As Dreamers Do: American Magic Redux

[OldNavy1988]

The Simpsons

Launched on December 17, 1989 on Fox.

Production Companies
Gracie Films
20th Century-Fox Television
Klasky Csupo (Seasons 1-2)
Grantray-Lawrence (From Season 3 onward) [1]

Created by
Matt Groening

Developed by
Matt Groening
James L. Brooks
Sam Simon

Opening Theme by
Danny Elfman

Musical score by
Alf Clausen

Main Voices
Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Grandpa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney and Mayor Quimby
Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson
Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson
Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman and Ned Flanders
Hank Azaria as Moe and Chief Wiggum
Alex Desert as Carl and Officer Lou
Roscoe Lee Browne as Dr. Hibbert and Judge Snyder

Also Starring
Neel Singh [2] as Apu and Sanjay
Pamela Hayden as Milhouse van Houten
Russi Taylor as Martin Prince
Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel
Billy Connolly as Groundskeeper Willie
George Takei as Akira

Additional Voices
Albert Brooks
Phil Hartman
Doris Grau
Jo Ann Harris

Notes
[1] Film Roman took over staring in Season 4 IOTL.
[2] A fictional actor and standup comic. Born on April 25, 1957 in Seattle, WA. His first big break was a standup appearance on Arsenio in 1987 and a guest appearance on Garry Shandling's Show on Showtime a year later.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

A quick post on changes for Season 2 of the TMNT.

There are two other changes besides the logos at the end of every episode:
- Robert Ito takes over for Pat Morita as the voice of Shredder. Morita had signed on to provide Mr. Miyagi's voice in the Karate Kid animated series for CBS.
- Casey Jones (below), a hockey mask wearing vigilante, joins the cast with Roderick Toombs providing Casey's voice.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Any questions, comments, etc. before we get to 1990?

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Any questions, comments, etc. before we get to 1990?

Yeah. Will this year begin with a "State of the Animation Industry" like certain previous years?

 

[PNWKing]

How is Tarzan racist?

It is a colonialist fantasy of Africa.

 

[PNWKing]

Billy Connolly as Groundskeeper Willie

Considering that Groundskeeper Willie is a cult figure in Scotland IOTL, having an actual Scot voice Groundskeeper Willie will only boost his cult figure status there. In fact, I believe Billy Connolly's portrayal of Groundskeeper Willie will become the highlight of The Simpsons for everyone north of the England-Scotland border.

 

[OldNavy1988]

@TheFaultsofAlts

Before I get to the State of Animation for 1990, ITTL, KSCH-TV launched in '78 as an independent station and has been Sacramento's Fox station since the network launched in '86.

 

[Denliner]

Is the Lion King really the only certainty? I'm not sure if Jr. will reach the same conclusion to do the film, much less be the same story as OTL. That's just my opinion though. I'd prefer if Mulan was kept since that's a very famous Chinese story and that's something that Disney can naturally adapt.

Here's what I think could be some possible movies for ITTL's animation pipeline:

• Odysseus / Hercules
• Puss in Boots
• Hiawatha (as a replacement for Pocahontas)
• The Three Musketeers
• Baba Yaga

 

[OldNavy1988]

Is the Lion King really the only certainty? I'm not sure if Jr. will reach the same conclusion to do the film, much less be the same story as OTL. That's just my opinion though. I'd prefer if Mulan was kept since that's a very famous Chinese story and that's something that Disney can naturally adapt.

Here's what I think could be some possible movies for ITTL's animation pipeline:

• Odysseus / Hercules
• Puss in Boots
• Hiawatha (as a replacement for Pocahontas)
• The Three Musketeers
• Baba Yaga

Two other films that may qualify as certainties would be Aladdin for '92 and Anastasia for Thanksgiving or Christmas of '97. The latter may have to undergo several changes because of the controversy it generated IOTL.

All Dogs Go to Heaven and The Rescuers Down Under are set for 1990.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Before I get to the State of Animation for 1990, ITTL, KSCH-TV launched in '78 as an independent station and has been Sacramento's Fox station since the network launched in '86.

Welp, looks like my folks would have to try their hardest to pry me from the tube when Fox Kids and The Disney Afternoon are on. Sorry, Garfield, Mighty Mouse, and Amethyst, but you'll have one less viewer in your clutches.

 

[TheBeanieBaron]

One idea I have for a future Nelvana movie is Super Mario Bros (because of Hasbro's partership with Nelvana and Nintendo).

 

[QTXAdsy]

The Butter Battle Book wound up making the most money between the two. Time was criticized for its slow running time and overreliance on songs from the stage play.

Which ALW musical should be made first in your opinion?

Damn, wonder if Time might become more appreciated in the next few years?

For ALW, I would still like to see trilogy of Cats, Joseph and Starlight from Dreamworks as in the original TL though maybe they might come earlier here or end up like the original planned years from the original TL, though you can try for Phantom for an adaption which IIRC was planned for a film sometime in the early '90's but other things got in the way.

Hopefully that would give ideas for you and who would adapt Phantom here, likely it butterflies the 2004 version?

 

[OldNavy1988]

Walt Disney, Jr. and prominent Spanish government officials were on hand at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Disney company's next theme park venture in the Valencia/Alicante area.
- The New York Times

Simpson-Mania is now on a collision course with Turtle-Mania as The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are the Fox network's undisputed rulers of the Nielsen ratings this season.
- Entertainment Tonight

George Lucas's magical monarchs Theo and Gretchen are getting a second chance on cable. The animated show, which drew poor ratings last year on CBS's Saturday Morning lineup, has been picked up by the USA Network as part of its Cartoon Express. Last fall, CBS/Columbia Pictures Home Video released a handful of episodes on videocassette and are planning more releases in the new year.
- The Hollywood Reporter

The decision to replace Ray Spum with Brad Bird on the Beany & Cecil show proves justified as the show's ratings improved moderately from the Fall of '88.
- TV Guide

The Sports Page

The USA Network's three-year rental of the NFL's Sunday Night package comes to an end as the established league has instead accepted a joint-bid from Turner Broadcasting and ESPN. Turner Network Television (TNT) will carry Sunday Night games in September and October while ESPN takes over for November and December. The new deal takes effect this coming season and will run through at least the '93 campaign.

NBC has agreed to a four-year deal with the National Basketball Association for the weekend afternoon package which will also include Christmas Day telecasts, the All Star Weekend and the NBA Finals. The deal takes effect in the spring months of the 1990-91 season and will run through at least the 1993-94 season.

The bids for the NFL's Sunday afternoon packages have now been signed. NBC fumbled the AFC rights to SBC three years ago. Now, NBC has returned to the game. CBS retained the NFC rights, also for the next four seasons.

Monday Night Football will stay at ABC till at least '93.

Starting in 1991, the USA Network will carry the World League of American Football in prime time. Disney Enterprises, Inc., parent company of the fast-growing Fox network, has hopped on board for the afternoon package. Both the World League and the Roller Hockey League, a summertime venture backed by the NHL, will represent Fox's first forays into sports television.

- Excerpts from SportsCenter.

 

[OldNavy1988]

@Mitch!

For one thing, there’s the announcement that Star Tours will come to Disney-Fox Studios, and both Japanese Disney Parks, as early as 1989. With Nara and Tokyo taking part in the “sub vs. dub” debate, how has Nara Disneyland changed, in the twenty-plus years following its debut?

Nara has went through the same evolution that you'd expect from the other Disney "Castle" parks.

After that, there’s the amount of original programs on Saturday morning in 1987, led by Fox’s decision to bring Mister Ed, and The Addams Family, back to television. Is there a “synopsis,” for each of these new series, so that younger audiences can decide which are worth watching?

Each show was a chance to bring the Filmways library to a new generation of TV viewers. ITTL, The New Addams Family Misadventures is similar in tone to the series Hanna-Barbera produced in the early 90's IOTL.

There’s also the curious case of Raymond Spum, the one-time “Alan Smithee” alternative for John Kricfalusi, now being used as a pen name for an employee at Famous Studios. Whoever “Raymond” is, could he actually be a decent animator that won’t rely on “immature” humor?

Obie Scott Wade on Ray's identity: "Ray Spum is no pen name. That is his name."

John Kricfalusi after his release from prison: "Ray Spum? Ray freakin' Spum??? He's a damn puppy dog compared to me."

Brad Bird after taking over Beany and Cecil from Spum: "Ray kept wanting to give Beany a love interest and name her Blair. You know, the ol' Damsel in Distress trope. But he kept wanting to put Blair in compromising situations, like having Dishonest John spy on her changing clothes, or having her tied up in Dishonest John's lair, or just having Dishonest John pull up Blair's skirt every once in a while. Jennie Trias, ABC's head of children's programming at the time, stamped those storyboards out pretty hard according to those who stayed on board when I was hired. And if that wasn't enough, I was told later that Devon Sawa's parents threatened to pull him from the show if those same storyboards went ahead. Devon of course stayed on to do the voice of Beany when I took over."

Finally, on a lesser note, there’s the confirmation that Huey, Dewey, and Louie were given their own personalities during production of DuckTales. Did Russi Taylor consider doing the same to her character in the program, Webby Vanderquack, or did Webby remain the same throughout?

Webby is closer to the OTL 2017 character.

 

[OldNavy1988]

A quick heads up:
The post for the grand opening of the Disney-Fox studios has been updated with a lengthier description of the Great Movie Ride courtesy of @Mitch!
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...can-magic-redux.490374/page-260#post-21865835

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Walt Disney, Jr. and prominent Spanish government officials were on hand at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Disney company's next theme park venture in the Valencia/Alicante area.
- The New York Times

Simpson-Mania is now on a collision course with Turtle-Mania as The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are the Fox network's undisputed rulers of the Nielsen ratings this season.
- Entertainment Tonight

George Lucas's magical monarchs Theo and Gretchen are getting a second chance on cable. The animated show, which drew poor ratings last year on CBS's Saturday Morning lineup, has been picked up by the USA Network as part of its Cartoon Express. Last fall, CBS/Columbia Pictures Home Video released a handful of episodes on videocassette and are planning more releases in the new year.
- The Hollywood Reporter

The decision to replace Ray Spum with Brad Bird on the Beany & Cecil show proves justified as the show's ratings improved moderately from the Fall of '88.
- TV Guide

1: Wow! That's all I can say.
2: Something tells me that "Hurricane Walt" isn't slowing down anytime soon.
3: *radio announcer voice* And what a save on Lucas's career, ladies and gentlemen!
4: I couldn't be happier to see the show flourish beyond its measly 5-8 episodes it got IOTL.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

@Mitch!

For one thing, there’s the announcement that Star Tours will come to Disney-Fox Studios, and both Japanese Disney Parks, as early as 1989. With Nara and Tokyo taking part in the “sub vs. dub” debate, how has Nara Disneyland changed, in the twenty-plus years following its debut?

Nara has went through the same evolution that you'd expect from the other Disney "Castle" parks.

After that, there’s the amount of original programs on Saturday morning in 1987, led by Fox’s decision to bring Mister Ed, and The Addams Family, back to television. Is there a “synopsis,” for each of these new series, so that younger audiences can decide which are worth watching?

Each show was a chance to bring the Filmways library to a new generation of TV viewers. ITTL, The New Addams Family Misadventures is similar in tone to the series Hanna-Barbera produced in the early 90's IOTL.

There’s also the curious case of Raymond Spum, the one-time “Alan Smithee” alternative for John Kricfalusi, now being used as a pen name for an employee at Famous Studios. Whoever “Raymond” is, could he actually be a decent animator that won’t rely on “immature” humor?

Obie Scott Wade on Ray's identity: "Ray Spum is no pen name. That is his name."

John Kricfalusi after his release from prison: "Ray Spum? Ray freakin' Spum??? He's a damn puppy dog compared to me."

Brad Bird after taking over Beany and Cecil from Spum: "Ray kept wanting to give Beany a love interest and name her Blair. You know, the ol' Damsel in Distress trope. But he kept wanting to put Blair in compromising situations, like having Dishonest John spy on her changing clothes, or having her tied up in Dishonest John's lair, or just having Dishonest John pull up Blair's skirt every once in a while. Jennie Trias, ABC's head of children's programming at the time, stamped those storyboards out pretty hard according to those who stayed on board when I was hired. And if that wasn't enough, I was told later that Devon Sawa's parents threatened to pull him from the show if those same storyboards went ahead. Devon of course stayed on to do the voice of Beany when I took over."

Finally, on a lesser note, there’s the confirmation that Huey, Dewey, and Louie were given their own personalities during production of DuckTales. Did Russi Taylor consider doing the same to her character in the program, Webby Vanderquack, or did Webby remain the same throughout?

Webby is closer to the OTL 2017 character.

1: A good answer, given its upbringings.
2: And you can thank me for those two shows, @Mitch!
3: Oh, d-d-d-dear.
4: Considering this development, is there any way we can label Dishonest John as a retroactive parody of Ray Spum?
5: On that note, how far was the show in development before the staff decided to modernize their personalities?

 

[PNWKing]

Brad Bird? Since neither OldNavy1988 or the FaultsofAlts would solve my clues for who his big job interview was with. I'll just answer them now. "Red Rose" is Pete Rose, "Soap" refers to Procter & Gamble being headquartered in Cincinnati, and "Rome" is a reference to how Cincinnati was named indirectly after the Roman general Cincinnatus. All of this combines for...............Amblin Entertainment, which owns Pixar ITTL.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Brad Bird? Since neither OldNavy1988 or the FaultsofAlts would solve my clues for who his big job interview was with. I'll just answer them now. "Red Rose" is Pete Rose, "Soap" refers to Procter & Gamble being headquartered in Cincinnati, and "Rome" is a reference to how Cincinnati was named indirectly after the Roman general Cincinnatus. All of this combines for...............Amblin Entertainment, which owns Pixar ITTL.

Oh...
Now that makes sense. Sorry for not getting it sooner.

 

[PNWKing]

Rumour: John Nathan-Turner visiting Atlanta, possibly to visit RKO parent Coca-Cola about potential Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover.
-Radio Times

(I said "rumour" just to give at @OldNavy1988 some leeway)