That Wacky Redhead

[phx1138]

the most famous backlot in Hollywood (sadly demolished in 1976 IOTL).

Hollywood has absolutely no sense of history.

Thank you for the link, it will supplement my other resources nicely. And it will come in useful very soon

Glad to help. Be advised, it has serious gaps in it (just frex, it omits the 1971 "Shaft" entirely) & appears to deal with 1980 & later releases more thoroughly. It was mention of the poor box office examples that was making me laugh. Also, which I wished for, it doesn't have annual listings; for that, this may be more helpful. You may also find this of use. (Need I say I have an account? Tho I'm not getting a commission for referrals.)

I wonder if I should care to try for 80,000 before the six-month anniversary?

(Hmm...I'm hearing the "MTM" theme...)

when is it, ever?

I think there was a Tuesday in 1951...

Excellent question. I will elaborate on one example: the Ford Mustang, that most iconic of muscle cars. IOTL, the much poorer economy of the early 1970s resulted in Mustang sales continually declining after 1966; ITTL, on the other hand, they level off in 1969, at about 300,000 units produced per year until 1973. Whether Lee Iacocca would have still been prepared to release a more fuel-efficient model for 1974 and thus catch the wave of the Oil Crisis even ITTL is far beyond my expertise, but if not, his company has a very bad 1974, only to recover the following year with new model Mustang. (The Oil Crisis, as IOTL, also works to mitigate some aspects of 1950s cultural nostalgia).

And a more detailed answer than I actually expected. Two things come to mind. The VW Type 1 (commonly misnamed "Beetle") is likely to still be iconic, being cheap, durable, economical, easy to work on, & common. The "Big 3" are also likely to get bitten by the Oil Shock, as OTL, since the management in place hasn't changed in the main. (I'd have to look at any changes to say for sure.)

What you're likely to get, then, is the same Vega (actually a Corvair platform) & Mustang II (Pinto) as OTL, tho the Vega might not have quite the same issues over beancounters cost-cutting that produced its notorious rep. (Or, allowing it's not a utopia, things could be worse.) It is possible IMO the 'stang II could so devalue the name, it'd be discontinued. Or FoMoCo bosses could have better sense, & use a different name.

You're also likely to see the Japanese coming on strong, as OTL, with a combination of good fuel economy & good quality, at a time Detroit had some serious qualtiy issues. (Remember the guy who set his Ford on fire in protest?) Chrysler still on the brink of bankruptcy? (And denied a bailout?) Should Chrysler survive, expect a lot of captive imports. Should GM &/or Ford management be a trifle more sensible, you might get imports of Kadetts, Cortinas, or Taunuses (rather than Opel GTs).

Yes, and that just so happens to be one of my last remaining outstanding requests!

My crystal ball is working perfectly, then.

Your feeling is correct. The miraculous resurrection of NBC was simply remarkable - one of those things someone might call ASB if it were written into a timeline.

So you won't be doing it, then? (Hmm, only 2 TV networks in '81 will drastically reduce the number of shows.... Get your requests in early.)

Societal expectations can be powerful. This is partly the reason why working women didn't really "take" until the 1980s; the notion hadn't really "settled" yet in the 1970s.

True. I can only suppose there's room, creatively speaking, to do either one, depending on which you credit (& what you want).

 

[NCW8]

Another vote for Tom Baker and Lis Sladen. I sympathize, you guys, I really do. If I could have done a crossover between Star Trek in season 5 and the seasons 12-13 cast of Doctor Who, I would have; it just so happened that Jon Pertwee was playing the role at the time that a crossover was most viable, so he came along for the ride.

I wonder if the character of Linda Johnson being crafted for the American market might already have some of the feminist characteristics that IOTL were first introduced with Sarah-Jane. That might make the character of Sarah-Jane less distinctive ITTL.

Not an unreasonable suggestion. The Muppet Show will still be lacking in relative star power in its first season, just as it was IOTL, due to many celebrities being skeptical and/or dismissive. Shatner is definitely over-the-hill by 1974-75, not to mention flat broke, but he does have a direct connection to Desilu, and they could arrange something. Any Star Trek parody (a direct one, as opposed to more diluted "Pigs in Space") would of course stand as one of the earliest in television history ITTL (though not that early, of course - probably along the lines of the OTL classic "The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise", from 1976; landmark, but not exactly pioneering).

Of course a more successful show is likely to be parodied sooner.

I don't really know when the first Dr Who parody was made. There was a Dave Allen sketch in the early seventies, but I'm sure that wasn't the first.

Edit: After a bit of research, it seems that the first Dr Who spoof was broadcast in Dec 1963 on Michael Bentine's It's a Square World. That's just a couple of weeks after the series was first broadcast. Interestingly, Bentine was one of the actors cosidered to play the fourth doctor.

And what about Mr. Kyle? What is he, chopped liver?

How about Animal as Mr Kyle ?

Nice use of the catchphrase! Though, as IOTL, it's technically incorrect: the closest Kirk comes to saying it is "Beam us up, Mr. Kyle".

But would the Muppet parody be technically correct ?

Cheers,
Nigel.

 

[Glen]

I wonder if the character of Linda Johnson being crafted for the American market might already have some of the feminist characteristics that IOTL were first introduced with Sarah-Jane. That might make the character of Sarah-Jane less distinctive ITTL.

While feminist characteristics did appear in Sarah Jane's character, she was not the first. Really, in some ways the Doctor's female companions mainly tended more independent then the rest of 1960s/70s UK. Start with the obvious feminist in the original corps of companions, Barbara Wright, who was noted as the only one who really would stand up to the Doctor (shades of Donna, anyone?). Zoe Hariot was maybe put in costumes that were objectifying, but the character herself was often the brains of the operation for the Second Doctor episodes she was in, and quite independent minded (she stowed away on the TARDIS in order to go adventuring!). Of course, the Third Doctor's first companion was even more obviously an independent, capable woman, Dr. Liz Shaw! In fact, the character turned out to be too competent to be used as a companion in the end! Even the OTL Jo Grant had some spunk and evidence of feminist tendencies (yes, her exist was less than feminist, but still).

Note, this is not to take away at all from Sarah Jane Smith or Lis Sladen, who were incomparable and perhaps the first character that Doctor Who had who was overtly supposed to be feminist, but she comes from a good pedigree.

Of course a more successful show is likely to be parodied sooner.

A fair point!

I don't really know when the first Dr Who parody was made. There was a Dave Allen sketch in the early seventies, but I'm sure that wasn't the first.

Good question - not sure of the answer.

Edit: After a bit of research, it seems that the first Dr Who spoof was broadcast in Dec 1963 on Michael Bentine's It's a Square World. That's just a couple of weeks after the series was first broadcast. Interestingly, Bentine was one of the actors cosidered to play the fourth doctor.

Ah, yes, didn't see that until I had already written my comment. Maybe the Muppets should do their own Doctor Who parody, Doctor What, starring Gonzo as The Doctor (but Doctor what? I mean, what is that thing?). Maybe have Kermit play the Brigadier, and Fozie as Sargeant Benton. Of course, Piggy would be the companion.

How about Animal as Mr Kyle ?

Naw, I like him as a Klingon! Not certain who should be Kyle, but it should be someone.

But would the Muppet parody be technically correct ?

Cheers,
Nigel.

It certainly wouldn't be incorrect in the direction of OTL, though!

 

[Orville_third]

While Sarah Jane was given some feminist characteristics (ditto Leela and Romanadvoratrelundar) the facts of the show (let's face it-it's not called The Sarah Jane Adventures) led to her being the damsel in distress more often than not.

 

[Kalvan]

My Revised Choices for the Muppet Star Trek parody:

Kirk: William Shatner

Spock: Bunson

McCoy: Scooter

Nurse Chapel: Skeeter

Uhura: Miss Piggy

Mr. Scott: The Swedish Chef

Mr. Kyle: Rolf

Sulu: Gonzo

Chekov: Fozzie

Janice Rand: Janice

A Klingon: Animal

A Romulan: Beaker

A group of Tellarites: the Pigs in Space!

 

[pbaustin2]

Sarah Jane is a fauxmanist, a reflection of what a reactionary male writer thought of feminism in 1973.

 

[NCW8]

While feminist characteristics did appear in Sarah Jane's character, she was not the first. Really, in some ways the Doctor's female companions mainly tended more independent then the rest of 1960s/70s UK. Start with the obvious feminist in the original corps of companions, Barbara Wright, who was noted as the only one who really would stand up to the Doctor (shades of Donna, anyone?). Zoe Hariot was maybe put in costumes that were objectifying, but the character herself was often the brains of the operation for the Second Doctor episodes she was in, and quite independent minded (she stowed away on the TARDIS in order to go adventuring!). Of course, the Third Doctor's first companion was even more obviously an independent, capable woman, Dr. Liz Shaw! In fact, the character turned out to be too competent to be used as a companion in the end! Even the OTL Jo Grant had some spunk and evidence of feminist tendencies (yes, her exist was less than feminist, but still).

Note, this is not to take away at all from Sarah Jane Smith or Lis Sladen, who were incomparable and perhaps the first character that Doctor Who had who was overtly supposed to be feminist, but she comes from a good pedigree.

Very good points. I wonder if one of the reasons why Sarah-Jane is special is that she was the first companion who was alone with the Doctor for a whole season (season 13), thus raising her status. In earlier seasons (up to Liz Shaw), there were two or three companions with the Doctor, giving the show something of an ensemble cast. With Jo Grant that began to change with an increasing number of stories where Jo and the Doctor appeared without UNIT (including earth-based stories such as The Sea Devils), but UNIT still appeared in some stories in every season.

Sarah Jane is a fauxmanist, a reflection of what a reactionary male writer thought of feminism in 1973.

It's interesting to see how TV programmes reacted to issues of sexism and racism in the seventies. That's especially apparent in comedy, where some shows actually led the change (e.g. Till Death Us Do Part and Love Thy Neighbour) while others lagged behind. Sadly Spike Milligan's seventies comedies are a prime example of that, with his Q series (e.g. the Pakestani Dalek sketch) and The Melting Pot (which was pulled after the broadcast of the first episode). There's also Curry and Chips (featuring a blacked-up Milligan). It was written by Johny Speight (who also wrote Till Death Us Do Part) and was intended to highlight discrimination, but was cancelled because it came over as racist.

For feminist comedies, I think The Liver Birds might qualify. And Mother Makes Three probably deserves a mention (widowed mother going to work and raising two sons alone), although in later seasons she does get married (the title changed to And Mother Makes Five) creating a Brady Bunch-style fusion family.

Cheers,
Nigel.

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

My Revised Choices for the Muppet Star Trek parody:

Kirk: William Shatner

Spock: Bunson

McCoy: Scooter

Nurse Chapel: Skeeter

Uhura: Miss Piggy

Mr. Scott: The Swedish Chef

Mr. Kyle: Rolf

Sulu: Gonzo

Chekov: Fozzie

Janice Rand: Janice

A Klingon: Animal

A Romulan: Beaker

A group of Tellarites: the Pigs in Space!

All good, but don't forget Sam the E#agle was in the first few seasons. If his character... whatever you call the Muppets... is still there, I can see him remarking about the logic of something a bit more than Bunson.

Then again it's been 30 years since I've seen it. Though I remembered a handful of the mainc haracters, enough to do this, if I haven't posted it before. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3201650/1/Muppet_Trek

 

[Brainbin]

Only The Moonraker Knows

“The World Is Not Enough.”

– Tagline for Moonraker

Throughout its development, Moonraker had been nothing short of a gamble for EON Productions. In hopes of taking advantage of Moonshot Lunacy, they had decided to move ahead with the film in lieu of their original choice, Live and Let Die. But by the time the movie was finally released in the summer of 1974, that fad was dead and buried; replaced with nostalgia for the previous generation, which producers had consciously worked to avoid in crafting a Bond adventure for the 1970s.

Michael Billington was twenty-nine years old when he was selected as James Bond, of comparable age to the two previous Bonds – Sean Connery and George Lazenby – when they were first chosen. [1] His selection was primarily due to his experience in the science-fiction genre, having been the star of UFO and UFO: 1999. When it became clear that a third series in the UFO franchise would be commissioned (as it was the second-most popular overseas export on British television in the era, behind only Doctor Who), producers acted immediately in offering Billington the role of Bond, which was enough to lure the actor away from the show that had made him famous. [2] Billington, in contrast to both Connery and Lazenby, was wildly enthusiastic about the part, and agreed to sign a seven-picture contract committing him to 007 for the long haul. [3]

Most of the production team remained in place, despite the constant changing of the Bonds. Guy Hamilton, who had directed the iconic Goldfinger, along with the most recent film, Diamonds are Forever, would also helm Moonraker; script doctor Tom Mankiewicz, who had revised the Diamonds script so extensively that he received official credit for it, was given responsibility for cherry-picking ideas from the source novel (the original plot was deemed too “dated”) around which he could write the screenplay. As always, EON chiefs Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were responsible for the production, and John Barry would compose the score. [4] The other regular actors (Bernard Lee as M, Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn as Q) also returned, doing more than anyone else to retain some semblance of onscreen continuity.

Though it was one of the last major decisions made in production, the choice of who would perform the film's theme song was one of the first that would be seen in its full glory onscreen. Traditionally, the responsibility for writing the music fell to the score composer, the infinitely capable John Barry. The style was decided upon almost immediately: progressive rock was one of the few genres popular on both sides of the Pond in the early 1970s, and producers scouted for progressive bands in England, the birthplace of the movement. As the famous story goes, an executive at EMI/Parlophone had submitted a long list of potential leads to EON, only to add one more at the last minute. “I'm not too sure about these ones, but there's a certain quality to them that just might be what you're looking for.” Naturally, this final lead would ultimately win the assignment. Their first album had already been released, and they were in the process of recording their second when they met with producers, who were suitably impressed with their distinctive talents. The foursome, who had strong heavy metal and hard rock tendencies in addition their impressive prog credentials, were known as Queen. [5]

The resulting song, which following Bond convention shared the name of the film, was composed by Barry along with frontman Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May. “John Barry had written the score for the film already,” Mercury would later explain. “Brian and I took some of the cues we liked best, and built the rest of song around them... then we wrote the lyrics together, which we don't often do, but we knew we had to agree on them, because it couldn't sound like me or like Brian, it had to sound like something Shirley Bassey might sing.” [6] The melody, driven in equal parts by Mercury's piano and May's idiosyncratic “Red Special” guitar, brought a certain quality of bombast to complement the lavish scoring by Barry heard in the underscore, not to mention the rest of the film. The lyrics, highly abstract (in typical Bond fashion) and detailing the surreal yet strangely epic adventures of men in space, were indeed delivered by Mercury in a full-throated, no-holds-barred style reminiscent of Bassey. The song was the biggest hit from a Bond film since “Goldfinger”, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth (even in Canada). [7] It also reached the Top 10 in the United States, establishing Queen in the highly lucrative American market. Perhaps the greatest highlight for Mercury, however, was when Queen was invited to perform the song at the Royal Variety Performance of 1974, in a duet with Bassey herself (who would adopt a re-arranged version of the song as one of her standards in subsequent concert tours).

The movie was filmed in relatively few locales: in England (at the venerable Pinewood Studios, where the most elaborate sets in the film franchise's history were designed by Ken Adam, in order to accommodate the “outer space” scenes) [8], West Germany (standing in for East Germany, base of operations for the primary villain), British Honduras, and the United States. The most notable filming location was the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where NASA extended remarkable privileges to the film crew, and all in service to the outlandish (even by Bond standards) plot. The ultimate objective was to get James Bond into space, so in writing the film, Mankiewicz decided to move backward from the obvious climax – the battle between Bond and supervillain Hugo Drax, in his orbital space station lair. Initial plans for a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek romp were changed during the course of production, with a decision to emphasize the majesty and wonder of space, in the vein of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Trek. The budget for the film continually faced overruns, with a final estimated figure of $25 million. [9] For this reason, it was derisively labelled by the distributor, United Artists, as the “Cleopatra of space movies”, an insult which hit close to home, as the screenwriter's father had directed that film.

Most of the money went to set design, costumes, and all matter of visual effects, the last of which proved both costly and time-consuming (to the point of delaying the film for almost a year from its intended Autumn 1973 release). [10] Some of the finest minds in the field, in both England and Hollywood, were put to work on the film. EON was forced to farm some work out to other companies. Desilu Post-Production, which continued to employ many of the people who had worked miracles on Star Trek, was among them. It was perhaps the greatest achievement of the production that such wildly disparate elements, implemented in such diverse fashions, were somehow unified into a fairly cohesive whole. Derek Meddings rightfully received the lion's share of the credit. However, the effects were anchored by the sterling cinematography. The highlight of the memorable Kennedy Space Center sequence, in which Bond is launched into outer space on a Saturn V, featured one of the legendary rockets as Bond toured the Vehicle Assembly Building.

It was first seen from the bottom-up, in a long and dramatic pan; and then, after a smash cut, from the top-down, in a shot filmed high atop the catwalks; the camera gradually pulls back, so as to frame the rocket with Bond and the (actor portraying the) NASA official, as they discuss how it will launch 007 into outer space. The magnificence of the Saturn rocket was (literally) underscored by the majestic orchestral soundtrack provided by Barry. The Saturn featured in the film would be used to launch Apollo 17 in December, 1972, and in a quid pro quo with the film crew, they agreed to provide their services shooting the launch with their high-quality film cameras in exchange for having been allowed to shoot their own scenes. This would result in the highest-quality footage of any take-off during the peak period of the space program; indeed, the otherwise undistinguished Apollo 17 would be better remembered for its role in the filming of Moonraker than for anything that happened during the mission proper, to the point that the mission was often called, simply, “the Moonraker” (a title briefly extended to the entire Apollo Program, though obviously in retrospect, after the film's release).

Billington provided a heartfelt performance; gentler than Connery, but still suave and confident. His experience in a science-fiction setting paid dividends: his portrayal was highly capable, and despite his newness in the role, he provided an anchor to the ridiculousness of the rest of the film, remaining at all times the centre of attention. His determination to take the role seriously anchored the film, helping it to escape the heights of wretched excess it could have otherwise reached. Additionally, his viability as a sex symbol was uncontested. Indeed, his strongest resemblance to Connery was his equally hairy chest. But his performance was primarily one of contrast to his predecessor, who had long ago grown bored and vaguely irritated with Bond. The youth and exuberance exhibited by Billington won him some of the firmest plaudits for the entire film.

But at the end of the day, sometimes taking a big gamble paid off, and such was certainly the case here. Moonraker topped the U.S. and global box-office for 1974, becoming an international smash hit, and the highest-grossing Bond film in nominal dollars (adjusted for inflation, Goldfinger and Thunderball still came out ahead), earning $175 million. [11] This allowed the producers to achieve a profound return on their investment, sparing them from financial misfortune in these new, tougher economic times. Critical reviews were thoroughly mixed, with criticism directed at the preposterous plot, the relatively limited set of locales, and the over-reliance on gadgets and technology to a heretofore unforeseen degree. Other elements, such as Billington's performance, the title theme, the lush score by Barry, the Kennedy Space Center sequence, and the impressive visual effects, were widely praised. The film went into the 47th Academy Awards ceremony, on April 8, 1975, with four Oscar nominations: Best Original Dramatic Score (two-time winner Barry's first nomination for a Bond film), Best Original Song, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. [12]

The end credits of Moonraker dutifully announced that James Bond would return in Live and Let Die. Given mixed reception from the core fanbase at the aberrational nature of the film, in contrast to those that had preceded it, producers decided to take a back-to-basics approach to their next film; this included lowering the budget, given the harsher financial circumstances EON now faced going forward. Selected as the director of the next installment was a promising young New Hollywood type who had always wanted to helm a Bond feature, and was willing to accept the lowest reasonable offer in order to do so. His name was Steven Spielberg...

---

[1] Billington was 30 during principal photography, and 32 at the time of the film's release – in the latter case, the same age as Connery at the release of Dr. No.

[2] The second season, UFO: 1999, airs on CBS during the 1973-74 season, giving American audiences continued exposure to Billington right up to the release of Moonraker.

[3] Connery's original contract was for five films, which he honoured with the release of You Only Live Twice (by which time he was so fed up with the role of Bond that he refused to renegotiate until he was offered far more money); Lazenby also signed a seven-picture deal but managed to extricate himself from the arrangement after just one film.

[4] Barry did not compose the score for Live and Let Die IOTL because he was a tax exile from the United Kingdom at the time. For various reasons, he is able to fulfill his obligations ITTL. His score for Moonraker is very similar to that of the film of the same name IOTL (perhaps the finest score he ever wrote for 007, in this editor's opinion).

[5] The membership of Queen, and the circumstances of its formation, are largely identical to OTL.

[6] Mercury and Bassey, for those unfamiliar with either singer, both perform(ed) in a very bombastic, theatrical manner; though Mercury has not cited Bassey as an influence or inspiration, he no doubt would have approved of her style. Bassey, IOTL, has covered several Queen songs, which certainly speaks to her opinion of their music.

[7] Traditionally, the Canadian charts tend to strongly resemble the American charts, though occasionally they will poach from the “quirky” European charts (and, of course, since the 1970s, have been increasingly dominated by homegrown talent, in following the aforementioned “CanCon” mandates).

[8] This includes the construction of what is effectively the famous “007 Stage” in 1972. IOTL, it was built in service of The Spy Who Loved Me in 1976.

[9] This is about as much as OTL Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun... combined.

[10] For comparison, Live and Let Die was released in June, 1973. The Man with the Golden Gun was released in December, 1974.

[11] About $850 million in 2008 dollars, adjusted for inflation (assuming OTL economic fluctuations).

[12] IOTL, the category of Best Visual Effects was briefly discontinued from 1972 to 1976.

---

As promised, a look at a beloved, and previously-mentioned, British property! And the beginning of a somewhat different route for 007 than that OTL, especially given his very different portrayal. Special thanks to e of pi for his advice with one specific part of this post, which was subsequently expanded after some brainstorming (and a No-Prize goes to the first of you to guess which part that might be!) For those of you who may be curious as to whether or not Moonraker actually won any of the Oscars for which it was nominated... you'll find out, in due time I apologize for the slight delay in the posting of this update! I hope to have the next one ready for you in a more timely fashion.

 

[Falkenburg]

Selected as the director of the next installment was a promising young New Hollywood type who had always wanted to helm a Bond feature, and was willing to accept the lowest reasonable offer in order to do so. His name was Steven Spielberg...

Another finely crafted Update. I especially like the 'Teasers' you work in.
So many possibilities for Alt-Bond.

Falkenburg

 

[pbaustin2]

I can't wait to see the anti-nuclear aspect of popular culture that you promised for later in the decade.

About Spielberg, I'd love to see a 1970s version of Schindler's List - although they wouldn't be able to film it in the 1970s People's Republic of Poland.

 

[The Professor]

Enjoying the updates and looking forward to the next.
Apologies for the brief response but most people doing the longer responses for me

She could go back into chemistry and work on more varieties of ice cream (no, really, that's what she did before going into politics). Somehow that seems very appropriate for the general sunny tone of this TL, picture Arthur Scargill toasting Mrs Thatcher as he bites the flake off his 99

I knew about the chemistry (since we shared a surname and I studied the thing - luckily only a few spotted the link since I'm more "leftwing") - but forgot about the ice cream.
At least we now know what she needed all that milk for

 

[phx1138]

Well done, again. Yet, again, not feeling a great need to comment.

Never been a fan of Bond, especially, & the wild stories, even less so. It appears I'd have liked this one better than OTL's. Until (unless) you get to Craig, tho...

That said, I do, as always, like the background detail. (Lavish research...) And Queen on a Bond soundtrack? Nice touch. Do you see this affecting the band's future much?

I also find myself wondering if the economy doesn't mean future Bond films aren't less lavish & absurd, compared to OTL. (I'd like them better.)

 

[NCW8]

Their first album had already been released, and they were in the process of recording their second when they met with producers, who were suitably impressed with their distinctive talents. The foursome, who had strong heavy metal and hard rock tendencies in addition their impressive prog credentials, were known as Queen. [5]

The resulting song, which following Bond convention shared the name of the film, was composed by Barry along with frontman Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May.

It sounds like Seven Seas of Rhye will still be released then, but Moonraker is going to be the bands big breakthrough song rather than Bohemian Rhapsody. I wonder if 39 is going to be recorded with a more prog rock feel to it ITTL.

The end credits of Moonraker dutifully announced that James Bond would return in Live and Let Die. Given mixed reception from the core fanbase at the aberrational nature of the film, in contrast to those that had preceded it, producers decided to take a back-to-basics approach to their next film; this included lowering the budget, given the harsher financial circumstances EON now faced going forward. Selected as the director of the next installment was a promising young New Hollywood type who had always wanted to helm a Bond feature, and was willing to accept the lowest reasonable offer in order to do so. His name was Steven Spielberg...

Interesting to see what Spielberg does with the Voodoo imagery of Live and Let Die.

Cheers,
Nigel.

 

[Orville_third]

I can't wait to see the anti-nuclear aspect of popular culture that you promised for later in the decade.

About Spielberg, I'd love to see a 1970s version of Schindler's List - although they wouldn't be able to film it in the 1970s People's Republic of Poland.

First, I wonder how that would affect Kraftwerk. Incidentally, up until 1978, I think, Doctor Who was permitted to film several scenes at Nuclear Reactors, with the last one in question being "The Pirate Planet".

Second, it all depends on US-Polish relations...and the publicity it could give...

 

[Mefisto]

Second, it all depends on US-Polish relations...and the publicity it could give...

In OTL there would be a chance that this film would be made. The seventies were the period of relative opening of Poland into the world. The secretary Edward Gierek wanted to modernize the country and looked for the ways to attract people from the west and dollars. Co-production about concentration camp would be popular in Poland, the only problem would be the fact that the protagonist would be a German. Still, our propaganda already used to portray the good Germans (from DDR) and the bad ones (from BRD). And I find it possible that the Polish Government would request making film about Polish efforts in WWII (Enigma, Polish fighter and bomber squadrons in Battle of Britain or the role of Polish destroyer Piorun in battle with Bismarck, etc.).

In this timeline where Western and Eastern Blocks aren't so hostile (no Vietnam) and they have common enemy in China there would be even more chance for cooperation. Especially in the field of cinematography.

BTW I wanted to congratulate Brainbin for very interesting and educational timeline. It's really good to be able to read of something other than wars or politics.

 

[Lizzie_Harrison]

As promised, a look at a beloved, and previously-mentioned, British property!

Aww! I thought it was going to be Monty Python!

No knowledge of Bond past, present or future but like the look of Queen not being butterflied. Could May be the first of many Physicist Rockers? (There is a high corralation between famous physicists and physicists who play guitar.)

 

[Glen]

I think the Moonraker update may be the best of your already wonderful set of posts for this timeline. I love how you have made Moonraker a great Bond work. The detail and interweaving of changes in this timeline into this update is masterful. Of course the best part is how you have brought in Queen!

I really want to see this movie!!!

On a more critiquing note, can you explain more how the tax exile thing changed ITTL?

 

[MaskedPickle]

First, I wonder how that would affect Kraftwerk. Incidentally, up until 1978, I think, Doctor Who was permitted to film several scenes at Nuclear Reactors, with the last one in question being "The Pirate Planet".

Second, it all depends on US-Polish relations...and the publicity it could give...

Kubrick actually had his own project of a Holocaust movie, The Aryan Papers, which he left to Spielberg out of respect.

By the way, who played Hugo Drax in this movie?

 

[vultan]

About Spielberg, I'd love to see a 1970s version of Schindler's List - although they wouldn't be able to film it in the 1970s People's Republic of Poland.

I doubt Spielberg would have the clout to get Schindler's List or an equivalent produced in the 1970's. It would have to be a more established, big-name director. I'd suggest Kubrick, but since I'm lobbying Brainbin to have him helm another project...

Maybe Mike Nichols?

Anyway, about the update: great stuff, and nice to see another science fiction film do well at the box office well after the Moonshot Lunacy has passed. Could this be the beginning of a trend? I wonder if sci-fi would suffer from a too-prolonged fad, but you never know...