TOOB TICKETS TO PARADISE

Usually while I'm at The Lake for vacation, I wallow in classic TV Westerns on the Western Channel, which I don't have here in the City. Now that I've got the boxed set for the first season of 'Alias Smith And Jones', I didn't need to go looking for that offering (although I don't think it was available this time around). Instead I latched onto a few episodes of 'Bat Masterson' with Gene Barry as the historical figure - based more on the legend.

I didn't get to see many - the show aired at 5 pm for two episodes and the price paid for having a 2½ year old nephew just getting out of daycare each day around that time was missing the chance to see the show. But there were two episodes that gave me some fodder for Toobworld. (I'm sure there are plenty more.)

"The Court Martial of Major Mars" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of Bat Masterson, and the eighty-ninth episode overall. (Information from the TVIV wiki.)

John Anderson guest-starred as Major Liam Mars. Looking at the names of the other characters in the episode, there is no indication that he was married and had a family. But Anderson was of an age at that point in his character that it was pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that he had already fathered children.
If he had any sons, that Mars scion could have gone on to sire a family tree that would ultimately lead to Keith Mars and his daughter 'Veronica Mars' of Neptune, California, as well as to Federal Marshal Edward Mars, who perished after the plane crash in 'Lost'. It's strictly hypothetical, but nothing really cries out for it to be disqualified as a theory.

The other episode was "The Price Of Paradise", in which Bat Masterson visited the town of Paradise in order to collect on a debt. A highlight of the episode was seeing two actors at either end of the spectrum when it came to their careers - Richard Arlen, who starred in the first Oscar-winning movie, "Wings", played Sheriff Rainey, and a very young and beautiful Dyan Cannon appeared as Jean.

As a fictional location out West, Paradise serves very nicely as a junction in which several TV shows meet. When Paradise was little more than a mining camp just beginning to solidify itself as a town, it was ruled by a ruthless but highly superstitious sheriff by the name of Scratch Madden. (His story can be found in the 'Maverick' episode of "The Cats Of Paradise".)

After he was "removed" from office, Sheriff Rainey must have been brought in to serve as the town began to grow. And it would be after he retired that former gunslinger Ethan Cord moved to 'Paradise' to raise his late sister's three children. (The show later became known as 'Guns Of Paradise'.)

Although "The Cats Of Paradise" was an episode that featured Bret Maverick, Bat Masterson later met brother Bart Maverick in San Francisco for a high-stakes poker game in 1906, just before the Great Quake struck (as seen in "The Gambler IV: Luck Of The Draw"). Soon after that, Masterson teamed up with the equally legendary Wyatt Earp (as played by Hugh O'Brian, who was also in that "Gambler" tv movie) to help out Ethan Cord in the town of Paradise. Mostly due to these two appearances, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp (as portrayed by Gene Barry and Hugh O'Brian) were inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame for August of 2002, part of our salute to duos as the historical pair.

But now it seems that if ever we get around to a salute to locations, Paradise may be eligible as well.....

BCnU!
Toby OB

"Who knows?
If I behave myself and lead the good life,
I might just end up in Paradise."
'Bat Masterson'

"LOST" FORESHADOWED?

While on vacation, I watched the first season of 'Dead Like Me'. Every summer, I take along a boxed set of some TV show and work my way through it (hardly work!); it's my version of summer reading. (Although I also started reading "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman, and that's fantastic!)

In years past, I've taken 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' (all five seasons), 'Doctor Who' (Eccleston's run as #9), and 'Rumpole Of The Bailey'.

I have the second season of 'Dead Like Me' and will start watching that tomorrow. (But first I have to catch up on 'John From Cincinnatti', the only show I couldn't watch at 'The Lake'.)

In the last episode of the first season, "Rest In Peace", the guest star was Harold Perrineau, of 'Oz' and 'Lost' fame. He played a yoga instructor named Aroun who dies of a neck injury, and the role seemed to be a portent of things to come.

When we first meet his character, Perrineau shouts out to Rube (Mandy Patinkin): "You lost?"

No, sir, you were. And will be again, as it has been announced that his character of Michael Dawson will be returning to 'Lost' in Season Four.

And when Aroun finally crosses over to the Other Side, he bestows a "Namaste" upon Rube. This was the salutation made by Dr. Candle in the orientation video on 'Lost' and which was used by the members of the DHARMA Initiative.

No real connection can be made between the two shows just from that, but I did think it was a cool coincidence. (Still, perhaps Michael Dawson, Aroun Levert, and Augustus Hill are all related; maybe Papa was a rolling stone, nudge nudge wink wink.)

BCnU!
Toby OB

A COUPLE OF GRAVE MISTAKES

One of my daily habits online is to peruse the obituaries listed in the New York Times, looking for the names of people who might have made a great contribution to Toobworld, either as characters or behind the scenes.

While I was on vacation, two names jumped out at me, but it turned out that they were not the people I thought they were:

Russell Johnson, Who Transformed the Sound in Concert Halls, Dies at 83

Larry Mathews, a 24-Hour Hairdresser, Dies at 86

Just seeing the names, I thought Russell Johnson was the actor who played the Professor on 'Gilligan's Island'. His character's real name was Roy Hinckley, and it's the Toobworld contention that he was the father of Ralphy Hinckley, aka 'The Greatest American Hero'.

As for Larry Matthews, the listed age alone disqualified him as being the Larry Matthews who played Richard ROSEBUD Petrie on 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. Richie was last seen in a quick cameo at the beginning of the reunion special from a few years ago, and no way did he look anything like an 86 year old.

Whether he looked like a hairdresser, well, that's not for me to guess.

Just sayin', is all.....

BCnU
Toby OB

THROWN FOR A LUPO

Erica Cerra is into her second season as Deputy Jo Lupo on the TV show 'Eureka'. (Although in the actual town of Eureka, she had been the deputy for several years before we got a chance to visit/view.

According to Wikipedia, women are not allowed into the special operations regiment known as the US Army Rangers. They're not even allowed to attend the Ranger school. And yet supposedly, Jo Lupo is a former US Army Ranger with a detailed skill with weaponry.

Actress Erica Cerra has stated in an interview that her character would be "coming out of the closet" during the second season. Normally, this would mean that she would be revealing herself as a lesbian in any other show. But could it be that she has some other deep secret to hide?

Perhaps she used to be a man until she had a sex-change operation after leaving the Rangers. And considering the fact that she was in Eureka, it could be that it was part of some science experiment gone awry.

However, I'd like to think that scenario is just a weird speculation pozz'bility. I believe Jo has always been a woman.... She just hasn't always been Jo Lupo.

Although Jo is now single, I think her last name of "Lupo" is the only remnant left of a previous marriage. She's 27/28 years of age at present, so she must have married quite young. Whether she divorced or was widowed, she is no longer attached to this previous husband which left her free to date both Jim Taggart, the much older big game hunter/scientist and the robot Callister Raynes. (Not that a legality like marriage would stop her from cheating, but I just don't see it in her character.)

It's my contention that her maiden name was "Bowers", and that she grew up not far from Eureka - in the Seattle region, as a matter of fact. If so, we caught a brief glimpse of her near the end of an episode of 'Dead Like Me' ("Reaping Havoc").

Rube's team of Reapers were on the search for an "MJ Bowers" at a family reunion, but unfortunately they weren't in time to pop his soul before he was killed by a hurtling canoe. Before he moved on to the next stage of his existence, he demanded that the Reapers somehow get in touch with his sister, to let her know that he was okay. Rube did this, leaving her a post-it note to which he forged the initials of Jesus Christ.

And that's when we got to see Erica Cerra as M.J. Bowers' sister.

This revelation that Jo will be coming out of the closet this season may throw a spanner in the works for this theory, but until that happens I'll continue to think of her as Jo Bowers Lupo.

There's always a pozz'bility that she can also be seen in the pilot episode of 'Huff' as a waitress, or in the "Date Night" episode of 'Black Sash' as a driver, or maybe even as a pretty girl visiting Chicago in an episode of 'Special Unit 2' ("The Rocks"). (That first example from 'Huff' might be splained away as Jo working undercover on a case that had nothing to do with the events of 'Huff'.)

But I'd have to conduct a "Feasability Study" by watching those episodes to make sure the premise worked....

BCnU!
Toby OB

"THE CLOSER", BUT NO CIGAR

S. Epatha Merkerson appeared on two episodes of 'The Closer', but as Doctor Rebecca Dioli, not as Lt. Anita Van Buren whom she has portrayed on 'Law & Order' since 1991.

Now, normally I would have bemoaned this as a missed opportunity to get a great crossover, one that would cement the place of 'The Closer' in the TV Universe. (For Toobworld, it's already a given, but the Westphallians need the confirmation that can be traced back to 'St. Elsewhere'.)

However, I used to be an actor and on a limited basis I know what it's like to be playing the same role for way too long. I'm sure that after 16 years, Ms. Merkerson jumped at the chance to play anyone else but the Lieutenant, especially when the show has such a high profile as 'The Closer' enjoys - being one of the top cable shows on the air.

But I'd still like to see a link made between 'The Closer' and some other series more firmly entrenched in the TV Universe.

BCnU!
Toby OB

NEW @ TOOBWORLD CENTRAL, VACATION EDITION

My vacation is basically over; I go back to work tomorrow night. But for tonight, I'm acclimating myself to being back in NYC, and getting the rare chance to listen to Vin Scelsa's radio show on WFUV, "Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight".

So while I'm hanging out online, hoping to hear from my Li'l Buddy Sean - the father of my god-daughter - over in Taiwan, I thought it was a good time to post my latest addition to the Toobworld DVD Library.

While stocking up on supplies to bring back to NYC, I found a copy of the first season of 'How I Met Your Mother' at BJ's Warehouse for less than 17 bucks. Amazon.com couldn't even beat that, so I picked it up. For me, 'HIMYM' is one of the top five sitcoms on the air today.

That same day I also got the movie "Hot Fuzz", which I had already seen three times.

My brother Bill also burned a few CDs for me - one of Good Brother Earl and the other for Old Crow Medicine Show, both bands I heard from his collection while up at "The Lake".

BCnU!
Toby OB

PAGING "MY BOYS"

"Studio 6H is where we do 'The Girlie Show'.
Did you all see Tracy Jordan make a special appearance the other night?
Wasn't that exciting!?
That is what we in the show business like to call a cameo."
Kenneth Parcell
'30 Rock'

Jack McBrayer appeared on the first episode of 'My Boys' for the second season, "The Promise Of A New Season". His character was un-named, and only was onscreen for less than a minute, but somehow he became the mortal enemy of Kenny Morritori's new, very pregnant girlfriend while they were all at Crowley's bar.

McBrayer is best known today for playing Kenneth Ellen Parcell, the sweetly simple page working for NBC at '30 Rock'. But he's not chained to life in New York City because of his job. (First off, he's from farther south.) So it's entirely pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, as Vincent Van Gopher would say, that maybe Kenny had to go to Chicago on NBC business for either Jack Donaghy, Liz Lemon, or more likely, for Tracy Jordan, the star of 'TGS with Tracy Jordan'.

Just by chance his path crossed with Kimmy at the Crowley's bar, and unlike her new boyfriend, this was one Kenny with whom she did not get along.

Kenny: It's Kimmy's business and she can be sensitive.
Kimmy: There's the dick head from the bar!

As always with Toobworld, this can't be a proven link. But should Jack McBrayer ever appear as Kenny the Page in any other NBC show, this would be the hypothetical link that could garner him a berth in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame on the Birthday Honors List.

BCnU!
Toby OB

"You are a puzzle, Kenneth Ellen,
And I'm going to solve you. Yes I am."
Jack Donaghy
'30 Rock'

UNREADY FOR EDDIE

So for those few of you who may have been wondering where I've been the last week, I'm in the middle of vacation. I've had the temptation to post a few times - such as with my theoretical connection between 'Dead Like Me' and 'Eureka' and a connection between '30 Rock' and 'My Boys' - but I vowed that I'd make it a real vacation all around.

However....

I just wanted to tell you about my "dinner date" with my sister and my 2½ year old nephew last night because it could have been a TV related adventure. But as usual with my "living on the periphery" existence, it didn't come off as my sister planned....

She wanted to surprise me with the location and the reason for the trip, but finally let me know since my dislike for embarrassing surprises is well known in my family. Apparently there was to be a car show in Litchfield, and afterwards one of the "stars" appearing at it was going to be signing autographs at a Torrington MacDonald's: Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster on 'The Munsters'.

However, there was supposedly a torrential downpour in Litchfield and the car show was called off. So the chain of events led him to cancel out the Golden Arches appearance.

Not that it really mattered; I got to hang out with Leah and Tommy, and we got two Superman toys from Happy Meals. So one's for me, kept mint in the box; not a bad thing.

But it would have been cool to meet a contemporary who portrayed a great figure of Toobworld.

See you when I get back!

BCnU!
Toby OB

ECHOES RE-"CAPPED"

"In your virgin mind, women are like these mythical creatures - like unicorns with breasts. That's a myth. Women are just normal people with breasts." - Cappie, 'Greek'

"I like to think of girls as round men." - Carter Nash, 'Captain Nice'

TWILIGHT ZONK

One day during her second week as a secretary at the Sterling-Cooper advertising agency, Peggy was given the "grand tour" of the offices. When Paul started doing his impression of Rod Serling hosting 'The Twilight Zone' ("Submitted for your approval..."), Peggy didn't pick up on the reference. As she explained, she didn't like science fiction.

Her attitude worried Paul because there were rumors that CBS might cancel the show. (Whether his fears stemmed from just being a fan or because the agency was buying ad time for its clients on the show is unclear.) But luckily for him, Peggy proved to be in the minority. As time went on, 'The Twilight Zone' became one of the most enduring classics of Television, perhaps the culmination of the medium's "Golden Age". It's become so ingrained in our psyche that the phrase "The Twilight Zone" has moved beyond just being a pop culture reference to actually refer to those surreal, bizarre moments in our lives.

(An interesting bit of trivia in this episode, which may have been deliberate on the part of Matthew Weiner, the writer: even though the agency's clients might have been sponsoring 'The Twilight Zone', ad exec Don Draper's mistress and even his own children were ignoring it in favor of its competition on NBC, 'People Are Funny'. When 'The Twilight Zone' debuted, 'People Are Funny' was already a ratings powerhouse on Friday nights.)

Along with 'Star Trek', 'The Twilight Zone' is one of the biggest sources of Zonks in Toobworld. (For the uninitiated, Zonks are references to other TV shows as TV shows, when they should be sharing the same universe as the show making the reference.)

For the most part, the show should be be considered part of the main TV Universe, but there are certain episodes which must be located on other planets ("Eye Of The Beholder" and "The Invaders", for example) or in a parallel dimension (like "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You").

As for Rod Serling's participation as the on-screen narrator, he is the inspiration for the term "serlinguist", those TV characters who can talk to the viewers at home in the Trueniverse. Yet at the same time, he is the creative force behind the show in Toobworld as well. ('Perry Mason' mentions that he and Serling are old friends in one of the episodes of his courtroom drama.)

So even though most of the episodes have taken place on Earth Prime-Time ("Where Is Everybody?", "Nick Of Time", "Long Distance Call", "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet" etc), other TV characters have made references to the show when they've found themselves in freaky situations.

Here are a few examples:

"Next stop - 'The Twilight Zone'." - Detective Christine Cagney, 'Cagney And Lacey'

"I think I've seen this on 'The Twilight Zone'." - Mary, 'Night Court'

"It's like 'The Twilight Zone' around here, Wolf." - Jack Cafferty, 'The Situation Room'

JERRY: You know, this is like that Twilight Zone where the guy wakes up, and he's the same - but everyone else is different!
KRAMER: Which one?
JERRY: They were all like that!
- 'Seinfeld'

"I just had the weirdest experience. It was like something out of 'The Twilight Zone'!" - Larry Dallas, 'Three's Company'

"It was weird! It was like 'The Twilight Zone'! Only it wasn't in black and white." - Richard Addison, 'Moonlighting'

"This is weird! It's like 'The Twilight Zone'! I kind of half-expect Rod Steiger to just walk out here...." Jackie Thomas, 'The Jackie Thomas Show'

(Trust me, his use of "Steiger" was not a transcription error on my part!)

One good thing about the reference in the second episode of 'Mad Men' is that we can now use it to narrow down the date of the show to be more precise than just saying it takes place in 1960.

CBS announced that 'The Twilight Zone' would run the full complement of episodes for the first season on February 10th, 1960. But it would not be until May 11th of that year before CBS confirmed that the show would be renewed for a second season.

Although General Foods and Kimberly-Clark were the sponsors of the first season, the sponsors for Year Two would be General Foods and Colgate-Palmolive. Colgate-Palmolive is definitely a client of Sterling Cooper. (They manufacture Right Guard, the product in the ad campaign spotlight this week.) So it could be that Paul was worried about the show's cancellation because he was involved in putting the deal together to bring in Colgate-Palmolive as a sponsor the following year.

Therefore, I'm thinking that at least with the second episode of 'Mad Men', it's taking place at some point in April of 1960. The weather seems pleasant enough for people to be outside without coats (as we see with the divorcee who's moving in down the street from the Drapers). And the lawns are a deep green, which probably means they've had time to flourish for at least a few weeks in warmer weather.

[My thanks to Marc Scott Zicree's excellent book, "The Twilight Zone Companion" for the information... informatin... information.... And I'm glad he corrected a chronological error with the second edition!]

BCnU!
Toby OB

"I must be dreaming!
Either that, or I'm in the Twilo Zone!"
Rob Petrie
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'