title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: Herodotus' colorful account of the battle has provided history with many apocryphal incidents and conversations away from the main historical events. These accounts are obviously not verifiable, but they form an integral part of the legend of the battle and often demonstrate the laconic speech (and wit) of the Spartans to good effect.


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: For instance, Plutarch recounts, in his "Sayings of Spartan Women", upon his departure, Leonidas' wife Gorgo asked what she should do if he did not return, to which Leonidas replied, "Marry a good man and have good children."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: It is reported that, upon arriving at Thermopylae, the Persians sent a mounted scout to reconnoitre. The Greeks allowed him to come up to the camp, observe them, and depart. Xerxes found the scout's reports of the size of the Greek force, and that the Spartans were indulging in callisthenics and combing their long hair, laughable. Seeking the counsel of Demaratus, an exiled Spartan king in his retinue, Xerxes was told the Spartans were preparing for battle, and it was their custom to adorn their hair when they were about to risk their lives. Demaratus called them "the bravest men in Greece" and warned the Great King they intended to dispute the pass. He emphasized that he had tried to warn Xerxes earlier in the campaign, but the king had refused to believe him. He added that if Xerxes ever managed to subdue the Spartans, "there is no other nation in all the world which will venture to lift a hand in their defence."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: Herodotus also describes Leonidas' reception of a Persian envoy. The ambassador told Leonidas that Xerxes would offer him the kingship of all Greece if he joined with Xerxes. Leonidas answered: "If you had any knowledge of the noble things of life, you would refrain from coveting others' possessions; but for me to die for Greece is better than to be the sole ruler over the people of my race." Then the ambassador asked him more forcefully to surrender their arms. To this Leonidas gave his famous answer: (pronounced ) "Come and get them."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: Such laconic bravery doubtlessly helped to maintain morale. Herodotus writes that when Dienekes, a Spartan soldier, was informed that Persian arrows would be so numerous as "to block out the sun", he retorted, "So much the better...then we shall fight our battle in the shade."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: After the battle, Xerxes was curious as to what the Greeks had been trying to do (presumably because they had had so few men) and had some Arcadian deserters interrogated in his presence. The answer was: all the other men were participating in the Olympic Games. When Xerxes asked what the prize was for the winner, the answer was: "an olive-wreath". Upon hearing this, Tigranes, a Persian general, said: "Good heavens, Mardonius, what kind of men are these that you have pitted against us? It is not for riches that they contend but for honour!" (Godley translation) or otherwise, "Ye Gods, Mardonius, what men have you brought us to fight against? Men that fight not for gold, but for glory."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: Greece has announced two commemorative coins to mark 2,500 years since the historic battle. While this anniversary took place in 2021, the coins show the dates 2020 and 480 BC and the text "2,500 years since the Battle of Thermopylae."


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: Similarities between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of the Persian Gate have been recognized by both ancient and modern authors, which describe it as a kind of reversal of the Battle of Thermopylae, calling it "the Persian Thermopylae". Here, on Alexander the Great's campaign against Persia in 330 BC to exact revenge for the Persian invasion of Greece, he faced the same situation, encountering a last stand of the Persian forces, commanded by Ariobarzanes, at a narrow pass near Persepolis who held the invaders for a month, until the enemy found a path to their rear. There are even accounts that a local shepherd informed Alexander's forces about the secret path, just as a local Greek showed the Persian forces a secret path around the pass at Thermopylae. Curtius describes the subsequent battle fought by the surrounded, unarmed Persians as "memorable".


title: Battle of Thermopylae

text: In the historical memory of Ukraine, it is common to compare and reference the Battle of Kruty (1918) of the Ukrainian Struggle for Independence of the early XX century to the Battle of Thermopylae. However, after Mariupol's fall to invading Russian forces on 16 May 2022, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak compared the Siege of Mariupol to the Battle of Thermopylae, stating: "“83 days of Mariupol defense will go down in history as the Thermopylae of the XXI century."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Emily in Paris is an American romantic comedy television series created by Darren Star for Netflix. Set and filmed in Paris, the series stars Lily Collins as aspiring marketing executive Emily Cooper, an American who moves to France to provide an American point of view to "Savoir", a French marketing firm. There, she struggles to succeed in the workplace while searching for love and experiencing a culture clash with her conventional Midwestern U.S. upbringing. It also stars Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, Camille Razat, William Abadie, and Lucien Laviscount.


title: Emily in Paris

text: Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and originally developed for Paramount Network, where it was given a straight-to-series order in September 2018, the series moved to Netflix in July 2020. Filming takes place in Île-de-France, mainly in Paris and its suburbs, and began in August 2019.


title: Emily in Paris

text: "Emily in Paris" premiered on October 2, 2020, to positive reviews in the United States but was criticized in France with many French critics condemning the show for negatively stereotyping Parisians and the French. In November 2020, the series was renewed for a second season by Netflix, which started filming in May 2021 and premiered on December 22, 2021. In January 2022, the series was renewed for a third and fourth season by Netflix. Production for the third season began in early June. The third season is set to premiere on December 21, 2022.


title: Emily in Paris

text: "Emily in Paris" follows Emily Cooper, an American college graduate with a Master's degree in communication in her late twenties from Chicago, who moves to Paris for an unexpected job opportunity. She is tasked with bringing an American point of view and social media presence to a venerable French marketing firm. Cultures clash as she adjusts to the challenges of life in Paris while juggling her career, new friendships, and active love life.


title: Emily in Paris

text: On September 5, 2018, it was announced that Paramount Network had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of 10 episodes. The series was created by Darren Star, who has a multi-year overall deal with ViacomCBS and develops for ViacomCBS and for outsider buyers via MTV Entertainment Studios. Star was also expected to serve as an executive producer alongside Tony Hernandez. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Jax Media. On July 13, 2020, it was reported that the series would move from Paramount Network to Netflix. On November 11, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. On January 10, 2022, Netflix renewed the series for a third and fourth season.


title: Emily in Paris

text: On April 3, 2019, Lily Collins was cast in the eponymous role. On August 13, 2019, Ashley Park had joined the main cast. On September 19, 2019, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Camille Razat, and Bruno Gouery joined cast in starring roles, while Kate Walsh, William Abadie, and Arnaud Viard were cast in recurring roles. On May 24, 2021, Lucien Laviscount was cast in recurring role, while Abadie was promoted to series regular for the second season. On April 10, 2022, Laviscount was promoted to series regular for the third season.


title: Emily in Paris

text: Principal photography for the first season, in Paris and its suburbs, was expected to begin in early 2019, but began in August 2019.


title: Emily in Paris

text: Many scenes are filmed at Place de l'Estrapade in the 5th Arrondissement., including the site of Emily's first apartment, the restaurant ("Les Deux Compères"), and the bakery ("La Boulangerie Moderne") . Some scenes are also filmed at Cité du Cinéma, a film studio complex in Saint-Denis. Famous Parisian sites to feature in the series include: Le Grand Véfour, the Pont Alexandre III, Palais Garnier, , , Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin Du Palais Royale, Café de Flore and the Panthéon. An episode was also filmed at the in the department of Indre-et-Loire. Additional photography took place in Chicago during November 2019.


title: Emily in Paris

text: Filming for the second season began on May 3, 2021 and concluded on July 19, 2021. New filming locations for the second season include Monnaie de Paris, Musée des Arts Forains, , Saint-Tropez, Palace of Versailles, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, and other locations in France. Filming of the second season in Paris caused problems within the 5th Arrondissement, with the residents deeming the crew as brutal, threatening and too intrusive. Lily Collins stated that the second season was set in a COVID-19-free world, as the decision was made by the producers to ensure escapism through joy and laughter. In scenes that involved crowds, masks were off when they were on-camera, and back on once completed, which Collins stated was difficult to pull off. Production on season 3 of Emily In Paris began in early June 2022.


title: Emily in Paris

text: In October 2020, Ashley Park's "La Vie en Rose", a cappella, as Mindy Chen, was heard in episode six, was posted on "emilyinparis"′s instagram and debuted at number one, on Billboard's Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind. Episode three's Kid Francescoli's () "Moon" debuted at number four, and episode ten's Cavale's "Burst Into Flames" debuted at number seven. "Alter K", a French music publisher and distributor, made significant contributions to the soundtrack, with half of the songs, being from "Alter K"′s catalog. James Newton Howard composed the theme music.


title: Emily in Paris

text: The series' first season was released by Netflix on October 2, 2020. The second season was released on December 22, 2021. A DVD release for season one was released on November 9, 2021. The third season is slated to be released on December 21, 2022.


title: Emily in Paris

text: For the week of October 5, 2020, "Emily in Paris" reached the top ten list of most watched streaming shows per Nielsen. On May 3, 2021, Netflix revealed that the series has been watched by 58 million households in the month after its debut. The series remained in UK top 10 list for 40 consecutive days after its release.


title: Emily in Paris

text: For the first season, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 61% based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though its depiction of France is tré cliché, "Emily in Paris" is rom-com fantasy at its finest, spectacularly dressed and filled with charming performances." Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 58 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: Emily in Paris

text: The second season has a 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's critics consensus states, ""Emily in Paris" remains a sugary soufflé, but it's liable to give a toothache to viewers who are seeking anything deeper than a frivolous romp." On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 64 based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Emily in Paris

text: Daniel D'Addario of "Variety" described the series as "a delight that poses the question of what it really means to grow up, against a truly inviting backdrop", and that Collins is "an inherently winsome performer who has never been quite as well used as she is here". Kristen Baldwin of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the series a "B" and wrote, "If you need a five-hour brain vacation, Paris is a worthwhile destination." "The New Zealand Herald" considered the show "visually delectable" and that "Collins has a pixie-ish charm which makes her endearing", but also that the show is "as ephemeral as fairy floss". However, Kristen Lopez of "IndieWire" wrote a review Metacritic graded as a 23 out of a 100, praising Collins for being a "jewel, make no mistake" and that "Emily in Paris is only as watchable and frivolous as its leading lady," but warning viewers "Emily in Paris is like scrolling through Instagram. It's a great way to waste time looking at pretty pictures with no depth."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Nevertheless, not all critics were kind to the Emily character. Emma Gray from HuffPost called Emily a bland character, stating "The show doesn't even make an effort to quirk her up or give her a more relatable, girl-next-door roughness: she's always immaculately coiffed and made-up, and garbed in effortfully eye-catching outfits. But there's not much to the character, except for enormous amounts of self-confidence and the inexplicable ability to attract new friends and love interests on every street corner." Rebecca Nicholson of "The Guardian" gave the series one out of five stars: "if it is an attempt to fluff up the romcom for the streaming age, then it falls over on its six-inch heels." Rachel Handler opined "Darren Star has done it yet again: centered an entire show on a thin, gently delusional white woman whimsically exploring a major metropolitan area in wildly expensive couture purchased on a mid-level salary."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Sarah Moroz, of Vulture.com, opined "the most egregious oversight ... is Emily herself, who shows zero personal growth over a ten-episode arc. ... Emily's vapidity is baffling to anyone who has moved from their native country."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Sonia Rao, of "The Washington Post" compares "Emily" to the heroines of the Amy Sherman-Palladino universe: "Like the Gilmore girls, Emily is strong-willed and refuses to let anything get in the way of her schemes. Like Midge Maisel, her actions can be quite rash, but she still wins over her fictional acquaintances while utterly baffling viewers."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Some critics appeared ambivalent, such as Jo Ellison writing for the "Financial Times". On one hand she expresses admiration for the way Darren Star manages to depict "a version of womanhood in which promiscuity, bossiness and shopaholicism are depicted as qualities to be celebrated"; on the other "the major plot lines might have been written in the 1940s and the Frenchies are routinely cast as vain, preening and parochial." She concludes "Cliché-ridden and completely outdated: Darren Star's 'Sex and the Cité' will no doubt be monstrously successful."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Many French critics condemned the show for negatively stereotyping Parisians and the French. Charles Martin wrote in "Première" that the show unfairly stereotyped and depicted the French as "lazy [individuals who] never arrive at the office before the end of the morning [...] are flirtatious and not really attached to the concept of loyalty [...] are sexist and backward, and [...] have a questionable relationship with showering".


title: Emily in Paris

text: A reviewer at "Sens Critique" wrote: "Emily in Paris projects the same twee, unrealistic image of Paris that the film "Amélie" does". RTL.fr wrote: "Rarely had we seen so many clichés on the French capital since the Parisian episodes of "Gossip Girl" or the end of "The Devil Wears Prada"."


title: Emily in Paris

text: Megan Garber of "The Atlantic" was critical of the character Emily, writing, "An expat who acts like a tourist, she judges everything against the backdrop of her own rigid Americanness. You might figure that those moments are evidence of a show poking fun at its protagonist's arrogance, or setting the stage for her to grow beyond her initial provincialism. But: You would be, as I was, mostly incorrect. Instead, other people change around her. They grudgingly concede that her way (strident, striving, teeming with insistent individualism) is the right way. The show—the latest from the Sex and the City creator Darren Star—is selling several fantasies. Primary among them is the notion that Emily can bulldoze her way through France and be celebrated for it."


title: Emily in Paris

text: The second season met with controversy in Ukraine over the depiction of a Ukrainian character named Petra (a name not used in Ukraine) who was depicted as a petty thief and shoplifter, with the hashtag "Мы не Петры" (We are not Petras) trending for a matter of hours. The Ukrainian Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, wrote on the social media platform Telegram "In Emily in Paris, we have a caricature image of a Ukrainian woman that is unacceptable. It is also insulting." He also wrote a letter to Netflix complaining about the depiction of Petra. According to Tkachenko, Netflix sent a response saying that they had heard the dissatisfaction of Ukrainian viewers, and that in 2022 Petra would be shown in a different context.


title: Emily in Paris

text: The show received two nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, but prior to the ceremony it was reported that 30 members of the voting body had been flown to Paris, where they spent two nights at The Peninsula Paris and were treated to a private lunch at the Musée des Arts Forains, with the bill reportedly paid by the show's developer, Paramount Network. This led some critics to question the impartiality of the voting body, as "Emily in Paris" is considered to have been a critical flop, and its nomination was a surprise. In contrast, critically acclaimed shows, notably "I May Destroy You", were not nominated.


title: Frasier

text: Frasier () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub Street Productions), in association with Grammnet (2004) and Paramount Network Television.


title: Frasier

text: The series was created as a spin-off of the sitcom "Cheers". It continues the story of psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who returns to his hometown, Seattle, as a radio show host. He reconnects with his father, Martin (John Mahoney), a retired police officer, and his younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist. Included in the series cast were Peri Gilpin as Frasier's producer Roz Doyle, and Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon, Martin's live-in caregiver. Dan Butler's role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe, a sports talk show host on Frasier's station, was later upgraded from a recurring to main character.


title: Frasier

text: "Frasier" was critically acclaimed, with the series and the cast winning thirty-seven Primetime Emmy Awards, a record at the time for a scripted series. It also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for five consecutive years. A revival has been greenlit and has been confirmed to release on Paramount+ and will have 10 episodes.


title: Frasier

text: Psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Grammer) returns to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, following the end of his marriage and life in Boston (as seen in "Cheers"). His plans for a new life as a single man are challenged. Adding to this, he is obliged to take in his father, Martin (Mahoney), a retired Seattle Police Department detective who has mobility problems after being shot in the line of duty during a robbery.


title: Frasier

text: After reluctantly taking his father in, Frasier and Martin conduct a series of interviews to hire a physical therapist and caregiver for his father. Martin, much to Frasier's dismay, is particularly keen on hiring a British caregiver as a live-in, and after a short squabble, the two agree to hire Daphne Moon (Leeves) for the position. Much of the series focuses on Frasier adjusting to living with his father, with whom he has little in common, and his constant annoyances with Martin's dog, Eddie. Frasier frequently spends time with his younger brother, Niles (Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist, who becomes attracted to Daphne and eventually marries her.


title: Frasier

text: Frasier hosts "The Dr. Frasier Crane Show", a call-in psychiatry show on talk radio station, KACL. Though they share few commonalities, Frasier's producer, Roz Doyle (Gilpin) becomes his friend in the series. In the show, she is depicted as both direct and sarcastic, and until she becomes pregnant with her daughter, Alice, her somewhat superficial relationships with men are a topic of conversation. However, Roz and Frasier share a professional respect and a wry sense of humor, and, over time, the two become close friends. Frasier, along with the other characters in the series, often visits the local coffee shop, Café Nervosa, making it a frequent setting in the show.


title: Frasier

text: The Crane brothers, who have expensive tastes, intellectual interests, and high opinions of themselves, frequently clash with their father, Martin. The close relationship between the brothers is often tense, and their sibling rivalry intermittently results in chaos. For two psychiatrists who make a living solving other people's problems, however, they are often inept at dealing with each other's hangups. Other recurring themes in the series include Niles's relationship with his unseen first wife, Maris (whom he later divorces), Frasier's relationship with his ex-wife, Lilith, who resides in Boston with their son Frederick, Frasier's search for love, Martin's new life after retirement, and the various attempts by the two brothers to gain acceptance into Seattle society.


title: Frasier

text: The main cast remained unchanged for all 11 years. When the series ended in 2004, Grammer had portrayed the character of Frasier Crane for a total of 20 years, including his nine seasons on "Cheers" plus a one-time performance as the character on the series "Wings" which earned Grammer an Emmy nomination. At the time, he tied James Arness' portrayal of Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke" for the longest-running character on American primetime television. The record has since been surpassed in animation by the voice cast of "The Simpsons", and in live action by Richard Belzer's portrayal of John Munch and Mariska Hargitay's portrayal of Olivia Benson (both on "", among several other series). Grammer was briefly the highest-paid television actor in the United States for his portrayal of Frasier, while Jane Leeves was the highest-paid British actress.


title: Frasier

text: In addition to those of the ensemble, additional story lines included characters from Frasier's former incarnation on "Cheers", such as his ex-wife Lilith Sternin, played by Bebe Neuwirth, and their son Frederick, played by Trevor Einhorn.


title: Frasier

text: Grammer had been the voice of Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons" since 1990. In a 1997 episode (while "Frasier" was still in production), the character's brother, Cecil Terwilliger, was introduced, played by Pierce, as per the reference in the episode title, "Brother from Another Series'" The episode contained numerous "Frasier" references, including a "Frasier"-style version of "The Simpsons" theme for a transition and its iconic title card for the same thing. Pierce returned as Cecil for the second time (the first since "Frasier" had concluded) alongside Grammer in the 2007 episode "Funeral for a Fiend." The episode introduced the brothers' father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, who was portrayed by Mahoney.


title: Frasier

text: Cast reunions also occurred on four episodes of "Hot in Cleveland", which featured Leeves in the main cast along with Wendie Malick (who played Martin's girlfriend towards the end of "Frasier"). In the season-two episode "Unseparated at Birth" and season-three episode "Funeral Crashers," Mahoney guest-starred as a waiter smitten with Betty White's character. Gilpin appeared in the episode "I Love Lucci (Part 1)", and Tom McGowan (who played Kenny Daly) appeared in "Love Thy Neighbor" as a casting director. "Hot in Cleveland" was created and produced by Suzanne Martin, who wrote multiple episodes of "Frasier".


title: Frasier

text: During the eighth season of "Cheers", Grammer made a deal with former "Cheers" producers David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (who were moving on to produce "Wings") that they would do a new series together once "Cheers" ended. Once it became clear during the 10th season that the 11th would be the last, the group began working on their next series together.


title: Frasier

text: Grammer did not originally want to continue playing Frasier Crane, and Angell, Casey, and Lee did not want the new show to be compared to "Cheers", which they had worked on before "Wings". The three proposed that the actor play a wealthy, Malcolm Forbes-like paraplegic publisher who operated his business from his apartment. The main show featured a "street-smart" Hispanic live-in nurse who would clash with the main character. While Grammer liked the concept, Paramount Television disliked it, and suggested that the best route would be to spin off the Frasier Crane character. Grammer ultimately agreed to star in a "Cheers" spin-off, but the producers set the new show as far from Boston as possible to prevent NBC from demanding that other characters from the old show make guest appearances on the new show during its first season. After first choosing Denver, Angell, Casey, and Lee changed the location to Seattle after Colorado passed a law that prevented municipalities from enacting anti-discrimination laws protecting gay, lesbian, or bisexual people.


title: Frasier

text: The creators did not want Frasier in private practice, which would make the show resemble "The Bob Newhart Show". From an unused idea they had for a "Cheers" episode, they conceived the concept of the psychiatrist working in a radio station surrounded by "wacky, yet loveable" characters. After realizing that such a setting was reminiscent of "WKRP in Cincinnati", the creators decided to emphasize Frasier's home life, which "Cheers" had rarely explored. Lee considered his own experience with "the relationship between an aging father and the grown-up son he never understood" and thought it would be a good theme for "Frasier". Although Frasier had mentioned on "Cheers" (in two episodes) that his father, a research scientist, had died, Angell, Casey, and Lee did not realize this was the case, as they were not working on "Cheers" during the season those two episodes were filmed. The creative team was already well into the development process when Grammer pointed out the discontinuity; they decided to overlook it, initially retconning the character's backstory. In a second-season episode, the discrepancy was resolved, as Frasier revealed he had lied to the "Cheers" gang about his father.


title: Frasier

text: One element of the original concept that was carried over was the live-in health-care provider for Frasier's father. Grammer points out that very little of the Frasier Crane of "Cheers" carried over to "Frasier", as his family history was changed (though this was later adjusted); the setting, his job, and even the character himself changed from the "Cheers" predecessor, having to be more grounded as the central character of the show so the other supporting characters could be more eccentric.


title: Frasier

text: Martin Crane was based on creator Casey's father, who spent 34 years with the San Francisco Police Department. The creators suggested to NBC that they would like to cast someone like Mahoney, to which NBC told them if they could get Mahoney, they could hire him without auditions. Both Grammer and the producers contacted Mahoney, with the producers flying to Chicago to show Mahoney the pilot script over dinner. Upon reading it, Mahoney accepted. Grammer, who had lost his father as a child, and the childless Mahoney immediately built a close father-son relationship.


title: Frasier

text: In discussing Martin's nurse, Warren Littlefield of NBC suggested she be English instead of Hispanic and suggested Leeves for the role. Grammer was initially reluctant, as he thought the casting made the show resemble "Nanny and the Professor", but approved Leeves after a meeting and read-through with her. Mahoney and Leeves quickly bonded over their shared English heritage; Mahoney was originally from Manchester, the hometown of Leeves's character.


title: Frasier

text: The character of Niles was not part of the original concept for the show. Frasier had told his bar friends on "Cheers" that he was an only child; however, Sheila Guthrie, the assistant casting director on "Wings", brought the producers a photo of Pierce (whom she knew from his work on "The Powers That Be") and noted his resemblance to Grammer when he first appeared on "Cheers". She recommended him should they ever want Frasier to have a brother. The creators were "blown away" both by his resemblance to Grammer and by his acting ability. They decided to ignore Frasier's statement on "Cheers" and created the role for Pierce. Pierce accepted the role before realizing he had not read a script. Once he was given a script, he was initially concerned that his character was essentially a duplicate of Frasier, thinking that it would not work. The first table reading of the pilot script was notable because the producers had never heard either Pierce or Mahoney read lines because they were cast without auditions.


title: Frasier

text: The only main role that required an audition was Roz Doyle, who was named in memory of a producer of "Wings". The producers auditioned around 300 actresses with no particular direction in mind. Women of all ethnicities were considered. Lisa Kudrow was originally cast in the role, but during rehearsals, the producers decided they needed someone who could appear more assertive in her job and take control over Frasier at KACL, and Kudrow did not fit that role. The creators quickly hired Gilpin, their second choice.


title: Frasier

text: The original focus of the series was intended to be the relationship between Frasier and Martin, and it was the focus of most of the first-season episodes. Once the show began airing, Niles became a breakout character, and more focus was added to the brothers' relationship, and other plots centering on Niles, starting in the second season. The producers initially did not want to make Niles's wife Maris an unseen character because they did not want to draw parallels to Vera, Norm's wife on "Cheers". They originally intended that she would appear after several episodes, but were enjoying writing excuses for her absence so much that they eventually decided she would remain unseen, and after the increasingly eccentric characteristics ascribed to her, they concluded that no real actress would be able to portray her anyway.


title: Frasier

text: Frasier's apartment was designed to be ultra-modern in an eclectic style (as Frasier himself points out in the pilot). One of the show's signature elements that it became well known for was the apartment's design which included elements such as a slightly split-level design, doors with triangular wooden inlay features, numerous pieces of well-known high-end furniture (such as a replica of Coco Chanel's sofa, and both Eames Lounge Chair and Wassily Chair) and a notable view from the terrace which was frequently complimented by visitors. The main set consisted of the open-concept living area with a sitting/TV space and dining area on the lower level and a piano exit to the terrace on the rear upper level. The set also included the kitchen through an open archway. A small section of the building corridor and elevator doors was built, as was a powder room near the front entrance. Two corridors off the living area ostensibly led to the apartment's three bedrooms. Sets for each of these rooms were built as separate sets on an as-needed basis.


title: Frasier

text: No building or apartment in Seattle really has the view from Frasier's residence. It was created so the Space Needle, the most iconic landmark of Seattle, would appear more prominently. According to the season-one DVD bonus features, the photograph used on the set was taken from atop a cliff, possibly the ledge at Kerry Park, a frequent photography location. Despite this, "Frasier" has been said to have contributed to the emergence of an upscale urban lifestyle in 1990s Seattle, with buyers seeking properties in locations resembling that depicted in the show, in search of "that cosmopolitan feel of Frasier".


title: Frasier

text: Another of the primary sets was the radio studio at KACL from which Frasier broadcasts his show. The studio itself consists of two rooms: the broadcast booth and the control room. A section of the corridor outside of the booth was also built (visible through the windows at the back of the studio) and could be shot from the side to view the corridor itself. The set was designed based on ABC's then-brand-new radio studios in Los Angeles which the production designer visited. Technical elements such as the microphones were regularly updated to conform with the latest technology. Although the studio set lacked a "front" wall (the fourth wall), one was built for occasional use in episodes with certain moments shot from behind the broadcast desk, rather than in front of it as usual.


title: Frasier

text: The producers wanted to have a gathering place outside of home and work where the characters could meet. After a trip to Seattle, and seeing the many burgeoning coffee shops, the production designer suggested to producers that they use a coffee shop. Unlike many of the relatively modern coffee shop designs prevalent in Seattle, the production designer opted for a more warm and inviting style which would appear more established and traditional. Stools were specifically omitted to avoid any similarity to the bar on "Cheers". Several Los Angeles coffee shops were used for reference. A bookcase was added on the back wall, suggesting patrons could grab a book and read while they enjoyed their coffee. The show used three versions of the interior set depending on how much space other sets for each episode required. If space for the full set was not available, a smaller version that omitted the tables closest to the audience could be used. If space for that set was lacking, a small section of the back of the cafe at the top of the steps could be set up under the audience bleachers. A set was also used on occasion for the exterior patio.


title: Frasier

text: The cast had an unusual amount of freedom to suggest changes to the script. Grammer used an acting method he called "requisite disrespect" and did not rehearse with the others, instead learning and rehearsing his lines once just before filming each scene in front of a live studio audience. Although effective, the system often caused panic among guest stars.


title: Frasier

text: In 1996, Grammer's recurrent alcoholism led to a car accident. The cast and crew performed an intervention that persuaded him to enter the Betty Ford Center, delaying production for a month.


title: Frasier

text: Only one episode, "The 1000th Show," was filmed in Seattle. As with "Cheers", most episodes were filmed on Stage 25, Paramount Studios, or at various locations in and around Los Angeles.


title: Frasier

text: The KACL callers' lines were read by anonymous voice-over actors during filming in front of a live audience, and during post-production, the lines were replaced by celebrities, who actually phoned in their parts without having to come into the studio. The end credits of season finales show greyscale headshots of celebrities who had "called in" that season. Celebrities providing voices as callers include Gillian Anderson, Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Cindy Crawford, Billy Crystal, Phil Donahue, David Duchovny, Hilary Duff, Olympia Dukakis, Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster, Art Garfunkel, Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Linda Hamilton, Daryl Hannah, Ron Howard, Eric Idle, Stephen King, Jay Leno, Laura Linney, John Lithgow, Yo-Yo Ma, William H. Macy, Henry Mancini, Reba McEntire, Helen Mirren, Mary Tyler Moore, Estelle Parsons, Rosie Perez, Freddie Prinze Jr., Christopher Reeve, Carly Simon, Gary Sinise, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, Marlo Thomas, Rob Reiner, Carl Reiner, Lily Tomlin, and Eddie Van Halen.


title: Frasier

text: Some "callers" also guest-starred, such as Parsons, Perez, and Linney (who played Frasier's final love interest in the last season).


title: Frasier

text: The show's theme song, "Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs," is sung by Grammer and is played over the closing credits of each episode. Composer Bruce Miller, who had also composed for "Wings", was asked to avoid explicitly mentioning any subjects related to the show such as radio or psychiatry. After Miller finished the music, lyricist Darryl Phinnesse suggested the title as they were things that were, like Frasier Crane's patients, "mixed up." The lyrics indirectly refer to Crane's radio show; "I hear the blues a-callin'," for example, refers to troubled listeners who call the show. Grammer recorded several variations of the final spoken line of the theme, which were rotated for each of the episodes. Other than season finales, a short, silent scene, often revisiting a small subplot aside from the central story of the episode, appears with the credits and song, which the actors performed without written dialogue based on the scriptwriter's suggestion.


title: Frasier

text: The title card at the start of each episode shows a white line being drawn in the shape of the Seattle skyline on a black background above the show's title. In most episodes, once the skyline and title appear, the skyline is augmented in some way, such as windows lighting up or a helicopter lifting off. The color of the title text changed for each season (respectively: blue, red, turquoise, purple, gold, brown, yellow, green, orange, metallic silver, and metallic gold). Over the title card, one of about 25 brief musical cues evoking the closing theme is played.


title: Frasier

text: Talks of a revival began in 2016, but were initially denied by Grammer, though they resurfaced in mid- to late 2018, with Grammer confirming they were looking into it. In February and March 2019, he said in several interviews that a reboot was likely. Grammer has said the revival will be a "third act" for the Frasier Crane character and is likely to be in a new setting other than Seattle. He has also indicated a new series will pay tribute to John Mahoney, who died in 2018.


title: Frasier

text: In late 2019, Grammer said "we've hatched a plan for "Frasier" reboot," and it was originally reported that it would air in 2020. In February 2021, it was reported that the revival was being discussed at Paramount+, formerly CBS All Access, possibly for a ten-episode season order for 2022.


title: Frasier

text: On February 24, 2021, the sequel series was greenlit for exclusive debut on Paramount+. Grammer said he "gleefully" anticipated "sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane" as he had "spent over 20 years" of his "creative life on the Paramount lot."


title: Frasier

text: As Grammer has other commitments with another upcoming show, the revival is not expected to get underway until 2022. No other cast members have been announced as of yet, but it is understood that David Hyde Pierce had been approached, but declined. Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin have previously discussed the possibility of a revival.


title: Frasier

text: With the exception of Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), all the surviving main regular cast members of "Cheers" made appearances on "Frasier". Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) was the only one to become a recurring character, appearing in a total of twelve episodes.


title: Frasier

text: In the eighth-season "Cheers" episode "Two Girls for Every Boyd," Frasier tells Sam Malone (played by Ted Danson) that his father, a research scientist, had died. In the "Frasier" season-two episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up," when Sam meets Martin, Frasier explains that at the time, he was angry after an argument with his father on the phone; however, in "The Show Where Woody Shows Up," when meeting Martin, Woody says he remembers hearing about him.


title: Frasier

text: In the ninth-season episode of "Frasier", "Cheerful Goodbyes" in 2002, Frasier returns to Boston to give a speech and Niles, Daphne, and Martin come along to see the city. Frasier runs into Cliff Clavin (played by John Ratzenberger) at the airport and learns that Cliff is retiring and moving to Florida. Frasier and company attend Cliff's retirement party, where Frasier reunites with the rest of the gang from "Cheers" (minus Sam, Woody, Diane and Rebecca), including bar regular Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt), waitress Carla Tortelli (played by Rhea Perlman), barflies Paul Krapence (played by Paul Willson) and Phil (played by Philip Perlman), and Cliff's old post-office nemesis Walt Twitchell (played by Raye Birk).


title: Frasier

text: In the 11th-season episode of "Frasier", "Caught in the Act," Frasier's married ex-wife, children's entertainer Nanny G, comes to town and invites him backstage for a rendezvous. Nanny G appeared on the "Cheers" episode "One Hugs, The Other Doesn't" (1992) and was portrayed by Emma Thompson. In this episode of "Frasier", she is portrayed by Laurie Metcalf. A younger version of the character (this time played by Dina Waters) appears in the second episode of season 9 of "Frasier", "Don Juan in Hell: Part 2," along with Neuwirth and Shelley Long reprising their roles of Lilith and Diane Chambers, respectively. In this episode, Rita Wilson also reprises her role as Frasier's mother, Hester, which she briefly debuted in the season 7 premiere, "Momma Mia;" in "Don Juan in Hell: Part 2," Diane also references the season 3 episode of "Cheers", "Diane Meets Mom," in which Hester (then portrayed by Nancy Marchand) threatens Diane's life. Diane (again portrayed by Long) plays a central role in "The Show Where Diane Comes Back" (season 3, episode 14) and had a brief cameo in the season 2 episode "Adventures in Paradise: Part 2."


title: Frasier

text: Some cast members of "Frasier" had appeared previously in minor roles on "Cheers". In the episode "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" (1992), John Mahoney played Sy Flembeck, an over-the-hill jingle writer hired by Rebecca to write a jingle for the bar. In it, Grammer and Mahoney exchanged a few lines. Peri Gilpin appeared in a "Cheers" episode titled "Woody Gets an Election" playing a reporter who interviews Woody when he runs for office.


title: Frasier

text: The set of "Frasier" was built over the set of "Cheers" on the same stage after it had finished filming.


title: Frasier

text: "Frasier" is one of the most critically acclaimed comedy series of all time and one of the most successful spin-off series in television history. Critics and commentators have broadly held the show in high regard.


title: Frasier

text: Caroline Frost said that the series overall showed a high level of wit, but noted that many critics felt that the marriage of Daphne and Niles in season 10 had removed much of the show's comic tension. Ken Tucker felt that their marriage made the series seem desperate for storylines, while Robert Bianco felt that it was symptomatic of a show that had begun to dip in quality after so much time on the air. Kelsey Grammer acknowledged the creative lull, saying that over the course of two later seasons, the show "took itself too seriously." Commentators acknowledged that there was an improvement following the return of the writers Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan, although not necessarily to its earlier high standards.


title: Frasier

text: Writing about the first season, John O'Connor described "Frasier" as being a relatively unoriginal concept, but said that it was generally a "splendid act," while Tucker thought that the second season benefited greatly from a mix of "high and low humor.” Tucker's comment is referring to what Grammer described as a rule of the series that the show should not play down to its audience. Kevin Cherry believes that "Frasier" was able to stay fresh by not making any contemporary commentary, therefore allowing the show to be politically and socially neutral. Other commentators, such as Haydn Bush disagree, believing the success of "Frasier" can be attributed to the comedic timing and the rapport between the characters. Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski praise the overall message of the series, which across eleven seasons sees several lonely, broken individuals develop warm, caring relationships. While individual episodes vary in quality, the series as a whole carries with it a definitive theme and evolution from pilot to finale. "The Economist" devoted an article to the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere stating, "it is clear that audiences still demand the sort of intelligent and heartfelt comedy that “Frasier” provided."


title: Frasier

text: In spite of the criticisms of the later seasons, these critics were unanimous in praising at least the early seasons, with varied commentary on the series' demise ranging from believing, like Bianco, that the show had run its course to those like Dana Stevens, who bemoaned the end of "Frasier" as the "end of situation comedy for adults." Critics compared the farcical elements of the series, especially in later seasons, to the older sitcom "Three's Company". NBC News contributor Wendell Wittler described the moments of misunderstanding as "inspired by the classic comedy of manners as were the frequent deflations of Frasier’s pomposity."


title: Frasier

text: In 2017, 13 years after the show ended, "Frasier" was said to have experienced a "renaissance" on Netflix and "achieved a second life as one of the streaming service's most soothing offerings."


title: Frasier

text: The series won a total of 37 Primetime Emmy Awards during its 11-year run, breaking the record long held by CBS' "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (29). It held the record until 2016 when "Game of Thrones" won 38. Grammer and Pierce each won four, including one each for the fifth and eleventh seasons. The series is tied with ABC's "Modern Family" for the most consecutive wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning five from 1994 to 1998.


title: Frasier

text: Grammer has been Emmy-nominated for playing Frasier Crane on "Cheers" and "Frasier", as well as a 1992 crossover appearance on "Wings", making him the only performer to be nominated for playing the same role on three different shows. The first year Grammer did not receive an Emmy nomination for "Frasier" was in 2003 for the 10th season. However, Pierce was nominated every year of the show's run, breaking the record for nominations in his category, with his eighth nomination in 2001; he was nominated a further three times after this.


title: Frasier

text: In 1994, the episode "The Matchmaker" was ranked number 43 on "TV Guide"s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2000, the series was named the greatest international programme of all time by a panel of 1,600 industry experts for the British Film Institute as part of BFI TV 100. In 2002, "Frasier" was ranked number 34 on "TV Guide"s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In a 2006 poll taken by Channel 4 of professionals in the sitcom industry, "Frasier" was voted the best sitcom of all time.


title: Frasier

text: "Frasier" began airing in off-network syndication on September 15, 1997. It is available on Cozi TV, Hallmark Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock and Crave in select countries. Netflix stopped offering the show in 2020.


title: Frasier

text: The show's popularity has resulted in several fan sites, podcasts, and publications. Podcasts that look primarily at the show include "Talk Salad and Scrambled Eggs" with Kevin Smith and Matt Mira, "Frasierphiles," "The Frasier Analysis".


title: Frasier

text: Paramount Home Entertainment and (from 2006 onward) CBS DVD released all 11 seasons of "Frasier" on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4. A 44-disc package containing the entire 11 seasons was also released.


title: Frasier

text: The first four seasons were also released on VHS along with a series of 'Best Of' tapes. These tapes consisted of four episodes taken from seasons 1–4.


title: Frasier

text: One "Frasier" CD was released featuring a number of songs taken from the show: "Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs" was released on October 24, 2000.


title: Randy Savage

text: Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage was described by ESPN's Bill Simmons as "one of the greatest pro wrestlers who ever lived"—a statement echoed by multiple industry performers. He was recognizable by wrestling fans for his distinctively flamboyant ring attire, intensity exhibited in and out of the ring, use of the finale from "Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1" by Elgar as his entrance music, and signature catchphrase, "Oooh yeah!" For most of his tenures in the WWF and WCW, Savage was managed by his real-life wife, Miss Elizabeth Hulette.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage had six world championship reigns during his 32-year career, including two as WWF World Heavyweight Champion and four as WCW World Heavyweight Champion. As WWF Champion, he held similar drawing power as Hulk Hogan. A one-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, he was named by WWE as the greatest titleholder of all time and credited for bringing "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances".


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage was the 1987 WWF King of the Ring and the 1995 WCW World War 3 winner. He headlined many pay-per-view events throughout his career, including WrestleManias IV, V, and VIII (being part of a double main event at VIII), two of the first five SummerSlam shows, and 1995 Starrcade. He was inducted into the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" Hall of Fame upon its inception in 1996, with a posthumous WWE Hall of Fame induction following in 2015.


title: Randy Savage

text: Randy Poffo was born November 15, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio, the eldest son of Judy (Sverdlin) and Angelo Poffo. His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish; Poffo was raised Catholic. Angelo was a well-known wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s, who was featured in "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" for his ability to do sit-ups for hours on end. His younger brother is professional wrestler Lanny Poffo. He lived in Zanesville, Ohio, where he attended Grover Cleveland Middle School. He graduated from Downers Grove North High School in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois.


title: Randy Savage

text: Poffo later moved to Staten Island, New York, before moving to Lexington, Kentucky, where he lived for many years. He was an alumnus of Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a catcher out of high school. He was placed in the minor leagues to develop, where he mostly played as an outfielder in the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds farm systems. Savage was 18 when he began playing minor league baseball; one of his teammates on the 1971 Gulf Coast League Cardinals was Larry Herndon, who was also his roommate. Savage would swing a bat into a hanging car tire to strengthen his hands and utilize his legs during swings. The technique was so effective that Herndon used it during his own career as a baseball coach. Savage injured his natural (right) throwing shoulder after a collision at home plate, and he learned to throw with his left arm instead. Savage's last season was 1974, when he played for the Tampa Tarpons. He played 289 games in four minor league seasons, batting .254 with 16 home runs and 129 RBIs.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage first broke into the wrestling business in 1973 during the fall and winter of the baseball off season. His first wrestling character, The Spider, was similar to Spider-Man. He later took the ring name Randy Savage at the suggestion of his longtime friend and trainer Terry "The Goose" Stephens and Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) booker Ole Anderson, who said that the name Poffo did not fit someone who "wrestled like a savage". The "Macho Man" nickname was adopted after his mother Judy Poffo read a "Reader's Digest" article predicting that the phrase would become "the next hot term". Savage eventually decided to end his baseball career and become a full-time wrestler, working with his brother and father. He wrestled his first match against Midwest Territory wrestler "Golden Boy" Paul Christy. Savage worked with his father and brother in Michigan, the Carolinas, Georgia, the Maritimes, and the eastern Tennessee territory run by Nick Gulas.


title: Randy Savage

text: After a while, his father felt that his sons were not getting the pushes they deserved so he started the "outlaw" International Championship Wrestling (ICW) promotion in the mid-American states. Eventually, ICW disbanded and Randy and Lanny entered the Memphis scene, joining Jerry Lawler's Continental Wrestling Association (their former competitors). While there, Savage feuded with Lawler over the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. He also teamed with Lanny to battle The Rock 'n' Roll Express; this feud included a match on June 25, 1984, in Memphis, where in the storyline, Savage injured Ricky Morton by piledriving him through the timekeeper's table, leading to the Express winning by disqualification (though Savage's brother Lanny later said that Morton was not injured in the attack). Later in 1984, Savage turned babyface and allied with Lawler against Jimmy Hart's First Family alliance, only to turn heel on Lawler again in early 1985 and resume the feud with him over the title. This ended when Lawler beat Savage in a Loser Leaves Town match on June 7 in Memphis, Tennessee.


title: Randy Savage

text: In June 1985, Savage signed with Vince McMahon. Billed as "the top free agent in pro wrestling", Savage's first appearances on "Tuesday Night Titans" featured several established managers (including Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji, Johnny Valiant, and "Classy" Freddie Blassie) offering their services to Savage. He eventually declined their offers and chose Miss Elizabeth as his new manager. His gimmick was a crazed, ego-maniacal bully who mistreated Miss Elizabeth and threatened anyone who even looked at her. He made his pay-per-view (PPV) debut at The Wrestling Classic on November 7, 1985, participating in a 16-man tournament. He defeated Ivan Putski, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and the Dynamite Kid before losing by a countout in the finals to Junkyard Dog.


title: Randy Savage

text: In late 1985, Savage started a feud with then Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Tito Santana over that title. Santana beat him on October 19, 1985, at San Juan, Puerto Rico. During November 2, 1985 episode of "Saturday Night's Main Event III", he unsuccessfully challenged Santana for the title (Savage won the match by countout, but not the title because the title did not change hands by countout). In a rematch on WWF on NESN on February 8, 1986, he won the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship at the Boston Garden by using an illegal steel object stashed in his tights to knock out Santana. Early in his WWF career, Savage also won three countout victories (the first at the Spectrum in Philadelphia and the other two at Madison Square Garden) over his future tag team partner WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan (although the belt did not change hands due to the countout) as well as engaging in feuds with Bruno Sammartino and George "The Animal" Steele. During this time, Savage also formed a tag-team with semi-retired wrestler come color commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who would remain a vocal supporter of Savage until Ventura left the WWF in mid-1990, except during Savage's period as a face.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage's feud with Steele began on January 4, 1986 "Saturday Night's Main Event IV", when Steele developed a crush on Miss Elizabeth. At WrestleMania 2, Savage defeated Steele in a match to retain his Intercontinental Heavyweight Title. He resumed his feud with Steele in early 1987, culminating in two Intercontinental Heavyweight title matches, both won by Savage.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage wrestled Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III in the Pontiac Silverdome. After 19 two-counts, Steamboat pinned Savage (with help from George Steele, who pushed Savage from the top rope seconds before he was pinned) to end his near 14-month reign as Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. The match was extremely choreographed, as opposed to the "on the fly" nature of most wrestling matches at the time. Savage was a stickler for detail, and he and Steamboat laid out and rehearsed every spot in the match prior to WrestleMania, at his home in Florida. The match was named 1987's Match of the Year by both "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" and the "Wrestling Observer". Steamboat and Savage were seen cheering with and hugging other wrestlers after the match. During this part of his career he became known for his stage costumes, which were created by Florida designer Michael Braun.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage won the King of the Ring tournament later in 1987. Savage's popularity was rising to the point that he was being cheered by a majority of the fans despite being a heel, so he became less hostile towards the fans and Miss Elizabeth. When The Honky Tonk Man declared himself "the greatest Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion of all time", Savage began a feud with him to get the title back, becoming a fan favorite in the process. To help gain credibility with fans as a face prior to his match against Honky, Savage was booked (on the winning end) against heels, including Hercules, "King" Harley Race and Killer Khan, among others. On the October 3, 1987 "Saturday Night's Main Event XII", he got his shot at The Honky Tonk Man and the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, but lost out on the title when The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart), who along with Honky were managed by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, interrupted the match, getting Honky disqualified. In the ensuing beatdown, Miss Elizabeth ran back to the locker room and brought Hulk Hogan out to the ring to save Savage, leading to the formation of "The Mega Powers". Savage would lead a team of five against Honky's team of five at the first annual Survivor Series where Savage's team was victorious, avenging Elizabeth's honor. His feud with Honky continued into early 1988, where in their last high-profile matchup (aired as the undercard to Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan on the February 5, 1988 "The Main Event I"), Savage defeated Honky by count-out after he shoved Honky away from Elizabeth and into the ring post. Their feud was blown off on March 5, at the Boston Garden weeks before WrestleMania IV when the two competed in tag team-style steel cage match, with Savage and Honky each enlisting their allies for their respective teams; the Savage-led teams usually won these matches. Although Savage did not regain the Intercontinental Championship, bigger things were awaiting him.


title: Randy Savage

text: At WrestleMania IV, he participated in the 14-man tournament for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship. During the tournament held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Savage defeated "The Natural" Butch Reed, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and the One Man Gang on his way to the finals. In the final he defeated "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (who had his bodyguard Virgil and André the Giant in his corner), by pinning him with the help of Hogan. Savage retained the WWF World Heavyweight Title for a little over a year, defending it against the likes of super heavyweights One Man Gang, the Big Boss Man and André the Giant.


title: Randy Savage

text: The Mega Powers' first feud was against The Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase and André the Giant), whom they defeated in the main event of the first-ever SummerSlam pay-per-view event. The match, refereed by Jesse Ventura, was famous for Miss Elizabeth jumping up on the apron of the ring late in the match and removing her skirt to show red panties. This allowed both Savage and Hogan (who had been knocked to the outside) to get back in the ring and get the pin on DiBiase with Savage pushing a reluctant Ventura to the 3-count. The Mega Powers then began feuding with The Twin Towers (Big Boss Man and Akeem who was formerly the One Man Gang). In the case of the latter feud, Savage frequently became involved in Hogan's matches involving one of the two villains (and vice versa); the two rival factions captained opposing teams in the main event of the 1988 Survivor Series, which was won by the Mega Powers.


title: Randy Savage

text: Problems between Savage and Hogan developed, however, in early 1989 after Hogan also took Elizabeth as his manager. At the Royal Rumble, Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage from the Royal Rumble match and they started to fight until Elizabeth separated them. On "The Main Event II", Savage and Hogan took on the Twin Towers in a match that saw Elizabeth accidentally get injured at ringside. Hogan carried her to the back, which enraged Savage to the point that he abandoned Hogan later in the match. Savage and Hogan got into a heated argument with Savage declaring that Hogan was an inferior wrestler to him and that he wanted to steal Elizabeth from him. He then proceeded to attack his partner, then attacked Hogan's friend Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake as he tried to intervene before finally being separated by security, thus Savage turned heel once again for the first time since 1987.


title: Randy Savage

text: At WrestleMania V (which like WM4 was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City), Savage dropped the WWF World Heavyweight Championship to Hogan after a reign of 371 days. Prior to the match Savage had actually been hospitalized with an infected elbow but checked himself out of hospital in order to wrestle Hogan and despite wearing a heavy bandage over the elbow and being sick as a result of the infection, still managed to put on a high quality showing. In April 1989, he replaced Elizabeth (who stayed with Hogan) as his manager with former WWF Women's Champion Sensational Sherri. Savage would co-main event SummerSlam, teaming with "The Human Wrecking Machine" Zeus (actor Tiny Lister in character as his role from Hulk Hogan's movie, "No Holds Barred"), against The Mega-Maniacs (Hogan and Brutus Beefcake), with the Mega-Maniacs winning after Hogan hit Zeus with Sherri's loaded purse to get the win. Savage and Zeus faced Hogan and Beefcake in a rematch contested in a steel cage at No Holds Barred and lost again.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage adopted the moniker "The Macho King" after defeating Jim Duggan for the "King of the Ring" title in September 1989 (Duggan in turn had won it from Haku). On a later wrestling episode, he had a coronation as the new "King of the WWF" led by wrestler The Genius (actually Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo), in which Ted DiBiase gave him a scepter as a gift. Savage would use that scepter as a weapon numerous times. The "Macho King" and Hulk Hogan met one last time (intended to end their ongoing year-long feud), when Savage got a shot at Hogan's WWF World Heavyweight Championship on "The Main Event III". The pinfall was counted by new heavyweight boxing champion Buster Douglas despite Savage kicking out at two, Douglas then punched Savage in the face after Savage confronted and then slapped Douglas.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage then began feuding with the "Common Man" Dusty Rhodes, losing a mixed tag match (along with Sherri) to Rhodes and Sapphire at WrestleMania VI but beating him in a singles match at SummerSlam. In late 1990, Savage started a feud with then-WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior. The feud escalated at Royal Rumble, when Warrior refused to promise Savage the right to challenge him for the title, should Warrior defend it successfully against Sgt. Slaughter (Slaughter had already granted Savage this opportunity, should he beat Warrior). Savage had sent Sensational Queen Sherri out before the match to try to persuade the Warrior to promise this in a face-to-face interview laced with sexual innuendos but was unsuccessful. Outraged, Savage promised revenge, which he got during the Slaughter-Warrior title match. During the match, Sherri distracted The Warrior who chased her back to the locker room. However, halfway down the aisle "The Macho King" Randy Savage attacked the champion, resulting in the Ultimate Warrior having to crawl to the ring. Later, Savage ran out to the ring and smashed the sceptre over Warrior's head, (knocking him unconscious for Slaughter to pin), and then immediately sprinted back to the locker room. Later in the program, Savage failed to appear in the Royal Rumble which led to speculation that he and Sherri had fled the building in order to avoid The Warrior. The events at the Royal Rumble led to a career-ending match at WrestleMania VII, which Savage lost. After the match, Savage was attacked by Sherri as he lay dejected in the ring. This was too much for Miss Elizabeth, who happened to be in the audience. Elizabeth rushed to Savage's aid, fighting off Sherri and reuniting with her one-time love to huge crowd appreciation, with Savage becoming a fan favorite once again for the first time since 1989. Despite his retirement from active wrestling, Savage stayed in the WWF in a non-wrestling capacity while The Ultimate Warrior was fired by Vince McMahon after SummerSlam 1991 later that year. Savage wrestled a number of times following WrestleMania VII and the WWF's official story was that out of respect, Warrior generously allowed him to see out the final months of his contract before he was forced to retire. His last match was on April 1 in Kobe, Japan at a joint card between the WWF and Super World Sports, where he was defeated by


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage returned to television in a non-wrestling role as the "Macho Man" after WrestleMania VII as a broadcaster. Although in storyline he was retired, Savage continued to wrestle on joint WWF/SWS cards in Japan. He also made an initial, untelevised return to the ring on July 30 in Portland, Maine at a WWF Wrestling Challenge taping when he substituted for The Ultimate Warrior and pinned The Undertaker. Following this Savage subbed for Warrior on house shows in early August against Undertaker. Savage also participated as a special referee in several house show matches between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter.


title: Randy Savage

text: Meanwhile, the storyline with Miss Elizabeth continued, culminating with Savage proposing to her in the ring leading to an on-air wedding at SummerSlam dubbed "The Match Made in Heaven". It was at this time that Savage was targeted by Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who was by now a villain. On an episode of "Prime Time Wrestling" prior to SummerSlam, the announcers and several wrestlers threw a "bachelor party" for Savage, with Roberts' arrival deemed unwelcome by the rest of the contingent.


title: Randy Savage

text: In the post-SummerSlam wedding reception, Roberts and his new ally, The Undertaker, made their presence known by hiding a live snake in one of the newly married couple's wedding presents; Elizabeth was frightened when she opened the gift box, and the Undertaker blindsided Savage by knocking him out with the urn while Roberts pulled the snake from the box and menaced Elizabeth with it. Sid Justice ran off both Roberts and The Undertaker. Savage, still unable to compete due to his WrestleMania VII loss to The Ultimate Warrior, immediately began a public campaign to have himself reinstated as an active wrestler to gain revenge on Roberts; however, WWF President Jack Tunney refused. Meanwhile, Roberts cut a series of promos berating Savage. The feud began to boil over during a television taping for "WWF Superstars of Wrestling" November 23 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when Roberts cut an in-ring promo to goad Savage – who was providing television commentary – into the ring. After he was lured into the ring, Roberts attacked Savage, eventually tying Savage into the ropes before getting a live king cobra to bite his arm. According to Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts on the Pick Your Poison DVD. the snake was holding on with the fangs and Jake had a hard time getting the snake off Randy. Sid Justice was originally supposed to be the victim of the snake bite, but due to a biceps injury, Savage accepted to be snake bitten.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage urged fans to lobby Tunney to reinstate him, under the rallying cry "Reinstatement! That's the plan! Reinstate the Macho Man!" In response, Tunney reinstated Savage and announced a match between him and Roberts for the This Tuesday in Texas pay-per-view event. Savage won the match however, Roberts would perform the DDT on Savage 3 times after the match and things came to a head when Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth. The feud continued throughout the winter, ending after a match on the February 8, 1992 "Saturday Night's Main Event XXX", which Savage won; Roberts had planned a backstage ambush of Savage and Elizabeth after losing the match, but was stopped by The Undertaker.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage then began an on-screen feud with WWF Champion Ric Flair. According to the storyline, Flair claimed that he had been in a prior relationship with Savage's wife Miss Elizabeth, going as far as presenting pictures of Elizabeth and Flair together. This culminated in a title match at WrestleMania VIII; Savage won the match and his second WWF Championship.


title: Randy Savage

text: During this time, Savage and Elizabeth separated in real life, and Elizabeth made her final WWF appearance on April 19, 1992, at the UK Rampage pay-per-view, where Savage defended the WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels. However, the Savage-Flair feud continued, keeping the Flair-Elizabeth television storyline intact until Elizabeth's final WWF appearance (the "UK Rampage" match between Savage and Michaels) aired on "WWF Prime Time Wrestling" in June. About this same time, "WWF Magazine" published photos of Savage and Elizabeth, which were identical to those featuring Elizabeth and Flair; it was revealed that Flair had doctored the Savage-Elizabeth pictures. The former couple were divorced on September 18, 1992. A statement announcing the divorce appeared in "WWF Magazine" at about the same time, a rare break of kayfabe for the WWF at the time. The divorce was never referenced again nor did it figure into Savage's future feuds for the duration of his WWF run.


title: Randy Savage

text: For the better part of 1992, Savage and his old nemesis The Ultimate Warrior (who returned to the WWF at WrestleMania VIII) peacefully co-existed. However, when it was announced that Warrior was the new number-one contender for Savage's WWF Championship, old tensions resurfaced and they had several heated exchanges prior to the match. Savage defended the title against The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam; Savage lost the match by countout, after having his knee injured by Flair and Mr. Perfect, but retained the championship. After the match, Warrior helped a badly injured Savage to the back. On the September 14 episode of "Prime Time Wrestling" (taped September 1), Savage lost the WWF Championship to Flair after interference from Razor Ramon.


title: Randy Savage

text: He formed a tag team with The Ultimate Warrior known as the "Ultimate Maniacs" after both men were attacked by Flair and Mr. Perfect during their match at SummerSlam. After his title loss shortly after, an injured Savage backed Warrior to dethrone Flair. On the November 8, 1992 "Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI", they took on Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Money. Inc. lost by countout but retained their title. Savage and Warrior were to face Flair and Ramon in a tag team match at Survivor Series. Warrior was fired from the WWF weeks before the event, so Savage chose Mr. Perfect, executive consultant to Flair, as his partner to replace Warrior. Perfect initially laughed off the suggestion, but was angered by Bobby Heenan and his insinuations that he could never again wrestle at his previous level, and accepted the match. Despite initial distrust (an interview prior to the match had Savage admit to Perfect that he neither liked nor trusted him), the duo defeated Flair and Ramon via a disqualification.


title: Randy Savage

text: When "Monday Night Raw" began in January 1993, Savage served primarily as a color commentator, wrestling only occasionally against characters such as Doink the Clown, Repo Man, Rick Martel, and Crush. However, he was the runner up in the Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble, where he was eliminated by Yokozuna. Savage returned to pay-per-view at Survivor Series as a substitute for Mr. Perfect. He competed in the 1994 Royal Rumble match. His last WWF pay-per-view appearance as a competitor was a victory over Crush in a Falls Count Anywhere match at WrestleMania X. Savage also made periodic appearances in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion in May 1994. Meanwhile, Savage was also a color commentator for the 1994 King of the Ring and made his final WWF pay-per-view appearance at SummerSlam at the new United Center in Chicago, where he served as the master of ceremonies. Before the SummerSlam PPV, Savage and several WWF superstars, including Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Bart Gunn, and the 1-2-3 Kid took part in a charity softball match against the "Chicago Media All-Stars". The WWF superstars won the game 9–7, with Savage showcasing his old baseball skills by hitting a home run. His last match in WWF was teaming with Bret Hart to defeat Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart in Rostock, Germany on September 13.


title: Randy Savage

text: At the end of October 1994, Savage's WWF contract expired and he left to sign with rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He made his final televised WWF appearance on the October 31 "Raw", making a save for Lex Luger against Bob Backlund. The following week, on the November 7 episode of "Raw", Vince McMahon announced that Savage had left the company, thanking him for his contributions and wishing him the best of luck in the future.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage made his first appearance for WCW on the December 3, 1994 episode of "Saturday Night". Savage made reference to the love/hate relationship he had with Hulk Hogan and stated his desire to be the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Savage appeared at Starrcade later that month, saving Hogan from an attack by The Three Faces of Fear, shaking hands with his friend and rival. At SuperBrawl V, he teamed up with Sting and took on Avalanche and Big Bubba Rogers in a tag team match, which Sting and Savage won. The following month at Uncensored, Savage wrestled Avalanche with Savage getting the win by disqualification when a fan, who happened to be Ric Flair dressed in drag, attacked Savage. This led to a feud between Savage and Flair where Flair attacked Savage's father, Angelo Poffo, at Slamboree following a tag-team main event where Savage and Hogan defeated Flair and Vader.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage participated in the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship tournament and defeated The Butcher in the first round and "Stunning" Steve Austin in the quarterfinals. He then interfered in Flair's match against Alex Wright, attacking Flair and causing Wright to get disqualified, which set up a tournament semi-final in which the winner would face the winner of the Sting and Meng match for the title at The Great American Bash. Savage and Flair's tournament semi-final match never took place, however, due to Savage and Flair brawling in the backstage area prior to the match and both being eliminated from the tournament. Savage and Flair would wrestle at the pay-per-view event on Father's Day. Savage brought out his father with him, but at the end of the match, Flair used Poffo's cane to defeat Savage. In a rematch the next month, Savage defeated Flair in a lifeguard lumberjack match at Bash at the Beach. Later that year, during part of the storyline in which Arn Anderson and Ric Flair turned on each other, Flair (looking for a partner to take on Anderson and Brian Pillman in a tag match) tried to recruit Savage to be his partner. Remembering the rivalry (and how Flair had attacked Savage's father), Savage refused.


title: Randy Savage

text: At World War 3, Savage won his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship by winning the first-ever 60-man three-ring battle royal. He lost the title to Flair a month later at Starrcade 1995: World Cup of Wrestling; earlier that night, he defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Savage won his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship back from Flair on the January 22, 1996 episode of "Nitro", but again lost the title to Flair the next month in a steel cage match at SuperBrawl VI.


title: Randy Savage

text: In January 1996, Savage brought Elizabeth with him into WCW as his manager once again, but she turned on Savage in his last title loss to Flair. Thereafter, Flair claimed that Elizabeth had given him a sizable amount of Savage's money, taken in their divorce settlement, which Flair used to set up a "VIP section" at "Monday Nitro" events. Flair and Savage continued to feud until June 1996, when the overall landscape of WCW changed. At Bash at the Beach, the New World Order (nWo) was formed when Hulk Hogan turned on Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger and joined "The Outsiders", a tag team of former WWF wrestlers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. After their inception, one of their main enemies became Savage himself, who was one of the leaders of the WCW crusaders against the nWo. Savage threatened Hogan for months, often being attacked by the nWo. At Halloween Havoc, Savage finally faced Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but lost when The Giant interfered and hit him with a chokeslam. Savage left WCW following the event, as he was unable to reach a new deal with the company.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage returned to WCW on the January 20, 1997 episode of "Nitro" hijacking the show, claiming to have been "blackballed" and refusing to leave the ring until Sting showed up, and the two left together. Savage appeared again with Sting over the next couple "Nitro" shows roving and watching events from the crowd as "free agents". At one point, WCW president and nWo member Eric Bischoff informed Savage that his WCW career was over and he could only return as an nWo member. Sting and Savage appeared at SuperBrawl VII, where Savage left Sting's side and joined the nWo by helping Hogan defeat Roddy Piper. The next night, he reunited with Elizabeth, who had joined the nWo several months earlier during Savage's hiatus from WCW. Savage began feuding with Diamond Dallas Page and his wife Kimberly. Their feud lasted almost eight months which included tag team matches, a no disqualification match at Spring Stampede, a falls count anywhere match at The Great American Bash, and a Las Vegas Death match at Halloween Havoc.


title: Randy Savage

text: In early 1998, Savage started a feud with Lex Luger which culminated in a match at Souled Out, which Luger won. Luger also won a rematch between the two at SuperBrawl VIII. When Hogan failed to recapture his "nWo" title from Sting, it was Savage's turn, and he got his shot at Spring Stampede. Hogan tried to make sure that Savage would not win the title because Hogan felt that he was the only nWo member who should be WCW World Heavyweight Champion, since he was the leader of the stable. With the help of Nash, however, Savage beat Sting for his third WCW World Heavyweight Championship, despite tearing his ACL in his knee during the match. The following night on "Nitro", Hogan faced Savage for the championship and it looked like Hogan had Savage beat, but for the second consecutive night, Nash came to Savage's aid, powerbombing Hogan. However, an interfering Bret Hart attacked Savage and preserved the victory for Hogan. Savage then joined with Nash and others to form the nWo Wolfpac, a split from Hogan's group. Savage went on to feud with both Hart and Roddy Piper. On June 14 at The Great American Bash, Savage teamed up with Piper against and lost to Hogan and Hart by submission. After the match, Savage wrestled Piper in the next match, which Savage quickly lost to Piper by submission.


title: Randy Savage

text: After the June 15 episode of "Nitro", Savage took a hiatus from the company to recover from at least two major knee surgeries. He made only one more appearance in 1998, helping Ric Flair defeat Eric Bischoff for the Presidency of WCW on the December 28 episode of "Monday Nitro". As nWo member the Giant was interfering on Bischoff's behalf, Savage entered the ring wearing an nWo shirt but duped, low-blowed and clotheslined the Giant out of the ring and removed the shirt while exiting.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage returned in April 1999, debuting a new look and theme music, sporting a slicked-back ponytail, earrings, and a new villainous attitude (though still embracing the fans), as well as introducing his new valet, Gorgeous George. His first action was as the guest referee in the main event at Spring Stampede, which was won by Diamond Dallas Page. For a short time afterward, Savage interfered in DDP's matches to make sure that Page kept the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but when Kevin Nash won it at Slamboree, Savage went after the title himself. It was around that time that Madusa and Miss Madness joined Savage as his other two valets; together they were known as Team Madness.


title: Randy Savage

text: At The Great American Bash, Sid Vicious returned to WCW and helped Savage to attack Kevin Nash. This led to a tag team match at Bash at the Beach between Nash and Sting against Savage and Sid Vicious, in which whoever scored the winning fall would win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship; Savage won his fourth and final WCW World Heavyweight Championship when he pinned Nash. Savage's last reign as champion did not last long, as he lost the title to a returning Hollywood Hogan the next night on "Nitro", when Nash interfered and hit a powerbomb on Savage (in a reversal of the situation from the previous year, in which Nash had attacked Hogan to help Savage keep his title, albeit unsuccessfully). Team Madness slowly started to disband, after Madusa and Miss Madness began fighting each other over who was responsible for Savage's title loss. Savage soon fired both of them and started a feud with Dennis Rodman, defeating him at Road Wild.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage disappeared from WCW programming following his feud with Rodman and would make two more appearances: first on the October 25, 1999 episode of "Nitro", when he appeared in the ring with Gorgeous George and talked about passing the torch forward. His second, and final, WCW appearance would be on the May 3, 2000, episode of "Thunder", when Savage returned to join The Millionaire's Club – a group consisting of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and other veterans – aiding them at the end of a 41-man battle royal. Despite Savage ending the show claiming he was going to help the veteran group take out young New Blood group, he did not appear again in WCW before they folded the next year.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage returned to professional wrestling at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) Victory Road by confronting Jeff Jarrett. He made his "Impact!" debut on November 19, confronting The Kings of Wrestling (Jarrett, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall). At the end of the next week's show, he led a group attack on them. On December 5, at Turning Point, he, Jeff Hardy and A.J. Styles defeated them in his last match.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage left TNA on December 8, disagreeing with the finish of a proposed Final Resolution main event for Jarrett's NWA World Heavyweight Championship.


title: Randy Savage

text: He was the celebrity spokesman for Slim Jim snack foods in the mid-to-late 1990s. His catch phrase in the ads was "Snap into a Slim Jim, oooooh yeah!", which became a recurring theme for Slim Jim ads. In 1998, Savage accepted an award from Harvard University's humor society Harvard Lampoon as "Man of the Year".


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage appeared in many television shows in the mid-to-late '90s. He appeared on a wrestling-themed episode of "Baywatch" that aired in 1996 with fellow WCW wrestlers Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Big Van Vader, and Kevin Sullivan. In 1999, he appeared on popular television shows "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Mad About You".


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage appeared in his first theatrical film in 2000 making an appearance as his Macho Man character in the movie "Ready to Rumble" where David Arquette daydreams a sequence fighting Savage at a gas station. Savage's most famous film role was in the 2002 film "Spider-Man" as the wrestler Bonesaw McGraw (based on the comics character Crusher Hogan).


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage's memorable voice gave him voice acting roles for various television and film projects. He voiced the rogue alien wrestler "Rasslor" in the "Dexter's Laboratory" shorts "Dial M for Monkey". He also provided his voice in many other shows including the voice for "Gorilla" in an episode of "King of the Hill" and the voice of Space Ghost's grandfather in an episode of "Space Ghost Coast To Coast". Savage served as the voice of "The Thug", in Disney's Academy Award-nominated 2008 animated film "Bolt", which was his last theatrical film appearance. Savage reprised the role in "Super Rhino" in 2009 for the short film featuring the cast of "Bolt".


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage's music debut was on the WWF-produced "" in 1993, where he sang on the song "Speaking from the Heart", one of many songs sung by then-WWF wrestlers on the CD.


title: Randy Savage

text: On October 7, 2003, Savage released his debut rap album titled "Be a Man". It includes a tribute song to "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, as well as a diss track aimed at Hulk Hogan. Savage promoted "Be a Man" with a concert tour featuring Brian Adams as his bodyguard and Ron Harris as touring manager. During this time, the development of a second album was already in progress with Savage exclaiming, "We are absolutely going to have more records." However, no further albums were released.


title: Randy Savage

text: Just three months before his death on February 2, 2011, EpicLLOYD and Nice Peter made a song along with a video for "Epic Rap Battles of History" of Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Kim Jong-Il having a rap battle. They noted his death with annotations in the video.


title: Randy Savage

text: Rapper Don Trip released a mixtape on January 24, 2014, entitled "Randy Savage". All tracks have Savage's famous "Ohhh Yeah!!!" in the opening of the song; the track entitled "Cream of the Crop" has Savage's "Nothing Means Nothing" speech from an interview after WrestleMania III. In January 2015, DJ/rapper DJ Cummerbund began releasing a series of remixes that feature samples from "Be a Man" which has received critical acclaim.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage appeared in "WWF WrestleMania", "WWF WrestleMania Challenge", "WWF Superstars", "", "WWF Super WrestleMania", "WWF Royal Rumble", "WWF King of the Ring", "", "WCW Nitro", "WCW/nWo Revenge", "WCW/nWo Thunder", "WCW Mayhem", "WWE All Stars", as a DLC in "WWE 12" and as an unlockable character in "WWE 2K14". He appears as the Macho King as a DLC in "WWE 2K15", in "WWE 2K16" as a starting wrestler, in "WWE 2K17", "WWE 2K18" and as an unlockable wrestler through the in-game currency "VC" (Virtual Currency), and "WWE 2K19" as an exclusive DLC character for the Collector's edition of the game, entitled the "Wooooo!" Edition, "WWE 2K20" as an unlockable character through the game's currency,"WWE 2K Battlegrounds" as a post-launch DLC character, and is also an unlockable character in the newest release WWE 2K22.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage's 16 plus year absence from WWE-licensed games from 1994's WWF Raw to 2011's "WWE All Stars" was recognized by "Guinness World Records" in its 2015 gamer's edition as the longest such absence.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage married Elizabeth Hulette, better known as Miss Elizabeth, in 1984. They divorced in 1992. In May 2010, Savage married Barbara Lynn Payne, who was described as his "high school sweetheart" by Terry Funk.


title: Randy Savage

text: For years, Savage and Hulk Hogan were at odds and had an on again/off again friendship. According to Hogan, Jimmy Hart, and Savage's brother Lanny, the two reconciled shortly before his death.


title: Randy Savage

text: On the morning of May 20, 2011, Savage died at the age of 58 after suffering a sudden heart attack while driving with his wife in Seminole, Florida. He became unresponsive and lost control of his Jeep Wrangler, crashing into a tree.


title: Randy Savage

text: Initial reports of Savage's death indicated that he had been killed in the collision, when actually he and his wife had been wearing seatbelts and suffered only minor physical injuries in the crash. An autopsy performed by the medical examiner's office found that he had an enlarged heart and advanced coronary artery disease (more than 90% narrowed). The drugs found in his system included a prescription painkiller and a small amount of alcohol. Savage had never been treated for heart problems and there was no evidence that he was aware of his heart condition. The cause of death was officially ruled as atherosclerotic heart disease.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage was cremated, and his ashes were placed under a favorite tree on his property in Largo, Florida, near his mother's development. Ten days before his death, he had asked his brother to pour the ashes of his dog in the same spot. When Savage's brother asked why, Savage stated that it was because he wanted him to remember that spot, since he wanted his ashes to be poured there as well.


title: Randy Savage

text: Vince McMahon, with whom Savage had a longtime strained relationship, paid tribute to Savage in a "Time" magazine article, describing Savage as "one of wrestling's all-time greats." TNA held a ten bell salute in Savage's honor the night of his death. WWE aired a tribute video on the May 23 episode of "Raw". Later that night, CM Punk paid tribute to Savage by wearing pink trunks and yellow boots complete with white stars on the trunks during a tag team match with R-Truth against John Cena and Rey Mysterio. Punk later adapted a version of the diving elbow drop into his moveset.


title: Randy Savage

text: In 2011, pro wrestling podcaster Peter Rosenberg stated, to agreement from veteran wrestler Shawn Michaels, that, "You add up all the things that he was capable of, and you can make a case that there was no one better than 'Macho Man'." Also that year, Kevin Eck of "The Baltimore Sun" lauded Savage as an all-round performer, saying that "nobody blended power, speed, agility, and technical skills like the 'Macho Man' in his prime".


title: Randy Savage

text: WWE released a DVD documentary, "Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story", in November 2014. Despite a strained relationship over the years with the WWE, the documentary featured interviews with Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo and his mother, with Poffo giving insight to many of the rumors and denying some of the negative things other wrestlers said in the documentary about Savage, including his relationship with Elizabeth. Savage was never inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during his lifetime and he was frequently described as being one of its most noticeably absent figures.


title: Randy Savage

text: On January 12, 2015, WWE announced Savage as the first inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015, and that his Mega Powers partner and long-time rival Hulk Hogan would induct him. Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo, appeared on the WWE Network that same night and commented on Savage's induction announcement by saying "I had no thoughts. I was so excited. Intellectually, there was nothing. It was all emotional. I was happy for the fans. They waited for Bruno Sammartino for so many years and now they waited for Macho Man." He went on to say that Savage's mother and his 30-year-old daughter are both very excited and said of the WWE Network, "Randy will never die."


title: Randy Savage

text: On September 1, 2018, at the event All In, Jay Lethal was accompanied to the ring by Lanny Poffo while dressed in one of Savage's original outfits that he had been given to use by Doctor Marty Urban.


title: Randy Savage

text: Savage is a subject of the first episode titled "The Match Made in Heaven" of Viceland's "Dark Side of the Ring" that premiered on April 10, 2019.


title: Randy Savage

text: Randy Savage's likeness appears in South Park Season 23 - Episode 7 "Board Girls" as an olympic athlete aired on November 13, 2019.


title: Joan Jett

text: Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and performing with the Runaways, which recorded and released the hit song "Cherry Bomb". With The Blackhearts, Jett is known for her rendition of the song "I Love Rock 'n Roll" which was number-one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1982. Jett's other notable songs include "Bad Reputation", "Light of Day", "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and her covers of "Crimson and Clover", "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" and "Dirty Deeds".


title: Joan Jett

text: Jett has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. She has three albums that have been certified platinum or gold. She has been described as "the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll". In 2015, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


title: Joan Jett

text: Joan Marie Larkin was born on September 22, 1958, to James and Dorothy Larkin, at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia (although some sources list her birth date as September 22, 1960, which is incorrect). She is the oldest of three children. Her father was an insurance salesman and her mother was a secretary. Her family was Protestant, attended church, and went to Sunday school, but were not strict in their religious beliefs. In 1967, her family moved to Rockville, Maryland, where she attended Randolph Junior High and Wheaton High School. Jett got her first guitar at the age of 13. She took some guitar lessons, but soon quit because the instructor kept trying to teach her folk songs. Her family then moved to West Covina, California, in Los Angeles County, providing Jett the opportunity to pursue her musical interests. Shortly after the move, her parents divorced and she changed her name to Joan Jett, because she thought it had more of a rock-star sound than her birth name (she has admitted in recent years that "Jett" was not actually her mother's maiden name, even though that is what she used to tell people).


title: Joan Jett

text: In Los Angeles, Jett's favorite night spot was Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, a venue that provided the glam rock style she loved.


title: Joan Jett

text: Jett, at the age of 16, became a founding member of the Runaways; alongside drummer Sandy West. After the brief tenure of singer and bass guitarist Micki Steele, Jackie Fox, Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie soon joined to complete the band, creating the classic lineup. While Currie initially fronted the band, Jett shared some lead vocals, played rhythm guitar, and wrote or co-wrote some of the band's material along with Ford, West, and Currie. This lineup recorded three albums, with "Live in Japan" becoming one of the biggest-selling imports in US and UK history.


title: Joan Jett

text: The band toured around the world and became an opening act for Cheap Trick, Ramones, Van Halen, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They found success abroad, especially in Japan. While touring England with the Runaways in 1976, Jett first heard the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" when she saw Arrows perform it on their weekly UK television series "Arrows".


title: Joan Jett

text: While the Runaways were popular in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and South America, they could not garner the same level of success in the United States. After Currie left the band, the band released two more albums with Jett handling the lead vocals: "Waitin' for the Night" and "And Now... The Runaways". Altogether, they produced five albums from 1975 until they disbanded in the spring of 1979.


title: Joan Jett

text: In 2010, "The Runaways", a movie about Jett's band, was released, starring Kristen Stewart as Jett and Dakota Fanning as Currie.


title: Joan Jett

text: In 1979, Jett was in England pursuing a solo career. She recorded three songs there with the Sex Pistols' Paul Cook and Steve Jones, one of which was an early version of Arrows' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". This version appears on the 1993 compilation album "Flashback". Later that year, she returned to Los Angeles, where she began fulfilling an obligation of the Runaways to complete a film that was loosely based on the band's career entitled "We're All Crazee Now!" Three actresses stood in for the departed band members, including Rainbeaux Smith, who was also a rock drummer. While working on the project, Jett met songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna, who was hired by her manager Toby Mamis to help Jett with writing some tracks for the film. They became friends and decided to work together and Jett relocated to Long Beach, New York, where Laguna was based. The plug was pulled on the project halfway through shooting after Jett fell ill, but in 1984, after she became famous, producers looked for a way to use the footage from the incomplete film. Parts of the original footage of Jett were eventually used in another project, an underground film called "Du-beat-eo", which was produced by Alan Sacks, but not commercially released.