HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

    HBO has 'Confederate' and Amazon has 'Black America'

    Both Alt-History Dramas with the same subjects and setting BUT--

    the HBO one is about when the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.

    And the Amazon version envisions an alternate history where newly freed African Americans have secured the Southern states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

    What do you guys think? Are they the same? Will they compete? Will HBO drop theirs since Amazon has had theirs in the works for a year?

    I smell some serious competition coming.

  • #2
    Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

    I think they're both a terrible idea! But HBO will most likely kill Confederate. They can't take a chance on losing viewers. They NEED viewers, esp after Game of Thrones is gone.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

      I wonder if Mr. Amazon would use his in house newspaper to bash the HBO show while promoting his own??

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.238a886b263f

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.1011ac584458

      OF COURSE he would. No conflict of interest there.....


      The tv series I really want to see would be about a megalomaniac businessman who becomes the worlds first Trillionaire (chiefly by flouting anti-trust laws and then not paying taxes) yet he avoids scrutiny by keeping the public distracted with a constant stream of manufactured political and social outrage.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

        So progressives are up in arms and demanding censorship? I'm sure the shows will be just another "blacks are oppressed and whites are evil" rant.

        Alt history? Slavery still exists in Africa and freed slaves formed at least 2 countries I can think of, Liberia and Haiti.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

          Originally posted by kintnerboy View Post

          The tv series I really want to see would be about a megalomaniac businessman who becomes the worlds first Trillionaire (chiefly by flouting anti-trust laws and then not paying taxes) yet he avoids scrutiny by keeping the public distracted with a constant stream of manufactured political and social outrage.
          Um, take away a comma (or two) off the trillionaire part, we kind of have someone like this in the news everyday already. Hard to compete against reality in this case.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

            Originally posted by redturtle View Post
            Um, take away a comma (or two) off the trillionaire part, we kind of have someone like this in the news everyday already. Hard to compete against reality in this case.
            ^^^^
            x 1000


            And Bezos is neither a traitor, a racist, nor a rapist -- unlike like one ruling megalomaniac.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

              Originally posted by redturtle View Post
              Um, take away a comma (or two) off the trillionaire part, we kind of have someone like this in the news everyday already. Hard to compete against reality in this case.
              So in other words, literally nothing to do with what I said at all.

              So glad you took the time to post.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                Originally posted by Captain Nemo View Post
                ^^^^
                x 1000


                And Bezos is neither a traitor, a racist, nor a rapist -- unlike like one ruling megalomaniac.

                Wait, don't tell me, let me guess... You don't like Donald Trump.

                Way to out on a limb there with that opinion. So original, and SO brave of you to post that publicly.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                  Originally posted by ewtaylor View Post
                  So progressives are up in arms and demanding censorship? I'm sure the shows will be just another "blacks are oppressed and whites are evil" rant.

                  Alt history? Slavery still exists in Africa and freed slaves formed at least 2 countries I can think of, Liberia and Haiti.
                  Someone should make movies and TV that show white people having great adventures and doing heroic deeds, to show the general public that not all white people are bad.

                  If you really like it you can have the rights
                  It could make a million for you overnight

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                    If they really want to do an alt-history show/movie they should do Harry Turtledove's Guns of the South.

                    I have read the book a few times and it's not what people think when you mention the book.

                    It starts out with white supremacists/skinheads from South Africa who time travel back to the old South during the civil war. They bring with them ak-47's, ammo, grenades, etc. as well as modern day history books.

                    Toward the end of the book after the south has won and Lincoln has surrendered to Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest (the guy who started the kkk) reads the history books and totally has a reversal of his life's mission and realizes that people in the future only remember him as this racist man and hate him. And that makes him rethink everything about his beliefs.

                    Guns of the South is the starting point for this alternative timeline and continues thru other books leading up to WW2 where everyone has to unite against a space alien invasion.

                    If you have never read Turtledove, I highly recommend reading his works. Especially his alternative history books.

                    Years ago Spielberg was going to make Guns of the South, but backed out because of the controversy of what people "think" the book is about. Most people think it's only about the south winning the war and keeping slavery, but in fact they end slavery in the book after winning.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                      Originally posted by Darthclaw13 View Post
                      It starts out with white supremacists/skinheads from South Africa who time travel back to the old South during the civil war. They bring with them ak-47's, ammo, grenades, etc. as well as modern day history books.

                      Years ago Spielberg was going to make Guns of the South, but backed out because of the controversy of what people "think" the book is about. Most people think it's only about the south winning the war and keeping slavery, but in fact they end slavery in the book after winning.
                      I haven't read it but as a premise issue, time traveling skinheads loaded down with modern assault weaponry is just dumb. Alt-history isn't free license to concoct preposterous scenarios for the "wouldn't it be crazy if . . ." of it all

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                        His other series about the Civil War is much better and more realistic. The south wins it's independence. Eventually frees the slaves, but keeps them under thumb. During the Great War, the US sides with Germany. The CSA sides with England and France, however the blacks of the South are introduced to Communism and rise up causing the South to lose (the uprising is squashed). The South is humiliated and forced to pay millions to the North and reduce their military to almost nothing. A madman becomes President in the South and enacts revenge upon the blacks for the uprising (The final solution). You get the gist.

                        Turtledove has many Alt-history books.

                        The one where the Spanish Armada actually beats England and Spain invades is another good one. William Shakespeare uses his writings and plays as part of the English Resistance.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: HBO vs. Amazon - Alt-History Dramas

                          Originally posted by ewtaylor View Post
                          So progressives are up in arms and demanding censorship? I'm sure the shows will be just another "blacks are oppressed and whites are evil" rant.

                          Alt history? Slavery still exists in Africa and freed slaves formed at least 2 countries I can think of, Liberia and Haiti.
                          Hm...I don't know that it's censorship so much as people just want it to be treated with respect. It's an aspect of US history that some people still don't. But that doesn't mean it can't be explored.

                          As for slavery today. It exists all over the world. Not just Africa. In every country. Even here in the US where women and children are regularly trafficked; and there are other means of exploitation.

                          Confederate may or may not be a bad idea. I don't know, I haven't seen it. I tend to lean toward it being a bad idea because of the fact that this country hasn't completely come to terms with some of its history. But it could be that it's treated with the greatest of respect for the travesty that it was. We'll just have to wait and see.

                          "wait and see," may or may not be a popular opinion, but at least then we'll know.
                          I love Wing Commander, Mark Hamill is awesome. That is all.

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X