Why I Write Fan Fiction

So, before I start to talk about Season Two, I thought I would blog about a couple of other Rookies related topics. I have enjoyed writing since I was a small child. I remember writing something when I was eight years old regarding the space program. My father was going to school at the time and I remember helping him with the English assignments. English and Language Arts related courses were always what I excelled at in school. My first attempts at writing Rookies stories were awful. My father encouraged my writing, but my mother, did not. In fact, she still thinks it's a waste of time. When I was growing up, after my mother remarried when I was 15, both her and my stepfather considered it a waste of time and paper. I loved it when I moved out on my own and could buy my own paper. I could write as much as I wanted, when I wanted and no one could stop me. Writing allows me to vent in ways I never can verbally. I can take an idea and run with it. Sometimes, those ideas fly and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they fly so well that I say the story takes on a life of its own. That's kind of what's happening with the story I'm working on now, along with my partner in crime. I can come up with a universe of my own and stick with it in subsequent stories. Hence, the creation of Mary Kathryn, Trap, Michelle and Savannah. These people are all based on people that I already know. However, as much as I have tried, I have found that I can't write fan fiction for any other series. I'd love to write fan fiction for shows such as Law and Order: SVU or one of the CSI's, but ideas just won't come. So, I'll stick with my Rookies stories and keep hoping that everybody keeps enjoying them.

Guest Stars From Season One

I'm going to discuss guest stars from Season One who went on to other things. Not necessarily better things, but places where they might be more familiar faces to some of us. Mark Slade--first appeared in the episode 'Dead, Like A Lost Dream,' but also appeared in the episodes 'Code 261' and 'Cliffy.' He might be better known to some viewers as Blue on the TV western 'The High Chaparral.' Margaret Avery--co-starred in the episode 'The Informant.' Better known as Shug Avery in 'The Color Purple' (one of my all-time favorite movies.) 'Lou Gossett (Jr.)--co-starred in 'Covenant With Death.' He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1982 for 'An Officer And A Gentlemen.' Roddy McDowall--co-starred in 'Dirge For Sunday.' He was already very well known before this episode as a former child star at MGM, alongside Elizabeth Taylor. He also appeared in 'The Planet of The Apes' movies. He also was the creator of several books of celebrity photographs. Leslie Charleston--co-starred in the episode 'The Good Die Young.' She was Monica Quartermain on the ABC soap 'General Hospital.' Jared Martin--co-starred in 'A Bloody Shade of Blue.' He was Sue Ellen's lover, Dusty Farlow, on the CBS show 'Dallas.' Earl Holliman--co-starred in 'A Very Special Piece Of Ground.' Better known as Lt. Crowley on 'Police Woman,' co-starring Angie Dickinson. Martin Sheen--co-starred in 'The Snow Job.' Probably best known these days as father to Charlie Sheen and Emilion Estevez and for playing Pres. Bartlett on 'The West Wing.' Michael Farrell--co-starred in 'Wheel of Death.' Married to actress Shelley Fabares and played Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt on 'M*A*S*H' for eight seasons. Tyne Daly--first co-starred in 'A Farewell Tree From Marley.' She appeared in one episode each of the four seasons that 'The Rookies' were on the air. At the time, she was married to series co-star Georg Stanford Brown, with whom she had three daughters. Later, she became an Emmy Award winner for 'Cagney and Lacey.' Those are some of the more popular guest stars that appeared on Season One. I don't think I missed anybody, but let me know if I did.

Let's Take A Closer Look At Lt. Eddie Ryker/Gerald S. O'Loughlin

In the pilot for 'The Rookies,' Sgt. Eddie Ryker was played by the late Darrin McGavin, who I thought would've probably made a fine choice to be Lt. Ryker in the series, but I think Mr. McGavin had other obligations, which led to the role being filled by Gerald S. O'Loughlin. I have to admit that I didn't like Lt. Ryker, at first. I didn't really come to like him until I started rewatching the episodes years later and saw how much he cared for Jill. The first interaction you see between the two of them that demonstrates this is in the Season One episode 'Time Is The Fire' when he's telling Jill the story of his wife and how she died in childbirth, forcing him to give his newborn daughter up for adoption. This story is the reason why the Danko's daughter is named Mary Kate in my fan fiction stories. There weren't many Ryker episodes during the four year run of the series. The best one was 'Get Ryker!' in Season Two. I felt sorry for Jill, stuck in that house with a crotchety old man who was probably literally bouncing off of the walls. My favorite scene in that episode was when he was sitting with the three guys and Jill around his dinner table, explaining to them that he had a standing engagement the next morning. The way he was making it sound was he was visiting a house of ill repute, when in reality he went to a chess club every week. It was a very funny scene. My two favorite scenes of his during the series are the scene where he's trying to shout some sense into Jill in 'A Matter of Justice' and the scene where he's shouting at Rex Winfield in 'Journey to Oblivion.' He was always at his best when he was angry. Moving on to the actor who played Eddie Ryker, I didn't notice any of Gerald's work until after the series had gone off the air. I didn't know that he played one of the detectives in the movie 'In Cold Blood' until I saw it on one of the movie channels just recently. After 'The Rookies' went off the air, he made appearances in TV movies until 1986 when he was cast as Wilfred Brimley's buddy in the series 'Our House.' He was the only reason I watched this show and he wasn't nearly as good in it as he'd been as Lt. Ryker. In an old TV Guide article, Kate Jackson stated that she learned a lot about improving her craft from Gerald. I thought that was a nice compliment. Anyway, that's my opinion. I'd love to hear yours.

Let's Take A Closer Look At Jill Danko/Kate Jackson

As stated in an earlier blog, the first time I saw the episode 'To Taste of Terror' I decided that I wanted to be Jill Danko. After all, she was married to the hero. I was 12 years old and at the time, had no heroes in my life. I remember during season one, she wore this long blue smock dress that I loved. I wanted one just like it. A girl I went to school with at the time had one that was red plaid and I envied her for it. Plus, she had long dark hair, ala Jill, and the combination just teed me off. Anyway, during Season One, Jill only had two episodes that were all about her. But, she had a few scenes with Mike that showed how frightening it was to be married to a police officer. The best of these was in the episode 'A Bloody Shade of Blue' when someone was targetting police officers. Terry had been blinded by these guys. Jill tried to convince Mike that he had a fever and she wanted him to stay home. After a few minutes, he saw through this and tried to calm her nerves. It was a great scene. In Season Two, she changed her hairstyle and seemed to grow up a bit. I liked the Season One hair the best. However, I loved both of her episodes in Season Two. Again, she only had two, although there were several more where she was highlighted quite a bit. By far, the saddest Rookies episode and the one that everybody, no matter who they're a fan of, seems to remember is 'A Matter of Justice.' I don't know how many fan fiction stories I've written regarding this episode. In fact, I'm working on one now. The questions will always remain if the show had remained on the air for another season or two, would Mike and Jill have finally had a baby? If the show had aired in this day and time, I think so. They would've just written it into the series. But, back then, since every episode told a complete story, probably not. The other Jill episode in Season Two was 'Lots of Trees and A Running Stream.' This episode was okay, but left a lot of unanswered questions. I've written a lot of stuff about the type of person I felt Cleve Andrews probably was. But, I seriously don't think Mike would've really left her alone, knowing Cleve was in town, if he was the kind of creep I've made him out to be in my stories. Season Three brings us what I think is the second best Jill episode ever. 'Nightmare' was an episode that, with little exception, showcased Jill. It was also borrowed from an episode of 'The Mod Squad' which found Julie in almost the same situation, except you had a young Richard Dreyfuss and a woman about to have a baby. But, it was the same house and a thunderstorm. My favorite scene in 'Nightmare' is where Jill runs up the stairs, opens the door to flee and runs straight into Mike, not remembering who he is. I had that scene on audio tape for years (I think I still have it, as a matter of fact.) In Season Three, 'Nightmare' was the only episode that was about Jill and it was the last episode of the season. Which leads me to Season Four. Season Four seemed like every other episode was a 'Jill needing to be rescued' episode. This was especially true toward the end of the season. The best of these was the final episode of the series 'Journey to Oblivion.' After witnessing a murder, Jill is kidnapped by the guy who did the killing and a hired killer. Mike is shot while these two guys are trying to take Jill and she spends hours in a boxcar after a car wreck wondering if he's alive or dead. Mike is also laying in a hospital bed, wondering the same thing. Everybody gets emotional in this episode. The best scene is Lt. Ryker telling the father of the kidnapper that 'if that young woman sustains so much as a hangnail, nothing will stop me from getting my hands on the perpetrator and his accessory.' It was Lt. Ryker at his angry, finger-jabbing best. Now, I'll move on and talk about Kate. Pre-Rookies, she played a character named Daphne Harridge/Collins on the gothic soap opera 'Dark Shadows.' She played this character for nine months. The first three months, she was a ghost and didn't say a word. She had some great scenes with both James Storm, who played Gerard Stiles and David Selby, who played Quentin Collins. I had a mad passion for Quentin. She didn't play Jill in the pilot for 'The Rookies.' According to what I've read, she had another obligation at the time, so the role went to Jennifer 'Don't Get Me Started About Her' Billingsley, who is best known for appearing with Burt Reynolds in 'Gator' and 'White Lightning.' While appearing on 'The Rookies,' Kate made several movies of the week, some more memorable than others. 'Satan's School for Girls,' 'The Killer Bees' and 'Death Cruise' are among the more memorable ones. 'Charlie's Angels' was created around Kate. That quickly fell apart with the Farrah phenomenon, which soon swept the country. I wasn't a fan of 'Charlie's Angels,' not even during the three season where Kate appeared. However, I was a fan of 'Scarecrow And Mrs. King.' The chemistry between Kate and Bruce Boxleitner was great and reminded me of what she'd had with Sam Melville in 'The Rookies.' I was thrilled when Sam began playing her ex-husband Joe. When she became ill during Season Four of 'Scarecrow' was when the show fell apart. I think if she hadn't become sick, the show would've continued for at least another one or two seasons. She had one more series after 'Scarecrow, but 'Baby Boom' didn't even last a full season. Since then, she's stuck with made for tv movies and one very memorable appearance on the TV series 'Third Watch' where she plays the mother from hell. I was hoping both she and her co-star in that episode, Henry Winkler, would be nominated for Emmy Awards. They were both that good. I keep hoping she'll make more guest appearances. Oh, and I know she was Emmy nominated for an appearance on 'Ally McBeal' but I didn't see the episode, since I didn't watch the show. Anyway, I'm done rambling for now. Tomorrow, I'm off to discuss Gerald/Eddie Ryker.