August 24, 2006

Update: Survivor Race War

Remember how awhile ago I blogged that Survivor should do a "Race War" show? Lo and behold, they're doing it. Wow.

Posted by mary at 11:55 AM | Comments (2)

January 13, 2006

Tim's Idea for a TV Show: "Who Buys that Crap?"

Tim has been a veritable font (fount?) of great ideas lately. Here's one I particularly liked (note: I changed Tim's terminology to make it just a little more prime-time friendly):

"focus on the the crap

focus on the people who buy it

e.g., i saw a kitted blanket that had a picture of a
ram standing on top of a mountain. show the host
standing next to the blanket, and he/she says, "who
buys this crap?"

host interviews several people, all of whom say
something like, "i'd never buy that," or, "i'd never
buy that crap."

host finds someone who says they like the picture of
the ram on the mountain.

host offers to pay for half of the cost on the
condition that they can interview the person AND go
into their home and look at, and talk about, all of
their other crap.

host makes the person think that they're on some
Martha Stewart interior decorating show.

host goes into home. whenever the person turns their
back on the host, the host looks into the camera and
starts to laugh."

Mary adds: I would definitely watch that. My only suggestions would be to make it more like a hidden camera thing, where you wait until someone actually buys it, then you jump out and say, "Surprise! You're on "Who Buys That Crap"!!" and the people would be so thrilled to be on teevee, they'd let you come home with them even if you didn't pay for half.

The beauty of it is: it could have an anti-consumption message, and maybe eventually it would make people think twice about purchasing horrible crap? Or anyway, you'd see crap at the store and you'd think: "There's no way there isn't a hidden camera somewhere." HGTV would love it.

Posted by mary at 10:21 AM | Comments (5)

March 13, 2005

Martin's in Love with a Suicide Blonde

(Tim and I came up with this idea last night – I'd welcome suggestions for a better title):

Genre: Misogynistic Comedy
(I wonder if VideoHound has that as a category? it should, there are enough of them.)

Plot: Nerdy, homely but lovable looser Martin falls in love with blonde suicide hotline hottie. Attempts suicide multiple times in order to spend time with her. Hilarity ensues.

Subtext: Women make you want to kill yourself.

Talent: Saturday Night Live actors

Pitch: Something About Mary meets Harold and Maude

I'm kind of getting into this pitch/proposal genre - it's perfect for me! (short and probably pointless). Maybe I'll write a query letter for this and the Patent Pending porno script.

Posted by mary at 9:27 AM | Comments (1)

February 17, 2005

The Pole Family

Kathy and I had this idea last night.

It would be either a drama, sit-com, children's book, or skit about a family: a firefighter married to a stripper, with two kids. In their two-story house they'd have several poles: one for getting from the 2nd floor to the first, one to dance around and one for tetherball. They'd have a pet polecat. There would be lots of Jackson Pollacks on the wall. They would be of Polish origin. At some point, the firefighter would get politician ambitions. She'd do some polling, run, and win! Dad would enter a pole climbing competition and win! Junior would enter a pole vaulting competition and win! The other Junior would win a big pole position competition! Then the whole family would take a trip to the North Pole and visit their relatives in North Pole.

Posted by mary at 9:34 PM | Comments (2)

December 29, 2003

Sit-Com: "Driving School"

I really want to get around to actually writing some scripts with Chris -- which is to say, I want Chris to get around to writing some scripts for me. I'll help.

The other day we came up with an idea for a sit-com which would be called "Driving School." We were actually driving when we came up with it, which may be one reason why it seemed funnier then. The main characters would be teachers at the driving school. Then you'd have rotating characters trying to get their licenses -- teenagers, drunks, little old ladies, people from countries that don't have cars, New Yorkers, etc. At least one recurring character would be constantly trying to get his/her license and failing. The main character might be a frustrated writer or something who is teaching driving class just to get by while he/she writes his/her great screen play or novel. Maybe you'd have like an old burnt out Indie 500 driver on staff who could be constantly searching for redemption, or getting speeding tickets. One of the driving instructors could be blind, says Chris, and need another driving instructor with them. Much of it would be shot at the school itself, but then you'd also have a lot of scenes in cars, so sets would be cheap -- just need a green screen and a few cars. It would be kind of like Taxi, granted, but Taxi was a pretty good show, so that's okay. Chris will have to add any details I've forgotten.

Although I once had to take a "bad driver" class for going 40 in a 25 mile zone in that old Hudson jet I used to drive, I don't know too much about actual driving schools, but I gather there are many comedic driving schools -- I guess I knew that from the King of the Hill episode where Hank has to go to driving school and Chris Rock is the instructor -- but, just like the dog dancing episode, I didn't really know it was real!.

Pica is more of a mosh-pit thrasher, so far.

Posted by mary at 5:04 PM | Comments (2)