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The two companies would eventually develop a working relationship, even having a young Mr. Burns and a family photo of The Bunyans show up in Roger Rabbit 3, with Disney gaining the theme park rights to the Bongo characters, after Columbia (their other main partners) showed little interest, all culminating in Bongo eventually signing a three-picture film deal with Disney, fulfilling Groening’s long-standing ambitions to branch into feature film. However, that is a story for another day.
Wow, there's a Roger Rabbit 3, Disney will be able to build a Nuclear Family attraction in Hollywood and there will eventually be some Bongo feature films? Neat
We see the world of tomorrow through the eyes of Curtis J. Fry (Billy West), a pizza delivery guy with a pretty crappy life who ends up accidentally (or so it seemed…) cryogenically frozen and who then wakes up in the year 3000.

With no job, no family and no prospects, he decides to sign up for space exploration and ends up posted on the E.S.S. Beautilycias (pronounced like Bootylicious, much to the initial amusement of Fry[3]), captained by blowhard Zapp Brannigan (Phil Hartman), an arrogant dingbat fond of pseudo-Shatnerian monologuing. Captain Brannigan is joined by aggrieved first officer Kif (Maurice LaMarche), semi-senile science officer Marconi Farnsworth (also Billy West) and brilliant but lazy and entitled communications officer Amy Tang (Lauren Tom).

However, Fry ends up befriending the lower-deck crew members: the hard-drinking, kleptomaniacal robot URL (pronounced “Earl”), voiced by John DiMaggio, ass-kicking cyclopean alien (actually mutated human) Leela (voiced by Nicole Sullivan), stuffy, anal-retentive (as in “give you an official reprimand for being 0.0001 seconds late” anal-retentive) Jamaican “ship’s bureaucrat” Hermes Andromeda (Phil LaMarr), and the crab-like “Decapodian” alien (and lethal ship’s doctor) Dr. Schlomax Greenzerg (also voiced by Billy West).
I didn't expect Futurama to be this different but also strangely the same, what led to it being a Star Trek parody ala The Orville or Lower Decks? Not that I complain, sounds fun and with all the characters I love from the OTL show (and Zoidberg!).

Also what's Fry's job that he can hang out with both the Bridge and the Lower Decks?
Finally, there was the breakout character of Ensign Condannato “Condi” Camiciarosso (Hank Azaria), a red-shirted Clone who keeps dying on every mission only to get systematically replaced by his next Clone every episode, who then reintroduces himself to the crew.
Without a South Park that's the closest we have to a Kenny in this Timeline and much like Kenny I can see why Audiences would fall in love with the character. He's probably the bright eyed cadet type of character?!
The dénouement is Brannigan delighted at his success, and confident that, given enough time, they’re going to work something out. Fry turns to a slum and asks, “Yeah, but how many kids are gonna die in the meantime?” Brannigan turns to him and says, “How many more will live?” It’s an amazingly subdued statement from the usually bombastic Brannigan and showcases Hartman’s talent as an actor.
👏👏👏👏 Fantastic writing
Bartman was born, obviously enough, out of the popularity of Bart Simpson’s superhero alias, Bartman, on Nuclear Family. It was one of the first ideas pitched for an in-house production once Bongo Studios was formed. And the notion of Bartman prowling the alleys of Springfield at night, facing equally idiosyncratic supervillains, was a great way to point out and deconstruct the superhero tropes popular in the many superhero cartoons and films that exploded in the 1990s.

Using the more altruistic Bart who had emerged after the Nuclear Family retool, Cartwright was able to show her depths as an actress and grant Bart a bit more of a personality. The semi-loveable, sarcastic old misanthrope version of Mr. Burns also appeared, acting as Bartman’s foil and occasional benefactor. Whilst the episodes where the two collaborated were infrequent, the interplay between the two, with Burns serving as the M to Bartman’s James Bond, are fondly remembered
Insectina: Some days, I feel like Christina Vespa was the fake me, like I’m an insect who dreamt it was a woman and loved it… oh, I loved it. However, the dream’s ending… and the insect’s waking up. Some days I feel like I can’t stop it. Someday, and every day it gets a little closer, someday, it’s going to wake up…

Her right eye, which is still human, begins to tear up. Bartman gives her a pained look.

Insectina: (almost plaintive, like a little girl who’s had a nightmare) I don’t wanna wake up
Wow what a spinoff, wacky Superhero nonsense ala the Tick or Freakazoid meets sincere exploration of the human condition through superheroes like BTAS or Static Shock. They didn't need to go this hard but they did. Wonder how Nuclear Family fans think about this bizarre but Brilliant spinoff?
Many of Bartman’s themes would later appear in the Bongo Studios cartoon Avatar – in particular, it’s tempting to see Bartman villain the Skin-Taker as a precursor to that show’s Koh the Face Stealer (they’re even voiced by the same actor). Perhaps appropriately, many of Bartman’s staff would later work on Avatar.
Oh yeah Avatar! Can't wait to see how that evolved and changed from the OTL example.
Most of the show follows Dr. Diabolicus (voiced by Rik Mayall), who angsts endlessly about people seeing him as a joke, trying to get respect from the supervillain community, as well as being seen as “the cool boss” by his henchmen. Dr. Diabolicus’ henchmen include the cheerfully violent, if none-too-bright second in command Major Disaster (voiced by Adrian Edmondson); the snarky female assassin Black Scorpion (Susan Egan), who, through no fault of her own and much to her displeasure, has found herself slumming it way below her station; the dim-witted and perpetually cheery literal-man-mountain (as in he’s made of living rock) Thunk (Patrick Warburton); the diminutive and super-intelligent, but neurotic alien telepath Sico (pronounced “sicko”) (voiced by Tom Kenny); and the nervous-but-eager-to-prove-himself super-smeller temp Frank (Neil Patrick Harris). The crew were later joined by Thunk’s “son” Thunk Junior (Dee Bradley Baker), produced by asexual budding
Lol Venture Bros meets Harley Quinn meets a bit of Dr. Doofensmirtz. Definitely a show I would watch.

Really Bongos line up continues to be excellent and has proven that Groenings style isn't just a nineties fad!

Great chapter @Nathanoraptor
 
First off, thanks again to @Nathanoraptor for the new twist on Bongo. More to come from him I'm sure.


I think I'd want to work more for Whoopass Studios or Bongo Studios than even Disney, which surprises even me.
Me too, LOL.

Wow, there's a Roger Rabbit 3,
Yep, guess you missed that one:


Do you have any plans for any future timelines? Or is that too far in the future? I’m just curious to see what you’re planning on following this up with.
I'm actually working on an alternate history novel set in Appalachia in the Civil War. Nothing pop culture, nothing ASB, but a straight AH with a framing device. More details maybe in the future, depending on the board's rules.
 
I'm actually working on an alternate history novel set in Appalachia in the Civil War. Nothing pop culture, nothing ASB, but a straight AH with a framing device. More details maybe in the future, depending on the board's rules.
Oh? I wonder how that will be? I reckon it'll be good thanks to all your hard work. :)
 
And 1999 dawns with a new era at Disney. Business-minded men have joined the team and change is afoot.

And yes, as noted in the Commentary thread, this TL is starting to wind down. This new "Part" will be the last fully detailed Part before a final Epilogue "Part" that sort of surveys the Fiction Zone years up through the present. Thanks, all, for the continued support.



It was never my intention to make Peltz or really anyone the villain, just another Foil or Jim, a chance to see things from the standpoint of a businessman. And Peltz wasn't entirely wrong from the financial standpoint. Balancing the art and the finance is a challenge in any era. Even Falwell isn't meant to be a villainous clown, though it is hard to avoid things going in that direction with the man whose crusade against Tinkie Winkie isn't even his most outrageous chapter iOTL, and I really just had to let him be himself here.

And while it may surprise some, this TL isn't a big political rant on my part either, though I'm not going to hide or dilute my ethical and moral values to avoid offense. People might be really surprised at how I've voted through the years. Things have taken a definite progressive turn, which, go figure, tends to happen when your main POV person is a progressive hippie. Culture in the 1990s, like in our timeline, took a turn to the left, though a stronger turn in large part to Henson steering Disney more progressive/woke/whatever earlier. Culture, and politics, of course, are never static, so don't expect things to stay this way forever.


If anyone has ideas for a WED-sig in the 2000s and 2010s pitch it for the Contest, please! I've got two decades of animated canon to produce here!



I'm sure you have some ideas. Let's talk in the Parks PM!
How big will the epilogue be
 
So it's really coming to an end...
All good things must come an end.
How big will the epilogue be
Quite, I'd assume.
I was imagining at least five or seven paragraphs
Yes, coming to an end as we enter into the Fiction Zone. The Epilogue will be a full "Part", just like "Part VI" that just launched. It will be many posts over the course of a few weeks.

NOW QUIT SPAMMING THE TL THREAD!!

If only there was some sort of "Commentary Thread" for stuff like this... :winkytongue:
 
The Bongoverse sounds amazing.

I assume that somewhere in the spin-off comics (there must be spin-off comics) there's a Blue Badger/Bartman crossover, with both of them thinking there's something vaguely familiar about the other, but unable to work out what.
 
In the News...
Ankeny Distribution Center Raided by FBI, ATF, and Local Law Enforcement

Founder and President Arrested!

Warehouse Full of illegal weapons seized

Des Moines Register, Tuesday April 20th, 1999

Guest Post by @ajm8888


The FBI, ATF, and local law enforcement conducted a raid on an Ankeny[1] distribution center and warehouse operated by Fischbach Transportation Monday morning. The offices of Fischbach Transportation in the Ruan Center building in Downtown Des Moines were also raided by Omaha-based FBI agents. The ATF were involved in the Ankeny Raid along with Ankeny Police, Polk County Sheriff's Deputies, and Iowa State Patrol.

The FBI arrested numerous executives of Fischbach Transportation including company founder, CEO and president, James Fischbach. Fischbach, An Army veteran, served in the US Army as an officer from 1981 to 1989 when he separated with the rank of captain. Though rumors that he was forced out due some incident that happened at Fort Carson in Colorado persisted after he started his business, his official records say he was honorably discharged[2]. Since separation, he launched his transportation company, which makes a reported $27 million per year.

Fischbach was arrested at the Des Moines Club while the raid was occurring. His charges include gun smuggling, theft of government property, and numerous charges on explosives. Further charges are likely to be added on, said sources in the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa’s Office.

“It is a shock,” said an anonymous member of the Des Moines Club, “I knew he was very conservative but I never thought that Jimmy Fischbach was running guns and bazookas. Most members of our club and the Embassy Club[3] are upstanding citizens. Politicians, Businessmen, religious leaders, and so forth. None of them would do such a thing.”

The FBI said this raid was done thanks to confidential information[4] and an investigation into Fischbach Transportation. The IRS also said they have launched an investigation into tax fraud... Con't on A7



US Women win World Cup
The Washington Post, July 11th, 1999


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Pasadena, CA – The US Women’s Soccer team won over China in a breathtaking final that has done the impossible: gotten the US to care about soccer. Capped by a late goal by Mia Hamm and marked by impressive saves by goalie Briana Scurry, the US Team pulled off a 1-0 victory[5]. The final, which aired on Rupert Murdoch’s Sports Century (formerly HTN), became the channel’s mot watched programming since its relaunch, a channel that has increasingly focused on sports ignored by ESPN, Broadcast TV, and other sports networks. This has included not just soccer, but women’s sports, including the new WNBA Basketball league, resulting in Murdoch being celebrated by women as “a hero of Title 9”[6].

The match began with… Cont’d on C2.



Russia Seethes as CEFTA Formalizes Defensive Alliance
The Times of London, September 1st, 1999


Warsaw – The Central European Free Trade Agreement, or CEFTA, today formally declared its commitment to mutual self-defense, making official and open a lesser-known clause of the agreement. Signed on the date and time of the 60th anniversary of the German and Soviet invasion of Poland that kicked off World War 2, the symbolism of the date is obvious. With a declaration of neutrality in any NATO-USR conflict, some are already declaring it the “Great Finlandization”, and indeed both Finland and Sweden have announced plans to discuss the “strategic situation” with the Alliance.

320px-Flag_of_CEFTA.svg.png


And yet if the date acknowledges threats from both east and west, with CEFTA’s growing closeness with Brussels and the EU and back channels with NATO, it seems apparent whom the signatories see as the greater threat. Already Russian Nationalists are calling this a direct threat to the USR and demanding that President Yeltsin take action. Leaders of the Russian People’s Party are demanding a new election and rumors of meetings with FSB Director Vladimir Putin are causing whispers of a potential coup. Yeltsin’s already weakening poll numbers took a noteworthy hit upon the announcement, and sources tell The Times that Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov is already maneuvering to “retire” his mentor and assume his place. Despite assurances by US President Al Gore that NATO and CEFTA offer no threat to the USR, Yeltsin has agreed to increase the defense budget and has been cozying up to the Red Army, perhaps hoping to counter a possible FSB/RPP alliance, leading to fears of an arms race.

“There seems to be a shadow war of sorts within the USR, with the military and business interests on one side, and Russian nationalists and the Intelligence establishment on the other,” an aide to US Secretary of State Zbigniew Brzezinski told The Times. “Organized crime, meanwhile, appears to be the main arbiter of discussions between the blocs, which is concerning.”

320px-Flag_of_the_CIS.svg.png


Further complicating matters, the Sovereign State of the Ukraine continues to maintain direct financial and diplomatic sidebar relations with CEFTA, leading many Russian nationalists to call for the Red Army to put down what they see as a “rogue State”. Russian generals have reportedly advised against this, however, as other restive States such as Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Chechnya-Ingush in the Caucuses and nearly every State in Central Asia might take advantage of any such chaos to declare their own secession.

“Boris has the wolf by the ears in Kiev,” said the same aide to the Secretary. “Every move they make weakens his position in Moscow, and yet making abject moves against the ruling State government, whose dominant Ukrainian People’s Party is an important member of his Coalition, could topple his government and leave an opening for his enemies in the RPP.”

UK Prime Minister Neil Kinnock called the announced treaty “a profound change to the status quo” and promised to “keep a close eye on things.” He met with Defense Minister… Cont’d on A2.



[1] Ankeny is a city north of Des Moines in Polk County, Iowa and has Interstates 35 and 80 go through it. Those two are vital for Fischbach’s business as I-35 goes north-south (mostly) up to Duluth, Minnesota and down to Laredo, Texas and I-80 goes east-west (mostly) from Teaneck, New Jersey to San Francisco. It is an ideal place for a transportation as is other Interstate interchanges.

[2] By “Honorably Discharged” we mean that he was given the choice to separate or face discipline when he sexually molested a female African American Second Lieutenant and had been disrespectful to a superior officer because they had been black. Fischbach was an ROTC cadet, not West Point. He tried and failed to become a Ranger. Most in the army called him “Fish”; he hated that nickname. Fischbach is fictional, a creation of @ajm8888.

[3] The Des Moines Club and the Embassy Club are two gentlemen’s clubs in the traditional sense. Both were located in different skyscrapers near the top. In our timeline both would merge into the Des Moines Embassy Club in 2002.

[4] Fischbach is, of course, Condor. His arrogant attitude that he was the best and brightest helped bring him down along with information provided by Yuri and Maverick.

[5] Went to penalties in our timeline. While a long way past the Point of Departure, I figured the US Women’s Team would still emerge as a force to be reckoned with around this time based upon the same investments made in our timeline by the US and the social factors in the US that made the sport an athletic avenue for athletic and competitive women while largely ignored by athletic and competitive men.

[6] Hat tip to @El Pip for this delicious bit of irony.
 
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