TVXOHOF CENTENARY TRIBUTE TO THE LOVE G0ODESS

Today is the 102nd birthday of actress Rita Hayworth. If you’re reading this on the day or soon after, you may have found the link via my FB pages for the Toobworld Dynamic or TVXOHOF.  But if all goes well, it will be buried two years deep into the Inner Toob blog for a celebration of her 100th birthday.

I had never thought of her being qualified for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame as a member of the League of Themselves.  She barely made a blip in Toobworld, unlike others better known for the fictional televersions of themselves like Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle, and Bob Hope among many others.

But over the years I’ve softened my stance on several fronts, including the premise that if someone is refeenced then it verifies their existence in Earth Prime-Time.  And so it is for the iconic pin-up girl of the 1940s….

RITA HAYWORTH

From Wikipedia:
Margarita Carmen Hayworth (née Cansino; October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987) was an American actress and dancer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.

Hayworth is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir “Gilda”, opposite Glenn Ford, in which she played the femme fatale in her first major dramatic role. She is also known for her performances in “Only Angels Have Wings” (1939), “The Lady from Shanghai” (1947), “Pal Joey” (1957), and “Separate Tables” (1958). Fred Astaire, with whom she made two films, “You'll Never Get Rich” (1941) and “You Were Never Lovelier” (1942), once called her his favorite dance partner. She also starred in the Technicolor musical “Cover Girl” (1944), with Gene Kelly. She is listed as one of the top 25 female motion picture stars of all time in the American Film Institute's survey, AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.

For her movies, “Gilda” and “Lady From Shanghai” are the two that definitely links for her in Toobworld, with “Gilda” actually seen by characters on our TV screens.  But it’s her iconic role as the pin-up queen which cements her place in pop culture.  She serves as a signpost to alert many viewers that what they’re watching is taking place in the 1940s.

Here are those referential touchstones which cement the existence of her televersion in the main Toobworld.  Let’s begin with the actual appearance by Rita Hayworth as herself.

The Carol Burnett Show

Episode #4.3
(1970)

Highlights of this show include: a salute to Columbia Pictures, featuring the famous "Golda" (spoof of "Gilda")

Had it been any other variety show on which Rita Hayworth appeared, it might not have counted as part of her tally.  But ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ is part of the life within Toobworld:

Here's Lucy

Lucy and Carol Burnett
(1969)

There is a scene in which Lucy and her kids attend a taping.

Here's Lucy
Lucy Helps David Frost Go Night-Night
(1971)

Lucy mentions that she saw David Frost on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ Frost had been one of Carol's celebrity guests on March 22, 1971

And here are the other TV shows in which Rita Hayworth was just referenced not seen, beginning with shows set in the war years (in no particular order otherwise.)

Hogan's Heroes

Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari
(1967)

Sticky Wicket Newkirk
(1968)

The poster hidden in the bunk panel is of the famous WWII Rita Hayworth pin-up.

O’Bservation – It was Brad Fillipone’s collage (above) which was posted on a Facebook page celebrating Ms. Hayworth on her 102nd birthday which made me realizes that she is a part of Earth Prime-Time as more than just a reference.

McHale's Navy
A Star Falls on Taratupa
(1965)

[The crew is making Hollywood pin-up pictures to sell]

Lester Gruber:
Alright let's move it, guys! We have orders to fill. Let me see… we have orders for six Rita Hayworths, four Ginger Rogers, a dozen pictures of Trigger….
George Christopher:
Trigger?
Lester Gruber:
Yeah, from the Army Cavalry Unit. They've been out here a long time.

Bomb Girls
Where There's Smoke
(2013)

Victory Munitions hosts a star-studded cavalcade to raise money for war bonds.
O’Bservation – I’m only assuming Ms. Hayworth was one of the stars who showed up.

The Pacific
Home
(2010)
Bob:
You must've been through a lot.  Well, here we are.
Eugene:
Mm-hmm.
Bob:
So what's next?
Eugene:
I don't know….  I didn't get that far.
Bob:
And why me?  Why not Rita Hayworth or Betty Grable? Because I know you-#
Eugene:
Bob, you don't....  You don't really know me.

And looking back on “the Big One”….

The Golden Girls
Rose: Portrait of a Woman
(1992)
Miles Webber:
Let me tell you something: Back when I was in the Army, inside my locker I kept a picture of Betty Grable, and she was wearing a lot less than you were wearing in my birthday photo. Sweetheart, she was the darling of America.
Rose Nylund:
Miles, she was in her twenties, and she had the most beautiful legs on the planet.
Miles Webber:
Ah... the *second* most beautiful.
Rose Nylund: [flattered]
Oh, Miles.
Miles Webber:
Rita Hayworth had a set of gams on her, boy....

We’re going to leave Earth Prime-Time for a moment to take a look at the post war years in Comix Toobworld….

Agent Carter
Bridge and Tunnel
(2015)
Peggy Carter:
So we're scanning everyone on the Roxxon's staff. There's a chance this is an inside job.
Jack Thompson:
Yeah, there's a chance I take Rita Hayworth home tonight, but it's unlikely, if you catch my drift.
Better Angels
(2016)
Peggy Carter:
Did you watch it?
Jack Thompson:
If Rita Hayworth's not in it, I'm not interested.

We go back to the main Toobworld and run through the other references.

Deep Space Nine
Little Green Men
(1995)
Hayworth was featured on the July 1947 page on a calendar in an United States Army Air Corps base near Roswell, New Mexico.

Magic City
Feeding Frenzy
(2012)
Unknown:
This is your little girl's Bat Mitzvah.
Unknown:
Oh, my God.  I went to bed with Rita Hayworth and woke up with Golda Meir.

Mad Men  
The Jet Set
(2008)
Unknown:
“I have a list of conditions and an alimony that could support Rita Hayworth.”

All in the Family
Lionel Steps Out
(1972)

Archie:
I am telling you that whites should only dance with whites! You don’t believe me, look at the movies - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth -#
Edith:
Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson.

Will & Grace
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, He's Kept Me in the Closet and I'm So Sad
(2000)

George: [To Grace]
And who looks more like Rita Hayworth every day, huh?
Jack:
Oh, George, you're gonna spoil me.
George:
The other Rita Hayworth.

Modern Family
The Big Guns
(2015)
Phil:
Hey, dad, what's the... what's the plot of that Rita Hayworth movie? My friends here were wondering.
Frank:
That's my cue. Time to help my boy get rid of a boat. Uh, "Lady from Shanghai"?
Phil:
That's the one. I... I can't remember all the details.
Frank:
Pretty sure there was a horse in that movie.
Phil:
Mm-hmm.
Frank:
Or was it a baby? Funny thing... none of it was in Shanghai. Or was all of it in Shanghai? Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. So, either the horse or this baby...

Suits
To Trouble (2016)
In this episode, Mike Ross ended up in prison.
“Now, when I get back, if there's a hole in the mirror covered by a Rita Hayworth poster, I will not be happy.”

Superstore
District Manager
(2018)
Myrtle challenges Jonah to name one picture Ginger Rogers was better than Rita Hayworth in.

The Blacklist
Zarak Mosadek (No. 23)
(2018)
Red is watching “Gilda” when Elizabeth comes to see him.

Modern Love

Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am
(2019)
Lexi mentions the film “Gilda” and the title character in voice-over several times. Lexi is seen watching the film on TV.

Baptiste
Shell
(2019)
Baptiste talks to Kim Vogel about Hayworth in an attempt to gain information from her about Natalie, after noticing that she has several DVDs of Hayworth's films:

You Were Never Lovelier
(1942)

Miss Sadie Thompson
(1953)

And the 1946 “Gilda” poster was on the wall at the Dream Room Club.

Here are a few other TV show episodes which mention Rita Hayworth:

Vegas
Exposure
(2012)
Two of a Kind
(2013)

Laverne & Shirley
Not Quite New York
(1980)

We know Rita Hayworth exists in other Toobworlds as well.

MOTW Toobworld
RKO 281
(1999 TV Movie
Mrs. Harris
(2005 TV Movie)

Toobworld3
Marple
Towards Zero
(2007)

And in an alternate timeline for Earth Prime-Time:

Star Trek: Enterprise
Storm Front
(2004)
From Memory Alpha:
A German SS officer claimed that Americans were good at making movies with stars like Hayworth, Betty Grable and Veronica Lake, but not at fighting. 

Welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, Rita Hayworth!
  

DE-ZONKING "DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D."

I've been running the Inner Toob blog since 2004; in the early days I sometimes would post ten times a day.  But in the last few years it's been a steady once per day, save for the "Two For Tuesday" theme.  Or something comes along that needs to share the same day (my brother's birthday and Gandhi's as well back on October 2nd, for example.)

But with an output like that, sometimes I fear I won't have enough "grist for the mill" so to speak, even with 70 years worth of TV output to work with.  So I'm always happy when you, Team Toobworld, send me something to inspire a post.

And recently, my muppetational Facebook friend Andrew Leal did just that:

Something unrelated but it suggested an alternate Toobworld (which you may already have), so thought I'd share with you. PERFECT STRANGERS referenced DOOGIE HOWSER, as in a show on TV... by saying an FBI agent (you know how they always show up for hijinks) looks like "the neighbor on DOOGIE HOWSER."

Except in our world, there *was* no neighbor on DOOGIE HOWSER. They may have written the bit and inserted a show title later, and it just happened to be one of the shows of its time with no neighbor as a regular or recurring character. Except in the universe of STRANGERS (and the shows it spun-off or crossed over with).

As the Ninth Incarnation of the Doctor would say, "Fantastic!"

Long ago I had to reconcile myself to the idea that eventually every TV character living in Toobworld would have a TV show made about them. This was in order to disable Zonks created by TV shows and characters being mentioned in other TV shows, when they are supposed to be sharing the same world. It was one of several compromises I had to make in order to keep as many TV series as possible in Earth Prime-Time.  (Another compromise?  The change in appearance for historical figures - mostly - because of recastaways was due to our view of the historical portrayal from the perspective of some other character in the scene.)

When it comes to TV characters having TV shows made about them, it is a bit of a stretch sometimes, but hey - if it was a concept that was good enough to get its own TV show in the Trueniverse, than it's good enough for Toobworld as well.

At least with 'Doogie Howser, MD', I think we have an excellent reason to have a TV show made - a kid who becomes a licensed doctor.

And that TV series was made probably as soon as Doogie got his medical license, since – according to ‘The Goldbergs’ – it began airing in 1980-something.  

The Goldbergs: 
Baré (2017) 
‘Doogie Howser, MD’ clips are shown in the episode.  
[The series began in 1989 and ran until 1993 in the Real World.]

As Andrew pointed out, the TV show within a TV show of 'Doogie Howser, MD' is different from the one we know here in the Real World because of the mention of that next door neighbor.  (I didn't get to watch the series due at that time due to work and a lack of a VCR, so I'm assuming Doogie's friend Vinnie was a friend with whom he grew up, not an actual neighbor.)

Here's what the website "Perfect Strangers Online" had to say about the reference:

One would almost except to see the series Doogie Howser M.D. in the credits of actor Richard Hoyt-Miller after Balki comments that he looks like the neighbor from that series and the audience reacts so strongly.  But in fact that joke was written before the role was even cast and his name is not listed in that series at all.  He has appeared in many other series, such as Falcon Crest, Hill Street Blues, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote and more recently The Bold and the Beautiful.  

'Perfect Strangers' is not the only TV show which mentioned 'Doogie Howser, MD' as a TV show.  Its existence on air is confirmed by the following references in other TV series.  And we’ll start off with the mention that got us started:

Perfect Strangers: 
A Blast from the Past (1990) 
Balki mentioned Doogie Howser.

Mama's Family: 
Bye Bye Baby (1990) 
Mama mentions the title

Night Court: 
Melvin and Harold (1990) 
Main character reference

Night Court: 
Still Another Day in the Life (1990) 
A child surgeon is called Loogie by Christine.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose: 
Jerry's First Date (1991) 
Parker says, "I'll bet Doogie Howser never went through this!"

Parker Lewis Can't Lose: 
Love Handles (1991) 
Parker types his final thoughts in his computer journal and says, "Hey, it works for Doogie."

Saved by the Bell: 
S.A.T.s (1991) 
Screech says: "Zack's even smarter than Doogie Howser."

Roseanne:
Less Is More (1992) 
Doogie Howser appears in Roseanne's dream.

Married with Children:
High I.Q. (1992)  
When he tries to get into the Alpha meeting Bud gives his name as "Howser, Doogie Howser".

Melrose Place:
Leap of Faith (1992) 
Billy says, "Move over, Doogie Howser".

Saved by the Bell: 
Screech's Spaghetti Sauce (1992) 
Screech says: "I really look like Doogie Howser."

Designing Women: 
Oh Dog, Poor Dog (1993) 
Mentioned by name.

Caroline in the City: 
Caroline and the Twenty-Eight-Pound Walleye (1996) 
As her brother Chris is the youngest heart surgeon in the history of Wisconsin General, Caroline refers to him as 'Doogie Duffy, M.D.'.

The Outer Limits: 
Music of the Spheres (1997) 
To Devon's irritation, Vic's nickname for him is "Doogie."

Friends: 
The One Hundredth (1998) 
To a young looking doctor, Phoebe says, "shhh, Doogie, shhh" and makes him leave the room in tears.

PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal: 
Old Wounds (1999) 
Matt references the show.

Big Wolf on Campus: 
The Exor-Sis (1999) 
Dean confuses Tommy with Doogie Howser.

Action: 
Re-Enter the Dragon (1999) 
Peter calls Adam 'Doogie'

Action: 
Twelfth Step to Hell (1999) 
Peter mentions the show.

ER: 
The Longer You Stay (2001) 
Carter called Doogie

Scrubs: 
My Fifteen Minutes (2001) 
Dr. Cox refers to J.D. as "Doogie."

Gilmore Girls: 
Run Away, Little Boy (2001) 
Luke says, "Doogie Howser was a doctor 16."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 
Help (2002) 
Willow mentions Doogie Howser fan fic.

Gilmore Girls: 
The Lorelais' First Day at Yale (2003) 
Lorelai calls one of Rory's dormmates "Doogie." 

The O.C.: 
The Rager (2005) 
Reed: You're like a Doogie Howser meets Gordon Gekko.

Gilmore Girls: 
Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out (2005) 
When Jess finds out that Rory is not at Yale, he assumes she has graduated early and calls her "Doogie."

Veronica Mars: 
Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner (2005) 
Veronica mentions Doogie Houser when she writes the e-mail to Wallace

Scrubs: 
My Buddy's Booty (2006) 
JD is called Doogie

Scrubs: 
My Extra Mile (2006) 
Mentioned in dialogue

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: 
The Unusual Suspect (2006) 
Hodges refers to Marlon as Doogie Howser.

House: 
The Jerk (2007) 
Nate calls Chase 'Doogie'

Psych: 
If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead? (2007) 
Shawn calls a kid Doogie.

The Big Bang Theory: 
The Grasshopper Experiment (2007) 
Raj's parents want to hang up from their web-cast because it's time for Doogie Howser to air, and they don’t want to miss it. Then Leonard, Sheldon, and Wolowitz discuss why Doogie Howser might be so popular in India.

Psych: 
The Old and the Restless (2008) 
Shawn introduces himself as Dr. Howser, the title character played by Neil Patrick Harris.

General Hospital: Night Shift: 
Truth and Consequences (2008) 
Doctor is called Doogie

Nip/Tuck: 
Ronnie Chase (2009) 
Doogie Howser mentioned

Nip/Tuck: 
Ricky Wells (2009) 
mentioned in dialogue

Drop Dead Diva: 
Dead Model Walking (2009) 
Millie mentions it.

Community: 
Social Psychology (2009) 
Troy refers to Jeff as "Dr. Doogie Seacrest."

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: 
Doctor Who (2010) 
mentioned by Brass

The Big C: 
Musical Chairs (2011) 
Doogie Howser mentioned

Breaking Bad: Shotgun (2011) 
mentioned in dialogue30 Rock: 

Dance Like Nobody's Watching (2012) 
Liz says her gynecologist is a Doogie Howser type, but younger

The Newsroom: 
Bullies (2012) 
Dr. Habib mentions the title character.

Hot in Cleveland: 
The Conversation (2013) 
Joy calls Lloyd "Doogie Howser".

Arrested Development: 
A New Attitude (2013) 
Mentioned in dialogue

The Vampire Diaries: 

Dead Man on Campus (2013) 
Damon Salvatore tells Elena Gilbert over the phone, "that's what Doogie says," referring to Dr. Wes Maxfield when she asks him if Jesse feeds on vampires.

O'Bservation: I'm not sure if this show and its spin-off 'The Originals' belong in Earth Prime-Time.  I do have a vampire-infested Toobworld - Nosferatoob - because 'Being Human' and 'True Blood' became too entrenched into everyday life of their world to remain in the main Toobworld.

Psych: 
Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement (2014) 
Referenced by Morty

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series: 
Pilot (2014) 
Mentioned in dialogue

The Night Shift: 
Coming Home (2014) 
Mentioned in dialogue

Gilmore Girls: 
A Year in the Life: Winter (2016) 
Paris refers to one of her clients as "Doogie Howser."

The Goldbergs: 
Baré (2017) 
Barry wants to go to medical school and be like Doogie Howser.

LA to Vegas: 
The Yips and the Dead (2018) 
Artem refers to Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser during a discussion 

Instinct: 
I Heart New York (2018) 
Mentioned by Dylan

And then there were all the mentions by the Bots on the Satellite of Love as they watched the following movies…..

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Carnival Magic (2017) 
Tom: "Never fear! Doogie Howser is here."

12 to the Moon (1994) 
Crow: "Cram it, Doogie!"

Zombie Nightmare (1994) 
Crow: "Doogie Howser, detective"

Rocket Attack U.S.A. (1990) 
Tom: "That's Doogie Howser, all grown up."

The Hellcats (1990) 
Joel: "Last time he made me watch 'Doogie Howser.''"

It Conquered the World (1991) 
Crow: "Who am I, Doogie Howser?!"

The Castle of Fu Manchu (1992) 
"Howser...Doogie Howser"

All of those entries were supplied by the IMDb.
That was a long list!  And that’s after I excised the talk show mentions and references in reality competition shows, animation (‘The Simpsons’, ‘Rugrats’) and series which were set in other TV dimensions (‘Veep’, ‘Castle’, ‘Shameless’).  

So thank you, Andrew, for giving me another day’s grace in maintaining the blog!

BCnU!

TWO FOR TUESDAY - THE TWO DOCTOR CABES

We oftentimes have a Two for Tuesday theme on this day of the week, so I have a quick one for today – “The Two Doctor Cabes”.

In two episodes of ‘Medical Center’, there was a character named Dr. Cabe.  But they were secondary characters in the guest cast at best, perhaps even third-tier level.  And with each appearance a different actor played the role. 

NEIL J. SCHWARTZ
[As seen in 'Happy Days']

Medical Center- The Casualty (1973)
Neil J. Schwartz ... Dr. Cabe 

Medical Center- The Fourth Sex: Part 1 (1975)
Lew Gallo... Dr. Cabe 

Luckily for the Toobworld Dynamic, no first name was given for either character, so I don’t think we have a recastaway Zonk to deal with here.  These were two different men by the name of Cabe who were doctors at the university medical center.

And it wasn’t just the fact that their physical appearances were different, but there was a noticeable difference in ages.  As played by Schwartz (best known for roles in ‘Happy Days’, ‘All In The Family’, and ‘Barney Miller’), Dr. Cabe was about thirty years of age.  Gallo (left) on the other hand, was 47 years old when he played the role two years later. 

Sixteen years is not that wide of a gap if I wanted to claim that they were brothers.  Thirteen years marks the span between myself and my sister; I was old enough to become her godfather as well.  So these two doctors could be brothers, or they could be related in some other way, cousins perhaps.

And dat’s de name of dat tune!

MINUTIAE MONDAY - THE TV-GPS WELCOMES FULCHESTER

As it comes from a show that ran from 1972 to 1984, it's hard to consider my learning about the existence of Fulchester in the TV-UK as a new discovery.  But last I looked at the Toobworld atlas, Fulchester wasn't on it.  Now it is.

Most of this information comes from Wikipedia....

“Crown Court”

1972-1984
ITV

'Crown Court' is a television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network which ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984. It was transmitted in the early afternoon.

A court case in the crown court of the fictional town of Fulchester (a name later adopted by Viz) would typically be played out over three afternoons in 25-minute episodes. The most frequent format was for the prosecution case to be presented in the first two episodes and the defence in the third, although there were some later, brief variations.

Viz is a popular British comic magazine founded in 1979 by Chris Donald. It parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with vulgar language, toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and generally sexual or violent storylines.

Fulchester is the town in North East England where most of the Viz characters live, including Roger Mellie, the Fat Slags and Spoilt Bastard. It even has its own football team, whose most famous player is Billy the Fish. It also has its own TV Channel, FTV, which Roger works for.

So there we have Fulchester, fully embedded in the atlas of Earth Prime-Time.  But it's also in whatever metafictional universe the magazine Viz would be.  It's not BookWorld (not that it's my world to make that decision; it's Jasper fforde's.)  But it does have a literary bent.  I'm sure it falls into some pocket dimension populated by the characters in magazine stories.

The Fulchester of Viz has no impact on the Fulchester of the televised sceptred isle. 

As to where the TV Fulchester would be in Great Britain, I'm guessing it wasn't far from the general London area, unlike the one in Viz which, as mentioned above, was in North East England.

So if you write television fanfic for any show and you need to choose a location set in the United Kingdom, may I suggest Fulchester?

BCnU!

VIDEO SUNDAY - MY FAVORITE MARTIAN (1ST EPISODE)

In 2001, the Martian named Exigius 12½ - known on Earth by the alias "Martin O'Hara" was planned to be the only induction for the month of October because of Orson Welles' broadcast of 'The War of the Worlds'.  Then I figured the televersion of Welles should also be included as a multiversal.  And there wouldn't have been any reason for such a tribute to one of the greatest cultural impacts in our country had it not been for the original story by HG Welles.

And I don't know how Leonardo Da Vinci also got swept up in all this, but we inducted him as well that month.  It could be that after the events of 9/11 that year, I have this vague memory that the way the world was going then maybe I had to start inducting as many as possible while I could.

So that October, our inductees were Exigius 12½, H.G. Wells, Leonardo DaVinci and the televersion of Orson Welles.

Anyhoo.....

For this Video Sunday, we're showcasing "Uncle Martin" in his first appearance in Toobworld - at least as seen by the viewers of the Trueniverse.

Enjoy!