On Board
A "ship of fools" indeed: madcap teenagers, a lush head of security, a priest who loves riddles, a captain off death-row, a martial artist challenging a boxer — and a serial killer. Come on board for the cruise of a lifetime.
The captain of a cruise ship, saved from death-row by Martin, goes to search for him, with the aid of the ship’s priest, who has a touch of the other-worldliness. They find Martin in a dark lane: a derelict.
The captain takes him on board and makes him head of security in the hope of giving him dignity, a seeding – in a normally futile attempt – to wean him off his alcoholism.
The captain organises for Martin’s family – wife Francine and daughter Petra – to be on board in the hope of reuniting the family after nearly a year’s estrangement.
When a girl is raped-and-killed on board, Martin comes alive to the task of finding the murderer, whom he believes has all the signs of a serial killer in the making.
There are many suspects. There is too the fear of a second killing.
Meanwhile, a group of teenagers seeks romance and adventure.
The priest tries to tell truths about certain passengers by giving them riddles to work out that may lead to self-discovery.
A teenage karate expert is determined to challenge a young boxer on his way to America to fight for the world middleweight title, unaware of the boxer's violent history.
In a Poirot-like dénouement, Martin gathers the suspects and explains his efforts in finding the killer before naming him.
There is the promise of a sequel. In the last scene, Petra proclaims to her father they should go to Florida and resume the search for the serial killer responsible for wiping out three single-parent families.
On Board caters to many demographic groups and serves several genres. It has the promise of being a huge commercial success should it be made into a film.
LATEST NEWS
What a way to welcome the new year, 2026, with a new screenplay first completed 3 January 2026. It is called Charlie Chan Island Mystery.
The lead character, Charlie Chan, is a throwback to the Honolulu detective made famous mainly in films of the 1930s and early 1940s. He is the product of novelist Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933).
Over the next 12 years I intend to follow up by writing to the following titles:
Charlie Chan Cruise Mystery;
Charlie Chan Mansion Mystery;
Charlie Chan Train Mystery;
Charlie Chan Carnival Mystery;
Charlie Chan Caribbean Mystery;
Charlie Chan Honolulu Mystery.
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!The Wylde Card
When a gang of armed thieves steals the trading-card packs he promised his seven-year-old son, a seemingly ordinary family man tracks them to their hideout—where they discover they’ve robbed the wrong dad.
A DAY AT THE RODEO
A wealthy, widowed New York socialite, and a know-it-all preacher enters the unfamiliar world of rodeo, determined to “rescue” the widow’s wayward daughter who has fallen for a young bull rider.
Yrrem Samtsirhc from Mars
When a brilliant alien crash-lands in a small town before Christmas, they discover that navigating teenage bullies is far more baffling than interplanetary travel.
Golden Arrow: Ahmose
Hatshepsut's Palace is a setting of love.
TIME OUT
A man who has willfully taken a time out from his marriage for fourteen years, is suddenly thrust back into it to save the life of an ailing son he never knew he had.
Lab Rats
An anonymous organization uses an ***AI Bot*** to moderate a Focus Group on the topic of ***Fake***.
She Curses Like a Sailor
A thought-provoking view of women and cursing is entertained at this art opening in New York.
Lady Diogenes of the Shadow
Three retired ladies candidly discuss their bizarre neighbor over morning coffee.
Perfect Beau
A Brainiac Plain Jane clones her ideal boyfriend out of her gorgeous girlfriends' boyfriends' DNA for her university's senior class science project.
Cold Pepper
A law-abiding, church-going court stenographer becomes a one-woman vigilante 'offing' violent domestic abusers (and other pathetic souls) after their third offense.
