This has been an incredibly sad two weeks for Classic Television.....
Frank Gorshin (The Riddler)
Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass)
Henry Corden (Fred Flintstone)
Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger)
and on the distaff side,
Elisabeth Fraser (Sgt. Joan Hogan of 'Bilko')
And now we've lost Eddie Albert, most famous in Toobworld for playing Oliver Wendell Douglas on 'Green Acres'.
There's a morbid sense of timing to his passing - not only was it on the eve of the premiere of the remake of 'The Longest Yard' in which he played sadistic Warden Hazen, but also a few days before the announcement of the June inductee into the Crossover Hall of Fame, who happens to be one of his co-stars in 'Green Acres'.....
Two other roles for which he was known in TV Land are Frank McBride, the former bunco cop turned private eye in 'Switch', and Larry Tucker in a little known sitcom from the fifties entitled 'Leave It To Larry'. (I think it's primarily known nowadays as perhaps being the inspiration for the title for a more famous sitcom, 'Leave It To Beaver'.)
I found this information in the IMDb.com, written by "frankfob@netscape.net":
"Eddie Albert's television career is the earliest of any other performer. It began years before electronic television was introduced to the public.
In June of 1936 Eddie appeared in RCA/NBC's first private live performance for their radio licensees in New York City. This was [a] very early experimental all-electronic television system. His co-star was Grace Brandt.
Due to the primitive nature of these early cameras it was necessary for him to apply heavy make-up and endure tremendous heat from studio lighting. The basic makeup was green toned with purple lipstick for optimal image transmission by RCA's iconoscope pick up cameras.
Since television was experimental, Eddie applied his own make-up and even wrote the script for this performance."
"Eddie Albert had an easy-going, friendly, guy-next-door appeal, and it translated perfectly to television," said Ron Simon, curator of television at the Museum of Radio and Television in New York. "His personality was exactly the sort of laid-back charm that is necessary to succeed in television for a long time."
Indeed, Albert not only starred in his own TV series in three different decades -- the '50s, '60s and '70s -- he hosted two variety shows and a game show in the early '50s and frequently showed up through the years as a guest star in comedy and drama series, as well as variety shows.
"His versatility and likability," Simon said, "were his major emblems on television."
Albert, who had made his television debut in 1948, appeared in numerous live dramatic showcases throughout the 1950s such as 'Playhouse 90,"Studio One' and 'General Electric Theater'.
In 1952, he starred in a short-lived family situation comedy for CBS-TV, 'Leave It to Larry'.
He later hosted a live musical variety series, 'Nothing But the Best', hosted and sang, and danced and acted in another live NBC variety series, 'Saturday Night Revue', and hosted a CBS game show, 'On Your Account'.
According to Dennis McLellan (who wrote the obituary for the Los Angeles Times), Eddie Albert was particularly memorable when he turned his good-guy screen image on its head.
"There's no actor working today who can be as truly malignant as Eddie Albert," director Robert Aldrich told TV Guide in 1975. "He plays heavies exactly the way they are in real life. Slick and sophisticated."
He was referring to "The Longest Yard," starring Burt Reynolds, in which Mr. Albert played the sadistic prison warden. But in Toobworld, my thoughts go right away to his portrayal of General Martin Hollister in the 'Columbo' episode "Dead Weight". His murderer was one of the more hardened and ruthless killers faced by the Lieutenant, and one of the few who never fell for Columbo's charm.
Of course, he is best remembered for 'Green Acres', which aired on CBS from 1965 to 1971 and continues to have an afterlife on cable TV. In it, Albert played Oliver Wendell Douglas, the successful New York lawyer who satisfies his longing to get closer to nature by giving up his law practice and buying -- sight-unseen -- a rundown 160-acre farm near the fictional town of Hooterville. (Eva Gabor co-starred as his malaprop-dropping socialite wife, Lisa.)
A spin-off of 'Petticoat Junction', 'Green Acres' featured a zany cast of hayseed characters, including Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram), the con man who sold the tumbledown farm to the big-city couple.
Albert previously had turned down series offers, including 'My Three Sons' and 'Mister Ed', unwilling to forgo his movie career for a medium he felt was "geared to mediocrity."
But then his agent told him the concept of the proposed CBS comedy series: a city slicker comes to the country to escape the aggravations of city living.
"I said, 'Swell; that's me. Everyone gets tired of the rat race. Everyone would like to chuck it all and grow some carrots. It's basic. Sign me,' " Albert told TV Guide. "I knew it would be successful. Had to be. It's about the atavistic urge, and people have been getting a charge out of that ever since Aristophanes wrote about the plebs and the city folk."
But Mr. Albert had a presence in Toobworld as himself besides those of his various characters. Back in the early 1970s, he and Rock Hudson were being stalked by a crazy woman who bore something of a resemblance to Lucille Carter. So Mr. Albert took precautions to protect himself and wouldn't you know it? - 'Here's Lucy' coming along to pester him into appearing in a charity show.
Near the end of the 20th Century, Mr. Albert Zonked himself by meeting with the star of 'The Jackie Thomas Show' for an ill-conceived tribute to 'Green Acres' (including an appearance with the original Arnold Ziffel, who allegedly was now a ginormous porker nearly as tall as Albert himself!) It was Jackie Thomas' plan to get a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame for Arnold Ziffel, but Eddie Albert thought he was nuts and wouldn't help out.
Back in 1963, Mr. Albert's real life and reel life converged on a show called "Hollywood Without Makeup" in which home movies of the stars were broadcast by Ken Murray. In one episode, archival footage of Eddie Albert with Dr. Albert Schweitzer was shown.
And it is his real life that would make for a great film treatment. When asked by Kira Albin in the late 1980s about which acting accomplishment he was most proud of, he rolled the word "proud" around in his mouth like a foreign object and mumbled it several times before answering.
"I don't think I'm proud of anything in acting. I was not really as good as I should have been. And singing" -Albert laughed - "I always thought I was a singer, but I really am not."
He decided his time in action during World War II would be his proudest undertaking.
In the years before America entered the war, Albert was in Mexico with the Escalante Brothers' Circus, playing the clown and doing a high wire act. (Rumor has it that he had been caught in an affair with the wife of the studio boss who punished Albert by keeping him under contract but not giving him any work in the movies.)
While there in Mexico, he photographed German U-boat activity as an "amateur spy" for Army intelligence. Once enlisted, he served as a lieutenant and was part of the first wave of Marines at Tarawa, witnessing unspeakable atrocities and saving some of the other Marines who were pinned down by a triple cross-fire.
In the late 1960s, Albert's attention turned to ecology. He did extensive reading on the subject as well as talking to experts in the field.
In 1969, he accompanied a molecular biologist from the University of California, Berkeley, to Anacapa Island off the California coast to observe the nesting of pelicans. What they found were thousands of collapsed pelican eggs.
"The run-off of DDT had been consumed by the fish, the fish had been eaten by the pelicans, whose metabolism had in turn been disturbed so that the lady pelican could no longer manufacture a sturdy shell," Albert told TV Guide in 1970. After learning more about the effects of the pesticide, he said, "I stopped being a conservationist.... I became terrified. The more I studied, the more terrified I got."
Sharing his ecological concerns on the 'Tonight' and 'Today' shows, he became, in the words of a TV Guide reporter, "a kind of ecological Paul Revere." The TV appearances led to speaking engagement requests from high schools, universities, and industrial and religious groups.
I remember when he did a TV commercial for some brand of laundry detergent, only to find out that it ultimately was harmful to the environment. Immediately he severed his connection to the product and turned against it.
I also remember reading somewhere that he invented a bomb-sight as well as the infamous "Dippy Bird" - that annoying Junior Scientist "toy" which demonstrated thermo-dynamics. Several of his obituaries did mention that he was an inventor, but any information I found on the Dippy Bird listed someone else as the patent holder.
At any rate, for all of his work in the Real World and in Toobworld, Eddie Albert will be missed.
"What's the most important thing in the world? It's love, and I look at that as an energy, not a sentiment. It's an energy that holds the whole universe together. And if we understand that and mention it once in a while to the plants, then everything will be fine."
- Eddie Albert
BCnU.....
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Monday, May 30, 2005
ORWELLIAN ACRES
In a way, Television is like the English language. It can take in outside influences and make them its own. Many adaptations of other sources of Man's creative energies become part of Toobworld.
Novels? 'Frankenstein', 'Earthsea'....
Movies? 'Highlander', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'
Theatre? 'You Can't Take It With You', 'The Odd Couple'
Comic Books? 'Batman', 'Superman', 'Sabrina The Teenage Witch'
Comic Strips? 'Blondie', 'Peanuts'
Radio has plenty of adaptations that moved over to the new medium, including 'Duffy's Tavern', 'Ethel And Albert', and 'Rin Tin Tin'.
And even songs were represented with the series of movies based on 'The Gambler'.
Then there are the combos of several categories - 'M*A*S*H', 'The Dead Zone', and 'The Addams Family'.
George Orwell's "1984", a prophetic warning about a dystopian future, falls into that last category - movie, a song, and a TV production with Eddie Albert as Winston Smith. It was presented as an episode of 'Studio One' in September 1953, and the New Yorker cited Mr. Albert for "the depth of his performance".
The themes and message of Mr. Orwell's novel transcend the time in which it was set. The date has come and gone, but now "1984" symbolizes the soul-deadening totalitarian bureacracy more than it stands for the actual period in which it was supposed to take place.
(Terry Gilliam got around the "sell-by date" by naming his movie "Brazil", although he claims never to have known about "1984" before dreaming up his own treatment.)
But with that 1953 TV production starring Eddie Albert, it could be left in 1984... but not in the main TV Universe.
And I don't think there's a better dimension to stick this classic than the evil mirror universe made famous by various 'Star Trek' series.
The beat-down of the human spirit, the oppression of Society as accomplished in "1984" would ultimately serve the purposes of the Powers in Charge and lead to the foundation of the Empire.
I'm going to look for this production at the MT&R, to see mostly the design for the "futuristic look" of their '1984' in 1953. I'd like to see if it might be possible to link it to that famous blipvert for MacIntosh Apple computers. (But I have a feeling the clothing and set design won't be too "out there". It will probably be not that much different from the look of the Fifties. After all, one message in "1984" was that it would be here sooner that the readers of that time expected... especially if they didn't take action to prevent its outcome.)
"It is some men's fate to face great darkness.
We each choose how to react.
If the choice is fear, we become vulnerable to Fear."
Major Garland Briggs
'Twin Peaks'
Novels? 'Frankenstein', 'Earthsea'....
Movies? 'Highlander', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'
Theatre? 'You Can't Take It With You', 'The Odd Couple'
Comic Books? 'Batman', 'Superman', 'Sabrina The Teenage Witch'
Comic Strips? 'Blondie', 'Peanuts'
Radio has plenty of adaptations that moved over to the new medium, including 'Duffy's Tavern', 'Ethel And Albert', and 'Rin Tin Tin'.
And even songs were represented with the series of movies based on 'The Gambler'.
Then there are the combos of several categories - 'M*A*S*H', 'The Dead Zone', and 'The Addams Family'.
George Orwell's "1984", a prophetic warning about a dystopian future, falls into that last category - movie, a song, and a TV production with Eddie Albert as Winston Smith. It was presented as an episode of 'Studio One' in September 1953, and the New Yorker cited Mr. Albert for "the depth of his performance".
The themes and message of Mr. Orwell's novel transcend the time in which it was set. The date has come and gone, but now "1984" symbolizes the soul-deadening totalitarian bureacracy more than it stands for the actual period in which it was supposed to take place.
(Terry Gilliam got around the "sell-by date" by naming his movie "Brazil", although he claims never to have known about "1984" before dreaming up his own treatment.)
But with that 1953 TV production starring Eddie Albert, it could be left in 1984... but not in the main TV Universe.
And I don't think there's a better dimension to stick this classic than the evil mirror universe made famous by various 'Star Trek' series.
The beat-down of the human spirit, the oppression of Society as accomplished in "1984" would ultimately serve the purposes of the Powers in Charge and lead to the foundation of the Empire.
I'm going to look for this production at the MT&R, to see mostly the design for the "futuristic look" of their '1984' in 1953. I'd like to see if it might be possible to link it to that famous blipvert for MacIntosh Apple computers. (But I have a feeling the clothing and set design won't be too "out there". It will probably be not that much different from the look of the Fifties. After all, one message in "1984" was that it would be here sooner that the readers of that time expected... especially if they didn't take action to prevent its outcome.)
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tele-Toby
"It is some men's fate to face great darkness.
We each choose how to react.
If the choice is fear, we become vulnerable to Fear."
Major Garland Briggs
'Twin Peaks'
Sunday, May 29, 2005
TIP O' THE HAT SQUAD: EDDIE ALBERT
The following is a list for most of the credits attributed to Eddie Albert in Toobworld.
"General Hospital" (1963) TV Series .... Jack Boland #1 (1993)
The Girl from Mars (1991) (TV) .... Charles
Return to Green Acres (1990) (TV) .... Oliver Wendell Douglas
"War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini) TV Series .... Breckinridge Long
Mercy or Murder? (1987) (TV) .... Joe Varon
Dress Gray (1986) (TV) .... Judge Hand
In Like Flynn (1985) (TV) .... Bill White
Burning Rage (1984) (TV) .... Will Larson
The Demon Murder Case (1983) (TV) .... Father Dietrich
Rooster (1982) (TV) .... Rev. Harlan Barnum
Beyond Witch Mountain (1982) (TV) .... Jason O'Day
(which brought his character from the movie "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975) into the TV Universe)
"Falcon Crest" (1981) TV Series .... Carlton Travis
Goliath Awaits (1981) (TV) .... Admiral Wiley Sloan
Peter and Paul (1981) (TV) .... Festus
The Oklahoma City Dolls (1981) (TV) .... Coach Homer Sixx
"Beulah Land" (1980) (mini) TV Series .... Felix Kendrick
Trouble in High Timber Country (1980) (TV) .... Carroll Yeager
"The Word" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Ogden Towery
Crash (1978) (TV) .... Capt. Dunn
Evening in Byzantium (1978) (TV) .... Brian Murphy
"Switch" (1975) TV Series .... Frank MacBride
Promise Him Anything (1975) (TV) .... Pop
Switch (1975) (TV) .... Frank McBride
"Benjamin Franklin" (1974) (mini) TV Series .... Benjamin Franklin
The Borrowers (1973) (TV) .... Pod Clock
Fireball Forward (1972) (TV) .... Col. Douglas Graham
The Lorax (1972) (TV) (voice) .... Narrator
See the Man Run (1971) (TV) .... Dr. Thomas Spencer
Columbo: Dead Weight (1971) (TV) .... Maj. Gen. Martin Hollister
Mouse On the Mayflower (1968) (TV) (voice) .... Capt. Standish
"Petticoat Junction" (1963) TV Series .... Oliver Wendell Douglas (1965-1968)
The Nutcracker (1965) (TV) .... Host/narrator
"Green Acres" (1965) TV Series .... Oliver Wendell Douglas
The Spiral Staircase (1961) (TV)
Our Mr. Sun (1956) (TV) .... The Fiction Writer
The Chocolate Soldier (1955) (TV) .... Bumerli
A Connecticut Yankee (1955) (TV) .... Hank Martin
"The Saturday Night Revue" (1953) TV Series .... Host (1954)
"Nothing But the Best" (1953) TV Series .... Host (1953)
"On Your Account" (1953) TV Series .... Occasional Host (1953-56)
"Leave It to Larry" (1952) TV Series .... Larry Tucker The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty (1999) (TV) .... Himself
Frank Sinatra: The Very Good Years (1998) (TV) .... Himself/Interviewee
Intimate Portrait: Eva Gabor (1998) (TV) .... Himself
Sinatra In Hollywood: The E! True Hollywood Story (1998) (TV) .... HIimself
Victory in the Pacific (1995) (TV) .... Himself
Juke Box Saturday Night (1983) (TV) .... Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1982) (TV) .... Himself
The 30th Annual Tony Awards (1976) (TV) .... Himself - Co-host
The 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Sound
"Hippodrome Show" (1966) TV Series .... As host (show 10)
The Secret to the Sixties (1965) .... Himself
The 34th Annual Academy Awards (1962) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Costume Design Awards
The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Art Direction-Set Decoration Awards
Operation Teahouse (1956) (uncredited) .... Himself
"The Eddie Albert Show" (1953) TV Series .... Himself/Host
Screen Snapshots Series 23, No. 1: Hollywood in Uniform (1943) .... Himself
Notable TV Guest Appearances
"Spider-Man" playing "Vulture/Adrian Toomes" (voice) in episodes:
"Partners In Danger Chapter 5: Partners" (episode # 4.5) 3 May 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 4: The Six Fight Again" (episode # 5.5) 10 October 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 3: Secrets of the Six" (episode # 5.4) 3 October 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 2: Unclaimed Legacy" (episode # 5.3) 26 September 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 1" (episode # 5.2) 19 September 1997
"Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 13: Shriek of the Vulture" (episode # 2.13) 17 September 1996
"Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 14: The Final Nightmare" (episode # 2.14) 24 February 1996
"Time Trax" playing "Noah" in episode: "Treasure of the Ages" (episode # 1.9) 29 March 1993
"Extreme Ghostbusters" (voice) in episode: "The Jersey Devil" (episode # 1.15) 19 September 1997
"The Jackie Thomas Show" playing "Himself" in episode: "One Flu over the Cuckoo's Nest" (episode # 1.16) 16 March 1993
"The Golden Palace" playing "Bill Douglas" in episode: "Say Goodbye, Rose" (episode # 1.17) 12 February 1993
"The Ray Bradbury Theater" playing "Jonathan Hughes" in episode: "Touch of Petulance" (episode # 4.6) 12 October 1990
"thirtysomething" playing "Charlie Weston" in episode: "Elliot's Dad" (episode # 2.10) 28 February 1989
"The Twilight Zone" playing "Roger Simpson Leads" in episode: "Dream Me a Life" (episode # 3.5) 22 October 1988
"Murder, She Wrote" playing "Jackson Lane" in episode: "The Body Politic" (episode # 4.22) 8 May 1988
"Highway to Heaven" playing "Senator Corky McCorkindale" in episode: "Jonathan Smith Goes to Washington" (episode # 3.11) 3 December 1986
"Hotel" playing "MacDonald 'Mack' Erickson" in episode: "Pathways" (episode # 3.4) 16 October 1985
"The Love Boat" in episode: "Captain and the Kid, The/The Dean and the Flunkee/Poor Rich Man/Isaac Aegean Affair: Part 2" (episode # 6.19) 5 February 1983
"The Love Boat" in episode: "Captain and the Kid, The/The Dean and the Flunkee/Poor Rich Man/Isaac Aegean Affair: Part 1" (episode # 6.18) 5 February 1983
"Simon & Simon" playing "Judge Elliott Morris Taylor" in episode: "Pirate's Key: Part 2" (episode # 2.14) 20 January 1983
"Simon & Simon" playing "Judge Elliott Morris Taylor" in episode: "Pirate's Key: Part 1" (episode # 2.13) 20 January 1983
"The Fall Guy" playing "John Cramer" in episode: "The Fall Guy: Part 1" (episode # 1.1) 4 November 1981
"Kung Fu" playing "Dr. George Baxter" in episode: "Blood of the Dragon: Part 2" (episode # 3.2) 14 September 1974
"Kung Fu" playing "Dr. George Baxter" in episode: "Blood of the Dragon: Part 1" (episode # 3.1) 14 September 1974
"Here's Lucy" playing "Himself" in episode: "Lucy Gives Eddie Albert the Old Song and Dance" (episode # 6.6) 15 October 1973
"McCloud" playing "Roy Erickson" in episode: "The Park Avenue Rustlers" (episode # 3.3) 24 December 1972
"This Is Your Life" playing "Himself" in episode: "Harold Krents" 22 October 1972
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 4 November 1971
"The Dick Cavett Show" playing "Himself" 25 November 1970
"The Beverly Hillbillies" playing "Oliver Wendell Douglas" in episode: "The Thanksgiving Story" (episode # 7.10) 27 November 1968
"The Carol Burnett Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.6) 4 November 1968
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 18 January 1968
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" playing "Himself" 31 December 1967
"The Carol Burnett Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 1.3) 25 September 1967
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 24 November 1966
"Password" playing "Panelist" in episode: "Bea Benaderet vs. Eddie Albert" 13 September 1966
"What's My Line?" playing "Mystery Guest" 20 February 1966
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 17 February 1966
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." playing "Brother Love" in episode: "The Love Affair" (episode # 1.26) 29 March 1965
"Burke's Law" playing "Arthur J. Poindexter" in episode: "Who Killed Rosie Sunset?" (episode # 2.19) 27 January 1965
"The Rogues" playing "Gregg Roberts" in episode: "The Golden Ocean" (episode # 1.19) 24 January 1965
"Kraft Suspense Theatre" playing "Dr. Bert Andrews" in episode: "The Gun" (episode # 2.10) 24 December 1964
"Rawhide" playing "Taylor Dickson" in episode: "The Photographer" (episode # 7.11) 11 December 1964
"The Reporter" playing "Paul Pollard" in episode: "A Time to Be Silent" (episode # 1.10) 4 December 1964
"The Outer Limits" playing "Andy Thorne" in episode: "Cry of Silence" (episode # 2.6) 24 October 1964
"Mr. Novak" playing "Charlie O'Rourke" in episode: "Visions of Sugar Plums" (episode # 2.3) 6 October 1964
"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" playing "Dr. Fred Wilson" in episode: "Eleven Days to Zero" (episode # 1.1) 14 September 1964
"The Lieutenant" playing "R. Cameron O'Rourke" in episode: "O'Rourke" (episode # 1.15) 4 January 1964
"Dr. Kildare" in episode: "A Vote of Confidence" (episode # 3.14) 26 December 1963
"Combat!" playing "Phil" in episode: "Doughboy" (episode # 2.7) 29 October 1963
"The Greatest Show on Earth" playing "Frank Land" in episode: "The Loser" (episode # 1.6) 22 October 1963
"The Eleventh Hour" playing "Ken Downer" in episode: "I Feel Like a Rutabaga" (episode # 1.28) 24 April 1963
"Sam Benedict" playing "Lewis Wiley" in episode: "Accomplice" (episode # 1.25) 9 March 1963
"The Wide Country" playing "Duke Donovan" in episode: "The Judas Goat" (episode # 1.21) 21 February 1963
"The DuPont Show of the Week" playing "Frank Foster" in episode: "Windfall" (episode # 2.10) 13 January 1963
"Naked City" playing "Earl Johannis" in episode: "Robin Hood and Clarence Darrow, They Went Out with Bow and Arrow" (episode # 4.17) 9 January 1963
"Wagon Train" playing "Kurt Davos" in episode: "The Kurt Davos Story" (episode # 6.11) 28 November 1962
"The Virginian" playing "Cal Kroeger" in episode: "Impasse" (episode # 1.8) 14 November 1962
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "A Break in the Weather" (episode # 10.5) 31 October 1962
"Alcoa Premiere" playing "Mark Evans" in episode: "The Time of the Tonsils" (episode # 1.32) 25 June 1962
"Ben Casey" playing "Gene Billstrom" in episode: "An Uncommonly Innocent Killing" (episode # 1.30) 7 May 1962
"Tales of Wells Fargo" playing "Bonzo Croydon" in episode: "A Fistful of Pride" (episode # 6.8) 18 November 1961
"Frontier Circus" playing "Dr. Jordan" in episode: "The Hunter and the Hunted" (episode # 1.5) 2 November 1961
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "Famous" (episode # 8.20) 31 May 1961
"General Electric Theater" playing "Louie Schmidt" in episode: "Louie and the Horseless Buggy" (episode # 9.27) 30 April 1961
"Startime" playing "Host" in episode: "Well, What About You?" (episode # 1.28) 19 April 1960
"Sunday Showcase" in episode: "Hollywood Sings" (episode # 1.29) 3 April 1960
"Playhouse 90" playing "Oliver Erwenter" in episode: "The Silver Whistle" (episode # 4.7) 24 December 1959
"Riverboat" playing "Dan Simpson" in episode: "The Unwilling" (episode # 1.5) 11 October 1959
"Laramie" in episode: "Glory Road" (episode # 1.2) 22 September 1959
"Frontier Justice" playing "Sam Barlow" in episode: "Fugitive" (episode # 2.7) 17 August 1959
"The United States Steel Hour" playing "Sam Stover" in episode: "Apple of His Eye" (episode # 6.21) 1 July 1959
"The David Niven Show" playing "Adam Winter" in episode: "The Promise" (episode # 1.4) 5 May 1959
"Playhouse 90" playing "Leroy Dawson" in episode: "The Ding-A-Ling Girl" (episode # 3.21) 26 February 1959
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Max Asher" in episode: "The Last Witness" (episode # 6.9) 30 November 1958
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Jess Matson" in episode: "The Vaunted" (episode # 3.8) 27 November 1958
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Last Edition" (episode # 8.5) 21 November 1958
"Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" playing "Joe Minelli" in episode: "The Night the Phone Rang" (episode # 1.7) 17 November 1958
"Goodyear Theatre" playing "Calvin Lazarus" in episode: "Lazarus Walks Again" (episode # 2.2) 27 October 1958
"This Is Your Life" playing "Himself" in episode: "Eddie Albert" 15 October 1958
"Frontier Justice" playing "Bide Turley" in episode: "Stage to Tuscon" (episode # 1.3) 28 July 1958
"The Patrice Munsel Show" playing "Himself" 17 January 1958
"Studio 57" playing "Jim Hammond" in episode: "An End to Fear" (episode # 4.11) 9 January 1958
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Pattern for Death" (episode # 7.16) 27 December 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Jed Wiley" in episode: "A Gun for My Bride" (episode # 2.12) 27 December 1957
"Climax!" playing "David Adams" in episode: "Murder Has a Deadline" (episode # 4.8) 28 November 1957
"Wagon Train" playing "John Darro" in episode: "The John Darro Story" (episode # 1.8) 6 November 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Sam Barlow" in episode: "A Fugitive" (episode # 1.25) 22 March 1957
"Climax!" playing "Barney Kanda" in episode: "Let It Be Me" (episode # 3.21) 21 March 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Bide Turley" in episode: "Stage to Tucson" (episode # 1.7) 16 November 1956
"Climax!" playing "Gabe Douglas" in episode: "Burst of Violence" (episode # 2.46) 13 September 1956
"The Alcoa Hour" playing "Ralph Grimes" in episode: "No License to Kill (II)" (episode # 2.25) 1 September 1956
"The Philco Television Playhouse" in episode: "Rise Up and Walk" (episode # 8.9) 1 January 1956
"Robert Montgomery Presents" in episode: "The World to Nothing" (episode # 7.9) 7 November 1955
"The Name's the Same" playing "Himself - Contestant" 22 August 1955
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 8.50) 21 August 1955
"Front Row Center" playing "Dr. Davidson" in episode: "Johnny Belinda" (episode # 1.5) 29 June 1955
"TV Reader's Digest" playing "Joey White" in episode: "Human Nature Through a Rear View Mirror" (episode # 1.21) 6 June 1955
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Too Many Nelsons" (episode # 4.36) 13 May 1955
"General Electric Theater" playing "Paul Mattson" in episode: "Into the Night" (episode # 3.30) 8 May 1955
"General Electric Theater" playing "Narrator" in episode: "I'm a Fool" (episode # 3.8) 14 November 1954
"Your Show of Shows" 8 May 1954
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 7.31) 18 April 1954
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Tiger Tipton" in episode: "The Count of Ten" (episode # 1.25) 14 March 1954
"Medallion Theatre" in episode: "Homestead" (episode # 2.25) 27 February 1954
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Lionel Kent" in episode: "Act of Faith" (episode # 1.22) 14 February 1954
"Your Show of Shows" 13 February 1954
"Goodyear Television Playhouse" playing "Narrator" in episode: "Wings Over Barriers" (episode # 3.6) 20 December 1953
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "Tin Wedding" (episode # 1.3) 24 November 1953
"The Motorola Television Hour" in episode: "Outlaw's Reckoning" (episode # 1.1) 3 November 1953
"Your Show of Shows" 17 October 1953
"The Philco Television Playhouse" in episode: "The Bachelor Party" (episode # 6.2) 11 October 1953
"The Philip Morris Playhouse" in episode: "Journey to Nowhere" (episode # 1.1) 1 October 1953
"Studio One" playing "Winston Smith" in episode: "1984" (episode # 6.1) 21 September 1953
"The Revlon Mirror Theater" in episode: "The Little Wife" (episode # 1.1) 23 June 1953
"Danger" in episode: "Subpoena" (episode # 3.32) 26 May 1953
"Suspense" in episode: "Mutiny Below" (episode # 5.16) 3 February 1953
"Studio One" in episode: "The Trial of John Peter Zenger" (episode # 5.16) 12 January 1953
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Enchanted Evening" (episode # 2.5) 31 October 1952
"Somerset Maugham TV Theatre" in episode: "Smith Serves" (episode # 3.7) 10 December 1951
"Lights Out" in episode: "Friday the Nineteenth" (episode # 4.13) 19 November 1951
"What's My Line?" 29 July 1951
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.48) 7 August 1949
"Suspense" in episode: "Revenge" (episode # 1.1) 1 March 1949
"The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre" in episode: "Who's Your Judge?" (episode # 1.14) 27 December 1948
"The Ford Theatre Hour" in episode: "Joy to the World" (episode # 1.1) 21 November 1948
[The above list is from the IMDb.com.]
Looking over this list, I see there is plenty to work with for several essays celebrating the contributions of Mr. Albert to our vision of the TV Universe.
Give me time, folks. I'd like to do right by his memory because I've always admired him for his work and passions outside of show business.
In the meantime, for a very nice tribute and obituary for Eddie Albert, please visit a Blogger comrade in TV Land at:
I Am A Child Of Television
http://childoftv.blogspot.com/
"General Hospital" (1963) TV Series .... Jack Boland #1 (1993)
The Girl from Mars (1991) (TV) .... Charles
Return to Green Acres (1990) (TV) .... Oliver Wendell Douglas
"War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini) TV Series .... Breckinridge Long
Mercy or Murder? (1987) (TV) .... Joe Varon
Dress Gray (1986) (TV) .... Judge Hand
In Like Flynn (1985) (TV) .... Bill White
Burning Rage (1984) (TV) .... Will Larson
The Demon Murder Case (1983) (TV) .... Father Dietrich
Rooster (1982) (TV) .... Rev. Harlan Barnum
Beyond Witch Mountain (1982) (TV) .... Jason O'Day
(which brought his character from the movie "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975) into the TV Universe)
"Falcon Crest" (1981) TV Series .... Carlton Travis
Goliath Awaits (1981) (TV) .... Admiral Wiley Sloan
Peter and Paul (1981) (TV) .... Festus
The Oklahoma City Dolls (1981) (TV) .... Coach Homer Sixx
"Beulah Land" (1980) (mini) TV Series .... Felix Kendrick
Trouble in High Timber Country (1980) (TV) .... Carroll Yeager
"The Word" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Ogden Towery
Crash (1978) (TV) .... Capt. Dunn
Evening in Byzantium (1978) (TV) .... Brian Murphy
"Switch" (1975) TV Series .... Frank MacBride
Promise Him Anything (1975) (TV) .... Pop
Switch (1975) (TV) .... Frank McBride
"Benjamin Franklin" (1974) (mini) TV Series .... Benjamin Franklin
The Borrowers (1973) (TV) .... Pod Clock
Fireball Forward (1972) (TV) .... Col. Douglas Graham
The Lorax (1972) (TV) (voice) .... Narrator
See the Man Run (1971) (TV) .... Dr. Thomas Spencer
Columbo: Dead Weight (1971) (TV) .... Maj. Gen. Martin Hollister
Mouse On the Mayflower (1968) (TV) (voice) .... Capt. Standish
"Petticoat Junction" (1963) TV Series .... Oliver Wendell Douglas (1965-1968)
The Nutcracker (1965) (TV) .... Host/narrator
"Green Acres" (1965) TV Series .... Oliver Wendell Douglas
The Spiral Staircase (1961) (TV)
Our Mr. Sun (1956) (TV) .... The Fiction Writer
The Chocolate Soldier (1955) (TV) .... Bumerli
A Connecticut Yankee (1955) (TV) .... Hank Martin
"The Saturday Night Revue" (1953) TV Series .... Host (1954)
"Nothing But the Best" (1953) TV Series .... Host (1953)
"On Your Account" (1953) TV Series .... Occasional Host (1953-56)
"Leave It to Larry" (1952) TV Series .... Larry Tucker The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty (1999) (TV) .... Himself
Frank Sinatra: The Very Good Years (1998) (TV) .... Himself/Interviewee
Intimate Portrait: Eva Gabor (1998) (TV) .... Himself
Sinatra In Hollywood: The E! True Hollywood Story (1998) (TV) .... HIimself
Victory in the Pacific (1995) (TV) .... Himself
Juke Box Saturday Night (1983) (TV) .... Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1982) (TV) .... Himself
The 30th Annual Tony Awards (1976) (TV) .... Himself - Co-host
The 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Sound
"Hippodrome Show" (1966) TV Series .... As host (show 10)
The Secret to the Sixties (1965) .... Himself
The 34th Annual Academy Awards (1962) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Costume Design Awards
The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Art Direction-Set Decoration Awards
Operation Teahouse (1956) (uncredited) .... Himself
"The Eddie Albert Show" (1953) TV Series .... Himself/Host
Screen Snapshots Series 23, No. 1: Hollywood in Uniform (1943) .... Himself
Notable TV Guest Appearances
"Spider-Man" playing "Vulture/Adrian Toomes" (voice) in episodes:
"Partners In Danger Chapter 5: Partners" (episode # 4.5) 3 May 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 4: The Six Fight Again" (episode # 5.5) 10 October 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 3: Secrets of the Six" (episode # 5.4) 3 October 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 2: Unclaimed Legacy" (episode # 5.3) 26 September 1997
"Six Forgotten Warriors Chapter 1" (episode # 5.2) 19 September 1997
"Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 13: Shriek of the Vulture" (episode # 2.13) 17 September 1996
"Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 14: The Final Nightmare" (episode # 2.14) 24 February 1996
"Time Trax" playing "Noah" in episode: "Treasure of the Ages" (episode # 1.9) 29 March 1993
"Extreme Ghostbusters" (voice) in episode: "The Jersey Devil" (episode # 1.15) 19 September 1997
"The Jackie Thomas Show" playing "Himself" in episode: "One Flu over the Cuckoo's Nest" (episode # 1.16) 16 March 1993
"The Golden Palace" playing "Bill Douglas" in episode: "Say Goodbye, Rose" (episode # 1.17) 12 February 1993
"The Ray Bradbury Theater" playing "Jonathan Hughes" in episode: "Touch of Petulance" (episode # 4.6) 12 October 1990
"thirtysomething" playing "Charlie Weston" in episode: "Elliot's Dad" (episode # 2.10) 28 February 1989
"The Twilight Zone" playing "Roger Simpson Leads" in episode: "Dream Me a Life" (episode # 3.5) 22 October 1988
"Murder, She Wrote" playing "Jackson Lane" in episode: "The Body Politic" (episode # 4.22) 8 May 1988
"Highway to Heaven" playing "Senator Corky McCorkindale" in episode: "Jonathan Smith Goes to Washington" (episode # 3.11) 3 December 1986
"Hotel" playing "MacDonald 'Mack' Erickson" in episode: "Pathways" (episode # 3.4) 16 October 1985
"The Love Boat" in episode: "Captain and the Kid, The/The Dean and the Flunkee/Poor Rich Man/Isaac Aegean Affair: Part 2" (episode # 6.19) 5 February 1983
"The Love Boat" in episode: "Captain and the Kid, The/The Dean and the Flunkee/Poor Rich Man/Isaac Aegean Affair: Part 1" (episode # 6.18) 5 February 1983
"Simon & Simon" playing "Judge Elliott Morris Taylor" in episode: "Pirate's Key: Part 2" (episode # 2.14) 20 January 1983
"Simon & Simon" playing "Judge Elliott Morris Taylor" in episode: "Pirate's Key: Part 1" (episode # 2.13) 20 January 1983
"The Fall Guy" playing "John Cramer" in episode: "The Fall Guy: Part 1" (episode # 1.1) 4 November 1981
"Kung Fu" playing "Dr. George Baxter" in episode: "Blood of the Dragon: Part 2" (episode # 3.2) 14 September 1974
"Kung Fu" playing "Dr. George Baxter" in episode: "Blood of the Dragon: Part 1" (episode # 3.1) 14 September 1974
"Here's Lucy" playing "Himself" in episode: "Lucy Gives Eddie Albert the Old Song and Dance" (episode # 6.6) 15 October 1973
"McCloud" playing "Roy Erickson" in episode: "The Park Avenue Rustlers" (episode # 3.3) 24 December 1972
"This Is Your Life" playing "Himself" in episode: "Harold Krents" 22 October 1972
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 4 November 1971
"The Dick Cavett Show" playing "Himself" 25 November 1970
"The Beverly Hillbillies" playing "Oliver Wendell Douglas" in episode: "The Thanksgiving Story" (episode # 7.10) 27 November 1968
"The Carol Burnett Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.6) 4 November 1968
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 18 January 1968
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" playing "Himself" 31 December 1967
"The Carol Burnett Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 1.3) 25 September 1967
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 24 November 1966
"Password" playing "Panelist" in episode: "Bea Benaderet vs. Eddie Albert" 13 September 1966
"What's My Line?" playing "Mystery Guest" 20 February 1966
"The Dean Martin Show" playing "Himself" 17 February 1966
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." playing "Brother Love" in episode: "The Love Affair" (episode # 1.26) 29 March 1965
"Burke's Law" playing "Arthur J. Poindexter" in episode: "Who Killed Rosie Sunset?" (episode # 2.19) 27 January 1965
"The Rogues" playing "Gregg Roberts" in episode: "The Golden Ocean" (episode # 1.19) 24 January 1965
"Kraft Suspense Theatre" playing "Dr. Bert Andrews" in episode: "The Gun" (episode # 2.10) 24 December 1964
"Rawhide" playing "Taylor Dickson" in episode: "The Photographer" (episode # 7.11) 11 December 1964
"The Reporter" playing "Paul Pollard" in episode: "A Time to Be Silent" (episode # 1.10) 4 December 1964
"The Outer Limits" playing "Andy Thorne" in episode: "Cry of Silence" (episode # 2.6) 24 October 1964
"Mr. Novak" playing "Charlie O'Rourke" in episode: "Visions of Sugar Plums" (episode # 2.3) 6 October 1964
"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" playing "Dr. Fred Wilson" in episode: "Eleven Days to Zero" (episode # 1.1) 14 September 1964
"The Lieutenant" playing "R. Cameron O'Rourke" in episode: "O'Rourke" (episode # 1.15) 4 January 1964
"Dr. Kildare" in episode: "A Vote of Confidence" (episode # 3.14) 26 December 1963
"Combat!" playing "Phil" in episode: "Doughboy" (episode # 2.7) 29 October 1963
"The Greatest Show on Earth" playing "Frank Land" in episode: "The Loser" (episode # 1.6) 22 October 1963
"The Eleventh Hour" playing "Ken Downer" in episode: "I Feel Like a Rutabaga" (episode # 1.28) 24 April 1963
"Sam Benedict" playing "Lewis Wiley" in episode: "Accomplice" (episode # 1.25) 9 March 1963
"The Wide Country" playing "Duke Donovan" in episode: "The Judas Goat" (episode # 1.21) 21 February 1963
"The DuPont Show of the Week" playing "Frank Foster" in episode: "Windfall" (episode # 2.10) 13 January 1963
"Naked City" playing "Earl Johannis" in episode: "Robin Hood and Clarence Darrow, They Went Out with Bow and Arrow" (episode # 4.17) 9 January 1963
"Wagon Train" playing "Kurt Davos" in episode: "The Kurt Davos Story" (episode # 6.11) 28 November 1962
"The Virginian" playing "Cal Kroeger" in episode: "Impasse" (episode # 1.8) 14 November 1962
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "A Break in the Weather" (episode # 10.5) 31 October 1962
"Alcoa Premiere" playing "Mark Evans" in episode: "The Time of the Tonsils" (episode # 1.32) 25 June 1962
"Ben Casey" playing "Gene Billstrom" in episode: "An Uncommonly Innocent Killing" (episode # 1.30) 7 May 1962
"Tales of Wells Fargo" playing "Bonzo Croydon" in episode: "A Fistful of Pride" (episode # 6.8) 18 November 1961
"Frontier Circus" playing "Dr. Jordan" in episode: "The Hunter and the Hunted" (episode # 1.5) 2 November 1961
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "Famous" (episode # 8.20) 31 May 1961
"General Electric Theater" playing "Louie Schmidt" in episode: "Louie and the Horseless Buggy" (episode # 9.27) 30 April 1961
"Startime" playing "Host" in episode: "Well, What About You?" (episode # 1.28) 19 April 1960
"Sunday Showcase" in episode: "Hollywood Sings" (episode # 1.29) 3 April 1960
"Playhouse 90" playing "Oliver Erwenter" in episode: "The Silver Whistle" (episode # 4.7) 24 December 1959
"Riverboat" playing "Dan Simpson" in episode: "The Unwilling" (episode # 1.5) 11 October 1959
"Laramie" in episode: "Glory Road" (episode # 1.2) 22 September 1959
"Frontier Justice" playing "Sam Barlow" in episode: "Fugitive" (episode # 2.7) 17 August 1959
"The United States Steel Hour" playing "Sam Stover" in episode: "Apple of His Eye" (episode # 6.21) 1 July 1959
"The David Niven Show" playing "Adam Winter" in episode: "The Promise" (episode # 1.4) 5 May 1959
"Playhouse 90" playing "Leroy Dawson" in episode: "The Ding-A-Ling Girl" (episode # 3.21) 26 February 1959
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Max Asher" in episode: "The Last Witness" (episode # 6.9) 30 November 1958
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Jess Matson" in episode: "The Vaunted" (episode # 3.8) 27 November 1958
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Last Edition" (episode # 8.5) 21 November 1958
"Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" playing "Joe Minelli" in episode: "The Night the Phone Rang" (episode # 1.7) 17 November 1958
"Goodyear Theatre" playing "Calvin Lazarus" in episode: "Lazarus Walks Again" (episode # 2.2) 27 October 1958
"This Is Your Life" playing "Himself" in episode: "Eddie Albert" 15 October 1958
"Frontier Justice" playing "Bide Turley" in episode: "Stage to Tuscon" (episode # 1.3) 28 July 1958
"The Patrice Munsel Show" playing "Himself" 17 January 1958
"Studio 57" playing "Jim Hammond" in episode: "An End to Fear" (episode # 4.11) 9 January 1958
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Pattern for Death" (episode # 7.16) 27 December 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Jed Wiley" in episode: "A Gun for My Bride" (episode # 2.12) 27 December 1957
"Climax!" playing "David Adams" in episode: "Murder Has a Deadline" (episode # 4.8) 28 November 1957
"Wagon Train" playing "John Darro" in episode: "The John Darro Story" (episode # 1.8) 6 November 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Sam Barlow" in episode: "A Fugitive" (episode # 1.25) 22 March 1957
"Climax!" playing "Barney Kanda" in episode: "Let It Be Me" (episode # 3.21) 21 March 1957
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Bide Turley" in episode: "Stage to Tucson" (episode # 1.7) 16 November 1956
"Climax!" playing "Gabe Douglas" in episode: "Burst of Violence" (episode # 2.46) 13 September 1956
"The Alcoa Hour" playing "Ralph Grimes" in episode: "No License to Kill (II)" (episode # 2.25) 1 September 1956
"The Philco Television Playhouse" in episode: "Rise Up and Walk" (episode # 8.9) 1 January 1956
"Robert Montgomery Presents" in episode: "The World to Nothing" (episode # 7.9) 7 November 1955
"The Name's the Same" playing "Himself - Contestant" 22 August 1955
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 8.50) 21 August 1955
"Front Row Center" playing "Dr. Davidson" in episode: "Johnny Belinda" (episode # 1.5) 29 June 1955
"TV Reader's Digest" playing "Joey White" in episode: "Human Nature Through a Rear View Mirror" (episode # 1.21) 6 June 1955
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Too Many Nelsons" (episode # 4.36) 13 May 1955
"General Electric Theater" playing "Paul Mattson" in episode: "Into the Night" (episode # 3.30) 8 May 1955
"General Electric Theater" playing "Narrator" in episode: "I'm a Fool" (episode # 3.8) 14 November 1954
"Your Show of Shows" 8 May 1954
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 7.31) 18 April 1954
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Tiger Tipton" in episode: "The Count of Ten" (episode # 1.25) 14 March 1954
"Medallion Theatre" in episode: "Homestead" (episode # 2.25) 27 February 1954
"Letter to Loretta" playing "Lionel Kent" in episode: "Act of Faith" (episode # 1.22) 14 February 1954
"Your Show of Shows" 13 February 1954
"Goodyear Television Playhouse" playing "Narrator" in episode: "Wings Over Barriers" (episode # 3.6) 20 December 1953
"The United States Steel Hour" in episode: "Tin Wedding" (episode # 1.3) 24 November 1953
"The Motorola Television Hour" in episode: "Outlaw's Reckoning" (episode # 1.1) 3 November 1953
"Your Show of Shows" 17 October 1953
"The Philco Television Playhouse" in episode: "The Bachelor Party" (episode # 6.2) 11 October 1953
"The Philip Morris Playhouse" in episode: "Journey to Nowhere" (episode # 1.1) 1 October 1953
"Studio One" playing "Winston Smith" in episode: "1984" (episode # 6.1) 21 September 1953
"The Revlon Mirror Theater" in episode: "The Little Wife" (episode # 1.1) 23 June 1953
"Danger" in episode: "Subpoena" (episode # 3.32) 26 May 1953
"Suspense" in episode: "Mutiny Below" (episode # 5.16) 3 February 1953
"Studio One" in episode: "The Trial of John Peter Zenger" (episode # 5.16) 12 January 1953
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" in episode: "Enchanted Evening" (episode # 2.5) 31 October 1952
"Somerset Maugham TV Theatre" in episode: "Smith Serves" (episode # 3.7) 10 December 1951
"Lights Out" in episode: "Friday the Nineteenth" (episode # 4.13) 19 November 1951
"What's My Line?" 29 July 1951
"Toast of the Town" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.48) 7 August 1949
"Suspense" in episode: "Revenge" (episode # 1.1) 1 March 1949
"The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre" in episode: "Who's Your Judge?" (episode # 1.14) 27 December 1948
"The Ford Theatre Hour" in episode: "Joy to the World" (episode # 1.1) 21 November 1948
[The above list is from the IMDb.com.]
Looking over this list, I see there is plenty to work with for several essays celebrating the contributions of Mr. Albert to our vision of the TV Universe.
Give me time, folks. I'd like to do right by his memory because I've always admired him for his work and passions outside of show business.
In the meantime, for a very nice tribute and obituary for Eddie Albert, please visit a Blogger comrade in TV Land at:
I Am A Child Of Television
http://childoftv.blogspot.com/
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Holidays!
Dear blogders,
I'd be off for a holiday to Bintan till Tuesday! Updates when I come back. =)
I'd be off for a holiday to Bintan till Tuesday! Updates when I come back. =)
O'BSERVATIONS: THE "NCIS" FINALE
"Life is nasty, brutish, and short.
Ecce homo!"
Adam
'Northern Exposure'
Ecce homo!"
Adam
'Northern Exposure'
Here's another series which I never watched on a regular basis and yet I tuned in for the season finale.
I only caught one episode this year - and that was because of the guest star, Danica McKellar.
But I did follow along throughout the year via the episode guides to be found online, and as the season's end approached, I started seeing all of these behind-the-scenes stories pop up. And they were all concerned with only one topic.....
One of the regular cast members was going to die.
Right away, I eliminated two people from consideration - Mark Harmon and the guy who plays the newbie.
The reasoning behind eliminating Harmon seemed sound - I think Harmon had no beef about staying with the show; he may have wanted the steady employ for awhile. And he offers an equal balance of interest for both sides of the gender gap among viewers. So that would give pause to the producers in thinking about offing him.
As for McGee (?) the newbie, all season long that character was set up to look like a sacrificial lamb and/or patsy. And I believe Mr. Bellisario and his staff are too smart to be that obvious.
So it had to be one of the other four.
Personally, I figured it would be David McCallum as Ducky Mallard. Maybe he was ready to take it easy; maybe he was ready to get back to New York and the theatre. Or maybe "Belisarius" found his cult status a bit too expensive on the bottom line to maintain.
I also considered Tony. But I admit it - I never had Caitlin pegged as a possibility.
And even as the seconds ticked away for anybody to be the casualty before the hour ended, I figured they'd go back to HQ and find either Ducky or the Goth Girl dead. After all, everything was fine at the crisis point. Caitlin had taken a bullet, but thank goodness she was wearing the vest.
And then - whammo!
Too bad they don't make vests for the forehead.
Shot rings out; Caitlin falls back with that nasty stomach-churning hole in her forehead and pooling blood under her hair. (And if you've watched these procedural shows in the past, you know what the exit wound in the back of her head must have looked like.)
And that was it. A shot like that left no time for any good-byes, no fading p.o.v. gazes by Kate. Nasty, brutish, and short.
And then the fireworks began online.
In various bbs which I frequent (Ain't It Cool? News, TV Squad, Lee Goldberg's blog), the talk-back threads had lots of complaints by the viewers outraged not only to have lost such a favorite character, but also because it was so nasty and over so quickly.
Like I said, I'm not a fan of the show, but it wasn't too difficult for me to find the story behind the decision to kill Kate. Hell, I practically stumbled over it looking for something else.
The actress, Sasha Alexander, felt burned out by the rigorous filming schedule for 'NCIS' and wanted to be let out of the series. And Bellisario saw this as an opportunity to throw the sonic screwdriver into the works, shaking up the dynamic between the remaining cast members.
(He probably also figured they had gone just about as far as they could with the love-hate relationship between Tony and Kate without the deadly Dave&Maddie curse striking the show's energy.)
But even those angered fans who knew of Alexander's willingness to leave weren't happy. They wanted her character to live happily ever after off-screen even though they'd never get the chance to see it. (Unless there would be an 'NCIS' reunion movie ten years down the road, and really, how likely might that be? It's not like the show has a guaranteed after-life like the 'Star Trek' franchise.)
But just leaving the show safe and sound wouldn't be a guarantee that she would get the fairy tale ending. In the Toobworld timeline, Caitlin could have left her home the first day of "retirement" and get killed in a car crash. Hey, you'd never know.
So I applaud this startling story-telling decision by the show's producers. Now they can not only bring in a fresh character, but also examine the effects of Kate's tragic death upon those she left behind.
For instance, most likely Gibbs would harden his resolve to bring down Ari; he could become as fanatical in the hunt as Ahab for Moby Dick, blind to all else. The Goth Girl might make the decision to put aside her punkish trappings and finally grow up. It's possible Tony could go too deep into the dark place after such a loss.
Who knows but the show's creators, and wouldn't the fans want to see them explore all the possibilities? (Although I'm afraid we are a culture that only wants the "illusion of change" as Stan Lee once described it.)
It might even intrigue me enough to tune back in this coming Fall to see how these characters fared. And since it is a business to the network suits, ultimately that's the main reason for all the creative decisions.
"Ars longa, Vita brevis as they say:
'Art is long, but Life is short'."
Dr. Miguelito Loveless
'The Wild, Wild West'
'Art is long, but Life is short'."
Dr. Miguelito Loveless
'The Wild, Wild West'
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tele-Toby
Friday, May 27, 2005
DEAR TOM DELAY
BOO HOO HOO!
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay wrote NBC to complain that Detective Eames (Kathryn Erbe) on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" invoked his name in a story line about the shooting death of a federal judge.
"Maybe we should put out an APB for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt," the fictional police officer said.
Remember, the character is FICTIONAL. It has to be fictional. In my very self-centered universe*, somebody wearing a Tom Delay T-Shirt is straight out of fantasy.
"Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf shot back with his own statement:
"Up until today, it was my impression that all of our viewers understood that these shows are works of fiction, as is stated in each episode. But I do congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a TV show."
Nice one!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
*Your universe may vary.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay wrote NBC to complain that Detective Eames (Kathryn Erbe) on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" invoked his name in a story line about the shooting death of a federal judge.
"Maybe we should put out an APB for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt," the fictional police officer said.
Remember, the character is FICTIONAL. It has to be fictional. In my very self-centered universe*, somebody wearing a Tom Delay T-Shirt is straight out of fantasy.
"Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf shot back with his own statement:
"Up until today, it was my impression that all of our viewers understood that these shows are works of fiction, as is stated in each episode. But I do congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a TV show."
Nice one!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
*Your universe may vary.
NOW @ TOOBWORLD CENTRAL
Here be the latest additions to the Toobworld DVD library:
'Keen Eddie' - the complete series
'Wonderfalls' - the complete series
'Have Gun Will Travel' - first season
'Tales Of Tomorrow' - with an adaptation of "Frankenstein" starring Lon Chaney, and Thomas Mitchell and Leslie Nielsen in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea"
'I Spy' - two episodes including "It's All Done With Mirrors" featuring Carroll O'Connor as an almost pixieish Soviet brainwash expert.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
'Keen Eddie' - the complete series
'Wonderfalls' - the complete series
'Have Gun Will Travel' - first season
'Tales Of Tomorrow' - with an adaptation of "Frankenstein" starring Lon Chaney, and Thomas Mitchell and Leslie Nielsen in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea"
'I Spy' - two episodes including "It's All Done With Mirrors" featuring Carroll O'Connor as an almost pixieish Soviet brainwash expert.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Thursday, May 26, 2005
One of the trademark things about Singapore is her swelteringly hot weather, and I constantly whine about it. Having waist-long hair doesn't help, and neither does whining, but it makes me happy that others are irritated together with me.
But I get irritated right back: because Singaporeans are so fond of saying the Chinese saying "If the heart is calm it will naturally be cool(ing)".
Whenever someone says that I get fits and start foaming at the mouth. Stop it already; that sentence doesn't make sense! My prompt reply is always, "Oh yeah? Let's put you into a microwave and see if it is still cool!"
Most people wilt under my malevolent glare and scurry away, with the exception of my friend's ex who replied, "You find me a microwave big enough first!" — which is obviously not the point, so let's not talk about him.
The thing is, if it is hot it is hot. Whether your heart is icy or not, your skin is programmed to feel the temperature (with the exception of those religious people who dance on hot coals or something)! I hate people who pretend to be smart alecks just because they managed to sprout a useless proverb. So? If I meditate I'd stop feeling the heat is it? Nonsense.
There are more. When's the last time you relaxed just because someone told you to? Or calmed down? I get doubly agitated whenever people ask me to relax.
Why do Singaporeans like to ask their counterparts to "Relax lah!" during an argument? It doesn't soothe my soul, it doesn't calm my nerves. It does nothing except to get me indignant about being "not relaxed". I'd box the next person who tells me to relax. No one can say that except my masseuse.
Here's another to your face: Be yourself.
Excuse me, but if I am not myself who else can I be? Even if I choose to be, say, Shrek, I have thus decided to be all green and uncivilised, so that's the new me. I am being myself!
I am also very sick of this one: What time is it?
It must have been years since that blasted Tiger Beer campaign, and occasionally, sneakily, when you are least expecting it, somebody replies "It's Tiger Time!" to the above question while you groan in resignation. Not again. That has ceased being funny around five years ago.
The early bird gets the worm? How about that worm now? Because he woke up early, he got eaten by that bird first!
Come on my fellow Singaporeans. Some proverbs are just useless, so stop using them, thinking by stringing seven words together it makes you a genius. It just makes you really, really sad.
p/s: If you think the style is a different, the piece is meant for *ahem*. Never mind, not supposed to say.
But I get irritated right back: because Singaporeans are so fond of saying the Chinese saying "If the heart is calm it will naturally be cool(ing)".
Whenever someone says that I get fits and start foaming at the mouth. Stop it already; that sentence doesn't make sense! My prompt reply is always, "Oh yeah? Let's put you into a microwave and see if it is still cool!"
Most people wilt under my malevolent glare and scurry away, with the exception of my friend's ex who replied, "You find me a microwave big enough first!" — which is obviously not the point, so let's not talk about him.
The thing is, if it is hot it is hot. Whether your heart is icy or not, your skin is programmed to feel the temperature (with the exception of those religious people who dance on hot coals or something)! I hate people who pretend to be smart alecks just because they managed to sprout a useless proverb. So? If I meditate I'd stop feeling the heat is it? Nonsense.
There are more. When's the last time you relaxed just because someone told you to? Or calmed down? I get doubly agitated whenever people ask me to relax.
Why do Singaporeans like to ask their counterparts to "Relax lah!" during an argument? It doesn't soothe my soul, it doesn't calm my nerves. It does nothing except to get me indignant about being "not relaxed". I'd box the next person who tells me to relax. No one can say that except my masseuse.
Here's another to your face: Be yourself.
Excuse me, but if I am not myself who else can I be? Even if I choose to be, say, Shrek, I have thus decided to be all green and uncivilised, so that's the new me. I am being myself!
I am also very sick of this one: What time is it?
It must have been years since that blasted Tiger Beer campaign, and occasionally, sneakily, when you are least expecting it, somebody replies "It's Tiger Time!" to the above question while you groan in resignation. Not again. That has ceased being funny around five years ago.
The early bird gets the worm? How about that worm now? Because he woke up early, he got eaten by that bird first!
Come on my fellow Singaporeans. Some proverbs are just useless, so stop using them, thinking by stringing seven words together it makes you a genius. It just makes you really, really sad.
p/s: If you think the style is a different, the piece is meant for *ahem*. Never mind, not supposed to say.
O'BSERVATIONS: THE FINALE OF "24"
I always knew I'd never be able to make the commitment to a full season of '24'; there are so few shows that can get that guarantee from me. But for the last four seasons I have been keeping track via epguides, TV Tome, TV Guide etc, and I would always tune in for the last hour. Or in this case, the last two hours.
One reason it never could hook me was because I am so deeply into this whole connected TV Universe idea of Toobworld. And '24' just doesn't fit in there except as an alternate dimension. The main Toobworld will always have the Real World's president and Palmer, Logan, and the guy in between them all throw their monkey wrenches or cosmic spanners into the works.
I really did think going into the season finale that this would be it for Jack Bauer. I thought the producers would have gone for that audacious an ending, with the intent of recasting an entirely new character into the lead trouble-shooter for CTU in the next season.
Of course, such a ploy has not really been successful before - I'm thinking of 'Wiseguy' and 'Murder One', specifically. 'Nichols' did something similar in their series ender. But since James Garner would have been just returning as the main character's twin brother, it doesn't really count (even if the personality would have been totally different.)
I can't wait to see how 'The West Wing' handles regime change on a larger scale next season. Even if the Democrats win in their alt. dimension, to be believable they all should be shown the door and a new team brought in to serve at the pleasure of the new President.
But it looks like Jack has survived and yet it's still possible that he may not be a factor for the next go-round. Actually he may still be on the run and living undercover.
Maybe he'll team up with the '24' dimension's counterparts to the Mulder and Scully who must still be on the run no matter which universe you're in.
Those final moments of seeing Jack as he "walked the Earth" like Kwai Chiang Caine, I expected to hear the theme music for 'The Incredible Hulk'. Maybe even see him hook up with David Banner as his traveling companion.
I'd say that if President Logan can keep from getting the country screwed over in some international crisis, the people will still see through him and realize they could elect somebody better to the job.
But then again, I thought the same thing over here and was proven wrong.
I've liked Mary Lynn Rajskub since I first saw her on 'The Larry Sanders Show'.
But Chloe spells her last name WRONG! The ever-growing clan of TV O'Briens (latest - and last - member? Lady Cassandra O'Brien in episode two of the new 'Doctor Who'.) must deny her membership.
Sorry all you other O'Brians and fans of Hugh.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
One reason it never could hook me was because I am so deeply into this whole connected TV Universe idea of Toobworld. And '24' just doesn't fit in there except as an alternate dimension. The main Toobworld will always have the Real World's president and Palmer, Logan, and the guy in between them all throw their monkey wrenches or cosmic spanners into the works.
I really did think going into the season finale that this would be it for Jack Bauer. I thought the producers would have gone for that audacious an ending, with the intent of recasting an entirely new character into the lead trouble-shooter for CTU in the next season.
Of course, such a ploy has not really been successful before - I'm thinking of 'Wiseguy' and 'Murder One', specifically. 'Nichols' did something similar in their series ender. But since James Garner would have been just returning as the main character's twin brother, it doesn't really count (even if the personality would have been totally different.)
I can't wait to see how 'The West Wing' handles regime change on a larger scale next season. Even if the Democrats win in their alt. dimension, to be believable they all should be shown the door and a new team brought in to serve at the pleasure of the new President.
But it looks like Jack has survived and yet it's still possible that he may not be a factor for the next go-round. Actually he may still be on the run and living undercover.
Maybe he'll team up with the '24' dimension's counterparts to the Mulder and Scully who must still be on the run no matter which universe you're in.
Those final moments of seeing Jack as he "walked the Earth" like Kwai Chiang Caine, I expected to hear the theme music for 'The Incredible Hulk'. Maybe even see him hook up with David Banner as his traveling companion.
I'd say that if President Logan can keep from getting the country screwed over in some international crisis, the people will still see through him and realize they could elect somebody better to the job.
But then again, I thought the same thing over here and was proven wrong.
I've liked Mary Lynn Rajskub since I first saw her on 'The Larry Sanders Show'.
But Chloe spells her last name WRONG! The ever-growing clan of TV O'Briens (latest - and last - member? Lady Cassandra O'Brien in episode two of the new 'Doctor Who'.) must deny her membership.
Sorry all you other O'Brians and fans of Hugh.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Nice site: Phamous69, gotten from Petes. ;)
As the title suggests, it is strictly for the mature audience only. The site is beautiful! Very nice right, I want my site to be like all diamond-ly also... Any web designer would like to do my site for me? I'd advertise for you, haha...
Anyway, my absolute favourite is "Charity" under images. She moves! Have fun. =)
As the title suggests, it is strictly for the mature audience only. The site is beautiful! Very nice right, I want my site to be like all diamond-ly also... Any web designer would like to do my site for me? I'd advertise for you, haha...
Anyway, my absolute favourite is "Charity" under images. She moves! Have fun. =)
Fucking stupid people all around
Why are some people so dumb? I wrote about the 'marriage proposal' because I thought Kenny's blog is hilarious and I wanted to introduce my readers to him. Simple as that. And for a laugh.
What he wrote back, I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I do not see the "blog war", nor the offence. Hell, if I can take a photo of myself looking like Yoda, I don't see why I should be angry if Kenny photoshops my photos (well done too!!), and Kenny knows that.
Well, for the bulk of you who have a sense of humour, I hope you liked both our entries. =)
Meanwhile, I've been generating, once again, a frenzy of hate posts with the recent media exposure.
I get annoyed when, once again, I see some obscure blogger bash me, AND READERS SAY, LET'S REJOICE, FINALLY SOMEONE SPEAKS UP AGAINST XIAXUE!
Finally? Finally?
Yes, rejoice my hairy ass. Almost every other day someone writes something bad about me - what's the big fucking deal? These dumbass readers go like, "Wow, you are so brave, you dare to speak up against all 8,000 of her blind admirers!"
Wow, so brimming with courage, I feel like putting you in Griffindor right now! It is so courageous, it made me cry! *hugs a nearby tree*
Let me say something sensible now will you? Let me tell you the reason why everywhere in the internet, opinions are popping up, mostly against me.
BECAUSE ALL XIAXUE-RELATED ARTICLES ARE BOUND TO GET RESPONSES.
Like me or hate me, you cannot ignore me.
There you go, my arrogance! Another reason to dislike me yeah? Go on, siphon all your life's misery into this important task of judging how much you abhor this internet creature when you don't even know her!
For all you know, she might have given up MRT seats to your granny, but heck that. Let's hate her. Wooh, I hate it that some average looking girl is making it big. I want to watch her fall! I am not mean, narrow-minded and spiteful! I am not! Just because every other mean, narrow-minded and spiteful person is doing the same as me!
Back to the reason why bloggers everywhere are abusing me. Because they are cheapo entrepreneurs. They KNOW. A usual bland entry about, say, their pets having rabies? NOBODY CARES. Or perhaps a nice entry about how they turned gay? STILL NOBODY CARES. I know I know! *Ditsy dumb blonde look* How about this? I shall abuse Xiaxue and get people's reactions!
For your information, dingbat: The readers who abuse me on your comments link -YOUR PRECIOUS READERS who are so superior to my supposed "mindless droves", WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
One blindly admires, the other blindly bashes. The same, I tell you. Therefore - you are no better than me. (Though I would never advocate that a writer is judged by his/her readers, unlike these dumb people)
I whore my writing for my readers? Look who's the whore here? At least, I come up with my own interesting materials.
Stop using me to provoke a reaction from your readers - go write your own interesting stuff and now, now my dear... WHY NOT SHUT THE FUCK UP AND JUST ADMIT THAT YOUR BLOG IS FUCKING BORING? When this Xiaxue-hatred wave goes over, no doubt because another person cottoned on and decided to write something more malicious, you get forgetten yet again, you absymal writer, you.
Seriously la people. Can please give me a break? It doesn't feel good to read people abusing you all day. I am very sick of reading the same old shit over and over again.
It is not my fault I have certain, well, over-zealous (stop being so over-zealous) readers, it is not my fault the media decided to interview me more recently, it is most certainly not a wrong to write whatever I want on my site, as long as it doesn't harm anyone (who did nothing to deserve it).
So stop it already. How about a little appreciation for putting Singapore on the world blogosphere? Or maybe a little "thanks for giving us something to read on a lonely night"? Oh no... Let's be really stingent with our compliments, and dish out the criticism, because that's the way Singaporeans are, aren't they?
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I am in such a bad mood. Why do you horrid people (only the horrid ones) always have to spoil things for me whenever I am feeling happy? I was feeling happy because I managed not to call the guy I like for the past 3 days. I was feeling happy because Eekean bought a lovely pair of shoes for me, from Vietnam. I was feeling happy because I am having good business opportunities, and crap comes up, i.e my mom tells me that from today onwards I have to do my own laundry.
PUI!
Ok la to be fair the laundry part has nothing to do with blogders.
I'm rambling yeah? Indeed. I shall stop rambling, though I thought, well, maybe the rambling would remind some people that I AM FUCKING WRITING FOR MYSELF AND NOT THE FUCKING MASS PUBLIC. Don't like to read then go away lah. *mumble mumble*
What he wrote back, I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I do not see the "blog war", nor the offence. Hell, if I can take a photo of myself looking like Yoda, I don't see why I should be angry if Kenny photoshops my photos (well done too!!), and Kenny knows that.
Well, for the bulk of you who have a sense of humour, I hope you liked both our entries. =)
Meanwhile, I've been generating, once again, a frenzy of hate posts with the recent media exposure.
I get annoyed when, once again, I see some obscure blogger bash me, AND READERS SAY, LET'S REJOICE, FINALLY SOMEONE SPEAKS UP AGAINST XIAXUE!
Finally? Finally?
Yes, rejoice my hairy ass. Almost every other day someone writes something bad about me - what's the big fucking deal? These dumbass readers go like, "Wow, you are so brave, you dare to speak up against all 8,000 of her blind admirers!"
Wow, so brimming with courage, I feel like putting you in Griffindor right now! It is so courageous, it made me cry! *hugs a nearby tree*
Let me say something sensible now will you? Let me tell you the reason why everywhere in the internet, opinions are popping up, mostly against me.
BECAUSE ALL XIAXUE-RELATED ARTICLES ARE BOUND TO GET RESPONSES.
Like me or hate me, you cannot ignore me.
There you go, my arrogance! Another reason to dislike me yeah? Go on, siphon all your life's misery into this important task of judging how much you abhor this internet creature when you don't even know her!
For all you know, she might have given up MRT seats to your granny, but heck that. Let's hate her. Wooh, I hate it that some average looking girl is making it big. I want to watch her fall! I am not mean, narrow-minded and spiteful! I am not! Just because every other mean, narrow-minded and spiteful person is doing the same as me!
Back to the reason why bloggers everywhere are abusing me. Because they are cheapo entrepreneurs. They KNOW. A usual bland entry about, say, their pets having rabies? NOBODY CARES. Or perhaps a nice entry about how they turned gay? STILL NOBODY CARES. I know I know! *Ditsy dumb blonde look* How about this? I shall abuse Xiaxue and get people's reactions!
For your information, dingbat: The readers who abuse me on your comments link -YOUR PRECIOUS READERS who are so superior to my supposed "mindless droves", WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
One blindly admires, the other blindly bashes. The same, I tell you. Therefore - you are no better than me. (Though I would never advocate that a writer is judged by his/her readers, unlike these dumb people)
I whore my writing for my readers? Look who's the whore here? At least, I come up with my own interesting materials.
Stop using me to provoke a reaction from your readers - go write your own interesting stuff and now, now my dear... WHY NOT SHUT THE FUCK UP AND JUST ADMIT THAT YOUR BLOG IS FUCKING BORING? When this Xiaxue-hatred wave goes over, no doubt because another person cottoned on and decided to write something more malicious, you get forgetten yet again, you absymal writer, you.
Seriously la people. Can please give me a break? It doesn't feel good to read people abusing you all day. I am very sick of reading the same old shit over and over again.
That I am fat and think I am thin.
That I am cheating people with my good photoshop skills (how is it cheating when I admitted I do photoshop, siao. Hate stupid people).
That I am dumb yet act smart. That I am NOT PRETTY (no need to argue until like RJC vs NJC varsity debate, nobody saying I pretty, so you win, I ugly, ok?).
That I am not deserving of being Singapore's most popular blogger, and, when they realised they are the ones contributing to my readership everyday, turn the tables and say only stupid, horny or crazy people read my blog.
That my grammar's horrible.
That I am a disgrace because foreigners read my blog and think all Singaporeans are lewd like me (so ludicrous, I have developed a stony silence).
-That was the stony silence-
That other bloggers are much better but why, so unfair, only Xiaxue get the attention.
That I am so full of myself and so arrogant.
That I am so vulgar, how can be termed as best Asian blog... dah dah dah, dah dah dah.
It is not my fault I have certain, well, over-zealous (stop being so over-zealous) readers, it is not my fault the media decided to interview me more recently, it is most certainly not a wrong to write whatever I want on my site, as long as it doesn't harm anyone (who did nothing to deserve it).
So stop it already. How about a little appreciation for putting Singapore on the world blogosphere? Or maybe a little "thanks for giving us something to read on a lonely night"? Oh no... Let's be really stingent with our compliments, and dish out the criticism, because that's the way Singaporeans are, aren't they?
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I am in such a bad mood. Why do you horrid people (only the horrid ones) always have to spoil things for me whenever I am feeling happy? I was feeling happy because I managed not to call the guy I like for the past 3 days. I was feeling happy because Eekean bought a lovely pair of shoes for me, from Vietnam. I was feeling happy because I am having good business opportunities, and crap comes up, i.e my mom tells me that from today onwards I have to do my own laundry.
PUI!
Ok la to be fair the laundry part has nothing to do with blogders.
I'm rambling yeah? Indeed. I shall stop rambling, though I thought, well, maybe the rambling would remind some people that I AM FUCKING WRITING FOR MYSELF AND NOT THE FUCKING MASS PUBLIC. Don't like to read then go away lah. *mumble mumble*
O'BSERVATIONS: "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES"
Just to warn you... I have a few predictions that will come up near the end of the essay...
I don't watch 'Desperate Housewives' on a regular basis. I only checked in if I knew of a special guest star or a particular plot point in advance: the premiere, Ryan O'Neal as a Rodney (but not THAT Rodney!), the death of Mrs. Huber. That sort of thing.
So I watched the finale for the chance to learn a few secrets, true. But mostly it was because my "twin", Shirley Jordan, played a small role in the opening scene.
Shirley played the nurse at the rehab center in a flashback with Mary Alice Young. She admired the calendar provided by Mrs. Huber's sister which gave Mary Alice the idea about moving to Fairview.
(Don't review your tapes to get an idea of what I look like from scoping out Shirley. Like Joni Mitchell wrote, "We are twins of spirit, no matter which road we take or what we forsake."
You want to see what I look like, go to Quahog, Rhode Island and check out Peter Griffin on 'Family Guy'. ::sigh::)
It makes me laugh now to think that a couple of competing newspapers in Chicago got all snippy with each other over whether or not 'DH' took place near Chicago or not.
(Here was one snipe: "Recent speculation that life on Wisteria Lane could be based on a Chicago suburb -- ignited after a certain self-absorbed broadsheet in town suggested the show could take place here, since a newspaper delivered on Wisteria Lane looked vaguely familiar -- came to an end during Sunday's episode.")
Well, the scene where Mike drove Paul into the wilderness to kill him should put that argument to rest. That hell-blasted place had the look of one of those alkali flats, didn't it?
It looked like the kind of desolate location where the Arrow One spaceship crashed in "I Shot An Arrow Into The Air" episode of 'The Twilight Zone'.
I'm hoping that now that we've learned the secret behind Mary Alice's suicide, we can finally send her on her way and be rid of her voice-over narration from beyond the grave?
I have nothing against her for having killed herself - except for the fact that she may have escaped her problems but dumped them (and so much more!) on her husband and son. And her son Zach was already in that messed-up teenage wasteland. To have done this to him was incredibly selfish.
And I had no problem with her killing Deirdre either. Oh, not that the ex-junkie deserved it, but then again.... Deirdre could have gone the legal route and not been such a bitch about it. Didn't she ever watch 'Columbo'? Oh, that's right..... The Lieutenant exists in her universe.
Still, Deirdre could have watched mystery shows like 'Mustang PI' (from 'Matlock') and learned a very simple fact - you never confront someone like that without any witnesses or backup!
Besides, the actual murder was more a defensive reaction and accident. MacKenzie-Brackman might have won Mary Alice an acquittal. Chopping Deirdre up like she was choppin broccoli probably wouldn't have helped her case though.....
At any rate, where would we be for TV content if we didn't have all these murderers on the loose supplying the basic storylines? Not every show can be 'The Waltons', after all.
No, my only complaint against keeping Mary Alice around is that I'm sick of her voice as well as her snarky comments. Now that we know her big secret, she doesn't deserve to be taking such a haughty attitude.
I say consign her soul to Hell and be done with her.
But if you do need a voice-over to provide a narrative overview, why not have Rex Van De Camp do it? In fact, bring in a new voice from beyond the grave each season to keep the perspective fresh.
We also got to meet the new family on the block, but something tells me that Alfre Woodard's Betty Applewhite is not really that young man's mother. There's something else going on there....
So I think it's likely we saw one of next season's subplots when Edie met the young man of the Applewhite family. It seemed evident to me that Edie's got herself some jungle fever.
Why not? They've already touched on just about every other plot device known to soaps in this one season alone. At the pace they're racing through these storylines, I keep expecting to read that the scriptwriters burned up in spontaneous combustion!
Well, that was one prediction. Here's my favorite bit o' speculation.....
In the first few minutes of the first episode next season, one of the regulars will die.
You may leave the site now if you don't want to know my idea.
I think Mike will walk into that house and Zach will shoot at him. But Mike's Dog will jump into the fray to save his master and attack Zach; and the dog will take the bullet instead.
Frozen by shock over the unintended circumstances, Zach hesitates and that's when Susan clobbers him over the head with... oh, I don't know... let's say a Purex pitcher! And she disarms the boy.
If I was running Toobworld, that's how it would go down, anyway.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
ps
And I'm also hoping that there's no way Mary Alice might narrate an episode of 'Lost' during Sweeps Week, for a special crossover with 'Desperate Housewives'.
I'm not THAT crazy about TV crossovers!
I don't watch 'Desperate Housewives' on a regular basis. I only checked in if I knew of a special guest star or a particular plot point in advance: the premiere, Ryan O'Neal as a Rodney (but not THAT Rodney!), the death of Mrs. Huber. That sort of thing.
So I watched the finale for the chance to learn a few secrets, true. But mostly it was because my "twin", Shirley Jordan, played a small role in the opening scene.
Shirley played the nurse at the rehab center in a flashback with Mary Alice Young. She admired the calendar provided by Mrs. Huber's sister which gave Mary Alice the idea about moving to Fairview.
(Don't review your tapes to get an idea of what I look like from scoping out Shirley. Like Joni Mitchell wrote, "We are twins of spirit, no matter which road we take or what we forsake."
You want to see what I look like, go to Quahog, Rhode Island and check out Peter Griffin on 'Family Guy'. ::sigh::)
It makes me laugh now to think that a couple of competing newspapers in Chicago got all snippy with each other over whether or not 'DH' took place near Chicago or not.
(Here was one snipe: "Recent speculation that life on Wisteria Lane could be based on a Chicago suburb -- ignited after a certain self-absorbed broadsheet in town suggested the show could take place here, since a newspaper delivered on Wisteria Lane looked vaguely familiar -- came to an end during Sunday's episode.")
Well, the scene where Mike drove Paul into the wilderness to kill him should put that argument to rest. That hell-blasted place had the look of one of those alkali flats, didn't it?
It looked like the kind of desolate location where the Arrow One spaceship crashed in "I Shot An Arrow Into The Air" episode of 'The Twilight Zone'.
I'm hoping that now that we've learned the secret behind Mary Alice's suicide, we can finally send her on her way and be rid of her voice-over narration from beyond the grave?
I have nothing against her for having killed herself - except for the fact that she may have escaped her problems but dumped them (and so much more!) on her husband and son. And her son Zach was already in that messed-up teenage wasteland. To have done this to him was incredibly selfish.
And I had no problem with her killing Deirdre either. Oh, not that the ex-junkie deserved it, but then again.... Deirdre could have gone the legal route and not been such a bitch about it. Didn't she ever watch 'Columbo'? Oh, that's right..... The Lieutenant exists in her universe.
Still, Deirdre could have watched mystery shows like 'Mustang PI' (from 'Matlock') and learned a very simple fact - you never confront someone like that without any witnesses or backup!
Besides, the actual murder was more a defensive reaction and accident. MacKenzie-Brackman might have won Mary Alice an acquittal. Chopping Deirdre up like she was choppin broccoli probably wouldn't have helped her case though.....
At any rate, where would we be for TV content if we didn't have all these murderers on the loose supplying the basic storylines? Not every show can be 'The Waltons', after all.
No, my only complaint against keeping Mary Alice around is that I'm sick of her voice as well as her snarky comments. Now that we know her big secret, she doesn't deserve to be taking such a haughty attitude.
I say consign her soul to Hell and be done with her.
But if you do need a voice-over to provide a narrative overview, why not have Rex Van De Camp do it? In fact, bring in a new voice from beyond the grave each season to keep the perspective fresh.
We also got to meet the new family on the block, but something tells me that Alfre Woodard's Betty Applewhite is not really that young man's mother. There's something else going on there....
So I think it's likely we saw one of next season's subplots when Edie met the young man of the Applewhite family. It seemed evident to me that Edie's got herself some jungle fever.
Why not? They've already touched on just about every other plot device known to soaps in this one season alone. At the pace they're racing through these storylines, I keep expecting to read that the scriptwriters burned up in spontaneous combustion!
Well, that was one prediction. Here's my favorite bit o' speculation.....
In the first few minutes of the first episode next season, one of the regulars will die.
You may leave the site now if you don't want to know my idea.
I think Mike will walk into that house and Zach will shoot at him. But Mike's Dog will jump into the fray to save his master and attack Zach; and the dog will take the bullet instead.
Frozen by shock over the unintended circumstances, Zach hesitates and that's when Susan clobbers him over the head with... oh, I don't know... let's say a Purex pitcher! And she disarms the boy.
If I was running Toobworld, that's how it would go down, anyway.....
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
ps
And I'm also hoping that there's no way Mary Alice might narrate an episode of 'Lost' during Sweeps Week, for a special crossover with 'Desperate Housewives'.
I'm not THAT crazy about TV crossovers!
TWIPPIN' AROUND
Did you ever turn on the TV or just flip through the channels and land on something at precisely the right moment?
I hit upon "Hud" once just in time to hear this bit of dialogue:
"It's a lonely old night."
"Ain't they all?"
Up until then, I had no clue Mellencamp was such a fan of the movie. That's a fave song lyric for me.
Sometimes I turn on the Toob at precisely the wrong moment - like when I got a screen full of Jason Alexander's little tail stub full-screen in "Shallow Hal".
Not good when you're just about to dig into a bowl of cereal.
Well, I had another bit o' synchronicity this morning. Whether it's good or bad depends on whose interpretation.
Flipping around, I landed on 'The Carol Duvall Show' on HGTV.
Voiceover:
"I use it on my piece, and it gets a nice deep penetration."
Okayyyyyy......
Beavis would have liked that one!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
I hit upon "Hud" once just in time to hear this bit of dialogue:
"It's a lonely old night."
"Ain't they all?"
Up until then, I had no clue Mellencamp was such a fan of the movie. That's a fave song lyric for me.
Sometimes I turn on the Toob at precisely the wrong moment - like when I got a screen full of Jason Alexander's little tail stub full-screen in "Shallow Hal".
Not good when you're just about to dig into a bowl of cereal.
Well, I had another bit o' synchronicity this morning. Whether it's good or bad depends on whose interpretation.
Flipping around, I landed on 'The Carol Duvall Show' on HGTV.
Voiceover:
"I use it on my piece, and it gets a nice deep penetration."
Okayyyyyy......
Beavis would have liked that one!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
THEY WERE GRRRRRREEEAAAT!
It's been a sad week for fans of Classic Television. We lost Frank Gorshin and Howard Morris, both of whom embodied iconic TV characters The Riddler and Ernest T. Bass respectively.
But we also lost two men known more for their vocal talents. You probably couldn't even play "Place That Face" with these gentlemen until they started speaking.
First there was Henry Corden, who had been making a nice career for himself as a bad guy in the movies, foreign diplomats, and various cartoon voices when he became the heir to the role of Fred Flintstone after the passing of Alan Reed in 1977.
I can only picture him in one TV show - an episode of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' in which he was a guest waiting for the Armenian wedding that was going to take over the auditorium after the Teddy Awards ceremony.
And then today we learned of the passing of Thurl Ravenscroft. Is that one cool name or what? It sounds almost like it's a title of nobility.
Th' Earl of Ravenscroft.
As distinct as that name is, perhaps you don't recognize it. You might know Mr. Ravenscroft better by the name of Tony. As in Tony the Tiger. He was the Kellogg's spokesman since 1952, responsible for making "It's grrrrrrRRRRRREAT!" such an integral phrase in all of our lexicons.
And he was also the singer of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in the Chuck Jones version of Dr. Seuss' classic "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".
I've been moved to tears by plenty of songs and singers over the years, but Mr. Ravenscroft's delivery of the songs in this annual holiday classic is probably the only time I got chills up the spine.
Gentlemen, thank you for your contributions. May you both rest in peace.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
But we also lost two men known more for their vocal talents. You probably couldn't even play "Place That Face" with these gentlemen until they started speaking.
First there was Henry Corden, who had been making a nice career for himself as a bad guy in the movies, foreign diplomats, and various cartoon voices when he became the heir to the role of Fred Flintstone after the passing of Alan Reed in 1977.
I can only picture him in one TV show - an episode of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' in which he was a guest waiting for the Armenian wedding that was going to take over the auditorium after the Teddy Awards ceremony.
And then today we learned of the passing of Thurl Ravenscroft. Is that one cool name or what? It sounds almost like it's a title of nobility.
Th' Earl of Ravenscroft.
As distinct as that name is, perhaps you don't recognize it. You might know Mr. Ravenscroft better by the name of Tony. As in Tony the Tiger. He was the Kellogg's spokesman since 1952, responsible for making "It's grrrrrrRRRRRREAT!" such an integral phrase in all of our lexicons.
And he was also the singer of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in the Chuck Jones version of Dr. Seuss' classic "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".
I've been moved to tears by plenty of songs and singers over the years, but Mr. Ravenscroft's delivery of the songs in this annual holiday classic is probably the only time I got chills up the spine.
Gentlemen, thank you for your contributions. May you both rest in peace.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
R.I.P. FOR ERNEST T. (HOWARD MORRIS)
Andy Taylor: If you were to ask me, this Ernest T. Bass is a strange and weird character.
Briscoe Darling: Just plain ornery is what he is.
Barney Fife: He's a NUT!
('The Andy Griffith Show')
There are not that many characters who can make just a handful of appearances as a guest star in a TV series and yet still make a lasting impact on one's memories of that show.
By the very nature of their appearances, several of the "Special Guest Villains" of 'Batman' fall into this category. Out of all the Number Twos faced by 'The Prisoner' in The Village, only Leo McKern remains almost as vital to the success of the series as Patrick McGoohan as Number Six.
(Almost. It could be argued, but it's all... one with me.)
For me, the best example is Doctor MIguelito Loveless who appeared in only nine episodes of 'The Wild, Wild West' throughout its run. And yet can you picture any other characters apart from the two main heroes who truly defined that show?
As far as I'm concerned, not only did Dr. Loveless unofficially appear in at least three more TV shows (under several aliases), but that he was the power behind the shown for many events throughout the TV Universe.
At any rate, we've lost another great character - and an even better character actor, - with the death of Howard Morris.
His first truly big claim to Toobworld fame was as a member of Sid Caesar's troupe of players on 'Your Show Of Shows'. He also appeared in episodes of other shows like 'The Twilight Zone', 'The Bob Newhart Show', 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', and even 'Baywatch'.
And he made a name for himself as a vocal artiste in many cartoons like 'Winnie The Pooh', 'Duckman' and as Mr. Peebles in 'Magilla The Gorilla'.
Howard Morris also worked a lot in that rival universe of Man's creative energies, the Cineverse: 'Boys Night Out', 'Splash!', and Mel Brooks' 'High Anxiety' stand out among the lot. He also directed several theatrical films like 'Don't Drink The Water'.
But as anybody who wandered into Mayberry, North Carolina, over the years, it was his five appearances on 'The Andy Griffith Show' (plus the reunion tele-movie 'Return To Mayberry') as expert window-breaker Ernest T. Bass that will endear him forever to TV fans.
Think of it. Only five episodes out of the long run for Andy Griffith's sitcom, and yet his voice still echoes in the mind: "It's me, it's me, it's Ernest T.!" and "I love you, Miss Crump!"
And that laugh!
Such was the comic power of Howard Morris that we never stopped to think about how dangerous Ernest T. Bass might have been in real life. It wasn't until the 1970s - and especially because of the movie "Deliverance" - that we saw how deadly such a backwoods eccentric could really be.
But luckily for us, Mayberry was a town that was never meant to have a dark underbelly. And it was its roster of lovable residents like Ernest T. Bass that keeps us returning to reconnect with a simpler, happier time.
Rest in peace, Mr. Morris.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Briscoe Darling: Just plain ornery is what he is.
Barney Fife: He's a NUT!
('The Andy Griffith Show')
There are not that many characters who can make just a handful of appearances as a guest star in a TV series and yet still make a lasting impact on one's memories of that show.
By the very nature of their appearances, several of the "Special Guest Villains" of 'Batman' fall into this category. Out of all the Number Twos faced by 'The Prisoner' in The Village, only Leo McKern remains almost as vital to the success of the series as Patrick McGoohan as Number Six.
(Almost. It could be argued, but it's all... one with me.)
For me, the best example is Doctor MIguelito Loveless who appeared in only nine episodes of 'The Wild, Wild West' throughout its run. And yet can you picture any other characters apart from the two main heroes who truly defined that show?
As far as I'm concerned, not only did Dr. Loveless unofficially appear in at least three more TV shows (under several aliases), but that he was the power behind the shown for many events throughout the TV Universe.
At any rate, we've lost another great character - and an even better character actor, - with the death of Howard Morris.
His first truly big claim to Toobworld fame was as a member of Sid Caesar's troupe of players on 'Your Show Of Shows'. He also appeared in episodes of other shows like 'The Twilight Zone', 'The Bob Newhart Show', 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', and even 'Baywatch'.
And he made a name for himself as a vocal artiste in many cartoons like 'Winnie The Pooh', 'Duckman' and as Mr. Peebles in 'Magilla The Gorilla'.
Howard Morris also worked a lot in that rival universe of Man's creative energies, the Cineverse: 'Boys Night Out', 'Splash!', and Mel Brooks' 'High Anxiety' stand out among the lot. He also directed several theatrical films like 'Don't Drink The Water'.
But as anybody who wandered into Mayberry, North Carolina, over the years, it was his five appearances on 'The Andy Griffith Show' (plus the reunion tele-movie 'Return To Mayberry') as expert window-breaker Ernest T. Bass that will endear him forever to TV fans.
Think of it. Only five episodes out of the long run for Andy Griffith's sitcom, and yet his voice still echoes in the mind: "It's me, it's me, it's Ernest T.!" and "I love you, Miss Crump!"
And that laugh!
Such was the comic power of Howard Morris that we never stopped to think about how dangerous Ernest T. Bass might have been in real life. It wasn't until the 1970s - and especially because of the movie "Deliverance" - that we saw how deadly such a backwoods eccentric could really be.
But luckily for us, Mayberry was a town that was never meant to have a dark underbelly. And it was its roster of lovable residents like Ernest T. Bass that keeps us returning to reconnect with a simpler, happier time.
Rest in peace, Mr. Morris.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
"You ain't heard the last of Ernest T. Bass!"
Ernest T. Bass
'The Andy Griffith Show'
Ernest T. Bass
'The Andy Griffith Show'
Please scold me...
It is time to update the media center - I've got 3 new TV interviews, two new cover pages of dailies and many small small articles but I AM SO FUCKING LAZY and unmotivated. Please nag me, scold me and abuse me to it NOW and stop procrastinating!
LIKE NOW!
Don't want lah. I think I go sleep. Or maybe play some game.
LIKE NOW!
Don't want lah. I think I go sleep. Or maybe play some game.
Monday, May 23, 2005
"MARS" SURVEY
I asked readers of my blog as well as the Iddiots of the Idiot's Delight Digest as to whether or not I should watch 'Veronica Mars' when it came out on DVD if I already knew the solution to the Big Mystery.
Here were some of the replies:
I don't watch "Veronica Mars," but knowing the basics of how the final Star Wars movie will end based on what we know from the first three movies all those years ago doesn't reduce my interest in seeing it. Watching the journey can be interesting even if you know the destination.
- Tom Ucko
___________________________
Yes -- even knowing the answer it is worth it to watch the season.
As I recall you were a "Buffy" fan and this does a spin on the teen genre similar to how Buffy did - here though it's film noir crossed with high school. How she goes back and forth between teen and private detective is fascinating -- and how the characters aren't silly but are revealing. All are multi-dimensional. I love how she can go undercover by playing a bubble-headed teen to gather info, then turn around and be a smarty.
- Nora Lee
______________________________
I haven't gotten involved in Mars, but I am obsessed with "24" and "Alias." I own season one and two of 24, and just ordered season 3 last night. My wife and I often pull out an episode or disc of 24 and think nothing of watching it many times. Even though I know how the episodes will end, I usually find a few details that I missed the other many times I watched. So, my take on this is: if you like the show, you should get the DVD (or, god forbid, DL it through various ToRrenT sites). I'm in the process of "acquiring" the first season of La Femme Nikita, one of my fav series.
BeeSeeingU, Big T ;>)
bobt
_____________________
I'm a huge Veronica Mars fan, and I think the show will be very entertaining for you even if you know the ultimate answer to the "whodunit." Each episode has its own "case of the week," and the show is so exceptionally well-written and engaging, that it stands up to repeat viewings very well.
--Posted by Anonymous at 5/23/2005 09:04:16 PM
Well, then, it's settled. I'll definitely check it out once it's joined the ranks of DVD box sets.
Thanks for checking in everybody!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Here were some of the replies:
I don't watch "Veronica Mars," but knowing the basics of how the final Star Wars movie will end based on what we know from the first three movies all those years ago doesn't reduce my interest in seeing it. Watching the journey can be interesting even if you know the destination.
- Tom Ucko
___________________________
Yes -- even knowing the answer it is worth it to watch the season.
As I recall you were a "Buffy" fan and this does a spin on the teen genre similar to how Buffy did - here though it's film noir crossed with high school. How she goes back and forth between teen and private detective is fascinating -- and how the characters aren't silly but are revealing. All are multi-dimensional. I love how she can go undercover by playing a bubble-headed teen to gather info, then turn around and be a smarty.
- Nora Lee
______________________________
I haven't gotten involved in Mars, but I am obsessed with "24" and "Alias." I own season one and two of 24, and just ordered season 3 last night. My wife and I often pull out an episode or disc of 24 and think nothing of watching it many times. Even though I know how the episodes will end, I usually find a few details that I missed the other many times I watched. So, my take on this is: if you like the show, you should get the DVD (or, god forbid, DL it through various ToRrenT sites). I'm in the process of "acquiring" the first season of La Femme Nikita, one of my fav series.
BeeSeeingU, Big T ;>)
bobt
_____________________
I'm a huge Veronica Mars fan, and I think the show will be very entertaining for you even if you know the ultimate answer to the "whodunit." Each episode has its own "case of the week," and the show is so exceptionally well-written and engaging, that it stands up to repeat viewings very well.
--Posted by Anonymous at 5/23/2005 09:04:16 PM
Well, then, it's settled. I'll definitely check it out once it's joined the ranks of DVD box sets.
Thanks for checking in everybody!
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
THE CROSSOVER OF THE WEEK!
{'PASSIONS' & 'LAS VEGAS'}
The Crossover of the Week may not seem like such a big deal at first. It was shabbily written, badly acted, and poorly directed. But in its own way it represented a big achievement - a character from prime time was appearing in a daytime soap opera.
Mary Connell, a hostess with the mostest at the Montecito Hotel and Casino, was at a private party in the Capistrano Casino when she espied Ned at the roulette table. Quickly she called her erstwhile boyfriend Danny and warned him that the guy he found suspicious was now at another casino.
But after a few moments of observation, Mary called Danny back and said that the guy seemed okay.
Of course, there was no way for her to know that Ned had stolen his invite to that private party.
And that was it. At least until later this afternoon when Mary Connell appears one last time on 'Passions'. (I have no idea if this will ever be referred to in any future episode of 'Las Vegas', however.)
If I'm stuck, I may call on today's crossover to be the highlight for next week... even it it is as dismal as this one turned out to be.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
The Crossover of the Week may not seem like such a big deal at first. It was shabbily written, badly acted, and poorly directed. But in its own way it represented a big achievement - a character from prime time was appearing in a daytime soap opera.
Mary Connell, a hostess with the mostest at the Montecito Hotel and Casino, was at a private party in the Capistrano Casino when she espied Ned at the roulette table. Quickly she called her erstwhile boyfriend Danny and warned him that the guy he found suspicious was now at another casino.
But after a few moments of observation, Mary called Danny back and said that the guy seemed okay.
Of course, there was no way for her to know that Ned had stolen his invite to that private party.
And that was it. At least until later this afternoon when Mary Connell appears one last time on 'Passions'. (I have no idea if this will ever be referred to in any future episode of 'Las Vegas', however.)
If I'm stuck, I may call on today's crossover to be the highlight for next week... even it it is as dismal as this one turned out to be.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Sunday, May 22, 2005
I'VE ZED-FIVE SKED DEAD AHEAD!
My thanks to "Hercules" from Ain't It Cool? News for the following preview of the networks' line-ups for this coming Fall TV season.
I'll be examining it some more and let you know what I thought in an O'Bservations essay.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Sunday
7 p.m.
Dateline NBC (NBC)
60 Minutes (CBS)
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
reruns (Fox)
Reba reruns (The WB)
7:30 p.m.
King of the Hill (Fox)
8 p.m.
The West Wing (NBC)
Cold Case (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Charmed (The WB)
8:30 p.m.
The War at Home (Fox)
9 p.m.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
Movie (CBS)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Family Guy (Fox)
Blue Collar TV (The WB)
9:30 p.m.
American Dad (Fox)
10 p.m.
Crossing Jordan (NBC)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Monday
8 p.m.
Fathom (NBC)
The King of Queens (CBS)
Wife Swap (ABC)
Arrested Development (Fox)
7th Heaven (The WB)
One on One (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Kitchen Confidential (Fox)
All of Us (UPN)
9 p.m.
Las Vegas (NBC)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Monday Night Football (ABC)
Prison Break (Fox)
Just Legal (The WB)
Girlfriends (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
Out of Practice (CBS)
Half & Half (UPN)
10 p.m.
Medium (NBC)
CSI: Miami (CBS)
Tuesday
8 p.m.
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
NCIS (CBS)
According To Jim (ABC)
Bones (Fox)
Gilmore Girls (The WB)
America’s Next Top Model repeat (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Rodney (ABC)
9 p.m.
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Commander-in-Chief (ABC)
House (Fox)
Supernatural (The WB)
Sex, Lies & Secrets (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
The Office (NBC)
10 p.m.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Close To Home (CBS)
Boston Legal (ABC)
Wednesday
8 p.m.
The Apprentice: Marth Stewart (NBC)
Still Standing (CBS)
George Lopez (ABC)
That ‘70s Show (Fox)
One Tree Hill (The WB)
America’s Next Top Model (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Yes, Dear (CBS)
Freddie (ABC)
Stacked (Fox)
9 p.m.
E-Ring (NBC)
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Lost (ABC)
Head Cases (Fox)
Related (The WB)
Veronica Mars (UPN)
10 p.m.
Law & Order (NBC)
CSI: New York (CBS)
Invasion (ABC)
Thursday
8 p.m.
Joey (NBC)
Survivor (CBS)
Alias (ABC)
The OC (Fox)
Smallville (The WB)
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Will & Grace (NBC)
Eve (UPN)
9 p.m.
The Apprentice (NBC)
CSI (CBS)
The Night Stalker (ABC)
Reunion (Fox)
Everwood (The WB)
Cuts (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
Love, Inc. (UPN)
10 p.m.
ER (NBC)
Without A Trace (CBS)
Primetime Live (ABC)
Friday
8 p.m.
Three Wishes (NBC)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
Supernanny (ABC)
Bernie Mac (Fox)
What I Like About You (The WB)
WWE Smackdown! (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Malcolm in the Middle (Fox)
Twins (The WB)
9 p.m.
Dateline NBC (NBC)
Threshold (CBS)
Hope and Faith (ABC)
The Gate (Fox)
Reba (The WB)
9:30 p.m.
Hot Properties (ABC)
Living With Fran (The WB)
10 p.m.
Inconceivable (NBC)
Numb3rs (CBS)
20/20 (ABC)
Saturday
8 p.m.
Movie (NBC)
Repeats (CBS)
Movie (ABC)
Cops (Fox)
9 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted (Fox)
10 p.m.
48 Hours (CBS)
I'll be examining it some more and let you know what I thought in an O'Bservations essay.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
Sunday
7 p.m.
Dateline NBC (NBC)
60 Minutes (CBS)
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
reruns (Fox)
Reba reruns (The WB)
7:30 p.m.
King of the Hill (Fox)
8 p.m.
The West Wing (NBC)
Cold Case (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Charmed (The WB)
8:30 p.m.
The War at Home (Fox)
9 p.m.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
Movie (CBS)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Family Guy (Fox)
Blue Collar TV (The WB)
9:30 p.m.
American Dad (Fox)
10 p.m.
Crossing Jordan (NBC)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Monday
8 p.m.
Fathom (NBC)
The King of Queens (CBS)
Wife Swap (ABC)
Arrested Development (Fox)
7th Heaven (The WB)
One on One (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Kitchen Confidential (Fox)
All of Us (UPN)
9 p.m.
Las Vegas (NBC)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Monday Night Football (ABC)
Prison Break (Fox)
Just Legal (The WB)
Girlfriends (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
Out of Practice (CBS)
Half & Half (UPN)
10 p.m.
Medium (NBC)
CSI: Miami (CBS)
Tuesday
8 p.m.
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
NCIS (CBS)
According To Jim (ABC)
Bones (Fox)
Gilmore Girls (The WB)
America’s Next Top Model repeat (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Rodney (ABC)
9 p.m.
My Name Is Earl (NBC)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Commander-in-Chief (ABC)
House (Fox)
Supernatural (The WB)
Sex, Lies & Secrets (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
The Office (NBC)
10 p.m.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Close To Home (CBS)
Boston Legal (ABC)
Wednesday
8 p.m.
The Apprentice: Marth Stewart (NBC)
Still Standing (CBS)
George Lopez (ABC)
That ‘70s Show (Fox)
One Tree Hill (The WB)
America’s Next Top Model (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Yes, Dear (CBS)
Freddie (ABC)
Stacked (Fox)
9 p.m.
E-Ring (NBC)
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Lost (ABC)
Head Cases (Fox)
Related (The WB)
Veronica Mars (UPN)
10 p.m.
Law & Order (NBC)
CSI: New York (CBS)
Invasion (ABC)
Thursday
8 p.m.
Joey (NBC)
Survivor (CBS)
Alias (ABC)
The OC (Fox)
Smallville (The WB)
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Will & Grace (NBC)
Eve (UPN)
9 p.m.
The Apprentice (NBC)
CSI (CBS)
The Night Stalker (ABC)
Reunion (Fox)
Everwood (The WB)
Cuts (UPN)
9:30 p.m.
Love, Inc. (UPN)
10 p.m.
ER (NBC)
Without A Trace (CBS)
Primetime Live (ABC)
Friday
8 p.m.
Three Wishes (NBC)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
Supernanny (ABC)
Bernie Mac (Fox)
What I Like About You (The WB)
WWE Smackdown! (UPN)
8:30 p.m.
Malcolm in the Middle (Fox)
Twins (The WB)
9 p.m.
Dateline NBC (NBC)
Threshold (CBS)
Hope and Faith (ABC)
The Gate (Fox)
Reba (The WB)
9:30 p.m.
Hot Properties (ABC)
Living With Fran (The WB)
10 p.m.
Inconceivable (NBC)
Numb3rs (CBS)
20/20 (ABC)
Saturday
8 p.m.
Movie (NBC)
Repeats (CBS)
Movie (ABC)
Cops (Fox)
9 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted (Fox)
10 p.m.
48 Hours (CBS)
Saturday, May 21, 2005
THE GALLIFREYAN GOTHAMITE
The Gallifreyan Time Lord known as "The Doctor" is a thief.
I could have said that he was a criminal. After all, his radical views and philosophies run antithetical to the established principles of Gallifreyan society. And he was even brought back to face the trial of a Time Lord on several occasions.
But I wanted to be more specific. He's a thief. A crook. A right sticky-fingers.
The current incarnation of the Doctor proved this in the recent episode "The Long Game". By using his cosmic spanner, the Doctor was able to access the 200,000 AD equivalent to an ATM and give Adam a real joystick - a pencil-length electronic box full of unlimited credit.
And this aspect of his personality is not due to the most recent regeneration (his ninth). All of his personae have had to resort to thievery while they've been on the run through Time. How else to keep himself and his companions fed? Or to support his addiction to jelly babies? And then there's the clothing expenses.
The wardrobe bill for his companions had to be considerable. The Doctor might have been able to traverse Time and Space without regard to wearing anything but the clothes chosen by each version of himself. But especially when it came to his companions travelling in Earth's past history, it was always best to have the appropriate apparel on hand.
Most recently, the Ninth Doctor had his companion Rose Tyler find a dress befitting Naples circa Christmas Eve, 1860. It turned out they were in Cardiff, 1869, but the dress she chose was still appropriate.
Even if it was for Cardiff.......
There are a lot of time periods, a lot of locations. There would be no problem in storing all of those clothes - because of the spatial anomalies of the TARDIS, the Doctor's wardrobe area was immense. (In that recent episode 'The Unquiet Dead', we learned that you reach the wardrobe from the main control room by taking the first left, second right, third on the left. Then go straight ahead and under the stairs, past the bins and it would be found beyond the fifth door on the left.)
The problem would be in supplying all of the necessary clothing to cover any era. And that would take some money.
Unless of course, you were willing to steal what you needed.
Considering the shabbiness of many of his own sartorial selections, it's possible he just sidled the TARDIS up to a donation bin and helped himself with a little dumpster diving for duds. But he may have also availed himself of any apparel no longer of any use to its previous owners.
For instance, it's my contention that at some point in the late 1960s or even into the 1970s, the Doctor found himself in Gotham City. Learning that a criminal known as "The Riddler" was presently incarcerated in Gotham City Penitentiary, the Doctor might have decided to relieve him of some of the custom-made costumes the Riddler wore during his nefarious exploits.
Who knows when such a thing might come in handy?
As it turned out, that would have been approximately 1984, present-day Earth time.
While on the planet Androzani, the fifth incarnation of the Doctor was forced to undergo yet another regeneration. And with this transformation, the Sixth Doctor exhibited personality traits that made his previous style and taste in clothing to be no longer of any interest to him. And so he rummaged about through his many bins of clothing in that expansive wardrobe and found perhaps the all-time most appalling amalgamation of apparel ever sported by a Time Lord.
If Elton John and Robin Williams had a love child, this would be the outfit he'd be dressed in.
And it was with this ensemble of clothing that the Sixth Doctor found a use for the type of dress shirts he had purloined from that puzzler known as the Riddler.
Want to see proof? Click on this link:
http://shillpages.com/dw/story/d6/st--6x26.jpg
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
I could have said that he was a criminal. After all, his radical views and philosophies run antithetical to the established principles of Gallifreyan society. And he was even brought back to face the trial of a Time Lord on several occasions.
But I wanted to be more specific. He's a thief. A crook. A right sticky-fingers.
The current incarnation of the Doctor proved this in the recent episode "The Long Game". By using his cosmic spanner, the Doctor was able to access the 200,000 AD equivalent to an ATM and give Adam a real joystick - a pencil-length electronic box full of unlimited credit.
And this aspect of his personality is not due to the most recent regeneration (his ninth). All of his personae have had to resort to thievery while they've been on the run through Time. How else to keep himself and his companions fed? Or to support his addiction to jelly babies? And then there's the clothing expenses.
The wardrobe bill for his companions had to be considerable. The Doctor might have been able to traverse Time and Space without regard to wearing anything but the clothes chosen by each version of himself. But especially when it came to his companions travelling in Earth's past history, it was always best to have the appropriate apparel on hand.
Most recently, the Ninth Doctor had his companion Rose Tyler find a dress befitting Naples circa Christmas Eve, 1860. It turned out they were in Cardiff, 1869, but the dress she chose was still appropriate.
Even if it was for Cardiff.......
There are a lot of time periods, a lot of locations. There would be no problem in storing all of those clothes - because of the spatial anomalies of the TARDIS, the Doctor's wardrobe area was immense. (In that recent episode 'The Unquiet Dead', we learned that you reach the wardrobe from the main control room by taking the first left, second right, third on the left. Then go straight ahead and under the stairs, past the bins and it would be found beyond the fifth door on the left.)
The problem would be in supplying all of the necessary clothing to cover any era. And that would take some money.
Unless of course, you were willing to steal what you needed.
Considering the shabbiness of many of his own sartorial selections, it's possible he just sidled the TARDIS up to a donation bin and helped himself with a little dumpster diving for duds. But he may have also availed himself of any apparel no longer of any use to its previous owners.
For instance, it's my contention that at some point in the late 1960s or even into the 1970s, the Doctor found himself in Gotham City. Learning that a criminal known as "The Riddler" was presently incarcerated in Gotham City Penitentiary, the Doctor might have decided to relieve him of some of the custom-made costumes the Riddler wore during his nefarious exploits.
Who knows when such a thing might come in handy?
As it turned out, that would have been approximately 1984, present-day Earth time.
While on the planet Androzani, the fifth incarnation of the Doctor was forced to undergo yet another regeneration. And with this transformation, the Sixth Doctor exhibited personality traits that made his previous style and taste in clothing to be no longer of any interest to him. And so he rummaged about through his many bins of clothing in that expansive wardrobe and found perhaps the all-time most appalling amalgamation of apparel ever sported by a Time Lord.
If Elton John and Robin Williams had a love child, this would be the outfit he'd be dressed in.
And it was with this ensemble of clothing that the Sixth Doctor found a use for the type of dress shirts he had purloined from that puzzler known as the Riddler.
Want to see proof? Click on this link:
http://shillpages.com/dw/story/d6/st--6x26.jpg
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
"I wonder why everyone dressed old-fashioned in those days.
They don't do it now."
Kathy Anderson
'Father Knows Best'
They don't do it now."
Kathy Anderson
'Father Knows Best'
NEXT "TREK": AN EXPANDED PROPOSAL
"Words Say Nothing" (I love that screen name!) made some excellent comments and I wanted to make sure they got the widest possible exposure. That's why I'm responding with a sequel rather than a follow-up buried in the comments section.....
I do have to wonder about the wisdom of describing the premise for a new show as "[already existing TV show] to the Stars". I think I just desire the future of Star Trek to not be so simplistic. Then again, the morons working as network execs probably won't sign off on a show that can't be summed up in one sentence or phrase, so perhaps my standards are too high here.
Which is exactly why I did it; it's probably the same reason Roddenberry used the 'Wagon Train' analogy. You only get so much time for the pitch when dealing with the suits, so you have to make the high concept work in as encapsulated a form as possible.
My idea for the duo is for a human male and a full Betazoid female.
I... LOVE it! An Orion, with that emerald epidermal layer, would stand out too much for espionage work. A Betazoid could work under any number of aliases without raising suspicions or notice of any kind due to her physical appearance. And her psionic abilities would gain her the same access as that of the Orion's pheromones - and with less lingering notice.....
I still like the idea of expanding the role and information of the Orion women in this series, as the original series did for Vulcans, 'The Next Generation' did for Klingons, 'Enterprise' with Andorians, and 'Deep Space Nine' for Bajorans, Ferengis, the Founders, Cardassians etc.
Okay.... and 'Voyager' for the Talaxians. ::sigh::
So, in order to give an occasional spotlight to the Orion women, I'd suggest a recurring character. Someone who is a bit of a rogue, in keeping with their piratical culture, but who's not altogether a bad guy. She'd be someone who has a past history, perhaps a romantic one, with the male half of the team, but who's not above betraying him to get what she wants. (And he's not hesitant about handing her over to the authorities whenever it's called for.)
Two characters in Toobworld who could serve as prototypes: Jade from 'Jonny Quest', and Honey Potts from 'Spy Game'.
I wouldn't want to overdue her exposure; just a handful or less of episodes every season.
I've also given some thought to that human male partner. He should be a master of disguise, but the laying on of the old latex is a bit of old hat. Too much of Artemus Gordon or Rollin Hand. There ought to be a more S-F twist behind his disguises.
And this being a Toobworld blog dedicated to the interconnections of all things TV, I have an idea.
He should be descended from Eddie Van Blundht of "Small Potatoes", an episode of 'The X-Files'. (And boy howdy! We know he did have descendants!) Through the manipulation of his musculature, Van Blundht (The "H" was silent!) was able to change his appearance to resemble anybody else - even Luke Skywalker! - in a pathetic attempt to have sex with women.
We met another member of his family in "The Four Of Us Are Dying", an episode of 'The Twilight Zone", but he came to a bad end, worse than that of Eddie Van Blundht.
And it wouldn't have to be a skill that was overused. In fact, he might have only limited control over the mutated "talent" after all of the dilution through the many generations since Eddie's time. Obviously he wouldn't be a shape-shifter like Odo or the other Founders. But he could handle the simple facial transfigurations so that he could pass for an inhabitant from another member world in the Federation.
A slight crinkle to the nose to pass for Bajoran; pointed ears, peaked eyebrows, and a green tint to the skin for Vulcan, as well as a bit of supraorbital ridge to suggest Romulan when needed; and maybe even the recessed basin in the forehead to make him appear like a Cardassian spoon-head. Whatever a particular moment in his spy work.
And we wouldn't have to see it; just know that it's there: He should also have inherited the legendary Van Blundht family tail, hidden away under the seat of his pants!
My big problem with your premise is the possible involvement of the Temporal Cold War. (Although the Master as Future Guy is hilarious.) I thought most Trek/Enterprise fans were in agreement that the worst part of the show was the involvement of the TCW story arc.
Well, I'd just like to see the whole thing wrapped up with some finality and get it out of the way. A season-ending episode perhaps and then finish it off for good with the first episode of the following Fall.
And as you can guess, I just can't take my mind off the idea that "Future Guy" was a Gallifreyan Time Lord!
So our duo can't really take their marching orders from DTI.
Again, we agree. I want them to work for Section 31. But occasionally they'd have to work with other departments in the Federation bureaucracy. Once in a while (not often, I agree again) with the DTI (Isn't that a computer training school?) if only to hinder that department's investigation into something they would rather have covered up.
I've been thinking about other recurring characters, people back at their base of operations for Section 31 who could give them tech support or other means of assistance. Not that I'd want to see this show devolve into either just being 'Alias' or 'The X-Files' in outer space, but they should have an alien version of both Marshall and/or the Lone Gunmen.
And this way we could see certain aliens again on a regular basis - a Vulcan, perhaps, for analysis; a Denulobian paper-pusher (an alien Miss Moneypenny?); a Ferengi snitch; and a Bolian for a touch of color (LOL!). Perhaps even that one-shot character from 'Drumhead', a 'TNG' episode - Simon Tarses, whose grandfather was a Romulan.
And I just flashed on this idea for their boss, the intergalactic version of Alexander Waverly - a Medusan! That way, he can never leave his box, let alone the inner sanctum of his office!
But you'd need humans as well, of course, as I think Section 31 was dedicated to Earth first, the Federation second. And there should be some higher-up always on their case much like Eric Pierpoint's character was with Malcolm; or even a real pain in the ass like Luther Sloane, as played by William Sadler in 'DS9'.
There are plenty of stories already established, not just the Temporal Cold War, which they could investigate. Those nasty little worms that get into your skull; tampering with the Guardian at the Gate of Forever; Romulan encroachment into Federation territories (with Denise Crosby returning now and again as Sela).
Anyway...... there's my expansion on the idea.
You must really be getting to love my comments by now...;)
Oh, but I am! If it weren't for you and Hugh, a few of the Iddiots from the Idiot's Delight Digest, and an occasional stray from Lee Goldberg's site, I'd think I was shouting into the wilderness here!
I hope to hear from not only you, but a lot more folks about my television ramblings here.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
I do have to wonder about the wisdom of describing the premise for a new show as "[already existing TV show] to the Stars". I think I just desire the future of Star Trek to not be so simplistic. Then again, the morons working as network execs probably won't sign off on a show that can't be summed up in one sentence or phrase, so perhaps my standards are too high here.
Which is exactly why I did it; it's probably the same reason Roddenberry used the 'Wagon Train' analogy. You only get so much time for the pitch when dealing with the suits, so you have to make the high concept work in as encapsulated a form as possible.
My idea for the duo is for a human male and a full Betazoid female.
I... LOVE it! An Orion, with that emerald epidermal layer, would stand out too much for espionage work. A Betazoid could work under any number of aliases without raising suspicions or notice of any kind due to her physical appearance. And her psionic abilities would gain her the same access as that of the Orion's pheromones - and with less lingering notice.....
I still like the idea of expanding the role and information of the Orion women in this series, as the original series did for Vulcans, 'The Next Generation' did for Klingons, 'Enterprise' with Andorians, and 'Deep Space Nine' for Bajorans, Ferengis, the Founders, Cardassians etc.
Okay.... and 'Voyager' for the Talaxians. ::sigh::
So, in order to give an occasional spotlight to the Orion women, I'd suggest a recurring character. Someone who is a bit of a rogue, in keeping with their piratical culture, but who's not altogether a bad guy. She'd be someone who has a past history, perhaps a romantic one, with the male half of the team, but who's not above betraying him to get what she wants. (And he's not hesitant about handing her over to the authorities whenever it's called for.)
Two characters in Toobworld who could serve as prototypes: Jade from 'Jonny Quest', and Honey Potts from 'Spy Game'.
I wouldn't want to overdue her exposure; just a handful or less of episodes every season.
I've also given some thought to that human male partner. He should be a master of disguise, but the laying on of the old latex is a bit of old hat. Too much of Artemus Gordon or Rollin Hand. There ought to be a more S-F twist behind his disguises.
And this being a Toobworld blog dedicated to the interconnections of all things TV, I have an idea.
He should be descended from Eddie Van Blundht of "Small Potatoes", an episode of 'The X-Files'. (And boy howdy! We know he did have descendants!) Through the manipulation of his musculature, Van Blundht (The "H" was silent!) was able to change his appearance to resemble anybody else - even Luke Skywalker! - in a pathetic attempt to have sex with women.
We met another member of his family in "The Four Of Us Are Dying", an episode of 'The Twilight Zone", but he came to a bad end, worse than that of Eddie Van Blundht.
And it wouldn't have to be a skill that was overused. In fact, he might have only limited control over the mutated "talent" after all of the dilution through the many generations since Eddie's time. Obviously he wouldn't be a shape-shifter like Odo or the other Founders. But he could handle the simple facial transfigurations so that he could pass for an inhabitant from another member world in the Federation.
A slight crinkle to the nose to pass for Bajoran; pointed ears, peaked eyebrows, and a green tint to the skin for Vulcan, as well as a bit of supraorbital ridge to suggest Romulan when needed; and maybe even the recessed basin in the forehead to make him appear like a Cardassian spoon-head. Whatever a particular moment in his spy work.
And we wouldn't have to see it; just know that it's there: He should also have inherited the legendary Van Blundht family tail, hidden away under the seat of his pants!
My big problem with your premise is the possible involvement of the Temporal Cold War. (Although the Master as Future Guy is hilarious.) I thought most Trek/Enterprise fans were in agreement that the worst part of the show was the involvement of the TCW story arc.
Well, I'd just like to see the whole thing wrapped up with some finality and get it out of the way. A season-ending episode perhaps and then finish it off for good with the first episode of the following Fall.
And as you can guess, I just can't take my mind off the idea that "Future Guy" was a Gallifreyan Time Lord!
So our duo can't really take their marching orders from DTI.
Again, we agree. I want them to work for Section 31. But occasionally they'd have to work with other departments in the Federation bureaucracy. Once in a while (not often, I agree again) with the DTI (Isn't that a computer training school?) if only to hinder that department's investigation into something they would rather have covered up.
I've been thinking about other recurring characters, people back at their base of operations for Section 31 who could give them tech support or other means of assistance. Not that I'd want to see this show devolve into either just being 'Alias' or 'The X-Files' in outer space, but they should have an alien version of both Marshall and/or the Lone Gunmen.
And this way we could see certain aliens again on a regular basis - a Vulcan, perhaps, for analysis; a Denulobian paper-pusher (an alien Miss Moneypenny?); a Ferengi snitch; and a Bolian for a touch of color (LOL!). Perhaps even that one-shot character from 'Drumhead', a 'TNG' episode - Simon Tarses, whose grandfather was a Romulan.
And I just flashed on this idea for their boss, the intergalactic version of Alexander Waverly - a Medusan! That way, he can never leave his box, let alone the inner sanctum of his office!
But you'd need humans as well, of course, as I think Section 31 was dedicated to Earth first, the Federation second. And there should be some higher-up always on their case much like Eric Pierpoint's character was with Malcolm; or even a real pain in the ass like Luther Sloane, as played by William Sadler in 'DS9'.
There are plenty of stories already established, not just the Temporal Cold War, which they could investigate. Those nasty little worms that get into your skull; tampering with the Guardian at the Gate of Forever; Romulan encroachment into Federation territories (with Denise Crosby returning now and again as Sela).
Anyway...... there's my expansion on the idea.
You must really be getting to love my comments by now...;)
Oh, but I am! If it weren't for you and Hugh, a few of the Iddiots from the Idiot's Delight Digest, and an occasional stray from Lee Goldberg's site, I'd think I was shouting into the wilderness here!
I hope to hear from not only you, but a lot more folks about my television ramblings here.
BCnU!
Tele-Toby
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