Post by Movie Lord Productions on May 10, 2008 17:29:47 GMT -5
Playing God
Pilot Episode: "Genesis"
The screen is black.
FADE TO:
INT. TOBIAS'S ROOM - DAY
TOBIAS CONNOR lies asleep in bed. His room is small, cramped and messy. The only furniture is the bed and a small desk. A tiny television sits on top of the desk. Clothes are strewn across the floor. From somewhere, an instrumental ringtone of 'It Wasn't Me' by Shaggy plays. Tobias GROANS and opens his eyes. He reaches down to the floor by the bed and gropes around for his mobile phone, raising it to his ear. He speaks in a middle class English accent.
TOBIAS
(Groaning)
Hello? Yeah. No, I just woke up. What? Late? No, I can't be, it's... Nine o clock? See, exactly. No, don't be stupid. Since when is there a nine o clock in the morning?
A long, silent moment passes.
TOBIAS
There is?
Another long silence.
TOBIAS
Seriously?
CUT TO:
EXT. TOBIAS'S APARTMENT - DAY
Tobias steps out of his rundown apartment building wearing black trousers, a short sleeved white button up shirt and a red tie. He walks down the steps onto the street. The door opens behind him, and MR. REED the landlord steps out in a green dressing gown. He is a fat middle aged man with a large bald spot and a walrus mustache. He speaks in a gruff voice.
MR. REED
Connor!
Tobias stops in his tracks, takes a scared breath and turns around.
TOBIAS
Mr. Reed... Hi.
MR. REED
Shove your 'hi'. Where's your rent money?
TOBIAS
(Lying badly)
The, uh... The rent money? I thought I gave it to you last... equinox?
Mr. Reed bursts out laughing.
MR. REED
Connor, you actually expect me to fall for that one? Again? Once bitten, twice shy, my friend. I want that money by tomorrow morning.
Mr. Reed walks back into the building.
TOBIAS
Dickhead.
A male passer by appears shocked.
TOBIAS
(Apologetically)
No, no, not you. Him.
CUT TO:
INT. CARPHONE WAREHOUSE - DAY
Tobias hurries into the Carphone Warehouse, his place of work. GRIFFIN JAMES, his best friend and coworker, is selling a mobile phone to an elderly woman at the counter. He is wearing the same uniform as Tobias. Tobias takes his place behind the counter.
GRIFFIN
Late again, Toby. Peterson won't like this.
TOBIAS
Who says he's going to find out?
GRIFFIN
Ah. Ninja style tardiness, huh?
TOBIAS
All I'm saying is make sure you're standing steady, because I'm so slick I'm gonna... slick this place... up.
A door at the end of the room bursts open and Peterson, a young man with a smug look on his face, walks through.
PETERSON
Connor, you're late again. That's the third time this week.
TOBIAS
I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again.
PETERSON
It'd better not, or I'll...
There is a long silence while Peterson thinks hard. He gives up and points at Tobias. He walks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
TOBIAS
Dickhead.
The woman Griffin is selling to gasps.
TOBIAS
Oh, no, miss, I didn't mean -
The woman snatches her credit card from Griffin and leaves the phone unpaid for on the counter as she storms out.
GRIFFIN
(Singing)
He's a smooth operator...
TOBIAS
Shut up.
CUT TO:
INT. PUB - NIGHT
Tobias and Griffin sit in a pub booth drinking. Their table is already full of empty bottles. Tobias lies with the side of his face pressed against the table top.
GRIFFIN
And all I'm s... saying is... Why does th giving of consent have to be exclusively *hic* verbal?
TOBIAS
I hear you.
GRIFFIN
I mean, she didn't NOT give cons... consent, you know what I'm saying?
TOBIAS
I know what you're saying. We'll always have each other.
GRIFFIN
I love you, man.
TOBIAS
No... N... Not like that...
GRIFFIN
I know... I know...
Tobias begins to cry.
TOBIAS
(Crying)
Man, what are we doing with our lives? We're both 35, and we're both still working at the Carphone Warehouse...
GRIFFIN
Let it all out, mate. Let it all out.
TOBIAS
(Crying)
I'm never going to succeed... And now Michelle's gone, and... And...
Panic crosses Tobias's face.
TOBIAS
Oh crap... I needed to go pick up my last box of stuff from M... Michelle's two hours ago...
GRIFFIN
Didn't you... Didn't you break up with her and move out a year ago?
TOBIAS
Yeah, but listen, I'm lazy. I gotta go. You pay for this.
GRIFFIN
What? I... I can't afford...
TOBIAS
Griff, it's cool. It's cool.
Griffin slumps over the table, passed out. Tobias lurches out of the pub.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Tobias hobbles down the street, talking on his phone.
TOBIAS
Michelle, it's... Tobias. Toby. Listen, I forgot to come and get the last back, so I'll come over now.
He stumbles sideways into the road, but manages to regain his balance before he falls over. He stands still in the middle of the road, still talking on the phone.
TOBIAS
So if... If you're listening to this after I got there, it was me who broke the window to let myself in...
Headlights appear behind Tobias.
TOBIAS
Unless it wasn't me... You DO live in a bad part of -
A car slams into Tobias at full speed. Tobias is launched into the air and through the windshield of the car behind the first one.
FADE TO BLACK.
SHOT: TOBIAS'S POINT OF VIEW
White light obscures the screen, apart from the vaguest of blacked out shapes. Tobias stretches a hand out in front of him, and lets it drop. A shadowy figure appears over Tobias.
FIGURE
Come on, son... We need to get you out of here... Get you safe.
A second figure appears beside the first.
SECOND FIGURE
Don't worry about it, Gabe. I'll take care of him.
FIGURE
You... What are you doing here?
SECOND FIGURE
He doesn't want the child, Gabe. I do. Give him to me. I'll raise him.
FIGURE
I'd give my life before I handed him over to you.
SECOND FIGURE
That, my friend... can be arranged.
The second figure suddenly becomes larger, more feral and hunched over. He pounces on the first figure, who SCREAMS.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE TO:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
A bruised and bloodied Tobias lies in a hospital bed, hooked up to a vast array of machines. His eyes slowly open.
TOBIAS
Woah...
GRIFFIN
Bit of a delayed reaction, don't you think?
Tobias looks up to see Griffin sitting at his bedside.
TOBIAS
Griffin... Something amazing happened to me...
GRIFFIN
I'd say pulling off the best airborne faceplant this town has ever seen is pretty amazing, yeah.
TOBIAS
No... It's bigger than Staines.
GRIFFIN
Most things are.
TOBIAS
I had a vision... There was a white light...
GRIFFIN
Ok, you know what, I think I'm going to get the nurses to put you back to sleep.
TOBIAS
Griffin... I think I went to heaven.
Griffin sighs and reaches for a bottle of water.
GRIFFIN
You don't believe in that stuff. Turning wine into water and bushes into fish? That kind of thing? You haven't believed in it since we were six.
TOBIAS
But I...
Griffin takes a sip from the water bottle, then quickly spits the liquid out. It is dark red, almost black.
GRIFFIN
Bloody hell, that's the best red I've ever tasted... Wait... What the hell just happened?
TOBIAS
I... I just thought about what you said...
Griffin appears dumbstruck. He walks over to the window and slowly pushes the curtain out of the way. Outside, plant pots lining the hospital are filled to the brim with fish, flailing around due to the lack of water.
GRIFFIN
Oh my God.
Griffin turns to look at Tobias.
GRIFFIN
You're... God!
Tobias gasps. A constant BEEPING eminates from the machines as he flatlines.
CUT TO BLACK.
Cast:
David Tennant as Tobias Connor
Martin Freeman as Griffin James
Genre: Comedy
