All About SUBS

SUBS is a situation comedy, that follows four main characters both inside and outside of the classroom. Unlike any other high school show, it does not focus on students or seasoned teachers making a difference. Instead, it showcases the middle group, which has not yet been properly represented in American culture. Substitute teachers have a fascinating and hysterical place in the social hierarchy of the public school system. They are not respected by the administration, teachers, and especially, the students. And furthermore, they are caught in the unusual position of being too young to be respected as authority figures, and too old in the eyes of the students. It is this point of view which gives SUBS its unique situational humor.

The economic recession in the Unites States has brought with it a high cost of living. Consequently, many young college graduates are over-educated, underemployed, and forced to reluctantly return to live with their parents. While maintaining a comedic view, SUBS delves into a series of complex social and generational situations, such as student-teacher relationships, underage drinking, suburban sprawl, the public school system, premarital sex, drugs, and unplanned pregnancies, to name just a few.

Our four main characters, with their unique personalities, create an intelligently amusing commentary on the state of twenty-somethings in the American workforce and the ever increasing boomerang phenomenon.

In addition to the main characters, the supporting cast and settings also prove to be a valuable tool in the narrative. Through the Subs’ eyes, the viewer will get a sneak peek into the politics of a suburban school district, observing the relationships and alliances that develop between not only the teachers, but also the staff, administration and some of the more boisterous upperclassmen.

Equally as important to the show is the (fictional) town of Liberty, New York and William Henry Harrison High School. Liberty is a sleepy Long Island suburb, a short train ride from Manhattan, making it a prime spot for the Subs’ more successful contemporaries to settle down and prepare to start their own families. No doubt, the Subs will run into their old peers at the local bars, only making them feel worse about their current situation.

The themes in this show are universal; however the style and setting will breathe new life into the many complexities of everyday struggles. When executed to perfection, this show has the potential to mix the day-to-day mundanity of The Office with the camaraderie of Friends, the high school dramedy of Freaks and Geeks and the absurdity of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This project has the potential to speak to the many disenfranchised, underemployed and over-educated youth in a post-recession world.

One of Subs’ primary goals is to introduce memorable and timely American characters who are not typecast as losers because of their shortcomings in the professional world. Ultimately, the characters in Subs will be spokespersons for their generation.