"Where Are We Going This Time": The Golden Age of Science Fiction

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter IX: "To Boldly Go"​

“The time I spent on the set of The Next Generation has to have been some of the best years of my life. Of course, at the time we had no idea what we were paving the way for, it was just so much fun. Those of us who worked on it have become such good friends from it. I hardly think it’s surprising that we take the opportunities to reprise the roles we played when offered.”​

- Jonathan Frakes on his role as Commander William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, taken from Where None Had Gone Before, a documentary about Star Trek, produced for its 50th anniversary.


There had long been talks of bringing Star Trek back to the small screen. The film franchise had proved profitable, and syndication of the Original Series provided a stable and loyal fan base. There had been many proposals, most notably Phase II in 1977, dating back to shortly after cancellation.

None of these plans would come to fruition until 1986 however, when Paramount greenlit a series to be produced following the exploits of another crew of the Enterprise, many years in the future, so as to allow the film series to continue unimpeded.


Paramount rather enjoyed the idea of the show, and so decided to pitch it to the various television networks, in the hopes that one of them would pick it up for a season, hopefully leading on to further seasons, and an overall re-invigoration of the franchise.

None of the major networks were interested in producing an entire season without a pilot episode, and so Paramount decided that they would release the show, to be titled Star Trek: The Next Generation, to first-run syndication, striking deals with many smaller networks that would allow them to broadcast the show for free if they continued to purchase re-runs from Paramount. [1]

The gamble would prove to be a good choice, as it allowed for a wider audience to watch the show, whilst still garnering Paramount profits from re-runs of the Original Series.



For casting, Paramount had decided that they wanted to cast relative unknowns in the roles. This would prevent any of the cast “stealing the spotlight” over the others, unless the characters’ positions demanded this.

The Captain, “Julien Picard” was to be played by British thespian Patrick Stewart, and would be played with a British accent, despite the character’s French origins. Some audiences may have recognised him from the film Dune, though he was unknown enough that the producers felt comfortable that he would not be seen as the “main character” with the rest of the cast supporting him. [2]

Stewart, along with the majority of the cast, were certain that the show would not last past the first season, and so were happy with signing six year contracts. Stewart for one, was uninterested in science fiction, and hoped to return to the stage in London after the show “crashed and burned”. [3]


The majority of the cast would stay after the first season, though Denise Crosby, who played Chief of Secuity Tasha Yar, left part way through, and Gates McFadden, Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher, was fired from the show at the end of the season.

Denise Crosby had left citing “underdevelopment” of her character. Though Crosby would later return as Tasha Yar in multiple guest appearances, Crosby would soon find work elsewhere that she was far more comfortable with. [4]


The cast was not announced until May 1987, shortly after the release of Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang, in part to distract from its release. Filming began shortly after, and the series would begin airing in late September 1987, continuing until May 1988.

Though the show would receive mixed reviews, it was successful enough that it would be renewed by Paramount for more seasons. [5]

While things seemed to be looking up for Star Trek, soon a competitor would arrive on the scene...


[1] Very little in this update is different to OTL. Much as butterflies have their effects, I don't think the presence of Doctor Who in film is really going to change much for TNG for a little bit.
[2] The whole cast will be shown in two update's time, though I'll warn you, there's not much in the way of change. A couple of names change a bit though.
[3] Almost nobody actually though the show would work, but they were wrong. Star Trek will be just one of many cogs in the Golden Age of Sci-Fi.
[4] There is a lot of stuff in this update that will be important for the future. This is one of those things.
[5] As OTL. While the gamble of a new show may not have paid off brilliantly yet, it's made them a good bit of money.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter X: "Rebirth"​

“We could hardly believe our luck as we were wrapping. Even those who weren’t going to be involved, like Spielberg, were excited, of course many of them were fans. Of course, we decided we weren’t going to waste any time with the casting, especially if there was a chance that we could get a regeneration scene filmed.”​

- John Nathan-Turner, taken from An Adventure in Space and Time.


Shortly before Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang entered post-production, there was a major development. NBC was expressing interest in producing a new Doctor Who TV show with the BBC. Having had their fingers burned by not getting Star Trek: The Next Generation, they were interested in making a show to get much of the audience that would also go for that show. [1]

Negotiations proceeded at a good pace, and it was agreed that NBC would produce a pilot series of 26 episodes, each approximately 45 minutes in length. This meant that while the number of episodes stayed roughly the same, each would now be nearly twice as long. As a result, many new writers would be brought in from “both sides of the pond”. [2]

In addition, as Christopher Lloyd had already announced his intention to leave the role, a new actor to play the Doctor would be needed. The BBC recommended that the actor be British, to give a greater sense of continuity between the new series and the old “Classic” one. NBC agreed, though requested that the companions be American to give the audience an “everyman” that they could identify with. [3]

The producers and writers from the BBC would lead the search for the new Doctor, while NBC would look for actors to play the two companions to the Seventh Doctor. By April 1987, all three would be cast.

This would leave just enough time for two additional scenes to be filmed, the regeneration from the Sixth to Seventh Doctor, and a final scene giving closure on Marty and Jennifer’s story, wherein they meet the newly regenerated Seventh Doctor, and he departs. [4]

The scenes would be added hastily in before release, and would end the film on an upbeat note, giving the characters closure, and hopefully building some hype for the upcoming Doctor Who series, that was to be released in May 1988. [5]


Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang was released on May 6 1987 to generally positive reviews. In tone, it was much more similar to Back to the Future, and much of the audience that had felt alienated by the second film returned. It performed better at the box office, with many fans eager to see how the story would be closed off for the trio.



Plot Synopsis of Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang:

The Doctor, Marty and Elyse arrive in Hill Valley of 1885, shortly after its foundation. They explore the town, being viewed with suspicion by the locals who comment on how out of place they appear. While visiting the saloon, the town is attacked by local Native Americans, who are trying to drive the settlers away.

During the ensuing gunfight, the Doctor, Marty and Elyse attempt to escape to the TARDIS. However, some stray bullets hit the TARDIS console, causing it to malfunction, and begin emitting a gas that is toxic to the trio. As a result, they are effectively stranded in 1885 until the Doctor can find materials to repair the TARDIS with. [6]

Following the gunfight, the trio are interrogated by the townsfolk, who are suspicious of their true intentions. The town is revealed to be controlled by Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, an ancestor of Biff’s, and his “Mad Dog Gang”. The trio are released, but still seen with suspicion by the rest of the townsfolk.

Marty soon runs afoul of the Mad Dog Gang, and as a result, Buford attempts to hang Marty, though he is rescued by the Doctor and Jennifer who have taken a horse. They return to the TARDIS, where they find that the smoke has cleared, and the Doctor assesses what will be required to fix it. They surmise that the parts could be taken from a train.

A train line is nearby, with a siding that leads to a gorge. Stealing a gun from one of Biff’s men, the trio make their way to the train line, with the intention of hijacking the next freight train, taking it to the siding, stopping it, then taking the parts they need. They are followed by the Mad Dog Gang however, who give chase.

While the Doctor, Marty and Elyse enact the plan, they are shot at by the Mad Dog Gang, who, at one point, hit the Doctor. The trio are able to take the part, but in their panic, are unable to slow the train, having to jump off of it shortly before it plummets into the gorge. The Mad Dog Gang, having not seen the group escape, believe the trio to have died in the crash.

Marty and Elyse carry the Doctor back to the TARDIS, where he is able to perform the repairs, while succumbing to his wounds. He reminds them that this is not the end for him, as he can “regenerate”, though it will mean that his appearance changes. The Doctor returns Marty and Jennifer to 1985, and urges them to live their lives without him. After they leave, the TARDIS departs for destinations unknown as the Doctor collapses inside, the change beginning.

Two months later, Marty and Elyse are together near the location where the Doctor left them, when they hear the familiar noise of the TARDIS materialising. The Seventh Doctor steps out, and assures them that he is still the Doctor, even though he appears younger and is seemingly now British, and that they are free to continue their travels with him should they wish. They decline, though Elyse points out that she brought a piece of paper from the future with her, that has now gone blank. The Doctor explains that this is due to the future now being in flux thanks to their actions. The Doctor wishes them well, and departs.


Main Cast of Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang:

• The Sixth Doctor – Christopher Lloyd
• Marty McFly – Michael J. Fox
• Elyse Parker – Melora Hardin
• Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen – J. J. Cohen

The majority of critics saw The Mad Dog Gang as a clear improvement over The Cyber Invasion, the writing team having seemingly found the right balance between ‘old’ and ‘new’. Some did draw attention to how the final scene with the Seventh Doctor seemed out of place, serving as a teaser for the forthcoming Doctor Who TV series on NBC.

Fan reaction to the third film was also generally positive. Following the announcement of the new Doctor Who TV series, many fans had been sceptical of the casting of the Seventh Doctor, as the actor was known mostly for comedic roles. The final scene however, showed that he was truly able to capture the role, and is cited by many fans who saw the film as “the moment they knew things were going to be okay”. [7]

And so one chapter of the Doctor Who story closed, but another opened. [8]


[1] NBC are none too pleased that they didn't get the TNG, so they settle for the next biggest sci-fi franchise going. Due to the films, there is a lot of Doctor Who in syndication in the US now as well.
[2] More in line with other shows of this type in the US at the time. The actual production of the show will be covered in a couple of updates time.
[3] Keeping both groups of fans happy here. The Doctor will be played mostly by British actors, but of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
[4] While Universal may not be too happy with effectively giving a different company publicity, it is included at the behest of the BBC who still ultimately own the characters.
[5] This may seem a bit of a quick turnaround on getting the Seventh Doctor cast, but the writers already had a shortlist. They knew who they wanted to ask, and one of them said yes.
[6] Partial inspiration from Let's Kill Hitler here. I needed a reason for the trio to be stuck in 1885, and this seemed to be the best option.
[7] I'll reveal who will be in the TV series, and most importantly, who the Seventh Doctor is in two updates. I'm interested to see who tou all think it will be though.
[8] Next update will cover the release of the first season of TNG, and the one after that will go into the development of "revival" Who, and close off Part I.

 

[putasidedevil]

Huh... British actor, known for comedy, late 80s - early 90s. Who could it be? Is it Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean/ Blackadder

 

[Timelordtoe]

Huh... British actor, known for comedy, late 80s - early 90s. Who could it be? Is it Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean/ Blackadder

Not quite, but you're along the right lines.

 

[Time Enough]

Not quite, but you're along the right lines.

Hmm, okay here's my ideas:
Rik Mayall
Lenny Henry
Tony Robinson
Tim McInnery
Craig Charles
Robbie Coltrane
Hugh Laurie
Stephen Fry
Micheal Palin...
Am I getting close?

 

[Timelordtoe]

Hmm, okay here's my ideas:
Rik Mayall
Lenny Henry
Tony Robinson
Tim McInnery
Craig Charles
Robbie Coltrane
Hugh Laurie
Stephen Fry
Micheal Palin...
Am I getting close?

One of your guesses is correct, but I shan't tell you which. Alightly aside, I'm going to try and finish Part I off in the next two days. I'll post the update concerning the release of Season 1 of TNG tonight, and tomorrow will cover the planning stages of Season 22 of Doctor Who, including the identities of the Seventh Doctor, and his two companions.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter XI: "A New Generation"​

“At the start, they hated us. Well, not so much that they stopped watching, but it was clear to the production team that serious changes needed to be made going forward. Many writers left after that first season, as well as Denise and Gates. Most of us had actually enjoyed working on the show, so we were worried that it would be cancelled after the second season.”

- Marina Sirtis, taken from Where None Had Gone Before.


New Star Trek was coming to television for the first time since 1974, and fans were excited. Less excited were the majority of the cast of what was now being coined “The Original Series”. Many of them, Kelley and Shatner in particular, felt that the new show would draw attention away from their films.

In addition, the high profile exits of both McFadden and Crosby would cast some negative light on the season, and many fans would criticise how the death of Crosby’s character, Tasha Yar, was dealt with.

In general, fan reaction was lukewarm. Many commented on how it just seemed to be a rehash of The Original Series, with seemingly few additions to the canon of the series. In fact, many of the scripts were recycled from the unsuccessful Phase II project some ten years prior.

The new “big bad” race, the Ferengi, were widely mocked as being unintimidating, and nowhere near as threatening as the Klingons or other races had been in earlier instalments of the franchise. As a result of this, they were to be reduced to more of a comic relief role for future seasons, with new recurring enemies to be created. [1]


Many writers would depart over the course of the season, citing issues in working with Roddenberry. Notably, this would include Star Trek veteran David Gerrold, who would soon find work in writing for the new season of Doctor Who. Other writers would follow suit. [2]

Despite the lukewarm reception, the show would be renewed for another season, as it soon became the most popular program in syndication.


List of Episodes of Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation: [3]

1. Encounter at Farpoint (Part 1)
2. Encounter at Farpoint (Part 2)
3. The Naked Now
4. Code of Honor
5. The Last Outpost
6. Where No-One Has Gone Before
7. Lonely Among Us
8. Justice
9. The Battle
10. Hide and Q
11. Haven
12. The Big Goodbye
13. Datalore
14. Angel One
15. 11001001
16. Too Short a Season
17. When the Bough Breaks
18. Home Soil
19. Coming of Age
20. Heart of Glory
21. The Arsenal of Freedom
22. Symbiosis
23. Skin of Evil
24. We’ll Always Have Paris
25. Conspiracy
26. The Neutral Zone

Main Cast of Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation:

• Captain Julien Picard – Patrick Stewart
• Commander William Riker – Jonathan Frakes
• Lt. (j.g.) Geordi La Forge – LeVar Burton
• Lt. Tasha Yar – Denise Crosby
• Lt. (j.g.) Worf – Michael Dorn
• Dr. Beverly Crusher – Gates McFadden
• Counsellor (Lt. Cmdr.) Deanna Troi – Marina Sirtis
• Lt. Cmdr. Data – Brent Spiner
• Leslie Crusher – Carla Gugino [4][5]

Work soon began on the second season, and in finding a replacement for McFadden. At Roddenberry’s request, the character of Beverly Crusher was written out of the show, rather than killed off, to allow for a return in the future.

The future would hold many surprises for Star Trek, and there were to be trials ahead… [6]


[1] Very little change from OTL here. From a writer's standpoint, it's just because I couldn't find much stuff to change without changing the series drastically. From an in universe standpoint, Roddenberry shoots down anything he doesn't think would happen in the 24th century he imagines.
[2] Is this a cliché? I feel like it is, though I don't think I've seen it done before. Regardless, I think it would be plausible.
[3] No changes to the episodes here, meaning the season is just as weak as OTL. For future seasons, there will be an update covering the release, and giving the episode title, and another supplemental one giving rough summaries of the plot of each epsiode. Haven't done that here as there are no changes.
[4] Wesley was originally going to be female, so I just stopped the change from happening here.
[5] She enters acting a year(?) earlier ITTL. Jack Crusher is shown to be of Italian descent in future stories.
[6] That's it for Trek in Part I now. Next update will cover the planning stages of Season 22 of Doctor Who.

 

[Unknown]

If the Master returns to the American Doctor Who, one choice to look at (and he might be a bit old for it): Peter Falk. Imagine him playing the Master as an evil version of Columbo, as someone who knows all your secrets and will take pleasure in destroying you (like Falk did in @DAv's Doctor Who TL for the Ghostbusters TV show)…

My guess for Doctor Who is: Anthony Stewart Head (aka Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer OTL)...

 

[Timelordtoe]

If the Master returns to the American Doctor Who, one choice to look at (and he might be a bit old for it): Peter Falk. Imagine him playing the Master as an evil version of Columbo, as someone who knows all your secrets and will take pleasure in destroying you (like Falk did in @DAv's Doctor Who TL for the Ghostbusters TV show)…

My guess for Doctor Who is: Anthony Stewart Head (aka Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer OTL)...

I like that idea. I'm still undecided on who I want to play the Master in the new series, so I might have to nab that idea. I'd credit you of course.
As far as your guess, I was actually planning on having him as the Seventh Doctor for a while, but decided against it. I feel that he works much better in a villainous capacity. And for the true identity, we'll find out tonight won't we.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Part I, Chapter XII: "The Old and The New"​

“We were incredibly lucky with the casting for Season 22 of Doctor Who. That whole season was just luck really. All the people we have had on the show have been brilliant, but it’s no surprise that the first team from the ‘revival’ show are often seen as one of the strongest. Three incredibly talented actors, all working together and having fun.”​

- John Nathan-Turner on the casting of Season 22 of Doctor Who.


The first question that was clear for the producers when making the new Doctor Who series with NBC was where it was to be in the canon. The BBC were adamant that any show needed to be a continuation, but there were those at NBC who wanted to do a more American reboot. Eventually, a compromise was reached, the show would be a continuation, and the Doctor was to be played by a British actor, but any companions were to be played by Americans, at least to start.

It was decided that two companions would be best, a dynamic not uncommon in the Classic series. One would be male, and the other female. The male companion, Jim, would act as an ‘everyman’ similar to Marty McFly from the films. He would, however, be older, to appeal to a slightly wider audience.

The female character, Ace, was the brainchild of British producer John Nathan-Turner, who was to take the reins as head writer once more. Ace was a more action-oriented companion, with something of a rebellious and adventurous streak. She would act as a subversion of the ‘damsel-in-distress’ companion that was more common in the earlier series. [1]


As casting began, focus was placed on finding the actor to play the Seventh Doctor. The BBC already had a shortlist of actors who they felt would fit the part, so they reached out to those on the list. The list included primarily actors known for comedy in the UK, but who had shown promise of being able to handle the darker side of the Doctor. Names on the list included Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie and Anthony Head. [2]

Most on the list expressed interest, and many were invited to BBC studios to give an audition. From this, the BBC were able narrow down the field, and invited Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in to screen test with stand-ins for the companions. Fry’s performance was judged as “good, but clearly acting”, whereas Laurie’s was “impressive, just fitting into the role perfectly”. Hugh Laurie was offered the role as the Seventh Doctor, which he accepted. [3]

The Seventh Doctor was the first major character to be cast, and the timing allowed for two scenes to be filmed for Doctor Who: The Mad Dog Gang, one showing the regeneration from the Sixth to the Seventh Doctor, and another to give closure to the characters of Marty and Elsye, also showing the Seventh Doctor off for the first time.


For the character of Ace, the producers at NBC had an idea as to the sort of actress they wanted. They wanted a Sigourney Weaver-type, a woman who was strong in her own right, and could fend for herself without relying on the Doctor for protection. However, the actresses who came in to audition rarely fit that bill, and producers were left worried that they may need to rewrite the character.

However, in partway through the production of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Denise Crosby left the show, citing lack of character development. She was offered the part of Ace, and told that she would have a large say in how the character changed over the season(s). Whilst initially hesitant to join another science fiction franchise after her experience with Star Trek, she did eventually sign on. [4]


Tom Hanks was having a string of bad luck at the box office. While he was a relatively well known actor, having had moderate success with films like Splash and Dragnet, he was unable to secure the “big break” he had been hoping for. Hanks was also an avid fan of Doctor Who, having watched the Classic series in syndication on various networks in his childhood. [5]

When he was made aware of the casting call for the new male companion, he was eager to audition. Hanks’ name was recognised by the producers, with many feeling that he would fit the ‘everyman’ role very well. Upon auditioning, Hanks was offered the part of Jim, which he accepted.


The 22nd Season would also see the 25th anniversary of the show, and the writers came up with an idea to bring one of the old Doctors back to commemorate the occasion, and establish continuity with the classic series. The writers agreed that the best to bring back would be Patrick Troughton, though following his heart attack in early 1987, he would have to sit out much of the action scenes for the story, which was to be titled “The Two Doctors”. [6]

Troughton, who had much enjoyed his return for The Five Doctors some four years prior, was eager to reprise his role. The story would also see the return of Fraiser Hines as companion Jamie McCrimmon, a fan favourite.


At 26 45-minute episodes, the BBC were hesitant to air the entire season in one run, as British seasons tended to be half of that length. It was decided to air the season in two halves, known as 22A and 22B, with a break of at least a month in between. This would result in America getting half of the episodes earlier than in Britain. [7]

The budget for the new season was much greater than the BBC producers had enjoyed previously. The new season had a budget of approximately $1 million per episode, similar to that of Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, this was a budget for the entire season, unlike TNG’s “use it or lose it” budget for each episode. With a much increased budget, many of the special effects and wild story ideas that had hitherto been undreamed of by the BBC staff were now possible. [8]

Things were looking bright for the future.

The first "TARDIS Team" of the revival series. Left: Hugh Laurie (The Seventh Doctor). Centre: Denise Crosby (Dorothy "Ace" Gale). Right: Tom Hanks (James "Jim" Baines). [9]



END OF PART I​

[1] A really well though out companion in my opinion. While I'm going to try and do mainly original stuff with Doctor Who, there will be some things that do still happen in spite of a nail.
[2] All actors I considered while planning this update. And yes, Anthony Head isn't a comedic actor, he's one of the few that isn't under that primarily bracket. My inner pedant needs to make that distinction.
[3] This has implications. There is no A Bit of Fry and Laurie, no Jeeves and Worcester and no Laurie in Blackadder Goes Forth. But Laurie won't be the only one of the Footlights lot be be seen in Doctor Who in the near future. Ah well, such is the curse of alternate history.
[4] This will be just the first instance of actors appearing in both franchises. Corsby strikes me as the sort of person who could pull of an American Ace. While I think she would be reluctant to join "the enemy", her say over what happens with the character is what I beleive would sell her on the role.
[5] Again, another OTL fan getting a job in Doctor Who. This butterflies Big, and most of Hanks' work in the near future. He'll be seen as a TV actor for a little while.
[6] This is the heart attack that kills him IOTL. We haven't seen the last of Troughton. While the 25th anniversary was Silver Nemesis IOTL, I think The Two Doctors will be more fitting. The story will be different though, with Holmes not writing it.
[7] The BBC will show the series in Britain, and 26 episodes in one run just isn't how we do things here. Therefore, this split is devised. Also, with no on-demmand services or VPNs at the time due to well, technology, this is no real issue. It will be in years to come though.
[8] I think that this budget is reasonable. NBC really want to blow TNG out of the water with this show. For various reasons, I think that Doctor Who is going to look like it has a bigger budget to audiences though. But that's a story for another time.
[9] Am I allowed to be proud of this? I've had this planned for a long while, and this is such a stellar crew that I can't wait to write the show. I've been waiting for so long to get this update out, and now I can really get to flexing my creative muscles with Part II. See you soon.

 

[Time Enough]

[9] Am I allowed to be proud of this? I've had this planned for a long while, and this is such a stellar crew that I can't wait to write the show. I've been waiting for so long to get this update out, and now I can really get to flexing my creative muscles with Part II. See you soon.

Yes, you are allowed to be proud. I like the cast especially the addition of Hugh Laurie and Denise Crosby there interesting choices and they should help in the new direction of the show.

I wonder what Laurie's Doctor outfit would be like, probably not as bonkers as some of the others.

 

[Timelordtoe]

Yes, you are allowed to be proud. I like the cast especially the addition of Hugh Laurie and Denise Crosby there interesting choices and they should help in the new direction of the show.

I wonder what Laurie's Doctor outfit would be like, probably not as bonkers as some of the others.

Thanks, the show should be different from what we got IOTL. There will be distinct American influences. As far as the outfit, I'm thinking something along the lines of the Sixth Doctor's blue coat from the Big Finish audios and the Real Time webcast.

 

[unclepatrick]

Did the new Doctor Who Show have Andrew Cartmel as the Script Editor? I hope so since the Cartmel Masterplan was one of my favorite things in the seventh doctor run.
Also did Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt start writing for the show?
Would JNT have come back as Producer? It been a number of years since the show was last on Television. He would have moved on to other shows.

 

[unclepatrick]

I love the cast that you chosen for the Seventh Doctor.
Good work

 

[Timelordtoe]

Did the new Doctor Who Show have Andrew Cartmel as the Script Editor? I hope so since the Cartmel Masterplan was one of my favorite things in the seventh doctor run.
Also did Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt start writing for the show?
Would JNT have come back as Producer? It been a number of years since the show was last on Television. He would have moved on to other shows.

JNT was the the voice of the BBC back during the Amblin films. He's stuck around for much the same reason that he did IOTL, nobody else is willing to take up the job. He's sort of seen as Who's Roddenberry by the Americans. Cartmel will write for the show, but given the bigger budget, and wider appeal, he won't be script editor for a bit. Elements of the Cartmel Masterplan will make their way into the story, but not for a little while. Aaronovitch and Platt will likely write, I'll go into much more detail in the early chapters of Part II.

 

[unclepatrick]

I meant to ask, how did the older TV show do in the US with the released of the movie?
Did any of the Cable channels pick up the older episodes?
I could see either USA or TBS airing the Episodes.
Had the Sci Fi Channel started when the first movie came out? That would be the perfect channel to air the Older episodes.

 

[Timelordtoe]

I meant to ask, how did the older TV show do in the US with the released of the movie?
Did any of the Cable channels pick up the older episodes?
I could see either USA or TBS airing the Episodes.
Had the Sci Fi Channel started when the first movie came out? That would be the perfect channel to air the Older episodes.

The Classic series has done quite well for itself in the US now, it's been popular in syndication, which is one of the reasons that NBC elected to buy the rights. I'll be honest, I have only a cursory knowledge of the television channels in the US at the time though. The Sci Fi channel won't be launched until 1992, but I expect that Doctor Who will be a mainstay for it. Due to the incomplete archives, only Pertwee onwards will be shown regularly. However, due to the bigger profile, and the fact that audio from all of the episodes has survived, we'll see animated restorations come much earlier than in OTL.

 

[fasquardon]

The first "TARDIS Team" of the revival series. Left: Hugh Laurie (The Seventh Doctor). Centre: Denise Crosby (Dorothy "Ace" Gale). Right: Tom Hanks (James "Jim" Baines)

Well that's an interesting trio!

fasquardon

 

[tornadobusdriver]

This is a really great little tl so far. I adorethe new cast. I can't wait for more!

 

[Timelordtoe]

Right, my quick creative break is over, and I'm ready to begin Part II. Part II will have something of a wider scope than Part I, so things will likely slow down as far as years per update from here on out. There will be two-ish updates tonight: an intro with quotes regarding the events of Part II, and a slight musical introduction. The name of Part II comes from the first line of my favourite album, I hope some of you recognise it.