Ups and Downs Discussion Thread

[TVLegend]

Okay, so as of now, I have an idea for a sitcom. This is the thread for it. I haven’t worked out the characters, what they’re like, where they live, etc. yet, but I have come up with a title: Ups and Downs. This project is just something fun/interesting for me to do right now when I’m not doing anything.

I’ll come back with updates at another time.

[Caroline13]

To me, your header is to start a discussion of member's up and downs of their lives....not about starting a sitcom.

[TVLegend]

Okay, so I’ve come up with an idea about what the show would be about. So far, it’s centered around a family living in either Texas, Pennsylvania, or Georgia (although the location may change later).

[GentlemanJim]

I think the father's first name should be Eldebuell, and he should be 12 years older than his wife. And be possessed by jealousy whenever any man says more than three words to his wife, in any setting.

They should have 3 kids, the oldest of which being a daughter who is just old enough to recognize the jealousy bit when there is a rift because of it. And the daughter thinks this is quaintly funny. Parroting against her own boy friends the behavior she observes her mother use that often leads to those jealous episodes,

The mother loves her husband, yet is tormented by the jealousy, and often goes to great lengths to insulate her every day dealings, just to avoid giving rise to the jealousy. Which makes the husband all the more suspicious.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

I think the father's first name should be Eldebuell, and he should be 12 years older than his wife. And be possessed by jealousy whenever any man says more than three words to his wife, in any setting.

They should have 3 kids, the oldest of which being a daughter who is just old enough to recognize the jealousy bit when there is a rift because of it. And the daughter thinks this is quaintly funny. Parroting against her own boy friends the behavior she observes her mother use that often leads to those jealous episodes,

The mother loves her husband, yet is tormented by the jealousy, and often goes to great lengths to insulate her every day dealings, just to avoid giving rise to the jealousy. Which makes the husband all the more suspicious.

Interesting ideas. I don’t know how many kids there will be, but I’m assuming around three or four. I’ll work it out eventually.

[opus]

Inns and Outts. The Outt family owns an inn.

No? Okay.

[GentlemanJim]

With my suggestion to have an older husband, opens opportunity to play his insecurity over his advanced age, having a much younger wife that other men lust over.

You could even use Elvis Pressley's "When you're in love with a beautiful woman" as the jingle for the show's opening title.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by opus

Inns and Outts. The Outt family owns an inn.

No? Okay.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

With my suggestion to have an older husband, opens opportunity to play his insecurity over his advanced age, having a much younger wife that other men lust over.

You could even use Elvis Pressley's "When you're in love with a beautiful woman" as the jingle for the show's opening title.

I don’t know about having an older husband. Maybe the dad could be at least 7 years older than the mom, but I’m not sure about 12. I’ll think it over, though.

[Caroline13]

Enjoy your creation, I won't be in it. We need new Speilberg's, so it could be you TV.

[GentlemanJim]

And the mother could be hyper sensitive about discouraging the daughter from dating older men (as most mothers do) But due to the father's insecurity with his own age, he insists upon taking it "personal"

Now, the best part.....the father is the last manual elevator operator in Atlanta. His boss owns an older vintage office building, and has just been too cheap to invest in modernization to fully automatic elevators. The dad hasn't had a raise since 1971, and everytime he brings it up, the cheapskate owner just replies "well,...I guess if I'm gonna spend money, I should just get the newer ones?....keeping the father in fear for his job.

Hence the name of the series.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

And the mother could be hyper sensitive about discouraging the daughter from dating older men (as most mothers do) But due to the father's insecurity with his own age, he insists upon taking it "personal"

Now, the best part.....the father is the last manual elevator operator in Atlanta. His boss owns an older vintage office building, and has just been too cheap to invest in modernization to fully automatic elevators. The dad hasn't had a raise since 1971, and everytime he brings it up, the cheapskate owner just replies "well,...I guess if I'm gonna spend money, I should just get the newer ones?....keeping the father in fear for his job.

Hence the name of the series.

Okay, good ideas. I was thinking about making the father a firefighter, a locksmith, a dentist, or a construction worker, but I’ll see.

[GentlemanJim]

More background on Eldebuell: Despite being a simple, blue collar commoner....he is a polymath. In fact, he is the one brightspot in an otherwise run down office building, that makes enduring the building's many shortcomings, worth occupying by it's tenants. He solves EVERYBODY's problems, and he's uncannily never wrong.

Advice on everything from car repairs to diagnosing health problems. Even doctors with offices in the building come to him for insight. He's the type of guy who you ask what time it is, and he tells you without even looking at his watch.....never wrong. That could even be a new catch phrase for the series "go ask Eldebuell".

But due to a lack of tact, his propensity for sharing the unvarnished truth makes him unpopular in an "Archie Bunker" sort of way. This keeps him mired in his relatively thankless vocation, despite his many talents.

[TVLegend]

UPDATE:

There will be four kids (two sons, one daughter and an additional son who’s an infant)
I will also add a neighbor to the series