Golden: A Pop Culture Timeline

OP
Welcome all to Golden! A passion project of mine in the works for a couple of months, due to my love for the pop culture timelines on this site and popular culture in general. So I wanted to give a try at making a timeline of my own, in the style of a more optimistically* pathed one. Along with this, this timeline will try to cover every aspect of culture that I can, and with what goes on in the real world.
*(although bad stuff still happens and I will try to keep it realistic as possible)

Here are 4 things I wish to get out of the way before we begin.

  1. I wish to try to create my own thing with this TL, so If there is anything in here that relates to another's work, then that is accidental, as I want to be original with my ideas and try to avoid cliches, but if there are parts that are based on stuff that has been inspired by another work/idea, then I will rightfully credit that person for it.
  2. I don't condone any bad or tragic events that happen ITTL, they are simply for story-only purposes.
  3. If there are any criticisms, ideas, or anything else you wish to talk about related to this timeline, then please, go ahead!
  4. And finally, I would like to give a very special shoutout towards these people for either indirectly or directly inspired me to take up writing this timeline.
King_Arthur

historybuff

President_Lincoln

OldNavy1988

RySenkari

Nivek

Andrew T

markedward

TheGuyWhoHeartsHistory

and Toxic34

And with all of that said and done, shall we begin?

GOLDEN
A Pop Culture Timeline
 
Prologue
Prologue: The Life, Carrer, and Tragedy of Phil Hartman (1948-1998)

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---
May 27th, 1998
Hartman Residence
Encino, Los Angeles, USA

“Phil! I'm sorry! Just please listen to me for a sec-!”

“No Brynn, We can't keep on doing this.” Phil Hartman said to his wife in a stern tone, eyeing her with concern in his eyes as they stood in the hallway which held the stairs to the upstairs.

“Those drugs are going to ruin your life! You need to get off of them! I don’t want the kids to see you like this, I don’t want you like see this. I want to help you!” his expression soon replaced by that of frustration.

“Tomorrow, I’m calling the rehab center again to sort you out, and If you refuse...I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“But-!”

“And no buts! It's that, or it's over.”

Hartman proceeded to march up the stairs, enter his bedroom, and slam the door shut in frustration, he had just had another argument with his wife after he had found out that she was doing cocaine again, he confronted her when she returned home after a night out with a friend, in which he warned her that if she did fell back into her drug addiction, he would leave her, and likely take the kids. Despite what he said though, as harsh at is was, Phil still loved Brynn, he just wanted her to get away from the stuff that was obviously going to ruin her life.

He meet Brynn when she was a model on a blind date in 86', and the two got married soon afterward, and had Sean and Birgen, their two kids. She had been known to have an alcohol and drugs addiction in the past and tried to stop it a few years ago, but all of that came crashing down in 97' when some sick fuck gave her cocaine as a Christmas present, and soon enough she relapsed back into addiction. He was going to try to call one of the rehab centers again, to see if they could try to help his wife get back onto her feet again, if they couldn't, well, he simply didn't know what to do at that point.

With a depressed sigh, he climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

...
Phil Edward Hartmann was born on September 24, 1948, in Ontario, Canada. He was the fourth of eight children of Doris Marguerite (Wardell) and Rupert Loebig Hartmann, a salesman specializing in building materials. His parents were Catholic and raised their children in that faith. As a child Hartman found affection hard to earn and stated: "I suppose I didn't get what I wanted out of my family life, so I started seeking love and attention elsewhere."

Hartman was ten years old when his parents decided to pack up and move the family to the United States. There, Hartman attended Westchester High School and frequently acted like the class clown. After graduating, Hartman studied art at Santa Monica City College, dropping out in 1969. In the late 1970s, Hartman made his first television appearance on an episode of The Dating Game; he won but unfortunately was stood up by the girl.

Working alone as a graphic artist, Hartman frequently amused himself with "flights of voice fantasies". Citing the need for a more social outlet for his talents, Hartman, aged 27, began in 1975 to attend evening comedy classes run by the California-based improvisational comedy group The Groundlings. While watching one of the troupe's performances, Hartman impulsively decided to climb on stage and join the cast. His first movie appearance was in the 1978 film Stunt Rock directed by Brian Trenchard Smith. After several years of training, paying his way by re-designing the group's logo and merchandise, Hartman formally joined the cast of The Groundlings; by 1979 he had become one of the show's stars.

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Hartman met fellow comedian Paul Reubens and the two became friends, often collaborating on writing and comedic material. Together they created the character Pee-wee Herman and developed The Pee-wee Herman Show, a stage performance which also aired on HBO in 1981. Hartman played Captain Carl on The Pee-wee Herman Show and returned in the role for the children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse. Reubens and Hartman made cameos in the 1980 film Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. Although he had considered quitting acting at the age of 36 due to limited opportunities, the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure brought new possibilities and changed his mind. After a creative falling-out with Reubens, Hartman left the Pee-Wee Herman project to pursue other roles.

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In 1986, Hartman successfully auditioned for NBC's variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) and joined the cast and writing staff. In his eight seasons with the show Hartman became known for his impressions, and performed as over 70 different characters. Hartman's original Saturday Night Live characters included Eugene, the Anal Retentive Chef and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. His impressions included Singer Frank Sinatra, Former POTUS Ronald Reagan, Who Do You Trust? Host Ed McMahon, Former First Lady Barbara Bush, Actor Charlton Heston, Television Host Phil Donahue and Current POTUS Bill Clinton; the last was often considered his best-known impression on the show. He later left the programme in 1994, after 8 years of service.

In the 90s Hartman joined The Simpsons, one of the most popular animated television shows at the time, portraying many lovable characters such as the corrupt lawyer Lionel Hutz, prolific actor Troy McClure, intimidating Fat Tony, and conning Lyle Lanny. Along with this, he signed up for the new live action show Newsradio, in which he potrayed the bombastic Bill McNeal. Each of his portrayals gained praise from fans who enjoyed his wacky, funny personality and quips. He would go on to win several awards for his comedic talent and skill on both shows.

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...

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Stephen Root, Hartman's NewsRadio co-star, felt that few people knew "the real Phil Hartman" as he was "one of those people who never seemed to come out of character," but he nevertheless gave the impression of a family man who cared deeply for his children, an image that would soon change in his later life. In his spare time, Hartman enjoyed driving, flying, sailing, marksmanship, and playing the guitar.

Hartman married his first wife, Gretchen Lewis, in 1970, but divorced sometime before 1972. He then married real estate agent Lisa Strain in 1982, but their marriage lasted three years. Strain told People that Hartman was reclusive off screen and "would disappear emotionally ... he'd be in his own world. That passivity made you crazy."

And then, there was Hartman's third wife.

Vicki Jo Omdahl was born in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. On May 20, 1977, she married Douglas Iver Torfin, but they later divorced. Later, she met Hartman while working as a Catalina swimsuit model. At the time, Phil's career was near its highest point. On November 25, 1987, she married Phil. They had two children: Sean Edward Hartman (born 1987) and Birgen Hartman (born 1992).

The marriage had difficulties, Brynn reportedly felt intimidated by her husband's success and was frustrated she could not find any on her own – although neither party wanted a divorce, Hartman considered retiring to save the marriage. He tried to get Brynn acting roles but she became progressively more reliant on narcotics and alcohol, entering rehab several times. Because of his close friendship with SNL associate Jan Hooks, Brynn joked on occasion that Hooks and Hartman were married "on some other level".

But in the middle of the Height of Hartman's career, things would come to a halt, as on May 28th, 1998, an event would happen that would not only forever affect Hartman, but also the rest of the entertainment world.

...

Hartman suddenly found himself awoken from his slumber when he heard the sound of something smashing to the ground, along with the muffled cussing of his wife, coming from the hallway. He slowly sat up from his bed, looking to his left he saw that it was still 2 AM according to the alarm clock, much to his annoyance, he got up and went to investigate what was going on.

"If Brynn has...started again...I swear." Phil thought, as he approached and opened the door.

What happened next caused everything to change.

Brynn stood at the doorway, a look of drunken rage on her face, with some white powder on her nose. Hartman, now furious, was about to yell at her when he stopped mid-shout and froze as he saw what was in her hand -- A .38 caliber handgun, her finger on the trigger, pointing right at him.

Hartman, shocked at what he was seeing, had no time to gawk or ask what he was looking at, as he tried to grab the gun out of his wife's hand, but she kept her grip as the two struggled.

“Brynn what the hell-! ARRGH!”

A surge of burning pain entered Hartman's stomach as Brynn had pulled the trigger, he frooze as he realized that he had just been shot, he then yelled again as a second bullet rang into his stomach, his fist reflexed and punched the gun upwards as a result, a third gunshot ringing out afterward.

The last sound Hartman would hear before he would stumble and fall backward and smack his head on the bedroom floor and be knocked unconscious would be the bang of a fourth gunshot and then the crash of a window shattering. His vision and hearing both going blurry, before going black altogether.

...

When he came to, Phil found himself staring at a bright light. Thinking he was in heaven, he opened his eyes further to see that he was actually in a hospital, lying in a bed. As he tried to sit up, he groaned and clenched his stomach area, remembering that he was shot there. He looked up to see that there was a doctor standing outside the door through the window, talking to someone, who then turned to glance inside the room, his eyes widening as his gaze met Phil's "Oh my god!".

The doctor rushed inside, accompanying him was a nurse and a police officer, all of whom had faces of grim or sadness, "Mr. Hartman, you are very lucky to have of survived, you had lost quite alot of blood in your stomach area, but we managed to stop the bleeding and get you on painkillers."

Hartman did not say anything, to confused at his situation.

"We are very glad you are okay Mister Phil, we'll get you bandaged up and you will be able to see your family," The nurse said, trying to be supportive.

The police officer cleared his throat and then asked; "Mr. Hartman, we need to know what had happened in your home before you were shot, the neighbors had called the police when they heard your window shatter, thinking it was a home invasion, before we-", Phil interrupted the officer with a question.

"Wh-...What about Vicki? Is...is she alright?"

The policeman's frown got only sadder, as his uncertain eyes met with the famous comedian's, he felt a lump rise in his throat as he hesitated to bring the bad news to the man who made him and his family smile when they would watch Television, but he couldn't just ignore the man's question. With a few more seconds of hesitation, Officer Jonathan Parker told Hartman what had happened.

"Sir, we discovered your wife Vicki sprawled out on the bedroom floor, she had been shot by her own gun, where the bullet entered her skull and through her brain...she was pronounced dead on sight."

It was at that moment when Hartman suddenly fainted, his heart nearly having an attack from shock, panic, and guilt. Doctors tried their best to wake him back up, but Hartman was once again unconscious...


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Rest in Peace
Brynn Hartman
April 11, 1958 – May 28, 1998
 
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Hartman in Hospital
May 28th, 1998
Los Angeles, California


Paul Reubens was in his car when nearly choked on his drink as he was talking on the phone to his one of his friends, "Hartman was shot!?".

Jon Lovitz, who was still dealing with the news himself, said "Yeah, me and Stephen just saw it on CNN, Brynn is dead!"

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"Holy shit!" Reubens cursed to himself, he had known Hartman's wife Brynn, a mostly nice woman from what he knew "Is Hartman Okay!?".

"I don't know, they say he is in an emergency condition, but I think he's going to live. But, the Police are saying it was Brynn who shot him, they found the gun with her fingerprints-"

"Woah! Woah!" Reubens said, trying to calm Lovitz down, he had just heard that his long-time friend's wife had just tried to kill him, things needed to slow down "Brynn shot Phil?".

"Well, her fingerprints were found on the gun, they said that she was also both drunk and on cocaine, I heard she had a problem with those things, but god damn I didn't expect it to get this bad."

Reubens sighed and rubbed his hand against his forehead, he knew many who were into drugs and alcohol, but combining those things with what he assumed were domestic problems would spell disaster, not that it took a genius to figure that out. This was all chaotic to him. "Are his kids okay atleast?".

"Yes, they were found hiding in their bedrooms by the police, they're currently staying at their aunt and uncle's home."

Reubens then asked "Should I come and visit him?".

Lovitz, knowing how Reubens reputation and hsi retreat from teh public, felt that it could be a bad idea for him to appear again, but then he realized that Hartman was Reuben's friend, he wasn't going to say no to him "I'd suggest you visit him when he's better. But in the meantime, come down and stay."

"Sure thing."

As Reubens hung up and drove his car to Lovitz's place, he kept reminding himself in his mind not to never ever go anywhere near drugs, again.

---
May 29th, 1998
Breaking News!

Los Angeles Times
PHIL HARTMAN NEARLY MURDERED IN LOS ANGELES HOME

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Famous and Beloved comedian and television actor, Phil Hartman, known for his roles in the Simpsons, Newsradio, and Saturday Night Live, was reportedly shot in his home in Encino, Los Angeles yesterday morning in what police are suspecting was an attempted murder-suicide by his wife Brynn Hartman, who was found dead on the bedroom floor, alongside the unconscious Hartman, who had a gunshot wound in his abdomen. A recent resurgence of Brynn's drug and alcohol addiction is being investigated as the cause of the sudden violent incident. Hartman is currently being treated in Northridge Hospital Medical Center, with doctors saying that he is currently in a 'moderate condition', and has been informed on what has had happened to him. It is assumed that he will make a full recovery, but it is unknown how the actor and his family and friends will deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.

---​

June 1st, 1998
Northridge Hospital Medical Center
Northridge, Los Angeles, USA


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Phil's brother John, looked on at his brother with sorrow in his eyes "Phil, it was not your fault."

Phil, sitting in a wheelchair in his hospital room, would beg to differ "I put too much pressure on her John, I threatened to take the kids away for christ sake!".

He had just lost his wife to a freak attempt on his life gone wrong, his kids were staying somewhere else unsure what happened that night and where their parents were, and to make things worse, the paparazzi was drooling outside like dogs. Being a major television star with two of the biggest shows on television right now under his belt, he heard from the doctors and nurses that everybody was talking about him, how rumors were going around how he might have abused her and she was simply defending herself, or that Phil accidentally shot her mistaking her for a home intruder or some other crap. It was all too surreal.

"She didn't deserve to die Phil, I know, but you couldn't control it. You tried to help her but she didn't listen" John said, trying his best to be both respectful but also truthful. He didn't want to villainize the woman who tried to kill his brother, knowing she was suffering from mental and addiction problems, but at the same time, she was the woman who tried to kill his brother.

A tear left Phil's eye as he began again "I-...I just don't know how I'm going to move on from this, how am I and the kids going to move on from this, what am I going to tell them?", he held back a sob, but he knew that he had to stay strong.

"You're going to make it Phil, you've managed to get through tough times before. It's...going to be hard for you and the kids moving on without Brynn, but I think that if she could see you now, she would want you to recover and march on from the horrible act she did to you."

Phil sighed, he appreciated his brother's encouragement dearly, along with the rest of his family's words when they visited him yesterday before having to leave to give him a rest, in which they would be staying in LA until he got better, with John the first one to arrive this morning. But every time he mentioned Brynn's actions that night, the pain in Phil's heart grew that little bit larger.

"You know, even if I get better, I'm still not sure if I should continue to do my acting career, I don't feel like I can pull a joke or put on an act anymore."

"Phil. Despite's whats happened, this dissuasion is only temporary, I promise you that sooner or later you will be flying high back into acting again! And besides, would you let all of your fans down? Wouldn't you also want them to be happy?"

Phil knew his brother was right, he was going to get better, both physically and mentally, he just needed a break, and the strength to pull himself together and continue forward with his life and career.

A knock came suddenly from the door, as a nurse came in "Mr. Hartman? We have your family here to see you now."

Phil, now having the courage to smile, simply replied: "Send them in, I'm in a really good mood to chat right now."
 
Reactions to the Hartman Incident
Phil Hartman's near-murder sent a shockwave across Hollywood, the Hartmans' marriage seemed normal to almost everyone who had met them and Mr. Hartman was beloved in nearly everything he starred in. Quite expectly, reactions to the inncident were soon heard.

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"Hartman is one of my best friends, and his style has brought a great comedic taste to the Simpsons that I think not many other voice actors can bring. This event has done nothing by stun me." - Josh Weinstein, Simpsons writer

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"I cannot express what I felt for Hartman at the time I found out. He never deserved this." - SNL and close friend of Hartman, Jon Lovitz

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"The death of a loved one in such a manner is something that nobody should have to go through, especially a man like Hartman." - Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson

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"Not only is this a sick and twisted act caused by alcoholism and drugs, but it is in general just a tragedy that could of easily been avoided, My strongest sympathies go out to Hartman and his kids, and I hope for their full recovery from this horrible tragedy." - Matt Groening, Simpsons creator

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"Hartman is probably one of the best comedians, if not actors we have in Hollywood right now. Seeing one of my fellow crew members going through a tragedy like this is heartbreaking to me and the fellow cast members of Newsradio." - Paul Simms, Newsradio Creator

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“I can only imagine the horror of growing up as a kid suddenly without your mother, then to only find out that the reason why your mother is dead is because she tried to kill your father.” - Joe Dante, Small Soldiers Director

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"I, and the rest of the crew of Kiki, send our hopes and condolences towards Mr. Hartman and his family." - Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki's Delivery Service Director, to whom Phil took part in the English Dub of

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"Hartman has been one of the few friends in the industry during my life that I think I can truly say has always been there for me, not only is he funny, but he's also empathetic, caring, and smart. My friend doesn't deserve any of what's happened to him recently, and it truly pains me to think what he and his family are going through right now." - Comedian, Actor and longtime friend of Hartman Paul Reubens

---​
Johnboy said:
Have you guys heard what happened about Phil Hartman?

Mark said:

Skinnerlover69 said:
Yep, And All I Can Say Is, Holy Shit.

happygirlspringfield said:
just heard about it here in the uk, what the fuck happened?

Johnboy said:
Brynn, Phil's wife, had an addiction to durgs and beer, she then lost it and tried to kill him in their home. She misfired and accidently shot herself in the eye.

Skinnerlover69 said:
God Damn, I Feel So Sorry For Both Of Them, They Really Seemed Happy Together, Can't Imagine What Their Kids Are Going Through.

Mark said:

happysimpsongirl said:
why are you sorry for her? she tried to kill her own husband!

James1992 said:
Yeah, I hope she burns for what she did.

alvindude said:
>:-(
Brynn = Yoko

Skinnerlover69 said:
I Think This Thread Is About To Turn Into A Flame War.

Johnboy said:
Woah, woah, guys, calm down.

Epstien204 said:
Im glad that woman is dead! Nobody evar deserved her!

SuperIntendent said:
@ epstien204 You have been already told off for behavior like this, do it again and its another kick.

- A discussion thread named "Phil Hartman Inccident" on an online Simpsons board, as it was on May 31st, 1998
 
If Phil Hartman finds out that Andy Dick reintroduced his wife to cocaine (assuming he doesn't already know), Mr. Dick's career will end swiftly, IMO; hell, he'll need an escort, because Phil Hartman will literally want to kill him...

BTW, never has a last name been so appropriate for a guy, both IOTL and ITTL...
 
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Great stuff so far. I'll have another look at the English football team stuff I began but gave up on. Turns out trying to game every world cup and euros since 98 isn't a great idea.
 
If I can suggest a few butterflies

1. The Blasto video game franchise might actually continue ITTL, since the series ended at one game after Phil's death (Hartman voiced the main character, Captain Blasto, and apparently had a lot of creative input in the game)
2. Futurama's main character is known as Curtis J. Fry ITTL and Hartman will voice Zap Brannigan (he was the one they wanted in OTL for the role)
3. Phil's probably gonna kick Andy Dick's ass.
 
Hartman's Grand Return
July 1st, 1998
Fox Broadcasting Company Headquarters
Los Angeles, California, United States


Phil Hartman, Matt Groening, and Paul Simms got out of the limo as they walked up the front doors of the Fox Headquarters, Groening and Simms were generous enough to drive Hartman from his home up to the HQ in order to reveal to him a 'surprise', along the way, they chatted and talked about what had happened, to which Hartman was more accepting to talk about, although that didn't stop him from feeling sad everytime Brynn's name was mentioned.

Groening was talking about how he was going to see if they could get the McClure movie up off the ground, while Simms quite delightfully brainstormed episode ideas with Hartman, with some of the crazier ideas involving absurd settings like they did with the third and fourth season finales, with those ideas including the Wild West or World War 2, although both might not have fit well, considering both settings would feature a notable amount of firearms, and the last thing that Simms would want to do was to active any PTSD that Hartman might have.

Having the whole month of June off might seem a little long to some people, but Hartman really needed the break, as the shock of his wife's death needed him to take up the duties of recovering in the hospital, explaining to his scared and confused kids that their mother was gone, and moving to a new home, as the mere sight of it would only remind him of that short but tragic night, they would probably move somewhere like the Pacific Palisades. He would need to think about it later.

When they were going up in the elevator, Hartman asked: "Come on fellas, what's the surprise?"

Groening responded, "It's a surprise, we can't tell you."

Hartman then said "Come on? Not even a little hint?"

Simms shot, "Hints give away the surprise!"

As the elevator doors opened and the three walked out and down the hall towards the writer's room, Hartman continued to enquire "Does it involve cake?".

Simms chuckled and said "Your right on that one, but no more after that."

They were right at the door when Simms and Groening stopped and counted to three and opened the door. As Hartman quickly put together what was going to happen(how could he not?), he was welcomed by the celebrating shouts of "Welcome Back!" from the casts of the Simpsons, Newsradio, and Saturday Night Live all at the same time.

Hartman was stunned, he did not expect so many people to turn up at this 'return party', he smiled and went up to greet everybody he could as fast as he could, shaking hands with Weinstein, Cartwright, Foley, Root, Dick, Lewis, Lovitz, and so many others. They proceeded to party and chat, being careful not to make Hartman uncomfortable on his first day back.

But, Lovitz felt something was...off, about Dick, he seemed a little anxious, he had bad feelings for Dick almost since he met him, there was something off about him. But before he could go up to him and ask why he seemed, atleast to him, nervous. Phil came up to him "Lovitz! How are you doing pal?".

"Oh, I'm doing great Hartman, How about you?"

"Things are going well! Me and Groening were talking about the movie, you know?"

"Oh! The Troy McClure movie?" Hartman nodded, "That's a great idea! I'm glad you're going ahead and developing it!"

"Aha, yeah. We were thinking it might take place as a longer version of 'A Fish Called Selma', or maybe it's own thing with an independent storyline" Hartman gleefully explained. As he did so, Lovitz mind's slowly moved away from Dick's strange demeanor and onto the current subject.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, who do you plan on having in it?"

"Well...um, let's see...Well, first off, there is Me" A remark that made both men chuckle, "and then, well, I was thinking of maybe getting a more serious actor, and maybe test their ability to act in a more comedic situation, if you know where I'm coming from."

"I think I know what you're going for, but who exactly do you plan on getting on board?"

"I don't know, we're still in the pre-production process and even-"

Suddenly the door opened and to Hartman's surprise, an old friend walked in with his famous suit and bowtie on "Sorry if I was late, I heard that there was a party going on for my friend! I didn't want to miss out!".

Most of the guests, surprised by Reubens arrival, despite recent controversy, were welcoming to him, giving a few cheers. Hartman, stunned at the sudden appearance of his long-time friend, could only walk up to him, the troubles of the past being pushed to the back of his mind "Paul, It's good to see you my friend" the two hugging afterward.

"It's been ages since I've seen you!"

"I know, I'm glad that you came! How are you doing?"

"Things could be better, but so far, everything's fine!" He chuckled at the end, causing Hartman and some others to also emit similar chuckles.

And so, the party continued, with people either talking, sharing ideas, or eating the snacks or drinking the drinks layed out onto the tables, although there was no alcohol, not that was a big surprise. Eventually, after a few hours of partying, most had left, needing to return to work or get back home.

While the remaining guests were gathered at the tables, Hartman and Reubens were at the other corner of the room away from everyone else. Reubens was smoking a cigarette while Hartman had finished eating a sandwich.

"Thanks for coming over, I know we have had troubles in the past, but regardless, I'm glad you're here."

"No problem, It's good to know your okay."

Hartman nodded, he really wanted to say that he was, but over a month later, there was still a way to go. There were still a million thoughts racing around his mind, mostly on what he was going to do with his career in the future, he was thinking of 'shaking things up', moving away from his more comedic and humorous roles that he was known for and into the other side of acting.

"You know," Phil began, breaking the silence, "When I have the chance, I'm thinking of maybe entering more serious acting, like drama."

"Really?"

Phil nodded.

"What would you want to act in?"

"I'm not sure, maybe I would be good as a criminal? or maybe a big, bad mob boss!"

Reubens chuckled as the image of Hartman looking like the KingPin in a movie role.

He joined in "And I would be your evil minion with the freaky goggles!"

Both men laughed as they thought of them acting as mobsters floated in their imaginations.

"Okay, guys. I think that will be it for today. We'll see you back at work!" Groening announced. The partygoers were soon packing and cleaning things up. Soon enough, they were all leaving, with Hartman and Reubens exiting through the front doors to the limo.

"It was nice meeting you again Reubens, I think we should stay in contact more."

"I totally agree with you Phil, See you."

Both men would then leave in their respective ways.

-----

And so, Phil Hartman was back at it, he voiced his lines for the tenth season the Simpsons, he played the lovable but egotistical Bill McNeal on NewsRadio, and even managed to make a public appearance, where he said that he and his kids were recovering, and will be back on their feet very soon. He would also begin to take the idea of the Troy McClure movies more seriously than ever, holding meetings with Groening, Weinstein, and Bill Oakley on what the film's story would be, along with potential directors and cast.

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"Hi, I'm Troy McClure, and you might remember me from such medical educational videos such as Why Am I Bald? and Dr. Nick's Christmas Special."
- Troy McClure, as he appeared in Kidney Trouble

"Trust me Mr. Simpson, that no good television show will pull that episode before you can say D'oh!"
- Lionel Hutz, as he tries to help Homer in Homer in the Max in his lawsuit against Police Cops, failing soon after to get anything done

"I remember when we had sun like this back home once, got a sunburn so bad you could have sworn it was black. Good Times, Good Times."
- Bill McNeal, as he noted about the weather in the Season Five Premiere "Summer Days"


Along with this, the video game he recently starred in, the adult-humored space shooter Blasto was doing quite well from what he had seen, although many complained of the difficulty. Sony were asking if, when he had the time, that he would come back to do a sequel, to which he simply said: "I will think about it."

1998 was looking to be an interesting year for Philip Edward Hartmann.
 
The Rest of 1998
This is a list of notable events that happened in the rest of 1998. I'm not sure if much would happen during this other than the Hartman Inccident, but soon enough, the butterflies will start to flap.

July 1st: The highest grossing film of the year; Armageddon, is released in theatres worldwide.

July 21st–September 5th:
The 1998 Sydney water crisis involved the suspected contamination by the microscopic pathogens cryptosporidium and giardia of the water supply system of Greater Metropolitan Sydney.

August 4th: The Second Congo War begins; 5.3 million people die before it ends in 2003, making it the bloodiest war, to date, since World War II.

August 7th: Yangtze River Floods: in China the Yangtze river breaks through the main bank; before this, from August 1–5, peripheral levees collapsed consecutively in Jiayu County Baizhou Bay. The death toll exceeds 12,000, with many thousands more injured.

Meanwhile, the bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, kill 223 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama bin Laden, an exile of Saudi Arabia.

September 4th: Google, Inc. is founded in Menlo Park, California, by Stanford University PhD candidates Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Google will go on to completely revolutionize the Internet.

September 5th: The Government of North Korea adopts a military dictatorship on its 50th anniversary.

September 9th: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run of the season, thus breaking the single-season record of 61 which had been held by Roger Maris since 1961.

September 12th: The Cuban Five intelligence agents are arrested in Miami, and convicted of espionage. The agents claim they were not spying against the United States Government but against the Cuban exile community in Miami.

September 24th: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami retracts a fatwa against Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie that was in force since 1989 stating that the Iranian government will "neither support nor hinder assassination operations on Rushdie".

October 1st: Europol is established when the Europol Convention signed by all of its member states comes into force.

November 18th: The Powerpuff Girls premieres on Cartoon Network, becoming Hanna-Barbera's final TV show, distributing episodes until 2001 when Cartoon Network Studios took over until the series ended in 2005.

December 6th: Hugo Chávez, politician and former member of the Venezuelan military, is elected President of Venezuela.

December 16th–19th: Iraq disarmament crisis: U.S. President Bill Clinton orders airstrikes on Iraq. UNSCOM withdraws all weapons inspectors from Iraq. December 31 The first leap second since June 30, 1997, occurs.

Date Unknown

Ibrahim Hanna, the last native speaker of Mlahsô, dies in Qamishli, Syria, making the language effectively extinct. Also, the last native speaker of related Bijil Neo-Aramaic, Mrs. Rahel Avraham, dies in Jerusalem.

A/N: As you can see, not much has changed from OTL, although a few difference have begun to pop up...
 
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Happy New Years 1999!
(A/N: A short interlude before we move onto bigger things. Also, there will be a small format change.)

January 1st, 1999
New Hartman Residence
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, USA


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Hartman had a couple family and friends over to celebrate the New Years with him and his two kids, watching the multi-colored fireworks in the distance from the backyard. Hartman was grateful and lucky to see another New Years within his lifetime, as the events of May 28th, 1998, could have easily taken all of that away for him.

"So, Phil?" His brother John asked him, breaking his trance of looking at the fireworks, "What do you plan to do this year?"

"The usual" He simply answered.

"That's it?"

Phil thought about it some more "Well, I'm unsure, the only things on my mind are the Simpsons, Newsradio, that movie, the Blue M&M commercials, and maybe getting into dramatic acting. Who knows? Maybe I'll try to think of something new to do."

"Well," John said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
 
Feeling Better?
(A/N: Hope you guys are ready for this chapter, as it will be the first chapter in which we focus outside of Phil Hartman!)

February 28th, 1999

Evanston, Illinois, USA

Siskel would never think that a brain surgery could turn out so well, yet suffer from such risky complications.

It had been when the day before his second brain surgery, when he overheard one of the surgeons break the news to another that two of their surgeons could not come for whatever reasons[1]. He started to think "Oh god, I'm going to die", but the surgeons eventually managed to get in two emergency replacements, they were said to be more professional than the two surgeons that would have of operated on him previously according to one doctor. Siskel was still nervous about the whole thing, fearing the whole thing would fall apart on itself due to the sudden changes, and one little slip up could send him to the grave.

But after being put under anesthetic drifting off to sleep, he was soon waking up to the morning sun in a hospital bed. He was surprised that they managed to get through the surgery without much trouble, but here he was, sitting in his bed awaiting for a tray of hospital food, while speaking to on the phone to his friend, Ebert
2].

"So when will you think you will return?"

"I don't know, April, perhaps?"

"Well, when you do get out of the hospital, I'm sure that both me and audience will welcome you back with open arms. We got alot of films we can chew into."

Siskel chuckled "What movies?".

"Well," Siskel could hear the faint sound of paper rustling, "There is Baby Geniuses, The Mod Squad, and Jawbreaker. All of whom I have seen, and I can say, I think you would enjoy tearing apart with me."

"Sounds good."

"Alright, see you around."

"See you too. Ebert."


Siskel's food arrived just as he was putting down the phone. He didn't like the food at the hospital, but he knew that if he wanted to be back at reviewing movies, he was going to need it.

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At The Movies! Returning April 1999!

[1] One was sick, while the other got into an accident.
[2] If anybody is wondering, yes, Roger Ebert's thyroid cancer will be butterflied away, or atleast less severe than OTL.
 
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