Elsewhere" Dwayne McDuffie at the Los Angeles premiere of "All Star Superman" This is not likely the case (I'm not going to search for links to autism websites for this answer), but for writers looking for some weird ending for their show (other than "it was all a dream"), the idea of a child imagining the world of St. Is it positing that the hopes and the fears and the suffering we endure in our lives are being watched by a deity who is interested and all-knowing but who can only gaze in at us and never interfere in our tribulationswhere in all the world but an under-resourced hospital in the planets richest nation could the question of such a beings love or cruelty be more pressing? Elsewhere" and "Oz," and, as Gow tells it, "It was that little connection that spawned a thousand other connections -- references to fictional airlines, companies, nods from one series to another.". The strange thing that occurs to me when thinking about the show was how temporary it seemed, mused Begley, who spent the last six years matching wits--and losing--with William Daniels, who played St. Eligius Hospitals cranky chief of surgery, Mark Craig. One example: "Episodes where reality shows exist within a fictional sphere are not included (such as the 'X-Files'/'COPS' crossover and the 'Chicago Hope'/'Entertainment Tonight' crossover). In the moments before hes expected to announce the fate of the hospital, Auschlander suffers a catastrophic stroke off-screen and is discovered dead, with the cast gathering for a mournful goodbye. But [executive producers] Tom Fontana and John Masius and Bruce Paltrow didnt want just a normal ending. Elsewhere; by extension this hypothesis can be extended to include the science fiction program The X-Files and the Law & Order franchise (due to various crossovers with characters from Homicide, in particular Det. Elsewhere was a solid drama that gave a boatload of great actors some steady work for a few years, but it will always be a peculiar show for that final detail. STEPHEN FURST (Dr. Elliot Axelrod): I thought it was kind of cool, actually. Therefore, the commercial also does homage to the Newhart finale, as Larry Culpepper's presence from a previous Dr Pepper ad campaign references Bob Newhart's psychiatrist from The Bob Newhart Show appearing in The Last Newhart. Elsewhere--a derisive nickname for the aging South Boston medical facility--was never healthy in the ratings. This year, Ken Lowe is revisiting some of the most influential TV shows that made it to an officially planned final episode. St. Dr Pepper includes an homage to Tommy Westphall's snowglobe in its 2021 advertising campaign. Theyre more interested in the colossal mind-fuck that is the Tommy Westphall Universe. John Munch). That would surely lead to spreadsheets the size of walls: Weyland-Yutani is the company behind the machinations of the Alien franchise. Westphall sits down next to Tommy and says, "I don't understand this autism thing, Pop. Elsewhere to end the way it did? NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff is fond of defining quality television as something that starts with low ratings and ends with a cat meowing--a reference to programs produced by MTM Enterprises, which end with a kitten logo in a sly takeoff on MGMs roaring lion. As Gow and Crowe assembled their chart, comics writer Dwayne McDuffie (Static Shock) wrote a blog entry for Slush.com in 2002 that made a similar observation. It wasnt darker than reality, he said. Elsewhere,' It's Goodbye (or Is It?) I saw it as a show about people struggling to answer lifes ridiculous questions--sometimes they would do it in a comic way, sometimes they would do it in a serious way, said Tom Fontana, one of the shows core group of writers and producers, who served as a creative consultant this season. Elsewhere. Why does the husband leave the family in The Others? Be sure to join us next time as we look back on an even more esoteric final episode of an even more esoteric show: The Prisoner! Kenneth Lowe is a regular contributor to Paste TV. Elsewhere 's characters appear in Tommy's dream doesn't mean they don't also Six years . Elsewhere by the residents and the surrounding community, the place has a reputation as a rathole. They remember it because of young Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen)the autistic son of Dr. Westphall, who was a recurring character on the show. Can I use my Coinbase address to receive bitcoin? Elsewhere" that the whole show had been in the character Eligius. Elsewhere characters got the business from Carla while drinking at Cheers, the bar from, uh, Cheersand therefore, Frasier, a spinoff, must also exist somewhere in that snow globe. Paltrow noted that the shows bleak vision was deliberate. Elsewhere, like basically every television series that is set in the present day, had crossover episodes or cameos with other popular shows. The fictional brand or company thing is also Fontana's fault. wouldnt exist in the form they did without. Is there a weapon that has the heavy property and the finesse property (or could this be obtained)? And I was very upset. Its been observed that much of American primetime TV has been about cops and the sex lives of doctors. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. And Ed Flanders, who portrayed Dr. Donald Westphall, made his last appearance before leaving the regular cast early this season (he returns in the final episode) by mooning the camera. This means that all of those series and other media thatthey referenced in-universe, which in the case ofThe Simpsons is ridiculously extensive technically take place in the same universe asSt. They needed a way to end the show It was a provocative ending. The show was a proving ground for actors you have seen in a million things before or since: Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel were easily the most recognizable, but there were also ringers like Mark Harmon, David Morse, Ed Begley Jr., Bruce Greenwood, Ronny Cox, and not only Mr. Feeny himself (William Daniels), but his wife (real and fictional) Bonnie Bartlett. The shows one truly lasting and iconic The commercial titled "Off Season" features the cast of the mock sitcom "Fansville" discussing their purpose after the conclusion of the college football season. Since Dr. Turner and Dr. Ehrlich are figments of Tommys imagination that means when they visit the Homicide universe, that it too is part of Tommys world. ERIC LANEUVILLE (Luther Hawkins): I look back on it now and say Well, it kinda worked. When I first saw it, I had some real reservations about it. God love him."[9]. Can my creature spell be countered if I cast a split second spell after it? Elsewhere, by only a few degrees, to a startling number of TV shows and movies. Elsewhere into Homicide.". Movies & TV Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for movie and TV enthusiasts. WebYet, in the ending of St. The thing Im proudest of is the overall balance of the comedy to the drama; the counterpoint of that really grew and grew.. What is the rationale/justification for ending the series this way? Elsewhere" writer Tom Fontana began writing connections between his shows using fictional products and companies. And listen, we set such a bar, its hard to top it to make that ending satisfy a lot of people. Elsewhere" that the whole show had been in the character Westphall's dream. Gow and Crowe have an elaborate system of rules for what shows can and can't be included in the list, which they shared with HuffPost and can now be seen on their site's latest update. On this day in 1988, TV viewers saw one of the most famous and perhaps the most debated series finales in TV history. Elsewhere's finale, titled "The Last One," aired on May 25, 1988, and the bulk of its narrative was concerned with the requisite deaths, departures, transfers, and tying up of loose ends that one might expect. All of it, McDuffie said, proved his own Grand Unification Theory that everyone and everything seen on TVexcept for the few minutes viewers spent with Tommy Westphall in May 1988is just a daydream. Lloyd, whose Dr. Auschlander was supposed to die years ago but enjoyed a miraculous remission, is even more hopeful. WebThe problem that I see with the ending is that they explained away the whole show as the daydreams of an autistic child's imagination. Dedicated fans attempting to chase down every connection toSt. Elsewhere is not a great place to work or convalesce. In fact, for all its success, most aspects of St. Elsewhere have dropped out of the cultural lexicon entirelyexcept for one. Elsewhere, which established a defiant tradition of baiting the NBC censors, blurring the line between the real and the surreal, tantalizing the alert viewers with inside jokes and subtle references to literature, television and pop music lyrics, going precariously far out on a limb and then deliberately chopping it off. Birth! They tried to really think outside the box the box in this case being that little television box of the 80s and they did something so different. Seated in a rocking chair is none other than Dr. Auschlander only that's not quite right. St. The whole circus is overseen by Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders), with Dr. Daniel Auschlander (Norman Lloyd) and Dr. Mark Craig (Daniels) rounding out the experienced older set of doctors helping the residents learn the ropes. Does the 500-table limit still apply to the latest version of Cassandra? Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? It was a show that never did amazing in the ratings, but it held on because it was always pressing the boundaries of what was okay on TV, bringing up issues that werent even being discussed. Contemporary television writers have even bought in to Gow and Crowe's theory. That kind of anguish you just cant transmit. The Westphall universe just keeps expanding out in that manner from there, getting bigger and bigger in the same way as a snowball rolling downhill, which is appropriate considering Tommy's snow globe. That is quite a choice. They did very unusual, bold things and did it regularly. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. It was certainly something no other network would put up with. Elsewhere characters Dr. Roxanne Turner (Alfre Woodard) and Dr. Victor Ehrlich (Ed Begley Jr.) appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Due to crossovers and shared universes between shows, almost every popular TV show exists within the dream of one character from the '80s. Elsewhere seemed like an easy out. Thats really cool for a teenager. Elsewhere was a show that got by largely on the strength of its ensemble, running for six seasons from 1982-88. Syndication used to be the method by which we would see old scripted shows, and a shows rep needed to be good enough for you to stop flipping channels if you happened to land on an episode (. Elsewhere truly shook things up A Weyland-Yutani ship is seen in the BBC series Red Dwarf, which also depicted The Doctors TARDIS. A long-term member of the Screen Rant family, Michael looks forward to continuing on creating new content for the site for many more years to come. In the last episode's final two scenes, Donald Westphall having just returned to St. Eligius is shown in Dr. Auschlander's office pondering the recent death from stroke of his colleague and mentor. Characters from Homicide crossed over with multiple series, including The X-Files, Law & Order, The Wire and Arrested Development, with Richard Belzer's John Munch being the most frequent culprit. Composition by Dave Grusin Elsewhere was the father of the modern medical drama, establishing a format that's been followed by pretty much every serial fitting of that description to come after it. "[Fontana] was fond of putting in references to previous shows he worked on, including bringing characters from St. Web"Cora and Arnie". If it were just a solid hospital show, it would be a popular back catalog binge watch, but its a part of TV history for two reasons: its novel approach to the hospital drama, and. It is underfunded, understaffed, crowded, and running on fumes. Elsewhere was a hospital drama where we, the audience, are invited to feel and think along with the patients, the families and the medical staff. Why is it shorter than a normal address? Much of the humor between characters is gallows humor. The St. Share. Death! Beginnings and endings are important in all forms of fiction, but Id argue especially so in scripted television. Brian Weatherson, professor of philosophy at Cornell University, wrote a piece, "Six Objections to the Westphall Hypothesis", which challenges the logical, factual, and philosophical basis for the existence of the "universe".[10]. The Tommy Westphall universe hypothesis is an idea discussed among some television fans, it makes the claim that not only does St. But because we set a bar, it was just hard to really top that I wish I could say that I loved it. Despite its high standing among TV critics, St. Here's my son, I talk to him, I don't even know if he can hear me. Elsewhere signed off after six seasons on May 25, 1988, more than a few viewers were saddened. There are other possible interpretations of Tommy's "vision" which may suggest something other than the entire series being his dream. That series' creator, Joss Whedon, also createdFirefly, in which it's established that Wolfram and Hart had also represented a mega-corporation by the name of Weyland-Utani. Elsewhere. So you pick your horse and place your bet. For example, take thatCheers crossover. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? For indeed, St. [3][4] The following exchange occurs: Grandfather: "Good. rev2023.4.21.43403. would not look or feel the same without its influence and success. There are oodles of ways to end a TV series. But I think now weve got the toe tag on, and were in the drawer, and its sealed and locked., St. Both shows took a grittier and more realistic approach to their drama. Is it safe to publish research papers in cooperation with Russian academics. At one point, St. Elsewherefollowed its flawed, relatable characters over multi-episode storylines and even season-long arcs. I think the final years story line reflected it, she said, referring to the takeover and makeover of St. Eligius by a wealthy corporation at the outset of the final season. Inside the globe was a tiny mock-up of St. Eligius, the medical center that was featured in the series. Elsewhere. . When NBCs hour-long hospital drama St. Elsewhere signed off after six seasons on May 25, 1988, more than a few viewers were saddened. Not necessarily because the serieswhich had earned 13 Emmy Awards during its runwas ending, but because producers opted for a highly unconventional finale. The show also has connections to series that cameafter it, largely thanks to one of its writers and producers, Tom Fontana. Other people didnt care for it at all. Specific to the Westphall Hypothesis, even if we accept that St. Though they remain philosophical about the loss of St. Fontana was the executive producer and showrunner for Homicide for its entire seven years. I thought it was terrible. Elsewhere was a solid drama that gave a boatload of great actors some steady work for a few years, but it will always be a peculiar show for that final detail. At one point. Elsewhere production team are at work on Tattingers, a new NBC series from MTM slated for St. I think there was a period when last rites were being performed when we could have rallied, he said, his tone clinically matter-of-fact. Mandel, Morse, and Washington are among the core cast of younger doctors that stuck around for the entire show, wringing their hands over their critical patients, racing to respond to someone randomly coding in the hallway, or occasionally banging in the morgue. My character died in the second-to-last episode, but I was in the last episode in a scene in which Howies character pays a visit to Dr. Axelrods corpse in the morgue. "I prefer character connections, myself," Gow says. Make Room For Daddy takes out I Love Lucy.. They always tried to be out there, beyond the limits of what was being done before. Its an episode of heartfelt goodbyes and dramatic exits. So what happens when an ending goes completely off the rails? ", This means cartoons and late-night shows are notably excluded, but it gets far more specific than that. Elsewhere to a trivial mention in Fontanas biography, if not for the curiosity of a playwright named Keith Gow. Review/Television; Ed Flanders as Dr. Westphal in, "Six Objections to the Westphall Hypothesis", "Director Ben Wheatley Talks 'High-Rise', 'Doctor Who', 'Free Fire' and More at TIFF", "NewsRadio (TV Series) Daydream (1996) Trivia", Other arguments against the Tommy Westphall Universe, Association for Science in Autism Treatment, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (Jamaica), The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son, Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger's Syndrome, Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tommy_Westphall&oldid=1148529078, Fictional characters on the autism spectrum, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 18:38. Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. was never a huge ratings hit, but it had a loyal following, won awards, and remained well-regarded in the years following its final curtain call. Elsewhere was a figment of Tommy Westphalls elaborate imagination, then wouldnt other television characters who appeared in the shows continuity exist only within Tommy's mind, as well? More: Why The X-Files Season 12 Never Happened. In 1988, though, St. Fox doesnt think hell live to be 80: Every day its tougher. WILLIAM DANIELS (Dr. Mark Craig): I was shocked, actually. If a person dreams about visiting London and meeting Gordon Brown, it does not follow that because the city of London and Gordon Brown appeared in a dream, they do not exist in real life. Marriage! And then I saw it and I thought, Its too much. A surprise to everybody. The suggestion is that the entire series was a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination but if that's true, then what it implies is nothing short of jaw-dropping. What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? Syndication used to be the method by which we would see old scripted shows, and a shows rep needed to be good enough for you to stop flipping channels if you happened to land on an episode (ooh! Elsewhere to another series likely has additional connections of its own and for a sterling example of this, look no further thanHomicide. It was not right for us to say, You should lose more money. . Arrow is also included, which means all subsequent Arrowverse shows also tie back to Westphall. It is underfunded, understaffed, crowded, and running on fumes. You can and should thank Keith Gow and Ash Crowe for being the keepers of this theory for over a decade, managing what has become the official website. The Show What are the advantages of running a power tool on 240 V vs 120 V? After six seasons of letting those within the hospital doing the hard work of being human and showing humanity it was our turn. And because I cant tell you I have a better idea of how it couldve ended, I can live with that one. [3][5][6] According to Lindsey Freeman, the narrative framing of Tommy's imagination as within a snow globe occurs because, as an "oneiric and mnemonic gadget", a snow globe "often finds itself as a companion piece to the dream sequences found in television and movies". ), I expect a very mixed reaction, Bruce Paltrow, one of the show's executive producers, told the Chicago Tribune in 1988. I think some people will think it's extraordinary and existential and quintessential St. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. You can make up your own line what it means. But for others, it was a stroke of inspiration. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. Weatherson's fifth objection holds that the appearance of a person or event in a dream does not mean the person or event cannot exist in real life. If you're viewing this list on a mobile device, use this link to the web that allows for zooming. Please feel free to submit articles to enhance the knowledge, acceptance, understanding and research of Autism and ASD. EW gathered a dozen members of the cast for a photo shoot and asked them to reflect on the years they spent making this provocative, eccentric, beloved show, which you can check out in our third-annual Reunions Issue.
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