I Am Not A Stalker 30 minute pilot for a TV comedy series.
Logline: The antics of a transgender psychologist and his two friends, as they pursue a female celebrity to bond them as soulmates, thus validating his friendship thru research theory. Still, the police see him as a stalker.
Synopsis
I Am Not A Stalker is an LBGTQ based comedy series that does not use the gay or transgender community as the stereotypical freaks, eccentrics, or weirdos for cheap image hurting laughs. Our protagonist, Marc Galinas, is a Spanish-American heterosexual transgender psychologist who works with his two best friends that are transgender. His secretary, Danni McConnell, is a transgender Irish-American woman who was Marc’s first client. Marc’s best friend is a transgender Black-American man, Kai Woods, a former client, and now a lawyer. Marc’s office is in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, one of the most cultural and gender tolerant neighborhoods of the city.
The story’s momentum is from Marc’s need to prove his theory, which is the crux of the book he is writing, “You Need New Friends.” His theory states that through research, you can find a non-sexual soulmate who will be your friend to hang out with, text, and share life stories. He wants to include a proven case study of his theory implemented, documented, and carried out to fruition.
Marc’s two friends, Danni and Kai, are his research team, and Marc plans to research the celebrity Sara Singh, a Japanese-Indian actress/activist. Their goal is that if Marc can create a friendship with the dynamic Sara Singh, who is a perfect friend-match for him using his formula, that this process can work for everyone. The problem is that Marc’s research resembles what most people see as stalking. Success in this Sara Singh friendship quest will validate the book and allow the three of them to set up a new Friendship Matching Research Service where they will sell their “stalking” services. In the pilot, we see the home base for the series, Marc’s office, and “The Loitering Jerk Cafe” that the office is directly above. Besides the main characters of Marc, Danni, Kai, and Sara, two supporting actors, Shunshin, the teenage Asian girl waitress at the cafe, and Melanie, Kai’s love interest, are introduced.
The pilot opens with Marc in a police interrogation room, stating, “I am not a stalker.” The show then proceeds to tell a part of the story on how Marc ends up arrested. It begins by establishing the foundation of Marc’s friendship and professional relationship with Danni and Kai. This friendship bond demonstrates how Marc and Danni assist Kai in the handling of his failure to break the news to his new girlfriend, Melanie, that he is a transgender male, in a comical and supportive way. Kai and Danni teasing of Marc demonstrates the depth of their friendship. They pick on Marc about his prior “fetish” type phases he went through with his Japanese and Indian fixation stages. They rehash the stories of Marc being carried out by paramedics on his dates in each of these two past stages. In the Japanese phase, his hair is in a man bun, and his allergic reaction to sushi ends with an ambulance trip. In the Indian phase, he is wearing an Indian kurta, and his legs are locked up in the lotus position during Kama Sutra sex, and paramedics carry him out again, this time with legs crossed.
After the flashbacks of their stories, Marc has them focus on phase 2 of his book, the quest for them to use the friend by research formula with the successful friendship of him and Sara Singh. The graphic organizer that Marc uses on a whiteboard resembles a stalker board and referred to as the stalker board throughout. This board shows all of the common core matches in values, hobbies, causes, politics, and food with Marc and Sara Singh. Danni is in charge of social media, and Kai’s job is to use his legal expertise to get Marc in contact with the businesses and causes that Sara is involved.
Their first opportunity to physically put Marc and Sara Singh together is at a 5K race to support continued Covid-19 research, so all the runners wear masks. Marc is an avid runner and is excited, but he didn’t realize that the last mile you run in high heels. Marc borrows a pair of heels from Danni and is ready to run. Kai will be at the finish line to take Sara and Marc’s pictures, finishing the race together to set up their first possible meeting. Marc struggles thru the race as he is watching Sara instead of focusing on the course and ran into a bush, and his running bib tears off of him. Near the finish line, as Marc is pushing himself to sprint in high heels, security spots him without a running number and chase him as a threat to Sara. Marc is right next to Sara as they approach the finish line, but he turns his head to check out the security guard chasing him. This turn causes his heel to break, and he falls on the back of Sara Singh’s legs. Sara falls and does a face plant on the ground and rolls over, grabbing an injured leg. Kai gets Marc up, and they run away as security goes to Sara’s aid instead.
At the post-race press conference, Sara Singh shows that she just has a bruised cheek and swollen eye, and she just stretched some tendons in her knee. Sara also has one of Marc’s yellow high heels and calls him Cinderella and wants to find the guy that has the other shoe. Marc, Danni, and Kai are relieved that due to the mask and Marc’s running number not on him that he can’t identify him, but they can use the other shoe they have to meet Sara if they can find out she will be friendly and not looking to punish him. They are inspired to keep their pursuit of Sara Singh as everything they have seen is that she is a perfect match to be Marc’s friend, and this will validate the book and launch their own business, Friendship Research Service, as they enjoy stalking.
The episode ends with Marc in the police interrogation room and the detectives still believing that he is nothing but a stalker. Each episode will focus on another attempt to get Sara Singh and Marc together to be friends, as well as side stories concerning Marc’s workings in the transgender community. The transgender community supports Marc on this personal adventure the same way he has shown understanding and compassion for their journeys. The challenge each week is to assist Marc to jump socio-economic barriers and levels to find a way to get close enough to start his special friendship with Sara.
Characters Marc Galinas - Spanish-American male mid-30s, is a heterosexual transgender psychologist in Manhattan. He is an athletic and outwardly caring person. Marc’s two best friends are transexual, and they are assisting him in finishing his book.
Danni McDonnell - Caucasian transgender female early-30s with red hair, is Marc’s secretary and right-hand girl. She was Marc’s first client and is his social media expert.
Kai Woods - Black-American transgender male mid-30s, is a lawyer, former client, and now is Marc’s best friend. Kai is outspoken and is a stylish meticulous dresser.
Sara Singh - A Japanese-Indian lesbian female mid-30s, is a tall attractive female, who is a TV celebrity, podcast host, and an activist for several causes. She is the focus of Marc’s “stalking” to get Sara to become his platonic best friend.
Shunshin - Japanese Bi-female 19-year-old, is a waitress at the cafe located on the ground floor under Marc’s office.
Melanie - Caucasian heterosexual female late-20s, is Kai’s new girlfriend.