This TL is inspired by
@dsp19's Star Trek timeline, and focuses on the schedules in particular, but...
What if Disney launched their own broadcast network in 1981?
Country Of Origin: United States Launched: Sunday, September 6th, 1981 Running Time: Initial: Sunday Nights and Weekdays Maximum: Every Day Schedules: Launch Day: 7:00: The Wonderful World of Disney 9:00: Herbie, the Love Bug September 7th, 1981-September 4th, 1982: Sundays: 7:00: The Wonderful...
docs.google.com
I'd be happy to answer any questions that you guys have.
For those who are unaware, here's the skinny so far:
-Disney partners with Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Jim Henson Productions at least 10 years or more before they bought them out IRL, which led to more content for their younger audiences.
-To beef up the weekday afternoon lineup, they get the broadcast rights to Robotech, as G.I. Joe and Transformers were doing as well as their RL counterparts.
-Before you ask, most of the executives in Disney still remain in the company, for better or for worse.
-Bernard and Bianca replace Chip and Dale as the iconic Rescue Rangers figureheads of the 80's. On another note, Peter Pan and the Pirates is Disney's way of blending the more iconic movie characters with a more accurate telling of the J.M. Barrie stories.
-Kids Incorporated is still part of Disney history, and with it being on a television network with an uber-popular weekday cast, it will do better than its premium exclusivity. Especially once the Mickey Mouse Club reboot comes into play and is paired up with Kids Incorporated at the 5-6 timeslot. The same hour in the afternoon where the original MMC became household names.
-To fill in space, The Wonderful World of Disney has two primetime slots, each running at two hours apiece. The Sunday slot has the mainstays, such as the Disney Animated Canon, while the Wednesday slot houses the premieres and new original movies and miniseries. And yes, because of the earlier Jim Henson broadcasts, The Jim Henson Hour and The Storyteller occasionally hijack the Wednesday Wonderful World program.
-The Raccoons is still part of Disney Channel culture, albeit not through the channel as we know it, and they actually move a few hours later in the early primetime hours on Saturdays, after spending a few years in the kidvid market on the mornings.