Doctor Who 11.6 "Demons of the Punjab" Review

                                               
Yaz (Mandip Gill) reminisces with her grandmother, "Nani" (Leena Dhringa) as she hands out some of her treasured belongings to them.  Giving Yaz a watch with a smashed face and Yaz thinks the man in the photo is her grandfather.  As her grandmother speaks of being the first woman to marry in Pakistan and also the first Muslim woman to be a textile worker in Sheffield.  She refuses to talk about the watch and Yaz shows it to the Doctor (Jodi Whittaker) and asks her to take her there.  She thinks it will be difficult but perhaps telepathically she can link it to the TARDIS and they can stay for an hour only.  Graham (Bradley Walsh) replying he didn't know it was telepathic.  The Doctor asks him not to call her an "it."

They arrive in India 1947 but are unaware of the year and its significance.  As the Doctor is almost run over by a cart, driven by Prem (Shane Zaza) who tells them their Punjabi isn't bad for them being English.  The TARDIS translator working now.  He offers to give them a ride as Yaz says they're here to see Umbreen (Amita Suman) as they're friends of her family.  On the way they pass a Holy Man who says he can walk and will meet him there as that's what his legs are for.  As Yaz meets her grandmother she is amazed and surprised as she talks about getting married tomorrow and Yaz comes up with some story about Uncle Almak some villages away.  Yaz realizes she's going to marry Prem and lives on a farm.  They've worked all their time on the land.  Although she wasn't too surprised at meeting her great grandmother, Kisan (Nathalie Kuzner).

Prem's brother, Manish (Hamza Jeetooa) isn't too thrilled about the wedding and says he should marry someone Indian and without being graphic, a Hindu.  As Yaz also thinks this too.  He talks about India being divided into a Pakistan by Lord Mountbatten and all the other 'leaders' of the time including Nehru, Gandi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and shows them the border between the two countries saying they should leave for Pakistan as India is for them, for Hindus.  Prem disagrees as it's for all Indians, regardless of religion.  As they try to get back to the farm, the Doctor is hit by a loud sound and they see some masked creatures on the hill she calls demons, as does Prem who shoots at them.  As they also find the Holy Man dead.  There are purple specks radiating from his DB and she tries to analyze them but can't.  Prem tells them he's seen them before and the Doctor tells Yaz and Graham to tell the others of his death as she, Prem and Ryan (Tosin Cole)go with her.  She finds their lair and also says they're the Vajarians: deadly assassins.  She also sees a container with the same dust and takes it as they arrive.  They give chase and Ryan and Prem become separated from the Doctor through some form of travel displacement device on the trees.  As the Doctor finds two of the devices and takes them.

Graham and Yaz break the news and Umbreen's distressed as he was to perform their ceremony.  Prem and Ryan make it back following the advice of the Doctor as she tells them to get out of the forest.  As she finally turns up herself telling them to head for the barn.  Here she plants the device as the Vajarians appear again and they vanish for a few hours.  She can't hold them off longer than 12-18 hours, long enough for them to marry so history isn't changed.  As she warns Yaz she may talk herself out of existence if she interferes.  "Tread softly, you're treading on your own history."  Prem tells them he saw those creatures when he was fighting in Singapore with his brother Kunel.  Who died there and he didn't want to leave him behind.  He saw them standing over his body.  The Doctor wants to analyze the container and asks for some varied ingredients for them to collect, including chicken poo and ox spit, which Graham says he will never collect again.  Ryan explaining the ox took a shine to him.

The Doctor gets to talk with the Vajarians as they tell her they are no longer assassins as their planet was wiped out.  They now collect the lonely when they die, meaning their souls and go throughout the universe doing this.  Telling her Prem is next, which was apparent as he wasn't the man in the photo.  They didn't kill the Holy Man but they know who did, which wasn't really a mystery as it could only have been Manish.  But anyway we don't get to know that until the end unless you hadn't already worked it out.

Throughout this time they realize they're in India during the partition where millions died and Umbreen is determined to marry.  She says the Doctor can marry them cos that's a respectable title and she paints henna on their hands.  As the men play cards.  Manish is determined they shouldn't get married.  He is changed since the little boy Prem knew when he went away to the war and Manish says Kunel would've understood what he means when he shouldn't marry and India being only for them.  Somehow he really wouldn't have and he didn't give his life just so they could be enemies.

The Doctor performs the ceremony by the 'border' and Umbreen stands on the Pakistan side as she's now married in Pakistan, the first woman.  But she undoes the rope and then she ties it around their hands, a Hindu wedding tradition.  Which Yaz point out.  But Umbreen calls it their own tradition now.  When they return to the farm, they talk of not leaving here and Umbreen tells Manish how he fought for the land and helped them farm it. He's her brother now too but he denies any family ties with her.  Prem gives Umbreen his watch a symbol of a Muslim wedding and calls it her Mahal.  The watch falls and cracks, as Yaz has it now.  The Doctor talks of the men coming and goes after Manish but she comes back to warn them.  They gather their belongings to leave and Yaz notices the map of England with Sheffield marked on it.  Umbreen's father brought it back and she picked a point and said that's where she would end up.

Prem tells them to head for the border, as he tries to reason with Manish.  Who tells him Prem and Kunel fought for India, however Prem tells him he didn't fight for India to turn out like this, but for everyone.  Of course it was for freedom and for all.  He even recognizes one of the men on the horse and they fought together in Siam but he doesn't care.  Finally the man pulls the trigger and they hear the gunshot as they return to the TARDIS.

Yaz speaks with her grandmother and she doesn't want to talk about the watch and lets her save that for another time.  But she was happy in her marriage and now decides Yaz may be ready to hear the story.  Oh and Umbreen had a far more perfect English accent in India than she did in present day Sheffield, which may have seemed odd but probably cos of the TARDIS translation doing the same for her as it did for them, as pointed out by Prem and his speaking perfect Punjabi remark.  Though not everyone in India spoke Punjabi, they also had Hindi.

Another historic episode for the show and this time focusing on Yaz and the past.  But how different was it really to present day.  All the talk of borders and still having and keeping them to obsession.  Not just Brexit but also in the US with, "build the wall" and all that hysteria.  The same hysteria demonstrated in India where really no one needed to die.  The Radcliffe Line is where Umbreen got married and the radio broadcasts used were real.  This episode also being screened on one hundred years of Armistice Day.  No coincidence.  However very little was mentioned regarding British practice and action during this time of partition.

Some great moments with Yaz and Graham as they haven't had any alone time together where he tells her to go with it.  "I don't think any of us know the real truth about our own lives because we're too busy living it from the inside."

NB I didn't go into Partition here as seen through my family's history and experience. My mother was only a young girl then and her uncle brought them through to Pakistan safely.  Through all the turmoil and senseless killing that occurred.  Something that wouldn't have occurred if there was no British rule and colonization.  There were no divisions between the people of all religions and was something used as a form of rule: divide and conquer.  Which may appear all black and white to some and one-sided.
It was my great uncle, the same one who served in the army during World War II.
There is much to explore here including why Partition actually took place, it's true picture and heartbreaking losses.  As Prem said, "there's nothing worse than when normal people lose their minds.  We've lived together for decades..."

Jon-Erik Hexum: A Life

                                                         
I did write a biography about him, but this is a little more in-depth and perhaps a little more revealing.  On this that would have been Jon-Erik's 61st birthday!

Jon-Erik Hexum born 5 November 1957, Englewood New Jersey.
Jon-Erik was how he liked to be known - however as said in his biography I wrote, it was spelled Jon-Eric.
Of Norwegian descent. His parents mother was Gretha and father 'Thor' Thorleiff Hexum a cook.  Older brother Gunnar.
Interests included: music, enjoyed playing the piano; singing, working out in the gym.  Watching Rocky movies and Taxi.  As well as concerts, plays and reading.  He drove a '54 Chevy.

Jon-Erik was friendly, outgoing, active.  Much like he was a little bit of everything rolled into one
"I can be serious, but I have a lighter side.  I have a good, very dry sense of humour and I'm insightful.  Sometimes moody."
He read every letter he received from fans and hoped to respond to all too.  Whoever got replies back from him were extremely fortunate.  Not everyone takes their time out to do that; even those starting out; let lone the well known and established actors.
He didn't like conceited people; his own disorganization trait.  Hated how it took so long to get anywhere, especially in television.

Throughout his childhood, he had singing and dancing lessons which set him up for the world of acting.  Appearing in high school and college plays.  Which in turn lead to soaps and commercials such as Coca Cola; Chevy trucks.  Regional theatre was always a must.  The show Voyagers marked Jon-Erik's TV debut...
 On Voyagers his message to fans: "hope you're enjoying watching!  Voyagers and threatening all your friends to do the same.
We have some very exciting episodes coming up.  Meeno says 'hi!'
- I just saw how uncannily similar my writing is to his!  Especially similar 'y's, 'g's, 'p's - in short, most letters!  Wow.

My writing, keep in mind it's just rough and not meant to be neat or anything!

Jon-Erik Hexum was a popular actor in the making.  He studied, acted in plays; regional theatre and most things not everyone wanting to break into the competitive world of acting was able to do.  He didn't have roles thrown at him - he had to be discovered, the mundane job of waiting tables.  many do it, not all make it.
His was a story of discovery in the true sense of the word - earning to work (yearning) in an industry he was destined for.
His perseverance paid off and he was cast for his debut TV role in Voyagers.  Jon-Erik was charismatic, charming, kind and unique - unlike any star you would meet today and by that I mean those classed as 'A listers'.  He brought an old-fashioned persona, charm and personality to the screen and everything he did off screen too.

Jon-Erik was real.  An actor's actor and not a selfish bone in his body and had good looks to boot.  Yet he was never arrogant about that - never vain!  His gorgeous blue eyes - forlorn and in many ways, hiding many a magical thought and expression.  He was witty - with exceptional comedic timing and so dramatic a presence.  Enabling him to take on any role.  When most of them appeared to be those calling for looking hunky and nothing more:- with little dialogue.  But he refused to give up and be the object - to be objectified.  He took control of his career by refusing the parts he wasn't and wouldn't be happy with.  Not caring about how they may have driven his career and I say "may have" - they wouldn't have gotten him far if they were mundane or type cast or based solely on looks.

He knew how to play the industry and specifically Hollywood at its own game,  Demonstrating his intelligence and something much deeper than being a blond 'airhead' as some would see him.
He also played the paparazzi at their own game too.  Always keeping a firm hand on his life - public and private.

Jon-Erik's father left the family when he was only 4.  Leaving his mother to struggle to bring the two boys up alone.  Perhaps the bright lights of the New World went to his head in deserting his family.  Instead of being there.  When his father saw Jon-Erik on TV in a college football game he got in touch with him.  No doubt wanting the fame that his son was soon to acquire by treading the boards of his highly earned and hard earned struggle and labour.  Apparently Jon-Erik told his "father" in no uncertain terms to 'get lost', since he couldn't "reap seeds you haven't sown  You blew it guy.  Go to hell!"  Kinda reminds me of  The Grapes of Wrath there.  Though the other saying that comes to my mind is, "as you sow, so shall you reap."  - Relevant in many ways.

Michigan State University saw him excel in many ways.  Not only with his radio programme and he had the most lovely, sublime and deep voice so suited for radio and TV too.  The content on the radio was of his own creation.
After graduating, New York called where he did things "my way."  Finding work cleaning an apartment in New York which just happened to belong to Bob LeMond: John Travolta's manager.  So enamoured with Jon, he signed him up and Jon-Erik began to work modelling gigs in Manhattan.    Slowly and surely he was on his way, but still had to tend bar and clean.
He studied Bio-medical Engineering and wanted to act from the outset.  "There is a negative stereotype about models - wrongly or rightly it hurts you - so I got out of that and went to LA."

Eventually ending up in California and got an audition with Daryl Hannah in Summer Lovers.  However, Peter Gallagher got the part; leaving Jon to work as a busboy on Venice Beach.  This was thankfully for only a short time as he finally landed the pivotal role of Phineas Bogg in NBC's Voyagers.  A show that would well and truly propel him on the road to recognition and admiration from his fans.
Jon-Erik's first time in front of a camera meant his co-star on Voyagers,  Meeno Peluce had to tell him of the finer points of doing this.  However, only 20 episodes were filmed since ratings weren't so impressive and yet that showed the all-too fickle ratings system - still prevalent today.  Television (and film) is all about generating revenue at the end of the day - more so than the quality of the show and the acting.

Graduated 1980.  Drove taxis, washing rugs, floors.  Four months later he was on Voyagers.  "Kicked the butt out of this.'

He earned $30 a week as Johnny Browne on The Unsinkable Molly Brown in an Upstate New York stage production.  He didn't splurge out as most would do and was modest with his earnings.  Such is the price of a good show or acting job:- here today, gone tomorrow.  But being frugal didn't mean being stingy since Jon-Erik knew all to well the everyday struggles of making a buck.  Hollywood can chew you up and spit you out - as sooner watch you fall down that ladder you fought to climb!  Such is its indifference.

The Making of a Male Model (1983)  Joan Collins wanted him to appear in this.  One of those "smutty" films that are nothing but ogle worthy.  By smutty I mean its sheer objectifying and in many ways turning the tables on men who've done the same to women for decades and continue to do so even now.  Yet it was also the movie that would lead to Cover Up and playing a model again.  'Playing' being the operative word here since he would be undercover in that role.
Those model roles would become a bit of a guilty pleasure in so many ways.  Since Jon-Erick's magnetism and attractive personality drew you in - even if it was just to watch him and nothing else in that movie.

The role was no reflection on his real life.  In the film he, as Tyler Burnett, becomes famous practically overnight.  But rather than fame going to his head, it continues the other direction.  As he yearns for a quiet life on the farm.  Not so much the pressures of fame, but the boredom and monotony where everyone wants a piece of  'meat.'
                                                      

Strangely Jon-Erik had to film in such places as Times Square - where he must have experienced an uncanny sense of deja vu - as that's where he first started out; at least was attempting to.  However, in the film he also has to compete with another roommate.  He's discovered by Joan Collins after seeing him in a photoshoot in Nevada and she ensures he comes to New York.  Of course after taking up with him she dumps him for another nubile hunk.  Well sorry not as hunky or gorge as Jon-Erik!  Shallow for a show or film of sorts.  Causing Tyler to act out; booze it up and then gives it up when he finds his ODed roommate.  Joanie sees her loss, makes sure he fulfills his contract and even offers him a part in a TV series.  [Life imitating art or vice versa.]  She offered Jon a part in Dynasty alongside her too - but he refused.]  Do you even wonder sometimes how things would've turned out for him if he had taken that role?!  Cruel fate!

Tyler refuses the part in the film and opts for his trusty steed instead.  Waving goodbye to the major heartaches and anguish of an unfulfilling life - let alone way to earn a living.  Very little clothes and dignity in the sense of never being able to be seen as more than a plaything - having your mind and intelligence overlooked constantly for the body.
Tagline: with a naked Jon-Erik - "he's got it and he can get almost anything.  Anything he wants."

Jon-Erik bought a townhouse for his mother.
People magazine 1983: "I have no way to meet them [women] I'm alone when I go to bed at night.  gay, I ain't.  I don't want to be thought of as gay, although 80% of my friends are."  Some took this as a way of hiding his sexuality.  But he wanted to marry and have a family.  That's common knowledge.  He had dated; had a college sweetheart, dated Emma Samms and EG Daily: an actress, dancer and singer.  She sang the theme song to Cover Up, the cover of Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero.

Playing quarterback Pat Trammell in The Bear who was terminally ill, alongside Gary Busey, who commented on Jon-Erik and working with him and how it was "like jumping on a new trampoline - there was a lot of bounce there.  He was what I hope I was like when I first came to Hollywood from Texas.  It takes some kind of blind courage to step forth in this business and he had that."

Did Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shoot himself in 1983 with a .38 special when checking to see if it was loaded were numerous headlines that appeared over the press back then.

Cover Up ad for the series premiere: "Undercover!  Under Fire!  She's the world's sexiest photographer.  He's fashion's hottest model!  They go where the government can't, helping Americans in trouble."  (See later.)
                                                            

Jon Erik Hexum wanted to prove himself as a serious actor and not just the customary 'pretty face.'  The only film that allowed him to show some remote semblance of this was his role in The Bear.  He liked this role, even if it wasn't that big.  He wanted to be seen as an actor and not cos of his looks.  In an interview he said he wanted to "play the romantic lead who dies."  The rest is perhaps best left unsaid as far as this goes in real life.
Jon-Erik was a 'heavy bencher' - had three stuntmen for The Bear and didn't get to play a game.

Rome: magazine shoots and did photos for New York magazines too.  "I don't worry about it [the 'beefcake' image] very much it's just a label people put on you to categorize you in certain things."
"I'm not like the people I play."  (1983) Cover Up was in development.

More serious projects:
The Morning Show where Jon made The Alabama Banana Skinny Shake: milk, crem, raisins, walnuts, banana, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, protein powder, ice cream and Southern Comfort.

Had an audition five times with Joan Collins for Male Model, last time with her - they decided on the third scene he was 'the one.'  Got on well, but not as reported in the press.  Saw Joan in Playboy calling it "old news."  The interviewer was trying to match make Joan and Jon-Erik and interrogate him on his love life.

Merv Griffin Show:  wonder he went back on it to sing on this?

Jon-Erik said Cover -Up was "great fun."  But he wasn't offered The Return of Indiana Jones jokingly.  "This character [Mac Harper] has a good time; a lot of fun."  Moved to Burbank - on foreclosure apartment and slept on the floor - furniture less and didn't cook either.  He had ketchup in the fridge - well everyone has one of those, not necessarily in the fridge.  "Trappings [of fame] doesn't interest me a whole lot."  He was "kinda saving to finance my own movie - you never know what's gonna happen."  More prophetic words.
A Male Model was a great time - "moody, didn't wanna leave the ranch."

"Girls think I'm cheap."
Saw a drunk driver driving on the 405, cut him off, driving into others, followed him, drove to LA.  Cut him off and opened his door to give him a ride home and headed up at the police station - can't let him drive and he felt a little guilty cos Jon was nice.

Jon-Erik interview 17 December 1984 Don Harron released it after his passing - kept it for that long.  It became a tribute to him .
Cover-Up aired Saturday 10pm on CBS in 1984.  That was late.  "It'll be a good show, very exciting; lots of action; lots of adventures, lots of mystery.  Jennifer O'Neill's in it - very good reason to watch...designer clothes."
Don: "somebody said the two most beautiful people in the business are in the same series together."
Jon-Erik: "it's a fun show, it should do well."
Don: "you're really grounded in reality - your eyes are not in the clouds - you've been through the mill."
Jon-Erik: "because it goes slow - we work everyday like 15 hours - still gotta drive to work, still gotta do your wash and all that sorta thing.  A lot of things change, but a lot don't really."

"60 Minutes trampled us."
National Coalition Against TV Violence said, Voyagers was good.  Running against 60 Minutes for a year.  "Things move slowly."
On press: "they often write what makes good print at the moment."  Magazines and papers and that hasn't changed at all especially with the 'gutter' press.

A friend lavished him with champagne for them and his show only lasted 13 weeks. [Voyagers.]  So he was hesitant with overdoing the "celeb" extravagance thing.  Believed had a good chance with the show.  "I used to worry about it a lot more but if it doesn't work; it's gone and can get something else."

Twentieth Century Fox poster: two posters for Cover Up: a marine poster to publicize the show.  (See above).

                                                           
 Armani, Versace, Jeffrey banks, GQ - for magazine layouts.  Vogue, Harper's Bizarre, Cover of playgirl in November, but he didn't do this one.
Burt Reynolds - Cosmo Corner shoot - not many serious roles for Burt after he appeared in this for a while.  Jon-Erik found it "amazing how conservative Hollywood really is and the guys up in the offices  - the executives are all dressed up in their grey suit and ties...their projections of what the audience wants are very conservative - very Midwest and the Bible Belt and Jerry Falwell and his followers."

Daytime soaps if he was 30 years younger.
"I carried a bedpan once in the background at the doctors that's all I really did."
Don: "you come on as the most glamorous figure and contemporary showbiz and you talk about - down to earth fellow - that's all you are Jon."
Jon-Erik: "that's because life is like that."
Don: "you're a breath of fresh air" and more meaningful words were never spoken!

From Jon's interviews, it was obvious how down to earth he was.  Modest and above all approached his success with caution.  Knowing full well the fecklessness and how short the brief stint in Hollywood could be.  Nothing's ever permanent and guaranteed to last and I'm not going to go into the cliche about life's too short and we should live it fully each day.  Expecting the unexpected anytime but not dwelling on it.  Yet since I have mentioned it, let me add this is what he did.  He was hesitant about getting too carried away with making it big on the back of one show or two.  Fame is fleeting.  People may bemoan his frugality but he did what he felt was right for him.  He bought a house and one for his mother too.  He was selfless.  Anything else didn't need to be rushed - no fancy cars or clothes.

Jon: "it's a handicap if you want to expand your horizons and become somewhat of a credible actor.  It's somewhat of a heap in the beginning when that sort of type is commercial at the moment, which it is or was or I think is evolving out of.  So it's becoming a little bit of a problem but no big deal.  I'll get out of it - just try and keep my shirt on and try and choose subsequent roles frequently."

A hunk?  "I suppose; they'd define hunk very loosely around here.  The magazines for the most part I think the word 'hunk' and 'beefcake' is an excuse to put a whole bunch of guys in a magazine and put 'em on a cover and get people to buy the magazine."
Ten thousand copies sold of his poster - the half-naked one, which has been said contradicted what he said and the idea of his 'image' and looks being used to sell magazines.  Yet he's already built like that.

His rise and stardom:
"It doesn't surprise me that much because I expected it - I wanted it to be like that...Everybody wants it to be like that.  I went at it very conventionally. I came out here or I went to start in New York for six months and went to a lot of auditions all the time and met a lot of people."
Read for Voyagers and producers didn't want him to because they wanted him to be 40 years old with a beard, moustache."
Jon-Erik liked the role of Phineas - a worldly pirate and they "cast me."

Joan Collins: "Jon-Erik is a credible actor with a bright future...I think that he could be [a major star] very easily.  He's very good, he's got a lot of charisma.  I know that everybody - young girls all think that he's terrific.  I certainly hope that he will be."  [People Magazine interview.]
"This talented 26 year old New Jersey native is someone you'll be hearing a lot about in the near future."

West 57th Interview:

Jon: "I like this character a lot, I'm having a fun time and I'm happy and they pay me a lot of money.  But that's not important [laughs] still described as a hunk.  America's latest hunk.  Beefcake and biceps beginning to achieve the fame that only Hollywood can bestow."

Of course the press hounded him even in death - as they followed his DB to the transplant hospital determined to find out who would receive his heart.  Which is quite frankly morbid and if not macabre, so very disrespectful to his memory, his family and that of the recipients.
Met 36 year old Michael Washington a Vietnam War hero.  Receiving Bronze Star for valour  Wounded twice in action.  He knew he had Jon-Erik's heart.  Jon's brother, Gunnar, "it's a hard thing to confront, to be asked to be giving away his body.  I think we have a lot of ritual about death."
Teaching emergency medical procedures at the University of Massachusetts.

Jon had the same eyes and was almost similar sounding to his younger brother.
Jon was on a respirator for 6 days.  They were there with him the entire time. "We have something to offer and let's give it without any other expectations."  When deciding what to do with Jon's organs.
Michael: "I'm alive because of him so now I wanna know about Jon-Erik Hexum.  I'm asking questions.
Gunnar: "spaghetti and ketchup was the norm."
Michael: "it brought tears to my eyes because of this man I'm alive today - it's real personal.  I feel like part of their family."
Gunnar: "he'd want to do the same thing...too painful for me" to know - "live his life and I want him to never forget Jon-Erik."

Jennifer O'Neill: "I don't think I ever met anyone that wanted stardom more than Jon-Erik and was willing to work for it."

"Jon-Erik was really living his dreams, people were really seeing him as the next big star."
Jennifer: "anybody who does a lead on a television series and were co-leads understands that you have no time and no life and you just work these ridiculous hours - 14-16 sometimes hours a day.  I believe that day he was very tired.  A lot of times accidents happen when you're not paying attention.  So I believe that Jon was overtired and overworked."

Actress/girlfriend, EG (Elizabeth) Daily felt something wasn't quite right that fateful day and felt she had to see him on the set.  He argued with someone and went home.  Two hours later she got that call.
Meeno: "the whole investigation shut down immediately.  Case closed - it's an accident.  I don't believe that."  Many didn't and still don't think it was accidental.
Jon met EG in a play and called her at 2am.  Said he'd fallen in love with her - dinner and coming to the show.  "He was like a kid in a grown man's body - he used his body like he could do backflips and he was this big man!

The late Richard Anderson: "sad - would be my best observation of it.  A mystery - maybe."

Jon-Erik Hexum archivist Alan J Carell thought it felt like "it was swept under the carpet."  Particularly as a replacement was sought so soon after.
It was reported: "Glen Larson Productions and Twentieth Century Fox are conducting ongoing auditions to fill the male lead in the CBS TV series Cover Up. following the death last Thursday of 26 year old Jon-Erik Hexum."
Allan: "this guy's gonna drop off the face of the earth, he deserves better."

Allan saw Jon as "quiet and personable."  One of three leads in Pippin.
Christie Jenkins - photographer and friend of Jon.  September 2 1981 California.  Eric Paulson cousin: he wouldn't make it in Hollywood: "Pushy a bit and idealistic and I cite a bit but not totally."

Live at Five 1 December 1982.
"I was the old timer on the set and Jon was brand new to it...he pulled him aside and said, ' how come you're on the other side of the camera.'  I [Meeno] said, 'Jon this is your close-up.'  He approached everything with single-mindedness."
Meeno said Jon had a good familiarity with weapons on set and were meant to be guarded by stunt co-ordinators.

[Mysteries and Scandals 10 July 1983]
Jon Erik: "I love tragic heroes.  I love Rocky, I love that kind of film - that kind of character.  That fights to win but doesn't."
Meeno: "great to watch his career take off."
Christie: he was not at all egotistical about his good looks!"
Richard Anderson: "hot new sensation...you had to deliver a full hour to go on the air every week.  No time for yourself and a great deal of stress involved."
Jennifer O'Neill: "Jon also had a bigger than life sense of himself.  It was not unusual to come to work on Monday and he would have tales of how he chased a drunk driver down and did a citizen's arrest.  I think he believed  his own press."
In my opinion better to have done something for someone else than to just let it pass and not even think about others.

EG Daily: "Jon acted like a ticking time bomb and I didn't know when he was going to go off."
Christie: "complained about the Cover Up set.  His were too late for them."
The role would use guns - Jennifer O'Neill would get angry if he waved them around.  "I was pretty tough about it because they scare me."
They were shooting episode 1.7.
Richard Anderson: "the procedure is always that the gun is empty.  There is never anything in the gun.  Before a shot that required any kind of gunfire.  The property master would come and say, 'I'm gonna load it.'
Jennifer: tinkering with gun and playing Russian roulette, kidding with crew on set.  But no one was around when it happened, so there wouldn't be anyone to kid around with.  It just doesn't make sense, unless that's not what happened and it was all hushed up.
EG: "was odd because Jon had used prop guns a million times."
Meeno: "supposedly no one saw him get hurt.  Why would he be playing around with a gun if no one was around to enjoy his playing.  He liked an audience."  Jennifer was in trailer.  Loading and unloading revolver.  Closed door - heard bang.  Property master explained to Frank what had happened. - Why would he be playing Russian roulette by himself?
Eric: "was a wad of paper in his skull."
Jennifer O'Neill: "couldn't see anything visibly wrong with him.  He looked just perfect - like get up - wake up.  It was such a waste, so sad."

EG: "agonizing week of 'is he gonna make it?'  Sleeping on floor.  Braindead."
Eric: "some part of Jon-Erik still alive."
Christie: "so silly when one of the tabloids said that he had a deathwish.  Jon-Erik was a lifewish.  I haven't cried about him in a long time."  Along with so many others.  Everyone said it was "stupid."
Eric: "a big goofy cousin who got to be a movie star."
Jennifer O'Neill: "I think that Jon would like to be remembered as a star and he was."

It's been said his ghost haunts Stage 17 on the Twentieth Century Fox set (1999.)
Whatever maybe a fanciful notion to some, but who knows.  Maybe a little of him does remain here, not just as a ghost but in all those he gave life too and consequently in their children too.  But he was a wonderful actor and a great human being.  A romantic notion if he is still around and somehow a little sweet.  Then again maybe he is at eternal peace and rest which is what I like to believe about anyone who has passed and sadly so young.
No matter your thoughts, it is true that the world lost someone very endearing!

Earlier biography here:
http://mila255.blogspot.com/2016/11/jon-erik-hexum-biography.html

Doctor Who 11.5 "The Tsuranga Conundrum" Review

                                             
The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) ends up on a junk plant rummaging through the trash. When she chances upon a sonic bomb which explodes, yeah cos it was far easier to just watch it for so long before it exploded.  When they awake they find themselves in a white room and the Doctor is being administered to by Astos (Brett Goldstein) who got a mere ten minutes or so of screen time, especially after bonding with the Doc so early on.  It's as though they just Astos(sed) him right out! But she doesn't listen to what Astos tells her and instead ends up running around (as always) until she finally realizes there's vibration and she's on a ship.  She's got a spleen injury which comes and goes and wants to talk with the pilot.  Until Atos explains about the ship and she notices unusual activity and some blob that's moving out in space and comes on board.  Checking out the entrance port she goes starboard but he wants to go instead.  The pod she finds is gone and  Astos gets into the other one.  Calling it a rookie mistake as he ends up locked inside and the pod released.  Exploding into space.  Before he does he sends Mabli (Lois Chimimba) a message saying she's in charge now and she's good at her job and he believes in her.

The Doctor and the others meeting another patient, Yoss Inkl (Jack Shalloo) who is a pregnant male and his species are able to give birth to babies.  As he later tells Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) men give birth to boys and women to girls.  He's apprehensive about becoming a father but later Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan talk him through it when assisting in the birth and Ryan tells him he'll be a good father.  He doesn't have to be perfect just be there.  As Ryan earlier told Yaz about his father and he hasn't seen him in a year and the same old story of not being there when he needed him.  Perhaps a good line in this was when Mabli tells him he can't feel anything cos the male sac is designed not to let him do so!  Clearly as an aside to men not being able to take the pain of childbirth!

They also meet the General Eve Cicero (Suzanne Packer) who is there with her android assistant, Ronan (David Shields) and her brother, Durkas (Ben Bailey Smith) who don't get on with each other.  As the Doctor meets her and tells her there's a volume written about her and not just a chapter in The Book of Celebrants.  (Will we find out what this is?  Was it in the library with River Song?)  Exploring the rest of the ship, Mabli tells her that Rhesus 1 will detect them for the Pting as they find info on what this species is.  A creature feeding off energy which the Doctor finally gets and that's what happened to the pod.  It didn't blow it up, it just used up the energy.  A Pting being akin to a gremlin eating everything in sight.  It will go for the antimatter coil fuelling the ship and so Yaz and Ronan are sent there to guard it using stasers if it comes into contact with them to knock it out.
                                              
The ship sends out three signals stating it's free of the Pting otherwise Rhesus 1 will blow it up by means of self destruction.  Of course the Doctor is without her TARDIS (again) and the Pting devoured the energy from the Sonic but she realizes it has a self reboot mechanism.  She gets the idea to remove the bomb and place it in a chamber enticing the Pting towards it as it eats up the energy, then she jettisons the Pting into space.  Graham and Ryan help deliver the baby and Yoss decides to name him Avocado Pear, not Graham Ryan cos it'll be a laughing stock! He decides to keep the baby and Ryan still refuses to fist bump Graham.  Also they comment on how his Nan would be laughing at them right now.

A pretty routine ep this time round with the Doctor emphasizing hope and how it's always around, it's what people wish for and hope for like peace.  Eve and Durkas Cicero making amends before she dies and he flies the ship to safety.  As she suffered from pilot heart, using her neurons to navigate the ships she's flown, she does the same with this one and was using adrenalin blockers to protect her heart and not wanting it to get out that she suffers from this condition.   This ep would've been much better if it was more scarier instead we get one focusing on hope and once again how working as a team helps them through their troubles.

Ghost Adventures 17.5 Halloween Special: "The Haunted Museum Live" Review

                                       
Ghost Adventures Hallowe'en Special Live from the Haunted Museum was the buzzword on everyone's lips for weeks.  The other one being Dybbuk Box - as Zak said he would open it, of course there were no guarantees he would have done that.  Though there were some amazing captures of EVPs, disembodied voices and SLS footage too, as well as thermal shots.  With the majority of the world left on tenterhooks until they could see a recorded version of the show, as the Facebook feed was limited to four cameras and endless droning music!!  Though there were technical difficulties and people reporting what was happening to them, as well as strange pet behaviour too.  My Facebook feed went off a couple of times too and was met with this:

To be honest I wasn't really going to review this episode, not for any particular reason, mainly time, but having watched it, there was so much to comment on and mention.  The most obvious being the coveted (right word?) Dybbuk Box opening and come on there can't be anyone out there who doesn't know the history and stories behind this now.  So I was a little shocked the Rabbi who contacted them Rabby Shea Harlig, was not aware about it or had heard of it.  Though being a Rabbi he should have had some knowledge of it.
Zak's interview later after the show: The Rabbi said he got a call from a friend and wasn't sure what he had to do.  Zak questioning him on his word of "script".  Now he said he believes in the Box and taking possession with another person.  He wasn't 'familiar' with that Dybbuk Box.  There wasn't a script and he never met Zak.  Zak was upset with his crew as they didn't tell him what he was meant to do here.  The Rabbi studies Jewish mysticism.

Perhaps it was just me but when the Rabbi said "script" I assumed he meant script as in religious script, scripture; you know being of different religions!  I didn't even refer or allude to the fact he was talking about the show being "scripted."  Come on you have that word imprinted too much on your brain! Not everyone automatically jumps to 'script' being associated with having lines to say and with this being fake!

(From my Zak book back in 2015.)

However, I said the same thing Zak told the crew a few seconds before he did, in that how he could have come there knowing nothing about it, then claim he could put the demon back in the Box if it was released and then changing his mind.  I know Chris Fleming said he could have been affected by something to make him say that, or have been afraid, but it's common sense in many ways, why say one thing and then claim the opposite.  Especially if it's something a part of Hebrew myth and a part of your own religion.  Anyway that aside, whilst Zak was in convo with said Rabbi, the guys were having some heated voices coming through on the spirit box.  Heated as in serious, with voices saying on the spirit box, "don't open it" several times over and the one arrogant one saying "open it!"

With Aaron having doubts and wouldn't come into the room at first since he was being overcome emotionally and was decidedly against opening it.  The thought entering my mind what if he just went ahead and pulled the doors open!  Especially if his feelings took him over.  Since at first he also wouldn't even touch Zak's hand when he asked him to, yet later on did a U-turn and entered the room, but also touched the box on a few occasions.  The camera did move twice as I saw it when I managed to stick around and watch it on Facebook.
I heard some laughing when Zak was by the box too.  So much for Zak telling Aaron he's not touching this, he later touches it a few times, as said.

Aaron also wanted to remove the salt around the box, what would have been the point of that if it wasn't going to be opened, losing some of its protection like that.  Then Billy getting 'religion' puck  whilst Zak was conversing with the Rabbi.  A little off putting in that he did say he wasn't familiar with the Box, but also religion coming through could have been a dig at the Rabbi claiming this.  "Abort" also comes through not to open the box.  Why was the production crew messing with Billy's packback? Zak mentions Deadly Possessions show about the Box ep and how that Rabbi told them about the Box.Finally they gave up on opening it and I knew they wouldn't in the end, but it was a good thing that they didn't as who knows what would've been unleashed.  With Lady Snake around and her dabbling without telling anyone who or what she conjured, could considerably have made matters much worse.
Lady Snake didn't want to say anything and then she mentions "she" being attached to Zak.  Chris dreamed about an old woman in period costume, then she replies they're picking up on the owner of the museum house, Letty.

As for the Demon House segment, I really need to stop watching this, got headaches everytime I watched it and pain in my right eye and now this time round had stomach ache when watching it here.  Chris was at the Demon House when Zak was filming the doco but it didn't make the final cut.  When Chris went back there last year he saw a black mass appear and vanish into the ground.  Portal to the museum or some from of link here?

Spirit box session in Demon House room with Chris:
Chris: "how many entities are attached to this?"
Answer: "6."
Zak's name comes through as clear as day!
Chris: "rape twice, music, hearse, street kids...God is dead..."
Zak: "how many entities are attached to the stairs?"
I heard 3 then 12.
Zak: "what are you gonna do to me?"
I hear "kill you" in a male voice...NB: Not at the same part when Zak asks "how do you feed?"

That session was really powerful.  A shame the spirit box was used though as it has quite a lot of interference coming through on it.

Then the session with Peggy and Tour Guides Staysha and Shealee where she says Staysha's name about twice and Billy caught that massive orb on the thermal camera too.  There were some orbs around on the camera on Facebook.  Peggy is removed from the case by Zak for the first time since the museum opened a year ago.

The orb Billy captures on the full spectrum.
Though what's the point of a spirit box session if you're not going to repeat that word!! As Staysha doesn't want to say it and neither does Shealee! Yeah just have a two-way conversation instead!  Sounds like "horny."?? Ha ha really funny!  Sorry but if you're conducting an investigation, or taking part in one, you say what you heard or don't bother saying anything!

The ep began with the guys in the Oddities Room and Zak talking of a 'new' doll there named Lily.  He bought from Portland. Apparently Lily was German and made of real human hair.  The girl whom she belonged to suffered an awful amount of abuse.  Here's where Billy caught a small figure on the SLS coming from the case and they felt bouts of cold air circulating around them.  See here (taken from Zak's Twitter - yeah dude I still see your tweets! Ha.)

Billy got a message "Hair - actually - won't."  As Zak touched the doll for the first time.

Some great EVP captures too, as well as Zak hearing the "yes" disembodied voice as he was taking Dakota to the Art Gallery which houses Bela Lugosi's mirror.  When he asks "is somebody down there?"  The "Yes" can be heard clearly!! without any enhancements.
As Zak saw a face there.  That face seemed to be there before he caught it, I don't know if anyone noticed but I said that to sis and no I hadn't read any tweets beforehand.  I was going to read some, but changed my mind as you can see from my tweets (not that anyone's interested! ha.)
Here as he's taking the pic: I just noticed there seems to be a face underneath at the bottom of the mirror too, it actually looks like an open mouth.  God my eyes gone blurry!

And this is a face I see before he even thinks of taking a photo

Then this is what he captures below, does this not look like Zak's face distorted?

In the basement the voice sounds like "hear me,or  heed me??" I didn't hear the child's voice when Zak replays the recorder.  Though Lady Snake was there being evil and arrogant about conjuring some entities who were having fun upstairs and kept saying they're in a candy shop!  Patti Negri came in and they met each other gain, but I didn't find the basement part interesting.  Nothing to do with Patti, just Lady Snake.

Nerve centre with Dave Schrader captures an orb that comes through the door and trails away but is a large orb.

A shame the Ouija board session didn't last very long, it was more interesting than that conjuring she was up to in the basement and I would've wanted to see more on that.  Though that 'Zozo' (there typed again!) name did come through.  As well as 'MAG.'  (Don't vote for MAGAts - sorry if only they had gotten another 'A' there!) At least Jay did close the session.  I'd much rather have watched this than a lot of the other things that went on there.  On the board they got the letters:
R
MAD
VC MAG

Anyway will watch again so can add everything else seen and heard!

Zak and his earpiece though was a bit loud wasn't it, could hear all the voices coming through, like at the end, go to ad break, cut now, end it"  Agh!!  "We've gotta go out, wrap it up Zak, we gotta go to break!"

Paranormal Lockdown UK 1.10 "Hinchingbrooke House" Review

Hinchingbrooke House has an interesting history, which once again spans over a number of centuries from being a nunnery, priory and before that, it was home to the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, yes that Earl who invented the sandwich.  He had a mistress, Martha, who lived in the house with him and he was devastated when she was murdered outside the steps of Covant Garden Opera house, after she was shot in her head by a jealous suitor.  She is rumoured to haunt the reception room where she stayed.  Mark the historian, told of how a worker stayed the night and woke to find a monk leaning by his bedside and he ran away.  As well as workers reporting of tools being moved from the Reception room when working on the house.

Mark also recounted his own story of how he was a pupil here when the building was a school and at 17 he heard footsteps upstairs as he was going up to retrieve his books, that made him run.  As well as a man from the RAF who saw a beautiful woman in white haunting the grounds back in 1959.  But the sightings have predominately been of monks and of nuns as well.  There was a story of how one of the nuns was pregnant by a man and the prioress had them both murdered.  As Mark showed them skeletons that were found and placed in glass by the library.  But they don't know who they belong to.

The investigation began when Nick and Katrina heard footsteps on the stairs or coming from upstairs and they were very loud indeed, the loudest they have gotten in an investigation.   Same footsteps as Mark heard giving validation to what happened to him forty years ago and is still happening now.  With Katrina feeling a pain at the side of her head, which my sis said was cos of Martha and how she was shot through the head.  Nick slept on the stairs the first night as Katrina slept in the library, but they didn't get any activity through the night.

Next day they investigated and Katrina found some stairs leading to the basement.  Here they found a stream running under the house and thus could have had an effect on the energy at the house with the presence of water and especially moving water.  They set up lasers and also used the Poltercom - sorry I didn't like this device at all, it wasn't as good or as clear as the Geoport and I wonder why that wasn't used as Nick did place it by the bed during the night.  I think it would've given far better responses than the Poltercom, which unfortunately was used throughout this investigation.  Heck even the Echovox was better than this!   It seems crazy none of the old equipment was used, such as the SLS or thermal camera or the 3D mapping cam. They also used the Rem antenna sensor, which was just giving off noise when questions were asked.  Even a digital recorder would 've been handy for an EVP session.  I didn't like the use of equipment, all the type of equipment used during most of these UK investigations as it seemed 'primitive' in a way.  Yeah that's my opinion!

In the library, Katrina asked if "something violent happened to you?" as she still suffered from  the pain at the side of her head and a voice came though I heard saying" you're here to actually help me?"  As well as hearing more footsteps or something similar.
The library was the original priory and here through the Poltercom they got voices coming through of "dark man", "Black Monk;" which at one point they thought was alluding to the Black Monk House at 30 East Drive, their Hallowe'en Special investigation a few years back, but concluded it had nothing to do with it.  Katrina asked if the "Back Monk is here?" and the voice replied, "yes."  Also Nick walked around the library and he asked to be stopped.  With a voice coming through saying "stop now."  Which I don't think they heard as they made no reference to it.  "Monk and monks" came through quite a lot; as did "I'm here" on two occasions, especially in the Reception room but also whenever they used the Poltercom.   Later in the library, Katrina noticed The Woman in White, the book by Wilkie Collins on the bookshelf which she was amazed by.  Me I was surprised they hadn't heard of this book before as it's quite a famous novel and has been adapted a number of times as a film or for TV.

When Nick slept in the basement he was woken by a sound of footsteps as though someone was walking around and he followed it but he wasn't able to catch anything on camera.  As they heard "bad man" in the basement during the day and Nick getting goosebumps.  But no idea what all this was in reference to, like who was the "bad man, the dark man."  Nick set up two lasers in the basement and a voice came though saying "right behind you."  As I heard it when he was asking questions  in the basement.  Also Nick apparently gets a lot of activity in basements!

They set up a final big experiment using the light panels on the stairs, the Poltercom, the Rem antenna sensor and the plasma light panel, which would light up if there was any activity, it was kinda like a lightning bolt when Nick showed it using his hand in front of it.   The digital camera was also set to take photos at two second intervals.  Nick asks if it's on the stairs and a reply comes saying "I am."  As well as "who are you, get out."  I heard "help" coming through twice.   Nick sees a shadow on the light panel and "monks" is heard twice more.  He then asks what time period they're in and "11" can be heard.  Referring to the eleventh century.

They come down the stairs and then footsteps are heard upstairs with "monk" being said again and "come up here" again is what I heard.  Nick asks if he's the body under the stairs and gets the response" yes."  As well as "me." I.e that it's his body.  He asks if he's mad someone disrupted their grave?" and the reply is "yes."  Also asking if a man is buried here, he gets the response "monk."
The experiment on the stairs did show something walked there as the plasma panel lit the stairway and the lasers were broken.  That was the extent of the activity that was received.

Many liked this ep I just thought a lot of the eps throughout the series weren't as good or interesting as the US Paranormal Lockdown eps have been and just seemed to be routine investigations, just confirming what was already known about the locations they investigated.  There are plenty more interesting places and where more activity is reported than these ones and also their choice of equipment felt a lot was left to be desired.  I know people have their own viewpoints and opinions and I'm not taking anything away from the investigations they carried out here, but it doesn't mean that every single one brought out something different.

Note: knew I'd seen the house before as numerous productions have filmed here including the following:
For the BBC Marrying Mum and Dad
Extreme Make Overs
BBC Paranormal
BBC 2 Imagine Series with Alan Yentob
Bryan’s Upstairs Downstairs
ITV Anglia Imago Productions
A Portrait of Omai
Cromwell – Warts and All

Fred’s House: Ghost Time Music video