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Friday, March 1, 2013

Television Show Idea

So I got this idea for a television show.  Yes, I know I'm supposed to be working on Seven's story and more Elyrian Brides.  I am.  I am.  But sometimes other ideas pop up while I'm working.  Really a lot of times but I digress.

So anyway, I figure maybe I can sell a story idea to a network and use that money to support myself while I write for awhile.  I've got so many stories stuck in my head and not nearly enough time to dedicate to writing.

But back to the television show idea.  I head on over to BounceTV because it is a new network and I figure they could use some story ideas.  This is the time to be new and innovative when no one is checking for you.  At least that is the way I figure it.  I read that they aren't soliciting for story ideas at this time.  They do, however, have a release that you need to read and sign before they will even consider hearing/reading your pitch.

So I read their release.  You can check it out on their site BounceTV submission agreements.  So I'm reading the agreement for show ideas. *pause* My parents raised me to be a lot of things.  A fool wasn't one of them. *smh* In my very humble opinion they are tying their hands before they even begin.  Just look at their lineup.  They need some good shows STAT! *shrug* But they seem to be trying to do it the same old way.  Which will net them the same old show formats.  The long standing networks aren't doing too well with the old show formats.  I'd think that they'd recognize this and go for innovation.

Take Married With Children for example.  I love that show!  I recently snagged all eleven seasons off Amazon for $35!  Can't beat that deal.  Anyway the dvds come with cast interviews.  In one interview Ed O'Neill said that in the beginning he didn't think the show was going to make it because of some of the stuff they said.  But the fact that Fox was a new network and no one was paying attention worked for them in that regard because by the time the censors were paying attention they were a hit show and Fox had solidified itself as a viable network.

It got me to wondering, is being innovative really that hard?  You just do what the other guys aren't doing.  To me it is just that simple.

I mean take Scandal for example.  Now if you are a stand, good for you.  Enjoy.  But personally I’d rather watch my nail polish dry as I find the deepening coloring as it dries far more interesting.  I tried watching 4 episodes.  I found my mind wandering.  The last one I watched was their last chance to catch my attention and make me a fan.  It was the episode where the FLOTUS told Olivia that she was taking her husband back because Olivia wasn't even a decent sidepiece.

I sat poised and READY for Olivia to handle the FLOTUS.  But all she did was stand there sniveling while the FLOTUS flounced by her.

*blink blink*

I turned off the television and the digital box after that let down!

Look, let me qualify what I’m about to say by explaining a little bit about my upbringing.  I was a late life birth for my mother.  She was in her forties by the time I was born.  So I was raised by an old school mom with old school values that her friends and acquaintances shared.

One of those values being that the wife had the right to handle the sidepiece any way she saw fit if the sidepiece was stupid enough to step out of her place.

That said, though I understand why a sidepiece that didn't know her place would have gotten her butt served to her by the FLOTUS, I don’t understand why Olivia got her butt chewed up.  And I definitely don’t understand why she let the FLOTUS have the last word. The POTUS is a grown ass Caucasian male who can do whatever he pleases any day that ends in Y. He came sniffing for Olivia's panties not the other way around.

From what I've seen of the show, Olivia knows her place in the POTUS’ life.  So there was no need for her to be summoned to the FLOTUS.  And even then Olivia should have handled the FLOTUS not the other way around.

Let me tell you how the scene should have unfolded:

FLOTUS: I’m taking my husband back blah blah blah dee blah.*ATTEMPTS to flounce out*

Olivia: *blocks the FLOTUS’ path* Wait. Please. I just want to say I agree. You are right.  You should have him back.  Evidently he isn't strong enough at the present time to handle me and being president. He needs something *pause with dismissive head to toe eye sweep* someone like you.  He’s all yours.  *smirk, slow sexy turn on her heel and leaves the FLOTUS gape mouthed*

The rest of the series is him trying to get back into her life and her punishing him for not having the FLOTUS in check.  She should be handling her business and him.  Showing HIM how to handle a strong partner and a demanding career all while looking fabulous. She should be dating and flaunting it in his face.  The men should be fine and come in all colors and ethnic backgrounds and be rich and powerful in their own rights.  This show would run for 8 seasons.  The series finale should have the POTUS now out of office, DIVORCED, not divorcing but the papers have been signed and filed that the marriage is dissolved, and down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage.  And due to the drama and scandal that we have watched for 8 seasons we would all be sitting on the edge of our freaking seats, phones turned off, computers off, everything on PAUSE, with breaths held waiting to hear her answer.

Because for Olivia to be as bad as they are ATTEMPTING to make her out to be, she can handle it all.

To see what I mean check out the scene in the movie version of Madea’s Family Reunion where the oldest daughter is telling her mother off because she helped her stepfather rape her.  The mother is portrayed by Lady Diahann Carroll. Yes, Diahann is spelled correctly! *chuckle*

Daughter: You go to Hell!
Mother: I vacation there!

Only Lady Diahann Carroll and a select few other women like Meryl Streep could have delivered that line so perfectly. Just like that the mother’s character stole the damn scene.  I couldn't breathe after that line.  Olivia’s character should have stolen that scene and 95% of all the scenes on the show.  It is HER show!  Regardless of whether she is wrong or right it is her show and they treat Olivia's character like...well....a house slave. *shrug* She cleans up after the master of the house and his cronies and the mistress of the house is allowed to do and say anything she wants to Olivia.  Go watch the movie Mandingo and tell me if you don't see Scandal a little bit differently afterward.

As it stands, I see Scandal limping its way to 5 seasons if they are lucky.  Besides the pitiful few people I see discussing it on my FB page, they are in interracial relationships themselves, I don’t see or hear it discussed in real life.  My bff watches it.  That’s all the people I know who watch this show.

The show I just described would have made me a stand and been a hit.  It is good to have people discuss your show on the social sites.  It is even better if people are talking about it in real life.  I don’t hear this show mentioned in real life. 

Look, I get the underlying message of the show that this is what happens when a woman is left without her own mate to have her back. That is whether emotionally, spiritually, physically, sexually, etc. ABC's parent company is good at finding writers who can write a story with underlying meanings to their story lines. That's why so many black men are mad with ABC's parent company Disney. *chuckle* Hit dogs will holler. If they hadn't been so busy hollering they would have caught the underlying messages to black women in Disney's stories. I call Disney's storytelling over the past couple of decades innovative. *smirk*

Innovation.  It really ain’t that hard.  Just thinking about this blog piece I came up with another idea for a television show.  Oh well.  Someone is going to benefit from my ideas.  I can feel that in every fiber of my being.  Whether it will be BounceTV or not is yet to be seen.

*goes back to writing hard*