Couldn't think up a good name for this topic...

[Sam Spade]

If S&S were to end the UB series, what would you want them to do then?


Would you want them to make a new series?

Would you want them to revive an old series?

What characters would you want in the series?

How old would you want the Hardy's to be?

What age group would you want the series to be aimed at?

Would you want Iola to be alive?

Would you want the new series' continuity to link up with the continuity's of older series'? And if so, which one(s)?

Other thoughts on a new series:


Don't feel obligated to reply to all of the above questions if you don't want too.

DISCUSS!

[SDLagent]

Here's my idea, which I posted in another thread a few months back...

I like your idea, tomswift2002, and I wouldn't mind seeing it happen, my idea is less likely to happen but in a perfect world, I would love to see it happen...

Note: the following is told from a fictional point of view, as if I time traveled about 10 years into the future, and then wrote a article about the ''history'' of The Hardy Boys (or what would be history in about 2018), note that I have left I have left the graphic novels out of my idea, since I think they are fine and popular how they are, and as you will see ATAC is part of my proposed continuity.

Disclaimer: I just thought most of the book/series names off the top of my head, and don't necessarily think they are the best names possible for Hardy Boys series.

In 2008, in an attempted improve poor sales of their Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers series, Simon & Schuster re-introduced the mini series format to The Hardy Boys world for the first time since 1993's Hardy Boys Casefiles Ring of Evil trilogy. The Murder House Trilogy was published in May 2008, which was met with less then enthusiasm from fans.  After the completion of Murder House, the Double Danger Trilogy and Galaxy X Trilogy.

Even in light of the new trilogy format, the Undercover Brothers series was still not selling well, and in September 2009, The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers series was discontinued after 30 volume.

In the spring of 2010, Simon & Schuster rebooted The Hardy Boys continuity, for the second time in only five years, unlike the Undercover Brothers continuity however, the new continuity didn't ignore The Hardy Boys' roots, but instead embraced them.  This was evident to fans from the very beginning of the new continuity, which was lunched with Hardy Boys: Chapter One, a three part mini series retelling of Frank and Joe's early cases, including an updated version of the very first Hardy Boys book, ''The Tower Treasure''. The mini series was followed later that month with book one in the new Hardy Boys series, untitled The Hardy Boys vs. the World. Iola Morton was alive in this story, and in the forward it was explained that this series started where The Hardy Boys (digest) series left off, and the events take place before Iola's death in The Hardy Boys Casefiles.   

By the end of 2010 and the publication of The Hardy Boys vs. the World #7, most of the original cast had made an appearance in the new continuity, including the Hardy's friends, something that the Undercover Brothers series had lacked.

At the beginning of the series, Simon & Schuster promised fans that this series would tie all past series together and fix any continuity problems, because of this they felt ATAC could not just be ignored, but because it had been one of the main factors in killing their last Hardy Boys series, Simon & Schuster did not feel ready to include it in the new main series. Instead they lunched a new independent mini series in 2011, simply untiled ATAC, which chronicled the founding of American Teens Against Crime, right up to the never before told final battle with WARD and the ultimate collapse of both organizations. The series ran until the end of the year along side the main Vs. the World series, and while finally establishing where ATAC fit into the continuity, it also freed the continuity from the unpopular agency (mind you the series was popular and Simon & Schuster might consider other ATAC mini series in the future).

In June, Nancy Drew made her first guest appearance in The Hardy Boys vs. the World #10, the same month, Frank and Joe guest stared in the also newly revamped Nancy Drew world. To go with these appearances, a one-shot crossover book was published, retelling the story of Nancy and the Hardy boys first meeting.

Simon & Schuster started off 2012, with a new crossover series, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys vs. the World, and the start of new story line in the regular Hardy Boys series, which involved a major subplot dealing with Joe and Iola's relationship. The two part story arc concluded in February, and set up The Hardy Boys: The Death of Iola mini series, and the launch of The Hardy Boys Casefiles II book one, on the 25th Anniversary of the original Casefiles series. The Hardy Boys Casefiles II #1, was essentially a modern version of #128, as it made reference to Casefiles #127 ''Dead in the Water'' as having taken place only a few weeks before. For the sake of new readers, as well as the aforementioned Death of Iola series, The Hardy Boys Casefiles: 25 Years Book was published, which over viewed most of the original 127 Casefiles titles.

For the rest of the year The Hardy Boys vs. the World was published one month and The Hardy Boys Casefiles II  was published the next. By December 2012 there was 19 Vs. the World books and five Casefiles II books, plus the three mini series, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys vs. the World #1, the one-shot Nancy Drew meets the Hardy Boys, and The Hardy Boys Casefiles: 25 Years Book.

Like the every years since the rebooted continuity, Simon & Schuster started 2013 off with a mini series, this time a Hardy Boys/Tom Swift crossover, a remake of the 1990's two Ultra Thrillers. On top of this Tom Swift appeared as a guest star in Casefiles II #6, these were popular, and the next year Tom Swift appeared with both Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, in the first three way crossover ever.

The Hardy Boys vs. the World and The Hardy Boys Casefiles II are still published to this day, along with yearly crossover series, one with Nancy Drew and one with Tom Swift.

Note that in 2010 Simon & Schuster also rebooted the Nancy Drew continuity, and in 2012, due to the success of the new Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, did the same with Tom Swift. For the new continuity Simon & Schuster took more of a shared universe approach, and it is far from rare for any one of the four title characters, to make guest appearances in another series.

The most successful story of the new continuity, was 2014's Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys/Tom Swift crossover which was the conclusion of a story line had been taking place in both Nancy Drew series (Vs. the World and Files II) and Hardy Boys series (Vs. the World and Casefiles II), and the Tom Swift series, over the past few months.


Okay, back to 2008. What do you think?

[Sam Spade]

Whoa! You've thought this out, haven't you!
S&S should hire you for the sole reason that you have a long term plan for the series! (which they apparently don't! )

Anyway, pretty cool ideas! (not so into the rewrite thing, but that still might work.)
The whole future thing was a pretty cool idea too.

[tomswift2002]

http://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/forums/index.php?topic=770.0

Here's the thread the SDLagent got that from.

[tomswift2002]

And here's what SDLagent was replying to in that other thread:

I was just thinking.  I wonder if with the way the UB's have been written, and from what I've seen and heard, and the low sales, I wonder if S&S might be considering keeping the graphic novels going in the ATAC universe, but ending the main ATAC line and restarting the Digest line at #191.

And by restarting I mean having the books written in third person, the Hardy's being more mature - sort of like Clark Kent from Smallville, and more subplots in the books with Callie and Iola and maybe introduce Tom Swift into the line in a more friend role and have him appear as a "Special Guest Star".

What do you guys think?  If the main UB line ends, should S&S keep the graphics going in the new universe and restart the Digests at #191?  You can answer here, but I'll also make a poll.

[tomswift2002]

Here's my idea, which I posted in another thread a few months back...

SDLagent, maybe you should post this "alternate" history on the Hardy Boys Wikia.

[SDLagent]

Yeah, it doesn't really deserve an article but I was thinking of puting it one my userpage there.

[tomswift2002]

Here's my idea, which I posted in another thread a few months back...

Have you thought of sending this to S&S as a possible future for the Hardy Boys series, SDLagent?

[SDLagent]

Yeah, I have but I'm not sure they'd take it seriously - coming from just one fan.

[tomswift2002]

How about we all sign our names and include our email/phone numbers to petition to help out?

[SDLagent]

That would be a good idea!

Maybe I should also post this on HDA.

[tomswift2002]

Maybe make you should also post it at Hardyboys@yahoogroups.com?  And set up a petition right here.

[Bigfootman]

I'll create an offical petion topic.

[SDLagent]

I was thinking of creating a blog for this petition.

[Bigfootman]

Here's my idea:

After relizing that they messed up big time with the UBs and cancilled them (but not Nancy Drew Girl Dectective), S&S deside to republish the digests up to number #100 to see if people are still interested in the Hardy Boys.

They get such good sales that they deside to continue the digests but this time in the style of Revenge Of The Desert Phantom and the Skyfire Puzzle. Edventily, they deside to continue the casefiles. The UB GNs still continue but ATAC appears rarely and is edventily distoriyed in a battle with WARD.

The year after, the Nancy Drew Files and the Tom Swift series are contued and so are the crossovers. Tom Swift is more succesfull then last time and reaches it's 50th book, witch has guest appearences from Nancy Dew and the Hardy Boys. And the once short lived Ultra Triller reaches it's 10th book.

That's all I can think of.