Fantastic fun timeline!
I'd rather watch your Star Wars than OTL's!
Some thoughts- I can see Star Trek II happen as per OTL plot wise, but I can see Paramount moving it up the schedule to cash in on the 'nerd' culture. Would they also look to a new Trek TV series? Perhaps Phase II is not totally dead?
What's the effects on cartoons? Does Gatchaman get imported uncut? Does the D&D cartoon last longer?
Finally with improved graphics everywhere does Raise the Titanic do better at the box office? I does have the Alec Guiness extra star power in this....
Subscribed!
What a tremendous amount of very high praise! We are not worthy.
I'll try to answer what I can here because your interest means a great deal to me. I've had a rough year and this is my outlet and escape, which makes every reader, commenter, and Turtledove nomination (!) a true blessing to me.
On Star Trek: You can bet Paramount has been scrambling even more than in OTL to adequately compete in the New Nerd Era. Some interesting conversations are being held behind the scenes at this moment in ttl, and while I don't want to give too much away I can give you some teasers:
A. Whilst Nicholas Meyer will be heavily involved in the sequel to TMP, he won't be the first unit (main) director. That honor will go to a person who has worked with some main characters already familiar to both OTL and TTL. While Paramount will be just as protective of their lucrative sci fi franchise as OTL, the relationship between Roddenberry and Solo United is about to dramatically change in the comic years thanks to Euphorium; and with it perhaps more subtly (and certainly more importantly) the relationship between Trekkies and Warsies...
B. Phase II remains doa, but I wouldn't count out Star Trek as a television franchise...
As for animation: Yes things will begin the change rather drastically, but anime specifically as we know it is still roughly on the same trajectory as OTL as of now.
To be honest I had very little considered Raise The Titanic during my research, but with a slight bump both in special effects technology and in the increased visibility of Guinness and Star Wars, it would make sense that it is less of a failure. I would say that it is probably better received both critically and financially while still failing to return its budget and become the runaway hit the filmmakers surely believed it would. So, better than OTL, yes but not ideal by any tl's standards...
Thank you again for reading, commenting, and subscribing.
Well, the problem with Phase II happening now is that it will probably conflict with T.J. Hooker, James Doohan's narrating contract with the CBC, Leonard Nimoy's narrating contract with A&E and PBS, and Walter Koeing's film career ambitions out side of Star Trek. No, a better idea for TTL is for Zucker, Abraham, and Zucker to come up with something like Galaxy Quest as an actual spoof series. Except that I fully expect it to fall afoul of the same problems that befell Police Squad! and Sledge Hammer!
You know, I hadn't thought of that but it's an excellent idea.
Speaking of Z, A, and Z: There is a major change to ttl's Airplane! and I recommend keeping an eye out in the next installment for that...
Thanks again, all!
This has all of my favorite things in it - music, movies, games. Look forward to see more.
