WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)

[TheFaultsofAlts]

Glad to hear you like it! I wanted to name it after a quote from the CD-i games, and that was the name that worked the best IMO.

I agree. After all, Hotel Mario is somehow better than both Zelda games put together.

To get back on-topic, I recently watched a VERY good video by The Gaming Historian about the 1993 Mario movie and its very troubled production. Considering the film was produced by Disney in OTL, it'd definitely be affected in some way here since Paramount bought Disney. And considering Gulf+Western still owns SEGA, another studio would have to make it. It honestly had a lot of potential to be a good movie but got screwed over by overbearing directors.

Honestly, Gulf+Western holding on to SEGA has a lot of potential butterflies. I imagine a lot of Paramount and Disney films/shows getting more exclusive games for the Master System and Genesis/Mega Drive. It could definitely be a major boon for Sega; the 1991  Aladdin game was a major system seller for the Genesis, even though the film got a separate game on the SNES.

If Gulf+Western owns both Disney and Sega ITTL, I'd rather have an animated Sonic movie over a live-action Mario film. Plus, imagine how many of Sega's games become more widespread with their connections to the Disney Renaissance, albeit indirect.

 

[SubparLario]

If Gulf+Western owns both Disney and Sega ITTL, I'd rather have an animated Sonic movie over a live-action Mario film. Plus, imagine how many of Sega's games become more widespread with their connections to the Disney Renaissance, albeit indirect.

A Disney-animated, mid-90's Sonic movie could honestly be really cool! Especially if, like you said, Sega also adapts some of their other franchises in an attempt to raise their profile. Imagine a live-action Phantasy Star movie, especially since sci-fi is more respected earlier... However, I'm not sure if it would be better to have a Sonic movie be made in response to an actually GOOD Mario movie or the other way around. I personally prefer the former, since Mario is ten years older than Sonic. Also, to correct myself from earlier, Disney only purchased the movie's distribution rights, though that still affected production because that motivated the directors to make the film more family-friendly. So either making sure Nintendo has more direct involvement with the film (like the recent Illumination movie) or keeping Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel from getting involved would improve the quality of the film.

 

[dsp19]

A long time between updates but life got in the way. We'll close in on the end of Starfleet Intelligence; filming of Star Trek: The Next Generation's pilot episode begins, set for a September release; Eastern Europe calms down a little bit, and a big NFL update, specifically focused on the Chicago Bears.

NICHOLS, PERLMAN, MORGAN REFLECT ON THE END OF STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE

Nichelle Nichols: It was the best of times, it was the best of times. No Charles Dickens tale here. The five years of Starfleet Intelligence changed my life completely and reshaped American television as much as any series in the 1980s. Carrying the Star Trek banner on television as Uhura, a black woman, fulfilled my life. Even though Gene Roddenberry wasn't a fan of various aspects of the show, I disagree with him; it fulfilled the Star Trek ideal. Starfleet Intelligence was the first time we brought together humans, Klingons and even Romulans together to fight for a common cause. The series-long plot advanced a potential peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, which I believe will occur before the rest of the original Star Trek cast and I walk into the sunset.

We also introduced some incredible new characters. Ron Perlman is the most popular actor at Star Trek conventions, even surpassing Leonard Nimoy, which I thought was impossible, considering how popular Spock was in the 1960s. In my opinion, Ron will win an Academy Award someday. He is that talented an actor. Cindy Morgan proved that she's more than just a pretty face. She has acting chops, and I hope she continues to find more film and television roles. Cindy's Mikaela Marx character was an inspiration for the Next Generation honchos, who wanted a Betazoid character on their series. Morgan's role advanced the Star Trek ethos because she figured out non-violent solutions to potentially violent problems.

I know that Andy Robinson, who played Nerva the Romulan for a couple of seasons, wants to appear in more Star Trek. I've heard that the producers on The Next Generation are interested in giving Andy a recurring role, but they had to cater to Rutger Hauer and Patrick Bauchau first, because they are bigger names. But I believe Robinson is just as good an actor. He'll definitely play a huge part in Trek going forward because he lives for it. I'm proud of Alfre Woodard. She became a star on this show and an even bigger star when she was nominated for an Academy Award in Cross Creek. I regretted it when she left the show, but she has a big movie career in front of her, and she'll get more recognition from the Academy in the future. We helped launch Don Cheadle's career; he got his first major role here playing Cadet and Ensign James, and he's destined for stardom. If I had one regret, it was not finding S. Epatha Merkerson sooner. She hardly got a look in Hollywood before we gave her a call. She made the right choice picking us over Pee Wee Herman, no offense to him. ABC is thinking about bringing her on for a new Vietnam War series they plan to produce called China Beach.

Our series proved that diversity wins the day, every single day. We showed the networks that black women are powerful and popular. We had two black women as second leads for three of our five years, and our ratings were actually highest in those seasons. We also won our Emmy Awards in the first two seasons. We created a new model for how television shows should work. We launched the careers of several actors and actresses, including black performers. That is our greatest legacy.

Ron Perlman: I'll never have more fun in my life in Hollywood. Playing Karlax, the Klingon secret agent, was a joy every single day. I was completely obscure, looking for work, eating Ramen noodles before the call came from Paramount about a casting call for a new series with a Klingon actor. I always wanted to play a Klingon and thought that I'd make a great villain. My character was even better than that. Karlax was one of the most complex characters in the history of the Star Trek franchise, and is universally popular for his wit, emotional depth, and his willingness to set things right after committing heinous acts in his previous life. I never worked a single day on the Starfleet Intelligence set because Nichelle made it fun every single day. Our opinions were always valued and respected. I think that was due to Nichelle's experience on the original Star Trek where she was marginalized at times in her first two seasons playing Uhura. She made certain that nobody was marginalized on set. She told us that her primary goal as the show's leader was to do everything differently from William Shatner. I don't know Shatner that well, so I can't speak about his attitude towards others. But I couldn't imagine working for a better leader than Nichelle.

As for the conventions, I LOVE THEM! I make sure I stick around to sign autographs for every single fan, no matter how long it takes. A couple of times, Nichelle and I were in New York for conventions, and Nichelle wondered why the autograph line for me was twice as long as for her. "I thought I was the lead on Intelligence," Nichelle joked. I guess playing a super popular alien attracts fans more than playing a super popular human. One time during my first year of doing conventions I was approached by a crying teenager who told me that he didn't fit in the in crowd at high school because he wasn't a popular athlete and wasn't popular with the smart kids, despite being smart himself. He thought about harming himself with a knife. I told him that my character never fit in with the in crowd either and I was kind of a social outcast at my high school. I told him that I became a Hollywood star by being unique and different. Four years later, that young man is in his junior year at Columbia University, getting A's and is on track to graduate as a pre-med. His story made me happier than anything I did on set, and I loved working on set.

Cindy Morgan: I starred in Tron before receiving the call for Starfleet Intelligence back in 1982. I was almost typecast as a dumb blonde who could never take on a serious role in Hollywood. Starfleet Intelligence still allowed me to be sexy, but in a complex way, instead of like Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Mikaela Marx will always be my favorite role, even if I move onto greater things. Nichelle told me at the start of the series that if I wanted to wear a bikini, it would be my choice, not anybody else's in the studio. There were suits at Paramount who really wanted me to show a lot of skin because they thought that it would improve ratings, but the ratings were pretty good anyway. The only two times I was in a bikini, it was my choice, not anybody else's. I had my love affairs on the show, and they deepened my character. Ron Perlman got more teenage girls signing autographs, but we both got the same number of teenage boys. I did sign a few bikini posters along the way, but I was surprised at how most of the conversation at conventions revolved around my character. The fact that Mikaela Marx was appreciated just as much for her personality as she was for her looks, and that is difficult to accomplish with a Hollywood blonde.

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION BEGINS FILMING
GERROLD HINTS AT HIV EPISODE AND GAY CHARACTER

Paramount wasted no time refitting Soundstage Nine, their full-time Star Trek stage, for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Three days after Starfleet Intelligence concluded filming their series finale, stage designers Michael Okuda and Rick Sternbach built the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D (four starship Enterprises after the original NCC-1701 and three starship Enterprises after the newly unveiled 1701-A). "I can't believe how modern and bright it is," series lead Patrick Stewart said. "It looks like a lounge on a cruise ship. My chair is the most comfortable chair that I've ever sat in." LeVar Burton, playing first officer Geordi LaForge, toured both the bridge and the engineering set. "I love the bridge but the engineering set is even more amazing," Burton said. "If I knew engineering would be so perfect, I would have taken the chief engineer's role instead of the first officers'. I envy Dwight Schultz, with all that room in engineering as opposed to the bridge." Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn immediately walked over to the weapons consoles behind the captain's chair. "We are going to be firing these a lot, I hope," Frakes said.

Insiders on set saw Days of Our Lives star John de Lancie on set. It is unknown what character de Lancie will play, but he appeared in a very weird costume with an incredibly strange hat which was twice as large as his head. Interestingly, Gene Roddenberry, who was largely marginalized from the production of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was on set. In exchange for taking a backseat to showrunner David Gerrold, he got to direct and produce the pilot episode. When we tried to talk to Roddenberry, he gave a curt "no comment" and shooed us aside. Gerrold was slightly more talkative. "The pilot episode is intended for the widest audience possible," Gerrold said. "But we will hit every single hot-button issue that affects the 1980s world in a Star Trek way. Starfleet Intelligence was highly successful discussing social issues, and one of the most important episodes of the first season will discuss the HIV pandemic, an issue near and dear to me." Gerrold also provided a very interesting spoiler that could cause significant controversy. "There will be a gay character on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the first season," Gerrold said.

EASTERN BLOC CALMS DOWN WITH GORBACHEV RETURN
GLENN PROMISES GORBACHEV NOT TO EXPAND NATO

Mikhail Gorbachev's return to the Kremlin immediately thawed relations between East and West, which almost turned nuclear during the ill-fated Gromyko government. Riots in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev calmed down, though unrest remained in the Baltic capitals, yearning for independence from the USSR. Gorbachev promised new Polish president Lech Walesa a drawdown in Red Army troops, which would occur by the end of 1990. Gorbachev also wrangled out of Walesa the right to transport troops to East Germany, which ensured for the time being that Germany would not reunify before 1988. Poland and East Germany would remain in the Warsaw Pact for another year; both countries would decide their fate then. It was a fait-accompli in Moscow that East Berlin, now influenced by the Bonn government, and Warsaw would leave the Communist alliance like Czechoslovakia did in 1983. The hardliners in the Supreme Soviet balked, but they were in no position to launch another coup against Gorbachev after Gromyko's disastrous failure. They had next to zero credibility among the Soviet people, especially in Moscow and Leningrad, where the coup was least popular.

In response to the Warsaw Pact's imminent dissolution, Gorbachev met President Glenn in Helsinki to discuss the future of Eastern Europe. Gorbachev and Glenn signed a pact that allowed a future East Germany into NATO, but ensured that Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the other former members of the Warsaw Pact remain officially non-aligned. Glenn was loathe to accept this arrangement, but he agreed to it after Gorbachev promised to remove intermediate range nuclear missiles from the Warsaw Pact nations. The Helsinki accords were signed on April 26, 1987, and a relieved world finally saw the two superpowers cooperating again. Glenn got the missiles removed from Eastern Europe, a huge victory for him, while Gorbachev earned a lesser win by ensuring that most of Eastern Europe did not join NATO. However, there were voices in the Soviet Union warning that a future American government would balk on its promise, and there were even comparisons between Gorbachev and Neville Chamberlain among the hardliners, who feared another invasion like 1941 if America reneged and allowed Poland specifically into NATO...

WILBON: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEARS' DECADE, BUT THE GIANTS CRASHED THE PARTY

Note: This update specifically attempts to simulate what an alternate TL Michael Wilbon would have thought about the state of the NFL in 1987.

The Bears haven't won an NFL championship since 1963, and it doesn't look like they'll win another one anytime soon. That cold winter day, December 29, 1963, the Bears defeated the New York Giants 14-10 after injuring the great Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle. The Bears have not been to the championship game or Super Bowl since. Although Mike Ditka offered us promise, he hasn't delivered the Lombardi Trophy. On his first playoff run, the Bears made an NFC Championship game in 1984 and lost to an all-time great 49ers team in a shutout. The Bears' surprising run in 1984 raised expectations for 1985.

We were supposed to win it all in 1985. We were on track to do so for almost the entire season, with the Monsters of the Midway destroying almost every team in their path. A 15-1 regular season, only marred by an unlucky loss to Dan Marino's Dolphins, proved we were the best team in the NFL by a significant margin. The playoffs should have been a walkover, a coronation for an all-time great defense. 1985 was supposed to be our year, and the rest of the decade should have led to a Bears dynasty. But Lawrence Taylor knocked out Jim McMahon, our injury-prone quarterback, and the Giants, a nine-point underdog, shocked the world and the Bears at a Soldier Field expecting an easy victory. The Bears haven't recovered since.

The Giants, the last team we defeated for a world championship, way back in 1963, would go on to win Super Bowl XX, which rightfully should have been ours. The Bears then missed the playoffs in a woeful, injury-riddled 1986, allowing the lowly Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC Central. The Giants, a surprise in 1985, swept aside everybody in 1986 to the tune of a 14-2 season and a dominant playoff run where they outscored their opponents 105-23 on the way to Super Bowl XXI. Bill Parcells' Giants are headed for a three-peat, and it doesn't look like anybody will stop them. The Giants own the Redskins. They crushed the 49ers 49-3 the last time they saw them. The Cowboys, once a superpower, are now a losing team. The Eagles have Buddy Ryan but are breaking in a new quarterback in Randall Cunningham. The Rams don't have Eric Dickerson anymore. Where is the competition?

The Giants just acquired Irving Fryar, the great Patriots wide receiver, to strengthen the only weakness on their team. We signed Doug Williams from the Redskins, adding a fourth quarterback to a crowded quarterback room. Mike Ditka might shuffle the deck even more at quarterback than he has the past two seasons. I like Doug Williams and think he got a raw deal in Tampa but I'm not sure he'll even replace Jim McMahon, let alone win us a Super Bowl. Maybe the rest of the NFL's only hope is that Bill Belichick, the former Giants' genius defensive coordinator, is now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. So maybe the Giants will drop off a little bit on defense. (fat chance to that with LT!)

To compound the Bears' woes, the legendary Walter Payton is thinking about retirement. Walter is on the Bears' Mount Rushmore and is a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer. He deserves a Super Bowl ring more than anyone in the NFL. Mismanagement and the lack of a competent starting quarterback (yes, I'm looking at you, Jim McMahon and all the mediocrity at quarterback before you), prevented Payton from making the playoffs for most of his dozen years in Chicago. The legendary Walter Payton will likely end his career the same way Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers did: A Monster of the Midway without a championship to his name. The Bears look hopeless in 1987. Somebody prove me wrong.


STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE EPISODES

Hat tip to @Ogrebear

EPISODE 114: THE PARASITIC WORM. (Airdate: April 7, 1987). At Starbase 78, a strange parasite is causing humans to behave like zombies. A Starfleet Intelligence operative, Lieutenant Willis, warns the rest of SI not to intervene and orders a quarantine. He also orders the destruction of the starbase within 48 hours. However, Starfleet Medical determines that the worm is vulnerable to polaronic radiation and have developed a cure. The problem with polaronic radiation is that it is also fatal to humans in high quantities and cause a permanent reduction in brain function even if given in low quantities. Despite this, Uhura and her SI team warp to Starbase 78 quickly to save the afflicted crew. Unfortunately, they are forced to kill several members of the crew to save the rest. Once the danger has passed, Commander Chapel evaluates the surviving crew for brain function and determines that it is indeed possible to restore them to nearly functional Starfleet officers, but they need a two-year rehabilitation. Karlax discovers that the parasitic worm was smuggled from a planet in Orion space. President Roth demands that the Orions cease all activities along their border with Federation space and threatens war. After a quick battle, the Orions retreat and are forced to accept the loss of the planet with the worm from the Intergalactic Council of Peace.

EPISODE 115: MUDD'S LAST HURRAH (Airdate: April 14, 1987). In his final on screen role, Roger C. Carmel appears as an aged Harry Mudd. Mudd was stealing Maravel dragon eggs from Orion smugglers, but he is in over his head when they hatch before he expects them to. The newly hatched dragons cause chaos on Starbase 15 and Uhura's team is called in to stop them. Marx is able to telepathically communicate with the alpha dragon, and they stop rampaging the station. However, Mudd is bitten and lays dying. Marx tries to save Mudd but is unsuccessful. Mudd's last comment to Marx before he dies: "Mikaela, I'm fortunate to die seeing the most beautiful woman in the galaxy." Uhura and team capture the lizards and bring them back to the preserve.

EPISODE 116: BLUE AND GRAY. (Airdate: April 21, 1987). Uhura and team are on the USS Grant headed to Archanis to deliver supplies to the Neutral Zone border world. However, on their way, they encounter an anomaly that bends time. Uhura and her team are transported back to 1862. Battles disappears. Unlike in our timeline, the Confederates won the Battle of Antietam and are marching on Washington. Uhura infers that somehow the bend in time caused the Confederates to keep their battle plans secret from Union forces, leading to their victory. Karlax theorizes that Battles disappeared because her family perished due to the fact that she was a descendant of African-American slaves. The rest of the SI team dresses up in 19th century costumes as they avoid Union and Confederate soldiers shooting at each other near Washington. Fortunately, the USS Grant was also transported to the 19th century, but they cannot communicate with Uhura's team due to the anomaly. Uhura theorizes that radio waves could reach the Grant, so she and Karlax construct a primitive radio from their communicators. They beam a radio message to the Grant and escape just before the Confederates find them. The Grant then slingshots around the Sun to the day before the battle of Antietam. Uhura then takes a shuttle to Earth unnoticed and tells a Union soldier where the Confederate battle plans are. The timeline is restored and Battles reappears; the Grant makes it back to the 23rd century.

EPISODE 117: PLANET OF SECRETS, PART I. (Airdate: April 28, 1987). The SI team are called to Starfleet designated planet Alpha 332, home to a humanoid like species who have built a civilization much faster than the anthropologists think they should have. Tellarite commander Gorm explains that the world is built on the ruins of a previous civilization and the local Turracas people have been rediscovering many relics at a speed that makes them think they are being guided by someone or something. International relations on this world are also occurring in ways that seem artificial. It is up to the SI team to unwrap the mystery. Going undercover requires the team altered to look local, even Karlax. With the help of the POV character from the opening, an Alpha 332 resident named Kut, (played by Jeffrey Combs) they infiltrate a base where they find a military team investigating what is clearly a partly uncovered, unexploded 20th century nuclear missile, The markings on it look similar to an American missile but are not American. The team spread out to find out more and discover the scientists are getting information from a console which speaks with a computer voice. Uhura and Marx charm a scientist who reveals VOX is the one guiding this dig, and it is VOX who is in charge. Immediately after VOX is mentioned, Uhura's team is held in a forcefield, captured by the mysterious VOX.

 

[Ogrebear]

Looking forward to seeing the Starfleet: Intelligence characters turning up on TNG.

Wonder that Shatner and co think of S:I's success?

"There will be a gay character on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the first season," Gerrold said." Played by Frakes maybe? He seems comfortable with that sort of thing??

Is La Forge still going to be blind or is the VISOR going to Dwight Schultz? I be surprised if they cover their award winning star's face...

If the Helsinki accords are a signed deal then the hardliners in the USSR have less to worry about than if the NATO think was just a verbal deal!

I still hope this USSR falls apart in an more organised way than OTL and so much military material does not go missing and the oligarchs do not take over like OTL.

Nice last few episodes for S:I there. Looking forward to the finale.

 

[dsp19]

Looking forward to seeing the Starfleet: Intelligence characters turning up on TNG.

Wonder that Shatner and co think of S:I's success?

"There will be a gay character on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the first season," Gerrold said." Played by Frakes maybe? He seems comfortable with that sort of thing??

Is La Forge still going to be blind or is the VISOR going to Dwight Schultz? I be surprised if they cover their award winning star's face...

If the Helsinki accords are a signed deal then the hardliners in the USSR have less to worry about than if the NATO think was just a verbal deal!

I still hope this USSR falls apart in an more organised way than OTL and so much military material does not go missing and the oligarchs do not take over like OTL.

Nice last few episodes for S:I there. Looking forward to the finale.

--I think Karlax shows up but he's likely the only one alive that far into the future.

--We might explore what the original Trek cast thinks of Starfleet Intelligence's success in the next update. We'll definitely hear from at least James Doohan because he'll be in the SI finale. The other main cast members didn't mind appearing from time to time on SI.

--Riker won't be the gay character (River Phoenix's character, Pulaski's nephew, will be)

--LaForge is getting a set of nice sunglasses that will act as the VISOR ITTL.

--Helsinki is a signed deal, but you know how those things go at times. The US Senate could ratify Helsinki then rescind it at some point. A new Soviet/Russian leader might just trash the deal by fiat and threaten Eastern Europe again w/o the NATO umbrella protecting those countries.

--USSR will likely keep the Stans but not the other SSRs. The Baltics are probably gone in 1988 and Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are likely gone by 1990. Belarus might decide to stay.

--Planet of Secrets Part II will be the third to last episode, and then I've got to come up with a blockbuster series finale

 

[Ogrebear]

Karlax can show up sure, but if McCoy can show up to show the Enterprise off in 2363, then Uhura and the others can still be around admittedly aged.

Going from OTL beta info Uhura would be 124 when Enterprise launched, 12 years younger than McCoy!

 

[dsp19]

Karlax can show up sure, but if McCoy can show up to show the Enterprise off in 2363, then Uhura and the others can still be around admittedly aged.

Going from OTL beta info Uhura would be 124 when Enterprise launched, 12 years younger than McCoy!

You gave me a good idea for an episode in TNG season 1 where I could give Uhura a role…plus I think she’s more than 12 years younger than McCoy in the series, as opposed to the actress IRL being only 12 years younger.

Although when Relics in season 6 comes along only Scotty and Spock of the original 1701 crew will be alive

 

[Ogrebear]

You gave me a good idea for an episode in TNG season 1 where I could give Uhura a role…plus I think she’s more than 12 years younger than McCoy in the series, as opposed to the actress IRL being only 12 years younger.

Although when Relics in season 6 comes along only Scotty and Spock of the original 1701 crew will be alive

I think the character birth dates on Memory Beta are taken from the Encyclopedia which are in turn based on the actors ages.

 

[Denliner]

Intelligence is probably the best butterfly that came out of this timeline. So much good has come out of that show and it's only going to bleed into TNG and subsequent shows. I think a lot of Trekkies will rightfully cite it as one of the most influential shows in the franchise, roughly on the same caliber as TOS or TNG in terms of characters and plot.

 

[dsp19]

Intelligence is probably the best butterfly that came out of this timeline. So much good has come out of that show and it's only going to bleed into TNG and subsequent shows. I think a lot of Trekkies will rightfully cite it as one of the most influential shows in the franchise, roughly on the same caliber as TOS or TNG in terms of characters and plot.

It’ll have a ton of impact on TNG and DS9

—The Romulan isolation mentioned in Season 1 of TNG is butterflied. At the very minimum, Starfleet Intelligence agents are always interacting with the Tal Shiar
—Karlax will be a recurring character on both TNG and DS9. Uhura will make a cameo in TNG
—Karlax‘s experiences will be important to Worf
—The Klingon intelligence apparatus will receive a greater role in TNG and DS9. For example, the House of Duras could control the loyalty of many Klingon intelligence agents in TNG
—Some of the 24th century Trek aliens (Betazoids, Ferengi, Breen) were introduced in SI so it acts as a bridge to the future Treks
—Likely no Section 31 ITTL, Intelligence is good enough to do whatever it needs. There could be a rogue Starfleet Intelligence apparatus or rogue agents but it won’t be called Section 31
—Starfleet Intelligence will reveal the existence of the Dominion
—The nanoprobe virus briefly mentioned as an attempt to kill the Borg in BOBW could be part of an episode plot in TNG, and the morals behind it would really make it a quandary for Picard, who was assimilated and would love revenge, but it violates Federation ideals

Among other things

In terms of its impact on the 1980s television scene, Starfleet Intelligence is about as critically acclaimed as Hill Street Blues

 

[Denliner]

—The Romulan isolation mentioned in Season 1 of TNG is butterflied. At the very minimum, Starfleet Intelligence agents are always interacting with the Tal Shiar

I think the Romulans will still be isolationist due to their secretive and xenophobic nature but butterflying the Treaty of Algeron is big. This means the Federation can be far more aggressive and have cloaking technology for themselves, which could drive some drama between Intelligence and the Tal Shiar.

—Karlax will be a recurring character on both TNG and DS9. Uhura will make a cameo in TNG

Fair. Karlax is certainly up there for one of the most iconic Klingon characters ITTL.

Personally, I think we could bring in McCoy or Kirk for the first episode of TNG to send the Enterprise-D on its way but Scotty and Uhura might make more appearances in the show itself and be more impactful in the long run.

—The Klingon intelligence apparatus will receive a greater role in TNG and DS9. For example, the House of Duras could control the loyalty of many Klingon intelligence agents in TNG

Since the warrior culture is downplayed ITTL, we could see Klingon Intelligence be a far more respected role and an integral part of the Empire. The House of Duras having a large sway over its operatives makes sense and could be the catalyst towards starting a Civil War between them and the other Great Houses.

—Likely no Section 31 ITTL, Intelligence is good enough to do whatever it needs. There could be a rogue Starfleet Intelligence apparatus or rogue agents but it won’t be called Section 31

Thank god. I just hope that the rogue agents are driven by personal agendas or even the result of an infiltration from a hostile entity instead of just "protecting the Federation" by whatever means necessary".

 

[Scorpius72]

Personally, I think we could bring in McCoy or Kirk for the first episode of TNG to send the Enterprise-D on its way but Scotty and Uhura might make more appearances in the show itself and be more impactful in the long run.

IMO in OTL the ST:TOS bridge-crew (Including Scotty) should've been in the pilot-episode of ST:TNG, for one thing that would prevented Kirk's bullshit and idiotic death in ST: Generations (This surprised, shocked and pissed me off).

 

[dsp19]

IMO in OTL the ST:TOS bridge-crew (Including Scotty) should've been in the pilot-episode of ST:TNG, for one thing that would prevented Kirk's bullshit and idiotic death in ST: Generations (This surprised, shocked and pissed me off).

--There won't be a crossover TOS/TNG movie ITTL like Generations. The TNG movies (however many there are) will all stand on their own. The last time we see Kirk ITTL is Star Trek VI, as that was a fitting end to his story. I want the first TNG movie to involve Q in some way
--I was OK with McCoy being the only member of the TOS crew to appear in Encounter at Farpoint. Maybe adding an aged Chekov, Sulu or Uhura or all three would work as well. They could appear in a Holodeck scene if I don't want to age them
--TNG actually faces stronger headwinds ITTL than it did IRL, even though it is on a Paramount Television Network which gets better ratings. It won't just be compared to TOS, but to Starfleet Intelligence, and if it falls short, Paramount will hear about it from the fans
--Welcome to the TL, contributions are always appreciated

 

[dsp19]

I think the Romulans will still be isolationist due to their secretive and xenophobic nature but butterflying the Treaty of Algeron is big. This means the Federation can be far more aggressive and have cloaking technology for themselves, which could drive some drama between Intelligence and the Tal Shiar.


Fair. Karlax is certainly up there for one of the most iconic Klingon characters ITTL.

Personally, I think we could bring in McCoy or Kirk for the first episode of TNG to send the Enterprise-D on its way but Scotty and Uhura might make more appearances in the show itself and be more impactful in the long run.


Since the warrior culture is downplayed ITTL, we could see Klingon Intelligence be a far more respected role and an integral part of the Empire. The House of Duras having a large sway over its operatives makes sense and could be the catalyst towards starting a Civil War between them and the other Great Houses.


Thank god. I just hope that the rogue agents are driven by personal agendas or even the result of an infiltration from a hostile entity instead of just "protecting the Federation" by whatever means necessary".

I don't like a North Korea-style Romulan Empire. I like when they're more active. There could still be a Treaty of Algeron or some other treaty that prevents the Federation from developing cloaks.

Karlax could replace Koloth in the DS9 episodes with Kor and Kang (and he maybe even survives the Dominion War, but I think he'll go to Stovo'kor in DS9).

Scotty could make recurring TNG appearances after Relics (I plan to keep Relics largely the same as OTL)

In DS9 the rogue intelligence agents could simply be an offshoot of the Federation ditching the Maquis (similar to OTL but not called Section 31). There could be a DS9 episode where the Maquis-aligned intelligence agents sabotage a few ships, destroy some Galor-class Cardassian ships and "free" the Maquis

 

[Denliner]

I don't like a North Korea-style Romulan Empire. I like when they're more active. There could still be a Treaty of Algeron or some other treaty that prevents the Federation from developing cloaks.

Eh, that's not what I had in mind when it comes to the Romulans. More like Iraq or Tsarist Russia where the entire political structure was seeped with paranoia and abject fear, both of outsiders and of their own government. Both were capable of outside diplomacy and even waged war on their neighbors, yet they seemed "closed off" or even alien to foreigners.

The Romulans could get more active through covert means, but that doesn't stop them from being isolationist in comparison to the expansionist Klingon Empire or the Federation due to their culture.

As for the Treaty, I hope that you ignore it since it was formulated in TNG and there's no event as of yet that establishes it as canon (unless you specifically engineer a plotline that leads to something similar). Starfleet Intelligence having cloaked ships would be cool and very pragmatic for their operations.

In DS9 the rogue intelligence agents could simply be an offshoot of the Federation ditching the Maquis (similar to OTL but not called Section 31). There could be a DS9 episode where the Maquis-aligned intelligence agents sabotage a few ships, destroy some Galor-class Cardassian ships and "free" the Maquis

That could be a good story arc.

 

[dsp19]

A couple of notes...

I wanted to move on from the storyline in Eastern Europe for a little bit. The Red Storm Rising movie is going to be part of the next update, and Paramount is questioning whether it will be a huge hit now that the near WWIII scenario IRL has cooled off.

Can anyone stop the New York Giants in the NFL ITTL? There won't be a player's strike in the NFL in 1987 like there was IRL. One thing I know for sure is that it won't be an AFC team because the NFC was utterly dominant at this time. The possible opening for the rest of the NFL is that Belichick is no longer on the Giants coaching staff

 

[Starkforlufe]

Would Romania in this TL throw Ceaușescu's yoke?

 

[dsp19]

Would Romania in this TL throw Ceaușescu's yoke?

Very likely

 

[LordYam]

I think that the show avoiding Rick Berman would help.

I also do think that elements from the MMO (the Iconians, Hakeev) could work in the story. A war with the Borg or Dominion would also be awesome

 

[Scorpius72]

I think that the show avoiding Rick Berman would help.

How would that help?