TV series premise:

The Classical (provisional title)

Pitch: To be determined

Synopsis:

A well known character from the popular TV series "Cheers" - Carla (also known as Carla Maria Victoria 
Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec according to the IMDB, and played by Rhea Perlman) - 
inherits from her umpteenth late husband a classical radio station (W-ART FM) populated with Frasier 
and Niles Crane type announcers.

What differentiates the situation from other radio-oriented shows such as "Frasier" and "WKRP in 
Cincinnati"?

(a) The radio station is a (failing) commercial station (not, as one might expect, part of National 
Public Radio); 

(b) It is located in the heart of blue collar country as a result of the original owner's desire to bring 
culture to the masses (whether they want it or not); the location is as yet undetermined but might be 
somewhere like Chicago (Detroit or Philadelphia are possible alternatives, but in order to retain the "W" 
call letter the locale would generally have to be somewhere east of the Mississippi); 

(c) A stipulation in the will of the original owner states that the station (called "The Classical") must 
play classical music only and cannot play rock or any other genre; 

(d) The original owner was a late convert to classical music so he was not himself a genuine afficionado, 
or he would never have thought of imposing the genre on an unwilling and uninterested audience (also known 
as casting pearls before swine) - and a genuine businessman would have looked to the bottom line and played 
whatever genre brought in revenue; 

(e) Carla takes on the station even though the challenge is considerable, for two reasons: (1) she can, as 
station owner, consider that she has one-upped Frasier and (2) having visited the station initially and 
realizing that she cannot sell it as a going concern, decides that she wants to deflate what she sees as a 
community of smug prigs; 

(f) Even though the roles are reversed - in Cheers she was a minion but didn't let her lowly position stop 
her from doing battle with the owners - she still feels herself to be looked down upon by the staff, and so 
there is plenty of opportunity for smart mouthed banter from her and repressed rebellion from her more 
cultured subordinates; 

(g) Running threads might be:

o A continuing series of attempts by Carla to circumvent the stipulation about only playing classical music; 
perhaps she hires someone (possibly a burnout of the type played so well by Christopher Lloyd and Tommy 
Chong) to play modern versions of the classics (for example, Rondo Veneziano), which would cause ructions;

o The conviction of the burnout that playing classical music backwards yields satanic messages, which 
conviction he shares with his listeners frequently;

o The choice of call letters - while the association with ART appeals to the cultured staff, the addition of 
the "W" to make "WART" causes them to cringe volubly each time they are referred to as "Wart Radio";

o The name of the station as a source of contention among the announcers, who bitch about the fact that it's 
an adjective used as a noun;


Other potential candidates for announcers include:

Edward Hibbert (Gil Chesterton in Frasier)
Simon Jones (Arthur Dent in HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Sgt Eric "Erica" Young-Love in Privates On 
Parade)
Dennis Quilley (Acting Captain Terri Dennis in Privates On Parade)

Christopher Lloyd (Jim Ignatowski in Taxi)
Tommy Chong (Leo in That 70s Show)

Guest appearances might include:

Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier and Niles Crane in Frasier) as their "Frasier" personae
Any number of the "Cheers' regulars
Danny DeVito (Louie De Palma in Taxi) as his "Taxi" persona and the owner of a small chain of cab companies 
extending from New York to Chicago


Authors:	Peter G Q Brooks and C. Casey Brooks
		pcbrooks@earthlink.net
		(323) 851-1958


Agent/Attorney:	Stuart A Bronstein
		sablaw@sbcglobal.net
		(415) 285-5511