TWO FOR TUESDAY - REMEMBERING CHRISTOPHER LEE

From the Telegraph:

Sir Christopher Lee, the actor, who has died aged 93, defined the macabre for a generation of horror film enthusiasts with his chilling portrayals of Count Dracula; in a career that spanned more than half a century Lee played the sinister vampire no fewer than nine times in productions including Dracula (1958), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973).

With his saturnine glamour and striking physique — at a gaunt 6ft 4in he was a dominating physical presence with an aristocratic bearing, dark, penetrating eyes and a distinctive sepulchral voice — Lee was an ideal candidate to play the bloodsucking Count. “Dracula is a very attractive character,” he insisted, “he’s so heroic – erotic too. Women find him irresistible. We’d all like to be him.”

Rightfully so, Sir Christopher is best known for his movie roles - from Dracula and Fu Manchu, both Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, to Scaramanga, Rochefort, Saruman, and Count Dooku.  But he made his mark in television as well, with over sixty roles ranging from 'The Avengers' to 'Charlie's Angels' and my personal favorite, hosting an installment of 'Saturday Night LIve'.

No matter which TV dimension in which they resided, all of Christopher Lee's TV characters were "real" - no matter if they were android replicants, Lucifer, or even Death itself.  (He played Mr. Death in an SNL sketch, my favorite of his characters in my favorite of his TV appearances.  "I'll visit you on your fifteenth birthday!")

But there was one TV character he played who did not exist at all, just a figment of imagination.....

'SPACE: 1999'

"EARTHBOUND"

A sleeper ship of alien pacifists crash-landed near Moonbase Alpha and one of the lunar colony's commissioners plotted to take one of their suspended animation chambers for himself when they relaunched for Earth.

The captain of that space-faring vessel was Zandor, played by Christopher Lee.

I have established in the past that everything that occurred in 'Space: 1999' after the explosions at the nuclear fuel dumps on the far side of the Moon never actually happened.  If the Moon had been thrust out of its orbit by those explosions in 1999, it never would have been seen again in other TV shows.  And Toobworld itself would have been devestated by seismic disruptions.

So, my splainin?  Commander Koenig was thrown into a coma in which he dreamed the events and characters who would appear in the episodes to follow.  So the Psychon metamorph Maya, Raan of Zenno, and the huge spacecraft Delmer Plebus Powells Gwent and its Companion Gwent, all were products of Koenig's sub-conscious.  And that included Captain Zandor.

That's fine as far as it goes, but where did Koenig's imagination come up with the image of Zandor?  I think the alien was based on Christopher Lee himself.

The televersion of the British thespian, known for his horror roles, would have been the same in both worlds.  We saw evidence of this in several TV series:

"SCARS OF DRACULA"

'Midsomer Murders': A Tale of Two Hamlets (2003)
Poster is in bookshop.

'Midsomer Murders': Who Killed Cock Robin? (2001)
Scene from the movie is playing on a television as the female victim is attacked by the killer.

"RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK"

'Endeavour': Nocturne (2014)
A double-bill poster is seen.

"DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE"

'Supernatural': Monster Movie (2008)
Poster in the movie theater

"TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA"

'Switched at Birth': As the Shadows Deepen (2013)
Mac: "'Taste The Blood Of Dracula' has universal appeal."

It's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that John Koenig was a fan of Christopher Lee's work in the cinema.

Sadly, there is only one last entry in the late actor's lengthy list of credits which we can look forward to, according to "Old Reliable", the IMDb.  But as the lunar explosion happened in 1999, the last possible movie Koenig could have seen would have been Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow".  I think that it's more than likely that Commander Koenig is still in that coma sixteen years later.....

Thank you, Sir Christopher, for all the great roles you gave us.  Even Zandor, who didn't really exist.....

Good night and may God bless.

TVXOHOF, 2015 BIRTHDAY HONORS - FRANK JARVIS' POLICEMAN

I had such a good time celebrating my birthday (a milestone one at that) over a three-day weekend that I totally forgot to announce the Birthday Honors List for a new member in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

As you might be familiar with the concept, I use the Birthday Honors List to induct somebody into the Hall who might not otherwise get in there under conventional rules.  For example - Dr. Miguelito Loveless, Ernie Kovacs, myself.....

Just this week I joined a Facebook page dedicated to the TV show 'Callan' and so I went through my past posts about the show in order to share them with the group.  And there I found the perfect candidate for membership; I even say so in that original post.  But after 10,000 posts, I had no memory of this.  Luckily I can now belatedly add him to the TVXOHOF as part of our British Invasion theme:

A POLICE CONSTABLE

[PORTRAYED BY FRANK JARVIS]

That's it.  We never learned his name in any of his appearances, and it's just as well since that would have been a Zonk we would have had to find some sort of splainin.  This way we can say each of his four appearances were the same police officer.

Here is the link to the original story.

Again, here are his qualifications for entry:

"And Mother Makes Five"
Where Our Caravan Is Resting (1 May 1974) - Policeman

"A Pin to See the Peepshow"
Episode #1.4 (16 August 1973) - Policeman

"And Mother Makes Three"
The Eve of the Day (6 June 1973) - Policeman

"Callan"
I Never Wanted the Job (19 April 1972) - Detective Constable

And with that, I'd like to welcome the Constable to the Hall of Fame.  

BCnU!

VIDEO SUNDAY - FARE THEE WELL, BOB SCHIEFFER

(CBS News) -- A transcript from the May 31, 2015 edition of Face the Nation. Guests included Jeb Bush, CIA Director John Brennan, Peggy Noonan, John Dickerson, David Ignatius and Dan Balz.

BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS HOST: 
Today marks my official debut, as it were, as moderator of FACE THE NATION.

Our aim is going to be very simple here, to find interesting people from all segments of American life who have something to say and give them a chance to say it.
~~~
SCHIEFFER: 
That was me, 24 years ago.

And today is my last broadcast on FACE THE NATION.

Bye, Bob......

SATURDAY MORNING SUPER-VILLAINS - LEX LUTHOR GETS "SUED"

"You'll be very surprised by what Sue 'Lex Luthor' Sylvester
has managed to accomplish."

Sue Sylvester

'Glee'

Superman existed in Earth Prime-Time. 'The Adventures of Superman' were a chronicle of his exploits in the main Toobworld and George Reeves is the official portrayal of the Man of Steel for TV.

But his arch-enemy Lex Luthor never appeared on that show; unfortunately, most of the Superman mythos was never adapted for the television medium. However, the villain has appeared in other TV dimensions, mostly in various shows of the Tooniverse. But he was also a regular for the other Supermen in 'Lois & Clark' and 'Smallville'.

I've written up my "wish-craft" for who I think would have been perfect for the role of Lex Luthor in the main Toobworld - R.G. Armstrong.

Although we never saw him in the show, I believe Lex Luthor did exist in the main Toobworld. And as was the case with Superman, the existence of Lex Luthor as a bald-pated villain was finally known to the general public by the new millennium.

And that's why Sue Sylvester was able to make the reference, comparing herself to him.

BCnU!

DOUBLE VISION - FROM MONDAS TO EARTH PRIME-TIME

The fifth season of 'Game Of Thrones' ends this coming Sunday - how can ten weeks go by so quickly?

I posited in the past that survivors from the Cybermen take-over of Mondas (the planet on which Westeros can be found) escaped to Earth Prime-Time and became part of the several invading humanoid species who would blend their DNA together to form the Terran humans we see in our TV shows today.  

The one survivor from this refugee ship whom we met in a TV show was Eve Norda from the 'Twilight Zone' episode "Probe 7 - Over and Out".  From Captain Adam Cook's attempt to converse with her, we were supposed to accept his assumption that she was the only survivor of her ship.  But I believe that they all survived the landing on Toobworld and that when Eve Norta and Adam Cook walked away together, she was going to lead him straight back to their settlement.

With all of the survivors from that Mondasian refugee ship, there would be enough samples of genetic material that had been passed down through the generations from the times of the seven kingdoms of Westeros.  And once those Mondasians began breeding with the Golgafrincham survivors and other early humanoids who arrived on Earth Prime-Time, those genes would be passed down into the new breed of characters who would populate Toobworld.

And sometimes the combination would be just right to recreate the likeness of characters we know from 'Game Of Thrones'.  

Here are just a few examples:

• Bronn - Inspector Bennett Drake ('Ripper Street')
• Olenna Tyrell - Emma Knight Peel ('The Avengers')
• King Robert Baratheon - Bill Miller ('Still Standing')
• Tyrion Lannister - Arthur Ramsey ('Threshold')
• Jaime Lannister - John Amsterdam ('New Amsterdam')
• Alton Lannister - Lyle Anderson ('Kingdom')
• Ser Jorah Mormont - Richard Carlysle ('Downton Abbey')
• Petyr Baelish - Mayor Tommy Carcetti ('The Wire')
• Lord Varys - Edward Darby ('Suits')
• Davos Seaworth - Captain Zhukov ('Doctor Who')
• Ygritte - Gwen Dawson ('Downton Abbey')
• Maester Aemon - Horace Dorrington ('The Rivals Of Sherlock Holmes')
• Jaqen H'ghar - Sebastian Berger ('Crossing Lines')
• Gendry (Baratheon) - Chris Miles ('Skins')

And that's only a few!

This doesn't mean these would be the only "replicants" to resurface throughout the generations of Earth Prime-Time.  Just because Olenna's DNA would recombine for Emma Knight, that doesn't mean it couldn't happen again.  

So Diana Smythe ('Diana') would also be a candidate, as would Mrs. Gillyflower of the Victorian era.  There could be multiple echoes of that genetic sequence living at the same time - Bronn's battered visage, seen echoed in the Victorian period with Detective Inspector Drake, could have materialized again in the modern age three times over:

• DS Eddie Hargreaves ('Between The Lines')
• Sgt. Paddy Garvey ('Soldier, Soldier')
• DC Tom McCabe ('Badger')

The best thing of all?  It's a theory that can't be disproven... unless the "Walking Dead" army of the White Walkers takes over the whole planet before the Cybermen can even come into being..... 

BCnU!

SPLAININ TO DO: "JONATHAN CREEK" AND "SGT. BILKO"

'JONATHAN CREEK'
"THE GRINNING MAN"

So here's a Zonk to be reckoned with.....

Constance Gessler:

This is Joey Ross.

Jonathan Creek:

Always loved your Ritzik on 'Sgt. Bilko'.

Both Mrs. Gessler and Joey Ross looked at Jonathan as if he had been speaking in tongues.

The magician was making a play on the name, referring to the comic actor Joe E. Ross, who played Sgt. Ritzik on 'The Phil Silvers Show' but who is probably better known as Officer Gunther Toody in 'Car 54, Where Are You?'  (He also played Gronk the caveman in 'It's About Time'.)

In a perfect Toobworld, this reference would never have come up, since the characters of  'Sgt. Bilko' exist in the same world as Jonathan Creek.  But it's like a variation on Andy Warhol's famous statement: In Toobworld, everyone will have their own TV show.



At some point, the Army career of Ernie Bilko, master of the Fort Baxter motor pool and master manipulator, must have been deemed worthy of a TV show.   We've seen Bilko get involved with Hollywood types in the past, always trying to take advantage of the situation when they needed expert advice or were filming on location.  Somebody from one of the studios must have remembered this con man extraordinaire when it came time to come up with a new sitcom premise. 

So it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Jonathan Creek saw that sitcom based on the life of Ernie Bilko and remembered Joe E. Ross as Sgt. Ritzik. 

Presto change-O!  No more Zonk!

Eventually I would have had to come up with a splainin for why there would be a show about Sgt. Bilko in a world where Ernie Bilko actually "lived".  Plenty of other shows referred to Bilko as a TV character:

The Patty Duke Show: The Songwriters (1963)
Richard tells Patty that she "usually has more angles than Sgt. Bilko."

Rhoda: Jack's Back (1978)
Jack mentions falling off his chair laughing while watching the show as his "war injury".

B.J. and the Bear: Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers: Part 2 (1979)
The Fox refers to Sgt. Wiley as "Sgt. Bilko."

Cheers: How to Marry a Mailman (1989)
Mentioned by Robin (as Bilko).

Mystery Science Theater 3000: It Conquered the World (1991)
Joel: "Sgt. Bilko, this tollbooth idea isn't working."

Mystery Science Theater 3000: War of the Colossal Beast (1991)
Crow: "Sgt. Bilko? What's he doing here?"

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Attack of the the Eye Creatures (1992)
Tom: "Bilko, what are you up to?"

Game On: Laura (1998)
Matthew wears a Sgt. Bilko shirt

Ballykissangel: Pack up Your Troubles (1998)
Brian is referred to as Sgt Bilko.

The Sopranos: Army of One (2001)
When Tony sees Anthony Junior in a military school uniform, he calls him "Sgt. Bilko."

Red Dwarf: The Tank - Series VIII (2006)
Reference to Bilko

Weeds: The Brick Dance (2007)
Andy calls his drill sergeant "Sgt. Bilko"

BCnU!

THE HAT SQUAD - REMEMBERING JIM BAILEY

Celebrity impressionist Jim Bailey has passed away at the age of 77.  He was best known for his Vegas act in which he transformed himself into stars like Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Peggy Lee, and Phyllis Diller.  

He made his mark in Toobworld as well, adding such citizens as:

'Ally McBeal'
as Harold Dale
- Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade

'Night Court'
as Chip / Charlene
- Best of Friends

'Vega$' 
as Jeremy Welles
- The Man Who Was Twice

The last one I found to be worthy of a theory of relateeveety.  I'm going to claim that Jeremy Welles was another Welles sibling who sought the limelight with tragic consequences.  I've written about his sisters Jenifer and Rosanna, in the past.  Jenifer Welles was a concert pianist who was murdered by her lover, the conductor of the orchestra for which she played.  ['Columbo' - "Etude In Black"]  And Rosanna (who changed her last name to "Wells") was a lounge singer working for a cruise line.  ['Columbo' - "Deadly Waters"]  

Because only a year separates Jim Bailey from Anjannette Comer, I'm going to claim that Jeremy and Jenifer were twins.)

Jeremy was under threat of death, but Dan Tanna was able to rescue him from his own worst enemy......

Looking through Mr. Bailey's credits on 'Old Reliable', the IMDb, I thought I had a case made for his inclusion into the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame as a member of the League of Themselves, without cheating by bringing in his appearances on variety programs like 'The Carol Burnett Show'.

Here were the three candidates for qualification, as listed by the IMDb:

'The Rockford Files' 
Himself
- Just a Coupla Guys

'Switch' 
Himself
- The Lady from Liechtenstein: Part 1 (1976) ... Himself
- The Lady from Liechtenstein: Part 2 (1976) ... Himself

'Here's Lucy'
Himself
- Lucy and Jim Bailey

Those last two were easy enough to prove, but I watched that episode of 'The Rockford Files' on Netflix and couldn't find Jim Bailey anywhere in it.  I may have missed him in a VERY quick cameo, but I'm thinking this was more of a case in which another actor was confused with him.  (In this instance, probably Greg Antonacci.)  

However, it could be that he appeared in "The Jersey Bounce", the other 'Rockford' episode which featured Antonacci and Gene Davis as Eugene Consigliaro and Mickey Long, respectively.

I have yet to check that out.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these clips of Mr. Bailey in Toobworld:

Good night and may God bless.......

TUESDAY NEWS DAY - DEUTSCH BAGGED

USA Network is coming up with their own version of a 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' type of sitcom in which a celebrity plays him/herself in a fictionalized version of their life.  'Seinfeld' is another example.  And although the show was not centered on them, 'It's Like... You Know' with Jennifer Grey and 'Half Nelson' with Dean Martin would examples as well.

'Donny!' focuses on Donny Deutsch, who ran his own advertising firm and has appeared on 'Today', 'Morning Joe', 'The Apprentice', and he hosted his own talk show on CNBC called 'The Big Idea'.  In the new show, his televersion hosts a daytime talk show called 'Donny!'

Here's the official description of Deutsch's character:

"On camera, he is an expert on every topic, from cellulite to sexting; off-camera, he’s a filterless rogue who lives in entertaining contrast to almost everything he espouses publicly. Surrounding him is a team of women who work tirelessly to cover his tracks, but he still finds a way to make bad decisions with good intentions."

Other characters in the show will be Jackie, his top assistant at the production company for the show and Violet who is the newest member of the team.  And on the show he will have a son named Jagger, whereas in the Real World he has two daughters.

BCnU!

MAILING TOOB: WHO IS THAT MAN?

'MURDER, SHE WROTE'

"MENACE, ANYONE?"

So the IMDb has done it again.  

"Ol' Reliable" claimed that Rick Jason - who played Lt. Gil Hanley in one of my childhood faves, 'Combat!' - played a Patrolman in this episode.  I had consulted the site as the episode began because I recognized the tennis match judge as Laurence Haddon (whom I knew from 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' & 'Lou Grant'.)  But as he had only two lines at most, I thought I must have been mistaken.  So when I saw Rick Jason listed, I figured the episode might have other cameos as well.  

So I kept an eye out for the patrolman to show up and even under the cover of darkness and wearing his cap low to his eyes, I knew that wasn't Rick Jason.  And the final credits proved me right.

But then I did some research and found out that Richard Jacobson was Rick Jason's real name.  Perhaps when he felt the role wasn't big enough, he acted under his real name instead.  And the more I look at that screencap of the Patrolman, the more I wonder if that really could be Rick Jason.

What do you think?

Oh, by the way, that was Laurence Haddon as the line judge.  Since his character had no name given, perhaps I can make the claim that he was one of his other characters from some other appearance - preferably one that was taking place in Boston as well......

BCnU!

VIDEO SUNDAY - "FRIENDS" AROUND THE WORLD