WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)
Next update:
More TNG chatter including 3 episodes, running the season total to 16 of 26
An attempted secret deal by CBS to try and take Star Trek from Paramount Television Network (they are rivals ITTL)
1988 Academy Award nominations (Red Storm Rising)
The first 1988 Republican presidential primary
President John Glenn chooses a running mate
The Space Shuttle program returns, but is scheduled to end in 1989, leading to the mission to Mars
More TNG chatter including 3 episodes, running the season total to 16 of 26
An attempted secret deal by CBS to try and take Star Trek from Paramount Television Network (they are rivals ITTL)
1988 Academy Award nominations (Red Storm Rising)
The first 1988 Republican presidential primary
President John Glenn chooses a running mate
The Space Shuttle program returns, but is scheduled to end in 1989, leading to the mission to Mars
Last edited:
Chapter 233, Part 2: January 1988
Here is the regular January update. Since I'm writing it on short notice I'll just pick three of the better TNG episodes from Season 1 IRL and attach them to the end of the update.
BRENT SPINER: I COULD PLAY DATA FOREVER
Of all the Star Trek actors and actresses interviewed during the first season, nobody was more enthusiastic about his role than Brent Spiner, the uber-popular android science officer Data. Spiner talked about the possibility that he could play the role forever. "The showrunners have given me so much to do in the first season and I'm thrilled with my role so far. As long as they make Star Trek: The Next Generation, I'll be first in line to play my part." Spiner's favorite episode was his collaboration with John Larroquette, who played his evil android brother Lore in Datalore, one of the first episodes in the series. "I absolutely love working with John," Spiner said. "We wrote some of the funniest comedy bits in Night Court, and when David Gerrold said John was playing Lore, I knew they were looking out for me." Spiner was concerned about Denise Crosby and Marina Sirtis, who feel underappreciated in terms of their roles on the series. "I agree with Denise and Marina about their complaints because their characters have not received enough depth so far. But Gerrold is a very receptive showrunner who always listens to his actors and actresses, and we've filmed three or four episodes where they take center stage."
Spiner's character seems to be most closely connected with Dwight Schultz's Reginald Barclay and LeVar Burton's Geordi LaForge. "Barclay is also an introvert who has difficulty understanding people and is not what I would say atypical," Spiner explained. As for LaForge, he tends to look out for the android. "Geordi is kind of a shield between me and Dr. Pulaski when we are in character," Spiner said. "Diana Muldaur is extremely nice to me on set, but isn't so nice to Data as Katherine Pulaski, and I'm talking to Gerrold to change that." Spiner explains that his closest relationships were with Schultz and Burton, which helps with on-screen chemistry. "Dwight and I are the practical jokers on set," Spiner laughed. "Gerrold is a complete mark and always gets caught when we pull our pranks, but he takes it in good fun. LeVar Burton sometimes gets pranked and sometimes gets involved in the prank." As for Patrick Stewart, Spiner feels that he is slowly warming up to being Captain Picard. "Patrick takes it personally when he is unfavorably compared to William Shatner. However, the entire cast believes that when all is said and done, Patrick will be a legendary Star Trek lead. The fans love when Picard goes into his monologues and speeches, which give authority to the character."
CBS, PARAMOUNT ALMOST MADE SHOCK DEAL FOR STAR TREK RIGHTS
RODDENBERRY NIXED DEAL
If you were wondering why Starfleet Intelligence stars Nichelle Nichols and Ron Perlman showed up on the NFL Today, a CBS production, we now have the reason why. CBS and Paramount were about to make a shock deal which would have given the Eye Network rights to make future Star Trek television programming after The Next Generation ends its run, whenever it ends. Sources inside Paramount believe that Star Trek will become a depreciating asset sometime during the middle of The Next Generation's run and were looking to cash out while Trek's popularity is at its peak. "Paramount believes it is milking the Star Trek IP for everything it is worth and feels like Trek will run its course in five years or so," an insider on 5555 Melrose Avenue on the Paramount lot said. "Star Trek: The Next Generation is popular and a new cornerstone for the television division, but the suits at Paramount, especially Frank Mancuso and John Pike, do not believe that the franchise can be extended out once the series wraps in about four or five years. The original Star Trek actors, especially James Doohan and DeForest Kelley, will no longer be able to make movies into the 1990s, and Paramount does not foresee The Next Generation becoming a movie franchise of its own," the insider continued.
CBS reportedly offered Paramount $100 million for the rights to the television side of the franchise; Paramount countered with an offer of $150 million. The two networks agreed to a $135 million deal which was about to be consummated with the approval of Gene Roddenberry. Unfortunately for both sides, Roddenberry was dead set against Star Trek on CBS. "Gene pitched the original Star Trek idea to CBS and was laughed out of the room back in the 1960s," an insider in Roddenberry's orbit said. "He will never permit CBS to televise Star Trek at any point in his lifetime." Roddenberry reportedly was furious with John Pike, the CEO of the Paramount Television Network, regarding Trek's future. The mercurial Trek creator reportedly said to Pike, "I signed a deal with Desilu and later Paramount 20 years ago. CBS tried to kill my idea when it was in the cradle and the suits over there haven't changed one bit. They want Star Trek because they want to kill it and take your most valuable property away from you." Pike reportedly countered, "We can't foresee a future for Star Trek after 1991 or so, and Paramount is trying to make the best deal from the studio's point of view. Our plans are to televise Star Trek: The Next Generation and wind down the franchise in five years, which is hopefully how long Next Generation will last." Roddenberry then told Pike, "Star Trek will last virtually forever because there are thousands of writers out there who dream of seeing their stories produced into episodes and even new television series. You are making one of the biggest mistakes in television history if you let this deal go through. I believe there will be at least one or two series of Star Trek in the future. Heck, I think you could make a series right now with George Takei as captain of his own ship if he ever decides to get out of politics. I also think you could make a series on the Federation frontier, perhaps on a space station instead of a starship."
1988 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Academy Award nominations for movies produced and filmed in 1987 were announced on January 21, 1988. The two main contenders for Academy Awards this past year were Red Storm Rising, the Tom Clancy thriller, and The Last Emperor, a biopic of Puyi, the last emperor of China. Red Storm Rising was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and the relevant categories are listed below.
Best Picture:
Red Storm Rising--Mace Neufeld
The Last Emperor--Jeremy Thomas
Fatal Attraction--Stanley R. Jaffe and Sherry Lansing
Hope and Glory--John Boorman
Broadcast News--James L. Brooks
Best Director:
David Lynch, Red Storm Rising
Bernardo Bertolucci, The Last Emperor
Adrian Lyne, Fatal Attraction
John Boorman, Hope and Glory
Lasse Hallstrom, My Life as a Dog
Best Actor:
William Shatner, Red Storm Rising
Michael Douglas, Wall Street
William Hurt, Broadcast News
Jack Nicholson, Ironweed
Robin Williams, Good Morning, Vietnam
Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Cruise, Red Storm Rising
Sean Connery, The Untouchables
Morgan Freeman, Street Smart
Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom
Vincent Gardenia, Moonstruck
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Red Storm Rising--Tom Clancy
The Last Emperor--Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Henry Pu Yi
Fatal Attraction--James Dearden
Full Metal Jacket--Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford
My Life as a Dog--Lasse Hallstrom, Reidar Jonsson, Brasse Brannstrom, and Per Berglund
Best Original Score:
Basil Poledouris, Red Storm Rising
David Byrne, Cong Su, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Last Emperor
Ennio Morricone, The Untouchables
George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa, Cry Freedom
John Williams, Empire of the Sun
Best Sound:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Lethal Weapon
RoboCop
Best Art Direction:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Hope and Glory
The Untouchables
Best Cinematography:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Hope and Glory
Broadcast News
Best Costume Design:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
The Untouchables
The Dead
Best Film Editing:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Fatal Attraction
RoboCop
Best Visual Effects:
Red Storm Rising
Predator
Innerspace
DOLE NARROWLY DEFEATS BUSH IN MICHIGAN PRIMARY
ROBERTSON UNDERPERFORMS; BAKER DROPS OUT
Senator Bob Dole of Kansas narrowly defeated former CIA Director George Bush in the Michigan primary, held on January 14. Dole won 37 percent of the vote to Bush's 32 percent, which allowed both candidates to win delegates. Dole earned 39 delegates, while Bush earned 34. Pat Robertson, the televangelist, did not find fertile ground outside the South, where he is expected to run more competitively. Robertson, who polled at 25 percent nationally, won only 18 percent of the vote and 8 delegates. Howard Baker, the Senator from Tennessee, garnered only 13 percent of the vote and immediately dropped out, endorsing Dole, his Senate colleague. In his victory speech, Dole proclaimed that he was the best choice for Republicans who wanted to unseat President John Glenn in November. "The great people of Michigan see the failures of the Glenn administration and seek a rational conservative to take the reins of government. We will win back the Senate, keep the House and win the Presidency, ensuring that all branches of the government are in Republican hands when I am nominated and when I win later this year." Bush was displeased with his defeat at Dole's hands but saw a silver lining. "I believe I have the best case for leadership in the Republican Party, and when we take the campaign to the Northeast, Texas, and the West Coast, I'll outpoll Senator Dole." Robertson appeared deflated at his watch party. "The Republican voters were wrong to support Republicans in name only like Senator Dole and George Bush," Robertson said. "I'm the only real Republican in the race and the voters in most of the states will see that as we move forward." Baker realized that there was no path to the presidency but appeared to start his candidacy for vice-president. "Although I will not be your next President, I believe that Senator Dole, my good friend from Kansas, is the best choice to move our nation forward, unite the Republican Party, and defeat the liberal John Glenn in the general election."
Delegate Count after Michigan Primary:
Bob Dole: 38
George H.W. Bush: 34
Pat Robertson: 8
GORE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT: PRESIDENT GLENN TAPS TENNESSEE SENATOR AS HIS RUNNING MATE
Al Gore will be President Glenn's vice-presidential running mate. President John Glenn considered the candidacies of both Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Gore, and chose the Senator from Tennessee, who he believes will become his protege. "Although Governor Clinton was well-deserving of a vice-presidential nod, the President and I believed that Senator Gore was more suited for the role," President Glenn's chief of staff, William White, told the White House press corps. "We believed that Governor Clinton was a riskier selection than Senator Gore, but also believe that Mr. Clinton will eventually make his way onto a national ticket and will almost assuredly give him a primetime speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention this summer," White explained. Mr. Gore was thrilled by the news and promised to be a vice-president for a new generation. "Vice-President Bentsen was looking for a younger successor and I'm honored to take on the role and help lead the Democratic Party to victory in November. President Glenn has accomplished remarkable things for America, and he is a far better alternative than the radical conservatives the Republicans are putting forth to face him and I in the general election." A statement from President Glenn read, "I am delighted to add Senator Al Gore to the ticket in 1988. We will run on our strong record and delivering the Real Deal to the American people. We have promised much and delivered much. My generation is a bridge to the next generation of leadership, and there is nobody I would trust more to be the face of that new generation than Senator Gore."
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM RESTARTED FOR ONE MORE YEAR
NASA TO FOCUS ON MARS PROJECTS IN 1989
NASA shut down the Space Shuttle program for two years after defects were found in the O-rings in the solid rocket boosters, which froze on the morning of January 26, 1986. Two years later, the O-rings were fixed, and the shuttle program is back on track. NASA administrator James Fletcher got the go-ahead from Congress to restart the shuttle missions two years to the day Challenger was scrubbed. "We are excited to bring the Space Shuttle program back online," Fletcher said before the assembled press corps. "We will likely conduct six more missions in 1988 before we wind down the program to focus on interplanetary exploration, specifically the mission to Mars that became our mandate after we landed on the Moon in 1969." When asked about the change in NASA's focus, Fletcher said, "We believe that there is more potential in the Mars project than with the Space Shuttle missions. We've already run 24 missions, and we believe that there are diminishing returns to what we can learn after 30 missions." When asked about Mars being a pipe dream, Fletcher told the press that NASA was created for exploration. "It's been 16 years since we've put a man on the Moon, and we've made little progress expanding our mandate for exploration. We have not performed any landings outside of satellites sent to Mars. It is about time that we expand our horizons past the Moon."
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION EPISODES
EPISODE 14: HIDE AND Q. Airdate: January 5, 1988.
memory-alpha.fandom.com
EPISODE 15: THE BIG GOODBYE. Airdate: January 12, 1988
memory-alpha.fandom.com
EPISODE 16: COMING OF AGE. Airdate: January 19, 1988. With Ben Pulaski in Wesley Crusher's role ITTL.
memory-alpha.fandom.com
BRENT SPINER: I COULD PLAY DATA FOREVER
Of all the Star Trek actors and actresses interviewed during the first season, nobody was more enthusiastic about his role than Brent Spiner, the uber-popular android science officer Data. Spiner talked about the possibility that he could play the role forever. "The showrunners have given me so much to do in the first season and I'm thrilled with my role so far. As long as they make Star Trek: The Next Generation, I'll be first in line to play my part." Spiner's favorite episode was his collaboration with John Larroquette, who played his evil android brother Lore in Datalore, one of the first episodes in the series. "I absolutely love working with John," Spiner said. "We wrote some of the funniest comedy bits in Night Court, and when David Gerrold said John was playing Lore, I knew they were looking out for me." Spiner was concerned about Denise Crosby and Marina Sirtis, who feel underappreciated in terms of their roles on the series. "I agree with Denise and Marina about their complaints because their characters have not received enough depth so far. But Gerrold is a very receptive showrunner who always listens to his actors and actresses, and we've filmed three or four episodes where they take center stage."
Spiner's character seems to be most closely connected with Dwight Schultz's Reginald Barclay and LeVar Burton's Geordi LaForge. "Barclay is also an introvert who has difficulty understanding people and is not what I would say atypical," Spiner explained. As for LaForge, he tends to look out for the android. "Geordi is kind of a shield between me and Dr. Pulaski when we are in character," Spiner said. "Diana Muldaur is extremely nice to me on set, but isn't so nice to Data as Katherine Pulaski, and I'm talking to Gerrold to change that." Spiner explains that his closest relationships were with Schultz and Burton, which helps with on-screen chemistry. "Dwight and I are the practical jokers on set," Spiner laughed. "Gerrold is a complete mark and always gets caught when we pull our pranks, but he takes it in good fun. LeVar Burton sometimes gets pranked and sometimes gets involved in the prank." As for Patrick Stewart, Spiner feels that he is slowly warming up to being Captain Picard. "Patrick takes it personally when he is unfavorably compared to William Shatner. However, the entire cast believes that when all is said and done, Patrick will be a legendary Star Trek lead. The fans love when Picard goes into his monologues and speeches, which give authority to the character."
CBS, PARAMOUNT ALMOST MADE SHOCK DEAL FOR STAR TREK RIGHTS
RODDENBERRY NIXED DEAL
If you were wondering why Starfleet Intelligence stars Nichelle Nichols and Ron Perlman showed up on the NFL Today, a CBS production, we now have the reason why. CBS and Paramount were about to make a shock deal which would have given the Eye Network rights to make future Star Trek television programming after The Next Generation ends its run, whenever it ends. Sources inside Paramount believe that Star Trek will become a depreciating asset sometime during the middle of The Next Generation's run and were looking to cash out while Trek's popularity is at its peak. "Paramount believes it is milking the Star Trek IP for everything it is worth and feels like Trek will run its course in five years or so," an insider on 5555 Melrose Avenue on the Paramount lot said. "Star Trek: The Next Generation is popular and a new cornerstone for the television division, but the suits at Paramount, especially Frank Mancuso and John Pike, do not believe that the franchise can be extended out once the series wraps in about four or five years. The original Star Trek actors, especially James Doohan and DeForest Kelley, will no longer be able to make movies into the 1990s, and Paramount does not foresee The Next Generation becoming a movie franchise of its own," the insider continued.
CBS reportedly offered Paramount $100 million for the rights to the television side of the franchise; Paramount countered with an offer of $150 million. The two networks agreed to a $135 million deal which was about to be consummated with the approval of Gene Roddenberry. Unfortunately for both sides, Roddenberry was dead set against Star Trek on CBS. "Gene pitched the original Star Trek idea to CBS and was laughed out of the room back in the 1960s," an insider in Roddenberry's orbit said. "He will never permit CBS to televise Star Trek at any point in his lifetime." Roddenberry reportedly was furious with John Pike, the CEO of the Paramount Television Network, regarding Trek's future. The mercurial Trek creator reportedly said to Pike, "I signed a deal with Desilu and later Paramount 20 years ago. CBS tried to kill my idea when it was in the cradle and the suits over there haven't changed one bit. They want Star Trek because they want to kill it and take your most valuable property away from you." Pike reportedly countered, "We can't foresee a future for Star Trek after 1991 or so, and Paramount is trying to make the best deal from the studio's point of view. Our plans are to televise Star Trek: The Next Generation and wind down the franchise in five years, which is hopefully how long Next Generation will last." Roddenberry then told Pike, "Star Trek will last virtually forever because there are thousands of writers out there who dream of seeing their stories produced into episodes and even new television series. You are making one of the biggest mistakes in television history if you let this deal go through. I believe there will be at least one or two series of Star Trek in the future. Heck, I think you could make a series right now with George Takei as captain of his own ship if he ever decides to get out of politics. I also think you could make a series on the Federation frontier, perhaps on a space station instead of a starship."
1988 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Academy Award nominations for movies produced and filmed in 1987 were announced on January 21, 1988. The two main contenders for Academy Awards this past year were Red Storm Rising, the Tom Clancy thriller, and The Last Emperor, a biopic of Puyi, the last emperor of China. Red Storm Rising was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and the relevant categories are listed below.
Best Picture:
Red Storm Rising--Mace Neufeld
The Last Emperor--Jeremy Thomas
Fatal Attraction--Stanley R. Jaffe and Sherry Lansing
Hope and Glory--John Boorman
Broadcast News--James L. Brooks
Best Director:
David Lynch, Red Storm Rising
Bernardo Bertolucci, The Last Emperor
Adrian Lyne, Fatal Attraction
John Boorman, Hope and Glory
Lasse Hallstrom, My Life as a Dog
Best Actor:
William Shatner, Red Storm Rising
Michael Douglas, Wall Street
William Hurt, Broadcast News
Jack Nicholson, Ironweed
Robin Williams, Good Morning, Vietnam
Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Cruise, Red Storm Rising
Sean Connery, The Untouchables
Morgan Freeman, Street Smart
Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom
Vincent Gardenia, Moonstruck
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Red Storm Rising--Tom Clancy
The Last Emperor--Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Henry Pu Yi
Fatal Attraction--James Dearden
Full Metal Jacket--Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford
My Life as a Dog--Lasse Hallstrom, Reidar Jonsson, Brasse Brannstrom, and Per Berglund
Best Original Score:
Basil Poledouris, Red Storm Rising
David Byrne, Cong Su, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Last Emperor
Ennio Morricone, The Untouchables
George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa, Cry Freedom
John Williams, Empire of the Sun
Best Sound:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Lethal Weapon
RoboCop
Best Art Direction:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Hope and Glory
The Untouchables
Best Cinematography:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Hope and Glory
Broadcast News
Best Costume Design:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
The Untouchables
The Dead
Best Film Editing:
Red Storm Rising
The Last Emperor
Empire of the Sun
Fatal Attraction
RoboCop
Best Visual Effects:
Red Storm Rising
Predator
Innerspace
DOLE NARROWLY DEFEATS BUSH IN MICHIGAN PRIMARY
ROBERTSON UNDERPERFORMS; BAKER DROPS OUT
Senator Bob Dole of Kansas narrowly defeated former CIA Director George Bush in the Michigan primary, held on January 14. Dole won 37 percent of the vote to Bush's 32 percent, which allowed both candidates to win delegates. Dole earned 39 delegates, while Bush earned 34. Pat Robertson, the televangelist, did not find fertile ground outside the South, where he is expected to run more competitively. Robertson, who polled at 25 percent nationally, won only 18 percent of the vote and 8 delegates. Howard Baker, the Senator from Tennessee, garnered only 13 percent of the vote and immediately dropped out, endorsing Dole, his Senate colleague. In his victory speech, Dole proclaimed that he was the best choice for Republicans who wanted to unseat President John Glenn in November. "The great people of Michigan see the failures of the Glenn administration and seek a rational conservative to take the reins of government. We will win back the Senate, keep the House and win the Presidency, ensuring that all branches of the government are in Republican hands when I am nominated and when I win later this year." Bush was displeased with his defeat at Dole's hands but saw a silver lining. "I believe I have the best case for leadership in the Republican Party, and when we take the campaign to the Northeast, Texas, and the West Coast, I'll outpoll Senator Dole." Robertson appeared deflated at his watch party. "The Republican voters were wrong to support Republicans in name only like Senator Dole and George Bush," Robertson said. "I'm the only real Republican in the race and the voters in most of the states will see that as we move forward." Baker realized that there was no path to the presidency but appeared to start his candidacy for vice-president. "Although I will not be your next President, I believe that Senator Dole, my good friend from Kansas, is the best choice to move our nation forward, unite the Republican Party, and defeat the liberal John Glenn in the general election."
Delegate Count after Michigan Primary:
Bob Dole: 38
George H.W. Bush: 34
Pat Robertson: 8
GORE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT: PRESIDENT GLENN TAPS TENNESSEE SENATOR AS HIS RUNNING MATE
Al Gore will be President Glenn's vice-presidential running mate. President John Glenn considered the candidacies of both Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Gore, and chose the Senator from Tennessee, who he believes will become his protege. "Although Governor Clinton was well-deserving of a vice-presidential nod, the President and I believed that Senator Gore was more suited for the role," President Glenn's chief of staff, William White, told the White House press corps. "We believed that Governor Clinton was a riskier selection than Senator Gore, but also believe that Mr. Clinton will eventually make his way onto a national ticket and will almost assuredly give him a primetime speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention this summer," White explained. Mr. Gore was thrilled by the news and promised to be a vice-president for a new generation. "Vice-President Bentsen was looking for a younger successor and I'm honored to take on the role and help lead the Democratic Party to victory in November. President Glenn has accomplished remarkable things for America, and he is a far better alternative than the radical conservatives the Republicans are putting forth to face him and I in the general election." A statement from President Glenn read, "I am delighted to add Senator Al Gore to the ticket in 1988. We will run on our strong record and delivering the Real Deal to the American people. We have promised much and delivered much. My generation is a bridge to the next generation of leadership, and there is nobody I would trust more to be the face of that new generation than Senator Gore."
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM RESTARTED FOR ONE MORE YEAR
NASA TO FOCUS ON MARS PROJECTS IN 1989
NASA shut down the Space Shuttle program for two years after defects were found in the O-rings in the solid rocket boosters, which froze on the morning of January 26, 1986. Two years later, the O-rings were fixed, and the shuttle program is back on track. NASA administrator James Fletcher got the go-ahead from Congress to restart the shuttle missions two years to the day Challenger was scrubbed. "We are excited to bring the Space Shuttle program back online," Fletcher said before the assembled press corps. "We will likely conduct six more missions in 1988 before we wind down the program to focus on interplanetary exploration, specifically the mission to Mars that became our mandate after we landed on the Moon in 1969." When asked about the change in NASA's focus, Fletcher said, "We believe that there is more potential in the Mars project than with the Space Shuttle missions. We've already run 24 missions, and we believe that there are diminishing returns to what we can learn after 30 missions." When asked about Mars being a pipe dream, Fletcher told the press that NASA was created for exploration. "It's been 16 years since we've put a man on the Moon, and we've made little progress expanding our mandate for exploration. We have not performed any landings outside of satellites sent to Mars. It is about time that we expand our horizons past the Moon."
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION EPISODES
EPISODE 14: HIDE AND Q. Airdate: January 5, 1988.
Hide And Q (episode)
Q returns to the Enterprise, testing Commander Riker by giving him the power of the Q. Having dropped Deanna Troi off at Starbase G-6 for a shuttlecraft ride to Betazed, the USS Enterprise-D is fortunately close to the Sigma III solar system, when its Federation colony transmits an urgent call...
memory-alpha.fandom.com
EPISODE 15: THE BIG GOODBYE. Airdate: January 12, 1988
The Big Goodbye (episode)
Captain Picard and some of the Enterprise crew get stuck on the holodeck while on their way to an important diplomatic mission. The USS Enterprise-D is en route to a meeting with the Jarada on a diplomatic mission. Captain Picard has been appointed by Starfleet to attempt to establish a...
memory-alpha.fandom.com
EPISODE 16: COMING OF AGE. Airdate: January 19, 1988. With Ben Pulaski in Wesley Crusher's role ITTL.
Coming of Age (episode)
As Wesley Crusher faces the Starfleet Academy entrance exam on Relva VII, representatives from Starfleet Command conduct an exhaustive investigation into Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D crew. Wesley Crusher runs through a corridor to catch up with his friend Jake Kurland and tell him he's...
memory-alpha.fandom.com
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So Richard Donnor made Red Storm rising and Lethal Weapon at the same time?
As someone who's on the spectrum (I'm Aspergers) I'm not certain that that term was being used in 1987.
I could change it to "atypical" (I'm on the spectrum too)
That's what happens when I write too fast. Usually I'm careful with language from the 21st century that wasn't used in the 20th
I suspect that the term was coined in the 1990s no doubt after Uta Frith's English translation of Dr. Hans Asperger's original work (Published in High German during WWII) in 1991.
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49ers will most likely get there like OTL. I'm debating about the AFC. The Bengals did take the 49ers to the brink IRL Super Bowl XXIII. Cleveland with the potential for redemption is a good story. Maybe the Bills get there in 1988 as they were in the AFC championship against the Bengals IRL
The Giants are going to fall from grace in 1988 and most likely finish far worse than the 10-6 record they put up in 1988 IRL. ITTL that loss to Chicago in the 1987 playoffs is a Level 1 defeat (almost impossible to recover from), plus they have a lot of aging players. The Bears will have a Super Bowl hangover plus no Walter Payton. Maybe the Eagles make a run? The Redskins are perennial contenders in the 1980s but they aren't getting to a Super Bowl with Jay Schroeder (who stays in Washington ITTL)
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Of course, but from their perspective they think Star Trek is reaching the end of the line because they don't foresee any more series, any movies with TNG, plus the TOS era is wrapping up. They would still get money out of the deal from any episode they produced in syndication (as the original producer). Paramount is thinking they'll get an extra $135 million from CBS because they don't think CBS would produce a successful Trek series after TNG. The thing is, the deal fell through in the story
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Further proof that even an adored property can be mishandled like any other through the magic of corporate incompetence.
Actually Paramount thinks that ITTL, so it's a profound failure of imagination on their part, not CBS. And it's actually not an unreasonable opinion from Paramount's point of view...
They'll have produced the 3rd, 4th and 5th seasons of TOS ITTL
All 3 seasons of TAS
Star Trek: Reliant miniseries/season
5 seasons of Starfleet Intelligence
4-5 projected seasons of TNG if they wrap up in 1991 or 1992
Counting the first 2 seasons of TOS Paramount owns from Desilu, that's 18-19 seasons of television, which is almost as long as Gunsmoke lasted on the air (20 seasons). So they're thinking that Trek is getting stale. That's a LOT of story plots, some of them rehashed.
Also...
--TNG's ratings ITTL are off about 13 million viewers from what TOS did in their run, and Paramount doesn't think that audience will lead to major box office success if they want to move TNG from television to the big screen
--Paramount doesn't think they can replicate Starfleet Intelligence ITTL so they want to remain on the Starship Enterprise
--None of the original actors from TOS are available to make a TV series. Shatner is a movie star, Nimoy is an actor/director, Kelley and Doohan are too old, Takei is in politics, Koenig can't carry a series on his own and Nichols just finished her series
From Paramount's point of view they think the IP is almost used up and they don't believe another network can produce any more Trek. They'll be proven wrong, but it won't be the last time Paramount tries to pawn off their Trek on television before they grudgingly accept DS9 as a successor series to TNG
The other part of the equation is that Paramount wants to be known as more than the "Star Trek station" ITTL
As for CBS running Star Trek--well we know what happens IRL; they run Star Trek about as well as they ran the New York Yankees (look that up)
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Talking about DS9 (I hope you still have Avery Brooks ITTL playing sisko because he was awesome, I first saw him on TV when he was playing Hawk in "Spencer for Hire") will you also have Babylon 5? IIRC Paramount basically ripped off the idea for DS9 from J. Michael Stravinsky, JMS created B5.
The Memory Alpha links are great for the general plots, but with the changes made you might want to add some notes where the different characters change the plot.Here is the regular January update. Since I'm writing it on short notice I'll just pick three of the better TNG episodes from Season 1 IRL and attach them to the end of the update.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION EPISODES
EPISODE 14: HIDE AND Q. Airdate: January 5, 1988.
Hide And Q (episode)
Q returns to the Enterprise, testing Commander Riker by giving him the power of the Q. Having dropped Deanna Troi off at Starbase G-6 for a shuttlecraft ride to Betazed, the USS Enterprise-D is fortunately close to the Sigma III solar system, when its Federation colony transmits an urgent call...
EPISODE 15: THE BIG GOODBYE. Airdate: January 12, 1988
The Big Goodbye (episode)
Captain Picard and some of the Enterprise crew get stuck on the holodeck while on their way to an important diplomatic mission. The USS Enterprise-D is en route to a meeting with the Jarada on a diplomatic mission. Captain Picard has been appointed by Starfleet to attempt to establish a...
EPISODE 16: COMING OF AGE. Airdate: January 19, 1988. With Ben Pulaski in Wesley Crusher's role ITTL.
Coming of Age (episode)
As Wesley Crusher faces the Starfleet Academy entrance exam on Relva VII, representatives from Starfleet Command conduct an exhaustive investigation into Captain Picard and the Enterprise-D crew. Wesley Crusher runs through a corridor to catch up with his friend Jake Kurland and tell him he's...
EX; Did Q give the power to Geordi or is it still Riker tested in this timeline? I can see it either way. Geordi to tweak Picard's nose or Riker as the more emotional & Headstrong and this mot likely to misuse the power,
DS9 had the Dominion War Arc dominating the last half of the show, though I'm wondering if that will be repetitive. The Borg could be a more powerful threat in this timeline and their actions more of an overarching threat.
I wonder if John Larroquette could become a regular writer for TNG?
"but isn't so nice to Data as Katherine Pulaski, and I'm talking to Gerrold to change that." - growth for Dr. Pulaski regarding Data would make for a nice 'arc' in a show without arcs.
"Patrick takes it personally when he is unfavorably compared to William Shatner. " - well that is understandable.
"rights to make future Star Trek television programming after The Next Generation ends its run, whenever it ends. " - well that's a long term gamble by CBS.
"do not believe that the franchise can be extended out once the series wraps in about four or five years. " - given the amount of Star Trek ITTL and how much success it has had what are these execs smoking? Time for new Execs one thinks.
"Roddenberry was dead set against Star Trek on CBS." - Thank you ITTL Gene, you did a good thing here.
I am hoping that not being the showrunner is better for Roddenberry's mental and physical health.
"Star Trek will last virtually forever because there are thousands of writers out there who dream of seeing their stories produced into episodes" - Damm right!
These dumb execs need to take a look at the magazines, conventions, cosplay, rpg, comic and novel sales to see there is a willing fanbase.
"you could make a series right now with George Takei as captain of his own ship if he ever decides to get out of politics. " - Yup.
"I also think you could make a series on the Federation frontier, perhaps on a space station instead of a starship."- I am not convinced Roddenberry would have pitched such a static location for a series as it would have limited storytelling to Gene imho.
Be funny if Red Storm Rising won 11 of its 12 Oscars and Shatner lost out on Best Actor....
IMHO Full Metal Jacket is a better book/script than Red Storm Rising.
Robocop should def win some gongs.
"Al Gore will be President Glenn's vice-presidential running mate. " - Good luck there. Seems the field is yours to lose.
"It is about time that we expand our horizons past the Moon."- Wise, best not keep the Shuttles around longer than they need to be, move onto new things.
EPISODE 14: HIDE AND Q. - Does Q still test Riker or does he give the power to La Forge? Do we see Geordi's fixed eyes for the first time here?
EPISODE 15: THE BIG GOODBYE. - Not a bad one to keep. Some good period sets and stuff.
EPISODE 16: COMING OF AGE. - Is it just Crusher taking the exams or are some of the other teens from the ship there? Also are we building towards Conspiracy one wonders...
"but isn't so nice to Data as Katherine Pulaski, and I'm talking to Gerrold to change that." - growth for Dr. Pulaski regarding Data would make for a nice 'arc' in a show without arcs.
"Patrick takes it personally when he is unfavorably compared to William Shatner. " - well that is understandable.
"rights to make future Star Trek television programming after The Next Generation ends its run, whenever it ends. " - well that's a long term gamble by CBS.
"do not believe that the franchise can be extended out once the series wraps in about four or five years. " - given the amount of Star Trek ITTL and how much success it has had what are these execs smoking? Time for new Execs one thinks.
"Roddenberry was dead set against Star Trek on CBS." - Thank you ITTL Gene, you did a good thing here.
I am hoping that not being the showrunner is better for Roddenberry's mental and physical health.
"Star Trek will last virtually forever because there are thousands of writers out there who dream of seeing their stories produced into episodes" - Damm right!
These dumb execs need to take a look at the magazines, conventions, cosplay, rpg, comic and novel sales to see there is a willing fanbase.
"you could make a series right now with George Takei as captain of his own ship if he ever decides to get out of politics. " - Yup.
"I also think you could make a series on the Federation frontier, perhaps on a space station instead of a starship."- I am not convinced Roddenberry would have pitched such a static location for a series as it would have limited storytelling to Gene imho.
Be funny if Red Storm Rising won 11 of its 12 Oscars and Shatner lost out on Best Actor....
IMHO Full Metal Jacket is a better book/script than Red Storm Rising.
Robocop should def win some gongs.
"Al Gore will be President Glenn's vice-presidential running mate. " - Good luck there. Seems the field is yours to lose.
"It is about time that we expand our horizons past the Moon."- Wise, best not keep the Shuttles around longer than they need to be, move onto new things.
EPISODE 14: HIDE AND Q. - Does Q still test Riker or does he give the power to La Forge? Do we see Geordi's fixed eyes for the first time here?
EPISODE 15: THE BIG GOODBYE. - Not a bad one to keep. Some good period sets and stuff.
EPISODE 16: COMING OF AGE. - Is it just Crusher taking the exams or are some of the other teens from the ship there? Also are we building towards Conspiracy one wonders...