MUNCH AS MISS CONGENIALITY???

Over at the Live Journal focusing on the Crossover Universe According to the Mind of Tommy Westphall, (see the link to the left) contributor "Truth Be A Liar" (great name!) recapped a historic event in Crossover history:

"The government was trying to get information on the Bluth family for their case. So they put up this fake flyer claiming to be setting up a workshop to help fathers create scrapbooks for their daughters, so they can connect to them better.

Tobias, knowing that his daughter's birthday was coming up, signed up for the class. It was obvious from the beginning that the class was a set-up, as the narrator said that this had been used to find evidence on such people as Ken Lay.

Basically, Professor Munch kept urging everyone to include personal financial documents in their scrapbook to make it really authentic, obviuosly hoping that Tobias would put some evidence about the Bluth family's crimes in his scrapbook. It was made especially obvious when Tobias said he needed to go to a storage unit to get his documents, and 'Professor' Munch said they would arrange a hellicopter for him."

Professor Munch!

However, a frequent correspondent here, Will Devine (known to us by his "tribal name" of "Words Say Nothing"), wasn't so sure that it should be included:

"Was it truly clear that Belzer was playing the same character of John Munch, from Homicide, SVU, et al? Obviously the name is there, but I'm not sure it corresponds with Munch's government conspiracy views. (I just don't see him directly working for the federal government.)

There's also the fact that AD takes place in California and Munch is supposed to be in New York. I just have to wonder if it's actually John Munch in AD, or perhaps an identical brother/cousin/whatever."

As for me, regular readers know I've had no problem in the past in doing the Limbo to bend the poz'bilities enough to fit my own theories. So I have no trouble in believing that 'Professor Munch' was supposed to be Detective John Munch of the 'Special Victims Unit'. And although I didn't bother to cobble together a splainin as to why he was in California working for a government he clearly distrusted, I can accept it as it stands.

But the fact that I would have to come up with a splainin for that, unlike his appearance on 'The Beat' or in an episode of 'The X-Files', diminishes the strength of the crossover's standing for the week. However, it certainly isn't because of an overdose of "Been There, Done That" when it comes to the Munchkin. All crossovers are important, but when Munch adds yet another show to his own personal roster, and yet another one that crosses network borders at that, then it truly should be seen as the milestone that it is.

This marks Munch's ninth appearance in the TV Universe:

'Homicide: Life On The Street'
'Law & Order'
'The X-Files' (on FOX)
'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'
"Homicide: The Movie"
'Law & Order: Criminal Intent'
'The Beat' (on UPN)
'Law & Order: Trial By Jury'
'Arrested Development' (on FOX)

In the first official year of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame's existence, Munch was inducted as a member. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are some crossover scholars out there who begin to reconsider their view of the TV Universe as being centered around Munch rather than around Tommy Westphall of 'St. Elsewhere'.

But even so, because I would have had to work a bit to make this crossover perfect, it only made it to First Runner-up for Crossover of the Week.

I do so hate to work....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby