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NETWORK PITCH PACKET

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BEN AND BURMAN: THE TELEVISION SERIES is a live-action odd-couple comedy.  Ben and Burman are two little guys taking on one big world.  Burman is the world’s worst roommate: a scum-rat who mooches food, money, and women.  On the flip side, Ben is an anal-retentive clean-freak who desperately craves normalcy.  As best buddies, they take each other to their wit’s end through agitated banter, plans gone awry, and a crack-squad of off-kilter friends and foes.

Ben is the voice of reason.  Burman is the scheming loon.  No matter how hard Ben tries to achieve success in romance, career aspirations, and personal tranquility, Burman finds a way to completely wreck everything.

The boys’ argumentative banter drives the pace of each episode.  They angrily focus on trivial minutia to prove ridiculous points.  Underneath the fights, they’ve always got each other’s backs because friendship trumps all.s on trivial minutia to prove ridiculous points. Underneath the fights, though, they’ve always got each other’s backs, because that’s what it’s all about – friendship.

Ben and Burman make bickering beautiful.

THE STYLE

BEN AND BURMAN: THE TELEVISION SERIES is a half-hour, handheld, single-camera comedy.  Taking cues from THE ODD COUPLE, SEINFELD, and FAMILY GUY, the series follows the absurd adventures of two polar-opposite guys who behave like they never really left the 5th grade.

Rooted in the present day, the show takes place mostly in reality — accentuated by fantastical flashbacks, delusional flash forwards, and cartoonish side characters.

RELATIONSHIPS

BEN AND BURMAN: THE TELEVISION SERIES features four series-regular characters.  Ben and Burman’s cantankerous relationship is the central focus.  Beyond that, each of the boys have an ally:

Amanda, Ben’s long-time love interest, is his closest confidant.  Though Amanda sees Ben only as a

“good friend,” Ben has secretly pined for her since grade school.  Amanda helps Ben get out of tricky situations that would otherwise be inescapable. Chilly Willy, Burman’s right-hand man, is a cartoonishly tall sixteen-year-old debate champ who moonlights as Burman’s get-away driver.  If Burman were Batman, Chilly Willy would be Robin.

In addition, the show features dozens of original recurring personalities.

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Two little guys with two huge personalities.

CENTRAL QUESTION

Why does Ben keep Burman around?

Ben’s life is too routine without Burman, and Burman’s life is too wild without Ben.  The boys both know this, but would never admit it.   At the end of the day, you can always count on one thing: a best friend.  Burman verges on lunacy, but he’s the most loyal friend Ben could ever count on.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

Ben

An uber-short, anal-retentive clean-freak who’s a genuinely decent guy.  He lets Burman sleep on his couch for free, as he tries as hard as possible to succeed in romance and life.  Inevitably, Ben is always ready to blow a gasket when Burman gets in the way, crumbling under the pressures of awkward situations and crazy adventures.  At the end of the day, though, Ben loves Burman like a man loves an old, smelly dog.  His glaring insecurity is his height, which he downplays around his close confidant, Amanda.  Although Ben dates carousel of girls, he secretly pines for Amanda.   Ben works at an ad agency, designing boring print ads for products he’d never use.

Series Regulars

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Burman

A short, loud-mouthed, mooching scum-rat who lives off of Ben’s hospitality.  Burman speaks in a goofy hybrid of DeNiro and Pacino. He acts tough, but underneath the macho exterior lurks a total marshmallow.  Burman has a knack for taking the longest route to a short destination, binge eating, and hanging out with thieves and

vagrants.  Inevitably, he frustrates Ben to no end with idiotic plans and get-rich-quick schemes.  But at the end of the day, he always has Ben’s back.  Burman thinks Amanda is dead-sexy, but he’d never make a move because he knows Ben is madly in love with her.  Burman creates endless chaos with his loyal sidekick, Chilly Willy.

Amanda

Ben and Burman’s spunky, sarcastic, beautiful childhood friend. Unbeknownst to Amanda, Ben has been head-over-heals in love with her since the first grade.  Sadly, she treats Ben like a gay best friend, constantly asking him how her boobs look or what color to paint her toe-nails.  She puts up with Burman’s incessant flirting because she knows that he’s harmless.  Amanda is an event planner, and even in times of complete insanity, nothing phases her.

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A throw-back homage to the comedy duos of old, a modern day odd couple pairing.

Chilly Willy

Burman’s sixteen-year-old side-kick.  He’s African-American, obese, and incredibly tall.  Chilly Willy is as “chill” as they come, always willing to lend a helping hand to Burman with intricate schemes.  He’s a big teddy bear, yet revels in his role as the getaway driver.  Chilly Willy doesn’t say much, but when he does, it’s

profound.

Little Ben

The grade-school version of Ben.  He’s uber tiny, completely adorable, and has a big crush on Little Amanda.  Little Burman frustrates him to no end, but Little Ben is fairly shy and has trouble making other friends.  He looks up to Little Burman, admiring his confidence.

Little Burman

The grade-school version of Burman.  He’s taller than Little Ben, and dons a touch of stubble.  Little Burman is an endless trouble-maker, but sticks up for Little Ben when it counts.  Little Burman is always trying to get the prettiest girls in school to kiss him, and Little Amanda is no exception.

Selection of Recurring Characters

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Little Amanda

Ben’s unrequited true love, since 1994.  In Mrs. Schwartz’ English class, Little Ben and Little Burman each wrote a poem for Amanda. One was titled ‘The Heart Has No Height’ and the other was titled ‘Tickle My Pickle.’  Guess which one Burman wrote.

Douchebag Dave

Amanda’s on-again off-again long-term boyfriend.  With his bleached tips, manicured eye-brows, and chotchy urban-wear, Douchebag Dave lives up to his name in spades.  Ben is insanely jealous of him: Dave doesn’t have to buy his denim at Gap Kids.

Esther Bernstein

The miniature, ancient landlord of Ben’s bachelor pad.  Don’t let the dentures, spectacles, or lace gloves fool you – Esther has no soul, and a terrifying monster lurks beneath her osteoporosis.

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It’s comedy with a lot of laughs, and even more heart.

Lance Shapiro

The muscular, strong-jawed adonis that lives next-door to Ben and Burman.  He’s the ultimate alpha-male and never – repeat NEVER – wears a shirt.  It could be negative fifty outside, and this guy would still be greasing his abs on the lawn.

Tom

Ben’s monotone, effeminate co-worker.  He’s so ‘totally over it,’ looks fabulous in argyle, and loves a good apple-tini.  Ben’s pretty sure he’s gay.

Mr. Charles Gleckman

Ben’s boss at the ad agency.  He’s a mountain of a man with a fiery, no-nonsense temper.  Gleckman runs a tight-ship, and doesn’t have much patience for errors.  He chronically promotes and demotes his employees on a daily basis, so no one is safe.  As a result, the entire office walks on eggshells.  Gleckman also has a bizarre fetish for crime.  He chronically assumes Ben is involved in illegal activities, yet he’s always willing to cover for him or offer tips on hiding evidence.  Ben is baffled by Gleckman’s assumptions, but doesn’t dare correct him.

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Homeless Julie

Homeless Julie is a hefty, old vagabond woman.  Her teeth are rotting, her skin is leathery, and she smells like a dead cat.  She’s too old to live, but too strong to die.  Julie is like the neighborhood soothsayer.  Burman turns to her for advice on roommate troubles, cooking tips, and macrame.

Mrs. Wong

The owner of the local Chinese Deli.  Our series regulars routinely meet for meals at the “Deli,” so Mrs. Wong becomes quite invested in their lives and problems.  Mrs. Wong speaks English in such a think Asian accent, Ben understands absolutely nothing she says (and feels awful about it).  Burman, however, can easily understand every single word Mrs. Wong speaks, and this bewilders Ben to no end.  Mrs. Wong thinks Ben and Burman are a gay couple, both named “Bernard.”

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Giroux has the wild-eyed intensity of Al Pacino, the razor-sharp timing of Groucho Marx, and the manic energy of Robin Williams.

- Max McQueen, GetOut Magazine

Psycho Eddie

One of Burman’s lackeys, Psycho Eddie is a knife-loving ex-convict who deeply cares for his pet potato.  Ben and Burman aren’t sure if Psycho Eddie was in prison for tax evasion or smothering small children in their sleep.  And they don’t dare ask…

Boring Pete

Boring Pete is… boring.  He’s the most inexplicably boring man in the world.  His generally happy demeanor would be well received, if anyone ever remembered him.  Burman uses Boring Pete for endless schemes against Ben.  Pete, however, usually switches his allegiance to Ben and then back again on a moment’s notice because he doesn’t actually possess any real opinions.

Girlfriends of the Week

Ben dates pretty girls, one after the other. He rarely cares too deeply for them individually, but he wants to be in a serious relationship to get his mind off of Amanda. Inevitably, Burman destroys each of these relationships.

Guest Stars

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LOCATIONS

The House

Ben lives in a one-bedroom bachelor pad.  It’s nicely furnished, but decorated in a way that suggests Ben is still trying to grow up.  The centerpiece of Ben’s apartment: a big, red couch that Burman sleeps on.   Ben usually brings all of his dates home on the first or second date — it’s an intimate space shared quickly and plentifully

with Burman’s schemes and cronies.The Comic Shop

Chilly Willy works at the mall comic book store.  He’s been the cashier for a little over a year, but spends his time studying for AP exams rather than reading comic books. Burman comes in to mooch the merchandise, steal porn, and cajole CW to help him with wild ideas.

The Chinese Deli

The local Asian eatery.  Ben and Burman are well-known.  The heavily accented owner, Mrs. Wong, thinks that the boys are a gay couple each named “Bernard.”  Burman’s got his own booth in the back of the restaurant where he maps out his schemes with Chilly Willy.  Ben uses the Chinese Deli to go on painful friend-dates with Amanda.

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Gleckman Ad Agency

Ben’s workplace.  Gleckman Ad Agency is run by a grizzled, old-school boss who wants to maximize profits and minimize fun.  At work, Ben is Mr. Efficiency and a stand-out employee.  Gleckman hires, fires, promotes, and demotes on a daily basis, so Ben is always trying to get a leg up.   Ben’s a bit of an outcast among his co-workers though: he prefers to work diligently alone and get home in a hurry, despite his co-workers’ repeated attempts to invite themselves over to his place for dinner.

SEASON ARCS

Season One

After not seeing each other since grade-school, childhood best buddies Ben and Burman are reunited.  Down on his luck, Burman arrives at Ben’s doorstep looking for a place to stay for “a few days.”  Burman’s short stay, however, becomes indefinite.  We explore Ben’s painful relationship with Amanda, as well as Burman’s precarious unemployment, get-rich-quick schemes, and party lifestyle.  Through it all, Burman tortures the hell out of Ben, driving him to the brink of insanity.  We meet Burman’s rogue gallery of friends including the ever-committed Chilly Willy, ruin dozens of Ben’s budding romances, and discover the boys grow to truly depend on one another. In the season finale, Ben kicks Burman out of the apartment for a new, cooler, exciting roommate: Sherman.  Ultimately though, Sherman’s party lifestyle and heartless soul lead Ben to welcome Burman back into his life.

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Season Two

Now that we’re entrenched in the core relationships, we shake things up by giving Amanda a serious boyfriend, whom Ben and Burman have to go on numerous double dates with — Ben lovingly refers to Amanda’s heartthrob as “Douchbag Dave.”  Meanwhile, Burman starts getting ideas to move away, after numerous get-rich-quick schemes leave the boys in financial ruin.  The season ends with a culminating “going away party,” during which Burman reveals that he’s not going anywhere — much to the disappointed surprise of Ben.

Season Three

Ben pursues his lifelong dream of acting.  During his lunch break, he begins secretly sneaking away from work to auditions.  He must compete for roles with little people and children, which bruises his self-esteem.  Burman realizes that he’s been living an unexamined life, as he sets out to find the only woman he’s ever loved.  Douchebag Dave proposes to Amanda, but she eventually

turns him down.  Chilly Willy graduates from high school and contemplates going to Harvard in the fall.  In the end, he decides to stay in town and become a marine biologist so he can continue assisting Burman with endless schemes.  The season concludes when Ben books a recurring gig as a mall Christmas Elf, and Burman goes to jail for stealing romance novels.

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TV INFLUENCES

The Office

Much of the comedic timing in THE OFFICE is rooted in its unique visual style.  The camera is as much a character in the comedy as the actors themselves.  BEN AND BURMAN follows suit, as a single-camera, handheld show.

Seinfeld

SEINFELD built a comedy empire on trivial minutia.  Ben and Burman’s arguments always center around something completely frivolous — trivial tangents are the daily norm.

Family Guy

FAMILY GUY firmly established a new editing tactic in television: the outrageous, quick cut-away.  BEN AND BURMAN uses this technique for comedic emphasis, either solidifying the boys’ points of view or playing ironically against them.

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Arrested Development

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT illustrated a central character attempting to hold things together amid routine, humiliating situations.  Ben’s character endures the same pressures while living with Burman.

Perfect Strangers

PERFECT STRANGERS chronicled the rocky coexistence of a normal guy and his distant foreign cousin.  It ran for eight seasons on the simple concept of two worlds colliding in one apartment.  Similarly, Ben’s normal routine is regularly uprooted by Burman’s wild antics, yet they are forced to coexist.

The Odd Couple

THE ODD COUPLE forced a slob and a clean-freak to merge lifestyles.  BEN AND BURMAN shares the same core comedic conflict.

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