WI: The Enterprise completes its five year mission (Star Trek survives for 5 seasons)
JR still gets shot. Although Nichols is Bobby Ewing's lawyer ITTL and a suspect because of that, I don't think she's going to be the shooter. The way they filmed it will be the same as OTL and since we don't see the shooter, it could be anyone, just like OTL.
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Yeah, there were a lot of suspects, including Tom Landry and Roger Staubach, the coach and former QB of the Dallas Cowboys, respectively (how they could have shot a fictional character is anyone's guess)...
Yeah, I still see Kristin as the shooter in TTL, though Nichols' character will be suspected...
Yeah, I still see Kristin as the shooter in TTL, though Nichols' character will be suspected...
Nichols' character will rise as high as 3-1 in the Vegas bookie's odds as a suspect for who shot JR, on par with Sue Ellen, who was the bookie's favorite IRL. Yes, Las Vegas actually took bets on this
Oh, and if you're planning on doing anything different with The Legend of the Lone Ranger (the Lone Ranger movie that came out in 1981--and bombed in OTL), assuming that isn't butterflied away, here's a couple of ideas on saving it:
-Do not sue Clayton Moore to prevent him from making Lone Ranger appearances. This was Jack Wrather's (the guy who owned the Lone Ranger rights) biggest mistake in OTL, and doomed the film even before it had begun shooting (because it pissed off the Lone Ranger fanbase). Try to have Moore make a cameo appearance at the end of the movie...
-Don't cast Klinton Spilsbury in the role (he was bad, and apparently also picked fights with others on the set--the fact that they had to get James Keach to dub him says a lot, IMO). Cast James Keach (who dubbed his voice in OTL) or, if you're going with an unknown, try Patrick Swayze (who had made a movie in 1979 which wouldn't be released for a few years and was doing commercials at this time)...
-Do not sue Clayton Moore to prevent him from making Lone Ranger appearances. This was Jack Wrather's (the guy who owned the Lone Ranger rights) biggest mistake in OTL, and doomed the film even before it had begun shooting (because it pissed off the Lone Ranger fanbase). Try to have Moore make a cameo appearance at the end of the movie...
-Don't cast Klinton Spilsbury in the role (he was bad, and apparently also picked fights with others on the set--the fact that they had to get James Keach to dub him says a lot, IMO). Cast James Keach (who dubbed his voice in OTL) or, if you're going with an unknown, try Patrick Swayze (who had made a movie in 1979 which wouldn't be released for a few years and was doing commercials at this time)...
Grace Nichols slapped JR? Awesome. Nichelle Nichols is superb.
Those economic numbers are really going to hurt Reagan.
Carter has lifted the lid on what the Republicans will hit Kennedy with- at least there is none of that dirt on Glenn. Perhaps a Glenn - Carter ticket?
Trying to think up some more Reliant storylines for you @dsp19
Those economic numbers are really going to hurt Reagan.
Carter has lifted the lid on what the Republicans will hit Kennedy with- at least there is none of that dirt on Glenn. Perhaps a Glenn - Carter ticket?
Trying to think up some more Reliant storylines for you @dsp19
Question is, does she pull the trigger on JR? Or does Nichols put someone up to it ITTL? I've established ITTL that Nichols' character and JR are enemies, because Nichols got Bobby Ewing part of the ranch.
Reagan has the twin crises of a bad economy and Iran, just like Carter did IRL. He won't be in as awful a position as Carter was in terms of getting a landslide defeat pinned on him, but we have a close election on our hands. Does Reagan try to surreptitiously attack Glenn to get him out of the race and get Kennedy who he can use Chappaquiddick on to his advantage? If it's Reagan v. Kennedy, all we'll hear about is Chappaquiddick.
If Glenn is the nominee, he's got a tough VP choice, because he doesn't have a high appeal with African American voters and he needs them to win vs. Reagan. Does he pick Tom Bradley (mayor of LA) as his VP? It would be a risk. Glenn-Carter only appeals to about half the Democratic base and could struggle vs. Reagan. Maybe Glenn goes with Hart, but then Hart will be attacked as a lightweight. If I was Glenn I'd go with Hugh Carey (governor of NY) or Alan Cranston (senator from California) as a VP, because they are more liberal than Glenn and would ensure Glenn wins NY/is competitive in CA. That being said, Glenn-Carter would be competitive in the Midwest and South vs. Reagan
We need about 4 or 5 more plots for Reliant, I think
Carter is a little cynical, but he's not wrong. A desperate Reagan is going to play dirty
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Preview of 1980 Democratic primaries in April:
Kansas (April 1): Likely Glenn
Wisconsin (April 1): Glenn favored, but Kennedy has a chance
Louisiana (April 5): Definitely Carter
Arizona (April 12): Tossup between Kennedy, Glenn and Carter
South Carolina (April 12): Definitely Carter
Pennsylvania (April 22): Kennedy favored, but it's a must win for Glenn. He can't lose a state that borders Ohio
Missouri (April 22): Glenn favored, but Carter could win
Michigan (April 26): Glenn favored, but Kennedy has a chance. Will Glenn's Ohio roots sink him in Michigan
Kansas (April 1): Likely Glenn
Wisconsin (April 1): Glenn favored, but Kennedy has a chance
Louisiana (April 5): Definitely Carter
Arizona (April 12): Tossup between Kennedy, Glenn and Carter
South Carolina (April 12): Definitely Carter
Pennsylvania (April 22): Kennedy favored, but it's a must win for Glenn. He can't lose a state that borders Ohio
Missouri (April 22): Glenn favored, but Carter could win
Michigan (April 26): Glenn favored, but Kennedy has a chance. Will Glenn's Ohio roots sink him in Michigan
Chapter 146: April 1980
First of possibly two updates today, now that I have a lot of free time on my hands. We'll start with another Democratic primary roundup, including the critical states of Pennsylvania and Michigan. Paul Winfield, Alfre Woodard, and Edward James Olmos discuss their roles in Star Trek: Reliant. Soviet premier Yuri Andropov accuses the Ayatollah Khomeini of fomenting Islamic revolution in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan (at this time, still part of the USSR), and George Foreman says he has nobody to fight. If I get the second update out today, it'll be about The Empire Strikes Back because that obviously came out in May 1980.
At the start of April 1980, the Democratic primary race stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 531 delegates
John Glenn: 377 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 240 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out)
3315 delegates available, 1658 required to win
Below are the results of the April primaries:
Kansas (April 1): Glenn 45%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 19 delegates, Carter 12 delegates, Kennedy 7 delegates)
Wisconsin (April 1): Glenn 42%, Kennedy 34%, Carter 24% (Glenn 34 delegates, Kennedy 26 delegates, Carter 17 delegates)
Louisiana (April 5): Carter 54%, Glenn 26%, Kennedy 20% (Carter 30 delegates, Glenn 12 delegates, Kennedy 9 delegates)
Arizona (April 12): Kennedy 40%, Glenn 35%, Carter 25% (Kennedy 12 delegates, Glenn 10 delegates, Carter 6 delegates)
South Carolina (April 12): Carter 57%, Glenn 23%, Kennedy 20% (Carter 27 delegates, Glenn 6 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
Pennsylvania (April 22): Kennedy 40%, Glenn 36%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 76 delegates, Glenn 68 delegates, Carter 45 delegates)
Missouri (April 22): Glenn 38%, Carter 36%, Kennedy 26% (Glenn 29 delegates, Carter 28 delegates, Kennedy 20 delegates)
Michigan (April 26): Glenn 40%, Kennedy 36%, Carter 24% (Glenn 57 delegates, Kennedy 51 delegates, Carter 34 delegates)
The Democratic primary after April 1980:
Ted Kennedy: 737 delegates
John Glenn: 612 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 439 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, has not endorsed a candidate)
May primaries: Texas, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada
WINFIELD, WOODARD, OLMOS: STAR TREK IS A BREAKTHROUGH FOR US
April 2, 1980
Paul Winfield, who will captain the starship Reliant in the new Star Trek series coming to Paramount this fall, told the Los Angeles Times that casting for the series, started by Gene Roddenberry and continued by Harve Bennett, was "groundbreaking" and "revolutionary." Winfield, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Sounder, believes that this will be one of the most exciting projects he has embarked upon in his career. "Roddenberry and Bennett simply cast the best actors for the roles, regardless of their ethnicity," Winfield said. "I'm so excited to be working with a young actress like Alfre who I know will become a big star. We got Booker Bradshaw back, who was semi-retired, because he liked the concept. We also got Edward James Olmos, who isn't very well known yet, but is one of the most talented young actors in the business. When you see him on the show, he'll immediately stand out." Woodard, who was previously a minor character in Freedom Road with Muhammad Ali, is thrilled to be in Star Trek, but is wary of the comparisons that will inevitably occur between her and Nichelle Nichols. "I'm my own actress, playing my own character," Woodard said. "I want to stand out. I'm not the second Lieutenant Uhura, I'm the first Veronica Garvin, and you're going to see differences between my role and Uhura's." For Olmos, who appeared in Zoot Suit, this is a break into the big time. "I'm going to be in the same role that Montgomery Scott was in on the Enterprise," Olmos said. "My character, Santiago Arias, will be the chief engineer. For a Mexican-American to be cast as the engineer of a starship will inspire a lot of young Hispanic boys and girls to become engineers or go into science fields. I want to be that inspiration. Even if my acting career goes nowhere, I know I'll have launched a lot of careers."
SOVIETS ACCUSE IRAN OF FOMENTING UNREST IN TURKMENISTAN AND ARMING AFGHAN REBELS
April 10, 1980
The general secretary of the U.S.S.R., Mr. Yuri Andropov, called the Iranian ambassador to Moscow to the Kremlin to discuss his concerns over several issues. Mr. Andropov is upset that the Iranians are arming Afghan rebels against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, and demanded the Tehran government, led by Mr. Ruhollah Khomeini, to cease their involvement in the Afghan war. Additionally, Mr. Andropov expressed concern about inadequate protection of the Soviet embassy in Tehran and leading protests against Soviet rule in the Turkmenistan Soviet Socialist Republic, a territory bordering Iran which is ninety percent Muslim. The Kremlin released a statement: "The territorial integrity of the U.S.S.R. is threatened by the Islamic Republic of Iran in respect to the population of the Turkmenistan Soviet Socialist Republic. Expressions of extremist religious ideology in the U.S.S.R. will be dealt with in a systematic manner. The Islamic Government of Iran is waging a proxy war against the U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan, a member of the Communist bloc who illegally rebelled against their Communist government with the expressed purpose of fomenting worldwide Islamic revolution. This ideology is completely unacceptable and incompatible with the doctrines of Communism." The Iranian government furiously denied Mr. Andropov's accusations. "The Turkmen in the U.S.S.R. want to freely practice Islam, and their freedom of religious expression is being ruthlessly crushed by the Moscow regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not supplying arms to any faction in Afghanistan. The liar Andropov is spreading callously false claims with zero evidence."
GEORGE FOREMAN: I'VE CLEANED OUT THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
April 15, 1980
George Foreman, the heavyweight champion of the world, is upset. He believes that there is no worthy adversary left to fight in his division, and is considering retirement to join the ministry. "I've beaten Larry Holmes, I've beaten Earnie Shavers, I've beaten Ken Norton. They all got knocked out no problem. Who am I going to fight, Leon Spinks? Trevor Berbick? Joe Frazier's son (Marvis)? There's nobody left to fight. I already beat down Joe, so I might as well beat down his son too, if he wants a title shot. Muhammad Ali's not going to fight again either." Larry Holmes, the last heavyweight to get knocked out by Foreman, is angling for another title shot. "Foreman knows I was close in the last fight, and he's ducking me again," Holmes said. "He was talking about leaving boxing to go and become a minister. Well if I get another shot at him, I'll knock his ass out and he'll want to go back to the ministry." Foreman brushed off Holmes' comments. "I'll fight Holmes for the money, because I have to make some money," Foreman said. "But it will be an easy fight. I took him out in nine rounds last time. He probably won't last three if we fight again." Foreman is scheduled to make a mandatory title defense against Spinks in September before a potential second fight with Holmes in 1981.
DEADLOCKED DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY COULD GO TO CONVENTION
April 27, 1980
The Democratic Party faces a nightmare scenario at its convention in July: a deadlocked convention with three candidates who all want the nomination. Senator Edward Kennedy, the frontrunner, has shown some weakness in the last round of primaries, despite winning Pennsylvania, and leads John Glenn, his fellow senator from Ohio, with 737 delegates to Glenn's 612. Complicating matters is Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, who has no intention of leaving the contest, but is now a long shot for the nomination with 439 delegates. Carter's attack on Kennedy regarding the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, where Kennedy was involved in an automobile accident killing his secretary, Mary Jo Kopechne, raised hackles in the Kennedy camp. "Since Carter can't win the nomination, he's trying to torpedo us," Stephen Edward Smith, Kennedy's campaign manager said. "We know that President Reagan will bring this up, and we've got a defense for it: the Senator simply lost control of the wheel on a dark night on a road with no lighting. It was a horrible accident, but there was nothing malicious." Glenn has largely stayed out of the bickering between Kennedy and Carter, and is running a race on economic policy, touting his "real deal," which gives Americans a choice to modify their Social Security and Medicaid payments from their paychecks. "Senator Glenn could care less about an incident from a decade ago," said William White, his campaign manager. "Senator Glenn wants to improve the lives of all Americans with his "real deal" for the American people, and move away from the Reagan trickle-down disaster."
At the start of April 1980, the Democratic primary race stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 531 delegates
John Glenn: 377 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 240 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out)
3315 delegates available, 1658 required to win
Below are the results of the April primaries:
Kansas (April 1): Glenn 45%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 19 delegates, Carter 12 delegates, Kennedy 7 delegates)
Wisconsin (April 1): Glenn 42%, Kennedy 34%, Carter 24% (Glenn 34 delegates, Kennedy 26 delegates, Carter 17 delegates)
Louisiana (April 5): Carter 54%, Glenn 26%, Kennedy 20% (Carter 30 delegates, Glenn 12 delegates, Kennedy 9 delegates)
Arizona (April 12): Kennedy 40%, Glenn 35%, Carter 25% (Kennedy 12 delegates, Glenn 10 delegates, Carter 6 delegates)
South Carolina (April 12): Carter 57%, Glenn 23%, Kennedy 20% (Carter 27 delegates, Glenn 6 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
Pennsylvania (April 22): Kennedy 40%, Glenn 36%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 76 delegates, Glenn 68 delegates, Carter 45 delegates)
Missouri (April 22): Glenn 38%, Carter 36%, Kennedy 26% (Glenn 29 delegates, Carter 28 delegates, Kennedy 20 delegates)
Michigan (April 26): Glenn 40%, Kennedy 36%, Carter 24% (Glenn 57 delegates, Kennedy 51 delegates, Carter 34 delegates)
The Democratic primary after April 1980:
Ted Kennedy: 737 delegates
John Glenn: 612 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 439 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, has not endorsed a candidate)
May primaries: Texas, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada
WINFIELD, WOODARD, OLMOS: STAR TREK IS A BREAKTHROUGH FOR US
April 2, 1980
Paul Winfield, who will captain the starship Reliant in the new Star Trek series coming to Paramount this fall, told the Los Angeles Times that casting for the series, started by Gene Roddenberry and continued by Harve Bennett, was "groundbreaking" and "revolutionary." Winfield, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Sounder, believes that this will be one of the most exciting projects he has embarked upon in his career. "Roddenberry and Bennett simply cast the best actors for the roles, regardless of their ethnicity," Winfield said. "I'm so excited to be working with a young actress like Alfre who I know will become a big star. We got Booker Bradshaw back, who was semi-retired, because he liked the concept. We also got Edward James Olmos, who isn't very well known yet, but is one of the most talented young actors in the business. When you see him on the show, he'll immediately stand out." Woodard, who was previously a minor character in Freedom Road with Muhammad Ali, is thrilled to be in Star Trek, but is wary of the comparisons that will inevitably occur between her and Nichelle Nichols. "I'm my own actress, playing my own character," Woodard said. "I want to stand out. I'm not the second Lieutenant Uhura, I'm the first Veronica Garvin, and you're going to see differences between my role and Uhura's." For Olmos, who appeared in Zoot Suit, this is a break into the big time. "I'm going to be in the same role that Montgomery Scott was in on the Enterprise," Olmos said. "My character, Santiago Arias, will be the chief engineer. For a Mexican-American to be cast as the engineer of a starship will inspire a lot of young Hispanic boys and girls to become engineers or go into science fields. I want to be that inspiration. Even if my acting career goes nowhere, I know I'll have launched a lot of careers."
SOVIETS ACCUSE IRAN OF FOMENTING UNREST IN TURKMENISTAN AND ARMING AFGHAN REBELS
April 10, 1980
The general secretary of the U.S.S.R., Mr. Yuri Andropov, called the Iranian ambassador to Moscow to the Kremlin to discuss his concerns over several issues. Mr. Andropov is upset that the Iranians are arming Afghan rebels against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, and demanded the Tehran government, led by Mr. Ruhollah Khomeini, to cease their involvement in the Afghan war. Additionally, Mr. Andropov expressed concern about inadequate protection of the Soviet embassy in Tehran and leading protests against Soviet rule in the Turkmenistan Soviet Socialist Republic, a territory bordering Iran which is ninety percent Muslim. The Kremlin released a statement: "The territorial integrity of the U.S.S.R. is threatened by the Islamic Republic of Iran in respect to the population of the Turkmenistan Soviet Socialist Republic. Expressions of extremist religious ideology in the U.S.S.R. will be dealt with in a systematic manner. The Islamic Government of Iran is waging a proxy war against the U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan, a member of the Communist bloc who illegally rebelled against their Communist government with the expressed purpose of fomenting worldwide Islamic revolution. This ideology is completely unacceptable and incompatible with the doctrines of Communism." The Iranian government furiously denied Mr. Andropov's accusations. "The Turkmen in the U.S.S.R. want to freely practice Islam, and their freedom of religious expression is being ruthlessly crushed by the Moscow regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not supplying arms to any faction in Afghanistan. The liar Andropov is spreading callously false claims with zero evidence."
GEORGE FOREMAN: I'VE CLEANED OUT THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
April 15, 1980
George Foreman, the heavyweight champion of the world, is upset. He believes that there is no worthy adversary left to fight in his division, and is considering retirement to join the ministry. "I've beaten Larry Holmes, I've beaten Earnie Shavers, I've beaten Ken Norton. They all got knocked out no problem. Who am I going to fight, Leon Spinks? Trevor Berbick? Joe Frazier's son (Marvis)? There's nobody left to fight. I already beat down Joe, so I might as well beat down his son too, if he wants a title shot. Muhammad Ali's not going to fight again either." Larry Holmes, the last heavyweight to get knocked out by Foreman, is angling for another title shot. "Foreman knows I was close in the last fight, and he's ducking me again," Holmes said. "He was talking about leaving boxing to go and become a minister. Well if I get another shot at him, I'll knock his ass out and he'll want to go back to the ministry." Foreman brushed off Holmes' comments. "I'll fight Holmes for the money, because I have to make some money," Foreman said. "But it will be an easy fight. I took him out in nine rounds last time. He probably won't last three if we fight again." Foreman is scheduled to make a mandatory title defense against Spinks in September before a potential second fight with Holmes in 1981.
DEADLOCKED DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY COULD GO TO CONVENTION
April 27, 1980
The Democratic Party faces a nightmare scenario at its convention in July: a deadlocked convention with three candidates who all want the nomination. Senator Edward Kennedy, the frontrunner, has shown some weakness in the last round of primaries, despite winning Pennsylvania, and leads John Glenn, his fellow senator from Ohio, with 737 delegates to Glenn's 612. Complicating matters is Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, who has no intention of leaving the contest, but is now a long shot for the nomination with 439 delegates. Carter's attack on Kennedy regarding the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, where Kennedy was involved in an automobile accident killing his secretary, Mary Jo Kopechne, raised hackles in the Kennedy camp. "Since Carter can't win the nomination, he's trying to torpedo us," Stephen Edward Smith, Kennedy's campaign manager said. "We know that President Reagan will bring this up, and we've got a defense for it: the Senator simply lost control of the wheel on a dark night on a road with no lighting. It was a horrible accident, but there was nothing malicious." Glenn has largely stayed out of the bickering between Kennedy and Carter, and is running a race on economic policy, touting his "real deal," which gives Americans a choice to modify their Social Security and Medicaid payments from their paychecks. "Senator Glenn could care less about an incident from a decade ago," said William White, his campaign manager. "Senator Glenn wants to improve the lives of all Americans with his "real deal" for the American people, and move away from the Reagan trickle-down disaster."
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Chapter 147: May 1980 (The Empire Strikes Back)
Of course in May 1980, The Empire Strikes Back premieres in theaters, so I'll just put up a few pictures of that. Only three stories today, one of which will be on the aforementioned Empire Strikes Back. We'll get another Democratic primary update, and a partial release of the hostages in Iran, with 28 of them coming home. Plus, Paramount gets taken to the Supreme Court by the other movie studios because Gulf and Western bought Disney.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK RELEASED IN THEATERS
May 2, 1980
George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, started summer early this year with the release of the long-awaited sequel to the 1977 smash hit. The Empire Strikes Back attracted packed crowds to cinemas all over the country, just like its predecessor three years ago. Twentieth Century Fox, the studio in charge of Star Wars, suggested that Lucas should wait until closer to Memorial Day weekend to release Star Wars, but Lucas insisted on a May 1 release, because he wanted three extra weeks of major box office returns for the movie and the studio. "Lucas wants to coin May 4 as Star Wars Day. That's why he insisted on the early release," a source at Fox told the Times. "Lucas thinks that The Empire Strikes Back is better than the original Star Wars and believes both his franchise and his status as Hollywood's top director will be significantly strengthened." It is expected that The Empire Strikes Back will top the box office for a good portion of the summer, in addition to the entire month of May. "The American movie-going audience has an insatiable desire to watch science fiction, especially after the success of Star Wars, the first Star Trek movie, and Alien," Gene Shalit, a film critic at NBC television, said. "Lucas is smart to capitalize on this, and he'll make an extra $40 million at minimum with the early release date." Audiences were extremely happy with the film. "I won't spoil it, but there is an amazing plot twist near the end," a fan said. "George Lucas is a genius."
PARTIAL RELEASE OF HOSTAGES
TWENTY-EIGHT LEAVE TEHRAN EMBASSY, TWENTY-EIGHT STILL HELD HOSTAGE
May 6, 1980
Secretary of State Mr. Henry Kissinger cautiously approved of the Iranian government's decision to release twenty-eight of the fifty-six American hostages from the embassy in Tehran last night. Mr. Kissinger contacted his French counterpart, Mr. Jean Francois-Poncet, who successfully convinced Mr. Ruhollah Khomeini's lieutenant, Mr. Ali Khameini, that some hostages should return to the United States. In exchange, the United States promised not to arm Iran's neighbor, Iraq, out of fears that the Iraqis could launch an invasion of Iran later this year. "We lost a little leverage, but at least we got half of our citizens home safely," Mr. Kissinger said. "We hope that further negotiations will convince the Iranians to release the rest of the hostages, but we are not optimistic." Reports out of the State Department indicated that the Iranian government would only release the remaining hostages if the United States would cease sending military equipment to Israel, an untenable position for the Reagan administration. "The Iranians placed us in an unacceptable negotiating position in respect to our allies in Israel," Mr. Kissinger said. "There is no possible chance that we will not support the Israeli government, and they know that. Their posturing is ridiculous and they should release the remaining twenty-eight American citizens, or we will make another attempt to extricate them." President Ronald Reagan was also pleased with the development, but warned the Iranians. "If Mr. Khomeini keeps stalling and blames Israel or some other factor for his illegal hostage taking, we'll send his government a message, and it won't be a pretty one," Mr. Reagan said. "Mr. Khomeini, bring our American citizens home."
At the start of May 1980, the contentious Democratic primary for President stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 737 delegates
John Glenn: 612 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 439 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, has not endorsed a candidate)
Results from the May Democratic primaries:
Texas (May 3): Carter 40%, Glenn 34%, Kennedy 26% (Carter 61 delegates, Glenn 52 delegates, Kennedy 39 delegates)
Colorado (May 6): Glenn 38%, Kennedy 37%, Carter 25% (Glenn 15 delegates, Kennedy 14 delegates, Carter 10 delegates)
Washington, D.C. (May 6): Kennedy 65%, Glenn 25%, Carter 10% (Kennedy 11 delegates, Glenn 3 delegates, Carter 0 delegates)
Indiana (May 6): Glenn 49%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 40 delegates, Carter 23 delegates, Kennedy 18 delegates)
North Carolina (May 6): Carter 45%, Glenn 31%, Kennedy 24% (Carter 32 delegates, Glenn 22 delegates, Kennedy 16 delegates)
Tennessee (May 6): Carter 48%, Glenn 33%, Kennedy 19% (Carter 27 delegates, Glenn 19 delegates, Kennedy 11 delegates)
Maryland (May 13): Kennedy 50%, Glenn 26%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 30 delegates, Glenn 16 delegates, Carter 14 delegates)
Nebraska (May 13): Glenn 48%, Carter 30%, Kennedy 22% (Glenn 12 delegates, Carter 8 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
Oregon (May 20): Kennedy 39%, Glenn 37%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 16 delegates, Glenn 15 delegates, Carter 8 delegates)
Arkansas (May 27): Carter 51%, Glenn 27%, Kennedy 22% (Carter 17 delegates, Glenn 9 delegates, Kennedy 7 delegates)
Idaho (May 27): Glenn 49%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 9 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Kennedy 3 delegates)
Kentucky (May 27): Glenn 48%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 20% (Glenn 25 delegates, Carter 16 delegates, Kennedy 9 delegates)
Nevada (May 27): Kennedy 42%, Glenn 34%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 6 delegates, Glenn 5 delegates, Carter 2 delegates)
The delegate standings after May 1980:
Ted Kennedy: 922 delegates
John Glenn: 854 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 662 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
KENNEDY: IF I FINISH FIRST, I SHOULD BE THE NOMINEE
May 28, 1980
Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy told the media that he should be the Democratic candidate for president if he ends the primary next week atop the delegate count. "If I finish first, I should be the nominee," Kennedy said. "If Governor Carter endorses Senator Glenn and he wins the nomination, the plurality of Democratic voters will be denied their choice for President, and the party will not unify for the election in the fall." No candidate will reach the 1658 delegates, required for victory, although Kennedy is significantly favored to carry two of the three largest states in the final set of primaries, California and New Jersey, on June 3. Kennedy's closest competitor, senator John Glenn of Ohio, will rack up a major victory in his home state, which will also vote next week. Glenn has no intentions of quitting the race, even if he finishes second to Kennedy. "I will take the primary all the way to the convention," Glenn said. "The voters who cast their ballots for me deserve it. I'm not that far behind my good friend from Massachusetts, and there is still a possibility I will lead the delegate count entering the convention." Governor Carter will most likely finish third in the primary, but he will not drop out until at least the final set of primaries. "My voters also deserve to be heard at the convention," Carter said. "I will most likely not be the Democratic nominee for President, but voters in every state deserve to see me on the ballot until the very end of this primary." Senator Glenn and Senator Kennedy have both sent advisers to Governor Carter's campaign in an effort to gain Carter's endorsement, but Carter is not revealing his plans. "I have no plans to endorse any other candidate at this time. I am still a candidate for President," Carter said.
NOTE: The Empire Strikes Back premiered on May 21, 1980, in the United States IRL.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK RELEASED IN THEATERS
May 2, 1980
George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, started summer early this year with the release of the long-awaited sequel to the 1977 smash hit. The Empire Strikes Back attracted packed crowds to cinemas all over the country, just like its predecessor three years ago. Twentieth Century Fox, the studio in charge of Star Wars, suggested that Lucas should wait until closer to Memorial Day weekend to release Star Wars, but Lucas insisted on a May 1 release, because he wanted three extra weeks of major box office returns for the movie and the studio. "Lucas wants to coin May 4 as Star Wars Day. That's why he insisted on the early release," a source at Fox told the Times. "Lucas thinks that The Empire Strikes Back is better than the original Star Wars and believes both his franchise and his status as Hollywood's top director will be significantly strengthened." It is expected that The Empire Strikes Back will top the box office for a good portion of the summer, in addition to the entire month of May. "The American movie-going audience has an insatiable desire to watch science fiction, especially after the success of Star Wars, the first Star Trek movie, and Alien," Gene Shalit, a film critic at NBC television, said. "Lucas is smart to capitalize on this, and he'll make an extra $40 million at minimum with the early release date." Audiences were extremely happy with the film. "I won't spoil it, but there is an amazing plot twist near the end," a fan said. "George Lucas is a genius."
PARTIAL RELEASE OF HOSTAGES
TWENTY-EIGHT LEAVE TEHRAN EMBASSY, TWENTY-EIGHT STILL HELD HOSTAGE
May 6, 1980
Secretary of State Mr. Henry Kissinger cautiously approved of the Iranian government's decision to release twenty-eight of the fifty-six American hostages from the embassy in Tehran last night. Mr. Kissinger contacted his French counterpart, Mr. Jean Francois-Poncet, who successfully convinced Mr. Ruhollah Khomeini's lieutenant, Mr. Ali Khameini, that some hostages should return to the United States. In exchange, the United States promised not to arm Iran's neighbor, Iraq, out of fears that the Iraqis could launch an invasion of Iran later this year. "We lost a little leverage, but at least we got half of our citizens home safely," Mr. Kissinger said. "We hope that further negotiations will convince the Iranians to release the rest of the hostages, but we are not optimistic." Reports out of the State Department indicated that the Iranian government would only release the remaining hostages if the United States would cease sending military equipment to Israel, an untenable position for the Reagan administration. "The Iranians placed us in an unacceptable negotiating position in respect to our allies in Israel," Mr. Kissinger said. "There is no possible chance that we will not support the Israeli government, and they know that. Their posturing is ridiculous and they should release the remaining twenty-eight American citizens, or we will make another attempt to extricate them." President Ronald Reagan was also pleased with the development, but warned the Iranians. "If Mr. Khomeini keeps stalling and blames Israel or some other factor for his illegal hostage taking, we'll send his government a message, and it won't be a pretty one," Mr. Reagan said. "Mr. Khomeini, bring our American citizens home."
At the start of May 1980, the contentious Democratic primary for President stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 737 delegates
John Glenn: 612 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 439 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, has not endorsed a candidate)
Results from the May Democratic primaries:
Texas (May 3): Carter 40%, Glenn 34%, Kennedy 26% (Carter 61 delegates, Glenn 52 delegates, Kennedy 39 delegates)
Colorado (May 6): Glenn 38%, Kennedy 37%, Carter 25% (Glenn 15 delegates, Kennedy 14 delegates, Carter 10 delegates)
Washington, D.C. (May 6): Kennedy 65%, Glenn 25%, Carter 10% (Kennedy 11 delegates, Glenn 3 delegates, Carter 0 delegates)
Indiana (May 6): Glenn 49%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 40 delegates, Carter 23 delegates, Kennedy 18 delegates)
North Carolina (May 6): Carter 45%, Glenn 31%, Kennedy 24% (Carter 32 delegates, Glenn 22 delegates, Kennedy 16 delegates)
Tennessee (May 6): Carter 48%, Glenn 33%, Kennedy 19% (Carter 27 delegates, Glenn 19 delegates, Kennedy 11 delegates)
Maryland (May 13): Kennedy 50%, Glenn 26%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 30 delegates, Glenn 16 delegates, Carter 14 delegates)
Nebraska (May 13): Glenn 48%, Carter 30%, Kennedy 22% (Glenn 12 delegates, Carter 8 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
Oregon (May 20): Kennedy 39%, Glenn 37%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 16 delegates, Glenn 15 delegates, Carter 8 delegates)
Arkansas (May 27): Carter 51%, Glenn 27%, Kennedy 22% (Carter 17 delegates, Glenn 9 delegates, Kennedy 7 delegates)
Idaho (May 27): Glenn 49%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 23% (Glenn 9 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Kennedy 3 delegates)
Kentucky (May 27): Glenn 48%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 20% (Glenn 25 delegates, Carter 16 delegates, Kennedy 9 delegates)
Nevada (May 27): Kennedy 42%, Glenn 34%, Carter 24% (Kennedy 6 delegates, Glenn 5 delegates, Carter 2 delegates)
The delegate standings after May 1980:
Ted Kennedy: 922 delegates
John Glenn: 854 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 662 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
KENNEDY: IF I FINISH FIRST, I SHOULD BE THE NOMINEE
May 28, 1980
Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy told the media that he should be the Democratic candidate for president if he ends the primary next week atop the delegate count. "If I finish first, I should be the nominee," Kennedy said. "If Governor Carter endorses Senator Glenn and he wins the nomination, the plurality of Democratic voters will be denied their choice for President, and the party will not unify for the election in the fall." No candidate will reach the 1658 delegates, required for victory, although Kennedy is significantly favored to carry two of the three largest states in the final set of primaries, California and New Jersey, on June 3. Kennedy's closest competitor, senator John Glenn of Ohio, will rack up a major victory in his home state, which will also vote next week. Glenn has no intentions of quitting the race, even if he finishes second to Kennedy. "I will take the primary all the way to the convention," Glenn said. "The voters who cast their ballots for me deserve it. I'm not that far behind my good friend from Massachusetts, and there is still a possibility I will lead the delegate count entering the convention." Governor Carter will most likely finish third in the primary, but he will not drop out until at least the final set of primaries. "My voters also deserve to be heard at the convention," Carter said. "I will most likely not be the Democratic nominee for President, but voters in every state deserve to see me on the ballot until the very end of this primary." Senator Glenn and Senator Kennedy have both sent advisers to Governor Carter's campaign in an effort to gain Carter's endorsement, but Carter is not revealing his plans. "I have no plans to endorse any other candidate at this time. I am still a candidate for President," Carter said.
NOTE: The Empire Strikes Back premiered on May 21, 1980, in the United States IRL.
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I just wanted to do an update that was going over the rest of the stuff going on in my timeline's 1980. Almost all my other updates are chock full of Trek info. But to answer your question, this timeline will have the Star Trek feature films highly competitive with the Star Wars trilogy, so that's why I included a little Star Wars. Additionally, I wanted to create an alternate set of events politically
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I wonder if there is a successful run of a few Star Trek TV shows if there will be a push by Fox for a Star Wars TV show of some kind.
I might be setting that up, although someone other than Lucas would produce it because I don’t see Lucas making a TV show
Definitely a deadlocked Convention for the Democrats.
Could the USSR invade Iran? That would be a interesting departure from OTL!
Go out on top Foreman having cleared all before you!
Did Chappaquiddick go as OTL? With Kennedy leaving the scene?
Glenn is sounding the more Presidential out of Carter and Kennedy.
The Empire Strikes Back sounds like its set a good president for the Star Wars movies- 3 years apart! On May 1 too- going for the merch cheese there Lucas!
Is Empire the same movie as OTL?
I wonder what the Democratic candidates position on Iran and the hostages is?
You have to pass the bar to win Kennedy, you know this! Complaining about the process makes you look petulant.
A Star Wars TV show dealing with the 3 years between New Hope and Empire would be interesting. Or a series covering the time between Empire and Jedi with the Emperor leaking the Death Star II plans to the Bothans to set up the Endor trap - a spy/mystery show that establishes some more 'grey' to the universe's morality.
Could the USSR invade Iran? That would be a interesting departure from OTL!
Go out on top Foreman having cleared all before you!
Did Chappaquiddick go as OTL? With Kennedy leaving the scene?
Glenn is sounding the more Presidential out of Carter and Kennedy.
The Empire Strikes Back sounds like its set a good president for the Star Wars movies- 3 years apart! On May 1 too- going for the merch cheese there Lucas!
Is Empire the same movie as OTL?
I wonder what the Democratic candidates position on Iran and the hostages is?
You have to pass the bar to win Kennedy, you know this! Complaining about the process makes you look petulant.
A Star Wars TV show dealing with the 3 years between New Hope and Empire would be interesting. Or a series covering the time between Empire and Jedi with the Emperor leaking the Death Star II plans to the Bothans to set up the Endor trap - a spy/mystery show that establishes some more 'grey' to the universe's morality.
The Democrats have a major problem. If Kennedy gets the most delegates and a deal is struck between Glenn and Carter, that alienates Kennedy's voters and the Glenn-Carter ticket is likely doomed in the general election. The only possible solution to this problem is Glenn winning the delegate count and Kennedy signing on as VP, but that excludes the South from the ticket. Carter is going to want to be VP for his endorsement as well. If Kennedy makes Carter his VP they have major problems because they don't get along and Glenn's base in the Midwest might vote against Kennedy.
The USSR will make noises but an invasion of Iran is unlikely because they are already in Afghanistan. They will arm Iraq a lot more heavily than they did IRL though, and that could tilt the Iran-Iraq war in Iraq's favor.
Foreman is going to fight Larry Holmes again in 1981, and that might not end well for Foreman.
Lucas gets his May the Fourth merchandising slogan much earlier than OTL. The Empire Strikes Back is almost exactly the same as OTL. Not much to change there aside from a couple of special effects.
Democrats think Reagan isn't doing enough with the hostage situation, but they are attacking Reagan more on the bad economy than on Iran.
For a number of years after Return of the Jedi, Star Wars was a dormant franchise. The Timothy Zahn Thrawn novels led to major interest in the Star Wars property again. ITTL, maybe that isn't the case and we get a Star Wars TV show much earlier than OTL or a Thrawn set of movies before the prequels.
The next update is going to be the end of the Democratic primary and much more Star Trek based because we're heading towards Star Trek: Reliant and filming of Wrath of Khan...
Chapter 148: June 1980
The last group of states votes in the 1980 Democratic Primary, including California, Ohio, and New Jersey. Plus, Nichelle Nichols says she did not pull the trigger on JR Ewing in Dallas, and filming begins for Star Trek II, much earlier than IRL, keeping George Takei and Walter Koenig busy to the point of breakdown, as they are filming both The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek: Reliant on the Paramount lot.
Entering June 1980, the delegate count in the 1980 Democratic primary stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 922 delegates
John Glenn: 854 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 662 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
Results of the June primaries, all of which took place on June 3, 1980:
California: Kennedy 55%, Glenn 26%, Carter 19% (Kennedy 175 delegates, Glenn 79 delegates, Carter 49 delegates)
Montana: Glenn 44%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 28% (Glenn 9 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
New Jersey: Kennedy 54%, Glenn 27%, Carter 19% (Kennedy 62 delegates, Glenn 31 delegates, Carter 21 delegates)
New Mexico: Kennedy 52%, Carter 27%, Glenn 21% (Kennedy 11 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Glenn 4 delegates)
Ohio: Glenn 63%, Kennedy 20%, Carter 17% (Glenn 109 delegates, Kennedy 29 delegates, Carter 25 delegates)
Rhode Island: Kennedy 65%, Glenn 23%, Carter 12% (Kennedy 18 delegates, Glenn 5 delegates, Carter 0 delegates)
South Dakota: Glenn 41%, Kennedy 30%, Carter 29% (Glenn 9 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates, Carter 5 delegates)
West Virginia: Glenn 53%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 15% (Glenn 21 delegates, Carter 14 delegates, Kennedy 2 delegates)
Final delegate standings entering the 1980 Democratic convention:
Ted Kennedy: 1229 delegates
John Glenn: 1121 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 786 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
KENNEDY, GLENN, CARTER ALL GOING TO DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION NEXT MONTH
June 5, 1980
The Democratic primary has no winner, and the party has no nominee. After Democrats in all fifty states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico cast their ballots, Senators Edward Kennedy and John Glenn and Governor Jimmy Carter will all head to the Democratic convention in New York's Madison Square Garden next month with a chance to become the nominee. "It all comes down to politicking in smoke-filled rooms now, as grim as that sounds," Senator Kennedy's campaign manager Stephen Edward Smith said. "We will have to entice Governor Carter to throw his delegates to us to gain a majority. We believe that since Senator Kennedy leads in delegates and votes cast, it is Governor Carter's obligation to unify the party and surrender his delegates to us." Senator John Glenn refused to give up the fight, despite finishing second in the delegate count. "Our campaign appealed to a broad coalition of Democrats, and we cannot be disenfranchised," Glenn said. "I fear that Senator Kennedy and Governor Carter could make a deal without my knowledge. I must speak to Governor Carter and convince him that I have a stronger general election campaign against President Reagan than Senator Kennedy." Governor Carter, despite finishing third in the delegate count, is not quitting the race. "I most likely will not be the nominee, but I should be vice president to either Senator Kennedy or Senator Glenn," Carter said. "My campaign attracted a lot of civic-minded Democrats, just like the two senators. My voters must have a voice at the convention, otherwise they will not have a voice in November." Senator Gary Hart, who dropped out of the race in March, was noncommittal. "I'll endorse whoever the nominee is, whether it is Kennedy or Glenn, for the sake of party unity," Hart said. "Either of them would make excellent candidates against President Reagan."
NICHELLE NICHOLS: I DIDN'T SHOOT J.R.
June 12, 1980
Nichelle Nichols, who plays the aptly named super lawyer Grace Nichols on Dallas, has a very important piece of news: She did not shoot J.R. Ewing. "I didn't do it," Nichols said. "Although some of the confrontations between Grace and J.R. were feisty, Grace Nichols would never attempt to commit homicide against anyone and risk her legal career. As another television character I know very well would say, it is illogical." Nichols was one of the favorites among the Las Vegas bookies at 3-1 odds, along with J.R.'s estranged wife, Sue Ellen, played by Linda Gray. As for Ms. Gray, she offered no absolute yes or no answer like Nichols. "It definitely could have been my character," Gray said. "Sue Ellen just detests J.R. Ewing and would love to see him dead." Patrick Duffy, who plays J.R.'s brother Bobby, was similarly noncommittal. "Bobby is a genteel character, but he does have a dark side," Duffy said. Nichols' statement forced Dallas executive producer Leonard Katzman to follow up with a statement of his own. "We would not want to place Ms. Nichols in such a difficult circumstance," Katzman said. "We are aware of the fraught situation Ms. Nichols would be in personally if we decided to make her the shooter. She would receive a lot of hate mail and perhaps much worse from the American public. Therefore, we can conclusively rule out Ms. Nichols as the culprit." Odds on Nichols as the shooter dropped to 100-1 after the statements. "I just hope that Vegas allows the folks who bet on Ms. Nichols to get their money back," Katzman said. "I'll talk to the bookies out there to ensure that some of those folks are paid back without penalty."
STAR TREK II BEGINS FILMING: BIBI BESCH, KIRSTIE ALLEY SEEN ON SET
June 25, 1980
Filming for the upcoming and highly awaited Star Trek sequel has begun at Paramount studios. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley were all smiles as they walked back onto the Starship Enterprise again. "We have a great script, and we're going to truly enjoy this movie as much as we did the first one," Shatner said. "There's going to be a tremendous amount of conflict. The new director hired by Harve Bennett, Nicholas Meyer, really did a good job with the script, along with Bennett and Jack Sowards." Rumors are that there will be a villain squaring off against Kirk, but his identity is unknown. "The identity of the villain is a state secret," Nimoy said. "Harve Bennett is ensuring that the man who is playing the villain enters and leaves the Paramount lot in the utmost secrecy." DeForest Kelley said, "If you knew who the villain was, it would give the whole story away. That's why it has to be a secret." Variety's prying eyes did see Bibi Besch and the young Kirstie Alley entering the set. Neither Besch nor Alley told Variety anything about their roles. "Mr. Bennett wants us to keep our lips sealed, and that's what we're going to do," Besch told Variety. George Takei and Walter Koenig, who are also filming the Star Trek Reliant miniseries, complained about the grueling schedule, but were pleased because they were fully involved in the Star Trek franchise. "I have to run from set to set along with Walter constantly," Takei said. "It's tough for Walter, Paul Winfield and I, but we're earning two paychecks, so we can't complain."
GULF AND WESTERN WINS MONOPOLY CASE IN SUPREME COURT
June 28, 1980
The Supreme Court, by a 6-3 margin, determined that Gulf and Western's acquisition of The Walt Disney Company was legal and did not rise to the level of monopolistic practices. In 20th Century Fox v. Gulf and Western, Fox, joined by Universal, MGM, Warner Brothers, and Columbia Pictures, argued that Paramount merging with Disney could lead to Paramount buying the other studios, which would become a monopoly. The Court, with Warren Burger in the majority joined by Harry Blackmun, John Paul Stevens, William Rehnquist, Lewis Powell and Byron White, ruled against the studios and for Paramount. Despite Paramount's victory, Blackmun, Stevens and Powell wrote a concurrence, arguing that Gulf and Western attempting to acquire another major studio would be considered monopolistic behavior and would lead to the entertainment division of the conglomerate being broken up by the Court. Justices Thurgood Marshall, William Brennan, and Potter Stewart dissented, arguing that Gulf and Western, as a conglomerate, could have the power to buy any business it wanted and become a monopoly far beyond the entertainment business. "What is to say that Gulf and Western cannot acquire the finances to buy Sears Roebuck," Marshall wrote in his dissent. "Gulf and Western and other business conglomerates are effectively monopolies in their own right and endanger the existence of smaller businesses."
Entering June 1980, the delegate count in the 1980 Democratic primary stood like this:
Ted Kennedy: 922 delegates
John Glenn: 854 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 662 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
Results of the June primaries, all of which took place on June 3, 1980:
California: Kennedy 55%, Glenn 26%, Carter 19% (Kennedy 175 delegates, Glenn 79 delegates, Carter 49 delegates)
Montana: Glenn 44%, Carter 28%, Kennedy 28% (Glenn 9 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates)
New Jersey: Kennedy 54%, Glenn 27%, Carter 19% (Kennedy 62 delegates, Glenn 31 delegates, Carter 21 delegates)
New Mexico: Kennedy 52%, Carter 27%, Glenn 21% (Kennedy 11 delegates, Carter 5 delegates, Glenn 4 delegates)
Ohio: Glenn 63%, Kennedy 20%, Carter 17% (Glenn 109 delegates, Kennedy 29 delegates, Carter 25 delegates)
Rhode Island: Kennedy 65%, Glenn 23%, Carter 12% (Kennedy 18 delegates, Glenn 5 delegates, Carter 0 delegates)
South Dakota: Glenn 41%, Kennedy 30%, Carter 29% (Glenn 9 delegates, Kennedy 5 delegates, Carter 5 delegates)
West Virginia: Glenn 53%, Carter 32%, Kennedy 15% (Glenn 21 delegates, Carter 14 delegates, Kennedy 2 delegates)
Final delegate standings entering the 1980 Democratic convention:
Ted Kennedy: 1229 delegates
John Glenn: 1121 delegates
Jimmy Carter: 786 delegates
Gary Hart: 17 delegates (dropped out, did not endorse a candidate)
KENNEDY, GLENN, CARTER ALL GOING TO DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION NEXT MONTH
June 5, 1980
The Democratic primary has no winner, and the party has no nominee. After Democrats in all fifty states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico cast their ballots, Senators Edward Kennedy and John Glenn and Governor Jimmy Carter will all head to the Democratic convention in New York's Madison Square Garden next month with a chance to become the nominee. "It all comes down to politicking in smoke-filled rooms now, as grim as that sounds," Senator Kennedy's campaign manager Stephen Edward Smith said. "We will have to entice Governor Carter to throw his delegates to us to gain a majority. We believe that since Senator Kennedy leads in delegates and votes cast, it is Governor Carter's obligation to unify the party and surrender his delegates to us." Senator John Glenn refused to give up the fight, despite finishing second in the delegate count. "Our campaign appealed to a broad coalition of Democrats, and we cannot be disenfranchised," Glenn said. "I fear that Senator Kennedy and Governor Carter could make a deal without my knowledge. I must speak to Governor Carter and convince him that I have a stronger general election campaign against President Reagan than Senator Kennedy." Governor Carter, despite finishing third in the delegate count, is not quitting the race. "I most likely will not be the nominee, but I should be vice president to either Senator Kennedy or Senator Glenn," Carter said. "My campaign attracted a lot of civic-minded Democrats, just like the two senators. My voters must have a voice at the convention, otherwise they will not have a voice in November." Senator Gary Hart, who dropped out of the race in March, was noncommittal. "I'll endorse whoever the nominee is, whether it is Kennedy or Glenn, for the sake of party unity," Hart said. "Either of them would make excellent candidates against President Reagan."
NICHELLE NICHOLS: I DIDN'T SHOOT J.R.
June 12, 1980
Nichelle Nichols, who plays the aptly named super lawyer Grace Nichols on Dallas, has a very important piece of news: She did not shoot J.R. Ewing. "I didn't do it," Nichols said. "Although some of the confrontations between Grace and J.R. were feisty, Grace Nichols would never attempt to commit homicide against anyone and risk her legal career. As another television character I know very well would say, it is illogical." Nichols was one of the favorites among the Las Vegas bookies at 3-1 odds, along with J.R.'s estranged wife, Sue Ellen, played by Linda Gray. As for Ms. Gray, she offered no absolute yes or no answer like Nichols. "It definitely could have been my character," Gray said. "Sue Ellen just detests J.R. Ewing and would love to see him dead." Patrick Duffy, who plays J.R.'s brother Bobby, was similarly noncommittal. "Bobby is a genteel character, but he does have a dark side," Duffy said. Nichols' statement forced Dallas executive producer Leonard Katzman to follow up with a statement of his own. "We would not want to place Ms. Nichols in such a difficult circumstance," Katzman said. "We are aware of the fraught situation Ms. Nichols would be in personally if we decided to make her the shooter. She would receive a lot of hate mail and perhaps much worse from the American public. Therefore, we can conclusively rule out Ms. Nichols as the culprit." Odds on Nichols as the shooter dropped to 100-1 after the statements. "I just hope that Vegas allows the folks who bet on Ms. Nichols to get their money back," Katzman said. "I'll talk to the bookies out there to ensure that some of those folks are paid back without penalty."
STAR TREK II BEGINS FILMING: BIBI BESCH, KIRSTIE ALLEY SEEN ON SET
June 25, 1980
Filming for the upcoming and highly awaited Star Trek sequel has begun at Paramount studios. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley were all smiles as they walked back onto the Starship Enterprise again. "We have a great script, and we're going to truly enjoy this movie as much as we did the first one," Shatner said. "There's going to be a tremendous amount of conflict. The new director hired by Harve Bennett, Nicholas Meyer, really did a good job with the script, along with Bennett and Jack Sowards." Rumors are that there will be a villain squaring off against Kirk, but his identity is unknown. "The identity of the villain is a state secret," Nimoy said. "Harve Bennett is ensuring that the man who is playing the villain enters and leaves the Paramount lot in the utmost secrecy." DeForest Kelley said, "If you knew who the villain was, it would give the whole story away. That's why it has to be a secret." Variety's prying eyes did see Bibi Besch and the young Kirstie Alley entering the set. Neither Besch nor Alley told Variety anything about their roles. "Mr. Bennett wants us to keep our lips sealed, and that's what we're going to do," Besch told Variety. George Takei and Walter Koenig, who are also filming the Star Trek Reliant miniseries, complained about the grueling schedule, but were pleased because they were fully involved in the Star Trek franchise. "I have to run from set to set along with Walter constantly," Takei said. "It's tough for Walter, Paul Winfield and I, but we're earning two paychecks, so we can't complain."
GULF AND WESTERN WINS MONOPOLY CASE IN SUPREME COURT
June 28, 1980
The Supreme Court, by a 6-3 margin, determined that Gulf and Western's acquisition of The Walt Disney Company was legal and did not rise to the level of monopolistic practices. In 20th Century Fox v. Gulf and Western, Fox, joined by Universal, MGM, Warner Brothers, and Columbia Pictures, argued that Paramount merging with Disney could lead to Paramount buying the other studios, which would become a monopoly. The Court, with Warren Burger in the majority joined by Harry Blackmun, John Paul Stevens, William Rehnquist, Lewis Powell and Byron White, ruled against the studios and for Paramount. Despite Paramount's victory, Blackmun, Stevens and Powell wrote a concurrence, arguing that Gulf and Western attempting to acquire another major studio would be considered monopolistic behavior and would lead to the entertainment division of the conglomerate being broken up by the Court. Justices Thurgood Marshall, William Brennan, and Potter Stewart dissented, arguing that Gulf and Western, as a conglomerate, could have the power to buy any business it wanted and become a monopoly far beyond the entertainment business. "What is to say that Gulf and Western cannot acquire the finances to buy Sears Roebuck," Marshall wrote in his dissent. "Gulf and Western and other business conglomerates are effectively monopolies in their own right and endanger the existence of smaller businesses."
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