B (2:48)

Joining me today is Ba Parker. She's one of the hosts of NPR's Code Switch podcast. Hello, Parker.

E (2:53)

Hello.

F (2:54)

Thanks for having me.

B (2:55)

Thanks for being here. Also with us is Andrew Limbong. He's the host of NPR's Book of the Day podcast and a reporter for the Culture Desk. Hello, Andrew.

E (3:03)

Hey, what's up, guys? How you doing?

B (3:05)

Very, very good and very glad to be talking about the subject because I feel like we're going to have some really, really fun picks. So our premise today is very simple. Each of us is going to cast the crossover special of our dreams, the world colliding episodes that exist only in our imaginations. And just to be clear, this will not be an exercise in shipping fictional characters from different TV shows. Or at least that's not the primary object. We'll save our arguments for hooking up Scandal's Olivia Pope with Grey's Anatomy's Jackson Avery for another day. And yes, I thought of that. I feel like it'd be fun. But that's not why we're here to talk about it.

F (3:42)

She'd eat him alive.

E (3:44)

Listeners should know that PSA was my bad. I'm sorry. I made a couple suggestions. Everyone was like, nah, chill, Frank.

B (3:49)

Yeah, no, no, no.

F (3:50)

Andrew's the problem.

B (3:52)

Yes, we'll reconvene for that on a different episode. But for now, Andrew, let's start with you. I want to know what is the cast that you want to see worlds collide here. Give it to us.

E (4:03)

All right, so I was thinking kind of philosophically about this, right? And what one wants to achieve with a TV crossover episode that isn't sort of trying to prove how cool a multiverse can be, right? Because I feel like the most recent stuff I could think of is what the CW was trying to pull with their stuff. And I realized that I think some of my favorite TV crossovers have to do with unrealized potential, right? Anybody who knows me knows that I'm always in some state of rewatching Gilmore Girls on the couch, watching season three, season four, Gilmore Girls. And there you see the beginnings of the band Hep Alien. So that's Lane's band that she has with David Gowski and Zach and all the crew. Anyone who's a fan of Gilmore Girls knows that that band doesn't make it, as one would hope.

F (4:49)

Spoiler.

E (4:49)

They try. They try, but they never quite get there. And I was thinking, like, what do I want out of this band? How can we see them sort of excel and then I was thinking about another musically inclined TV show. Did you guys watch that show Nashville?

B (5:04)

Sure.

E (5:05)

You know, it was on ABC back in the day. It starred Connie Britton as this, like, super famous country star. And it was, like, exploring the world of country music at the time. And so I was thinking my favorite era of Nashville was when they were doing, like, the triple X's, right? There's Gunner, Scarlett and Avery.

C (5:20)

The.

E (5:20)

They are a trio of, like, you know, kind of Fleetwood Mackie sort of songwriting team, and they perform. And I was like, if Hep Alien, this, like, local indie rock band can meet up with the folks in Nashville, right. I think they might be inspired to actually go for it. And then I could see Hepbalion writing albums. Kind of like what we're seeing in indie rock today from, like, Waxahachie or MJ Lenderman or, like, Wednesday that sort of, like, country inspired but noisy and still, like, indie influenced rock music. So that's the dream I want to see is a Nashville Gilmore Girls crossover.

F (5:59)

Oh, my gosh.

B (6:00)

Oh, my goodness. Wait, so we're not shipping relationships, but now we're shipping super groups? Is that what's happening?

C (6:04)

That's what's happening.

E (6:05)

Listen, I wouldn't call Happy Alien a super group.

B (6:07)

Shout out to the man. Well, if they were to combine, I.

E (6:11)

Think in my dream, right, Hep Alien maybe, like, moves to, like, Asheville, North Carolina. There's like a sort of tenuous country scene relationship between Nashville there, and they build a sort of, like, left of center, alt country scene, you know?

B (6:25)

Okay, I've watched neither of these shows. Glenn, please weigh in.

C (6:28)

I didn't watch Nashville, but I know it had a reputation for being kind of bonkers, especially towards the end.

E (6:33)

Oh, yeah.

C (6:33)

And I worry about tone here because Gilmore Girls, I mean, there were bonkers things that happened on it. Characters made really stupid choices on that show, but the tone was cozier, warmer. Unless it was a scene with Emily Gilmore, the best character on the show, then it was great. And so you've got cozy, warm hitting, glitzy, bonkers.

B (6:52)

Yeah.

C (6:53)

How do you square that circle?

E (6:54)

Yeah, that's called Pavement, the band.

C (6:56)

Okay, that is the perfect answer.

E (7:00)

That's what I want. That's what I'm going for.

B (7:01)

Wait, no.

F (7:02)

But I can also see the vision because Lorelai and her family feels almost akin to, like, Connie Britton's and her family of just, like, prestige and trying to, like, step away from your fate as, like, you know, a rich girl trying to thrive. I mean, I see. See the Vision. I just. Any fantasy where Lane thrives is okay with me.

C (7:25)

Justice for Lane. Absolutely.

E (7:27)

That is the true goal.

B (7:27)

Yeah.

F (7:28)

Lane and Scarlet join together, make their own little group. Like, Scarlet had the most beautiful voice that, like, tiny Australian lady. Love actors. Sorry. I haven't seen Nashville in 10 years.

E (7:41)

It's primo, like, hotel TV, you know what I mean?

C (7:43)

That's true.

F (7:44)

And the songs are great.

B (7:45)

Yeah. All right, look, I love this vision for you. I cannot weigh in because I've seen neither of those shows, but I like it. It sounds like we're on board with this here. So that's Nashville matching up with Gilmore Girls.

E (7:58)

Yeah.

B (7:58)

Look, this is a dream. There are no boundaries here.

E (8:01)

This is why you support public media. It's to, like, encourage big thinking, you know?

B (8:05)

Yes, yes, yes. And who knows? Maybe both of those shows can get revived. And there we go. Everything's getting rebooted now, so it's very possible. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Andrew Parker. Hi.

F (8:17)

This is a real. Hear me out. Okay? I want to prepare everyone, because when I said it to my friends, they said that this was bonkers as well. Okay? So I know that Abbott elementary already did a crossover with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but for me, the crossover of the century would be Abbott elementary and the Leftovers.

C (8:39)

Oh, wow. Wow. Right away, I'm getting a tonal disconnect, but I'm gonna let.

F (8:47)

No, no, no. I did, like, my holiday leftovers rewatch. It still slaps. It rings even more true after the pandemic. But I will say, if you think of it as, like, an inside out situation where you need the joy to reach the sadness, and you need the sadness to fit with the joy. I feel like there is a world. So the Leftovers, for anyone who hadn't watched it, it's a show from 2014 to 2017. It's about how 2% of the world's population just v and the world deals with this grief and tries to process it, have these really existential conversations. And then you have Abbott elementary, which is a beloved show about, like, an elementary school and, like, the hijinks that ensue within Philadelphia. And I just feel like there is a bitter and the sweet that can come together. And I can see, like, Nora Durst, who lost all her family in the departure, like, I don't know, getting her heart healed a little bit by, like, being a volunteer for a day at Abbott Elementary. I can see, like, Barbara and the Reverend Matt having a conversation about, like, religion. And I can see Jacob falling in with The Guilty Remnant, which is a group of, like, occult adjacent people who smoke cigarettes and wear all white and force people to, like, reckon with the loss that they've just endured. I can see all of that. I just think that, you know, in my mind, it makes perfect sense.

C (10:17)

Okay, a logistical question. So we meet the folks in Abbott elementary after the rapture, whatever it is, has happened. So nobody from the current cast has been disappeared. Has been raptured up.

F (10:27)

Knock on wood.

C (10:28)

Not even Jacob? Not even Jacob. Maybe Jacob also.

B (10:31)

Is the documentary crew still there?

F (10:32)

Yes, the documentary crew is still there.

B (10:35)

Okay, so they weren't raptured. Okay.

F (10:37)

Yeah, yeah.

C (10:37)

I mean, they lost their boom mic guy.

F (10:39)

They lost their boom mic guy. Maybe, like, one, two sound people, but I feel like they slip up and find one of the Guilty Remnant finally talking in the corner. Like, I feel like this is peak television, y'. All.

C (10:49)

It's peak television.

F (10:50)

If you see the vision.

C (10:51)

I see the vision.

E (10:52)

I'm seeing the janitor play a big part here.

B (10:54)

I'm seeing.

E (10:56)

I can see him smoking cigs and wearing white, but I can also see him be, like, a sort of enlightened being, you know, I feel like him.

F (11:02)

And Patty would be in cahoots.

C (11:03)

Right. And I think on Abbott, the principal is clearly ready for this.

F (11:07)

Yeah.

B (11:08)

Ava has her own, but she's also.

F (11:10)

Like, y', all, good night and good luck. She's safe. Everyone else is like, that's not my business.

B (11:14)

Yes. Yes. Okay. I see the vision here again. The tone is interesting. It would be an interesting mashup, I guess.

F (11:23)

No, no, no.

B (11:23)

The other thing to consider is that oftentimes with these crossovers, they crossover into each of their worlds. And so, like, I guess what they did with Abbott and Always Sunny when they did that crossover was they still kept the documentary style in both the Always Sunny and the Abbott elementary ep. Would the documentary still be crewing, or would we finally get to see who's behind the camera? That would be my question. Ooh.

C (11:47)

Oh, that'd be a good final episode.

B (11:48)

Yeah, that could be interesting. All right, look again. These choices are bonkers, but this is fun. I'm digging it.

F (11:54)

I did my job. Thank you, Parker.

B (11:55)

So Abbott elementary and the leftovers. Sure, why not?

E (12:01)

Let's see.

C (12:01)

I think is the proper response.

B (12:05)

So I'm gonna go next and bring my pick. And I will say that, I guess relative to Andrew and Parker's picks, maybe mine is a little less inspired or at least, like, less unexpected. The only thing that I could see being the real issue here. Is the fact that these shows that I've chosen, one of them is fairly recent and the other one is no longer on the air. So, like, that's the sort of hurdle here. But I think spiritually this makes sense, and I'm gonna go with mashing up only Murders in the Building and Brooklyn Nine. Nine.

C (12:38)

Oh, now, okay, sure.

B (12:41)

Yes, yes. Okay. So here's the thing. Brooklyn Nine Nine did do a crossover episode with New Girl. It was bad. It didn't make sense. And this is the thing that I come up against when I'm thinking about crossovers and what makes a crossover work. Because the Brooklyn Nine Nine and New Girl crossover, it seemed at least that, like, we did this because they were both on at the same time on the same network, and maybe they both needed a boost in their ratings or wanted to goose the ratings or whatever. And so they're like, sure, why not? But, like, even though they're both comedies, they're very different energy kind of comedies. Like, one is a workplace, the other one is a, you know, friends hang out, happy endings type of thing. And also, like, one is in Brooklyn and the other one is in la. And so they had a very convoluted way of getting the New Girl cast, all of the main ones to New York. And the crossover for the Brooklyn Nine Nine episode, it's just like a cameo from Zooey Deschanel, the star of New Girl, in one scene. And then in the New Girl episode, it's a little bit more integrated, but, like, again, it feels not necessary and did not enhance anything. I think Brooklyn 99 and only murders in the building work perfectly because you've got Only Murders, which is about solving murders in an Upper west side apartment led by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, who all happen to live in this building. And murders keep occurring. And then Brooklyn Nine Nine, who is just across the bridge. You know, it's not Manhattan, but it's not that far. It's not la.

F (14:09)

I mean, emotionally, it feels far.

C (14:11)

Yeah.

B (14:11)

As someone who lived in Brooklyn for nine years, yes, emotionally, absolutely. But here's what I'm thinking. So a murder occurs, and of course, the lead characters in Only Murders band together. They do their thing. It could be any of the seasons. You know, there's been multiple ones. It doesn't matter. But somehow a clue leads them to Brooklyn, which prompts the Nine to get involved. Maybe da' Vine Joy Randolph's Detective Williams is friendly with, like, Andy Stenberg's Jake, or she knows Captain Holt, RIP Andre Brar. That's the other hurdle we have here, like, sadly, he's no longer with us. But I can easily see the chaotic theater energy of Martin Short's Oliver, like, serving as a great foil to Captain Holt. Maybe, you know, they clash a little bit. Cause Oliver is not as cultured in the same way. He likes theater, but it's not opera. It's not, you know, whatever. Rosa played by Stephanie. Bianca and Mabel played by Selena Gomez. Like, I could see them bonding through their stoic mannerisms and all that stuff. Jake and Charles, you know, Samberg and Joe Latrulio, you know, the very funny guys on Brooklyn 99 teaming up with Steve Martin's Charles. I just feel as though it could be a really fun mashup.

E (15:23)

Didn't we find out last season in Only Murders that Martin Short's character Oliver is like, from Brooklyn? Right. They go to Flatbush. Cause I remember it being like, hey.

B (15:31)

I grew up there.

F (15:33)

Andrew, you're neighbors magically find the Flatbush connection.

E (15:36)

Yeah, maybe that's in the district.

B (15:38)

Yeah, yeah. I don't know. It just feels like spiritually these shows would go together very well.

C (15:42)

Yeah, there's definitely a vibe.

F (15:43)

Yeah, I can see that. Oliver could be producing a show at St. Ann's Warehouse. And there you go. Someone dies by the water.

B (15:50)

Yes.

E (15:51)

I was never a regular watcher. Brooklyn 9 9. Do they actually solve crimes on that show?

B (15:55)

Yeah, man, they do, sure.

E (15:57)

What's their, like, percentage? I mean, Cause like, Oliver and crew, they're like five for five or whatever. However many scenes they're, you know, they've got numbers on the board. What are the Brooklyn Nine Nine?

B (16:05)

I mean, look, they definitely solve crimes. The crimes are not usually murder. I will say that. It's a comedy. It's usually, you know, thieves and, you know, whatever. It's not as serious as murder, but it doesn't matter. This is a dream. This is my dream and I want it.

E (16:22)

Yeah, I'm just saying maybe they can give him, like, tips on good police work.

B (16:26)

Absolutely. I love it. I love it. So that is my pick. I would love to see Brooklyn Nine Nine and only murders in the building. Team up to solve a murder in the building. Glenn, we're gonna turn to you as our final dream TV crossover. I'm sure we will not be disappointed. Give it to us.

C (16:45)

No promises. I'll tell you, I like the Abbott elementary always sunny approach, which is where the reason for the crossover is logical. It's clean, it's location. The reason people cross over in real life is location. Back in the 80s there was a Cheers St. Elsewhere crossover because they were both in Boston clean. And that is only scratching the surface, by the way, because if you Google the Tommy Westfall universe, you're gonna have to clear your schedule. Cause that's your afternoon right there. But I thought, okay, location, location, location, that's the key. Then I figured, the Bear is set in Chicago. The Bear is a restaurant. You get people churning through the front of house, back of house. And Chicago is famously a location for a hell of a lot of TV shows over the years. So who should it be? It's the Bear. And is it Keenan and Kel? Is it according to Jim? Is it Chicago Fire? Meg? Petey? Justice? Hope? Is it Early Edition?

E (17:32)

Early Edition?

B (17:33)

Early Edition is a fave.

E (17:35)

Early Edition. Nice post.

C (17:36)

Is it Family Matters? Father Downing Mysteries? Good Wife? Good Fight? The Bob Newhart Show? Joni Loves Chachi? Married With Children. Mike and Molly? Perfect Strangers. Punky Brewster, The Real o'. Neills? Shameless Webster? Should a crossover with Webster?

B (17:50)

No.

C (17:50)

Because you know what the Bear needs if it really wants people to stop whining every time Emmy season comes around and they submit themselves as a comedy, even though it's not a comedy, if they really want to put that to bed forever, what they need is jokes. Jokes is how you solve that problem. So it needs to cross over with one of the best, funniest, most joke dense shows that is set in Chicago of recent years. The Bear needs to cross over with the aforementioned Happy Endings. Happy Endings ran on ABC for three seasons from 2011 to 2013. It's about six best friends living in Chicago. That's really the plot. There was the wealthy couple, Jane and Brad, played by Eliza Coop and Damon Wayans Jr. Jane's younger sister Alex, played by Alicia Cuthbert. Alex's ex Dave, played by Zachary Knighton. And the real heart of the show, for my money, Max and Penny. They were played by Adam Pally and Casey Wilson. There is even a way in that is already like planned out on Happy End. Oh, I know Dave. The character of Dave has a food truck called.

F (18:50)

Anyone remember Stake Me Home Tonight?

C (18:53)

Stake Me Home Tonight. So.

B (18:56)

Right.

C (18:56)

So maybe Carmi wants to expand. He brings Dave in to run the Bear food truck. And I think we can all agree that on the Bear, the fax, the Fax brothers are not really pulling their comedic weight. So you swap them out for Max and Penny. Penny does the restaurant's marketing and social media. Max is also there. I don't know what he does. He does whatever the facts do, which is nothing and as much as I love Oliver Platt on that show, Uncle Jimmy as the key investor, that whole thing is kind of one note. He's always complaining, he's always threatening. Have Jane and Brad buy out his steak, put them front of house because they're both incredibly hot. Hijinks ensue. Or maybe the bear becomes their hangout. But like the steakhouse was in Happy Endings. Although the bear seems a little too high end for that. I don't know how that works. I also don't know what you do with Alex in this scenario, but. But I'm not alone in that. Cause the show didn't know what to do with Alex either. So I joined that. Now I will say after I had planned this all out and I had made every connection, I realized that what really needs to happen is that the bear needs to cross over with Bob's Burgers. Not because of location, but because they share a vibe. Right. There is a sense of being overmatched by life. There's a melancholy to both shows. But then I remembered that the bear has enough melancholy. So I'm gonna stick with my original answer. It's the bear and Happy Endings. Fight me.

B (20:14)

I mean, I don't want to. I think this is very good.

C (20:16)

Yeah, it's very good.

B (20:17)

I mean, tonally, it's completely whiplash.

C (20:20)

But there's a reason for that. It's intentional.

B (20:22)

Yes. And like you said, this show likes to pretend it's a comedy. And when you finally put some comedy in there, it might actually make Carmi a little more enjoyable to be around. So I like this. I was trying to think of a show that would cross over well with a bear, and I couldn't. And so I like this. This is a good vibe.

F (20:40)

I mean, we could throw in early edition. We're solving a crime through the newspaper that's happening. Some extortion.

C (20:48)

That was a paper that got delivered to the door. You can't do that anymore.

B (20:51)

Yeah, that's true.

C (20:53)

You get a news alert. A news alert predicts the future.

B (20:57)

Another thought that I had while brainstorming this was like, is there a way to mash up Atlanta and Insecure? Which I feel like is kind of a similar. Like, insecure isn't quite as zany as Happy Endings, but I do feel like it's way more of a comedy than Atlanta. And granted they're in completely different cities, which is why I didn't really choose. I was like, I don't know. Would one of them be a cousin? I don't know. Like, it's Possible. But. Yeah. I'm not gonna fight you. Is anyone else gonna fight him?

F (21:22)

No. No.

E (21:24)

What makes Chicago such a good place for all of these shows? There's something.

F (21:29)

Keep it cute, Andrew.

E (21:30)

No, no, no. There's something. I just hearing about it, like rugged about it and yet, like, it's not New York, not la.

C (21:36)

Yeah. By the way, that list only scratch.

E (21:38)

The surface, I guess. You know, not having seen it all in one list, I don't think I realized that Chicago is such a home for TV shows.

C (21:44)

Yeah. And you know, Chicago is a major city, but it is not on a coast.

B (21:49)

It is the second city.

F (21:50)

Ooh.

C (21:50)

So therefore, if you are looking to represent more Americans, you can think this is represented. More people maybe can see themselves in Chicago than they can see themselves in the Bronx.

B (22:00)

This is true.

F (22:01)

Meanwhile, Baltimore's got the wire in homicide, Life on the street.

E (22:04)

Listen. Come on, don't you.

F (22:05)

And that's about it.

B (22:06)

Come on. Well, I think we all had some pretty good picks here and we got to, you know, play a little in the fantasy sandbox and it was very fun.

C (22:20)

And now listeners must vote for the best one. I'm sorry, I need to gamify this.

B (22:23)

Oh, my God.

E (22:24)

Throw up a poll, you know, let's see how it goes.

B (22:27)

Yes, yes. Well, tell us which one you think is the best and also tell us which shows you'd love to see see in a crossover. Find us on facebook@facebook.com PCHH that brings us to the end of our very, very fun experiment show. BA Parker, Andrew Limbong, Glenn Weldon, thanks so much for being here.

C (22:45)

Thank you.

E (22:46)

Thank you.

F (22:46)

Thank you, listeners. I'm willing to write fan fiction if you want. For the leftovers. A.B. elementary situation as like a boon for you to vote for me.

C (22:56)

That's cheating.

B (22:57)

We're going to hold you to that. This episode was produced by Carli Rubin, Kayla Latimore, Mike Katsif and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Audio engineering was performed by Sina Lofredo and hello. Kamin provides our theme music. Thanks so much for listening to pop culture happy hour from npr. I'm Ayesha Harris and we'll see you all next time.

D (23:19)

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