Alternate history tv shows

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by Jiangnan Freak, Aug 6, 2013.

  1. Jiangnan Freak

    Jiangnan Freak Lieutenant

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2013
    Are there any out there?

    What would you like to see? I would love to see something taking place in alternate Japan under Mongol occupation.
     
  2. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    Well, there was Sliders. It was pretty-much all AH all the time, but with varying degrees of success. and there was an adaption of the novel Fatherland that aired on HBO (or was it Showtime?), which depicted a world where the Germans had a better time of WW2.

    Then, of course, there are TV show from alternate timelines:

    Adam-12
    Popular science fiction series which ran on NBC from 1969-75 starring Kent McCord as Adam-12, a clone who must hunt-down and stop the first eleven Adams who are dangerous psycopaths due to a flawed cloning process. He is aided in his mission by the streetwise lab technician who has befrinded him (Martin Milner). The final episode where Adam-12 finally meets his creator (portrayed by Jack Webb) never aired on television and was unseen until the series was released on DVD in 2003.

    :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2013
  3. Mistral

    Mistral Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2007
    Location:
    Between the candle and the flame
    I would have loved that show. But I was born in the wrong universe. In my universe, Adam-12 (Kent McCord) was an android who thought he was a man with amnesia. It wasn't until the final episode of season one that he discovers he's not human. Befriended by a world-weary, alcoholic biologist(Martin Milner), he sets out on a quest to find the truth behind the mysterious "Rampart Project" that created him. Although the series ran until '75, it really went to hell in '73 when the network introduced a comic relief character, Boxy, played by Randolph Mantooth. After that it was a pale and poorly-written shadow of its former self.
     
  4. Vendikarr

    Vendikarr Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 17, 2001
    Location:
    Vendikarr
    If we were to expand this to discuss Alternate History show we would like to see, I would love to see a Guns of the South miniseries.

    But none of the networks out there have the guts to put money into a project whose description would include the words 'The South / Confederacy win the Civil War'
     
  5. Silvercrest

    Silvercrest Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2003
    I always preferred "CHiPs", which was about a couple of L.A. motorcycle cops with experimental microchips implanted in their brains. They were equipped with high-tech motorcycles that could do all sorts of cool stuff. The comic relief was their long-suffering sergeant, Joe Getraer, and Harlan, the technician who maintained their implants.
     
  6. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2000
    Location:
    South Pennsyltucky
    The Blackadder (the first series, that is) is an alternate history. :)
     
  7. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    Well done Mistral and Silvercrest!

    Tell you what, Milner and McCord sure seem to end up together in a lot of different timelines:

     
  8. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Location:
    Just around the bend.
    Those are some weird versions of Adam-12 guys.

    The version I saw starred Kent McCord as Adam, the latest attempt to populate a new colony known as Earth 12. With his mate Eve, played by Martina Milner, He faced the trials and tribulations of taming a new alien world with only the barest of resources. It was a great show until the last half of season 3 when the intelligent aliens were discovered and Eve gave birth to the advanced child with super powers.
     
  9. Silvercrest

    Silvercrest Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2003
    Martina Milner????

    Sorry guys, that's too weird for me. I'm going back to Earth-Prime.
     
  10. DonIago

    DonIago Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2001
    Location:
    Burlington, VT, USA
    I don't know what this thread is on, but I want some!
     
  11. chardman

    chardman Vice Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2001
    Location:
    The home of GenCon
    All these sci-fi/alternate history versions of "Adam 12" got me thinking: Anyone else think that the makers of "Predator 2" blew an opportunity by naming Kent McCord's character "Captain B. Pilgrim" (an Easter egg in itself) instead of "Captain Jim Reed" after his Adam-12 character?
     
  12. FreezeC77

    FreezeC77 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Could be copyright reasons. Like how Tom Paris isn't named Nick Lacarno... Although it would have been more costly for Voyager since it wasn't a one-time deal and every episode they'd have to pay royalties to the writers.

    I always thought it would have been awesome if the Dad from Family Matters was playing his Die Hard cop character Al Powell instead of Carl Winslow... but I guess that would have had them pay royalties every episode.

    An episode of Chuck did let him be "Al Powell" for a guest appearance, but since it was a one-shot deal I think it would have just been a payment for that one time use.
     
  13. Star Wolf

    Star Wolf Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2003
    Location:
    ciudad de Los Angeles
    Kings, the events of Biblical Israel are happening now. It lasted half a season and we got the story of King David from the battle with Goliath until he went in exile fleeing King Saul. I would much rather see another story done by this team then Roma Downey doing more stories in the next The Bible miniseries.

    Remember Dark Skies that ran for one year where the major events of the 60s where influenced by an alien conspiracy. Colin Powell even showed up as the designated gunman army back up in one episode.

    In The War of The Worlds the events in the radio play and the original movie actually happened but some kind of global amnesia hit a few remember the full scale invasion and the Orsen Wells play is remembered as that.

    A full scale what if another side won and lets take up from there. I can't think of
     
  14. Mr. Adventure

    Mr. Adventure Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2001
    Location:
    Mr. Adventure
    Star Trek TOS has sort of become this over the years, if unintentionally.
     
  15. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    A perennial favorite of late-night cable TV:

     
  16. Mistral

    Mistral Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2007
    Location:
    Between the candle and the flame
    I never much cared for Raiders...but I never passed up the chance to catch one of the old Lone Ranger movies on late night tv. I always thought Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce nailed the characters of Tonto and The Ranger. Johnny Depp's recent attempt to channel Rathbone's Tonto felt really flat by comparison, nearly as lame as that weak re-make he did of Ernest Borgnine's Oscar-winning film, Harvey.
     
  17. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Most TV shows are Alternate Histories to some degree.
     
  18. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Location:
    Just around the bend.
    Ernest Borgnine was great as The Godfather.
     
  19. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    Meh, "Jim Reed" seems like a common enough name. (Especially since his first name would not, necessarily, have to ever be used. Just call him Captain Reed.)
     
  20. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Mickey Rooney deserved every Emmy he won as "Archie Bunker" on All In the Family.