BELIEVE IT OR NOT

 

THE HAT SQUAD 2024 - HYPHENATES & OTHERS

 

HYPHENATES & OTHERS

ROGER CORMAN

PRODUCER - 'Splatter', 'The Phantom Eye', "Sharktopus" franchise, "Dinoshark" franchise, "Avalanche Alley", "Velocity", "Spacejacked" WRITER - 'Black Scorpion', 
ACTOR - "Sharktopus", 'The Practice', 'Rebel Highway', "The Second Civil War" 
SELF - 'Beverly Hills 90210'

HYPHENATES
Sarah Doole (Producer - 'The Young Pope', 'My Brilliant Friend', Executive with Anton, Fremantle Global, Red Production, Yorkshire Television)
Randy Sparks (ACTOR - 'The Outlaws', 'The Wonderful World of Disney', 'Colt .45', MUSICAL DIRECTOR - 'Ford Presents The New Christy Minstrels' [He founded the group], COMPOSER - 'Destry' theme music)
Janice Burgess (Nickelodeon executive, PRODUCER - 'Blue's Clues', CREATOR - 'The Backardigans')
Steve Lawrence (ACTOR - 'The Nanny', 'Diagnosis Murder', "Alice In Wonderland", SELF - 'Two And A Half Men', 'Sanford And Son', SINGER - various variety shows, PLAYED BY - Mike Myers, 'Saturday Night Live')
John B. Hobbs (PRODUCER - 'Just A Nimmo', 'Three Up Two Down', 'Bread', 'Brush Strokes' DIRECTOR - ''Allo! 'Allo!', 'Mulberry', 'Bread', 'Leaving', 'Butterflies')
Joe Camp (Producer, Director, + Writer of "Benji" franchise, including 'Benji, Zax, and the Alien Prince')
Christopher Durang (ACTOR - 'Kristin', 'LateLine', 'Frasier', 'Ryan's Hope', 'Tales From The Crypt', WRITER - 'Comedy Zone', 'My America', 'Trying Times',
SELF - 'Saturday Night Live')
Lynne Reid Banks (WRITER - 'Jackanory', 'Armchair Theatre', 'On Camera', "It Never Rains...", REPORTER - ITN & BBC, One of the 1st two reporters on air in 1955.  Wrote "The L-Shaped Room" & "The Indian In The Cupboard")
Howie Schwab (RESEARCH - ESPN, PERSONALITY - 'Stump The Schwab', 'Sports Jeopardy!')
Edgar Lansbury (ART DIRECTOR - 'The Red Skelton Hour', 'The Defenders', PRODUCER - 'Coronet Blue', "Summer Girl", "A Stranger Waits", Angela's brother)
Lynn Loring (ACTRESS - 'Search For Tomorrow', 'The FBI', 'Fair Exchange', PRODUCER - 'Glitter', "The Return of the Mod Squad", "Sizzle", "Mr. Mom")
Meg Bennett (ACTRESS - 'The Young & The Restless', 'Santa Barbara', WRITER - 'General Hospital', The Bold & The Beautiful', 'Generations', 'Santa Barbara', 'Sunset Beach', SELF - 'Match Game', '10,000'/'25,000'/'100,000 Pyramid'
Darryl Hickman (ACTOR - 'The Americans' [1961], 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' - the older brother to his younger brother Dwayne's character of Dobie, 'A Pup Named Scooby-Doo', 'The Magical World of Disney', 'The Bisketts', 'The Nanny' PRODUCER - 'Love Of Life', 'A Year At The Top', WRITER - 'The Loretta Young Show', 'Hawaiian Eye')
Morgan Spurlock (PRODUCER - 'Superheroes Decoded', 'True Life', PRODUCER & SELF - 'Morgan Spurlock Inside Man', SELF - 'Morgan Spurlock's New Britannia', 'Piers Morgan Live', 'The Colbert Report')
Albert S. Ruddy (WRITER - 'Hogan's Heroes', 'The Offer', 'Walker, Texas Ranger'/'Walker' PRODUCER - 'The Godfather Saga', 'Martial Law', 'Flatland' AS PLAYED BY Miles Teller in 'The Offer')
Chet Walker (PRODUCER - "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story", "Freedom Road", SELF - 'The White Shadow' (1 episode)
Jerry West (PUNDIT - 'ESPN SportsCentury', 'Rome 1960: Games of the XVII Olympiad', 'Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers', 'ESPN 25 - Who's #1?', 'Sports Stories with Denny Lennon', ACTOR - 'Arli$$')
Judy Belushi Pisano (ACTRESS - 'All Downhill From Here', PRODUCER - 'The Blues Brothers', OTHER - John Belushi's widow)
Shelley Duvall (ACTRESS - 'Faerie Tale Theatre', 'Cannon', 'The Twilight Zone', 'Ray Bradbury Theatre', 'L.A. Law', 'Baretta', 'Frasier', 'Wishbone' PRODUCER - 'Faerie Tale Theatre', 'Tall Tales & Legends', 'Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories', 'Nightmare Classics', 'Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle', "Backfield In Motion")
Peter Marshall (SELF - 'Hollywood Squares', 'Storybook Squares', 'The Peter Marshall Variety Show', 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In', 'CHiPs', 'America 2-Night', 'The Bold and the Beautiful', 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch', 'The Mike Douglas Show' ACTOR - 'Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue', 'Burke's Law', 'Lou Grant', 'The Love Boat', 'CHiPs', 'Fantasy Island', ' WKRP In Cincinnati', 'The Lucy Show', '77 Sunset Strip', 'Love, American Style', 'Banacek', 'Hotel', 'Sledge Hammer!', 'Automan')
Eduardo Xol (SELF - 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', ACTOR - 'La Jaula de oro', 'Sentimientos ajenos', 'Acapulco, cuerpo y alma')
Kris Kristofferson (ACTOR - 'Amerika', 'Texas Rising', 'Dead Man's Gun', "Freedom Road", "Sodbusters", "Tad" SELF - 'The Larry Sanders Show', 'The Muppet Show', 'Saturday Night Live', "Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Show", "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico")
Jack Jones (SINGER - 'The Love Boat', 'Funny Face' ACTOR - 'Over The Garden Wall', 'Condominium', 'McMillan & Wife', 'Police Woman' BOTH - 'The Rat Patrol' SELF - 'Buddy Faro', 'Night Court', 'It's A Living', 'Get A Life', 'Cruise of the Gods', TVXOHOF)
Quincy Jones (MUSIC - 'In The Heat Of The Night', 'Sanford & Son'/'Sanford', 'Ironside', 'Now You See It', 'Wednesday Mystery Movie' PRODUCER - 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'/'Bel-Air', 'MAD TV', 'In The House', 'Vibe', 'Lost On Earth')
Jim Abrahams (WRITER - 'Police Squad', 'Big John, Little John' DIRECTOR - "First Do No Harm", 'Police Squad')
Paul Maslansky (PRODUCER/WRITER/ACTOR - 'Police Academy: The Series', PRODUCER - 'Police Academy: The Animated Series', 'King', "My Dissident Mom")
Arnold Yarrow (ACTOR - 'EastEnders', 'The Man In The Mirror', 'Doctor Who'; WRITER - 'Softly, Softly: Task Force', 'EastEnders'; SCRIPT EDITOR - 'Softly, Softly', 'Barlow at Large', 'Softly, Softly: Task Force')
Britt Allcroft - (PRODUCER/WRITER - 'Shining Time Station', 'Thomas the Tank Engine'/'Thomas and Friends', 'Schemer Presents!', 'Magical Adventures of Mumfie', ACTRESS - 'Thomas and Friends', 'Magical Adventures of Mumfie'

OTHERS
Reggie Wells (MAKEUP - 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta')
J.C. “Spike” Osorio (LIGHTING TECHNICIAN - 'Wonder Man')
Akira Toriyama (Creator of "Dragon Ball", inspiring many animated series)
Debra Byrd ('American Idol' & 'The Voice' vocal coach)
Gerald M. Levin (Time-Warner CEO)
Laurent de Brunhoff (Continued his father's creation of Babar the Elephant as the writer and illustrator of the stories which were later turned into a TV series) 
Ben Stern (Opposed a Neo-Nazi rally in Illinois; may have been the inspiration for Danny Kaye's character in the TV movie "Skokie")
Amy Coles (Personal Assistant to Stephen Colbert, 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert')
Richard Leibner (Agent for broadcast journalists like Dan Rather & Diane Sawyer)
Patrick Gottsch (Founder of RFD-TV and the Cowboy Channel)
Jamie Kellner (Started FOX and the WB)
Professor Helen Whitwell (Pathologist who inspired and advised 'Silent Witness')
Susan Wojcicki (Former chief of YouTube)
J. Richard Munro (president & CEO of Time Inc, oversaw Time-Warner merger)
Bob Weatherwax (Trainer of collies playing 'Lassie' and other dogs. Son of Rudd)
Tom McCarthy  (NBCUniversal Senior Vice President & Global Security Chief)
Donald J. Hall (Expanded family business Hallmark into TV production)
Virginia Carter (Feminist adviser to Norman Lear)
Béla Károlyi (Gymnastics coach who fell from grace, played by Mark McKinney and Darrell Hammond on 'Saturday Night Live')
Colin Petersen ("Cucumber Castle", Australian child actor who became original drummer for The BeeGees)
Alice Brock (Alice of "Alice's Restaurant", 'To Tell The Truth')
Bill Hennessy, Jr. (Courtroom sketch artist)
Martha Lutrell (Agent 4 Susan Sarandon, Tony Bill, Judy Davis, Stephen Rea, etc.)
Charles Dolan (Founded Cablevision and HBO)

TVXOHOF, NOVEMBER 2024 - HENRY KISSINGER

Every November, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame is dedicated to Newsmakers and News Reporters.  Many of those are Presidents of the United States.  Several journalists have been inducted, beginning with a fictional one.

And then there are those who are world leaders, and sometimes, even a few notorious inductees.

Not that I’m suggesting anything….

Alexis:  

Henry, hello.

Henry Kissinger:  

Hello, Alexis, good to see you.

Alexis:  

Good to see you.  
I haven't seen you since Portofino.  
It was fun.

HENRY KISSINGER
(As seen in the Pink Floyd video)

From Wikipedia:
Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as United States Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977 and National Security Advisor from 1969 to 1975, in the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

Born in Germany, Kissinger emigrated to the United States in 1938 as a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi persecution. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he attended Harvard University, where he excelled academically.

He later became a professor of government at the university and earned an international reputation as an expert on nuclear weapons and foreign policy. He acted as a consultant to government agencies, think tanks, and the presidential campaigns of Nelson Rockefeller and Nixon before being appointed as national security advisor and later secretary of state by President Nixon.

Here are the shows which qualified him for membership in the TVXOHOF:

THE DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROAST OF BOB HOPE (1974)

Kissinger appeared in a pre-recorded message from Washington, D.C.

O’Bservation:
I count these as fictional presentations because every so often somebody would show up as a fictional character.  (Most famous of these was Peter Falk as Lt. Frank Columbo to roast Frank Sinatra.)  Foster Brooks was there as himself, but in his drunk persona.

DYNASTY
CAROUSEL (1983)

Parts of this program were filmed in October 1982 at the real-life Carousel Ball, an annual event that benefited the Children's Diabetes Foundation of Denver, and famously featured cameos by former President Gerald Ford and his wife and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Each received the standard $330 union payment for their appearances.

O’Bservation:
All three are now members of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.

BROTHER’S KEEPER

POLITICALLY IMPOLITE (1999)

Porter is invited to appear on ‘Politically Incorrect’, not realizing he'll have to share the spotlight with Bobby.

O’Bservation:
This episode provides a fictional televersion of ‘Politically Incorrect’, so that show gets absorbed into Toobworld.

THE COLBERT REPORT

6 episodes (2006-2014)

O’Bservation:
Since Stephen Colbert was playing his fictional televersion, I’m treating this as I did with the “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Bob Hope”.

ALTERNATE TOOBWORLDS
FOR ALL MANKIND

From Wikipedia:
"For All Mankind" is an American science fiction drama television series created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi and produced for Apple TV+. The series dramatizes an alternate history depicting "what would have happened if the global space race had never ended" after the Soviet Union succeeds in the first crewed Moon landing ahead of the United States. The title is inspired by the lunar plaque left on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 11, which reads, in part, "We Came in Peace for All Mankind".

The series stars an ensemble cast. The series features historical figures, played by actors or appearing through archival footage, including astronauts and NASA officials as well as American presidents and other politicians.

O’Bservation:
Kissinger appeared in two episodes, both in archival footage.

1] HE BUILT THE SATURN V (2019)

President Richard M. Nixon:
“I have been informed by Dr. Kissinger that, thanks to our recent military operations, we may be within reach of an honorable peace with the North Vietnamese. I have instructed him to begin negotiations with Lê Ðuc Tho so that we may focus our efforts and resources on the new challenges facing our nation. And on this momentous day, as Apollo 12 readies to begin the search for the location of the first American lunar base, I commit that we will do whatever it takes.”

2] RUPTURE (2019)

MUSIC VIDEO TOOBWORLD

BRAIN DAMAGE/ECLIPSE – Pink Floyd (1973)

O’Bservation:
Kissinger is seen twice in a collection of clips featuring world leaders of the day, including Nixon, Brezhnev, Mao, Elizabeth II, Pope Paul VI, Golda Meir, Harold Wilson, Idi Amin, Indira Gandhi, and Gerald Ford.  It’s a shame they didn’t use a video of him with animation added in as they did with some of the others.

BORDERLANDS

O’Bservation:
This particular Borderland is a TV dimension which combines actual footage with material added in by the regular cast.  I don’t have a name for that Toobworld yet.  But “Not The Nine O’Clock News” would share this dimension.

NOT NECESSARILY THE NEWS

2 episodes (1983, 1984)

In one episode, he presented a proposal for a new movie to an agent.

O’Bservation:
When Kissinger and Stuart Pankin’s agent are sharing the camera shot, it’s a double for Kissinger seen from the back of his head.

SKITLANDIA

O'Bservation:
First John Belushi played Kissinger during the first five years of the show.  From 1979 on, Al Franken was the former Secretary of State.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

MADELINE KAHN AS HOST (1976)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
FINAL DAYS
the final days of Richard Nixon’s (DAA) administration were stormy
— I really like the format of the sketch, showing multiple scenes by going back-and-forth between Nixon’s wife writing in the diary to Nixon in the Oval Office.
— All-in-all, an excellent sketch and among some of the best political satire the show has ever done.

NORMAN LEAR AS HOST (1976)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
PEACE TALKS
Henry Kissinger (JOB) uses song while mediating Rhodesian negotiations
— I think I remember seeing this sketch before. Doesn’t this have a scene toward the end with John and some other guys crouching on the table while bickering like kids, or singing in a drunken manner, or something like that?
— Ah, there’s John crouching on the desk, like I had remembered. However, my memory of it was a little fuzzy, getting some of the sketch details mixed together.
— Hilarious ending.
— Overall, I liked this sketch a lot. The silliness of it appealed to me, and the performances were fun.

PAUL SIMON AS HOST (1976)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
BABA WAWA AT LARGE
Henry Kissinger (JOB) talks about his career
— Some of John’s deadpan facial reactions are pretty funny.
— Baba Wawa: “Have you any final words for the Amewican pubwic?” Kissinger: “(bluntly) No.”

RICHARD DREYFUSS AS HOST (1978)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
THE DAVID SUSSKIND SHOW
momma’s-boy celebrities & their mothers
— First time we’ve seen John’s Kissinger impression in a long time.
— I like the concept of these celebrities having mothers who are similar to them.

TED KNIGHT AS HOST (1979)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
COLD OPENING
from Panama, Shah Pahlevi (BIM) celebrates Christmas with friends
— Haha, we get the debut of Al Franken’s Henry Kissinger impression, which I remember he would later do quite a number of times in the mid-late 80s era. Franken’s impression is a lot more accurate than the one Belushi used to do, and is really funny.

CHEVY CHASE AS HOST (1980)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
COLD OPENING
while visiting Gerald Ford (CHC), Henry Kissinger (ALF) plays it safe
— The return of Franken’s funny Henry Kissinger impression.
— Loved Franken’s monotone “Oh, yes” after the applause finally stopped.

BRUCE DERN AS HOST (1983)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
SATURDAY NIGHT NEWS
prominent figures express their sorrow over Buckwheat’s death
— At first, I thought the pre-taped segment of celebrities addressing Buckwheat’s death was genuine footage filmed specifically for SNL, when the segment started with Charlton Heston and Henry Kissinger. I was about to say “Wow, SNL is REALLY fully committed to this Buckwheat premise”, but then the next two tribute clips were from President Reagan and the Pope, making it obvious that these are all just unrelated clips taken out of context to make it seem like they’re talking about Buckwheat.

O’Bservation:
This sketch could actually share the same TV dimension as ‘Not The Nine O’Clock News’ and ‘Not Necessarily The News’ as it mixes actual footage with the sketch elements.

TONY DANZA AS HOST (1986)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
LYNDON LA ROUCHE THEATRE
Henry Kissinger (ALF) & host conspire
— A lot of funny lines during Randy’s intro, especially his mention of “the evil homosexual Henry Kissinger” as well as “the most evil man of the 20th century: Walter Mondale.”
— Good use of Al Franken, and nice to see his Kissinger impression back from season 5.
— Amusing interactions between Al and Tony.
— Overall, a pretty fun sketch with a lot of silly humor. Felt uncharacteristic for this season.

BRONSON PINCHOT AS HOST (1987)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
NIGHTLINE
Henry Kissinger (ALF) & others discuss “Amerida” plausibility
— Very nice way to carry over the Amerida storyline into a separate sketch. Very rare for SNL to do something like this.
— Good to see Al Franken back as Henry Kissinger.
— I got a big laugh from Al’s Kissinger concluding that the Amerida concept “was just stupid”.
— Good random part with the Nightline secret word.

ANGIE DICKINSON AS HOST (1987)

From ONE SNL A DAY:
THE ASSIMILATED JEW’S HANUKKAH
Henry Kissinger (ALF) touts record album
— Another good use of Al Franken’s Kissinger impression.
— The “Assimilated Jews Hanukkah” record title was worth a laugh.
— I’m enjoying this premise of Hanukkah-ized classic Christmas songs.
— Okay, this is starting to kinda run out of steam after the joke was established. Still fairly funny, though.

THE KISSINGER PUPPETS
as seen in:

SPITTING IMAGE

D.C. FOLLIES

O’Bservation:

It’s my contention that these take place in Earth Prime-Time, just like ‘Sesame Street’, ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’, ‘Captain Kangaroo’, ‘The Muppet Show’, ‘Pinwheel’, etc.etc. etc.

If the spirits which inhabit puppet shells and take on the characteristics of their bodies, then if they can be washing machines and rogue cheeses, why can’t they wear puppet shells resembling celebrities and then take on their characteristics?

I’m sure there are plenty of references to Dr. Kissinger in conversations between fictional characters in other shows which would verify the existence of Kissinger in the main Toobworld.  If I’m not mistaken, this would be one, from an episode of ‘Barney Miller’:

But for now, these examples make my point for his inclusion, my personal feelings aside.  ‘Twill serve….

Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Dr. Kissinger.

Well, that's rude....

THE COLBERT DANCE

TVXOHOF'S FRIDAY FAREWELL - VIOLET CRAWLEY, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM

From CNN….

Dame Maggie Smith, one of Britain’s best-known actresses whose long career ranged from starring opposite Laurence Olivier in “Othello” on stage and screen, to roles in “Harry Potter” and “Downton Abbey,” has died, her sons announced in a statement shared by their publicist Clair Dobbs.

She was 89.

“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end,” the statement reads. “She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.”

O’Bservation:

Before 'Downton Abbey', Dame Maggie was better known for her work in the theatre and in the movies.  She had very few credits on the small screen, mostly “Plays of the Week”, an adaptation of “David Copperfield”, a few TV movies, and only one other fictional character in a TV series, and that was a one-off episode.  (But she also appeared in three episodes of ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ as herself, so that’s saying something.)

So for her to be eligible for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, one might think it had be due to her playing herself, making it a League of Themselves technicality.

And one would be wrong.

VIOLET CRAWLEY

From the ‘Downton Abbey’ wiki:
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (b. 1842 - 1928), was the matriarch of the Crawley Family by her marriage to the late Earl of Grantham and a relative of the MacClare Family via her niece and goddaughter, Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire. She is the mother of Robert Crawley, the 7th Earl of Grantham, and of Lady Rosamund Painswick, and the grandmother of Robert and his wife Cora's three daughters: Mary, Edith, and Sybil. Through her granddaughters she has five great-grandchildren: Mary's children, son George, and daughter Caroline, Sybil's daughter Sybbie, Edith's children, daughter Marigold and son Peter.

Born in 1842, Violet was the daughter of a Baronet and had at least one sister, the mother of her niece and goddaughter, Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire, and one aunt. While she was born into the aristocracy, her family was relatively impoverished and she brought almost no money with her upon marriage. When she married the Earl of Grantham sometime before 1860, she brought her upper class blood but little money into her marriage. After her wedding, she was "pursued" by Lord Hepworth's father.

At some point as a young girl in the 1850s and 1860s Violet wore "the bustle, the crinoline, and the leg of mutton sleeve."

Violet gave birth to two children, a son and heir, Robert and a daughter, Rosamund. Not following in their mother's footsteps, her children married into money rather than nobility. The Countess was against Robert's engagement and marriage to the American heiress Cora Levinson, in 1889, but did reap the benefits of her fortune.

Violet visited Russia, where she met Prince Igor Kuragin, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1874. Violet later reveals to Isobel they fell madly in love and attempted to elope. They planned to leave on his yacht, but were intercepted by Kuragin's wife, who had discovered their romance. She pulled Violet out and sent her back to her own husband.

Born
1842
Died
1928 (aged 86)
Downton Abbey, Yorkshire

Marital status
Widow of Patrick Crawley, 6th Earl of Grantham

Residence
Dower House, Downton, Yorkshire

Title
Dowager Countess of Grantham

It was special circumstances which gained her entry into the Hall: the Dowager Countess was so powerful a character, that it took two forms of the media to contain her and gain her the three separate titles to qualify....

DOWNTON ABBEY
52 episodes
2010 – 2015

That was followed by two theatrically released movies which I have removed from the Cineverse and placed on Earth Prime-Time….

DOWNTON ABBEY (2019)

DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA (2022)

This was not a special dispensation just because I liked the character so much.  There has been precedent for this situation, with various movies absorbed into the TV Universe.

Welcome to the TVXOHOF, Countess.

Good night and may God bless, Dame Maggie.

 

WHOBITUARIES 2024

 

EVE PEARCE - Estelle, ‘Torchwood’ - “Small Worlds”
TIM BARLOW - Tyssan, “Destiny of the Daleks” Parts 1-4
PAUL O’GRADY - Himself, “The Stolen Earth”
JIM McMANUS - Ophthalmologist, “The Invisible Enemy”
MURRAY MELVIN - Bilis Manger, ‘Torchwood’ - “Captain Jack Harkness”
TERENCE HARDIMAN - Hawthorne, “The Beast Below”
JOHN NETTLETON - Reverend Matthews, “Ghost Ship” Parts 1&2
PETER DAY (Special Effects) - ‘The Evil of the Daleks’, ‘Fury From the Deep’, ‘Tomb of the Cybermen’, ‘The Ambassadors of Death’, ‘The Daemons’, ‘The Sea Devils’, ‘The Monster of Peladon’, ‘Genesis of the Daleks’, ‘The Deadly Assassin’, ‘The Sun Makers’
MICHAEL GAMBON - “A Christmas Carol”
BRIGIT FORSYTH - Ruth Maxtible, “The Evil of the Daleks” Parts 1-4 O'Bservation - I'm fairly certain this is far from complete. I'll keep checking the sources....

THE DOCTOR & CAPTAIN AMOS BURKE

The second best place for TV series of any era to cross over with each other is not to be found in their home medium of television; it would be in comic books/strips.  (The best would be the metafictional universe of literature.  That depends only on the written word and the imagination of the author, without regard to the fates of the original actors or for copyright concerns… if couched in veiled references if needed.)

Comic books would require collaboration with an artist, but at least the end result would provide the look of the story for those too lazy to use their own imagination.

The TARDIS Wiki noted several comic strip crossovers between ‘Doctor Who’ and one of my favorite detective series, ‘Burke’s Law’ back in the mid-60s.  Of their three examples, “Who Killed Death?”/”Daleks Suffer Heavy Losses!” had the strongest case of a crossover.  Here’s what they had to say about it:

"Burke's Law" is a television series created by Frank D. Gilroy, Ivan Goff, and Ernest Kinoy which originally aired on ABC from 20 September 1963 - 12 January 1966. It was later spun off into a series of comics published in TV Century 21 alongside "The Daleks".

The series follows the title character of Amos Burke, a member of the Los Angeles Homicide Bureau who works alongside some other members of the bureau.

As the conceit of TV Century 21 was that all its series took place in a single universe, several Burke's Law stories from its pages crossed over freely with the Doctor Who universe. This included references to Burke's Law's characters and ongoing storylines in the prose "cover stories".

"Who Killed Death?" was a "Burke's Law" comic printed in TV Century 21 in  July 31 - August 07, 1965.

The story crossed over with the "Doctor Who" universe by marking the reappearance of the titular character Irvin Death, who had debuted in the Dalek short story "Daleks Suffer Heavy Losses!".

The titular character is, fittingly, only referred to as "Death" in this story. He is given the full name "Irvin Death" in "Daleks Suffer Heavy Losses!".

The other two stories which dealt with the supposed crossovers were:

"Who Killed Elias Hoodreim?" [April 24, 1965]
&
"Who Killed Lord Nelson?" [July31 - August 07,1965]

If you want to read about those stories, click here.

Captain Burke dealt with a lot of odd colorful characters during the run of 'Burke's Law' and most of the incarnations of the Doctor would have provided plenty for the Homicide team to deal with.  Think of Detective Tim Tilson trying to figure out Jamie McCrimmon's perspective on the world, while Sgt. Les Hart was hung up over him wearing a "skirt".

With 'Columbo' sharing the same dimension with both of those shows, maybe Detective Duggan (from "City of Death") could have been sent to Los Angeles as the English contribution to the exchange program while Columbo was in London for the "Dagger of the Mind" case.

What crossovers can you picture between 'Burke's Law' and 'Doctor Who'?  Let me know!

DECEMBER, 2023 TVXOF - IT'S A WONDERFUL CROSSOVER PART TWO

We continue the salute to "It's A Wonderful Life" as the latest inductee into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame....

Even if scenes from the movie were never incorporated into various TV shows, there were plenty of mentions of this holiday classic in other shows which validate its existence in Earth Prime-Time.

 

from
'3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN"

  

 
from
'THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES'

These TV characters citing the "Lasso the Moon" quote are just two visuals of such lines from the film.  (I have to believe that variations on Zuzu's quote that an angel gets its wings whenever a bell rings must be the most-used reference to the movie overall.)

Here are just some of the other TV shows which make reference to "It's A Wonderful Life":

• "Rumpole of the Bailey" - Rumpole and the Case of Identity (TV Episode 1979)
• ‘St. Elsewhere’ - Santa Claus Is Dead (TV Episode 1985)
• "Remington Steele" - Small Town Steele (TV Episode 1984)
• "St. Elsewhere" - Schwarzwald (TV Episode 1987)
• "Perfect Strangers" - Couch Potato (TV Episode 1987)
• "Cheers" - Take My Shirt... Please? (TV Episode 1986)
• "Cheers" - Christmas Cheers (TV Episode 1987)
• "Newhart" - Shoe Business Is My Life (TV Episode 1989)
• "Murphy Brown" Phil's Not So Silent Partner (TV Episode 1992)
• "Quantum Leap" - It's a Wonderful Leap: May 10, 1958 (TV Episode 1992)
• "Roseanne" - It's No Place Like Home for the Holidays (TV Episode 1992)
• "Roseanne" - The Parenting Trap (TV Episode 1994)
• "Wings" - The Customer's Usually Right (TV Episode 1992)
• "Wings" Happy Holidays (TV Episode 1993)
• "Nurses" - Jumpin' Jack Flash (TV Episode 1993)
• "Married... with Children" - The Worst Noel (TV Episode 1993)
• "The Nanny" - Christmas Episode (TV Episode 1993)
• "The Nanny" - Ode to Barbra Joan (TV Episode 1994)
• "Baywatch" - The Life You Save (TV Episode 1994)
• "Due South" - One Good Man (TV Episode 1996)
• "Everybody Loves Raymond" - Look Don't Touch (TV Episode 1996)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Monkeys (TV Episode 1997)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Decanter (TV Episode 1997)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Fright Before Christmas (TV Episode 1998)
• "Millennium" - Midnight of the Century (TV Episode 1997)
• "Melrose Place" - A Tree Talks in Melrose (TV Episode 1997)
• "Team Knight Rider" - Home Away from Home (TV Episode 1998)
• "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" - Christmas Amnesia (TV Episode 1998)
• "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" - Dream a Little Dreama Me (TV Episode 1999)
• "Jonathan Creek" - The Curious Tale of Mr. Spearfish (TV Episode 1999)
• "Dawson's Creek" - Weekend in the Country (TV Episode 2000)
• "Dawson's Creek" - ...Must Come to an End (TV Episode 2003)
• "Farscape" - Won't Get Fooled Again (TV Episode 2000
• "The Zack Files" - It's a Wonderful School (TV Episode 2000)
• "The Wonderful World of Disney" - Santa Who? (TV Episode 2000)
• "Twice in a Lifetime" - The Night Before Christmas (TV Episode 2000)
• "Angel" - Epiphany (TV Episode 2001)
• "The Drew Carey Show" - What's Wrong with This Episode IV (TV Episode 2001)
• "Just Shoot Me!" - The Two Faces of Finch: Part 2 (TV Episode 2001)
• "Friends" - The One with Ross's Step Forward (TV Episode 2001)
• "Gilmore Girls" - Richard in Stars Hollow (TV Episode 2002)
• "Teachers" - Episode #2.10 (TV Episode 2002)
• "Everwood" - Friendly Fire (TV Episode 2002)
• "The West Wing" - Game On (TV Episode 2002)
• "Scrubs" - My Big Brother (TV Episode 2002)
• "8 Simple Rules" All I Want for Christmas (TV Episode 2002)
• "JAG" All Ye Faithful (TV Episode 2002)
• "The Practice" - Choirboys (TV Episode 2003)
• "That '70s Show" - Winter (TV Episode 2004)
• "EastEnders" - Episode #1.2941 & Episode #1.2944 (TV Episode 2005)
• "Bewegte Männer" - Das Wunder von Köln (TV Episode 2005)
• "Smallville" - Lexmas (TV Episode 2005)
• "One Tree Hill" - Pictures of You (TV Episode 2007)
• "Reaper" - Charged (TV Episode 2007)
• "Nip/Tuck" Duke Collins (TV Episode 2007)
• "House" Joy to the World (TV Episode 2008)
• "30 Rock" Christmas Special (TV Episode 2008)
• "How I Met Your Mother" The Front Porch (TV Episode 2009)
• "Sonny with a Chance" Sonny with a Chance of Dating (TV Episode 2009)
• "Parks and Recreation" Ron and Tammy (TV Episode 2009)
• "Californication" The Apartment (TV Episode 2009)
• "Supernatural" Abandon All Hope (TV Episode 2009)
• "Supernatural" Caged Heat (TV Episode 2010)
• "Supernatural" I'm No Angel (TV Episode 2013)
• "Psych" The Polarizing Express (TV Episode 2010)
• "iCarly" iPity the Nevel (TV Episode 2011)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.12275 (TV Episode 2011)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.12637 (TV Episode 2012)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.13981 (TV Episode 2017)
• "Bones" The Finder (TV Episode 2011)
• "Gossip Girl" Petty in Pink (TV Episode 2011)
• "90210" O Holly Night (TV Episode 2011)
• "Warehouse 13" The Greatest Gift (TV Episode 2011)
• "The Closer" Relative Matters (TV Episode 2011)
• "Glee" Extraordinary Merry Christmas (TV Episode 2011)
• "Rules of Engagement" Audrey's Shower (TV Episode 2012)
• "The Newsroom" Amen (TV Episode 2012)
• "Sparkling Girls" Episode #1.98 (TV Episode 2012)
• "Castle" Secret Santa (TV Episode 2012)
• "Castle" The Time of Our Lives (TV Episode 2014)
• "The Office" Dwight Christmas (TV Episode 2012)
• "Glee" Glee, Actually (TV Episode 2012)
• "Holliston" The Christmas Special (TV Episode 2012)
• "NCIS" You Better Watch Out (TV Episode 2012)
• "Arrested Development" Colony Collapse (TV Episode 2013)
• "Modern Family" The Big Game (TV Episode 2013)
• "Raising Hope" Murder, She Hoped & The Chance Who Stole Christmas (Both TV Episodes 2013)
• "The Big Bang Theory" The Cooper Extraction (TV Episode 2013)
• "Anger Management" Charlie and the Christmas Hooker (TV Episode 2013)
• Veronica Mars (2014) (The movie sequel to the series, but absorbed into the TV Universe)
• "Mom" Forged Resumes and the Recommended Dosage (TV Episode 2014)
• "Mom" Higgledy-Piggledy and a Cat Show (TV Episode 2019)
• "Hot in Cleveland" Cold in Cleveland: The Christmas Episode (TV Episode 2014)
• "The Hotwives of Las Vegas" You Make Me Wanna Drought (TV Episode 2015)
• "Scandal" Baby, It's Cold Outside (TV Episode 2015)
• "The Originals" Savior (TV Episode 2015)
• "Person of Interest" .exe (TV Episode 2016)
• "The Flash" Flashpoint (TV Episode 2016)
• "Arrow" What We Leave Behind (TV Episode 2016)
• "Snowfall" Baby Teeth (TV Episode 2017)
• "Absentia" The Emily Show (TV Episode 2017)
• "Ash vs Evil Dead" Unfinished Business (TV Episode 2018)
• "Maniac" Larger Structural Issues (TV Episode 2018)
• "Fresh Off the Boat" Cousin Eddie (TV Episode 2018)
• "Criminal Minds" Night Lights (TV Episode 2019)
• "Riverdale" Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam (TV Episode 2019)
• "Mr. Robot" 404 Not Found (TV Episode 2019)
• "Fuller House" Ready Player Fuller (TV Episode 2019)
• "Young Sheldon" Contracts, Rules and a Little Bit of Pig Brains (TV Episode 2020)
• "Coronation Street" Episode #1.10000 (TV Episode 2020)
• "Amazing Stories" The Heat (TV Episode 2020)
• "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" The One Where We're Trapped on TV (TV Episode 2020)
• "Euphoria" Trouble Don't Last Always (TV Episode 2020)
• "Last Man Standing" Meatless Mike (TV Episode 2021)
• "NCIS: New Orleans" Once Upon a Time & Choices (Both TV Episodes 2021)
• "Dynasty" Everything Looks Wonderful, Joseph (TV Episode 2021)
• Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas (2021)
• "9-1-1" In Another Life (TV Episode 2023)

As ingrained as the movie is in most people’s minds, not everybody can remember the details exactly….

"Lou Grant" - Libel (TV Episode 1980)
Lou recalled Janet Hart starring in "It's a Wonderful Town" with James Stewart. Donovan tells him that the film was called "It's a Wonderful Life" and starred Donna Reed.

“Beverly Hills 90210” – It’s A Totally Happening Life (TV Episode 1992)
I don’t know who the blonde girl was in this scene – I didn’t watch this show.  But she must have been the cliché of a true blonde – she thought the star of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ was Cary Grant.

We've got one last post for this celebration of the latest member of the TVXOHOF.

And as with the first post, I'm dedicating this to my sister Leah.  (She's also my goddaughter.)  "It's A Wonderful Life" is her favorite movie....