You guys were here at the start of this less than two weeks ago when I dashed off four pages of CRISIS ON INFINITE TEEN DRAMAS as a joke. It was basically taking the format of the big comic book mega-crossovers (and the Arrowverse crossover that the original CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS inspired) and applying it to some of the biggest teen dramas of the last 30 years.
The reaction was so good that I wrote another four pages. And then another. And another.
By then it was becoming clear to me that I'd have to finish this script I had no plan for when I started. It makes sense that I'd be drawn to something like this - teen dramas are among my favorite shows. Three years ago, when I listed the 16 Great TV Shows that made an impact on me as a writer, THE WONDER YEARS, GILMORE GIRLS, EVERWOOD and 13 REASONS WHY all made the list. Two years ago, I wrote an alternate season 3 premiere for 13 REASONS WHY, using it as an example of how to write a spec episode.
This script went from idle joke to completed spec in about eight days. I've held it for a few days because with all the protests happening across the country, it didn't feel appropriate at all to say, "Hey guys! Check this out!" It's now clear that several days into this, there IS going to be no golden time to be silly. The next five months until the election (and probably several months after) are going to be marked by continuing tragedy and aggression from Donald Trump and his party as they terrorize a nation to distract from their terrible pandemic response - and maybe make an undemocratic power grab as a bonus.
The world sucks, and things are bleak right now. Take joy where you can find it. If this script is in line with your interests, I hope it can make you smile for 75 pages. It's a loving tribute to many of the shows and creators whose work has inspired me and healed me throughout my life.
You can download the full script here.
After you click that link, press ONLY the button that says "Download" next to the script title, and ignore any pop-ups you get or any messages telling you that your Adobe Flash is out of date.
Some credit where credit is due:
BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 created by Darren Starr
DAWSON'S CREEK created by Kevin Williamson
EVERWOOD created by Greg Berlanti
GLEE created by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Ian Brennan
KATY KEENE developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacsa & Michael Grassi, based on characters by Archie Comics
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS developed by I. Marlene King, based on the novels by Sara Shepard
GILMORE GIRLS created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
ONE TREE HILL created by Mark Schwahn
RIVERDALE developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacsa, based on characters by Archie Comics
THE OC created by Josh Schwartz
VERONICA MARS created by Rob Thomas
13 REASONS WHY developed by Brian Yorkey, based on the novel by Jay Asher
THE WONDER YEARS created by Neal Marlens & Carol Black
Friday, June 5, 2020
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
