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Series Pilot
Jonathan Randall has had it with Hollywood: when his agent calls to inform him he’s been rejected for the lead in a musical-comedy version of The Shining for being “too tall,” he snaps, fires his agent, packs up his life and moves to Canada to meet and marry his Internet girlfriend Allison. One would think a Hollywood actor would have no difficulty finding love in person, but Jonathan has sworn off dating in the town since an unfortunate incident involving a substantial amount of cocaine, a hot tub, and a moray eel: “Hollywood chicks are just freaky.”
Allison’s father Samuel owns the Clearwater Inn, a two-level hotel with an attached diner, located on a secondary road in the Canadian Rockies. Samuel can no longer handle the day-to-day supervision of the Clearwater, and agrees to let Jonathan take over, he and Allison moving in to one of the suites. Samuel signs over the deed to Allison and Jonathan, for tax purposes, and now has no rights to the place, save his family influence.
The Clearwater’s staff, at first, make the transition difficult for the couple, going to great lengths to attempt to drive Jonathan out of the business; up here, you’ve got to pay your dues, and no movie-star big shot’s going to get a chance to screw up the good thing they’ve got going. Forms of subtle torture include the cleaning staff fitting their bed with noisy plastic sheets, giving him salt, rather than sugar, in his morning coffee, and ‘accidentally’ renting out his room to a customer.
They regret this abuse, though, when a producer shows up, Jonathan’s agent in tow, looking to film a series in the Clearwater Inn. An offer is made to give Jonathan a leading part if a reasonable deal can be struck, and, based on how hard it’s been so far, Jonathan is seriously tempted to sell the place to the company for next to nothing and go back to his old acting life.
Allison is disappointed by Jonathan’s decision, but understanding of the whys, and she appeals to the staff and a group of Regulars to try and save the Clearwater Inn. When persuasion fails to affect Jonathan, the group resorts to sabotage the shooting of the series pilot, which is a test-run of the location before a sale can be made.
Characters are introduced through their attempts to frighten away the production, with the unfortunate crewmembers subjected to a gauntlet of comical abuse. Adam, an aspiring Canadian actor working at the Inn, struggles to maintain morale of the crew, including the director, in an effort to keep this opportunity alive, as it’s his first chance at a role in a series.
After reaching the breaking point, the producer revokes the offer to buy the Inn, believing it to be, if not haunted, the subject of some serious bad luck. He’s impressed, though, with Jonathan’s performance, and offers him the opportunity to follow the production and continue to star in the show. Jonathan’s agent sees this as the best thing to happen to him in years, and pushes for him to take the deal: “Leave this hick town, and let’s go make some money. It’s been a nice vacation, but come on, let’s get real here.” Jonathan won’t bite -- the uncompromising staff and loyal Regulars have earned his respect in a way no one in the entertainment industry ever has, and he wants to be a part of this enterprise, wants to make a real go at it. Adam offers to go in his place, but the producer blows him off.
Word spreads quickly of Jonathan’s decision, and suddenly he is held in newfound esteem. It’s clear, now, to everyone, that Jonathan is serious about this, and the staff is going to help make his transition a little bit easier. While the Regulars may be a little tougher to convert, especially if change is on the way, they at least admire Allison and Jonathan a little bit more.
Character Sketches
The Staff
Jonathan Randall – Jonathan’s Hollywood acting career had its high point in the mid-eighties, when he was nominated for an Academy award for his gripping portrayal of a mime that stops an assassination attempt on the president; since then, though, his career has spiraled down to the point where he has to fight to secure roles in bathroom cleaner commercials. He’s a good-natured but excitable person in his late-thirties, early-forties, with a dry wit and often-skeptical outlook. He loves his wife more than anything, and sees the move to Canada as a way to restart his life, which carries him through his low points and self-doubt.
Allison Randall (nee Pierre) – Jonathan’s attractive Canadian wife, a few years younger than he is, presents herself as a strong-willed, independent woman who nonetheless would do anything for her husband. She’s been divorced for four years, and believes she has finally found true love with Jonathan – but that doesn’t mean she’s going to take any nonsense from him, either. The crumbling of her last marriage has made her much more unwilling to sacrifice her own needs for his than otherwise might have been the case. In addition to being a strong player in the running of the Inn, she is an accomplished potter.
Adam Eckersley – Chef at the diner, Adam is an aspiring actor hoping to find his big break, although he knows it’s not likely to arrive at the Clearwater Inn. He’s always talking about what will happen when he moves away and makes it big, but it’s questionable if that will ever happen. Adam can often be heard reciting lines from plays and films, referencing everything from Shakespeare to Michael Bay. His idol is actor Richard Burton, and he has a large, detailed tattoo of Burton on his right bicep.
Shelly Li – Shelly, an attractive Asian woman in her late-twenties, works as a waitress and cashier at the diner, and has a biting, sarcastic way with the customers that sometimes rubs the wrong way. New patrons are often distressed by her caustic jabs, but Regulars are used to it by now, and so tend to be unfazed. Allison’s adopted sister, and Jonathan’s new sister-in-law, Shelly doesn’t change for anyone, and as such is a touchstone that grounds the sometimes-bizarre daily events.
Emma Grant – A pale, freckled Irish beauty in her early- to mid-twenties, Emma makes the Inn’s uniform ridiculously provocative. She’s also naively unaware of her impact on the Inn’s patrons, making for hilarious, innuendo-laden exchanges on a regular basis. She’s sweet, kind, and one of the first to befriend Jonathan; Allison’s keeping an eye on her.
Samuel Pierre – Samuel, Allison’s father, has reached the age where he just can’t take care of the Clearwater Inn anymore, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. A proud Albertan (who wouldn’t be terribly upset if the province decided to separate and take back their “damn equalization payments”), Samuel calls each morning to check in on things, his biggest fear that Jonathan and Allison will start changing things now that he’s gone. We never meet Samuel in person – he’s just a gravelly voice on the telephone with a French-Canadian accent and a penchant for yelling.
The Regulars
Jessie Mayes – One of western Canada’s first black cowboys from North Battleford, Jessie begins each day by riding his stallion, Big Brave, to the Clearwater Inn for breakfast. He’s a proud man, getting up there in years but still spry, who runs a fly-fishing expedition for tourists in the local area, often soliciting clients at the Clearwater. His horse, a strong and beautiful beast, also happens to be gay, and Big Brave occasionally is distracted from his intended course by the sight of another hot-to-trot stallion.
Jimmie Big Plume – Jimmie, First-Nations and in his early-fifties, runs a souvenir stand out of a cement teepee in need of a paint job. Jimmie is often decked out in full headdress and other First Nations regalia when he’s on the job, but he grew up in New Jersey, working as a carpet salesman. Upon discovering his roots as an aboriginal Canadian, he moved here to explore his culture more fully, and make a few bucks on the side. He relates to Jonathan right away, as they both grew up in the United States.
Arthur Nash – A recent Harvard graduate, Arthur inherited his father’s ranch and substantial fortune; he can afford to have ranch hands run the place while he ‘plays rancher’. Despite his privileged upbringing and young age (early-twenties), Arthur is a good kid who just wants to fit in, and he’s always trying to gain the respect of the Regulars, often with marginal success. His inexperience often leads to amusing mishaps on his ranch, tempered by his unshakable enthusiasm.
Heather Nash – Heather, of similar age, is Arthur’s high school sweetheart; the two went to Harvard together, and married shortly thereafter. She’s a little less concerned what people think of her, and likes to flaunt her new outfits and jewelry. She’s not big on this whole rancher thing, and is waiting for Arthur to come to his senses and give it up. That said, she still loves him a great deal.
Hector Sanchez – Hector, the Inn’s handyman, and is also a seductive, young, Latin-lover type who often beds the clientele. In fact, when a particularly appealing guest checks in, he will sabotage aspects of the room, ensuring the opportunity to make a ‘house-call’. Only Emma can consistently resist his charms, and that makes her nearly irresistible to him, he is perpetually hitting on her with no luck.
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