Imagine if WA would have been produced in the 1980s

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Hello and good evening at all,

As I posted some examples of what the 1980s TV television burnt into my visual memory in the Old Farts group, I started wondering about the changes that might had been applied to the source material if show had been aired in the 1980s. Here are my guesses - all based on the assumption that it would have not been Kc who created the 1980 version.


Michael and Saul are Vietnam veterans at the beginning. In addition, Saul's role might be toned down a bit whilst Angelo being upgraded a bit.
Gosh, I hope that I do not insult anybody by this - Saul might have been more the 1980-ish Afro-American stereotype like Mr T or Hawk (Spencer For Hire)
As a result - there would have been no Saul/Lizzy relationship - I do not remember to have seen it in any series from the Eighties (Please, feel free to correct me)
Scratch would have been male with Latch being female. In the Eighties, most conflicts which included physical combat were restricted to only male opponents
Alternatively, Scratch would be the overacting, scheming femme fatale alongside Durai, with Durai being some sort of Ivan Drago / Vin Diesel role model.
The female cast would have not played such a major role on Team Good (especially Kelly)


I think that I would not have liked that version. What are your thoughts on this? Any additions / corrections?

[Deacon_Tyler]

Hello and good evening at all,

As I posted some examples of what the 1980s TV television burnt into my visual memory in the Old Farts group, I started wondering about the changes that might had been applied to the source material if show had been aired in the 1980s. Here are my guesses - all based on the assumption that it would have not been Kc who created the 1980 version.


Michael and Saul are Vietnam veterans at the beginning. In addition, Saul's role might be toned down a bit whilst Angelo being upgraded a bit.
Gosh, I hope that I do not insult anybody by this - Saul might have been more the 1980-ish Afro-American stereotype like Mr T or Hawk (Spencer For Hire)
As a result - there would have been no Saul/Lizzy relationship - I do not remember to have seen it in any series from the Eighties (Please, feel free to correct me)
Scratch would have been male with Latch being female. In the Eighties, most conflicts which included physical combat were restricted to only male opponents
Alternatively, Scratch would be the overacting, scheming femme fatale alongside Durai, with Durai being some sort of Ivan Drago / Vin Diesel role model.
The female cast would have not played such a major role on Team Good (especially Kelly)


I think that I would not have liked that version. What are your thoughts on this? Any additions / corrections?

Jeffersons had an interracial couple, as well as a few episodes of the Cosby Show.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Oh, ok, I have not know the Jeffersons TV show until know. And I have missed most of the Cosby Show. But thanks a lot! :)

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

However, after some research done, these examples seem to have been exceptions from the rule (or call it 1980 TV reality) I have to say.

[Deacon_Tyler]

I agree

[7oddisdead]

Didn't all in the family also explore racial tension like that? I know a part of the show was a statement about Archie's racism and how it affected the family


Edit: a thought just struck me....a lot of the comedies of the late seventies-early eighties that most people would consider "edgey" at the time used their shows as a vehicle for social commentary...best example would be the stupidity of racism as all in the family presented it. To me it feels very similar to the type of social commentary found in many zombie/post apocalyptic tales from about 2000 foward...huh, interesting....

[scbubba]

Cool observation 7odd. I think you're dead on about "edgey" pushing things forward in a progressive way. A lot of folks would call it the demise of societal norms, but lets face it some of those "norms" need to die (eg racism, sexism)

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Hi 7oddisdead, yeah, nice addition. There is a very different tone in WA when it comes to stereotypes -> they just serve a jokes, like when Saul asks Victor to hot-wire a car. There is no real expression of racism in WA, which makes the show an exception.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

By the way, who would wear the big Magnum PI giant size mustache? Michael, Saul or Angel?

[7oddisdead]

Hi 7oddisdead, yeah, nice addition. There is a very different tone in WA when it comes to stereotypes -> they just serve a jokes, like when Saul asks Victor to hot-wire a car. There is no real expression of racism in WA, which makes the show an exception.

absolutely...but, say you presented the show as it is now....back then. It would probly have that same demographic and "edge" to it. All the things we see now as not a big deal, aren't a big deal because of the issues explored then(racism,sexism,etc)...so in a way, the very things we are talking about here...are things that would have been needed for a show like w/a to have succeeded and really left the kind of mark we would hope it would.

[Deacon_Tyler]

By the way, who would wear the big Magnum PI giant size mustache? Michael, Saul or Angel?

I think....



...Scratch.

[7oddisdead]

Angel....without a doubt.

Michaels a muttonchops kinda guy

[LiamKerrington]

Michael and Saul are Vietnam veterans at the beginning. In addition, Saul's role might be toned down a bit whilst Angelo being upgraded a bit.

Agreed.


Gosh, I hope that I do not insult anybody by this - Saul might have been more the 1980-ish Afro-American stereotype like Mr T or Hawk (Spencer For Hire)

Yeah., probably.


As a result - there would have been no Saul/Lizzy relationship - I do not remember to have seen it in any series from the Eighties (Please, feel free to correct me)

Disagreed. During the 80ies the role of women started to change - at least slightly. Just take a look at the movie of "Aliens". And "Cagney and Lacey" was a very successful TV show in the 80ies, in which two female characters are the main characters.


Scratch would have been male with Latch being female. In the Eighties, most conflicts which included physical combat were restricted to only male opponents

"Aliens" - Vasquez AND Ripley. And as for "most conflicts" - this applies for today as well, although the part on women increases.


Alternatively, Scratch would be the overacting, scheming femme fatale alongside Durai, with Durai being some sort of Ivan Drago / Vin Diesel role model.

Not sure about that one. Just think of Foxy Brown (1974) transferred to the eighties ...


The female cast would have not played such a major role on Team Good (especially Kelly)

Probably. But do they now? I doubt it. Considering tv-shows like "Hart to Hart", "Misfits", "Knight Rider", "Remington Steel", "The Fall Guy" and all those "Dynasty"-alike shows from the 80ies ... In each were women with major or important roles that were beyond just looking hot, sexy, cute and behaving stupid and inferior ...


I think that I would not have liked that version.

I would like it.

The leading question would be just this: It all depends on the producer/ director/ scriptor ... Would Kc have been the same back then as he is right now?

[Deacon_Tyler]

The 80s were very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, similar to 2012. This includes television.

[Osiris]

Didn't all in the family also explore racial tension like that? I know a part of the show was a statement about Archie's racism and how it affected the family


Edit: a thought just struck me....a lot of the comedies of the late seventies-early eighties that most people would consider "edgey" at the time used their shows as a vehicle for social commentary...best example would be the stupidity of racism as all in the family presented it. To me it feels very similar to the type of social commentary found in many zombie/post apocalyptic tales from about 2000 foward...huh, interesting....

I'll never forget the episode when Edith was almost raped. Jesus... just....

[7oddisdead]

Yea...did you ever watch one day at a time?...the "Schneider's on the drugs" episode really fucked with me.

[Deacon_Tyler]

I'll never forget the episode when Edith was almost raped. Jesus... just....

Holy mother of Mary, Edith Bunker was fine.

[LiamKerrington]

Steven Bochco and Michael Kollzo (both created "HSB") ... Those two or Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday ("Cagney & Lacey") ... OR Steven J Cannell ("Stingray")

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

You may be right here are my 2 cents:


Burt would be a WWII / Korea vet.
Datu would be Chinese, Japanese or Mexican (and a sorry ass comic relief).
Lizzy would hook up with Saul (but she would be an ebony hottie or latina at the least).
Scratch would be a woman, but hot (and the late Latch would also be female).
Duray would be a pseudo-bad guy with Scratch being the real power (manipulating him for her revenge while playing the dumb trophy Ex-con).
The show would have undead brain eating zombies, not infected.
Michael Jackson would have a cameo: Black guy (yes, black, its the 80's) shows up in an episode as if he were a regular Towerfolk talking and stuff, dies a hero on a scavenging run (he's a big name guest star), and is left behind, only to reappear briefly as a zombie chasing and cornering a M.C., before being run over during a paralel and seemingly unrelated car chase! (in the curve where the wheel cover flyes off)

But the real question is: Who produces the show? Stephen J. Cannell (A-team, Hunter, Riptide), Michael Mann (Miami Vice), Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues), Donald P. Belisario (Airwolf, Magnum P.I) or Aaron Spelling (Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dynasty etc.)? that would speak tons about the show (and if I ever get anywhere near it!)

Oh my god, just imagine WA with some sort of Love Boat intro:

Zeehs, exciting and new
Come inside (the tower). We're expecting you.
Being alive, life's sweetest reward.
...

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

The 80s were very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, similar to 2012. This includes television.

Naa, not in my opinion. A lot of series involved Cold War references and antagonists as well (MacGyver, Airwolf, etc.). Some story lines involved did contain some criticism towards China, a fact that has slightly diminished for the last few years due to China's growing economical power. So season 1 might have raised the question what to hell the Russians did to the US.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Steven Bochco and Michael Kollzo (both created "HSB") ... Those two or Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday ("Cagney & Lacey") ... OR Steven J Cannell ("Stingray")

From what I heared, Hill Street Blues changed the way of storytelling for American series a lot. Stingray was kind of cool.

But do not tell me you liked Cagney and Lacey... :)

[LiamKerrington]

Naa, not in my opinion. A lot of series involved Cold War references and antagonists as well (MacGyver, Airwolf, etc.). Some story lines involved did contain some criticism towards China, a fact that has slightly diminished for the last few years due to China's growing economical power. So season 1 might have raised the question what to hell the Russians did to the US.

Some involved those themes, right. But a) not even most of them, and b) these themes were just part of the scenery; the relations between characters, the stereotypes and archetypes remained the same.


But do not tell me you liked Cagney and Lacey...

Why not?

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

[QUOTE=bvglee;51729]You may be right here are my 2 cents:


Michael Jackson would have a cameo: Black guy (yes, black, its the 80's) shows up in an episode as if he were a regular Towerfolk talking and stuff, dies a hero on a scavenging run (he's a big name guest star), and is left behind, only to reappear briefly as a zombie chasing and cornering a M.C., before being run over during a paralel and seemingly unrelated car chase! (in the curve where the wheel cover flyes off)


There would have been a Star Trek reference, too, because Michael would have worn a red shirt. Not a good sign for survival.

And at one point, he would have been shown to be shocked by and unexpected zombie attack with his face going from black to white - naah, forget that, too much personal foreshadowing...

[LiamKerrington]

There would have been a Star Trek reference, too, because Michael would have worn a red shirt. Not a good sign for survival.

Would've been no problem. Scotty was a redshirt as well with the important two features to survive: a name and speaking part. Michael would've been in no danger.

Besides: Datu would be the redshirt then. Because he is the maintenance-man, like Scotty is. And consider this: Scotty is as whiny as Datu - always complaining about too little time to solve the technical problems ...

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Would've been no problem. Scotty was a redshirt as well with the important two features to survive: a name and speaking part. Michael would've been in no danger.

Besides: Datu would be the redshirt then. Because he is the maintenance-man, like Scotty is. And consider this: Scotty is as whiny as Datu - always complaining about too little time to solve the technical problems ...

No problem? Scotty was at least killed once: TOS episode Nomad (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nomad).

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Why not?

I only remember a vague image about two MINLFS working as female police officers.

[Osiris]

The soundtrack would have been AMAZING.

[scbubba]

The soundtrack would have been AMAZING.

Get the guy who did the soundtrack for TJ Hooker. Rock it!

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Get the guy who did the soundtrack for TJ Hooker. Rock it!

Shatner would ended the zombie-apocalypse on day one.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9f/TJHooker.jpg/200px-TJHooker.jpg

[scbubba]

Shatner would ended the zombie-apocalypse on day one.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9f/TJHooker.jpg/200px-TJHooker.jpg

You win the Internets for today... :-)

[Osiris]

This is making me want to put together an 80's zombie movie soundtrack...

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

This is making me want to put together an 80's zombie movie soundtrack...

Just do it, Fox!

[LiamKerrington]

No problem? Scotty was at least killed once: TOS episode Nomad (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nomad).

And yet he lives on. Is he a Zombie then?

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Apparently, he has not been born yet. :)

[Condor]

By the way, who would wear the big Magnum PI giant size mustache? Michael, Saul or Angel?
Datu


The 80s were very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, similar to 2012. This includes television.
No way, 80's TV was a million times better than the crap on today.



Michael Jackson would have a cameo: Black guy (yes, black, its the 80's) shows up in an episode as if he were a regular Towerfolk talking and stuff, dies a hero on a scavenging run (he's a big name guest star), and is left behind, only to reappear briefly as a zombie chasing and cornering a M.C., before being run over during a paralel and seemingly unrelated car chase! (in the curve where the wheel cover flyes off)

But the real question is: Who produces the show? Stephen J. Cannell (A-team, Hunter, Riptide), Michael Mann (Miami Vice), Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues), Donald P. Belisario (Airwolf, Magnum P.I) or Aaron Spelling (Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dynasty etc.)? that would speak tons about the show (and if I ever get anywhere near it!)
Either celebrity guests as themselves or at least a main character who was a celebrity before z-day, like Ginger from Gilligan's Island.
Cannell would do it.

[scbubba]

Cannell gets my vote as well.

And would might have a zombified Sam Kinison terrorizing the heroes until Saul took him out mid-tirade with a spray of gunfire.... In the series finale of course.

[Condor]

Scratch and/or Durai would be Russian.
There would be an annoying adopted kid. I mean one more annoying and with a bigger role than Tommy or Hope.

A couple plot differences: WARNING-STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE AND DON'T WANT SPOILERS.



1. Angel & Burt would have survived falling off the roof without a single scratch. (no hero ever got hurt in 80s action)
2. Kalani would have walked out of the helicopter fireball and said a really cool catchphrase. (again, heroes don't get hurt)

[Osiris]

Scratch and/or Durai would be Russian.
There would be an annoying adopted kid. I mean one more annoying and with a bigger role than Tommy or Hope.

A couple plot differences: WARNING-STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE AND DON'T WANT SPOILERS.



1. Angel & Burt would have survived falling off the roof without a single scratch. (no hero ever got hurt in 80s action)
2. Kalani would have walked out of the helicopter fireball and said a really cool catchphrase. (again, heroes don't get hurt)

I wish every day that Kalani was still alive.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

I wish every day that Kalani was still alive.

Kalani was a pussy who constantly suffered from menstruation pains due to his personality. I had to write this sentence after relistening to season one again.

[LiamKerrington]

No way, 80's TV was a million times better than the crap on today.

Why wouldn't I want to disagree ... But HBO currently _delivers_ good stuff ...

[LiamKerrington]

1. Angel & Burt would have survived falling off the roof without a single scratch. (no hero ever got hurt in 80s action)
(again, heroes don't get hurt)

John Rambo (Rambo - First Blood)?
John McClane (Die Hard)?
Han Solo and Luke Skywalker (Empire Strikes Back)?

[LiamKerrington]

I wish every day that Kalani was still alive.

In the beginning I had trouble with him, as many did. But it was a pain seeing him end like this.


Kalani was a pussy who constantly suffered from menstruation pains due to his personality. I had to write this sentence after relistening to season one again.

Fail.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

In the beginning I had trouble with him, as many did. But it was a pain seeing him end like this.



Fail.
I forgot to surround the sentence with Burt tags.

[LiamKerrington]

I forgot to surround the sentence with Burt tags.

Now that you mention it ...

[scbubba]

In the beginning I had trouble with him, as many did. But it was a pain seeing him end like this.

I got to liking him more by the time the War came along. Seeing him go out like that was somewhat shocking. And then with the backstory to explain him more, the ending seemed more tragic.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Besides, just another question: Would each and every female character have a permanent wave?

One of the most annoying things concerning the Eighties:

http://www.happy-hour-shop.de/WebRoot/Store19/Shops/61529760/4BE4/98E3/6DDE/2F53/A062/C0A8/28BD/EBB8/G0937_a.jpg

[Deacon_Tyler]

Datu


No way, 80's TV was a million times better than the crap on today.

Spoken like someone who never lived in the 80s. The 80s lives on as pure and utter cheese and nostalgia. "Jersey Shore" is no worse than "Silver Spoons" or "Webster" or "Benson" or any of those other shitty shows. TV sucked then, TV sucks now.....except unless we're talking about cable tv. Cable tv has some pretty good shit out currently that you'd never have seen in the 80s.