TV Format Portfolio

7/30/2019 TV Format Portfolio

1/65

2011

Portfolio of WorkA collection of TV format treatments, 2008 - 2011

Fil Adamski & Dan Thomas


2/65

AnimatesBecause some friendships are sketchier than others


2011


3/65

Copyright 2011 Fil Adamski & Dan Thomas

TITLE OF TV SHOW: Animates

TARGET AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHIC: A CBBC outfit, 'Animates' is targeted at kids between 6+12;

weighted predominantly towards late primary school boys.

FORMAT: 6 x 30 minute episodes, mixing a conventional multi-camera show with superimposed

animation techniques.

CONCEPT: Outsider Tommy Pepper uncovers a portal in his new school to a cartoon dimension -

where the school, its teachers, pupils and bullies are replicated as cartoon characters. Whilst

there, he befriends several cartoons and witnesses surreal situations in the cartoon world,

which are often replicated in the real school world. In this way, Tommy learns to deal with life's

problems and picks up acceptance along the way.

OUTLINE: 10 year-old Tommy Pepper has been forced to move to a new town with his dad,

halfway through the term in the last year of Primary school. He hates the new area and misses

his old friends; to make matters worse, his new school (Bow Tie High) seems cold and

unwelcoming, especially since hes had to join half-way through the school year. He's shy and

doesn't make friends easily, so this is his worst nightmare.

On the first day of school, class bully Billy The Stink Brogan and his cronies make Tommys life

hell, stuffing his belongings into a locker and hiding the key. When he finally retrieves the key

and opens the locker, he discovers something amazing: a swirling portal to another dimension

life in a cartoon world.

Tommy gets sucked into the vortex and spat out into the cartoon dimension. Everything aboutthe cartoon school is similar, but not identical. Over time, he discovers the connections

between the characters in the cartoon world, and those in the real one (for instance Billy The

Stink Brogan is represented in the cartoon world as a snarling, floating Whoopee Cushion).

Each episode revolves around Tommy exploring this surreal cartoon dimension, gaining

acceptance from his cartoon class mates, and witnessing situations which are reflected back in

the real world. He sparks up a genuine friendship with a group of cartoons, who he eventually

learns to befriend back in the real school.

Over time, Tommys Animates also find a way across into the real word, unleashing even morehavoc on the way; here it's Tommy turn to teach his new friends some life lessons.

Animates

Some friendships are sketchier than others

Dan Thomas: 07837249761 Fil Adamski: 07584287842 [email protected]


4/65

Family GambleHow much would you bet onyourfamily?

Fil Adamski & Dan Thomas2011


5/65

TITLE OF GAMESHOW: Family Gamble

OVERVIEW: Two families compete against each other in a battle for high-stakes and family pride.

CONCEPT: A primetime entertainment show, mixing the broad appeal of the traditional family

gameshow with the jeopardy and intrigue of a modern high-stakes quizshow. Two hosts, two

families, and a fixed budget to gamble: each round randomly selects a family member each to

compete head-to-head in a Mental, Physical or Outrageous challenge. Remaining family members

must bet a percentage of their budget in the belief that their selected relation will win the round. A

win secures their budget and earns a little extra: a loss loses the exact amount they have bet. Thewinning family is the team who have the highest remaining budget by the end of the main rounds.

In this show, it is familys trust and belief in each other throughout which ultimately makes the

difference between winning - and losing - the game.

OUTLINE:

1. There are two families in each game, with five family members a piece.2. Each family starts the game with a fixed trust budget, e.g. 50,000.3. There are two popular showbiz hosts; each supports one family.4. In each round, one member from each family is randomly picked by the game for a

challengeface-off e.g., this could be dad verses dad, brother verses mum, or even sisterverses gran.

5. Challenges are randomly selected, and are a mixture of:Mental (e.g. quick-fire questions on a topic; a logical puzzle)

Physical (e.g. ten correct trampoline squats; correctly following a dance routine) and

Outrageous (e.g. freestyle rap battle; one minute stand-up routine)

6. Once the two family members have been selected at random, and the rounds challengerevealed, the remaining family members must choose and agree on how much of their trust

budget they are willing to gamble on their family member winning the round.

7. How much they gamble is a concealed bet and is not revealed to the other family, but isrevealed to the audience and to the family members playing. Each opposing family musttherefore play a guessing-game as to how much trust the other family has throughout.

8. The game is played. The family of the winning player wins their gamble back and earns anextra set amount of money in the process (e.g. 2,000). The family of the losing player loses

the sum they have gambled.

9. After the five main rounds, the family who has earned and secured the highest trust budgetis revealed, and goes through to the final round. Remember: this might not necessarily be

the family who has won the most challenges; rather, the family who has known when to

trust a family member in a challenge - and so gamble big - and when not to trust and lose

little.

10. In the final round, the winning family aims to win as much of their budget as possible.However, their budget is converted into seconds of time; the quicker the family successfullycomplete the final round, the more money they will end up with:

All family members take part The secured budget is converted into seconds of round time Each second is worth a fixed amount (e.g. 1000) The final round is always a Name Ten Things rapid-fire quiz; E.g. Name Ten artists currently in the top forty chart The round moves sequentially from one family member to the next Only two passes are allowed the first incurs a fee; the second loses the game Once ten things have been successfully named, the time is stopped and this is

converted back into the familys winning prize fund. If the family fails to win the final round, they receive no money but instead are given

a Family Gamble trophy for taking part.


6/65


In summary, the game is built on the following three key concepts:

RIVALRY: An age-old tradition, from the Generation Game to Family Fortunes, we all want to keep up

with the Joneses. Rivalrys always at its best when its entertaining, exciting and potentially profitable.

COMEDY + ENTERTAINMENT: Rounds take on a number of different formats (Mental, Physical,

Outrageous), each adding a different dynamic to the game. The random selection of family members

enhances the entertainment factor imagine Dad verses Dad competing in an egg and spoon race; LittleSister verses Aunt Mary in a staring competition; Mum verses Uncle in a rap battle; Brother verses

Grandmother in a game of balance.

JEOPARDY: Families are playing for money and pride. Each show is based on the concept of skill:

completing the given challenge, and trust: believing in your family member. How much would you back

Gran in a game of balance, knowing she was up against a healthy teenager, for example? Would you bet

small and risk offending gran, or bet big out of family pride, but risk a large sum? Simple formats, but

unique combinations and the gamble factor create the strong hooks throughout.

The final round offers final added jeopardy: the prize money is converted to seconds and each family

member must take part. Naming Ten Things e.g. Name Ten different makes of carmight be easy for

mum, dad and older brother, but would it be as easy for little sister or gran? Should they pass and incur

a fee or think hard for the answer whilst losing precious seconds of money? And what if it lands on gran,

with no passes left?

However, Family Gamble is ultimately about the audience feel-good factor and satisfaction achieved

by the family coming together in the final round and working as a team to secure the prize. By the end,

the family have either won a modest amount of money and or a Family Gamble trophy. Of course,

whether they manage to leave with their family ties still intact is another matter entirely.

Family GambleHow much would you bet onyourfamily?

Dan Thomas: 07837249761 Fil Adamski: 07584287842 [email protected]


7/65

P a g e | 1

Chain of command

When cutting the chain, their loss is your gain Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski

2010


8/65

P a g e | 2

AUTHOR NAMES: Dan Thomas & Fil Adamski

TITLE OF QUIZ SHOW: Chain of command

CONCEPT: The aim of game is simple: make your way up, and remain, at the top of the chain.

1. There are six players at the beginning of the game, with a total of five rounds.

2. Questions in each round take on a standard general knowledge format; each round lastsfive minutes.

3. Players are placed into a ranked order, which forms the chain. Each round of questioning

begins with the person at the bottom of the chain; the order if this chain is randomly

decided before the game starts.

4. Each correct answer when answered by a player at the top of the chain adds a set amount

to the prize fund.

5. When a player answers a question correctly, they switch places with the person directly

above them in the chain; the same process applies when they incorrectly answer a question,except that here they switch places with thepersonbelow them in the chain. Think of the

players as magicians cups, their places being cunningly switched.

6. If they are already at the top of the chain, then they begin a winning streak. In this case,

they must keep attempting to get the questions right until the timer runs out. This boosts

their potential for big earnings. When the person at the top of the chain gets a question

wrong, they move directly to the bottomof the chain and will have to work their way back

up again.

7. If they answer a question correctly (but are notat the top of the chain) it is now the personahead of them in the chain's turn to answer a question. However, if this person were to gettheir question wrong, then the person below them would move up the chain again.

8. When a players incorrect answer causes them to move to the bottom of the chain they are

automatically put on a losing streak' here they must keep answering questions until they

get one right. Once this happens, the next person in the chain is now questioned again.

9. The player at the bottom of the chain at the end of each round is eliminated from the game.

The quizmaster says 'Cut the chain!' The player at the top of the chain at the end of the

round receives a percentage of that rounds winnings an incentive to stay firmly at the top

of the chain until the end of the round.

10. In the final round, the top two players who have not been cut from the chain continue

they now begin the Scales of Justice final round. Here, the two players are positioned on

a set ofcounterbalance scales. In this round, players aim to raise three notches above their

opponent once they have done this, they can push the button to cut the chain

themselves and win the game. However, like previous rounds, they cannot rely solely on

their own knowledge to do this, but on the failure of their opponent also.

11. For example, player A and B begin on an even balance. A begins, as he/she performed best

in the previous four rounds. A gets the question right, so moves up a notch; it is now Bs

question. B gets the question wrong, so B moves down and A moves up again by default

A is now only one notch away from winning. However, if A now gets his question wrong, Bmoves up and A moves back down B now has a fighting chance again. This continues until

one manages to get themselves a full three-notches above their opponent to cut the chain.


9/65

P a g e | 3

TREATMENT: In Chain of Command, players do not win purely by providing correct answers alone.

Rather, each player progresses through their victoriesandothers losses. This is an important

change in dynamic players can no-longer rely solely on their own intelligence, but equally on the

misfortune of others.

Rather than make a linear progression from F to A, in this game players positions are dictated by the

player directly in front and behind them. Again, think of the players as cups in a magicians trick

they do not move in a straight line back and forth, but rather are switched into their new positions

each time.

Main game:

1) Starting positions:

F| E | D | C | B | A

2) 'F' begins; gets their question right:

E |F | D | C | B| A

3) As they got their question right, it is now 'D's turn to answer a question:E |F |D | C | B| A

4) 'D' got their question wrong, so they go down the chain by a place. 'F' has moved up the chain by

not even answering a question!

E |D | F | C | B| A

D is one step closer to being cut from the chain at the end of the round. Questioning now begins

with C, and so on.

Winning & losing streaks: Lets progress the game further we are now nearing the end of theround. The line of questioning has progressed to the top of the chain (in this scenario player B). If

player B gets their question right, they are now on a winning streak, and remain here until they

either get a question wrong, or the timer runs out. Here, they can earn big money for the jackpot.

e.g.

1) B gets their question right and begins a winning streak:

E |D | F | C | A| B BB...

2) Timer is still going. B Gets a question wrong and moves to the bottom of the chain:

B |E | D | F | C| A

In this case, everyone has now moved up. B must now face a losing streak, continually asked

questions until they get one right:

...BB B |E | D | F | C| A

Once they have got their question right, the next question now begins with the second-bottom of

the chain again, in this case player E.

End of the round: The timer is now up. B, who worked their way to the top of the chain, and won a

fair bit of money for the jackpot has suddenly found himself at the bottom of the chain as the timer

has gone. He is now cut from the chain the next rounds will continue without him:

B / / E | D | F | C| A


10/65

P a g e | 4

Scales of Justice End of the game:

The fourth round is now over. Lets say for example that D, C and F were in round four; C was at the

bottom of the chain when the timer ended. This leaves D and F to face the Scales of Justice.

D performed better in the previous four rounds (i.e. was nearer the top of the chain more than F;

earned more money in a winning streak, etc), so D is asked his question first. Both players begin

equally balanced on the scales:

1)

2) D is asked their question first; he gets his question right, so moves up a notch. F moves down:

3) F is now asked their question first; in this case he gets his wrong. D moves up again; F moves

down again:

4) D is now only one notch away from being able to cut the chain and win the game; however the

pressure gets to D and he answers his question wrongly. Frustratingly for D, he now moves down

one, and F moves up he has given F a fighting chance:

5) F now proceeds to get their question right. They are now back on an even balance with D:

5) This continues until one player manages to create a three-notch lead over their opponent. Once

this happens, they cut the chain themselves and remove the other player, claiming the prize

winnings all to themselves. The game is now over:

DF

D

F

+1

-1

D

F

+2

-2

D

F

-1

+1

DF

D

F+3

-3


11/65

P a g e | 5

The game relies on three clear premises - knowledge, luck and nerve:

Knowledge: Players must have a sound general knowledge to progress through the game.

Luck: Players must have good luck and fortune, relying on others to make mistakes in order for them

to continue.

Nerve: Players must be able to hold their nerve under pressure, not allowing the countdown of the

timer, pressure of winning streaks or worry of losing streaks to impact on their quest to stay at the

top of the chain and eventually win the prize.

The hook of the quizshow lies in watching each contestants own strength and vulnerability of others

at the same time; an individual game in a team format. The audience will have to ask themselves

who they want to win: the person that consistently answers all their questions correctly, the person

that gets lucky by others misfortune, or the person who can hold their nerve under pressure.

Who would you back?

Chain of CommandWhen cutting the chain, their loss is your gain

Other ideas by Thomas & Adamski:

Downfall Every loser wins: A ruthless team game, where the player with the most incorrect

answers at the end of the quiz is offered either the ultimate sacrifice - share with the whole team; or

the ultimate treachery - take the money all for yourself. A quizshow for the credit-crunch

generation.

Ti:me is Mony: A nostalgic tour-de-force for all generations, where three teams of four battle their

knowledge of the eras (80s, 90s, 00s) in order to win the prize fund in the final round. Here, time

literally is money, as each correct answer nets the respective team both one thousand pounds, and

one second of time towards the final round. A quizshow celebrating nostalgic values, generational

divides, and what it means to be part of an era.

CONTACT DETAILS

Dan Thomas & Fil Adamski

27 Chapel Street

Oadby

LE2 5AD

Tel: +447837249761 (Thomas)

+447921172143 (Adamski)

Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski 2010

All Rights Reserved


12/65

The Hunted


2010


13/65

P a g e | 2


AUTHOR NAMES: Fil Adamski& Dan Thomas

TITLE OF GAMESHOW: TheHunted

CONCEPT: A game of city espionage think of The Crystal Maze meets Jack Bauers 24.

Two contestants (who do not know each other previously) must work together to complete seven key

challenges across London each challenge successfully completed earns money towards the final prize

fund. However, one contestant is on the ground with an earpiece (The Hunted), the other (The Mole) is

in a control room with a microphone, watching The Hunteds progress.

Can they work together through each challenge to take a share of the prize fund at the end? Will they

learn to trust each others instincts? Or will fear of betrayal tear The Hunter and The Mole apart?

1. There are two contestants at the beginning of the game, with a total ofseven main challenges.2. There is no host or voice-over for this show like the two contestants taking part, the audience

is put straight into the action, having to work out the game as it unfolds along with thecontestants.

3. Each challenge earns a fixed amount ofprize money for the two contestants.4. The prize money is incremental and increases with every successfully completed challenge

each increased amount is dependent on the success of the previous task.

5. If the contestants fail a challenge, dye explodes and destroys the money on the spot. Theymust then start the next challenge at the same level of prize-money.

6. The game is set between a mixture ofinterior and exterior challenges, and is completed atnight(in darkness) for effect.

7. The Mole has access to CCTV, GPS, a microphone headset, and notes to guide.8. The Hunted has only an earpiece, microphone headset and The Mole to help. Before the game

begins, he is strapped up to a heart monitor. His heart rate is then shown at key intervals ofeach task; in some tasks he must keep this down to succeed the challenge.

9. There are two possible endings to the game:1) The Hunted and The Mole walk away with a split share of the prize money,2) The Hunted and The Mole lose all the money to The Enemy

10.The first and final challenges are the same for each episode, others in between can be altered.

CHALLENGES: 1. Disorientation

This begins each game. The Hunted is in a dark room with a spotlight shining on him. The Mole makes

contact and introduces himself. The lights in the room switch on. The room has numbers all over the

walls, desk, and floor. An automated voice reads out different numbers in a monotonous voice. TheMole has to give The Hunted a 16-digit pin code, which he must enter into a keypad to exit. The Hunted

must first locate the keypad, which is hidden amongst the scrawled numbers in the room. Once he has

done this, he must correctly enter the pincode for the rooms door to open. They have three attempts;

failure results in the money being destroyed, before the door is automatically opened.

2. BPM (Beats per minute)

The Hunted enters a pitch black room. The Mole has access to night-vision cameras and can see there

are a series of tunnels ahead. The Mole must lead the runner through the tunnels to the other side of

the room, as the tunnel begins to fill with water. However, if The Hunteds heartbeat goes over a certain

limit, they lose the money for that challenge. Its up to The Mole to keep the runner calm in order to

successfully make it to the other side.


14/65

P a g e | 3


3. Blind Faith

The Hunted enters a room which is completely empty, aside from a ringing phone located on the left

hand wall, and a timer counting down on the wall at the far end. The room is filled with light-beams

which only The Mole can see. Its up to The Mole to guide The Hunted over and around the light-beams

to the other side in the allocated time. If The Hunted crosses a beam three times, or the timer runs out,they lose the money for that challenge. There are two paths through the room; the path to the ringing

phone is tougher, but could lead to a greater financial reward upon an answer.

4. Surveillance

A photo-fit of a target given to The Mole. This target is set to make a dead-drop in a crowded place in

London (e.g. Trafalgar Square). The Hunted must first make his way to the correct location, guided by

The Moles GPS instructions. Once hes there, its then up to The Mole to locate the target through CCTV

and by communicating with The Hunted, then wait for the target to make the drop and intercept before

the item is collected by an associate.

5. The RoomThe Hunted enters an empty, dilapidated house and must effectively evade capture. Guided by The

Mole, The Hunted must first work out the best room to hide in, before finding the best place within that

room to hide. There is a strict time limit on this task when the time is up a team known only as The

Enemy enters the house. If they find him, the task and money is lost; they must also face a sub-task

Interrogation (see appendix).

6.Sprint

The Hunted must travel across London on foot, sprinting to the Safe House where the prize money is

stored, using The Moles GPS system. A strict time limit is given for this, and the prize money is halved if

the contestants fail to get to the safe house in time. Numerous obstacles, e.g. cordoned off zones (not

on the GPS), hot spots to avoid and The Enemy chasing behind make this a fiendish task.

*White noise

At a given point during Sprint (or a similar task), the connection between The Mole and The Hunted is

suddenly cut, replaced by white noise and static for both the Mole and The Hunted; neither knows this is

going to happen. The Enemy then contacts The Hunted through his earpiece and says:

What I'm about to tell you cannot be mentioned to The Mole; if you do, you will lose everything.

Ask yourself: how helpful has The Mole really been to your cause? You'll be given the ultimate choice

very soon. Choose verycarefully.

The connection is then resumed between the two. The aim of this statement is to put the trust-worthiness of The Mole into question in the mind of the Hunted - this will work especially well if previous

tasks have not gone to plan.

The Hunted finally reaches the Safe house. There is no key: to get in, The Hunted must realise he has

been given a swipe card, which has been on his person the whole time (e.g. taped to him, in his back

pocket, etc). Only once he has done this and entered the safe house does the previous Sprint challenge

end.

7. A-greed

The Final Challenge. Once inside the Safe House, The Hunted is confronted with two doors in front of

him. Each door has an ambiguous name on the door, e.g. Fate and Truth. The Mole is told which doorgenuinelyleads to the prize money; however, the audience are not shown which one. The Mole is not


15/65

P a g e | 4


allowed to say how he knows this to The Hunted. The Hunted and The Mole must discuss and agree on

one door that The Hunted should go through; they are given two minutes to discuss and decide. If the

team have worked well, and trust each other, they will agree on the correct door; if The Mole has

performed badly, The Hunter may not trust him when he says he knows where the money is, and choose

the otherdoor. Will White Noise succeed?

When the times up, The Huntedand the Mole must agreed which door The Hunted will go through,

followed by the phrase Agreed. The Hunted mustthen go through their chosen door immediately.

Each room contains a closed briefcase under a spotlight.

1) If they correctly choose the prize split door, The Hunter will open the briefcase to reveal theprize money.

2) If they choose the wrong door, The Hunter will open the briefcase and find it completely empty.At this point the lights go on; the room is revealed to be the first room in which The Hunterbegan, completely covered in random numbers. The door locks, and the same monotonous

voice begins to read out random digits. The games over: The Hunter and The Mole have both

lost.

ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES: Interrogation

The Hunted is lead to another room in the house and sat on a hard, steel chair. He is then questioned for

three minutes about himself and his life (e.g. name, age, if hes married, has kids, etc). To complete the

challenge, The Mole must feed The Hunted a series of lies for each question, which The Hunted must

pass off as the truth. The Hunteds heart monitor is displayed on screen: if this rises too high, theyautomatically fail the task.

Stealth

The Hunted must enter a designated (real) pub. The Mole must instruct The Hunted to purchase a drink,

and then successfully locate a designated pair (actors) who are chatting somewhere in the pub. The

Mole has info in front him which will help with this. Once he has successfully located the pair, The

Hunted must subtly listen to the conversation and gain the secret codeword which will be mentioned

several times by the duo. He must then say this codeword to the barman - if correct the barman will

lead The Hunted out the back and onto the next challenge. However there is a time limit: once this

time limit is reached, a man (also an actor) will come in and attempt to start a bar fight once thishappens, they have failed the task.

Clocked

The Hunted enters an empty, minimalist room. The only object inside is an LCD timer which counts

down (beginning at five minutes). The clock is securely fixed into the wall. The sound of a racing

heartbeat is played through a speaker in the wall. It is up to The Mole and The Hunted to first work out

what they must do (stop the clock before it runs out), then to find a way in which to do so. The Hunted

must search the room, with the aid of The Mole, to find a hidden switch which will stop the clock. As

with other tasks, The Hunteds heartbeat must not raise too high for this task something he will find

increasingly difficult when the racing heartbeat continues to play over the speaker.


16/65

P a g e | 5


The Search

The Hunted is given clues by The Mole as to where a microchip is hidden in a mocked-up living room.

Their aim is to rip apart the room and try and find the microchip before the alarm is set off and the

response team (The Enemy) come to find them.

Tracker

The Mole has to keep a member of the public talking on the phone long enough for The Hunted to place

a tracking device on their car. The Mole has to give subtle hints to The Hunted that the person is getting

closer to their vehicle. If the person gets there before the tracker is placed, they fail.

Breakout

The Hunted exits a door which opens out onto a field. In the distance there is another building with a

light over the door. The Mole is given the challenge: it just says RUN! After The Mole has said this, the

communication between the two cuts out, alarms start ringing, and floodlights focus in on The Hunter. Aloudspeaker says, The response team is behind you. Give yourself up now, or face the consequences.

The Hunter starts running. Once the Hunter has reached a certain distance from the door, the response

team exit the door and start chasing him. He has to reach the opposite door and solve the simple puzzle

on it to avoid capture.

Dead weight

In the middle of the room is a cash dispenser. This dispenser drops one pound coins onto a flat surface.

The Mole and The hunted are told the surface can only withstand a certain weight before it cracks and

everything on it is lost. They must try and guess correctly how much of the prize money for that round

the surface can withstand. This amount then drops onto to the surface. If they have been greedy andchosen a large amount, the surface will crack and the money will be lost.

Meeting

The Hunted must locate and then introduce himself to a man (actor) waiting in a given location in

London. The Mole must then feed The Hunted lines and responses to the mans questions. If he

successfully answers all of the mans questions without him getting suspicious, they win the task. If their

cover is blown, or The Hunteds heartbeat rises too high, they fail the task instantly.

Roulette

The Hunted is lead to a secure location via The Moles GPS. He then enters a room: inside are six (mock)guns, all identical, each hanging in a separate glass cabinets around the room. A strict time limit is set for

this task. At the far end of the room, a sealed glass cabinet with a briefcase inside is clearly visible.

Under each gun, is a plaque, with a simple codename relating either to the Moles or the Hunteds life,

e.g. if The Mole has a son called Mark, it will say, Codename: Mark. The Mole and The Hunted must

discuss which gun they think has the ammunition in and why, based on the Codename. This could be

made more fiendish by a subtle clue on the floor, saying something like: The one youll never betray.

Once they have decided and agreed, The Hunted must take the chosen gun out of the cabinet, stand at

the back of the room and fire it at the cabinet with the briefcase in. If they have chosen the correct

gun, the cabinet will shatter, allowing The Hunted to take the briefcase and win the task.

The Hunted


17/65

P a g e | 1

Ti:me is Mony

A new generational quizshow for the Noughties

Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski

2009


18/65

P a g e | 2


TITLE OF SHOW: Ti:me is Mony

FORMAT OF SHOW: Quiz Show

CONCEPT: Ti:me is Mony A nostalgic tour-de-force for all generations, where three teams of

four battle their knowledge of the eras (80s, 90s, 00s) in order to win the prize fund in the final

round. Here, time literally is money, as each correct answer nets the respective team both one

thousand pounds, and one second of time towards the final round.

However, the final round adds a cunning twist: the winning teams accumulated prize fund is

converted into seconds; these seconds then continue to count down until the team has correctly

answered the ten rapid-fire questions of the final round. The number of seconds left is then

converted back into 1000s, and shared by the winning team.

The games appeal lies in its nostalgic values, generational divide, and fiendish final round.

RULES:

1. There are 12 players in total, split into three teams of four2. Each team represents an era (e.g. 80s, 90s, 00s)3. There are three main rounds, and a final quick-fire round at the end4. Questions for each team are based on their key knowledge for their particular era5. The aim of the game is for each team to correctly answer their questions (based in their

era of specialism), in order to build up time for the final round (1 second per question)

6. The team with the most amount of correct answers goes through to the final quick-fireround at the end of the game

7. Each correct answer earns one second of time and one thousand pounds. For example,80s team make it into the final round. They have answered 13 questions correctly in total,

so have 13 seconds for the final round, and a maximum potential of 13,000 in the prize

fund

8. The final round is a quick-fire set of ten questions. The team in the final round mustchoose one team member to answer these ten questions. That person will have the total

time they accumulated throughout the three rounds to correctly answer the questions.

9. Here, as time ticks away, so does the teams prize fund. The questions take on a nameten things format, where the chosen player must name 10 items associated within their

era. For example, Name ten top-ten 80s hits

10.If the contestant fails to do this in the time allotted, the team takes home no prize fund(only the glory of winning the game). If they do succeed in this, the remaining time left is

converted back into thousands of pounds, and the team take home a share of the

winnings

11.The emphasis of the game is primarily on the nostalgic element, with the prize fund andfinal round acting as an additional adrenaline hook for the audience.


19/65

P a g e | 3

TREATMENT: We all think we know our own eras inside out name a film, song or news event and

were bound to know it arent we? With every generation comes the same feeling of superiority:

better music, fashion and family values.

Ti:me is Mony builds on this premise, asking three teams of four (friends or family members) to

compete against each other, proving by way of their knowledge that their generation was indeed,

the best. Ti:me is Mony is about more than the final prize: its about proving a point.

Teams are placed and divided around a semi-circular clockface, with the host stood in the middle

(seefig. 1).

The first round begins. Here, the 80s team begin the round by answering five questions, each based

on their era; any member of the team may buzz in to answer the question here. Ideally, questions

will take on a variety of mediums, from playing short TV clips from the archives, to playing the intro

to an 80s song or clip from a famous political speech, as well as standard question and answer

formats. This will allow the show to be much more of a nostalgic trip down memory lane for both

contestants and the audience, rather than a straightforward (and much dryer) question and answerquizshow. The first round continues for the 90s and 00s team, in much the same manner.

Round two follows this same format; however, in round three, contestants from each team must

complete an era-based challenge in an allotted amount of time, in order to secure their seconds, and

corresponding final-round time. For example, 80s team may have to select one person to complete

one side a Rubiks cube within two minutes; 90s team might have learn and recite the lyrics to a

classic 90s song or film; 00s might have to gain a certain score when playing a song from their

decade on Rockband. These rounds would vary each week to maintain an element of surprise for

contestants and audience members alike.

Following on from this, the team who has gained the most amount of time over the three rounds

automatically go through to the final round. Should there be a tie, contestants must compete in an

elimination round, in which teams who do not get their question right are automatically put out of

the game.

The final round is all about pressure and adrenaline. Firstly, the winning teams seconds are

converted into corresponding thousands of pounds; so 14 seconds would equal a maximum prize-

fund of 14,000, for example. This amount is now displayed clearly on the bottom-right of the

screen (seefig. 2). The team must now choose one person to compete in the final round.

Once the person has been chosen, the final round begins. The lights are dimmed, and a faint

heartbeat sounds in the background. The contestant must now name ten things related to their

era (for example, Name ten 90s films) as quickly as they can, in their given time. Here, the

thousands act as seconds, visually counting down as the contestant desperately tries to answer the

question as quickly as possible. Other contestants are not allowed to help.

The game ends when either the contestant runs out of time (and also, therefore, money) before

they can name ten things, or (ideally), they manage to correctly answer in a certain amount of time,

taking home the remaining thousands to share with their team. Whilst the money is a clear bonus,

contestants are still made to feel they are winners even if they go home with no prize money: they

proved that they knew their era the most, and that therefore, theyve proved their era to be the

best.


20/65

P a g e | 4

NOTES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

i) It is intended that the host be a fun and engaging part of the quizshow, adding both to the sense

of fun and drama of the show - a Danny Wallace or Richard Hammond-type character.

ii) 80s, 90s and 00s teams are a guideline only (based on targeting a prime audience); these can of

course be changed to 60s 70s and 80s or similar, either permanently, or for one-off specials. Assuch, the quizshow can clearly appeal to a broad audience spectrum. Indeed, it may be particularly

interesting to see a 30s, 40s and 50s special! However, contestants do nothave to be born in the

decade they are representing; they must simply believe that their chosen decade is the best for

whatever personal reason.

iii) The show is intended to be a prime-time Saturday show; a hark-back to family-friendly

entertainment, where family and friends can share in rivalry, identity and gratification.

iv) Ideally, the show should last around 30 minutes though it could easily be extended to a full

hour, with extra rounds and increased banter and interaction from the host.

v) Other ideas for the third-round challenge include: text / email a certain passage in an allotted

time (00s), act out a scene from a classic film (any decade) or complete a full round of a classic

computer game without dying (e.g. Super Mario; Pac Man, etc). Rather than contestants only

earning one second of time here, this challenge could incur a five or even 10 second reward. This

would allow for a fairer final round, but could decrease the pressure slightly.

vi) The era construct can be extended: for instance, each team could have a buzzer sound

synonymous with their era (i.e. 00s have a mobile phone ringtone or Inbox email noise; 90s could

have answering machine beep or voice, etc). Similarly, losing contestants could go home with a low-

value prize from their era; as could the final winning team at the end of the show. Fonts for

contestants names could also be adapted accordingly, e.g. digital typeface for the 80s team.

CONTACT DETAILS:


Independent writers of 'Format TV'

27 Chapel Street

Oadby

LE2 5AD

Tel: +447837249761 (Thomas)

+447921172143 (Adamski)

Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski 2009All Rights Reserved

Fig. 1

2

Fig. 2


21/65

P a g e | 1

Downfall

A ruthless quizshow for the credit-crunchgeneration

Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski

2009


22/65

P a g e | 2


TITLE OF SHOW: Downfall

FORMAT OF SHOW: Quiz Show

CONCEPT: Downfall Every loser wins. A subversive quiz show for the credit-crunch generation.

Players begin with the jackpot prize, which steadily decreases with every wrong answer or bad

decision made. A ruthless team game, where the player with the most incorrect answers at the end

of the quiz is offered either the ultimate sacrifice - share with the whole team, or the ultimate

treachery - take the money all for yourself.

RULES:

1. There are ten players, and one host.2. The aim of the game is to get enough questions rightin order to reach the final round, but

enough wrong to be eligible for the final prize a fine balance between manipulation and

cunning.3. Players start with the jackpoti in the prize fund.4. There are 4 rounds of 15 questions each; and a final round of quick-fire questioning.5. Players can neveradd to the prize fund, only sustain or lose from it.6. Each incorrect answer loses a fixed amount of prize money (e.g. 5,000ii). A correct

answer sustains the prize fund total.

7. Questions are based on various subject areas, eg science, current affairs, music, history,etc.

8. Players nominate each otherto answer the questions, based on who they believe mayhave the required knowledge in that area. This can be a mixture of random guesswork,

stereotype (e.g a player may look intelligent) and as the game progresses, deduction,

based on how certain players have performed over the previous rounds.

9. At the end of each round, players can choose to freeze out any other player. Thosefrozen out donot participate in the next round. Each separate freeze incurs a fixed

penalty fee of 5,000 from the prize fund. Contestants can choose notto freeze in order

to save money, but then risk those players losing them more money by incorrectly

answering questions (either through genuine error, or due to tactics) in the following

round. Players must repeat this process at the end of every round, bar the finaliii

.

10.The final round is a general-knowledge, quick-fire round against the clock. Only those whoare not frozen at this point in the game can compete and be eligible for the ultimatedilemma at the end of the game.

11.Only the player with the most incorrectanswers (accumulatively over all five rounds), whois still unfrozen in the game at the end of the final round,is eligible for the final ultimate

dilemma. If the player chooses the sacrifice (Downfall), the remaining prize money is

split evenlybetween all ten contestants (even those frozen out). If, however, the player

chooses treachery, he/she has the chance to steal the entire prize fund for themselves, by

answering one final question correctly. An incorrect answer results in everyone losing the

prize fund.


23/65

P a g e | 3

TREATMENT:

In todays credit-crunch society, everyones out for themselves. Players who participate in Downfall

must ask themselves one question: how would it feel to watch yourfortune disappear before your

very eyes?

10 players enter the studio. This is a dimly-lit, functional environment. Contestants stand around

the fixed ringed table with the presenter stood in the middle, on a rotatable pulpit. Theyre all

there for the same reason: to win a life-changing amount of money - but how far will they test their

own morality in order to get it?

The first round begins. The host, who has a presiding force in the gameiv, and acts as devils

advocate throughout, chooses the first player to begin the game. Tension builds as the host makes

his/her choice. They suddenly swing round on their pulpit, point at the chosen contestant and begin

the game with the line, [Name] YOU are my player.

This first contestant is faced with a random subject area, e.g. current afairs. A correct answer begins

the game on a high, with the prize fund sustained immediately; an incorrect answer loses the whole

team a cool 5,000 which can never be won back. Each subsequent question incorrectly answered

continues to lose this amount of money (again, see footnotes for further details). This begins the

games intense rivalry and psychological pressure. The prize total is displayed in the corner of the TV

screen, highlighting the running total throughout the 5 rounds.

As soon as the first contestant has tackled the question, he/she is given the next subject area by the

host. The contestant must now choose which other player they wish to answer the question (the

contestant cannotchoose to answer the question themselves, even if they know it). In this initialround, this is perhaps based more on chance and random guessing than informed choice; however,

in later rounds, players will make their decisions based on how other players have performed under

the differing areas (players never reveal their strengths and weaknesses.) E.g. HOST: The subject is

SCIENCE. [NAME], choose your player. Subsequent rounds follow this basic template.

At the end of every round, each player is given the chance to remove another player from the next

round of the game. They do this by freezing each other out. The players are not allowed to discuss

their choices with each other, however. Instead, the host attempts to manipulate their decisions

through pertinent and rhetorical questioning. For example, [Host] John you lost the team

20,000 in that round. I wonder whether it was because you didnt know the answers, or that yougot them wrong DELIBERATELY, so you could have a chance at the final dilemma? [Host turns to

another contestant before John has a chance to answer] Sam, what do you think? Is he

sabotaging your chances of a windfall? Etc.

Meanwhile, contestants are also made aware that for each person frozen, the team will incur a

fixed penalty fee of10,000v. This makes contestants think twice before freezing people out of the

round, without a good reason. A player can choose not to freeze (and so save money from the prize

fund), but by doing so, risk including a player in the next round who might knowingly (or accidently)

be sabotaging the game. As such, the following rounds could have as little as one or two players, or

as many as nine or ten

vi

. The added risk of freezing is that players potential strengths for certainsubject areas will also be frozen out of the game for that round. This question-and-freeze format

continues for the following four rounds.


24/65

P a g e | 4

At the end of the fourth round, players are made aware that anyone frozen out at this stage of the

game cannot be eligible for the moral dilemma at the end of the fifth and final round. Whoever

remains unfrozen for this final round takes part in a quick-fire general-knowledge round, in which

the host fires questions in a traditional quiz show format (i.e. players answer their own questions).

This final round creates a new dynamic, as the remaining contestants (who, up until this point, have

most likely answered the majority of the questions correctly, and so avoided being frozen out at the

end of each round), now have to consider whether they will deliberately answer questions

incorrectly - so as to stand a chance of being given the moral dilemma; or to answer correctly, and

risk getting nothing. NB The moral dilemma is only given to the person remaining unfrozen in this

final round, who also has the most incorrect answers overall (i.e. over and including the five rounds).

This situation could lead a domino effect and a free-fall situation, where contestants panic, and what

is left of the prize fund rapidly haemorrhages as they selfishly get every question wrong. Do they get

the questions right to sustain the prize fund, or wrong to help secure their own winnings?

The final round comes to a close. Now, the winner/loser (hence the term Every loser wins), who

has made the most incorrect answers throughout the entire course of the game (and was a

participant of the final round) is given the moral dilemma of Windfall or Downfall. Here, they are

given the chance to correctly answer one final question (Windfall). If they choose to take on the

question, there are only two possible outcomes: the player correctly answers, and therefore takes

the entire prize fund for themselves; or they incorrectly answer, and the prize money is lost for

everyone involved. Either way, the rest of the team receives nothing.

However, the player can choose to not take on the final question (Downfall), in which case the total

prize fund is split evenly between all ten contestants. The dilemma here is that those who may have

been consistently frozen out in various rounds, will still take home a share of persons hard-earned

cash. By this stage, of course, the total prize fund is likely to be severely depleted therefore, the

winner/loser would be less inclined to split the fund by 10 (It is intended that the prize fund will be

100,000 or less by this stage). Will the player share their winnings, or risk it all for their own gain?

The game ends when the choice has been made, and the reactions of all involved are revealed.

N.B. A final, possible twist to this dynamic could be the introduction of a redemption feature.

Here, the winning/losing contestant could have a chance of winning back a significant amount of the

prizefund (for example, double or tripling it). This would reduce the cynical / ruthless aspect of the

gameshow, but would appeal to the standard comfort factor most modern quizshows revolvearound. This could be done in a number of ways; one way suggested would be to have each player

hooked up to a lie detector monitor throughout the show. Then, if the winning/losing contestant

wins the final round, they are offered the money redemption ifthe monitor reveals they got the

majority of the questions wrong through genuine error, not because they were selfishly lying about

their knowledge to win the final round.


25/65

P a g e | 5

POSSIBLE WAYS TO EARN MONEY:

Could encourage home audience to text/ring in with their contact details. One person couldthen be randomly selected at the end of the fifth round. Should the contestant choose

Windfall - and then incorrectly answer the question, the total prize money (or, half total

prize money, for example) could be awarded to the lucky viewer at home instead. The

potential large winnings would act as a hook for the viewer, who would then follow each

round with despair and distain as the players potentially lose them money. A large amount

of revenue could be generated in this way.

Board game / interactive DVD spin-off for home use Online version with people competing for real amounts of money

CATCHPHRASES:

Every loser wins

Choose your player

Power to the player

The ultimate sacrifice, or the ultimatetreachery?

A you going for the Windfall, or the Downfall?

CONTACT DETAILS:


Independent writers of 'Format TV'

27 Chapel StreetOadby

LE2 5AD

Tel: +447837249761 (Thomas)

+447921172143 (Adamski)

iTotal prize fund can be adapted to suit timeslot of show. Obviously higher stakes will add the the overall

adrenaline of the show.ii

Again, the amount lost depends on the chosen prizefund; it should be high enough to cause real tension as itis lost, but not too high so as the jackpot prize will diminish too quickly before the final round.iii

Players can be repeatedly frozen out round-by-round, and so never get a chance to re-enter the questioning.

They are still eligible for the share of the prize fund at the end of the game, however.iv

It is intended that the host will act almost as an agitator, goading players and making them question their

own judgements. He / she could also have the power to take money from the total for their own reasons, for

example a too-slow response to a question. They should have complete control over the gameplay.v

If, for example, nine players all happen to freeze the same person, only one fee of, say, 10,000 is incurred.

But if nine players all freeze different contestants, they will incur a fee of 90,000. This again encourages

tactical voting, etc.vi

It is possible, although unlikely, that all players could be frozen out for a round. In this event, there is an

automatic fee of, say, 100,000. That round is then restarted, with all players unfrozen, as in the first round.

Dan Thomas and Fil Adamski 2009

All Rights Reserved


26/65

STRAIGHT TO DVDPressing play was a bad idea

By


27 CHAPEL STREETOADBYLEICESTERLE2 5AD

FIL ADAMSKI: 07584 287824DAN THOMAS: 07837 249761 07, 2010


27/65

1.

"STRAIGHT TO DVD"

FADE IN:

INT VIDEO STORE - EVENING

DAVE and GAZ stand in the corner of a run-down video store.They rifle through a DVD bargain bin.

GAZHere Dave, this looks decent:Blunt Head-Trauma.

DAVEWhos in it?

GAZJean-Claude Van --

DAVE(Interrupting) Nope.

GAZ...Damn. What about:They Came, They Saw, TheyConcurred. A dramatisation of thefinancial crisis, focusing on theheads of the banking -

DAVE(Interrupting) No! Are youdeliberately picking up trash?

GAZRight - what about this one:Straight to DVD.

DAVEWhats it about?

GAZ(Reading back of DVD)"A post-modern take on life and love,where nothing is as it seems, andpeople are not what they appear tobe."

DAVEWell, at least they weren't vagueabout it. Depressingly, that'sstill the frontrunner. What arethe quotes on the back?

GAZ furiously scans the back of the DVD.

DAVE (CONT)You should always judge a film bythe calibre of the quotes, Gaz.

GAZ

The Daily Sport says


28/65

2.

DAVE groans.

GAZ (CONT)Give it a chance! Just becausethis guy works for the Sport,doesn't mean he's all 'tits andarse' in his reviews.

DAVEFine, go on.

GAZNow this is a film (Pause)

DAVERight a film that?

GAZNo. That's all it says: "Now thisis a film."

DAVEWhat? That's just a statement!It's like me saying: "Now this isa 20 pound note."

DAVE draws out a neatly-folded twenty from his pocket.

GAZ(Under breath) You could have justsaid These are house keys. Flashgit

DAVEAlso, that could just be half thequote. The full one probably says,"Now this is a film that makesyou want to scoop your eyeballsout with a spoon." Or, probably,'Now this is a film with someserious TITS in it!"

GAZHow's that a bad thing? I bet theguy from The Independents itchingto write that. Anyway, look, it'sgot an exclamation point at the

end, so it must be good. It'smore like: "Now this is a film!"All excited about it. Plus its an18.

DAVE(Thinking) I dunno

GAZ(Checks price) 1:99.

DAVESold. (BEAT) But if it's rubbish,

I get the next three video shoppicks.


29/65

3.

GAZI'll mentally prepare myself forthat 'Weekend at Bernies' bingemarathon...

CUT TO:


30/65

4.

INT DAVES HOUSE - EVENING

DAVE and GAZ walk through the door, mid-conversation.

GAZYeah, and? I would judge the

customers if I worked there too.DAVE

But she looked at me as if I wasbuying a cheap porno. (BEAT) Waitwe haven't just purchased a cheapporno, have we?

GAZWell, you do have a slight 'cheapporno renter' look about you."Never trust a man in a turtle-neck," my mum always used to say -they're always hiding something

under there.

DAVE shoots GAZ a stare.

GAZ (CONT)Let's whack it in and find out.We'll close the curtains first,just in case, like

GAZ walks towards the DVD player.

DAVEWoah - where are you going?

GAZ To put the DVD on?

DAVENot with those shoes, you're not.Off. You always manage to traipsein a smorgasbord of shit.

GAZ groans and reluctantly kicks off his shoes. DAVE closesthe curtains and sticks the lights on. GAZ kneels down,flicks on the TV and OPENS the DVD player.

They sit back onto DAVES sofa, ready to press play.

DAVEI still have a bad feeling aboutthis

DAVE hits the play button. Nothing.

GAZYou got Poundland batteries again,didn't you?

DAVE presses hard on the play button again. A triangular'play' symbol flashes up onto the black screen of the TV.

The film begins. 'STRAIGHT TO DVD' flashes up, Comic Sansfont.


31/65

5.

DAVE (CONT)Was this created on Powerpoint orsomething?

GAZSsshhh!

An 'A' and an 'I' float down on the screen and land between'DVD'. The title now reads: STRAIGHT TO DAVID. GAZ lookspuzzled. DAVE grimaces.

An image suddenly flashes up - it's of GAZ and DAVE, sat onthe sofa, watching the film. The TV in the film also hasthe film on it, (ad infinitum) - a 'hall of mirrors'effect.

GAZ and DAVE stare at the image, mouths agog.

DAVEWhat the

DAVES words are repeated, fractions of seconds out in eachTV screen.

GAZHuh?

GAZ's words are once again repeated. DAVE spins round,checking if any cameras are setup. There aren't any. Hepeers closely at the TV - the DVD DAVE does exactly thesame. DAVE jerks back and falls against the sofa.

GAZ grabs the remote and jams his finger on the off button

- each subsequent GAZ doing the same, fractions of secondsout. The DVD switches off. A black TV screen. GAZ and DAVEboth let out a sigh.

DAVEWhat the hell was that?

GAZWell, I'm hoping it wasn't a cheapporno, as that would require us totake a good hard look in themirror

DAVEI told you it was a bad idea! Itmust be some kind of pirate.

GAZWhat kind of pirate does that?

DAVEHuh. (Pause) Ahh, forget it - I'lltake it back tomorrow night.Blockbusters are gonna wish theyhadn't bothered. Let's just stickit on the movie channel.

DAVE hits the TV remote and changes channel.


32/65

6.

TV VOICEOVER: (O.S.)"Next up: Popcorn and Tears at theready - It's the Ultimate BerniesMarathon!"

DAVESee! Things are looking upalready.

GAZ grabs a cushion from the sofa and covers his face withit. He whacks the cushion hard with his right fistrepeatedly, groaning loudly into it.

CUT TO:


33/65

7.

INT DAVES HOUSE NEXT MORNING

GAZ is asleep, sprawled over the sofa, several emptybottles of beer cluttered around him. DAVE stands in thekitchen, adjusting his tie. He's in a smart black suit. Hethrows an empty wrapper at GAZ.

DAVEOi! Get up.

GAZ groggily peels his head off the faux-leather couch.

DAVE (CONT)You didn't make it to your roomthen, I see...

GAZWhat time did I crash out?

DAVEBernie wasnt even dead yet.

GAZGod, I slept on my arm again.(Starts hitting arm) WAKE UP youlazy bastard! (BEAT) Do you everwonder if one day you'll wake upand the feeling won't come back inthe arm you slept on?

DAVENope. Though I do wonder if I'llwake up one day to find my

expensive continental beers stillin the fridge

GAZSomeones in a nowty mood.

DAVEIve got that interview today.You know the interview Ive beenwaiting fourmonths for.

GAZOh yeah, forgot about that.Thought you were just going foryour 'intellectual' look again.You ready for it?

DAVENo. I'm knackered. I didnt get tosleep 'till bout three.

GAZWhy?

DAVENerves, I guess. Kept having thisweird dream about the interview I

was running from something --


34/65

8.

DAVE looks down onto his jacket, slowly recalling hisdream. He suddenly notices a big curry stain next to one ofthe buttons.

DAVE (CONT)-- What the fuck?!

GAZ(Sheepishly) Oh, yeah I meant totell you about that.

DAVEWhat?

GAZThe other night I got a takeawayon my way home, and as I wasputting it out on a plate Iaccidently flicked a dollop ofcurry sauce onto your jacket which

was hanging over the chair. Itried rubbing the stain off, butit spread it like wildfire.

DAVE puts his head in his hands.

DAVEYou know this is my only suit!

GAZI'm sorry! I was gonna take it tothe dry cleaners, but then Iforgot. It was the best curry I've

had in ages, if that makes youfeel better.

DAVE gives GAZ an evil stare.

GAZ (CONT)You could just put an arm acrossyour chest to cover it until youget a chance to take the jacketoff - the 'Napoleon pose.

GAZ mimes the pose. DAVE shakes his head.

DAVERight - I'm gonna Cillet Bang thehell out of this thing. You caneject that DVD and then let's getsome food, I'm starving.

DAVE begins to furiously scrub the stain. GAZ goes to ejectthe DVD.

GAZIt wont eject.

DAVEJust do it.


35/65

9.

GAZIt wont eject! Its jammed.

DAVEGreat! Two quid for an unwatchablefilm reviewed by the Sport. Andnow it's mashed up my DVD player!Let's just go.

DAVE grabs his keys off the side. GAZ shoves on histrainers. They exit the house, DAVE slamming the door.Inside DAVE'S house, the DVD power light suddenly flasheson. It whirs into action.

CUT TO:


36/65

10.

EXT STREET - MORNING

GAZ and DAVE are pacing down the street. A digital clocktimer suddenly appears, bottom-left of the screen. Startingon 01.30.00, it begins counting down each second.

DAVE suddenly stops and rubs his eyes. He scowls inconfusion. A woman walks past them both.

DAVEDo you see that?

GAZWoah.

GAZ focuses his eyes into the distance.

DAVEWhat is that?

GAZThat cant be real. I mean, thatcant be possible right?

DAVE(Relieved) Thank God it's not justme.

GAZNo, I'm with you mate. Bizarre. Imean How can a backside be thatpert? I sense foul play.

DAVEWhat? No, not the woman! The time!There - counting down.

GAZWhat are you on about?

DAVEIt's sort of in front of us, tothe right. What is that?

The time now reads 01.29.05.

GAZYou know, at times I worry aboutyou, I really do. One of God'sfinest creations walk right pastyou, and you're worried about theflaming time - Jees.

The scene suddenly pauses a moment, DAVE and GAZS actionsfreeze-framed.

JUMP CUT TO:


37/65

11.

EXT STREET 2 MINUTES LATER

DAVE and GAZ are now suddenly further down the street,approaching a cafe. The time now reads 01.27.05.

GAZ

-- and I went: Get out of thedamn broom cupboard! I aint AndyPeters, mate.

DAVE and GAZ suddenly stop. DAVE scowls in confusion.

DAVEDid something just happen there?Did I black out?

GAZI've no idea what I was talkingabout. I've not even got a broomcupboard.

DAVEThere, the timer's counted down -we've just lost two minutes ofconversation. Something'sdefinitely not right.

GAZCompletely - I mean, why would Istart talking about Andy Peters?Here - Gabbies'll sort it.

GAZ points to Gabbies local cafe on their immediate left.

GAZ and DAVE look at the hand-written ad on the front ofthe cafe window. It reads: *NEW! 'The Sloppy Susan' - thedirtiest baps you ever seen!!! 2.99. Free sachet ofMusterd!! (Sic)

GAZ (CONT)The rumours were true! GET IN!

CUT TO:


38/65

12.

INT GABBIES MINUTES LATER

GAZ and DAVE sit in the half-empty cafe. DAVE holds hishead in his hands. The timer reads 01.24.35.

GAZ

Would you snap out of it already?DAVE

Are you sure you cant see thattime?

GAZThere is no time!

DAVEI'm going mental That could becounting down 'til my death.

GAZWell, if it is, at least you'll goout swinging with an artery-bursting burger.

DAVE looks around for a waitress. As he is lookingbackwards, text appears in the top right of the screen,displaying: LANGUAGE CONTROLS.

DAVEHow are we not getting served yet?Where's the waitress? This isn'tClaridges, for Christ's sake.There are about three people in

here.

A drop-down menu appears in the top right of the screen. Itreads: LANGUAGE - SPANISH SUBTITLES.

GAZ (O.S.)(Booming deep Spanish accent) Esprobable que est teniendo unmaricn maoso...

DAVE slowly turns his head back round, and looks at GAZwith a confused expression. English subtitles appear at thebottom, saying She's probably off having a crafty fag.

DAVE (SPEAKING SPANISH)Why are you speaking Spanish?!

DAVE'S eyes look around quizzically, as the Spanish wordsfall from his mouth.

DAVE (CONT) (SPANISH)Why amIspeaking Spanish? (BEAT)I cant even speak Spanish!

GAZ (SPANISH)...None of us are speakingSpanish?

DAVE looks down to the right-hand side.


39/65

13.

DAVE (SPANISH)Please tell me you can see thosesubtitles

GAZ (SPANISH)What?

DAVE (SPANISH)We're both speaking in Spanish,and there are subtitles in Englishappearing to my right, your left.

GAZ (SPANISH)No there arent?

DAVE (SPANISH)Quick, say something in Spanish

GAZ pauses for a second to remember some Spanish.

GAZMe llamo... es un... Gato GrandeGaz.

The words come out in GAZ's voice, instead of dubbing.Underneath in English subtitles we see My name is a bigcat Gaz.

DAVE (SPANISH)Yeah, that was your voice thattime though it was proper brokenSpanish - I'm talking 'Dick vanDyke does Carry on up the

Espanyola!' broken.

GAZ (SPANISH)That's what an 'E' at GCSE getsyou these days.

DAVE (SPANISH)And for some reason its given mea really camp voice!

GAZ (SPANISH)What is this it youre bangingon about?

DAVE (SPANISH)It's gotta be something to do withthat DVD.

A really enthusiastic 'HOLA!' beams from GAZ's left. DAVElooks round to see an old, sour-faced woman with a notepadand pen standing next to their table.

GAZ (SPANISH)Two of your finest 'Sloppy Susans'please, with loads of ketchup. Imtalking somuch ketchup that youwouldnt believe there was a

burger under there. Plus, the freesachet of mustard - the mustard isstill free, right?


40/65

14.

The WAITRESS takes a half-chewed pen from behind her earand scribbles down the order without looking up.

The language options flash on up again: LANGUAGE - ENGLISH- NO SUBTILES. This time, DAVE sees it. He stands up andpoints to his top-left. They are now speaking in Englishagain.

DAVEThere! That's what it is! RightGaz - I need you to head back tothe house.

GAZBut weve just ord --

DAVE(Interrupting) Sod the sluttySusans! Why does this have tohappen now? You need to sort this

DVD out for me - I've got to headto that interview.

GAZ looks a broken man. He grabs his jacket and stands up.The WAITRESS stands, notepad in hand, staring at the pair.She shrugs her shoulders and pops a cigarette into hermouth, lighting up.

DAVE (CONT)Call me when you get back to thehouse. Don't do ANYTHING untilyou've rang me.

DAVE hands GAZ the house keys.GAZ

Youre trusting mewith the housekeys? Youre not well, mate

DAVERing me when you get back. Gaz,Im begging - this interviewsreallyimportant to me dontmess this up!

GAZFine!

GAZ turns to exit the cafe. He turns back to DAVE.

GAZ (CONT)Can I not just order a takeaway,Sloppy Su --

DAVE-- Just go, will you?!

GAZFINE! Im gone.

CUT TO:


41/65

15.

INT DAVES HOUSE - LATER

GAZ barges through the door and straight to the fridge. Heopens a 'Tropicana' and swigs from the carton.

The sound from the TV suddenly catches his attention. He

tentatively closes the fridge door and looks round. On itis DAVE, pacing down the street, looking flustered.

He kicks the pavement and stumbles. The timer on the TVreads 01.10.35

GAZWell Ill be dammed...

GAZ heads into the living room, trainers still on. Hefalls back into the sofa and stares at the TV. He takesanother swig of juice and pulls out his mobile phone,before dialling DAVE.

CUT TO:


42/65

16.

EXT STREET - CONTINUOUS

DAVE still paces down the street, his eyes darting betweenthe pavement and the timer. His phone suddenly rings.

DAVE

What the hell took you so long?GAZ (O.S.)

There was a queue for the cashmachine. People need to get thatonline banking...

DAVE(Irate) I told you to go straighthome!

GAZ (O.S.)Chill out - I made it, didn't I?You won't believe it. You're on

the TV, talking to me.

DAVEWhat dyou mean?

GAZ (O.S.)It's like... you're in the movie.You ARE the movie. And, trust me -the camera does add 10 lbs...

DAVE suddenly stops and looks around.

GAZ (CONT) (O.S.)

Right - what do you want me to do?

The camera instinctively zooms in on DAVE.

DAVEIf this is a DVD...and God knowshow I'm going to explain this tomy mother...then...can't you skipit...forward a bit? Ill know ifIve got the job or not then,without having to do theinterview.

GAZ (O.S.)(Muses) Yeah. Or... backwards?

DAVENO. Absolutely not. I once sawchildbirth in reverse on theDiscovery Channel and it's not apretty picture - trust me. Im notrunning that risk. NO skippingbackwards.

GAZ (O.S.)Wait. If I do skip backwards,where will Ibe? I mean, I was

with you before. If I skipbackwards, will I be back outside


43/65

17.

the cafe as well?.. I could getthat Sloppy Susan after all!

DAVEDont even --

GAZ (O.S.)-- Dont worry, Dave mate! Itllbe alright.

DAVEI'm not joking with you. DON'TTOUCH THAT --

GAZ jams his hand on the 'Previous' button.

CUT TO:


44/65

18.

(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE CONTINUOUS / (DVD) INT - CAFE -MINUTES EARLIER

GAZ watches the TV as DVD DAVE and DVD GAZ have a previousconversation for the second time.

DVD DAVEI'm going mental... That could becounting down 'till my death.

DVD GAZAt least you'll go out swingingwith an artery-bursting burger.

DVD DAVE looks around for a waitress. GAZ stares at the TV,mouth agog.

GAZI wonder...

He presses the DVD's remote, hitting the language options.It reads: LANGUAGE SPANISH - SUBTITLES.

DVD GAZ (ON SCREEN)(Booming deep Spanish accent)Esprobable que est teniendo unmaricn maoso...

GAZYoure kiddingme.

The conversation from earlier continues, as GAZ watcheson.

GAZ pauses the DVD. DVD DAVE holds his head in his hands.DVD GAZ stares intently into the food menu, about to lookat the WAITRESS. GAZ dials DAVE. No answer. GAZ looks atthe phone: CALLER ID NOT AVAILABLE.

GAZShit!

GAZ hits play again. DVD GAZ orders the sloppy Susans for asecond time. Gaz watches on, distraught.

GAZ

Trust me mate you aint going toget em.

GAZ sighs, pressing the remotes language button again.LANGUAGE - ENGLISH - NO SUBTILES flashes up on the DVD.

DVD DAVEThere! That's what it is! RightGaz - I need you to head back tothe house.

GAZ shakes his head and hits the Previous' button again.

CUT TO:


45/65

19.

(DVD) EXT - STREET - MINUTES EARLIER /(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The scene on the TV cuts to the STREET. GAZ staresintently at the screen. The time on the TV now reads01.27.05again.

DVD GAZ-- and I went: Get out of thedamn broom cupboard! I aint AndyPeters, mate.

DVD DAVEDid something just happen there?Did I black out?

DVD GAZI've no idea what I was talkingabout. I've not even got a broomcupboard.

GAZNo, no, no! I've gone and screwedup the space-time continuum!Christopher Lloyd was right

GAZ hits the 'Previous' button for a third time.

CUT TO:


46/65

20.

(DVD) EXT - STREET - MINUTES EARLIER /(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

On the TV, DVD GAZ and DVD DAVE pace down the street. GAZpresses Previous again: No scene available

GAZHuh.

He presses 'Display' on the remote, which brings a timer onthe bottom-right of the TV screen.

Starting on 01.30.00, it begins counting down each second.DVD DAVE suddenly stops, rubs his eyes, scowling inconfusion.

DVD DAVEDo you see that?

DVD GAZWoah.

DVD DAVEWhat is that?

DVD GAZThat cant be real. I mean, thatcant be possible right?

GAZ jerks back in confusion and amazement, accidentallyleaning on the DVD controls again as he does so.

Simultaneously pressing in the DVD controller's PAUSE and

FORWARD buttons at the same time, the DVD temporarily jams,freezing DVD DAVE AND GAZ before skipping forward.

JUMP CUT TO:


47/65

21.

(DVD) EXT - STREET - MINUTES LATER /(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

GAZ stares intently at the screen. The time on the TV nowreads 01.27.05again.

DVD GAZ-- and I went: Get out of thedamn broom cupboard! I aint AndyPeters, mate.

GAZWhat the hell was thatconversation about?! Im sick ofAndy bloody Peters.

GAZ taps the 'Forward' button repeatedly, in frustration.It skips forward to the last scene.

JUMP CUT TO:


48/65

22.

(DVD) EXT - STREET - 00.00.60 /(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

DVD DAVE is running down the street, looking flustered andnervous. GAZ watches the action unfold on screen.

DVD DAVEAre you getting this, Gaz?

GAZWhat? What am I supposed to begetting?

DVD DAVEI dont even know who the hell youare?!

GAZHes officially lost the plot.

DVD DAVEThe case! Hes on the case!

GAZDamn right I am! Im gonna sortthis for you, Dave mate.

GAZ watches as DAVE crosses the road. DAVE suddenly stopsand looks up and to the right.

DVD DAVEInput the damn thing!

GAZHuh?

The timer is now on 10 seconds. DAVE looks distracted.Suddenly, out of nowhere an artic lorry steams towardsDAVE, horn blaring.

GAZWhat the hell?!

DAVE looks in its direction - we see a close up of hisface. He screams. GAZ jams his hand on the 'Previous'button.

CUT TO:


49/65

23.

(REAL) INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS /(DVD) INT - INTERVIEW ROOM - 00.10.00

DVD DAVE sits on a plush leather seat, nervously biting histhumbs. He looks around: a half-dozen nervous faces,uncomfortably scanning the room. He looks to his bottom-left, obviously scanning the timer.

GAZ stares at the TV in disbelief.

GAZHes gonna die?! That aint good

GAZ gets out his phone and tries to ring DAVE: Caller IDnot available flashes up.

An attractive mid-twenties RECEPTIONIST strides down thecorridor towards DVD DAVE.

RECEPTIONISTMr. Higgs is ready to see you now.

DVD DAVE stands up and beams at the woman. The woman pursesher red-lipsticked mouth.

RECEPTIONIST (CONT)This way, please.

CUT TO:


50/65

24.

INT - INTERVIEW ROOM - 00.08.50

DAVE walks into the interview room. A middle-aged man in asmart Pin-stripe suit stands up from his desk and walksover to greet DAVE. He holds out his hand.

DAVE's right arm is across his stomach, covering the currystain. He awkwardly contorts his body to get some kind ofhand shake.

BOSSHello. David, is it? Or Dave?

DAVEHi. Either is fine.

BOSSSorry about the icy temperature inhere. Unfortunately we've got aproblem with the radiators. We've

got our best men working on it aswe speak.

The BOSS scowls in confusion at DAVE, noticing hisNapoleon pose.

BOSS (CONT)Are you ok?

DAVE(Looking at arm) Oh, this? I'vejust got some abdominal pain atthe moment. Nothing serious. Hurts

less if my arm is positioned thisway.

BOSSSorry to hear that. We couldreschedule if --

DAVE-- Thanks, but it's fine. We'vejust got a history of ermgastro-intestinal problems in ourfamily tree. Genetics.

BOSSHmm. I see. Please, take a seat.

The boss sits down and writes something down on a piece ofpaper. DAVE looks on, worryingly.

DAVEDo you mind if I take off myjacket?

BOSSErr are you sure? Like I said,its fairly cold in here


51/65

25.

DAVENo worries. Ive got a finelyregulated internal temperature.

He hangs his jacket up on a peg and, with his head facingaway from the boss, mouths the words "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT".The timer reads 00.07.20.

CUT TO:


52/65

26.

INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

GAZ watches the TV screen intently. He's shoving toffeepopcorn into his mouth and chewing loudly.

GAZ

(Muttering to himself) There's gotto be something on here to stopit

GAZ stares at the remote a moment, before pressing:DISPLAY - DVD COMMENTARY - ON.

GAZGood luck.

CUT TO:


53/65

27.


DAVE continues to placate the BOSS. Hes teeth chatter ashe struggles to brace the cold.

DAVE

...And I learnt, 'Always go forthe mirage, even if it's justultimately a mouthful of sand'

COMMENTARY DAVEGod That was a pretentious line,wasnt it? Definitely a last-minute rewrite.

DAVE jerks his head back, hearing what sounds like hisvoice.

BOSSYes an interesting analogy,

David. Now, tell me about

The BOSS continues to talk, his voice hushed. Over it runsthe DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY.

DIRECTORAh, this was a very interestingday. That's actually a workingoffice in Margate, you know?Mates rates. We only found outlater about the asbestos problem,didn't we?

DAVE looks confused. He tries to continue answering thequestion.

COMMENTARY DAVEI was sick as a dog for days. Itactually helped me shift a fewpounds. You see, no-one actuallytells you when you're a fatbastard - it's 'un PC'. (BEAT)Oh....wait. Listen to me chew onthe next line. 'Facilitation', wasit?

BOSS

What was your previous role?

DAVEOh! Erm Communication FacliterFAC..

COMMENTARY DAVEYeah! Eat those vowels, bitch!

The DIRECTOR and COMMENTARY DAVE both start laughing.

DAVE(Regaining composure)

...FacilitationOfficer. Sorry, Ialways have troubles with my L's.


54/65

28.

DIRECTORThats called acting, darling.Get used to it.

DAVE(Frustrated) I wish I could justSTOP HAVING THESE PARTICULARPROBLEMS RIGHT NOW... with my L's,and otherthings that shouldn't bescrewing this up for me.

DAVE looks around the room, imploring GAZ at home to dosomething to make it stop.

CUT TO:


55/65

29.

INT - DAVE'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

GAZ repeatedly presses the 'Commentary ON / OFF' button.Nothing.

GAZ

Damn cheap Poundland batteries.CUT TO:


56/65

30.


The BOSS scribbles some notes and looks up at DAVE, who hasnow turned a shade of blue from the cold.

BOSS

(Worried looking) Erm... right,ok. So where do you see yourselfin five years time?

DAVE(Listening for voices) Thank God!Theyre gone.

BOSSThey?

DAVENevermind. (PAUSE) Sorry, what wasthe question?

BOSSThatll be all, thank you. Wellbe in touch if --

DAVENO! Please. Im not normally thismental. Im just having an offday. Please, just ask me thatquestion again.

BOSS(Sighs) Where are you in five

years time?

DAVEWell, I see myself within thisorganisation, contributingeffectively --

DIRECTOR(Talking over Dave) Ah! I rememberthis scene! This is the one withthe extra from hell!

DAVE slumps his head in his hands in a resigned fashion.

COMMENTARY DAVEOh, yeah! The Water Boy. When doeshe come in?

DIRECTORAny second

There is a knock at the door of the interview. A young manenters, looking nervous.

WATER BOY(Badly acted) Would... anyone...like glasses of more water, now?


57/65

31.

BOSSWere fine, thanks.

As he leaves, the man briefly looks into the camera, beforeshuffling out.

COMMENTARY DAVEHe looked at the bloody camera!Did you see that? Christ. You justcan't get the staff these days.

DIRECTORHe was my cousin's brother-in-law.Couldn't act his way out of aplastic bag - even if it wassmothering his face...and his rolewas 'Guy getting suffocated todeath with plastic bag'.

DAVE stuffs his fingers into his ears and bangs his head on

the table in frustration. The boss shakes his head.

BOSSRight, that's quite enough. Ithink we can both agree thishasn't gone very well at all. Ithink you should leave.

DAVENo - please - wait!

DIRECTOROh, it's all downhill from here.

The climatic ending awaits...CUT TO:


58/65

32.

INT - DAVES HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

GAZ searches through a set of drawers in the kitchen theres old cutlery, pens and packs of cocktail sticksspilling everywhere. The muffled DVD dialogue plays in thebackground.

GAZHang in there DAVE mate - I'mfinding a battery! (PAUSE) Wherethe hell are the batteries?

CUT TO


59/65

33.


The BOSS angrily jabs his finger at DAVE, red faced andexasperated.

BOSS

How dare you speak that way aboutmy wife! I'll see you never workin this industry again! You'refinished.

DAVEBut

DIRECTORI still think we over-did thegratuitous violence at the end,you know.

COMMENTARY DAVE

No - it was great - an utter bloodbath! Your makeup team reallywere excellent that day...youdestroyed me.

DAVE can take no more. He jerks back from the interviewchair and yanks open the door, running into the mainreception. DAVE shouts, seemingly into mid-air. The workersstop and look to see whats causing the commotion.

DAVEGaz - for GOD's sake - stop this!You're in control! GAZ!

Two security guards head towards DAVE. DAVE panics andbegins to run through the office. The guards chase.

DIRECTORRun all you want - we all knowwhat happens!

DAVE accidently barges into thelipsticked receptionist,causing her to fall hard to the floor.

RECEPTIONISTJerk!

COMMENTARY DAVEShe genuinely did despise me, thatgirl. She stole my sandwiches fromthe fridge on set.

DAVE barges through another set of doors leading to a setof stairs. He clutches onto the banister, hurrying downtowards the exit.

DAVEGAZ! The timer's nearly out - whatdo I do? I don't understand!Please help me!

CUT TO:


60/65

34.

INT DAVES HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

GAZ is surrounded by miscellaneous junk scattered all overthe kitchen floor. He's emptied the contents of all threedraws, bar a roll of wrapping paper stuffed at the back ofbottom one.

He pulls out the paper: one solitary battery nestled in thecorner. He grabs it between thumb and finger, holding it inhis eye-line.

GAZYou canny little bastard! (PAUSE)Right - hang in there Dave - it's'Previous' time!

GAZ runs into the adjoining living room, propelling himselfover the sofa and grabbing the remote. He stuffs the newbattery into the back. On the DVD, Dave bursts out of theinterview building and onto the street.

The timer reads 00.00.60seconds. GAZ jams his finger onthe 'Previous' button. 'Operation locked' flashes on thescreen.

GAZHuh?

GAZ presses the Previous and Pause buttons again:'Operation locked'.

GAZThis is not happening!

Panicking, GAZ runs his fingers over all of the buttons Operation locked flashes up again. On the DVD, the roadappears in the distance. GAZ hovers his finger over theremotes Off button.

GAZDave... Im sorry mate. I dontknow what else to do. Im

GAZ closes his eyes, pressing hard on the Off button. Hetentatively looks up: Operation Locked. He hangs hishead, defeated.

DIRECTORThis scene is what got us the '18'certificate. God, we didn't halfhave to fight the studio for thisending...

COMMENTARY DAVEIm glad we did. The other endingwas a bit clichd and rubbish.

DAVE suddenly stops. GAZ raises his head.

DAVE / GAZ (SPLITSCREEN)

What?


61/65

35.

DIRECTORYes! Of course, that reminds me.I should say - if you got this f

TV Format Portfolio

Documents

Transcript of TV Format Portfolio