Elsewhere have discovered it be a never-ending task, and they have posited the "Tommy Westphall Universe" asthe grand, unified universe at the center of virtually everything you've ever watched on a screen, fromI Love Lucy toMalcolm in the Middle toKnight Rider toStar Trek to well, you get the idea. Wikipedia describes the content of the show as: Though the series dealt with serious issues of life, death, the medical profession, and the human effects of all three, a substantial number of comedic moments, inside jokes, and references to television history were included, as well as tender moments of humanity. It is underfunded, understaffed, crowded, and running on fumes. So you pick your horse and place your bet. Its been observed that much of American primetime TV has been about cops and the sex lives of doctors. At the end of the ride it was now up to us to put effort into understanding other people, by showing compassion for an autistic boy. A clip of the original credits from the series finale, with Mimsie the Cat on life support. That is quite a choice. They did very unusual, bold things and did it regularly. Tommy Westphall's Universe What symbolic value does either the globe or the snow have on the ending of the series? Mimsie the Cat has seen better days. The attitude was, Nothing can get us down, as bad as it is. And it was bad all the time.. The full list includes 419 shows as of 2016, the last time the curators of the Westphall theory updated its website. 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 the designated comic relief for the first few episodes. Via Wikipedia: The most common interpretation of this scene is that the entire series of events in the series St. The fictional Morley cigarettes are particularly pervasive, as is Hudson University, an institution of higher learning mentioned on The Cosby Show, Law & Order, and Murder, She Wrote. Like St. Eligius itself, St. 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. 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. sign-off. When directing episodes for the eighth series of the revived Doctor Who in 2014, Ben Wheatley had the art department create a replica of Tommy Westphall's snowglobe, which Wheatley placed in the TARDIS set as a reference to the hypothesis. Share. Over time and with the help of reader contributions, The Tommy Westphall Universe grew to include shows as diverse as ALF, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Knight Rider, Melrose Place, Seinfeld, and dozens of others, much of it helped along by the character of Munch appearing in more than 10 series, and those series making reference to other characters and brands. Elsewhere, you see, fielded one of the most confoundingly weird finales in television history, a variation on the age-old "it was all a dream" trope that left viewers scratching their heads. 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. 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? World of his own. What is the name of the poem Belle reads out? He gets Tommy up to wash up for dinner, and as he puts the snow globe on the TV set, the camera zooms in. Cheers spun off the long-running seriesFrasier, and that series had its events referenced or its characters cameo on shows likeCaroline in the City, The John Larroquette Show,and evenThe Simpsons. The series sported a large ensemble cast, with veteran actors Ed Flanders and Norman Lloyd anchoring the proceedings for most of its run as Dr. Donald Westphall and Dr. Daniel Auschlander, respectively, and it made household names of up-and-comers like Howie Mandel, Mark Harmon, and Denzel Washington, as well. I thought I knew what it meant, but it was so weird, especially for my younger mind, so I went running down the hallway and grabbed my mom and I was like, You have to read this. When I read it, I thought it was amazing: Only these people could come up with this idea And I thought it was very touching. Why does the husband leave the family in The Others? What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? Composition by Dave Grusin WebIf the St. The Importance of the St. Elsewhere Ending : r/autism Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? There is too much that is rich, that is still to be mined., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Get ready for the 2023 Met Gala: Heres when, and how, to tune in live, Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon blasted at White House Correspondents dinner, Tom Jones review: PBS Masterpieces latest period drama is laid-back and enjoyable, Michael J. They always tried to be out there, beyond the limits of what was being done before. The shows one truly lasting and iconic , like basically every television series that is set in the present day, had crossover episodes or cameos with other popular shows. Elsewhere very often in your life. Westphall sits down next to Tommy and says, "I don't understand this autism thing, Pop. 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. 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. That is Web"Cora and Arnie". While the doctors of St. Donald Westphalls autistic son, who was gazing into a snow globe containing a miniature version of the hospital. What world is Tommy imagining inside that snow globe, he wonders aloud. Elsewhere 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. 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. In the door comes Dr. Westphall, but he hangs up a construction workers hat. According to the duo's notes, the only other non-US shows in the "Tommyverse" are "The 'Degrassi' shows (Canada), 'The Office' (UK), the 'Doctor Who' shows (UK), 'Luther' (UK), 'Jo' (France) and 'Paris Section Criminelle' (France)," which "is the only show not in English in the Tommyverse.". From the mind of a young person whose fantasies were coming to life before him, it was neat. As far as I could tell, there was always controversy around St. Does the 500-table limit still apply to the latest version of Cassandra? Arrow is also included, which means all subsequent Arrowverse shows also tie back to Westphall. We cant take that jump from seeing these people, Norman, Ed [Flanders] and Bill [Daniels], and this young boy for six years, and suddenly were supposed to believe that theyre these other people. You cant please most people most of the time. The fictional brand or company thing is also Fontana's fault. It made me smile when I heard about what they did because it was so them. An exterior camera shot of the hospital cuts to Tommy West The Show "Red Dwarf" is now included as well. Elsewhere. The Marvel Cinematic Universe might seem like a huge landscape of interconnected shows and TV movies, but the Tommy Westphall universe has it beat. The original decision to include fictional product crossovers actually comes from the origins of the chart itself. As Gow told HuffPost, "St. Elsewhere" writer Tom Fontana began writing connections between his shows using fictional products and companies. I felt one thing when I read it and one thing when I saw it. Official crossovers between the "St. Elsewhere was known for its Fontana was being facetious (we think), but not everyone was as enthused with the premise. WebSt. DAVID MORSE (Dr. Jack Boomer Morrison): I felt two things. wouldnt exist in the form they did without. And in the end, Fiscus patient does finally sing. St. They really wanted to kill the show. The Tommy Westphall universe hypothesis is an idea discussed among some television fans, it makes the claim that not only does St. Theres also nothing standing in the way of the belief that perhaps the Tommy Westphall end sequence was itself a dream, negating the snow globe conceit. That would surely lead to spreadsheets the size of walls: Weyland-Yutani is the company behind the machinations of the Alien franchise. I can't find any justification for ending the show this way, other than the writers wanted to end the show on a twist ending, rather than just another typical ending. Can I use my Coinbase address to receive bitcoin? The theory is called the "The Tommy Westphall Universe" and hinges on a reveal at the finale of "St. Can my creature spell be countered if I cast a split second spell after it? With the aria "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" (Doretta's Beautiful Dream) from Puccini's opera La Rondine playing, Tommy Westphall enters the office and runs to the window, where he looks at the snow falling outside St. Eligius. Here's my son, I talk to him, I don't even know if he can hear me. Walter White and Rachel Green are no longer just characters in your pop culture-themed fantasy game of Clue, they're characters that could have bumped into each other on the street. Elsewhere an autistic boy is shown to have imagined and created a vast and deeply human universe. Elsewherefollowed its flawed, relatable characters over multi-episode storylines and even season-long arcs. Elsewhere, NBCs darkly comic series about a financially strapped Boston hospital and its beleaguered staff, is dead. Elsewhere storyline exists only within Westphall's imagination. St. It wasnt darker than reality, he said. MARK HARMON (Dr. Robert Caldwell): I didnt see it live. (referring to Tommy) He give you any trouble? What is the Russian word for the color "teal"? Gow, a resident of Melbourne, Australia, spent time in pubs and online wondering what Tommys scene meant for every show connected to St. Through it all, time skips are marked off by a digital clock readout in the corner, and its the lightest touch that makes a world of difference in how the show goes over, marking the endless grind the characters face in tangible hours and minutes. In another, Dr. Morrison, played by David Morse, lost his wife in a freak household accident, then listened with a mixture of anguish and reverence to her heart beating after being transplanted into someone elses chest. If you notice any other connections, feel free to join in on the madness. --Tom Fontana, former producer, St. The show also has connections to series that cameafter it, largely thanks to one of its writers and producers, Tom Fontana. I spent a shift sitting bedside with my daughter in the emergency room during a three-day-long stay once, watching the same sainted nurse come and go as an endless tide of needy patients washed in. Its been observed that much of American primetime TV has been about cops and the sex lives of doctors. 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. Marriage! The thing Im proudest of is the overall balance of the comedy to the drama; the counterpoint of that really grew and grew.. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Wolfram and Hart had another client, Weyland-Yutani, that made a weapons display screen for Firefly; 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 think the reality of a hospital is much worse. Elsewhere remains one of the most famous examples of the "all just a dream" plot. Elsewhere were more demonstrative and understanding of autistic people then all 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory put together. Even some of the more innocuous-seeming connections can lead to some shocking places takeThe John Larroquette Show, which all but the most dedicated TV fanatics could be forgiven for not remembering. Elsewhere into Homicide.". I didnt dislike it. But for others, it was a stroke of inspiration. 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. Is there a weapon that has the heavy property and the finesse property (or could this be obtained)? For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber. The streamlining kind of took away its energy.. But I think now weve got the toe tag on, and were in the drawer, and its sealed and locked., St. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? What's he thinking about? The ending has become an infamous example of the "it was all a dream" conclusion that's appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows over the years. ", Grandfather: "He's been sitting there ever since you left this morning, just like he does every day. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? 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. Elsewhere, by only a few degrees, to a startling number of TV shows and movies. Eligius. I was not upset. Fiscus and Morrison and the death of Dr. Auschlander, The stories speak for themselves. Inside it is a perfect replica of St. Eligius, with snow swirling around it as the shot fades to black. Embedded hyperlinks in a thesis or research paper. 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. I thought it was terrible. It made me laugh actually because it just is so like those guys. I actually have an easy answer for that - assuming that the 'real world' has shows like Cheers and MASH on TV, it's entirely plausible that Tommy took characters from those shows after seeing them on TV and made them part of his imagination. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. CLARIFICATION: This article originally included a quote that incorrectly stated all of the non-American shows in the list. The first connection made in the Tommy Westphall universe is from St. Through six years, I never put anything in my dressing room. Elsewhere came to an end for creative as well as financial reasons. I think other people will find it puzzling, odd, maybe unfulfilling in some way.. This ending was not serious to me. Elsewhere writer Tom Fontana was quoted as saying "Someone did the math once and something like 90 percent of all [American] television took place in Tommy Westphall's mind. Beginnings and endings are important in all forms of fiction, but Id argue especially so in scripted television. Kenneth Lowe is a regular contributor to Paste TV. Not necessarily This expands the Tommy Westphall universe ever outward, to the point where over 400 shows now reside under its umbrella. Tommy runs to see the snow falling outside the window, and that's when everything changes. Rather than case-of-the-week stories with infallible doctors and carboard-thin supporting characters,St. God love him."[9]. Gow said, "I've heard from TV writers who deliberately put in references to draw their shows into Tommy's mind. would not look or feel the same without its influence and success. Elsewhere. More than puzzling, some people found it to be an actual puzzle. Revisiting McDuffie's "Six Degrees of St. Elsewhere Fan Theory Proves Almost All TV Shows Exist Within Same I really had very little to say about that episode because I thought it was a letdown. 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]. It was certainly something no other network would put up with. Elsewhere had been a product of Tommy Westphall's (an autistic boy) imagination, with elements of the above scene used as its own evidence. Elsewhere, Alfre Woodard's Dr. Roxanne Turner,appeared) andOz (in which a company that briefly owned St. Eligius, Weigert, makes a bid to buy that show's Oswald Maximum Security Prison). The one where EW follows up with the cast. There are oodles of ways to end a TV series. Much of the humor between characters is gallows humor. A Weyland-Yutani ship is seen in the BBC series Red Dwarf, which also depicted The Doctors TARDIS. Westphall, who is autistic, played an increased role in St. Elsewhere ' s final episode, "The Last One", one interpretation of which is that the entire St. Elsewhere storyline exists only within Westphall's imagination. ST. ELSEWHERE: Season 6 (1987-88) Clip - (The Final Scene) "[Fontana] was fond of putting in references to previous shows he worked on, including bringing characters from St. Elsewhere signed off after six seasons on May 25, 1988, more than a few viewers were saddened. Why did Sonny trust Carlo enough to introduce him to the family and then sour on him? And what about the real people who have appeared on the included shows, like Alex Trebek on Cheers? Elsewhere through fictional crossovers and spin-offs, resulting in a large fictional universe taking place entirely within Tommy's mind. The common thread running through the last season (besides a consistent plot about a special new artificial heart) is that St. Eligius is probably going to close, right around the same time the hospitals residents (read: the younger main cast members) are all ending their residencies and about to head out into the depressing world of medicine. Elsewhere's final episode, "The Last One", one interpretation of which is that the entire St. In 1988, though, St. I had no ideas of their plans to do that. Birth! The best music, movies, TV, books, comedy and more. He went on to create the acclaimed seriesHomicide:Life on the Street (in which a character fromSt. [3] An exterior camera shot of the hospital cuts to Tommy Westphall sitting in the living room of an apartment building alongside his grandfather, now being portrayed by Norman Lloyd (aka "Daniel Auschlander"). Elsewhere have appeared on other television shows and those shows' characters appeared on more shows, and so on, a "Tommy Westphall Universe" hypothesis (postulated by Dwayne McDuffie) argues that a significant amount of fictional episodic television exists within a fictional universe imagined by Tommy Westphall. I could have put in a sauna and a Jacuzzi, you know?. But of course, none of that is what people really remember the last episode for. Fontana wrote a fictional "Weigert Corporation" as an intergral part of both "St. Cheers introduced Frasier Crane, of Frasier; One prominent critic, Professor Brian Weatherson, argues that just because St. Elsewhere team enjoyed life on the series even when times were tough, which was always. TIL That thanks to the series finale of St Elsewhere, and - Reddit Elsewhere ' s series finale features momentous changes for several main characters, including the departures of Drs. Tommy Westphall - Wikipedia (On that series, Bobby Ewing was brought back to life after his "death" turned out to be just a bad dream. THE TOMMY WESTPHALL UNIVERSE This is more interesting than interrogating the deeper philosophical or metaphorical meaning behind the very last scene of a six-season show! St. Elsewhere (Series) - TV Tropes As the episode comes to a close, Dr. Westphall is sitting alone in the office of his friend and mentor Dr. Auschlander, who has recently died when in runs his son, Tommy (Chad Allen), a quiet, autistic boy whom viewers had met a time or two before. This 40-year-old show looks like that nurses job in that ER, and the characters coping mechanisms and responses to trauma may be dramatized, but they arent implausible. If the universe of St. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. WebThere are oodles of ways to end a TV series. Ambiguous cut to black! "For 'St. Elsewhere illustrates the rich and often blurred boundaries in how we experience the world."[7]. . Elsewhere,[1] which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1988.[2]. Why did the Fairy Queen have to die for a poor deal?
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