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

What should happen with the season summary updates?

  • Continue as is (might delay other updates)

    Votes: 6 75.0%
  • Release them later, as supplementary material

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Cut out the OTL bits, only say what you've changed (might only be a temporary solution)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Stop them completely

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
The one change I would make to TNG, is in season 6-7, set up the Cardassians as the major villains of the first 2-3 seasons of DS9

Also don't end the Klingon Civil War so quickly. Have it run through out the first third to half of the season, before you finish it. Develop some of the Plots that they threw away in Repdemption.
Data as a Ship Captain should have been at least two episodes on it own. Worf should have been our window on the events of the Empire.

I'll take those suggestions on board, I like them very much. I'm going to be following a lot of ideas that were proposed, but not really explored in OTL. I daresay that the Star Trek of TTL will be bigger and bolder than that which we know and love.
 

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Any progress yet?

Sorry on the wait since the last update, I was travelling at the weekend, and some personal issues are getting in the way. It's frustrating me as much as I'm sure it is all of you, as I can't wait to show you all of my ideas for the future. I'm going to try and get an update out tonight, and get back into the swing of writing these.
 
Chapter IV: "Where None Had Gone Before"

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Part II, Chapter IV: "Where None Had Gone Before"

“Season 2 certainly a step in the right direction for the show. We got our hands burnt pretty badly with Season 1, and there were so many lessons to learn from it. We got in new writers, a couple of new cast members, and perhaps most importantly, I got a beard.”​

- Jonathan Frakes, taken from Where None Had Gone Before. [1]


The production of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation would begin during the airing of the first season. The mixed reaction to the first season would result in many changes to the show. Firstly, the departures of both Crosby and McFadden would result in replacements being needed.

For Crosby’s character of Tasha Yar, it was decided that rather than to bring in a new cast member, the character of Lt. Worf would be made larger, and would retain his new role as chief of security. However, McFadden’s character, Dr Beverly Crusher, was a larger character in her own right, being the Chief Medical Officer.

Her replacement would come in the form of Diana Mulduar, and the character of Dr Katherine Pulaski. While initially planned as a long term replacement for Dr Crusher, Mulduar had little intension of remaining beyond a season. Mulduar’s decision early on to depart after the season would result in a replacement for her being sought out. [2]

Pulaski would be a character quite similar to that of Dr McCoy from the Original Series, and her interactions with Data would, in the eyes of many, be reminiscent of those between McCoy and Spock. [3]


New writers would be brought on to replace the many who had left following the first season, but there would soon be more trouble. In early 1988, the Writers Guild of America would go on strike, their longest in history. While this would have little effect on The Next Generation’s main rival Doctor Who, this would have a great many effects on Season 2. [4]

The main effect would be the reduction of the season by four episodes, with suggestions that the final episode of the season be made primarity of clips of previous ones, though ideas such as these were quickly shot down due to lack of originality. The strike would only serve to widen the growing rift between the writing staff and the main cast of the show, with one writer even going so far as to suggest that all of the cast be killed off, and replaced. [5]


The second season would bring in two new long running enemies, the adaptable Borg and the mysterious Iconians. The Borg were written to be the reasoning behind the disappearances from the Season 1 story “The Neutral Zone”. Able to adapt to almost any situation, and wishing to assimilate all life in the galaxy, they would prove to be one of the most important enemies in the series.

The Iconians, in contrast, were not even shown on screen. An ancient civilisation predating even the T’Kon Empire mentioned in the first season, they were hinted to still be alive, and manipulating events from behind the scenes, gathering intelligence on the powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, while plotting their own return to the galaxy. [6]



A minor character, known as Guinan, was to be introduced in the second season, to be portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg. A long time fan of the franchise, Goldberg was given a role at her own request. The character of Guinan would run Ten Forward, the bar on the Enterprise-D, and would act as a confidante for the cast members. [7]


The second season would also be the first to air after the return of Doctor Who to television, and Star Trek would take a great many lessons from it. Firstly, there were topics that had been suggested for episodes, but turned down due to Paramount’s fear of potential public backlash. Most notably, there was David Gerrold’s script “Blood and Fire”, which had been made for Doctor Who after his departure from Star Trek.

While Doctor Who had suffered some backlash, the response was mainly positive, and had seemingly established the genre of Science Fiction as a safe environment for those who were so often discriminated against. While there would be no episodes tacking issues quite as important as those of Blood and Fire, other matters such as whether a machine can ever be judged as alive were dealt with, and there would be no shortage of “social issue stories” in the future. [8]


And so, with many a lesson learned, a new doctor, and a beard, Star Trek: The Next Generation would boldly go into its second season. [9]


[1] I had to mention "Growing the Beard" here. While the connotation of quality don't quite hit until season 3, the beard is here.
[2] Mulduar had no intention of staying past Season 2. Who replaces her is a question for another time, presumably one where I have an answer.
[3] The eyes of many, not me. Most of S2 is intact. I found her interactions with Data made her come across as rude and unlikable. I never really warmed to her, but then I did watch all of S2 in two days, and immediately went onto S3.
[4] Doctor Who is a transatlantic production, ergo, half the writers aren't on strike. It will have an effect, one that will be explored later, but not a massive one like it does here.
[5] Genuine suggestion from one of the writers. He felt that the cast's egos were too large. I won't do anything quite so bold/completely stupid as this, but suffice it to say that nobody is irreplaceable. This is Alternate History after all, we thrive off of replacement.
[6] They won't appear on screen for quite some time, but the hints made during the show will be a little more overt. You'll find that I'm going to take some ideas from the books and Star Trek Online, but anything major for a little while (with one exception in Season 3).
[7] Guinan will be potentially even more interesting as a character than in OTL. I shan't reveal my plans just yet, but suffice it to say that there is more to her than meets the eye.
[8] What with the writers strike, there are few scrapped episodes for this season, not like there are for the others at least. As a result, the major story changes happen from Season 3 onwards.
[9] Sorry, I appreciate that wasn't very funny, but I couldn't help myself. Apologies about the wait, I think my little sabattical is over for now.
 
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Chapter V: "A Step in the Right Direction"

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Part II, Chapter V: "A Step in the Right Direction"


“Sure, the audience liked it more than the first season, and there are some episodes that are considered ‘classic’ by the fans, but it was clear, to me at least, that we still hadn’t quite found our footing yet. With how well Doctor Who’s first season had done, there was a real fear among the rest of the cast that we’d be cancelled. That, and the rift between ourselves and the writers, left many of us unsure of what was to come. We knew that drastic change was needed, I only hoped that didn’t mean killing off most of the cast like some were suggesting.”​

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



Star Trek: The Next Generation was back for a second season, after what was described by many fans as a ‘rather lacklustre’ first season. Much of the ‘old guard’ that had accompanied Roddenberry to the new show had left, and that this show was going to be something different to the Original Series was becoming quickly apparent.

Many fans that had been turned off by the first season however, did not return to watch the second, resulting in slightly lower viewing numbers to begin with. While numbers fluctuated throughout the season, they did hit a higher peak than the first season. It would not be until the episode “Q Who” that the show was the third most viewed in its time slow however.


The character of Katherine Pulaski was not well received by the fans however. While Diana Muldaur was not staying past the season, it is likely that given the generally negative reception she got, her contract would not have been renewed past the one season it entailed. While her character was quite similar to Dr McCoy from The Orginial Series, a fan favourite, fans generally agreed that she did not seem to gel well with the rest of the crew.


Better received were the two new “big bads” of the show, the Borg and the Iconians. The Borg, who had been hinted at during the first seaon, and the first half of the second season, were properly introduced in the episode “Q Who”, where they are established as a looming threat for the Federation and other powers of the Alpha Quadrant. The Iconians would not be seen on screen, as they were established as having gone extinct many thousands of years prior. Despite this, there were hints left throughout the season that the Iconians were still alive somewhere, orchestrating events from behind the scenes. [1]


Overall, the season was better received than the first, and given the number of viewers that stayed to watch it, the executives at Paramount were eager to renew for a third season, considering a fourth. [2]



List of Episodes of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation:
  1. Abductions [3]
  2. Where Silence Has Lease
  3. Elementary, Dear Data
  4. The Outrageous Okona
  5. Loud as a Whisper
  6. The Schizoid Man
  7. Unnatural Selection
  8. A Matter of Honor
  9. The Measure of a Man
  10. The Dauphin [4]
  11. Contagion
  12. The Royale
  13. Time Squared
  14. The Icarus Factor
  15. Derelict [5]
  16. Q Who
  17. The Dream Pool [6]
  18. Up The Long Ladder
  19. Manhunt
  20. The Emissary
  21. Peak Performance
  22. Icons [7]

Main Cast of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation: [8]
  • Captain Julien Picard – Patrick Stewart
  • Commander William Riker – Jonathan Frakes
  • Lt. Geordi La Forge – LeVar Burton
  • Lt. Worf – Michael Dorn
  • Dr. Katherine Pulaski – Diana Muldaur
  • Counsellor (Lt. Cmdr.) Deanna Troi – Marina Sirtis
  • Lt. Cmdr. Data – Brent Spiner
  • Acting Ensign Leslie Crusher – Carla Gugino
Season 2 marked the only time in The Next Generation where they won an Emmy. While most seasons would end up nominated for multiple Emmys, “Q Who” would be the only episode to win any. [9]

With a more successful second season, the producers were eager to get working on the third, though much work was needed. Roddenberry was slowly being pushed out of the production, and the writers were finding it increasingly difficult to balance the vision that Roddenberry had with the stories that they wanted to tell. And once again, they needed a new Chief Medical Officer. [10]


[1] As per OTL, the Ferengi aren't completely absent, but they take a back seat in this season. The Borg are hinted at more in "Abductions", which continues on from the Neutral Zone, I'll detail more in the next update.
[2] Paramount really wants to knock Doctor Who out of the park, so thing will only get more bold from here on out.
[3] Replaces "The Child", follows on from "The Neutral Zone"
[4] As Wesley is Leslie ITTL, the gender of the alien is changed.
[5] Unproduced TNG script from OTL, replaces "Pen Pals"
[6] Unproduced TNG script from OTL, replaces "Samaritan Snare"
[7] An original idea of mine, the plot to which will be in the next update. It replaces "Shades of Gray", possibly the worst TNG episode. Thanks to user 'unclepatrick' for convincing me to change this.
[8] I'm only listing the main cast here for convenice's sake. The only change from OTL is that O'Brien is established as a Chief Petty Officer, an enlisted crewmember. Much less confusion about his rank ITTL.
[9] As OTL, I might change this in the future, but I think that it shows that science fiction is still very much "nerd territory" at this time.
[10] I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about this, one one hand I could just follow OTL as I liked Crusher, but I want to start putting in some real big changes. Anyway, we won't see S3 for a good few updates anyway. Next update is an overview of the epsodes themselves, like I did for Doctor Who. Due to the fact that there are more stories here, it will likely just be summaries unless there are large changes that need to be pointed out. I don't want to burn myself out. Sorry about the wait again.
 
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My only complain about your Season 2 of Star Trek Next Gen is "Shade of Grey".
Could you come up with a reason to skip the clip episode?
 

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
My only complain about your Season 2 of Star Trek Next Gen is "Shade of Grey".
Could you come up with a reason to skip the clip episode?

I might well, I've retconned a couple of other small things a bit over the past couple of days, just to keep things consistent. I had an idea for an episode for this season that I didn't put in, so I think I'll replace it with that. I'll change the last update as well to fit with this.
 
I might well, I've retconned a couple of other small things a bit over the past couple of days, just to keep things consistent. I had an idea for an episode for this season that I didn't put in, so I think I'll replace it with that. I'll change the last update as well to fit with this.

From what I have read, this is pretty good so far. I would just leave things as is unless you feel they are changes that need done.
 

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
I'm sorry about the long wait again. I'm about halfway through the next update, but it's taking me longer than I thought it would. I'll do everything in my power to get it out tomorrow, but I've been working on it for a while now and I'm a little too close to burning out.
 
I'm sorry about the long wait again. I'm about halfway through the next update, but it's taking me longer than I thought it would. I'll do everything in my power to get it out tomorrow, but I've been working on it for a while now and I'm a little too close to burning out.
It's fine, take as long as you need. What you've produced so far is great.
 
Overview of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Overview of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Abductions

Following the events of “The Neutral Zone”, the Enterprise gains a new chief medical officer, Dr. Katherine Pulaski, and is tasked with identifying what destroyed the Federation outposts near the Neutral Zone, in conjunction with the Romulan ship I.R.W. Terix, and its captain Commander Tomalak. They are able to determine a point of origin, but find that it is many thousands of light years away, and thus out of their reach. [1]

Where Silence Has Lease
The Enterprise is trapped in a spatial phenomenon, and is subjected to unusual experiments by a strange entity known as Nagillum (played by Richard Mulligan). Eventually, the Enterprise escapes after Captain Picard activates the self-destruct sequence, asserting that they would rather die than to submit. After they escape, Picard is contacted by Nagillum, who criticises humanity, and claims that they have nothing in common with it. Picard retorts by showing that both are curious. Nagillum concedes the point and leaves. [2]

Elementary, Dear Data
After Data solves a Sherlock Holmes holonovel easily, LaForge tasks the computer with creating an adversary that will provide Data a real challenge. The resulting Moriarty proves to be more powerful than expected however, and after kidnapping Pulaski, reveals that he knows that his reality is a simulation, having gained access to the holodeck computer. Moriarty attempts to hijack the ship, but relents after Picard agrees to try to find a way to allow Moriarty to exist in the real world.

The Outrageous Okona
As the Enterprise passes through the space of the Coalition of Madena, they encounter a cargo ship under manual control, whose pilot, Captain Okona, asks for assistance. Upon boarding the vessel, Okona takes a keen eye to the women of the ship, especially Transporter Chief Robinson (played by Teri Hatcher), and actually has little interest in his repairs. The Enterprise soon encounters two ships, each wanting Okona. After Picard invites them aboard the Enterprise to settle the dispute, it becomes clear that Okona is acting as a go-between for two of the persons, and the situation is resolved. In a sub-plot, Data attempts to learn more about comedy through a holodeck recreation of an old comedian. [3]

Loud as a Whisper
The Enterprise is transporting a renowned negotiator, Riva, to resolve a conflict between two tribes on a planet. Riva is deaf and mute due to a hereditary condition, and communicates through a chorus of people who communicate with him telepathically. When the negotiations begin, the chorus is killed, and Riva is unable to communicate. Picard suggests that the two parties learn sign language in order to communicate with Riva, and Riva departs, after suggesting that the process may take several months.

The Schizoid Man
The Enterprise travels to provide medical assistance to the dying scientist Dr. Ira Graves. Upon arrival, Graves recognises Data as a creation of Dr Noonien Soong, and revels that he taight Dr. Soong, suggesting that Data call him “grandfather”. Graves and Data spend time together, where Graves reveals that he has found a way to upload his consciousness to a computer, and Data reveals that he has an off switch. When Graves appears to have died, Data begins taking on many of his mannerisms, revealing that Graves has put himself into Data, which could cause Data to be lost. After a plea from Picard, Graves uploads himself to the ship’s computer, but only his knowledge, his consciousness is gone.

Unnatural Selection
The Enterprise arrives to assist the USS Lantree, finding it adrift, and the crew rapidly ageing. They go to the Lantree’s last port of call, a genetic research station. While investigating one of the subjects, Pulaski becomes affected by the ailment, and attempts to find a cure for the ailment. The cause is revealed to be the children, who have been genetically engineered, and now have immune systems so potent that they attack other people. The Enterprise is able to save Pulaski and the others by using samples of their DNA from before they were infected and transporting them, reconstituting their DNA.

A Matter of Honor
As a Benzite Ensign comes aboard the Enterprise as part of an officer Exchange program, Picard suggests a similar system with the Klingons. Commander Riker is temporarily transferred to the I.K.S. Pagh, where he is quickly accepted after winning a fight against the second officer. An organism begins attacking the Enterprise and the Pagh’s hulls, and while the Enterprise is able to quickly remove it, it takes Riker mutinying on the Pagh to allow for it to be removed from the Pagh.

The Measure of a Man
While the Enterprise is undergoing repairs, they are visited by Commander Maddox, who takes an interest in Data. It soon becomes clear that Maddox intends to study Data, and get him transferred off of the ship. When Data refuses, Maddox turns to Starfleet, who rule that Data must hand himself over or resign. Picard challenges this, and begins a legal battle, where Riker is forced to represent Maddox. While Picard wins, Riker is ashamed for having to try to get his friend dismantled. Data reassures the Commander by telling him that had Riker not represented Maddox, Starfleet would likely have not accepted a legal battle.

The Dauphin
The Enterprise is tasked with transporting Salius, the heir to Daled IV. His parents are leaders of two opposing factions, and his return might bring unity. Onboard, he and Leslie crusher soon become smitten with each other. Salius’ governess, Anya, disapproves of this, and shows herself of being able to transform into a monstrous beast. After it is revealed that Salius also possesses this ability, Leslie refuses to speak with him. When Salius is about to leave however, Leslie returns to give him a parting gift.

Contagion
The Enterprise receives a distress call from its sister ship the USS Yamato. Shortly after the Enterprise’s arrival, the Yamato explodes, with no survivors. Shortly thereafter, a Romulan vessel, the Haakona decloaks and demands that the Enterprise leave the Neutral Zone. Picard studies that Yamato’s captain’s logs, and discovers that it is believed that the planet they orbit is the legendary lost planet Iconia, the home of the Iconians, an incredibly advances species. After a probe from the planet disables the Enterprise and the Haakona, an away team is sent to the surface. A gateway to various places in the galaxy is discovered, and Data is infected with the computer virus disabling the ships. When Data reboots after he is nearly overcome, he appears to have removed the virus. A similar procedure is undergone on the Enterprise and Haakona, and the two ships depart after the Iconian base self-destructs.

The Royale
The Enterprise follows a tip from a Klingon ship, arriving at a planet where they find an old American ship’s debris orbiting. The distance it has travelled is impossible for the era, and the planet seems to have one small area capable of hosting human life, suggesting that outside forces may be at play. Riker, Worf and Data beam down to investigate, discovering an Earth-style hotel, named The Royale. Upon entering, they find themselves unable to leave. It becomes clear that it is a recreation of an old novel carried by the last survivor of the ship. When it becomes clear that the novel is playing out, the away team decides to gather enough money in the simulation by Data rigging the games, and buying out the Hotel. They succeed, and are able to leave the hotel, returning to the Enterprise.

Time Squared
The Enterprise detects a lone shuttle drifting with no power or fuel. Upon bringing it aboard, they discover that it is a perfect copy of one of the Enterprise’s shuttles, and that it contains a duplicate of Picard, barely alive. The shuttle is determined to be from six hours in the future, and the logs contain a recording of the Enterprise falling into an energy vortex and being destroyed. The future Picard is woken, though is incoherent and seems to be unaware of his surroundings. The vortex appears, and seems to be controlled by an entity with an interest in Picard. It becomes clear that the future Picard flew the shuttle to try to distract the vortex. The Picards meet by the shuttle, where the present one incapacitates his future self, stating that “the cycle must be broken”. Picard returns to the bridge, ordering the Enterprise to fly through the centre of the vortex. The Enterprise survives and the alternate Picard and shuttle disappear.

The Icarus Factor
The Enterprise is en-route to a space station to undergo engine repairs. While underway, Riker receives an offer to command the Aries, on an exploration mission in a distant sector. The matter is complicated when the civilian advisor turns out to be his father, with whom he has an antagonistic relationship. The tension between the two boils over, and they settle the matter over a match of Anbo-Jitsu, where it becomes clear that Riker’s father is using an illegal move. Roker’s father confesses that that was the only way he was ever able to beat Riker, and the two repair their relationship. Meanwhile, Worf acts particularly agitated, apparently because he hissed an important Klingon ritual recently. The crew recreates the ritual in the holodeck for him.

Derelict
The Enterprise answers a distress call from a vessel while on their way to a space station for shore leave. The ship appears completely intact, although powered down, with no living occupants appearing on scans. An away team is sent to investigate. While there, they discover many of its walls covered in some sort of slime, which is determined to be a sort of creature using the ship like a shell, in the manner of a hermit crab. The ship detects the Enterprise, and attempts to latch itself on, and take the Enterprise as its new shell. The Enterprise is able to force the creature back into the other ship by emitting pulses of energy from the deflector dish, and attaches a probe to the ship sending out a warning for ships to stay away. [4]

Q Who
While on his way back to his quarters, Picard appears on a shuttlecraft with Q. Q transports them to Ten Forward, where Guinan seems to recognise him. Q reveals that he wishes to join the crew of the Enterprise to assist with a coming foe that they are “woefully underprepared for”. Picard refuses, and Q transports them thousands of light years away. Over two years from the closest starbase, Picard decides to explore the local area. He discovers that they are close to the source of the entity that they tracked in “Abductions”. A large cube shaped ship appears, which Guinan identifies as Borg, the group that nearly wiped out her species. A drone from the ship beams aboard, but is killed by Worf. Another beams over, and proves to be now invulnerable to phaser fire. The Borg ship cuts out a part of the hull, killing eighteen crewmembers. Picard returns fire, seemingly disabling the ship. He attempts to escape, though the ship regenerates and gives chase. When Q states that Picard cannot defeat the Borg and that they will never stop chasing, Picard admits that he needs Q’s help, and Q sends them back to their original location. Picard muses that Q may actually have helped, as they now know what they face in their future, and can prepare.

The Dream Pool
The Enterprise arrives at a planet that has seemingly had all of its population die out due to unknown circumstances. Riker, Worf and Data go to the surface to investigate, and discover that the bodies are only recently deceased, all seemingly having perished due to dehydration or starvation. As the planet is habitable, and it was reported that there were no food or water shortages, foul play is assumed. Riker discovers a device around which there are many more bodies, and when he activates it, he is seemingly sent to a paradisical place. Worf and Data find him, and deactivate the device. Riker seems agitated, and demands that they re-activate it. Riker is sent back to the ship to be examined, where it is determined that he has become addicted to a hallucinatory drug emitted by the device. Data finds a log from a civilian, which reveals that the device is a “Dream Pool”, and that people who use it keep on going back, forgetting their other needs, which led to the mass deaths. Riker is cured of his addiction, and the planet is placed under quarantine. [5]

Up the Long Ladder
The Enterprise discovers two colonies of humans, previously thought lost. One of them is discovered to be relatively primitive, and is of Irish culture. The other is more advanced, but comprised entirely of cloned individuals. The clones are all of only five people, and they are facing extinction as each new cloned individual introduces more flaws. The Enterprise crew visits the cloning area, and discovers that clones of them are being produced, produced from stolen DNA after the away team refused to donate their DNA. They destroy their clones, but suggest that they merge with the other colony to produce a stable gene pool.

Manhunt
The Enterprise is transporting two Antedean ambassadors who are kept in a self-induced catatonic state, in order to alleviate the stress of space travel. En route, they are ordered to rendezvous with a shuttle containing Lwaxana Troi, Deanna’s mother. Picard, less than pleased to have her aboard, is invited to dinner by Lwaxana, where she explains that she has entered a phase of Betazoid life where sex drive increases, and as a result, she seeks a new husband. She is rebuffed by both Picard and Riker however. When the Antedeans are revived, Lwaxana reveals that they are assassins. While the Antedeans deny it, they are found to be carrying bombs, intending to disrupt the conference. Lwaxana departs noting that she did some good, even if she was unable to find a husband.

The Emissary
The Enterprise is sent to a set of co-ordinates with no given instructions. When Picard asks Starfleet Command why they are being sent, they reply that the mission is a “top security matter”. An ambassador is sent to the Enterprise, revealed to be a half-human, half-Klingon named K’Ehleyr, with whom Worf has a history. The Enterprise is revealed to be travelling to the location of a Klingon ship whose crew has been in stasis for 75 years, and believes that the Federation is still at war with the Klingons. They are to try to keep the crew in stasis until a Klingon ship can arrive, but if unable to, destroy the ship. The crew of the ship have awakened, and fire on the Enterprise. Picard refuses to kill them, letting Worf and K’Ehleyr manage to convince them to surrender. K’Ehleyr departs with the Klingons to help them adjust to 24th Century life.

Peak Performance
The Enterprise conducts a simulated combat exercise to prepare for the Borg threat. Riker is temporarily given command of the USS Hathaway, an old vessel, to conduct the exercise. He chooses Sonia Gomez, Worf and Leslie Crusher for his senior staff. While the exercise is underway, a Ferengi vessel enters the system and disables the Enterprise’s phasers, leaving them unable to attack. Given the situation, the Ferengi believes that the Hathway is valuable, but Riker and Picard conspire to make it look as though the Enterprise has destroyed the Hathaway by firing photon torpedoes at it, and the Hathaway performing a short warp jump just before detonation. The ruse works, and Worf tricks the Ferengi into believing that another Federation ship is on the way, leading to the Ferengi fleeing. [6]

Icons
After a signal matching the one sent to a distant part of the galaxy in “Conspiracy” is detected by Federation listening posts near the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise is sent to investigate. The destination of the signal is revealed to be Iconia, the planet visited in “Contagion”. Covertly sending a shuttle to the planet to see if there is another Iconian base remaining, the Enterprise ends up in a stand-off with the Terix, under Commander Tomalak, who enters the Neutral Zone after the Romulans also detect the signal. Riker and Data, who have been sent on the shuttle, beam down to an area that seems to be emitting large amounts of energy. There they discover another gateway, which shows locations of high importance, suggesting that the Iconians may sill be alive somewhere, and may be behind the infiltration of Starfleet the year prior. Riker sets charges at the base, detonating them after he and Data return to the shuttle. They return to Federation space, but the discovery that they had been sent into the Neutral Zone increases tensions with the Romulans. [7]


[1] I've introduced Tomalak earlier here, but he is fundamentally the same character. A nice Romulan foil to Picard.
[2] The original casting sticks, and therefore so does the original name. (Nagillum is Mulligan backwards)
[3] Hatcher was in this episode in OTL, but was uncredited. Her character will be a recurring one. This season introduces a couple of characters who will recurr in the manner of Guinan, Broccol-I mean Barclay, and Ro Laren.
[4] Based on a script that didn't get produced. I think it's a neat idea, so I used it here.
[5] Another idea that didn't get produced in OTL. I wasn't able to find a story for it beyond that it would feature addiction, so I took inspiration from the Bliss plague in Gridlock from Series 3 of Doctor Who.
[6] Ensign Gomez was supposed to be a recurring character, but only appeared in two episodes of OTL. That's not the case here, and she'll be back in the future.
[7] I wanted to give a continuation from "Conspiracy", so I took the STO idea of the parasites working for the Iconians. Don't worry, we won't see them in person for years, but they'll be there in the background, scheming. I really like the idea of a race that uses other species for their dirty work. Also, more tension between the Romulans and Federation, so we'll see what happens with that...

In all, this is the biggest update yet at around 3k words. It took me a couple days to write, but I'm good to go now. Might not do them quite so large in the future, or could split it into multiple updates. I'll see what you think. The next update covers the first two seasons of another science fiction show, one of my favourites. You may already have an idea, but I'll drop the title of it now: "It's Cold Outside". See you then.
 

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Sorry that took so long guys, but that was a long-un. I'll try to get the next update out tomorrow. I've got most of 1989 planned already, and tomorrow will likely finish off 1988. It's updates like these that cause the delays, due to their length. Though me watching Deep Space Nine for the first time hasn't helped. I've got a lot of plans for the future, and we've only just scratched the surface now.

Also, what do you all think of the longer season-summary updates? I like doing them, but they take longer. I've considered compressing them to a smaller length, only including that which I've changed, as most of this update is OTL, only really the stuff with footnotes is different. But I like having it all in one place, and to be honest, as time goes on, only including the stuff that's different isn't really going to help. The other thing I was thinking of is releasing them later, as more supplementary material. They'd be inserted into the right place with the threadmarks, and anything important would be revealed outside anyway. I'll put it to a poll, and give y'all a few options.
 
Chapter VI: "It's Cold Outside"

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Part II, Chapter VI: "It's Cold Outside"

“He’s dead, Dave. Everybody is dead. Everybody is dead, Dave.​

- Holly, informing Dave Lister that the entire crew of Red Dwarf has perished, taken from “The End”. [1]


With Doctor Who and Star Trek both back on the air, it was becoming clear that science fiction was a genre with a large audience. And where there was a large amount of media, there was room for parody. Doug Naylor and Rob Grant recognised this. They had already produced a series of sketches set in space in their BBC Radio 4 series Son of Cliché.


The show, to be named Red Dwarf was to be a sitcom set on a space ship, three million years in the future, after the entire crew is killed by a radiation leak. The main character, Dave Lister, was the only survivor, and previously the lowest ranked member of the crew.

He would be joined by Arnold Rimmer, a holographic recreation of Lister’s old room-mate, and the second lowest ranked crewman. The ship’s computer, Holly, would have “gone a bit peculiar” in the three million years that Lister was in stasis, and would often play practical jokes on Lister and Rimmer. The final main cast member would be the Cat, a descendent of Lister’s cat, which was spared from the radiation leak by being sealed in the cargo hold.

For Lister, the producers cast Craig Charles, a Liverpudlian “punk poet”. Alfred Molina was originally cast in the role of Rimmer, though he left the show when he had difficulties with the script. In his place was Chris Barrie, with whom Grant and Naylor had worked with on Son of Cliché. For Holly, they chose Norman Lovett, a comedian known for his dry wit. Danny John-Jules was cast as the Cat, given his experience in dance and singing. [2]


Originally, only two seasons would be planned, both to be released in 1988, though its popularity would result in the commissioning of a third, to be released the following year.


Episodes of Season 1 of Red Dwarf:
  • The End
  • Future Echoes
  • Balance of Power
  • Waiting for God
  • Confidence and Paranoia
  • Me^2
Episodes of Season 2 of Red Dwarf:
  • Kryten
  • Better than Life
  • Thanks for the Memory
  • Stasis Leak
  • Queeg
  • Parallel Universe
[1] Almost nothing is changed here, but there will, as always, be changes in the future. As a result, I thought I'd just use a quote from the show here.
[2] Was tempted to change the casting, but I think that it was pretty much perfectly cast. This entire update is OTL.
Sorry that this is such a short update, it's just that there isn't so much to cover with this. I needed to bring Red Dwarf into the timeline for stuff that comes later, and there will be changes later on. My writers block seems to be gone now, so I'll try to keep updating regularly, though updates will come out when they're ready, I'm going to stop giving release dates in advance. 1988 is pretty much done now, next update will be more Doctor Who.

Also, there's a casting change about 5 years from this update that will be affected by Red Dwarf. I'd be interested to see if any of you can work it out, though given past experience, you'll probably get it instantly.
 

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Hey all,

Sorry about the week with no news from me. It's been... one of those weeks. I'm back in my room now though, and I'm just about done with the next update. Things will likely be a little less frequent than in Part I for the rest of the month, but I should be able to put out a good chunk in April. I'm hoping to get to the end of Part II by May, but that's more of an internal goal to make sure I keep writing. I've used my break to also have a bit of a think about where I'm going to take this, and a lot of the stuff from 2000 onwards has been changed. 1989 should show the start of a real diversification in the updates, like I did with P2C1. While this is about "The Golden Age of Science Fiction", the butterfly wings are flapping, and there will be some big changes coming soon outside of that remit. Ultimately, I want to craft a world with a popular culture quite different to that which we have in this modern world. There will be many things that still exist, genres for example (certain things are, in my opinion, somewhat inevitable), but much that is not the same. We'll see where this road takes us, and I look forward to showing you all the ideas bouncing around in my head. Hopefully, (and it looks as though it is going that way) it should only get more fun to write as time goes on.

Anyway, ramble over. Update should be out in about an hour.

EDIT: Just remembered that the poll's over. I'm going to follow the popular vote and just do them as I did before. My delays as of late have showed me that the delays from those update might just have been symptomatic of a larger writing fatigue. I have some other fairly major things affecting my life at the moment, and they, along with desparately trying to understand thermodynamics, is just really leeching the energy right out of me.
 
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Chapter VII: "Onwards and Upwards"

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Part II, Chapter VII: "Onwards and Upwards"

“Of course, I knew how big Doctor Who was in the UK at the time, so I knew just how important this role could be for me. Despite that, playing the Doctor was nothing like what I had expected. There were a great many friends I made on the sets, Denise and Tom most notably. After the first season, I expected to be recognised on the streets a bit more than before. In the UK, many had watched Blackadder, but I couldn’t go an hour outside without being recognised after Doctor Who was released. I don’t think I was prepared for it, and that was the one piece of advice that I gave to my successors: ‘Understand that by taking this role, you are the Doctor, and that people will recognise you as such.’”​

- Hugh Laurie on being the Doctor, taken from The Doctor is Who?, a one-off show in 2014 to announce who would be playing the Doctor. [1]


Doctor Who was, put simply, a hit. NBC’s gamble had paid off, and they now had a serious competitor for Star Trek. Of course, many people working on Doctor Who had experience with Star Trek, not least of all Denise Crosby, who had been a main cast member in The Next Generation’s first season. In fact, it was not uncommon to see actors guest star in both of the shows, a phenomenon that would only become more pronounced as time went on.

Following the massively successful Season 22, the first American produced Doctor Who season, NBC ordered two more, and all three main cast members signed on. Between Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation, science fiction fans were getting an episode of a show that many loved every week for the majority of the year. [2]


Production began on Season 23 of Doctor Who while Season 22 was still airing. As a result, the show was affected by the 1988 Writers’ Guild of America strike, though being a production with many writers based in the UK, the effects of this were much less pronounced than they would prove to be on Season 2 of The Next Generation.[3]

Season 23 would follow much the same formula as Season 22, small stories with no over-arching plot. There were those writers who were more in favour of creating a larger plot over the course of a season, but the prevalence of syndication in the US resulted in the producers deciding that going for self-contained stories was the way to go. This would mean that channels would not feel pressured to show the stories in order when they gained syndication rights. [4]


Many old villains would be returning in this season, perhaps most notably the Cybermen, who had last been seen in the film The Cyber Invasion. For their return, Doctor Who would join forces with Jim Henson once more. The Cybermen would be redesigned once more, to appear more similar to how they had in the Classic series. The original proposal for the redesign would not see fruition until 1993 however, after it was deemed “too scary” for the show. [5]

Of course, the Daleks would return, continuing the story that was set up in Revelation of the Daleks, which culminated in the outbreak of a Dalek Civil War. This would be one of the few stories of the season to rely on a story from a previous season, though enough context would be left in so as to avoid the alienation of those who had missed that story.

The Master and the Rani would also show up once more. More focus would be given to the Rani, as Anthony Ainley would grow more tired with having to fly trans-Atlantic to be in the show. This did lead to some producers consider re-casting the Master, as had been done following the untimely death of Roger Delgado, though they would decide against it for the time being. Kahn was happy to do more work on the show, having been given plenty of opportunities to embrace her more comedic side in villainy.


The season would also see many more guest stars than the first of the revival run. Few British actors had been interested in being in Season 22 due to the distances involved, and few Americans were very familiar with the franchise outside of the three Amblin films. Given the success of Season 22 however, both of these worried became less of a concern.

Some of the most notable guest stars would be Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry, all of whom Laurie had worked with in the past. Fry had been the second choice for the Seventh Doctor, and both Fry and Laurie had been part of the Footlights with Thompson. Their partaking in the show would result in both Crosby and Hanks encouraging their colleagues from past endeavours to guest star in future seasons. [6]


The release date for the first episode of Season 23 of Doctor Who was set as May 14th 1989, to roughly coincide with the conclusion of Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Unlike last season however, the producers now felt that Doctor Who would likely be able to hold its own against the other major science fiction show of the time.

It was quickly becoming clear to the cast and crew of both shows, in fact, that the two had more in common than they had at first thought. There was a very large overlap in the fan bases for the two shows, which resulted in the rivalry between the two becoming much more friendly. This would set the stage for something of an “exchange program”, where the cast of one show would begin to appear on the other. While this realisation would not come in time for Season 23, plans were made for Season 24 of Doctor Who and Season 3 of The Next Generation. [7]


[1] I very nearly revealed the number of this new Doctor, but decided against it. I'm going to start dropping more "future hints" though. Little things to pick up on for the future.
[2] Some might argue that this would gause genre fatigue down the line, but I'm tempted to disagree. The two are vastly different shows. Doctor Who has always been about adventure and action, whereas The Next Generation was more contemplatative. I adore both, which is why I couldn't bring myself to kill either.
[3] Sure I've mentioned this before, but here it is again. Just highlights the differences between the two franchises.
[4] Unlike The Next Generation, Doctor Who isn't in first-run syndication. This is just forward thinking on the executives' part.
[5] A little hint for the future. The first proposal is similar to the plans for The Dark Dimension, which was the initial plan for the 30th, before Dimensions in Time.
[6] There will be more guest stars this season. I'd be tempted to give you a little more information than that, but I'd risk spoiling something down the line.
[7] As much hinted before, there will be more of an actor overlap between the two franchises. There will be plenty more people who appear in all of the "Big Three" of sci-fi than the two(to my knowledge) of OTL.
 
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Cool to see this continuing, I find it rather interesting. Quick question will any Cyberpunk authors be appearing at any point?

I know William Gibson's at Hollywood at the moment having just penned a draft for Alien 3 and Bruce Sterling's starting to get into public eye so they could be an interesting start (although 1988/89 is around about the point when the Cyberpunk literature scene started embracing Post Cyberpunk).
 
Chapter VIII: "Then Let Us Begin"

Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Part II, Chapter VIII: "Then Let Us Begin"
“It was a lot of fun, being on that show. I was rather worried during the first season, given my high profile exit of The Next Generation. But with how successful the first season was, I was just excited to get back on set. Hugh, Tom and I tended to keep in contact anyway, but it was always so much fun when we were together on set. So when the three of us get together for conventions or other meetups, there’s always a lot of laughter.”

- Denise Crosby, taken from An Adventure in Space and Time.


Following the first season of the revival series of Doctor Who, there was much anticipation for the release of the second. The first had proved that Doctor Who could work in the American market in its classic form, and was a solid competitor for the other large franchises of the time.

All three main cast members would return from the first season, and were quickly becoming fan favourites. The three had become friends off set, and would often do interviews as a group, rather than individually.

The second revival season would see a slightly increased budget over the first, though the actors salaries would offset this somewhat. With many of the props and sets now left over after the first season, the production costs would be decreased somewhat, resulting in more guest stars coming on to the show. [1]


Season 23 of Doctor Who first aired on Sunday May 14th 1989 and was the second season of the revival series.

List of Episodes of Season 23 of Doctor Who: [2]

  1. Eye in the Sky (Part 1)
  2. Eye in the Sky (Part 2)
  3. Vengeance on Varos (Part 1)
  4. Vengeance on Varos (Part 2)
  5. The Fall of the Hour (Part 1)
  6. The Fall of the Hour (Part 2)
  7. Overture (Part 1)
  8. Overture (Part 2)
  9. Time and the Rani (Part 1)
  10. Time and the Rani (Part 2)
  11. Recursion
  12. Entropy (Part 1)
  13. Entropy (Part 2)
  14. Revolution of the Daleks (Part 1)
  15. Revolution of the Daleks (Part 2)
  16. Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Part 1)
  17. Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Part 2)
  18. Futureproof (Part 1)
  19. Futureproof (Part 2)
  20. Yellow Fever and How to Cure It (Part 1)
  21. Yellow Fever and How to Cure It (Part 2)
  22. Iceberg (Part 1)
  23. Iceberg (Part 2)
  24. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Part 1)
  25. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Part 2)
  26. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (Part 3)

Cast of Season 23 of Doctor Who:

  • The Seventh Doctor – Hugh Laurie
  • Ace – Denise Crosby
  • Jim Baines – Tom Hanks
  • The Master – Anthony Ainley
  • The Rani – Madeline Kahn

Season 23 of Doctor Who was released to mostly positive reviews. Critics saw it as a general improvement over the first season, with special note being given to the season finale, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, generally seen as one of Laurie’s best stories.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom was also singled out, being a story featuring T.E. Lawrence after the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Many critics felt that it handled the topics of self-determination well, constructing an interesting story around the characters of T.E. Lawrence and Faisal of Iraq. [3]


The second season had proved that the popularity of Doctor Who was not a one-off, but would be a mainstay of American television for years to come. But very soon, there would be trouble in paradise. [4]


[1] As mentioned before, expect to see more guest stars from here on out. Keep an eye on who's guest starring this season in particular.
[2] As before, a little bit of old, a little bit of new. I've not watched a whole lot of classic-Who, so I can't attest as to how good the stories I've reused are, but every show has its bad episodes.
[3] This story will have most of the cast of A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, as a result, that film never gets made. It will, however, have an alien aspect. I decided that it would be nice to start taking the show back to its roots of doing historical epsiodes.
[4] I say 'very soon', it's not going to be revealed for quite a few updates, though I'm sure you could guess as to what this entails. Next update will be the plot summaries of the stories.
 
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Timelordtoe

Monthly Donor
Cool to see this continuing, I find it rather interesting. Quick question will any Cyberpunk authors be appearing at any point?

I know William Gibson's at Hollywood at the moment having just penned a draft for Alien 3 and Bruce Sterling's starting to get into public eye so they could be an interesting start (although 1988/89 is around about the point when the Cyberpunk literature scene started embracing Post Cyberpunk).

I do intend to bring some Cyberpunk authors in. I'm not hugely knowledgeable on that genre, but I do have some ideas as to how some authors might become involved with the events of the timeline. 1989 is very much a year of expanding the scope a little. While this is ultimately a timeline about "The Golden Age of Science Fiction", my plans have sprawled out considerably from that initial remit.
 
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