Merry Christmas everyone! I've made a list - of all the comments made on this thread - and I'm checking it twice, and now I'll share my responses, which you may find naughty or nice. But I
can promise that there won't be any lumps of coal!
UFO: 1999 is likely made ITTL.
I've already been asked to earmark its predecessor series. It
does look like a little nudge is all it needs to become a reality.
Thank you! Though I'm afraid in most cases I'm more familiar with the stories themselves than the people who were writing them...
Fair enough. But only being familiar with them is still valuable to me, because (if I'm doing my job right) you can judge for yourself which of the stories would best fit in the culture of TTL; those aren't
necessarily the ones that
you like the most, of course
Kaiphranos said:
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.
Well, as I'm sure you know, IOTL, the James Bond franchise itself went the
IN SPACE! direction with
Moonraker. That does sound like it would be tremendously appealing. As for Anderson - unless he's a Bill Watterson type, I don't think he would refuse a big pile of cash.
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.
Ah, so there's more to you than just knowing your Beatles songs!
Knowing about the lag is very informative and helpful, so thank you.
ChucK Y said:
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".
So you're holding out on me! Remember, this timeline isn't a utopia, however much it may
seem to be at the moment for some of you
If executives find a "marketable" idea, they
will try to take hold of it, and then they
will buy it out from the original author, who, however refined and principled he may seem, will almost certainly yield to the almighty dollar.
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.
He consulted Gene Coon, did he? Well obviously I'm going to
have to do something with
that.
Glen said:
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.
Excellent point. Given the incredible response to my query, it looks like I'll be doing an entire post about science-fiction series of the Moonshot Lunacy period IOTL, and I'll be sure to talk about pitches.
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.
That's an excellent list; thank you very much for the link!
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.
An obvious possibility. Apparently Frank Herbert was actually a fan of the OTL David Lynch film, for whatever that's worth - so if a proper adaptation is made during his lifetime, I think it's fair to say he'll be game for anything.
Phew, had to skim over some of the last few pages because there's so much. This is an amazing TL.
Thank you very much
And welcome aboard!
DTF955Baseballfan said:
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."
The thing about "M*A*S*H" IOTL is that it was basically a dramedy from the beginning - there was never any canned laughter in the operating room scenes, and the first "serious" episode was all the way back in Season 1 ("Sometimes You Hear The Bullet"). Medical shows
were popular in the early 1970s, yes, but they were primarily dramas: for example, "Marcus Welby, M.D.", was the #1 show of 1970-71. I realize that "M*A*S*H" has a lot of devotees, but it's not going to happen ITTL, and I'm afraid you'll just have to accept my reasoning.
DTF955Baseballfan said:
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.
You're now the second person to have asked me to save Anissa Jones (the actress in question). And as I said previously, she really had a hard-knock life, even notwithstanding being forced to play a little girl on "Family Affair". Given that she overdosed at age
18, it may already be too late for her, unfortunately
As for Betty Ford, she does have
some social standing ITTL - her husband is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Granted, she's not as visible as the First Lady, but she
does have a voice.
DTF955Baseballfan said:
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.
There actually
is another such show that aired in both OTL and TTL that became popular (higher ratings than "The Brady Bunch" IOTL), and is often remembered alongside it. "
Hello world, here's a song that we're singing ~ Come on, get happy!"
DTF955Baseballfan said:
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.
Especially since the 1970s are the decade of politically conscious sitcoms, as we'll soon discover.
DTF955Baseballfan said:
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?
I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
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...
Great minds think alike, Mal
Thanks for your other suggestions, too. This diversity of opinions helps me to make choices, by looking for areas of agreement.
An American version of the Tomorrow People could play well to a young audience but might not convince sceptical Executives.
I've heard of that show - it was described to me as making
Doctor Who look lavish by comparison
Falkenburg said:
However, if the experienced writing and effects teams coming out of Star Trek could be switched onto the new show.
I'm developing some ideas for them, don't you worry about that.
Falkenburg said:
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!
)
I hope you took
two shots there, since you said the "i" word in the previous paragraph. (Deliberately, I'm sure, Mr. Almost-Entirely-Teetotal
) On a serious note, you should know that people behind The Muppets pitched the show to everyone under the sun in the United States
first; Lew Grade was their last-ditch effort to get some kind of a show going
somewhere. Desilu would certainly know about them long before they would get to that point ITTL, making the rest of your point moot, I'm afraid.
But thank you for the rest of your suggestions. And glad to see you're still reading along
Some of the above suggestions could be adapted to series TV. Better options?
Wow Those are an awful lot of links. Thank you for doing so much of the legwork for me!
phx1138 said:
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 never promised you a rose garden. You're going to have to take the good with the bad, I'm afraid. There
will be terrible adaptations of some works - if only because of Sturgeon's Law, not to mention the plethora of examples IOTL. (Besides, Buck Rogers
has been done well.
Duck Dodgers in the 24&1/2th Century, anyone? Yes, parody still counts.)
phx1138 said:
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.
The thing is, executives are going to want premises with positive, optimistic tones (similar to
Star Trek, and reflective of the public mood ITTL). Anything which cuts against that grain is far less likely to be picked up.
phx1138 said:
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.
Serling's series is definitely going to focus more on the macabre, as it did IOTL, though he may well sneak in some "straight" science fiction if the mood strikes him. Your idea is also a very sound one.
phx1138 said:
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.
Sorry, that's too far ahead for me to answer right now with any kind of certainty.
phx1138 said:
Prosit.
In vino veritas
Thank you, Evermourn, and welcome aboard!
Evermourn said:
PLEASE don't butterfly away Tom Baker's Dr Who, although I suspect that will be the result.
It's too early right now to say - first we'll have to see how this will affect the length of Pertwee's tenure. That said, ITTL, the Third Doctor is going to become
the Doctor to American audiences, rather than the Fourth Doctor as IOTL. So from
that perspective, it really doesn't matter
who replaces Pertwee. Though it may still be Baker. Then again, it might be an
American
Evermourn said:
I think Jon Pertwee's doctor would clash with Kirk at first, not a great personality mix.
Well, Kirk doesn't like mysteries. They give him a bellyache, and he'll have a beauty right after he meets the Doctor.
Evermourn said:
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.
That's a cute idea, but I don't know. Why would any of the crew of the
Enterprise want to explore they universe with a mysterious stranger when they
already do that for a living, with all their friends aboard, and loved ones never more than a subspace radio hail away?
A (West)
German show? Which already ended before butterflies from the POD could even reach Europe? Doubtful, I'm afraid.
While I don't see the Doctor Who impact as inevitable, I certainly see it as a fun and plausible result of the changes ITTL
Thank you, Glen, that was precisely my intention
Glen said:
my God, with the lead-in to Laugh In as their timeslot, I have no doubt that the good Doctor will implant himself in the consciousness of the youth of this nation perhaps as firmly as Star Trek!
I'm not sure about
that - but I do definitely see something of a Beatles vs. Elvis situation developing vis-à-vis the two programs ITTL; one of those situations where everybody wins. (Well, except for Elvis. And the Beatles. But it's not a
perfect comparison.)
Glen said:
Damn better America where everyone remembers Doctor Who with nostalgia rather than the Brady Bunch (sorry those who love the Brady Bunch).
Don't worry; I don't think any of them are reading this TL. Otherwise I think I would have heard from them by now...
Glen said:
A Doctor Who Star Trek crossover certainly has been contemplated (and even done in the comics) IOTL. Should be - interesting....
And, IOTL, there were tentative plans for one between the modern incarnation of
Doctor Who and the most recent
Star Trek series, before the latter was cancelled. I'm not sure how that would have developed; sounds like an interesting idea for a timeline!
Glen said:
Love how you got the Queen of Reruns to save vintage Doctor Who, by the way!
I thought that was an appropriate touch. Look at all the good That Wacky Redhead can do!
Bravo Brainbin!
Thank you, thank you
Falkenburg said:
An intriguing dilemma.
Higher production values and greater prestige at the cost of idiosyncracies and innovation.
A tough choice.
Yes, and very similar to the one that faced
Star Trek ITTL. (Also, I hope you're not planning on
driving.
)
Falkenburg said:
On the subject of a Crossover Companion, there can be only one possible choice.
She certainly fits the stereotype of a comely young woman, doesn't she?
Falkenburg said:
Seasons Greetings and appreciative thanks for your work.
All the same to you, and thank you for reading, and your many wonderful comments!
Falkenburg, great minds think alike on the Doctor's companion.
I wonder if it's the miniskirt
One warning is that series eight of Doctor Who sees the introduction of the Master. Keeping him as part of the crossover is awesome. Loosing him would be catastrophic.
Yes, I am aware that the crossover arc is replacing the OTL introduction of the Master arc. We'll have to see how the writers deal with it.
Perhaps he could be the 'mirror Doctor'? Incidentally, did TOS (or TAS) ever consider going back to the mirror universe?
Another
intriguing suggestion. As far as I know, no they didn't; it took the later generation of writers to come up with that idea. (Though, as with "Space Seed", there's obvious sequel potential there.)
Fair warning, tho: aside praise for rescuing the history (destruction of which appalls me for anything much short of "Gilligan's Island"), I have no comment on The Doc. Not a fan.
Really? Colour me surprised. (I'm not a fan either, actually. But I just couldn't resist.)
First off, I've been loving this crossover; prior to hearing about this I've been studiously sticking to ASB.
Thank you
very much for that compliment
I know how segregated the ASB section is from the rest of this forum (or at least, that's what I've
heard, having never been there myself). I'm flattered that I'm the one who lured you over. I hope you continue to enjoy my TL!
krinsbez said:
Second, I DEMAND a detailed summary of the abovementioned backdoor pilot!
I wouldn't
dream of taking so long to build up to this and then not elaborate on it, don't worry about that.
It seems likely that Robert Holmes and Barry Lett would be involved in the production from the Doctor Who side. The Master really is likely to be introduced in the crossover, and probably his machinations could be used as some of the impetous for the crossover to happen. We might see the Time Lords send the Doctor to the time/place of the Enterprise to deal with the Master.
One of the most vital questions to answer would be, would the Doctor and/or the Enterprise be thrown into an alternate universe (one to the other) to encounter each other, or will the crossover establish that, ITTL, the universes of Doctor Who and Star Trek are the same universe?
If they go same universe, then the two most difficult points of canon to reconcile will be the Dalek Invasion of Earth and the presence of the Cybermen. On the other hand, they didn't try real hard in either show to reconcile historical points, and as we are still relatively early in the development of both universes, it could simply be ignored by the writers of the time, and later writers would deal with it.
You're asking all the right questions, and making a lot of very logical hypotheses. So, naturally, I won't confirm or deny anything.
Thank you to everyone for your incredible comments! I can't believe I've made it to 10 pages already, even though, in the grand scheme of things, this timeline is really just getting started! The "coming attractions" post, outlining my plans for the next few updates, should be ready either today or tomorrow. I wish you all the very best of the season! Eat, drink, and be merry!