Easy

[Tommy West]

At his last school, Drew was the most popular guy around. Openly gay, he and his boyfriend were the school’s power couple. Things went sour after his mom hooked up with her boss' son - when her boss was their next-door neighbor. It was the last straw and finally the family packed up to move houses, moving all the way to Sunset Valley, CA. Newly single and confused about where he stands, Drew finds that life at Sunset Valley High School is going to be different. Somebody at the school has it out for him and all of his secrets are coming out once at a time.

Easy is a half-hour dramedy focused on the secrets and scandals of high school life in the fictional California town of Sunset Valley (also featured in my MZPtv movie Perfect and yes, the connection is intentional ), with an ensemble cast and a love quadrangle that's going to cause quite a bit of heartbreak for these characters!

:: REGULAR CAST ::



Drew Cunningham (Jeremy Irvine) is a boy with more secrets than he wants. Openly gay and loving it, Drew knows that he's good looking but that doesn't mean he always enjoys being around people. Quirky and perhaps even a little socially awkward, Drew has a very dry sense of humor and gets annoyed with people easily which can make befriending him quite difficult. One of the most popular guys at his last school, he finds that Sunset Valley is totally different from what he knows and ends up thrown in the deep end when one by one all of his past secrets and mistakes come back to haunt him. Drew falls in love too easy and he knows it so he's taken a vow not to get involved with anybody at his new school, a vow that obviously won't last long...



Francesca "Chess" Bell (Holland Roden) assigns herself as Drew's best friend on his very first day at Sunset Valley High and refuses to hear otherwise. More than a little outgoing, Chess is willing to take one for the team if it helps Drew fit in at the school and only wants the best for him. Naturally loyal and fun-loving, when Chess is hurt then it shows and she's known for making mistakes in her love life. Her father is the school's English teacher and is Chess' other best friend. She likes having such a close relationship with her father but on the occasion, things can become strained between them due to Chess' extreme ways of acting out and having fun.



Kian Daley (Chris Zylka) is a member of the school's football team and is openly bisexual in that order. He refuses to let his sexuality define him and has a fierce determination on the playing field that makes him a fierce opponent and one to watch out for. Off the field, he's as nice as anything and doesn't believe in the supposed school hierarchy, treating people in other cliques or even people with no other friends the same way he'd treat his teammates. Kian's not perfect though and although he tries his best to remain calm at all times, if he snaps and loses his temper then he can become your worst nightmare. A vicious and dirty fighter, Kian can have his scary moments and with his mischievous twin sister Alice whispering into his ear, he can quite often be led astray.



Brandon Pewter (Daniel Sharman) is the school's resident bad boy and makes sure everybody knows it. A heavy drinker and a bad temper compliment Brandon's good looks and muscular frame, making him more than a little imposing. Despite his reputation, Brandon's as gay as anything and but is stuck in the closet, scared of what his highly religious parents and judgmental friends might think if he was to tell them the truth.



Isaac Rutherford (Matt Dallas) is the face of the school, often proclaimed to be the most beautiful boy in town and his dreams of becoming a model are supported by almost everybody he meets. Isaac's flirtatious charm can get him out of trouble as easily as anything and the list of people with a crush on him goes on for miles. Isaac himself doesn't have any real romantic interest in anybody but he's more than willing to let friends into his bed and he's kind enough to let them stay the night too.



Mr Jonathan Bell (Lee Pace) is the school's English teacher and the father of Drew's best friend, Chess. Mr Bell takes Drew under his wing amongst the drama surrounding Drew's arrival at the school and is the sole reasonable voice of adult authority in Drew's life. Fairer than most teachers, Mr Bell only wants the best for his daughter and that doesn't always match up with what Chess wants her life to be about.

:: EPISODES ::

1x01: New Town, New Rules
Drew starts his new school with a bang when a tape of him sucking his ex-boyfriend off is posted by the school’s devious news blog and immediately puts him on everybody’s radar. Struggling to make any friends, Drew receives sage advice from his teacher, Mr Bell, who does his best to relate to him and meets Mr Bell’s teenage daughter, Chess, and finds himself with a new best friend. Chess takes him to his first Sunset Valley party where he is introduced to three eligible bachelors – Isaac, the school girl; Brandon, the school bad boy and Kian, the school jock. Drew's drink is spiked and the next day, he finds he's got a lot of explaining to do considering he made out with all three boys...

1x02: Three Kisses
Drew is confused by the cold shoulder he gets from two of his new friends after a photo from the party leaks. Chess attempts to keep people talking about Drew by spreading rumors about his ex in the sex tape, leaving him feeling a little confused about their friendship and where the boundaries lie. Mr Bell talks Drew into helping out in an extra lunch session where he starts to get close to Kian.

1x03: Everybody Loves Ooh
Chess does her best to make sure that Drew's fifteen minutes of infamy don't run out by taking advantage of a promiscuous photoshoot for an art project. Drew finds himself in the middle of a feud between Brandon and Isaac that leaves him confused about their feelings. Kian's twin sister Alice quizzes him on his feelings for Drew.

1x04: This Kiss
Chess convinces Drew to co-host a party with her after she convinces her father to attend a teachers resort for the weekend. Drew’s determined to remain sober this time but other people have no such qualms and a fight breaks out when Brandon has one drink too many. Kian struggles with his feelings whilst Isaac finds himself some joy whilst playing the role of the victim.

1x05: Mr Heartbreaker
Mr Bell suspects that Chess is back with her jock ex-boyfriend who previously cheated on her and broke her heart so he asks Drew to look out for her. Drew uses the opportunity to get close with Kian, who's at near breaking point when he can no longer deny what his heart is telling him. Chess finds herself growing desperate for love and acceptance, something that leads her to make a disastrous mistake.

1x06: Bug A Boo
Drew is confused about where he stands with Isaac when he discovers some distressing news about his friend. Mr Bell struggles to relate to Drew when the younger boy decides to conceal some elements in his story. Chess gets close with Brandon and Drew worries that she'll start picking up his bad habits. Kian decides that it's finally time to admit the truth but fate leads him to do it at totally the wrong minute, potentially ruining everything.

1x07: Careers Fair
1x08: Sucks To Be You
1x09: Dead Man Walking
1x10: Girl At Home
1x11: Animal Heaven
1x12: Big Plans

:: NOTES ::

Finally pitching this! I've been playing around with this idea for quite a while but after writing the pilot in twenty-four hours I thought it was finally time to go ahead with it! I'm going to do some edits on the pilot before likely uploading it tomorrow but I wanted to get a pitch out there already! A fair warning, this series is going to be quite explicit in both its swearing and sexual content.

[Ms. Kerry]

I like that you have put in a lot of effort into this pitch and it really shows that you care. This kinda of show is not usually my sort of thing, but I will definitely give your pilot and read when you post it. Nice work.

[Aimee Nicole]

I have a few reservations about this pitch, however, I don't think it compares to the potential that I see in this series. It does come off as a typical teen drama, which especially shows in your episode descriptions. I'm not a huge fan of teen dramas, but I've gotten in to a few over the last few months so I've no doubt that this could be something I could definitely get in to if it's done right. Which, to judge, I'll have to wait until we see a pilot for it.

Now, on to the stuff I really like. First off, I love that you've decided to focus on gay characters. It's definitely refreshing when you take in to account that most teen dramas focus primarily on straight characters. There may be an odd gay couple thrown in here and there, but your main focus is on the gay characters and that's awesome. Not to mention, you've gone with gay men, which is relatively new territory -- especially for the VPN. I love it.

You've got a nice set of characters as well. I love that you've gone with different qualities for the gay characters and you don't seem to let their sexuality dominate their character. I think a lot of people get hung up on that. They let the sexuality (when it comes to gay/lesbian/bisexual characters) dominate the character and don't really think of them or see them as a person with real thoughts and feelings and such, who just happens to be attracted to the same sex. You don't seem to do that, which I totally commend you for. You've also seemed to have kinda obliterated a lot of the "gay stereotypes", which I also applaud you for. That always seems to be an issue when focusing a show on gay characters, but you've avoided that.

As for the story itself, I think it'll be interesting. The concept of a show that (seems to be) driven on the romance and sexual aspect pushes the boundaries of the network, in my opinion. You've stated that it would be explicit in it's language and sexual content, which is new for the VPN. I think it'd be a nice change, and perhaps bring in a new type of audience as well. A teen drama that's driven by sex is also an interesting twist to things. I mean, sure, they all have a little bit of sexuality but for it to be so upfront like how you seem to have it, well, that's different.

I'm looking forward to a pilot for this series, and I wish you the best of luck, Tom!

[Tommy West]

Thanks for checking out the pitch and taking the time to reply, guys! I understand your reservations, teen dramas aren't everybody's cup of tea but personally I've always found them enjoyable in a silly way so this for me is more about writing a guilty pleasure than something super serious which I've done elsewhere. I want to write something fun and the experience writing the pilot and plotting this series out proved that it'll be the type of thing I'll want to come back and write more of because it's fresh and different from anything else I've written before.

There haven't been many virtual series focusing on gay characters and the last one I can think of (MZPtv's Pathways) ended about six years ago so I really wanted to start a new show where they were the focus without it ever consuming their personalities. All of the guys here are gay or bi without it being the only thing about them. Sure, it causes drama for Brandon as he's in the closet but for guys like Drew, Kian and Isaac it's just another factor of their personalities rather than being everything about them. Gay stereotypes annoy me and are one of the reasons I've grown to hate Glee, so you won't see any of them here.

This would definitely push the boundaries in terms of sexual content and language but I think that it'll be for the best. Everything in the VS world is fairly 'safe' (and I use the term loosely) when it comes to language and sexuality so I think it's time there was a show that went all out and considering this is a series about horny teenagers, it's bound to get a bit dirty now and then. None of it is shocking for being shocking's sake, but rather because it benefits the story. The last thing I wanna do is force something in if it doesn't fit the feel of the show.

[Jamison]

Pretty solid pitch. The concept is definitely something we haven't quite seen on the network before, and I always appreciate people who make the effort to push these kinds of boundaries. I agree 100% with Aimee in regards to how great it is that you don't seem to let the sexuality of your characters dominate their entire role in the series. And the fact that there are no stereotypical storylines in the mix is quite refreshing, considering how many series on the air rely so much on them.

As for the story; it's a lot different than anything I've seen pitched on the network, which can never be a bad thing. I think if picked up, this show could definitely find an audience. My only concern would be for the longevity of the show, as the plot is very specific. However, many shows start somewhere and as time goes by, and more character dynamics are created and developed, it ends up being able to travel in more than one direction, without straying too far away from the initial idea. That's kind of what I love about teen dramas (Well... the good ones).

I don't think the sexual content and language will be much of a problem for this show. A while ago, theVPN aired the short-lived drama series "Watchdogs," which pushed some boundaries in terms of sexual content and language, and I personally don't mind it when it serves a purpose in the plot and enhances the dialogue/characters/etc... So, if you find the right balance when writing the scripts, it shouldn't come across as unnatural.

I really like your casting. Not just because you've got Holland Roden and Daniel Sharman in a series together (even though that is epic), but overall, the actors you've chosen here seem to fit their roles pretty well.

Anyway, I'm so glad you decided to pitch a show here, Tom. Best of luck to you!

[Tommy West]

Thanks Chris, glad you like the pitch and I hope the pilot impresses you!

Speaking of the pilot, I've just updated the first post to include the first draft. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, I'd rather iron out any parts you feel aren't working now then later on. Hope you all enjoy!

[Alex Matthews]

Yay! I can leave the first review... in one acronym, OMG!!
I loved IT!!
The voice over aspect reminded me of "Veronica Mars", giving that little extra perspective of what the main character, Drew is thinking or feeling. Drew himself comes across wonderfully, confident, at ease with himself, and what life will through at him, but also with an innocence about how he affects the world around him, such as his blunt announcement to every guy he kissed that he has no feelings for them!
Chess - I can TOTALLY see Holland Roden in this whole, it screams a lot of Lydia from Teen Wolf, but also with the tactlessness of Cordelia in later seasons of Angel, combined with a wonderfully brazen nature that makes the character more original.
I love the individuality you brought to every character, they all felt so different and seperate, something i as a writer am always afraid I am not doing, but you seemed to do it so easily. I especially liked, aside from Brandon, that there wasn't any angst or anxiety about their sexuality, something that differentiates it from the similarly themed series, "Pathways" over at MZP.
The dialogue screamed at me 'teen', especially Chess and Isaac - can't wait to meet Drew's mother - any ideas who you'll 'cast' for that?
Speaking of casting, that is my only quibble, and this is personal - Matt Dallas as Isaac strikes me as too old for the role - considering all the other 'young' characters are played by actors who currently appear or are known for 'young' roles, Matt's last few roles have been more mature, case in point, "Eastwick". I just feel he's not as believable in the age range as the other actors are.
That minor nitpick aside, I give this a resounding 9/10 scoring - please VPN, PICK THIS SHOW UP!!

[Tommy West]

Hey Alex, really glad you enjoyed the pilot!

I'm a huge fan of Veronica Mars and the voice-over was inspired by both that and Awkward. I think they can be hard to pull off at times so I'm glad you felt this was used the correct way. I like using it for comedic effect and whilst it does help drive the story and explain things, I'm also gonna use it for some jokes, like when Drew calls Chess a bitch.

Cordelia is my favourite Buffyverse character and I've always been a big fan of female characters who aren't afraid to speak their mind and Chess is certainly inspired by characters like Cordelia. She doesn't take any crap and she was a lot of fun to write.

As far as Drew's mother is concerned, she'll appear at some point but I'm not really sure who I'll use for her yet. She's going to be a bit of a wackjob though and it'll explain just why Drew is so blunt with people.

Feb 5, 2013 0:43:28 GMT -6 Alex Matthews said:

Speaking of casting, that is my only quibble, and this is personal - Matt Dallas as Isaac strikes me as too old for the role - considering all the other 'young' characters are played by actors who currently appear or are known for 'young' roles, Matt's last few roles have been more mature, case in point, "Eastwick". I just feel he's not as believable in the age range as the other actors are.

Yeah, I struggled with casting for Isaac and I'll probably look at recasting him. Dallas would be good for a recurring role I have in mind anyway but I'm certainly open for suggestions for who you guys would think would play Isaac nicely.

Once again, thanks for the vote of confidence!

[Deleted]

Just wanted to make a quick note to let you know I will be reading this Pilot tonight and should have some stuff up for you later this evening.

[Alex Matthews]

oh oh, suddenly had a flash of ROSE MCGOWAN when you used the word 'wackjob'!

As for Isaac, there are plenty of good young, 'teen-appearance' actors around at the minute, although my knowledge of American shows is limited to the ones I watch more then others - i mean, can you use actors who 'appear' in other VPN shows. Someone like Grey Damon sprang to mind, but I know he's a recurring cast member on 'Bitten', or perhaps, to add a little ethnic diversity to the cast, Tristen Wilds from 90210?
Sorry if I'm over stepping here, it's your pitch, your show, and it's the characters core beings I was drawn to, not their appearances.

[Tommy West]

Nope, all casting ideas are good! I've wanted to use Grey Damon for a while actually so good suggestion there! I think I'll leave the casting for now but if this pitch goes any further I'll go on a real hunt for a new actor image.

[Jamison]

I got the chance to read the pilot in between my classes so I thought I would post my thoughts.

Going into the script, I didn't really know what to expect. Was this series more of a drama, or more of a comedy? Now that I've read it, I can honestly say that you've found a really cozy balance of the two. I never felt the script was relying on one or the other, so that's a plus.

The characters were easy to get attached to, especially "Chess." I think she, along with the lead, Drew, are my favorites. Their relationship is starting off in a pretty interesting way, and it can only develop and become more interesting from this point on.

In regards to the writing quality - I think this was a very strong script. Technically, everything I could see was pretty sound and your own unique writing style seeped through in a very cool way. Your use of voiceovers were, in my opinion, the best parts of the script. There were so many funny little nuances in the storytelling that you may not have have been able to showcase without having those internal thoughts. It really made it for me. Especially Drew calling Chess a "bitch" at one point. HAHA!

I really liked the title integration into the story, with Drew's new nickname "Mr. Easy." That was clever. I wonder if it will ever appear again.

Overall, you've got a really solid pitch and pilot here. There were a few slip ups (at least, I thought they were slip ups. Might have been me not understanding something well enough) in the script; some use of the wrong names, but this is your first draft and it's a really good one. Just judging by how well it's written, I could definitely see "Easy" having a place here on theVPN sometime in the future.

[David]

Hey Tom, great pitch, I like the premise, you seem to be a great virtual series writer, I'll be reading the pilot shortly

[Tommy West]

Feb 5, 2013 16:26:39 GMT -6 Jamison said:

I got the chance to read the pilot in between my classes so I thought I would post my thoughts.

Going into the script, I didn't really know what to expect. Was this series more of a drama, or more of a comedy? Now that I've read it, I can honestly say that you've found a really cozy balance of the two. I never felt the script was relying on one or the other, so that's a plus.

I was definitely going for a balance between the two so I'm glad that came across! The show will have its dramatic moments but it's also going to be quite funny. I never want it to be one or the other, it can just be a healthy mix of both!

Feb 5, 2013 16:26:39 GMT -6 Jamison said:

The characters were easy to get attached to, especially "Chess." I think she, along with the lead, Drew, are my favorites. Their relationship is starting off in a pretty interesting way, and it can only develop and become more interesting from this point on.

I'm glad you like Chess, she's a lot of fun to write and I'm hoping I get to write some more of her wackiness soon!

Feb 5, 2013 16:26:39 GMT -6 Jamison said:

In regards to the writing quality - I think this was a very strong script. Technically, everything I could see was pretty sound and your own unique writing style seeped through in a very cool way. Your use of voiceovers were, in my opinion, the best parts of the script. There were so many funny little nuances in the storytelling that you may not have have been able to showcase without having those internal thoughts. It really made it for me. Especially Drew calling Chess a "bitch" at one point. HAHA!

Yeah, I'm really glad I included the voice-overs and they'll definitely be sticking around. The serve a good story purpose and can be used for laughs like in the bitch moment so it's a win-win!

Feb 5, 2013 16:26:39 GMT -6 Jamison said:

I really liked the title integration into the story, with Drew's new nickname "Mr. Easy." That was clever. I wonder if it will ever appear again.

The series is all about Drew's scandalous reputation so trust me, that nickname will appear again!

Feb 5, 2013 16:26:39 GMT -6 Jamison said:

Overall, you've got a really solid pitch and pilot here. There were a few slip ups (at least, I thought they were slip ups. Might have been me not understanding something well enough) in the script; some use of the wrong names, but this is your first draft and it's a really good one. Just judging by how well it's written, I could definitely see "Easy" having a place here on theVPN sometime in the future.

Really glad you liked the pilot! If you could point out the slip ups then I would be mucho grateful! I've been known to make a couple of errors in my scripts so I could probably do with a decent beta!

What should I do about getting this on the road to pick-up? I'm very much interested in running this as a fully-fledged series here.

[Jamison]

The only error I thought I saw was on page 13, the last sentence on the page. "Kian attempts to smile. Score!" I thought that was supposed to be "Drew" instead of Kian. It's nothing big. Just made me stop and reread until I figured it was just a little mistake. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, whenever you want your pitch/pilot to be considered for pick up, just post the final draft of the pilot or the one you're most satisfied with, and let us know you're ready. Then, the moderators (Pilot/Pilot Committee) will read, review and vote on whether the show is ready to be considered for pick up, or if it needs more work. After that process, the heads admins will make the final decision, strongly taking all of the reviews and votes into consideration.

If picked up you'll be set up with your very own sweet board for the show, and everything will be gravy. If not, you'll still be given the opportunity to make improvements to your script and submit it for review however many times you want.

So, just let us know, either directly on your pitch or you can PM Aimee, or pretty much any staff member, letting us know you want to take the show to the next step.

[Tommy West]

You're totally right, that was an error and it's all fixed up now!

I'm pretty happy with how this looks right now so I'd like to put this in for submission now and hope for the best!