OK, here is the concept. You are the executive producer and you have a brand new series you want to pitch to PIFN (PI Feedback Network). The members of this forum are your VPs of Programming that will decide the the slate of series that will populate the new Networks 22 hours of Prime time Programming.
What we want from you are the full descriptions and concepts of new TV series. Dramas, Comedies, reality and game shows. Give us all the details. If you have casting, include that. If you think you have a perfect night for your series, give that. Do what is needed for you to sell your idea and for PIFN to buy it and take it to series. Later in the summer, we will sort through all the concepts and set out schedule with the best 22 hours available (Same as ABC, CBS and NBC). We are competing against the other 5 Networks for ratings
Rules: I think the only rule is that you cant use an existing series (We are not ABC and Bringing Scrubs over) nor just bring back an old series with the same exact cast. You can do a remake, with a new cast (like Star trek: The Next Generation), but tell us how it will be different/better than the original. Casting Rules, you can't use any actors that are in existing series. They already have a job with another series and Network. Also, be ready to defend your concept, answer questions and, if needed, tweak your idea. You can submit multiple series, but keep in separate Posts.
If you have any queations, feel free to ask. Remember, this is a new, original network that, in theory, will compete against the exisiting 2009-10 schedules of the other 5 networks.
CBS rejected this idea, so I am shopping it around to the other networks. I see this more as a summer series that is a 30 minute weekly series for Thursday nights at 8pm, but could work during the regular season on a different night.
Each week, Jeff P. will visit a former player from Survivor and catch back up with how their lives have changed since they were on Survivor. I see it similar to how 60 Minutes conducts their celebrity interviews. Some straight sit down interview, but a good mix of different locations and interviews with friends, loved ones and some former competing Survivor players from their season.
This is not only an inexpensive series to produce but it has brand recognition and built in audience. Jeff P. is on board with the project as an executive producer. If the Network is wanting to go with a 60 minute version, then we would visit 3 survivors each hour, instead of 1 in 30 minutes. We have actually created two pilots. One featuring Rupert and the other with Yau Man.
Tagline - "What's wrong with society, times twenty five"
Concept - Reality
This is a sleazy reality show that is everything that is wrong with the world, and that's why it's so good.
25 people are locked in a Big Brother style house for 1 month in which they are expected to give up everything. 'Prohibited items & actions' include smoking, alcohol, junk food, fast food, any form of sexual activity (with yourself or a partner), newspapers, magazines, partying, contact with outside world and other luxury things. However (This is the interesting part) all of this will be available, there will be fast food, junk food, newspapers, magazines and cigarettes delivered daily and the house will be fitted with a strip club and bar and an area in which relatives can visit.
If you fall and use/do something prohibited you are evicted, the last person left wins, should more than 1 person be left at the end they split the prize and if all other contestants leave and just 1 person is left, that person must continue to live in the house until the month is over to win the game.
It could do multiple cycles per season but just not over kill. It would air about 3 times a week and is a show with could be used to fill gaps come Mid-season or even could have one of it's slots on Saturday's.
What would make the show worth watching is the fact the temptation is there, they have the ability to do these things yet know that if they do they lose. The winner(s) recieve half a million dollars (It's split if there's more than 1 person left).
We would run online initatives in which anyone in the world can watch a live feed from the house by logging onto their computer. We would also offer text alerts when someone gives into temption and is forced to leave. It would be 60 minutes 3 times a week for a full month (4 1/2 weeks) to fill the left over timeslots for that final 5th week we would run interviews with the winner(s) and catch up on how people are getting on back in the real world, or alternativly Obama can pre-empt the interviews to do a speech . After the intial set up (Decorating the house, getting the cameras etc.) the costs would not be very high, the same house can be used for all the cycles (Maybe a redocoration every few years).
Main problem I see with Fighting Temptation is this... One houseguest being essentially by themselves for a month would be boring (Big Brother gets ridiculously boring once it is down to the final two). Maybe you can come up with a way to address this.
Posts: 145 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 01 December 2008
Originally posted by Smooty: Main problem I see with Fighting Temptation is this... One houseguest being essentially by themselves for a month would be boring (Big Brother gets ridiculously boring once it is down to the final two). Maybe you can come up with a way to address this.
We put new people in, or we offer old houseguests a chance to return, but it'll cost them $10,000 of the prize money for each person who decide to return. That money could either be given to the person who managed to make it without giving in so far or could just deduct the money.
Tagline - "The hardest part isn't finding what we need to be, it's being content with who we are."
It was supposed to be the Summer of love, but by fall it was quickly turning into something else. Summer and Emily are best friends with pain-in-the-ass cheating, manipulating boyfriends, no one can blame them for wanting to experiment with one and other but when passion turns to love how are they supposed to keep it on the down low? Summer's boyfriend Arron wants to make the relationship between him and her, but Emily's cheating boyfriend Jack and his whore, Sue set out to make Emily's life hell. Love, blackmail, lies, sex, corruption and discovering yourself is what makes Summer an interging drama for everyone from teenagers to elders both male and female.
I wrote the original pilot as a radio drama (Which I still have should anyone want to read it) but I'm now pitching it as a drama. Presumably a 10PM show factoring in the sexual content, bad language and the shows premise. The show is something different and therefore would be good counter programming for what ABC and CBS have to offer at 10 and the show would likely become an instant Cult hit, the sort of show that'll get everyone talking.
Summer doesn't sound bad, but it sounds like a bunch of teen movies and CW shows thrown into one.
And Fighting Temptation - well, it's a sleezy reality show alright. Interesting concept nonetheless.
I do like Survivor's Revisited. I could see it working as a half hour series, focusing one Survivor each episode, or 2 Survivors in an hour episode. If anything, I'd air it Thursdays at 9pm.
Okay, here's a show that I've been working on for awhile.
"Running on Empty"
60 Minute Drama/Dramedy
Location: Upstate New York
Premise: A couple, married for 15 years, decides to call it quits. To try to keep their money and their family as together as possible, without ruining their children's lives, they decide to "separate" from one another instead of going through the pain of divorce.
There's only 2 things wrong with that: they're keeping it a secret from everyone they know, and they still plan to live in the same house while leading their own lives. They'll soon learn the many faults in their plan as they try to keep their family as close to normal as possible, and move onto exciting new lives.
Will this be the rest of their lives, or will their marriage end for good? Find out how they keep their family and lives together, as their marriage continues to be running on empty.
Characters:
Julie Kaynor - wife, demanding, recently goes back to work. She decides not to date anyone for awhile, but ends up meeting Adam in season 2.
David Kaynor - husband, emotional, a newspaper columnist who eventually loses his job, to later become an editor. He's often confused with his feelings and his new relationship with Julie, and isn't exactly sure where he wants things to go. He meets his new neighbor, Addison, who will later get engaged.
Nathan (Nate) Kaylor - eldest child, 11 years old, very intelligent and creative. He forms a relationship with Kayla, who's also 11 and his new neighbor.
Samuel (Sammy) Kaylor - youngest child, 9 years old, often takes after his father, and will go to extreme heights to be noticed.
Katherine (Kate) Newly - sister of Julie, early-mid 30's, happily single, but wants to have children someday. She's supportive, and is the only one in the family to know of her sister's seperation.
Christine Newly - mother of Julie and Katherine, divorced/widowed, her husband died a few years ago, while they were divorced for over 10 years, not keeping much contact with each other. She's tough and nosy and wants the best for her daughters.
Richard Kaylor - father of David, light-hearted, says he was in the Mafia for over 30 years, but no one believes him.
June Kaylor - mother of David, very easy-going and soft-spoken. She tends not to argue with anyone and is always happy.
The show will include a lot of music, from the '60's to today. I also have episodes and desciptions of anyone is interested.
As for casting, I think Candice Bergen would be a great fit as Christine. Molly Parker wouldn't be bad as Julie. I'd prefer the show to air at 9pm, perhaps on Sundays or Tuesdays?
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I wanted to make sure you guys had a series that could be used anywhere on the schedule and maybe even be the controversial face of the network. Its a hefty read but I wanted to make sure I covered most questions about it early on.
Series Name: Janit O'Day
Genre: Drama
Run-Time: 1 hour or 60 minute drama
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tagline: "Some teens were born innocent but when their mixed with the guilty ones that's where the game of trouble begins"
Series Background: I've been actually floating around with this idea for a while now and I originally worked on it with a few buddies of mines from different locations. Some of the basis of the premise is actually based on a true story told by this guy I knew from Philly and his experiences in the Philadelphia Public Schools system as a teen who dropped out of his neighborhood school then went to an alternative school where a really bad fight that he was involved in resulted into made him go to a reformatory school (prison for juvies). So his experiences there made him a better man as he's doing really well in life right now and always serves youths well. With the help of my other buddies we've twist the series around behind his story and put it altogether into one. It will be partly based off the controversial 1974 TV movie Born Innocent starring Linda Blair. I hope you guys like it. It was originally going to be a rare two hour drama series but I'm going to make it one for here.
Short Premise: All of the life struggles and adventures that are primed through this story of 30 dangerous teenage girls who deal with life away from structured home environments at a Philadelphia public school's reform center.
Detailed Premise: Janit O'Day is about a troubled young Philadelphia teen who has had a bad history of child and drug abuse which led her into changing into a number of foster and group homes. By the time Janit hit the age of 13 she had a record that was full of stuff not done by any other youth in that entire region. When Janit reached the age of 14 the state of Pennsylvania couldn't take it anymore so they ordered her to live and attend Bell Academy as an example to future youths. I will actually go over what Bell Academy is in detail in a separate section so that the premise isn't that long.
Unlike most series, this series will focus on mainly on the life of the antagonist (bad guy) and through the eyes of the protagonist (good guy). The antagonist will be Janit O'Day while the protagonist will be Wendy. The Bell Academy at this point of the story has been around for 2 years now and Wendy who is a new student will be transferred to the Bell Academy's reform center which houses the worst of the worst young troubled females in the whole Philadelphia area. Wendy is housed in there basically due to lack of space on the school's campus. Wendy has a hard time fitting in with the rest of the girls but makes friends along the way. Wendy plays the role of a victim and she becomes prey to Janit O'Day who is responsible for doing very bad things to her. Janit is the most popular girl at her reform center and everybody respects her except Wendy who she crushes on but instead of getting Wendy to like her she violates her in so many ways. Janit O'Day is the ultimate good vs. evil battle at its best. The show basically covers all the angles from these two girls point of views.
Background of Bell Academy: Bell Academy is located in the west suburbs of Philadelphia. Bell Academy originally opened in September 2007. Named after the city's historical Independence Bell or as you all know it the cracked Liberty Bell. Bell Academy is owned and operated by the School District of Philadelphia which is their public school system name and the reform center is operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Its the nation's and maybe the world's first ever secondary education facility that houses its students on site. Bell Academy houses 4,600 children from all over the metro Philadelphia area including the 60 men and women who take residence at the school's reform center. The females and males all live in separate units on the school's campus which houses all five thousand of the teens attending there but they are also split by genders inside of the 2 reformatory facilities. The town that it shares its territory with doesn't like the correctional facility located that close to the town so it became a battle the first two years. It also includes up to the standard sport facilities and a medical center. They could always use the nearby town for other needs. The students are chosen at random by their situations from either the city's public school system or nearby suburb schools system and also bound inmates in that area like Janit O'Day. A unique thing about Bell Academy is that the campus houses and apartment complexes are headed by college students through a city college program that takes care of their financial aid and gives them a place to house at during their time in college. There's also RAs (residential advisers) who take care of the whole block.
Characters: Janit O'Day, 16, South Philadelphia - A beautiful sixteen year old inmate whose bad past has influenced on others around her through her intimidation tactics. Her history of breaking in and out of foster and group homes finally houses her at Bell Academy as a registered sex offender and murderer who has a low chance of ever going back to society as she will remain state property.
Wendy Barkley, 14, Northwest Philadelphia - Wendy has had some problems in her Northwest Philly home where she's suffered abuse from her parents and its led her to miss a record number of days at her high school as a Freshman. Wendy was ordered through her parents by the courts to be sent to the Bell Academy where she is housed with the dangerous Janit O'Day at the reform center. Wendy lives in hell because of her nemesis Janit who aggravates her every chance she gets.
Chelsea & Randy Melvin, 17, South Philadelphia - Are a set of twins who like Janit has done everything in the book to get them in this position. Both represent each gender and work closely with Janit to make others life a living hell. Randy could be named as the craziest male resident in the whole state of Pennsylvania as his predator antics make the males and even female lives a living hell. He's also a ladies man and very good athlete even playing quarterback for the Academy's football team. His twin sister Chelsea is also a lunatic who suffered neglect as a child led her to this attitude.
Joy Benson aka "MOM", 27, Center City Philadelphia - Joy is the girl's main day teacher and she understands them like no one else does. She backs them in front of the staff because she sees potential in all of them. The girls respect her but at times they get bad with her too. She sees the most potential in Wendy whose getting lost being in that reform center with those dangerous girls. The girls respect Joy so much that they gave her the nickname Mom as they see her as a mother figure like no one else does in their whole entire life.
Matt West, 38, West Philadelphia - The main security guard at the Bell Academy also teaches gym classes there. Matt was a former football player whose career was cut short by injuries and he got hooked on drugs afterwords but now has fully turned his life around working security and teaching classes at the Bell Academy. Most of the girls crush on Matt and there have been times where some of them like Janit have been a little too aggressive. The centered love connection of the series focuses on Matt and Joy who grow closer to each other through working together on the staff. Janit continually becomes obsessed with Matt and its put Joy in danger at times because of it.
Elizabeth "Liz" Leyland, 33, Southwest Philadelphia - Liz is the warden of the reform center that houses Janit and Wendy. She spends the whole night and weekends with the girls. She is basically the girls' voice when it comes to decisions and what their allowed to do.
Precious Brown, 15, West Philadelphia - Precious is the best friend of Wendy and teaches her the ropes at Bell Academy. Precious is a very important character especially in the beginning because she consistently becomes a personal bodyguard for Wendy.
Sonny Bardelli, 33, South Philadelphia - Sonny is the main connection to the Bell Academy students to serve their dangerous outside needs like drugs and weaponry stuff. Sonny is a major mob boss who lives in Camden County, New Jersey but does his business out of South Philadelphia. He owns a business that serves jewelery and shipments out at the city's docks off the Delaware River. He controls the city's 70/30 split when it comes to control of abuse substances (drugs) movement and weapon distribution. He also owns a wide range of the city's gangs. When any of the kids skip school and go into town for needs they go see the man, the boss, the myth, the legend that is Sonny Bardelli.
Liberty Marasco, 15, Northeast Philadelphia - A NEastern wealthy rich little spoiled brat who gets a rude awakening when she has to attend the Bell Academy. Liberty named after the Independence Bell just like the school she attends. Liberty is an annoyance to the girls and a trick as she bleeps out a number of things to the staff that gets the girls in trouble. She's also very stuck up and fast. She spent a lot of time before going to Bell Academy as a street prostitute. She's involved in cheerleading and hangs around a bubbly clique of girls and is somewhat the leader of the clique. The rest of the girls call them plastic or barbies.
Superintendent Harvey Odom, 41, Center City Philadelphia - Superintendent Odom is the current chief executive officer of the School District of Philadelphia and is responsible for creating Bell Academy in West Suburban Philadelphia. He routinely checks in with warden Liz on how the school is doing.
Georgia Kinsler, 16, Southwest Philadelphia - The last main character of the start of the series. Rumored to be the missing daughter of Sonny Bardelli is the school's inside connection to those needs mentioned earlier in the other characters. Georgie is a tough South Philly girl who doesn't tolerate much but respect. She becomes a rival to the girls at the reform center when it comes to the 60/40 split for drug and weaponry pushing.
Goals for the show: I hope this show serves as the first series ever on TV to tell the real story of troubled youths specifically females in America. Unlike shows similar to it like Boston Public it won't take a look at the school system that fake. It will be more real like OZ which was a former HBO series earlier this decade that took a real look at the prison system. No series has ever been similar to this and so it has a lot of originality right off the back and could have a huge impact on viewers. The show will work mainly as a soap opera but it can also include other genres such as a procedural where the show will include one story every episode that gets wrapped up at the end of every episode. There's room for medical mysteries as there will be a hospital scene for the show, legal side of the show with the justice part and comedy throughout the show. Its the total package and we hope unlike most shows that focus on under 18 people that it will be a lot more different in the sense that it will take a look at the darker side of youth that age and how the system fails them over and over again. The last goal is to tell a story with a moral at the end of every episode that gives the viewer a learning experience after watching it.
Theme: The theme of the show is very dark but the music is mixed in with today and oldies specifically from the 70s. The the background music will be also from that era.
Network Time: I really think the show could work in any hour as its audience is very diverse and can work. I would suggest a middle of the week school night like anywhere from Monday-Wednesday. I would say Tuesdays at 10pm to make this the symbol show for Tuesday Nights but I like the early hours like 8pm and 9pm so kids on the east coast can watch it at an reasonable hour.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: BlueLick,
Originally posted by TV-aholic: I'll start things off with an example.
Series: "Survivors Revisited"
CBS rejected this idea, so I am shopping it around to the other networks. I see this more as a summer series that is a 30 minute weekly series for Thursday nights at 8pm, but could work during the regular season on a different night.
Each week, Jeff P. will visit a former player from Survivor and catch back up with how their lives have changed since they were on Survivor. I see it similar to how 60 Minutes conducts their celebrity interviews. Some straight sit down interview, but a good mix of different locations and interviews with friends, loved ones and some former competing Survivor players from their season.
This is not only an inexpensive series to produce but it has brand recognition and built in audience. Jeff P. is on board with the project as an executive producer. If the Network is wanting to go with a 60 minute version, then we would visit 3 survivors each hour, instead of 1 in 30 minutes. We have actually created two pilots. One featuring Rupert and the other with Yau Man.
Thank You for your time.
Great idea! I would so LOVE to see this show...catching up with memorable castaways like my favorite SHI ANN the SHE DEVIL or the curmodeouly Randy from last year.
Here's the wanted cast member list for at least 8 of the main characters from my series Janit O'Day. There are pictures attached to hopefully help find out who they are. All of them are currently not working on any series right now.
Wanted Casted Actors: Anna Friel (Pushing Daises) as Joy, Rose McGowan (Charmed) as Liz, James Lesure (Las Vegas) as Superintendent Odom, Danielle Panabaker (Shark) as Georgia Kinsler, Henry Simmons (Shark) as Matt, Kevin Alejandro (Shark) as Sonny Bardelli, Deanna Russo (Knight Rider) as warden Liz and Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) as Liberty Marasco.
Rose McGowan, Deanna Russo, James Lesure Danielle Panabaker, Kevin Alejandro, Henry Simmons Minka Kelly, Anna Friel Rose McGowan, Deanna Russo, James Lesure Danielle Panabaker, Kevin Alejandro, Henry Simmons Minka Kelly, Anna Friel
Some may remember the 90s movie by the same title about a football team and its win at all costs attitude. This time it is spun out on the basketball court in high school in the high stakes world of prep hoops.
A hot shot sophomore transfers into the program and struggles to find his place among his teammates as well as live up to expectations. The biggest is, he was brought in to run the team, replacing the solid, yet not so flashy senior.
Meanwhile week by week, the program churns along producing ups and downs. The show will cover a variety of basketball/athlete related items from the serious to the light-hearted, as well as combine in some sub-level relationship drama.
A chance to have a diverse cast presents itself as well. Set in a major market where expectations are known and when not met, there is fallout.
in development
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---------------------- Geeksix - The Gestalt of Geekdom...check it out http://www.geeksix.com
Posts: 912 | Location: Utah | Registered: 21 February 2007
Take your typical upscale California locale and its psuedo-UC/Cal State college program. Now dive into the Greek life on campus at this college.
Hot men, hot women, great scenery, and all competing to be the best around. A dramedy that focuses on a couple of revolving main characters from various fraternities and sororities, along with rushing, pledging, induction, graduation, class, Panhellinic Council, the Greek Games, who will be the best on campus.
Frats and sororities come in all shapes, types and sizes, and the members of each are even crazier.
You need to think The OC meets Greek, allow the show to be a bit more dark and risque. Much more character driven than frat/sorority driven, this show will not be able the dumb frat vs the clean cut frat. It is so much more.
in development
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---------------------- Geeksix - The Gestalt of Geekdom...check it out http://www.geeksix.com
Posts: 912 | Location: Utah | Registered: 21 February 2007
. After the intial set up (Decorating the house, getting the cameras etc.) the costs would not be very high, the same house can be used for all the cycles (Maybe a redocoration every few years).
