The Wonderful Imagination of Jimmy Johnson

[Tim Bartow]

Series Concept
The Wonderful Imagination of Jimmy Johnson
by
Tim Bartow and Phillip Snedegar

   The basic concept of Wonderful Imagination... is about a young man's ability to become lost in his own imagination in order to escape reality and help answer questions about his place in the real world. His imagination is set in either an animated setting or in an over the top set design; these act to set a stark difference between the real world and the imaginary. In order to do this there are supporting characters that are a strange and wonderful as the world inside Tim's imagination. Tim is also a wheelchair user, an aspect that he finds frustrating in accomplishing the goals he seeks. This show easily lends itself to highly dramatic scenes, insightful dialogue, stunning set and art design, and above all well intended comedy- people will be able to enjoy this show for different reasons; different reasons to like it mean a wider audience.

   The show's main focus will be on Jimmy Johnson. He is in his teens, a student at a local high school, and is a wheelchair user. He is a huge fan of musicals, comedies, and bizarre conspiracy theories. He also has very ordinary obsession with girls and wishes desperately for a girlfriend. His preoccupation with these thoughts cause them to manifest in his imagination, coming out in very eccentric and loud ways. His imaginary world has different colored skys, strange animals, quirky people, spontaneous song and dance numbers, and a mystery or two.

   His real world setting is a monotonous string of events where he is constantly surrounded by people who wish to “help.” The only problem is  Jimmy's definition of help may not be the same as someone else's. Usually only one event from Jimmy's real world experiences will be pertinent to the episode; the idea is that Jimmy uses his imagination to deal with these problems.

   Jimmy has a close network of family; close as in proximity. He lives with his mother, Joan,  sister Julia, and is visited occasionally by his brother with mental retardation, Elliot. His father Charles  lives in Florida with his step mother, Gina. These people are Tim's support but they are also part of much of the stress that he feels. This aspect gives the show a family touch where issues in family can be resolved.

   Tim's second family is an array of characters that differ in many different ways. The range of characters is based on physical appearrances but also in regards to the way in which their friendships can help Tim. One reoccuring character may appear to sincerely help Tim, while another may appear only as an irony. JD is a very tall, completely green from head to toe man. He is confident yet very clumsy. He appears usually in every episode to either give Tim direct advice concerning a situation or to tell a story that acts as an anecdote to Tim's real world crisis. Chuck is an athletic and handsome surfer. He works many different odd jobs and usually finds Tim while working the next job. For example, in one show he may be working as a server in a restaurant in which Tim is eating and the next scene/episode working as a security guard outside an apartment complex. His appearrances may coincide with the need for comedic relief or the continuation of a joke. Rebecca is a drop dead gorgeous, competetive diver that falls in love with Tim in his imagination. Tim looks to her for confidence but also as a reminder that his imagination isn't the reality that he wants to always occupy. He and Rebecca remain very good friends only after Tim tells her they may only be friends.
   
   This show not only has real life but also a fantastical world that can be enjoyed by many. There will be jokes and humor throughout both worlds; the real world will contain jokes about real world problems and concerns while the imaginary world will contain more physical humor and satire. Others will be able to appreciate the show because of the elaborate set and art direction. Still others will like it because of the dramatic material with which it may deal and the emphasis on understanding and resolving family dysfunction.

   This show will be positioned in a very unique way to not only be a success through it's content and appearance but also by it's creator. Tim Bartow himself has Cerebral Palsy an0d with this show's inception came a philanthropic drive to also do something good. This show comes with a proposal to create a fund to support a Non-profit organization that can work for the advocacy of the interests of people with special needs. Tim Bartow and Phillip Snedegar are both very enthusiastic about this point. Any network that is interested in this concept can use this to help position the show during premiers  and finales; a show that not only makes people feel good from watching the content but also a satisfaction from knowing that it continues to help more people.