INNER TOOB

FROSTBITE FALLS @ FIFTY

2009-11-21T00:55:00.004-05:00

When I inducted 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame on the 16th, I had no clue that they would be celebrating their 50th anniversary three days later.

And on Thursday, my copy of the book about June Foray arrived.

All in a day's serendipiteevee!

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: ALICE LIDDELL HARGREAVES

2009-11-21T00:11:00.001-05:00

ALICE LIDDELL HARGREAVES

AS SEEN IN:
"Riverworld"

AS PLAYED BY:
Emily Lloyd
Alice Pleasance Liddell (4 May 1852 – 16 November 1934), known for most of her adult life by her married name, Alice Hargreaves, inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Several later writers have written fictional accounts of Liddell. She is one of the main characters of the Riverworld series of books, by Philip José Farmer.
[from Wikipedia]

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (PART II)

2009-11-20T16:51:00.004-05:00

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

AS SEEN IN:
'The Murdoch Mysteries'

AS PLAYED BY:
Geraint Wyn Davies

I set up this morning's post about Conan Doyle several days ago as I was going on a trip until today. I took with me another disk of episodes from 'The Murdoch Mysteries' and discovered that Conan Doyle made a return trip to the series later that first season.

Apparently, after going on his lecture tour through the American Midwest after his last visit to Toronto, Conan Doyle had returned in order to find a practitioner of the Oriental treatment for consumption known as "cupping". Because his quest proved to be futile, the "literary agent" of Dr. Watson went on a bender and ended up in the drunk tank with a "belly talker" who was being held on suspicion of murder.
Louise Conan Doyle was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1893 and was only give a few months to live. As it turned out, she lasted until 1906.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

2009-11-20T02:04:00.000-05:00

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

AS SEEN IN:
'The Murdoch Mysteries'

AS PLAYED BY:
Geraint Wyn Davies

My life is gliding downwards; it speeds swifter to the day
When it shoots the last dark Canyon to the Plains of Far-away,
But while its stream is running through the years that are to be,
The mighty voice of Canada will ever call to me.
-from "The Athabasca Trail"
by Arthur Conan Doyle, 1914

Arthur Conan Doyle had a fondness for Canada that was apparent in the many positive things he had to say about our country’s natural beauty, social and economic potential, and key role in the British Commonwealth. Conan Doyle visited Canada on four occasions. The first visit in 1894 was part of a literary tour; the 1914 trip was a pleasure tour organized by the Canadian Government to promote western tourism, and the visits he made in 1922 and 1923 were chiefly part of his efforts to promote the Spiritualist cause.
(from the Toronto Public Library's celebration of the works of Conan Doyle)

Conan Doyle's involvement with a murder case in an episode of 'The Murdoch Mysteries' would thus have to place "Elementary, My Dear Murdoch" in 1894.

"If you’re in Toronto, please also visit the Arthur Conan Doyle Room on the 5th Floor of the Toronto Reference Library, where you can pull up a comfortable chair and read some of the works shown here. The room is open from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, or by appointment."

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: ULI DERICKSON

2009-11-19T00:42:00.001-05:00

ULI DERICKSON

AS SEEN IN:
"The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story"

AS PLAYED BY:
Lindsay Wagner

Here is Hal Erickson's capsule synopsis of the historical event and the TV movie inspired by it:

In June of 1985, TWA Athens-to-Rome flight 847 was seized by two fanatical, grenade-wielding Hezbollah Moslems. The hijacking was dragged out for 17 days, during which time several of the terrified passengers were beaten and one was killed. Written by Norman Morrill, the made-for-TV The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson stars Lindsay Wagner as courageous American purser Uli Derickson, whose knowledge of German enables her to communicate with the chief hijacker, a Shiite Lebanese who calls himself Castro (Eli Danker). When the ordeal was over, Derickson was credited with saving many lives and preventing the crisis from becoming far worse than it already was. It is a tribute to Lindsay Wagner's acting talent that, although most of the film's dialogue is spoken in German, the audience never has any difficulty following the story. The Taking of Flight 847 first aired May 2, 1988.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

I'm running this ASOTV today in tribute to the film's director, Paul Wendkos, who passed away just the other day.....

BCnU!

IN THE VILLAGE WITH XTC

2009-11-18T16:50:00.000-05:00

For those of you enjoying the new version of 'The Prisoner', or who are longing for the good old days set in the original Village, here are two music videos from XTC. Over twenty years old and twenty years older than the original series.....

The Meeting Place

The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul

My very special thanks to fellow Iddiot Brian Leonard for pointing these out to me!

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: PAT ALLANSON

2009-11-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

PAT ALLANSON

AS SEEN IN:
"Everything She Ever Wanted"

AS PLAYED BY:
Gina Gershon

Here's a description of Pat Allanson's story by Linda Stasi of the New York Post:

The story begins right after divorcee Pat hooks up with and marries a younger man, Tom Allanson (Ryan McPartlin), who'd just left his wife and child for the sexed-up Pat.

Because Tom's father, Walter (Victor Garber), is the richest lawyer in their small Southern town, larcenous, lascivious Pat figures she's finally hit the big time and is determined to live like Scarlett O'Hara.

Pat, who seemingly doesn't have a good or kind bone in her body, right off gets into it with Tom's father and then goads the younger Allanson into violence against the mean older man, going so far as to say that the elder Allanson tried to rape her.

During a summer holiday town picnic, Pat drags Tom into their truck to have sex in the parking lot, and then Tom goes to his parents' house, even though his father said publicly that he wants to kill the son, and ends up killing his father and his mother. But no money's forthcoming, so in a very short time, Tom's loving grandparents who helped Tom and Pat buy their dream plantation, get horribly sick (arsenic), and one of them even dies -- leaving Pat as the obvious culprit.

And according to Ms. Stasi, that's just the beginning!

BCnU

MISSING LINKS: VIDEO VINTNERS

2009-11-17T01:15:00.000-05:00

Sunday night's episode of 'Brothers & Sisters' took place at "The Wine Festival" - the Golden State Wine Festival, to be exact. As can be seen in the second screen capture, there were pavillions about the grounds; these served as promotional booths for the various vintners. Ojai Foods was represented by its sister company Walker Landing and its Coastal Reserve wine won the top prize at the festival. But who else could have been there at the festival?

I think it's possible that Carsini Vineyards might have been represented in one of those pavilions. More than likely Adrian Carsini is not connected to the company founded by his father; like the actor who played him (Donald Pleasance), Carsini is probably dead by now. And because of his legal problems, Carsini may have been forced to sell the company to the Merino Brothers.

Another family-owned vineyard that might have been at the Golden State Festival could be the Pinoni Vineyards, the setting for the short-lived sitcom 'Encore! Encore!'.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: TESLA, TWO FOR TUESDAY

2009-11-17T00:12:00.000-05:00

For today's "Two For Tuesday" ASOTV, we have two different looks at inventor Nikola Tesla, neither of which belong in Earth Prime-Time.

First up, here's Nikola Tesla as he looks today, still "alive" thanks to his conversion as an electricity-wielding vampire:

NIKOLA TESLA

AS SEEN IN:
'Sanctuary'

AS PLAYED BY:
Jonathon Young
'Sanctuary' had to be moved to a different dimension because it played fast and loose not only with the personal history of Tesla, but also with that of Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes/Conan Doyle.

The second portrayal of Tesla happened in Toronto of the mid-1890's....

NIKOLA TESLA

AS SEEN IN:
'The Murdoch Mysteries'

AS PLAYED BY:
Dmitry Chepovetsky
As good as the TV series version of the "Murdoch Mysteries" books is, it has been preceded in the main Toobworld by three TV movies with an entirely different cast and historic lifeline for the main characters. But the series makes a worthy addition to either the dimension of remakes or Earth Prime-Time/West Wing.

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 11/2009-C: ROCKY & BULLWINKLE

2009-11-16T15:14:00.006-05:00

Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose have been chosen for the Tooniverse entries into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame for November, the month in which we traditionally have a political theme. And if any cartoon characters in the Tooniverse showed "subversive" political leanings, it was these two citizens of Frostbite Falls.

This spilled over into the Real World as well. As a publicity stunt, Jay Ward and Bill Scott campaigned for statehood for "Moosylvania", Bullwinkle's fictional home state. They drove a van to about 50 cities collecting petition signatures. Arriving in Washington DC, they pulled up to the White House gate to see President Kennedy, and were brusquely turned away. They learned that the evening they had arrived was during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

They've also been invoked in political cartoons and slanted jabs at opposing candidates, utilized by both sides of any political stance: That's not enough to qualify for induction, of course. They needed three separate appearances in Toobworld, and Moose und Squirrel fill the bill: The first two seasons appeared on ABC as 'Rocky And His Friends'; the last three seasons aired on NBC as 'The Bullwinkle Show'; and then there are the blipverts they made in support of their sponsor, General Mills cereals.

It's a good thing they have those commercials in their roster, because I'd hate to think that they're qualifications for induction depended on two theatrically released movies in which they were featured. At least in "The Adventures of Rocky And Bullwinkle", they were seen in their traditional forms. In "Boris And Natasha", they had been transformed into humans!
They've also appeared outside the TV Universe in book form:

At least Bullwinkle (not sure about Rocky) made it into the live action Toobworld, thanks to his portrayal in puppet form in an early incarnation of the character:

BCnU!

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

2009-11-16T01:24:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago, 'Psych' was playing around with their theme song - for example, because of a storyline in which Gus re-teamed with his old singing group, Boys 2 Men delivered the song in their own style for that episode.

There was also another episode called "Bollywood Homicide" which had the theme rendered in Hindi, including the titles. It was actually pretty catchy, but it also reminded me of another theme song.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WILLIE ESTERHUYSE

2009-11-16T00:12:00.000-05:00

WILLIE ESTERHUYSE

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
William Hurt

Willem Petrus "Willie" Esterhuyse was a university professor active in enlisting other Afrikaners to the anti-apartheid cause when he assumed a role in opening the dialogue between the exiled African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa's apartheid government in the late 1980s.

Esterhuyse detested what he deemed the terrorist actions of the ANC that put civilians in danger as much as he knew that South Africa's government could not continue on its current course. Author of the 1981 book, "Apartheid Must Die", the cool-headed professor was involved not only in the initial talks, but in convincing parties to come back to the table when negotiations had stalled.

Esterhuyse subsequently became an advisor to Thabo Mbeki, ANC president Oliver Tambo's representative at the talks who went on to be president of South Africa. Esterhuyse retired from Stellenbosch University in 2006. He continues to speak about the challenges facing present day South Africa and is writing a book about trust and confidence-building in bridging the racial divide.
(from pbs.org)

BCnU!

(And that concludes our look at the "Endgame" players....)

TOO LATE NOW - MUSINGS ON "EASTWICK"

2009-11-15T03:33:00.001-05:00

"Cadwallader's my name.

At least it's the name I'm using this month.

Has a nice feeling on the tongue.

Cad-wallader!"
Mr. Cadwallader
'The Twilight Zone'

I've been gone so long from regular blogging that a few new shows from the Fall season of 2009 have already been cast aside.

One of these was 'Eastwick', based on a novel by John Updike (which also spawned - good choice of words! - a movie version back in the late 1980s). Even though this went to series, albeit a short-lived one, I'm not sure this version of the story should be considered for Earth Prime-Time, as there were two earlier attempts to launch a series with TV movie pilots in 1992 and in 2002.

DARRYL VAN HORNE
(2009, 2002, 1992)

In any event, the Devil may be one of those characters, like God Himself, who transcends the boundaries of parallel dimensions to be the same personage in all of them. At any rate, no matter which version of "The Witches Of Eastwick" is chosen for Earth Prime-Time, that incarnation of the Devil is the same character from 'Reaper', as well as from 'Brimstone'. He's a master of disguise, so he can go from looking like John Glover to Ray Wise to either Paul Gross, Jason O'Mara, or Michael Siberry... whoever the Hell (literally!) he is. Not to mention all of his other incarnations in other TV shows (like 'The Twilight Zone' and even 'South Park'). Unlike his former Boss, the Devil can't be everywhere at once. So when he wasn't with his son Sam Oliver in Seattle, he'd be haranguing Ezekiel Stone, another of his bounty hunters in New York City, or just taking time off for a little fling with his three dalliances in Eastwick.

By the way, no matter where the 2009 'Eastwick' ends up, it does have a missing link to another series. The town may be hundreds of years old, but there was a real estate development make-over in the past several decades, which was designed by the same architectural planner who created the look for the Connecticut town of Stars Hollow [as seen in 'Gilmore Girls']. In fact, the Eastwick Diner looks like the same structure as Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow. BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: MICHAEL YOUNG

2009-11-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

MICHAEL YOUNG

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Jonny Lee Miller

In the 1980s, Michael Young was head of communications for Consolidated Gold Fields, a British mining company with significant assets in South Africa — assets that would be at risk if boiling race relations were to explode. Young recognized that a volatile South Africa was bad for business, but a peaceful resolution would be in everyone's interest.

At the behest of African National Congress (ANC) president Oliver Tambo and at great personal and professional risk, Young initiated a series of covert talks between representatives of the exiled ANC and powerful Afrikaner elite — more than a dozen meetings over five years — at the company's Somerset mansion.

It was not Young's first foray into conflict resolution. In the 1970s at the request of former British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Young worked on one of the first contacts between a major British political party and the IRA in an attempt bridge the divide fueling the bloody civil war in Northern Ireland. Young had also advised political leaders in both Portugal and Spain as the two countries transitioned from dictatorships to democracies.

Today, Young runs his own company advising businesses and governmental organizations around the world on strategic change management.
(from pbs.org)

BCnU!

WHAT'S IN LARRY DAVID'S NETFLIX?

2009-11-14T01:31:00.000-05:00

It's going to take me awhile to get back into the swing of things with the Inner Toob blog now that I'm done with rewriting the Toobworld novel. (Still proofing it, however.) I've got plenty of subjects stored up from the time when it was in slow mode with just the "As Seen On TV" gallery each day, but I'm not sure how much output there'll be. (It's hard to believe that once upon a time, ten posts a day was not uncommon!)

So here's sticking my toe in the water.....

In one of the first couple of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' episodes this season, Larry David exclaimed in a really bad Irish accent, "When I get a feeling, I get a feeling!"

It's my opinion that his character had just seen the fun Humphrey Bogart movie "All Through The Night", because this was the catch-phrase for the mother of Gloves Donahue, played by Jane Darwell. In fact, at the end of the movie she starts to say it again and everybody in Gloves' gang chimes in to say it with her.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WILLEM DE KLERK

2009-11-14T00:15:00.000-05:00

WILLEM DE KLERK

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Mike Huff

Willem de Klerk started out — like his younger brother F.W. — a supporter of apartheid. But by the 1980s, this Reformed Dutch theologian and journalist determined that the system of racial segregation needed not just to be reformed, but abolished. Known by his nickname "Wimpie," the elder de Klerk was anything but. His anti-apartheid position earned him no friends in government or, indeed, within his family. He resigned from two newspaper editor posts under pressure.

But his political views and relation to the man who would be president — but no actual government ties — made him uniquely suited to be part of the Afrikaner delegation in the talks dramatized in "Endgame".

At times, the de Klerk brothers were barely on speaking terms, but many believe it was Willem that convinced his younger brother to meet with Nelson Mandela in prison.

In 1989, Willem became a founding member of the Democratic Party, the first non-racial political party in South Africa.

The reformed reformer died on August 7, 2009. "Many of his ideas and insights remain relevant for the future," F.W. de Klerk said in a statement upon his brother's death.
(pbs.org)

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LUKAS BARNARD

2009-11-13T00:33:00.001-05:00

LUKAS "NIEL" BARNARD

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Mark Strong

Political scientist turned spy chief Lukas Daniel "Niel" Barnard was just 31 when he became a full university professor.

South African president P.W. Botha tapped Barnard to head up his newly reorganized spy program, renamed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 1980. One of Botha's closest political advisors, Barnard became a powerful voice of pragmatism for the president.

Barnard began furtive talks with the still imprisoned Nelson Mandela in 1988. At the same time, he was the relay man to Botha for information coming out of stealth meetings in England between parties representing the ANC and South Africa's ruling class.

Barnard held his intelligence post for 12 years. In 1996, he became the director-general of provincial administration for the Western Cape. The ANC raised concerns about Barnard's appointment at that time, citing unanswered questions about the role of the NIS in political assassinations.

Barnard publicly denied any knowledge of murder, torture or other human rights violations. The ANC later withdrew its allegations against Barnard.
(from pbs.org)

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 11/2009-B: JOHN ADAMS

2009-11-12T09:23:00.006-05:00

For the second week in November, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame, the focus is on historical figures as seen on TV, as it has been all year during the second week of the month. And since traditionally we feature politicians and newsmakers during November, we're inducting an American President who was featured in Toobworld last year.....

JOHN ADAMS

Adams was prominently portrayed most recently by Paul Giamatti in the HBO mini-series based on the biography by David McCullough. But back in the 1970s, George Grizzard put his stamp on the role in the opening episodes of the PBS mini-series 'The Adams Chronicles'.

Paul Giamatti as Adams

George Grizzard as Adams

Here's a rundown of other actors who have portrayed John Adams on television:

John D. Bert
. . . Mysteries of the Freemasons (2006)

John Boruff
. . . "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1951)
{A Woman for the Ages (#1.20)}

Keith Charles
. . . "Simon & Simon" (1981)
{The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree (#5.24)}

Paul Collins
. . . George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (1986)

Whitfield Connor
. . . "Cavalcade of America" (1952)
{John Yankee (#1.19)}

William Daniels
. . . The American Revolution (1994)
. . . The Rebels (1979)

Peter Donaldson
. . . "Benjamin Franklin" (2002)
. . . "Liberty! The American Revolution" (1997)

Paul Giamatti
. . . "John Adams" (2008)

George Grizzard
. . . "The Adams Chronicles" (1976)

Hal Holbrook
. . . "George Washington" (1984)

Steve Holloway
. . . Founders or Traitors? (2007)

Frank Langella
. . . The American Woman: Portraits of Courage (1976)

David McCallum
. . . "Profiles in Courage" (1964)
{John Adams (#1.7)}

Laurence Naismith
. . . "Profiles in Courage" (1964)
{John Quincy Adams (#1.22)}

Glenn C. Reimer
. . . "The Revolution" (2006)

Simon Russell Beale
. . . "The American Experience" (1988)
{John & Abigail Adams (#18.5)}

Morley Safer
. . . "The American President" (2000)
{An Independent Cast of Minds (#1.3)}

Martin Sheen
. . . "Freedom: A History of Us" (2003)
{Independence (#1.1)}

Henry Strozier
. . . "The American Experience" (1988)
{Alexander Hamilton (#19.15)}

Torin Thatcher
. . . "Daniel Boone" (1964)
{Take the Southbound Stage (#3.27)}

Howard Wendell
. . . "You Are There" (1953)
{Washington Crosses the Delaware (December 25, 1776) (#4.15)}

James Woods
. . . "Founding Fathers" (2000)
. . . Founding Brothers (2002) (TV)

THE TOONIVERSE
Billy Crystal
. . . "Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776" (2002)

Maurice LaMarche
. . . "Animaniacs" (1993)
{The Presidents/Don't Tread on Us/The Flame Returns (#3.6)}

SKITLANDIA
Chris Elliott
. . . "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993)

William Shatner
. . . Swing Out, Sweet Land (1970)

DREAM SEQUENCE
Ben Piazza
. . . "Family Ties" (1982)
{Philadelphia Story (#3.15)}

A few notes.....
Many of these portrayals were voice-overs in Ken Burns-styled documentaries.

There are enough portrayals of John Adams in mini-series and TV movies to be spread out among other TV dimensions, as Toobworld Central has designated for other historical figures like Kennedy, Lincoln, and Marilyn Monroe.

In whatever TV dimension that gets the story of George Washington (as played by Barry Bostwick), the character of John Adams becomes a recastaway - in the first production, he was played by Hal Holbrook and in the second, he was played by Paul Collins. The simplest splainin to get out of this is that even though most of the characters were played by the same actors as in the first mini-series, 'George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation' takes place in an alternate dimension in which the DNA for John Adams was different.
William Daniels is probably the best known John Adams from the movie universe, recreating the role he originated in the Broadway production of '1776'. However, he also got the chance to play the role twice on television. I may be wrong on this (it's not uncommon), but I believe his performance in "The American Revolution" was as a voice-over. Still, the TV movie "The Rebels" completes the multi-verse position for John Adams as played by William Daniels.

So a tip of the tri-corner hat to John Adams, Founding Father and the latest inductee into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame! Not many others can claim that; the Pigeon Sisters, Gwendolyn and Cecily, come to mind....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: F.W. DE KLERK

2009-11-12T07:13:00.001-05:00

F.W. DE KLERK

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Matthew Marsh

Frederik Willem "F.W." de Klerk had an opportunity to teach law, but chose to go into the family business — politics. Throughout much of his career in a variety of ministerial positions under Prime Minister P.W. Botha, he supported university segregation and showed little interest in apartheid reform.

Yet, in his very first speech after being elected state president in 1989, de Klerk called for a non-racist South Africa and for negotiations about the country's future. Within two years, he had lifted the government's ban on the ANC and released Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.

De Klerk was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993 for helping to bring apartheid to an end and drafting a new constitution based on "one person, one vote." He subsequently joined Mandela's Government of National Unity as second deputy president.

De Klerk announced his retirement from politics in 1997, going on to establish the F.W. de Klerk Foundation in 2000 and the Global Leadership Foundation in 2004.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!

VETERANS' DAY: LIEUTENANT COLUMBO

2009-11-11T01:23:00.000-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day, and as we hope it is to be a tradition here at Inner Toob, we're saluting a particular TV character who served TV-America ("Telemerica") in the military. (On Memorial Day, we remember a TV character whom we've since lost.) In the past, we've honored Admiral Harriman Nelson ('Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'), Mac Tyler ('CSI:NY') and Leroy Jethro Gibbs ('NCIS') and last year, Major Margaret Houlihan ('M*A*S*H').

This year we're saluting Lieutenant 'Columbo' of the Los Angeles Police Department, Homicide division. Not much is known about his service in the Army during the Korean War - if you do a search online for info, you'll find the same sentence over and over again which was gleaned from the book "The Columbo Phile" by Mark Dawidziak:

"After serving in the Army during the Korean War, Columbo joined the New York police force and was assigned to the 12th precinct."

(This is one of the few places that gives proper credit for that information... information... information.)

At least three of the murderers he investigated had connections to the Korean Conflict as well: General Martin Hollister, actor Ward Fowler, and double agent Nelson Brenner.

We may not have more details about his service in Korea (Columbo kept things close to the vest), but I can send you to a site that has an excellent fanfic story about his time there. And best of all for Toobworld, it has a connection to a certain other show that was set in Korea during the war.....

DISCHARGE BY DEATH

(Has a nice Quinn Martin feel to that title, doesn't it?)

Think of all the other TV characters he might have met over there - Jim Rockford, Bob Hartley, Don Draper - oops! I mean, Dick Whitman.....

And when you finish that story, and if you're interested in more along those lines for 'Columbo' stories, check out the rest of Martin's site,

JUST ONE MORE PARAGRAPH.

So here's to you, Lieutenant Columbo. Toobworld Central salutes you and your service to your country.

BCnU!

The image of Peter Falk in wartime is anachronistic, not to mention from the Cineverse and not from Toobworld. It's from the movie "Anzio".

AS SEEN ON TV: THABO MBEKI

2009-11-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

THABO MBEKI

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Chiwetel Ejiofor

The child of teachers-activists, Thabo Mbeki has said he was "born into the struggle," and got involved in political activism at a young age. Mbeki left the country in 1962 under orders from the ANC. The exiled expatriate took the over its department of information and publicity in the 1980s as right-hand man to ANC president Oliver Tambo.

Later that decade, as director of international affairs, he was a key figure in ANC negotiations with the apartheid government, most notably leading the delegation in the "talks about talks" dramatized in "Endgame".

Chosen by Nelson Mandela to be the first deputy president of the new Government of National Unity in 1994, Mbeki became president of the ANC in 1997, and two years later was elected president of South Africa.

Mbeki drew criticism and praise during his tenure, gaining notoriety for his position that AIDS was not caused by a virus. He resigned as president in 2008, after the allegation that he interfered in a corruption case against his former deputy and ultimate successor Jacob Zuma — a charge he denies. (Zuma, as head of ANC intelligence, had attended three of the meetings dramatized in Endgame.) Mbeki stepped down the same week several African leaders lauded him for brokering a deal in Zimbabwe between President Robert Mugabe and his opposition.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: RUDOLPH AGNEW

2009-11-10T00:35:00.000-05:00

Rudolph Agnew was a fourth generation "gold" man when he began working for the British mining company Consolidated Gold Fields in 1957. Agnew became CEO and Chairman of the Board in his 40s.

During the apartheid era, the company's South African holdings represented the largest private investment in the country by a British corporation. Agnew himself drew criticism for refusing to withdraw from South Africa, though the businessman later said he thought the best way to destroy apartheid was to "feed it rather than starve it."

He provided funding and support for Michael Young to engage in the secret talks dramatized in Endgame, although Agnew made it clear that his involvement could not be overt.

Consolidate Gold Fields was taken over by another British conglomerate in 1989. Agnew went on to serve as chairman of other companies. In addition, he served as chairman of the board for the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center, where he continues as director.

Agnew received a knighthood for services to international human rights and conservation.
(from pbs.org)

RUDOLPH AGNEW

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Derek Jacobi

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

2009-11-09T16:24:00.006-05:00

We're interrupting the look at the historical figures connected to the end of apartheid in South Africa (as depicted in "Endgame") to mark the anniversary of the death of Neville Chamberlain.....

Arthur Neville Chamberlain, more commonly known as Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. Chamberlain is best known for appeasement foreign policy, in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany, and, when Germany continued its aggression, for declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939 and leading Britain through the first eight months of World War II.

(from Wikipedia)

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

AS SEEN IN:
'Roads To Freedom'

AS PLAYED BY:
Michael Goodliffe

Other portrayals of Chamberlain in Toobworld:

Michael Aldridge
. . . Countdown to War (1989)

Robin Bailey
. . . "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1951) {The Gathering Storm (#24.2)}

Patrick Cargill
. . . "Heil, Honey I'm Home" (1990) {(#1.1)}

Richard Clarke
. . . "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" (1990)

David Frankham
. . . "The Waltons" (1972) {The Hawk (#6.1)}

Christopher Good
. . . Dunkirk (2004) (TV)

Michael Goodliffe
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 1 (#1.7)}
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 2 (#1.8)}
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 3 (#1.9)}

Edward Jewesbury
. . . Churchill and the Generals (1979)

Eric Porter
. . . "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years" (1981)

BCnU!

TUGGING THE MEMORY BANKS

2009-11-08T03:15:00.001-05:00

When I posted the picture of Nehemiah Persoff as Andrei Gromyko back in my thirteen day remembrance of "The Missiles Of October", there was something about the screen capture that reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite place it.

And then a week or so later, it came to me when I talked with character actor George Murdock again at work......... BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: OLIVER R. TAMBO

2009-11-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

OLIVER REGINALD TAMBO

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
John Kani

Oliver Reginald Tambo was president of the ANC from 1967 to 1991. He kept the black nationalist organization together from a home base in Lusaka, Zambia, after being banned by the South African government in 1960. Thanks to Tambo's ability to attract powerful young activists to the cause — including Thabo Mbeki — the ANC transformed itself into the voice for black South Africans under apartheid.

In the 1980s, Tambo asked Michael Young to help him "build a bridge" between the apartheid government and the ANC. Mbeki, who became his second-in-command, attended the secret talks organized by Young, reporting back to Tambo. As work toward a negotiations continued, Tambo suffered a stroke and underwent extensive medical treatment.

Tambo returned to his homeland in 1991 and was elected national chairman of the ANC and chair of its emancipation commission. He suffered another stroke and died in 1993. One year later, South Africa held its first democratic elections with people of all races being able to vote.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!