Best Man

An unknown comedian posts adverts nation-wide for a 'rent-a-best-man' service. Information and anecdotes are gathered about any applicants and then the best man puts on an amazing show.

Would anyone hire a best man? If yes, why?

Initially it would be more of an experiment but as things progressed it could turn into a full fledged act. As word spread the best man might be hired because they'd know you're going to get an amazing show.

It would be interesting to compare the people who respond, people who want a funny show, lonely people who just don't have anyone to be their best man, young guys, old guys. The comedian could even pretend to be anyone from a long lost friend to a distant cousin or nephew. 

This idea came from my friend Steve who just gave a best man speech at his sisters wedding. He said he didn't really know the groom. Which makes you wonder why he asked Steve. Anyway, it went really well - even the hired camera man said it was amazing.

Later that day older family members told him he should  do it as a living. He replied that he'd love to do stand-up - they said 'No, being a best man'. After repeatedly saying he didn't think that was a job they said 'Well if it was you could, you should'.

Maybe he could. You can hire everything else for a wedding.

Her Majesty's Tempus

After the assassination of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert enlists an experimental science to travel back and save her. He succeeds, creating a team to protect her from four future assassinations and steer the course of the Empire.

The name came before the idea - it popped into my head and I invented an idea around it.

It's still unresolved as to whether the name should be Her Majesty's Tempus or Tempers. I liked both, the idea came from 'Tempus' and wondering what would happen if a monarch could control time around their reign?

I had this cool idea that there would be a series of stasis rooms beneath Buckingham Palace where time stands still. The device for launching into the past would at the centre. 

It could still be there now, in a sealed off section. 

This room is always safe - 'time locked' - incase of any mistakes during incursions.

Initially they hire ex-army and police officers as agents to control the Empires time. These agents are kept in the stasis rooms, a sort of makeshift barracks. To prevent them changing things for their own ends an Internal Affairs team is created who secretly travel back and remove the agents from reality. Stopping them being born etc.

Any attempt to then leave the stasis rooms inside the present, altered time line would result in instant dissolution. The agents are prisoners, only to be replaced in reality once their tour is complete. Possibly never. Upon realising one of them goes rogue and needs to be stopped.

Basically another reason for me to indulge in sci-fi with a Victorian aesthetic. I'd like to see it done as a big budget BBC costume drama with subtle effects work.

Black Hill

The Devil tricks God into restricting their struggle to a remote fishing village. They can only influence events through their two envoys in the village; a priest and a doctor.

At the outset none of this is made clear. Nor at any point do we see God or the Devil. We are introduced to the village through the eyes of two backpackers seeking refuge from a storm. The village is so unusual, seemingly frozen in time, that the travellers stay a while longer.

Due to the remote nature of the village the Doctor knows almost everything about everyone.

Due to the extremely religious nature of the village the Priest also knows almost everything about everyone.

Who is working for who is never clear. Just when you think you've figured it out, a new episode will show previous events from a different viewpoint. Over the course of the series the backpackers become embroiled in events in the village - unwittingly becoming pawns in the game.

By the end the backpackers, once best friends have become polarised. Events become increasingly dark and bizarre. At the end the true masters of the Doctor and the Priest appear to become clear but by then it is too late. The backpackers take their place as the new envoys.

Ultimately the themes revolve around free will. You should decide how you act. Not your religion. On one hand it seems to be a supernatural or religious story but the way people behave in it is only dictated by belief - the ambiguity leaves it up to the viewer to decide whether or not they even think God or the Devil was influencing any of it.