Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Monsters

(Pilot) - “Science is on Our Side.” Newark, New Jersey, 1770. Heavily armed, the Founding Fathers of Kicking Ass (Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson) burst through the doors of Trinity Church, preparing to do battle with the demonic Man-In-Black. Just as the apocalyptic rumble is about to explode, time freezes as we hear Franklin say…. “I imagine it may be agreeable to you to know the circumstances which have brought us to such a sinister event. With your permission, I shall indulge the natural inclination of old men to talk of themselves and their deeds.” And so he does, recounting this unknown side of himself to a young LAD over chess and Madeira at Philadelphia’s City Tavern. Using his distinctive wit and wisdom, Franklin takes us into his perilous world of monsters, mayhem, and the American Revolution. We begin with a young Benjamin Franklin exploring the world of enlightenment through books while his father, JOSIAH, and the REVEREND COTTON MATHER battle the world of superstitions and magic through action. As Franklin grows older, he acquires success through his publication of Poor Richard’s Almanac and takes DEBORAH REED as his wife. Josiah and Mather also grow older and apprehensive that The-Man-In-Black, who they thought was defeated at the Salem Witch Trials, is back. Even more disturbing, the purpose of his return remains a mystery. Together, Josiah and Mather embark on a mission to enlist Franklin into their fight. But Franklin isn’t ready to believe in witches, demons, or even the DEVIL himself. That all changes when Franklin saves a WOMAN from a mob of WITCH HUNTERS and she turns out to be an actual witch! A fight atop a runaway carriage ends with Franklin and the Witch thrown into a salt marsh where Franklin quickly discovers witches’ vulnerability… salt. Later, the Man-In-Black kills Josiah and leaves Obadiah in a walking coma. Now aware evil does exist, Franklin takes-up the torch from Josiah and Mather, committed to his cause but completely on his own. Personal conflicts arise, pulling Franklin from his dangerous journey. Deborah gives birth to FRANCIS (LITTLE FRANKIE). Shortly after, she learns Franklin sowed many wild-oats before their union as two-year old WILLIAM FRANKLIN is delivered to their doorstep by the child’s mother. When Little Frankie dies, Deborah’s only child is Franklin’s illegitimate son, creating a tense dynamic in the household. Using his success in publishing to finance his war on evil, Franklin retires and embarks on a life of invention and scientific exploration. But every creation and invention has a secret, dual purpose: to aid in his fight. This includes weaponizing electricity and creating night-vision glasses from bifocals. After capturing a GHOUL, Franklin finds himself out of breath (he is pushing 60 after all). “By my labored breathing I perceived myself grown old and in need of assistance in future endeavors” and he finds it in a strapping thirty-something GEORGE WASHINGTON. The hero of the French and Indian War eagerly agrees to leave Mount Vernon and join the most famous man in the colonies on his quest to uncover the Man-In-Black’s plan, stop him, and save America from evil just as the seeds of revolution are sprouting. Armed with an impressive arsenal of Franklin-designed weapons including the world’s first stun grenade and first multi-barrel shotgun, the two heroes hunt monsters throughout the colonies: Demons in Savannah, Goblins in the Carolinas, Banshees in Pennsylvania. They capture and interrogate creatures from Hell but get no closer to learning the Man-In-Black’s plans, until divine intervention steps in. The hand of God strikes Obadiah in the form of a lightning bolt, snapping him from his coma. After years of not being able to speak, he yells out: Satan is attempting to open the Gates of Hell! END OF PILOT - PART ONE (AN OUTLINE OF THE ENTIRE SEASON IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST)