British Television: A TVCU Quickie
What's a quickie? See this blog.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936 as public service free of advertising. Now there is a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channels[nb 1] for consumers as well as on-demand content. There are six main channel owners who are responsible for most viewing. There are 27,000 hours of domestic content produced a year at a cost of £2.6 billion.[nb 2] As of 24 October 2012, all television broadcasts in the United Kingdom are in a digital format, following the end of analogue transmissions in Northern Ireland. Digital content is delivered via terrestrial, satellite and cable as well as over IP.
From me:
It was once proposed that we should just consider all British television to be part of the same shared reality. And indeed, my Doctor Who Universe blog does connect the dots to many other British Shows. But there are still shows from across the pond that are in the TVCU, such as Luther and the Office.
Come join the discussion about British television or other TVCU related topics here.
Here are some articles about the British Toobworld.
TVCU Mini-Chron: (Note that this is not a full chron. It's a only a partial, because, you know, quickie. This is a sampling of British TVCU crossovers. If you know of any British crossovers involving television and film not mentioned in this blog, please feel free to comment below or in the discussion forum mentioned above. I will steal your ideas and place them in the book.)
6th Century--In the earlier days of King Arthur--MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL--Yes, because there are soooooo many crossovers with shows, movies, games, and literature that like to include holy hand grenades and other great bits from this film, I have to conclude that the TVCU Arthur and his knights did indeed have this adventure. Sigh. Note, this quest is the gathering of the knights, but it won't be until later that Swamp Thing helps find it, before the end of Camelot. On the InterShrub shopping website, Larry Tate is listed among the people that can recieive a shrub.
1100--PHINEAS AND FERB--"Excaliferb"--During medieval times, Phineas and Ferb (or, Ferb-a-lot) set off on an epic quest to find the legendary sword, Excaliferb, so they can defeat the evil sorcerer, Malifishmirtz.
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail - When they attempt to cross Professor Poofenplotz bridge, she requires them to answer three questions, just as in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where king Arthur and his knights have to cross the Bridge of Death, where each Knight is forced to answer three questions by the bridge-keeper before they can cross the Gorge of Eternal Peril. The use of SPAM can also be considered a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as it's referenced in the song sung during the Camelot scene. "We eat ham and jam and SPAM a lot!"
1776--VOYAGERS--"Merry Christmas, Bogg"--Phineas and Jeffery visit George Washington, who is planning on siding with the British until the time travelers convince him otherwise.
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 scene exactly, props, costumes, scripts, and all, well, until the Doctor shows up and it all goes to Hell as usual.
March-April 1891--THE GREAT GAME--From Win Scott Eckert's Crossover Chronology: In this novel, the first Professor Moriarty is described as being either the head of a vast criminal network, or the head of the British Secret Service, or both. Of course he denies it. There is a Fat Man named Gottfried Kaspar. In the same chapter we also see a man posing as a priest named Father Ugarti. One of the amateur spies playing at the "Great Game" is named Charles Bredlon Summerdale, who is the second son of a duke. Although she does not appear "onscreen," it is mentioned that Summerdale has a sister named Lady Patricia Templar. She is described as being married to "an energetic young prelate destined someday to become an archbishop, or even, if he had his way, a saint."
A Professor Moriarty novel by Michael Kurland, St. Martin's, 2001. Gottfried Kaspar is obviously based on Sydney Greenstreet's Caspar Gutman from John Huston's filmed version of The Maltese Falcon. For our purposes, we may postulate that the man in The Great Game is the father of Caspar Gutman. The variations on the name "Caspar" can be viewed as a series of aliases used by this father and son throughout their shady careers. Ugarti is the name of Peter Lorre's character in Casablanca. Again, it can't be the same man, but is likely his father. Thus, there are crossover connections between this novel, The Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca.
Researcher Dennis Power postulates that Summerdale's sister and her husband, Mr. Templar, must have emigrated to South Africa sometime between 1891 and the Boer War. The young prelate, Mr. Templar, died in the Boer war in 1899. His widow, Mrs. Templar, took up with A.J. Raffles and bore a child, giving him the name Simon Templar. Please follow this link to Dennis Power's site for more information; see also Brad Mengel's The Incredible Raffles Clan. Thus, the young prelate has no connection to Simon Templar other than his name and the allusion that Kurland makes by using the name Templar.
Moriarty denies being the head of the British Secret Service, but if his denial is false, it certainly dovetails nicely with the events revealed in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1898) and also fits in with a theory of layers upon layers within the British Secret Service.
In The Great Game, the British Secret Service in 1891 is practically non-existent. A high British official says that since Britain is not training and fielding real agents, many young men of idle means have stepped up to become "amateur" agents in foreign lands, operating with the knowledge of Britain, but without a truly official sanction. That's the first layer.
I would postulate that the second layer is the group headed by Mycroft Holmes and sometimes headquartered at The Diogenes Club. This is the same operation seen at work in the Quinn Fawcett books, as well as in Andy Lane's All Consuming Fire and in Kim Newman's Seven Stars. Charles Beauregard is also a part of this group. This operation is fairly secret and is not widely known even among most high British officials. Hence the British official's contention in The Great Game that Britain is fielding only amateur agents.
Next is the third layer, which is the ultra top secret "black ops" Secret Service group controlled by the first Professor Moriarty, as seen in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Before 1891, Moriarty never had any offices in any official British building and operated out of his home on Russell Square, as seen in The Great Game (as well as many more secret lairs). Before 1891, he was both a criminal mastermind and in charge of the British black ops group. After 1894, Moriarty moved into the offices at Whitehall (seen in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and his activities became more open, so that by 1898, Mycroft Holmes knew of Moriarty's role in the Secret Service, although he was powerless to do anything about it. For more on the British Secret Service, please see Brad Mengel's Keeping Secrets.
September 1909--YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES--"British East Africa, September 1909"--Young Indy meets Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt has met Sherlock Holmes and also has appeared on BRONCO, THE VIRGINIAN, THE MUPPET SHOW: SEX AND VIOLENCE, BRET MAVERICK, VOYAGERS, THE GAMBLER RETURNS: LUCK OF THE DRAW, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH, and FUTURAMA.
Summer 1925--INDIANA JONES AND THE DANCE OF THE GIANTS--Indy finishes grad school (more realistically since he only had one adventure away from school during his grad school time.) He gets his first teaching job in London. Indy researches the origins of Stonehenge and finds a druid conspiracy in British Parliament.
December 26, 1952--M*A*S*H--"Twas the Day After Christmas"--This should be the last Christmas in Korea. Inspired by a British military tradition, the officers and enlisted change places for the day.
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 to Present--CORONATION STREET--Is connected thanks to a BBC fundraising event. See http://toobworld.blogspot.com/2011/01/ntas-natural-temporal-anomalies.html
Summer 1967--ROVER # 5--"Encounter at Night"--Number 6 is walking alone on the beach at night when suddenly DOCTOR OMEGA shows up in his TARDIS and offers to take him along as his companion. Number 6 declines, as he can't leave until he figures out the secret of the Village and destroys it. (Note that Doctor Omega is the Doctor from the DOCTOR WHO UNIVERSE.)
1968--GET SMART--"Run, Robot, Run"--Two evil British agents are posing as Steed and Peel.
1972 to 1985--ARE YOU BEING SERVED?--This quintessentially British sitcom is about Grace Brothers, a department store in London which is owned and kept traditional, almost pre-war (e.g. precise dress code for ladies frills and gentlemen's hats according to rank), by two brothers who look old enough to have fought in the Boer war but rarely appear, as most scenes play on one floor where Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold is the executive (meaning he enjoys an endless parade of foxy but stupid secretaries) in charge of management while his dignified floor walker, Captain Stephen Peacock, has daily charge over two small sales teams. The fat and bossy, implicitly man-hungry widow Mrs. Betty Slocombe supervises the attractive Miss Shirley Brahms (with a terribly common Cockney accent) -with first choice of customers, on commission- the sale of women's clothes and accessories; the sales star at the gentleman's side is Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humpries... Written by KGF Vissers on IMDB.com. See http://toobworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleary-theory-follow-up.html to learn how this fits into the Whoniverse.
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 (NOVEL BY GREG COX)--Gary Seven is a human agent of aliens with an interest in protecting Earth from itself and Roberta Lincoln is his human assistant. A secret project has been created to engineer supermen. One particular product, Khan Noonien Singh, rises above the rest, and makes an attempt at world conquest. Gary Seven and Khan were both introduced in separate episodes of Star Trek, both having originated in the 20th century. Gary Seven’s appearance was meant to be a pilot for his own series which sadly never came to be. Khan was said to have conquered a quarter of the planet by the 1990s in the Eugenics Wars, an event that eventually of course never came to pass in the real world, so this is a wonderful story reconciling how it could have still happened without drastically altering the real world timeline from Star Trek’s history of our time period. In the story, Roberta refers to an encounter with robot housewives in Connecticut, a reference to the events of the Stepford Wives. One of the workers at the Eugenics Project is a sallow bug-eyed man called Mr. Eyegor. This is the same Igor (pronounced Eyegor) from Young Frankenstein. Another worker is Maggie Erickson, engaged to a man named Walsh. Which means eventually she would take his name and become Maggie Walsh. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Maggie Walsh is the head of a project that creates super soldiers to capture demons, which she uses to create her ultimate super-soldier, Adam. There is also a reference to Frankenstein, as in the original version. Other crossovers in the book include: Avengers (TV), Six Million Dollar Man; The Pretender; Beauty and the Beast (80s TV); Bionic Woman; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Modesty Blaise; Knight Rider; The Equalizer. One final issue to bring up is regarding future stories. There are several stories linked to the Television Crossover Universe that take place in the future. Star Trek and Alien are both in. Plus, there are plenty of others. But ST and Alien are the main two. And they are both pretty different in portraying how events of the future unfold. (Most of the other stories can easily fit in one of those main two timelines). I like to think of a timeline as one in which at any point, there is always a now. Looking backwards, there’s only one history. But looking forward, there is an infinite number of possibilities and thus an infinite number of future timelines, all that branch off of the present day Television Crossover Universe.
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/
1985 to Present--EASTENDERS--A Doctor Who/Eastenders crossover aired on BBC as part of their fundraising event.
December 1990--EASTENDERS--Santa appears.
1992 to 2004--ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS--Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy drive Eddie's sensible daughter, Saffron, up the wall with their constant drug abuse and outrageous selfishness. Numerous in-jokes and heavy doses of cruel humour have made this series a cult hit in the UK and abroad.Written by Alexander Lum <aj_lum@postoffice.utas.edu.au> on IMDB.com. See http://toobworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/cleary-theory-follow-up.html to learn how this fits into the Whoniverse. Note that Edina and Patsy appear on ROSEANNE, but it turns out to be a dream (just like the DOOGIE HOWSER) crossover, so it's likely AbFab is a show in her universe that she is familiar with thus dreaming about it. She actually dreams about characters from TV and movies often. So Roseanne is not in the Whoniverse (and she's not in the TVCU either, just for the record.)
December 1992--EASTENDERS--Santa appears.
2001 to 2003--THE OFFICE (U.K.)--A reality show is filmed in England about a paper company. It is short lived but successful for a while. Office manager David Brent let's the fame go to his head.
December 2002--EASTENDERS--Santa appears.
2004--EASTER OF WASPS--James Bojaciuk has informed me that [t]he 8th Doctor mentions meet[s] Tarzan in the novel Eater of Wasps. (Note that though the Doctor lives in the Doctor Who Universe, he has traveled to the TVCU many times in the past, via a rift in Cardiff. Since the Time War, it has been more difficult, but not impossible, for him to cross over.)
November 2004--ALIAS--Season 4--"The Awful Truth"--aired January 12, 2005--A song is playing at a party by the band Driveshaft, which is a fictional band of which one of the stranded castaways from LOST was a member. Charlie Pace was that band member. In addition to being a rock star, he had once tried to settle down to a normal job, applying for a job with Wertham-Hogg, the paper company featured in the British reality show called THE OFFICE.
Summer 2005--DON'T--Edgar Wright's contribution, Don't, was produced in the style of a 1970s' Hammer House of Horror film trailer.[12] The trailer featured appearances from Jason Isaacs, Matthew Macfadyen, singer Katie Melua, Lee Ingleby, Georgina Chapman, Emily Booth, Stuart Wilson, Lucy Punch, Rafe Spall, Wright regulars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and a voice-over by Will Arnett.[8][13] Mark Gatiss, MyAnna Buring, Peter Serafinowicz, Michael Smiley and Nicola Cunningham (who played the zombie "Mary" in Shaun of the Dead), among others, made cameo appearances though they eventually went uncredited. To get the necessary 1970s' look, Wright used vintage lenses and old-style graphics. During editing, he scratched some of the film with steel wool and dragged it around a parking lot to make it appear neglected by wayward projectionists.[8] According to Wright, "In the '70s, when American International would release European horror films, they'd give them snazzier titles. And the one that inspired me was this Jorge Grau film: In the UK, it's called The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue. In Spain and in Italy, I think it's called Do Not Speak Ill of the Dead. But in the States, it was called Don't Open the Window. I just loved the fact that there isn't a big window scene in the film—it's all based around the spin and the voiceover not really telling you what the hell is going on in the film."[6] On the Charlie Rose talk show, Quentin Tarantino also pointed out another aspect of American advertising of British films in the 1970s that is being referenced—none of the actors have any dialogue in the trailer, as if the trailer was intentionally edited to prevent American viewers from realizing that the film is British.[14]
October 2005--DRAWN TOGETHER--"The One Wherein There is a Big Twist Part 2"--
- Among those interviewing to be the new cast member are SPEEDY GONZALES, WILMA FLINTSTONE, the animated giant foot from MONTY PYTHON and MORTAL COMBAT's Scorpion. Also seen are resumes of Blossom and Buttercup of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, Ookla the Mok from THUDARR THE BARBARIAN, and Tommy Pickles from RUGRATS.
June 25, 2006--CHILDREN'S PARTY AT THE PALACE--Bad guys steal the Queen's handbag, and must be retrieved. Crossovers include: WINNIE THE POOH, HARRY POTTER, MARY POPPINS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, THE BFG, THE WITCHES, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, PETER PAN, NODDY, BLUE PETER, ANGELINA BALLERINA, DENNIS AND GNASHER, POSTMAN PAT, THE GRUFFALO, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, ROBIN HOOD, TRACY BEAKER, HORRID HENRY, JUST WILLIAM, ROXIE HART, VELMA KELLY, CHICAGO, GREASE, ME AND MY GIRL, BEATRIX POTTER, MR. BLOBBY, BURGLAR BILL, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, 101 DALMATIONS, QUEEN OF THE PIRATES, OWL AND THE PUSSY CAT, SNOWMAN, and PADDINGTON BEAR. This tale takes place throughout time and alternate realities, but the main events begin in 2006 of the TVCU, I believe. I'll say that in England apparently is one of those blurred areas where the TVCU and Looniverse connect, as seen in the Children in Need video which features British toons, but also Scooby, Shaggy, and Ben 10. Of those listed, the TVCU characters are the queen, Wendy (but is she shown in her proper time?), Robin Hood (same question), Harry Potter, maybe Mary Poppins (I think there is a link somewhere), Grease (I think is in). It's possible that this could be a link to both realities, and new characters brought in will have to come from whichever is the more logical reality for the character.
2006--THE PINK PANTHER--If sellers and Martin were the same age as their characters, then the younger clouseau would be 20 years younger than the older. Back in those days, it was very likely one came from a large family. So my theory is that Jacques had at least an older brother. We know jacques fought in the resistance, and this probably was the cause of his move from the country to the city and work in law enforcement. Meanwhile following the war his brother remained in the country having a family with at least one son who was named after his uncle.
The younger Jacques must have grown up hearing of his uncle's exaggerated greatness. His uncle was an inspector, traveling the world chasing the phantom while married to an extremely beautiful woman. Of course the young nephew wanted to enter law enforcement as well, but alas it took him much longer to rise up than his uncle who became chief inspector and saved the world.
Note that I haven't seen all panther films yet, including the ones with clouseau's son, so I don't know of that affects my theory. Note also the Clouseau meets British agent 006, and Clouseau says the means he's one step from the big time, meaning he knows about James Bond. It's clear that Bond is a real person in this reference.
February 2009 to November 2010--LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT--"Transitions/Crush/Wannabe/Trophy"--There's a new defense attorney, named Miranda Pond. She looks like the woman in this first picture. In the DOCTOR WHO UNIVERSE, there is a time traveler with a long life span named River Song, though she was born Melody Pond. She looks like the second picture. River spent some time trying to hide from the authorities of her universe, and her husband, the Doctor, himself spent centuries living in the TVCU, and certainly could have showed her how to get there. Don't even get me started on THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. (Third picture).
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.
2009--IRIS WILDTHYME AND THE CELESTIAL OMNIBUS--Iris Wildthyme, a character who originates in the Doctor Who Universe, travels to the TVCU for further adventure where she meets El Santo, now calling himself Senor 105.
June 2010--LUTHER--Luther says to his young officer, "Contact Detective Munch in New York; he works in the Special Victims Unit."
February 2369 to Unknown--STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE--Commander Sisko commands Deep Space Nine, a space station that orbits Bajor and also watches over a wormhole between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. (We're in the Alpha, of course.) The station was once run by the Cardasians, until the Bajorans won their freedom. During the run of the show, many shops and services were located or used on the station. This included the Banzai Institute (still in existence since BUCKAROO BANZAI), Cavor's Gravity Devices (from THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON), Del Floria's Tailor Shop (a front for THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.), Diet Smith Corporation (from DICK TRACY), FORBIN PROJECT, Milliways (from THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE...note that I placed the film version of HITCHHIKERS in the Doctor Who Universe, but the books are in the TVCU), Sirius Cybernetics Corporation (from HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY), Spacely Sprockets (from the JETSONS), Tom Servo's Used Robots, and Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems (again from BUCKAROO BANZAI).
Late September 3002?--FUTURAMA--"Crimes of the Hot"--The horned wizard resembles Tim the Enchanter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Farnsworth says "Ooh, the Jedis are going to feel this one..." a reference to the Jedi from Star Wars. In addition, Dr. Zoidberg says "It's a trap" earlier in the episode, a possible reference to Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi.
Early October 3002?--FUTURAMA--"Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles"--Pazuzu is the name of a wind demon in Babylonian mythology and the demon featured in The Exorcist. The character resembles the statue of Pazuzu from the film of the novel. Leela reads in the book A Child's Garden of Space Stories which can be a refernce to the children book A Child's Garden of Verses. Among the stories Leela reads to the young Planet Express crew is "Charlotte's Tholian Web", a reference to the Tholians from Star Trek, as well as the book "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. Also among she reads some classical childrens book "Snow White Dwarf and the Seven Red Dwarfs" which is a refernce to the popular story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". And also "The Fountain of Aging" which is a refence to the legendary myth about The Fountain of Youth. Pazuzu's relocation to Paris, specifically the Eiffel Tower, is a possible reference to Jeques Tardi's 1976 Graphic Novel "The Demon of the Eiffel Tower", which featured the babylonian demon Pazuzu after which it was named.
November 3011?--FUTURAMA--"All the Presidents' Heads"--When the Planet Express Crew arrive in "West Britannia", a double decker bus is shown stopping across the street from the Planet Express building, right next to a Police Box. A man in a long, colorful scarf gets out of the bus and steps into the Police Box. This is a reference to the British TV show, Doctor Who. The man is a clear reference to the Fourth Doctor (the Fourth Doctor also wore a long, colorful scarf), played by Tom Baker.
51st Century--DOCTOR WHO--"A Good Man Goes to War"--At some point between the present and this era, the immortal bumblers find their way to the Doctor Who Universe through the Rift. Once there, they finally accept that the only true love they have is for each other, and they marry. In the 51st century, they are now only referring to themselves by what many others have for thousands of years: the fat one and the thin one. They have joined a military force that considers the Doctor the enemy. Sadly, the two are beheaded during this event, the one thing that can truly kill the bumblers.
3,002,182--RED DWARF--"Thanks for the Memory"--The TARDIS appears in this episode. See http://www.fortunecity.com/underworld/f22/161/timeline.html for a Red Dwarf timeline.
3,002,385--RED DWARF--"Psirens"--In a ship graveyard is a Weyland-Utani ship. Weyland-Utani is from ALIEN. Weyland-Utani is mentioned on Angel. In this episode an Eagle ship from SPACE: 1999 also appears.
3,002,394--RED DWARF--"Back to Earth"--The Red Dwarf crew end up on CORONATION STREET.
The Far Future--RED DWARF--"Meltdown"--Santa appears.
ALTERNATE REALITIES:
DOCTOR WHO: THE MAN IN THE VELVET MASK--The Doctor for the DOCTOR WHO UNIVERSE travels to this one where there is a French version of the Village with the Marquis de Sade as Monsieur 6.
DOCTOR WHO UNIVERSE--In the novel DEAD ROMANCE, the Time Lords set up a version of the Village on another planet. Since there are no other connections in this universe to the Prisoner, there are a few different possible explanations. 1) The Time Lords may have thought up the idea on their own. 2) They may have seen the TV show. 3) Perhaps the events of the Prisoner also occur in this universe and the Time Lords copied that Village. 4) Perhaps a Time Lord had visited the Village of the TVCU and that is where the idea came from.
NOT SURE HOW TO CLASSIFY THIS--Wayne Campbell, of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE's WAYNE'S WORLD, had a fantasy where he is on Melrose Place. Wayne exists in Skitlandia. (I tried to fit him into the Doctor Who Universe or TVCU due to his meeting a TERMINATOR, but I just couldn't figure why the T-2000 would travel from Los Angeles to Milwaukee, then back to Los Angeles when trying to track Jon Connor.) But this is a fantasy world within the mind of Wayne. Should this even count as an alternate reality? Including it anyways for the sake of completeness.
SKITLANDIA--In this reality, George Washington was pulled forward in time to the 21st century to explain to modern politicians exactly what the forefathers had intended. He was pulled from the years of his presidency. Washington goes into shock over the strange events and attacks and is then killed, altering history so the British had retaken control of America. He also appears on MIND OF MENCIA, apparently at a stage before his untimely
Here's some Poobala entries on British Crossovers
Doctor Who and Torchwood
The Office and the Office
Avengers and the New Avengers
Absolutely Fabulous and Roseanne
From TV Tropes and Wikipedia:
- For one Comic Relief event, British Panel Games Have I Got News for You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and They Think Its All Over crossed over. The product was titled Have I Got Buzzcocks All Over.
TVCU CREW REVIEW
Here's what the Crew has posted lately about British Television.
Two more of those "Did they just make a crossover?" examples from the new Tomorrow People. The hero is told that his kind is called "Tomorrow People". He's told that they didn't choose that name. So that's a connection to the original British version. And it is stated that they are all over the world and could have been around since the early 1970s. Then he's told they are "Homo Superior". "We didn't choose that name either." So that could be a reference to the X-Men.
Not a crossover as such....
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-01-30/vote-for-your-favourite-british-tv-show-to-appear-in-captain-america-sequel-the-winter-soldier
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-01-30/vote-for-your-favourite-british-tv-show-to-appear-in-captain-america-sequel-the-winter-soldier
Vote for your favourite British TV show to appear in Captain America sequel The Winter Soldier
Does anybody know of any leading men characters from British TV shows that were set during WWII who could be considered stellar examples of the Hero? (Earth-born, mortal men, so that leaves out the Doctor and Captain Jack.) There must be somebody who could be considered King Arthur Reborn......
THE ARTHURIAN RECYCLE
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Bonus. The British Horror Crossover Universe!
Bonus. The British Horror Crossover Universe!
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (NOVEL BY H.G. WELLS)
Release Date: 1898 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: War of the Worlds
The Story: Aliens from outer space invade Earth. Eventually, they are defeated, due to their lack of immunities to Earth disease.
HCU Comments: This novel is brought in by many crossovers, as you’ll see in later entries. Though it’s an alien invasion tale, the style of the story also makes it into the horror genre. I know it may be hard to swallow that a world that was invaded by aliens could be the same world of later 20th century horror stories where most of the world believes anything paranormal isn’t real, but the 1980s television series War of the Worlds addresses how the events of the novel, the 1930s radio broadcast, and the 1950s film were all real events in the same shared universe that were covered up and kept from the public.
THE MAN FROM THE DIOGENES CLUB “THE MAN WHO GOT OFF THE GHOST TRAIN” (SHORT STORY BY KIM NEWMAN)
Release Date: 2006 (Setting is 1981)
Series: Diogenes Club
Horror Crosses: Carnacki Ghost Finder; Flaxman Low; The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night; Cursitor Doom
Non-Horror Crosses: Richard Riddle, Boy Detective; Sherlock Holmes; Sir Henry Merrivale; Kim Newman’s Works; Adam Adamant Lives!
The Story: Another adventure of the Diogenes Club.
HCU Comments: The Diogenes Club originated in the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Kim Newman has continued them in their own series. Carnacki is mentioned as having a relationship with the club. It’s also said that whenever Holmes is stumped (because the nature of the case was supernatural, something Holmes was in denial about), he would refer the case to Carnacki. Flaxman Low is perhaps the first occult detective character. He is said to have worked for the club as well. Robert Baldick is another former member of the club. He is from the British television series The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night. Another former member is Cursitor Doom, the star of a British comic book series. Richard Riddle is from another of Newman’s series. Richard Jeperson of the club is named after Riddle. Merrivale was also in the club. He had his own series of detective stories by Carter Dickson. Several other members operated at “Dr. Shade”, who was a character in Newman’s The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories. And a final member is said to be Adam Adamant, who is from the television series Adam Adamant Lives!
COLLIERS MAGAZINE “THE BODY SNATCHERS” (NOVEL BY JACK FINNEY)
Release Date: 1954 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Body Snatchers (novel)
Horror Crosses: Halloween; Phantoms; Memoirs of an Invisible Man; Stephen King Universe; Scream of the Banshee; Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 film)
Non-Horror Crosses: Airwolf; A Friend to Die For; Ben 10; Doctor Who
The Story: In Santa Mira, California, people are starting to act different. It turns out aliens are invading by slowly replacing the inhabitants and taking their forms.
HCU Comments: Though the story seems to imply the invasion was successful, obviously it was thwarted or else the Horror Crossover Universe would have turned out much differently. And in fact, in the Katrina Protocol (aka Voodoo Twilight), it’s revealed the Shop (the secret government agency from Stephen King books) sent in Ohisver van Helsing to take care of the situation. The Body Snatchers will invade again, as other crossovers will bring in the 1970s remake. This novel marks the first appearance of Santa Mira, California, a fictional town that will reappear in Halloween III: The Season of the Witch, Phantoms, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, The Dark Tower, Scream of the Banshee, the first Invasion of the Body Snatchers film adaption, Airwolf, A Friend to Die For, Ben 10, and Doctor Who: The New Adventures. In separate stories, the Doctor, Nathaniel Cade, and one of the van Helsing family have all been said to have been involved in these events behind the scenes.
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE # 173 “PARTY ANIMALS” (MARVEL UK)
Release Date: May 15, 1991 (Setting is era of the Seventh Doctor and companions Ace and Ria, as well as the Fourth and Sixth Doctors, but otherwise indeterminate; there is also a future incarnation of the Doctor who has not yet debuted officially)
Series: Doctor Who
Horror Crosses: Doctor Strange
Non-Horror Crosses: Captain Britain; The Simpsons; Sapphire & Steel; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Axel Pressbutton; Hulk (Comic); Fantastic Four; Timespirits; Dan Dare; Avengers (Television Series); Rocket Raccoon; X-Factor; X-Men; Sub-Mariner; Thor (Comics); Spider-Man; Conan the Barbarian; Death’s Head
The Story: The Doctor and his companions attend a birthday party on a planet within a time vortex.
HCU Comments: The future Doctor was visually based on the actor who played the Doctor in radio dramas. A later story would show the Eighth Doctor regenerate into this future Doctor, only to turn out to be incarnation, only to have been an illusion. Since this party does occur within a time vortex, we can assume each of the crossover characters came from the time period they originate from.
RED DWARF (TELEVISION SERIES)
Release Date: February 15, 1988 - Present at time of writing (Setting is 3 Million A.D.)
Series: Red Dwarf
The Story: In the future, a crew member on a space vessel is disciplined by being placed in suspended animation. When he comes out, he finds everyone has died from radiation poisoning, and he is the sole survivor. Hilarity ensues.
HCU Comments: This is an extremely popular British comedy that I have not found to be funny personally. Nevertheless, it is in the HCU based on the below crossover.
SEASON 6 EPISODE 1 “PSIRENS”
Release Date: October 7, 1993 (Setting is 3,002,385 A.D.)
Horror Crosses: Alien
Non-Horror Crosses: Space: 1999
The Story: The crew have lost their ship, and search an asteroid field where many vessels have been lured by genetically engineered alien psirens.
HCU Comments: One vessel found in the asteroid field is a Weyland-Utani ship. Of course, Weyland-Utani is the company from the Alien film series. Another is the ship from the sci-fi television series Space: 1999. Of course, even if all of these series were in the same timeline, they are from different time periods. Either those ships have been there a long time, meaning the psirens have been doing this for a long time, or else they got there via some time-space wormhole. Regardless, it’s important to remember that all three series exist in possible alternate futures, which may or may not come to pass as the future of the Horror Crossover Universe.
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