CHANGING THE RULES

[Matthew James]

SYNOPSIS

________________________________________________________________

When a Sex tape between a popular jock and a nerdy students is released at Harmony High School, it pushes a school all ready at it's breaking point into a school shooting that rocks a small town. Ending the lives of some, while changing the lives of more. As students, faculty and parents attempt to adjust to life following the shooting, others look for ways to ensure something like this never happens again.

One junior in particular, Claire Young a former high school Queen Bee and bully herself who lost more than anyone during the shooting looks to stop bullying all together. While her actions gather much attention, from her peers, teachers and even the media, she is forced to go up against her former best friend Nora Chambers who just wants things to return to the way they once were. Claire joins forces with outcast David Martin and his quirky but loyal best friend Holly Barrett and one of the boys in the scandalous sex tape, Nick Donnelly.

"Changing the Rules" of high school society is no easy task, as Claire, David, Nick and Holly go up against many who are still deeply affected by the events of the shooting. Many of whom like Nora wish for things to go back to the way they were, but  what Claire realizes that they don't is that there is no going back.

____________________________________________________________

STARRING
TROIAN BELLESARIO
HOLLAND RODEN
CARLOS VALDES
SOPHIA BLACK D'ELIA
THOMAS MCDONELL
ALIFE ENOCH
WITH MELINDA CLARK
AND MICHAEL EMERSON

RECURRING
TAMARA TAYLOR
NICK OFFERMAN
EMILY OSMENT

CHARACTERS

Claire Young
A former bully and High school Queen Bee herself, Claire had a lot to do with the events of the shooting and lost more than anyone, including her loving boyfriend Kyle Holden and a close friend Lilly Wilson, the shooting had an eye opening experience on Claire. While she can still definitely be a bitch, she prefers to use her cold hearted demeanour on bullies and tries to protect the weaker population of Harmony High, an act which makes her the enemy of many of former friends. (Portrayed by Troian Bellesario)




Nora Chambers
A cold hearted and manipulative sixteen year old, Nora was always second best to Claire, but after getting shot during the shooting, losing someone close to her, and turning against her best friend, Nora has become the new Queen Bee. While she rules the halls with an iron grip of fear, Nora is determined to stop Claire in her goals and is willing to destroy her if need be. (Portrayed by Holland Roden)

David Martin

A local film buff and geek at Harmony High School, David was the shooters best friend, he is kind hearted, loyal and can be somewhat a pushover, while he is quick to join Claire's cause he is weary of her, and unsure if he and Holly should trust her. (Portrayed by Carlos Valdes)




Holly Barrett
Holly is sweet, quirky and was the perfect girlfriend, she thought she had done everything right, and as was shocked to find out her loving boyfriend was cheating on her... with another man. She remains loyal to his best friend David, and share's in his grief, but like David, Holly wants change, and agrees to help Claire in her goals to stop bullying at her school. (Portrayed by Sofia Black D'Elia)

Adam Granger
Adam is the captain of the football team, the Harmony Bull dogs, and boyfriend of Nora, as he struggles to pull his team back together following the shooting, he begins to questions his role in everything and feels a sense of guilt over his actions. He finds himself caught between his love of Nora and wanting to do the right thing. He tries desperately to put a world back in order that no longer exists.(Portrayed by Thomas McDonell)



Nick Donnelly
Nick was the other man in the sex tape that cost several their lives, desperately struggling after being forced out the closet, Nick tries his best to find some sense of normalcy. Well most of his peers abandon him, he finds a friend in Claire and quickly decides it's time for a change and joins her plight.  (Portrayed by Alfie Enoch)

Kate Chambers

Kate is Nora's mother and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, a cold hearted bitch when she was teenager she has passed on those qualities to her own daughter, having never been able to leave the halls of high school herself, Kate has grown up to be the principal of Harmony High School, while Kate struggles to maintain her role at the school following the shooting, she tries to stop Claire's efforts often using her daughter as an instrument to do so. (Portrayed by Melinda Clark)




Hank Young
Hank is Claire's loving and over protective father and a member of the Harmony Police department, he was first on the scene when the shooting occurred and was the one to put down Carson, while he knows he did all he could, he still feels guilt for not having been able to save Carson's life. (Portrayed by Michael Emerson)

RECURRING CHARACTERS

Coach Miles Barnaby is an old fashioned Coach, who doesn't always have his boys best interest, he isn't innocent in the event of the school shooting either, as he pushed Carson to "be straight", trying to get him to sleep with the cheerleaders on the team and drink away his pain which only spiralled him out of control. (Portrayed by Nick Offerman)

Meredith Donnelly is Nick's mother, she has taken news of his coming out the hardest and is desperately struggling to come to terms with her son. (Portrayed by Tamara Taylor)

Carson Burke, a football jock and closeted gay student at Harmony High School whose desperate screams for help were unheard or ignored for far too long, when a sex tape was released during a school meeting in the auditorium, Carson was bullied and pushed over the edge, and responded by bringing a gun to school and shooting many of those who had pushed him. He killed several students before being stopped by Detective Hank Young, the father of Claire. (Portrayed by TBD)

Lilly Wilson, a close friend of both Claire and Nora, Lilly was one of the victims of the school shooting and partly responsible for the release of the sextape being exposed. (Portrayed by Emily Osment)

Kyle Holden was Claire's boyfriend, he was a good student, who always saw the best in those around him, a quality which Claire has now adopted. He was killed during the shooting and his death deeply haunts Claire and several of the other students. (Portrayed by TBD)
 

NOTES: So this is the new series I've come up, using the advice that Carey and Brady gave me,  I decided to keep it at the same location rather than move it to a new town. I'm sure those of you who read the original pitch will notice I decided to change some of the cast members which was a decision I made to make the cast a little more ethnic. (Except for Micheal Emerson, that was just because I loved him in LOST and started watching Person of Interest, which he is amazing in.)

The first season will probably have ten episodes, The present day storyline will revolve around Claire's decision to try and eradicate bullying from her school, and her battle with the spoiled and popular,  while season one's flashback story will feature what everyone was doing during the shooting, season two if we get one that is, will delve into the way things were before it. Since the story will revolve heavily around the flashbacks, some characters namely Lilly, Kyle and Carson will only be seen there.

I think the main theme of the series will be "Acceptance". Whether it's accepting your sexuality, accepting your role in things, accepting change, someone else, and even death, it's a word that will mean something different to each other the character.

The series will be written as a thirty minute drama possibly with an extended series premiere. The episode guide will be coming soon.

[Carey]

It's got a good start with the school shooting, an original angle, but the pitch quickly descends into a typical high school drama.

You've got great potential with the school shooting, and you can focus on the direct aftermath, the students, teachers, parents and everyone else's reaction to it. The shock of friends being killed, tightened security, the fears of something like this happening again, blame being thrown around, people having a new perspective on the world. You could do so much with it.

It could be very original, but the current direction just isn't very creative nor interesting. It's simply like a typical teenage drama.

[Brady Brown]

I agree with Carey for the most part. The shooting angle could really be used as a huge focal point of the story, as well as the effects it has on most of the people involved. I would really try and focus on that aspect.

[Matthew James]

I have read your guys review, and I have to say I agree... I am taking this back to the drawing board, over the course of tonight and the next couple of days, I might expand the cast to include faculty members and other parents, I was thinking of maybe doing an Arrow/Lost type flashback sequence, and have certain episodes focus on how things were before the shooting and maybe during it depending on story. I think that having us back to the same school rather than jumping to a new one, allows us to get interesting relationship going between Claire and Naomi, that could prove much more interesting and intense. I also have a clearer idea of what I want Sam to be.

[Matthew James]

Pitch, Characters and Notes Updated.