Season 4, Episode #10: "The Cougar Shack Comes Out Tappin'"

As a kid, what was better than watching your favorite TV program?  How 'bout when characters from that show teamed up with characters from an equally entertaining show?

Think Jetsons meeting the Flinstones.

Or Mork dating Laverne on Happy Days?

Boss Hogg trying to buy the diner from Mel on Alice?

Ricky Stratton from Silver Spoons and Arnold Drummond from Diff'rent Strokes getting into mischief?

Charlie's Angels looking for a thief on the Love Boat?

Even better, how about when Mr. Roarke fulfilled Tattoo's dream of sailing on the Pacific Princess?

Howard Park last night may have even been a bit more like 90210 and Melrose Place combining efforts because Tuesday nights at Howard tend to be soap operas.

Last night, we had the ultimate Howard Park crossover episode as the Tappers and Chicken Shack raised the ratings for the Cougars.

The Cougars needed the crossover cooperation against our crosstown combatant Ethervision.  The programming ended early as McKenzie slaughtered Central 13-2.

The highlight reel was filled with excitement.  The main characters were solid and the guest stars provided the extra dose of drama.

• Danielsen slammed the ball at the dish and picked 'em out of the dirt at first.
• Hoglund continued his batting rampage and clubbed the Clincher all over the park.
• Flannery caught high hard line drives, pop-ups, grounders, relays and was a gem on the diamond.
• Lipinski's swings were top-notch during the game and his effort was top-flight for scheduling a red-eye out of town for after the game.
• Radtke (the Lil' one) was a defensive marvel out there, which included a play when a hard line shot bounced off my hands at SS and Marc, playing 3B, pounced on it and fired it to first base for a key out.
• Bookstaber played a flawless outfield and glided around the bases with ease.
• Boomgaarden was a softball gladiator and played with a broken finger.
• Oh reached for the sky with lofty arcs on the mound and the hard shots at the plate.
• O'Brien ripped the ball and took the extra base - and then some.
• Mayer squashed the bug, crushed the ball and continued to be one of the best left handed power hitters in Chicago.
• Miller had a stellar performance on the grass and showed off his wheels on the dirt.

As with any special feature, the team photographer commemorated this one time event with a cast picture.

But the credits don't stop rolling there.  The viewers of the show were truly the special guest stars as well.  We had a number featured fans join Steve and Cheryl to hoot and holler for the green gang with great gusto.  Julie's wonderful family, including Uncle Jim and Aunt Debbie From Tennessee and Uncle Bill, Aunt Lisa and cousin Billy from Arlington Heights are truly celebrities!

The set designers built a brilliant backdrop for the night and the cast knocked the super script out of the park.  This one might just win an Emmy.

We will be back to regularly scheduled programming in the next episode of the Cougar Chronicles.   The Cougars go head to head with Chicken Shack in prime time next Tuesday.  

July is a sweeps period for Nielsen but the Cougars are planning a plot twist to prevent a season sweep by the Shack.