B.A. - Sgt. Bosco Baracus (Mr. T) from the adventure series THE A-TEAM/NBC/1983-87 was fondly called "B.A." by his fellow A-Team members, Vietnam veterans on the run from the United States Army for a crime (robbing a bank in Hanoi) they did not commit. According to the series, B.A. meant "Bad Attitude," because of his constant scowl and his threatening statements like "Don't mess with me, Sucker!" Sgt. Baracus was an expert mechanic whose vivid technical imagination could turn old spare parts/machinery into rocket launchers, armored tanks or machine guns. B.A.'s real name was Elliot. His childhood nickname was "Scooter." 

Baby Cakes - Nickname of Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), a New York obstetrician on the sitcom THE COSBY SHOW/NBC/1984-91. Cliff was given his nickname by his wife, Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) when they both attended Hillman College in Georgia. Cliff called Clair "Lum Lum." 

Baby Dumpling - On the sitcom BLONDIE/SYN/NBC/CBS/1954/1957/1968-69 Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead affectionately referred to their baby boy, Alexander (Stuffy Singer /Peter Robbins) as "Baby Dumpling." Characters were based on the comic strip created by Chic Young. 

Backseat Beckie - College nickname of Miss Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), manager of the Boston tavern named Cheers on the sitcom CHEERS/NBC/1982-93. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), a psychiatrist who frequented the bar, discovered that Rebecca Howe-an alumnus of the University of Connecticut-was considered a "party girl on campus." Carla (Rhea Permian), a waitress at Cheers couldn't believe that "Miss Granite Panties" could have ever been that amorous. And Sam Malone (Ted Danson) the head bartender who had been trying unsuccessfully to bed Miss Howe, commented in disbelief "the one who goes through life with her knees bolted together?! On further investigation with an ex-school chum of Rebecca's, Frasier Crane unearthed, the nickname "Backseat Beckie." When Rebecca realized everyone in the bar knew her college nickname, she told them that the appellation was given to her because she was very shy and that the girls in college thought it would be a "real gas" to call her the opposite of what she really was. Seeing that the crowd at Cheers was not buying that story, she countered with "I was really aggressive in college. I never took a BACKSEAT to anyone." Finally, in a quite moment she pulled Sam Malone to the side and agreed to tell the real story behind her nickname, if he kept it quiet. With Sam agreeing to her terms, she began: "I was living in a women's dorm on campus and one night a fire broke out. Well I didn't have time to change my cloths, so I had to run out into the parking lot wearing only a teddy...black, but see through. All of a sudden, I was caught in this fire engine's headlights. Well, I didn't know what to do. I looked all around, and suddenly I spotted this open convertible. Well, I climbed in and I slunk down into the back seat. Suddenly this hulking fireman was standing over me. It was magnificent. I looked in his eyes. I knew what he wanted...and I wanted it, too. When it was over I opened my eyes, and I notice we were not alone. Others had watched and not said a word. And that's why I'm known as Backseat Beckie. Satisfied?" Wiping his now sweaty face with a white bar towel, Sam entered the men's room. Rebecca then walked over to Carla. "Thanks for the story, Carla here's your ten bucks." To which Carla replied, "Yeah, the twenty dollar one would have killed him." 

Bandstand Cover Girl, The - The nickname of teenager Carol Scaldeferri, an attractive, well-dressed precision dancer who frequently appeared in the early days on the rock and roll music program AMERICAN BANDSTAND/ABC/SYN/USA/1957-89 hosted by Dick Clark.  In 2002, the NBC drama AMERICAN DREAMS featured Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow), a fictional 15-year-old who like Carol Scaldeferri became a dancer on the American Bandstand program. See also - "America's Oldest Living Teenager" 

Barky - Insulting nickname given to Dana Foster (Staci Keanan) by her stepbrother J.T. Lambert (Brandon Call) on the sitcom STEP BY STEP/ABC/1991-98. J.T. once teased Dana about not being invited to a party by saying "I'd invite you, but they don't allow dogs!" He also called Dana Vampira, Frosty the Step-sister and The Undateable. Dana, in turn, called J. T. a sleazeball and a knuckle-dragger among others quips. Frank's nephew Cody Lambert (Sasha Mitchell) however thought that Dana was very attractive. He once said "If she were a prehistoric creature, she'd be a "BABE"-ertooth tiger." Dana, however, thought Cody was "a brain-dead idiot" She elaborated by saying "If I had the choice of going out with you or putting out an oil fire with my tongue, I'd be on the first plane to Kuwait." 

Barney the Beast  See - "Crazy Gun Barney" 

Baron, The  See - SPY GUYS & SECRET ORGANIZATIONS 

Bat Masterson - Pseudonym of William Barclay Masterson (1853-1921), gambler, frontiersman and US Marshal of Dodge City in the late 19th century. Before his death, the real W.B. Masterson spent  his days as a sportswriter in the city of New York. The western adventure BAT MASTERSON/NBC/1959-61 starred Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, a well dressed gambler who sported a derby hat and gold-topped cane.  

Batgirl  See - BATS

Batman See - BATS

Batman, The - Former nickname of Italian-American housekeeper, Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) on the sitcom WHO'S THE BOSS/ABC/1984-92. He was called the "Batman" when he played second base for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. See also - "May Day Malone"

Bear, The - The Austrian bailiff, Gessler known to the villagers of the Alps as "The Bear" was the man who ordered the legendary Swiss hero, William Tell to shoot the apple off of his son's head. British actor Willoughby Goddard played this villain on THE ADVENTURES OF WILLIAM TELL/SYN/1957-58. 

Beauty-1 - Code name of government operative V.H. Adderly (Winston Rekert) on the espionage adventure ADDERLY/CBS/1986-89. Adderly was reassigned to the Department of Miscellaneous Affairs when his left hand (always covered by a black glove) was smashed by enemy agents during an interrogation. His seeming routine jobs at the "Department" often turned out to be quite dangerous. 

Beaver - The family nickname of Theodore Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) on the sitcom LEAVE IT TO BEAVER/CBS/ABC/1957-63 and the sequel series STILL THE BEAVER/DIS/1983-85 and THE NEW LEAVE IT TO BEAVER/TBS/1986-89. When Theodore was born, his brother, Wally (Tony  Dow) tried to pronounce his new brother's name but ended up mouthing "Tweeter" which sounded like "Beaver" to his parents, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) & June (Barbara Billingsley) and so began the saga of Beaver Cleaver and the jokes about his name. Beaver's real name, Theodore was based on June's Aunt Martha's brother. Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), a wisecracking, insincere friend of teenager Wally Cleaver who called Beaver "Squirt" and "Creep" would greet him with taunts like "Hiya Beaver, you gnaw down any trees today? Beaver's brother Wally often said the phrase "Boy, Beave, are gonna get it." During a 1995 episode of the sitcom ROSEANNE/ABC/1988-97 which gathered together many of the famous TV family mother characters, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) sarcastically responded to June Cleaver's (Barbara Billingsley) criticism of her parental skills by saying "Yeah, well at least I didn't name my kid, Beaver!" TRIVIA NOTE: The nickname "Beaver" was inspired by the toothy smile of the Indian character "Little Beaver" in the western adventure serial RED RYDER/SYN/1956. When series star Gerald "Jerry" Patrick Mathers (a.k.a. the "Beaver") was in high school, he teamed up with former cast member Richard Correll (who played Richard Rickover) to form a rock and roll band. They called themselves "Beaver and the Trappers" and recorded the single "Happiness Is Havin'" (White Cliff Records). Jerry Mathers also recorded "Wind Up Toy" (Atlantic Records). And TV rerun fanatics from the Huron High School intramural softball team in Michigan named themselves "The Almighty Beavers." Their team motto was "We don't care." In May 1982 when Hugh Beaumont died (the Beaver's TV father), the team wore black armbands in mourning. (TV Guide 6/18/83). The series title LEAVE IT TO BEAVER was probably inspired by a previous sitcom called LEAVE IT TO LARRY/CBS/1952 starring Eddie Albert. See also - FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS - "The Beavers" 

Bedroom Ambassadors, The - TV personalities Al Lohman and Roger Barkley were known as "The Bedroom Ambassadors" when they hosted the syndicated game show BEDTIME STORIES/SYN/1979. 

Best Bad Girl on TV, The - In the early 1950s, Cloris Leachman's penchant for vixen parts (a cockney blonde, a Chinese girl, etc.) earned her the reputation as "The Best Bad Girl on TV" Her television screen roles have been quite varied including playing a private investigator's secretary, Effie Perrine on the drama CHARLIE WILD, PRIVATE DETECTIVE/CBS/ABC/DUM/1950-52; Ruth Martin, a farmer's wife on the animal adventure LASSIE/CBS/1954-71; Phylis Lindstrom, an insensitive, egocentric landlady, on the sitcom THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW/CBS/1970-77; and a spin-off of that same character on PHYLLIS/CBS/1975-77. In 1986 she joined the cast of the FACTS OF LIFE/NBC/1979-88 as Beverly Ann Stickle, the chatterbox sister of Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae). 

Best Second Banana in the Business, The - Show business appellation bestowed on the talented actor/comedian Art Carney who is best  known for this role as Ed Norton, New York City sewer worker and friend to blustery bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) on the sitcom THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS/1955-56. One of his earliest television supporting character roles was on THE MOREY AMSTERDAM SHOW/CBS/DUM/1948-50 when he played the hilarious Charlie the Doorman and later Newton the Waiter (before TV he worked in Vaudeville & radio). In 1952 he became a regular on CAVALCADE OF STARS/DUM/1949-52 where he proved to be a perfect foil to the series host Jackie Gleason in a variety of sketches. One of which was THE HONEYMOONERS. In 1957 Carney left the company of Jackie Gleason to explore greener pastures. He has since proven himself to be an excellent leading man in the movies Harry & Tonto (1974) and The Late Show (1977) and on Broadway in "The Rope Dancers," "The Odd Couple," "Lovers," and "The Prisoner of Second Avenue." In 1977 he starred in the police drama LANIGAN'S RABBI/NBC/1977 as a police chief in small town of Cameron, California and as James "The Weasel" Cavannaugh on the sitcom THE CAVANAUGHS/CBS/1986-89. In recent years the term "Second  Banana" has been appropriately linked to Ed McMahon who has been the announcer and sidekick of Johnny Carson on the NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW from 1962-92. 

Biff  See - "Lord of the Idiots" 

Big Bad, The  - The nickname of vampire William the Bloody a.k.a. "Spike" (James Marsters) on the occult adventure BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAVER/WB/UPN/1997-2003.  During one episode just before Spike is attacked by demon hunters known as the Initiative, Spike who is spying on Buffy mutters to himself "Watch your mouth, little girl. You should know better than to tempt the fates that way. 'Cause the big bad is back, and this time, it's... [Suddenly he's electrocuted by Initiative commandos] Urrgh! Aaaahhh!" After the Initiative implants a violence inhibiting chip into Spikes head, he escapes. When the Scooby Gang discovers Spike's condition Xander says "Your'e not the 'Big Bad' anymore. You're not even the 'kind of naughty'." To which Spike says "I'm bad! It's just I can't bite anymore, thanks to you wankers." On another episode Spike has a robotics expert create an identical, fully functioning replicant of Buffy "The Slayer" Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) because he is smitten by her charms. Later in the cemetery, the fake Buffy is seen sitting atop Spike writhing in sexual ecstasy and shouting "Oh Spike, you're the Big Bad, You're the Big Bad!"  The term "Big Bad" is a reference to the "Big Bad Wolf" in classic children's literature.

Big Guy - The radio station personnel on the sitcom WKRP IN CINCINNATI/CBS/1978-82 referred to their pudgy, station manager, Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump) as the "Big Guy." His nickname was more of an ego booster reaffirming that he actually was in charge of the rock and roll station rather than just an inept, momma's boy appointed by his strong willed mother, Lillian Carlson (Carol Bruce), the station owner. Once Arthur Carlson ran for city  council with the slogan: "A Big Guy For a Big Job." His son, Arthur Jr. (Lightfoot Lewis) known as "Little Big Guy" surfaced on the syndicated revival of the series in 1991. On the sitcom MR BELVEDERE/ABC/1985-90, the portly family servant, Mr. Belvedere (Christopher Hewett) was often called "Big Guy" by George Owens (Bob Uecker), his employer. "Big Guy" was also the term of endearment used by Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) to describe Carl Winslow (Reginald Veljohnson), the portly Chicago police officer on the sitcom FAMILY  MATTERS/ABC/1988-98. And "Big Guy" was what Jim Walsh (James Eckhouse) called his teenage son, Brandon (Jason Priestley) on the drama BEVERLY HILLS 90210/FOX/1990-99. See also ROBOTS - "Big Guy & Rusty" 

Big Jack - The nickname of bail bonds woman Samantha Jack (Jo Ann Pflug) who sent Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) after bail jumpers on the adventure series THE FALL GUY/ABC/1981-86. She was also called "Soapie" because her lifestyle was often that of a soap opera. 

Big Ragoo, The - Nickname of short, muscular Italian-American, Carmine Ragusa (Eddie  Mekka) on the sitcom LAVERNE & SHIRLEY/ABC/1976-83. Carmine was an aspiring singer and dancer, who worked as a singing messenger. His moniker was stitched onto the back of his blue jacket. See also - "Angel-face" 

Big Red Cheese, The  See - "Captain Marvel" 

Bigfoot - The local nickname of a mythical Bigfoot-like creature that roamed the woods outside the town of Cicely, Alaska on the quirky rural drama NORTHERN EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-96. In reality, the "creature" was a woodsman named Adam (Adam Arkin) whose talents included gourmet cooking, writing, and possessing knowledge of covert government operations. While working as an anonymous contributor to the Cicely News and World Telegram Adam wrote articles on talking trees, and botanical espionage by the government. Adam first appeared on the episode "Aurora Borealis" (8/30/90) and later married a woman named Eve on the episode "Our Wedding" (5-11-92).  See also - CREATURES: "Bigfoot" 

Biggest and Meanest Dog in the USA, The See - DOGS: "White Fang" 

Bilko - Comedian  Phil Silvers was forever linked to the name of "Bilko" when he starred as the hustler/con artist Sergeant Ernie Bilko on the military comedy THE PHIL SILVER SHOW/CBS/1955-59 based at Fort Baxter in Roseville, Kansas. The Bilko character name was inspired by the name of a minor-league baseball player named Steve Bilko, whose batting streak of some fifty-five home runs caught the attention of Phil Silvers and Nat Hiken while they were developing the series. The choice of Bilko for a last name was perfect scripting considering that his character constantly tried to cheat ("bilk") people out of their money. 

Binky - The nickname of Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist), a female private investigator who owned the Remington Steele Detective Agency on the detective drama REMINGTON STEELE/NBC/1982-86. On the sitcom MADMAN OF THE PEOPLE/NBC/1994-95 outspoken columnist Jack Bruckner (Dabney Coleman) was given the nickname Binky by his wife, Delia (Concetta Tomei). When someone said "He doesn't look like a Binky?" His wife retorts "Oh, he's a Binky!" As a child, Katherine Papadopolis (Susan Clark) on the sitcom WEBSTER/ABC/SYN/1983-88 had a horse named Mortimer, but she called it "Binky."  

Bird Legs - The childhood nickname of Lucy (MacGillicuddy) Ricardo on the classic situation comedy I LOVE LUCY/CBS/1951-1961. Lucy received her nickname while attending grade school. It was revealed on the 1954 episode "Lucy's Mother-in-Law" when Ricky's Cuban mamacita visits American and Lucy hires a mind reader (who uses an electronic eavesdropping device) to convince her mother-in-law she could speak Spanish. Lucy also revealed that she was born on August 6th. She refused to give the year. We also learn that Fred Mertz's mother lives in Indiana.

Biscuit, The - High school nickname of John Cage (Peter MacNicol), the eccentric senior partner in Cage/Fish & Associates on the legal dramedy ALLY McBEAL/FOX/1997-2002. John's fellow students "poked and prodded" him because he bore a resemblance to the Pillsbury Dough Boy. The lawyers in his firm also called  John "The Biscuit" or "The Little Biscuit." When John gets upset or nervous his voice trails up, his lip twitches and he makes funny noises through his nose. See also - FROGS: "Stephan"

Black Falcon, The  - Alias of Prince Baccarratti (Bela Kovacs), an evil genius from Planet X who battled Commander Buzz Corry (Ed Kemmer) on the children's sci-fi series SPACE PATROL/ABC/1951-52. The Black Falcon was fond of transporting the Space Patrollers to Earth's past leaving them to face death from wild Indians or atomic bomb explosions. Other villains to challenge Buzz were Mr. Proteus (Marvin Miller), Captain Dagger (Glenn Strange), Raymo (Larry Dobkin), the Wild Men of Procyon, and a mechanical man called Five.    

Black Widow, The - On episode No.89/90 (aired 3/15/67 & 3/16/67) of the fantasy series BATMAN/ABC/1966-68, veteran movie actress Tallulah Bankhead starred as Mrs. Max Black, widow (a.k.a. "The Black Widow"), a criminal who arrived in Gotham City to commit a series of bank robberies using a paralyzing spray derived from spider venom. She caught crime fighters Batman and the Boy Wonder in a giant spider web filled with two giant black widow spiders. Black Widow was also the nickname of Pauline Spencer (Ruta Lee), a beautiful woman living in the Dunes Retirement Resort in Arizona on the sitcom COMING OF AGE/CBS/1988-89. She earned the title for having married and then lost (through death) many husbands. See also - AUTOMOBILES: "The Widow Maker"    

Blackie  See - "Negro"

Bleedin' Gums Murphy  See - MUSIC & MUSICIANS - Solo Performers

Blips  See - "Mundanes"

 

Blond Blintz - Radio/CB call sign adopted by police detective Ken Hutchinson (David Soul) on the police drama STARSKY AND HUTCH/ABC/1975-79. His partner Dave Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) CB handle was the "Puce Goose." Both drove in a 1974 red and white Ford Torino. Their police mobile radio code was ZEBRA-3.  

Blowfish - Street name of detective Sal "Blowfish" Banducci (Sal Jenco) who appeared during the 1988-90 seasons of the detective drama 21 JUMP STREET/FOX/1987-90.  

Blue Light - Code name of a secret group of eighteen WWII Allied counterspies working to infiltrate Germany's "Third Reich" on the spy drama BLUE LIGHT/ABC/1966. David March (Robert Goulet), the group's lone survivor (17 killed by German counterintelligence), continued his mission of passing along vital secrets to the Allies, while posing as a foreign correspondent who had renounced his allegiance to America. The series was filmed in Germany and other European locales.  

Blues Brothers, The  See - MUSIC & MUSICIANS - Vocal Groups (Pop & Rock)

Bombastic Bushkin - Real-life investment broker of Johnny Carson who was routinely lampooned on NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW during the 1970s and 1980s. According to Carson's comic monologues, some of Bushkin's (alleged) investment strategies included, a Club Med in Beirut, tattoo parlor in the Vatican and a doggie-bag factory in Bangladesh. Mr. Bushkin met Carson in the 1960s and followed him to Los Angeles in the early 1970s when THE TONIGHT SHOW moved from New York to Burbank, California. However, Bushkin had a falling out with Johnny Carson in the 1980s over some bad investments including a $500,000 investment in the DeLorean Automobile Corporation (which went bankrupt) and they soon went their separate ways.           

Bon Bon - Nickname that California Highway Patrol Officer Frank "Ponch" Poncherello (Erik Estrada) gave fellow Officer Bonnie Clark (Randi Oakes), a member of the Deaf Liaison program on the police drama CHIPS/NBC/1977-83.  

Boner - The nickname of Richard Stabone (Josh Andrew Koenig), the best friend of psychiatrist's son Mike Seaver (Kirk Cameron) on the sitcom GROWING PAINS/ABC/1985-92. Boner's character was fun-loving but awkward. He was very fond of the Seaver family especially Mike's sister Carol (Tracey Gold) on whom he had a crush. When Mike Seaver first met Richard at the school bus stop as a child he dubbed him "Boner" (distilled from Stabone). Upon hearing his new name Richard objected saying "But all the name tags in my underwear say "Dicky." When Richard graduated his diploma read "Boner Stabone." His friend Mike quipped "You got Boner on your Diploma?" "Yeah," said Richard, "It cost extra." Soon after leaving high school, Boner joined the Marines and effectively left the series.  

Bones - A term used affectionately by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) when addressing his starship's senior surgeon, Doctor Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) on the sci-fi series STAR TREK/NBC/1966-69. The nickname was short for "sawbones," a traditional title for a doctor who up to the 19th century was noted for "sawing" off limbs.

Bones(2) - Comedy writer Robert Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) from the sitcom THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW/CBS/1961-66 was also nicknamed "Bones" during his hitch in the US Army. Bones was also what Mary Richard's (Mary Tyler Moore) parents called their daughter on the sitcom THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW/CBS/1970-77. See also - "Stringbean"

Bones(3) - On the crime drama BONES/FOX/2005+ Emily Deschanel plays Temperance Brennan, a headstrong forensic anthropologist and part-time crime novelist based in the Washington DC area. Because Temperance works with skeletal remains, she earned the unwanted nickname "Bones" which she hates ("Don't call me Bones!") She also dislikes being called "Squints" - a moniker given to brainy researchers (science geeks) by the FBI Agents. whom Temperance collaborates with during criminal investigations.

Bonny Maid, The - Eighteen year old actress Anne Francis appeared as the Bonny Maid, the commercial spokesperson (1949-50) for Bonny Maid floor cover products on the variety program VERSATILE VARIETIES/NBC/CBS/ABC/1949-51. Miss Francis was assisted by two other Bonny Maids and a team called "Wear & Tear." In 1965, Anne Francis starred in the detective drama HONEY WEST/ABC/1965-66 where she portrayed Honey West, a sexy, karate chopping private eye (TVs first female Dick)).  

Booty - The personal nickname of actress Holly Robinson Peete given to her by husband Rodney Peete. When asked "What does the name mean?" Holly just says "I don't want to expand on it." Her nickname was revealed on a 1997 Valentine's Day "Girlfriends" segment of the syndicated talk show THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW/SYN/1986+. Holly Robinson Peete was the costar of the police drama 21 JUMP STREET/FOX/SYN/1987-91 and the sitcom HANGIN' WITH MR. COOPER/ABC/1992-97 Holly and her singer girlfriend Terry Ellis (from the female singing group En Vogue) nicknamed each other Stupid and Dumb. "I'm Stupid. She's Dumb. She's Stupid. I'm Dumb," they laughingly interjected.  

Born Again Virgins See - FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS

Boston Blackie - Private eye on the detective drama BOSTON BLACKIE/SYN/1951-53. Boston Blackie (Kent Taylor) was a reformed criminal-turned-private eye living in Los Angeles. His credo: "Enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." Blackie's TV sidekick was Mary Wesley (Lois Collier). Their dog was called Whitey. The character was based on the writings of Jack Boyle whose early stories ran in Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines at the turn-of-the-century.  

Boy Wonder, The - Robin, the Boy Wonder (Burt Ward) was the crime fighting partner of Batman on the fantasy adventure BATMAN/ABC/1966-68. When not fighting crime, The Boy Wonder returned to his role of teenage ward Dick Grayson, an orphan under the care of millionaire Bruce Wayne (Adam West) a.k.a. "Batman." Dick's parents (a high-wire circus act billed as "The Flying Graysons") were killed my mobster Bess Zucco. Batman & Robin were based on the comic-strip characters created by Bob Kane in the 1940s. Robin debuted in Detective Comics No.38, June 1940.  

Brass Cupcake, The - Det. Sgt. Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) was an LAPD undercover policewoman on the police drama HUNTER/NBC/1984-91. Although beautiful, brunette and shapely, her tough determined attitude earned her the nickname the "Brass Cupcake" by her fellow male officers. Dee Dee, however, had a softer side. She enjoyed bubble baths, wearing silk undies and owned a little cute brown teddy bear named Tom Dooley. She was teamed with Det. Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) whose character was modeled after the movie cop in Dirty Harry (1971) starring Clint Eastwood. TRIVIA NOTE: The Brass Cupcake was also the name of a John D. McDonald novel published in 1954 by Fawcett.  

Broccoli - The pejorative nickname given by Ensign Crusher to Lt. Reginald "Broccoli" Barclay (Dwight Schultz) first heard on episode No.69 "Hollow Pursuits" on the sci-fi series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/SYN/1987-94.  

Bronx Zoo, The - The nickname of Benjamin Harrison High School located in the Bronx section of New York City on the education drama THE BRONX ZOO/NBC/1987-88. The school was so named because of the rowdy population of teenage students. Ed Asner starred as Principal Joe Danzig, the new guy on the block who hoped to get through to the kids whom society just couldn't seem to understand.      

The Bronze Goddess of Fire - The showbiz nickname of black actress LaWanda Page who costarred as the feisty, Bible-thumping aunt Esther Anderson on the sitcom SANFORD & SON/NBC/1972-77. During her early days as a nightclub performer LaWanda Page earned the moniker of "The Bronze Goddess of Fire" as she entertained audiences by swallowing fire, setting her body ablaze with fire sticks and lighting cigarettes with her fiery fingertips.  

Brown Shoe - Street term referring to anyone who worked in an "establishment" type position, such as banker, stock broker or any other traditional nine-to-five job. Brown Shoe was also nickname of stockbroker Lionel Whitney (Jeff Goldblum) on the detective drama TENSPEED AND BROWN SHOW/ABC/1980. His preoccupation with reading 1930s style detective novels led him to form a detective agency to live the adventurous life. His partner was E. L. Turner (Ben Vereen) a.k.a. "Tenspeed," a black street hustlers E. L. stood for  Early LeRoy.  

Bub - Nickname of Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey, a feisty old coot of a housekeeper and father-in-law of engineer Steve Douglas (Fred MacMurray) on the sitcom MY THREE SONS/ABC/CBS/1960-72. Bub earned his moniker because the young Douglas kids couldn't say "Grandpa" hence their attempt in speaking his name turned into "Bub." When William Frawley left the series midway through the 1964-65 season for health reasons, he was written out of the script (by traveling to Ireland) and replaced by a similarly crusty old relative named Uncle Charlie O'Casey (William Demarest), a retired sailor  

Bubala - Term of endearment used by slender Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) when referring to her eccentric, cigar-smoking husband Gomez Addams (John Astin) on the macabre sitcom THE ADDAMS FAMILY/ABC/1964-66. Morticia also called Gomez "Cara Mio," "Mon Cherie," and "Querido" (Spanish for “The man I desire”). Gomez called Morticia  "Cara Mia," "Cara Bella" and "Querida" (Spanish for “The woman I desire”).

Bubba - The name of police Sgt. Bubba Skinner (Alan Autry), a muscular police officer working in the small town of Sparta, Georgia on the police drama IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT/NBC/CBS/1988-94. On the sitcom MAMA'S FAMILY/NBC/SYN/1983-90 Allan Kayser played Bubba Higgins, the delinquent son of Ed (Harvey Korman) & Eunice (Carol Burnett) Higgins. On the police drama BLUE THUNDER/ABC/1984 ex-football star Bubba Smith appeared as Lyman "Bubba" Kelsey, a mobile support team member for an advanced helicopter called Blue Thunder. And on the police drama NASH BRIDGES/CBS/1996+ Don Johnson as Detective Nash Bridges referred to everybody as "Bubba."  

Bubbleman - The town nickname of Mike Monroe (Anthony Edwards) a hyper-allergic attorney introduced on the episode "Blowing Bubbles" (11-2-92) on the drama NORTHERN EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-96. Mike (a.k.a. "The Bubbleman") suffered from the modern day condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He lived in virtual isolation in an antiseptic Buckminster Fuller-like geodesic dome outside the town of Cicely. If anyone visited his home they were asked to dress in germ free gowns and gloves. When Mike first met pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) he asked "Are you wearing makeup...eyeliner, perfume, shampoo, conditioner...baby shampoo? How about synthetic clothing?" Maggie says "I think this shell has some nylon in it." Mike responds "Just leave it on the hook, please." TRIVIA NOTE: In 1976, actor John Travolta starred in the made-for-TV movie The Boy In The Plastic Bubble about a boy forced to live in an isolation bubble because he was born without immunities. On the NBC sitcom SEINFELD, episode No.45 "The Bubble Boy" (10/7/92) standup comic Jerry Seinfeld was pressured into visiting an obnoxious fan who was cocooned in a sterile environment. See also - DISEASES & AILMENTS: "Glacier Dropsy"  

Buckwheat - Nickname of Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas, black child actor who starred in a series of Hal Roach Our Gang comedies in the 1930s. In 1990 George "Spanky" McFarland, Buchwheat's costar in the Our Gang films exposed an impostor who had fooled the magazine-of-the-air 20/20. The real Buckwheat Thomas had died 10 years earlier. In the 1980s comedian Eddie Murphy resurrected the Buckwheat character ("O-Tay!") in a series of spoofs performed on NBC's late night comedy SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in which Buckwheat, now fully grown, was a superstar who overindulged in sex, drugs and rock and roll. He was killed in a comedy skit (a la John Lennon) by a lone gunman but later resurfaced in a skit about a visit to his childhood friend, Alfalfa.      

Bucky Beaver -  The childhood nickname of actress Jenna Elfman [born Jennifer Mary Batula] who starred as Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery, the free-spirited daughter of hippies on the sitcom DHARMA & GREG/ABC/1997-2002. While growing up in Los Angeles, the kids at Jenna's school gave her the nickname "Bucky Beaver" because of her overbite. But after three and a half years of orthodontia, Jenna now has a wonderful smile and a winning career as an actress. Jenna's earlier 1996 TV series was called TOWNIES where she played Shannon Canotis, one of three female friends who lived in an East Coast fishing community and who hoped one day to move to the big city.

Bud - The family nickname of James Anderson, Jr. (Billy Gray), the second oldest of three children on the sitcom FATHER KNOWS BEST/CBS/NBC/ABC/1954-63. On the sitcom MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN/FOX/1987-97, David Faustino played a girl-chasing boy named Budrick "Bud" Bundy (His middle name is Franklin). As he once said to his father "I was named after a beer,  wasn't I dad?"  See also - "Larry 'Bud' Melman"

Bud Light Guy, The - Johnny, "The Bud Light Guy," (Rob Roy Fitzgerald) was a stubbly-faced moocher who snagged Bud Light beers from his family, girlfriend and ever a beer deliveryman with the now classic phrase "I love you, Ma-a-a-n!" on a series of commercial spots that debuted in the spring of 1995. In one commercial Johnny went fishing with his father and brother. Having finished his own supply of Bud Light Beer, Johnny cozied up to his father and in a bogus attempt at bonding says "I love you, Ma-a-a-n!" When his father says "Forget it, Johnny", the beaten but not defeated Johnny used the same line on his brother, but to no avail. The Johnny character made two cameo appearances on David Letterman's CBS late night talk show in the fall of 1995 spoofing his character's affectionate but insincere commercial catchphrase. Before finding success in commercials actor Roy Fitzgerald was a defensive back for the University of Missouri who was later signed by the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals in 1977. When he injured his hamstring, he abandoned football and headed to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career which included a bit part in the motion picture Thelma and Louise (1991) and a guest shot on the legal drama MATLOCK in 1993 (People Weekly 1/8/96 p.116) TRIVIA NOTE: From 1977-1980 Bill Murray used the soppy phrase "I love you, M-a-a-a-n!" during skits on NBC's late night comedy show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.  

Buddy - The family nickname of Letitia Lawrence (Kristy McNichol) the tomboyish teenager on the prime time soap drama FAMILY/ABC/1976-80. Buddy was also the nickname of Maurice "Buddy" Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam), a New York comedy writer for "The Alan Brady Show" on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW/CBS/1961-66. On the sitcom CHARLES IN CHARGE/CBS/1984-85/SYN/1987-90, the inept, Buddence "Buddy" Lembeck (Willie Aames) was the best friend of Charles (Scott Baio), a college student. The classic castaway comedy GILLIGAN'S ISLAND/CBS/1964-67 featured a skinny sailor named Gilligan (Bob Denver). His friend the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) would always refer to him as his "Little Buddy." Years earlier on the sitcom THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS/CBS/1959-63 Bob Denver appeared as beatnik, Maynard G. Krebs. One of his catchphrases was "Hi ya good buddy" when he spoke to his friend, Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman). And on the sitcom BRINGING UP BUDDY/CBS/1960-61, Frank Aletter starred as bachelor investment counselor, Buddy Flower.  

Buffalo Bill, Jr. - Adopted name of town deputy marshal on the western adventure BUFFALO BILL, JR./SYN/1955. Bill (Dick Jones) and his sister (Nancy Gilbert) were lone survivors of an Indian attack on a wagon train in the Black Hills. When they were found by Judge Ben Wiley (Harry Cheshire) the young boy was carrying his sister in a buffalo robe and so the Judge decided to call him Buffalo Bill, Jr. His sister bears the name Calamity Jane after the frontier sharpshooter and stagecoach driver.            

Buffalo Butt - The not-so-politically correct nickname given to overweight building superintendent Nathan Bookman (Johnny Brown) by Chicago housing project tenants Willona Woods (Ja'net DuBois) and J.J. Evans (Jimmie Walker) on the sitcom GOOD TIMES/CBS/1974-79. Once, when Bookman's wife threw him out of his apartment, he tried to move in with Willona who quickly refused his proposition with the remark "Make you home where the buffalo roam!"  

Bull - The towering , bald court bailiff Nostradamus Shannon (Richard Moll) on the sitcom NIGHT COURT/NBC/1984-92 was known more commonly by the nickname "Bull." He received this moniker from his mother who reportedly said "Bull" when she found out she was pregnant.  

Bulldog - The nickname of radio talk show personality Bulldog Briscoe (Dan Butler), a skirt-chasing host of a Seattle sports call-in show on the sitcom FRASIER/NBC/1993+ (He loved women who didn't wear underwear). Bulldog was also the nickname of a rough and tumble construction worker played by Noble Willingham in the sitcom WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS/ABC/1980; and the sobriquet of police detective Bill "Bulldog" Brennan (Alan Hewitt), a human bloodhound who sniffed out suspicious goings-on at the house of newspaper reporter Tim O'Hara (Bill Bixby) who was hiding a Martian (Ray Walston) on the sitcom MY FAVORITE MARTIAN/CBS/1963-66.  

Bullet - The nickname of officer Judy "J.J." Tingreedes (Eileen Davidson) a gorgeous blonde undercover detective (on psychological disability) working for the Bay City police on the police drama BROKEN BADGES/NBC/1990-91. Bullet rode a Harley motorcycle, and had a tough-as-nails personality ("I'm a street bitch with an attitude"). She liked "kicking butt" and hated people who stared at her breasts. She punched out anyone who looked at them.  

Bully Boys - Showbiz nickname of comedians Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and John Belushi from the late night comedy show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE/NBC/1976+. Producer Lorne Micheal dubbed the comedians "Bully Boys" for their high energy, out-spoken antics back stage on the show. Reportedly, the boys were always late for rehearsals and unprepared while the girl comics were always on time and prepared for the show.

Bunny - Pet name for Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows) when she was first married to bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) on the sitcom THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS/1955-56. Bunny was also the name of Sgt. Vince Carter's girlfriend "Bunny" Olsen (Barbara Stuart) on the military comedy GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C/CBS/1964-70; and the name of Charlie Halper's wife "Bunny" Halper (Pat Carroll) on the sitcom THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW/ABC/CBS/1953-65. And on the sitcom SUGAR AND SPICE/CBS/1990 Cliff Buttram (Gerrit Graham) was called "Bunny Lips" by his wife, Bonnie (Stephanie Hodge); Cliff called his wife "Prairie Blossom" and "Cuddle Buns." See also - SIGNOFFS: "Be a good bunny!"  

Buster See - "Fatman"

Butchie - Childhood nickname of Jake Styles (Joe Penny), a special investigator for district attorney J.L. McCabe (William Conrad) on the detective drama JAKE AND THE FATMAN/CBS/1987-92.            

Butterfly McQueen - The nickname of black actress Thelma McQueen, born in 1911 in Tampa, Florida. She received her nickname when she danced as a young woman in the Butterfly Ballet in a stage production of "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream." On the sitcom BEULAH/ABC/1950-53 Butterfly McQueen appeared as Oriole, the girlfriend of Beulah, "TVs favorite black maid." She is best remembered for her role as Sassy, the slave girl who mislead Scarlett O'Hara into believing she had experience with birthing babies in the now classic film Gone With the Wind (1939).  

Butt-head - The pejorative nickname of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) given to him by his obnoxious older brother Wayne Arnold (Jason Hervey) on the sitcom THE WONDER YEARS/ABC/1988-93. Butt-head was also the name of a dumb, crude, and thoughtless teenager on the cartoon series BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD/MTV/1993-97. On the sitcom THE DREW CAREY SHOW/ABC/1995-2003 Oswald (Diedrich Bader) revealed that he was nicknamed Butt-head by his mother, because "When I was born I came out backwards. I didn't have oxygen for two whole minutes."  

Button - The family nickname of the eldest child, Paige Thacher (Monique Lanier), on the domestic drama LIVE GOES ON/ABC/1989-93. Paige was a college dropout who returned home to live with her parents.