here’s what I’m proposing: this is a world in which the children’s television workshop, hot off their first big success with sesame street, created square one a year after sesame street premiered in 1969 (as opposed to 1987). initially, the show ran in the early evening for kids, but it turned into a successful show for adults, who were craving the sketch format (Laugh In is huge in 1970). math becomes a loose theme, rather than an educational mandate.

square one is rebroadcast at 11 pm on PBS, and becomes a huge late night hit. mathnet is the edgiest thing on tv. for five years square one goes unchallenged. then lorne michaels gets snl up and running on nbc, to take on juggernaut pbs. for five years, the two shows battle it out, but in the end, the departing of key cast members and michaels himself leaves snl unable to defend against the pbs powerhouse sketch show. years afterward, challengers would come and go, like Fridays and MadTV, but nothing is as sharp, irreverant, or topical in late night.

could it have happened? yes! in fact, i’m surprised it didn’t.