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BAD GENES & TOUGH LOVE

SERIES LL: Mephisto hides his beloved son in the future – our present, to protect him from the boy’s evil mother – the Devil, who wants to enslave him and the only way Ryan can avoid this fate is to relinquish his growing inclination for violence. PILOT LL: When his son’s dark side emerges, it compels the mighty Mephisto – a rookie dad, to take him on a nightmare journey where the boy’s mother – the Devil, can’t follow, and try to convince him vengeance brings serious personal consequences.

HC of the SERIES: Mephisto has spent eternity leading souls into hell, but he’s now compelled to keep someone out - his own son.... the boy’s mother, the Devil, wants to enslave him, so Mephisto hides Ryan in another time and place - our present, but the only way to vanquish her forever is to abandon violence - not easy for a father – the iconic and formidable Mephisto who can kill on a whim, and Ryan, who’s now grown and hell-bent on vengeance. LEAD CHARACTERS: ...a father & son story MEPHISTO (45) is the iconic and formidable Mephistopheles, but as we’ve never seen him before. While he may be the ultimate time traveler and creator of alternate realities, he’s also a loving and devoted first-time dad, learning as he goes and making mistakes, but desperate to do whatever it takes to protect his innocent son from evil. With no idea of his true parentage, the brilliant RYAN (now 25) exudes confidence, charm and a thirst for vengeance against his adoptive father – a corrupt and treacherous business man is selling US military tech to the Russians and Ryan is determined to destroy him. TRANSFORMATIONAL STORY: Mephisto transforms from a ruthless killer with zero love or empathy for anyone except his son, to becoming kind and compassionate. Ryan, with just cause for vengeance, is inspired by those who love him and trying to cast violence aside and seek justice by other means. AUDIENCE & TARGET MARKET: 25 – 50 yrs, Premium Cable & Streaming Market COMPS: THE SANDMAN meets ARROW

Script Excerpt
Written by:
Format:
TV Pilot
Genres:
Budget:
Modest
Starring Roles For:
As Mephisto: Jeffrey Dean Morgan or Mark Strong
As Ryan: Tom Sturridge or Jack O'Connell
As Meredith: Eleanor Tomlinson
In the Vein Of:
SANDMAN
ARROW
Posted:
01/16/2018
Updated:
03/28/2025
Author Bio:
Diana, a dual citizen of the US and AUS, is a passionate defender of Nature with a background in science. She's also a trained actor with a Bachelor of Creative Arts: Drama, Film & TV. Creating intense emotional scenes and fast-paced action sequences loom large in her creative work. Her favored genres are Sci-Fi and Action Thrillers for medium-budget Film and TV.

Contest Results:
Outstanding TV Pilot (Semifinalist, since undergone a rewrite) [2021]
People's Pilot (Semifinalist) [2017]
Shore Scripts TV Mentorship (Quarterfinalist) [2017]
Go Pro!