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

Who should be captain of the Enterprise-D in this timeline's TNG?

  • Patrick Stewart (same as OTL)

    Votes: 50 68.5%
  • Patrick Bauchau

    Votes: 6 8.2%
  • Yaphet Kotto

    Votes: 5 6.8%
  • Rutger Hauer

    Votes: 11 15.1%
  • Someone else (specify who in the comments)

    Votes: 1 1.4%

  • Total voters
    73
  • Poll closed .
Since Shatner did both Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galatica , I take it he never did The Barbary Coast .
Was that show made with a different lead?
 
Since Shatner did both Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galatica , I take it he never did The Barbary Coast .
Was that show made with a different lead?
Nope, he never did Barbary Coast ITTL. It only lasted 13 episodes. Maybe Doug McClure (who was on Barbary Coast IRL) is the lead ITTL?
 
Nope, he never did Barbary Coast ITTL. It only lasted 13 episodes. Maybe Doug McClure (who was on Barbary Coast IRL) is the lead ITTL?
I was thinking maybe Ross Martin or Robert Vaughn in place of Shatner .
Both were considered for Mission Impossible when Nimoy left.
They both done spy series before and Martin has experience with the Makeup.
I keep Doug McClure in the role he played as Cash .
 
Since Shatner did both Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galatica , I take it he never did The Barbary Coast .
Was that show made with a different lead?


I watched the pilot of that recently and oh dear god that was a shitshow. I'm so glad in this TL Shatner is staying away from it.
 
PARAMOUNT: TREK SEQUEL GREENLIT

Variety, December 21, 1978

Paramount CEO Barry Diller and president Michael Eisner, after seeing the record-breaking performance of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, have approved a sequel with a budget in the range of $25 to $30 million. Star Trek has already blown away box office expectations, and is likely to become Paramount's highest grossing movie in its 66 year history, exceeding legendary movies like The Godfather and The Ten Commandments. The major question regarding a sequel is Gene Roddenberry's involvement. "Roddenberry is dead-set against making another movie with the level of violence seen in this movie. He wants a time travel story of some kind," an unnamed source at Paramount told Variety. Rumors have surfaced that two scripts are being pitched: one involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy, where Admiral Kirk and Mr. Spock meet Kennedy, and a sequel involving the Klingons claiming a planet belonging to the mythical Titans called "Planet of the Titans." "We will never place the Kennedy story into production, and we do not think the Titans story is fleshed out enough to be a sequel for the current movie," Jeffrey Katzenberg, Eisner's assistant at Paramount, said. "We could produce Titans as a television movie, if the cast agrees." It is rumored that Paramount has sent feelers out to Harve Bennett, currently at Universal Studios, to begin production of a sequel if Roddenberry refuses to return. "Bennett is an exceptional television producer, and if Titans goes ahead as a TV movie, we would like Bennett to be involved in some way," Katzenberg said. "We also believe that Bennett can produce a worthy Star Trek sequel for the big screen if Roddenberry decides to leave the franchise. Additionally, Bennett has worked with Shatner, which gives him a leg up."
My one word idea for a sequel:
 
My one word idea for a sequel:
It'll be slightly different because of the events of TMP ITTL but only slightly. About 97% of TWOK will be the same. It will premiere in November 1981 ITTL instead of June 1982. There will also be a TV movie (Planet of the Titans) in between TMP and TWOK
 
Much of the film Wrath of Khan came about because of Nicholas Meyer.
He was the one who came up with the Terraforming Genesis device .
So you will have to make sure he involved with the sequel if you want anything like the film we got in OTL.
If you read my version of TMP you'll see the mention of a terraforming device. It isn't called Genesis yet
 
The one material change I'd make to Wrath of Khan ITTL is switch Chekov and Sulu...make Sulu first officer of Reliant since he's closer to his own command than Chekov. Sulu also has an astrophysics background in TOS so he would know more about how Genesis works than Chekov, one would think. Sulu doesn't appear in Space Seed but he's definitely on the Enterprise in TOS season 1. That is the big continuity error in Wrath of Khan. The other change is to make Khan's followers (the extras) older
 
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The one material change I'd make to Wrath of Khan ITTL is switch Chekov and Sulu...make Sulu first officer of Reliant since he's closer to his own command than Chekov. Sulu also has an astrophysics background in TOS so he would know more about how Genesis works than Chekov, one would think. Sulu doesn't appear in Space Seed but he's definitely on the Enterprise in TOS season 1. That is the big continuity error in Wrath of Khan. The other change is to make Khan's followers (the extras) older
Hm. Some ideas:

1. To eliminate the continuity error:

Khan: "I remember you."
Sulu: "But of course. I still remember when you tried taking over the lift system after you got to the engine."

2. Instead of aging up all of Khan's followers, keep some of the younger ones. To Reign in Hell (good read, BTW!) explains that the OTL followers were the sons and daughters of Khan's original followers.

3. Can we have a face-to-face with Montalban and Shatner? Fantasy Island scheduling might be a bit of an issue, but I had an idea: Herve Villechaize can take over as the main star for a few episodes. Plus, some time in the limelight might butterfly away his post-season 6 departure and suicide. (In any case though, I'd rather have him not commit suicide at all. He was gone too soon.)
 
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Hm. Some ideas:

1. To eliminate the continuity error:

Khan: "I remember you."
Sulu: "But of course. I still remember when you tried taking over the lift system after you got to the engine."

2. Instead of aging up all of Khan's followers, keep some of the younger ones. To Reign in Hell (good read, BTW!) explains that the OTL followers were the sons and daughters of Khan's original followers.

3. Can we have a face-to-face with Montalban and Shatner? Fantasy Island scheduling might be a bit of an issue, but I had an idea: Herve Villechaize can take over as the main star for a few episodes. Plus, some time in the limelight might butterfly away his post-season 6 departure and suicide. (In any case though, I'd rather have him not commit suicide at all. He was gone too soon.)
I like the first and second suggestions, and would like to see Herve Villechaize live longer, but I'm trying to think of a part of TWOK where Shatner and Montalban can actually face each other in person without messing up the whole plot
 
Chapter 131: January 1979
Another short update today with only three articles. The Shah flees Iran just like IRL, with reaction from the Reagan administration. Nichelle Nichols questions her future in Star Trek despite the box office success of TMP, and Paramount green lights Planet of the Titans...but for television, not the big screen, with a 1980 release date.

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SHAH FLEES TEHRAN: REAGAN ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO PROTECT HORMUZ STRAIT

January 17, 1979

Last night, the Iranian government led by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fell to Shia Islamist forces. The Shah was forced to leave Tehran for his own safety, and is on his way to Egypt under the protection of their president, Anwar Sadat. Throughout the past year, the Shah was unable to quell protests against his rule, and turned down requests from the Reagan administration to democratize his government, fearing that he would be voted out of power in an election. "The worst case scenario has occurred in Iran," Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said. "Iran is now under the control of radical Islamist extremists led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and their next move will be to restrict the flow of oil from Iran to the West, to appease the Soviet Union." Secretary of the Navy John Middendorf was authorized by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger to interdict the Hormuz Strait to ensure that Iran continues to cooperate and oil shipments continue as scheduled. "The instability in Iran has set off gas price hikes and fears of a second oil shortage," Weinberger said. "No oil shortage will occur under the Reagan administration's watch. The President has authorized me and the Secretary of the Interior to open up more land for oil drilling to ensure that shortfalls from Iran can be at least partially covered, until the situation stabilizes in Tehran." Weinberger also warned the Islamists in Iran to ensure the protection of American workers in the Tehran embassy. "If the Islamists in Iran do not guarantee the safety of American citizens, they will pay."


NICHOLS: STAR TREK SEQUEL SHOULD BE LESS MILITARISTIC
OFFERED ROLE ON DALLAS

January 23, 1979

Nichelle Nichols, Commander Uhura of Star Trek fame and Velma Kelly of Broadway fame, has a message for Paramount: Make the Star Trek sequel more peaceful. Nichols appreciated the significant role she played in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but was displeased with some of the violence and militarism in the movie. "Star Trek shouldn't be this angry," Nichols said. "We should be exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new civilizations, not fighting the Klingons. We made a lot of money this time around, but I think Star Trek means more than just shootouts between us and an alien civilization we can't get along with." Nichols has questioned her role in future Star Trek productions, and believes that she will work for NASA as a recruiter full time if Star Trek does not return to its more optimistic background. "If the next movie is as violent as this one, I'll skip it," Nichols said. "I agree with Gene Roddenberry. We sold our soul for big bucks once, and we shouldn't do it again. I'll see what the script writers come up with for the next movie. I hope to be surprised, but I think the studio wants us to be Star Wars, when we're not. We're more complex than that." In the meantime, Nichols, off her success in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, has been contacted by CBS for a recurring role on the primetime soap Dallas. "I'm very interested in appearing on Dallas," Nichols said. "Larry Hagman is an interesting guy, from what I've heard. I'm just not sure how they'll incorporate me."


PARAMOUNT: STAR TREK STORY GREENLIT, BUT FOR TELEVISION, NOT BIG SCREEN
NEW TELEVISION NETWORK DISCUSSED

January 30, 1979

Paramount CEO Barry Diller wants more Star Trek, but is not convinced that the one viable script they've received, involving the Enterprise encountering the ancient Titans of Greek lore, is suitable for big time cinema. "Star Trek is our most valuable property, but we have to be careful with it," Diller said. "We want the stories to be of the highest quality, and Paramount cannot accept anything less, because the movie business is a cut-throat industry. We have a script that's ready made for a TV movie, but I have to convince the Star Trek actors to approve." Diller has discussed the future of Star Trek with one of his lieutenants, Jeffrey Katzenberg, who Diller has placed in charge of the property. Several options have been bandied about at 5555 Melrose Avenue, including a new network with a Star Trek series as its top television show, the Titans movie, and an unwritten sequel that Paramount wants in theaters by Thanksgiving 1981. "I think there is room for a fourth major television network, and we've tried to establish one for a couple of years," Diller said. "We would be in business if we pulled some of our programming off the big three networks and produced it in house. We would also be in business if we had a new Star Trek television series, but it would likely have to involve a new cast, because none of the actors want to go through the rigors of making a series, from what I've heard."
 
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I like the first and second suggestions, and would like to see Herve Villechaize live longer, but I'm trying to think of a part of TWOK where Shatner and Montalban can actually face each other in person without messing up the whole plot
Might I suggest when Kirk, Spock, and Saavik are down at Regula I? Perhaps Khan's ego gets the better of him, plus him wanting to see Genesis for himself. Perhaps like this:

*Genesis and Khan are behind a glass screen, think the later scene of Kirk and Spock or the My Name is Khan scene from Into Darkness*

KHAN
I've done far worse than kill you,
Admiral. I've hurt you. And I
wish to go on hurting you. I
shall leave you, as you left me --
where no one will ever find you:
poetic justice; marooned for
eternity in the center of a dead
planet -- buried alive. BURIED ALIVE.

Khan and Genesis disappear in a flash of light.

KIRK
KHAN!


Oh also a few more points I forgot to raise.

1. Could Meyer have final cut privilege and have the director's cut released theatrically?
2. Who will Spock be ending up with, if ever? In TNG Picard mentions that he was at a wedding of one of Sarek's sons, in the books it's revealed that it was Spock's wedding to Saavik.
3. Will Saavik be returning in Undiscovered Country? (not as part of the conspiracy, mind) And will there be a recast in III?

PS. If you need to write a script for Khan, I suggest getting the original script copy and editing it: https://imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan.html
 
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Might I suggest when Kirk, Spock, and Saavik are down at Regula I? Perhaps Khan's ego gets the better of him, plus him wanting to see Genesis for himself. Perhaps like this:

*Genesis and Khan are behind a glass screen, think the later scene of Kirk and Spock or the My Name is Khan scene from Into Darkness*

KHAN
I've done far worse than kill you,
Admiral. I've hurt you. And I
wish to go on hurting you. I
shall leave you, as you left me --
where no one will ever find you:
poetic justice; marooned for
eternity in the center of a dead
planet -- buried alive. BURIED ALIVE.

Khan and Genesis disappear in a flash of light.

KIRK
KHAN!


Oh also a few more points I forgot to raise.

1. Could Meyer have final cut privilege and have the director's cut released theatrically?
2. Who will Spock be ending up with, if ever? In TNG Picard mentions that he was at a wedding of one of Sarek's sons, in the books it's revealed that it was Spock's wedding to Saavik.
3. Will Saavik be returning in Undiscovered Country? (not as part of the conspiracy, mind) And will there be a recast in III?

PS. If you need to write a script for Khan, I suggest getting the original script copy and editing it: https://imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan.html
I think the only place you can have Shatner and Montalban is the Regula I scene, and it probably has to be brief. I'm not writing a script for Khan because most of the plot will be the same.

1. Sure, Nick Meyer could have final cut privilege. I think the reason why they edited the Peter Preston death footage from sickbay out was because they were threatened with an R rating or something like that.
2. In this canon, Spock is going to end up with T'Pring
3. I haven't made up my mind about Saavik returning in TUC in this canon. As for Kirstie Alley being replaced by Robin Curtis, ITTL Alley doesn't have any room to haggle for a higher salary than one of the big three (Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley) because the Star Trek movies make far more money, so Paramount can dictate terms. So we could see Kirstie Alley in Search for Spock ITTL
 
The next update is going to be the 1979 Academy Award nominations, so I have to do some research to write that. I know The Deer Hunter was best picture that year...
 
Hopefully, the Oscar success doesn't get to Cimino's head and leads to OTL Heaven's Gate. Granted the movie had the potential to be great, but goddamn has it so much in your face pretentious Oscar-bait that it's annoying. And let's not get in the hell that it was just to film it.
 
Any chance you can change that?
Sure, it's my TL. ITTL a huge blockbuster Star Trek could get similar treatment from the Academy that Star Wars did. In fact, ITTL there are two huge blockbusters in 1978: TMP and Superman
 
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STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, PART III

Is three ships and a station a fleet?
How small is Starfleet?
War and Peace is still the longest book? slackers...
Do Terrell and Howard get a split screen moment on the viewer? That would be cool since its its obvious but not often used in Trek.
Does the Station fire on the Klingons as well?
Cutting to Enterprise and Reliant for reaction shots as Yorktown is destoryed would add to the moment methinks esp a 'we cannot help' line.
What is the transmitted song? Is the B side to Nichols single?
Koloth, Krell, and Korax all dead in action - the Empire mourns.
Proper hull breach like in ST:VI would look very cool when the Klingon disable Enterprise.
Be good to see some Red Shirts going down in H2H combat with the Klingon borders to empathise the contrast between melee and ranged preferences, otherwise it looks like a Starfleet walkover and de-empathises the Klingon threat- they DO have ranged weapons as well, they should be shown using them and missing more often or getting some melee in and then falling to ranged fire.
Contrary to that, a Starfleet officer like an Andorian holding off Klingon borders in melee would go some way to show not everyone in Starfleet is the same.
So they get Kang from his disabled ship but not the others? Sorry, but I can see them taking the entire crew off to prevent any last minute warp core breach or similar tactics.
Just Kirk, Decker, Sulu and Chekov? No security people? Really?
Decker getting shot with a disrupter when up to now the Klingons have not been (written as) shooting seems out of place- getting stabbed with Chekov killing his attacker, or the Klingon firing (badly) all the time works better.
The fight with Kor is somewhat... flat. Sulu needs to fence a Klingon or something while Kirk and Kor punch each other.
Even in these circumstances I could see Starfleet vessels taking off Kor's crew, that basic humanitarian thing they do. Letting a crew die when they can beam them out if NOT what Starfleet does, even with enemies.
Do Bones and Chapel not have nurses?
Is Scotty in sickbay in that scene too? I cannot see him leaving Engineering injured or not.
Not sure Kirk would risk getting physical with Kor in the Brig. More like taunt him from the other side of the forcefield.
Why is the War over just cos Kor and co failed? There needs to be something more - say the Chancellor hearing the news of Kor's defeat (from Kamarag?) and withdrawing his forces to the border.
A Terraforming device to fix Sherman's Planet? And the Klingons will just accept the UFP's magical solution? Gavin is deluded.
Holiday instead of fixing the Enterprise Admiral?
Some lines about the fate of the Reliant might be useful, it just gets dropped before the Kirk boarding action.
"Kirk: No Spock, you’re just becoming more human every day." - I think this should be a McCoy line.

Not a bad movie there, needs some refinement I think.
 
Roddenberry won't be invovled in a sequel then if he is demanding more creative control. Sorry mate, think that ship has sailed...

Be soooooo funny if Nicols and/or Nimoy get gongs for TMP and Shatner still gets nothing except perhaps a nomination.

I wonder if President Reagan could goto Tehran directly and appeal to the Shah? Take Bush, the Shah apparently respected tall people. Shah Reza Pahlavi MUST realise how unstable his country is? Sure, this would be a risk to Reagan, but he liked big showmanship and this would certainly be it, and would play well at home if he could get a result.

Wonder what the Soviets could do in Hormuz?

Question, was the RKO 40 Acre Lot saved ITTL? It was a major piece of Desilu/Paramount and seems a Resource waste for it to have gone.

"Paramount is swimming in money right now, and we have big plans to expand the entire studio," this does not sound like a line a top Exec would say. More like: "Paramount is enjoying the returns from this movie, and we now have big plans to expand the entire studio."

$375 million is a serious amount of cash for a Trek movie, heck any movie. Can see why the studio might want more of the same. Though repeating the formula will just lead to dullness.

Not sure Jeffrey Katzenberg would talk so openly about which script options Paramount might follow up on. That's akin to leaking internal info.
 
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