That Wacky Redhead

[Brainbin]

Welcome, everyone, to page 52! And thank you for your thoughts on my latest update. Now for my responses...

I applaud you for this, because Sellers is a much underrated actor IMO.

I guess it depends on which circles you frequent, because I've seldom heard him described as anything less than one of the finest comic actors of the 20th century.

I did like her in "The Morning After" (if it seemed a bit autobiographical). And morbid? I will never, ever forgive [verboten] Jane. Any bad result would please me. I also have a strong tendency to want to kill them off to avoid their careers reviving.

Butterflying away her OTL actions is an inevitable effect of prematurely ending the overseas quagmire. I personally agree that she doesn't deserve the resultant boost (or, more accurately, continued boon) to her career, but it would ring false if I didn't recognize it as basically inevitable (even IOTL, her career staged a remarkable recovery).

Oh, I agree. This is a story that really works in B&W, a real noir classic, up there with "The Third Man" &, more recently, "Momento".

The film will also age much better in black-and-white, especially considering those dreadful washed-out colour palettes that were so popular in the 1970s.

You'll realize that comes as not the slightest surprise to either of us. I'll make you a deal, tho. Should I ever do my own TL & mention it, I'll give it a good (if brief) review, a couple extra mil at the box office, & a Hugo nomination, just for you.

Thank you, although it was already the #1 film of 1985 IOTL, and has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.5 on IMDb (good for the Top 100 films of all-time on the site). Certainly, more awards recognition is welcome. (It actually copped a screenplay nomination at the Oscars, which, as a sage troper once remarked, is practically winning Best Picture for a science-fiction teen comedy film; it also did well at the Saturns but really should have sweeped them, IMO).

I don't know enough about him, but as Harry Callahan once said, "A man's got to know his limitations." If Kubruck did, more power to him.

That's why he never made A.I. within his lifetime, as he felt that the technology was inadequate to produce his true vision. (Pre-production began in the early 1990s, with Joseph Mazzello in the "David" role). After he died, it was handed off to Spielberg, who of course cast Osment (his original choice for Harry Potter, if you can believe it).

Perhaps. I would argue, without said quagmire, the demand for war pix might be lessened. Especially bad ones.

My reasoning is: the vast majority of Americans will seek solace in past glories, after having backed down when outright victory was still seen as a very distinct possibility (and note that this will have a cumulative effect with Korea, from the generation before, which had much the same unsatisfying "resolution").

For curiosity's sake, care to offer an opinion on the chances for Mutual or DuMont surviving longer?

As far as I'm concerned, DuMont was basically doomed after Jackie Gleason - the real "Great One" - was lured over to CBS in 1952. The only way they could possibly transcend their lack of capital and infrastructure was with top-quality product (talent), which they couldn't attract without more capital. A classic vicious circle. As for why Mutual didn't venture into television back in the late 1940s? Your guess is as good as mine! (If they had, there would indeed have been four networks - down from five in the mid-1950s).

Because of it "restricting free speech"? AFAIK, a licence to own a radio or TV has never been tried or challenged. (I also wonder if a receiver tax wouldn't have the same effect, with no prospect of challenge.)

As I'm not an expert on constitutional law, I can't say with certainty that such a fee would be struck down by the American courts, but I wanted to add that line for flavour text, to help demonstrate the differences between North America (as you're well aware, Canada doesn't have any such fees either, which, more than anything, explains why there are commercials on the CBC), and Europe. Certainly, far more Americans would vigorously contest such a fee than Europeans have done.

A solid update, Brainbin. Some subtle shifts here, as would be expected given the events thus far.

Thank you. And, indeed, this update is one of my more subtle ones, similar to "Night and Day" from earlier on. Establishing the situation rather than focusing on changes.

I did note that our 'American' companion will only be on Doctor Who for two years...that certainly clears a path for a possible Lis Sladen companion - Just Do It!

We'll have to see who will be replacing Booth as the Doctor's new American companion (as previous updates have indicated, he'll have one throughout the "Yank Years", which are ongoing as of the 1973-74 season, the third season of Doctor Who stateside), as she would never agree to return for a third season.

So no Channel 4 at all ITTL ?

IOTL, there were plans for what was called "ITV2" (but was effectively a second private channel, not the actual ITV2 that later emerged), from the early 1960s; a second public channel was chosen instead, and for 18 years, plans were continually made to launch a fourth channel, to no avail. I just thought that made for an interesting point of comparison with the 31-year-long struggle for a fourth network in the United States (from the collapse of DuMont in 1956 to the launching of FOX in 1987).

The Licence fee might have had something to do with the slow take-up of Colour TV. There were seperate fees depending upon whether you had a colour tv or not, with the colour tv licence being significantly higher than the black-and-white one. There was also a Radio Licence fee (for those with radios but no tv), but I think that was discontinued in the early seventies. It was probably costing more to collect than it was bringing in.

That is a very reasonable explanation, I agree. It does amuse me, the stories I've read, about how programmers contrived to get audiences to take the plunge on Colour TV: apparently there was a very popular snooker [NB: a form of billiards, similar to pool] tournament program on the air called Pot Black, which produced the famous phrase: "For those of you watching in black-and-white, the pink is next to the green." Better that than being in the room with Colonel Mustard and the candlestick, at least.

There's a classic sketch by Cleese and the Two Ronnies that explains class relationships.

Very well done - succinct, and with good use of visual cues. And it reminds how tall Cleese is, and how short Corbett is.

Presumably that's more or less the same cast as IOTL ?

Most likely. Peter Sallis, of course, will be involved; if only because I actually know him from somewhere else (Wallace and Gromit, of course).

Somehow I get the feeling that this second film isn't going to be Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Maybe the greater success of the first film will lead to the second also being a compilation of sketches - something like The Meaning of Life, perhaps.

We'll visit the Pythons, their legacy, and their career after Flying Circus in due time.

Dr Who is, of course, an exception to that - it normally had 26 half-hour episodes in a season.

British Brevity seems to vary by genre. Sitcoms and sketch comedies are pretty uniformly six to eight episodes per season; action-adventure and science-fiction generally managed the "full" (by American standards) run; and, of course, soap operas like Coronation Street went above and beyond that.

I'm glad to see that (so far), yoou haven't butterflied away I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. If you do, then the ghost of Humph might appear and force you to sing the words of Faith of the Heart to the tune of Scooby Doo, Where Are You ?

I managed to avoid "Faith of the Heart" for the longest time before someone convinced me, against my better judgement, to give it a listen; and quite honestly, being set to the tune of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (the best thing about that show, by the way) would no doubt greatly improve it.

The next update will mark our formal return to Appendix B! We'll be looking at the politics of the three largest economies in the Anglosphere in the early 1970s. I'm continuing to co-ordinate the post with the help of my consultants, and I hope to have it ready in the next few days! Until then.

 

[pbaustin2]

All the key cast members of Blackadder were born before the POD so will anything happen there?

Speaking of Doctor Who, there was a wonderful moment in the McCoy story I just watched - The Curse of Fenric - the soldiers have been drained by the vampires and been dragged to Fenric's feet (everyone is looking at the ground at the start of the scene, with a look of lustful hunger in their eyes), then comes the "So very English - everything stops for tea" joke - funny, until you realise what he means, then you just shudder.

I doubt that the USian-ised Doctor Who of this timeline would ever reach such cleverness and sophistication.

 

[Glen]

We'll have to see who will be replacing Booth as the Doctor's new American companion (as previous updates have indicated, he'll have one throughout the "Yank Years", which are ongoing as of the 1973-74 season, the third season of Doctor Who stateside), as she would never agree to return for a third season.

I could see Lis Salden being cast as part of a reaction to those who worry that the Doctor is getting too Americanified - and the counter-reaction that the Americans want an American companion - leading to two companions (for which there are plenty of precedent) - I could see Lis Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith (or whatever her character's name might be) and some American companion euqivalent to Harry Sullivan. When the show eventually goes solo British broadcasting, then it could be that the American Harry gets axed, leaving Lis as the one true companion.

Just thinking out loud....

 

[Richter10]

> Well, in response to your appeal, Richter, I just have to say that it looks > like Nigel is very much on to something!

Thank you!

I was wondering: and the careers of authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke? The Moonshot Lunacy gave a bigger profile for their works?

Clarke, in special, would publish in 1979 "The Fountains of Paradise" - about the concept of Space Elevator - an idea that maybe would be more considerated in ITTL?

And Stephen King, whose first books would be released around this time, ITTL?

The discussion about Jane Fonda reminded me of both the movie "The China Syndrome" and the upcoming Three Mile Island Meltdown - both are coming or are butterflied away? And Hitchcock's final movies?

Thanks

 

[THE OBSERVER]

The discussion about Jane Fonda reminded me of both the movie "The China Syndrome" and the upcoming Three Mile Island Meltdown - both are coming or are butterflied away? And Hitchcock's final movies?

It would be nice to see The Short Night made ITTL, with Sean Connery, and be a success.

 

[Orville_third]

Are the German Monty Python episodes still made?

 

[NCW8]

My reasoning is: the vast majority of Americans will seek solace in past glories, after having backed down when outright victory was still seen as a very distinct possibility (and note that this will have a cumulative effect with Korea, from the generation before, which had much the same unsatisfying "resolution").

Will there be a greater interest in WWII among US audiences in the seventies ? If so then maybe the British tv series Colditz might be broadcast in the US (IOTL, it was a BBC co-production with Universal)

IOTL, there were plans for what was called "ITV2" (but was effectively a second private channel, not the actual ITV2 that later emerged), from the early 1960s; a second public channel was chosen instead, and for 18 years, plans were continually made to launch a fourth channel, to no avail. I just thought that made for an interesting point of comparison with the 31-year-long struggle for a fourth network in the United States (from the collapse of DuMont in 1956 to the launching of FOX in 1987).

Yes, our tv set in the seventies even had the channel button labbelled for ITV2. As you say, The Channel 4 that was actually started was a very strange beast - publically owned but getting its revenues from adverts. In the early days, it showed some very weird programs.

That is a very reasonable explanation, I agree. It does amuse me, the stories I've read, about how programmers contrived to get audiences to take the plunge on Colour TV: apparently there was a very popular snooker [NB: a form of billiards, similar to pool] tournament program on the air called Pot Black, which produced the famous phrase: "For those of you watching in black-and-white, the pink is next to the green."

That quotes up there with the Cricket comentator who said, "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey".

If anything, Pot Black had the opposite effect of that desired by making Snooker more popular.

Most likely. Peter Sallis, of course, will be involved; if only because I actually know him from somewhere else (Wallace and Gromit, of course).

That's good - the series wouldn't be the same without him. It's hrad to imagine it without Bill Owen either. The third member of the trio is obviously easier to replace as Michael Bates left after a couple of seasons IOTL.

I could see Lis Salden being cast as part of a reaction to those who worry that the Doctor is getting too Americanified - and the counter-reaction that the Americans want an American companion - leading to two companions (for which there are plenty of precedent) - I could see Lis Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith (or whatever her character's name might be) and some American companion euqivalent to Harry Sullivan. When the show eventually goes solo British broadcasting, then it could be that the American Harry gets axed, leaving Lis as the one true companion.

Having two or more companions was pretty much the norm IOTL before Jo Grant. Of course ITTL, you already have the Brigadier as the British companion, so for your plan to work we need to replace him, which is pretty much what happened when Harry Sullivan arrived IOTL.

All the key cast members of Blackadder were born before the POD so will anything happen there?

First Rowan Atkinson needs to get established on tv, which happened with Not the Nine O'Clock News IOTL.

Which reminds me, what is happening with the career of Kenny Everett ? IOTL he was sacked by the BBC in 1970 for suggesting that the wife of the transport minister had bribed her driving test examiner. If the political situation is different ITTL then that might not happen. Mind you, Everett seems to have made a career out of being sacked by the BBC, as referred to in the opening sketch of Not the Nine O'Clock News.


Cheers,
Nigel

 

[The Professor]

Nice update BB though my liver had to do an intervention.

And however did you get Thande to advise on Python?

 

[Glen]

At NCW8 - The Brigadier is in a class by himself. Also, with the greater budget we will likely see more extraterrestrial non-UNIT episodes, thus there would be a niche for another companion if desired. Besides which, there has always been well established that we can have THREE companions<wink>.

 

[Glen]

At Brainbin - sorry that the Doctors in the House series didn't get a mention.

 

[NCW8]

At NCW8 - The Brigadier is in a class by himself. Also, with the greater budget we will likely see more extraterrestrial non-UNIT episodes, thus there would be a niche for another companion if desired. Besides which, there has always been well established that we can have THREE companions<wink>.

Arguably Benton and Yates were the third companion during the UNIT years. Actually that might be a way to get the American male companion. UNIT is supposed to be an international organisation, so they could send Yates to Peru and replace him with an American officer. Plenty of opportunity there for discussions between him and the Brig on US vs UK military methods.

Cheers,
Nigel

 

[THE OBSERVER]

It'd be criminal not to have Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.

 

[unclepatrick]

It'd be criminal not to have Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.

Tom Baker got the role of Dcotor Who mainly because of his role in The Golden Voyage of SInbad. But he was not the First Choice for that role. The actor originally considered was Christopher Lee.
I remember a interview I show with Lee in the early 1970's in which he said was was tired of be cast as the villian and wanted to be the Hero.
A Christopher Lee as the Doctor could be very interesting.

 

[Glen]

Arguably Benton and Yates were the third companion during the UNIT years. Actually that might be a way to get the American male companion. UNIT is supposed to be an international organisation, so they could send Yates to Peru and replace him with an American officer. Plenty of opportunity there for discussions between him and the Brig on US vs UK military methods.

Cheers,
Nigel

Just right Nigel! Maybe they can even dig up a real American for the role.

 

[unclepatrick]

I would love to have seen a UNIT series on BBC. The success of UFO and Doctor Who would make it more likley that UNIT series would be made. It would have most likely been produced by Douglas Camfield and at first would most likely have had Malcolm Hulke as the script editor. Hulke scripts for Doctor Who rarely had character that were Good or Evil but instead had character that would do bad things for the right reason. So we could expect very intelligent scripts with more complex character than were being seen in American TV at the time.

Other writters who would possibly written for A UNIT show included Robert Holmes, Dennis Spooner, Roiger Marshall,Tony Williams, and maybe Brian Clemens.

One possibilty as Director for some of the episodes would be Ridley Scott who directed episodes of Z Car and Adam Adamant Lives in the late 1960's before he did his first movie.

The characters for the show would include Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. Captain Mike Yate, and Sargeant Benton. It possible that the character of Harry Sullivan would be the medical officer. I would suspect that the BBC would create a female character for the show. If Sarah Jane Smith does not appear in the Doctor Who show, she could full that role.

 

[Glen]

Tom Baker got the role of Dcotor Who mainly because of his role in The Golden Voyage of SInbad. But he was not the First Choice for that role. The actor originally considered was Christopher Lee.
I remember a interview I show with Lee in the early 1970's in which he said was was tired of be cast as the villian and wanted to be the Hero.
A Christopher Lee as the Doctor could be very interesting.

actually he was recommended by the bbc head of serials who had directed him in play of the month. This still may happen or may not happen. Baker is actually less likely to be cast than Sladen who was recommended out of her work on z cars at an even earlier date and who had good chemistry with Pertwee. While I continue to make the point that Brainbin can still plausibly cast these two even this late in the timeline (and I would argue more likely event wise than Kojak occuring as in otl) he also has plenty of room for different casting.

While Christopher Lee may show up in Sinbad, it will not lead to a Who stint for Lee.

 

[Glen]

I would love to have seen a UNIT series on BBC. The success of UFO and Doctor Who would make it more likley that UNIT series would be made. It would have most likely been produced by Douglas Camfield and at first would most likely have had Malcolm Hulke as the script editor. Hulke scripts for Doctor Who rarely had character that were Good or Evil but instead had character that would do bad things for the right reason. So we could expect very intelligent scripts with more complex character than were being seen in American TV at the time.

Other writters who would possibly written for A UNIT show included Robert Holmes, Dennis Spooner, Roiger Marshall,Tony Williams, and maybe Brian Clemens.

One possibilty as Director for some of the episodes would be Ridley Scott who directed episodes of Z Car and Adam Adamant Lives in the late 1960's before he did his first movie.

The characters for the show would include Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. Captain Mike Yate, and Sargeant Benton. It possible that the character of Harry Sullivan would be the medical officer. I would suspect that the BBC would create a female character for the show. If Sarah Jane Smith does not appear in the Doctor Who show, she could full that role.

I pretty much agree with all the above. Female character? Bring back Liz Shaw!

 

[unclepatrick]

I just had a crazy thought. Christopher Lee as Sinbad. He could not be worst than John Phillip Law in Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

 

[phx1138]

I guess it depends on which circles you frequent, because I've seldom heard him described as anything less than one of the finest comic actors of the 20th century.

Comic, I entirely agree. I mean as a serious actor. IMO, the acting horsepower of Sellers & Lom in a serious production could be a hell of a film. (AFAIK, it's never been done.)

Butterflying away her OTL actions is an inevitable effect of prematurely ending the overseas quagmire. I personally agree that she doesn't deserve the resultant boost (or, more accurately, continued boon) to her career, but it would ring false if I didn't recognize it as basically inevitable (even IOTL, her career staged a remarkable recovery).

Understood. If it was me, I'd butterfly her out & claim other actors benefit at her expense because of them. Her tough luck.

Thank you, although it was already the #1 film of 1985 IOTL...actually copped a screenplay nomination at the Oscars, which, as a sage troper once remarked, is practically winning Best Picture for a science-fictionteen comedy film

I looked at the Hugos list after I posted that... As said, it'd probably be a different year, 'cause I'd give the '85 win to "Enemy Mine"...or do it a different year.

Osment (his original choice for Harry Potter, if you can believe it).

My reasoning is: the vast majority of Americans will seek solace in past glories, after having backed down when outright victory was still seen as a very distinct possibility (and note that this will have a cumulative effect with Korea, from the generation before, which had much the same unsatisfying "resolution").

Reasonable. IMO, it becomes a philosophical (creator) issue: do you want to use war films to stand in for something else? (Like, frex, crime films that are made OTL & wouldn't be ATL.)

As far as I'm concerned, DuMont was basically doomed after Jackie Gleason - the real "Great One" - was lured over to CBS in 1952. The only way they could possibly transcend their lack of capital and infrastructure was with top-quality product (talent), which they couldn't attract without more capital. A classic vicious circle. As for why Mutual didn't venture into television back in the late 1940s? Your guess is as good as mine! (If they had, there would indeed have been four networks - down from five in the mid-1950s).

Huh. Thx. I do agree on Gleason. He's up there with Carson as the single guy who could sink a network by leaving.

As I'm not an expert on constitutional law, I can't say with certainty that such a fee would be struck down by the American courts, but I wanted to add that line for flavour text, to help demonstrate the differences between North America (as you're well aware, Canada doesn't have any such fees either, which, more than anything, explains why there are commercials on the CBC), and Europe. Certainly, far more Americans would vigorously contest such a fee than Europeans have done.

Nor I. And I agree, resistance to a licence fee in the U.S. is likely to be strong. (Canada, maybe less so.)

(FYI, no comment on the content as such: I know almost nothing about Brit TV.)

very popular snooker tournament program on the air called Pot Black, which produced the famous phrase: "For those of you watching in black-and-white, the pink is next to the green."

Apparently, the popularity of snooker on TV helped sales of color TVs. (Or so I've read. Not that you could prove it by TSN, which prefers trick shot competitons... {Yes, I might've bought a color TV to watch snooker.})

I was wondering: and the careers of authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke? The Moonshot Lunacy gave a bigger profile for their works?

A good question IMO. To which I'd add, what about the likes of Beam Piper & Doc Smith? Or the chances of adapting (much) lesser-known works, like City in Chains (I think it's called...; a Quebec SF novel; 1890s?) or the 1888 Canadian SF novel(ette?) A Strange Manuscript found in a Copper Cylinder? Or even The Iron Heel?

And Stephen King, whose first books would be released around this time, ITTL?

Given King is dealing in horror, I don't see Carrie (frex) being affected. It's possible The Running Man is, because it's so weak on extrapolation & internal consistency (it appears to be an alternate history, but never mentions how it happens); with more focus on SF, maybe the standards are higher? (I wish.)

The discussion about Jane Fonda reminded me of both the movie "The China Syndrome" and the upcoming Three Mile Island Meltdown - both are coming or are butterflied away?
I'm not seeing any reason either would be. *SPS is unlikely to be important as a power supplier before 1979 AFAICT.

And Hitchcock's final movies?

I believe this is more likely to be impacted. (IDK enough about Hitch's filmog to say how...)

 

[Brainbin]

Wow! 18 replies in 24 hours. Thank you all for your eagerness to discuss the future possibilities of That Wacky Redhead, but I would like to make a very special request. Please stop discussing potential successor companions for Connie Booth/Linda Johnson, as the identity of her principal replacement has already been determined, and I am taking no further suggestions. Also, please stop discussing whether or not Tom Baker and/or Lis Sladen will ever assume their OTL roles on the program. I have actually received complaints from readers about it, and there is nothing more to be said. You have all made your opinions on the matter quite clear, and I assure you that they have been duly noted. Doctor Who will be revisited in the 1974-75 cycle, and many of your questions will be answered there and then - and no earlier. Thank you for your understanding.

All the key cast members of Blackadder were born before the POD so will anything happen there?

That would be telling

I doubt that the USian-ised Doctor Who of this timeline would ever reach such cleverness and sophistication.

We'll find out more about what creative concessions were made by producers to their American taskmasters in due time.

I was wondering: and the careers of authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke? The Moonshot Lunacy gave a bigger profile for their works?

That's a pretty safe bet, yes. I'm sorry that this timeline hasn't really focused on literature to any great extent (and nor has anyone else's, for that matter; I was just discussing that with one of my fellow writers today, actually). As a general rule, assume that the content of literature as the same ITTL as IOTL, at least by authors who were established as of the POD (late 1966, though butterflies would take a while to spread before they proliferate in the autumn of 1968).

Clarke, in special, would publish in 1979 "The Fountains of Paradise" - about the concept of Space Elevator - an idea that maybe would be more considerated in ITTL?

More thought would definitely be put into a Space Elevator ITTL, at least conceptually. Obviously, a prototype is much harder to field than one for SPS/Microwave.

And Stephen King, whose first books would be released around this time, ITTL?

What would book covers ITTL be without STEPHEN KING on them? Carrie will be published in the wake of The Exorcist ITTL, and more (many, many more) will follow.

The discussion about Jane Fonda reminded me of both the movie "The China Syndrome" and the upcoming Three Mile Island Meltdown - both are coming or are butterflied away? And Hitchcock's final movies?

We'll talk about the development of nuclear power ITTL in the near future. As for Hitchcock's final movies - he made three post-POD, none of which were anywhere near as significant as his earlier works. He's in the twilight of his career, sadly, though at least he won't suffer as ignoble an end as Billy Wilder.

It would be nice to see The Short Night made ITTL, with Sean Connery, and be a success.

Hitchcock was a very old man, and in very ill health, when development formally began on that one IOTL. I won't write it off, but don't count on it.

Are the German Monty Python episodes still made?

Yes, you can assume that they were still made ITTL.

Will there be a greater interest in WWII among US audiences in the seventies ? If so then maybe the British tv series Colditz might be broadcast in the US (IOTL, it was a BBC co-production with Universal)

That is a very fine suggestion, but the seasons are on the shorter side (only 13 episodes each), and extending them to a workable length for American consumption might capsize the intention to maintain strict historical accuracy (which is admirable, but definitely not something that Americans cared about, even with as sacrosanct a topic as WWII, until the 1990s). Also, I can't help but think that inevitable comparisons to Hogan's Heroes might emerge (yes, they're very different - but executives might not think so).

Which reminds me, what is happening with the career of Kenny Everett ? IOTL he was sacked by the BBC in 1970 for suggesting that the wife of the transport minister had bribed her driving test examiner. If the political situation is different ITTL then that might not happen.

The minister in question was part of the Tory government elected in 1970 IOTL, and telling you now would thus prematurely reveal the results of that election ITTL. Therefore, I behoove you to wait for the very next update, which will reveal those results. At that point, I'll allow you to infer his career trajectory ITTL.

Nice update BB though my liver had to do an intervention.

Thank you, Professor, and I hope all is well again!

And however did you get Thande to advise on Python?

Oh, don't worry, he didn't. Not directly, anyway - I did use his famous rant video as a resource (without informing him, as I would not be able to resist asking after the Thunderball review ). I asked him for a picture of British television in the 1970s, which he graciously provided (some of his suggestions were used in this update; others will follow in the future). It was also he who proposed The Two Ronnies as progenitor of the "Captain Kirk Interrupts" parody.

At Brainbin - sorry that the Doctors in the House series didn't get a mention.

Maybe in a future revision

Christopher Lee as the Doctor could be very interesting.

You'll have to take that up with vultan; there's a role which he would very much want Lee to take within that same timeframe

Comic, I entirely agree. I mean as a serious actor. IMO, the acting horsepower of Sellers & Lom in a serious production could be a hell of a film. (AFAIK, it's never been done.)

No, Sellers very much shied away from dramatic roles IOTL (Quilty in Lolita is about as close as he came). I'm allowing Fouche for two reasons: he's in a very desperate place at this point in his career, and needs the work; and he'll be allowed by Kubrick to play the character in a very dark comedic vein.

Reasonable. IMO, it becomes a philosophical (creator) issue: do you want to use war films to stand in for something else? (Like, frex, crime films that are made OTL & wouldn't be ATL.)

I'm willing to accept that people would watch war films because it encapsulates the "glory days". Why else would period pieces be so popular in Britain?

Huh. Thx. I do agree on Gleason. He's up there with Carson as the single guy who could sink a network by leaving.

Funny you should say that...

Apparently, the popularity of snooker on TV helped sales of color TVs. (Or so I've read.)

Yes, I've read the same, and apparently it's true, if Nigel is to be trusted.

A good question IMO. To which I'd add, what about the likes of Beam Piper & Doc Smith? Or the chances of adapting (much) lesser-known works, like City in Chains (I think it's called...; a Quebec SF novel; 1890s?) or the 1888 Canadian SF novel(ette?) A Strange Manuscript found in a Copper Cylinder? Or even The Iron Heel?

That will require further investigation on my part.