan Time Lord!
As for me, I think the spirit of Jerry Falwell will become imprisoned in a cave on the planet Triacus, as seen forty years ago on 'Star Trek'.
(Click here to see the pictorial splainin for my theory.)
As to why he murdered those colonists on Triacus, he probably saw them as being similar to those pagan liberal gay feminists who brought about 9/11.
Hey - his spirit will have had a long time to fester in that cave by that point. It's no wonder he didn't look like his corporeal being when he first appeared to those children.
That's just a theory of course. It'll never grow legs outside of this blog.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
FALWELL FELLED
I had this idea for an editorial cartoon regarding today's news about the death of Reverend Jerry Falwell.
Falwell is at the Pearly Gates, standing before St. Peter who says:
"No, you can't go back in three days. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Okay, so I wasn't a fan.
But I did want to acknowledge his Toobworld credentials, aside from his body of work in Reali-TV with appearances on talk shows and in documentaries, but especially with the '700 Club' which still holds sway over the ABC Family network.
Rev. Falwell also appeared as himself in two politically-laced TV series, one a drama and the other a sitcom:
"First Monday" .... Himself (1 episode, 2002)
- Age of Consent (2002) TV Episode (as Rev. Jerry Falwell) .... Himself
"LateLine" .... Himself (1 episode, 1998)
- Lawyer, Lawyer (1998) TV Episode .... Himself
[Information courtesy of the IMDb.com]
BCnU.....
Toby OB
Falwell is at the Pearly Gates, standing before St. Peter who says:
"No, you can't go back in three days. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Okay, so I wasn't a fan.
But I did want to acknowledge his Toobworld credentials, aside from his body of work in Reali-TV with appearances on talk shows and in documentaries, but especially with the '700 Club' which still holds sway over the ABC Family network.
Rev. Falwell also appeared as himself in two politically-laced TV series, one a drama and the other a sitcom:
"First Monday" .... Himself (1 episode, 2002)
- Age of Consent (2002) TV Episode (as Rev. Jerry Falwell) .... Himself
"LateLine" .... Himself (1 episode, 1998)
- Lawyer, Lawyer (1998) TV Episode .... Himself
[Information courtesy of the IMDb.com]
BCnU.....
Toby OB
MR. LINDERMAN, YOUR NUMBER'S UP
One of the infamous sequence of numbers from 'Lost' (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) appeared in this week's penultimate episode of 'Heroes'.
Mr. Linderman told Nikki/Jessica and DL that their son Micah was being held on the 42nd floor.
The number '23' showed up in an earlier episode when Mohinder was in Bozeman, Montana. That was the number of his motel room.
There has been talk of some kind of connection between 'Lost' and 'Heroes', but it was definitely confirmed when Jessica used Gannon Car Rental to get her to L.A. for a contracted hit on one of Mr. Linderman's foes.
But there was also a suggested one when Nathan talked about what would happen if the "heroes" went public with their secret - that they would be whisked away to some island in the middle of the ocean where experiments would be conducted on them in underground laboratories.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
Mr. Linderman told Nikki/Jessica and DL that their son Micah was being held on the 42nd floor.
The number '23' showed up in an earlier episode when Mohinder was in Bozeman, Montana. That was the number of his motel room.
There has been talk of some kind of connection between 'Lost' and 'Heroes', but it was definitely confirmed when Jessica used Gannon Car Rental to get her to L.A. for a contracted hit on one of Mr. Linderman's foes.
But there was also a suggested one when Nathan talked about what would happen if the "heroes" went public with their secret - that they would be whisked away to some island in the middle of the ocean where experiments would be conducted on them in underground laboratories.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
Monday, May 14, 2007
NUMBER 1800: THE NBC UPFRONTS
This is the week of "Upfronts", one of the Holy Weeks of O'Bligation in Televisiology, when each day a network steps up to the plate to announce its plans for the coming season - which shows stay, which are goners, and which pilots got picked up to be offered in sacrifice to the Powers That Be (Nielsen families).
NBC was up first on Monday, and they released the following lineup for the fall TV season:
Monday:
8pm: Deal or No Deal
9pm: Heroes
10pm: Journeyman
Tuesday:
8pm: The Biggest Loser
9pm: Chuck
10: Law & Order: SVU
Wednesday:
8pm: Deal or No Deal
9pm: The Bionic Woman
10pm: Life
Thursday:
8pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30: 30 Rock
9pm: The Office
9:30: Scrubs
10pm: ER
Friday:
8pm: 1 vs. 100/Singing Bee
9pm: Las Vegas
10pm: Friday Night Lights
Saturday:
8pm: Dateline
9pm: Repeats of dramas like Law & Order, etc.
Sunday:
7pm: Football Night In America/Dateline
8pm: Sunday Night Football/Law & Order
Sunday (after football ends):
7pm: Dateline
8pm: Law and Order
9pm: Medium
10pm: Lipstick Jungle
Here are the shows that will be returning to serve the Peacock Throne:
Friday Night Lights, Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, Law & Order: SVU, Deal or No Deal, 30 Rock, The Office, Heroes, Scrubs, ER, The Biggest Loser, Las Vegas, My Name Is Earl, 1 vs. 100, Dateline, Football Night In America, Medium, and Saturday Night Live.
I suppose the two real surprises are 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Law & Order: CI', but both of them do come with conditions. 'FNL' will be shown in the telephant's graveyard - Friday nights. And 'L&O: CI' will be shown first on USA Network and then repeated on the mothership network.
To me it looks like the timeslot of 10 pm on Fridays would be good for 'Friday Night Lights'. First off, it reinforces the thought of Friday nights in the viewers' thick skulls, so it will be easier to find on the schedule. (NBC was bouncing it around a bit this past season.) And secondly, it's not likely to have much competition in that time period, one upside to the fact that a lot of the audience are out and about on a Friday night.
But what do I know? I'm the guy who proposed moving 'Lost' to 10 pm so that it wouldn't matter if they lost the audience afterwards to online speculation. And look how well THAT turned out!
The plan for 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' doesn't make much sense to me. I would have thought it would work better to premiere on NBC and then go to USA Network. Perhaps this is a way for the network to gradually shift it over to the satellite network permanently.
The Thursday night comedy lineup will go through a change, but not in content. 'The Office' will move to 9 pm to take up that legendary anchor position now that 'Scrubs' is beginning to look tired, and the medicomedy will shift back to 9:30. That means '30 Rock', one of my three favorite new shows this year, will take up residence in the 8:30 slot.
Now, in the past that timeslot has been considered cursed; that no show could carry the weight of its lead-in and then deliver the audience intact to the biggie at 9 pm. I believe '30 Rock' will be able to do that this year, however!
Here's the list of TV shows that have been cut loose by the network:
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Crossing Jordan, The Black Donnellys, Kidnapped, Andy Barker, P.I., Identity, Raines, 20 Good Years, Grease: You're The One That I Want, The Real Wedding Crashers, Thank God You're Here.
No real surprises there at all, except maybe 'Crossing Jordan'. Most of them were already gone; the "Grease" reality show (which I will have a tenuous connection to once it opens) was always meant to be a one-time thang; and 'Thank God You're Here' served its purpose as a stop-gap, cost-cutting measure, something like the finger in the dike to prevent a few more viewers from leaking away.
Cancelling 'Studio 60' only confirmed the inevitable, and I hope Sorkin & Co. don't try to spin it so that they're not the ones to blame. Their execution of the storylines drove away the viewers after such a phenomenal pilot and they were never able to find the right balance to bring them back.
I just wish 'Raines' could have found a home at USA Network alongside 'Psych' and 'Monk'.....
In other news for NBC, 'Law & Order' will move to Sundays at 8pm (in 2008), after football season is over.
Here's a look at the new shows on the sked:
'Heroes: Origins' will be six special episodes of the series, which will air during the show's hiatus.
'The Bionic Woman' is an updating of the classic ABC show from the 70s. It stars British actress Michelle Ryan.
'Chuck' is about a computer geek who becomes a spy (somehow). It's produced by Josh Schwartz, who did The O.C., and director McG.
'Journeyman' sounds a lot like a 21st century version of Quantum Leap. It stars Kevin McKidd from 'Rome' and is produced by some of the people behind 'The West Wing'. (For me, it sounds like the description of a proposed series that would have starred Eddie Albert back in the fifties. His time-travelling journalist would have been an American 'Doctor Who' type.)
'The IT Crowd' is a new comedy that focuses on the lives of tech people. TVSquad thought it sounded like a nerdier 'Office', but to me it sounds like 'Dweebs' with a fresh coat of paint.
'Life' is a drama about a detective who spends years in jail for a crime he didn't commit and is given a second chance. It stars Damian Lewis from 'Band of Brothers'.
'Lipstick Jungle' is from Candace Bushnell, who did 'Sex and the City', and sounds similar. It stars Brooke Shields and Kim Raver, from 'The Nine'.
'The Singing Bee' is another damn singing competition. (Probably trying to capitalize on what little interest there is in spelling bees mixed with 'American Idol'.)
'World Moves' is a hip-hop competition, and is produced by 'American Idol's Randy Jackson.
'Lipshitz Saves The World' is a comedy starring Leslie Nielsen about a nerdy teen who is chosen to protect the world from danger.
[My thanks to TVSquad.com for the descriptions of these new shows.]
NBCnU!
Toby OB
BTW, this marks my 1,800th post here at "Inner Toob"!
NBC was up first on Monday, and they released the following lineup for the fall TV season:
Monday:
8pm: Deal or No Deal
9pm: Heroes
10pm: Journeyman
Tuesday:
8pm: The Biggest Loser
9pm: Chuck
10: Law & Order: SVU
Wednesday:
8pm: Deal or No Deal
9pm: The Bionic Woman
10pm: Life
Thursday:
8pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30: 30 Rock
9pm: The Office
9:30: Scrubs
10pm: ER
Friday:
8pm: 1 vs. 100/Singing Bee
9pm: Las Vegas
10pm: Friday Night Lights
Saturday:
8pm: Dateline
9pm: Repeats of dramas like Law & Order, etc.
Sunday:
7pm: Football Night In America/Dateline
8pm: Sunday Night Football/Law & Order
Sunday (after football ends):
7pm: Dateline
8pm: Law and Order
9pm: Medium
10pm: Lipstick Jungle
Here are the shows that will be returning to serve the Peacock Throne:
Friday Night Lights, Law & Order, Law & Order: CI, Law & Order: SVU, Deal or No Deal, 30 Rock, The Office, Heroes, Scrubs, ER, The Biggest Loser, Las Vegas, My Name Is Earl, 1 vs. 100, Dateline, Football Night In America, Medium, and Saturday Night Live.
I suppose the two real surprises are 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Law & Order: CI', but both of them do come with conditions. 'FNL' will be shown in the telephant's graveyard - Friday nights. And 'L&O: CI' will be shown first on USA Network and then repeated on the mothership network.
To me it looks like the timeslot of 10 pm on Fridays would be good for 'Friday Night Lights'. First off, it reinforces the thought of Friday nights in the viewers' thick skulls, so it will be easier to find on the schedule. (NBC was bouncing it around a bit this past season.) And secondly, it's not likely to have much competition in that time period, one upside to the fact that a lot of the audience are out and about on a Friday night.
But what do I know? I'm the guy who proposed moving 'Lost' to 10 pm so that it wouldn't matter if they lost the audience afterwards to online speculation. And look how well THAT turned out!
The plan for 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' doesn't make much sense to me. I would have thought it would work better to premiere on NBC and then go to USA Network. Perhaps this is a way for the network to gradually shift it over to the satellite network permanently.
The Thursday night comedy lineup will go through a change, but not in content. 'The Office' will move to 9 pm to take up that legendary anchor position now that 'Scrubs' is beginning to look tired, and the medicomedy will shift back to 9:30. That means '30 Rock', one of my three favorite new shows this year, will take up residence in the 8:30 slot.
Now, in the past that timeslot has been considered cursed; that no show could carry the weight of its lead-in and then deliver the audience intact to the biggie at 9 pm. I believe '30 Rock' will be able to do that this year, however!
Here's the list of TV shows that have been cut loose by the network:
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Crossing Jordan, The Black Donnellys, Kidnapped, Andy Barker, P.I., Identity, Raines, 20 Good Years, Grease: You're The One That I Want, The Real Wedding Crashers, Thank God You're Here.
No real surprises there at all, except maybe 'Crossing Jordan'. Most of them were already gone; the "Grease" reality show (which I will have a tenuous connection to once it opens) was always meant to be a one-time thang; and 'Thank God You're Here' served its purpose as a stop-gap, cost-cutting measure, something like the finger in the dike to prevent a few more viewers from leaking away.
Cancelling 'Studio 60' only confirmed the inevitable, and I hope Sorkin & Co. don't try to spin it so that they're not the ones to blame. Their execution of the storylines drove away the viewers after such a phenomenal pilot and they were never able to find the right balance to bring them back.
I just wish 'Raines' could have found a home at USA Network alongside 'Psych' and 'Monk'.....
In other news for NBC, 'Law & Order' will move to Sundays at 8pm (in 2008), after football season is over.
Here's a look at the new shows on the sked:
'Heroes: Origins' will be six special episodes of the series, which will air during the show's hiatus.
'The Bionic Woman' is an updating of the classic ABC show from the 70s. It stars British actress Michelle Ryan.
'Chuck' is about a computer geek who becomes a spy (somehow). It's produced by Josh Schwartz, who did The O.C., and director McG.
'Journeyman' sounds a lot like a 21st century version of Quantum Leap. It stars Kevin McKidd from 'Rome' and is produced by some of the people behind 'The West Wing'. (For me, it sounds like the description of a proposed series that would have starred Eddie Albert back in the fifties. His time-travelling journalist would have been an American 'Doctor Who' type.)
'The IT Crowd' is a new comedy that focuses on the lives of tech people. TVSquad thought it sounded like a nerdier 'Office', but to me it sounds like 'Dweebs' with a fresh coat of paint.
'Life' is a drama about a detective who spends years in jail for a crime he didn't commit and is given a second chance. It stars Damian Lewis from 'Band of Brothers'.
'Lipstick Jungle' is from Candace Bushnell, who did 'Sex and the City', and sounds similar. It stars Brooke Shields and Kim Raver, from 'The Nine'.
'The Singing Bee' is another damn singing competition. (Probably trying to capitalize on what little interest there is in spelling bees mixed with 'American Idol'.)
'World Moves' is a hip-hop competition, and is produced by 'American Idol's Randy Jackson.
'Lipshitz Saves The World' is a comedy starring Leslie Nielsen about a nerdy teen who is chosen to protect the world from danger.
[My thanks to TVSquad.com for the descriptions of these new shows.]
NBCnU!
Toby OB
BTW, this marks my 1,800th post here at "Inner Toob"!
NEW @ TOOBWORLD CENTRAL
Got another drop-off from Amazon.com:
"Dinosaurs" (the complete 3rd & 4th seasons)
Thought this went missing. The online tracking said it was delivered, but I didn't get the usual notice that the super had accepted it. Luckily I figured where the signals were crossed.
I'm the Toby. Gotta love me!
"Dinosaurs" (the complete 3rd & 4th seasons)
Thought this went missing. The online tracking said it was delivered, but I didn't get the usual notice that the super had accepted it. Luckily I figured where the signals were crossed.
I'm the Toby. Gotta love me!
CHRISTOPHUH
He had it coming.
They all do.
Perhaps over in the Tooniverse, he's still alive; still out there planting trees in Quahog with Stewie Griffin.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
They all do.
Perhaps over in the Tooniverse, he's still alive; still out there planting trees in Quahog with Stewie Griffin.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
Sunday, May 13, 2007
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF LARRY DAVID
Larry David recently filmed a cameo for 'Hannah Montana' on the Disney Channel. In it, he arrives at a restaurant with his two daughters, but without a reservation. And even though he made a fortune from being the co-creator of 'Seinfeld' as well as the star of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', Larry can't get anywhere with the maitre d'.
However, when Hannah Montana saunters into the restaurant under similar circumstances, she's seated right away.
As I said, Larry David's not alone in the scene - his two daughters by Laurie David are with him. Daughter Cazzie razzes him by saying, "Face it, Dad, she's bigger than you! Bet Uncle Jerry could get us in!"
O'Bviously that's a reference to Jerry Seinfeld.
Larry David made an appearance as himself in an episode of 'Entourage' and that worked as a League of Themselves link to 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. But this is a glaring Zonk, since the Toobworld version of Larry David doesn't have any children.
It was bad enough in the past when his wife Laurie would make appearances on TV in connection to her work crusading for the environment. I once covered that up with a bit of song-and-dance that she must be some kind of stalker nut in the TV Universe, since Larry David is married to Cheryl as seen on the show.
Trying to splain away two daughters? I'm afraid that there's only one way around this, and it would give a better splainin for Laurie David:
In the TV Universe, Laurie David is his ex-wife. He left her and their two daughters and married Cheryl David. We never see any of them in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' nor hear mention of them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. (It's all in the same league as the classic example of Chekov meeting Khan on 'Star Trek'.)
So the appearance on 'Hannah Montana' was one of those times when he had custody of the kids for the weekend and took them out to dinner. And it could be that we never see or hear about them on 'CYE' because they just don't get along with Cheryl......
Just sayin', is all. Wouldn't be the first time we've seen that happen in a second marriage.
What makes this splainin work is the character of Larry David himself. Let's face it, he's not the easiest guy in the world to be with......
BCnU!
Toby OB
However, when Hannah Montana saunters into the restaurant under similar circumstances, she's seated right away.
As I said, Larry David's not alone in the scene - his two daughters by Laurie David are with him. Daughter Cazzie razzes him by saying, "Face it, Dad, she's bigger than you! Bet Uncle Jerry could get us in!"
O'Bviously that's a reference to Jerry Seinfeld.
Larry David made an appearance as himself in an episode of 'Entourage' and that worked as a League of Themselves link to 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. But this is a glaring Zonk, since the Toobworld version of Larry David doesn't have any children.
It was bad enough in the past when his wife Laurie would make appearances on TV in connection to her work crusading for the environment. I once covered that up with a bit of song-and-dance that she must be some kind of stalker nut in the TV Universe, since Larry David is married to Cheryl as seen on the show.
Trying to splain away two daughters? I'm afraid that there's only one way around this, and it would give a better splainin for Laurie David:
In the TV Universe, Laurie David is his ex-wife. He left her and their two daughters and married Cheryl David. We never see any of them in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' nor hear mention of them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. (It's all in the same league as the classic example of Chekov meeting Khan on 'Star Trek'.)
So the appearance on 'Hannah Montana' was one of those times when he had custody of the kids for the weekend and took them out to dinner. And it could be that we never see or hear about them on 'CYE' because they just don't get along with Cheryl......
Just sayin', is all. Wouldn't be the first time we've seen that happen in a second marriage.
What makes this splainin work is the character of Larry David himself. Let's face it, he's not the easiest guy in the world to be with......
BCnU!
Toby OB
MARK OF ANGER
For what it's worth, I'm using "Inner Toob" today as an open forum so that my friend Mark can air his grievance against the National Geographic Channel:
My name is Mark Thompson, and I felt compelled to write after watching last night's episode 'Violent Earth'. This show must be edited or withdrawn completely - your lack of an update for hurricane Katrina makes light of a national tragedy and shows contempt for the dead. How an organization such as yours could let that show go on without redaction is truly baffling! As the announcers says that the worst hurricane was 'Ivan' and that New Orleans has been spared again and again.
What's next? An engineering program marvelling at the World Trade Center and how the twin towers rise tall and proud? Come on, NGC! This one wasn't even in the ballpark. I never write a letter like this (and I feel actually odd saying this) but shame on you!
Mark Thompson
New York, NY
I didn't see the program, so I can't say if it was presented with historical context or not - as would be the case if somebody re-broadcast Jackie Kennedy's tour of the White House or the "NBC White Paper" on the Berlin Wall. But this does sound like it was a case of tossing something on the air without checking to see if it needed updating.
Mark says it was on at 3 am last night, so they probably figured "why bother?"
It's not like a lot of people watch them during normal viewing time.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
My name is Mark Thompson, and I felt compelled to write after watching last night's episode 'Violent Earth'. This show must be edited or withdrawn completely - your lack of an update for hurricane Katrina makes light of a national tragedy and shows contempt for the dead. How an organization such as yours could let that show go on without redaction is truly baffling! As the announcers says that the worst hurricane was 'Ivan' and that New Orleans has been spared again and again.
What's next? An engineering program marvelling at the World Trade Center and how the twin towers rise tall and proud? Come on, NGC! This one wasn't even in the ballpark. I never write a letter like this (and I feel actually odd saying this) but shame on you!
Mark Thompson
New York, NY
I didn't see the program, so I can't say if it was presented with historical context or not - as would be the case if somebody re-broadcast Jackie Kennedy's tour of the White House or the "NBC White Paper" on the Berlin Wall. But this does sound like it was a case of tossing something on the air without checking to see if it needed updating.
Mark says it was on at 3 am last night, so they probably figured "why bother?"
It's not like a lot of people watch them during normal viewing time.....
BCnU!
Toby OB
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