While a burned-out once brilliant detective struggles to solve the case that has haunted him for a decade, and destroyed his career, an insecure teenage girl battles to retain her sanity as her mind starts to hallucinate chaotically. With her parents at loggerheads on how to help her, our detective gets a long overdue chance at redemption when he stumbles on a lead, and both stories race towards a head-on collision. CaseBook# is a detective series with a paranormal element that will explore the themes of Fear, Obsession, Morality, and Redemption.

SYNOPSIS:

This is a six part returnable detective series featuring a team of trail blazers that will stop at nothing to solve the most complex supernatural crimes. CaseBook #1 is a psychological mystery roller coaster about a teenage girl experiencing mental health problems, with a parallel story about an equally troubled Detective Inspector fixated on a series of murders that destroyed a promising career – and how these two worlds collide

WHY THIS SERIES (Why is this story fresh?)

The structure of this series follows convention, but with a difference. It tells two parallel stories, that initially appear totally unrelated, however as the series progresses certain parallels indicate a link, the stories gravitate towards one another, finally heading on a collision course.

Examples of successful series where a similar device has been used include:

True Detective,where the truth bleeds through as both the present and past unfolds until the final resolution.

The Man in the High Castle, where it was not clear that aparallel worldexisted until well into the series. It was alluded to, (the films, Tagomi’s ‘visit’ to his ‘dead’ family) but not spelt out.

Westworldseason one, where it only becomes clear in episode ten that the Man in Black is the aged Williams,and it is only realized late in season two that Williams is attempting to recreate James’s consciousness in a host body.

The Parallel narrative.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR BARNES’S STORY

At one time DI Barnes had a promising career, but after an investigation turned sour twenty years before, he has become a shadow of his former self. The only reason he is kept on is because of his occasional flashes of brilliance that save the day, and these flashes of brilliance give his ambitious superior DCI Carmichael the opportunity to crawl up the ladder of success.

Now it seems that case that has haunted him is resurfacing, and that he may just have been correct in believing a Satanic cult is involved. DI Barnes is determined to solve those killings at any cost, as this is truly his final chance at redemption.

HELEN’S STORY

Helen is an obedient, single child whose parents are outwardly happy, though inwardly conflicted in their relationship. She desperately wants to be popular, but having experienced mental health issues, she sees herself as a ‘freak’, and this shows. When an opportunity presents to hang out with the ‘in crowd’ Helen deceives her parents and turns her back on her only true friend.

And so, Helen attends a séance’ held by the most popular girl in the school. Given her history of mental illness, the mere thought of attending this séance’ terrifies her, but determined and desperate she takes up the sword. This act tips Helen over the edge, and she starts to slip into insanity, illustrating destructive, disturbing behavior.

Is Helen’s escalating behavior caused by demonic possession as her mother believes. Is it a psychological problem as her father believes? Or is it something far worse?

THE STAKES

The stakes in CaseBook #1 are exceptionally high - Helen’s sanity, the family’s survival, stopping the killer/s.

MOOD & TONE

The shooting style will take aspects of, and pay homage to iconic features like Nicholas Roeg’s ‘Don’t Look Now’ and the recent elegant series ‘True Detective’, amongst others. Both exhibit elegance and a moody hallucinogenic slip into the altered mind.

LOCATION

This well paced detective series blends actual places and fabricated settings where appropriate. Set in near the quiet seaside town of Bridport, Devon UK where the very ‘happy ordinariness’ is transformed to the threatening.

The cliff face at Bridport which overlooks the swirling sea, forms a striking visual where much of the drama occurs. The detective team is sent to investigate the murders near Bridport in a country town (fictitious). The country market conceals the disturbing activities of a dark cult who may or may not have something to do with the murders.

THE MECHANISM FOR RETURNABILITY

The investigators who populated the investigative journey in series one can potentially return for an endless amount of series. In each series, a similar or related investigation/situation will ensue featuring guest stars, thus playing out as a serial following the format and tone of the first season.

Our investigators include forensic psychologist Max is the visionary who “sees things” others cannot, DI Barnes the autistic investigator who carries a personal grudge, DS MacTavis the loose cannon, and DI Jones the puritan. This team being under the auspices of the ambitious ‘takes no nonsense’ DCI Carmichael.

This mechanism of returnability has been employed effectively in Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty and Nic Pizzolatto’s True Detective.

METANARRATIVE (OVER MULTIPLE SEASONS)

The overarching metanarrative is that there is organised corruption high up the food chain that traffics young females, and that this may or may not involve a religious cult. This information bleeds through over the episodes and series becoming progressively predominant, with viewer’s opinions swinging pendulum like between belief, and disbelief.

In X Files the metanarrative was ‘aliens do exist, it’s covered up by the US government.’