Exploring the world of Television and Movie crossovers, and the alternate realities of the big and small screen.
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Memeverse...
OK, let's choose today as a tradition of getting this out of our system. None of the following is canon whatsoever.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Separated at Birth? The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart
In the final episode of Newhart, it was revealed that the entire series was a dream of Dr. Bob Hartley from the Bob Newhart Show. However, crossover evidence points to both shows being in the TVCU. I've talked before about how some events can exist in the same world where they are considered fictional, because certain writers were actually having psychic flashes of real events, but assumed it was something from their own imagination. I believe something like that can explain these two shows. But if we consider that the two characters of Bob Hartley and Dick Loudon are so similar, then perhaps it could be postulated that the two may be twins, separated at birth, and they had, like many twins, especially in the world of TV, a psychic connection.
But wait, there's more. It may be that they were triplets. And the third child was Bob Newhart, the comedian. Newhart himself likely had visions of those brothers' lives, which he used to create his hit shows. Later, Hartley would dream that he was Bob Newhart hosting Saturday Night Live.
Now, on to the crossovers...
1972 to 1978--THE BOB NEWHART SHOW--The story of Dr. Bob Hartley, a psychiatrist.
1982 to 1990--NEWHART--Author Dick Loudon and his wife move to Vermont and buy an inn, and have to adjust to lots of crazy locals.
November 1982--NEWHART--"No Tigers at the Circus"--Dick is watching his favorite show, which apparently is THE BOB NEWHART SHOW. A zonk, sure. And possible evidence of separate realities. But actually evidence of the same reality. Bob is dreaming about watching a show about himself? Since the triplet is Bob Newhart himself, we know that there was indeed a show called the Bob Newhart Show in the TVCU.
March 1987--ALF--"Going Out of My Head Over You"--OK, I'll let you guys choose to count this or skip it. Thom Holbrook over at Poobala says no. Meanwhile, both the Westphallians and IMDB says yes. So here's the facts. Willie has a friend whose a psychiatrist. It's not Dr. Hartley, but it's Dr. Lawrence 'Larry' Dykstra, played by Bill Daily, who played a completely different character on the Bob Newhart Show. But in the waiting room is an unnamed patient played by Jack Riley, meant to invoke his famous role as Dr. Hartley's patient, Elliot Carlin. IMDB and the Westphallians say it is him. Thom says it isn't. Add to this that ALF later references knowing about psychology from having watched the show The Bob Newhart Show!!! But these zonks have always been easily explained, and with my triplet theory, we know that there was a show called that in the TVCU. So you decide. ALF is in the TVCU, so there is that to add into your decision. This story happened in the TVCU whether it was Elliot Carlin or some other guy.
November 1988--ST. ELSEWHERE--"Close Encounters"--Dr. Robert Hartley's patient Elliot Carlin (BOB NEWHART SHOW) appears. The character actually appears in several episodes of St. Elsewhere, confirming the connection to the Bob Newhart Show. Oh, one extra note. In the final episode of St. Elsewhere, it turns out the whole series was just a daydream of an autistic child. So in the world of Westphalians, Newhart and its crossovers are a dream of Dr. Hartley, but his world is a fantasy of a child. Wow. See my St. Elsewhere blog (entitled "Is Tommy Westphal God?" for more on that.
November 1988--NEWHART--"I Married Dick"--Aha, he says. Dick and his wife Joanne attend marriage counseling. (Though, who else would he attend it with?) And who is also a patient of the shrink they are seeing? Mr. unnamed patient played by Jack Riley, who we all know is Hartley's patient Elliott Carlin. Aha, indeed. And another patient mentions having seen psychiatrist in Chicago. Double Aha!!! (Oh, I guess I never mentioned THE BOB NEWHART SHOW was set in Chicago. Now, Aha!!!)
May 1990--NEWHART--"The Last Newhart"--A Japanese business buys the whole town, except for the inn because Dick won't sell. But....it all turns out to be a dream of Dr. Bob Hartley....or is it?
October 1990--TINY TOON ADVENTURES--"Hollywood Plucky"--This series is part of the Looniverse, but placed here as it's relevant to the TVCU. Larry, Darryl, and Darryl are at a Hollywood restaurant where Plucky Duck is the waiter. Hollywood has a portal to the Looniverse, and Looniverse characters often come over to the TVCU. For some reason, Hollywood types don't really find it unusual. And the three brothers are the type of tend to get around. So this is the Looniverse Plucky meeting the TVCU brothers.
November 1991--THE BOB NEWHART SHOW 19TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL--Following Bob Hartley's very realistic dream about another life as inn keeper Dick Loudon in Vermont, Bob confides his dream to his friend, airline pilot Howard Borden. Howard reveals he had a similar dream where he was an astronaut for five seasons. (We then get a cut to a clip from I DREAM OF JEANNIE). Perhaps Larry and Major Roger Healey were also separated at birth. Note too that this episode follows directly from the Newhart final episode, and in one scene of this special, Bob sees three repairmen that are Larry, Darryl and Daryl, residents of the small town where Dick's inn is. This could in one sense be made to imply that Bob had already met them, and they creeped into his subconscious dream. However, I think that it really means that the two shows are in the same reality, and that some time had actually passed between that final episode and this special, and after the Japanese had bought the town in Vermont, those three migrated south to become repairmen. (The special does air more than a year after the last Newhart aired, so even though it's implied it happened immediately after, there is some evidence that there was a passage of time.)
1993--BOB--"Better to Have Loved and Flossed"--This show also stars Bob Newhart, but as far as I know, there is no dream connection. However, in this, the final episode, which actually didn't air until years after cancellation, has an appearance of dentist Dr. Jerry Robinson, who was a friend of Dr. Hartley. Apparently, the owner of the company this Bob works for ran off with a dental hygienist associated with Jerry. Small world.
March 1994--MURPHY BROWN--"Anything But Cured"--Dr. Hartley's secretary, Carol moves to D.C. after a fight with Jerry and goes to work for Murphy Brown. Finally, Murphy finds an acceptable secretary. But Dr. Hartley comes to bring Carol back and Carol chooses to return to work for him.
1994 August Maxwell Sheffield is trying to get Elizabeth Taylor to star in one of his plays. Liz has Fran Fine take her black pearls to a photo shoot she is doing. They are lost in a cab Fran rides in. The pearls are found by a later rider, Annie O'Donnell. She keeps them and wears them to an event. Annie loses them and a thief takes them. Liz is supposed to go to an interview on FYI with Murphy Brown. She cancels when a lead comes on about the pearls. The thief shows up at the Emerson/Walker household. Eventually, the thief gets caught, and Liz gets her pearls back, and Liz will star in Mr. Sheffield's play. (CBS four-program crossover guest-starring Elizabeth Taylor. The Nanny, episode 'Where's the Pearls?'; Can't Hurry Love, episode 'The Elizabeth Taylor Episode''; Murphy Brown, episode 'Trick Or Retreat'; and High Society, episode "The Family Jewels". Dated about eighteen months before the episode aired. The episodes were a marketing stunt to help establish Liz' Black Pearls perfume, but in the WNU, happens before that product comes to market. Murphy Brown crossed over to The Bob Newhart Show and thus is in the WNU, the CU, and the TVCU.)
February 11, 1995--SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE--"Bob Newhart/Des'ree"--Dr. Hartley dreams that he was Bob Newhart hosting Saturday Night Live, including what may have been a real life event turned into a sketch of Dr. Hartley being a guest on the RICKI LAKE SHOW.
May 1997--COACH--"Leaving Orlando"--Coach Hayden Fox and his lovely wife (or girlfriend at this point...I can't remember when they tied the knot) Christine head out to Hayden's Minnesota cabin to find it already occupied. The squatters are Larry, Darryl and Darryl, who must have moved after selling their land to a Japanese business.
November 1997--GEORGE & LEO--"The Cameo Episode"--Dr. Michael Harris, from NEWHART, appears. (That's all I know.) Apparently other Newhart characters cameo as well.
November 2, 2003--CBS AT 75--This whole special turns out to be just a dream of Dr. Hartley. Geez. I hope this blog isn't just a dream of Dr. Hartley, and I'm just a guy writing a blog inside a snowglobe in some kid's imagination, and that kid's universe is just an atom inside the thumbnail of a college student on pot, and he's just a comic book character created by Grant Morrison.
ALTERNATE REALITIES:
SKITLANDIA--On JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, some alternate endings to LOST are presented, including one in which it was all just a dream of Dr. Bob Hartley. Given Dr. Hartley's powers of prophesy, I'd love to include this. It wouldn't mean Lost was a dream, but that Hartley had yet another psychic dream where he viewed real life events. However, given the context, in which it's a sketch of writers coming up with ideas, then panning to those ideas, it just doesn't work for me. It's hilarious, nonetheless. And before I get the comments, I consider the SNL bit different. On Kimmel, the Newhart bit is a fictionality within a sketch, whereas on SNL it's a sketch all on it's own, thus a separate story of sorts. And if you don't like that, disregard it.
**I do get the arguments that Newhart isn't in the same reality. That it was a dream. And I get my evidence to the contrary is weak. But I have very strong evidence that I Dream of Jeannie and the Bob Newhart Show coexist, and when I do my Jeannie blog, that will be clear. But briefly, Jeannie crosses with Bewitched and Scooby, and I've already done blogs on them, which you can check out for further confirmation. And if Jeannie was more than just a dream, then it makes sense that so was Newhart. And Newhart does connect with with Drew Carey, that connects with Home Improvement, which connects to Toy Story, which is confirmed in the TVCU and there's a blog you can check out for that. And of course Bob Newhart Show's connection to St. Elsewhere can allow me to redirect you to my St. Elsewhere blog for further on cementing that into the TVCU.
But wait, there's more. It may be that they were triplets. And the third child was Bob Newhart, the comedian. Newhart himself likely had visions of those brothers' lives, which he used to create his hit shows. Later, Hartley would dream that he was Bob Newhart hosting Saturday Night Live.
Now, on to the crossovers...
1972 to 1978--THE BOB NEWHART SHOW--The story of Dr. Bob Hartley, a psychiatrist.
1982 to 1990--NEWHART--Author Dick Loudon and his wife move to Vermont and buy an inn, and have to adjust to lots of crazy locals.
November 1982--NEWHART--"No Tigers at the Circus"--Dick is watching his favorite show, which apparently is THE BOB NEWHART SHOW. A zonk, sure. And possible evidence of separate realities. But actually evidence of the same reality. Bob is dreaming about watching a show about himself? Since the triplet is Bob Newhart himself, we know that there was indeed a show called the Bob Newhart Show in the TVCU.
March 1987--ALF--"Going Out of My Head Over You"--OK, I'll let you guys choose to count this or skip it. Thom Holbrook over at Poobala says no. Meanwhile, both the Westphallians and IMDB says yes. So here's the facts. Willie has a friend whose a psychiatrist. It's not Dr. Hartley, but it's Dr. Lawrence 'Larry' Dykstra, played by Bill Daily, who played a completely different character on the Bob Newhart Show. But in the waiting room is an unnamed patient played by Jack Riley, meant to invoke his famous role as Dr. Hartley's patient, Elliot Carlin. IMDB and the Westphallians say it is him. Thom says it isn't. Add to this that ALF later references knowing about psychology from having watched the show The Bob Newhart Show!!! But these zonks have always been easily explained, and with my triplet theory, we know that there was a show called that in the TVCU. So you decide. ALF is in the TVCU, so there is that to add into your decision. This story happened in the TVCU whether it was Elliot Carlin or some other guy.
November 1988--ST. ELSEWHERE--"Close Encounters"--Dr. Robert Hartley's patient Elliot Carlin (BOB NEWHART SHOW) appears. The character actually appears in several episodes of St. Elsewhere, confirming the connection to the Bob Newhart Show. Oh, one extra note. In the final episode of St. Elsewhere, it turns out the whole series was just a daydream of an autistic child. So in the world of Westphalians, Newhart and its crossovers are a dream of Dr. Hartley, but his world is a fantasy of a child. Wow. See my St. Elsewhere blog (entitled "Is Tommy Westphal God?" for more on that.
November 1988--NEWHART--"I Married Dick"--Aha, he says. Dick and his wife Joanne attend marriage counseling. (Though, who else would he attend it with?) And who is also a patient of the shrink they are seeing? Mr. unnamed patient played by Jack Riley, who we all know is Hartley's patient Elliott Carlin. Aha, indeed. And another patient mentions having seen psychiatrist in Chicago. Double Aha!!! (Oh, I guess I never mentioned THE BOB NEWHART SHOW was set in Chicago. Now, Aha!!!)
May 1990--NEWHART--"The Last Newhart"--A Japanese business buys the whole town, except for the inn because Dick won't sell. But....it all turns out to be a dream of Dr. Bob Hartley....or is it?
October 1990--TINY TOON ADVENTURES--"Hollywood Plucky"--This series is part of the Looniverse, but placed here as it's relevant to the TVCU. Larry, Darryl, and Darryl are at a Hollywood restaurant where Plucky Duck is the waiter. Hollywood has a portal to the Looniverse, and Looniverse characters often come over to the TVCU. For some reason, Hollywood types don't really find it unusual. And the three brothers are the type of tend to get around. So this is the Looniverse Plucky meeting the TVCU brothers.
November 1991--THE BOB NEWHART SHOW 19TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL--Following Bob Hartley's very realistic dream about another life as inn keeper Dick Loudon in Vermont, Bob confides his dream to his friend, airline pilot Howard Borden. Howard reveals he had a similar dream where he was an astronaut for five seasons. (We then get a cut to a clip from I DREAM OF JEANNIE). Perhaps Larry and Major Roger Healey were also separated at birth. Note too that this episode follows directly from the Newhart final episode, and in one scene of this special, Bob sees three repairmen that are Larry, Darryl and Daryl, residents of the small town where Dick's inn is. This could in one sense be made to imply that Bob had already met them, and they creeped into his subconscious dream. However, I think that it really means that the two shows are in the same reality, and that some time had actually passed between that final episode and this special, and after the Japanese had bought the town in Vermont, those three migrated south to become repairmen. (The special does air more than a year after the last Newhart aired, so even though it's implied it happened immediately after, there is some evidence that there was a passage of time.)
1993--BOB--"Better to Have Loved and Flossed"--This show also stars Bob Newhart, but as far as I know, there is no dream connection. However, in this, the final episode, which actually didn't air until years after cancellation, has an appearance of dentist Dr. Jerry Robinson, who was a friend of Dr. Hartley. Apparently, the owner of the company this Bob works for ran off with a dental hygienist associated with Jerry. Small world.
March 1994--MURPHY BROWN--"Anything But Cured"--Dr. Hartley's secretary, Carol moves to D.C. after a fight with Jerry and goes to work for Murphy Brown. Finally, Murphy finds an acceptable secretary. But Dr. Hartley comes to bring Carol back and Carol chooses to return to work for him.
1994 August Maxwell Sheffield is trying to get Elizabeth Taylor to star in one of his plays. Liz has Fran Fine take her black pearls to a photo shoot she is doing. They are lost in a cab Fran rides in. The pearls are found by a later rider, Annie O'Donnell. She keeps them and wears them to an event. Annie loses them and a thief takes them. Liz is supposed to go to an interview on FYI with Murphy Brown. She cancels when a lead comes on about the pearls. The thief shows up at the Emerson/Walker household. Eventually, the thief gets caught, and Liz gets her pearls back, and Liz will star in Mr. Sheffield's play. (CBS four-program crossover guest-starring Elizabeth Taylor. The Nanny, episode 'Where's the Pearls?'; Can't Hurry Love, episode 'The Elizabeth Taylor Episode''; Murphy Brown, episode 'Trick Or Retreat'; and High Society, episode "The Family Jewels". Dated about eighteen months before the episode aired. The episodes were a marketing stunt to help establish Liz' Black Pearls perfume, but in the WNU, happens before that product comes to market. Murphy Brown crossed over to The Bob Newhart Show and thus is in the WNU, the CU, and the TVCU.)
February 11, 1995--SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE--"Bob Newhart/Des'ree"--Dr. Hartley dreams that he was Bob Newhart hosting Saturday Night Live, including what may have been a real life event turned into a sketch of Dr. Hartley being a guest on the RICKI LAKE SHOW.
May 1997--COACH--"Leaving Orlando"--Coach Hayden Fox and his lovely wife (or girlfriend at this point...I can't remember when they tied the knot) Christine head out to Hayden's Minnesota cabin to find it already occupied. The squatters are Larry, Darryl and Darryl, who must have moved after selling their land to a Japanese business.
November 1997--GEORGE & LEO--"The Cameo Episode"--Dr. Michael Harris, from NEWHART, appears. (That's all I know.) Apparently other Newhart characters cameo as well.
November 2, 2003--CBS AT 75--This whole special turns out to be just a dream of Dr. Hartley. Geez. I hope this blog isn't just a dream of Dr. Hartley, and I'm just a guy writing a blog inside a snowglobe in some kid's imagination, and that kid's universe is just an atom inside the thumbnail of a college student on pot, and he's just a comic book character created by Grant Morrison.
ALTERNATE REALITIES:
SKITLANDIA--On JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, some alternate endings to LOST are presented, including one in which it was all just a dream of Dr. Bob Hartley. Given Dr. Hartley's powers of prophesy, I'd love to include this. It wouldn't mean Lost was a dream, but that Hartley had yet another psychic dream where he viewed real life events. However, given the context, in which it's a sketch of writers coming up with ideas, then panning to those ideas, it just doesn't work for me. It's hilarious, nonetheless. And before I get the comments, I consider the SNL bit different. On Kimmel, the Newhart bit is a fictionality within a sketch, whereas on SNL it's a sketch all on it's own, thus a separate story of sorts. And if you don't like that, disregard it.
**I do get the arguments that Newhart isn't in the same reality. That it was a dream. And I get my evidence to the contrary is weak. But I have very strong evidence that I Dream of Jeannie and the Bob Newhart Show coexist, and when I do my Jeannie blog, that will be clear. But briefly, Jeannie crosses with Bewitched and Scooby, and I've already done blogs on them, which you can check out for further confirmation. And if Jeannie was more than just a dream, then it makes sense that so was Newhart. And Newhart does connect with with Drew Carey, that connects with Home Improvement, which connects to Toy Story, which is confirmed in the TVCU and there's a blog you can check out for that. And of course Bob Newhart Show's connection to St. Elsewhere can allow me to redirect you to my St. Elsewhere blog for further on cementing that into the TVCU.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
You Will Be Visited By Three Ghosts!!! Christmas Carols in the TVCU
First, don't expect me to be pumping out a new blog every day, but I'm in the mood and I did make a Christmas promise to cover Scrooge.
Second, I don't usually cover material that originated from literature, but the three ghosts tend to return as a very traditional Christmas season TV trope, thus making them as worthy of inclusion as historical characters or mythical beings.
Note that as with Dracula, Tarzan, ect, I will not cover appearances and crossovers from literature and comics. That doesn't meant they don't exist in the TVCU. They just aren't my focus here. For literary crossovers with Scrooge and his ghosts, you may wish to read Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World. My upcoming Horror Crossover Universe will not be covering A Christmas Carol, despite its supernatural elements, as its genre is much more of a holiday/religious theme.
December 24 to 25, 1837--A CHRISTMAS CAROL--A miserly man named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, who show him his past, present, and future, in an attempt to save him his soul from damnation by getting him to redeem himself. Though called ghosts or spirits, in fact, the only real ghost in the story is Scrooge's deceased partner Marley, who comes first to warn Scrooge. The three seem to be in fact angels (the third, the Ghost of Christmas Future, perhaps being an Angel of Death). It seems, especially based on future follow up stories, that these angels are not the only ones to serve this assignment. It seems to be a temporary gig. And additionally, the angels can take different forms, sometimes choosing to take forms (and personalities) of people more familiar to the chosen to make the process easier. Note that on this night the Ghostbusters (the Real ones) find themselves transported back in time from the 1980s and being disoriented, see the three ghosts and capture them. They return to find themselves in an alternate timeline where Christmas was no longer celebrated. They return to Scrooge's time and release the ghosts at the appropriate time so events go on as they should and the timeline is restored. (Some might argue that the Ghostbusters didn't actually return to their timeline's past, but to the mirror universe, but if that were the case, then they wouldn't have been able to restore events to normal.) (From episode X-Mas Marks the Spot)
Victorian Era--BLACKADDER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Three ghosts try to convince a very kind, caring and generous Blackadder how his ways will lead to a dark future.
Meanwhile--A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL--set on the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS
December 24 to 25, 1837--MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--From Thomas Paul Jennings: Apparently the design of (An American Tail) Fievel's father was from the chairman of the Rescue Aid Society in Disney's The Rescurers. Also some mice that appeared in The Rescuers make appearances in The Great Mouse Detective which itself shares a Lizard with Alice in Wonderland and has the same Big Ben chime as Mickey's Christmas Carol.
December 23 to 25, 1842--BUGS BUNNY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--This one is tough for me. I consider Mickey's Christmas Carol to be the official Looniverse version of that tale. In this version, Sam is Scrooge, Porky is Cratchit. Bugs is dresses as a ghost to scare Scrooge. This can be reconciled. Because the story is such a variant, especially there being no ghosts or time travel, as well as the fact Scrooge here owns Cratchit's home and not only fires Cratchit but kicks him and his family out of their homes, it seems as if this may not be the same story, but just something coincidentally similar. So of course, let me say that this is an ancestor of Bugs. This Cratchit is an ancestor of Porky and this Scrooge is an ancestor of Sam. This also features ancestors of Sylvester, Tweety, Pepe Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn.
1844--CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MOVIE--Doctor Who Universe--Not only does the same actor (Simon Callow) play Charles Dickens in both Doctor Who episodes "The Unquiet Dead" and "Wedding of River Song", but also plays him in Christmas Carol: The Movie. In fact, his dress, his beard, everything is the same. EVEN THE STAGE AND THE SPEECH HE GIVES TO INTRODUCE THE STORY IS THE SAME, EXCEPT IN THE MOVIE, THE STORY IS INTERRUPTED BRIEFLY BY A MOUSE RATHER THAN BY GHOSTS. I MEAN IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME!!! So though the main portion of the movie, which is animated, is fictional, the framing parts are in the Doctor Who Universe. Merry Christmas. Incidentally, the movie was made four years before the DW episode, which means the DW folks were apparently big fans of this film to not only get the same actor, but recreate the first seen exactly, props, costumes, scripts, and all, well, until the Doctor shows up and it all goes to Hell as usual.
December 1962--MISTER MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--Not a real cross with A Christmas Carol, as Scrooge is only performing in a broadway production of the story, but appearing as as guest star is Gerald McBoing-Boing.
1970--THE ODD COUPLE--"Scrooge gets an Oscar"--Oscar is visited by three ghosts, who take the form of Oscar's poker buddies.
1975--SANFORD AND SON--"Ebenezer Sanford"--Fred Sanford is visited by the three spirits. (Or was it a dream?)
1980--WKRP IN CINCINATTI--"Bah Humbug"--After eating some brownies he gets from DJ Dr. Johnny Fever, Mr. Carlson is visited by three ghosts.
1981--ALICE--"Mel's Christmas Carol"--Mel is visited by the spirits.
1983--FAMILY TIES--"A Keaton Christmas Carol"--Alex P. Keaton (now of course the republican senator from Ohio) is visited by three spirits who take the form of his family.
1988—Michaelangelo #1—“A Christmas Carol”; Jim Lawson--Raphael, annoyed by Christmas cheer, runs off into the night to be alone and cranky; like so many annoyed people on Christmas day, his plans to be alone and cranky are utterly ruined by three ghosts trying to show him the error of his ways. I hardly need to make note that over the course of the story Ralph endures reruns of his childhood, sees his family good-naturedly making fun of him when he’s not around, and sees an insane older version of himself hiding in a swamp. Okay, Scrooge didn’t see that last one. Eventually Ralph learns the errors of his way, just like everyone else pestered by the Ghosts of Christmas, and wishes his family a “Merry Christmas!”
1989--A DIFFERENT WORLD--"For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls"--Whitney is visited by three ghosts who take on the forms of her friends and teachers.
1993-ish--BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD--Bongo Anomaly--Beavis is visited by the three ghosts.
1996--MARTIN--"Scrooge"--Martin is visited by the spirits.
1996--THE SPOOKTACULAR NEW ADVENTURES OF CASPER--"A Christmas Peril/Ms. Banshee's Holiday Hits/Good Morning Dr. Harvey/Fright Before Christmas"--Looniverse--The Three Ghosts appear, as well as other ghosts, of course.
November 2001--FAMILY GUY--"Screwed the Pooch"--Bongo AnomalyAfter Joe tells Peter to find a common ground with Lois’ father, Peter acts upon the advice as if he were Ebenezer Scrooge; he shouts at Bob Cratchit, who’s copying letters in the corner, telling him he has to work through Christmas, like in A Christmas Carol. Cratchit asks, “But, sir, what of Tiny Tim?” Peter responds, “Bah, he and his ukulele shall go wanting”, a reference to Tiny Tim the musician, not Cratchit’s son. The puppies born with human faces at the Quahog Animal Clinic recalls the pig who looked suspiciously like Herbert Garrison in “An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig” (South Park). Linda Blair from The Exorcist is at Brian’s trial, and does her famous 360-degree head-turning and vomiting.
2002--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future"--A robot that claims to be a ghost from the future (or possibly the past) arrives to lecture Carl and the Aqua Teen Hunger Force about how Christmas was celebrated in the past (or possibly the future).
December 2003--HEBREW HAMMER--One of the other dimensional tulpa variants of Santa is killed by his evil son, who wants to destroy Chanukah. The Jewish Justice League (not to be confused with that other Justice League) sends the Hebrew Hammer to save Chanukah. The Hammer's office is down the hall from Mike Hammer's, though probably not the original Mike Hammer but a relative. Also, Santa's son has an evil henchman who appears to be young Tiny Tim from Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL all grown up, and not such a good person.
2003--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"The Last One"--The robot ghost returns.
2004--Karroll's Christmas--From James Bojaciuk: I just finished watching Karroll's Christmas, which is one of the most delightful remakes of A Christmas Carol ever produced. Three inturn ghosts visit the wrong man and make him relive the life of the cranky old man down the street. The Headless Horseman, Scooby-Doo, and Casper are all mentioned as real beings. It's rather troublesome that Scooby-Doo is considered one of the most famous ghosts currently active, but I'm sure there is an explanation of some sort. Freddy Kruger is mentioned in a way that is rather iffy of his reality; I'm willing to call it a crossover connection, even divorced from Rob's TVCU rules. Basically: The Ghost of Christmas Future inturn is called a "sawn-off Freddy Kruger." The level of offence he takes at this suggests he knows Freddy's real. Anything's possible. The ghosts weren't exactly the brightest incorporeal beings. Andrew Brook adds: More likely that the guy was mistaken, and it was actually "Goober and the Ghost-Chasers"..... and that brings in "The Partridge Family". Hell, I'm glad I'm not old enough to know what these things are.... [From Rob: I recently noticed a deceased scooby in slither, even though I feel scooby still lives. I'll have to work that out. Maybe the scooby ghost was actually one of these. http://www.scoobyaddicts.com/FamilyTree.aspx?name=Scooby&FamilyID=1. As for scooby's ghost, could it actually be one of scooby's identical brothers? He has two. Could be dooby or skippy. Remember that for the tvcu if it's borderline as to a pop culture ref or a real ref, but both works are already in, I consider it a real ref. remember too that Freddy is neither dead nor powerless in the tvcu. Despite being abandoned by the dream demons, he's mastered on his own how to feed off of fear and the souls of those he's slain. Sounds valid as the supernatural ep ref to Krueger I include. I like that this is a five way cross, although all parties are already in.]
2005--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"Deleted Scenes"--The robot ghost returns.
2006--AMERICAN DAD--"The Best Christmas Story Never"--Bongo Anomaly--A new ghost of Christmas past, whose last job was a tooth fairy, brings Stan back to his childhood to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. Stan bolts, realizing that this is his opportunity to kill Jane Fonda before she ruins everything. Needless to say, a divergent timeline is created where the Soviets rule modern America. (Hey, is this the Red Dawn timeline?) Eventually, things are set right.
2010--THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK--"A London Carol"--Rather than three ghosts, London's mirror does the job. (And I just threw in another Disney show. Take that!!!)
2012--THE HIGH FRUCTOSE ADVENTURES OF THE ANNOYING ORANGE--"Orange Carol"--Looniverse--When it comes to animated stuff, it's really getting hard for me to keep track of what hasn't been connected yet. But if it's on Cartoon Network, it's usually safe to say it's in the Looniverse or the TVCU. In this case, I'm betting the Looniverse. Anyways, the Annoying Orange gets visited by the three ghosts.
Sometimes in a future--A JETSONS CHRISTMAS CAROL--Mr. Spacely, head of Spacely Sprockets and boss of George Jetson, gets visited by the ghosts.
ALTERNATE REALITIES: Mickey Mouse, the Looney Tunes gang, Mr. Magoo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Sesame, Dennis the Menace and Doctor Who have all but homaged, spoofed and lampooned the famous Charles Dickens Christmas story, A Christmas Carol. (Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, A Special Sesame Street Christmas, Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol, A Jetson Christmas Carol, Blackadder's Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol, A Flintstones Christmas Carol, An All Dogs Christmas Carol, Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, A Dennis the Menace Christmas and Doctor Who in: A Christmas Carol respectively)
MUPPET UNIVERSE--As I've said before, everything is real somewhere. Even fiction within fiction. The Muppets exist in the TVCU. But many of them are actors, and they make movies. In the TVCU, they are just fictional movies, but in the MUPPET UNIVERSE, they are real. This includes, (but is not limited to) CinderElmo, the Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, the Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Muppet Classic Theater, Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince, and Elmos' Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf.
Second, I don't usually cover material that originated from literature, but the three ghosts tend to return as a very traditional Christmas season TV trope, thus making them as worthy of inclusion as historical characters or mythical beings.
Note that as with Dracula, Tarzan, ect, I will not cover appearances and crossovers from literature and comics. That doesn't meant they don't exist in the TVCU. They just aren't my focus here. For literary crossovers with Scrooge and his ghosts, you may wish to read Win Scott Eckert's Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World. My upcoming Horror Crossover Universe will not be covering A Christmas Carol, despite its supernatural elements, as its genre is much more of a holiday/religious theme.
December 24 to 25, 1837--A CHRISTMAS CAROL--A miserly man named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, who show him his past, present, and future, in an attempt to save him his soul from damnation by getting him to redeem himself. Though called ghosts or spirits, in fact, the only real ghost in the story is Scrooge's deceased partner Marley, who comes first to warn Scrooge. The three seem to be in fact angels (the third, the Ghost of Christmas Future, perhaps being an Angel of Death). It seems, especially based on future follow up stories, that these angels are not the only ones to serve this assignment. It seems to be a temporary gig. And additionally, the angels can take different forms, sometimes choosing to take forms (and personalities) of people more familiar to the chosen to make the process easier. Note that on this night the Ghostbusters (the Real ones) find themselves transported back in time from the 1980s and being disoriented, see the three ghosts and capture them. They return to find themselves in an alternate timeline where Christmas was no longer celebrated. They return to Scrooge's time and release the ghosts at the appropriate time so events go on as they should and the timeline is restored. (Some might argue that the Ghostbusters didn't actually return to their timeline's past, but to the mirror universe, but if that were the case, then they wouldn't have been able to restore events to normal.) (From episode X-Mas Marks the Spot)
Victorian Era--BLACKADDER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Three ghosts try to convince a very kind, caring and generous Blackadder how his ways will lead to a dark future.
Meanwhile--A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL--set on the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS
December 24 to 25, 1837--MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--From Thomas Paul Jennings: Apparently the design of (An American Tail) Fievel's father was from the chairman of the Rescue Aid Society in Disney's The Rescurers. Also some mice that appeared in The Rescuers make appearances in The Great Mouse Detective which itself shares a Lizard with Alice in Wonderland and has the same Big Ben chime as Mickey's Christmas Carol.
December 23 to 25, 1842--BUGS BUNNY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--This one is tough for me. I consider Mickey's Christmas Carol to be the official Looniverse version of that tale. In this version, Sam is Scrooge, Porky is Cratchit. Bugs is dresses as a ghost to scare Scrooge. This can be reconciled. Because the story is such a variant, especially there being no ghosts or time travel, as well as the fact Scrooge here owns Cratchit's home and not only fires Cratchit but kicks him and his family out of their homes, it seems as if this may not be the same story, but just something coincidentally similar. So of course, let me say that this is an ancestor of Bugs. This Cratchit is an ancestor of Porky and this Scrooge is an ancestor of Sam. This also features ancestors of Sylvester, Tweety, Pepe Le Pew and Foghorn Leghorn.
1844--CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MOVIE--Doctor Who Universe--Not only does the same actor (Simon Callow) play Charles Dickens in both Doctor Who episodes "The Unquiet Dead" and "Wedding of River Song", but also plays him in Christmas Carol: The Movie. In fact, his dress, his beard, everything is the same. EVEN THE STAGE AND THE SPEECH HE GIVES TO INTRODUCE THE STORY IS THE SAME, EXCEPT IN THE MOVIE, THE STORY IS INTERRUPTED BRIEFLY BY A MOUSE RATHER THAN BY GHOSTS. I MEAN IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME!!! So though the main portion of the movie, which is animated, is fictional, the framing parts are in the Doctor Who Universe. Merry Christmas. Incidentally, the movie was made four years before the DW episode, which means the DW folks were apparently big fans of this film to not only get the same actor, but recreate the first seen exactly, props, costumes, scripts, and all, well, until the Doctor shows up and it all goes to Hell as usual.
December 1962--MISTER MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL--Looniverse--Not a real cross with A Christmas Carol, as Scrooge is only performing in a broadway production of the story, but appearing as as guest star is Gerald McBoing-Boing.
1970--THE ODD COUPLE--"Scrooge gets an Oscar"--Oscar is visited by three ghosts, who take the form of Oscar's poker buddies.
1975--SANFORD AND SON--"Ebenezer Sanford"--Fred Sanford is visited by the three spirits. (Or was it a dream?)
1980--WKRP IN CINCINATTI--"Bah Humbug"--After eating some brownies he gets from DJ Dr. Johnny Fever, Mr. Carlson is visited by three ghosts.
1981--ALICE--"Mel's Christmas Carol"--Mel is visited by the spirits.
1983--FAMILY TIES--"A Keaton Christmas Carol"--Alex P. Keaton (now of course the republican senator from Ohio) is visited by three spirits who take the form of his family.
1988—Michaelangelo #1—“A Christmas Carol”; Jim Lawson--Raphael, annoyed by Christmas cheer, runs off into the night to be alone and cranky; like so many annoyed people on Christmas day, his plans to be alone and cranky are utterly ruined by three ghosts trying to show him the error of his ways. I hardly need to make note that over the course of the story Ralph endures reruns of his childhood, sees his family good-naturedly making fun of him when he’s not around, and sees an insane older version of himself hiding in a swamp. Okay, Scrooge didn’t see that last one. Eventually Ralph learns the errors of his way, just like everyone else pestered by the Ghosts of Christmas, and wishes his family a “Merry Christmas!”
1989--A DIFFERENT WORLD--"For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls"--Whitney is visited by three ghosts who take on the forms of her friends and teachers.
1993-ish--BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD--Bongo Anomaly--Beavis is visited by the three ghosts.
1996--MARTIN--"Scrooge"--Martin is visited by the spirits.
1996--THE SPOOKTACULAR NEW ADVENTURES OF CASPER--"A Christmas Peril/Ms. Banshee's Holiday Hits/Good Morning Dr. Harvey/Fright Before Christmas"--Looniverse--The Three Ghosts appear, as well as other ghosts, of course.
November 2001--FAMILY GUY--"Screwed the Pooch"--Bongo AnomalyAfter Joe tells Peter to find a common ground with Lois’ father, Peter acts upon the advice as if he were Ebenezer Scrooge; he shouts at Bob Cratchit, who’s copying letters in the corner, telling him he has to work through Christmas, like in A Christmas Carol. Cratchit asks, “But, sir, what of Tiny Tim?” Peter responds, “Bah, he and his ukulele shall go wanting”, a reference to Tiny Tim the musician, not Cratchit’s son. The puppies born with human faces at the Quahog Animal Clinic recalls the pig who looked suspiciously like Herbert Garrison in “An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig” (South Park). Linda Blair from The Exorcist is at Brian’s trial, and does her famous 360-degree head-turning and vomiting.
2002--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past From the Future"--A robot that claims to be a ghost from the future (or possibly the past) arrives to lecture Carl and the Aqua Teen Hunger Force about how Christmas was celebrated in the past (or possibly the future).
December 2003--HEBREW HAMMER--One of the other dimensional tulpa variants of Santa is killed by his evil son, who wants to destroy Chanukah. The Jewish Justice League (not to be confused with that other Justice League) sends the Hebrew Hammer to save Chanukah. The Hammer's office is down the hall from Mike Hammer's, though probably not the original Mike Hammer but a relative. Also, Santa's son has an evil henchman who appears to be young Tiny Tim from Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL all grown up, and not such a good person.
2003--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"The Last One"--The robot ghost returns.
2004--Karroll's Christmas--From James Bojaciuk: I just finished watching Karroll's Christmas, which is one of the most delightful remakes of A Christmas Carol ever produced. Three inturn ghosts visit the wrong man and make him relive the life of the cranky old man down the street. The Headless Horseman, Scooby-Doo, and Casper are all mentioned as real beings. It's rather troublesome that Scooby-Doo is considered one of the most famous ghosts currently active, but I'm sure there is an explanation of some sort. Freddy Kruger is mentioned in a way that is rather iffy of his reality; I'm willing to call it a crossover connection, even divorced from Rob's TVCU rules. Basically: The Ghost of Christmas Future inturn is called a "sawn-off Freddy Kruger." The level of offence he takes at this suggests he knows Freddy's real. Anything's possible. The ghosts weren't exactly the brightest incorporeal beings. Andrew Brook adds: More likely that the guy was mistaken, and it was actually "Goober and the Ghost-Chasers"..... and that brings in "The Partridge Family". Hell, I'm glad I'm not old enough to know what these things are.... [From Rob: I recently noticed a deceased scooby in slither, even though I feel scooby still lives. I'll have to work that out. Maybe the scooby ghost was actually one of these. http://www.scoobyaddicts.com/FamilyTree.aspx?name=Scooby&FamilyID=1. As for scooby's ghost, could it actually be one of scooby's identical brothers? He has two. Could be dooby or skippy. Remember that for the tvcu if it's borderline as to a pop culture ref or a real ref, but both works are already in, I consider it a real ref. remember too that Freddy is neither dead nor powerless in the tvcu. Despite being abandoned by the dream demons, he's mastered on his own how to feed off of fear and the souls of those he's slain. Sounds valid as the supernatural ep ref to Krueger I include. I like that this is a five way cross, although all parties are already in.]
2005--AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD 1--"Deleted Scenes"--The robot ghost returns.
2006--AMERICAN DAD--"The Best Christmas Story Never"--Bongo Anomaly--A new ghost of Christmas past, whose last job was a tooth fairy, brings Stan back to his childhood to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. Stan bolts, realizing that this is his opportunity to kill Jane Fonda before she ruins everything. Needless to say, a divergent timeline is created where the Soviets rule modern America. (Hey, is this the Red Dawn timeline?) Eventually, things are set right.
2010--THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK--"A London Carol"--Rather than three ghosts, London's mirror does the job. (And I just threw in another Disney show. Take that!!!)
2012--THE HIGH FRUCTOSE ADVENTURES OF THE ANNOYING ORANGE--"Orange Carol"--Looniverse--When it comes to animated stuff, it's really getting hard for me to keep track of what hasn't been connected yet. But if it's on Cartoon Network, it's usually safe to say it's in the Looniverse or the TVCU. In this case, I'm betting the Looniverse. Anyways, the Annoying Orange gets visited by the three ghosts.
Sometimes in a future--A JETSONS CHRISTMAS CAROL--Mr. Spacely, head of Spacely Sprockets and boss of George Jetson, gets visited by the ghosts.
ALTERNATE REALITIES: Mickey Mouse, the Looney Tunes gang, Mr. Magoo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Sesame, Dennis the Menace and Doctor Who have all but homaged, spoofed and lampooned the famous Charles Dickens Christmas story, A Christmas Carol. (Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, A Special Sesame Street Christmas, Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol, A Jetson Christmas Carol, Blackadder's Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol, A Flintstones Christmas Carol, An All Dogs Christmas Carol, Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, A Dennis the Menace Christmas and Doctor Who in: A Christmas Carol respectively)
MUPPET UNIVERSE--As I've said before, everything is real somewhere. Even fiction within fiction. The Muppets exist in the TVCU. But many of them are actors, and they make movies. In the TVCU, they are just fictional movies, but in the MUPPET UNIVERSE, they are real. This includes, (but is not limited to) CinderElmo, the Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, the Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Muppet Classic Theater, Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince, and Elmos' Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf.
RICH LITTLE UNIVERSE: Kind of like Skitlandia, except there are movies, and Rich Little plays all the characters. Edith Bunker appears in Rich Little's 1978 CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Note there are many film adaptations of A Christmas Carol, and each gets its own reality. Additionally, there have been many sequels both in print and on screen (and in radio and on stage for that matter). Though I'd love to count them all, the fact is, so many contradict each other, that I'd have to choose which ones are in and I'd likely do so with bias, so it's best to keep them all in separate realities until a cross can bring them in.
Note there are many film adaptations of A Christmas Carol, and each gets its own reality. Additionally, there have been many sequels both in print and on screen (and in radio and on stage for that matter). Though I'd love to count them all, the fact is, so many contradict each other, that I'd have to choose which ones are in and I'd likely do so with bias, so it's best to keep them all in separate realities until a cross can bring them in.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Avengers (No, not those guys from New York)
Hi. So, welcome to the TVCU 2013. A few things.
I' m writing a book, sort of a spin-off of this blog called the Horror Crossover Universe. So I'm spending less time here. But I will be posting new material, and James has some stuff in the works as well. Some of the blogs will have major revisions, while others just need to have some new material added to it.
The Crossovers Forum is no longer the best place to discuss this blog, as I'm not there anymore. I've created a new forum just for this blog, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/397263440360228/?fref=ts.
I know my last blog said my next one would be about Scrooge, but that one will be coming later on down the road. Sorry if you were looking forward to it.
I've been writing this blog for two years now. January 10 will be the blog's 2nd anniversary. I've covered lots of ground and lots of varied material, and along the way, I've had some help from James, Gordon, and Brad to expand the universe. I'd love some feedback from readers of this blog on what shows and film series you'd love to see covered here in 2013. You can leave your comments in the section below this blog, or in the forum I provide the link for above.
Now, on to the Avengers...
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No, this isn't about Marvel's "world's mightiest mortals". This is about that cool duo from jolly ol' England saving the world as super spies.
1769 to 1821--G.I. JOE # 50 & 73/SERPENTOR'S FILECARD--"The Battle of Springfield/Divided We Fall"--Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose DNA will be used to create Serpentor. Napoleon also appeared in THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, BEWITCHED, TIME BANDITS, BILL & TED''S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, and BLACKADDER BACK & FORTH.
1934--JOHN STEED: AN AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY, VOLUME 1: JEALOUS IN HONOUR--While in school, Steed is bullied constantly by James Bond, his classmate.
November 1952--BEWITCHED--"Samantha's French Pastry"--Uncle Arthur accidentally pulls Napoleon from the past. Napoleon has also appeared on THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, TIME BANDITS, THE NEVER SAY U.N.C.L.E. AFFAIR, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, and BLACKADDER: BACK AND FORTH.
1958--LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: BLACK DOSSIER--Though League takes place in a divergent timeline, there is no reason that some elements from this series can't also be part of the main TVCU timeline. In this case, this volume of League shows that "M" of British Secret Service (as seen in JAMES BOND novels and films) is also "Mother", the head of the Avengers. A young Emma Peel also appears in this story.
1960--THE AVENGERS--Agent John Steed begins working with Dr. David Keel and The Avengers are formed. Over the years, Steed will work with Cathy Gale, Emma Peel, and Tara King, as well as Mike Gambit and Purdey (The New Avengers).
1961--THE AVENGERS--With Dr David Keel (Ian Hendry).
1962–64--THE AVENGERS--With Venus Smith (Julie Stevens) and Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman).
1965--THE AVENGERS (FILM)--Emma Peel becomes Steed's newest partner. This film "remake" actually works well as a "prequel" instead.
1965–68--THE AVENGERS--With Emma Peel (Diana Rigg).
1966 to 1969--THE AVENGERS--The ongoing adventures of some super cool spies.
May 1967--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Rainbow Affair"--U.N.C.L.E. agents Solo and Kuryakin meet Steed and Peel of THE AVENGERS, as well as Inspector Roger West, Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Fu Manchu, Simon Templar (aka The Saint), Miss Marple, Father Brown, and Sherlock Holmes (aka William Escott). James Bond is also referenced, along with an enemy of the Saint. Also this book reveals that Department Z founded U.N.C.L.E. For more information on The Avengers and an episode guide, see The Complete Avengers, by Dave Rogers, St. Martin's Press, 1989.
February 1968--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Power Cube Affair"--Solo and Kuryakin of U.N.C.L.E. meet Charles, the former head of the AVENGERS.
1968--GET SMART--"Run, Robot, Run"--Two evil British agents are posing as Steed and Peel.
1968–69--THE AVENGERS--With Tara King (Linda Thorson)
Winter 1972--TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN VOLUME 3: DANSE MACABRE--"A Day in the Life of Madame Atomos"--Like all stories in the Tales of the Shadowmen series, this one is loaded with crossovers. Of course, the appearance of the Pink Panther diamond is why I'm talking about it, but other crossovers are: FU MANCHU, THE AVENGERS, BOB MORANE, THE DA VINCI CODE, JERRY CORNELIUS, MEPHISTA, TEDDY VERANO, THE PRISONER, VIC ST. VAL, MODESTY BLAISE, MADAME HYDRA, DEREK FLINT, SUMURU, THE NYCTALOPE, THE SAINT, THE BLACK LIZARD, AND MADAME ATOMOS.
1973--DOCTOR WHO--"Verdigris"--Jo Grant, the Doctor's companion, mentions she went to spy school with Tara King of THE AVENGERS. It has been the contention of mine that Doctor Who is in an alternate reality. Recently, the Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover confirmed this to be true. There is tons of evidence placing Avengers into the TVCU, not the Doctor Who Universe. But Jo Grant is clearly not from the TVCU, but is from the Whoniverse. Perhaps Avengers has a counterpart in the Whoniverse.
MARCH 14, 1974-NOVEMBER 9, 1989--THE EUGENICS WARS: THE RISE AND FALL OF KHAN NOONIEN SINGH, VOLUME ONE--THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR CROSSOVER. THIS IS THE STORY THAT RECONCILES HOW KHAN'S HISTORY IN STAR TREK COULD HAVE HAPPENED ONCE OUR REAL HISTORY CAUGHT UP TO IT. LIKE A TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN STORY, I'M JUST GOING TO LAY OUT ALL THE CROSSOVERS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN OR CONFIRMED HERE: STAR TREK, ASSIGNMENT: EARTH (THIS COUNTS AS A CROSSOVER BECAUSE ASSIGNMENT: EARTH WAS ORGINALLY MEANT TO BE A SPIN-OFF OF STAR TREK), AVENGERS, SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, STEPFORD WIVES, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, FRANKENSTEIN, MODESTY BLAISE, PRETENDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, BIONIC WOMAN, KNIGHT RIDER 2010, EQUALIZER, THE INVISIBLE MAN, JOHNNY QUEST AND ANDROMEDA STRAIN.
Summer 1977--ROVER # 6--"Acid Test"--Upon retirement John Steed of THE AVENGERS is taken to the Village, where he is reunited with Mrs. Emma Peel. He also recognized No. 2, as John Drake. However, John Drake didn't snap and turn evil after the dismantling of the last Village. He has been brainwashed. Steed and Peel help restore Drake to sanity and the three try to escape. However, only the former AVENGERS manage to escape while Drake is captured and reassigned as Number 6 in this new Village.
1978--THE NEW AVENGERS--More adventures of those super cool spies.
October 1978--THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES--Joe and Frank Hardy go to London to find their missing father, but when Frank goes missing as well, Joe has to seek help from a member of British Intelligence. It's being hinted that the character Patrick Macnee plays is Steed from The Avengers. He's a spy and has his iconic bowler hat and umbrella. But no doubt because of rights to the character, he is simply billed as "S." Andrew Brook adds: There's a book about "The Avengers" (no, not that one) which postulates that the entire television series was filmed live at real events. It ends up pretty much suggesting that anybody Patrick Macnee played subsequently was really Steed, but I don't remember reading about this one before - http://www.tv.com/shows/the-hardy-boysnancy-drew-mysteries/assault-on-the-tower-44973/
1983--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Fifteen Years Later Affair"--Sir John Raleigh, the new head of U.N.C.L.E.'s New York headquarters, bears an uncanny resemblance to John Steed of The Avengers. James Bond also appears, meeting with Solo.
October to November 1987--THE PRISONER: SHATTERED VISAGE--A retired agent is sent to the Village, which is weird. They send her to the abandoned one that is no longer operational. And John Drake is there. He must have escaped the new one and returned to the old one. Apparently the psychological torture and brainwashing has really messed him up. John Steed and Emma Peel of THE AVENGERS are seen attending a funeral back in England, and they mention agent GEORGE SMILEY. At this point, Steed has taken a new alias as Sir John Raleigh and is now running things as a MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
January 1989--ACTION COMICS WEEKLY # 636--In DC Comics Université Notre Dame des Ombres (French: Our Lady of the Shadows University) is a special university in France which was attended by the Crimson Fox twins and Dee Tyler (Phantom Lady). Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady, became the dean of this School in her later years. She may have been an 'old girl' herself, as was the English girl Emma Knight, daughter of Sir John Knight, who went on to become an agent herself in the 1960s as Mrs. Emma Peel (see Action Comics Weekly #636). Records of other graduates are still classified as "Top Secret", but given the school's location and 200 year history, it is possible that other female spies may well have passed through the doors of this fabled institution, including such as agents known under the code names of Sandra of the Secret Service, Mademoiselle Marie and Madame Zero. Obviously, given the nature of these ladies' line of work, any form of verification is impossible. Action Comics Weekly #641 reveals that the future Diana Tyler, mother of the second Phantom Lady, was connected to the college until the mid 1960's, although she may well have been a tutor rather than a trainee agent.
1996--DUKE NUKEM 3D--Seen in a locker room is Steed's classic umbrella and bowler hat, along with his name, J. Steed.
September 1996 to February 1997--MARRIED WITH CHILDREN--"Damn Bundys"--Al Bundy makes a deal with the Devil to play in the NFL, but on the day of the Super Bowl, the Devil comes to collect Al's soul, and sentences him to an eternity of spending time only with his family and his neighbors, the D'Arcys. Napoleon also appears. Napoleon has also appeared on THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, TIME BANDITS, THE NEVER SAY U.N.C.L.E. AFFAIR, BEWITCHED, and BLACKADDER: BACK AND FORTH.
Summer 2000--THE INVISIBLE MAN--"A Sense of Community"--Darien Fawkes and Bobby Hobbes are taken to a new American version of the Village called the Community. Fawkes sees John Steed of THE AVENGERS and also learns that JAMES BOND is also real. (He's not there, but a woman there knows him.)
2009--LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY--As stated earlier, LEOG is a divergent timeline, but some elements may still be incorporated. In 2009, Emma Peel is now M, head of British Secret Service, and now resembles M as portrayed by Judy Dench in recent JAMES BOND films, which may bring at least those later films into the TVCU.
2269--ASSIGNMENT: ETERNITY--Gary Seven visits the 23rd century. Seven says that he has encountered or know of in his time period THE AVENGERS, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE QUESTOR TAPES, KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, JAMES BOND, THE PRISONER, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, and Dr. Evil (enemy of AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY.)
**Incidentally, those other Avengers will be covered later this year when I expand the Hulk blog to an Avengers blog.
I' m writing a book, sort of a spin-off of this blog called the Horror Crossover Universe. So I'm spending less time here. But I will be posting new material, and James has some stuff in the works as well. Some of the blogs will have major revisions, while others just need to have some new material added to it.
The Crossovers Forum is no longer the best place to discuss this blog, as I'm not there anymore. I've created a new forum just for this blog, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/397263440360228/?fref=ts.
I know my last blog said my next one would be about Scrooge, but that one will be coming later on down the road. Sorry if you were looking forward to it.
I've been writing this blog for two years now. January 10 will be the blog's 2nd anniversary. I've covered lots of ground and lots of varied material, and along the way, I've had some help from James, Gordon, and Brad to expand the universe. I'd love some feedback from readers of this blog on what shows and film series you'd love to see covered here in 2013. You can leave your comments in the section below this blog, or in the forum I provide the link for above.
Now, on to the Avengers...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, this isn't about Marvel's "world's mightiest mortals". This is about that cool duo from jolly ol' England saving the world as super spies.
1769 to 1821--G.I. JOE # 50 & 73/SERPENTOR'S FILECARD--"The Battle of Springfield/Divided We Fall"--Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose DNA will be used to create Serpentor. Napoleon also appeared in THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, BEWITCHED, TIME BANDITS, BILL & TED''S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, and BLACKADDER BACK & FORTH.
1934--JOHN STEED: AN AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY, VOLUME 1: JEALOUS IN HONOUR--While in school, Steed is bullied constantly by James Bond, his classmate.
November 1952--BEWITCHED--"Samantha's French Pastry"--Uncle Arthur accidentally pulls Napoleon from the past. Napoleon has also appeared on THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, TIME BANDITS, THE NEVER SAY U.N.C.L.E. AFFAIR, MARRIED WITH CHILDREN, and BLACKADDER: BACK AND FORTH.
1958--LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: BLACK DOSSIER--Though League takes place in a divergent timeline, there is no reason that some elements from this series can't also be part of the main TVCU timeline. In this case, this volume of League shows that "M" of British Secret Service (as seen in JAMES BOND novels and films) is also "Mother", the head of the Avengers. A young Emma Peel also appears in this story.
1960--THE AVENGERS--Agent John Steed begins working with Dr. David Keel and The Avengers are formed. Over the years, Steed will work with Cathy Gale, Emma Peel, and Tara King, as well as Mike Gambit and Purdey (The New Avengers).
1961--THE AVENGERS--With Dr David Keel (Ian Hendry).
1962–64--THE AVENGERS--With Venus Smith (Julie Stevens) and Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman).
1965--THE AVENGERS (FILM)--Emma Peel becomes Steed's newest partner. This film "remake" actually works well as a "prequel" instead.
1965–68--THE AVENGERS--With Emma Peel (Diana Rigg).
1966 to 1969--THE AVENGERS--The ongoing adventures of some super cool spies.
May 1967--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Rainbow Affair"--U.N.C.L.E. agents Solo and Kuryakin meet Steed and Peel of THE AVENGERS, as well as Inspector Roger West, Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Fu Manchu, Simon Templar (aka The Saint), Miss Marple, Father Brown, and Sherlock Holmes (aka William Escott). James Bond is also referenced, along with an enemy of the Saint. Also this book reveals that Department Z founded U.N.C.L.E. For more information on The Avengers and an episode guide, see The Complete Avengers, by Dave Rogers, St. Martin's Press, 1989.
February 1968--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Power Cube Affair"--Solo and Kuryakin of U.N.C.L.E. meet Charles, the former head of the AVENGERS.
1968--GET SMART--"Run, Robot, Run"--Two evil British agents are posing as Steed and Peel.
1968–69--THE AVENGERS--With Tara King (Linda Thorson)
Winter 1972--TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN VOLUME 3: DANSE MACABRE--"A Day in the Life of Madame Atomos"--Like all stories in the Tales of the Shadowmen series, this one is loaded with crossovers. Of course, the appearance of the Pink Panther diamond is why I'm talking about it, but other crossovers are: FU MANCHU, THE AVENGERS, BOB MORANE, THE DA VINCI CODE, JERRY CORNELIUS, MEPHISTA, TEDDY VERANO, THE PRISONER, VIC ST. VAL, MODESTY BLAISE, MADAME HYDRA, DEREK FLINT, SUMURU, THE NYCTALOPE, THE SAINT, THE BLACK LIZARD, AND MADAME ATOMOS.
1973--DOCTOR WHO--"Verdigris"--Jo Grant, the Doctor's companion, mentions she went to spy school with Tara King of THE AVENGERS. It has been the contention of mine that Doctor Who is in an alternate reality. Recently, the Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover confirmed this to be true. There is tons of evidence placing Avengers into the TVCU, not the Doctor Who Universe. But Jo Grant is clearly not from the TVCU, but is from the Whoniverse. Perhaps Avengers has a counterpart in the Whoniverse.
MARCH 14, 1974-NOVEMBER 9, 1989--THE EUGENICS WARS: THE RISE AND FALL OF KHAN NOONIEN SINGH, VOLUME ONE--THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR CROSSOVER. THIS IS THE STORY THAT RECONCILES HOW KHAN'S HISTORY IN STAR TREK COULD HAVE HAPPENED ONCE OUR REAL HISTORY CAUGHT UP TO IT. LIKE A TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN STORY, I'M JUST GOING TO LAY OUT ALL THE CROSSOVERS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN OR CONFIRMED HERE: STAR TREK, ASSIGNMENT: EARTH (THIS COUNTS AS A CROSSOVER BECAUSE ASSIGNMENT: EARTH WAS ORGINALLY MEANT TO BE A SPIN-OFF OF STAR TREK), AVENGERS, SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, STEPFORD WIVES, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, FRANKENSTEIN, MODESTY BLAISE, PRETENDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, BIONIC WOMAN, KNIGHT RIDER 2010, EQUALIZER, THE INVISIBLE MAN, JOHNNY QUEST AND ANDROMEDA STRAIN.
Summer 1977--ROVER # 6--"Acid Test"--Upon retirement John Steed of THE AVENGERS is taken to the Village, where he is reunited with Mrs. Emma Peel. He also recognized No. 2, as John Drake. However, John Drake didn't snap and turn evil after the dismantling of the last Village. He has been brainwashed. Steed and Peel help restore Drake to sanity and the three try to escape. However, only the former AVENGERS manage to escape while Drake is captured and reassigned as Number 6 in this new Village.
1978--THE NEW AVENGERS--More adventures of those super cool spies.
October 1978--THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES--Joe and Frank Hardy go to London to find their missing father, but when Frank goes missing as well, Joe has to seek help from a member of British Intelligence. It's being hinted that the character Patrick Macnee plays is Steed from The Avengers. He's a spy and has his iconic bowler hat and umbrella. But no doubt because of rights to the character, he is simply billed as "S." Andrew Brook adds: There's a book about "The Avengers" (no, not that one) which postulates that the entire television series was filmed live at real events. It ends up pretty much suggesting that anybody Patrick Macnee played subsequently was really Steed, but I don't remember reading about this one before - http://www.tv.com/shows/the-hardy-boysnancy-drew-mysteries/assault-on-the-tower-44973/
1983--THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.--"The Fifteen Years Later Affair"--Sir John Raleigh, the new head of U.N.C.L.E.'s New York headquarters, bears an uncanny resemblance to John Steed of The Avengers. James Bond also appears, meeting with Solo.
October to November 1987--THE PRISONER: SHATTERED VISAGE--A retired agent is sent to the Village, which is weird. They send her to the abandoned one that is no longer operational. And John Drake is there. He must have escaped the new one and returned to the old one. Apparently the psychological torture and brainwashing has really messed him up. John Steed and Emma Peel of THE AVENGERS are seen attending a funeral back in England, and they mention agent GEORGE SMILEY. At this point, Steed has taken a new alias as Sir John Raleigh and is now running things as a MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
January 1989--ACTION COMICS WEEKLY # 636--In DC Comics Université Notre Dame des Ombres (French: Our Lady of the Shadows University) is a special university in France which was attended by the Crimson Fox twins and Dee Tyler (Phantom Lady). Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady, became the dean of this School in her later years. She may have been an 'old girl' herself, as was the English girl Emma Knight, daughter of Sir John Knight, who went on to become an agent herself in the 1960s as Mrs. Emma Peel (see Action Comics Weekly #636). Records of other graduates are still classified as "Top Secret", but given the school's location and 200 year history, it is possible that other female spies may well have passed through the doors of this fabled institution, including such as agents known under the code names of Sandra of the Secret Service, Mademoiselle Marie and Madame Zero. Obviously, given the nature of these ladies' line of work, any form of verification is impossible. Action Comics Weekly #641 reveals that the future Diana Tyler, mother of the second Phantom Lady, was connected to the college until the mid 1960's, although she may well have been a tutor rather than a trainee agent.
1996--DUKE NUKEM 3D--Seen in a locker room is Steed's classic umbrella and bowler hat, along with his name, J. Steed.
September 1996 to February 1997--MARRIED WITH CHILDREN--"Damn Bundys"--Al Bundy makes a deal with the Devil to play in the NFL, but on the day of the Super Bowl, the Devil comes to collect Al's soul, and sentences him to an eternity of spending time only with his family and his neighbors, the D'Arcys. Napoleon also appears. Napoleon has also appeared on THE AVENGERS, THE TIME TUNNEL, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, THE PRISONER, TIME BANDITS, THE NEVER SAY U.N.C.L.E. AFFAIR, BEWITCHED, and BLACKADDER: BACK AND FORTH.
Summer 2000--THE INVISIBLE MAN--"A Sense of Community"--Darien Fawkes and Bobby Hobbes are taken to a new American version of the Village called the Community. Fawkes sees John Steed of THE AVENGERS and also learns that JAMES BOND is also real. (He's not there, but a woman there knows him.)
2009--LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY--As stated earlier, LEOG is a divergent timeline, but some elements may still be incorporated. In 2009, Emma Peel is now M, head of British Secret Service, and now resembles M as portrayed by Judy Dench in recent JAMES BOND films, which may bring at least those later films into the TVCU.
2269--ASSIGNMENT: ETERNITY--Gary Seven visits the 23rd century. Seven says that he has encountered or know of in his time period THE AVENGERS, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE QUESTOR TAPES, KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, JAMES BOND, THE PRISONER, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, and Dr. Evil (enemy of AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY.)
**Incidentally, those other Avengers will be covered later this year when I expand the Hulk blog to an Avengers blog.
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