Looks like you're all going to coax one more round of responses out of me before the next update. But
this is probably the last one. Maybe.
Trapper John, M.D., really wasn't a MASH spinoff - it was a completely separate medical drama that someone slapped a Trapper John name on and hallucinated a MASH connection IOTL. I think it would be hilarious to see essentially the same show with a different name and no attempt at connecting, as that is what it really should be.
So, a generic medical drama premiering in the late 1970s, starring one of the Cartwright Brothers from "Bonanza"? Well, why not?
Glen said:
They might, but given the history ITTL, I think the pitch goes to Warner Brothers and Desilu (instead of Paramount). I think you have the same people ITTL still working at Warner Brothers, and thus I think Desilu picks it up.
Paramount Television certainly has a "style" in the early 1970s ITTL - which you may have noticed even if you know nothing about Grant Tinker's OTL exploits - and a walking-the-earth action-adventure series like "Kung-Fu" has no place there, I agree. By contrast, Desilu has become
the action-adventure studio, with "Night Gallery" being their first foray outside the genre since "The Lucy Show" ended in 1968.
Glen said:
I understand. I wouldn't expect most of the shows to go to Desilu (though that does beg the question of just how many shows at one time Desilu will carry). However, in this particular case I think Desilu makes sound sense, so I would favor it over some of the other suggestions already proffered for Desilu.
One important factor - and you are taking it into consideration, but I emphasize it for the benefit of all my other readers - is That Wacky Redhead herself. She has her own personal tastes, and she's very hands-on about her job - that's why she got burnout juggling her two careers in the late 1960s. She's very proud of her studio's long-standing reputation as a trailblazer, and intends to keep it up.
Glen said:
A point, though it depends on how successful the show is - if it only goes for three seasons (I suspect that Desilu will fight hard to keep their productions in production for at least that long for syndication purposes), still might see the rest of his career and life converging. If it goes more, then yeah, I think his death in that manner is butterflied.
Well, of
course that's what Desilu wants, but to quote a great philosopher:
You can't always get what you want. The reason that Lucille Ball was able to go to bat for
Star Trek ITTL was because viewer demographics (which were known at the time, if not weighted nearly as heavily as they are today) were phenomenal, and ratings were a little higher than IOTL, to boot. If a hypothetical "Kung-Fu" series - or any other Desilu production, for that matter - doesn't have a leg to stand on, then it'll be put on the chopping block, same as any other show.
Glen said:
So I shall expect it in two days, no more.
Don't make me pull the "It'll be ready when it's ready" card. Because I'll do it if I have to
According to the US court system, Trapper John was a spinoff of the movie not the tv series. I only remember the show mentioning Hawkeye and Korea in the pilot, so your concept would work.
That's typical Hollywood behaviour for you. Steal an idea, and then screw the rightful owner out of their fair share by using loopholes!
I'd say, rather, we (at least I
) forsee Desilu producing the
best shows of the '70s. Does that mean only 4 at a time? IDK. How many was Mark VII (Jack Webb) making ("Ironside" & "Emergency" come to mind)? Or QM ("Streets of San Francisco", "FBI", "Barnaby Jones")?
Desilu considers four to be an optimal number, but by no means is it an obligation. For example, the studio will be entering the 1971-72 season with only three first-run series on the air - obviously they'll be accepting more pitches, but that's for another update.
phx1138 said:
Is it a given Desilu gets no bigger, on the strength of greater marketing & ratings success? That would surprise me. Does that mean it (necessarily) gets as big as Lorimar? IDK, but it's worth considering. And
that is for many,
many other updates!
Also, if Desilu does better, does that drive other companies out of business? If it does, does that, therefore, offer opportunities for Desilu to pick up stage space & talent on the "cheap"?
Those are some very excellent, insightful questions. I
would answer them, but doing so would spoil...
everything
Well, here's how Brainbin worded it, and it seems pretty explicit to me that Nixon won't be returning in 1972...
Thank you for quoting the relevant passage, vultan. I hereby award you the Non-Certificate of Achievement for On-Pointedness!
vultan said:
Of course, it is theoretically possible that it's written from the viewpoint of the time, which could be "disproven" later on, but I don't believe that a candidate who was the party's nominee twice before who lost, no matter how narrow the margins, is gonna be given another go at it. In this case, third time is not the charm.
As a general rule, most of my posts are written from the POV that the events being described are recent. I've let a few "to this day" and "ever since" references sneak in there, but on the whole, it's safe to make that assumption. (It's a good spoiler deterrent
)
I did a search and nobody at all seems to have brought up Gerry Anderson's "UFO", except in passing. OTL, the series ran on ITV in the UK in 1970-71 (the same year as the 5th and last season of Trek ITTL) and was picked up by CBS, IIRC, for the 1972-1973 season. (I remember watching it in Florida that year; BTW, I was born in 1964, so my first exposure to Trek OTL was in syndication.)
Welcome aboard, joea64! And thanks for your input. I really enjoyed your thoughts on
Viva Balbo! back in my lurker days, and although we're some 30 years down the line chronologically from that TL, I would love to hear more of your thoughts. Even about the women of TTL, if the mood strikes you
After all, the 1970s were the last decade when women didn't have to be "fake" to be considered attractive.
joea64 said:
With the much greater popularity of SF TTL, I can't help but think that if "UFO" is produced and broadcast in the UK, it's going to be picked up by one of the other networks as a rival to "Doctor Who". The rather grimdark nature of "UFO", though, might be a handicap, given that the overall zeitgeist of TTL is distinctly more optimistic than OTL.
As phx1138 pointed out, I've shared my opinion that British society in general will not share that same burst of optimism affecting the USA ITTL. They can see the light from the fire all the way across the pond, but they aren't quite able to bask in its warmth.
I suspect your first surmise is right and that is what is intended - I just suspect that it wouldn't be so in reality if this was the situation. However, I think it is a reasonable point of variability that could go either way depending on other conditions.
All right, let's talk about Tricky Dick. As vultan observed, I intended for him to be finished with electoral politics after his third heartbreaking defeat. He might be personally interested in running again for 1972, but let's be real. He's already lost
twice. Stevenson didn't get three shots, after all! Besides, the most recent two-time loser to be nominated by a major party for a third shot was William Jennings Bryan, in 1908; but Bryan was much younger than Nixon was in 1972,
and far more energetic and charismatic. Not to mention, Nixon was a very smart man; he would
know that he stood no chance of becoming the nominee after flaming out twice before. As OTL 1972 proved, Nixon wanted a free ride, and did everything in his power to arrange one; would he have the energy for
another hard-fought campaign?
... and if UNIT gets the go ahead TTL it'd form a good competition with the alt UFO. Perhaps the ITV group will then try to come up with
another D) competitor to Doctor Who?
Success breeds imitation, even across the pond. Though it does amuse me that everyone is set on this spin-off. It's almost as bad as the Muppets! And given that, I think we finally have our fourth entry for the
That Wacky Redhead drinking game!
Also, I would like to award the No-Prize for Verbosity to Glen, who has now surpassed me as the most prolific contributor to this thread!
I continue to appreciate everyone's ideas, and all of this discussion. If all goes well, you may well see the next update tomorrow!