Background/Style Information
When reading the pitch, more specifically, the episode summaries, here are a few things to keep in mind so you will have an understanding on how some of these plots are chronologically possible;
In this series, the main character begins to remember his "past lives." An important detail in regards to this idea, is the fact that the loop of life-death-rebirth is not constant. He doesn't die, then come back the same day he died, only without memories of his previous life. Time in the show, is pretty much all over the place, and when one of his former lives dies, he wakes up in another life, he is not "born" as a child. There is no particular timeline meaning, one of his former lives and his current one may have passed one another on the street one day. "Time" is not a straight line, which is something I will be going into later in the season/series. I don't know if I'm explaining this correctly but, if you have any questions/concerns about this idea, feel free to ask me and I'll try my best to give a more in depth explanation. In each episode there will be flashbacks of a particular past life of Ethan/or other characters.
Premise
London, England. 1879. The Story Ends.
The story ends, when a 40 year old man named Norman Walter commits suicide after the tragic death of his 7 year old daughter.
New York City, 2001. The Story Begins.
Ethan Donovan (Joel Gretsch), is a New York City police officer, and a family man. On September 11th, 2001, he witness the horrifying attacks on the World Trade Center. It hits even closer to home when he discovers his 7 year old daughter was on a field trip, visiting the famous Twin Towers, and was killed along with countless others inside. The tragedy of this day sparks something new in him. But is it really new, or is it in fact remnants of the past within him?
As he attempts to piece together his grieving family (Julie Benz & Dylan O'Brien star as Claire & Elliot Donovan), he begins to have vivid dreams of someone else's life, as if it were his own. After seeing dozens of counselors, he is driven into a deep depression, cutting himself off from the remainder of his family.
Then, a mysterious man named Julian Wolfe (Nestor Carbonell) pays him a visit with notions of past lives and reincarnation. The two soon form a bond, as Ethan attempts to discover the life he had, but what will become of the life he is currently living?
Also, confusion turns to fear when Ethan suspects Julian is hiding something; an investigation leads to the discovery that there's an outside party, looking in on both and all of his lives. A woman named Amelia Tate (Bridget Regan), who he recognizes, but has he met her in this life, or a life of the past? Also, what will happen when Ethan discovers he is being targeted by a cult that might want to use his new gift to their advantage? Here begins a series of questions that are slowly answered on the quest toward discovering the true meaning of birth, death and everything in between.
Main Cast
Joel Gretsch as Ethan Donovan/Norman Walter
Nestor Carbonell as Julian Wolfe/William Harding
Julie Benz as Claire Donovan
Dylan O'Brien as Elliot Donovan
Bridget Regan as Amelia Tate
Recurring Cast
Djimon Hounsou as Timothy Byron
Adair Tishler as Haleigh Donovan
Callan McAuliffe as Bobbie Norwood
Hugh Laurie as Victor Fitzgerald
Characters
Ethan Donovan
Portrayed by Joel Gretsch Ethan Donovan is a good cop, a great father, and a loving husband, but all that changed when Haleigh, his 7 year old daughter, gets killed during the 9/11 attacks. This event causes a ripple in his mind, causing him to recall lives he never knew he lived; past lives. Now, as he slowly begins to remember the life of "Norman Walter," an English man with a troubled life in the late 1800's, he begins to fade out of his world, pushing his wife and son away. Now, alone in the world, without a family of his own, just memories of a dead man, he is confronted by a man who changes his life, forever. Is it for the good... well, where would the fun in that be?
Julian Wolfe
Portrayed by Nestor Carbonell Julian Wolfe is the mysterious loner. His origins are unknown, and his intentions are even more unclear. His easy going personality and wisdom gain him favor with Ethan, but that doesn't last very long when secrets about his own past come to light.
Claire Donovan
Portrayed by Julie Benz
Claire Donovan is a therapist who is always up for helping those in need. After the death of her daughter, she is hit by a wave of denial, bottling up her emotions and grief, making her more frustrating and irritable than normal. She still managers to take care of her son, but as her and Ethan continue to grow apart after their loss, she turns away from him altogether. Bad turns to worse when Elliot starts using drugs to cope with his grief; then worse turns to plain
AWFUL once Julian enters the picture.
Elliot Donovan
Portrayed by Dylan O'Brien
Elliot Donovan was always pushing his sister around. It wasn't until she was gone that he truly felt guilty for his actions, leaving him with the biggest burden. After his loss, he goes down a dark path, turning to drugs to ease the pain. Elliot is rebellious, sarcastic and arrogant, but he is the only thing keeping his mother from turning into one of her patients.
Amelia Tate
Portrayed by Bridget Regan
Amelia Tate is a woman with no fear. She sees what she wants, and he takes it. No questions asked. She comes into Ethan's life around the same time as Julian and it can't be a coincidence, especially when Ethan recognizes her as a friend/foe from one of his past lives.
EpisodesNote: After the two-part pilot, these are not the "official" summaries, just the basic premise of each episode.1x01: From Dust, Part 1When New York City cop, Ethan Donovan (Joel Gretsch) loses his daughter on September 11th, a trigger goes off in his mind that allows him to remember one of his past lives. As he becomes obsessed with his former self, he pushes himself away from his family, not being there to help them cope with the death of a loved one. After time, he is totally cut off, in a hopeless stage of depression, until he meets a man named Julian Wolfe (Nestor Carbonell) who helps him pick his life back up, giving him insight on the life, death, and the memories and knowledge he is slowly receiving, but can he be trusted?
1x02: From Dust, Part 2After reuniting with his wife and son, Ethan attempts to repair their broken family, but when Elliot is taken by a group of mysterious men, he must make the ultimate sacrifice to get him back. Meanwhile, Ethan meets a woman from a past life, who might be connected to his son's captors.
1x03: Journey ManWhen Ethan has visions of another past life (Timothy Byron, Died August 3rd, 1975) he, along with Julian, travel to Timothy's old home town of Norfolk, Virginia, in hopes of solving his murder. Meanwhile, back in New York, Elliot goes back to school where he slips deeper into the drug world.
1x04: The PavilionStill in Rhode Island trying to solve the death of Ethan's past life, "Timothy Byron," Julian discovers something from his past as well, revealing that he himself can remember his past lives. Meanwhile, back in New York, Claire admits that she cannot raise Elliot by herself, leading her to go to her estranged brother (Hugh Laurie guest stars) for help and support.
1x05: Chance, or Fate?After returning to New York, Ethan meets up with Amelia again, where the two remember a rendezvous they had in the late 1800s, while experiencing one of their own. Will chemistry and temptation get the best of Ethan? Meanwhile, Julian's past is explored.
1x06: Deep Roads of the MindSecrets on why Ethan Donovan and Norman Walter look exactly alike are revealed! Also, questions about a possible connection between Ethan, Amelia, and Julian in their past lives, rise.
1x07: AbandonedCharacter-Centric episode of Elliot. Digs deeper into his relationship with his deceased sister, as he is slowly driven over the edge.
1x08: Tabula RasaAfter promising to reveal every secret he is keeping from Ethan, Julian experiencing sudden amnesia, as he reverts to a man he once was in the Roman Empire.
1x09: 2 HoursWhen Ethan see's flashes of another life (A man named George Barron, living in New York City) he soon finds out that he and George are living not only in the same town, but in the same time. When images of a clock reading 5:47 PM run through his mind, he is convinced that he he will die at that time... and it's 3:45 PM.
1x10: Blood and BoneEthan rejoins the force and is put straight back into the action when he finds criminal records for Julian, who he discovers is connected to more than six murders.
1x11: ...You Can't DieAmelia remembers a life she had in 1996, where she was a woman recovering from Breast Cancer. Witnessing these events may forever change her character.
1x12: What's That Ticking Sound?Ethan, Amelia and Julian are tormented by the exact same sound within their head; a ticking, which seems like it's being emitted from some kind of machinery. As the three work together to discover the source, a new threat is revealed.
1x13: Thy Kingdom ComeEthan gets new flashes of his life as "Norman Walter," and the reason to why he took his own life is explained. More questions arise in regards to when his very first past life began.
1x14: Restless NightsWhen Claire and Ethan believe they have finally patched things up in their relationship, Claire is haunted by the memory of her deceased daughter. But how unreal are these images, really?
1x15: The CollectorsThe leader of the cult that's been after our three past-lifers is revealed as the trio must protect everything they care about from being "collected." This episode contains the BIGGEST reveal yet, as season one comes to a close.
Creator's Notes:Here is my second pitch to the network. I don't pitch shows very often, but when I do decide to put one of my ideas up, I want to make sure it's original and what I believe to be worthy of a reader's time. "Archangel" is no doubt my one and only priority at the moment, but I just wanted to get this idea out there. While I wanted this to be as original as possible, I did have one or two inspirations. The most prevalent one, is the tv series "LOST." I don't believe this show is similar to LOST when it comes to content, but the general tone, mysterious/suspenseful vibe and some of the styling in the script will be sort of similar. However, I have no intention on making this a complete carbon copy of the show; I'm no where near that good.
"Rebirth," whenever it is to be developed, will be a serialized drama series, covering many current and past issues. Also, futuristic elements will be brought up from time to time, as I am dealing with past lives, as well as "future" lives so -- there's no end when it comes to longevity. I do, somewhat, have a plan in regards to where I would be able to take this series, and I know that I'm not limited to this one cast since there are loads of other past lives I can explore.
Season one's main focus will be on "Ethan," his struggle to find peace after his daughter's death and the rising question on whether or not he can trust "Julian." Plus, more drama with the ladies on the show, and I think "Elliot" will be one of my favorite characters to write for, as he is sort of a contrast to the other characters.
Like I said, "Archangel" is my main priority, but I would be willing to give showrunning rights over to another person that's interested
I'd help out on the day-to-day developing and production stages but if anyone is willing, feel free to comment below or send me a PM
I hope you all enjoy the pitch!
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