Robert E. Wronski Jr.'s Blog, page 5

The Philadelphia Experiment

summer of 1943--The experiment was allegedly based on an aspect of some unified field theory, a term coined by Albert Einstein to describe a class of potential theories; such theories would aim to describe — mathematically and physically — the interrelated nature of the forces that comprise electromagnetic radiation and gravity, in other words, uniting the fields of electromagnetism and gravity into a single field. According to some accounts, unspecified "researchers" thought that some version of this field would enable using large electrical generators to bend light around an object via refraction, so that the object became completely invisible. The Navy regarded this of military value and it sponsored the experiment.  Another unattributed version of the story proposes that researchers were preparing magnetic and gravitational measurements of the seafloor to detect anomalies, supposedly based on Einstein's attempts to understand gravity. In this version, there were also related secret experiments in Nazi Germany to find anti-gravity, allegedly led by SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Kammler.  There are no reliable, attributable accounts, but in most accounts of the supposed experiment, USS Eldridge was fitted with the required equipment at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Testing began in the summer of 1943, and it was supposedly successful to a limited extent. One test resulted in Eldridge being rendered nearly invisible, with some witnesses reporting a "greenish fog" appearing in its place. Crew members complained of severe nausea afterwards. Also, reportedly, when the ship reappeared, some sailors were embedded in the metal structures of the ship, including one sailor who ended up on a deck level below that where he began and had his hand embedded in the steel hull of the ship, as well as some sailors who went "completely bananas." There is also a claim the experiment was altered after that point at the request of the Navy, limiting it to creating a stealth technology that would render USS Eldridge invisible to radar. None of these allegations have been independently substantiated.
August 27, 1943--The USS Eldridge was not commissioned until August 27, 1943
September 1943--it remained in port in New York City until September 1943. 
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sometime around October 28, 1943--The Philadelphia Experiment is an alleged military experiment supposed to have been carried out by the U.S. Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sometime around October 28, 1943. The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge (DE-173) was claimed to have been rendered invisible (or "cloaked") to enemy devices.

October 28 to 26, 1943 (It's time travel.  That's not a typo in the dating)--DOCTOR WHO--"The Macros"--The TARDIS materialises on the USS Eldridge, after the Philadelphia Experiment has gone disastrously wrong. Most of the crew are dead, the ship is disintegrating, and the Doctor soon realises that the problem comes from another dimension...  The Macros, originally The Macro Men, was an unproduced story for  Doctor Who  written by Ingrid Pitt and her husband Tony Rudlin after the former played Solow in TV:  Warriors of the Deep  in 1984. Pitt also played Galleia in TV:  The Time Monster  in 1972. The couple first got the idea from reading Charles Berlitz' The Philadelphia Experiment, a story about an experiment conducted by the United States during World War II in the attempts to try and make the USS Eldridge invisible to RADAR. After meeting with Eric Saward numerous times, The Macro Men became The Macros and many revisions only resulted in a draft first episode script before all work was stopped.

1943 - Ensign Ian "Splicey" Price serves aboard the USS Eldridge during the Philadelphia Experiment, and is sent to Bethasda Naval Medical Center, where he is treated for the next 30 years, after demonstrating strange tactile control over magnetic metals.  Ian Price and his time onboard the USS Eldridge are detailed in the DELTA GREEN: EYES ONLY, Project Rainbow supplement for the Call Of Cthulhu Role Playing Game, set within the Cthulhu Mythos.  The book further explains that Ian's magnetic attraction was the result of the esoteric energies he was exposed to interacting with long-dormant genes manipulated by the K'n-Yani, who first appeared in Lovecraft's and Zealia Bishop's "The Mound" (1940). The Philadelphia Experiment is from real world urban legend.

After the discontinuation of the Philadelphia Experiment (a program during World War II to render battleships invisible to radar), the scientists involved in that program were relocated to Los Alamos but none ever made it there and were instead sent to Roswell. Less than nine months after the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, the USS Eldridge not only hid from radar screens but disappeared entirely from the Philadelphia Navy Yard only to reappear minutes later, hundreds of miles away, in Norfolk, Virginia. (TXF: "Død Kalm")
1955--The story first appeared in 1955, in letters of unknown origin sent to a writer and astronomer, Morris K. Jessup. It is widely understood to be a hoax; the U.S. Navy maintains that no such experiment was ever conducted, that the alleged details of the story contradict well-established facts about USS Eldridge, and that the claims do not conform to known physical laws.  In 1955, astronomer and UFO buff Morris K. Jessup, the author of the just published book The Case for the UFO, about unidentified flying objects and the exotic means of propulsion they might use, received two letters from a Carlos Miguel Allende (who also identified himself as "Carl M. Allen" in another correspondence) who claimed to have witnessed a secret World War Two experiment at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In this experiment, Allende claimed the destroyer escort USS Eldridge (DE-173) was rendered invisible, teleported to New York, teleported to another dimension where it encountered aliens, and teleported through time, resulting in the death of several sailors, some of whom were fused with the ship's hull. Jessup dismissed Allende as a crackpot.
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Spring 1957--Jessup was contacted by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Washington, D.C., who had received a parcel containing a paperback copy of The Case for the UFO in a manila envelope marked "Happy Easter." The book had been extensively annotated in its margins, written with three different shades of pink ink, appearing to detail a correspondence among three individuals, only one of which is given a name: "Jemi." The ONR labelled the other two "Mr. A." and "Mr. B." The annotators referred to each other as "Gypsies" and discussed two different types of "people" living in outer space. Their text contained non-standard use of capitalization and punctuation, and detailed a lengthy discussion of the merits of various elements of Jessup's assumptions in the book. There were oblique references to the Philadelphia Experiment (one example is that "Mr. B." reassures his fellow annotators who have highlighted a certain theory which Jessup advanced).  Based on the handwriting style and subject matter, Jessup concluded a large part of the writing was Allende's, and others have the same conclusion, that the three styles of annotations are from the same person using three pens.  The ONR funded a small printing of 100 copies of the volume by the Texas-based Varo Manufacturing Company, which later became known as the Varo edition, with the annotations therefore known as the Varo annotations.
30, April 1959--Jessup tried to publish more books on the subject of UFOs, but was unsuccessful. Losing his publisher and experiencing a downturn in his personal life led him to commit suicide in Florida on 30, April 1959. 
1963--Vincent Gaddis published a book of Forteana, titled Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea. In it he recounted the story of the experiment from the Varo annotations.
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Through the late 1970s--The historian Mike Dash notes that many authors who publicized the "Philadelphia Experiment" story after that of Jessup appeared to have conducted little or no research of their own. Through the late 1970s, for example, Allende/Allen was often described as mysterious and difficult to locate, but Goerman determined Allende/Allen's identity after only a few telephone calls. Others speculate that much of the key literature emphasizes dramatic embellishment rather than pertinent research. Berlitz's and Moore's account of the story (The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility) claimed to include factual information, such as transcripts of an interview with a scientist involved in the experiment, but their work has also been criticized for plagiarising key story elements from the novel Thin Air which was published a year earlier.
1978--George E. Simpson and Neal R. Burger published a 1978 novel titled Thin Air. In this book, set in the present day, a Naval Investigative Service officer investigates several threads linking wartime invisibility experiments to a conspiracy involving matter transmission technology.
1979--Large-scale popularization of the story came about in 1979 when the famed linguist Charles Berlitz, who had written a best selling book on the Bermuda Triangle, and his co-author, ufologist William L. Moore published The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility, which purported to be a factual account. The book expanded on stories of bizarre happenings, lost unified field theories by Albert Einstein, and government coverups, all based on the Allende/Allen letters to Jessup.  Moore and Berlitz devoted one of the last chapters in The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility to "The Force Fields Of Townsend Brown," namely the experimenter and then-U.S. Navy technician Thomas Townsend Brown. Paul Violette's book Secrets of Anti-Gravity Propulsion also recounts some mysterious involvement of Townsend Brown.

January 1980--X-MEN # 129--Our Ivan Schablotski (with Kevin Heim) helped to draft CASTING LOTS:  THE ORIGINS OF THE LEGION OF THE STRANGE from Dennis E. Power and Dr. Peter Coogan, which you can find here.  The TVCU originally incorporated much of Power and Coogan's work when I first launched this website.  I have since stepped back from that a little just because their approach differs from my TV centered view that it happens as we see it on the screen.  But I have still accepted the Legion of the Strange as an acceptable way for the X-Men to fit in the TVCU, as you'll see in the upcoming "Marvels of the TVCU" found in my next book, TELEVISION CROSSOVER UNIVERSE:  WORLDS AND MYTHOLOGY II.  Not included in the linked article, Ivan had included originally that Kitty Pryde was the granddaughter of a survivor of the Philadelphia Experiment.  
1980--Observers have argued that it is inappropriate to grant credence to an unusual story promoted by one individual, in the absence of corroborating evidence. Robert Goerman wrote in  Fate  magazine in 1980, that "Carlos Allende" / "Carl Allen", who is said to have corresponded with Jessup, was Carl Meredith Allen of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, who had an established history of psychiatric illness, and who may have fabricated the primary history of the experiment as a result of his mental illness. Goerman later realized that Allen was a family friend and "a creative and imaginative loner ... sending bizarre writings and claims."

October to November 1983--THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT--A United States Navy destroyer escort participates in a Navy "invisibility" experiment that inadvertently sends two sailors forty years into the future.

March 1984--WARLORD # 79--When Travis Morgan, Shakira, and Krystovar are yanked out of their own time-stream, they meet their future-selves and a time-hopping scientist who was involved in the infamous Philadelphia Experiment in 1943.

1984--The story was adapted into a 1984 time travel film called  The Philadelphia Experiment , directed by Stewart Raffill. Though only loosely based on the prior accounts of the "Experiment", it served to dramatize the core elements of the original story. 
1990--Alfred Bielek, a self-proclaimed former crew-member of USS Eldridge and an alleged participant in the Experiment, supported the version as it was portrayed in the film. He added details of his claims through the Internet, some of which were picked up by mainstream news outlets.

 

November 1993--THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT 2--David Herdeg's participation in a failed 1943 experiment in radar invisibility has propelled him 40 years into the future. An aberration in his genetic makeup enabled him to pass through the portal of time. It has also made him sensitive to any alteration to the time continuum. Another disasterous experiment in 1993 sends a stealth aircraft through the time portal, into 1943 Germany. Simultaneously, Herdeg is pulled into the portal, and finds himself in the terrifying 1993 that resulted from a Nazi victory in World War II.  The alternate timeline is of course the TVCU Multiverse's Naziverse, aka Earth-X or Earth-10.  From Caeric ArcLight: In THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT 2, there's a discussion of Superman - "The Man of Steel" - retiring because adamantium is tougher than steel.
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March 10, 1995--X-FILES--"Dod Kalm"--In the Norwegian Sea, chaos erupts on board the USS Ardent, an American destroyer escort. Due to mysterious yet unspecified events, half of the Ardent's crew board lifeboats and abandon ship against the captain's orders. Eighteen hours later, they are spotted by a Canadian fishing vessel; however, in that short span of time, the young crew members have undergone rapid aging.  Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) visit the ship's sole surviving crew member, Lt. Harper, who has been quarantined at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. Scully finds that Harper, despite being in his twenties, has aged to the point of being unrecognizable. Mulder explains that the Ardent vanished at the 65th parallel, a location with a history of ship disappearances. Mulder believes that a "wrinkle in time" exists there, and that the Ardent was the subject of government experimentation related to the Philadelphia Experiment from World War II.  Series creator Chris Carter asked Howard Gordon to write "Død Kalm" because the X-Files had been given access to a Canadian navy destroyer for the previous episodes "Colony" and "End Game." The episode was originally intended as a way to give the production crew a rest after several "demanding" episodes had been shot. Before the script had been finished, Carter mentioned that he believed the episode would be a "great rest for everyone." In the book The Unofficial X-Files Companion, N.E. Genge notes that aspects of the episode bear striking resemblances to the Philadelphia Experiment, the alleged naval military experiment.
September 1996--The Office of Naval Research (ONR) stated in September 1996, "ONR has never conducted investigations on radar invisibility, either in 1943 or at any other time." Pointing out that the ONR was not established until 1946, it denounces the accounts of "The Philadelphia Experiment" as complete "science fiction."
April 1999--A reunion of Navy veterans who had served aboard USS Eldridge told a Philadelphia newspaper in April 1999 that their ship had never made port in Philadelphia. Further evidence discounting the Philadelphia Experiment timeline comes from USS Eldridge’s complete World War II action report, including the remarks section of the 1943 deck log, available on microfilm.
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1999--INTRUDER--One of the characters from the 1999 film Intruder was part of the "real events" of the film The Philadelphia Experiment and the events of the Intruder are the result of this scientists further work following those events.

2005--THE TRIANGLE--A shipping magnate hires four experts from various fields to investigate what happened to his ships that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. The team discovers a threat that might unravel time itself and cause the world to end.  The Secretary of the Navy, Doug Weist (Barrie Ingham), lost his leg in that Philadelphia experiment.

2008--100 MILLION B.C.--A scientist leads a team of Navy SEALs back in time to the Cretaceous Period to rescue the first team he sent back during the 1940s. Things go wildly when he accidentally brings a giant dinosaur back into Los Angeles.  THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT is referenced in 100 Million BC when the soldiers are discussing stealth technology researches conducted by the US military
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THE SPY WHO HAUNTED ME: A SECRET HISTORIES NOVEL (NOVEL BY SIMON R. GREEN)
Release Date: June 1, 2010 (Contemporary Setting, between Nightside novels Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth and Hell to Pay)Series: Secret HistoriesHorror Crosses: Nightside; Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde; War of the Worlds (novel); Gravel; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; The Monkey’s Paw; Hellraiser; Frankenstein (many of them); Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)Non-Horror Crosses: The Coming Race; Excalibur (Marvel Comics); Wizard of Oz; Shadows Fall; I Dream of Jeannie; Doctor Who; Wolf of Kabul; Maltese Falcon; Doom Patrol; The Time Machine; Chronicles of Narnia; Lone Ranger; Area 52; The Men Who Stare at Goats; A Midsummer’s Night's Dream; The Avengers (television); Philadelphia ExperimentThe Story: Many of the Drood agents compete in a competition where the prize is the knowledge of a legendary past agent. Notes: There are numerous references to Green’s other series, the Nightside. Harry Fabulous appears, selling the Hyde drug and Martian Red Weed. Later, the agents battle a user of the Hyde drug. It’s mentioned that the War of the Worlds Martians once attempted to invade the Nightside. The Tower of London is guarded by SAS Combat Sorcerers, who come from the Gravel series. There is an appearance of two of Pickman’s paintings from Lovecraft’s Pickman’s Model. There is a mummified Monkey’s Paw. A puzzle box (from the Hellraiser series) appears. There was a factory in Cuba using Frankenstein monsters as slave labor. Later, several of the monsters are seen doing karaoke in the Nightside. A representative of Vril Power, Inc. appears. There is also a representative from MI13. This agency comes from the Excalibur comic from Marvel Comics. Eddie Drood is familiar with the existence of Oz. Shadows Fall is mentioned and indicated to exist in the far future of the Green Universe. However, many Green stories also have Shadows Fall interacting with other realms in the present and Shadows Fall is a reality of characters who are imaginary in the “real world”. In fact, Shadows Fall may be the same realm also called the Land of Fiction and Imaginationland. Likely time is irrelevant in that realm and exists in all times at once in relation to the Horror Universe. One of the Droods mentions Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie. Jeannie’s cousin, from the animated Jeannie, has previously crossed with Scooby-Doo in the New Scooby-Doo Movies. The Travelling Doctor is mentioned. Doctor Who? The Wolf of Kabul is also mentioned. He is a character from a military themed comic of the same name. There’s another reference to Green’s favorite thing, the Maltese Falcon. There is an appearance of the Painting that Devoured Paris from Grant Morrison’s run on the Doom Patrol. A stuffed Morlock appears. Eddie is familiar with the talking beavers of Narnia. Eddie’s ally Honey wonders why the Lone Ranger really used silver bullets, implying that Tonto knew of their use against the supernatural. Area 52 is mentioned. There is a reference to a U.S. government project training soldiers to be psychics, including walking through walls and knocking over goats. This is a reference to the film The Men Who Stare at Goats. Eddie has a history with the elf Peaseblossom from A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. The Droods keep watch over Crouch End Towen from Stephen King’s Crouch End. The Nightside’s Walker uses a sword cane which he claims to be a British spy tradition. Of course he’s referring to John Steed of the Avengers. When I originally wrote this up for the HCE, and even for the 2nd edition, I missed that Green also through in a reference to the Philadelphia Experiment. When I interviewed Simon R. Green last year, he did tell me he was sure that as thorough as my adviser John D. Lindsey was, I probably still missed something. His explanation was that they opened a door to a Faerie dimension and got magically tortured by elves, who thought it was great fun.



SO YOU CREATED A WORMHOLE (NOVEL BY PHIL HORNSHAW & NICK HURWITCH)Release Date: April 3, 2012 (See notes for setting)Series: The Time Travel GuideHorror Crosses: Evil Dead; AlienNon-Horror Crosses: Terminator; Doctor Who; Back to the Future; Forbidden Planet; The Time Machine; Time Cop; A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court; Star Trek; Timeline; Stargate; Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure; Hot Tub Time Machine; Star Wars; Futurama; Donnie Darko; Time After Time; Lost; Philadelphia Experiment; 12 Monkeys; Quantum Leap; X-Files; Gundam; Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers; Voltron; iRobot; Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (films); Superman (Christopher Reeve films); Land of the Lost; Battlestar Galactica; Star Trek (reboot); Planet of the Apes; Call of Duty; Muppet Show; PokemonThe Story: Not so much a story, this is an actual guide for new time travellers written by some guys who live at some point in the future, but who came back in time to publish the book (presumably to avoid an amateur time traveller from screwing up their timeline).Notes: This story implies that all of the above crosses exist. However, because of the nature of time travel, it’s possible that some of the above may be in divergent timelines while others are part of the main Horror Universe timeline.
December 2, 2012--Caeric J. ArcLight informed me that he was on the ship from "The Philadelphia Experiment".
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Alternate Realities--
TVCU-2--There is a 2012 remake of the film. The remake is a TV movie, so it's likely the official version also for Toobworld/Earth-Prime Time.

Final Thoughts: Although there seem to be alternate explanations for what happened in the Philadelphia Experiment, all of which connect back to the TVCU, I like to think all of them are valid. After all, it's all wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

1978--ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES!--A group of scientists band together to save the world from mutated killer tomatoes.









RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES (FILM)Release Date: April 22, 1988 (Contemporary Setting)Series: Attack of the Killer TomatoesNon-Horror Crosses: Superman; Mary Tyler Moore Show; Marx BrothersThe Story: Set in a divergent timeline, it’s ten years after the events of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, known as the Great Tomato War. Tomatoes are now outlawed. But a mad scientist plans on unleashing a new tomato menace.
Notes: Superman makes a cameo appearance, but doesn’t really affect the plot. This would likely be the second Superman, Clark Kent Junior. This film follows Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and is followed by Killer Tomatoes Strike Back. Matt Hickman adds: In Return of the Killer Tomatoes Igor has a diploma from The Ted Baxter School of Journalism.  The Marx brothers are also in the crowd scene at the end


ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES (ANIMATED SERIES)Release Date: September 8 , 1990 - November 23, 1991 (Contemporary Setting)Series: Attack of the Killer TomatoesThe Story: An evil scientist tries to take over the world with mutated tomatoes.Notes: The below cross brings in not only the cartoon, but the original film series the cartoon is based upon. This series is mentioned in the series Home and Away as fictional. The animated series is set five years after the original film, but it's also immediately following the events of Return of the Killer Tomatoes, which was 10 years later. So that five year date must be wrong. The animated series is in the same canon as Return, and is referenced in the fourth film, Killer Tomatoes Eat Paris!




SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 “TOMATOES FROM THE BLACK LAGOON”Release Date: September 22, 1990 (Contemporary Setting)Horror Crosses: Creature from the Black LagoonNon-Horror Crosses: Hulk (Comic)The Story: This week’s adventure takes the heroes (and villains) to the Black Lagoon, and there is an encounter with the Hulk at the airport. Notes: This cross with Creature from the Black Lagoon brings the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes films and cartoon into the Horror Universe. It also brings the comic book version of the Hulk in. The TV version is brought in via a crossover with Kolchak.








1990--KILLER TOMATOES STRIKE BACK!



1991--KILLER TOMATOES EAT FRANCE!--The characters of Zoltan, Kethuck and Viper are borrowed from  Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series , but are given completely different appearances. Zoltan was redesigned with an eyepatch and various stitching over his body, Ketchuck was refined as a Larry Fine character and was no longer drooling and obese like his cartoon counterpart, and Viper was based on a similar character, Fang, another snake-based tomato.

2010--TOMATOES EAT YOU--killer tomatoes attack Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2016--Zarazhenie 2--phone number from ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is on big boss's desk

ALTERNATE REALITIES:

MONSTERS VERSUS ALIENS VERSUS THE HOLLOW--In Monsters versus Aliens, B.O.B. was created from genetically altered tomatoes, but since Monsters versus Aliens takes place around the 1960s era, it can't be the Tomatoverse.  But, in the Hollow book series, the premise is that Earth's history was radically changed after Earth was attacked by genetically altered tomatoes in the 1960s.  I believe that both Monsters versus Aliens and the Hollow take place in the same alternate Tomatoverse.

TOMATOVERSE-2--So if Attack takes place in a divergent timeline that we may call the Tomatoverse, then perhaps the planned remake would be Tomatoverse-2?

Sonny and Cher: I Got You Babe

February 16, 1935--Birth of Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono.

1946–1961: Early life

May 20, 1946--Birth of Cherilyn Sarkisian

1954--Sonny marries Donna Rankin



1962–1964: The origin

1962–1965: Solo career breakthrough
1962--Sonny divorces Donna Rankin

1963–1995--Years active for Sonny Bono as musician.

1963 to present--Years active for Cher as musician.

1964--Vault

1964--Sonny marries Cher LaPiere, according to his Wikipedia page.

1964–65--Reprise

1964–77--Years active as Sonny & Cher
1965–1966: Career development
1965–67--Atco/Atlantic

1965–1967: Sonny and Cher's rise to pop stardom

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1965--WILD ON THE BEACH-- Wild on the Beach  is a 1965 beach party film directed by Maury Dexter. It is notable for the musical acts showcased onscreen, being the film debut of Sonny & Cher in particular. In addition, it is distinguished as being one of the few films in the genre to be filmed in black and white.
1965-- Look at Us
All I Really Want to Do  (1965)

1966-- The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér
The Sonny Side of Chér  (1966) Chér  (1966)


1967–1969: Career woes
1967–1970: Backlash from the younger generation, first marriage



1967--GOOD TIMES-- Good Times  is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Sonny & Cher. The film marks the feature directorial debut (excluding documentaries) of William Friedkin, who later directed  The French Connection  and  The Exorcist .

1967-- In Case You're in Love  
With Love, Chér  (1967) Backstage  (1968)
1969--Cher marries Sonny Bono, according to her Wikipedia page.  
3614 Jackson Highway  (1969)


1970–1977: TV success and divorce

1970--THE SONNY AND CHER NITTY GRITTY HOUR--Television Special, one episode




1971–74--MCA/Kapp
1971 to 1974--THE SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR--Three Seasons; Nominated - Emmy Award, 19 nominations

1971–1974: Television career breakthrough, first musical comeback
Chér  (1971)


1972--FACEBOOK--"Deacon Dark"--According to the Deacon Dark Facebook page:  "In 1972, Hanna-Barbera approached Deacon Dark and asked him to be on the popular kids Saturday morning TV series, THE NEW SCOOBY DOO. Deacon was thrilled! He signed off on the project without reading the contract and instead of the dark satanic episode originally scripted, Hanna-Barbera scrapped it in place of a friendly "Kids, don't litter" theme so popular in the early 70s. For an undone reason, they also teamed up his character with singer/performer Cher in a hopes to bring in the girly audience. In the end, the public was left with a watered-down Deacon, nothing was smashed, not toads were stepped on. Deacon was depressed for months after the airing and vowed to never work in cartoons again.  It is also interesting to note that Deacon did not supply the voice for his character. On the day of the recording, Deacon arrived inebriated on Olde English Malt Liquor and was unable to even speak. His voice was done by veteran voice actor Jonathan Winters."  Deacon Dark was a fictional character portrayed by Sonny Bono on the Sonny and Cher Show.  This was posted on April 30, 2014.  Sonny Bono passed away on January 5, 1998.  So I'm not sure if this post is considered official or if this is a fan page.  

1972-- All I Ever Need Is You

Foxy Lady  (1972)
October 28, 1972--THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES--SEASON 1 EPISODE 8--"The Secret of Shark Island"--Guest Starring Sonny & Cher 

 

1973--THE SONNY AND CHER VARIETY SHOW--"Bad Bad Leroy Brown"--Leroy is chased by King Kong and others.  Sonny and Cher appear in the video.  

1973-- Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs

Bittersweet White Light  (1973) Half-Breed  (1973)
1974–1979: Divorce from Sonny Bono, second marriage, decline of popularity

1974--THE SONNY COMEDY REVUE--One Season; Nominated - Emmy Award, 1 nomination


Dark Lady  (1974)


1975--Sonny divorces Cher LaPiere

1975--Cher divorces Sonny Bono

1975--Cher marries Gregg Allman

Stars  (1975)
1975 TO 1976--THE CHER SHOW--Two Seasons; Nominated - Emmy Award, 11 nominations

 

March 22, 1975--THE CHER SHOW--Through the "magic of television", Cher looks back to the 1950s to confirm that Col. Henry Blake survived after his departure from the 4077 MASH and his alleged death.  Note that a lot of people on the interwebs think this happened on the Carol Burnett Show, but that is incorrect.  



1976 to 1977--THE SONNY & CHER SHOW--Two Seasons; Nominated - Emmy Award, 3 nominations


I'd Rather Believe in You  (1976)


1977--Warner Bros.

Cherished  (1977)
1978–1999: After Sonny and Cher


Just before February 1978--SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI--The cover art for Superman vs Muhammed Ali shows cameos of several real and fictional characters, including the teacher and students from WELCOME BACK KOTTER, Columbo, and Lucy!  And Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, the Jackson 5, etc.

1979–1982: Second musical comeback, shift from disco music to rock
Cher World Tour (1979–1982)
1979--Cher divorces Gregg Allman

Take Me Home  (1979) Prisoner  (1979)


1982–1987: Film career breakthrough, musical hiatus
I Paralyze  (1982)
1983--Sonny marries Susie Coelho

1984--Sonny divorces Susie Coelho

1986--Sonny marries Mary Whitaker

1987–1992: Film stardom, third musical comeback

1987--one-off reunion


Cher  (1987)
April 1988 – April 1992--Sonny is mayor of Palm Springs.

December 1988--ROSEANNE--"Here's to Good Friends"--Cher is heard.



December 1988--CHRISTMAS AT PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE--Cher appears.


Heart of Stone  (1989)


Heart of Stone Tour (1990)
November 1990--GOLDEN GIRLS--"Mrs. George Devereaux"--Sonny Bono appears.  

March 1991--BLOSSOM--"Tough Love"--Sonny Bono appears.
Love Hurts  (1991)
1992–1997: Health and professional struggles, directing debut



1992--THE PLAYER--Cher appears.
Love Hurts Tour (1992)

1994--READY TO WEAR--Cher appears.


January 3, 1995 – January 5, 1998--Sonny serves in the U.S. Congress.


It's a Man's World  (1995)
CLUELESS (TELEVISION SERIES)Release Date: September 20, 1996 - May 25, 1999 (Contemporary Setting)Series: CluelessThe Story: Cher is a rich girl in Beverly Hills who means well, but tends to be too self involved. Notes: Cher was named after the more famous Cher.


CLUELESS (TELEVISION SERIES)SEASON 1 EPISODE 17 “MR. WRIGHT”Release Date: February 7, 1997 (Contemporary Setting)Horror Crosses: Sabrina the Teenage Witch (television)The Story: Cher falls for a new boy. Notes: During the closing credits, Cher is talking with Sabrina, who is posing as a student at Cher’s school and then snaps her fingers and vanishes when Cher looks away. This was a cross-promotional gag, but it still counts as a valid crossover.

1998–2000: Death of Sonny Bono, fourth musical comeback



January 5, 1998--Sonny Bono died



1998--SONNY AND ME:  CHER REMEMBERS--Television Special, one episode; Tribute to Bono


Believe  (1998)Do You Believe? (1999–2000) Not.com.mercial  (2000)
2000 to 2002--WILL & GRACE--"Gypsies, Tramps and Weed/A.I.:  Artificial Insemination"--Cher appears in two episodes.  
2001–2013: Touring success, Vegas residency, return to film
Living Proof  (2001)Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (2002–2005)

2003--STUCK ON YOU--Cher appears.  



Cher (2008–2011)
November 2009--FAMILY GUY--"Quagmire's Baby"--Peter finds the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz in his basement. He flies on it and skywrites "Retire Cher" to the Witch's musical theme from the film.  Fred Flintstone was caught drunk driving on World's Wildest Police Chases."

2013–present: Return to music and touring, Broadway project
Closer to the Truth  (2013)

Dressed to Kill Tour (2014)



Classic Cher (2017)
ALTERNATE REALITIES:

FIRST KID--This is a divergent timeline where President Davenport is in office in 1996 instead of Bill Clinton, and Davenport has a son named Luke is is quite a handful for the secret service. Congressman Sonny Bono appears in this film.



P.S.I. LUV U--Circa 1991, Sonny Bono is mayor of New York City in this alternate timeline.

TVCU-29-Skitlandia and non-canon commercials:  Archie and Gloria Bunker also appeared on THE SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR.  

Update on the Cartoon Crossover Encyclopedia

I haven't worked on the Cartoon Crossover Encyclopedia in a while, as my schedule has been pretty full with other things taking priority. But it is still in progress. However, I've decided that I will be taking a bit of a different approach to the Cartoon Crossover Encyclopedia rather than following the exact same format I used for the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia. So I'm going to be reworking the stuff I've already written before proceeding. One of the differences is that I will not be trying to force all the crossovers into one shared reality. The nature of animated series is far different than what I previously worked on for the HCE or even with the live action TVCU, that I have to shape it as a multiverse of realities with constantly changing timelines and varied realities that merge and unmerge. So there's that challenge. The other thing I'll be doing is that I won't be just placing entries in chronological order, but further breaking it down by categories (Animated Shorts, Animated Films, Animated Television, etc), and further broken down by studios, networks and companies. I'm hoping that will make the book a bit easier to read and will help stick to my "it happened as we see it" approach that keeps the writers' intent pure, without trying to add too much of my own theories and conjecture. And speaking of theories and conjectures, another thing that's different is that for this book, I will be including fan theory crossovers (with the notation that they are fan theories). I'll also be adding for Family Guy only, references that aren't valid crossovers, and creating a separate category for the cutaway gags.

Donny & Marie: A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock N Roll

Remember the 70s?  I was born in 1972, and to me, the 1970s was a magical period where everything on TV seemed wonderful.  Yes, my family watched Donny & Marie.  In retrospect, I'm not sure why.  I guess it's because our television channels were limited to three networks, PBS, and two independent stations, and VCR's weren't even a thing yet.  So Donny & Marie was the best thing on among those six channels.

 

November 1972--HERE'S LUCY--"Lucy and Donny Osmond"--Lucy and Kim attend a Donny Osmond concert with cousin Patricia (Eve Plumb), who is crazy for the 14 year old singer. Donny, spots Kim in the audience, and he falls in love at first sight. Kim believes the flowers and letters are for Patricia, but soon discovers the mix-up. Realizing Donny volunteered to perform at Kim's Charity function because of the mix-up, Kim feels obligated to set the record straight.



1976 to 1979--The era of the Donny & Marie variety show.


Just before February 1978--SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI--The cover art for Superman vs Muhammed Ali shows cameos of several real and fictional characters, including the teacher and students from WELCOME BACK KOTTER, Columbo, and Lucy!  And Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, the Jackson 5, etc.



1978--GOIN' COCONUTS--Donny and Marie play themselves in this crime comedy.  

1986--THE GARRY SHANDLING SHOW:  25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL--Donny Osmond appears.  

June 2, 1995--SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST--"Fire Drill"--Space Ghost interviews David Byrne and Donny Osmond. At the end of the episode, a fire drill interrupts the interview with Osmond.

February 1996--THE SINGLE GUY--"Pudding"--Marie Osmond appears.  

October 1996--ALMOST PERFECT--"Heaven's Helper"--Marie Osmond appears.  

1997 to 2004--JOHNNY BRAVO--Donny Osmond appeared in four episodes as himself.  

March 1998--THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW--"As My Career Lay Dying"--Donny Osmond is heard.

April 1998--PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE--"King Kube"--Donny Osmond appears.  

November 1998--THE KING OF QUEENS--"Supermarket Story"--Donny Osmond appears.  



November 1999--DIAGNOSIS MURDER--"The Mouth That Roared"--Donny and Marie had a short lived talk show in 1999, which was featured in this episode.  

February 14, 2000--KING OF QUEENS--"Meet By-Product"--Donny Osmond appears again.  

April 2000--MOVIE STARS--"Video Gurl"--Donny and Marie Osmond appear on this show that's so obscure, it could almost be as fake as THAT'S OUR RALPH, but it was indeed a real sitcom.

February 2004--FRIENDS--"The One Where the Stripper Cries"--Joey appears on Pyramid, hosted by Donny Osmond.  

March 2006--LAS VEGAS--"Lyle & Substance"--Donny appears.  

November 2006--ALL MY CHILDREN--Donny Osmond appears in Pine Valley to appear on Erica Kane's talk show.  

October 2008--HANNAH MONTANA--"We're All on This Date Together"--Donny Osmond appears.

Columbo

1960--THE CHEVY MYSTERY SHOW--"Enough Rope"--Lt. Columbo (Bert Freed) investigating the murder of a psychologist's wife.  

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1961 to 1962--87TH PRECINCT--Another find from Gordon:  Two episodes were based on stories from Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series, airing in the ABC films, and one actually has an 87th Detective, Arthur Brown, that I could confirm. These books are set in a thinly-disguised New York, so we can say Arthur came out to visit for the wedding of Columbo's nephew (even if it appears he's an LA cop). A bunch of 87th stories have made it in to an 87th TV show or as TV movies or theatrical films (Akira Kurosawa even adapted one and used the music from Toho's H-Man, which should tickle Chris), and there was a Sixties comic and a Swedish graphic novel, too. The 1972 film Fuzz was set and filmed in Boston, but that can help hide the truth---the story had a recurring arch villian for the 87th who is a cross between Moriaryy and the Riddler, leaving mysterious clues.  One of the 87th detectives appeared in the author's Matthew Hope series. And one of the detectives appeared in The Stand, so AU.   ' Some of McBain's cop's names, including Meyer Meyer, Bert Kling and Roger Havilland, are seen in a duty roster posted on a squad room wall in the original 1962 film version of Cape Fear. At the point the film was made, over a dozen 87th Precinct novels had already been published. '   Although that film was set in North Carolina, from the book The Executioners, I suppose the named cops could be visiting, just as Brown visited Columbo in the aforementioned film.

1962--PRESCRIPTION:  MURDER--The first appearance of Lt. Columbo was in a stage play played by Thomas Mitchell.

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1966--PENELOPE--Pj Lozito theorizes that Peter Falk's character in this film is actually Lt. Columbo, though he's named Lt. Bixbee.



1968 to 2003--COLUMBO--A really smart detective plays dumb to get the bad guys. 
1969 to 1974--THE BRADY BUNCH--From Matt Hickman: Some Station Crossovers I found 1. In Wayne's World 2 the Local Rock Station in Aurora, Illinois is WPIG 95.7 on WKRP in Cincinnati WPIG was the Cross town rival to WKRP. Now they are in 2 Different towns But Maybe Between 82 and 93 WPIG became a Network with Affiliates all over the U. S. 2. From the Wiki page List of fictional television stations KBEX-TV (in film):Dawn of the Dead (as Milwaukee TV station)[1],Moving Violation,Runaway,Scream KBEX-TV (in television):,BarnabyJones[2],Brady Bunch[3],Charlie's Angels[4],Columbo (Season 2, Episode 6),Crazy Like a Fox (Channel 6, San Francisco),Dante's Peak (Channel 5),Emergency!,MacGyver (as TV and radio),Mannix,Mission: Impossible,Starsky & Hutch,$weepstake$ (Channel 6, Hollywood)[5],Walker, Texas Ranger[6],What's Happening!![7] Could Prehaps also be a Network or at Least a Cable Channel much like WGN 3.WNDY - Short-lived TV series "WIOU" about the news department of a fictional television station whose actual callsign was WNDY, but which was nicknamed WIOU by its staff because of the station's financial struggles. WNDY Is also the Fake Radio Station you listen when Waiting in line For the TwisterTwister...Ride it Out at Universal Studios Florida It's Set in Wakita Oklahoma Druing the Film so they Might Be Sister Stations or owned By the Same Company



1970--COLUMBO:  THE HELTER SKELTER MURDERS--A young Columbo was one of the detectives responsible for arresting Charles Manson.  

1971 to 1977--THE ELECTRIC COMPANY--Columbo, Kojac and Sherlock Holmes often worked together on cases in this series.  Morgan Freeman played Holmes, who was likely yet another great detective with the syndrome.  

November 1972--COLUMBO--"The Most Crucial Game"--At the airport, there is an announcement regarding Trans Global, the airline from AIRPORT.



November 1972--COLUMBO--"Dagger of the Mind"--Columbo is in London where a chap from Scotland Yard is talking about Sherlock Holmes as a real historical figure.  Columbo also visits the Diogenes Club.  Read more about that here.    Also, Toby has covered a LOT more about Columbo.  Just go to his site and put Columbo in the search box, then enjoy.

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January 1974--COLUMBO--"Publish or Perish"--Columbo considers writing a book.  We can presume he did, and perhaps it even became a TV series, which could explain all the references to Columbo in other series that also take place in the same TVCU.  Read more about this here.  


March 1974--THE ROCKFORD FILES--"Backlash of the Hunter"--Columbo's car is seen.  Columbo's car also appeared in an episode of ADAM-12.



September 1974--COLUMBO--"An Exercise in Fatality"--Columbo meets Milo at the same beach that Jim Rockford lives.  He walks past the restaurant outside Jim's trailer.  


September 1975--THE STRANGE CASE OF THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT--The grandson of the world's first and foremost consulting detective and his bumbling, bionic sidekick attempt to catch the only living descendant of Professor Moriarty.  An essential for all crossover scholars. Sherlock Holmes' grandson, played by John Cleese, throws a party and invites Lt. Columbo, Sam Spade, James Bond (only M shows up), McCloud, Hercule Poirot, Steve McGarrett of Hawaii 5-0, Ironside, and "Kojak" (really Holmes Jr. in disguise). They can be seen from 36:00-41:45, being murdered by Moriarty (in disguise as Watson).  For honorary mention, a Henry Kissinger-alike named Gropinger is murdered at the beginning of the film.



1975--THE TONIGHT SHOW--Columbo is persistent.  
November 1975--COLUMBO--"Identity Crisis"--Nelson Brenner, a top CIA operative, is really a double agent who finds it necessary to rid himself of a fellow spy and make it look like a mugging. Brenner inadvertently leaves tiny clues in a photo shop at a carnival, on Brenner's corpse at the beach, in a tape recording he makes while in his Agency-approved identity as a speech-writing consultant - the kind of clues that no one would ever pick up on. No one, that is, except the rumpled, redoubtable Lt. Columbo. The indefatigable detective will find himself followed by mysterious agents, visited by the top man himself and entertained with a recording of "Madame Butterfly" in Brenner's own mansion before solving this difficult case. (IMDB).  Toby O'Brien says "My all-time favorite TV series is 'The Prisoner', so just for the opportunity to see Patrick McGoohan as the guest star would have been enough. But the episode (directed by McGoohan) is full of allusions to 'The Prisoner' - visual imagery referring to "#1", the design of McGoohan's windbreaker, the phrase "Be Seeing You".... Plus McGoohan's line readings are brilliantly off-kilter - just the way he says "I know!" is a pleasure."  Sidney Graham adds:  "When the Director reveals himself and his Agency's involvement in the murder to Lt. Columbo, he shows a card identifying himself as "Phil Corrigan, Secret Agent X-9," which is actually the title of a vintage newspaper comic strip and the name of its hero, created by Dashiell Hammett..."  The actor playing Phil Corrigan is the right age to have been the original character.  When Columbo is admiring Brenner's pictures on the wall, there is a photograph of Patrick McGoohan in costume as Mary, Queen of Scots' illegitimate half-brother James Stuart, Earl of Moray from Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).

March 1976--COLUMBO--"Last Salute to the Commodore"--Again from Sidney Graham:  The Commodore who was murdered is named Otis Swanson. In the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Dead Ringer", the murder victim is also named Otis Swanson. Jackson Gillis is credited as the writer in that episode as well as this one.  Both plots seem to involve sailors.



1976 to 1977--THE MUMBLY CARTOON SHOW--Mumbly is a cartoon dog character famous for his wheezy laugh, voiced by Don Messick. Mumbly appears to be the twin brother of Muttley from the animated series Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. Like Muttley, Mumbly does not really talk; he mumbles and grumbles unintelligibly, and often uses his trademark snicker. Detective Lieutenant Mumbly's boss is Schnooker (inspired by Telly Savalas' Kojak detective and voiced by John Stephenson), an aptly named egotistical police chief who tries to take credit for nearly all of Mumbly's heroic deeds. Mumbly may have been inspired by Peter Falk's TV character Columbo, as the two share a similar sartorial style and speech patterns. In addition, both are police lieutenants, wear trench coats, and drive old broken down cars. A further link is that Muttley was based on a similar premise to Peter Falk's character Max Meen in The Great Race. The Mumbly character first appeared on "The New Tom & Jerry Show".

October 1976--COLUMBO--"Fade in to Murder"--Actor Ward Fowler plays a Detective Lucerne on a soap opera.  The character is definitely inspired by Lt. Columbo and may be a poor adaptation or blatant rip-off of the character from Columbo's book.  Toby O'Brien also has some added Toobworld connections to THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and BAYWATCH which you can read here.  



1977 to 1982--LOU GRANT--Columbo,  Wonder Woman ,  Matt Houston ,  Remington Steele ,  Moonlighting , City of Angels, Burke's Law (1994), and 24 all featured the Los Angeles Tribune, the fictional newspaper from Lou Grant.

Winter 1978--LUPIN III--"You're Sapphired!"--Lupin III tries to steal a jewel from a philanthropist Ellery A. Queen, of the Ellery Queen Foundation. This is probably the son of the brilliant sleuth. Lupin is thwarted by a kid detective named Boronco from the LAPS, who is the son of the celebrated Lt. Columbo.

Just before February 1978--SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI--The cover art for Superman vs Muhammed Ali shows cameos of several real and fictional characters, including the teacher and students from WELCOME BACK KOTTER, Columbo, and Lucy!  And Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, the Jackson 5, etc.



1978--THE DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROAST OF FRANK SINATRA--Columbo roasts Frank.  Watch it here.  

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1979 to 1980--MRS. COLUMBO--Originally, this was meant to be a spin-off of Columbo, featuring the Mrs. Columbo that is often referred to.  However, they quickly decided they didn't want this to be THE Mrs. Columbo and changed the title to KATE THE DETECTIVE and then KATE LOVES A MYSTERY.  Gordon Long adds:  When Dean Martin roasted Frank Sinatra, Falk came out as Columbo and participated in the roast, referring to a wife named Rose. (Two sisters of hers whose names started with R, Ruth and Rita, were mentioned at different times.) When Columbo said she was watching at home, Frank said 'Hi Rosie' as though she were real and an acquaintance of his. I have an idea that kinda ties into PJ's idea, Sinatra was the first actor to play New York police officer John McClane, so I think Columbo met Frank when he was a technical advisor for the film The Detective. Columbo has two brothers George and Fred; Fred convinced him to move to California. When Kate got divorced, she suddenly had an ex hubby named Phillip, whom I guess is another brother (he has a huge family).   Read Thom Holbrook's thoughts here.  



Late 1970s--TOOBWORLD--"Fanficcer's Friend:  McCloud, Fish & Columbo"--Read it here.  



1980--MURDER CAN HURT YOU--Parody crossover that should count just as much as MURDER BY DEATH.  This parody crosses over COLUMBO, IRONSIDES, STARSKY AND HUTCH, MCCLOUD, and BARETTA.

March 1986--MATLOCK--"Diary of a Perfect Murder"--Matlock may have been inadvertently assisted by Lt. Columbo.  Read more here.



October 1986--MAGNUM PI--"AAPI"--Mike Stone (THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO), KOJAC AND COLUMBO are all at the detectives convention in Hawaii.  Jim Rockford was also intended to be in the episode, but they couldn't get James Garner to agree to the crossover, but since the writers intended it, we can assume he was there too and we just didn't see him.  Toby also believes Mike Stone is the character seen in those classic American Express commercials.  Don't leave home without it.    Matt Hickman adds:  Not a Columbo crossover presay but I've always thought the Convention Mr Monk,Shawn Spencer and John Smith attended in the USA network Monk Dead zone Pysch crossover ads was the same one from Magnum just a diffnert year

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1987--THE PRINCESS BRIDE--Two fan theories:  One is that the grandfather is a retired Lt. Columbo.  The other is that the grandfather is the Dread Pirate Roberts.  

1988--CLUE??--A multitude of familiar spies, secret agents and detectives are gathered together in a remote country mansion for mysterious reasons. The going gets rough when they begin dying one by one...  Featuring COLUMBO, MIKE HAMMER, IRONSIDE, NANCY DREW, April Dancer (THE GIRL FROM UNCLE), THE HARDY BOYS, and JAMES BOND.



1991--USA UP ALL NIGHT--"Episode 26"--Rhonda meets Columbo.



1993--COLUMBO:  THE GRASSY KNOLL--From James Bojaciuk:  This post started life in the comments of John D. Lindsey Jr's Brian Keen post, but it makes more sense to put it here. I really wish there were more Tales of the Shadowmen-esque stories that worked out what happens when historical events are overwhelmed his secret history, time travel, and magic.  The JFK assassination, for instance, was visited by two Doctors (Eight and Nine), Sherlock Holmes (who received no leads and was confounded by the number of shooters; this may have been Solar Pons, but this aside is too long already), Jake Epping (from King's 11/22/63; perhaps the Doctors where there to fix his monkeying with time), and a very young Walker Texas Ranger.  The Killers, in the TVCU: Oswald (who was possessed, sometimes, by Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap), the Grassy Noll shooters, Joe DiMaggio (100 Bullets; he also noted an impossible number of other shooters), John Dillinger (The Illuminatus! Trilogy), Harry Coin, (The Illuminatus! Trilogy), a mafia gunman stationed on top of a restaurant (The Illuminatus! Trilogy), an unknown shooter (The Illuminatus! Trilogy), James Stevens (Doctor Who: Who Killed Kennedy?), Wolfram and Hart getting revenge on Joe Kennedy (Angel), an assassin named the Viper (Walker, Texas Ranger), and an unnamed conspiracy assassin (Columbo: The Grassy Noll); the Cigarette Smoking Man claims to have shot JFK, but he's a liar. Lupin III adds an elite team of killers from a secret society from within Alcatraz.  Further, the bullets that killed Kennedy (putting aside the question of whose bullets actually hit) were cast from the stone that Cain used to kill Able (Borges' "In Memoriam, J.F.K.").  The Seventh Doctor blames the whole affair on Nemesis' nearness to Earth (Silver Nemesis).  I dare someone to make all of this make sense. ;)








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1996--CASE CLOSED--Columbo is referenced in the Detective Conan series as a real person.  




1996--COLUMBO:  THE HOFFA CONNECTION--When a racy, beautiful rock mega-star is found floating dead in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, Columbo, America's favorite TV detective launches an investigation that takes him all the way to the coast of Italy, to the birthplace of the mafia. But to solve this case, Columbo must first tackle on of the most publicized and puzzling mysteries to sweep the United States--the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa exactly twenty years ago.



2000--THE KINDAICHI  CASE FILES, VOL. 13:  HOUSE OF WAX--Teen sleuth Kindaishi Hajime works with another teen detective, Edward Columbo, who is the nephew of a noted L.A. detective, who we can clearly presume is Frank Columbo.  (Note Columbo's first name is never said in any Columbo story, but in "Dead Weight" from Season 1 Episode 3, it says Frank Columbo on his badge.)



Detective Bobby Goren is the man.  First of all, if  the original Law & Order is Wolf's homage to Dragnet, surely Goren is an homage to Columbo.  And what's also awesome is Bobby takes on special cases, which border on evil criminal geniuses to some extent.  How cool is that.  A show anchored in realism taking on villains who are one step away from taking on Superman or James Bond.




Summer 2002--ABC'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION--Sydney Bristow (ALIAS) meets COLUMBO.



2007--NATIONAL TREASURE:  BOOK OF SECRETS--Is it another case of lazy architecture, or are all three the same location.  The set used for a scene in this film previously appeared in Columbo "Dagger of the Mind" as the home of Sir Roger Haversham and then later in Remington Steele as an English manor.




March 2012--COUGAR TOWN--"A One Story Town"--From Toby O'Brien:  I'm writing this up for the Toobworld Dynamic - it's the sort of thing viewers probably ask themselves when they watch other shows. Like on 'Columbo' - how come he never noticed a good percentage of his murder suspects looked like either Robert Culp, Jack Cassidy, or Patrick McGoohan? (Not to mention all the other characters who looked like Vito Scotti or my buddy John Finnegan!)



Alternate Realities:

ANNO DRACULA UNIVERSE--Columbo appears in "The Other Side of Midnight" (1981).  This story also crosses over AU versions of CURSE OF THE UNDEAD, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, VAMPIRE JUNCTION, VANITAS, LOVECRAFT'S CTHULHU MYTHOS, SALT AND PEPPER, CHRISTINE, MISERY, CARMILLA, BLACK SUNDAY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, BARBIE, THE WEST PIER, MR. STIMPSON AND MR. GORSE, UNKNOWN ASSAILANT, THE CHARMER, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, THE ROCKFORD FILES, CHIPS, ROSEMARY'S BABY, ANNE RICES'S VAMPIRE NOVELS, FRANKENSTEIN (UNIVERSAL), DRACULA, SHADOWMAN, THE LATE SHIFT, GIDGET, BOOGIE NIGHTS, CHINATOWN, WEREWOLF OF LONDON, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, DARK SHADOWS, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, THE HOWING, GREMLINS, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, SUNSET BOULEVARD, BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, TOUCH OF EVIL, CITIZEN KANE, THE PLAYER, BLUE MOVIE, THE WORKS OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, BODY DOUBLE, SUCKERS:  BLEEDING LONDON DRY, and AMERICAN GIGOLO.  Of course the greater Anno Dracula series has even more crossovers.  I list a good number of the horror related ones in the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia but Win Scott Eckert lists all of them, horror and non-horror, in Crossovers:  A Secret Chronology of the World.  

FANFIC--I don't usually count Fan Fic unless a legitimate source decides to endorse it.  But this is a good site for Columbo Fan Fic.  It includes crossovers with KOLCHAK, DUE SOUTH, MASH and X-FILES.  



MAD--Shown to be a distinct alternate reality in Batman:  The Brave and the Bold, though some might argue that this is the same Cartoon Universe as the Bongo Universe due to its connections to the Simpsons and Family Guy.  This universe has had a number of Columbo parodies, in both Mad and Cracked, Mad's competitor which exists in the same universe.  

SKITLANDIA--More parodies can be found here.  

The TVCU Crew gave me a LOT of additional info on Columbo that just didn't work for this post but is still quite interesting.  If you'd like to learn more or if you have something to add, please join us at our Facebook group.

WELCOME BACK KOTTER

Please excuse this post from having any sense of taste today.  Signed, Epstein's Mother.

1947--IT HAPPENED IN BROOKLYN--The earliest appearance of James Buchanan High School.  (Not named such, but the same building is used, and both are set in Brooklyn, even though the school used is really Gabe Kaplan's real childhood school, New Utrecht High School.)



1972--SUPER FLY--Apparently the car from this film later is purchased by teen Vinnie Barbarino.



1975--THE GREAT TV SITCOM BOOK--The Sweathogs are locked up by Barney Miller.   Additionally, in the DVD extras for Welcome Back Kotter, Vinnie Barbarino is at the 12th Precinct (in John Travolta's screen test).



1975 to 1979--WELCOME BACK, KOTTER--Former gang member Gabe Kotter returns to his old high school as a teacher.



1976--FONZIE FAVORITES--The Fonzerelli Slide"--Fonzie shows up at the Annual Sweathogs School Dance and meets Horshack.  You can find the evidence here.  

1976 to 1978--WELCOME BACK, KOTTER (DC COMICS)--The show's popularity spawned a licensed comic book, which had one crossover linking it to the DC Universe (well, Earth-1 at least) in Superman versus Muhammad Ali, where the DC Comics version of the characters appeared on the cover.

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Fall 1976--MR. T AND TINA--This was a spin-off of Welcome Back Kotter featuring Pat Morita as brilliant Japanese inventor Taro Takahashi, or Mr. T for short.  Takashashi had previously appeared in an episode of Welcome Back, Kotter to set up the premise of the spin-off.  Other spin-offs that failed to launch were RICH MAN, POOR MAN; HORSHACK!, which started with an episode of Welcome Back, Kotter that focused on the Horshack family, and a planned show that would have featured the grown up Sweathogs (minus Travolta).


Just before February 1978--SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI--The cover art for Superman vs Muhammed Ali shows cameos of several real and fictional characters, including the teacher and students from WELCOME BACK KOTTER, Columbo, and Lucy!  And Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, the Jackson 5, etc.

December 1982--FUNNY OR DIE--"Tron Holiday Special"--Mr. Kotter ends up in the video game land of Tron.

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1989--HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS--Another stretch, but it could be that Julie had a twin sister, Diane Szalinski.  

1996 to 1997--MR. RHODES--The Sweathogs and Mr. Kotter appear.  They reveal that Vinnie Barbarino is now an actor.  This happened in a dream sequence but since it was a guardian angel related dream sequence, it can't be sure if it really was a dream or not.  It's unclear, especially since we can't seem to find the episode anywhere and are going off of some TVCU Crewsies' memories, if Welcome Back Kotter is a fictional show that he is dreaming about or not, but since Mr. Rhodes doesn't seem to have other crossovers that I'm aware of, even if it is a visit to a fictional show, perhaps Mr. Rhodes takes place in an alternate universe and is being brought to the TVCU via the dreamlands (which is often used to travel the multiverse).



March 2001--THE DREW CAREY SHOW--"What's Wrong with This Episode IV"--Vinnie Barbarino (role reprised by John Travolta) has a walk-on cameo in this episode.  

2003--FILLMORE--A bit of a stretch, but there is a Winston Kotter who is the son of the Canadian ambassador and is attending X Middle School.  Could be a relative.



2005--THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE--Theoretical crossover from Toobworld places Arnold Horshack on the doomed Poseidon passenger list.  Toby O'Brien also links THE QUEEN AND I, THE GALE STORM SHOW, OH SUSANNAH, THE FAMOUS TEDDY Z, WEBSTER, THREE'S COMPANY, MY BIG FAT GREEK LIFE, CHEERS, FRASIER, FULL HOUSE, and PERFECT STRANGERS.  Read more about it here.  
ALTERNATE REALITIES:

Rule 34--The universe where WELCOME BACK, KOTTER XXX:  A DREAMZONE PARODY exists.  
SKITLANDIA:  SNL does a sketch conflating Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction with Welcome Back Kotter and Laverne & Shirley. 

TVCU-2--As it's been trending lately to bring back old shows as movies, WELCOME BACK, KOTTER is in development as a movie.  

The Greatest: Floating like a Butterfly, Stinging like a Bee!

I was never really into boxing.  But when I was a kid, there was one iconic figure who stood out in boxing, even after he was no longer the heavyweight champion.  And that was MUHAMMAD ALI.

1860s--Abe Grady immigrates to the Unites States from Ireland. He was the great grandfather of Cassius Clay.

1912--Birth of Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., father of Cassius Clay.

1917--Birth of Odessa O'Grady Clay, mother of Cassius Clay.

January 17, 1942--Birth of Cassius Clay.

1954--Cassius Clay begins training as a boxer.

1955--The death of Emmett Till leads Cassius Clay to vandalize a local railyard.

1958--Cassius Clay graduates from high school.



Summer 1960--Cassius Clay wins a gold medal in the Olympics.

October 29, 1960--Cassius Clay makes his professional debut.



1964--DC: THE NEW FRONTIER--Ted Grant defends his heavyweight title against a young Cassius Clay. In the comic, this is set eight years earlier in 1956. Of course in the real world, it was not Ted Grant who he took the title from. DC: The New Frontier features a world where the golden age heroes existed in the same world as the silver age heroes, but they debuted in their original time periods without using "comic book time" sliding timeline. That works for the TVCU.



1964 to ?--FOES OF ALI--Ali has appeared in numerous video boxing games, some of which feature him as the title character. Examples include  Foes of Ali ,  Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing  and the  Knockout Kings  series and its follow-up, the  Fight Night  series.

1964--Cassius Clay marries Sonji Roi.

1964--Cassius Clay becomes Muhammad Ali.



1964--MUHAMMAD ALI'S GREATEST FIGHT--World champion boxer Muhammad Ali requested exemption from the military draft based on his religious beliefs. His request was denied and when he refused induction into the army, he was convicted and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. His case eventually works itself up the Supreme Court. In their first conference after the case is presented, the justices decide by majority vote to uphold the conviction and Justice John Harlan is tasked with preparing the majority opinion. He assigns one of his clerks, Kevin Connolly, to prepare a first draft but try as he might he believes that decision his wrong. His draft argues for overturning the conviction and Harlan agrees with him. The justice must now find a way to convince his colleagues. 

1966--Muhammad Ali divorces Sonji Roi.  



1967--Muhammad Ali marries Belinda Boyd.  



1968--Birth of Maryum "May May", daughter of Muhammad Ali and Belinda Boyd.



1970--Births of twins Jamillah and Rasheda, daughters of Muhammad Ali and Belinda Boyd.

1971--After a four year legal battle for refusing to go to Vietnam, Muhammad Ali is released from prison and has his championship status reinstated.

1972--Birth of Muhammad Ali Jr., son of Muhammad Ali and Belinda Boyd.

1974--Muhammad Ali wins the heavyweight title back.



1974--Birth of Khaliah, daughter of Muhammad Ali and Wanda Bolton.



1975--Muhammad Ali publishes his autobiography.

June 1, 1976--Muhammad Ali takes on professional wrestler Gorilla Monsoon.



1977--Muhammad Ali divorces Belinda Boyd.

Early 1977--Birth of Hana, daughter of Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porche.



Circa 1977?--EPIC RAP BATTLES OF HISTORY--"Michael Jordan vs. Muhammad Ali"--Using the Rap Battle time travel, Jordan takes on Ali. (Jordan of course has crossovers with fictional characters too, which I'll cover another time.)

1977--Muhammad Ali marries Veronica Porche Ali.

Fall 1977--I AM THE GREATEST: THE ADVENTURES OF MUHAMMAD ALI--Animated series in which Muhammad Ali provides the voice for his animated counterpart.

December 1977--Birth of Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porche. [Note that there are several other people who claim to be the children of Muhammad Ali but those claims have not been proven.]

1978--Muhammad Ali wins the heavyweight title a third time!


Just before February 1978--SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI--The cover art for Superman vs Muhammed Ali shows cameos of several real and fictional characters, including the teacher and students from WELCOME BACK KOTTER, Columbo, and Lucy!  And Donny & Marie Osmond, Sonny & Cher, the Jackson 5, etc.



January 1979--VEGAS--"The Eleventh Event"-- A benefit telethon is planned for Leon Hazlett, a five-time Olympic gold medalist who was crippled in a car crash. But emcee Paul Baker is kidnapped and a $200,000 ransom is demanded.  -- IMDb Plot: "The Eleventh Event".  Also from DVDTalk:   Tanna's good friend, Olympic Medalist Leon Hazlett, returns home after losing the use of his legs in an accident. He quickly finds himself involved in an elaborate kidnapping for ransom scheme that involves a singer, his wife and his manager. Robert Loggia, Clifton Davis, Jill Haworth, Michael Conrad, Squire Fridell, Vernee Watson-Johnson, and Muhammad Ali guest star. 



October 1979--DIFF'RENT STROKES--"Arnold's Hero"-- Arnold wants to meet his hero, world champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Willis and Kimberly meet Ali and say that their little brother is dying and that his last wish is to meet him.  -- IMDb Plot: "Arnold's Hero"

January 19, 1981--Muhammad Ali talks a suicidal man off a ledge!  [This really happened.]

1981--Muhammad Ali retires from boxing.  



1984--Muhammad Ali is diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome.  

1986--Muhammad Ali divorces Veronica Porche Ali.

1986--Muhammad Ali marries Yolanda Williams.  

1990--Death of Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr.

1994--Death of Odessa O'Grady Clay.  

1998--Birth of Biaggio Ali, son of Rasheda and Robert Walsh.

May 1999--TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL--"Fighting the Good Fight"--Muhammad Ali appears, playing himself.  

1999--Laila becomes a professional boxer.





2007--Laila retires from boxing.  

2009 to 2014--WAREHOUSE 13--Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves are in the warehouse.  They cause people to see stars just by being in the presence of the gloves without ever actually being hit.  Claudia uses them as a Christmas decoration to make the warehouse more festive.

May 2015--CHINA, IL--"Displays of Manhood"--Frank takes on Muhammad Ali.  Mr. Six, the mascot of Six Flags, is amongst the spectators.  



June 3, 2016--Death of Muhammad Ali.

ALTERNATE REALITIES



A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERMAN--Captain Kentucky fights Muhammad Ali.

Marcus Welby, M.D.

1923--MARCUS WELBY, M.D.--"A Passing of Torches"--Professor Timothy Bayliss publishes a book, THE GLORY OF SELF, centered on the concept of "Enlightened Selfishness."



1931--TOOBWORLD CENTRAL--"Chiefly O'Haras"--Not canon until Toby publishes it in book form, but his Chiefly O'Haras series has all sorts of crossovers.  Episode Twelve:  Double Trouble features:
'The Addams Family''Adventures Of Superman''Batman''Bearcats!''Centennial''Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal''Harry O''The Lone Wolf''Marcus Welby, M.D.''My Mother The Car''Rachel Gunn, R.N.''T.J. Hooker'


1968 to 1975--ADAM 12--According to Toby O'Brien, there is a theoretical crossover with Marcus Welby based on architecture.



1969 to 1976--MARCUS WELBY, M.D.--Marcus Welby is a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, who was on a first name basis with many of his patients (and who also made house-calls).

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1970 to 1974--THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY--Another theoretical link to Marcus Welby can be found here. 



1971--Marcus Welby, M.D.--From Toby O'Brien: Point of O'Bservation - Any time a fictional character is mentioned in a TV show without reference to the source of origin, I accept that as tacit acceptance the character is real in Toobworld. Latest example - from a 1971 episode of 'Marcus Welby, M.D.' "You're not Superman, you know; you're a doctor." - Roger Nastili (Apache descendent of Hannibal Heyes). I won't be using that in Inner Toob until my August TV Western theme, but thought I'd share it with my crossover compadres now.....



October 1971--OWEN MARSHALL, COUNSELOR AT LAW--"Men Who Care"--Marshall defends a congressman accused of murdering his daughter's boyfriend, the daughter being a patient of Marcus Welby's.



December 1971--MARCUS WELBY, M.D.--"Magic Shadow Shapes"--Purely fun Toobworld conjecture from Toby, but check out this theory that connects:  
'Downton Abbey''DaVinci's Inquest''Laverne & Shirley''The Rockford Files''Green Acres''Bewitched''Get Smart''EastEnders''Monty Python's Flying Circus''Banacek''The Saint''Gilligan's Island''Drake & Josh''Frasier''Last Of The Summer Wine''The A-Team''The Kenny Everett Television Show''iCarly''The Dick Van Dyke Show''New Tricks''Home Improvement'


1972--MARCUS WELBY, M.D.--"A Passing of Torches"--Professor Timothy Bayliss passes away.  Bayliss was Welby's mentor in his youth.  



December 1973--IRONSIDE--"Double-Edged Corner"--Nancy says she wrote to Marcus Welby for medical advice.



March 1974--OWEN MARSHALL, COUNSELOR AT LAW--"I've Promised You a Father"--Marshall defends Marcus Welby's colleague Dr. Steve Kiley, whose ex-girlfriend's sister has filed a paternity suit against him.

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A few years after 1972--THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW--A few years after the death of Professor Bayliss in 1972, a new book comes out called HOW TO SAY NO which borrows Bayliss' concept of "Enlightened Selfishness".



September 1975--STARSKY AND HUTCH--"Death Ride"--Starsky and Hutch are assigned to escort the daughter of a crime boss from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but a security leak has unleashed hordes of hit men that they must evade en route.  Starsky mentions doctor by name.

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October 1978--WONDER WOMAN--"The Fine Art of Crime"--"The only way to get an 'A' is to find out exactly how you guys are put together.   And since nobody will tell me, I'll have to do my own little analysis.   I wonder what kind of surgery Marcus Welby would call this?"--Harold Farnum

1984--THE RETURN OF MARCUS WELBY, M.D.--Because they all return.

December 1988--MARCUS WELBY, M.D.:  A HOLIDAY AFFAIR--Because they all eventually get a holiday special.



THE EARTH DAY SPECIAL (LIVE ACTION TELEVISION SPECIAL)Release Date: April 22, 1990 (Contemporary Setting)Horror Crosses: GhostbustersNon-Horror Crosses: Muppet Show; Murphy Brown; Looney Tunes; Doogie Howser M.D.; Back to the Future; Nathan Thurm; Cheers; Cosby Show; Golden Girls; E.T. the Extraterrestrial; Married with Children; Marcus Welby M.D.; China BeachThe Story: The pollution caused by humans is literally killing Mother Nature.
Notes: This is a mega television crossover event. And despite the silly premise, all the crossed series remain true to the shows and films they come from. There is an appearance of Elong Spengler, president of Waste Busters. He is said to be the brother of Egon Spengler of Ghostbusters and is played by the same actor. And yes, the Muppets are in this. To explain the existence of Muppets in the Horror Universe, I reference the Angel episode in which puppets are brought to life possessed by demons. Or the Buffy episode with a human turned into a dummy. Or Chucky from Child’s Play. Murphy Brown, Doogie Howser, Cheers, the Cosby Show, the Golden Girls, and Married with Children are all standard sitcoms and are brought into the Horror Universe by this cross. Looney Tunes characters are animated drawings brought to life by the Necronomicon ex Mortis based on the film Evil Toons. Back to the Future is already well established as part of the Horror Universe, but this appearance of Doc Brown and his Delorean is a greater confirmation. Nathan Thurm is a character from Saturday Night Live, but just as with the appearance of Father Guido Sarducci in Casper, this cross does not bring in the entire cast of characters from SNL. Finally, this cross brings in the loveable alien E.T.





1993 to 1999--HOMICIDE:  LIFE ON THE STREET--Another Tim Bayliss is a detective in Baltimore.  He may be related to the Tim Bayliss who mentored Marcus Welby.

November 2006--STAND-OFF--Another Tim Bayliss is a captain in the LAPD.



November 2007--NCIS--Designated Target"--A Chuck Bayliss may be related to the Tim Bayliss who mentored Marcus Welby.

ALTERNATE REALITIES--

Not Another Spoof Movie Universe--YOUNG DOCTORS IN LOVE is a parody of Marcus Welby, M.D.

Not Another TVCU-34 Porn Spoof Movie Universe Amalgamation?--YOUNG NURSES IN LUST is a porn parody of Young Doctors in Love.

TVCU-34--I can't believe it, but it's true.  CANDY STRIPERS is a porn parody of Marcus Welby, M.D.

R.U.R.

This blog post will be on R.U.R., a 1921 play that introduced us to the word "robot", although technically, the robots of the play are really what we would today call clones, since they are artificially created humans of flesh and blood, not mechanical beings.



1921--R.U.R.--Thanks to James Bojaciuk, we get three crossovers to make this play worthy of a post, and an explanation of how it fits in the TVCU.  James reports:  One of my very best friends, Jadis, got me The Dictionary of Imaginary Places for Christmas. What we have on our hands is another So You Created a Wormhole. It features each of these locals as a real place the reader can visit. And dang, over nearly 800 pages...it covers everthing from the obvious (Lovecraft's dives, Baskerville Hall, Narnia, Wonderland, Tolkien's lands, and Camelot) to the exceedingly obsecure examples: Carabas Castle, Glyn Gagny, the island of Rose, and many other things I won't pretend to have heard of).  Whenever a work is discussed that doesn't quite fit the real world, and isn't an AU, reasons are given for why it fits in the real world. Case in point: RUR is a 1920s stageplay that ends with robots killing every human in the world. The authors lower the apocalypse down to a small island off the coast of the eastern US. The robots, after slaughtering their masters, attempted to forge diplomatic relations with other nations. The text doesn't say what happened next. But, as the island is abandoned, it would seem the United States military did not look kindly on a gang of homicidal robots owning an island with a factory (with which they could make a limitless army of themselves).  It's a lovely book. And, in an effort to kill Rob, brings 800 pages of crossovers into the TVCU and its surounding multiverse.

1928--Eric, a robot constructed in Britain in 1928 for public appearances, bore the letters "R.U.R." across its chest.  Read more here.  


THE YOUNG ALL-STARS # 12 “‘M’ IS FOR ‘MONSTERS’” (DC COMICS)Release Date: May 1988 (Setting is May 1942)Series: Young All-StarsHorror Crosses: Creature Commandos; King KongNon-Horror Crosses: All-Star Squadron; TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite; Aarn Munro; Hawkman (Golden Age); Robotman (Golden Age); Miss America; Justice Society of America; Superman (Golden Age); The War that Time Forgot; Wildcat; Metropolis; G.I. Robot; R.U.R.The Story: Deathbolt attacks Project M to steal a T-Rex and place the Ultra-Humanite’s brain in it.Notes: King Kong’s remains are seen at Project M. Project M is from the Creature Commandos series, which has been brought in via a New Adventures of Frankenstein tale by Donald F. Glut. This story does not bring in the entire Young All-Stars series or DC Comics line.  The Utlra-Humanite was introduced in the golden age Superman series. Most people only know Luthor and Zod as Superman's foes.  Professor Rossum is referenced. The story was written by Roy and Dann Thomas based on the concept by Jean-Marc Lofficier, who provided information on his crossovers to Win Scott Eckert, which he listed in Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World.



1940s--BATMAN:  THE ANIMATED SERIES--The scientist that created the HARDAC machine is named Karl Rossum. HARDAC created mechanical replicants to replace existing humans, with the ultimate goal of replacing all humans. One of the robots is seen driving a car with "RUR" as the license plate number.

1980s--TIME SQUARED--In Howard Chaykin's Time² graphic novels, Rossum's Universal Robots is a powerful corporation and maker of robots.
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THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN TORC (NOVEL BY SIMON GREEN)Release Date: January 1, 2007 (Set in the summer, before the start of the Nightside series)Series: Secret HistoriesHorror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Evil Dead; Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde; War of the Worlds; Nightside; Hellraiser; Frankenstein (novel)Non-Horror Crosses: The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Doctor Who; RUR; Alice in Wonderland; Thunderbirds; Area 52 (Image Comics); Allan Quatermain; The Coming Race; Journey to the Center of the Earth; Cave Carson; Moomin; Maltese Falcon; Monty Python and the Holy Grail; Moby DickThe Story: The Droods are a family that for a long time have been a force for good fighting supernatural evils. Edwin is one of the latest secret agent wizards, who finds himself cast out as a rogue and hunted by his own family. Notes: The date setting is based on events from future novels and the Nightside series. Green connects all of his series within one larger mythology. One might wonder why I have Secret Histories listed in the Nightside entries as a non-horror cross but the Nightside series listed as a horror cross in the Secret Histories series. Edwin Drood is a wizard secret agent, and I don’t consider wizards as horror. They are more fantasy. Nightside exists in a pocket dimension cloaked in eternal darkness, where monsters walk around freely, so it’s more on the horror side. Both really straddle on the line of horror and non-horror, and I made a call. Having said all that, the Secret Histories series still has a large number of horror crosses, giving it a large presence in the Horror Universe nonetheless. This novel has three Lovecraft references. A patient at a hospital for supernatural conditions is the living embodiment of every mystical tome, including the Necronomicon. There is a rumor that the Old Ones are going to rise, to which Eddie’s friend Janissary Jane dismisses as a constant rumor that will never come to pass. The conspiracy against the Droods is linked to the Lurkers on the Threshold from the Lovecraft Mythos. One of Eddie’s enemies has a Kandarian possessing amulet. Kandarian demons are from the Evil Dead series. Eddie has a confrontation with someone who has taken the Hyde formula. Martian Red Weed is seen as a drug. This is from War of the Worlds. Eddie’s witch friend Molly Metcalf talks about the Arcadia Project that turns up again in the Nightside series. The Blue Fairy finds the puzzle box from the Hellraiser series. The Droods have a scalpel once owned by Baron Von Frankenstein. Based on its significance, I’m assuming they mean Victor and not another member of the Frankenstein family. Edwin’s name is a reference to Charles Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood, with a implied family connection. At a hospital for supernatural conditions, there is a time agent whose latest regeneration had gone terribly wrong, turning him inside out. Time agents are from the Doctor Who series, and so are Time Lords who regenerate. However, typically, Time Lords are not time agents, and in fact, the two groups do not care for each other. Perhaps this was a rogue Time Lord who was recruited by the time agents. Eddie has a confrontation with an android from the 23rd century’s Rossum’s Unionised Robots. This is from the play RUR. Eddie’s grandmother suggests that Eddie court Allice Little, who “lives in a world of her own and only comes out for mealtimes. Lots of mealtimes.” This is meant to be Alice Liddel, from Alice In Wonderland, but of course can’t be the same Alice from the original story. It may still be one of the Alices who has been to Wonderland. Girls name Alice have been drawn to Wonderland for a long time. Another suggested match is Penelope Creighton, who may be related to the character named Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward from Thunderbirds. Eddie mentions a time when he broke into Area 52 in the antarctic. This seems to be a reference to the Image Comics series. The drug taduki is from the Allan Quatermain series. Vril Power, Inc. is behind the conspiracy against the Droods. Vril power is from the Coming Race. Eddie compares a trip through the sewers to the explorers who took the Journey to the Center of the Earth and to Cave Carson. The Blue Fairy also finds a stuffed Moomintroll and the Maltese Falcon. Eddie and Molly when choosing the form of their weapon, have the choice of the Holy Hand Grenade of St. Antioch. At Drood Hall is a scrimshaw carved apparently from Moby Dick.



2009 to 2010--DOLLHOUSE--The antagonist corporation, Rossum Corp., is named after the play.

2035 A.D.--OUTER LIMITS--"I, Robot"--In the 1995 science fiction series  The Outer Limits , in the remake of the "I, Robot" episode from the original 1964 series, the business where the robot Adam Link is built is named "Rossum Hall Robotics".

23rd Century--BLAKE'S 7--"The Syndeton Experiment"--The 1999  Blake's 7  radio play The Syndeton Experiment included a character named Dr. Rossum who turned humans into robots.