Not even an undercover CIA agent enjoys hearing their alias has to pretend to follow the Calgary Flames
This clip was from the September 30, 2012 season premier episode of “Homeland” on Showtime, so it’s a little old, but still neat to see hockey and an NHL team referenced in this show. Too bad it had to be the Calgary Flames that got the mention. Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?
UPDATE:
It appears that this Flames mentioned in a spy show may not be as random as once thought — MacGyver, perhaps the greatest spy/secret agent of them all, was a Calgary Flames fan, and mentioned the team and often wore their apparel on the show.
It’s odd that Mac was a Flames fan, as his fictional biography notes he was born in Minnesota — which would suggest that he should have aligned with the North Stars. They arrived in Minnesota in 1967, when MacGyver was 16; which is a good age to solidify an allegiance to a team. The Flames didn’t move to Calgary from Atlanta until 1980, when he was 29. And there are no mentions of MacGyver cheering for the Atlanta Flames in the series, only the Calgary version.
Attempts to find the actor that played MacGyver, Richard Dean Anderson, aligned with any particular NHL team have proved inconclusive. Though it is well documented that he used to play as a kid, and continues to be involved in hockey through charity games and such.
But more to the Homeland correlation — the most plausible rabbit trail to follow is that Homeland actors Morena Baccarin (aka Jessica Brody) and Diego Klattenhoff (aka Mike Faber) both acted alongside Richard Dean Anderson (aka MacGyver) on Stargate SG-1 at different periods. Anderson was there as Jack O’Neill from 1997-2007, Baccarin appeared as “Adria” in six episodes from 2006-2007, and Klattenhoff appeared as “Team Leader” in one episode in 2005. Faber is also Canadian (born in Nova Scotia), so there’s that too. It’s believable that MacGyver/hockey/the Flames may have come up in conversation between any combination of the three, and then may have popped into Baccarin or Klattenhoff’s mind at a table read or something when it came time to mention a hockey team in the Homeland episode.
Maybe I should work for the CIA.
Calgary lost again? Some things never change.
(Glove bump to “hocko” on Reddit for picking up on the lead)
Serenity Now Mailbag: On Charlie Sheen and Why Postal Workers Go Crazy.
Welcome to the latest edition of the SDC Blogs’ mailbag. Here’s what’s been on people’s minds as of late:
Letter #1:
Dear Dave,
I would suggest charlie sheen needs to be mentioned in the next SDC blogs.
I successfully ignored Charlie Sheen for the better part of my 28 years, mostly because I never found him that interesting or entertaining. However, with everyone’s latest obsession over him, I actually quite accidentally took in Sheen’s recent 20/20 interview. It was quite a spectacle. What I found most interesting was that inbetween the over-bearing insanity, he would stitch in a few really intelligent quotes here and there that were enough to make you think this guy wasn’t completely gone out of his mind. That in mind, I decided to jot down his quotes from the interview, place them in either a “Crazy”, “Neutral”, or “Intelligent” category, and let the numbers decide his judgment. Walk with me, as we mull over the results:
Crazy
I am on a drug, it’s called “Charlie Sheen”. It’s not available, because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body. Too much?
I woke up and decided that I’ve been kicked around and I’ve been criticized, I’ve been the “aw shucks” guy with this bitchin’ rock star life, and I’m finally just gonna completely embrace it, wrap both arms around it, and love it violently, and defend it violently, through violent hatred.
You’re dealing with a high priest Vatican assassin warlock.
These words come from my grand wizard master.
Stay away from the crack, unless you can manage it socially.
Hey kids, your dad’s a rock star. Look at his experiences. Look at what he survived. There are your lessons.
When you have a highly evolved brain, and you’re trying to roll out your humor… that’s on me.
Last time I took drugs, I probably took more than anyone could survive. I was banging 7 gram rocks and finishing them because that’s how I roll, I have one speed — I have one gear, ‘Go’.
[I survive] because I’m me. I have a different constitution, a different brain, a different heart — I got tiger blood.
You borrow my brain for 5 seconds and just be like, “dude! can’t handle it! Unplug this bastard!” because it fires in a way that isn’t from this particular, terrestrial realm.
If there are drugs in this house, you better find them, and give them to me, immediately.
[in reference to his past drug use and resulting actions] I’m proud of what I created, it was radical.
Yes, I drink water through my eyes.
I’m a peaceful man, with bad intentions.
What makes you a good dad? Everything. Next question.
What’s not to love? Especially if you saw how I party, it was epic. The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards, all of them, all look like droopy eyed, armless children.
Reporter: “Do you two sit down with your daughters and talk about what’s happening?” Sheen: “ No, that’s kinda lame. They’ll wake up one day and realize how cool dad is, and that signs the cheques on the front, not the back, and that we need him, and his wisdom and his bitchin-ness.”
Total Score: 18
Neutral
Dying’s for fools.
We win, so radically in our underwear before our first cup of coffee, it’s scary. People say it’s lonely at the top, but I sure like the view.
I’m not interested in what other people believe, I’m interested in what I believe.
As long as you’re not lying to anybody, and there’s no children involved, then it’s ok. People are going to judge it because they’re so jealous.
I expose people to magic. I expose people to something they’re never otherwise going to see in their boring normal lives.
I’m Bi-winning.
We just win.
They’re the best at what they do, and I’m the best at what I do, and together it’s on.
Total Score: 8
Intelligent
It’s fun, and it’s entertaining, and it sounds different than all the other garbage people are spewing.
Because I’m honest. And I think the honesty shines through in my work and also my personal life. Part of that code is apologizing when you’re wrong.
When you’re people pleasing, your soul is dead.
I don’t care if it’s my dad, or the guy down the street, or someone that fell out of the sky, back off with your judgment.
And then what’s the cure? Medicine? To make me like them? Not going to happen.
Total Score: 5
I’m sorry Charlie, but the numbers don’t lie. You’re bonkers, man.
***********************************************
Letter #2:
Dear Dave,
Why are all post office workers always so sad?
I’m going to let everyone’s favorite United States Postal Worker, Seinfeld’s Newman, field this one, as he can answer it better than anyone:
I think that about wraps it up.
[Revisiting] Time to Go, Leno: The NBC Late Night Lambaste.
So with the Late Night talk-show scene finally, seemingly, settled down and back in place, I thought I might re-visit an old blog I wrote for another site regarding the whole Leno-Conan thing, and then the subsequent Letterman, Kimmel, Ferguson and Fallon aftermath. Currently, Conan’s new TBS show is working EVERYone over, but we’ll see what the ratings say once he’s settled into the middle of the season. He left NBC on top of the ratings, and debuted on TBS on top too, hopefully he can keep up the pace. As we wait for the numbers to roll in, enjoy this blast from the past (you guys get an extra link and a few new pics in this version):
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[originally post on Jan 13, 2010 for campusintel.com ]
Wow, NBC really screwed the pooch on the Late Night scene, didn’t they?
How can you shuffle and promote your hosts up the ranks (Fallon to Late Night, Conan out of Late Night and to The Tonight Show, Leno out of The Tonight Show and then to his own show) the same way that has been done since Late Night comedy shows have been on, find out that your ratings weren’t doing what you thought they would, and then expect all the hosts to react peacefully to your suggestion of a shuffle-back like you were taking a mulligan in golf, and not have a problem with it?
That Tonight Show hosting gig has been the crown jewel for late night talk show hosts since the Johnny Carson era; coveted by many, but obtained by few (originally debuted in 1954 with host Steve Allen). David Letterman was very public about his desire to host the show when Carson was retiring, when he was still hosting the Late Night show that Conan O’Brien inherited sequentially. When he was not chosen as Carson’s successor and Leno was, Letterman took a hike over to CBS and then became The Tonight Show’s direct and main competition, hosting The Late Show. For some reason, all indications were that Leno beat Letterman in the ratings for the 17 years he hosted the show; though I always felt The Late Show was way more entertaining. Which brings me to my next point:
Jay Leno sucks.
I’m sure he’s a nice dude (well, I’m not really sure from personal experience, but he seems like he’d be nice), but I just never liked his show. Anyone who’s had a chance to listen to Howard Stern has likely heard Stern rant about how bad Leno is, how he’s ruined NBC, and how Leno stole a lot of his material and used it on The Tonight Show. The new Jay Leno Show is basically the same show as his Tonight Show routine, just at a different time, and the ratings are tanking; as opposed to when he was on an hour later doing the same material, and ruling the ratings. So what’s the difference? Maybe there’s more to that 11:35 pm EST show time slot that we realize…
Now after a 6 year warning of the switch, and only 7 months into the new lineup, for some reason NBC just expects Conan and Fallon to bump themselves back an hour (keeping the names of their shows) so they can rotate Leno back into the fold at the cushy time slot. Thankfully, Conan balked at the idea, saying in an interview:
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009… I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Why does NBC insist on milking a dry cow (Leno)? Surely it took Leno longer than 7 months to develop a loyal following and ratings spike; how in the world is 7 months long enough for Conan to do the same, especially after they told him for 6 years that he was going to be “the guy” for that show, and all the previous hosts got from 3-30 years at that slot?
The only real solution is that Leno needs to walk away. Look Jay, it’s over. You had your time in the sun; all 17 years of it. You did good. You’re not putting up the numbers that you need to, and now it’s time to move on. Late Night television on NBC is in good hands, and will be fine without you. You’ve got plenty of money, and lots of cars to drive around. If you really have the itch, you can always hit the stand-up circuit. It’s time to pass the torch! Letterman’s better than all of you anyways.
Letterman weighs in on the NBC debacle.
Jimmy Kimmel works over Leno on The Jay Leno Show.
Jimmy Fallon and Craig Ferguson diffuse their war before it starts.