Meet the Economists!

Note: The Collective(ly) Unconscious has unearthed this secret document in which President-elect Barack Obama develops an idea for a TV show. It is our understanding that he pitched the show to executives at FOX earlier in the year. They declined to purchase the pilot.

Imagine this, if you will. 

The world's economy is crumbling apart and falling to pieces. Housing markets have crashed and governments are beginning to buy out banks so they can try to stabilize the economy in any way they can. Fear grips the globe as families struggle to make a living and fear a future where their hard-earned capital will mean nothing.

Then a man steps forward from masses; a man elected by America to save the world. He has a mere two months to find and develop an eclectic band of heroes whose only mission is to save the economy. Their name is "The Economists" and they must join together to accomplish their goals and to accomplish their mission.

This is how I see the whole thing going down. The show will borrow its name from its heroes' and be called "The Economists" or "The Adventures of the Economists" or something like that. It will be an hour long adventure program in which a crisis is arisen and The Economists have to come in to save the day. Of course, each season will feature a story arc of an ongoing crisis to be resolved in the season finale. If picked up, the first season's story arc will be the threat of the credit crisis. The show will also have some humor, derived from the Economists cantankerous banter and familial-like relationships with one another. Think House, only with more than one funny character. Speaking of characters, the four Economists will be the back bone of the show.

 

Timothy F. Geithner (T.G for short) is the leader of The Economists and the closest thing the show has to a main character. He is a smart man with a sharp wit. His background will be in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He is happy with his job, but the President's invitation to be Treasury Secretary and the itch to go leave his quiet life for more adventures prove too much for him not to join The Economists. Throughout the course of the show, Geithner's optimism and abilities will be sorely tested, but he will be saved by his close relationships with the rest of his team. I see a heroic-looking Anglo American actor portraying Geithner. I see Adrian Pasdar or Skeet Ulrich in the part.

Melody Barnes offers an interesting component to the Economists chemistry. As the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, she often clashes with Tim Geithner over the budget that The Economists must work under. This constant clashing can also be due to Melody and Tim's ongoing sexual tension. She is also a stone cold fox. Some of her most noticeable characteristics are her intelligence, nobility and compassion for the little guy. Someone with an exotic look like Catherine Zeta Jones should play her, but they have to be able to express a certain depth.

Christina Romer is second in command to Tim. She is the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors. She has the muscle and experience that the team needs to effectively combat the problems they face. She is the wily veteran of The Economists. I also have a feeling that she could play in a big role in the past of this show. Maybe she helped to combat the 1970s economic downturn with Tim Geithner's dad, Peter. She saw how much fighting the economy-monster destroyed Peter inside and is now trying to prevent Tim from falling into that same fate. If you were to hire a big-name actor to fill any role, this would be the one. I see someone with all the grace of Helen Mirren, only decidedly less British.

Finally, there is Lawrence "Larry" Summers. Larry is the gregarious National Economic Council director. He spent the last few years as President of Harvard and is looking to get out of that stuffy atmosphere for and adventure with his old friend, Tim Geithner. Larry is a large, jolly man that traditionally plays the role of comic relief and always has a wisecrack after The Economists escape certain doom. But for all his comic sensibility, Larry Summers is still an integral part of The Economists and is steadfast in their struggle against the economy. The casting for this is really wide open. I just imagine hiring the funniest and most natural man that we can.

So that's the show. I think we can shoot a good, solid pilot that introduces all the plot-lines for a potential season and offers plenty of laughs and action in about three weeks and for about $5 million to $10 million, depending on actor's salaries. I thank you for your time and await your decision regarding the pilot.

I would like to wrap up by simply saying, America is ready for a show like "The Economists."