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George Pappy CTVA-625 9/11/2014

Step Outline – Primetime (One-Hour Dramatic Pilot)

Teaser EXT. MANHATTAN SKYLINE – NIGHT NYC in the 1950’s, tilting down into Broadway. CURTIS COLE (27) hurries down the street, carrying a large cardboard box full of Chinese takeout. He suddenly stops at an unmarked door in a brick wall, KNOCKS. It opens. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT Cole hands out cartons of Chinese food to the STORY EDITOR (50) and various CREW MEN, all of whom barely acknowledge him as they watch a live television play in progress. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – CAMERA CREW AREA – LATER The final scene of the telecast plays brilliantly. A DIRECTOR (45) yells “Cut” and they’re off. The Story Editor gives Cole an “atta boy” for his idea for changing a crucial line in that last monologue. He tells Cole to keep writing, he may just come up with an air-worthy script yet. Cole’s elated at the prospect, suddenly not bothered at all by the fact that most people here basically ignore him. ACT I INT. COLE’S APARTMENT, WASHINGTON HEIGHTS – MORNING Cole eats on his feet as he pulls on a coat. His wife JUDY (26) pursues him angrily, holding a CRYING BABY. Two other kids, a BOY (4) and GIRL (6) sit eating breakfast at a table and watching. Judy berates him about for quitting a good job to work as a glorified gopher at the TV studio. Cole retreats out the door. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – PRODUCTION OFFICE – DAY Cole watches a PRODUCER (40) berate the Story Editor over a controversial new script. The Story Editor refuses to change it. The Producer refuses to allow it to go on the air (could mean network/sponsor cancellation of this show). The two men storm off in opposite directions.

Cole notices his old theatre buddy, RICK STARK (35), one of the actors from last night’s show, walking past. Stark announces he’s moving his family to Hollywood, where all the TV production is moving (huge opportunities for NYC talent). He suggests that maybe Cole would have better luck moving up the ladder out West. Cole blanches at the notion. EXT. MAYHEW STUDIOS, HOLLYWOOD – DAY Huge complex, sound stages, bungalows, palm trees, the works. INT. BOARD ROOM, MAYHEW STUDIOS – DAY THOMAS MAYHEW (26) confidently pitches doubtful STUDIO EXCECUTIVES (50s – 60s) on the idea of creating a TV studio, Mayhew Telefilms. After much persuasive argument, they consent. EXT. BELLEVUE HOSPITAL – DAY Cole walks into the old building apprehensively. INT. BELLEVUE HOSPITAL – WARD ROOM – DAY Cole visits his father, STAN COLE (65), who walks with a cane. Cole asks how he’s doing. The angry old guy lays into him (“How do you think?”). Cole looks out the window, wonders aloud why he bothers to visit. Stan says hell if he knows, he didn’t ask his son to visit. Act II INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – PRODUCTION OFFICE – DAY Cole, the Producer and several WRITERS (30s and 40s) watch as a SECURITY GUARD escorts the Story Editor and his cardboard box out of the offices. Producer urges the writers to fix the controversial script before it’s too late. They claim they can’t (really, they just won’t). Cole meekly speaks up, says he has an idea. Producer says he’s free to try. The writers give him dirty looks. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – STORY EDITOR’S OFFICE – NIGHT Cole slaves away at a typewriter. One of the writers, NICHOLS (37) comes in, warns him he’s betraying them all and people will remember that later. He reminds Cole that everyone needs friends in this business.

EXT. PARK SHERATON HOTEL, MANHATTAN – NIGHT A chauffeured car pulls up in front; the DRIVER gets out and opens the door for Thomas Mayhew, here to take NYC by storm. INT. COLE’S APARTMENT, WASHINGTON HEIGHTS – NIGHT Cole comes in hours late, gets an earful from Judy. He grabs a burnt plate of dinner from the oven and tells Judy he has writing to do. She’s pissed (the CRYING baby in the other room interrupts). INT. COLE’S APARTMENT – BASEMENT – NIGHT Cole TYPES away frantically on his portable Underwood. He finishes, pulls out his last page, and studies his masterwork. After a moment, he curses and shreds the pages, knowing they’re pure shit. ACT III INT. COLE’S APARTMENT, WASHINGTON HEIGHTS – MORNING Cole stares morosely at his bowl of cereal as his two older kids eat and chatter away. Judy feeds the baby and steals angry glares at her husband. The older kids leave the table and Judy starts in on Cole about taking a decent job with her dad and brother. He glares at her and tells her not to start with him today. She screams her father was right about him, chasing him out the front door as the baby CRIES in its high chair. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – STORY EDITOR’S OFFICE – DAY Cole sits at his old boss’s desk, staring at a typewriter, thoroughly demoralized. Presently, he notices the original (controversial) script, starts thumbing through it. A sudden idea hits him. He puts a fresh sheet in the Underwood and starts typing away excitedly. INT. PARK SHERATON HOTEL, MANHATTAN – MERMAID ROOM – DAY Mayhew hosts a fancy catered party with a live band for NETWORK EXECUTIVES to announce the emergence of Mayhew Telefilms. The CBS and NBC GUYS joke with him about wasting his time with “those

losers at UBS,” (fourth in a field of three) but Mayhew welcomes them all. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – PRODUCER’S OFFICE – DAY Cole watches nervously as the Producer finishes the re-written script and grins – it’s a winner! INT. PARK SHERATON HOTEL, MANHATTAN – MERMAID ROOM – DAY Mayhew wanders over to a table full of “those losers at UBS,” introduces himself, says he looks forward to helping them build their standing (and ratings). They invite him to come check out what’s happening at their New York Studios. INT. UBS STUDIO, MANHATTAN – NIGHT Cole’s big night: his re-write plays brilliantly, it’s a big hit with the Producer, UBS and the sponsor. Mayhew’s there with a UBS Executive (from the party). Mayhew breaks free, introduces himself to Cole, offers him a job writing for new shows at Mayhew Telefilms. Despite the big money, Cole declines. Mayhew puts his card in Cole’s shirt pocket, saying he’ll never know when he might need a friend in Hollywood. INT. COLE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM – NIGHT Cole slips in, trying not to wake Judy (she’s wide awake, livid, but pretends to be asleep). He quietly undresses, pausing when he finds Mayhew’s card in his pocket. He stares at it in the dim light filtering in from the window. INT. COLE’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM – MORNING Cole’s startled away by a noise in the other room. Alone in bed, he gets up to investigate. INT. COLE’S APARTMENT – MAIN ROOM – DAY Cole enters, surprised to find Judy’s father RAY (55) and brother DON (30), two Teamster types, packing up boxes. Cole freaks out but a little physical intimidation settles him down. Ray tells him Judy’s moved back home, and she’s taken the kids. She’s had enough.

Ray warns him to leave her alone, and Don uses a little muscle to make sure Cole gets it. They leave with the last of Judy’s stuff in a few boxes. Cole sits on the floor, alone, emotionless. What now? Act IV INT. NYC SUBWAY CAR – DAY Cole sits amongst the CROWD, hung over, staring at Mayhew’s “extra-fancy” card (featuring embossed Mayhew Studios logo with tall palm trees). INT. BELLEVUE HOSPITAL – WARD ROOM – DAY Stan taunts Cole with an evil grin, saying he knew Cole would manage to screw up being a husband and father. Cole glares at him, tells him to fuck off, he’s on his own now. Stan grins and says “We’ll see about that.” As Cole leaves, we see that the Stan Cole’s been dealing with stands next to a bed where another Stan lies in bed, unconscious, hooked up to an iron lung and IV bottle – long term coma situation. INT./EXT. COLE’S APARTMENT – MAIN ENTRANCE – DAWN Cold, rainy morning. Cole lugs his bags to a waiting cab. He looks back at his old apartment morosely before jumping in. INT. LAX – TERMINAL GATE – DAY Bright, sunny day. Cole plods in from his plane, looking haggard. A radiant, sun-tanned Rick Stark stands grinning to greet the surprised scribe (“Welcome to paradise.”) EXT. COAST ROAD NEAR LAX – DAY Stark drives Cole up the coast in a top-down convertible. Cole struggles to shed several wool layers under the 75-degree direct sunlight. Suddenly, the wind grabs his wool overcoat and whips it into the air – it flies off into the road behind the car (HONKING cars swerve to the rear). Cole lunges half-heartedly as he watches a car run it over. Stark laughs and says to forget about it, he’ll never need it again. FADE OUT