Jim Belushi Helps A (Blues) Brother Out

Last week's episode of Jim Belushi's new series The Defenders, entitled "Nevada v. Dennis" (airdate 12/8/2010), featured a special guest appearance. Prominently sitting on Belushi's character's desk was a bottle of Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head Vodka. Jim and Dan are very good friends going way, way back. Not only has Dan guest starred several times on Jim's previous series According to Jim, but Jim's brother, the late John Belushi, and Dan worked on many projects back in the day: Saturday Night Live, 1941, Neighbors (John's final film), and this little thing called The Blues Brothers. Dan and Jim even had (still have?) a "Blues Brothers" type band, and Jim was originally set to co-star with Dan and John Goodman in Blues Brothers 2000, but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts. And, heck, the role of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters was originally written for John; and it's been said that Onionhead/Slimer was modeled after his character, Bluto, in Animal House. So with the long history of friendship between Dan and the Belushi family, it's no surprise that Jim would sneak a bottle of Dan's vodka into his show.