Escorted

By Roger Wilson-Crane on
Screenplay Type
2026 TV Series Award
Screenplay Award Sub-Category
2026 Best Logline
Screenplay Award genres
Drama
Logline or Premise
When a struggling Yorkshire shoe shop owner is mistaken for a paid companion and offered £500 for a single evening, he creates a secret second life escorting professional women in a desperate attempt to save his failing business.
First 10 Pages - 3K Words Only

Escorted is a 6 x 60’ drama set in a Yorkshire market town.

At 54, Max Taylor is a decent, middle-aged shoe shop owner facing financial ruin. Still carrying the loss of his son Jake, he is determined to save the family business he once hoped to pass on — or risk losing everything he holds dear.

When a chance encounter leads to a case of mistaken identity, Max is paid to accompany a successful professional woman to a charity event. Desperate for money, he makes a risky decision — to do it again.

What begins as a one-off solution quickly becomes a secret second life.

Operating under an alias, Max offers discreet companionship to professional women who need someone trustworthy by their side. Some need a date for an event; others need someone to listen, support them, or simply help them navigate situations they would rather not face alone. To his surprise, Max discovers an unexpected talent for helping people feel at ease.

Yet this is equally the story of the women he meets. Each client brings emotional complexity, drawing Max into lives that are lonely, guarded, ambitious, complicated and often more vulnerable than they first appear. Through them, he begins to question his assumptions about intimacy, trust and human connection.

At home, Hannah begins to notice subtle changes in the man she trusts most. As small lies become bigger deceptions, the strain on their marriage becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.

As Max becomes more involved in the lives of his clients, the lines between compassion, obligation and intimacy begin to blur. With his secret constantly at risk of exposure, he finds himself caught between the people who need him and the people he loves.

Blending warmth, humour and emotional tension, Escorted explores grief, loneliness, identity and human connection through a cast of richly drawn characters. At its heart is the story of a decent man trying to save the life he built, only to discover that the more indispensable he becomes to strangers, the greater the risk of losing everything that matters most.

Script Upload
Escorted - Script - First 10 Pages.pdf

Comments

Stewart Carry Sun, 07/06/2026 - 17:36

The premise is entertaining and it's set up very well. The mix-up over ID is a great inciting incident and we can expect lots of fun and games as the narrative progresses. Mind your punctuation and avoid anything in the description/action lines that's more suited to a novel than a script.

Roger Wilson-Crane Wed, 02/09/2026 - 14:18

Hi Stewart,

Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed the premise. I’ve continued developing the script since submitting, particularly tightening the action lines and punctuation, so it was interesting to read your comments.

Thanks again for taking the time to read it and hope one day you might like to read the whole pilot.

Regards,
Roger

Barri Evins Sun, 06/09/2026 - 06:36

There's an appealing energy here. The set up is brisk and efficient, giving us a good sense of the protagonist and his motivations. Dialogue is lean with distinctive voices. Subtext is effective. Fun to see where this will go... although I'm not fully convinced the premise will be able to sustain a series, however it might make a wonderful limited series.

Roger Wilson-Crane Sun, 06/09/2026 - 09:36

Hi Barri,

Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed the premise and characters.

I’ve developed Escorted as a six-part television drama, so it was interesting to read your thoughts about it working as a limited series. There is a lot more to Max's story beyond those opening ten pages, particularly the women already in his life, those who come into it, and the complicated relationships that develop as a result.

Thanks again for taking the time to read it.

Regards,

Roger

Stephen Hodges Wed, 09/09/2026 - 06:16

I really like the warmth you convey from our protaganist, even with just a few lines of dialog, he feels genuine. And I like the premise...However, with only 10 pages, in what feels could be a very fun comedy, that can morph into a dramedy. I want you to "grab me more". I suggest not starting in the beginning, but in a crazy situation where he already started escorting, something of the type of "you can't make this stuff up when it comes to my job"... that's your teaser... then, in the next act, you go to who he is, and weave in the heart... i want to see this seemingly kind, and warm everyman in a fun situation that sets up the show. Also, his wife seems so kind... if he's truly not doing anything that's akin to an affair, i feel like he could just talk to her... and tell her... soo, what's the real tension there? OR , is she in on it? Making it even more fun and warm, and an interesting take on their relationship. Again, I only had ten pages...sooo "grab me" :)

Roger Wilson-Crane Wed, 09/09/2026 - 09:23

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for the feedback and glad you connected with Max and the warmth of the story.

I understand your comments about wanting the opening ten pages to grab you more. The relationship between Max and Hannah, and particularly the consequences of his decision to keep what he's doing from her, become increasingly important as the pilot and wider six-part drama develop. The warmth between them at the beginning is quite deliberate, as I wanted there to be something meaningful at stake when Max starts making those choices.

Thanks again for taking the time to read it and for your thoughts.

Regards,

Roger

Felicity Wren Sun, 13/09/2026 - 17:39

This is a fun premise with plenty of potential for inventive comedic situations. As the story develops, it may be worth considering the intended tone, as the opening currently feels melancholic. The marriage already appears to be in need of repair, so it is not clear that Max does think he is in a great situation. The set-up is very gentle, and there is something appealing in how kind and respectful the dialogue feels.

Roger Wilson-Crane Mon, 14/09/2026 - 15:04

Hi Felicity,

Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed the premise and the warmth between the characters.

Your comments about the tone were particularly interesting. I've always intended the humour to sit alongside the more emotional elements of the six-part drama, particularly Max and Hannah's relationship and the loss they have experienced, so it was useful to hear how that balance came across in the opening ten pages.

I've continued developing the pilot and wider story since submitting, so your thoughts have given me something else to consider as I continue working on it.

Thanks again for taking the time to read it.

Regards,

Roger

Paul Zeidman Wed, 16/09/2026 - 18:50

Overall, I enjoyed this. The writing could use a little improvement (No need to have MAX in all caps every single time - just when he's first introduced), and I had to go back and read where Max's lookalike left the pub after the dialogue about that.

Even though it stops at p10, the scenes with Chrissie could possibly be tightened up just a bit.

Roger Wilson-Crane Thu, 17/09/2026 - 09:37

Hi Paul,

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. Really pleased you enjoyed it.

This version was submitted back in June and I’ve made quite a few changes since then, including sorting the Max capitalisation and hopefully making the pub scene a little clearer!

I’ll definitely have another look at the scenes with Chrissie too. Really appreciate the feedback and thanks again for reading.

Regards,

Roger