More Than Meets the Eye Guest, Speculation, Commentary and Idea Thread

[Otakuninja2006]

Well, I thought why not, this is the thread where you can pitch ideas, make guesses, speculate, comment on and generally do whatever y'all want(as long as it's related to this TL).

More than Meets the Eye: An OPEN COLLAB DISCUSSION TL By Otakuninja2006

The name of the thread says it all. We'll discuss my timeline of television, whether it's channels, blocks, shows, you name it. It's being discussed Right Here.

www.alternatehistory.com

Show me what you got!!!!!!!

I'll start:

Imagine this:

As an television network rather than a videogame console.....

An television network owned as a joint venture between Microsoft/Sega-Bandai and Warner-Paramount Communications.....

The network would launch on Monday November 28th, 2005 as a tween/teen/young adult(9-24) targeted channel. The network would initially air Warner-Paramount's library of geek-friendly titles, including the entirety of anything DC or Star Trek-related, older shows from Kids' WB and Nickelodeon(mainly for nostalgia's sake) and the N-Gage Animation libraries. The network would also use their entertainment production/distribution deal with Sega-Bandai to their advantage, as was quite frankly, one of the main reasons why this channel was conceived in the first place as well as new original programming, co-productions and even some anime(at launch mainly from Sega-Bandai's own animation distribution unit and ADV Films).

Is this a nice start?

This is just a example.

TL-wise, we're not even halfway through the 90s yet.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

I've got an idea that's more "recent" in the current point of this timeline.

Fox Kids Channel

+

Basically, imagine if Fox Kids became an entire channel in Summer 1994, instead of launching FX.

What would be kept from our timeline's FX network is the "live TV" approach in between the shows, and the "Breakfast Time" morning block. But that would be mostly it.

What would be different are "The Pet Department" and "Sound FX" as interstitials instead of original half-hour shows, "Backchat" airing at 5:00 P.M. instead of 12:30 A.M., and most notable of all...

Libraries of animation from Fox Kids at the time, including Warner Bros.

This would initially include mainstays like Bobby's World, Tom and Jerry Kids, Peter Pan and the Pirates, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men, Eek! Stravaganza, Taz-Mania, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Batman: The Animated Series.

Because we already have Film Roman, Hanna-Barbera, Saban Entertainment, and WB Animation on standby at the time, we would also see Saban's anime dubs that were educational enough for Nick Jr. on the Fox Kids Breakfast Time lineup, plus Don Coyote and Gravedale High, which were too obscurely recent for Cartoon Network to pick up at the time, not to mention Garfield and Friends and ThunderCats.

Now, another thing that would technically survive the timeline jumping is the retro repeats of 60s, 70s, and 80s cartoons to fill in all that extra space. The most important entries in this category are Thunderbirds, Marine Boy, The All-New Popeye Hour, and Rocky & Bullwinkle.

And the most interesting side effect of Fox Kids not having as much to offer back then, oddly enough, would be that Kids WB's first originals would actually find some sort of home on this lineup, including Pinky and the Brain and EarthWorm Jim.

What do you think?

 

[ExowareMasses]

Well, I thought why not, this is the thread where you can pitch ideas, make guesses, speculate, comment on and generally do whatever y'all want(as long as it's related to this TL).

Show me what you got!!!!!!!

I'll start:

Imagine this:

View attachment 751505

As an television network rather than a videogame console.....

An television network owned as a joint venture between Microsoft/Sega-Bandai and Warner-Paramount Communications.....

The network would launch on Monday November 28th, 2005 as a tween/teen/young adult(9-24) targeted channel. The network would initially air Warner-Paramount's library of geek-friendly titles, including the entirety of anything DC or Star Trek-related, older shows from Kids' WB and Nickelodeon(mainly for nostalgia's sake) and the N-Gage Animation libraries. The network would also use their entertainment production/distribution deal with Sega-Bandai to their advantage, as was quite frankly, one of the main reasons why this channel was conceived in the first place as well as new original programming, co-productions and even some anime(at launch mainly from Sega-Bandai's own animation distribution unit and ADV Films).

Is this a nice start?

This is just a example.

TL-wise, we're not even halfway through the 90s yet.

I made a more original logo (albeit taking inspiration from the original):

---

Thoughts?

 

[ExowareMasses]

I've got an idea that's more "recent" in the current point of this timeline.

Fox Kids Channel

+

Basically, imagine if Fox Kids became an entire channel in Summer 1994, instead of launching FX.

What would be kept from our timeline's FX network is the "live TV" approach in between the shows, and the "Breakfast Time" morning block. But that would be mostly it.

What would be different are "The Pet Department" and "Sound FX" as interstitials instead of original half-hour shows, "Backchat" airing at 5:00 P.M. instead of 12:30 A.M., and most notable of all...

Libraries of animation from Fox Kids at the time, including Warner Bros.

This would initially include mainstays like Bobby's World, Tom and Jerry Kids, Peter Pan and the Pirates, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men, Eek! Stravaganza, Taz-Mania, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Batman: The Animated Series.

Because we already have Film Roman, Hanna-Barbera, Saban Entertainment, and WB Animation on standby at the time, we would also see Saban's anime dubs that were educational enough for Nick Jr. on the Fox Kids Breakfast Time lineup, plus Don Coyote and Gravedale High, which were too obscurely recent for Cartoon Network to pick up at the time, not to mention Garfield and Friends and ThunderCats.

Now, another thing that would technically survive the timeline jumping is the retro repeats of 60s, 70s, and 80s cartoons to fill in all that extra space. The most important entries in this category are Thunderbirds, Marine Boy, The All-New Popeye Hour, and Rocky & Bullwinkle.

And the most interesting side effect of Fox Kids not having as much to offer back then, oddly enough, would be that Kids WB's first originals would actually find some sort of home on this lineup, including Pinky and the Brain and EarthWorm Jim.

What do you think?

I love this.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

I love this.

Really? I mean, I mainly pulled all this out of my butt, after seeing the initial promos for the FX channel circa 1994.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

I made a more original logo (albeit taking inspiration from the original):

View attachment 751515​

---

Thoughts?

Nice, but I would have made it more Y2K-esque to have it fit with the theme.

I'm sure you could come up with some stuff and a new logo concept, really to see which logo would be better for me to use.

I've got an idea that's more "recent" in the current point of this timeline.

Fox Kids Channel

+

Basically, imagine if Fox Kids became an entire channel in Summer 1994, instead of launching FX.

Nada, FX still would have launched. Same with Fox Family(albeit not being a relaunch of The Family Channel like it was IOTL).

What would be kept from our timeline's FX network is the "live TV" approach in between the shows, and the "Breakfast Time" morning block. But that would be mostly it.

What would be different are "The Pet Department" and "Sound FX" as interstitials instead of original half-hour shows, "Backchat" airing at 5:00 P.M. instead of 12:30 A.M., and most notable of all...

Well, yes,we could refit those for Fox Family.

Libraries of animation from Fox Kids at the time, including Warner Bros.

This would initially include mainstays like Bobby's World, Tom and Jerry Kids, Peter Pan and the Pirates, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men, Eek! Stravaganza, Taz-Mania, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Batman: The Animated Series.

Because we already have Film Roman, Hanna-Barbera, Saban Entertainment, and WB Animation on standby at the time,

Warner-Paramount is preparing to launch Neptune in 1994, Hanna-Barbera is on Cartoon Network, Marvel is owned by Disney(albeit with their shows airing on Fox Kids until Toon Disney's launch in 1992 ITTL). Film Roman could work. I'm actually considering giving DiC to Gold Diamond and giving Ruby-Spears to someone else.....

we would also see Saban's anime dubs that were educational enough for Nick Jr. on the Fox Kids Breakfast Time lineup, plus Don Coyote and Gravedale High, which were too obscurely recent for Cartoon Network to pick up at the time, not to mention Garfield and Friends and ThunderCats.

Yep...

Those 2 show could air on Fox Family. Garfield and Friends would be on Fox Family and ThunderCats would be on Neptune(Rankin-Bass would be brought by Paramount before the Warner-Paramount merger).

On second thought, Saban wouldn't even be doing Fox ITTL, SBT is there in the same corporate umbrella, so, better to keep it in-house.

And Saban's tamer anime dubs from the 80s would fit very well on this unnamed project from Saban I would have launch in 1996.....

Now, another thing that would technically survive the timeline jumping is the retro repeats of 60s, 70s, and 80s cartoons to fill in all that extra space. The most important entries in this category are Thunderbirds, Marine Boy, The All-New Popeye Hour, and Rocky & Bullwinkle.

Well, I guess Thunderbirds could work on the channel based off this Saban unnamed project, but Popeye would be on Cartoon Network, Rocky and Bullwinkle would be on the potential Universal family channel and Marine Boy is on Neptune.

And the most interesting side effect of Fox Kids not having as much to offer back then, oddly enough, would be that Kids WB's first originals would actually find some sort of home on this lineup, including Pinky and the Brain and EarthWorm Jim.

Or on Kids' WPN's initial lineup and Earthworm Jim would be on USA Cartoon Express.

What do you think?

Great......

So, we keep Fox Family and FX and Saban launches a unnamed project in Fall 1996, haven't came up with the name yet, got any ideas?

 

[Otakuninja2006]

Nice, but I would have made it more Y2K-esque to have it fit with the theme.

I'm sure you could come up with some stuff and a new logo concept, really to see which logo would be better for me to use.

Nada, FX still would have launched. Same with Fox Family(albeit not being a relaunch of The Family Channel like it was IOTL).

Well, yes,we could refit those for Fox Family.

Warner-Paramount is preparing to launch Neptune in 1994, Hanna-Barbera is on Cartoon Network, Marvel is owned by Disney(albeit with their shows airing on Fox Kids until Toon Disney's launch in 1992 ITTL). Film Roman could work. I'm actually considering giving DiC to Gold Diamond and giving Ruby-Spears to someone else.....

Yep...

Those 2 show could air on Fox Family. Garfield and Friends would be on Fox Family and ThunderCats would be on Neptune(Rankin-Bass would be brought by Paramount before the Warner-Paramount merger).

On second thought, Saban wouldn't even be doing Fox ITTL, SBT is there in the same corporate umbrella, so, better to keep it in-house.

And Saban's tamer anime dubs from the 80s would fit very well on this unnamed project from Saban I would have launch in 1996.....

Well, I guess Thunderbirds could work on the channel based off this Saban unnamed project, but Popeye would be on Cartoon Network, Rocky and Bullwinkle would be on the potential Universal family channel and Marine Boy is on Neptune.

Or on Kids' WPN's initial lineup and Earthworm Jim would be on USA Cartoon Express.

Great......

So, we keep Fox Family and FX and Saban launches a unnamed project in Fall 1996, haven't came up with the name yet, got any ideas?

Hello, is anybody going to answer this?

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Hello, is anybody going to answer this?

It was worth a shot to suggest the idea of a Fox Kids channel in 1994, even though it completely went against your plans for the timeline.

I'd rather keep DIC and Ruby-Spears where they are now.

If Saban won't be with Fox, then which studios but Film Roman would give them content between 1992 and 1998, and beyond that?

Speaking of Saban, I would call their inevitable channel "Pagoda" or something like that.

Earthworm Jim could actually be a good original show for USA Network's two blocks.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

We'll I would be nice that Fox Kids would go early as a channel.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

It was worth a shot to suggest the idea of a Fox Kids channel in 1994, even though it completely went against your plans for the timeline.

Fox Family still exists and in fact, launches earlier if that makes you feel better.

I'd rather keep DIC and Ruby-Spears where they are now.

Ok, but Filmation alone ain't gonna be enough for Gold Diamond forever......

And DiC would fit perfectly within Saban..

And I have plans to build Capital Universal Animation up without having to rely on DiC.

If Saban won't be with Fox, then which studios but Film Roman would give them content between 1992 and 1998, and beyond that?

Warner-Paramount content until 1995, then mostly original and co-production animation and live-action, Canadian/European/Australian/Japanese imports and whatever franchise deals they have(example: Capcom).

Speaking of Saban, I would call their inevitable channel "Pagoda" or something like that.

What does that even mean?

Earthworm Jim could actually be a good original show for USA Network's two blocks.

Well, I was eventually thinking of having Capital Cities-ABC merge with Universal(inspired by Geekhis Khan's TL), and the having Saban have Capital Universal get in the joint venture themselves.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

We'll I would be nice that Fox Kids would go early as a channel.

Well, Fox Family would still exist.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Fox Family still exists and in fact, launches earlier if that makes you feel better.

Sounds reasonable.

Ok, but Filmation alone ain't gonna be enough for Gold Diamond forever......

Good point. Perhaps Gold Diamond should buy DIC, then.

And DiC would fit perfectly within Saban..

Agreed.

And I have plans to build Capital Universal Animation up without having to rely on DiC.

Those are some good plans.

Warner-Paramount content until 1995, then mostly original and co-production animation and live-action, Canadian/European/Australian/Japanese imports and whatever franchise deals they have(example: Capcom).

That makes sense. So, could we expect the Darkstalkers American cartoon to actually be good?

What does that even mean?

I was trying to give off a Japanese-sounding channel name.

Well, I was eventually thinking of having Capital Cities-ABC merge with Universal(inspired by Geekhis Khan's TL), and the having Saban have Capital Universal get in the joint venture themselves.

That could be a good idea, especially if having Digimon and the Fox Family originals could help give USA Cartoon Express a longer life.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

Sounds reasonable.

Good point. Perhaps Gold Diamond should buy DIC, then.

Agreed.

Those are some good plans.

Yep.

That makes sense. So, could we expect the Darkstalkers American cartoon to actually be good?

At least expect it to be better.

I was trying to give off a Japanese-sounding channel name.

Oh.....

Got any other ideas?

That could be a good idea, especially if having Digimon and the Fox Family originals could help give USA Cartoon Express a longer life.

Well, if anything, I'm sure USA Cartoon Express would have still closed like OTL. It's remnants would move to the block/channel of unnamed Saban project....

And Fox and Saban has nothing to do with each other ITTL.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

At least expect it to be better.

That would be good in the slightest.

Oh.....

Got any other ideas?

I'm afraid not.

Well, if anything, I'm sure USA Cartoon Express would have still closed like OTL. It's remnants would move to the block/channel of unnamed Saban project....

Well, that makes me happy to see its remnants go someplace else.

And Fox and Saban has nothing to do with each other ITTL.

Oh, of course.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

That would be good in the slightest.

I'm afraid not.

Well, that makes me happy to see its remnants go someplace else.

Oh, of course.

Ok.

Have you checked out what I wrote in the Hensonverse Guest thread earlier today?:

"To Introduce our Guest Star, that's What I'm Here to Do..." The Hensonverse Fan Contribution Thread

I'm surprised they went with a spy angle for Blackadder 5. If they wanted to get an American audience wouldn't the revolutionary wars be a more logical first step? (Blackadder as a British loyalist who stumbles into becoming an American general and just misses becoming a founding father because...

www.alternatehistory.com

Here it is in case you didn't.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Ok.

Have you checked out what I wrote in the Hensonverse Guest thread earlier today?:

"To Introduce our Guest Star, that's What I'm Here to Do..." The Hensonverse Fan Contribution Thread

I'm surprised they went with a spy angle for Blackadder 5. If they wanted to get an American audience wouldn't the revolutionary wars be a more logical first step? (Blackadder as a British loyalist who stumbles into becoming an American general and just misses becoming a founding father because...

www.alternatehistory.com

Here it is in case you didn't.

I did see what you wrote there.

I will say that the biggest surprises to me are Teenmunks and the Gilligan's Island reboot.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

I did see what you wrote there.

I will say that the biggest surprises to me are Teenmunks and the Gilligan's Island reboot.

Yeah...

And I actually think a KBC Underground channel would legit work.

 

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Yeah...

And I actually think a KBC Underground channel would legit work.

Admittedly, I agree.

 

[ExowareMasses]

Speaking of Saban, I would call their inevitable channel "Pagoda" or something like that.

How's this for a logo?

And DiC would fit perfectly within Saban..

Agreed. That's why I came up with Saban-DiC.

 

[Otakuninja2006]

How's this for a logo?

View attachment 751881​

It looks interesting and it looks like a more modern logo.

Pagoda it is.

Pagoda will launch in Fall 1996.

Could you make some more logos of Pagoda, including a more "space-themed" logo I could use for the brand's launch until 2000?

And did you see what we said on the Hensonverse Guest thread?

Agreed. That's why I came up with Saban-DiC.

Yep.