What if Jim became Walt Disney Company chairman in the mid-80s?

[superboober]

Suppose the scenario mentioned in Brian Jones's book did come to pass, that the Walt Disney Company did hire Jim as its leader during its nadir. How do you suppose this would have affected the trajectories--both in the actual timeline as the following 6 years would pan out, and/or in an alternate timeline in which such a move would somehow end up keeping him in this realm of existence longer--of both Henson Associates and the then nascent Disney Renaissance? Do the animated features that we know well change at all with him in charge, and do we get the Disney Afternoon shows as we knew them? And do we thus get a quicker and more definitive spinoff of the Sesame characters given how firmly Jim wanted them separate?

 

[Prof Bunsen]

It would've worked either way. Michael Eisner was already in charge during the mid-80s, and it was during that time that he helped launch Disney into the Saturday-morning competition with The Wuzzles and Gummi Bears, then eventually the Disney Renaissance, and then eventually the syndicated Disney Afternoon which showcased TaleSpin, C&DRR, and Goof Troop.

Jim didn't have Disney on the mind back in the mid-80s, because he thought he was still doing well on his own, not exhausting himself from the creative input he was giving. It was only later on that he thought about considering selling the Muppet merchandise (other than Sesame Street's) to Disney, during which he was in a creative lull other than The Muppet Family Christmas and Sesame Street. But I think if Jim was CEO of Disney back in the 80s, Disney still would've brought back its gusto.

 

[gravy]

If Jim would've bought Disney way back when (as mentioned in Bernie Brillstein's book), I don't think he would know what to do with them. He'd have a whole different universe to manage and combining them wouldn't have made much sense.