A TV show about "this"- "you people"

[Old Flame]

Smile, you're on candid camera! [just kidding]

 

The reason for this thread is to divulge my motivation for being here.

 

I work as a writer. I've written several screenplays, novels, and other things like short stories.

 

I had an idea for a new 60 minute drama that has the working title of "Old Flame". Hence my username.

 

The story is about a young teen-age couple set in the 60's.

The girl is a 15 year old beauty. She is very self-conscious and vain. Her hair is naturally dark brown, but she lives as a blond.

The boy is an excellent athlete, and has a loyal, dedicated personality.

 

They date during their years in High School.

 

The girl is a brat. She is the baby of a wealthy family. She is used to getting her way. When she doesn't, she punishes her parents, family, friends, and anybody else that dares to deny her something she wants.

 

At the Senior Prom, the young lovers have a fight. She tries to make the boy jealous to spite him. She has a tendency to do that. She dances with, and kisses another boy right on the dance floor in full view of everybody.

 

Her boyfriend leaves in a jealous rage. The next day he goes to the Marine Corp recruiter and joins the Corps. He goes to Viert Nam and becomes a war hero.

 

When he gets out of the Marine Corp, he starts his own business, becomes very successful, marries and has kids, then gets divorced after 25 years of marriage.

 

The girl from High School never sees him again after she makes him jealous at the Prom. She regrets that stunt her entire life. She goes on to marry someone else from a wealthy family. The marriage is truculent and violent. She maintains her figure and beauty, and has a tendency to be vindictive and spiteful. She has affairs to "get at" her husband. He divorces her and soon dies from a heart attack at 45.

 

One day, the boy from High School sees a story on TV about the terrible economic situation in his hometown that he left to join the Marines.

He decides to move back home and connect with his old friends from High School. He plans to move his corporate offices there to provide jobs for the folks from his hometown. He is a billionaire.

 

When he moves back home, he takes an Ad out in the local paper looking for help wanted. He wants to hire some staff and personal workers.

 

His "Old Flame" sees the AD, learns about his life since they parted ways, and decides to apply for the Executive Secretary / Personal Assisstant position. She gets interviewed and hired by the company CFO.

 

When she shows up for her first day of work, she meets her "Old Flame" from High School. She wears her hair natural dark brown, and now wears colored contacts. Her "Old Flame" doesn't recognize her, and her name rings no bells because her maiden name was Lauren Gentile, but now she goes by Lori Miller.

 

Thats the Pilot episode. The drama starts from there. She is still in love with her "Old Flame" that she lost when she made him jealous one time too many. She never stopped loving him. Now, nearly 50, they are reunited, but she is the only one that knows it.

 

She makes the decision to keep her identity secret and hopes to find out if he thinks about her, still loves her, or despises her.

 

thats what the show is about. the audience has the backstory, and they are in on the secret. They watch as she lives as his secretary, still in love with him.

 

I'm not here to pilfer material, not much chance of that. I may be able to get ideas that can lead to a storyline, but you'll never recognize it.

 

I'm just wondering what you people think. Do you have any thoughts on the story? The show isn't anywhere near ready for production because I'm still developing it and writing the first season.

 

Do you think you would watch a show like this?

[Trimmer]

Uh, now that you've published this, no production company is going to want to touch it, because of potential copyright litigation issues. They don't even read "fan fiction" that people send in on existing shows - they return submissions unread - in order to be able to testify that they haven't taken ideas from anywhere else if they ever get challenged.

 

Now that you have published this, in order to submit it anywhere, you can either (falsely) represent that it is original and unpublished, or else fess up that you have posted it on the internet, and see how far that gets you...

 

In answer to your question: it's not a compelling concept to me, but I don't mean that as an insult - it's just not a genre that interests me...

[Trimmer]

Also - how much do you remember about the culture of our nation in the 70's? He comes home from Viet Nam, a war hero? That won't really read true to the time period, but if you're, like 35 or younger, you have likely been brought up on Desert Storm/Shield/Afghanistan/Iraq as your model of the homecoming soldier (grunt) so you may not have a feel for that time...

 

Also, he's specifically stayed away from his hometown and this girl - she hasn't seen or heard from him in all that time, so he's obviously avoided all the high school friends, as well. And then he's going to come back, connect with all his high-school friends, but although everybody knows they were star-crossed lovers, nobody - not a single old high school friend - is going to tip him off that Lori is Lauren? And now that he's finally broken through the barrier and decided to go back home, he's not going to ask about Lauren? The whole "she's right in front of him" aspect will really strain credibility...

 

It probably would be more credible if he kept his company where it is, and she, after her failed marriage and her husband's death, goes in search of him, applies for the Executive Assistant position there, and then yada, yada..... At least you don't have to dance around the incredible situation of NOBODY in his old town tipping him off about Lauren/Lori.

 

I suppose if you use that idea, I can't come after you for credit, unless I'm willing to "out" my real-life identity...

[Trimmer]

Oh, great stunt-casting idea - I see Selena Gomez as the young Lauren, and Justin Bieber as the young "Chet", just before he goes off to join the Marines. (I'm calling him "Chet" now, you may have noticed.)

 

Then, 25 years later, you can have Sofia Vergara playing the older "Lori", playing opposite Steven Segal as the billionaire, former covert operative/Marine and martial arts expert Chet.

 

Now, you'll have a bit of an accent to explain with Sofia, but that's not a lot less credible than her being able to "hide in front of him" in their mutual hometown. Maybe you can get Selena to play up an accent as the younger Lauren; then you don't have to explain Lori/Sofia's accent in the 90's period.

 

Maybe it's not a drama/romance - maybe it's a rom/com! But still, you've got to keep Segal as the former secret, covert, kill-you-with-two-fingers, undercover operative with a heart of gold and two zany kids from the divorce... I imagine this as his breakout TV/comedy role... Look how it's worked for Alec Baldwin!

 

And then you'll have to hope "Modern Family" tanks in the next season or two, so you can hope to get Sofia to read for the part...

 

Oh well, one step at a time!

[Trimmer]

Hmmm... now I'm worried that the whole covert operative thing gives it too much of a "Grosse Pointe Blank" feel.

 

Hey, maybe you just go with the flow on that one, cast Cusak as the CFO (yeah, and you'll have to find a part for Joan, too) and have it be a wink and a nod to the hipsters. We can fix this!