Alternate 1970's Scenarios.....

More POD's

ABC reaches a last minute deal with Glen Larson in Spring 1979 and renews BATTLESTAR GALACTICA for a Second Season

Paramount quits jerking Gene Roddenberry around and makes a final decision to have Star Trek return as a regular syndicated series in Fall 1978 as part of their new PARAMOUNT TV NETWORK Family of Stations

I think, if Paramount actually did launch their network and featured Star Trek: Phase 2 and it was successful (especially if they could lure Nimoy back...) and considering the Sci-Fi boom Star Wars triggered in '77, ABC definately renews Battlestar Galactica.

Look for both series to produce "The Motion Picture"s by 1980-81 especially after Empire blows the roof off the box office in 1980.
 
Or

What If Hammer Films is better run and managed in the 1970's lasting long enough for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to buy the Studio and use it as a creative outlet for more great films ?:cool:
 
Entertainment/Technical
Philips decide to launch their first VCR, the N1500 series, under the Magnavox brand name, in the U.S in 1973, beating Sony's Betamax format by 2-3 years, thus generating a "Video format war" in the mid 70's ...
British T.V companies decide not to recycle their 2inch videotapes, so much, with the results that the "Great Missing Episode" scandal, never happens, or the amount lost is reduced...
Grahame Crowden becomes the 4th Doctor, as the stage play he was due to appear in flops, & as a result he's available...
 
No, Nixon is unbeatable in 1972. Once McGovern pulled his "Indira", you were pretty much finished until 1992. Our last moment of insanity lasted one year.
 
Harrison Ford decides not to take the role of Han Solo in STAR WARS

Easy, he doesn't take the job as a carpenter that Lucas offered to get him on the set. Christopher Walken or Nick Nolte get the part of Han Solo.

Tom Sellek takes the role of Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 
Cartrivision

1. Cartridge Television, Inc, starts developing their new product earlier in the 1960's. They decide to make this product a standalone rather than with a TV. They also allow for rewinding, and they make the tapes better so they can stand up to humidity. They release this new product, Cartrivision, in stores in April, 1971, at a much more affordable price, and it starts a home recording craze:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartrivision

2. Joe Roth doesn't die of Melanoma in Feb. 1977. He is drafted by Cincinnati after they trade their two first round picks to Seattle to get him.

3. Willis Reed can't go in Game 7 of the 70 Finals, and the Lakers win.

4. David Thompson and Marvin Webster, drafted by Atlanta in the 1975 draft, stay with the team rather than go to the Denver Nuggets.
 
Great Northern Railway stays independent.

Northern Pacific Railway stays independent.

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad stays independent.

Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway stays independent.

Western Maryland Railway stays independent.

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway stays independent.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stays independent.

Erie Lackawanna Railway doesnt go bankrupt and stays independent.

Lehigh Valley Railroad doesnt go bankrupt and stays independent.

Reading Railroad doesnt go bankrupt and stays independent.

Central Railroad of New Jersey doesn't go bankrupt and stays independent.
 
1. Cartridge Television, Inc, starts developing their new product earlier in the 1960's. They decide to make this product a standalone rather than with a TV. They also allow for rewinding, and they make the tapes better so they can stand up to humidity. They release this new product, Cartrivision, in stores in April, 1971, at a much more affordable price, and it starts a home recording craze:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartrivision

2. Joe Roth doesn't die of Melanoma in Feb. 1977. He is drafted by Cincinnati after they trade their two first round picks to Seattle to get him.

3. Willis Reed can't go in Game 7 of the 70 Finals, and the Lakers win.

4. David Thompson and Marvin Webster, drafted by Atlanta in the 1975 draft, stay with the team rather than go to the Denver Nuggets.

If Cartrivision had been launched in 1971, would there have been a "Cartrivision 2" machine to compete with Sony's Beta 1 & Philips/Magnavox N1500 series machines in 1975/1976...?
Certainly a successful Cartrivision, might have encouraged Philips to launch the N1501/N1502 in the U.S, as a rival to Cartrivision, thus starting off a Format War, in say, 1974...?
 
Cartrivision

If Cartrivision had been launched in 1971, would there have been a "Cartrivision 2" machine to compete with Sony's Beta 1 & Philips/Magnavox N1500 series machines in 1975/1976...?
Certainly a successful Cartrivision, might have encouraged Philips to launch the N1501/N1502 in the U.S, as a rival to Cartrivision, thus starting off a Format War, in say, 1974...?

I never heard of any further plans by the Cartrivision company, but I guess that would have been possible if their system would have been a hit in 1971.
 
Star Wars

If Harrison Ford didn't get to portray Han Solo in Star Wars, it could either be Charlton Heston or John Travolta that can take the role instead.
 
If Harrison Ford didn't get to portray Han Solo in Star Wars, it could either be Charlton Heston or John Travolta that can take the role instead.

Actually, I've seen clips of the screen tests.

If it hadn't been Ford, it would've been Kurt Russell.

He was great in the clips from the screen tests I've seen and the ones he did with Mark Hamill showed good chemistry.

Put it another way, if they'd done it with anyone other than those two (Russell or Ford), with Dennis Quaid being the possible exception, the role just wouldn't have worked the way that made Han Solo such a fan favorite.
 
If Harrison Ford didn't get to portray Han Solo in Star Wars, it could either be Charlton Heston or John Travolta that can take the role instead.
I see that no one's mentioned Christopher Walken, for the role of Han Solo, as reportedly, he was in the running for the part...
 
Rock and Roll:

1972: Stax Records (a label that usually signs black talent) never decides to sign the group Big Star:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Star#Discography

As a result, they sign with a bigger label, and their first record (titled #1 Record. One of the songs is called In the Street, the song that is used for the opening of That 70's Show) gets marketed much better and has some top-40 hits, butterflying away a lot of the conflict in the band.

Sports (these involve Penn State):

1968: (This is 60's, but it has more influence on the 70's): Despite being advised against it by his friend and former roommate at Army (Penn St. lacrosse coach Richard Pincek), Bobby Knight decides to interview for Penn State's head basketball coach opening, and he ends up getting the job. Pincek is disappointed, but Knight tells him that, while football is big at Penn State, the coach hasn't been there that long, and he has heard that teams are making him offers to leave.

1971: Knight gets proven right. The Packers decide to offer Joe Paterno their coach and GM jobs instead of Dan Devine, and he accepts. Coming with him to Green Bay: A young assistant by the name of JERRY SANDUSKY!!
 
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TV

1. Ian Richardson becomes Dr Who in 1970 and Patrick Mower in 1974
2. Star Trek: Excelsior runs between 1972 and 1977
3. ITV 2 and BBC 3 three launch in 1975

POLITICS

1. Harold Wilson resigns in 1970. Jim Callaghan becomes Labour leader and becomes PM of a Labour/Liberal coalition in 1974
2.Keith Joseph become Tory leader in 1975
3. Northern Ireland declares independence

WORLD

1.No Watergate, Nixon leaves in 1974 hailed as the greatest president of all time
2.Rhodesia and South Africa form political union
3. No Munich tragedy

TECHNOLOGY

Sony and Atari join forces and creates the world's first home entertainment system of TV, VCR, Stereo and video game machine.
 
WI the International Rugby Board doesn't prohibit a World Cup Competition, and the first Rugby World Cup takes place in England in 1979, 1975 or 1971? (Assuming the same 4-year cycle of "year before a leap year" as OTL)
 
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