Thatcher the Tramp

1. Thatcher the Tramp Original Pitch by Cassidy Street

2. ABOUT THATCHER • Thatcher is the school outcast. • Thatcher’s mother is a religious fanatic that can’t stick to her Christian beliefs when it comes to how she treats her son. • Thatcher is…ALONE IN LIFE.

3. MORE ABOUT THATCHER • But…Thatcher is gifted. • Thatcher is an excellent writer, and he dreams of getting out of his hellish life. • Whenever his mother is not forcing him to read his Bible or pray, Thatcher is…writing, which is his only method of escape.

4. THATCHER’S GOALS • Thatcher wants to be a professional writer. • He wants to be famous. • He wants to be free to write WHATEVER he wants. • He wants to be…free of his overly religious mother.

5. EVERYONE ELSE’S GOALS FOR THATCHER • Thatcher’s mother wants him to be overweight and a factory worker. • Thatcher’s classmates—and a couple of his teachers—want him to be a failure.

6. THATCHER’S DAILY ROUTINE • He gets up at five o’clock for Mother’s morning sermon. • He suffers through a long day of schoolwork and cruel classmates. • He has a few hours free in the afternoon before Mother gets home. • Mother stuffs his face. • Mother gives him the evening sermon.

7. THATCHER’S PUNISHMENTS • Mother’s favorite method of punishment is using her leather belt on Thatcher’s back. • Mother remembers from her “sinner’s days” a clip from the movie “Carrie” in which Carrie’s mother locks her daughter in her prayer closet; therefore, Mother has her own “lock-in closet” for Thatcher.

8. HOW DOES THATCHER ESCAPE? • One night, Thatcher’s mother threatens to sacrifice him to God because he expresses his wish to go to college and to become a writer. • In the pouring rain, Thatcher runs away from home with nothing but the clothes on his back.

9. HOW DOES AN OUTCAST SURVIVE? • A penniless Thatcher is forced to steal from his English teacher’s purse the following day. • The money isn’t much—Thatcher realizes that he will have to beg to survive. • In order to hide himself from his mother, Thatcher has to beg outside a local bar.

10. OPPORTUNITY • Little does Thatcher know that begging outside the bar will be his chance to be a writer!!!!!!!!

11. NEW PEOPLE • Thatcher comes across some band members outside of the bar. They are just a year or so older than him. They have compassion on him because they were once in his situation. • They find out that Thatcher is a writer. He quotes some of his poetry, and they give him a big offer.

12. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS • The band members offer to let Thatcher be their songwriter. • Of course, there are some requirements: he’ll have to travel all over the South, and he’ll have to do what he has always dreamed of: WRITING.

13. ON THE ROAD • Thatcher’s new life is filled with adventure. After breaking into his mother’s house and retrieving his clothes and his writing, Thatcher travels all over the South, getting into bad situations at times. • Trouble comes in one episode when a band member is accused of murder. • Even more trouble comes when Thatcher falls in love.

14. GHOSTS FROM THE PAST • However, no matter what happens, Thatcher is haunted by the memory of the past.

15. THE EPISODES • After the first season, the plot will revolve around Thatcher’s relationship with Catherine, an orphan whose grandmother disapproves of Thatcher completely.

16. New Troubles for Thatcher • The later seasons will bring lessons for Thatcher. • In one episode, Thatcher’s mother is dying of cancer and wants to see her son. To her last breath, she calls Thatcher evil. He realizes that he must move on with his life.

17. Final Season • Thatcher’s old dreams become possible when a college professor becomes interested in his future. • Thatcher must choose between Catherine, the band, and…his dream. • Which does he pick?...we’ll never know!