Are you considering doing a new TL now this it's over. If so, any ideas on what it could be?
That Wacky Redhead
- Thread starter Brainbin
- Start date
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of this timeline even the bits with which I didn't agree (eg. the reorganisation of the counties in the UK) because the rationale was always logical throughout. This will be missed.
PS Also thanks for your post in my attempt at a Star Trek timeline as it gave me the confidence to go my own way.
PS Also thanks for your post in my attempt at a Star Trek timeline as it gave me the confidence to go my own way.
Another question for you.... what advice would you give to those attempting to create television timelines like this one?
You know how they say you should quit at the top of your game? Well, it seems like you, Brainbin, have nailed that concept. With every update this Pop-cultural AH milestone got cooler and cooler, and with tantalising hints of TTL's future you end it. It's both tragic and magnificent!
If it would serve your little pile of statistics, I was born in 1996. When it comes to Star Trek episodes however, I feel that I can't really name any, considering that the only series I've seen to semi-completion is Voyager...
If it would serve your little pile of statistics, I was born in 1996. When it comes to Star Trek episodes however, I feel that I can't really name any, considering that the only series I've seen to semi-completion is Voyager...
Four years and eight months after it all began, I've finally decided to follow up my surveys from last year and share the results with all of you, to get an idea of changes (or the lack thereof) over time.
Poster Demographics
Here is a chart showing the birth decades of our posters. The 1970s and the 1980s, which were neck-and-neck for first place throughout the thread's run, finish in a tie, with 20 posters apiece. The 1960s edge out the 1990s for third, with 15 posters to their 14. The 1950s have 5 posters, the same representation the decade has enjoyed on every occasion I've run the results of this survey. For the first time, the 1940s are on the board, albeit with just 1 poster, born in 1943. The youngest poster was born in 1999, meaning that there are still no confirmed posters to have been born in the new millennium. The mean and median year of birth is 1978, but the mode year is 1986.
Top 10 Star Trek Episodes
I chose to recognize 27 submissions for this one, ranging in size from five entries all the way to twenty. Although I want to thank all of you for participating, I felt that any one-episode submissions I received would skew the data excessively. As with last year, I decided to rank the episodes in absolute terms; unqualified inclusion on the list merited one point, and the number of honourable mentions would then serve as tie-breaker; no regard was paid to strict ranking by individual submitters.
Poster Demographics
Here is a chart showing the birth decades of our posters. The 1970s and the 1980s, which were neck-and-neck for first place throughout the thread's run, finish in a tie, with 20 posters apiece. The 1960s edge out the 1990s for third, with 15 posters to their 14. The 1950s have 5 posters, the same representation the decade has enjoyed on every occasion I've run the results of this survey. For the first time, the 1940s are on the board, albeit with just 1 poster, born in 1943. The youngest poster was born in 1999, meaning that there are still no confirmed posters to have been born in the new millennium. The mean and median year of birth is 1978, but the mode year is 1986.
Top 10 Star Trek Episodes
I chose to recognize 27 submissions for this one, ranging in size from five entries all the way to twenty. Although I want to thank all of you for participating, I felt that any one-episode submissions I received would skew the data excessively. As with last year, I decided to rank the episodes in absolute terms; unqualified inclusion on the list merited one point, and the number of honourable mentions would then serve as tie-breaker; no regard was paid to strict ranking by individual submitters.
- "The Trouble with Tribbles" - it is a truth universally acknowledged that this is a universally beloved episode (21/27 +1). Last year: #1
- "Balance of Terror" - the little Romulan bird-of-prey that could successfully edged out the Greatest Episode In Star Trek History (19/27 +1). Last year: #3
- "The City on the Edge of Forever" - lesson learned: when in doubt, kill 1,771,561 tribbles, or at least four Earth outposts, a few hundred Romulans (and their bird-of-prey), and one bridegroom-to-be, instead of just one woman (18/27 +1). Last year: #2
- "Mirror, Mirror" - looks like the ranking falls on this episode next, and we know how its enemies have a habit of... disappearing (17/27). Last year: #4
- "The Doomsday Machine" - once again, my personal favourite episode holds firm in the Top 5 (15/27). Last year: #5
- "A Piece of the Action" - once again, the last episode to merit notation in a majority of submissions, with a whopping four honourable mentions (10/27 +4). Last year: #6
- "Space Seed" - stays in seventh place, but only because that is what it wishes to do (10/27 +2) Last year: #7
- "Amok Time" - moves back up to eighth place, but I think it'd better check with Kirk first (10/27 +1). Last year: #9
- "The Devil in the Dark" - I pity the Horta; she received no new votes, but then again, if you want to make an omelette, you have to break a few silicon nodules (9/27). Last year: #8
- A tie between two episodes:
"Arena" - by the hair of its chinny-chin-chin, held on, despite picking up no new votes (7/27). Last year: #10
"The Menagerie", taken as a single episode, did pick up enough votes to, much like Captain Pike, find itself where it always dreamed of being (7/27). Last year: N/A
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Well, Brainbin hasn't made a post since July 18. Perhaps they took a nice long vacation.
As far as I know, Brainbin has been doing just that, and enjoying it a lot.
And a well earned vacation it is too.
Being creative can be draining; hopefully he'll come back rested, recharged, and ready to do it all over again.
(Also hopefully he might be looking into publishing this; if he does, it's going on my Christmas list.)
Being creative can be draining; hopefully he'll come back rested, recharged, and ready to do it all over again.
(Also hopefully he might be looking into publishing this; if he does, it's going on my Christmas list.)
As some of you might have guessed (and as one of you - not naming names - knew for certain), I have been away on vacation, and have only just returned. Amusingly, my vacation ended the very day my thread was bumped; talk about serendipitous timing! That vacation has also included a sabbatical from writing, because I wanted to savour the feeling of not having anything more to write - a sensation of which I'd been bereft for nearly half a decade. It's a wonderful feeling, completing a work of fiction. One of the reasons I saw TWR through was because I started writing (and posting) it, believe it or not, to prove to myself that I could. I also wanted to publish something I'd written, because I never really have before, outside of academic assignments, and you can't gauge how good (or bad) a writer you are without input from others. I like to think I'm a better writer now than I was then - more confident, certainly. Perhaps more focused as well, but that remains to be seen.
And it's all thanks to all of you! With that in mind, let's have one more round for old time's sake!
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But I suppose eventually I ought to write something else. The question is... what?
Well, in my time off I've thought about it. Technically I have a pending project to which I ought to return, which is Harry Potter and the Small Screen. Of course, that was always a side project and it would likely fall behind anything else I wanted to write in precedence as well.
What I really want to write - my magnum opus, the Treemonisha to my "Maple Leaf Rag", which should give you some idea of the time period in which the POD is set - is a TL which would require a great deal of research on my part, but also one which would allow me to depict the birth, infancy, adolescence, and maturity of the three dominant mass media of the 20th century: motion pictures, radio, and of course television. But it's a very daunting endeavour, especially as a direct follow-up to TWR.
Then there's the TL I was going to write before TWR, which I was working up the nerve to start before someone beat me to the punch, a timeline about one of my favourite Kings of England, the shrewd and frugal Henry VII Tudor (who deserves a much higher administrative score than the one EUIV gives him, for the record), and his elder son, Arthur, surviving. After all, I started out a fan of Before 1900 before I moved over to this forum, and even in writing this TL I occasionally let my love of monarchical and dynastic machinations shine through.
And of course, there's the spiritual successor to TWR itself, with a POD set very near this TL's conclusion. However, that's very much in the embryonic stages at the moment, more a series of events I'd like to see happen, completely lacking the backbone throughline that TWR enjoyed. I originally thought about writing this as a TLIAW, and I just might do so, since I'm just setting myself up to fail if I were to write something very much in the same style and vein as TWR... right after having finished TWR.
That's all the AH-related writing I've been considering. There's also non-AH, as I did write TWR at least in part to hone my general writing skills; I've hit upon a few ideas which have piqued my interest, though not being alternate history, they are of course beyond the scope of this forum and certainly this thread.
And it's all thanks to all of you! With that in mind, let's have one more round for old time's sake!
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Thank you! Or, in retrospect, I should have said obrigadoExcellent work, Brainbin!
It was my pleasure to help.
Thank you! Or rather, Diolch!
Thanks so much for coming along for the ride, from just about the very beginning! What a journey it's been.
Your modesty precedes you, Dan, but I appreciate your kind words. And also: merci beaucoup!Great job, as always, Brainbin!
Thank you!
You flatter me immensely by placing me among such august company!
Thank you again. "Fun to read" is definitely a compliment I appreciate. I always worried I was erring on the side of being too dry. If I've learned anything, it's that a little snark can go a long way.The Walkman said:
I may have gone out of my way to make sure she used words with plenty of "l" and "r" sounds in them...The Walkman said:And #3: I can't be the only one who read Baba Wawa's dialogue in her...unique voice.
What now, indeed... (We'll get to that.)
"Now" being "in 1986", yes. If anyone wants to know about anyone's whereabouts and situation as at September 20, 1986, feel free to ask, and I'll get around to answering in due time.
And thank you, Professor, for being my longest-lasting reader. Class of 2011 forever!Thank Brainbin for providing many hours of entertainment, even though I occasionally lost sleep on noticing a new entry
I like to think I've brought a bit of living colo(u)r to my readership over the yearsThe Professor said:While not a utopia the TL you have created* does make the trees look hot pinker
Thank you! (We'll get to that.)The Professor said:
I'm afraid my voice simply isn't low enough. (And yes, I am a man - but a non-smoker.)The Professor said:
All I can say is how grateful I am to have found such a large audience! And for how many talented people are part of that audience.
I always loved a good brick joke - especially one with years of buildupAndrew T said:
Again, I'm immensely flattered, not least because the first TL I followed when I discovered this site was Look to the West.
Thank you! (We'll get to that.)Roger Redux said:
This thread will always be open if you ever feel the need to make an art attack, nixonshead
We'll get to that.
Wise words, indeed. This TL's really not dead, as long as we remember it.
Thank you!
Thank you
You flatter me immensely. Keep it up
Thank you very much - and all I can say is that if I've inspired anyone to write anything, then I consider this TL a success.
Be passionate, be detail-oriented, and always remember that television is a zero-sum game.
Thank you for coming on over from TV Tropes! I'm glad you did, it's exactly what I hoped for in having a page on there.
Even though, at least in theory, time will carry on, this is where our journey ends.Daibhid C said:
Thank you for taking to heart what I feel is the moral of That Wacky Redhead.
Welcome aboard, cpip, and to answer your question, maybe, but not for a while. You can find a directory of all but the last handful of updates (all of which are on the last few pages of this thread, so they're easy to spot) right here.
Thank you, TheBatafour! This being a TL about pop culture, I felt it only right to obey the biggest maxim of show business: always leave the audience wanting more!
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But I suppose eventually I ought to write something else. The question is... what?
Well, in my time off I've thought about it. Technically I have a pending project to which I ought to return, which is Harry Potter and the Small Screen. Of course, that was always a side project and it would likely fall behind anything else I wanted to write in precedence as well.
What I really want to write - my magnum opus, the Treemonisha to my "Maple Leaf Rag", which should give you some idea of the time period in which the POD is set - is a TL which would require a great deal of research on my part, but also one which would allow me to depict the birth, infancy, adolescence, and maturity of the three dominant mass media of the 20th century: motion pictures, radio, and of course television. But it's a very daunting endeavour, especially as a direct follow-up to TWR.
Then there's the TL I was going to write before TWR, which I was working up the nerve to start before someone beat me to the punch, a timeline about one of my favourite Kings of England, the shrewd and frugal Henry VII Tudor (who deserves a much higher administrative score than the one EUIV gives him, for the record), and his elder son, Arthur, surviving. After all, I started out a fan of Before 1900 before I moved over to this forum, and even in writing this TL I occasionally let my love of monarchical and dynastic machinations shine through.
And of course, there's the spiritual successor to TWR itself, with a POD set very near this TL's conclusion. However, that's very much in the embryonic stages at the moment, more a series of events I'd like to see happen, completely lacking the backbone throughline that TWR enjoyed. I originally thought about writing this as a TLIAW, and I just might do so, since I'm just setting myself up to fail if I were to write something very much in the same style and vein as TWR... right after having finished TWR.
That's all the AH-related writing I've been considering. There's also non-AH, as I did write TWR at least in part to hone my general writing skills; I've hit upon a few ideas which have piqued my interest, though not being alternate history, they are of course beyond the scope of this forum and certainly this thread.
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Wow, those all sound like Tls I want to read!
I don't think that third one would be "setting yourself up for failure"; though I might agree it would better to do one in between, instead of jumping into it right away. (As much as I want it now! *falls down egg chute to the incinerator*)
Maybe the Henry VII TL, then the not sequel, then 'the Brainbin Rag'......Oooh "Ragtime to Prime-Time"!
Brainbin said:
I quite sympathize (empathize?) with that, it's why my own TL is stuck in development hell. I'm trying to figure out how to make it flow, instead of looking like a glorified table of years & events (which is what it was). Combine that with once I started doing actual research, I ended up changing things I never meant or wanted to. (Over the weekend, I accidentally butterflied Abraham Lincoln's Presidency away!)
Still though, it's entirely up to you; just know that whatever you start writing next, you've already got a built in audience.
Well, @Brainbin looks like you're not stuck for either projects or readers!
Indeed, I'm currently working on the 3rd complete rewrite of my Legacy of the Angevins which has turned my list of years into a series of interconnected "articlets" complete with both ATL and OTL footnotes! I've had to revise my POD to tidy up Henry II and it's massively changed the original inheritance patterns I had going.
Indeed, I'm currently working on the 3rd complete rewrite of my Legacy of the Angevins which has turned my list of years into a series of interconnected "articlets" complete with both ATL and OTL footnotes! I've had to revise my POD to tidy up Henry II and it's massively changed the original inheritance patterns I had going.
Now that I would be expectionally interested in. I have found the AH possibilities of Prince Arthur fasinating since finding out he was buried in my City. So many paths though- what happens to Henry? Is Arthur ill but survives? Relations with the Church? How does Monesticism devolp without the Desloation? when does Arthur ascend to the Monarchy, and does he have heirs? Etc etc etc
Going to have to dig around in 'pre-1900' a bit more and find that other TL you mentioned too- thanks for the heads up!
If you dont go down the Arthur, Rex route- please, please continue Harry Potter and the Small Screen.