For Whom the Tinker Bell Tolls

Former television executive and former husband to Mary Tyler Moore, Grant Tinker, died at the spry age of 90.

Tinker toyed with NBC in the early 80s, a time that saw such great shows as Family Ties, Cheers, Manimal,  and The Cosby Show (although, we don’t like to mention that last one so much).

In 1969 he and his then wife, Mary Tyler Moore, started MTM Enterprises (meow) where they hired James L. Brooks… because that’s what you do in TV.  You hire James L. Brooks.

The company’s 1st show was The Mary Tyler Moore Show [a title which was kicked around

Tinker got his NBC job by winning a Johnny Carson look-alike contest.

in development for years], it was moderately successful and some people liked it enough.  The show is known to be reviled in clown communities.

MTM (meow) went on to make shows such as Rhoda (“This is Carlton your doorman.”), The Bob Newhart Show (“Hi, Bob.”), WKRP in Cincinnati (“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”), Hill Street Blues (“Let’s be careful out there.”) and St. Elsewhere (which was really created by an autistic kid holding a snow globe, so they don’t get a lot credit for that one).

After he foolishly divorced Mary Tyler Moore (Because who the hell would divorce her?  She’s fuckin’ awesome!), Tinker left MTM (meow) because, well… awkward…

He became chairman and CEO of NBC trading the “meow” of “bong bong bong.”  He left in 1986 to make way for his replacement, John Francis “Jack” Donaghy.

Tinker then tried to repeat his success with MTM by forming GTG Entertainment (ummm… woof?) but the business venture failed because it was a hollow shell of what can be created with Mary Tyler Moore at your side!  (Dresses be damned!  I’m wearing mother-fuckin carpris,bitch!)

This hit goes to: Josh!  Josh literally pulled this pick out of his ass in the 58th round.  I guess he was at the point in the night where he was like, “Fuck it, I’m Googling ‘old people” and seeing what comes up!”  Because when I told him about his hit, he had no idea who it was.

Though, I can’t fault him.  I don’t know who half of my picks are.  Between me, the obscure names and the alcohol, a thought don’t have much of a chance.

Happy pooling,

SPMI

Current Standings:

Wes: 50 – (Holly Dunn – 50)

Josh: 30 – (Florence Henderson – 20, Grant Tinker – 10)

Gianna: 20 – (Leonard Cohen – 20)

Jami: 10 – (Fidel Castro – 10)

Tailgating w/ Jesus: 10 – (Ralph Branca – 10)

Knots Living

“Gorillas in the Mist” star and “Knots Landing” recurring player, Julie Harris, died at the spry age of 87.

Oh, she also starred in “East of Eden” with James Dean… did I forget to mention that too?

Harris starred in more Hallmark TV movies than any other actress including the classics “Stubby Pringle’s Christmas,” and “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”

Harris was able to parlay her role on “Knots Landing” into a stint on “Family Ties” which lead her to…“The Love Boat?”  Wait.  “The Love Boat” was still on in 1987?  I always thought that “The Love Boat” was safely contained within the confines of the 70s.

Either way, you can see she was a real go-getter!

Harris lived in Chatham, Mass in CapeCode where she worked with the Wellfleet Harbor Actor’s Theater.  She enjoyed belting back bourbon at The Chatham Bars Inn and skinny-dipping in the ocean. But mostly, she liked driving up to Provincetown to go clubbing while on Ecstasy.

Oh, she also did some theater… won five Tony Awards… yadda yadda yadda…

KennedyCenter honoree… you get the gist of it.

This hit goes to: Imaginary Steve!  I’m just gonna say it: “Imaginary” Steve is on “Imaginary” fire!  He now has broken the 3-digit mark and is just 20 points shy of The New Dick in Town!

Can I-Steve get another 80-points in the next 62 days to pull off the win?

I doubt it.

Happy pooling,

SPMI

PS:  I am looking for a typing volunteer for Draft night (on Saturday night, November 2^nd!)  We need someone who can type, but more importantly, someone who can spell.  If I do it again, it will add another 2 hours to the night.

Current Standings:

Dawn-n-Mike – 170 (Oscar Niemeyer – 0, Norman Joseph Woodland – 10,Patti Page – 20, Reg Presley – 30, Hugo Chavez – 50, Frank Thornton – 10 – George Jones – 20, Tompall Glaser – 30)

Babysitter – 140 (Clive Dunn – 10, Ravi Shankar – 10, Margaret Thatcher – 20, Chi Cheng – 60, Pat Summerall – 20, Douglas Englebart – 20)

The New Dick in Town – 120 – (Jack Klugman – 10, Mindy McCready – 70, Jonathan Winters – 20, Jeanne Cooper – 20)

“Imaginary” Steve – 100 (Al Neuharth – 20, Ken Venturi – 20, Art Donovan – 20, Elmore Leonard – 20, Julie Harris – 20)

Joanne – 100 – (Freddy Schmidt – 10, Robert Bork – 20, C. Everett Koop – 10, Moon Mullen – 10, Virgil Trucks – 10, Dr. Joyce Brothers – 20, Eydie Gorme‏

– 20)

Gianna – 100 – (Lucille Bliss – 10, Bonnie Franklin – 40, E. L. Konigsburg – 20, Deanna Durbin – 10, Margaret Pellegrini – 20)

Team Sushi – 90 – (Conrad Bain – 20, Roger Ebert – 30, Deacon Jones – 30, Helen Thomas – 10)

Tailgating with Jesus – 70 – (Marvin Miller – 10, Earl Weaver – 20, Jerry Buss – 20, Gus Triandos – 20)

Sean P. McFeeley I – 50 – (Patty Andrews – 10, Dick Trickle – 30, Jean Stapleton – 10)

Council of Geeks – 50 (Richard Griffiths – 40, Ray Harryhausen – 10)

Jami – 50 – (Larry Hagman – 20, Annette Funicello – 30)

The Girl on Fire – 50 – (Dear Abby – 10, Ed Koch – 20, Milo O’Shea – 20)

Carol – 20 – (Stan Lynde – 20)

Nikki the Bad-Ass – 10 – (Stan Musial – 10)

“Sister” Mary Sheila – 10 (Lee MacPhail – 10)