Historian: The Alternate

[Thespitron 6000]

Winter 1998: After much analysis, HBO decides to option both Warhammer 40,000 and Dungeons and Dragons. Warhammer 40,000, or 40K as it is called by its fans, is decided to be essentially unfilmable with current technology. Too baroque, too obscure for the general public, and with a fictional universe that would be an enormous strain on a special effects budget, 40K is optioned primarily to keep it out of the hands of HBO’s competitors. In a few years, it may be possible to resurrect the show as a CGI production, but right now it’s impossible.

Dungeons and Dragons, on the other hand, is eminently suitable for television. Its brand is well-known, the concept is simple and easy to package, and the special effects, although crucial to its success, are not overwhelming. Wizards of the Coast, the owner of the property, has been considering a feature film based on the game, but an alliance with HBO is more attractive, and they quickly negotiate the sale of television rights. HBO begins planning a limited series of seven episodes to air in early 1999 as a test run; the hope is that the show will find an audience, paving the way for a regular series. The network needs an executive producer to run the show with a background in science-fiction/fantasy and experience dealing with an elaborate fictional universe. Their first choices are either Rick Berman or Brannon Braga, both of whom are veterans of the Star Trek family of series. However, Berman and Braga demur, busy with the troubled Star Trek: Voyager and the underrated Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. On Braga’s advice, HBO scouts out his young writing partner, Ronald D. Moore, now a supervising producer on Deep Space Nine. Moore, a long time sci-fi fan, jumps at the chance to run his own show.

A fan of such works as Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, Moore has a lot of ideas for the new D&D series. HBO executives, impressed by Moore’s enthusiasm, agree to his request that the new series be set in the established D&D setting Forgotten Realms. It is decided that the first series of Dungeons and Dragons will be an adaptation of R.A. Salvatore’s Icewind Dale Trilogy, with Salvatore himself hired on as a consultant. The Icewind Dale Trilogy has the advantage of having one of its novels, The Halfling’s Gem, appear on the New York Times Bestseller List.

When word of the proposed adaptation is leaked to the press, fans rejoice. One such fan is 30-year-old Mark Sinclair Vincent, who is a devotee of Dungeons and Dragons and has been playing the game for over ten years. A relatively unknown actor, Vincent barrages his agent with demands that he get him a part in HBO’s series. After several auditions, Moore is impressed with Vincent’s passion, and tentatively casts him as Wulfgar, a barbarian. Vincent is pleased; he gets to be in the adaptation of one of his most beloved hobbies, and he’ll soon be famous, albeit under a stage name: Vin Diesel.

 

[Thespitron 6000]

Spring 1998: Blade premiers on March 6, 1998. Although critics are harsh on its plot and characterization, audiences cheer on the vampire hunter and box office draws are heavy. As the only major action film opening that weekend (the also-Snipes headed U.S. Marshals having been moved up one week by Warner Bros.), it brings in big crowds, easily winning the weekend. Although audiences quickly taper off, the film’s success is enough to give Marvel the green light to go ahead on its next picture. X-Men is scheduled for summer 1999; Patrick Stewart is cast as Professor X, with Jim Caviezel as Cyclops, Dougray Scott as Wolverine, Halle Berry as Storm, and Terence Stamp as Magneto.

Another impressed with Blade’s success is Will Smith. In an interview later, he says, “I didn’t think audiences would believe a black man as the lead in a martial-arts-heavy movie like that, but there they were, cheering like anything.” With this in mind, as well as his own work on the unreleased Enemy of the State, rather more serious than his previous outing Men in Black, Smith contacts the Wachowski brothers and accepts their offer to play Neo in The Matrix.

 

[iddt3]

I can't believe I missed this. This is awesome, you are awesome, Robots are awesome, everything is awesome. A pop culture TL that features one of my favorite role playing universes (albeit my least favorite aspect of it, I've always been far more interested in Mage), and what looks like a general increase of nerdity all around. Bravo.

 

[Some Bloke]

Please tell me this means no Twishite books or movies ITTL.

 

[Brainbin]

It continues to puzzle me why you hate Joss Whedon's writing so much...

I've mentioned this several times before, including once to you specifically:

I might have occasion to praise him more if everybody else toned it down a little. He's not that good a writer!

I stand by my statement. And in your heart, you know I'm right

Does this butterfly "Firefly"? (Never a fan.)

Also, excuse me? You are aware that he wrote for that show too, are you not? (It is, in fact, the one show of his even more overrated than Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)

Writer and Buffy creator Joss Whedon approaches WB Network executives about spinning off the popular character Angel, a vampire love interest of Buffy’s, into his own show, which would feature him as a private detective in Los Angeles. However, Buffy’s competitor Kindred has recently introduced a vampire private detective character in its third season (its first full season, after the eight episode 1996 season and the truncated spring 1997 second “season”); given the similarities between the plotline and Whedon’s proposed project, the WB higher-ups decide it would appear to be a clear rip-off, possibly angering fans who are used to Buffy’s (relative) originality. Wanting to keep Whedon happy, they politely turn down “Angel” and request a different project. Whedon goes back to the drawing board.

I'm not sure how to feel about the butterflying of Angel, the one and only property of his that has a legitimate claim to being "underappreciated" (relatively speaking, of course). We'll have to see what he develops in its stead. I'm sure most of you will be rooting for him to hit on Firefly early, but the advantage Thespitron has from a narrative perspective is that he can develop literally anything and we know that it'll get tons of internet buzz and become a cult favourite, as OTL has repeatedly shown.

Keep up the good work, Thespitron!

 

[Thespitron 6000]

Spring 1998: Production begins on Matt Groening’s new show Futurama. Several planned episodes are being re-conceptualized due to the temporary absence of voice actor Phil Hartman. Hartman, an alum of Saturday Night Live, has been deeply affected by the overdose-induced heart attack of his friend and colleague Chris Farley. His wife, Brynn, has long struggled with cocaine addiction, and Hartman informs friends and family that he intends to take time off from his television career in order to help his wife conquer her addictions. “I used to get so angry at her, for using,” Hartman tells NewsRadio head writer Paul Simms. “Now all I can think about is how devastated I’d be if I lost her. All my anger is gone.” Futurama, with voices provided by Billy West, Nicole Sullivan, John DiMaggio, and, it is hoped, Hartman as blowhard spaceman Zapp Brannigan, is expected to premier on Fox in 1999. “Although we of course wish Phil and Brynn all the best, we’re going to keep going, keep on working,” says Groening in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I wouldn’t want them to stop,” says Hartman. “The show’s going to be great, and I look forward to appearing on it, even if it might be awhile.”

Seinfeld, NBC’s critically acclaimed and fan-favorite sitcom, goes off the air after nine seasons. The 75-minute finale is one of the most watched television episodes in history, with 75 million viewers tuning in, or over half the total viewers for the night. With the coveted nine o’clock spot on NBC’s “Must See TV” block now open, several shows vie for the slot: Just Shoot Me!, Frasier, the as-yet unaired Will & Grace, Christina Applegate’s Jesse, and NewsRadio. The competition is fierce, and as yet no winner is determined.

TriStar Pictures releases what they hope will be the big blockbuster of the summer, Godzilla. Reimagining the classic movie monster as a blockheaded Jurassic Park wannabe, Godzilla 1998, as “fans” soon come to call it, is almost universally reviled by critics. James Berardinelli, of Reelviews, says, "I've had more enjoyable hemorrhoids." Audiences turn out, though, and the film is a hit, making more than $360 million in combined domestic and international receipts. The poor critical reception does little to dent the career of director/producer Roland Emmerich, who has already begun work on his next project, set during the American Revolution and tentatively titled The Swamp Fox.

 

[phx1138]

Chris Farley suffers a near-fatal heart attack

Leaving room for a sequel to "Beverly Hills Ninja"?

given the similarities between the plotline and Whedon’s proposed project, the WB higher-ups decide it would appear to be a clear rip-off...they politely turn down “Angel”

No Cordelia the *Slayer? No Kate Lockley? No Doyle? No Lorne? (Not even badass Wesley?)

"Forever Knight" remaining the standard to measure against? (Or does "Kindred" push that into obscurity?)

OK, I like how you did it--just not that you did.

Jim Caviezel as Cyclops

He's pretty old for Scotty, isn't he? Recall, Scott's supposed to be about 21.

Halle Berry as Storm

I continue to think she's not tall or regal enough. I picture Iman or Tyra (& born 1955, Iman's too old).

I stand by my statement. And in your heart, you know I'm right

And I stand by my appreciation for his work on "BTVS" & "Angel". (Less so "Dollhouse". I liked "My Own Worst Enemy" much better.)

Also, excuse me? You are aware that he wrote for that show too, are you not?

I am, & of the fact it starred Canadian Nathan Fillion, who I'm a fan of thanks to "Castle". Notwithstanding, I didn't like it.

 

[Thespitron 6000]

He's pretty old for Scotty, isn't he? Recall, Scott's supposed to be about 21.

Jim Caviezel was the original casting choice for Cyclops, but had to drop out OTL because of scheduling conflicts with Frequency that did not exist ITTL.

 

[phx1138]

Jim Caviezel was the original casting choice for Cyclops

Another Hollywood teenager...

 

[Brainbin]

You saved Phil Hartman's life! Fantastic news. In one fell swoop, you have maintained the quality of two shows that sharply declined without him (The Simpsons and NewsRadio) and ensured his presence to ameliorate future projects, both OTL (Futurama) and TTL (I, for one, would love to see the Troy McClure movie come to fruition).

 

[Thespitron 6000]

Summer 1998: Michael Bay’s bombastic “epic” Armageddon opens at the box offices and despite scathing reviews from critics, debuts at number one. Roger Ebert says, “Bay’s ‘film’ (and I use the term loosely) is an assault on the senses, an assault on good taste, an assault on the audience’s intelligence—hell, let’s just call it an assault.” Even with such stinging criticism, the overly-loud blockbuster has legs, and continues to dominate American box offices throughout the summer.

A number of smaller crowd pleasers are released—Lethal Weapon 4, The Mask of Zorro, and the Farrelly brothers’ gross-out comedy There’s Something About Mary—but Armageddon’s chief rival for the title of King of Summer ’98 is Steven Spielberg’s war drama Saving Private Ryan. Starring Tom Hanks, Barry Pepper, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, and newcomer Vin Diesel, the epic draws rave reviews and Oscar talk already. Shot in a hyper-realistic style, Ryan sets a new standard for what war movies can accomplish. “I’m very proud of it,” says Spielberg. “This is a masterpiece, and I say that without ego. It’s my second, and I consider myself tremendously lucky, that I should be able to make two such great films.”

Harvey Weinstein, the notoriously independent head of Miramax, is furious. After nearly four years of work, it seems that Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson’s long-cherished adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels, is coming unraveled. The plan is to divide Tolkien’s three books into two movies, with a total budget of $75 million. But location scouting in New Zealand and the scope of the movies suggests to Miramax execs that the budget will probably be north of $150 million, twice the estimate. Miramax, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is dependent on Disney’s approval for such a large commitment, and Michael Eisner, CEO of the parent company, is not forthcoming. “This is—this is a license to print money! It’s a guaranteed hit, a once in a lifetime project! And he’s shitting on it!” Weinstein complains to Premiere magazine in an interview. Weinstein’s vehemence and anger is increased by the prospect of being beaten to the punch by Dungeons and Dragons, a television series that might remove some of the novelty of Jackson’s proposed adaptation. “They’re going to see it on TV, and we’ll look like table scraps, like fucking leftovers!” he says. Eisner, less vulgarly but no less stridently, fires back in Variety, “It’s a massive commitment to a project that doesn’t have a finished script, doesn’t have a director, doesn’t have mass appeal, and won’t translate to film well. I’m not spending $150 million on a so-called ‘sure thing’. I’ve seen Batman and Robin. I know how far ‘sure things’ can sink.”

In the end, Weinstein and Miramax are forced to pass on Lord of the Rings, and the project is ultimately snapped up by New Line Cinema, with Warner Bros. to distribute.

Feeling left out by the rush to find sci-fi gold, Universal’s president Ron Meyer puts the word out to his operatives: we need a property. Jurassic Park is the only major science fiction franchise Universal has active right now; Meyer encourages his subordinates to find new ones, to look in places they otherwise wouldn’t have. One of his agents in London couriers him a children’s novel published the previous year that the agent thinks might have potential. Scholastic is planning to release the book Stateside in September; a sequel has just been published to wide acclaim and a third in the series is planned for 1999. Meyer reads the book and its sequel, finding them both a bit twee, but nonetheless he recognizes a certain charm and ingenuity that will probably translate well to the screen in the hands of a talented director, particularly if the book is a hit in the United States. He puts in a call to Universal’s London lawyers to approach Bloomsbury Publishing about bringing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the screen for either 2000 or 2001.

 

[unclepatrick]

Spring 1998: Blade premiers on March 6, 1998. Although critics are harsh on its plot and characterization, audiences cheer on the vampire hunter and box office draws are heavy. As the only major action film opening that weekend (the also-Snipes headed U.S. Marshals having been moved up one week by Warner Bros.), it brings in big crowds, easily winning the weekend. Although audiences quickly taper off, the film’s success is enough to give Marvel the green light to go ahead on its next picture. X-Men is scheduled for summer 1999; Patrick Stewart is cast as Professor X, with Jim Caviezel as Cyclops, Dougray Scott as Wolverine, Halle Berry as Storm, and Terence Stamp as Magneto.

So is Dougray Scott not doing Mission Impossible Two?
He was the first choice for Wolverine but was tie up with Director John Woo and Tom Cruise on MI2 in the OTL. So what changes with MI2 that Scott can play Wolverine?

 

[Brainbin]

Feeling left out by the rush to find sci-fi gold, Universal’s president Ron Meyer puts the word out to his operatives: we need a property. Jurassic Park is the only major science fiction franchise Universal has active right now; Meyer encourages his subordinates to find new ones, to look in places they otherwise wouldn’t have. One of his agents in London couriers him a children’s novel published the previous year that the agent thinks might have potential. Scholastic is planning to release the book Stateside in September; a sequel has just been published to wide acclaim and a third in the series is planned for 1999. Meyer reads the book and its sequel, finding them both a bit twee, but nonetheless he recognizes a certain charm and ingenuity that will probably translate well to the screen in the hands of a talented director, particularly if the book is a hit in the United States. He puts in a call to Universal’s London lawyers to approach Bloomsbury Publishing about bringing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the screen for either 2000 or 2001.

So Universal is going to get themselves one of the great cash cow franchises of the 2000s... which means that Warner Bros. won't! And the parent company, Time Warner (or should I say, AOL Time Warner), was really desperate for that kind of financial success IOTL, precisely because of that merger (and it seemed like such a good idea at the time). So Warners has two options: either seek an alternative property and nurture it, hoping and praying that it will become the hit they so desperately need... or bankruptcy and buyout, possibly merger. The latter option could allow Ted Turner to resurface somewhere, which... well, let's just say I'm against that.

But good update, all the same! Glad to see it back, and looking forward to more

 

[Shawn Endresen]

Delighted to find this; for the most part I really want to see these properties. If you can forgive a spasm of drooling on you and bouncing on the couch - does this mean we get our Tremere and Malkavians back? Clans based on blood magic and madness were deemed poor choices for the general viewing public, but Showtime might be willing to take a few more risks - at least with the Tremere.

Looking forward to Whedon's original concept instead of Angel, and curious to see how Icewind Dale goes - depending on cast, budget and location, this could be either brilliant or craptastic.

 

[Thespitron 6000]

So Universal is going to get themselves one of the great cash cow franchises of the 2000s... which means that Warner Bros. won't! And the parent company, Time Warner (or should I say, AOL Time Warner), was really desperate for that kind of financial success IOTL, precisely because of that merger (and it seemed like such a good idea at the time). So Warners has two options: either seek an alternative property and nurture it, hoping and praying that it will become the hit they so desperately need... or bankruptcy and buyout, possibly merger. The latter option could allow Ted Turner to resurface somewhere, which... well, let's just say I'm against that.

Remember that the AOL/Time Warner merger hasn't happened yet, and may not happen, depending on various events.

 

[Thespitron 6000]

Fall 1998: Melrose Place debuts its new fall season, and fans are pleased to see that Megan Lewis, the character portrayed by Jeri Ryan, is absent from the season premiere. In fact, Spelling Television, the show’s production company, has decided to write the character out of the series in reaction to fan feedback. Although Ryan appears in two episodes during the fall, in her final appearance Lewis leaves for New York to start a new career, signaling the end of Ryan’s tenure on the show. Ryan, now free of obligations to Spelling, decides to take a hiatus from acting to work on her struggling marriage.

Star Trek: Voyager is a show in trouble. Its share of viewers hovers between 3 and 4 percent throughout the fall; for five weeks straddling October and November, the show drops out of the top one hundred. Already, much of the production team’s talent is abandoning ship, as artists, writers, designers, techs, and production assistants recognize a terminally ill production. In December, Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor sit down with UPN brass, who inform the two executive producers bluntly that unless the show can regain a seven percent share, it will be canceled at the end of the season. UPN has its own problems; the network is hemorrhaging money. Almost all the network’s shows are flops; only Voyager has been even close to a hit, and now, with its ratings in the tank, the network has serious issues. Viacom, one half of UPN’s ownership, is considering selling its stake, possibly to CBS; Chris-Craft, owner of the other half, has been targeted by NewsCorp for a hostile takeover. In short, the omens for the long-term survival of UPN are not good. Unless Voyager can stem the tide, it—and UPN—are finished.

Joss Whedon, who has not allowed the sting of Angel’s rejection get him down, has returned to the WB with a new pitch for a television show for the fall of 1999. Combining his affection for strong female characters with his love of comic books as well as WB’s ownership of DC Comics, Whedon pitches Wonder Woman, an hour-long sci-fi/fantasy drama that chronicles the early years of the classic superheroine. Whedon envisions a “mythic take on a character that really has been kind of ignored recently”*, focusing on Princess Diana, her “fish-out-of-water” experience in Gateway City, and “how she’s torn between the sort of classically Greek, mythological world of Themyscira, and modern America”**. The WB’s executives are intrigued by Whedon’s proposal, and suggest he write and film a pilot through his production company, Mutant Enemy.

*Entertainment Weekly, Jan. 1999
**ibid.

 

[Brainbin]

Great new update!

Remember that the AOL/Time Warner merger hasn't happened yet, and may not happen, depending on various events.

True, and if it doesn't, that could be very interesting. Because it keeps Turner in the loop (instead of kicking him upstairs), and he tended to fight for things that nobody else in the company had any interest in, most notably their stake in professional wrestling through WCW.

Fall 1998: Melrose Place debuts its new fall season, and fans are pleased to see that Megan Lewis, the character portrayed by Jeri Ryan, is absent from the season premiere. In fact, Spelling Television, the show’s production company, has decided to write the character out of the series in reaction to fan feedback. Although Ryan appears in two episodes during the fall, in her final appearance Lewis leaves for New York to start a new career, signaling the end of Ryan’s tenure on the show. Ryan, now free of obligations to Spelling, decides to take a hiatus from acting to work on her struggling marriage.

If this is going where I think it is, a classic way to butterfly a certain someone... though I must point out that the rise of said certain someone was so improbable IOTL that there's certainly no need to treat it as inevitable unless it's headed off at the pass. But among other things, it does have interesting effects on...

In December, Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor sit down with UPN brass, who inform the two executive producers bluntly that unless the show can regain a seven percent share, it will be canceled at the end of the season.

Assuming it is cancelled, Taylor will probably leave for greener pastures immediately (as she did anyway at the end of the fourth season IOTL), but Berman's ultimate fate as the shepherd of Star Trek might be harder to determine. IOTL, it took the twin catastrophic failures of Enterprise and Nemesis to finally dislodge him - I'm not sure Voyager being cancelled might be enough. But on the other hand, at least the formation of "Bermaga" would be butterflied - in fact, DS9 and Voyager would both be ending at the same time, and IOTL, the ratings for the finale arc of DS9 were gangbusters. If Ron Moore (the only DS9 scribe who went on to write for Voyager IOTL, however briefly) is allowed to make a pitch of his own, who knows what might happen? Even without Moore, an Excelsior series certainly seems far more likely than a prequel.

 

[CandyDragon]

Enjoying this. Keep up the excellent work, my fine robot sir.

Subscribed.

 

[vultan]

Whatever happened to this?

 

[Thespitron 6000]

Whatever happened to this?

I got caught up in some other stuff and lost the WILL TO LIVE!! Naw, I was just working on other projects. I'll probably get back to it one of these days.