Best Life Ever: Pilot Episode - Bucket Shower

[First 10 pages of Script uploaded as PDF]

BEST LIFE EVER - Pitch Deck

Show Synopsis:

Wait, you slept with the father AND the son? [pause]… and their guru!

Meet Tina. Her joie de vivre, eclectic lifestyle, and lust for fun are only matched by her deep faith in a higher source. A natural-born seeker, she is guided by Jeremie, a beloved spirit she met through a Ouija board in her early 20s. Their relationship is sprinkled with misspellings, quibbles, wisecracks... and true love. Tina’s eccentric worldview is colored by her mysterious past laced with glamour, celebrity, and a complicated relationship with a charismatic Indian guru –SG, among other influential men in his global network.

With Jeremie’s blessing, Tina embarks on a volunteer trip to Dharamsala, India, at the foothills of the Himalayas, where she meets three young women: Sephie, a gentle free-spirit with a bleeding heart, Kate, a curious observer with a painful past, and Cordelia, an ambitious Brit with an unbending life plan. Their bond is instant, transcendent, and sometimes baffling. Could it be from a past life … or two? (It is. Tina’s sure.)

When the FBI knocks at Tina’s door after her return from India, her world is rocked to its core. What has SG gotten her into now? Through flashbacks, we experience a young Tina’s bold leap of faith that ignited their passionate and lasting bond. Thrust into crisis mode, Tina turns, as she always does, to her coven of close friends and her ever-present connection with Jeremie. Her past and present collide as the young women blend into her broader circle and slowly piece together the puzzle of her past. Can she demonstrate the power of her beliefs to the younger women when faced with her biggest challenge yet?

Inspired by a true story - an enchanting, mystical, and outlandish true story. Watch as these spirited sisters journey through multiple timelines, cross-generational friendships, and otherworldly experiences to their...Best Life Ever!

Main Characters:

Tina is a middle-aged (...but what is age anyway?) spiritual hedonist from Manhattan who feels her way through life, invoking her spirit guides with whimsy and always packing her chakra balancing crystals for every grand adventure. Her mysterious past is wrapped in glamour and intrigue and harkens back to a jet-set life of parties, celebrity, and endless riches. Under this eccentric and alluring veneer, she is a smart and witty woman, full of joie de vivre, a flair for the dramatic, and a yearning to take others along with her on a magical journey. With a knock on her door, Tina’s past and present collide and she summons her soul’s superpowers to illustrate - with gusto! - how to walk the talk of her unconventional spiritual beliefs.

Sephie is a 19-year-old free-spirited California hippy of Latin/Native American heritage and a breath of fresh air. She seems to float through life with ease, attracting open doors wherever she goes, but her naivete sometimes makes her less than discerning. She often feels conflicted between her dreams to be a famous singer/songwriter and her save the world syndrome. Can she reconcile her strong ideals with the harsh realities of a messy world? Will she find a way to create the change without completely sacrificing herself? Meeting Tina will help her find balance.

Kate is 21 years old, fresh out of college, and stepping out into the “real world” for the first time. She leads with confidence, wit, and a sense of adventure. But underneath, she is timid and insecure - though she hides it well - and is constantly protecting herself from the world around her. She has a hard time believing that she is worthy of love and is terrified that she’ll never break free of old, painful emotional patterns. She has a sneaking suspicion that life can be more magical than she is allowing it to be and is ready for a fresh start, even if she has no idea how to go about creating it. Meeting Tina will open her mind and heart to a completely new worldview - but will she be able to find a way to trust it?

Cordelia is a 23-year-old Black British woman, pursuing a graduate degree in business. She comes from a posh, privileged family in London, where her father holds a prestigious position at Lloyd’s of London - the first Black person to step into such a role. She is type A, ambitious, and driven to equal - or surpass - her father’s success. She is wickedly funny and sarcastic. Sometimes uptight and inflexible, she loosens up after a cocktail or two, giving her liquid courage to question Tina’s unorthodox beliefs. She is confident that her five-year plan is viable, but how will she feel when a family secret derails her life?

SG is a charismatic Indian guru and mysterious presence in Tina’s life. His international lifestyle boasts a far-reaching circle of Hollywood celebrities, world leaders, and questionable businessmen. SG’s communication with Tina is frequent, typically by phone, text, and his emissary Akhil.

Gigi is Tina’s best friend. A Brooklyn-born Pollyanna, she is the Frick to Tina’s Frack and the other set of hands on the ouija board. In lockstep with Tina on their spiritual journeys, she helps usher the young women down the same yellow brick road. She is a skilled Reiki master and has been married to two different cops.

Akhil is SG’s right-hand man. A Western-educated Indian man with impeccable fashion sense, he serves as SG’s mouthpiece. He often finds himself torn between his duty to SG and his brotherly affection for Tina.

Episodes:

Pilot: Episode 1

A CBI raid on SG’s ashram sets off a change of events that will rock Tina’s world. Tina travels to Dharamsala, India for a volunteer program where she meets three young women: Sephie, Kate, and Cordelia. They bond quickly over run-ins with swamis, bucket shower etiquette, and metaphysical musings at a hookah lounge. In flashback, a young Tina makes a bold leap when she accepts an invitation to India for the first time. Jeremie, a beloved spirit guide, narrates the journey.

Episode 2:

Tina inadvertently breaks a house rule and flirtatiously negotiates with Dev for leniency. The women attend their first day of volunteer placement at a preschool and Sephie is devastated by the extreme poverty. Consoling Sephie, a shopping trip turns into an expedition over rooftops to procure some pot. A very stoned Tina divulges details of her Indian wedding.

Episode 3:

House Rules around alcohol are lifted for the celebration of Holi and the women indulge generously. Kate is triggered by an escalating series of events and erupts emotionally. The women attend a private meeting with the Dalai Lama, arranged by SG, which stirs up memories for Tina.

Episode 4:

Tina bids the girls farewell with promises to reunite in NYC soon. They must meet Jeremie after all. In a Delhi hotel restaurant, she meets Pierre, a handsome Frenchman who sweeps her off her feet in two days of rapture. Not enough time but Rian arrives, and SG awaits. Pierre and Tina will have to pick up at a later date.

Episode 5:

The women reunite for the first time since India in Tina’s Manhattan penthouse and finally experience Jeremie together. In flashback, a young Tina and Gigi meet Jeremie for the first time when a would-be menage-a-trois is interrupted by a ouija board.

Episode 6:

The reunion continues as the women connect more deeply with Jeremie and their spiritual guides. Cordelia is freaked out by the ouija board and attempts to enjoy herself - until alcohol gets the best of her. A knock on the door leaves a shocked Tina breathless.

Episode 7:

Thrust into crisis mode, Tina assembles her A-Team: Gigi, Lourdes, Dominique - who knew Tina would need criminal defense? - and Jeremie. Tina grapples with the emotion of it all and Jeremie reminds her where her power lies. She confronts SG.

Episode 8:

Ava stays with Tina on one of her numerous visits to New York from Belgium and Tina confides in her. The young women are mesmerized by her French accent, her young-at-heart vibe - and her joyful but ambivalent feelings toward Jeremie. As they continue to piece together Tina’s past, they sense a present-day crisis.

Episode 9:

Tina is planning her big 50th birthday blowout and really wants the younger women there. To her delight, they all accept her invitation. Raucous fun is had by all - would you expect anything less? The mystery around Tina’s past is heightened by a drunken declaration from her son, Rian.

Episode 10:

Tina prepares to face the Grand Jury. Still reeling from Rian’s revelation, the younger women are determined to solve the mystery of Tina’s past - and present - once and for all. They strategize about the best way to approach her, choosing her favorite restaurant as the site for her interrogation. Who exactly is Tina?!

Supporting Characters:

Dev is the volunteer coordinator in Dharamsala, India. An Indian Clark Gable (until he smiles…), his role as rule-enforcer of the program is tested by a budding attraction to Tina.

Pinky is Tina's best friend. A Late Life Lesbian, she fell in love with Dominique after a contentious divorce in her 40s. She is absent-minded, often late, and a near-professional drunk driver. She has a solid position on Wall Street but moonlights as a stand-up comedian.

Ava is Tina’s Tina. An eighty-one-year-old Belgian Holocaust survivor, she is a force of nature and has enough joie de vivre to rival Tina’s. Their friendship is sacred to both of them and this love extends easily to the younger women.

Lourdes (Lulu) is Rian’s ex-nanny turned Tina’s devoted confidante. Committed to protecting Tina, she juggles her (unpaid) role as Tina’s “Lady-in-Waiting” with a full-time job as an Executive Assistant at the United Nations, Mission of Mexico.

Dominique is Pinky’s partner. A high-powered criminal defense attorney specializing in white-collar crime, she works hard and plays hard. She is a proud Black woman and was a card-carrying member of the NAACP before the term ‘woke’ hit the mainstream.

Rian is Tina’s son. He loves his mother deeply but cuts her no slack, often rolling his eyes at her antics. He charmingly welcomes Tina’s new young friends as his surrogate sisters - did he really have a choice?

Pierre is a French entrepreneur and explorer. Tina’s truest soulmate, but their timing is just off. Life brings them together and pushes them apart, but their love runs deep. Is he her star-crossed lover of her Prince Charming?

Leonidas is a Greek arms dealer and close friend to SG. Purportedly one of the richest men in the world and Tina’s sometimes paramour. Surprising how his loyalty to SG is never challenged by his pursuit of Tina. Friends share, right?

Future Seasons:

Season 2:

Tina appears before the Grand Jury and under oath, she shares the origin of her love story with SG. To her delight, Dominique assures her that she is free and not needed for further questioning. Tina receives a mysterious note from Leonidas, a Greek arms dealer and close friend to SG. He invites her to his 5th Avenue duplex - he is under house arrest after all. Through flashbacks, we revisit their whirlwind love triangle. The women ring in the New Year in Paris and with Jeremie’s clues retrace the steps of their shared past life in a French brothel. The young women gravitate to New York one by one. Kate lands a job and moves, Sephie books a one-way ticket to mend a broken heart and Cordelia runs away from a family scandal that abruptly cuts off her tuition money. As the young women converge in Tina’s apartment, she becomes increasingly uneasy, stuck in a mother/daughter dynamic that she doesn’t want, and grapples with how to restore balance.

Season 3:

After a contentious and emotional blow-up, the dynamic between the women is tense - just in time for a spiritual retreat on the high seas. Stuck in close quarters on a cruise to Alaska, they test their new agreement to always be honest about their feelings. Back in New York, the young women walk in on Tina and Leonidas’ son in the middle of some carnal pleasure - oops. And what?! A father, a son, and their guru?! Jeremie’s unflappable guidance is urgently needed as the young women each face a setback of their own. Sephie returns from a volunteer trip with a life-or-death health crisis. Kate’s career stalls and she struggles to find her next steps. Cordelia is reeling at her father’s deception and is having trouble picking up the pieces - the men she’s dating aren’t helping. Crisis of faith in Jeremie’s guidance is at a fever pitch and with some no-nonsense straight talk from Tina, they take up the gauntlet and forge ahead as advanced adherents of the law of attraction.

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So timely. On the heels of a global pandemic why not reach for your Best Life Ever!