Saturday, November 8, 2014

THE TOOBWORLD TIMELINE: NOVEMBER 8, 1964



Here's another small difference that separates Toobworld from the Trueniverse:

In an episode of 'The Rogues', flights to Europe were delayed by one day due to the possibility of Hurricane Dolly making landfall somewhere on the Eastern seaboard.

"Two Of A Kind" ran on my Dad's 35th birthday, November 8, 1964, which is where I'm going to keep this episode on the Toobworld timeline, just outside the final date for hurricane season (normally November 6).

There have been several Hurricane Dollys in the past (2008 and 2014 being the most recent) but none that occurred in 1964.....

From Wikipedia:

  • 1953's Hurricane Dolly - A strong storm that weakened rapidly before passing over Bermuda.
  • 1954's Hurricane Dolly - Small storm that stayed far from land.
  • 1968's Hurricane Dolly - Moved up the east coast of the United States but did not hit land.

There was one particular factor from that episode which demands that this Hurricane Dolly remain in 1964:

The rock band known as The Praying Mantises.

Just based on the look of them, we know the Praying Mantises were influenced by the Beatles, who arrived at JFK for the first time in February, 1964.  The popular rock music of the era in the mid 1950s was more suited to the sounds of Bill Haley and The Comets and Buddy Holly.  Had the Praying Mantises arrived on the scene a decade before the Beatles, the rock and roll landscape would have been unrecognizably divergent from that of the Trueniverse.  Plus, the impact of the Beatles would have been lessened.  Yet thanks to TV shows like 'Dark Skies', we know how powerful that first appearance by the group was.

The Praying Mantises were probably an American rip-off of the sound and the look of the Beatles rather than the other way around.  And since it would have taken a few months to get a group together and a tour of Europe prepared, that's another reason for the episode to remain in November of 1964.

As for 1968, that would have been too late, and all because of the Praying Mantises again.  Their look would have been passe by then and instead the psychedelia phase of rock and roll would have been in full swing.  Yet look at the kids dancing at that luau-themed party held in the mansion of an Italian countess just outside of New York City.  They were still under the influence of the Beach Boys and the "Beach Blanket" movies that were popular at the box office.

So even though it only happened in Toobworld, there was a Hurricane Dolly in 1964.

And that's the way it was, Sunday, November 8, 1964.  Fifty years ago today.

A tip of the hat to you, Dad.....

BCnU!

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