ROOMMATE DU JOUR

TITLE: ROOMMATE DU JOUR

GENRE: COMEDY

PREMISE: A 20-something makes a deal with a mysterious stranger who is willing to pay his entire rent each month if he'll accept whatever roommate his benefactor chooses for him, as often as it occurs, and for as short or long a duration as it is.

PRIME CHARACTER: Gerard (pronounced JER'räd) is a disk jockey at his university radio station. He's tackling college very slowly, now in his 6th year and his fourth major, currently "forensic neuroplasticity," which itself is a mystery to the viewer and fertile ground for comedic effect, as he is often called in to testify as an expert witness for it.

Gerard is a bit of an elitist, preferring his music played on a turntable, and he is much more careful with his records than his choice in roommates.

His rent is exorbitant since he wants a location within walking distance to his classes and job. He has put up a notice for a roommate needed, with many tear off tabs with his number on them. However, a well-dressed, well-to-do gentleman takes the entire notice so no one else can tear off any tabs. We can't see who he is, but by his sleeve, cufflink, and rings--the only couture visible--he is obviously a man of means--not one of the "little people."

The mystery benefactor calls Gerard and offers him a deal: his entire rent and utilities if Gerard allows him to "give" him roommates in any way that is chosen by the man.

THE HOOK: These roommates come into Gerard's life anywhere from a week to a month, depending on the storyline surrounding the roommate of the time. This allows separate guest stars to come into and out of the show, each with a unique comedic plotline and setup. Gerard is the only constant, although his life is a series of accommodations and adjustments for each roommate.

This setup allows for different comedic treatments, while Gerard stays the same, e.g., tragicomedy, farce, romantic comedy (Gerard can be bi-), heartfelt, dark comedy, irony, etc.

Gerard's disc jockey friends come and go as visitors who each have their words of advice and cautionary tales to share with him about the whatever current roommate is in the story "du jour." They are each stereotypical, e.g., the guy with elbow patches who plays classical, the stoner who plays the "underground" show, the flamboyant musicals aficionado, the punker, hip-hop guy, and rapper...etc.

This setup also allows for guest "stars" as well as unknowns to come through. What these roommates actually "do" or how they relate to the benefactor is unknown, but the speculation each show is part of the comedy. The roommates, themselves, are forbidden to discuss their benefactor or why they appear and ultimately disappear to be replaced.

RUNNING COMEDIC THEMES (Gags):

Speculation of the rotational nature of the roommates varies from witness protection to gangland conspiracies to government cover-ups, and even alien encounters. The variety is really endless.

The role of the benefactor teases the viewers from some telltale leaks from time to time. It would be fun to have the audience speculate on the benefactor as time and clues go on.

Characters handling his records makes Gerard crazy, but each character has some outrageous story about the artist being played. On some episodes, the actual artist can guest-appear to keep Gerard wondering. Many slapstick moments of Gerard gesticulating in agony over scratches, dropped tone arms, etc.

Everyone gets Gerard's name wrong, alternately, "Gerald," "Jarrod," etc., and his most hated, "Jerry." Everyone coming to the door, from Amazon delivery to Census takers, gets it wrong, from whence the roommate calls him this the entire episode.

MOM:

Mom is the Italian-American who named Gerard after the patron saint of expectant mothers, St. Gerard Majella. She is always "hitting the pews" for this or that cause for Gerard, e.g., a girlfriend--preferably Italian, a real job, or over the suspicion over this roommate or another as the rotation continues. We always have to hear details of her problem pregnancy for Gerard that provoked his naming.

DAD:

Dad is the Worthless Check Constable at City Hall. He is the quintessential worrier over things like getting that headlight fixed, not pissing off the IRS, and disapproval of the roommate du jour. Lots of Dad Jokes. Lots of advice for Gerard AND for the roommate du jour.

BROTHER AND SISTER

Todd and Becca are a tag-team of ne'er-do-wells, always trying to tie Gerard into their newest get-rich-quick schemes. Even some of the roommates fall for it, to comedic effects.

SISTER GENISIUS:

A nun with a male saint's name (it happens), who took the name of St. Genesius, the patron saint of actors, playwrights, clowns, comedians, comics, converts, dancers, and musicians; but also lawyers and torture victims, as explained as a segue applicable to the roommate du jour. She is always being dragged in by Gerard's mother. She has recently been "de-cloistered," so she is very weird. The weirdness is never religious, to avoid any offensive interpretations. Although it's forbidden, it is Gerard's mother's not-so-secret dream that he one day marry her--"in another life," or other weird parallel-world qualifier for comedic effect.

THUS...

This sitcom allows a variety of comedic genres and endless circumstances, from setups to actors, from situations to speculation.

©Gerard DiLeo, 2023, for entrance into the Pitch Your Pilot Vocal Challenge. I like it already. When can we see it?