That Wacky Redhead

[Barbarossa Rotbart]

Originally Posted by phx1138

... An adaptation of "I, Robot", perhaps? (One where the screenwriter has actually read the damn book?) Or adapt The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? Or Little Fuzzy/Fuzzy Sapiens? Dorsai! or Soldier, Ask Not? Or even a less-ridiculous adaptation of Starship Troopers?

Most of them are good choices for a time in which SF movies are not special effects laden action movies.
BTW the Starship Troopers movie of OTL is not really an adaption. After they already written the script (original title Bug Hunt) they had learned that Heinlein had written a novel with nearly the same scenario. So they bought the rights and adjusted their script.

[Kaiphranos]

Originally Posted by phx1138

Or adapt The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? Or Little Fuzzy/Fuzzy Sapiens? Dorsai! or Soldier, Ask Not? Or even a less-ridiculous adaptation of Starship Troopers?

A Little Fuzzy movie could be awesome or it could be terrible, largely depending on how well they call pull off the Fuzzies themselves. Also, I'm not sure if "courtroom drama with Ewoks" is blockbuster material. Maybe an adaptation of Space Viking or Cosmic Computer instead?

(Although I'm not sure who had the rights to Piper's estate; he would have been dead for only a decade or so at that point.)

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by Barbarossa Rotbart

Most of them are good choices for a time in which SF movies are not special effects laden action movies.

TY.

Originally Posted by Barbarossa Rotbart

BTW the Starship Troopers movie of OTL is not really an adaption. After they already written the script (original title Bug Hunt) they had learned that Heinlein had written a novel with nearly the same scenario. So they bought the rights and adjusted their script.

I did not know that. So all they had to do was credit RAH instead of renaming it...

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

A Little Fuzzy movie could be awesome or it could be terrible, largely depending on how well they call pull off the Fuzzies themselves.

True. I was thinking it'd be TOS alumni or Doug Trumbull, with screenplay by D.C., John D. F., Harlan, or somebody who actually knows what the hell an SF script should look like.

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

Also, I'm not sure if "courtroom drama with Ewoks" is blockbuster material.

Maybe I'm being influenced by Golden Dream, which tells the story from the Fuzzy POV. It wasn't as dull as it may sound.

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

Maybe an adaptation of Space Viking or Cosmic Computer instead?

I wouldn't object to them, either. Nor, if I could only recall the name, the Mars explorer mission where Beam uses the periodic table as his Rosetta stone. (First time it was done?)

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

Although I'm not sure who had the rights to Piper's estate; he would have been dead for only a decade or so at that point.

WP says died 1964.

[Kaiphranos]

Originally Posted by phx1138

I wouldn't object to them, either. Nor, if I could only recall the name, the Mars explorer mission where Beam uses the periodic table as his Rosetta stone. (First time it was done?)

"Omnilingual." I don't know if one could squeeze a whole movie out of that, though. (On the other hand, it could probably be adapted as an episode of something...)

[anon_user]

The I, Robot movie also began life as an original screenplay, 'Hardwired,' that was floating around Hollywood; it got picked up, lightly rewritten to fit the new title, and thus they got the film 'adaptation' of I, Robot.

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

"Omnilingual."

Yep, that's it. Thx.

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

I don't know if one could squeeze a whole movie out of that, though. (On the other hand, it could probably be adapted as an episode of something...)

Maybe not. (A last-season TOS episode...?) Tho I'm picturing it as only being the conclusion of a film: the rest of it could be the "Destination Mars" treatment leading up to the final solution of the problem. It could even be treated as something of a mystery... No, it wouldn't be the flash-bang of "Total Recall", but...

Originally Posted by anon_user

The I, Robot movie also began life as an original screenplay, 'Hardwired,' that was floating around Hollywood; it got picked up, lightly rewritten to fit the new title, and thus they got the film 'adaptation' of I, Robot.

I hate Hollywood sometimes, I really do...

[Brainbin]

Before I begin my standard point-by-point responses, I have a few general points I want to make.

Glen, our august moderator and curator of the Turtledove Awards, has nominated this timeline in the category of New Cold War. Thank you very much for that, Glen! I'm up against some very tough competition, and being nominated at all is an honour and a privilege.

Also, I'm thoroughly enjoying this discussion of potential science fiction movie adaptations, which I will definitely take into consideration. One thing I would like to ask about is what you think might be adapted into a good television series - remember, there's going to be a much greater demand for them, given the success of Star Trek ITTL. Is there any particularly episodic or serialized work of science fiction at this time, that would lend itself well to that format? Is it true of any of the examples that have already been mentioned?

Originally Posted by Barbarossa Rotbart

Most of them are good choices for a time in which SF movies are not special effects laden action movies.

An excellent observation. The early 1970s is probably the last possible period in which a "cerebral", contemplative science fiction film could be a big hit, what with the earliest blockbusters on the horizon. (Granted, IOTL, there was Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979, but that's an exception for obvious reasons.) The archetypal example, 2001, certainly couldn't be made today. If a certain Galaxy Far, Far Away wasn't the death knell, then Tron (the first movie with CGI, lest we forget) definitely was.

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

A Little Fuzzy movie could be awesome or it could be terrible, largely depending on how well they call pull off the Fuzzies themselves. Also, I'm not sure if "courtroom drama with Ewoks" is blockbuster material. Maybe an adaptation of Space Viking or Cosmic Computer instead?

Welcome aboard, Kaiphranos! You seem to know a lot about science fiction from this era, which is good; like I said, I'm not a particular fan of the genre myself, and having "consultants" on the subject is to the benefit of myself and my readers

Originally Posted by phx1138

I did not know that. So all they had to do was credit RAH instead of renaming it...

I'm reminded of the Star Trek episode "Arena". Gene Coon wrote it (and it is, after all, a very basic and simple story) before it was noticed that it resembled the short story by Fredric Brown, who was then contacted and agreed to "sell" his story to be "adapted" for Star Trek.

Originally Posted by phx1138

True. I was thinking it'd be TOS alumni or Doug Trumbull, with screenplay by D.C., John D. F., Harlan, or somebody who actually knows what the hell an SF script should look like.

Fontana I definitely see moving on to more genre work once her stint at Star Trek is done; she certainly did IOTL. Harlan Ellison obviously did loads of television work, though I think he might be inspired to take any number of his big ideas to the big screen. "The City on the Edge of Forever", in its original form, was essentially a movie script in teleplay's clothing. (John D.F.) Black, for those of you who don't know, was Star Trek's first story editor, writing the classic episode "The Naked Time" during his tenure. He seems to have been primarily a TV writer, and often branched outside of genre scripts. (He wrote for Mary Tyler Moore, of all things.)

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

(On the other hand, it could probably be adapted as an episode of something...)

This should always be treated as a possibility. It's already an entrenched practice by this point ITTL, with many authors actually adapting their work for television themselves. If there were a proper anthology series in development, it would prove the ideal vehicle for them.

Originally Posted by anon_user

The I, Robot movie also began life as an original screenplay, 'Hardwired,' that was floating around Hollywood; it got picked up, lightly rewritten to fit the new title, and thus they got the film 'adaptation' of I, Robot.

Indeed, this practice isn't anything new, nor is it a thing of the past.

Originally Posted by phx1138

(A last-season TOS episode...?)

Why do I get the feeling you weren't directing that little aside at him?

Originally Posted by phx1138

I hate Hollywood sometimes, I really do...

There, there. Sometimes we all hate Hollywood. We love to hate Hollywood. It's an incredibly abusive, co-dependent relationship we have with Tinseltown... and, unfortunately, the vicious circle never ends.

I'll be working on the carrot for the better part of today, in hopes of having it ready tonight. I'm not going to force it, so if it isn't ready tonight, expect it on Christmas Day, since I'll be far too busy consumed with RL events tomorrow. Please feel free to continue your discussion while I'm toiling away, because it's all very intriguing, and also very informative

[Glen]

UFO: 1999 is likely made ITTL.

[Kaiphranos]

Originally Posted by Brainbin

Welcome aboard, Kaiphranos! You seem to know a lot about science fiction from this era, which is good; like I said, I'm not a particular fan of the genre myself, and having "consultants" on the subject is to the benefit of myself and my readers

Thank you! Though I'm afraid in most cases I'm more familiar with the stories themselves than the people who were writing them...

One thing I would like to ask about is what you think might be adapted into a good television series - remember, there's going to be a much greater demand for them, given the success of Star Trek ITTL. Is there any particularly episodic or serialized work of science fiction at this time, that would lend itself well to that format? Is it true of any of the examples that have already been mentioned?

As far as written stories go, there's Poul Anderson's Technic History stories which were being written at about this time. These are split into two basic eras, the first a sort of Hanseatic League and the second more like James Bond IN SPACE!) Either one might make a reasonable premise for someone trying to piggyback off of Star Trek, but I'm not sure if Anderson would be much interested in adapting his work for television.

Or, for a different direction entirely, I will refer you to this H. Beam Piper story...

[ChucK Y]

Originally Posted by Brainbin

Also, I'm thoroughly enjoying this discussion of potential science fiction movie adaptations, which I will definitely take into consideration. One thing I would like to ask about is what you think might be adapted into a good television series - remember, there's going to be a much greater demand for them, given the success of Star Trek ITTL. Is there any particularly episodic or serialized work of science fiction at this time, that would lend itself well to that format? Is it true of any of the examples that have already been mentioned?

Television and film have often lagged a generation behind print in the stories and themes that are used. I suggest you look toward the science fiction of the 30's and 40's for possibilities for TV series adaptation. Suggestions:

E.E. "Doc" Smith - the Lensman series, Skylark of Space, Spacehounds of the IPC.

Heinlein's Future History stories.

Asimov's Foundation trilogy.

Malcom Jameson, Bullard of the Space Patrol

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus and Mars books.

Balmer and Wylie, When Worlds Collide/After Worlds Collide

Alex Raymond, Flash Gordon

George O. Smith, Venus Equilateral

These are the ones I can think of that might be adapted to a TV series. There are many other excellent stories that would not translate well in my opinion, or that I would shudder to think how they would be "adapted".

[Glen]

It is possible that Glen A. Larson successfully pitches a sci-fi story for development after Star Trek goes off. Could see in the early seventies his 'Adam's Ark' come to the screen, though hopefully he will again be convinced to change the name (as IOTL this eventually morphed into Battlestar Galactica). Note that he apparently consulted Gene Coon for advice - might be interesting, that. Don't know which studio would pick it up, but I think it is a definite possibility.

Before we look at books that could be converted, we should first see who was around pitching what at that time that might be green-lighted into production this time/earlier given the greater success of Star Trek and the change in the public mood.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Glen

It is possible that Glen A. Larson successfully pitches a sci-fi story for development after Star Trek goes off. Could see in the early seventies his 'Adam's Ark' come to the screen, though hopefully he will again be convinced to change the name (as IOTL this eventually morphed into Battlestar Galactica). Note that he apparently consulted Gene Coon for advice - might be interesting, that. Don't know which studio would pick it up, but I think it is a definite possibility.

Before we look at books that could be converted, we should first see who was around pitching what at that time that might be green-lighted into production this time/earlier given the greater success of Star Trek and the change in the public mood.

This is an interesting list of Sci-Fi series from the 1970s, and may provide some ideas. I have to say, I had never heard of the TV show Quark before this - it looks funny.

[Glen]

It is possible that someone could buy the rights to Dune a bit earlier ITTL, and that we might actually see it produced as a movie in the early to mid seventies - and even possibly continued as a series, though that is questionable.

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Phew, had to skim over some of the last few pages because there's so much. This is an amazing TL.

A fewcomments.

I think you could still get a M*A*S*H that's just the comedy; medical stuff was going to become popular anyway with shows like Emergency! Of course, you might just end up with something similar to "House Calls." (Which I thought of mostly for the actor connection, unusual because I'm usually really good with characters and very poor with performer names - fictional worlds are all just little alternate unvierses in my mind)

You say how writers love irony - how about if Fred Rogers' famous speech of TTL is not about sving public TV but about saving child actors/actresses? Suppose the actress who played Buffy ws saved byt sucha speech - irony enough for you? And sincer Betty Ford probably won't hve the famous clinic named after her, what if that actress does? I think it could work if you could figure out a way to make it happen; but as you said it's not certain you cuold figure out a way.

With no "Brady Bunch" who would be the one to start family sitcoms with actual families becoming popular? An early Bill Cosby work? Lucille Ball *did* like sitcoms, after all. Though I wont' have time to read a lot or perhaps reply to your replies, I love to see family friendly shows and especially sitcoms.

Come to think of it, if Alan Alda's not working on M*A*S*H, I coudl see *him* as a wisecracking dad in a sitcom.

Can you do something so "Hogan's Heroes" at least has a proper ending? Like a movie where they liberate the camp? WIth John Banner dying in '73, maybe even an idea where Schultz in the beginning (if it's a '73-4 movie) sacrifices himself for the Allied cause? Maybe his wife secretly helps the Allies, too, as in one story I wrote on fanfiction.net

Speaking of my writing, I parody the "-gate" ending for scandals in my latest book at lulu.com - http://www.lulu.com/product/paperbac...light_53590504
(Also in ebook form - see author spotlight)
There's actually a debate about whether a scandal at a horse show should be called 'gaitgate' or 'gategate.' The editor *hates* that '-gate' ending, and probably shares that witha number of readers. (It's not even the main plot, either.)

And speaking of fanfiction.net, sorry if this puts this song running through your head all day, but you might want to have this take on Simon and Garfunke's classic somehow get made. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4698263/..._of_bPhysics_b (Feel free to print the lyrics in here if you give me credit :-)

[Mal-3]

Originally Posted by Glen

This is an interesting list of Sci-Fi series from the 1970s, and may provide some ideas. I have to say, I had never heard of the TV show Quark before this - it looks funny.

I've actually seen an episode of Quark. It's... unusual.

As for the list, I don't know if anything can save The Starlost (or, to be honest, if anything should. Lord Xenu above, that was a dire show) but with the continued popularity of science-fiction TV it might get a better shot. The Planet of the Apes series are dependent on the popularity of the movies, and those are up for butterflying. Thanks to moon mania Salvage 1 or something closely resembling it about a DIY moonshot has a reasonable shot at getting greenlit earlier. As you noted earlier, Glen Larson may get his Mormons-in-space thing off the ground earlier instead of waiting for the Star Wars boom; same goes for stuff like Buck Rogers & Moonbase 3.

Lots of choices! Perhaps the BBC sees a larger market for scifi and decides to ship more Dr. Who to the states, thereby preserving some of the more famous lost episodes? That particular incident happens in the mid/late 70s IIRC...

[Falkenburg]

I'd love to see an adaptation of The Stainless Steel Rat Series, if it could be pulled off.
Sadly I think the tone and content might not survive the transition to the screen.

An American version of the Tomorrow People could play well to a young audience but might not convince sceptical Executives.

However, if the experienced writing and effects teams coming out of Star Trek could be switched onto the new show.

There's an intriguing problem with resolving, plausibly, how the idea gets brought to Desilu/TWRs' attention.
(Watch how I, oh so subtly, crowbar this next reference in )

Perhaps an envoy of Desilu is in the UK following up on interest in The Muppet idea. (Skol! )
While 'In Town' they shop around for a few other tidbits, bump into the writer, trying to flog the idea and Hey Presto, job done.

Sapphire and Steel would be great.
My memories of it are vague impressions rather than detailed synopses but they tell me it was a really 'Odd' Show.
Good 'Odd'.
With Joanna Lumley and David McCallum it had a head start there.

The premise (IIRC) was pretty 'WTF?' but they played it straight and made some really creepy, tense and entertaining television.

Falkenburg

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by Brainbin

Glen, our august moderator and curator of the Turtledove Awards, has nominated this timeline in the category of New Cold War. Thank you very much for that, Glen! I'm up against some very tough competition, and being nominated at all is an honour and a privilege.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

what you think might be adapted into a good television series - remember, there's going to be a much greater demand for them, given the success of Star Trek ITTL. Is there any particularly episodic or serialized work of science fiction at this time, that would lend itself well to that format? Is it true of any of the examples that have already been mentioned?

Some of the above suggestions could be adapted to series TV. Better options? Doc Smith's Lensman stories/novels (produced by Irwin Allen or Gerry & Sylvia Anderson...), Heinlein's Red Planet (for TOS alumni?), or Logan's Run (tho closer to the movie version, with environmental devestation as opposed to the usual helium flash) could serve. The Invisible Man seems to be a perennial favorite... Or a high-budget TV version of Dune...? (What do Gene L. & David have planned after TOS?)

It's also possible OTL shows are a bit earlier or more successful, so "Probe", "Knight Rider" (staying closer to the theme of the pilot, with untouchable criminals or spies), "My Own Worst Enemy", "The Cape" (call Martin Caidin for scripts), "Cyborg" (a better "$6 Million Man", based on Martin's book), a somewhat better "Airwolf" or "Blue Thunder"... (TTL's "Blue Thunder" wouldn't be as paranoid as the movie.) And there's "Galactica", a better "Man from Atlantis", "Human Target", a variation on Marvel's "The Chameleon" (as a good guy, in the same vein as "Human Target"), or "Flash Forward", or "Stargate" (a better "Sliders"). Or even, if you'll accept a wider definition of SF, even a variety of "Sea Hunt" or "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (a better "SeaQuest"), set just into the future....

There's also the usual suspects: vampires, werewolves, & witches. "Dark Shadows" was already doing vampires in soaps in '66 ('666?), so a primetime vamp makes sense. And, of course, there's "Bewitched" & "Jeannie". (If you want to spin it, have a look at "Witch Hunt" with Dennis Hopper: magic is real. A really good idea, not to mention a pretty good film.) Or "Kolchak". (Bit early for "Buffy" ...unless you feature "Charlie's Angels" with vampires.) Or adapt I Am Legend (best known to me from "Omega Man"), or spin I Am Legend (not the same book...).

It's a trifle early, but you might get Dr. Alan Nourse (pronounced "nurse", iroincally; the same one who wrote a column for GH, IIRC) to do "'St Elsewhere' in space" (an SF "MASH"...?) based on the idea for The Bladerunner (1974 OTL). And IDK if it would sell, but I'd be curious about Harlan's original story for "City" being reworked as a mopic.

Originally Posted by ChucK Y

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus and Mars books.

I'd forgotten them... Handled well, they could be good. Or they could end up in the hands of Irwin Allen... I left off mention Buck Rogers, because I've never seen it done well.

I'm also reminded of the "Tripods" novels (author I can't recalll...) & a juvenile series by Svoboda (Sloboda?) I really liked as a kid. There's also Ark of Venus, another juvenile I really liked.

Originally Posted by Glen

UFO: 1999 is likely made ITTL.

Very likely.

Originally Posted by Glen

It is possible that Glen A. Larson successfully pitches a sci-fi story for development after Star Trek goes off. Could see in the early seventies his 'Adam's Ark' come to the screen, though hopefully he will again be convinced to change the name (as IOTL this eventually morphed into Battlestar Galactica). Note that he apparently consulted Gene Coon for advice - might be interesting, that. Don't know which studio would pick it up, but I think it is a definite possibility.

An interesting idea indeed.

Originally Posted by Glen

Before we look at books that could be converted, we should first see who was around pitching what at that time that might be green-lighted into production this time/earlier given the greater success of Star Trek and the change in the public mood.

Correct again. Or shows that only lasted a few episodes OTL.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

If a certain Galaxy Far, Far Away

That reminds me: Hollywood has a Thing about doing any SF remotely current. The themes tend to be at least 20yr behind where print SF is. If that changes, anything derived from even '50s SF TTL would be a revelation.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

If there were a proper anthology series in development

Aside "Night Gallery", which has a more horrific bent... (OTL "Outer Limits" went off the air in '65...) What about a twist? The "Mytery Movie" format with SF stories.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

Indeed, this practice isn't anything new, nor is it a thing of the past.

I did know that. It's almost a cliche: the movie that uses nothing but the title from a great book...

Which reminds me of something else. Does the early end to the "V" butterfly "The Stunt Man"? IMO, this was one of O'Toole's best roles.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

Why do I get the feeling you weren't directing that little aside at him?

You're obviously very perceptive? You're secretly a scanner?

Originally Posted by Brainbin

There, there. Sometimes we all hate Hollywood. We love to hate Hollywood. It's an incredibly abusive, co-dependent relationship we have with Tinseltown... and, unfortunately, the vicious circle never ends.

*sigh* It reminds me of how an abuse victim behaves. I keep hoping they'll change...

Originally Posted by DTF955Baseballfan

Suppose the actress who played Buffy

It took me a long second to realize you didn't mean this one.

Originally Posted by Brainbin

it's all very intriguing

Prosit.

[Brainbin]

"Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow."

- The Third Doctor, Doctor Who

One of the predominant trends of the 1960s was the popularity and influence of British culture around the world, at a level not seen since the Victorian Era. The popular term for this phenomenon was the "British Invasion", which made its presence known in all forms of media. Two of the most successful examples of this trend were the Beatles, in music; and James Bond, in film. But even in television, British productions found themselves catching on across the pond. Perhaps the most successful example of this was "The Avengers", an action-adventure program which showcased the swinging attitude of 1960s England. It became so popular that it was broadcast on an American network, ABC, for a few years. Another series which saw American airplay was "The Saint", another action-adventure.

But by 1970, this trend was obviously a thing of the past. The Beatles, who had spent the past several years on the verge of breaking up, finally pulled the plug early in the year. The James Bond series was having great difficulty moving on without Sean Connery, their iconic lead actor – among those that producers considered casting in his place was Adam West, star of the campy "Batman" series [1], before settling on George Lazenby. His performance was considered so poor that the producers threw everything they had at getting Connery to return for the next film. And "The Avengers" just wasn't the same without Mrs Emma Peel, the feminist heroine who epitomized the show's charm and style – both it and "The Saint" went off the air in 1969. Once again, American culture captured the British imagination.

Star Trek, first broadcast over British shores in the summer of 1969, was aired on the public broadcaster, the BBC. It was an instant hit; indeed, it caught on there immediately, in contrast to the years it took to become popular in the United States. Certainly, the timeliness of the show's debut in the UK may have had some bearing on its success – just days before the historic Apollo 11 mission [2], marking the height of Moonshot Lunacy, which, though diluted by the vast waters of the Atlantic Ocean, was still readily apparent. Audiences also appreciated the unity among the crew despite their disparate origins, including two regulars (Scotty and Kyle) [3] from Great Britain.

At the same time, there also was a popular homegrown science fiction program on the BBC called Doctor Who. It featured a mysterious figure, known only as "the Doctor", who took on mostly ordinary people as his companions, as they journeyed through time and space. Running since 1963, it had survived two successive departures of its lead actor through a technique known as "regeneration". The previous incarnation of the Doctor would "die" and then somehow turn into the new one. There had recently been such a turnover, which resulted in Jon Pertwee assuming the role of the Third Doctor. Despite this clever and creative way to resolve such a dramatic cast change, which theoretically allowed the program to continue indefinitely, there were still problems on the horizon.

The primary problem facing Doctor Who was the budget. It had been systematically reduced, resulting in the producers having been forced to develop an ongoing story arc in which the Doctor had been exiled to Earth in the present day, unable to take advantage of the time-travel or alien-world plots for which the program had become famous. The potential for a vicious circle was obvious. Reduced budget, less spectacle, lower ratings – which would result in the budget being reduced even further, and so on. But the popularity of Star Trek gave the producers of Doctor Who, and the brass at the BBC, the idea of opening another front in the then-dormant British Invasion: perhaps the adventures of the Doctor could appeal to American audiences, starving for more science fiction, in the same way that British audiences came to embrace the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. [4] This suggestion – little more than a lark, even to those who proposed it – surprisingly attracted some serious interest from NBC, who had aired "The Saint" some years earlier.

NBC was interested in airing Doctor Who for the very simple reason that, starting in 1971, they would have a free timeslot before "Laugh-In", and importing an existing show would be a great deal cheaper and less time-consuming than listening to pitches, commissioning pilots, and then paying the studio overhead. This was especially true for science fiction, which was obviously a desirable genre, but had very high initial costs. [5] When official negotiations got off the ground, however, the American network discovered one major problem: the unusual format of serialized, arc-based stories would make building an audience difficult. An obvious solution would be a crossover event, done especially in the introductory style of a backdoor pilot. [6] This would help to bridge the gap, and to generate excitement for their new show. The question of which show would introduce the Doctor and his universe to American audiences was answered almost before it had been asked: it would have to be NBC's only established show where travel through time and space was commonplace; the one that would be going off the air at the end of the 1971 season; the one that had become so big a hit in Britain in the first place. Star Trek.

The next person the negotiators then contacted was the chief of the studio that owned Star Trek: Lucille Ball. Certainly, she had the power to put the kibosh on any "crossover" event; at the same time, the producers of the show would certainly yield to her directives. Obviously, bringing her onside was crucial. Both she and her right-hand man, Herb Solow, found the idea of a crossover intriguing; however, she was a shrewd businessperson, and knew better than to just give anything away. She agreed to allow the crossover on the condition that Desilu be sold the American syndication rights to all old episodes of Doctor Who [7], as well as those episodes that would air on NBC. The BBC agreed to these terms only if Desilu would provide the facilities and absorb the costs for stateside post-production; they had seen Star Trek, after all, and they knew that the people working on that show were better than anything Doctor Who could manage. Ball, who knew the profit potential of the rerun first-hand, acquiesced to the arrangement, and thus the crossover.

The finer details were soon ironed out. Desilu would produce the crossover in Hollywood, using the Star Trek sets (and the studio backlot) with additional pickup shots to be filmed in London, if necessary. NBC and the BBC would split the overhead costs fifty-fifty. Enough material would be filmed for a two-part episode (in the US) or a four-part arc (in the UK). Only the actors, a few writers, and the producer of Doctor Who would be brought out to Hollywood for the crossover; all the below-the-line work would be done by the Star Trek crew. The scriptwriting duties were done by committee, starting in early 1970. Filming would take place in the summer, and the multi-part crossover would serve as the premiere for both Season 5 of Star Trek, in September 1970, and Season 8 of Doctor Who [8], in January 1971. In the event that the crossover went over well, NBC would then pay the BBC to air the program first-run in the United States, starting with Season 8 in September 1971; by this time, Desilu would likely have syndicated the previous seasons, strengthening its potential audience.

And thus began the next wave of the British Invasion…

---

[1] Adam West has repeatedly shared this story IOTL, to the point of claiming that they offered him the part, and that it would make him "part of two of the Three Bs of the 1960s: Batman, the Beatles, and Bond". He apparently turned it down in support for a British actor. For those of you who hated George Lazenby, always remember: it could have been worse. Much worse.

[2] The second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", was the first episode of Star Trek to air on the BBC, on July 12, 1969 IOTL and ITTL, only a few days before the launch of Apollo 11 (and only a few weeks after the final episode aired in the US IOTL).

[3] John Winston hails from Leeds, Yorkshire. His accent on the show is almost certainly the result of him – like so many actors of his generation – attempting to speak with a "posh" or RP (Received Pronunciation) accent to hide his natural one. In apocrypha, this has resulted in the occasional claims of an Australian origin, but he's firmly established ITTL as being of English extraction.

[4] The entire first season of Doctor Who ran in Canada on the public broadcaster, the CBC, in 1965 (two years behind schedule). They declined to air the following season, and IOTL, Doctor Who would not be seen again in North America until PBS started running it in 1972.

[5] ITTL, some low-level functionary at the BBC decides to send an informal communiqué to NBC in the late summer of 1969; by this time, Moonshot Lunacy is a reality, though networks are already developing new science fiction series (Star Trek having been a Top 30 hit in the previous season). Therefore, NBC decides to express formal interest. As it becomes clear that Star Trek isn't coming back after the 1970-71 season, formal interest evolves into a firm commitment. The deal is essentially done by early 1970.

[6] A backdoor pilot, also known as a Poorly Disguised Pilot, is when the premise and characters of a given TV show take a backseat to an entirely new premise and set of characters, which classically have nothing to do with the original ones. The Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth", which was never made ITTL, is an iconic example. Doctor Who obviously already exists, but Star Trek will still essentially be lending airtime; British audiences already know the crew of the Enterprise, so they don't need to be introduced to them.

[7] Yes, ladies and gentlemen, That Wacky Redhead has just saved all the OTL "lost episodes" of Doctor Who from oblivion ITTL.

[8] Ordinarily, what Americans call "seasons", the British instead refer to as "series". For the purposes of simplicity and comprehension, I will use only the term "season" in these instances, but I will also eschew the use of "series" to refer to British programs (programmes).

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Well, my British readers, as well as the many non-British fans of Doctor Who, I present your carrot. I hope you find it palatable

We'll find out more about this crossover in greater detail in the next cycle of updates, which will cover the 1970-71 season.

I want to thank you all for your fantastic suggestions for additional science fiction series in the future of TTL. A special No-Prize for Prescient Prediction is awarded to Mal, who almost exactly deduced my secret purely by speculation! You were the impetus for me finishing this update tonight, to prove that I didn't steal the idea from you. I promise, this was intended as the carrot all along!

I'll do my best to respond to the many wonderful comments I've already accrued, as well as any that are forthcoming, as soon as possible; so by all means, please keep them coming. But for now, thus concludes the 1969-70 production cycle! Coming up next, you can a post about what I have planned for the 1970-71 cycle. Until then, good tidings to you, wherever you are!

[Evermourn]

Love it. PLEASE don't butterfly away Tom Baker's Dr Who, although I suspect that will be the result. I think Jon Pertwee's doctor would clash with Kirk at first, not a great personality mix.

Any chance the Doctor picks up a new companion from the crew of the Enterprise? Would be a nice touch to have a nod to the departing show in the new one.

[Barbarossa Rotbart]

Perhaps TTL can give us a second season of Raumpatrouille – Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffes Orion?