Primetime Adventures
Primetime Adventures
Original Playtesters
November 2005
Credits
John Harper (www.onesevendesign.com) designed the cover
and provided much feedback while I wrote the game.
Jennifer Rodgers (www.jenniferrodgers.com) did the artwork
on pages 18-19, 28 and 41.
Contents
The Greatest TV Show That Never Was ...... 3
Conflict .......................................................................................... 27
Acts ................................................................................................. 32
Creating a Series........................................ 9
Commercial Breaks................................................................... 34
The Producer...................................................................... 9
Jobs to Do..................................................................................... 34
Budget.............................................................................................10
Theme Music............................................................................... 36
The Premise...................................................................... 10
Cinematography......................................................................... 36
Setting Conventions...................................................................10
Franchise...........................................................................38
Tone .................................................................................................10
The Cast............................................................................ 11
Theme ...............................................................................40
Traits.................................................................................................14
Changing a Protagonist..................................................40
Nemesis ..........................................................................................16
Fan Mail..........................................................................................17
Sets..................................................................................... 17
Appendices.............................................. 42
Personal Set...................................................................................17
The Beginning..................................................................20
Kinds of Episodes............................................................24
Two-Part Episodes...................................................................... 25
Scenes................................................................................26
Conflict Summary...........................................................47
What is Primetime
Adventures?
Role-Model Shows
Battlestar Galactica
As of this writing, I consider Battlestar Galactica to be the
best series on television. Period. The crisis the characters all
face only serves as a vehicle to explore their personalities and
relationships with one another. Co-creator David Eick says of
it, the thing that were really exploring is not that threat from
without, but how it turns itself inward and how it becomes
insidious and internal, and how it begins to break us down
from inside ourselves.
Desperate Housewives
Heres a brilliant example of an ensemble cast all connected
by a mysterious event. In each episode, you get a mix of
serious and comical adventures, involving the individual
situations of the main characters, their relationships with one
another, and the mystery of their dead friend. Each of the five
main women struggles with riveting personal obstacles. You
can tune in each week to see suspense, romance, betrayal,
murder, slapstick and more.
Alias
As the central character of the show, Sydney Bristow has
several personal challenges. Season one focuses on how her
job interferes with her personal life. She cant tell her friends
what she does, cant connect with her father, and cant be
romantically involved with the person she wants. In season
two, that changes to focus more on her relationship with her
parents, especially her mother. Its an easy premise to create
quick adventures, and all the cast members have important
and intertwining roles.
Felicity
Though the show centers around the emotional world of
the titular character, the show has a strong ensemble feel
because her world is mostly made up of her relationships.
Felicity, Noel, Ben, Elena, Julie, Sean and Megan all try to find
out who they really are as human beings, making their way
through breakups, parents, new love, infidelity, exams, sex
and committment. Its a fantastic character drama appealing
to a wide demographic.
Angel
This show, while ostensibly about a group of monster hunters,
is really about a search for redemption. The weekly monster,
especially in the early seasons, is pretty much a metaphor for
something personal that one of the characters is struggling
with. Angel is trying to atone, while Wesley is dealing with
feelings of inadequacy, and Cordelia is trying to find her true
strength.
Firefly
Of all the shows listed here, Firefly probably does the best at
providing a true ensemble cast. While Mal is the captain, hes
not necessarily getting more screen time. The characters each
have a personal story, and the show suggests all the ways
in which the characters might change over time. Will Zoe
and Wash remain happily together? Will we learn about the
preachers mysterious past? Will the doctor find a way to cure
Sports Night
Gilmore Girls
This show provides really sympathetic, believable characters
with highly engaging struggles. The trio of grandmother,
mother and daughter move in and out of trouble with grace
and humor. This show has everything to do with the beauty,
complexity and heartbreak of personal relationships. Its great
comedic drama without being unbearably heavy.
The Wire
The Wire is an excellent, underrated crime drama with complex
characters on both sides of the law, played by a talented and
diverse cast. Omar, one of the most morally complex characters
on TV, suffers from the violent murder of his boyfriend. Kuma
and Daniels are both forced to choose between their careers
and their families, and McNulty slips and slides down a path
of self destruction, coming up for air just often enough to keep
the audiences sympathy and attention.
Lost
This is a well-done drama about survival and human
relationships, the story of the survivors of a horrific plane
crash in the south Pacific. What I like about this show in
particular is the mix in each episode of current events and a
specific characters backstory. While the writers have come
up with some interesting adventures for the castaways, its the
personal stories that sell me on the show.
An Example of Play
From this example you can see that theres a lot of sharing
of ideas and cooperation going on, which makes it different
from a competitive game like, say, Scrabble. At least when I
play Scrabble Im not helping the other players come up with
word ideas; in a game like Primetime Adventures, however,
the characters in the stories may be competing against one
another (or worse!), but the players will always be working in
cooperation.
Conflict
Players
Story Arcs
Interesting characters are imperfect. They face internal battles
and personal challenges, like redemption, self destruction,
a dysfunctional relationship, or lack of trust. In the midst
of earth-shaking crises and threats to all human life, these
personal struggles make inconvenient appearances. Foiling a
villains dastardly plans becomes all the more difficult when a
hero is distracted with thoughts of divorce, for example.
Producer
The producer is a player with special responsibilities, sort of
like being the banker in Monopoly, only much more so.
Instead of choosing a main character, the producer makes
choices for antagonists, and provides adversity for the
characters in the game to respond to. The producer also acts
as a facilitator and mediator in the game.
Protagonists
Protagonists are the stars of the show. They are the characters
the audience cares about the most, the ones the audience
wants to see happy or victorious or safe. In a sense, this game
is about the protagonists more than anything else, so the rules
almost always point directly at them.
Fan Mail
Episodes
Budget
Scenes
Traits
professor edge, then, can apply that trait to learn more from
the research.
Each trait can be used in this manner a number of times in
each episode equal to a protagonists current screen presence
(see below). After that, the player must spend fan mail each
additional time he or she wishes to use the trait.
Screen Presence
Screen presence is a measure of a characters importance to a
particular episode, and is used to resolve a conflict. A screen
presence score will range between 1 and 3 from episode to
episode, and determines the number of cards that a player
is dealt in a conflict. Depending on what the cards say, the
player will be able to narrate a protagonists successes and
pitfalls during a scene.
Creating a Series
Creating a Series
I was just sort of joking that if Felicity were recruited by the CIA, you would suddenly have
this wealth of stories you could do, and though I knew you could never do that on Felicity, it
occurred to me that it could be another show.
JJ Abrams
Producer, Alias
The Producer
Determine first who in your group will be
the producer of the show. The producers
role is a little different, and once the producer
is decided upon, he or she will act as facilitator
for the rest of the creation process, asking
Creating a Series
Its possible to play a game of Primetime Adventures with
no preparation at all. Being the producer should be fun, not
homework.
Bootleggers: Premise
Cara, John, Meredith, Pete and Wil are getting ready to play
a game of Primetime Adventures. Pete has agreed to be the
producer.
Producer Authority
Theres five of them, and theyre planning on playing a fiveepisode season. Thats a 1:1 player/episode ratio, which should
allow for greater focus on character drama, and thats exactly
what theyre after.
Setting Conventions
Budget
The Premise
Every show is about something. You should be able to
explain it in about one sentence. Are the characters FBI
agents uncovering an alien conspiracy? Are they the crew
of a spaceship, transporting illegal goods around the galaxy?
Are they 1920s gangsters? Thats the premise of the show,
and figuring out what exactly that might be is the first step
in preparing a game. Someone may have brought specific
ideas to the table, but everyone should have a voice in the
decision.
Tone
Two TV shows with similar premises and settings will not
necessarily be that much alike (though some shows seem like
10
Creating a Series
that). Compare Gilligans Island and Lost! Numerous elements
can differentiate them. Is the mood of the show upbeat
and fun, or dark and brooding? Can characters accomplish
impossible feats, or are they constrained by an attempt at
realism? If they have extraordinary abilities, are they the only
ones? Are there loads of witticisms being made? If it really
were a show, how would it be filmed? Would the music be
lively or moody?
All that stuff is the shows tone. You might not know all the
answers at first, but you should at least think of a few ideas
before you get too far. The more you clarify the tone, the
easier it becomes to play the game. Its especially important
to agree on the shows tone in order for the players to create
appropriate issues for their protagonists. If every protagonist
has a deep, brooding issue that provides insight into the
human mind, except for one, who has an issue thats shallow
and comical, play might feel a little awkward.
Bootleggers: Tone
The Cast
The show needs a cast, and that includes a set of starring
characters who will each be overseen by an individual
player. The stars of the show are referred to in Primetime
Adventures as protagonists. Protagonists are more important
to the show than other characters, so in game rules theyll
be represented with greater abilities. Each player except the
producer gets to create one protagonist, and that player will
be responsible for the decisions and personality and the
overall story of that protagonist.
Protagonist Concept
Wil is playing Robert, the older son, who was a decorated hero in
the war. Hes in his early 20s, quiet and serious like his father.
11
Creating a Series
Story Arc
This week on the show theres yet another nemesis whos out
to destroy the world. Is that really what your character is most
concerned with? In the shows that Primetime Adventures
emulates, the characters personal lives are often more
important than the all-encompassing threats theyre facing.
Plus, those threats often serve to bring their personal lives into
the limelight. Will your protagonist neglect family and loved
ones in order to bring a criminal to justice?
Issue Examples
Real TV shows have up to 23 episodes each season during
which to develop a characters storyline, so you might easily
come up with more than one possible issue for the characters
on shows you like. Take Jack on Lost, for example. Hes got
this baggage with his father thats coming up, some self worth
stuff, maybe a slow-burning romance with Kate, and a selfimposed burden of responsibility. Since a season in Primetime
Adventures is only going to be 5 or 9 episodes long, theres
no way you could cover all that stuff.
A Characters Story Arc has two parts: the issue, and screen
presence.
The Issue
Mom, why would someone kill themselves?
Well, sometimes people are so unhappy,
they think thats the only way they can solve
their problems.
12
Creating a Series
Examples: Willow on seasons six and seven of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charlie early in season
one of Lost.
Roberts issue is the impact the war made on him, the horrors
left churning in his head, with everyone around him thinking
hes an invincible hero.
Left without a role model, says Meredith, Roxy believes she
needs to look out for herself. Her issue is her relentless desire
for fame and fortune, as she hopes to use the notoriety of the
business to catapult her into high society.
Screen Presence
Screen presence is the second part of a protagonists story
arc. Over the course of a television season, a protagonists
story will receive varying amounts of attention. In some
episodes, a protagonist will play a prominent role, while in
others, he or she will be secondary or even tertiary to other
protagonists. That level of story importance is measured by
the protagonists screen presence. In any given episode, it will
be a 1, a 2, or a 3.
13
Creating a Series
Traits
Edges
Every time I learn something new, it pushes
some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when
I took that home winemaking course, and I
forgot how to drive?
Example Edges
Roxys and James issues are both related to the death of Roxys
mother, and they entertain the idea of having their spotlights
on the same episode. Instead, they decide to make them one
after the other, with Roxys coming first, followed by James.
14
Creating a Series
Connections
Bootleggers: Edges
Meredith comes up with Flapper as one of Roxys edges. As a
would-be socialite, she knows the cool clubs, the passwords to get
in, and how draw positive attention to herself while shes there.
Wil chooses War hero as one of Roberts edges. He really is a
capable soldier, level headed and brave in the face of danger. It
also benefits him publicly, as his storys made the newspapers.
Law-abiding citizens extend him courtesy and respect, while
gangsters know not to mess with him.
Example Connections
Edgar Edgar is the protagonists loyal butler, trained in self
defense, acutely aware of the latest fashions, and always ready
to advise on proper etiquette.
JC Townsend JC runs a helicopter tour business. Shes a
long-time friend of the protagonist and somehow manages
to get herself talked into lending out her helicopter for
dangerous and questionable purposes.
15
Creating a Series
Nemesis
Bootleggers: Connections
One of Roberts connections is Sarah, his high-school sweetheart.
She married someone else while he was off in the war, and he still
carries a torch for her. Sarah herself seems to be conflicted about
it, which makes things all the harder for Robert, who wants to do
the right thing.
Example Nemeses
Edie Britt, Desperate Housewives In season one, Edie
and her aggressive sexual conquests make it hard for divorce
Susan Mayer to find new romance with the new guy across
the street.
Choosing Traits
Bootleggers: Nemeses
John wants Billy to have a nemesis whos a rich bully around the
same age. Meredith suggests that he be the younger brother of
Claire, one of Roxys connections.
Meredith prefers that Roxy not have a nemesis this season,
focusing instead on her relationships with friends and family.
James nemesis is another bootlegger whos competing for
territory in Milwaukee.
16
Creating a Series
Personal Set
Fan Mail
Fan mail represents the success of the show and the
popularity of the starring characters. At the start of the first
episode, a protagonist has a Fan Mail score of zero. During
play, this score will hopefully increase as the player helps to
create an exciting story for the protagonist.
Sets
While the scenes of the show are not limited to pre-defined
sets, it can be useful for the group to agree upon certain
locations where things can take place. In play, sets help frame
a scene and give the group a foundation to work from. Over
time, sets accumulate details that players can use during
the game to enhance that sort of immersed feeling and
develop continuity.
17
Creating a Series
Traits
Bootleggers
Series Title
Edges
Cara
Player Name
James McGrath
Protagonist Name
Connections
Concept
Story Arc
Issue
Personal Set
1 1 2 3 2
cre
en Presenc
Nemesis
T he Barn
Fan Mail
Thi
s E p iso d e
Traits
Bootleggers
Series Title
Edges
War Hero
Wil
Player Name
Robert McGrath
Protagonist Name
Connections
Concept
Story Arc
Issue
Personal Set
2 3 1 1 2
cre
Nemesis
en Presenc
Fan Mail
Thi
s E p iso d e
18
Creating a Series
Traits
Bootleggers
Series Title
Edges
Flapper
Meredith
Player Name
Fast Talker
Roxy McGrath
Protagonist Name
Connections
Concept
Would-be Socialite
Story Arc
Issue
Personal Set
2 1 3 2 1
cre
Nemesis
en Presenc
Her Bedroom
Fan Mail
Thi
s E p iso d e
Traits
Bootleggers
Series Title
Edges
Delinquent
John
Player Name
Pretty Boy
Billy McGrath
Protagonist Name
Connections
Concept
Troubled Teen
Story Arc
Issue
Personal Set
1 1 2 2 3
cre
en Presenc
Nemesis
Fan Mail
Thi
s E p iso d e
19
Creating a Series
The Beginning
Cast
Alice A meek student who has come to Bridgewater to
restart her life, but the Blur is letting her past catch up with
her. For Alice, the Blur manifests as a destructive weapon-like
force. Alices issue is her tempetuous relationship with her
father, a rich and powerful man.
Lauren An over-achiever with a tendency toward overresponsibility. Laurens Blur power is a mind-controlling
ability. Her issue is her tendency to focus on other peoples
problems while burying her own.
20
Creating a Series
Cast
The Leader Charismatic, dashing, flamboyant,
inspirational. An expert fencer and a really snappy dresser.
Hes haunted by the memory of a loved one he couldnt save.
His issue manifests as a tendency to push himself, to deny
failure at perhaps too much of a cost.
The Tinkerer Can build nearly anything out of brass
and gears. Shes secretly in love with one of the other cast
members, and hopeless at romance. Her issue is this love, and
how it complicates her already complicated life.
The Explorer Been everywhere from the Antarctic to the
Amazon. Excellent shot with a rifle, and knows the customs
of many countries. He has sworn revenge against the evil man
who swindled him of his wealth and slandered his reputation.
His issue is how his drive for revenge keeps him from being at
peace.
Premise The show takes place in the late 19th Century in England.
The characters are working as secret agents for Queen Victoria,
precursors to the famous double-0 agents. The show is over-the-top
with its character abilities and strange age-of-steam inventions, almost
Jules Verne in nature. Each week, the heroes travel the globe to defeat
mad scientists and Victorian-era terrorists with plots to take over the
world.
Sets Sets for this show will probably change radically from episode
to episode, as many adventures will take place in exotic locales;
however, each character should still have a personal set. Plus, there
will likely be some sort of headquarters set.
What would set the show apart from other shows of its kind would
be the moral and ethical decisions the characters face from episode
to episode. What will they do out of loyalty?
The Beginning the series begins with the founding of the agency,
as the queen summons the heroes together.
Cast
Moose The titular character, Moose is in fact an actual
moose. While the other characters are played by live actors,
Moose, depending on the budget of the show, would be either
computer-generated or maybe a big puppet. Moose is kind
of slow talking and ponderous, very simple. His struggle is all
about identity, can he succeed in the city without giving up
who he is?
Jimmy A neighborhood kid whos kind of shy and
quiet. He likes to draw a lot. Hes struggling with learning to
communicate better with others.
Wendy Another neighborhood kid who is full of support
and kindness for others but often doesnt get the support she
needs in return, especially with her parents going through a
divorce.
Note: Moose in the City isnt my idea. Its the creation of Vincent Baker,
Alexander Cherry, Ron Edwards, Calder Johnson and Gordon Landis, and
it was actually played. So if youre looking at all these example series and
21
Creating a Series
Rescue: 2313
Cast
Brea Mackle Brea is the ships pilot, a former fighter ace
who doesnt like to talk about her military service, and the
daughter of a famous diplomat. She harbors a serious grudge
against a planetary government, although we dont know why
at first.
Nate Spisak Nate is the ships medic. Hes the newest
addition to the crew and is secretly suffering from an
addiction to a strange narcotic. Its also possible that he might
be using an assumed name and keeping many secrets from
the others. Hes an exceptional medic and really knows his
way around the shadier parts of cities and space stations.
Gustav Gustav is the muscle, protecting the crew from
trouble when they do rescues in dangerous locations. Hes
fueled by some insecure need to impress people, possibly
related to the fact that his older brother is a succesful
mercenary.
Sets locations aboard the ship, the main concourse of the space
station where the ship is based.
The Beginning The series begins with Nates first day on the job,
replacing the previous medic who died on the last mission.
Cast
Achilles Son of the goddess Thetis, the young Achilles may
grow up to be the greatest warrior Greece has ever known,
and may already be so. As of now, he is a brash young boy,
foolish and overconfident.
Laertes A wise and experienced warrior, having been to
many battles. Laertes is past his prime and occasionally has a
poor time facing his mortality.
Appolonia An amazon warrior, skilled with a bow,
torn between her love of battle and a promise she made
to serve her family.
Patrochus A new student at the school, Patrochus seems
to be the most dedicated warrior ever to set foot in the
school. Thats because when he gains the skill he needs,
Patrochus intends to kill Laertes, to gain vengeance for the
death of his father.
Sets Sets would include various locations around the school, and
various locations around the Agean Sea.
22
Creating a Series
Thelma and Louise. Or maybe Mission: Impossible meets Sex and the
City.
Cast
Megan A master of martial arts and an expert gymnast,
going through a painful divorce that influences her ability to
focus on the mission. Will she let her frustration get the best
of her?
Valerie Computer hacker, demolitions expert and
mother of a very rebellious teenager. When her daughter
is caught cheating in school, will she be there to make
things right, or will she be too busy saving the world from a
diabolical terrorist?
Joan Crack driver and crack shot, comes through every
mission without a scratch. Wishes she could say the same
about her love life.
Sets: A secret headquarters, homes, city streets, office buildings,
alleyways, etc.
The Beginning Spies for Hire starts with the events that lead to
the creation of the secret agency. They discover that they all have
exceptional skills going to waste and decide to do something about
it.
23
Creating an Episode
Creating an Episode
A writer has a responsibility to tell stories that are dark and sexy and violent, where characters
that you love do stupid, wrong things and get away with it because thats what makes stories
into fairy tales instead of polemics.
Joss Whedon, creator, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Kinds of Episodes
Episodic Up until recently, most TV series followed an
episodic storyline. Episodes of this type focus most of their
attention on a single story, and little on events that have
happened in previous episodes. You could play them in any
order with little impact. These sorts of episodes apply best to
a series where protagonist issues are less dramatic and need
less long-term development; in a series filled with intense
drama they should be used sparingly. Protagonists will change
only over the course of multiple seasons.
24
Creating an Episode
Spotlight Episode
What could possibly make us even for the
Tampa job?
Two-Part Episodes
Some episodes may be too big to fit into one session of play.
Any time two protagonists have their spotlight episode at the
same time, thats going to be the case. The group may also
agree at some point maybe during play that theres so
much going on that they should finish it up next time rather
than force a conclusion.
Gameplay will be the same except that the end of the first
game session, part 1 of the episode, needs to end on an
exciting note, and the second session, the conclusion, has to
be twice as exciting as the first one.
25
Creating an Episode
Scenes
If its your turn for a scene, and you cant think of all the
elements to include, dont forget that you have other people
playing the game with you who would probably be happy to
give you some ideas.
Cara Um. Plot scene. In the lab. Nicola is examining all the
rings she and the others have collected.
Meredith Have it be at night, because thats spookier.
Creating a Scene
26
Creating an Episode
Conflict
that player has an idea that takes place during the day. When
situations like that arise, the group can opt to take turns out
of order.
Contributing to a Scene
Introducing Conflict
Most scenes should involve conflict, as its exciting and drives
a story forward. Players will often request scenes that have
very obvious conflict potential. Other times a scene will be
requested that does not. Players may also take measures
during a scene to steer the story toward a conflict. In either
case, the final responsibility for introducing conflict into play
rests with the producer.
As far as the group goes, you may find that some players who
really like to play up the acting side of things will feel let
down or distracted by players who do not, and vice versa.
You might want to discuss this with the rest of the group to
make sure everyone understands everyone elses preferences
before play begins.
Any player can call for a conflict at any time during a scene
where there is potential for one. If a conflict is glaringly
obvious and no one is calling for it, the producer is obliged
27
Creating an Episode
to do so. Likewise, if a scene continues along with no sign of
conflict in sight, its the producers job to narrate events that
promote conflict, and then to bring the conflict into play.
Action
So how is your protagonist trying to get those stakes?
Sometimes thats pretty straightforward, as with the argument
example above. Our protagonists, yours and mine, are arguing
to get what they want. Sometimes it might be less obvious
than that, and the producer or other players will speak up if
theyre not sure what your protagonist is up to.
28
Creating an Episode
Note: When you spend fan mail to get extra cards, keep track of
those cards separately before you reveal what they are. Set them
slightly to one side or in front of the other cards..
The producer gets one card for free in every conflict. Each
additional card costs 1 point of budget, and the producer can
spend up to 5 points of budget on a single conflict.
Once the producer has set the difficulty, the players whose
protagonists are involved must then decide how many cards
theyll get for their protagonists. Each player has a number of
free cards equal to the protagonists current screen presence
and can gain additional cards by spending traits and fan mail.
Each trait or point of fan mail counts as an additional card.
Applying a trait counts toward one of its uses in the episode.
29
Creating an Episode
Once everyone has all the cards theyre entitled to, the cards
can be flipped over to reveal the results. Every red card (i.e.
diamonds and hearts) a player is dealt counts as a point. If you
have more points than the producer, you win your stakes. If the
points are tied, players win the stakes if they have more hearts
than the producer. If theres still a tie, victory goes to whoever
has the lowest heart (or lowest diamond if neither has hearts). If
nobody has any red cards, deal everyone another card.
= 2 points
Meredith and John have both been dealt an ace, but Merediths
ace of diamonds trumps Johns ace of clubs, so she gets the
authority for this conflict.
= +1 point
So how did that happen? She suggests that Billy does catch
her in the club, and it makes for a big scene and embarrasses
her friends, but it also draws the attention of the bouncer, who
realizes that Billys just a teenager and throws him out. Roxy is
humiliated and flees the speakeasy, leaving Billy out in the alley
to be scolded by James and Robert for not being tactful enough.
John describes what he thinks Billy would say, and Cara and Wil
pitch in with what they think James and Robert would say, and
as a group they work out the details, with Meredith giving it the
final stamp of approval.
= 3 points
John gets dealt 4 cards:
= 0 points
The results: With Wils extra card, the producer has a total of 3
points, which is more than Johns 0. Meredith also has 3 points,
but the producer has more hearts. Neither protagonist gets the
stakes in this conflict. Roxy doesnt impress her friends, and Billy
doesnt impress his father.
Step 6: Narration
So once you clarify who did and didnt get the stakes, you
need to figure out how it all happened. The entire group
participates in the narration, but one player has the authority
to synthesize everyones contributions and say for certain
what it was that did or didnt happen.
30
Creating an Episode
Scene Cuts
Just as Billy enters the speakeasy and begins to look for Roxy,
Pete tells John and Meredith, hold that thought, and cuts away
to a scene with James and Robert.
Earlier is Better
Fan mail works like star power, making sure that a popular
character does exciting things during a show, like saving
the day. Characters earn that popularity by revealing depth
and complexity. Therefore, players earn fan mail for their
protagonists by seeing to their characters growth.
The first couple times you play any game its going to feel
a little clumsy, and that may interfere a bit with the whole
imagining of it. Still, until you get the hang of it, you might just
have to call a halt to things and say, I think we need a conflict
here. What is it? If you do that and really get the hang of what
conflicts are like, itll make play a lot better later on.
31
Creating an Episode
of the plot, or whatever makes the game more fun. At the
end of the episode, if there are any tokens left in the audience
pool, they are discarded.
into acts, and you can use this format if you like, to help
structure your game.
Acts
32
Creating an Episode
loved one is being uncooperative or inconsiderate. No scene
should be without its roadblocks.
At least one player should consider taking the opportunity for
character development in the second act. Contrasting story
threads should develop, and protagonists in supporting roles
should be doing things that put attention on the spotlight
protagonist.
Bridgewater: Act 1
Mike, Stacie, Laura, Alan and Josh are playing an episode of
Bridgewater (see pp. 39-40). Mike sets up the opening scene
with Preston, played by Josh, returning from school to the
protagonists shared house. Entering his room, Preston sees a
mirror image of himself staring back menacingly. A clone? They
fight, and the real Preston wins, while the fake one dissolves into
a puddle of goo.
The third act often ends with an epiphany moment for one
or more of the characters, a revelation about why things have
been happening the way they have, or why its been difficult
to resolve certain problems.
Bridgewater: Act 3
Act 4: Resolution
Act 4 provides the climax of the episode, a final confrontation
with the problem. In this act, somebody wins, and somebody
loses, and most often that happens as a result of the
protagonists choices. Both the main story and the subplots
should reach a point where, although they may not be
resolved for good, someone involved has either gotten or not
gotten what they wanted.
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Creating an Episode
Next Week On
Bridgewater: Act 4
Denoument
The spotlight player has the privilege of narrating a
denoument scene at the end of the episode, highlighting
the aftermath of the spotlight protagonists story. This
scene foregoes the usual conflict rules and grants the player
narration rights. Its most often a quiet, short scene.
Bridgewater: Denoument
Bridgewater: Next Week On...
Mike, the producer of the Bridgewater series, offers a next-weekon shot of two scientists working at some kind of operating table.
The camera pans over to reveal the face of Lauren. A voice says,
Shell be ready in three hours.
Commercial Breaks
Jobs to Do
First, everyone should understand what their reponsibilities
are during the game session. Everyone has to work together
to make the episode successful and fun.
34
Creating an Episode
they dont wander too far from the agenda of the player who
created them.
35
Creating an Episode
there. Its up to you to engage with it. Dont sit still. Charge
forward.
Theme Music
Your series definitely needs its own theme music, dont you
think? There are some great scores available on CD, but
one thats too recognizable might easily throw the focus of
the show off target. For example, its probably best to avoid
music from those films about the do-gooders with the light-up
swords and mystical powers.
One option is to provide cues that the spotlight player can use
to develop his or her protaginists issue. If the issue is about
anger, have your protagonist make the spotlight protagonist
angry, If the issue is about trust, do something to build or
break trust.
Cinematography
Since its a TV show, players should tell it like it is. Everyone
should feel free to describe close-ups, sweeping shots, and so
on. Bring out the tone of the show by describing how it would
appear on the TV screen. The examples listed below are far
from inclusive:
36
Creating an Episode
Smash Cut: An especially abrupt cut edited to
deliberately jar or startle the audience, usually to make
some kind of ironic point.
Match Cut: A transition in which something in the
scene that follows in some way directly matches a
character or object in the previous scene
Point of View: indicates that the camera is seeing from
a particular vantage point, that were looking through
a characters eyes.
Freeze Frame: The image on the screen stops, freezes
and becomes a still shot.
Montage: Used to show a series of scenes, all related
and building to some conclusion.
Off Camera: The character thats speaking is present in
the scene but is not in the camera shot.
Off Screen: The character thats speaking is not present
in the scene.
Tracking Shot: The camera follows a character as he
or she walks around in a scene.
Wide Shot: The camera sees all the characters present
in the scene.
37
Creating a Season
Creating a Season
I was just trying to write the truth of one woman. But I felt if I wrote it well enough, I might be
able to capture the truth of maybe many, many women.
Marc Cherry, creator, Desperate Housewives
Franchise: Bootleggers
Franchise
Overarching Plot
Oh, Mary Alice, what did you do?
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Creating a Season
stating or even implying that multiple events are somehow
related to one another, or introducing a supporting character
who provides antagonism across several episodes. Often
you can easily involve a protagonists nemesis.
The story arc has a lot of fuel built into it, and a lot of room
to work. The choices a player makes in planning the story arc
should also mean something. You can have any episode in
the season except the first one be the protagonists spotlight
episode. Why did you pick the one that you did?
We know what
You dont know anything.
Wes and Gunn, Angel
Nate, Wil slowly reveals, is using the drugs to escape the pain of
a terrible loss, with which Nate is finally confronted during his
spotlight episode.
39
Creating a Season
Theme
Addressing Theme
Theme is a product of all players involved, the result of the
telling of the story. Its not for the producer to determine ahead
of time what the theme is. Instead, the producer decides how
to present scenes and characters for the protagonists to react to,
often based on the story arcs of the protagonists. The producer
looks at the protagonists, and based on who they are asks a
question. How the protagonists answer is what determines the
theme. Ideally each protagonist will make a different statement,
but all the questions will have something in common.
James is grieving over his departed wife and lets this grief come
between him and his children. His realization of this pushes him
even further into self destruction. His contribution to theme: if family
doesnt come before personal pain, it only leads to more pain.
Robert is trying to overcome the horrors of the Great War, and
he is able to find no comfort from his family. He turns instead
to his high-school sweetheart, and it only causes trouble. His
contribution to theme: there is no substitute to family.
Examples of Theme
Billy is trying to gain the approval of his father and in doing so creates
tension between himself and his brother and sister. His contribution to
theme is perhaps you cant sacrifice family for family.
Changing a Protagonist
40
Creating a Season
Changing a Trait
41
Appendices
Appendices
Whos Involved?
Although Nate is present in the scene with Brea, Nates
player, Mike, says hes staying out of it, so its between Brea
and her nemesis.
Stakes
Meredith says Brea wants to maintain her reputation in the
pub, and shell do so by besting her nemesis in a battle of
witty insults.
Spending Budget
The producer sees this as a moderately important conflict,
with potential for good character development, but its not
a blockbuster event. He decides to spend 2 budget on it, for
3 cards.
Introduction
Meredith has requested a character scene for Brea and Nate
while theyre looking for information in a seedy bar. Its a
character scene, so the conflict shouldnt really be about
finding the information. It should be about Brea personally.
The producer recalls that Brea has a nemesis and thinks that
he would make a perfect source of conflict for Brea. He says
Outside Influence
John is playing Gustav, whos not in the scene. The only way
John can contribute to the conflict is by spending his fan mail.
Since he personally hates Breas rival (who reminds him of
42
Appendices
someone he used to work with), hes eager to see Brea take
him down a notch. He spends a point of fan mail to get 1
card, which he will add to Merediths total.
Results
The producer flips over his 3 cards:
= 2 points
Introduction
Joan, played by Danielle, and Megan, played by Julie, are
pursuing a terrorist down a crowded freeway. This terrorist
has in his car a nuclear device that he and his allies intend to
detonate at the stadium.
= 2 points
Last, John reveals his 1 card:
Whos Involved?
Joan and Megan are obviously involved, but Tim, who plays
Valerie, could spend fan mail to enter the scene somehow,
but he says hes content with outside influence for this one.
= +1 point
Johns card is enough to give Brea the stakes (3 points vs. the
producers 2), and because its the highest card played in the
conflict, it gives him the narration.
Stakes
Narration
As for Megan, Julie says her stakes are whether or not she can
avoid a lot of collateral damage to nearby cars. Its relationship
to her divorce issue seems unclear at the moment, but
Megans screen presence is only a 1 this episode, so Julies
happy focusing the conflict more on Joan.
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Appendices
= 1 point
Spending Budget
Scott, the producer, has three points of budget remaining, and
he spends them all, as this will probably be the final conflict of
the episode. That gives him a total of 4 cards (remember the
producer always gets one card for free).
= 0 points
Joans screen presence is 2 this episode, and she has the edge
crack driver, which seems an obvious fit. That gives her three
cards. Danielle elects to spend a point of fan mail to give her
four cards altogether, evening the odds between her and the
producer.
= 0 points
Scotts two cards:
= 1 point
Outside Influence
Tim has fan mail, and hes spending a point to play a card
in Megans favor, as he likes Julies description of what shes
doing.
Results
Everyone gets their cards dealt face down. Scott and Danielle
each have 4, Julie has 2, and Tim has 1.
= 1 point
Julie has to play one of her two cards on the third flip, but she
can play her remaining card on either the first or second. She
opts to play it on the first flip.
= 1 point
Scott gets one card:
Danielle has an extra card that she can double up on one flip.
She opts for the final one.
= 1 point
Scott also has an extra card, which he will play on the second
flip.
= 1 point
= 1 point
Julie:
44
= 2 points
Appendices
Tim:
= +1 point
Danielle:
= 2
points
Scott:
= 2 points
The results: with Tims help, Julie gets the stakes with a total
of 3 points vs. Scotts 2. Scott and Danielle are tied with two
red cards each, but Danielles 7 of hearts is lower than Scotts
10, so Joan barely succeeds.
Introduction
Situations like this just happen sometimes: Alice and Nicola
both like the same guy, Mark. The trouble is, hes been a good
friend to both of them over the school year, and hes been
giving them both mixed signals. Theyve had enough of the
confusion and want to settle the score.
Narration
For the first card flip, Danielle has the final authority on
narration, so after listening to the ideas from the others, she
says that what happens is the chase starts out strong, with
Joan deftly weaving in and out of traffic, occasionally ducking
down below the window as their car gets dangerously close to
her boyfriends. Megan climbs out the cars sun roof and gets
ready to leap into the terrorists car, yelling at Joan to watch
out for the other cars.
Whos Involved
Alan is playing Alice, Laura is playing Nicola, and Mike, the
producer, is playing as the opposition. Josh and Stacie dont
have protagonists in the scene.
Stakes
Whats at stake for Nicola and Alice is the same thing: Can I
get Mark to choose me?
For the second flip, Danielle gets narration again, with the
king of spades. Since Scott is the only one to get a red card
for this flip, everyone throws out ideas for how the situation
develops problems. Danielle settles on Tims suggestion for
Megan that she jumps to the terrorists car, but is hanging
precariously onto the side while nearby cars swerve away in
a panic. Joan brakes and backs away to avoid being spotted,
and the terrorist is busy trying to shake Megan loose.
Spending Budget
Mike, the producer, cant really resist making this a tough
conflict. Hes going to spend 4 budget and give himself a total
of 5 cards.
For the final flip, Tim gains narration with his queen of hearts.
With help from the others, he says that Joan zooms forward,
getting a semi in between her and her boyfriend, and also
being able to pull up and give Megan something to brace
against so that she can climb all the way into the terrorists car
and subdue him.
Alan has two cards for Alices screen presence, plus he applies
Alices trait shy and introverted for another card and spends
a point of fan mail to give himself a total of 4 cards.
Laura gets two cards as well for screen presence, and she has
the advantage of having Mark as a connection, so she gets a
card for that. In addition, she applies the trait honor student
to win him over with her brains. To top all that off, she spends
a point of fan mail to give herself five cards.
45
Appendices
Audience Participation
Outside Influence
Josh is feeling entirely diplomatic and wants the conflict to be
even, and it doesnt hurt that he has a soft spot for the shy,
quiet types. He spends a point of fan mail to play a card for
Alice, making the conflict 5 cards each way.
If you ever have guests at your game, you can involve them
assuming theyre interested with the following rules.
An audience member sits in with the group like a regular
player but does not control a specific protagonist. He or she
may request scenes in turn like any other player and can give
and receive fan mail like any other player.
Results
Mikes cards:
= 2 points
Lauras cards:
= 4 points
Alans cards:
= 2 points
Joshs card:
= +1 point
According to the results, both Alan and Laura beat the
producer (thanks to Joshs red card), meaning that they both
get Mark to choose them. But can that work? Doesnt Mark
need to choose one? That in part is up to the narrators final
call, but because Laura got a better hand than Alan, the
narrator and the rest of the group can use that information in
deciding what happened.
Narration
After some kibbitzing, the narrator, who happens to be Alan
(highest card), declares that after a serious confrontation,
Mark says Im sorry to Alice and walks away with Nicola.
However, as hes walking away with her and gives her that
look you know, that look, the one that tells everyone in the
audience that he loves Alice and is clearly conflicted despite
the choice he just made.
And just to make it clear, theres always a way to set stakes in
a conflict so that both protagonists can win. In this case, Alans
goal might have been to have Mark confess love for Alice,
and if that were the case, there would be no conflict between
that and him choosing Nicola. Its all up to you and what you
want your protagonist to want.
46
Appendices
Conflict Summary
Choose traits.
Optionally create a nemesis.
Create sets.
Choose a personal set for each protagonist.
Episode Structure
Summary
Budget-Fan Mail
Ecosystem
47
Appendices
Parting Thoughts
Hey, thanks for taking the time to check out this game. I hope
you have fun playing it.
If you have questions about the rules, or a particular love or
hate about some part of the game that you really want to get
off your chest, you can contact me here: [email protected].
Also be sure to visit www.dog-eared-designs.com to see if
other people share your feelings about the game. While
youre there, you can download a protagonist record sheet
and maybe some other cool and useful things.
Matt
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