Brian Hartwell 

Coco and Timmy Pitch Bible 

Longline

Two friends, a hypercompetitive, conspiratorial mouse and an insecure, loyal flamingo, live in an island paradise. The mouse wants to start a cruise ship business, but an evil intergalactic cult thwarts his plans by drying up earth.

A hypercompetitive, conspiratorial mouse and an insecure, loyal flamingo—roommates to the hilt, live in an island paradise. The mouse wants to start a cruise ship business, but an evil intergalactic cult thwarts his plans by drying up earth, for this season...

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A mouse wants to buy a billion dollar yacht, using pirate gold he’s searching for with his best friend, but an evil space cult wants to take over the planet, terraforming it entirely into a desert waste land.

Overview

Timmy comes from a humble background, makes his way to living on a beautiful island for mostly the upper class, and meets Coco, an Island native who doesn’t do well with most people.  They become good friends and soon start unraveling major plots together.  Whether it’s searching for pirate gold in space, getting trapped at a haunted tourist town, or just taking on dares with Coco’s do-good friends, they always fall into something wild.  But under everything is an evil cult, The Watchers, are plotting something earth shattering.

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Characters List

Timmy the Mouse

Though most people wouldn’t think twice about such a small character, Timmy boasts a rather uproarious personality, and manages to make himself the center of attention in most situations.  He sees himself as a logician and never fails to entertain Coco with his many poorly crafted conspiracy theories meant to lead to the discovery of wild machinations, mysteries, or money, in some form or another.  Timmy always seems to think that someone else is on their tale, and oftentimes he’s right, but not for the reasons he thinks.  His competitive nature can make him impatient, and his thirst for reward can cause him to lose sight of everyone around him.  He’s selfish at times, not willing to sacrifice a little for the sake of someone else.  While he considers Coco to be his best friend, he wouldn’t hesitate to let Coco fend for himself if a bear showed up on a campout, or the Hooded Hoodlem of Hudamia appeared and started chasing them.  Timmy would be concerned only with self-preservation, then make efforts to gain the high ground in a fight.  Because of his big ego, Timmy doesn’t take well to being put down.  While surprises scare him, big characters with bigger egos do not, and he’d get the pulp beaten out of himself before letting them think he’s gonna let them walk all over him.

Coco the Flamingo

Coco doesn’t do well with most people, other than a few do-gooders from his highschool days.  Though one would suspect such a colorful and glamorous bird to do just fine with making friends, Coco’s resilience at being a total loser prevents him from ever getting in with the cool kids.  Despite being forced into seclusion, most of the time, Coco wears a big heart, caring about the well-being of others, and is mostly oblivious to his own troubles.  He’s super impressed by Timmy, and always wants to be there for him, and help solve any conspiracy Timmy begins formulating in his brain. If Coco was more self-confident, he might be able to point out some of the inherent gaps in Timmy’s thinking, as Coco is himself, quite a bit smarter than him.  But given Timmy’s sureness and Coco’s unsureness, the two go ahead.  Coco would do anything for Timmy, as Coco is just that nice a guy.  If Coco was in a full body cast and knew Timmy had a bloody nose, Coco would instinctively feel worse for Timmy than he’d feel bad for himself, in fact, he wouldn’t really think all that much about his condition.  There’s a girl in town that Coco huge crushes on, but his lack of self-confidence keeps him away, and all through school he never once said hi.  Watching as she goes from one boyfriend to another, Coco hopes to one day swoop in and save the day.  

Captain Stinky Steve the Shrew

A powerful Pirate turned marooned Space Pirate once ruled the seven seas some two hundred years ago, until his fleet was attacked by aliens from outer space.  Luckily for Captain Stinky Steve and his crew, he was able to successfully board the main mothership and do serious damage to much of the rest of the fleet, setting the Watchers back from their goal to conquer earth.  Now they see him as a primary foe preventing them from fulfilling their evil plans, and he must be totally annihilated.

Putrid Pearl 

The last known member still living of the Stinky Steve bloodline.  She lives a secluded life in the family estate, searching for answers as to what happened to her great great great great great great great great great grandfather, Captain Stinky Steve.

Admiral Abbadon the Tiger

Admiral Abbadon of the Watcher’s Space Fleet.  He commands the cult’s large fleet, from their new mothership, the Observer.  It’s a massive ship which began construction after the previous ship was seized by earth pirates during a failed surprise attack, two hundred years ago (earth time).  Admiral Abbadon wants nothing more than revenge on Captain Stinky Steve and his crew, and to recapture his previous command station.  Unfortunately, no one knows what happened to Captain Stinky Steve, but Abbadon is still certain he’s out there, and wants nothing more than to be rid of him once and for all, so he’s never again threatened to fulfill his purpose–  conquering earth.  Admiral Abbadon is a sharp leader, unmatched only by the shrewdness of Captain Stinky Steve.  He can present himself as a terrifying foe, but often interrogates with a calm composure, presenting himself in a more hospitable manner.  His philosophical dispositions are fully embraced, he is a first rate nihilist who gives no value to life.  He’s hungry for power, and uses the watcher’s only as a tool to get what he really is after; the throne of universal lordship.

The Watchers

An intergalactic cult force looking for a secret hidden thousands of years ago from a guardian of the universe.  They have reason to believe this secret has been hidden away on earth.  With its power, the cult will be able to rule the universe, unopposed, even by the likes of Captain Stinky Steve.

Susie the Flamingo

A popular girl that Coco used to go to school with.  She’s been dating off and on but no one seems to get her.  She’s smart; mathy and sciency and hopes to find a guy who shares her love for knowledge.

STRUCTURE:

Coco and Timmy is an action adventure comedy drama mystery fantasy.  Its episodes are primarily serialized, but with some branching off into more loosely connected plots.   Tales Spins, Duck Tales, and other 80’s-90’s cartoons come to mind as primary influencers.  Coco and Timmy will be doing something semi routine when Timmy will get a hunch based on the environment he’s in, the hunch will expand into a major plot, and the underlying, pre existing plot will reveal itself in a way that would make Timmy think he’s right, but will have been mostly unrelated.  They will always encounter a climactic moment in each episode, but it will usually be building up the major plot.

Develop the character's place in the world, what powers they have but also, what physical/emotional flaws do they need to overcome? Whose show is it really? Who is driving the show? Dig deep!

There are no super powers in the world of Coco and Timmy, but power, as it is generally understood, is a major theme.  If Timmy has anything that may relate to power, it would be his level of alertness and determination.  Coco’s power would be his loyalty to his friends, and Abbadon’s power would be his space force and intellectual overdrive.  Stinky Steve’s power is his shrewdness and pirate crew.  Timmy needs to overcome his spontaneity, and often thoughtless, selfish behavior.  Being too willing to react on a whim without much foresite or reflection can get him into a lot of trouble, plus he’s small.  Coco is insecure and has to ask his crush out, as well as trust his judgment and become independent.  Admiral Abbadon needs more power.  He’s obsessed with it.  It is Coco and Timmy’s show, as both are the main character and both help to drive the main plot, and carry major subplots.  

As far as what drives the show; Timmy’s sense of surety, Captain Stinky Steve’s mysterious disappearance, and gold, Susie, Coco’s crush, General Abbadon’s thirst for power, and Timmy wanting to buy a luxury cruise liner which will cost him 1 billion dollars.

Character dimension=complexity. Can we still relate to them?

Timmy: Overly ambitious, struggles to achieve much out of life.  Big ego, but small. Selfish, but friends with the most selfless and loyal friend.  Conspiracy theorist, but bad at it.  A crude logician.

Coco: Clumsy, loser in his school years, do-gooder, loyal, selfless.  He is impressed by the confidence and drive of his friend Timmy, and wants to help him succeed.  Crushes on Susie, but has never talked to her.  Dreams of sweeping into her life one day and being her rescuer.  

KEY LOCATIONS: (One paragraph per location)  

Timmy’s House: Timmy owns a house in a middle class suburb on a beautiful tropical island.  Coco rents from him and together they live there; spending a good part of their evenings playing Planet Zooga, their favorite video game.  Otherwise Timmy is in his “office” down in the basement, working on “get-rich-quick” inventions; like the smart straw, self folding shirt, or the sweat absorbing joystick. Timmy also spends the majority of his time thinking up crazy conspiracies, like; the Mayor is secretly made out of silly putty, potatoes are sentient, or noticing things “evidencing” solipsism.  The kitchen table is where Timmy usually goes on a tirade, trying to explain to Coco what’s going on in the world, and Coco listens through everything.  Some days go by without Timmy’s overly boisterous behavior.  They may cause issues trying to make popcorn for a late night movie, or go crazy outdoing each other building sand castles at the beach.

Stinky Steve’s Fast Food Seafood and More

This is where Timmy gets the idea that a puzzle, being given out as a collectors item (like a happy meal toy), is actually a subliminal message telling the person who collects all six pieces where the treasure of Captain Stinky Steve’s resides.  Coco gets a job here after Timmy insists that he does in order to fund purchasing meals so that they’ll collect all six pieces before someone else does.  Coco is also tasked with spending time there, looking to find every piece.  Only after the month is over, and the toy has been replaced with a new line of collector’s items, does Coco stumble upon the last piece that they need, while taking out the garbage after closing hours.

Camp Kapui Pewi

Here, Coco and Timmy plan to borrow a canoe in order to travel to an Island that they believe the treasure is on.  When they get to the camp office to rent canoes, they’re denied without a pass.  Timmy is furious that they have to actually camp their to borrow a boat, and is outraged at the camping costs.  Timmy works out how they’ll steal the canoe at night and gets Coco on board, though Coco is hesitant. While moving through the woods late at night, they’re chased by something unidentifiable in the dark.  Timmy thinks it’s the hooded hoodlum of Hudamia, but later on they learn it was someone hiding secrets.

Death Island

The island that Coco and Timmy land on after being out at sea for days without food or water.  Timmy believes they’ve found their island, but the excitement quickly wears away when they get captured by cannibals.  They are rescued, but only by a new captur, looking to find out who Coco and Timmy are, and why they’d come to the island.  After realizing that Coco and Timmy are clueless about the secret agenda, they dispose of them off a cliff, but Coco and Timmy survive after falling into a whirlpool that drains out into a tunnel.  They’re rescued by a tugboat after the island gets blown up, and move on to another  major port island for shipping cargo

Putrid Pearl’s Mansion/ Stinky Steve’s VIIII Mansion:

Other than deciding who’s mansion it is, this is where Coco and Timmy end up to discover what’s required for the next major part of the story to unfold.  Stinky Steve’s last living member of the blood line is also in the search for answers, but more in relation to Stinky Steve himself.  They point Coco and Timmy to a clue pointing to outer space.  The clue eventually leads them to the discovery of a working spacecraft.  

Pirate Planet

Where they discover all their answers concerning Captain Stinky Steve and his treasure.

Earth in the future

Where they return after going to space.  The cult has taken over and the earth is totally dried up, looking like a wasteland of a planet.

Admiral Abbadon’s Ship

Where Coco and Timmy are introduced to the story's main villain.

What are the backdrops to the story? What does the world look like (visually and emotionally)? Make sure these have purpose!

Timmy’s house looks pretty much like anybody else’s house, except there’s decor that would show he’s obsessed with Planet Zooga, a conspiracy theorist on many topics, including ancient myths, loves having Coco as a roommate, treating him like family in a way, he’s got a big entertainment center.  In their room, because they share one; Coco has a small picture of Susie framed over his head, where he sleeps, on the bunk below Timmy.  There’s a lot more Planet Zooga posters, a band they’re both obsessed with.  

The basement has a workstation for Timmy, and a desk where Timmy runs a crude Private eye business (only in business at random spurts, never is consistent with it).  Behind his desk he has a massive map of the island, a bookshelf, and a big chair with a small pipe set next to it, and a Private eye jacket.

Stinky Steve’s Fast Food Seafood and More looks like an old ship, the interior is a nautical themed restaurant with wooden booth’s and other pirate ship decor.  It’s mascot is a Stinky Steve caricature.

The campground is not unlike other kinds of campgrounds, with woods around it.

Death Island looks like an island with the exterior being beach terrain, then rainforest as you go in, and a volcano that resembles a skull.  On the island are cannibals and a secret base occupied by the watchers.  They have all sorts of military equipment there, as well as a secret weapon meant to cause a lot of destruction.  The island is a test site.  

The mansion looks haunted and not well kept up, it’s of a more humble size, but still big and impeding.  It’s got a gate keeping unwelcome guests out.  It’s dark colored.  The inside has a chandelier, and a split stairwell wrapping around the main entrance to the upper level.  There’s a large painting of Stinky Steve, as well as old model ships, a huge fireplace and a desk with a chair.  

Pirate Planet is a toxic, yet semi-habitable planet that Stinky Steve and his crew landed on after fleeing The Watchers in space.  It’s rocky, covered in a thick, gaseous, seemingly sentient, ooze.  The pirate ships hauled onto the stolen alien spacecraft look reconfigured into a conglomeration of old wooden ships and alien tech to create land, air, and sea defense vehicles.

Abbadon’s Ship.  Built to be the cult’s most advanced warship in space, it’s a massive ship big enough to house a small city.  Its many hauls and bunkers can accommodate a vast number of soldiers and pilots, as well as smaller space craft for attacks.  It’s highly secured and can keep a close eye on anyone anywhere on the ship.

Create a sense of what the world can be.

For Timmy, it’s owning a billion dollar luxury cruise liner and making a business out of it.  For Coco, it’s getting the girl he’s always dreamed about.  The watcher’s are defeated and the earth is safe from any extraterrestrial enemies.  

3-5 EPISODES: (One paragraph per episode synopsis/logline) 

Episode: Coco and Timmy get introduced to us, and begin their journey together in search of Captain Stinky Steve’s hidden treasure.  Before they can embark on their quest, they must first collect all six pieces of the Stinky Steve treasure map puzzle, sold exclusively at the Captain Stinky Steve’s Seafood and More restaurant down the street from where they live.  We also learn of Coco’s crush, Susie, and find out about how Timmy would use the treasure to buy a luxury cruise liner.

Episode: After acquiring all six pieces of the puzzle Timmy looks for answers in his massive book on piracy while Coco recovers in the hospital after getting hit by an 18-wheel semi truck.

Episode: Coco recovers and helps Timmy find clues.  Now they’re looking to borrow a canoe from Camp Kapui Pewi, but after being prevented from renting due to not having enough money to be campers, they make a last ditch effort to steal a canoe at night. Once they’re out at sea for a few days, both of them start hallucinating about seeing food, even mistaking each other as some.  Finally, they land on death island, happy to still be alive.

Episode:  After being on the island for a short while, they stumble upon a cannibal laying out in the sun.  He could be sleeping but it gets mistaken as a murder scene by the other island natives.  Coco and Timmy get captured, only to get recaptured by a secret group with hidden intentions.  After being interrogated and seemingly being clueless about everything going on, they’re disposed of, left for dead, before being witnesses of the island's destruction.

Breakdown of a typical episode: (From cold open to end credits).

The episodes are serialized, the breakdown follows an initial something that sets things in motion up until a climax that leaves the viewer with a cliffhanger.  In the case of episode one.  Timmy is convinced a puzzle relates to some secret buried treasure, the episode ends with Coco finding the last piece after it seems like a lost cause, gets hit by a semi, and finally transfers the final piece to Timmy.  There should be something driving the main plot while some subplot is leading to the primary plot's next major moment.  Subplot example; Coco and Susie

Finale: End of season

Season 1 would end with a major cliffhanger, likely our introduction to Captain Stinky Steve being revealed to still be alive.  Season two would end with saving the planet at the expense of the gold, and Coco asking if Susie would date him, with her saying yes, while season three would take off with a more episodic tune, before building up to a new major plot and Timmy working towards his Cruise liner goal.

Why are you the only person(s) to envision this show?

Because it’s been my story since I was twelve, and its narrative and characters are driven primarily based on my own experiences.  As a passion project for so long, its inspiration is a conglomeration of me and my personality as it has changed for the last sixteen years.  It’s humor is uniquely mine, not taking too much from any other source, but again, from all my experiences and what I found humorous from age twelve – twenty-eight.  No one gets these characters more than I do, and to have an intimate connection, almost like a relationship, with my own characters, makes them uniquely like me in a sense.

Major theme is philosophical problems of having a strictly materialistic view of reality.  

The main villain represents the end of that problem, being the culmination of nihilism, power, yet hunger still for more power, because nothing exceeds his own desires as far as his personal values are concerned.

Timmy wants a Yacht, a smaller, yet still huge item

Coco wants a girl, but is concerned that her judgment of him will be a materialisticly centered judgment.  He sees her as the girl who dates jocks, popular dudes, cool hip gym buffs.  But she actually isn’t interested in that.  She wants something deeper, she wants affection and intellect, a guy who embraces her for all of who she is.  Her view of reality is deeper and relational.

Captain Stinky Steve has fully realized the emptiness of having power and wealth.  He wants meaningful relationship now, and is basically the experienced sage of the show. 

Putrid Pearl is living off a small fortune from an inherentance.  She’s got nice clothes, a mansion, but she’s pulled by a desire to find out what happened to her Grandfather.  That begins to mean more to her as the story goes.