A BIT OF WIMSEY UPSTAIRS.....

Richard Bellamy was a British politician in the early years of the 20th Century, as seen in 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. Although he held the title of 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham, it wasn't hereditary, but rather from a combination of his hard work and his wife's family connections. (Lady Marjorie Talbot-Carey Bellamy was the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Southwold.) Richard Bellamy was of simple origins, being the son of a poor parson.

Or so he thought.

Based on his incredible similarity in appearance to Gerald Christian Wimsey, it is the conjecture of Toobworld Central that they are half brothers, each unaware of the other's relationship to themselves. And we're going to maintain that their common father is the 15th Duke of Denver, rather than to cast aspersions on the good - yet unknown - name of the country parson who was father to Richard Bellamy in name only.

Although we never meet the father of Gerald, Peter, and Mary in the televised mysteries, it's not hard to believe - when it comes to the wandering eye - that the tree isn't too far from the apple (as it were) in the Wimsey family. In "Clouds Of Witness", Lord Peter Wimsey finally figured out (long after the audience!) why his older brother the Duke was so reticent in providing an alibi for himself: a young woman was involved. So it's a case of "like father, like son". And Lord Bellamy, even though he never knew his biological father, was cut from the same cloth, as seen in his show. I've been enjoying the practice of dedicating these theories of relateeveety to my friends, so this one is going out to that Master Wold Newtonist, Win Scott Eckert....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LORD NORTH

LORD NORTH

AS SEEN IN:
'The Bastard'

AS PLAYED BY:
John Colicos

From Wikipedia:
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence. He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

BCnU!

NUMBERS RUNNING IN SOUTHAMPTON, 1922

And to bring today's posts all back around to Lord Peter Wimsey, here's a scene from "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club" in which Robert Fentiman confronted a man he believed to be a "Mr. Oliver". It took place in 1922 on the train platform at Southhampton. The number "23" one of "The Numbers" from 'Lost', was being used to indicate that the two train tracks were #2 and #3.

Its use in this case is reminiscent of the aisle numbers seen in an episode from 'Lost' from last season: BCnU!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: HUGH'S VIEW

One of my long-time correspondents, dating back to the original Tubeworld Dynamic website, and one of the original members of Team Toobworld, Hugh Davis has come up with an interesting theory of relateeveety that, by an amazing stroke of coincidence, ties into a post that I'm working on.....

Late in the 'Little House' run, in fact just as it was shifting into its "A New Beginning" final season, Shannen Doherty appeared as Jenny Wilder, a niece (through marriage) of Laura.

Given your emphasis on tele-genetics, that prompted me to think there could be a connection to another series. After all, the Walshes come to Beverly Hills from Minnesota, home state of Walnut Grove and 'Little House'. Therefore, why wouldn't Jenny Wilder (one of the earliest roles and, I think, her first regular series role, for Shannen Doherty) be the ancestor of Brenda Walsh (most famous regular series role for Shannen Doherty)?

That way, if you ever needed it, you can tie 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Little House: The New Beginning' (and, if you count TV movies, there were two "Young Pioneers" ones produced by Michael Landon based on Rose Wilder Lane's autobiographical writings; if only Landon had officially connected his 'Father Murphy', there'd be even more frontier shows to link) with 'Beverly Hills, 90210', which spun off the original 'Melrose Place' (which, in turn, spun off 'Models, Inc.') and begat '90210', which has since spun off the new 'MP'.

Just saying...

Hugh

Works for me!

BCnU!

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE ISLAND

During last week's "Recon" episode of 'Lost', we saw Detective James Ford of the LAPD relaxing at home with a few beers while watching TV.

Unfortunately for Toobworld purists, he was watching 'Little House On The Prairie'.

Even though they're separated by well over a century, both 'Lost' and 'Little House' should belong in the same TV universe. Luckily, one thing that takes the Zonk pressure off in this case is that this version of Sawyer exists over in the alternate TV dimension being called "the Sideways world". This is the parallel timeline that was created when Juliet detonated the "Jughead" bomb back on the Island in 1977.

But as we don't know whether this alternate dimension will eventually blend back in with the rest of Toobworld, I've come up with several splainin options just to be on the safe side. (Just like Sawyer, I'm playing all the angles.)

First off, nothing about that scene - within the "reality" of Earth Prime-Time - says that it actually is 'Little House On The Prairie'. The two characters never address each other by name, so we don't have to assume they're Laura Ingalls and her paw, Charles Ingalls just because they're being played by Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.

This could have been a fictional TV show or movie in which the televersions of those two stars appeared.

But let's say it was a scene from 'Little House On The Prairie'. That still doesn't make it a Zonk. In the past we've argued that if an actor is mentioned in association with a Western TV show in which he stars on another TV show, it's simply that the TV Western is about an historical figure. And the televersion of that actor was hired for the role because of his incredible resemblance to that historical figure. (Best example of this is when Hugh O'Brian showed up on 'Make Room For Daddy', where Rusty Williams was a big fan of 'Wyatt Earp' - speaking of Hugh's and 'Little House'.....) Basically, 'Little House On The Prairie' is a Western, and it is based on the historical writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder about her childhood growing up on the plains. Landon and Gilbert were hired for the roles because they look so much like the original people.

Anyway, we know 'Little House On The Prairie' does exist in Toobworld. It was mentioned in such shows as 'The Sopranos', 'Scrubs', 'Sanford And Son', 'Saved By The Bell', 'Spooks', and plenty of other TV shows that don't even begin with the letter "S". (And besides, 'Lost' already brought it up as well in the episode "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead".)

So for all of those reasons, Toobworld Central has no problem with seeing the Ingalls on Sawyer's TV.

But I wish it had been a scene from 'Expose'.....

By the way - isn't it a cool idea that Michael Landon would be somehow linked into the world of 'Lost'? Can't explain it; just something that appeals to me.....

BCnU!

KHAN & CHEKOV: TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

While mapping out my theory about the recasting of Bunter during the investigation into "The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club", I mentioned how Khan Noonian Singh recognized Pavel Chekov in the movie "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" - and yet never met him during the 'Star Trek' episode "Space Seed".

Here's the scene in the movie:



And here's an interview with Walter Koenig himself, the actor who will be forever associated with Chekov. (I apologize in advance for the quality of the sound on this video, but it doesn't interfere with Koenig's splainin.)



Considering the authoritative source*, Toobworld Central is happy to accept this as the official splainin for why the home audience never saw Khan meet Chekov on 'Star Trek'.

[And since I've been dedicating posts lately, this goes out to fellow Iddiot Jordan Hoffman.]

BCnU!

*Both Pavel Chekov and Walter Koenig have been inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame, so I'm looking at this video clip as being inside the box......

AS SEEN ON TV: THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

AS SEEN IN:
'Lord Peter Wimsey' - "The Nine Tailors"

AS PLAYED BY:
Christopher Banks

I've determined that "The Nine Tailors" must take place in 1935, as that was the only possible year in which December 29 fell on a Sunday. Therefore, the Archbishop of Canterbury must be William Lang.

From Wikipedia:
William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, GCVO, PC (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945), was an Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His rapid elevation to Archbishop of York, within 18 years of his ordination, is unprecedented in modern Church of England history. As Archbishop of Canterbury during the abdication crisis of 1936 he took a strong moral stance and comments he made in a subsequent broadcast were widely condemned as uncharitable towards the departed king.

Lang became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1928. He presided over the 1930 Lambeth Conference, which gave limited church approval to the use of contraception. After denouncing the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and strongly condemning European antisemitism, Lang later supported the appeasement policies of the British government. On retirement in 1942 he was created Baron Lang of Lambeth and continued to attend and speak in House of Lords debates until his death in 1945. Lang himself believed that he had not lived up to his own high standards. Others, however, have praised his qualities of industry, his efficiency and his commitment to his calling.

It was somewhat traditional for TV productions of the 1960's and 70's to show historical figures from the back of the head, usually in a high-backed chair. At the very least, you'd only see their hand, something of a Frank Costello effect, with something appropriate nearby to solidify their identification - like a cowboy hat for Lyndon Johnson, for example.

With this method, the producers didn't need to worry about casting someone who looked like Archbishop Lang. At least this way, his portrayal doesn't cause a Zonk with a different portrayal....

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

AS SEEN IN:
'Edward & Mrs. Simpson'

AS PLAYED BY:
Maurice Denham

It's true his hair is fuller in the first picture. "Luxuriant," as Nelson Brenner once said in 'Columbo'. But maybe the televersion of Archbishop Lang liked to wear a piece in the privacy of his own rectory.....

BCnU!

THE HANDSOME MEN'S CLUB

They're not in character, so the video can't be used to make crossovers, but no matter - it's still a lot of fun!

You know who should have been there? Lank Thompson, Handsome Actor.....

BCnU!

BESIDE HIMSELF WITH A LOVE OF TV THEME SONGS

My cousin Maggie alerted me to this:




BCnU!

BUNTER BANTER

Mervyn Bunter is the gentleman's gentleman serving Lord Peter Wimsey in the stories by Dorothy L. Sayers. In the Television Universe, he was first played by Ronald Adam in a 1947 adaptation of "Busman's Holiday" - which was then adapted again a decade later. In that version, Charles Lloyd Pack portrayed Bunter.

Adam would have been considered the official version of Mervyn Bunter, being the first, following the general rule of Toobworld Central. However, both Adam and Lloyd Pack only appeared in those single adaptations, and Toobworld Central always leans toward a portrayal of some heft - in this type of case, quantity does over-ride quality. And therefore Glyn Houston has the honor of being the Mervyn Bunter of Earth Prime-Time. That his lordship Peter Wimsey as played by Ian Carmichael is also the official version in the main Toobworld helps his case.
However, Bunter, as seen during Lord Wimsey's investigation into "The Unpleasantness Of The Bellona Club", looked markedly different than he did while serving his lordship in three other murder investigations ("Clouds Of Witness", "The Nine Tailors", and "The Five Red Herrings"). In the real world, this is because Derek Newark played Bunter in that second installment, whereas Glyn Houston was the valet in the other three mysteries. (Bunter does not appear at all in "Murder Must Advertise".)

No need for quantum leapers or alien impersonators in this case. Here's the Toobworld splainin:

For whatever reason, Mervyn Bunter had to leave his master's employ temporarily, in order to take care of personal business. We can look to the sitcom 'Family Affair' for the precedent of the splainin: in much the same way as Nigel French (sometimes referred to as "Niles") covered for his brother Giles, Bunter had his younger brother serve in his stead during that time. (The first Mr. French had to abandon his post with Bill Davis in order to serve at Her Majesty's request.)
Unlike the case of the French brothers in 'Family Affair', the matter of the replacement of one Bunter brother for the other was never addressed in the episode. Not everything has to be shown on TV. Take the example of Singh Noonian Khan meeting Pavel Chekov in the "Space Seed" episode of 'Star Trek'. It never happened, and yet Khan recognized Chekov when they met in the movie "Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan".This second Bunter is never addressed or referred to by his first name. So we're spared any need to splain why two brothers would have the same first name of Mervyn. But if he had been? Not a problem. Toobworld Central would have invoked the "George Foreman Ploy" (not a title for a "Big Bang Theory' episode!) in which all the siblings have the same first name. This was also the case with Arthur Dales of 'The X-Files'. Both Darrin McGavin and M. Emmett Walsh played characters with that name, and they were brothers. (Apparently they had a sister and once even had a dog by the name of Arthur Dales.)Whatever the younger Bunter's first name, I don't think it was "William". For those who might be familiar with the boys' adventure stories of the early 1900's, those "ripping yarns", the name of Lord Peter Wimsey's valet - Bunter - should bring to mind Billy Bunter, the overweight schoolboy always getting into a jam at the Greyfriar's school in the stories by Frank Richards aka Charles Hamilton.

Billy Bunter, Mervyn Bunter, and his younger, un-named, brother are likely cousins, a familial connection no closer than that.

(Both Billy Bunter and Frank Richards exist in the TV Universe. Richards was abducted to an alien dimension in order to provide the imagination for the Master Brain.)

BCnU!

[And this Wimsey post is dedicated to my brother Bill.....]