Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
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Before You Read Info
When reading the pitch, more specifically, the episode summaries, here are a few things to keep in mind so you will have some understanding on how some of these plots are chronologically possible;
In this series, the main character begins to remember his "past lives." An important detail in regards to this idea, is the fact that the loop of life, death and rebirth is not constant. He doesn't die, then is reborn in that same instant, as a newborn child, without memories of his previous life. Time in the show, is pretty much all over the place, and when one of his former lives dies, he wakes up in another life, only without knowing it. There is no particular timeline meaning, one of his former lives and his current one may have passed one another on the street one day. This is something I will be explaining, later in the season/series. I don't know if I'm explaining this correctly but, if you have any questions/concerns about this idea, feel free to ask me and I'll try my best to give a more in depth explanation. In each episode there will be flashbacks of a particular past life of Nathan/or other characters.
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London, England. 1879
The Story Ends.
A forty year old priest named Norman Walter commits suicide after the tragic and mysterious murder of his seven year old daughter.
New York City, 2001
The Story Begins.
Nathan Donovan is a New York City police officer, and a family man. On September 11th, 2001, he witnesses the horrifying attacks on the World Trade Center. It hits even closer to home when he discovers that his seven year old daughter, on a school field trip, visiting the famous Twin Towers, was killed along with countless others inside. The tragedy of this day sparks something quite new within himself. But is it really new? Or is it, in fact, remnants of a past buried inside his mind? As he attempts to piece together his grieving family, he begins experiencing vivid dreams of someone else's life, as if it were his own. After seeking the help of dozens of counselors, he is driven into a deep depression, becoming unstable and cutting himself off from the remainder of his family.
Then, a mysterious man named Julian Wolfe pays him a visit with notions of past lives and reincarnation. The two men soon form a bond, as Nathan attempts to discover the lives he once had, but what will become of the life he is currently trying to live? Also, confusion turns to fear when Nathan suspects Julian is hiding something from him, and an investigation leads to the discovery of an outside party, looking in on both, and all of his lives. Meanwhile, a mysterious and alluring woman named Amelia Tate, whom Nathan recognizes from his past life as Norman Walter, shows up in the middle of it all -- and what will happen when Nathan discovers he is being targeted by a cult that may want to use his newly found 'gifts' to their advantage? Here begins a series of questions, slowly being answered on the quest toward discovering the true meaning of birth, death and everything after and in between.
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Nathaniel "Nathan" Donovanhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340408/Nathan Donovan is a good cop, a great father, and a loving husband, but all that changed when Haleigh, his seven year old daughter, gets killed during the 9/11 attacks. This event causes a ripple in his mind, causing him to recall lives he never knew he lived; past lives. Now, as he slowly begins to remember the life of "Norman Walter," an English man with a troubled life in the late 1800's, he begins to fade out of his world, pushing his wife and son away. Now, alone in the world, without a family of his own, just memories of a man, long dead, he is confronted by a man who changes his life, forever. Is it for the good... well, where would the fun in that be? Nathan is very stubborn and sometimes disputatious. However, he has great determination, willpower and strength when it comes to the things he cares for.
Julian Wolfehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004801/Julian Wolfe is a mysterious, well connected man who comes into Nathan's life, uninvited. His true origins are unknown, and his intentions are even more unclear. His easy going personality and wisdom gain him favor with Nathan, but that doesn't last very long, as secrets in regards to his own past come to light.
Claire Donovanhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004748/Claire Donovan is a therapist who is always up for helping those in need. After the death of her daughter, she is hit by a wave of denial, bottling up her emotions and grief, making her more frustrating and irritable than normal. She still managers to take care of her son, but as her and Nathan continue to grow apart after their loss, she turns away from him altogether. Bad turns to worse when Elliot starts using drugs to cope with his grief; then worse turns to plain awful once Julian comes into the picture.
Elliot Donovanhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm3729721/Elliot Donovan was always pushing his sister around, making her life a living hell. It wasn't until she was gone that he truly felt guilty for his actions, leaving him with the biggest burden. After his loss, he goes down a dark path, turning to drugs to ease the pain. Elliot is rebellious, sarcastic and arrogant, but he is the only thing keeping his mother from turning into one of her patients.
Amelia Tatehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm2125623/Amelia Tate is a woman with no fear. Rambunctious and manipulative; she sees what she wants, and she takes it -- no questions asked. Amelia comes into Nathan's life around the same time as Julian and Nathan can't help but think that it's not a coincidence, especially when he recognizes her as a friend/foe from one of his past lives.
Bolivia "Bo" Martinez & Rex Allenhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0892383/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1013003/Bolivia "Bo" Martinez is a member of Julian Wolfe's group of followers. She has a very playful, and robust personalities, but she can also be very cold.
Rex Allen is also a follower of Julian, and Bo's best friend. The two are practically inseparable, and we can tell he wants more than just friendship from her. Rex is the quiet, and shy type, but he's also very strong and loyal. Both of them prove to be valuable assets to the team.
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Episodes(Season One: 12 episodes)1x01: From DustWhen New York City cop, Nathan Donovan loses his daughter on September 11th, a trigger goes off in his mind that allows him to remember one of his past lives. As he becomes obsessed with his former self, he pushes himself away from his family, not being there to help them cope with the death of a loved one. After time, he is totally cut off, in a hopeless stage of depression, until he meets a man named Julian Wolfe who helps him pick his life back up, giving him insight on the life, death, and the memories and knowledge he is slowly receiving, but can he be trusted? Also, after reuniting with his wife and son, Nathan attempts to repair their broken family, but when Elliot is taken by a group of mysterious men, he must make the ultimate sacrifice to get him back. Meanwhile, Nathan meets a woman from a past life, who might be connected to his son's captors.
:: Pilot is currently being written ::1x02: Journey ManWhen Nathan has visions of another past life (Timothy Byron, Died August 3rd, 1975) he, along with Julian, travel to Timothy's old home town of Norfolk, Virginia, in hopes of solving his murder, saying goodbye to the family he left behind, and finding a mysterious connection he had with Norman Walter. Julian discovers something from his past as well, revealing that he himself can remember his past lives. Meanwhile, back in New York, Claire admits that she cannot raise Elliot by herself, leading her to go to her estranged brother for help and support.
1x03: Chance, or Fate?After returning to New York, Nathan meets up with Amelia again, where the two remember a rendezvous they had in the late 1800s, while experiencing one of their own. Will chemistry and temptation get the best of Nathan? Meanwhile, Julian's past is explored.
1x04: Deep Roads of the MindSecrets on why Nathan Donovan and Norman Walter look exactly alike are revealed! Also, questions about a possible connection between Nathan, Amelia, and Julian in their past lives, rise.
1x05: AbandonedCharacter-Centric episode of Elliot. Digs deeper into his relationship with his deceased sister, as he is slowly driven over the edge.
1x06: 2 HoursWhen Nathan see's flashes of another life (A man named George Barron, living in New York City) he soon finds out that he and George are living not only in the same town, but in the same time. When images of a clock reading 5:47 PM run through his mind, he is convinced that he he will die at that time... and it's 3:45 PM.
1x07: Blood and BoneNathan rejoins the force and is put straight back into the action when he finds criminal records for Julian, who he discovers is connected to more than six murders.
1x08: ...You Can't DieAmelia remembers a life she had in 1996, where she was a woman recovering from Breast Cancer. Witnessing these events may forever change her character.
1x09: What's That Ticking Sound?Nathan, Amelia and Julian are tormented by the exact same sound within their head; a ticking, which seems like it's being emitted from some kind of machinery. As the three work together to discover the source, a new threat is revealed.
1x10: Thy Kingdom ComeNathan gets new flashes of his life as "Norman Walter," and the reason to why he took his own life is explained. More questions arise in regards to when his very first past life began.
1x11: Restless NightsWhen Claire and Nathan believe they have finally patched things up in their relationship, Claire is haunted by the memory of her deceased daughter. But how unreal are these images, really?
1x12: The CollectorsThe leader of the cult that's been after our past-lifers is revealed as the trio must protect everything they care about from being "collected." This episode contains the BIGGEST reveal yet, as season one comes to a close.
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Here is my first pitch to the network; however, this is only an idea which still needs some major ironing out. While I wanted this to be as original as possible, I did have one or two inspirations. The most prevalent one, is the tv series "LOST." I don't believe this show is similar to LOST when it comes to content, but the sometimes 'mysterious/suspenseful' vibe and some of the styling in the script may be a bit similar. However, I have no intention on making this a complete carbon copy of the show; I wouldn't be able to do that successfully even if I tried.
"Rebirth," whenever it is to be developed, will be a mystery/science fiction serial, covering many current and past issues. Also, futuristic elements will be brought up from time to time, as I am dealing with past lives, as well as "future" lives so -- there's no end when it comes to longevity. Throughout each episode, there will be flashbacks from one or more of our characters lives, and those flashbacks will relate to the central plot of the episode. I do, somewhat, have a plan in regards to where I would be able to take this series, and I know that I'm not limited to this one cast since there are loads of other past lives I can explore.
Season one's main focus will be on "Nathan," his struggle to find peace after his daughter's death and the rising question on whether or not he can trust "Julian." Also, the build up from the beginning of the season, to the end will be focused on throughout each episode, making it so every episode moves the story along in a meaningful way. Okay, there it is! Any type of feedback would be greatly appreciated
