Influenced

As a bleeding heart, I have a love-hate relationship with comedy. I absolutely love to laugh, but so much “comedy” rests on either stereotypes, physical injuries or embarrassment, or self-deprecation.

While I am not one to judge what others find funny, I feel genuinely awkward and heart-stricken when watching this type of comedy.

However, well landed one-liners, witty repertoires, dead-pan expressions, snappy comebacks, clever similes/metaphors/pop culture references, and devastatingly accurate roasts of the ignorant, mean, or unjust make me cackle with glee.

Shows that will always have a place in my heart include Suits, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House MD and other such dramas. I understand these are dramas, but they each made me laugh like no other, and therefore, they were my inspiration for the type of comedy I would like to see more of in the world.

Instead of pandering to the most basic of human insecurities, let’s tackle society’s insecurities by adding comedy to intelligent entertainment.

Introducing, Influenced. A dramedy that tears through boundaries, showcases real adversity and inequality, and wraps it all up in a constant source of hilariously relatable facepalms and roasts.

Synopsis:

A highly diverse team of journalists take reporting to modern outlets like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. They cover extremely hot, controversial topics, providing a wide range of inflammatory social commentary. The cast - a motley crew representing diverse ages, backgrounds, and orientations - tackles deep topics and utilizes rapidly changing technology. With unique life experiences, challenges, and internalized biases, the ah-ha moments resulting from well-intentioned miss-steps, practical fails, and passionate interview techniques are a never-ending source of relatable comedy.

Pilot: Breaking Boundaries

The diverse team of journalists, overseen by well-meaning Editor-in-Chief, Emma Williams, are recruited to revamp traditional media into a modern multimedia platform designed to connect with younger audiences and wake up traditionalists living in the past. Each member of the team is introduced and we get a sneak peek of each of their idiosyncrasies, endearing the audience to the real experiences and hilarious outtakes.

Act 1

Opens with James sitting at an outdoor coffee shop, awkwardly trying to answer a video call on his mobile phone and ending up hanging up on the caller, much to his frustration. [James offers a lot of physical comedy by way of his exaggerated expressions]

Emma, his old friend, joins him. James confesses his struggles - life has thrown a lot at him. He was recently made redundant in his life-long career as a journalist. On reflection, he realizes his career wasn’t nearly as fulfilling as he had thought and now feels like he isn’t leaving a meaningful legacy.

This is compounded by his charged family situation. His wife left him a few years ago because he was too focused on work and she wanted to explore the joys of life. During the past few years he lost touch with his son, whom has recently transitioned and is now a wife and mother of two adopted Ethiopian children whose parents were murdered due to LGBT riots last year. He is at a complete loss to understand this new world - nothing in his life prepared him for this - but he genuinely wants to reconnect with family and is looking for ways to try to reach out.

Emma is touched and also struggling with realizations that the world is not as she was educated to believe it is. She’s recently been made aware of her white privilege and is struggling to come to terms with internalized biases - race, gender, sex, identity…she is overwhelmed but invigorated.

A group of middle-aged, obnoxious white men are at a nearby table listening to them. They loudly start lamenting over a generation of snowflakes and spouting off cringe-worthy, extreme right discriminatory comments.

The scene wraps up with Emma saying she has an idea and telling James to meet her the next day at a set address.

Act 2

James shows up to an office building where Emma is waiting for him and a roomful of extremely diverse young adults are waiting.

Emma explains she wants to start a new type of media outlet - she wants to capitalize on the new Influencer media as a way to shine the light on serious societal, political and newsworthy issues. She wants old white fogies like them to learn about systemic privileges they get at a cost to others, and she wants to showcase talent, intelligence, and the stories of minorities who should be getting attention and aren’t because of the systemic discrimination of media outlets.

The waiting room is full of applicants from all walks of life who responded to an urgent ad placed looking for social media/journalism/influencer talent of all levels and experiences.

The randomness and exaggerated personas at a glance are clearly obvious comedic relief.

Act 3:

The proceed to interview together. A range of hilariously unqualified and/or overly passionate and enthusiastic interviews ensue, with focused attention dedicated to the main cast. We get glimpses not only of the personalities, unique experiences, and qualifications of our cast-to-be, but also their human and humorous sides.

We also see their reactions to Emma and James - two white privileged individuals standing on a platform of diversity. The characters highlight the irony in a variety of sarcastic, underhanded, comedic ways.

Closing Scene:

The grand room slowly empties out as most recruits are told no, and others are asked to stay for a second interview. As the last of the interviews wrap up, the main cast are welcomed into a room and invited to be part of the Influencer revolution.

Main Characters:

Emma Williams, Editor-in-Chief:

Faced with a new understanding of White Woman privilege, Emma decides to reconcile her guilt by helping under-represented and targeted minorities share their stories and experiences in a world that prefers to silence them. Season 1 shows a lot of personal growth and understanding, culminating in her developing the important skill of listening and learning and staying out of conversations that don’t involve her. Her purpose is to give the rest of the “staff” the spotlight, despite being the “boss.” The entire point of this character is to show privilege for what it is, warts and rainbows alike - showing that growth is humbling and rewarding, and often hilarious or embarrassing along the way.

This is a background character that “appears” to have power, but really is taking orders from all her “support staff” and letting them run the business, ensuring they reap the benefits in turn.

She is a woman in charge who is caring, responsible, fair, sometimes a bit overbearing, but always strives to do what's right. She is continuously learning and evolving, understanding her privilege and using her position to uplift her team and ensure their growth.

Scene from the Pilot:

[Emma is sitting across from a young candidate named Leila, a social media prodigy with an affinity for Gen Z trends. Emma is trying her best to impress Leila with her social media knowledge. She's recently learned about various trends, but often misuses or misunderstands the slang and digital lingo.]

Emma: (leaning in, trying to sound hip) "We're looking to shake things up, you know? No more of that old-school 'Fakebook' or 'Insta-scam'. We're all about the 'Tikity-Tok' here. We're not just dabbling in the shallow end, we're doing a...what's that move called again? Ah yes, we're doing a full-on 'floss' into the deep end."

Leila: (tries to stifle a laugh, then gives up) "Oh, you mean 'Facebook', 'Instagram', and 'TikTok', right? And it's just 'flossing', not doing a 'floss'.

Emma: (nodding, blushing slightly) "Right, right. Just checking to see if you knew. You're on top of your game, Leila. Very impressive."

[Leila can't help but laugh out loud. Emma smiles, leans back and shakes her head.]

Emma: (chuckles) "I suppose I could use a lesson or two myself. What do you say, Leila? Ready to teach an old dog some new... hashtags?"

James Walker, Senior Reporter:

This character is an Old White Man, recovering from being made redundant after a long career as a traditional journalist. He never quite fit in with the “old boys club” but tried enthusiastically and has a life-time of internalized, systemic biases to overcome. He has motivation though, because in the past decade, his wife divorced him, his daughter transitioned a few years prior and they’re trying to re-develop a relationship he doesn’t fully understand. She’s also adopted a brother and sister from Ethiopia whose mother had been murdered due to LGBT+ politics.

While his character has a lot of very emotional and political growth to overcome, he is genuinely trying to be a better person and his comic relief comes mainly from his confusion and shock through the learning process. He is extremely expressive and physically entertaining to watch. Not only is he desperately trying to become “woke”, he has outdated references from the traditional publishing space and is constantly grappling with technology and modern forms of expression.

Scene from Episode 2:

[James is sitting with Alex at a coffee shop, both of them staring at a phone screen. The atmosphere is awkwardly electric.]

James: (rubbing his temples) "Okay, Alex, let's take it from the top one more time. I want to follow my...daughter on this Tik... something."

Alex: (points to the screen) "TikTok, James. Tik. Tok. Like Hook’s nightmare.”

[James looks at Alex quizzically and types in his daughter's username. His face lights up when he sees her page, then falls when he can't figure out how to follow her. His expressions are exaggerated but comedic in their relatability.]

James: "Okay, so I see her page here. But where is the... follow button?"

[Alex points to the screen.]

Alex: "Right there, click the plus."

[James’ daughter's videos begin to play. He's fascinated by this window into her life.]

James: (softly) "Wow... she's amazing. I can't believe I'm just now seeing all of this."

[Alex gives him a warm, understanding smile.]

Alex: "That's the beauty of it, James. You're not just learning about TikTok. You're learning about your daughter. And she's pretty cool."

[James nods, his eyes welling up a bit.]

James: (softly) "Yeah, she is."

[Emotional moment is palpable as James scrolls through her videos and Alex looks unaffected. In his enthusiasm, James accidentally double taps on an old TikTok video, causing a heart to pop up on the screen.]

James: (panicked) "What did I just do? I tapped on something! Is that bad?"

Alex: (laughs) "James, you just liked one of her old videos. That’s like digital applause."

James: (mortified) "Oh no, she's going to think I’m stalking her...do you think she'll notice?"

Alex:(still laughing) "Yes, James, she'll notice."

[Scene ends on James's mortified expression, Alex's laughter, and the realization that James's journey into the digital age is going to be a bumpy ride.]

Leila Malik, Social Media Journalist:

Leila is a young, tech-savvy character who is always on top of the latest trends and slang. She's a bit overzealous and prone to creating viral moments, both intentionally and unintentionally.

She is middle-eastern and extremely devoted to her family and cultural traditions. She is a practicing Muslim and constantly faced with discrimination and misrepresentation of her culture and religion. She navigates her own personal relationship with her faith, blending her progressive values and passion for social justice with the principles and teachings of Islam, developing her own sense of self within the complexity of identity, belief systems, and the intersections between culture, religion, and her activism.

She is very interested in fashion as a means of self-expression, and finds unique ways to identify her personality as well as her beliefs through her fashion choices. Her blunt, no-arguments accepted explanations of her reasoning are refreshing and humanizing comedic moments.

Scene from the pilot, Leila’s interview:

[Emma has invited Leila to offer some forward thinking ideas she could bring to the team. Leila is fiddling with her hijab that’s been styled into an avant-garde fashion statement.]

Leila: (Excitedly) "Okay, so I was thinking we could make a series of TikToks on the 'culture behind the trends'. Like, we take a popular trend, and then we do a deep dive into its origins and impacts. Could be fun, right?"

[Emma nods, supportive but also a bit lost.]

Emma: "Sounds... modern. I love it. But how exactly does a 'deep dive' work on TikTok?"

Leila: (Makes an non-committal noise) "Well, it's not like an in-depth, exhausting investigative journalism piece. More like, fun and quick bursts of information in a relatable and engaging way."

James: (Smiling but confused) "So, like... news highlights or trailers?"

Leila: (Snorts in contained laughter) "James, you're not wrong. But it's more than that. It's about creating a narrative within the constraints of a 60-second video. It's storytelling, in essence. Plus, I think it would be great to highlight how many trends actually have roots in marginalized communities that often don’t get the credit they deserve."

Emma: "Sounds fantastic."

[Leila beams, pulling out her phone.]

Leila: "Great, I'll start drafting up some ideas."

[She proceeds to spend the next few minutes swiping through her phone at lightning speed, her thumbs blurring over the screen while Emma and James look bewildered, watching her.]

James: (Leaning over, squinting at her screen) "I have no idea how you do that so fast."

Leila: (Without looking up) "Years of ignoring parental advice about screen time, James."

[Emma gaffawas and James looks shocked.]

Alex Garcia, Data Analyst:

Alex is Latinx - both asexual and nonbinary. They fit society’s definition of beautiful and find is equally amusing and frustrating when they are constantly sexualized…by both genders and often “straight” people. Because of their lack of sexual desire and their non-conformance to the gender binary, paired with their highly analytical intelligence and extremely literal sense of humor, societal norms fly at them from all angles and get demolished like a rotten banana hitting a brick wall. This character is so unaffected it’s hilarious.

As a Data Analyst, Alex is responsible for interpreting data, creating infographics, and helping the team understand the trends and patterns in their readership. They are a bit nerdy and have a very literal sense of humor.

Scene from the Pilot:

[Alex steps out of the interview room after a successful interview, a calm and collected aura surrounding them. They move towards a chair in the waiting area as instructed, remaining unfazed by the potential anxiety of the situation.]

Jordan: (Overconfident, attractive man, leaning back in his chair, looking Alex up and down) "You must be the competition. Nice suit."

Alex: (Unphased, glances at Jordan) "It's not a competition. It's a job interview. And thank you, I chose it for its functionality and aesthetics."

[Jordan, a little taken aback but amused, continues to flirt.]

Jordan: "Well, maybe after this we could grab a coffee, chat about our experiences?"

Alex: (Glances at Jordan, expression unchanging) "Why? The statistical probability of both of us getting hired is quite low, and even if we do, we'll have ample opportunity to discuss our experiences during work hours."

[There's a pause. The waiting room is silent, all eyes on Alex and Jordan. Then a snort of laughter breaks the silence. Everyone tries to stifle their laughter, but it's impossible.]

[Alex, meanwhile, continues to scroll through their tablet, as composed and unbothered as ever, highlighting the humor in the contrast between the scene's energy and their nonchalant attitude.]

Jasmine Davis, Videographer:

Jasmine is African American with very dark skin and is often treated like an attraction for people to touch and poke and take pictures with. As a videographer she embraces the exposure and uses opportunities to educate people - she has a quick, funny sense of humor that light-heartedly chastises well-intentioned yet ignorant people but can turn into devastatingly sharp character assassinations of people who treat her more animal than human.

She is incredibly intuitive and empathetic and captures her subjects with beauty, grace, and so much emotion.

As videographer, she's responsible for filming and editing videos for the outlet's YouTube channel and other platforms. She has a creative, artistic temperament, providing a unique perspective on the events of the show.

Scene from the Pilot:

Setting: Outside the building, an overcast day, where Jasmine is filming a street artist at work. Two bystanders, a young woman, and a young man, take interest in Jasmine.

[Jasmine is intently focusing on her camera's viewfinder, her face a picture of artistic concentration. The young woman approaches, wide-eyed and awestruck.]

Young Woman: (Reaches out to touch Jasmine's hair, but pulls back, self-conscious) "Wow, your hair is so... unique. Can I touch it?"

Jasmine: (Without looking away from her camera) "Well, I'd ask to touch your unique freckles, but you know... personal space and all."

[The woman blushes, giggles awkwardly, and retreats a few steps, understanding the message.]

Young Man: (Leaning in, squinting and smirking) "It's so dark out here, if it wasn't for your white teeth, I might have missed you altogether!"

[Jasmine freezes momentarily before slowly turning towards the young man, a mischievous glint in her eyes.]

Jasmine: (Smiling wide) "That's funny, because I can see you clearly, but I'm still struggling to find any signs of intelligence. Maybe it's the lighting, or...maybe it's just not there."

[The bystanders snicker at his expense. The young man, taken aback, turns a shade of red that competes with the traffic light. Jasmine, without missing a beat, returns her focus to her camera.

Adrian George, Podcast Host:

Adrian is indigenous and actively abstains from alcohol and other substances due to a history of intergenerational trauma. In an attempt to reconnect with his heritage, he began exploring the art of story telling.

He has a warm and engaging personality that pulls people in as he talks, and he pairs this with expert comedic timing and perfect delivery in his storytelling.

He is extremely passionate about cultural resilience and resistance in the face of historical and contemporary challenges.

As the podcast host, he provides a platform for longer, more in-depth discussions of the issues the team is covering. He is more of an intellectual that most of the other characters and provides some of the show's more serious moments, but he never fails to deliver a perfectly time punchline.

[NOTE: this character is heavily influeced by Dax Shepard of the Armchair Expert]

Scene from the Pilot:

Setting: Emma and James are seated opposite Adrian, with an affable grin on his face, exuding warmth and easy confidence.

Adrian: (Laughs) "Alright, alright, so I've got this crazy story idea that happened to me personally, and I think it would make for an interesting podcast episode."

James: (Leaning back in his chair, intrigued) "Let's hear it."

Adrian: "So, back in my hometown there was an annual powwow. My extended family would get together after hours for some extra fun and games for the kids. The grand finale was the 'Great Beaver Chase.' It's a total misnomer though – no beavers were chased or harmed."

Emma: (Grinning) "Okay, you've got my attention."

Adrian: "So, the whole point was for the youngsters in the community to find the hidden beaver plushie that the elders would hide somewhere in the wilderness. Kind of like a large-scale hide and seek. The kicker is, they'd only give us riddles as clues."

James: "Sounds like fun."

Adrian: "It was! One year, the clue was, 'In a place where the water doesn't flow.' Everyone dashed off to the dried-up creek, but I remembered an old, abandoned well near the northern edge of our land. Thought I had it in the bag."

Emma: "And did you?"

Adrian: (Chuckles) "Well, I get there, climb down the well, and what do I find? Not a beaver, but a very, very irritated raccoon."

[Emma and James both laugh.]

Adrian: (Still chuckling) "The thing is, it didn't just scare me. It grabbed my phone that I was using as a flashlight and bolted up the rope! Now I was stuck in a well, in the dark, and the raccoon was taking selfies on my phone from the top!"

[Emma and James burst into laughter.]

Adrian: (Joining in the laughter) "I still maintain, though, that it'd be an excellent segment, maybe called 'The Misadventures of Beaver Chase.' We could have people sharing their own funny misadventures while tying it into our bigger themes."

[They all share a laugh, and the atmosphere is one of easy camaraderie, with Adrian’s storytelling and quick wit pulling them in.]

Emma: (Laughs) "Well, Adrian, I think you're on to something there."

Sundeep (Sunny) Singh, Fact-Checker:

Sunny is hard of hearing due to a genetic mutation. He began losing his hearing as a teen and now has only partial hearing in one ear. He wears hearing aids which allow him to use Bluetooth technology to hear video and audio media, but often mis-hears casual conversation leading to humorous misunderstandings and miscommunications.

He’s not British, but acts like it. He has very dry wit, drops concise, well timed one-liners, and is passionately devoted to telling the whole truth behind a person’s story.

Fact-checker is often underestimated but is vital role in any journalism outlet. Filling this position perfectly is quirky, detail-oriented Sundeep who frequently finds himself in disagreements with the reporters over accuracy...often because he has missed a beat himself.

Benjamin Nguyen, Intern:

Benjamin (never Ben) is 21 years old and 3rd generation Filipino. His parents are both in holistic health professions - acupuncture, reiki, and traditional nutrition. They have very strong family values and expect him to live at home indefinitely though he wants to make it on his own as an influencer.

He has a bit of an ego problem, and is quick to assume people are judging him based on his ethnicity, but he deflects with witty, devastating accuracy showing he is not only smart and capable, but also extremely likeable and the definition of mainstream popularity.

Samantha Jenkins, Office Manager:

Samathan is responsible for keeping everything in order, allowing the office to run smoothly amidst the chaos.

She also happens to have dyspraxia - a neurological condition that affects coordination and movement planning, often leading to difficulties with fine and gross motor skills.

She is constantly knocking things over or tripping over things, which leads to some humorous physical comedy moments. Importantly, her friends and co-workers NEVER make fun of her condition and her worth and intelligence are not defined by her condition - she is constantly recognized as a competent and crucial part of the team who just happens to have this condition.

She has learned to see the hilarity in her own condition and actively advocates for others with disabilities to embrace their unique quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Because of her terrible coordination, she has always avoided physical activities, but she loves to sing and dance and takes multiple dance classes just for fun, breaking out her moves at Karaoke night whenever possible, regardless of her lack of coordination.

She oozes joyfulness but is incredibly good at her job. She has unparalleled organizational skills and studied Feng Shui - she frequently adjusts the office for improved productivity, but also to reduce her run-ins with furniture.

Season 1 Outline

Pilot: Breaking Boundaries

The diverse team of journalists, overseen by well-meaning Editor-in-Chief, Emma Williams, are recruited to revamp traditional media into a modern multimedia platform designed to connect with younger audiences and wake up traditionalists living in the past. Each member of the team is introduced and we get a sneak peek of each of their idiosyncrasies, endearing the audience to the real experiences and hilarious outtakes.

Episodes 2-5: "Adapting To The New"

Each episode focuses on one or two characters adjusting to their positions within the new publication, including their forays into TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The Social Media Journalist is in her element, creating viral moments and teaching the others about hashtags, trending dances, and meme culture. The Senior Reporter hilariously struggles with technology but starts developing a genuine understanding of his daughter's experience through it.

Episodes 6-7: "Deeper Understanding"

The team starts tackling serious social issues, giving depth to their digital presence. The Podcast Host is excited about these longer discussions, while the Fact-Checker is constantly challenged by the speed and potential for misinformation on social media.

Episode 8: "Viral Mistake"

The Social Media Journalist accidentally publishes a post that's taken out of context and goes viral for all the wrong reasons. The team has to scramble to control the fallout, and lessons are learned about the power and danger of social media.

Episodes 9-10: "Data Driven Journalism"

The Data Analyst comes into focus as their work helps the team understand the impact of their new strategy. They also navigate their own story arc around bridging the gap between their literal thinking and the unpredictable world of social media.

Episode 11: "Heart of The Story"

The Senior Reporter gets a scoop that could be a game-changer for the team, but it involves his trans daughter's best friend. The episode dives into the ethical complexities of journalism and the personal cost it might have on his rekindled relationship with his daughter.

Episodes 12-13: "Season Finale: United We Stand"

The team's efforts to create inclusive and relevant content leads to a significant backlash from conservative groups. The season concludes with the team rallying around their mission and each other, affirming their dedication to telling underrepresented stories and navigating the fast-paced world of digital journalism.