Pop Culture: Did You Know? (Useless TV facts, etc.)

[jaybird2001wi]

Did You Know?

...that Family Matters is actually a spin-off of Perfect Strangers? Harriett Winslow was Larry Appleton's elevator operator when he worked as a photojournalist with the Chicago Chronicle
...that Denise Richards of Starship Troopers fame had her second ever acting gig as a woman who faked her own drowning to get a date with AC Slater on Saved by the Bell?
...Family Matters phased Judy Winslow off the show when she said she was going to look for something upstairs but never came back down.
...Hangin' with Mr. Cooper used the same exact living room as Growing Pains did in their pilot episode.
...Bob Saget wasn't the original Danny Tanner, as a no-name actor filmed the pilot, but was replaced and the pilot was re-done with Saget.
...AC Slater accomplished the impossible in Saved by the Bell by lettering in track, wrestling, football, basketball and volleyball all in the same academic year.
...it was rumored that the oldest Brady kid (Greg aka Barry Williams) dated both his television sister (Marcia) and mother (Flo)
...that WKRP in Cincinnati's inspiration was WKRC in Cincinnati, which is still running.
...John Stamos' character in Full House had two different last names, Cochran at the beginning and then later Katsopolis.
...Don Cheadle made himself look youthful as Will's friend from Philadelphia in Fresh Prince.
...the TV show, Coach, used clips of University of Minnesota and Wisconsin Badger games for every "game footage" and changed the college name of the Badgers for every episode.
...Speaking of Coach, how was it possible for the Orlando Breakers to root for the 49ers against the Lions in the Christmas Eve game for the goal of playing an AFC team, the Buffalo Bills?
...In Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Diane Neal (ADA Casey Novak) played a rape suspect in the season prior to being hired as an ADA.
...In Home Improvement, Tim always made fun of Al's mother, and yet her character never appeared in a single episode.
...In the show Who's the Boss, how come a former Major Leaguer in Tony Miceli, who supposedly had money accepted a job as a housekeeper?
...In "That 70's Show," the Brewers are only mentioned once.
...David Spade made his first ever acting experience in Police Academy: 4
...Adam Sandler's first television gig was on the Cosby Show
...Rachel Green on Friends had two sisters, played by Reese Witherspoon and Christina Applegate, yet never heard her mention them throughout the entire rest of the run of the show.

Anyone got anymore?

[hammytime]

Actually, Al's mom was on "Home Improvement". In the episode when Al is ready to propose to Trudy, he first takes his mother to dinner at Sorentino's (sp). You don't see her; you do see her hand, holding some food item, when Tim calls hello from a nearby table. She has a heart attack shortly thereafter, when Al tells her of his intentions.

[bullox]

Quite obvious that the stories were all or mostly fake, but here's what Jerry Springer did to bring in people to act on his show: My cousin was on his show once, she got $500 and a limo ride from the Milwaukee area to Chicago to film the episode. The story: her 'boyfriend' was cheating on her with a man. Not very exciting, but there are the details on compensation.

[Paul77]

Didn't you start a thread almost exactly like this a few months ago? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

[PKBadger]

...Don Cheadle made himself look youthful as Will's friend from Philadelphia in Fresh Prince.

 

Isn't this one a matter of opinion?

 

[bullox]

Didn't you start a thread almost exactly like this a few months ago? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

He's trying to keep people up to date with the useless trivia of decades old TV.

 

[orca1963]

I have heard the reason you don't see WKRP in snydication is because of all the royalties that would have to be paid for the songs played on the radio station.

 

The guy who played Stabler on Law and Order SVU played a rapist on one of the earlier Law and Order episodes.

[TSack27]

And Lt Van Buren on Law & Order orginally appeared as the mother of a shooting victim

[fondybrewfan]

Iwas very happy that ABC Family picked up Family Matters. Was one of my favorite shows growing up. It was in TGIF correct? Along with Step by Step, and other ones I can't remember anymore. Maybe Boy Meets World? I had the hots for Topanga.

 

If Saved by the Bell was a real show I am pretty sure Zack Morris would have been in Juvy about 20 different times and he also wouldn't have any friends.

[jwill535]

If Saved by the Bell was a real show I am pretty sure Zack Morris would have been in Juvy about 20 different times and he also wouldn't have any friends.

Or beaten severely on several different occasions.

-Speaking of Step by Step there is always the non existant theme park that is shown in the begining.

 

- Seven from Married with Children went upstairs and never came down. Explanation was never given on purpose for humor purposes.

[igor67]

In the Macgyver pilot the actor who plays Pete Thorton plays a role in the episode, but does not personally know Macgyver. In fact It takes at least an entire season ( I can't remember exactly) before the Phoenix foundation becomes a recurring part of the show. It is quite a remarkable transformation as essentially all of that first season is inconsistent with the story line of the other 6 seasons. Macgyver was originally a Vietnam vet who was an expert bomb diffuser (among other super spy traits)!

[temke]

Iwas very happy that ABC Family picked up Family Matters.

it is also on nick at nite i believe

 

[Thurston Fluff]

Married With Children was going to have Devine, a favorite of John Waters and star in Pink Flamingo, as a regular in the show but he passed away before he had the chance.

David Faustino didn't get a call back for Bud Bundy but he sneaked in anyway and got the part.

[Mass Haas]

This kind of stuff is avilable via IMDB, in fact I copied these from there. Some of the more interesting items about --

 

Family Ties:

Stars Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter share the same exact birthday: 21 June 1947.

 

The producers originally wanted Matthew Broderick to play Alex P. Keaton, but the actor had to decline the role when his father became terminally ill.

 

Ed O'Neill ("Married with Children") was considered for the role of Steven Keaton.

 

Michael J. Fox added the P. in Alex P. Keaton as an ad-lib in his audition, the writers loved it and kept it. Fox almost didn't get the role of Alex - due to the fact that NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff didn't find it believable that Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross would have a son that was so short.

 

The cast wanted to end the show with the entire Keaton family dying in a plane crash. They absolutely didn't want to do a reunion show in the future.

 

Throughout the series' run, exterior establishment shots of the Keaton home were never used in any of the episodes, which is very unusual for a family sitcom. The vast majority of all scenes were played out in the kitchen.

 

The first few seasons the Keatons lived in Cleveland. Then they lived in Columbus with no explanation ever given.

[jwill535]

In the Macgyver pilot the actor who plays Pete Thorton plays a role in the episode, but does not personally know Macgyver. In fact It takes at least an entire season ( I can't remember exactly) before the Phoenix foundation becomes a recurring part of the show. It is quite a remarkable transformation as essentially all of that first season is inconsistent with the story line of the other 6 seasons. Macgyver was originally a Vietnam vet who was an expert bomb diffuser (among other super spy traits)!

Actaully if I remember correctly Pete was a project head for the CIA or a similar company and left to start the Phoenix foundation and brought Mac along with him.

 

[fondybrewfan]

Saved by the Bell also was in Cleveland there first year correct? The only characters that remained once they moved to Bayside were Zack, Lisa, Screech, and Mr. Belding.

 

Don't even get me started on the College Years. In dorm rooms you can't really have a co-ed suite can you? Plus there were 6 of them living in there, how is that even possible?

 

The Producers of Saved by the Bell just couldn't let the show die. Their Las Vegas wedding was especially awful. Has Zack even worked in Hollywood since then?

[endaround]

Co-ed suites are certainly possible. Many colleges have co-ed floors with shared bathrooms now. Marquette puts 6 freshmen in like closets.

[hammytime]

Zack (aka Mark-Paul Goselaar) is part of the cast on a new courtroom show on TNT, premiering later this month.

[logan82]

AC Slater accomplished the impossible in Saved by the Bell by lettering in track, wrestling, football, basketball and volleyball all in the same academic year

 

That's not to far fetched depending on when volleyball is and the letter requirements for each sport.

[temke]

not a bad resume for preppie:

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004971/

[FVBrewerFan]

Gilligan's Island had an incredible amount of "visitors" for an isolated desert island.

[FVBrewerFan]

Happy Days began with 3 Cunningham children, and soon after Chuck (the oldest) magically dissapeared. No plot to eliminate his character....just gone.

[fondybrewfan]

The wife from King of Queens also made a brief appearance on the show as one of Zack's love interests. Heck that show seems to have been a springboard for careers for everyone except Screech. Screech was just that type of role where he could never move on to something else.

[Fatter than Joey]

Zack (aka Mark-Paul Goselaar) is part of the cast on a new courtroom show on TNT, premiering later this month.

 

He was on NYPD Blue I think -- he was on John from Cincy.

 

Happy Days began with 3 Cunningham children, and soon after Chuck (the oldest) magically dissapeared. No plot to eliminate his character....just gone.

 

There were 2 "Chucks", I always assumed the Fonz murdered Chuck so he could move into that room.

[bucks2281]

Saved by the Bell also was in Cleveland there first year correct?

 

I'm pretty sure the show was set in Indianapolis for the first year.