almost almost famous treatment

7/27/2019 Almost Almost Famous Treatment

1/13

lights

w

Almostcameraeu

AlmostactioncpJ

FamousA sitcom by Victoria Masina and Josef Martin.

Victoria Masina #1680361 Josef

[email protected] [email protected]


2/13

2

310.948.1784 310.490.3437

An almost almost short overview

Logline: Financially desperate, a grumpy old writerreluctantly agrees to become the landlord to an eclecticgroup of peculiar wannabes selected by a TV network to tape

a reality show in his house.

Series Description:AAF is a mockumentary-style sitcom a laThe Office, its dynamic similar to 30 Rock, its humorreminiscent of American dysfunctional family sitcom andBritish comedy. As for now toned down, the shows salacity

may be easily increased, depending on the networks wishes.

The concept however goes beyond the typical mockumentaryformat, as it includes interaction of cast and crew,especially from NIGEL behind the camera. We hear Nigel off-

screen giving directions or comments. We dont see much ofhim, but we see the world through his eyes (or at least howhe creates his show).

Characters in short:

The Writer: JAMES JOYCEJames is in his 60s. British curmudgeon widower. Bulliedinto partaking in a Reality TV Show.

The Producer: NIGELNigel, 40s, is prepared to create reality if it doesnthappen by itself.

The Musician: ENRIQUE MOONEYEnrique, 20s, handsome and in the closet - but whom is hekidding? Well, his outrageous mom DARLENE.

The Painter: HANNAHanna, 20s, tough, and massively weird but doesnt give adamn about what people think of her. Or she pretends to.

The Model/Actress: LULU20s, short, chubby and pretty. She is sweet, loyal,

wholesome and nave - and a phone sex operator.

Milton30s, cute, believes he can dance and that hes an alien.


3/13

3

Character Bible

MThe Writer:

James JoyceEC

James is in his 60s. He is British and moved to Hollywoodto finally fulfill his parents dream to be a writer.

His past: Pressured by his parents to live up to his

namesakes fame, he developed both, a great desire and agreat aversion to writing. He ventured into the restaurantbusiness with his wife Martha and wrote a few cookbooks toget his parents off his back. Following Marthas death hesold his restaurant and moved to LA, where he bought a bighouse, well suited for writing his novel in quiet andsolitude. A year later the muse still refuses to kiss himand all his savings are spent.

His present: James really wants to write somethingmagnificent, but inspiration eludes him. Meanwhile James

financial situation grows desperate, and Nigel seizes theopportunity by making a suggestion that basicallytranslates to: Give us your house, give us your privacy,and we give you money.

James is grumpy, a curmudgeon really, but his Britishaccent renders his frustration into something ratherlovable and amusing than depressing. James can be quiteselfish. He is well educated and versed in classicentertainment. He does not understand, even abhors the

world of Reality TV. He has no children. He loved andadored his wife Martha, and even though she is dead she

still plays a big role in his life - James talks regularlyto her urn on his desk.

His future: James eventually does get inspired andstarts writing his novel, which he calls Almost AlmostFamous. He slowly befriends an older lady named Edith. Hereluctantly becomes a father figure to his tenants, but

will never completely lose his curmudgeonly way.


4/13

4

Whatever it takes!

MThe Producer:

NigelCr

Nigel is in his 30s or 40s. He is American, but hecould be foreign possibly from a British TV network if

whoever picks up this sitcom isnt comfortable with pokingsome fun at the own network, like NBC does with 30 Rock.

His past: Nigel isnt as successful as he wanted tobe. He has some reality show experience, but its nothingspectacular. He befriended James during the past year orso. Well find out later that they met at an AA meeting.Where else?

His present: Nigel weaseled and talked himself intothe trust of a big network station, and finally has thechance to make his mark on reality TV. He negotiates a deal

with the network and convinces James to participate. It isa constant struggle to keep the drama going in the house.Nigel sees himself as reality creator rather than simplydocumenting it. He is under great pressure to produceratings and keep them up.

Nigel is vocal, however most of the time O.S., sincehe also handles the main camera. In the next episodes weadd a couple of cameramen, but they are interchangeable.They dont have to, but it could be extra funny if the castconstantly has to deal with a new crew.

His future: Nigel mostly stays ambitious. He drivesthe show, the drama. What nobody knows is that Nigel isbipolar and struggles with bouts of depression and bouts of

manic episodes. He will try different medications at somepoint, but that seriously stifles his creativity. Bad move.Other medication will make him act crazy. Worse move. Andyes, he is going to be successful with the show.


5/13

5

Im not gay!

rThe Gay Rockstar:

Enrique Gw

Enrique Mooney is a very good-looking young man in his 20s.And he is in the closet. But whom is he kidding? Well, his

mom.

His past: Enrique was brought up in a god-fearing homewith his bible-thumping mother Darlene (an aggressive Mrs.Cleaver) and his mellow father. Enriques mother constantlytried to hook him up with nice girls on wholesome blinddates.

His present: Enrique plays the guitar on the streetsfor money, or does weddings and other small gigs. Hefutilely tries to portray himself as rock & roll macho man.

Enrique is talented, but his denial of who he is hindershis career.

Enrique loves his mom, and while she is suffocatinghim it is clear how very much she loves him back. She isthe reason why Enrique is well tucked in the closet. Beingin the closet doesnt stop him from flirting with everycute guy he sees.

Enrique has a Teddy, which has been kidnapped byMilton. Enrique doesnt know.

His future: Enrique struggles to hide his sexuality,especial from his mom. He will become great friends withHanna, but at first she doesnt like him very much. Hannadoesnt like anybody very much. He seems to be incompetition with Lulu, in a sisterly way.


6/13

6

Im not the weird one.

LThe Painter: Hanna GI

Hanna is in her 20s, a Liz Salander type (The Girl With TheDragon Tattoo). Shes tough with deadpan attitude, andactually pretty cool in her ways. She doesnt give a damnabout what people think. Or at least she pretends to.

Her past: Nobody knows Hannas past. She doesnt talkabout it. Just between us: Shes been to juvie. She doesntknow her parents, so she grew up in Foster care, bouncedaround from home to home. She has never been easy tounderstand or get along with.

Her present: Hanna, even though she makes her money asportrait artist at events and on Venice Beach, has neverever finished a full portrait. This would be a typicalresult: a canvas with an ear at the edge of the page and a

whole lot going on in the background. Her antisocialtendencies seem borderline autistic at times, but it is anact and shes simply inappropriate because it she does not

want to make the effort to connect with other human beings.She is very observant, smart, and deadpan witty.

Her future: Hanna loosens up a little, mainly aroundEnrique. She is going to make an effort to communicatebetter and lets her roommates even help her from time totime with her weird problems. Her roomies learn toappreciate her honesty, although its most of the time morethan they want to hear.


7/13

7

Im a role model.

The Model/Actress:Lulu GF

Lulu is also in her 20s. She is very short and chubbyjuicy, has blond hair and is pretty. She is a sweet person(unless shes really pissed off) loyal, wholesome andnave.

Her past: Lulu moved here from the Midwest to followher dreams to become an actress. First thing she found wasthe worst agency in LA. So far she hasnt gotten manyauditions, but she is determined. Her clueless agent alsoconvinced her that she should be a high fashion model -because she is a role model. She probably won some local

farm pageants back home when she was a kid, so shedefinitely has the confidence. Ever wonder what becomes ofthose fat little kids from Toddlers And Tiaras? Lulu.

Her present: Lulu is not without talent, but alwaysthe loyal one, eagerly willing to learn, Lulu takes actinglessons from her very bad talent agent Roddy which makesher acting worse. Since Lulu is so sweet, she doesnt dareto tell Roddy her concerns regarding his ability to manageher career but she hopes the exposure from the show willhelp her.

Lulu has a day job as sex phone operator. She picksthe phone up whenever it rings. Wherever she is.

Her future: Lulu will become very good friends withMilton. Best friends, even. She will find herself insituations competing with Enrique, be it for some gig orsome boy.


8/13

8

What Planet Are You From?

YThe Alien: Milton GC

In his 30s and preferably chubby, loves to dance - cantdance at all. He is very kind, but an odd duck. Miltonbelieves hes an alien.

His past: Milton lived at Sunny Hills before, a homefor the mentally ill; unfit to live on their own. After

more or less successfully learning how to be independent,he used the money his parents have left him to live on hisown and fulfill his dream to become a dancer. Or whateverelse strikes his fancy at the moment.

His present: He can live on his own but is subjectedto regular checkups from his psychiatrists to examine hisliving condition because Milton still believes he is anextraterrestrial. Milton has no boundaries with strangers.He feels instantly familiar with everybody whether theylike it or not. In fact, he cant imagine that they dontlike it and he doesnt know how to behave appropriately. He

takes notes about the peculiar humans to learn how tofunction on this planet Earth (Milton believes he isindigenous to the planet Fomalhaut). He always walks around

with his notebook.

Milton has Enriques Teddy and calls him Dr. Onofre.Enrique doesnt know. Dr. Onofre is his source of adviceand comfort.

His future: Milton becomes friends with Lulu. Hecontinues to write his observations down, much to theannoyance of his roomies. Some situations will suggest thathe might indeed be an alien.


9/13

9

Almost almost Regulars and Recurring Characters

Martha, the Urn:

XJames late wife, currently

residing in an urn. Shes James confidant. Nigel: James,you cannot walk around with that urn all the time. Itsdisconcerting.

Edith, the Involuntary Imposter:X 60s. Nice lady.Nigel hires her to be a Martha replacement, since thenetwork had a meeting about it and they feel it wouldcreep the audience out. But they love the idea of Martha as

an overall concept.

Darlene, Enriques mom:X 50s. Bible-thumping

housewife, an aggressive Mrs. Cleaver. Shes an overbearingomnipresence in her sons life and in total denial ofEnriques flamboyancies. She babies him but sees him as abig, strong man.

Roddy, the agent:

K50s. He has long, thinning

hair, pulled back in a ponytail. Is incompetent in his jobbut pretends to be in important negotiations with bigpeople. Sometimes accompanies Lulu to auditions. Poor Lulu.

MClemence and Pete:u Additional cameramen whoare hired by the network. Clemence admires Nigel; he is hisco-conspirator in setting up the drama. Pete doesnt liketo work more than the absolute minimum.

The Reinhardts:QBrunhilde Reinhardt and her son jReinhard Reinhardt, the nosy neighbors. Well-meaningbusybodies. Reinhard is bi-sexual (an object of Lulus andEnriques competition) and his mother is very supportive.


10/13

10

Location, Location

The Villa

James Joyces big house with a little front yard (or asHanna calls it: Villa Cuckoo) is our primary location. Eventhough its in LA, the neighborhood has a suburban kind offeel. The house is two stories high and has an attic orloft.

We might possibly discover a basement at some point thatnot even James knew of, but we can worry about that later.

The residence should have a big kitchen that allows space

for a dining table seating 6-8 people. We need Jamesoffice, a living room, and three bedrooms for Hanna,Enrique and Lulu. Well never see Miltons room, only itsdoor (Milton spends a lot of his time in the attic).

The Talking Heads location: It needs to be in the house,preferably a room with a door. Well mostly see just a wallbehind the talking heads, but it would be fun if at somepoint well find out they shoot those in a bathroom (forlack of space) and the cast sits on the toilet.

In S1E2 (Modlz In Da House) we have a scene where Miltontries to push a piano up the stairs from the second floorto the attic. In S1E3 (Murderpoo) we need exterior shotslooking in through the office window. The office should beaccessible from the hallway. It would be great if thekitchen had a window as well.

Insert Shots for the Pilot

1) A swimming pool for a chicken fight.

2) Venice Beach boardwalk.3) A mental institution (Ext.) and stage (Int.).

Those are for short one-scene shots.


11/13

11

Pilot Episode Outline

James has writers block and debts. He needs money. Incomes Nigel with a suggestion. And a camera.

CJAMES

I cant suffer watching reality shows. Im bloody well notgoing to be part of one.

rNIGEL

You are going to have a chance to interview them ofcourse, you know, pretending. Well film it all, your life,their lives... The way to stardom, so to speak.

James reluctantly agrees after he confers with Martha.XJames interviews his new roommates, and labels them.

F w I CFloozy Gay Queer Creep Kook

Rock Star

CJAMES

Just a little something I do to remember people.

Nigel has a surprise for James. He introduces Edith.XJames doesnt like his surprise. The roommates get to knoweach other, especially during dinner. James is not happy at

all. Nigel has a heart to heart with him. And in the end:

CJAMES TALKING HEAD

I really wanted to kick them out. But you know where I

just came from? My office. And you know what I did for thepast three hours? Ive been writing.


12/13

12

Some More Episodes

SEASON 1

S1, Ep1 PilotS1, Ep2 Modlz In Da HouseS1, Ep3 - Murderpoo?S1, Ep4 - Almost Almost GuiltyS1, Ep5 - The Eyebrow PredicamentS1, Ep6 - Almost Almost There...S1, Ep13 Whats Up, Doc?

Modlz In Da HouseThe network wants to spice things up. Nigel whatever it takes bringsmodels into the house, much to the dismay of James and the delightof Enrique. Yes, there are male models as well. Meanwhile Lulu has anaudition, Milton studies more human behavior, and Hanna rolls hereyes.

Murderpoo?A

Theres a serial killing couple on the loose in LA, and the gang startsdiscussing the possibility that it could be two of them. After all, theydont know each other very well. And then a blackout hits theneighborhood. Its a dark house, and Milton has gone missing

AlmostM Almost GuiltyAt breakfast the gang rehashes their previous night when anoverzealous cop arrested them on suspicion of murder. They pointfingers at each other to figure out whos to blame for the night theyhad to spend in jail.


13/13

13

p The Eyebrow PredicamentLulu gives Hanna job interview advice that backfires. It also backfireson Lulu, who on her own job gets into a similar predicament. And

Milton hides in the limo that Lulu is driving to pick up Michael Cera.

Almostg Almost ThereThe gang goes on a road trip. The entire episode takes place in the car.Even when they are stranded in the middle of nowhere they dontget out. They are too scared of the AAA guy, who looks freaky.

(Insert more episodes here.)

Whats Up, Doc?KThis is going to be the season finale. Shortly after the reality showairs the gang gets unwanted visitors: Lulus stalker from her sexphone work, a disgruntled customer of Hannas, while James runsfrom Ediths ex and Enrique runs from his mom and her churchgroup. The house goes bonkers all the while Milton hoped for aflawless checkup visit by his psychiatrist.

Its gonna be a kick ass show!ALMOST ALMOST FAMOUS

Theme Song

Supermodel LuluStruts it on the floor

WorkHannas painting something

We dont knowEnrique plays guitarIm a rock star

Milton does his own thingDances to his own beat

And James, the friendlylandlord

What the bloody *beep* -Niiigel!

Things get messed upAll the time butNo matter what, whatThey say about us

Its all entertainmentOne in a millionOnce in a lifetime

Weve almost almost made itSo were not your average

TV personasWere an unexpected messBut dont forget wereAlmost Almost FamousAlmost Almost FamousAlmost Almost Famous

Badadada!

almost almost famous treatment

Documents