Mickey Pants - Nickname of Bob Barsky (Sam Freed), a sportscaster on the sitcom KATE AND ALLIE/CBS/1984-89. When Bob was playing baseball as a little leaguer (he was eight-years-old), a small mouse got into his pants while he was on the field. After he dropped his pants to catch the mouse, everyone laughed and he reluctantly earned the moniker, "Mickey Pants."  See also - "The Batman" and "Mayday Malone"

Midnight Morsel  See - SEXY BABES:" Voluptua"

Mighty Carson Art Players, The - Group of actors first seen in 1966 who assisted Johnny Carson in comedy skits on the late night talk/variety show THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON/NBC/1962-92. The name was derived from "The Mighty Allen Art Players originated by comedian Fred Allen in the early days of radio. See also -"Art Fern" and "Mr. Question Man"

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The - The half-hour live-action fantasy kids show THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS/FOX/1993-96 featured six-high school students who transformed ("Morphed") into masked karate masters to battle the evil Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, Zordon and a variety of manufactured monsters. The Rangers fought only in self-defense and reminded viewers that "martial arts should always be practiced by a professional." The Morphin Rangers included Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger; David Yost as Billy, the Blue Ranger; Walter Jones as Zack, the Black Ranger (later replaced by Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam); Austin St. John as Jason the Red Ranger (later replaced by Steve Cardenas as Rocky); Thuy Trang as Trini, the Yellow Ranger (later replaced by Karan Ashley as Aisha); and Jason Frank as Tommy, the Green Ranger (who later became the White Ranger). The series was actually a compilation of action fighting scenes first seen on the Japanese series ZYU RANGERS. The American producer Haim Saban shot new footage with American teens and then spliced together the masked Japanese actors (with American voices). The series continued its franchise with POWER RANGERS IN SPACE in 1999.

Milwaukee Kid, The - CB handle of B.J. "Billie Joe" McKay (Greg Evigan) a handsome, former Vietnam veteran turned trucker on the comedy adventure B.J. AND THE BEAR/NBC/1979-81. He drove a Kenilworth tractor/trailer rig, hauling anything anywhere, as long as it was honest. His driving companion was a chimpanzee named Bear.

Miss Bing - Singer Rosemary Clooney was dubbed "Miss Bing" for her easy, nonchalant manner of working and singing, a style which resembled the smooth singing quality of male vocalist, Bing Crosby. Rosemary Clooney starred in the variety series THE LUX SHOW STARRING ROSEMARY CLOONEY/NBC/1957-58 and was a featured singer on the musical program SONGS FOR SALE/CBS/1950-52. In recent years she become famous as the commercial spokesperson for Coronet Tissues where she sang the jingle "Extra value is what you get, when you buy Coronet." In the fall of 1994, Rosemary did a cameo as Madame X, a mysterious singing mentally ill woman on episode # 4 "Going Home" on the NBC medical drama ER where her real-life nephew, George Clooney played the role of Dr. Doug Ross. The Madame X character was revealed to be a Mrs.Cavanaugh on episode # 12 "The Gift." Her performances won Clooney a nomination in the "Guest Actress" category at the 47th Annual Prime time Emmy Awards.

Miss Mennen Girl, The  See - "Roxanne Arlen"

Mrs. Greenthumbs - Comedian and gardening expert Cassandra Danz, (a.k.a. "Mrs. Greenthumbs") dispensed growing tips as a regular visitor on the morning talk show LIVE WITH REGIS & KATHIE LEE (and later on REGIS & KELLY) in the 1990s. Born in Brooklyn, Danz began her career as a stand up-comic and starred in her own 1994 one-woman show "Mrs Greenthumbs Plows Ahead." She introduced her Mrs. Greenthumbs character in 1989 during a tour with a cabaret troupe called "The High-Heeled Women." She also wrote the book "Mrs. Greenthumbs: How I Turned a Boring Yard into a Glorious Garden and How You Can, Too" and penned a magazine column for Country Living Garden. Cassandra Danz, 55, died of breast cancer on May 26, 2002 in Brooklyn, NY.

Mrs. Letterman  See - FANS: "David Letterman's Stalker Fan"

Mrs. Schmenkman - Hannah Miller (Jamie Lee Curtis) on the sitcom ANYTHING BUT LOVE/ABC/1989-92 affectionately called her best friend, Robin by the nickname Mrs. Schmenkman. Robin reciprocated and called Hannah the same. Both Hannah and Robin had known each other since they were five-years old. In eleventh grade, both made a pact that if neither of them were married by the age of thirty, each would tell people her husband was with the Witness Protection Program.

Mr. Baseball - Bob Uecker who never hit more than a 200 RBI (Runs Batted In) in his professional career is now tagged as "Mr. Baseball." He plays a loser with delusions of grandeur believing that everyone loves him and his accomplishments. During his baseball days he declared he made a yearly salary of $23,000: $11,000 being made from selling other players equipment. Has fame changed him? "I don't think I've changed at all," he remarked once. "And I still think my kids haven't either. When it was time to go home, they went home with the other ball players." Bob Uecker was a popular guest on NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON; performed in a series of "Miller Beer" commercials; and played a sports columnist, George Owens on the sitcom MR. BELVEDERE/ABC/1985-90. He also hosted the sports bloopers program WACKY WORLD OF SPORTS/SYN/1986 and has for years been the play-by-play announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team (Bob Uecker was a former member of the Brewers).

Mr. Beer Belly - Just one of many names (malapropisms) given to Mr. Lynn Belvedere (Christopher Hewitt) by a scatterbrained teenage cheerleader named Angela on the situation comedy MR. BELVEDERE/ABC/1985-90. Angela (Michele Matheson) was the best friend of Heather Owens (Tracy Wells) whose family employed a British manservant named Mr. Belvedere. Whenever Angela visited the Owens household she incorrectly called Mr. Belvedere by such ignominious misnomers as Mister Beer Belly, Mr. Bumper Sticker, Mr. Beaver Dam or Mr. Bell Ringer. Once Angela entered and won the Miss Beaver Falls Beauty Pageant. Her talent: a ventriloquism act with a dummy resembling Mr. Belvedere.

Mr. Black - The mysterious host of the mystery anthology MR. BLACK/ABC/1949 broadcast from Chicago. Mr. Black (Andy Christopher) was actually Satan's representative who delighted in telling tales about evil people who by the end of each program got their just desserts...a trip straight to hell...Hooo, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!

Mr. Blooper - Producer, writer Kermit Schafer was known as "Mr. Blooper" in the 1940s and 1950s for his unique pastime of collecting samples of on-the-air bloopers (verbal or visual errors-pratfalls, flubbed lines) from the early years of radio and television. On the comedy series TV'S BLOOPERS & PRACTICAL JOKES/NBC/1984-86, a Golden Blooper Award was presented to the best example of a "Blooper" seen on television. The segment was dedicated to the memory of Kermit Schafer.

Mr. Budweiser - Ed McMahon, the co-host of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON/NBC/1962-92 was a commercial spokesman for the Anheuser-Busch Company and its product, Budweiser Beer. This earned him the title of "Mr. Budweiser." Once Johnny Carson called Ed McMahon "Clydesdale Breath" a remark referring to the huge Clydesdale horses which are the trademark mascots of the Anheuser-Busch company.

Mr. C. - The easygoing, crooner Perry Como was commonly referred to as "Mr. C." by off-camera announcer Frank Gallup on the musical variety program THE PERRY COMO SHOW/NBC/CBS/1948-63. Mr. C was also what Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley) was called by a variety of neighborhood friends, including the cool Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli on the sitcom HAPPY DAYS/ABC/1974-84.Years later Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham, the wife of Mr. C, was called Mrs. C. when she appeared as Beulah Carey, the mother of Drew Carey on the THE DREW CAREY SHOW/ABC/1995-2004.

Mr. Empty Pants - Name of cartoon character created by Peg Bundy (Katey Sagal) on the situation comedy MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN/FOX/1987-97. After Peg pick-pocketed her husband's wallet, Al chastised her and said "Never leave me with empty pants again." The expression inspired the name of cartoon character which Peg developed into a comic feature for Modern Gal magazine featuring "a hapless loser" of a man (actually her husband, Al). The name Mr. Empty Pants was a sexual put-down for Al's lack of manhood. After Playgirl magazine wanted Al as a centerfold (with bikini-clad babes), a jealous Peggy killed off Mr. Empty Pants saying. "I couldn't handle your happiness, so I killed you (Crushed by a meteorite shaped like a lady's shoe). "Did I suffer?" asked Al? "Sure!" quipped Peggy.

Mr. Food - Professional nickname of TV cook Art Ginsburg, who appeared as Mr. Food for more than 15 years in a series of short food inserts seen in more than 400 cities nationwide. Speaking with a raspy voice and sporting a traditional white chef hat, Mr. Food shared recipes that saved time, money and that said "No! to mess and fuss and "Yes!" to flavor and simplicity." Mr. Food was the author of such cookbooks as Mr. Food Cool Cravings: Easy Chilled Desserts; Mr. Food Easy Tex-Mex: Mr. Food Shares More Than 150 Fun, Festive Tex-Mex Recipes; and Mr. Food One Pan, One Meal. Mr. Food's catchphrase is "Oooooh!, It's soooo Goood!"

Mr. Jazz - Self-proclaimed nickname of Dr. Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), a black obstetrician on the sitcom THE COSBY SHOW/NBC/1984-91 who was just crazy about jazz music and musicians. See also -"Baby Cakes"

Mr. Lucky - Lucky Santell (John Vivyan) was an honest professional gambler who owned a floating casino called the "Fortuna" on the adventure series MR. LUCKY/CBS/1959-60. The character was based on the 1943 movie Mr. Lucky starring Cary Grant. See also - BOATS:"The Fortuna."

Mr. Midnight - Steve Allen, the original host of the NBC late night talk program THE TONIGHT SHOW (from 1954-57) earned the title "Mr. Midnight" during his earlier radio days when he hosted a Hollywood midnight radio talk show in 1948 on station KNX.

Mr. Miniseries  See -"The King of the Miniseries"

Mr. Nude - What Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) from the sitcom THAT 70S SHOW/FOX/1998-2006 called his teenage son, Eric (Topher Grace) after he came out of his bedroom one night wrapped only in a sheet. The next morning in the kitchen, Red repeated his mean-spirited moniker (“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Nude”) in front of their visiting next-store neighbor Bob Pinciotti (Don Stark) who informed everyone, "Hey that was my nickname in college." Curious, his daughter Donna (Laura Prepon) says, "Dad, you didn't go to college." To which her father replies, "Didn't stop me getting a nickname." The next night, Eric's father stood outside of his son's bedroom banging pot and ladle and yelling "FIRE!" When Eric appears wrapped in a sheet, his father tells him “we’re doing this every night until you put on some pants."

Mr. Pizza Head  See - PUPPETS: "Mr. Bill"

Mr. Question Man - A parody of "The Answer Man" from the early days of radio (which debuted in 1937), the "Mr. Question Man" skit (played by Ernie Kovacs) was featured on THE ERNIE KOVACS SHOW in the early 1950s. A typical question would be "If camel's hair comes from a camel, does mohair come from Mo?" The concept for this skit was later adapted by Johnny Carson of THE TONIGHT SHOW/NBC/1962-92 when he created a bumbling telepath-in-a-turban called "Carnac The Magnificent" (first seen in 1964) who could divine answers to questions sealed in envelopes. The skit opened with announcer Ed McMahon stating "I have in my hand an envelope, a child of four can plainly see these envelopes are hermetically sealed. They've been kept since noon today in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls' porch. No one-but one!-knows the contents. In his mystical, and borderline way; Carnac will now ascertain the answers having never heard the questions." Carnac then placed the white envelopes to his forehead to sense the answers to the questions within. Carnac the Magnificent was a parody of such early TV psychics as Criswell who also held an envelope to his forehead and divined its contents. The following are some typical Carnac answer/question exchanges Answer: "The Moonies"/Question: "The name of the religion that drops its pants?"; Answer: "The Zip Code"/Question: "What do CIA agents have to remember to go to the bathroom?"; Answer: "A pair of Jordache jeans and a bread box"/Question: "Name two places where you stuff your buns?"; Answer: "Ovaltine"/Question: "Describe Oprah Winfrey in High School"; Answer: "Ben Gay"/Question: How come Mrs. Franklin didn't have any children?"; and Answer: Leave It To Beaver/Question: What did the raccoon say in his will?" If the audience booed one of Carnac's responses, he'd fight back by saying something like "May a love-starved fruit fly molest your sister's nectarines" or "May a nearsighted sand flea suck syrup off your short stack." When the announcer said "I hold in my hand...the last envelope." The audience usually cheered, as if to say "Thank God this skit is almost over."

Mr. Saturday Night - "The Great One" Jackie Gleason was dubbed "Mr. Saturday Night" in the early days of television because of his intense popularity. Reportedly when THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW/CBS/1952-70 aired on Saturday nights supermarkets had a decline in dollar revenue, there was less traffic on the streets and theater managers reported a drop in business. The June 15, 1954 issue of Look Magazine quoted "He is known as Mr. Saturday Night. No one in television ever rose so fast, so soon."

Mr. Showbusiness - Knuckle-headed Jethro Bodine (Max Baer) nephew to backwoods millionaire, Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen) liked to be called "Mr. Showbusiness" by his flunkies and stooges as he pretended to be the world's greatest talent agent on the sitcom THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES/CBS/1962-71. He operated "J. B. Enterprises" out of a large office in the Drysdale bank located in Beverly Hills.

Mr. Showmanship  See - MUSIC - SOLO PERFORMERS:"Liberace"

Mr. Silent Majority  See - "Floyd R. Turbo"

Mr. T - Mr. T is the show business name of Lawrence Tureaud (Tero), a former bodyguard who rose to fame as Sgt. B.A. Baracus, an AWOL Army mechanic on the adventure THE A-TEAM/NBC/1983-87. According to his biography Tero changed his name in 1972 because he got tired of white people calling him "boy." Now when he is addressed, the very first word out of a person's mouth must be "Mister." It's a sign of respect. He never allows anyone to call him just T. My first name is Mister and my middle name is that period and my last name is T." If he received any mail addressed to Lawrence Tureaud he writes "that person doesn't live here anymore." Mr. T was a successful bodyguard before he rose to stardom, protecting boxer Leon Spinks in 1978. His calling card read: "Mr. T. Bodyguard extraordinaire. Next to God there is no better protector than I." When he was a teenager in Chicago, he wrestled for Dunbar High School under the name "Tero the Terror." Other roles to his credit: Clubber Long, a black boxer who fought Sylvester Stallone in the motion picture Rocky III (1982); the animated star of his own Saturday morning cartoon MR. T/NBC/1983-6; and T.S. Turner, a former boxer turned detective on T AND T/SYN/1987-90.

Mr. Television - Former vaudevillian Milton Berle was given the nickname "Mr. Television" when thousands of people rushed out to buy televisions to watch his comedy variety program THE MILTON BERLE SHOW/NBC/1948-59. Comedian Joe E. Lewis once said "Milton Berle is responsible for more television sets being sold than anyone else. I sold mine, my father sold his." Announcer Ed McMahon also earned the title "Mr. Television" when he worked locally for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia in the 1950s after appearing on thirteen concurrently running programs including STRICTLY FOR THE GIRLS, AUNT MOLLY & ED, THE SILENT SERVICE and THE BIG TOP (where he played a big-nosed clown). TRIVIA NOTE: THE ADMIRAL BROADWAY REVUE/NBC/DUM/1949 with Sid Caesar was canceled because the program's sponsor, Admiral Electronics, couldn't keep up with the orders for the TVs the show was generating. The first week 500 sets were sold. After the third week, 5000 sets were ordered. After nineteen weeks Admiral withdrew sponsorship. They were receiving orders for 10,000 sets a week and couldn't keep up with demands. Revlon Cosmetics experienced a similar problem. See also - "Mr. Tuesday" and "Uncle Miltie"

Mr. Terrific - In a spoof of the sci-fi superhero, Stephen Strimpell starred as gas station operator, Stanley Beamish who moonlighted as the caped-crime fighter MR. TERRIFIC/CBS/1967. His super abilities were derived from a power pill developed by the US Bureau of Secret Projects. The reason he was chosen for the job was simple. When a strong, healthy man took the pill, it made him ill. So the government searched for the weakest wimp in the country. Stanley was the perfect choice. The power pills gave our soft-spoken, gullible guinea pig extraordinary powers for an hour. An extra pill gave him an additional twenty minute power boost. A similar silly superhero appeared on the comedy CAPTAIN NICE/NBC/1967. TRIVIA NOTE: In January, 1942 Sensation Comics No.1 debuted with the crime fighter/superhero "Mr. Terrific" (alias Terry Sloane). The words "Fair Play" were written on the front of his costume.

Mr. Tuesday - The showbiz nickname of Milton Berle, television's first big star who closed down restaurants and movie theaters at eight O'clock on Tuesday nights when he starred on TEXACO STAR THEATRE and later THE MILTON BERLE SHOW/NBC/ABC/1948-56. See also - "Mr. Television," "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Saturday"

Mr. Warmth - Insult comedian Don Rickles was sarcastically nicknamed "Mr. Warmth" by his show business buddies because of his frontal assault, and verbal barbs which showed no mercy. Be you Black, Asian, Irish, Italian, whatever, Rickles jokingly incorporated ethnic slurs and bigotry into his act. If you were Asian, he might mention slanty-eyes, buck teeth and Pearl Harbor; If you were Black the topic of watermelon might be brought up; if you were Irish, drunkenness would be inferred; and if you were Italian, talk of the Mafia would surely arise. He calls audience members "hockey pucks," "morons," or worse. The unique thing about his comedy is that when he finished shooting his slings and arrow of outrageous insults, he announces to the audience that "It was all in fun." He once said ."I've got a sixth sense that releases a trip-hammer in my mind warning me when I go too far...the presence of anger in an insult destroys the humor." His philosophy is that if you can get people to laugh at bigotry, stereotypes, etc., you can help them see how foolish it all is. Richard Lewis, Rickles' costar on the sitcom DADDY DEAREST/FOX/1993 said of Rickles "He insults everybody, he takes no prisoners, but he is a man with a golden heart. His type of ethnic humor will upset some people. But if you look at the total package, this guy's message is that we should all laugh at ourselves." A sample insult: [To an Arab] "Hey, 7-Eleven called...Your camels are blocking the aisles." Don Rickles has been a frequent guest of NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny Carson and has starred in three short-lived comedy series including THE DON RICKLES SHOW/ABC/1968-69; THE DON RICKLES SHOW/CBS/1972 and C.P.O. SHARKEY/NBC/1976-78. He also co-hosted FOUL-UPS, BLEEPS AND BLUNDERS/ABC/1984. Rickles is also known as the "Merchant of Venom."

Mr. Whammie - An unlucky cartoon character on the game show BEAT THE ODDS/SYN/1968-69, hosted by Johnny Gilbert. Two contestants attempt to form words by choosing letters. If Mr. Whammie appeared on one of the two screens instead of a letter, they lost all their points. The first person to reach 100 points won the game.

Mistress of the Dark  See - HORROR SHOW HOSTS: "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark"

Monster - Personal nickname of actress Tea Leoni (real name Tea Pantleoni) given to her by her non-showbiz friends. The slender blond actress is also called "T-bone." Tea Leoni starred on the sitcoms FLYING BLIND/FOX/1992-93 and THE NAKED TRUTH/ABC/NBC/1995-97.

Monty Python's Flying Circus - A group of five zany Oxford/Cambridge graduates (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and an American artist, Terry Gilliam) who created the comedy skits on MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS/BBC/1969-74. The name "Monty Python" was just that...a name. It had no deep value and as Shakespeare might say the program was filled with tales "told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Before settling on the name Monty Python's Flying Circus, the group considered calling themselves "Owl Stretching Time, Toad Elevating Moment, Sex and Violence, The Horse, a Spoon and a Basin, Unlike a Bloody Stumbling Boot, and Gwen Dibley's Flying Circus. The blackouts, surreal skits, and irreverent humor on the series, which targeted virtually anyone in any position of power, was a continuation of the craziness typical of the British 1950s classic radio series THE GOON SHOW. Amidst the utter confusion and insanity of their skits ("And now for something completely different...") came a wonderful litany of verbose put-downs and insults espoused by John Cleese. Some of his greatest insults were "You stupid, furry Bucktoothed gits!," "You excrement! You lousy hypocritical whining toadies with your lousy color TV sets and your Tony Jacklin golf clubs" and "I unclog my nose in your direction...I wave my private parts at your aunties, you cheesy-lover, second-hand-election donkey-bottom-biters!" (As taken from "And Now For Something Completely Trivial: The Monty Python Trivia and Quiz Book" by Kim Howard Johnson (St. Martin, 1991). Of the forty-five episodes produced (13 each season), the most memorable skits included The Minister of Silly Walks, Blackmail, The Lumberjack Song, The Argument, and The Dead Parrot where John Cleese walks into a pet shop with a dead parrot and says "I wish to register a complaint..." For a fun read, I suggest Graham Chapman's A Liar's Autobiography Vol. VI (1981). The book chronicles his career with the madcap Monty Python Group.

Moondoggie - The surfer nickname of Jeff Griffin, (Dean Butler), a construction worker turned city planner on the sitcom THE NEW GIDGET/ABC/1986-88. Moondoggie was married to Frances "Gidget" Griffin, a petite surfer girl turned travel agent. Their friends included a legendary surfer known as the Great Kahuna (Don Stroud). On the original sitcom GIDGET/ABC/1965-66, Moondoogie was Jeff Matthews (Steven Miles). TRIVIA NOTE: Allen Freed, the popular Cleveland radio disk jockey who helped shape the Rock and Roll movement of the 1950s was also known as Moondoggie.

Moonglow - High School nickname of Norman "Norm" Peterson, (George Wendt), a plump, unemployed beer drinker who spent most of his waking hours at a local Boston bar on the sitcom CHEERS/NBC/1982-93. Norm's real name is Hilary.

Moon Muffin - Family nickname of Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) a young, conservative Republican teenager on the sitcom FAMILY TIES/NBC/1982-89. Alex's strange nickname (which he hated to hear) was what his parents Elyse (Meredith Baxter Birney) and Steven (Michael Gross) contemplated naming Alex when they were active in the Hippie, Flower-Power, Make Love Not War culture of the late 1960s at Berkeley.

Most of Kissed Man in America, The - Game show host Bob Barker earned this moniker while he hosted the popular CBS daytime program THE NEW PRICE IS RIGHT that debuted in the fall of 1972. Whenever one of the contestants chosen from the studio audience won a prize, they jumped on Bob Barker and planted a big kiss on his face. It was often unavoidable. As Bob concluded "If you give a woman a car...you're gonna get a kiss." Once a determined and beefy black woman won a large money prize, and she chased Barker all over the stage until she kissed him. In their enthusiasm to kiss him, Barker was pinched, stepped on, bear-hugged and generally manhandled whenever an overzealous winner thanked him for their prizes. The short contestants were the worst because as they jumped up to kiss Barker, the tops of their heads kept hitting him on the chin. To be fair, the men got in their licks too. Once, a broad-shouldered US Marshal got carried away and gave Barker a big smackeroo...Mmmm-wah! TRIVIA NOTE: Motion picture actor, Regis Toomey was famous for kissing Jane Wyman for 185 seconds (Billed as the "screen's longest smooch") in the film You're in the Army Now (1941). See also - "Prince of Puckers" and SIGNOFFS: "Mmmmm-Wah!"

Most Murdered Girl on Television, The - Joyce Randolph who played Trixie Norton, the wife of sewer worker, Ed Norton (Art Carney) on sitcom THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS/1955-56 was formerly known as "The Most Murdered Girl on Television" due to her many guest shots on numerous crime shows in the 1950s. She usually could be found lying on the floor with a chalk mark around her body. TRIVIA NOTE: Motion picture actor, Regis Toomey once jokingly referred to himself as "The Mortician's Man of the Year" because he so frequently died in his movie roles.

Most Powerful Man In Broadcasting, The - The farcical moniker of late night talk show host David Letterman from THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN/CBS/1993+. Dave formerly hosted THE LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN/NBC/1982-1993 until he defected to CBS (for $42 million) when not picked as the replacement for THE TONIGHT SHOW after Johnny Carson left the show in 1993 (Jay Leno got the job). Dave's shows offered such comedy antics as "Stupid Pet Tricks," "Stupid Human Tricks," the nightly "Top Ten List" and "Meet Our Neighbors" segment when the show visited local businesses near the The Ed Sullivan Theater (the CBS shows) and talked with people like novelty store clerks Sirajul Islam and Mujibar Rahman or Rupert Jee, the owner of a local deli (both of whom who became minor celebrities from their many appearances on the show). Dave also liked to destroy objects for his viewing audience by throwing them off roof tops or running them over with steam rollers. On occasion, Dave also utilized his mother from Indianapolis as a recurring personality. In February, 1994 Dave sent her to Lillehammer, Norway as a special correspondent to the Winter Olympics. Another running gag was Dave's using various cities (Sioux City, Iowa, Grands Rapids, Michigan and Wahoo, Nebraska) in the USA as the location for the show's official "Home Office." See also - "Larry 'Bud' Melman".

Most Trusted Man in America, The - During his twenty year reign as news anchorman for the CBS network, broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite was considered by the American public to be "The Most Trusted Man in America." His confident voice and his fatherly features assured the viewing public of an honest news report. He has also been called "America's Old Shoe," and "A National Security Blanket." Cronkite premiered on the CBS EVENING NEWS on April 16, 1962 and some twenty years later upon retirement uttered his final closing "Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away, they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is Friday March 6, 1981." Cronkite's credits included THE FACTS WE FACE/CBS/1950-51 (documentary); IT'S NEWS TO ME/CBS/1951-54 (quiz show); MAN OF THE WEEK/CBS/1952-54 (interview); PICK THE WINNER/CBS/DUM/1952-56 (political); YOU ARE THERE/CBS/1953-57 (documentary drama); AIR POWER/CBS/1956-58 (documentary); EYEWITNESS TO HISTORY/CBS/1960-63 (news analysis); THE 20TH (21ST)CENTURY/CBS/1957-70 (documentary); UNIVERSE/CBS/1980-82 (science magazine); and WALTER CRONKITE AT LARGE/CBS/1986 (news/documentary). TRIVIA NOTE: The sitcom MURPHY BROWN/CBS/1988-98 featured Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough), a CBS-TV "F.Y.I." senior newscaster referred to as "America's Most Trusted Anchorman." In contrast, the newsman Neil Frazier (Harris Yulin) on WIOU/CBS/1990-91 was called the "Most Lecherous Anchorman in America."

Mother - The code name for the section head of British Intelligence on the spy drama THE AVENGERS/ABC/1966-69. Mother (Patrick Newell) issued assignments to Jonathan Steed (Patrick Macnee), a suave, highly skilled secret agent and his karate-kicking female partner, Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) and her replacement, Tara King (Linda Thorson). Mother first appeared as a cameo character in January of 1969 on the episode "Forget-Me-Not" where he played a secret service supervisor who had been crippled from an explosion. Unable to walk without the aid of special straps and ladders, and in constant pain, he was not the kindest man for whom to work. TRIVIA NOTE: Mother was also the name of the owner of a jazz nightclub called Mother's where private eye Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) hung out on the detective series PETER GUNN/NBC/ABC/1958-61.

Mother of Television, The - Elma G. "Pem" Farnsworth was credited as the first person to appear on Television and thus earned the title of "The Mother of Television." Of course, her husband, Philo T. Farnsworth was called "The Father of Television" for his early research in the medium. Elma was on Philo's technical team in San Francisco when he demonstrated his invention in San Francisco on September 7, 1927. Elma died Thursday, April 27 in Bountiful, UT at age 98.

Comedian Johnny Carson once said: "If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." A statue of Philo T. Farnsworth stands outside the old Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver, Utah.

Another early TV pioneer (also called "The Father of Television") is US physicist and inventor Vladimir Kosma Zworykin of Wilkinsburg, PA (actually born in Russia) He designed the "iconoscope," the photocell "eye" of the early TV camera. His device was the first element necessary in the development of an all electronic television system. For his contribution he was dubbed "The Father of Television." His patent application (No. 2,141,059) was filed December 29, 1923.

Mouth, The - Showbiz moniker of singer/comedian Martha Raye, a former child performer who toured with her parents in the days of Vaudeville. Self-dubbed "Martha the Mouth," "The Mouth," and "The Big Mouth" Martha performed onstage, on radio and in films beginning with A Nite in a Nite Club (1934) as a jazz singer, followed by the World War II comedies Navy Blues (1941), Keep 'em Flying (1941) and Four Jills in a Jeep (1944). Martha's television credits included the alternate host of comedy variety show ALL STAR REVUE (1951-53); the host and star of THE MARTHA RAYE SHOW (1955); a special appearance on a 1960s episode of THE RED SKELTON SHOW entitled "The Mouth Shall Rise Again" (where Martha sang with her daughter); the nasty witch, Benita Bizarre (1970-72) on the Saturday morning NBC children's show THE BUGALOOS; the role of Agatha (1976-77), the housekeeper for Commissioner Stewart McMillan on the NBC police drama MCMILLAN & WIFE and MCMILLAN; and as Carrie Sharples (1982-84), the mother of Mel Sharples, the owner of Mel's Restaurant on the CBS sitcom ALICE. In the 1960s, Raye starred on Broadway in the musicals Hello Dolly! and No No Nanette. During the 1980s Martha starred in a series of successful denture product commercials where she was known as "Martha Raye, Denture Wearer." Throughout her career Martha received a number of awards for her good deeds. In 1969 she received The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work with charities and entertaining U.S. troops. And, in 1993 Martha was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton for her lifetime service to America. Ray also earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her achievements in Television and Films and was Legend Nominee in the 1999 American Film Institute's "100 Years – 100 Stars" program as well as the subject of an A&E "Biography" segment in October 1999. Born Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed on August 27, 1916 in Butte Montana, Martha Raye died on October 19, 1994 died of pneumonia at Cedars Sinai Medical Center at 1:45pm after a prolonged illness from Alzheimer's Disease, cataracts, liver disease, and the lose of both legs due to circulatory problems. Affectionately called "Colonel Maggie" (of the Boondocks) Martha was awarded the honorary rank of Lt. Colonel for her contributions to US troops overseas during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. She is buried in the military cemetery at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (a special exception to the policy). Note: Millionaire Ted Turner is referred to as "The Mouth from the South"; and rowdy talk show host Morton Downey, Jr. was called "The Mouth That Roared."

Muffin - Frank De Fazio (Phil Foster), the owner of the Pizza Bowl restaurant and bowling alley in Milwaukee affectionately referred to his daughter Laverne (Penny Marshall) as "Muffin" on the sitcom LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY/ABC/1976-83. Muffin was also the childhood nicknames of both Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) and Carla Lozupone Tortelli LeBec (Rhea Perlman), two waitresses from the sitcom CHEERS/NBC/1982-93. Diane got her sobriquet from her father who called her Muffin because she was so "sweet and tasty." Carla, on the other hand, was called Muffin because her two brothers would stuff her ears with yeast and try to bake her face. Carla also called Diane such insulting names as Fish Face, The Stick, Whitey, Answer Geek and Bone Butt. Muffin was also the nickname of Barbara Cooper, (Valerie Bertinelli) a beautiful brunette on the sitcom ONE DAY AT A TIME/CBS/1975-84. She was nicknamed by her grandmother Katherine Romano (Nanette Fabray). On the sitcom THE COSBY SHOW/NBC/1984-91 Elvin Thibodeaux (Geoffrey Owens) called his wife Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) Muffin. And the TWIN PEAKS/ABC/1990-91 prequel movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) finds a half-drunk Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in a seedy bar saying "I am the Muffin" just before she is killed. See also - "Angel-face"; "Penny Marshall" and DEMONS:"Bob the Demon"

Mundanes - Term used by telepaths to describe those beings without telepathic abilities on the sci-fi series BABYLON 5/SYN/1994-98. Telepathic Psi Corps officer Mr. Bester (Water Koenig) frequently used the pejorative nickname in his dealings with humans and other alien races stationed onboard space station Babylon 5. Telepaths who refused to join the Psi Corps were themselves labeled "Blips" and either imprisoned, drugged into submission (with "Sleepers") or killed.