The Gang is All Here

"The Gang is All Here" is a fast-paced, witty, and innovative comedy about close friends who navigate life, love, and the continued expansion of their group as time goes on. The series begins initially with four close friends, but as they grow up, they will meet their significant others and deal with how this not only affects themselves as individuals but how it changes the group dynamics. This series will be innovative in that the stories are based on the real-life experiences of the writers. Episodes will have a post show segment where the people the characters are based on give their input and insight into each of the episodes.

Synopsis: The series follows Anne and her friends Katie, Douglas, and Mikey. Anne is the den mother of the group - caring and providing support and love for her friends as they face challenges. Katie, her female best friend, is a hopeless romantic, but her conservative values make it difficult for her to find a boyfriend in a world of hookups and dating apps. Mikey, Anne's oldest friend, is, on the surface, a self-professed womanizer. However, as the audience gets to know him, they come to find out he has depth and his actions are a means of repressing childhood trauma. Douglas is the teddy bear of the group. He suffers from a medical condition and so the group tends to be overly caring with him. He is a bit of an airhead - always losing things, and leaving them places. But he is the one that the audience will root for the most because of his heart.

As the series progresses, we find out who loves whom, and meet the people who the core group will date, sleep with, and marry. Relationships will be challenges, tears will be shed, and memories will be made. Through it all, Anne tries to keep the group together and functioning because she treasures their moments together and loves them each in very different ways.

Target Audience: Ideally, everyone. But because the group starts out in their 20s and continues into their 40s, this would be the age of the main group of individuals.

Why People Should Watch It: This series will be unique in that is based on real life and the actual people who the episodes are based on will give insight into the real-life stories. Essentially, the series will be a sitcom with a segment at the end that plays a bit like a reality show. So the audience can not only grow to love the characters in the show but also the people that inspired them. The end segment has the creator interacting with the real-life people, asking them questions and having them share the memories that inspire the show.

Pilot Episode:

THE GANG IS ALL HERE: Map Marauders  

ACT ONE

INT. HOTEL ROOM – MORNING

A SUNNY MORNING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. MIKEY IS SITTING IN HOTEL CHAIR NEAR THE WINDOW IN AN UPPER-LEVEL HOTEL ROOM. HE IS LOOKING AT HIS PHONE, HIS THUMB MOVING TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. HE MAKES FACES AS HE LOOKS AT HIS PHONE. SOME HE SMILES, SOME HE GRIMACES AND SHAKES HIS HEAD. ANNIE ENTERS THE HOTEL ROOM HOLDING A CUP CARRIER FILLED WITH COFFEE.

ANNIE

Coffee! Everyone come on! Stores open in an hour!

Annie crosses to stand behind Mikey, holding two cups of coffee. She watches over his shoulder for a few seconds.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Swipe left.

Mikey does so.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Left. Left.

Annie grimaces.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Definitely left. Left again.

Mikey instead swipes right.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Why would you even swipe right?

Mikey reaches back and grabs his coffee.

MIKEY

She’s desperate.

Annie rolls her eyes. Cut to her walking back toward the middle of the room.

ANNIE

You are pathetic. We aren’t even going to be here long enough for you to work your voodoo on some poor, unsuspecting chick.

Mikey gets up from the chair and crosses the room to plug his phone into a charger.

MIKEY

That’s why I picked desperate. Won’t take me as long to woo her.

ANNIE

You call that wooing?

Mikey responds while drinking coffee.

MIKEY

Sure. Wooing with words. I butter her up with texts, make her all wobbly in the knees, meet her in the lobby and I’m good to go.

ANNIE

Good to go where? Not back here.

MIKEY

Meh. Good to go anywhere.

ANNIE

You’re pathetic.

Mikey smiles.

MIKEY

And yet you still love me.

Annie picks goes to the hotel closet and pulls out a pirate costume hung on a hanger.

ANNIE

Put this on and I’ll love you even more.

Mikey grimaces and crosses to grab the costume.

MIKEY

I came for the theme park, not douchebag dress-up day.

Annie grabs another costume and exits into the bathroom. She speaks from the bathroom as Mikey removes his shirt and begins to put on the costume.

ANNIE

It’s a Pirate Ren Fair. Though I am sure there will be douchebags there. And besides, you got the park yesterday.

Mikey throws on a billowy white shirt and vest. He crosses the room to look in the mirror.

MIKEY

Ah, no way! I’m not wearing this! This get-up will throw off my game.

Annie comes out of the bathroom dressed in a pirate wench costume. She is tying a scarf around her head.

ANNIE

It looks fine.

Mikey turns around.

MIKEY

If I was a pirate!

Annie crosses to the dresser and picks up gold hoop earrings.

ANNIE

You are supposed to be a pirate.

Annie picks up a belt and eye patch from where Mikey has laid them and crosses to Mikey.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Now come on! Everyone will be dressed up. You will look silly if you aren’t in a costume.

Annie puts the belt on Mikey.

MIKEY

You owe me.

Annie slips the eyepatch over his eye pulls it out and lets it go.

ANNIE

I know. I know. You are awesome for coming, and even more awesome for going in with Katie and buying my ticket for the park and the hotel room. I’m sorry I got laid off right before we came.

Mikey grows flustered by Annie’s honest and humble response. It’s clear he doesn’t like any sort of conversation that involves any level of depth.

MIKEY

Well, I’ll make sure you make it up to me.

ANNIE

Anything.

Mikey grins boyishly and poses in the mirror.

MIKEY

So, I can use the hotel room tonight?

Annie rolls her eyes.

ANNIE

How about I find you a wench with her boobs popping out at the fair. One you don’t have to swipe right for?

MIKEY

Yessssssssssssss!!!!!!

THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR CONNECTING THE HOTEL ROOM NEXT TO THE ROOM MIKEY AND ANNIE ARE IN. ANNIE CROSSES THE ROOM AND OPENS IT. DOUGLAS AND KATIE COME CRASHING THROUGH. BOTH ARE DRESSED IN PIRATE COSTUMES. KATIE IS DRESSED IN A MALE PIRATE COSTUME, AS IS DOUGLAS. DOUGLAS HAS KNOCKOFF VERSION OF JACK SPARROW’S COSTUME FROM PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ON.

Douglas crosses to the center of the room and pivots.

DOUGLAS

We have a problem.

ANNIE

What?

KATIE

Ok, it’s not really a problem. It’s more of a costume… well, mistake.

Douglas rips off his pirate hat and reveals a brightly colored mullet wig.

DOUGLAS

This… this is a problem!

Everyone stares at Douglas. Annie bites her lip to hold back a smile. Mikey crosses to stand directly in front of Douglas.

MIKEY

Nice!

DOUGLAS

It’s not nice, I look like David Bowie, not Jack Sparrow!

KATIE

Yeah, Bowie, circa 1986.

The group stares at Katie.

KATIE (CONT’D)

You know, Jareth? The Goblin King? Come on guys! Jim Henson’s Labyrinth!

The group all murmurs a response of recognition.

ANNIE

Look, it’s ok. Why not just go without the wig?

DOUGLAS

But I am Cap’n Jack! His hair is iconic! The long dreads with the beads. Its necessary!

MIKEY

Dude, it’s a wig.

ANNIE

Well, we were going to hang out in costume in Downtown Disney. Why don’t we stop and get Douglas a wig? You know they will have one.

DOUGLAS

Excellent Idea.

Douglas, Katie and Annie head toward the door.

MIKEY

Wait, you never said I had to go out in public like this!

Annie turns and looks back at Mikey.

ANNIE

Scared someone might recognize you from your Swipe Right App?

MIKEY

It’s called Date Mate.

Mikey’s phone dings and he looks at it smugly.

MIKEY (CONT’D)

And I just got a notification!

He walks past Annie, not looking where he is going, and walks into the door. Annie walks past him into the hallway.

ANNIE

You may want to swipe yourself slightly left to make it out the door.

MIKEY rubs his face and walks out the door, shutting it behind him,

END OF SCENE ONE

SCENE TWO

EXT – ENTRANCE TO DOWNTOWN DISNEY - MORNING

“I’M SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON” BY THE DROPKICK MURPHY’S PLAYING. THE GANG WALKS TOWARD CAMERA SLOWLY. THEY ARE DRESSED IN THEIR PIRATE COSTUMES; DOUGLAS IS STILL WEARING THE BRIGHTLY COLORED MULLET. MIKEY HAS DONNED AVIATOR SUNGLASSES. THE CONTINUES AS THEY APPROACH THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT TO ENTER DOWNTOWN DISNEY. THE SECURITY GUARD, WHO IS FEMALE, LOOKS AT THEM SKEPTICALLY, BUT ALLOWS THEM TO ENTER. MIKEY WINKS AT HER AS HE PASSES THROUGH.

FADE INTO ANNIE, MIKEY AND KATIE SITTING AT A TABLE IN FRONT OF A BISTRO STYLY RESTAURANT. ANNIE IS SIPPING THE COFFEE SHE HAD EARLIER. KATIE IS EATING A CREPE AND MIKEY IS CHOWING DOWN ON A BREAKFAST BURRITO.

ANNIE

Thanks again guys for paying for me this weekend. I’m sorry, I hate to put you both out.

Mikey responds with a full mouth.

MIKEY

God, Annie. Stop saying thank you.

KATIE

What are friends for? You would do the same thing for us.

ANNIE

I know. I just hate relying on people like some all-consuming orifice.

Mikey laughs as he chews his food and then sighs.

MIKEY

Do you know what orifice means?

Brief pause.

KATIE

Do you?

Another brief pause.

MIKEY

No.

Katie looks at Annie.

KATIE

Have you eaten? Like, since we got here yesterday?

ANNIE

No.

KATIE

You must eat.

ANNIE

I’m ok. I’m broke and…

Mikey interrupts.

MIKEY

Oh, now see… there you go again. You must eat. No, you’re not fat, you’re skinnier than all of us. So, shut up and put food in your mouth.

ANNIE

I don’t have any food.

Mikey holds his breakfast sandwich up to Annie’s mouth.

MIKEY

Eat it.

ANNIE

I’m fine. Really.

MIKEY

Eat the meat!

Katie looks around and responds quietly.

KATIE

Please don’t say that out loud.

ANNIE

Oh, my god. Fine!

Annie takes a tiny bite and Mikey rolls his eyes.

MIKEY

More, Annie.

Annie takes a slightly bigger bite.

MIKEY (CONT’D)

More!

Annie takes a large bite and her mouth is full. She chews awkwardly and slowly.

Mikey stands up and tosses the remaining sandwich in front of Annie.

MIKEY (CONT’D)

There. You gained an ounce. But now, I need to pee.

Mikey gets up and exits into the interior of the restaurant. Camera cuts to Annie as Mikey walks off.

ANNIE

He’s amazing.

Cut to shot of Katie.

KATIE

He’s swiping.

ANNIE

He’s always swiping. He’s still amazing.

Katie responds sarcastically.

KATIE

Well, don’t let him know that.

ANNIE

He knows I think he’s amazing. Doesn’t matter. I’m not on an app.

KATIE

At least you’re genuine.

Annie laughs.

ANNIE

Too genuine.

Douglas enters with a shopping bag. He sits down. He is still wearing the same wig.

KATIE

Well?

Douglas pulls a dreadlock wig out of the bag. He removes the mullet wig and places the new wig on his head. He responds in a pirate voice.

DOUGLAS

‘Ello luv.

Annie and Katie laugh and Mikey renters. Mikey sits down.

ANNIE

It’s perfect.

She finishes her coffee.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Shall we head out?

Douglas pulls a stack of maps from the same bag as the wig. He tosses them on the table.

KATIE

Maps?

DOUGLAS

Well, we don’t know where we are going. Exactly.

ANNIE

Sure, we do. Sort of.

Mikey grabs the maps and begins looking at them one by one.

MIKEY

Geez, these are overpriced.

DOUGLAS

No, they aren’t. They were free.

Mikey holds up a map.

MIKEY

$9.95 ain’t free.

Annie and Katie grab the maps.

ANNIE

Dougie…. Please tell me you paid for these.

DOUGLAS

No… I mean I just grabbed a bunch after I got the wig. The lady looked at me funny but didn’t say anything. So, I walked out.

Mikey bursts into laughter and Annie and Katie groan. A male security guard approaches the table. The group looks guilty and shifty.

ANNIE

I’m sorry… is there a problem?

SECURITY GUARD

I’m sorry, ma’am I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. You are…

Douglas interrupts.

DOUGLAS

I’m sorry, I didn’t know! I’m sorry, officer! Take me, not my friends!

SECURITY GUARD

You are in violation of the park’s strict no adults in costume policy.

MIKEY

That’s a thing?

SECURITY GUARD

Yes sir, it is. I am uncertain as to how you were able to enter the premises in the first place.

MIKEY

Don’t hold it against the guard who let us in.

SECURITY GUARD

Why not?

ANNIE

He wooed her.

The Security Guard looks confused.

SECURITY GUARD

I have no idea what you are talking about, nor do I care to. But I am going to have to escort you out of the area. Now, if you will please come with me.

The gang stands up awkwardly. Douglas shoves the maps into his bag. They follow the security guard out. Douglas and Annie bring up the rear. Douglas speaks to Annie under his breath.

DOUGLAS

Are we going to talk about how I’m a map marauder?

Annie responds under her breath.

ANNIE

Not now!

They follow the Security Guard out of the park and skulk off toward their car.

END OF SCENE TWO

SCENE THREE

EXT – A RENAISANCE FAIR LOCATED BY THE BEACH – AFTERNOON

A WIDE SHOT OF THE GANG WALKING AMONG VARIOUS VENDORS ONE WOULD FIND AT A RENAISSANCE FAIR. THERE IS MUSIC PLAYING IN THE DISTANCE AND SOMEONE HAWKING THEIR WARES. MIKEY CARRIES A LARGE DRUMBSTICK IN ONE HAND AND IS HOLDING HIS PHONE WITH HIS OTHER HAND. ANNIE AND KATIE LOOK AT JEWELRY AT ONE OF THE BOOTHS AND DOUGLAS WATCHES A JUGGLER. DOUGLAS REACHES OUT WITHOUT TAKING HIS EYES OFF OF THE JUGGLER AND GRABS MIKEY

DOUGLAS

Look at this guy, Mikey. He’s flawless!

Mikey responds without looking up from his phone.

MIKEY

Uh-huh.

Douglas follows the circles the juggler is juggling as his whole head moves in sync with them.

DOUGLAS

It’s like an endless circular rainbow of color.

Mikey continues to stare at his phone.

MIKEY

Yup.

Katie and Annie walk from the booth to join them.

KATIE

Guys, there is a hawk guy following me.

DOUGLAS

Does he have a bow and arrow?

Katie looks at Douglas as though is trying to interpret what he is saying.

KATIE

No, not Hawkeye, Hawk GUY.

She turns and points.

KATIE (CONT’D)

He’s over there. I feel like his bird is watching me too.

MIKEY

Maybe he thinks you’re cute.

ANNIE

The way he looks, he’s checking her out to be mincemeat for his bird.

Katie grabs Mikey’s arm.

KATIE

He’s coming over!

The Hawk Guy crosses over to stand in the middle of the group. He holds his hawk close to Katie. She cringes and leans into Douglas.

HAWK GUY

Hark, fair lady!

Katie squeaks out an answer.

KATIE

Hark.

HAWK GUY

My fair fowl noticed thee from afar. Together we wondered if thou would stroll with us to the bar?

Mikey’s head snaps up.

MIKEY

Wait, there’s a bar?

Annie looks at Katie and Mikey and then wraps her arm through Mikey’s.

ANNIE

Yeah, Mikey. You know, we were all just going there. And you were going to by this girl… I’m sorry, what was your name?

Katie picks up on what Annie is trying to do. She offers her hand to Annie who takes it.

KATIE

Katie.

Katie links her arm into Mikey’s other arm.

KATIE (CONT’D)

And this fella is buying me a drink already… so, sorry!

Mikey clues in.

MIKEY

Yeah, exactly… I am buying her a drink. Ladies? Shall we?

Hawk Guy skulks off. Annie, Katie and Mikey turn and walk in the opposite direction. Douglas, who walks back up to them carrying a bunch of cigars. He hands them out excitedly.

DOUGLAS

Bingo!

ANNIE

Where in the world did you find these?

DOUGLAS

I bought them from some guy.

KATIE

You want to smoke cigars from “some guy?” Who knows what’s in these!

Mikey begins to walk faster.

ANNIE

What’s your hurry? We got rid of Hawk Guy.

Mikey shows her his phone.

MIKEY

SweetCaramel686.

KATIE

Wait, she’s here?

ANNIE

I’m guessing that drink he promised you is going elsewhere.

MIKEY

Faint heart never won fair lady!

Annie responds sarcastically.

ANNIE

That most definitely is no lady.

KATIE

Well, this is a Ren Fair… boobs are popping out everywhere. I suppose this was bound to happen.

They all nod and walk offscreen.

EXT- BEACH – LATER IN THE DAY NEAR SUNSET

THE GANG IS SITTING ON THE BEACH LOOKING AT THE WAVES AND SHARING A CIGAR. ALL OF THEM ARE THERE EXCEPT FOR MIKEY.

DOUGLAS

This was an excellent day. And I am now a map thief.

Katie takes the cigar from him and takes one puff, then hands it back. She speaks with an accent.

KATIE

Aye, it was at that.

ANNIE

I wish it could always be like this. The gang always together.

KATIE

It will be!

DOUGLAS

Well, we would need to get Mikey a tracking device.

Annie rolls her eyes.

ANNIE

I don’t even want to know what he and SweetCaramel686 are doing.

Mikey walks up and plops down next to them on the sand.

ANNIE (CONT’D)

Where’s your conquest?

MIKEY

I should’ve swiped the other way.

KATIE

Too much woman for you to handle?

MIKEY

I can handle any woman. She forgot to mention her boyfriend was Hawk Guy.

Annie tries not to laugh.

ANNIE

As in the Hawk Guy? Hawk Guy, Hawk Guy?

DOUGLAS

I didn’t know there was more than one.

MIKEY

Yeah, that Hawk Guy. He didn’t appreciate me going after his woman.

He turns to Annie.

MIKEY (CONT’D)

Especially since he was told I already had my own woman. Two, in fact.

Annie bursts out laughing.

ANNIE

Aw, come on. There are more fish in the ocean.

KATIE

That’s right. Plus, you know you love hanging out with us way more.

Mikey takes the cigar from Douglas and lays down on the sand.

MIKEY

Maybe.

Annie lays down next him and the camera switches to a shot of the two of them.

ANNIE

After all, we’ll always be there for you.

Katie lays down into the shot.

KATIE

And who knows, maybe you could put up being there for us?

Douglas lays down into the shot.

DOUGLAS

The gang is all here.

Annie looks up at the sky.

ANNIE

And that’s what matters.

Panning shot up to the sky and fade to black.

END OF SCENE THREE