Television Crossover Universe

In case you haven't figured it out, THAT'S OUR RALPH! is a completely made up TV series.  It was an April Fool's Day prank.  It was a lot of fun trying to create a fake TVCU blog that seemed real, and I thought I'd share the process. The title--I was really trying to capture the essence of the early 1980s, and the numerous really bad failed sitcoms that I remember.  Thus I came up with this generic, cheesy title that just seemed perfect for the type of show I was trying to represent.   The premise--Using that logic, I created a show that was the typical sitcom trope of that era, which had come before and still exists, but really seemed to populate the 1980s.  A man who is kind of the dumb, scheming family man, with the smart nagging wife, and cute, generic kids.   The picture used for the show's star is a generic picture I found in a Google images search.  I have no idea who this guy is.  But he's absolutely not Billy Stiper. In fac...

A little known series from the 1980s, That's Our Ralph! aired on NBC in 1982 for just six episodes as a mid-season replacement.  It didn't do well enough to be picked up for a second season, and the show has been mostly forgotten.  And yet, as far as crossovers go, it has made a huge impact on the TVCU and pop culture in general. The series was set in an unnamed suburb, featuring wacky dad Ralph Wiggum, his wife Nancy, and children Scotty and Lucy.  Ralph was played by stand-up comedian Billy Stiper, a graduate of Second City.  Nancy was played by Jill Larson, better known for her soap work. The kids were little known at the time but have become big names since.  Scotty was played by Ethan Hawke in his first role.  Lucy was played by the adorable little Alyson Hannigan. The basic premise was that Ralph would typically screw up in some way, in the classic tropes, like forgetting an anniversary or lying so he can go bowling.  It was a real...

This blog is coming to you thanks to the inspiration from Gordon's last blog. WARNING:  THERE IS CONFLATION OF EVERY TIME JERRY SEINFELD HAS PLAYED HIMSELF IN A FICTIONAL SETTING. 1979 to 1988--SEINFELD--Buzsla and Ollu are living in separate apartments in the same building in New York City.  Buzsla has taken the name of Cosmo Kramer, and Ollu is now Newman.  While Kramer becomes good friends with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Newman can't stand him.  In the final episode, Jerry Seinfeld, George (really Larry David), Elaine, and Kramer are on their way to Hollywood when NBC wants to make a show based on the four of them, called Jerry.  But circumstances wind them up in jail with a 10 year sentence.  Fortunately, they get out after just a few months, thanks to NBC execs.  The show does get picked up, but the name is changed to the Seinfeld Chronicles for the pilot, then simply Seinfeld for the series.  The show airs from 1989 to 1998.  This isn...

Updated to incorporate the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia. OK, now I'm going to get some flack here.  I just got down telling people I don't like to conflate characters based on Same Actor Theory, but I'm going to do it here, but it really makes sense to do so here, and I will do my best to make it work. 1952--During this year, I postulate that two cousins were born.  Identical cousins.  Hey, this is a very common phenomenon in the TVCU, as demonstrated by many, many TV shows.  So these two cousins who are born are the children of two sisters, Mrs.  Baracus and Mrs. Lang.  Both of them have of course the same maiden name, which starts with a T.  The two children go on separate paths.  One will become known as Bosco "Bad Attitude" Baracus and will join the military and become a hero.  Meanwhile "Clubber" Lang will enter into the sports world, sometimes using the stage name of Mr. T.  Sometimes, with or without permission, B.A. will...