Extant on CBS Promo Concepts

Notes: These are concepts for the launch of Extant, a new show on CBS, for Loyalkaspar, a NYC-based agency.

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Extant
Campaign Concepts

• BACKSTORY
  The most effective way to hook viewers into this series is by letting them sample it. This campaign establishes the backstory for Molly and John, setting the themes of the series in motion without giving away where they will lead.
  • Rocket (Wo)Man

Title: Ten Years Before

A slightly drunk couple back from a celebration unlock and fall into a modest apartment. Molly (Halle Berry) wears some sort of graduation robe and mortar board hat. John, is in a rumpled, but nice suit. The couple juggle a half-empty bottle of Champagne as they fall to the couch.

“I’m so proud of you. My…My Rocket Woman.” Molly smiles. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” Half drunk John reaches after her, “Wait… What?” Molly disappears into the bedroom leaving John on the couch. He tries to sit up. “Molly come back”. From the other room we hear, “I’ll be right back. Be patient.” John looks flummoxed and tries to sit up, knocking over some pictures of Molly at the academy and her many awards on a nearby shelf. He rights them and begins spontaneously to sing as he pours out the last of the champagne into two glasses, “And I think it’s gonna be a long long time, till Molly touches back down, I guess I’ll find another woman who thinks she is at home (follows lyrics but shakes off implications before rising triumphantly into the chorus), oh, no, no, no. She’s my Rocket Woman. Rocket Woman (falsetto).”

John turns to the doorway in song, to see a seductive Molly in her flight suit, half-zipped seductively. John is smitten. “Woah.” Molly runs and jumps over the back of the couch tackling him. They kiss.

The couple embrace passionately and fall off the couch. The camera doesn’t follow them. “I love you Molly.” “I love you John.” “Don’t ever leave me Molly.” “I won’t John…except when I go outer space for months at time.” Sadness in his voice, “Yeah, except for that.”

Title: The Story Begins – (Launch Date)
Extant – Logo

• • Another Baby Dream

Title: Three Years Before

Twilight in a futuristic bedroom. The camera pushes in slowly over a woman’s form, in the fetal position. Her body twitches slightly, and moans. Her eyes flutter in REM dreamstate. Suddenly she bolts upright in bed exclaiming, “NO!” The male figure, John, groggy, sits up in bed next to her and switches on the light. “Molly, Molly, what is it?”

Molly (Halle Berry) turns to him, half asleep, but concerned. “I don’t know. I think I just had a dream. A bad dream.” John pulls her in close, “another one?” “Yes, but in this one I had two kids, a new baby, and an older boy. And I was nursing the baby, and the boy. The boy did not like that.” Molly looks up at John. He smiles. “John, he lashed out…at the baby” John dismisses her concern with a sigh. “Molly honey, I think we should take this as a good sign. You’re not just dreaming of babies you’re dreaming of a house full of ‘em, complete with sibling rivalry.” Molly relaxes. “I know what the doctors said, but I say we keep trying…In fact…” John reaches up and turns off the light. “But John…John?… Oh, John”

Title: The Story Begins – (Launch Date)
Extant – Logo

• • A Finely-Crafted but Poor Substitute

Title: One Year Before

John carries a large present into the living room where Molly (Halle Berry) drinks her coffee. “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Molly. Happy Birthday to you.” He sets the box down at her feet. She smiles.

“What is it John? It’s so heavy.” “Well, open it and find out.” Molly rips through the paper and opens the box to reveal what looks like a stuffed yellow lab puppy. “You bought me a stuffed animal. Thank you John” “No. I didn’t BUY you a stuffed animal. I MADE you a puppy.” John reaches into the box and flicks something on the animal’s belly and it comes to life- indistinguishable from a real puppy. It leaps from the box and begins licking Molly’s face. She smiles. “Oh, it’s so cute. Thank you John. You really made this?” “Yeah… I know you’ve been down for a while, because we…well we haven’t gotten pregnant…and I’ve been working so much…and I thought you could use someone to keep you company.”

Molly’s head sinks. She pulls the puppy away from her face. “You don’t like it.” Molly, “No. It’s not that John. He’s beautiful…It’s just…” “Just what Molly?” “I want a baby John. A  real live child to care for.” She begins crying. John comforts her as she buries her face in his chest. “OK, Honey. OK.” John looks at the puppy chasing its tail and begins to think bigger.

Title: The Story Begins – (Launch Date)
Extant – Logo

•  In Peak Form
  This campaign focuses on Halle Berry’s Character, Molly as she prepares for her first solo mission. It predates the storyline of the pilot, but sets the themes in motion. Though presented below as one long narrative, it could easily be broken into several shorter spots.

The Deputy Director of the International Space Exploration Agency speaks to reporters in a gallery above a high tech bio lab.

Stephen Kern, “Every Astronaut in our program must undergo a battery of tests to make sure that they are in peak physical and mental condition for their mission.”

Reporter, “Has anything ever gone wrong?”

“Well, we’re talking about human beings here.  We can’t control everything but our record speaks for itself.”

Camera pushes past the gallery to the Astronaut on the treadmill, Molly Watts (Halle Berry). She is fit, sexy, and sweating through her flightsuit. A team monitors all her vitals.

Molly sits down on leather lounge in minimally decorated  modern office. A bearded gentleman sits down opposite her, “That’s it. Just relax…(looking at the tablet) Molly. Do you know why you’re here?” “For my pre-mission psych test,” she responds- clearly not at ease. “I don’t like to think of it as a test. There are no right answers.” Molly, a little nervous, “no right ones, but plenty of wrong ones.” Doctor, “You’ll do fine… Now, tell me about yourself.”

Molly pulling some serious G’s in a centrifuge simulating re-entry, while scientists in labcoats stare through a window. Making notes on a futuristic tablet. VO of MOLLY continues over. “I guess I always wanted to be an Astronaut, since I was a little girl. You know, blazing trails, exploring the vast unknown reaches of outerspace.”

Cut to doctor’s office. “And your family? They support your dream?” Molly, “Absolutely. My husband John has been with me since I started at the academy, and my son, Ethan.” “Son?” The doctors flips through the records on his screen looking confused. “I was under the impression that you couldn’t have…” Molly interjects, “Ethan is a Humanichs child. My husband developed…” Doctor, finding the notes, “Oh yes. I see. That must be very exciting for you. A pioneer on Earth and in Space.” Molly, “Yes, we love him very much.”

Cut to Molly in a zero G test- right before she begins to float. VO Continues: Doctor, “How do you think your prolonged absence will affect your family?” Molly is suddenly weightless. We see her in closeup- drifting – her body overwhelmed by the unusual sensation. Only her rapid breathing can be heard. “Molly?…Molly?”

Molly in close-up back in the doctor’s office. She looks up, pulled from her daydream. “I’m not sure…I’m not sure.”

Extant
The journey into the unknown begins – (Launch Date)

• NIGHT SKY
  This campaign features the shows main characters, Molly, John, and Ethan at various times in their lives leading up to the show, lying on a blanket in the park, staring up at the night sky.
• • Shooting Star
    The camera slowly descends on a young couple, lying on a blanket in the park at night. A picnic basket, empty bottles, and some plates are scattered about.

Molly, “That’s Andromeda, and Ursa Minor.”

John, “and that one?”

“Cassopeia.”

“Smart and beautiful… How’d I get so lucky?”

Molly, “What makes you think you’re gonna get lucky?”

John, “look, a shooting star.”

Molly, “you know that’s not really a star.”

John, “Shhh. Make a wish.”

“What?”

“It’s lucky. Make a wish.”

“Ok. OK.”

John, “What did you wish.”

Molly, getting close. “I wished that we’d have kids, and a house, and brilliant careers. And that we’ll be together for ever.”

John, “Ha. Be careful what you wish for.”

Extant
The story begins – (Launch Date).

 

• • Find Mommy
    John and Ethan lie on a blanket in the park staring up at the night sky.

John, “And that one’s Casio-peta”

Ethan, “It’s ‘Casseopea’ dad.”

“OK Smart guy. Find mom.”

“We can’t see her from here. It’s too far.”

“OK, but what direction?”

“She’s at the International Space Station in the direction of Corona Borealis, near the tail of Draco.”

“Wrong. She’s right here, between you and me.” He pats his heart.

Ethan sits up. Suddenly angry. “No. Nothing comes between you and me.”

John, a little surprised, he pulls his boy back down to the blanket. “You’re right. She’s way up there. But she’ll be back real soon. Won’t that be great?”

The camera pushes in onto Ethan’s face, set in a defiant glare at the stars. “yeah. I guess so.”

Extant-
The story begins – (Launch Date).

• • Lullaby
    A clear view of the heavens. Billions of stars twinkling.

Cut to reverse: Molly, in her space suit, floats inside the futuristic International Space Station- staring out at the view.

Molly sings softly, “Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle twinkle little star.”

She looks over at a communication screen, on which a young boy, tucked in his bed stares back at her.

“Good night Ethan.”

The boy, sleepy, stares back at her. A man dips into the frame and kisses the boy on the forehead. “Say Goodnight Mommy.” Ethan stirs, “No.” “Ethan, you’re gonna hurt Mommie’s feeling. Say goodnight.” Ethan, reluctantly, “Goodnight.”

Molly, “Goodnight Sweetie.”

John, turns to the camera, “Goodnight Molly. We miss you.”

Molly, “I miss you too. 39 days.”

John, “39 days.”

Extant
The story begins in 39 Days.

• The BALLET of LIFE
  This series of spots are visual montages that hint at some of the key themes in the show. It starts out, lyrical, awe-inspiring, and majestic- then, as it goes faster, and faster, the world, relationships, and plotlines begin to spin out of control.
• • Slow-motion majesty.
    • A slow rotating view of the heavens- camera pulls back slowly to reveal that it is a POV from inside the International Space Exploration Association station.
    • Molly and John slow dancing on their wedding day. The camera rotates around them as they spin slowly, gazing into each other’s eyes.
    • Molly floating weightless on the space station.
    • Molly, John, and Ethan playing ring around the rosy on a lush green field.
    • Molly floating on the space station- a loud sound off-screen siezes her attention.

• • Ever-Accelerating Montage.
    

• Molly sees a ghostly image pass outside her portal
• Molly throws up in her bathroom toilet
• Ethan fights to get out of Molly’s arms and go to his father.
• Ever widening arcs of storyline involving John’s workshop
• Ben, The space station power outage.
• Matsumo Corp
• Shady strangers watching the house.
• Molly’s doctor.
• And high-energy action from the pilot.

Cut to Tag:
Extant
The wild ride begins (launch date)