TABLE

MANNERS

FORMAT/GENRE: One-Hour Light Serialized Drama

LOGLINE: To avoid deportation, a mentally ill

young therapist struggles with her sanity when she

starts working at a mens group home for the
mentally ill.
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
meets The Fundamentals of Caring (Netflix)

SIZZLE REEL:

SERIES OVERVIEW:

First-time therapist NATALIE BISSETTE (25) is in

trouble from the moment she starts work at the group home. She has a troubled
personal life and psychosis. Table Manners is a fun, quirky and sweet glimpse into
the everyday life and challenges of mentally ill men sharing a home and their lives.
Throughout the series, Natalie learns what it means to make a difference as she
interacts with men and their different conditions coming in and out in the
unpredictable home.
She needs them as much as they need her-breaking down emotional barriers
through friendship and food. Every week brings them closer as Natalie and her
co-workers juggle their personal lives, managing their mental illnesses and the
day-to-day chaos of life in a group home with its constant changes. At work
Natalie continues care and therapy with the residents while advocating for them
to the non-profit often lacking funds.

SERIES WORLD:

According to the NAMI (National Association of Mental

Illness,) 6% (one in seventeen) people suffer from a mental illness. Table Manners is a
drama designed to shine a light on those who suffer from these conditions. Those who
work with the mentally ill often suffer from mental conditions. These workers are forced to
take on different roles employee, helper, authority figure, and friend. The series will
tackle the issues involved in maintaining all of those roles effectively from a dramatic and
comedic perspective. The series themes of family, humanity, friendship, and self-sacrifice
are universal.

CAST OF CHARACTERS
NATALIE BISSETTE (20s)

The lead is quirky, intelligent, cute, and not a U.S. citizen.

Having recently finished grad school, she needs to complete 2,000 hours to be a certified social worker.
Her student visa will expire in ten days, so shes in desperate need of a job to keep her U.S. residency.
Naturally loving and supportive but unsure of herself, she tell fibs or withholds important secrets from
those around her, except Jackie. Anxiety coupled with a perfectionist streak, make her somewhat
quick-tempered and prone to emotional outbursts when overwhelmed. She takes solace in covering the
scars on her arms from her scratching when she was a teenager. Natalies new job fulfills her sympathy
for the mentally ill as a result of her catharsis for her own emotional pain.

PRITA (35) Nurse who has worked at the home for five years. With a sarcastic nature, she prefers to be at home with her two kids, though she likes the residents and seems to enjoy her job. She has
high hopes that Mr. Peterson and Reggie will improve and be able to function on their own.

REGINALD DARLING aka REGGIE (27) Has dis-associative disorder; is the

helpful, eager one of the group. Orphaned after his drug-addicted parents were killed in a crack house
explosion, Reggie grew up in the foster system, bounced from place to place until he turned eighteen, at
which point he was kicked out on his own. Quick to make friends, hes just as quick to abandon them
when any sort of conflict or stress arises, and often makes people uncomfortable with his inappropriate
closeness. In and out of jail for theft with a string of ex-girlfriends and an inability to hold on to money,
Reggie is on probation the home is his last chance. The only one he really trusts is his companion
Beyonc, his beautiful mannequin. He attaches to Natalie the moment they meet, and thinks she may very
ve
well be the love of his life, but he has to wait and see and make sure Beyonc doesnt get jealous.

CAST OF CHARACTERS
MR. PETERSON (33)

The alpha male of the house. Never at a loss for words and not the
nicest of guys, though his heart is in the right place. He suffers from extreme OCD, which affects every
aspect of his life. An interior design blogger with a huge following he focuses on organization and
environmental spaces. His anxiety issues drove away his wife and child and ruined his corporate career.
caree
Obsessed with cleanliness, he wears gloves and booties all the time, and tries to avoid losing it, but fails
miserably when someone messes with his peace and order. Despite his issues, he still worries about his
family, and regularly sends money to a Swiss bank account for his sons college fund. In the house, he
acts as the sane rational one, but has trouble tolerating Reggies ethics and John Does slovenly habits. He
feels superior to both Dr. Flanagan and Prita. Natalie needs to prove herself before he can trust her.

JOHN DOE aka BRUCE JENER (45)

Suffering from paranoid delusional schizophrenia, John Doe was found on the street dressed in a Santa Claus outfit under his radio frequency
inhibitor jacket, with only a photo of himself as a younger man with a woman presumed to be his wife.
John is convinced he is a different celebrity every week (usually a sports or science figure) and vehemently
denies being anyone else. When not paranoid or delusional, hes a great guy, but prone to conspiracies
and dangerous science experiments. He cant be bothered by most of his roommates, but seems to have a
bond with Sammy and McGregor. Natalies appearance in the house has him on edge. Convinced shes a
spy with the French National Police, hes planning to keep a close eye on her and find the underground
bunker at the corner market.

SAMUEL LASSITER aka SAMMY (21)

An innocent, inquisitive high-functioning

autistic. Hes obsessive, socially awkward, and uninterested in connecting with his peers. Despite his condition, Sammy seems determined to experience life hes curious about another autistic girl at school who
he is interested in dating, and goes to college online to get a job as a librarian. Natalie magically finds
ways to draw him out.

SUPPORTING CAST
DR./PASTOR MCGREGOR (33) The youth pastor of the church and a psychiatrist acting as the

director of the men and womens group homes for the church. He has charisma. The guys light up when hes there. Hes
torn because he begins to care for Natalie a lot.

SANJAY GEPTUK (30) Natalies non-committal boyfriend is baffled by her job choice its a worry for

him, but hes also jealous that someone will woo her away from him. He clearly loves her, but it may not be healthy for
either of them.

DR. FLANAGAN (58)

Creepy, and full of himself. Too many years has made him apathetic and
arrogant, but the doctor in charge of the home still might have a heart in there somewhere. Its hard to get him to care,
but if anyone can do it, Natalie can.

JACKIE PLEASANT (25)

Natalies logo laden rich college roommate always has a correction for
Natalie. She works as a therapist in a cushy Washington, DC office.

PILOT SYNOPSIS: In Baltimore, MD, NATALIE BISSETTE (25) spray tans the scars of her arms from

scratching (akin to cutting), with her live-in buff Army boyfriend SUNJAY GEPTUK (30) watching. At INS, Natalie tries to
extend her student visa, without luck. Next, she interviews for a job as a therapist at a mens group home for the mentally ill.
Shes hired but is on probation for the first two weeks by DIRECTOR COLIN MCGREGOR (33). In a seedy area Natalie bikes
up to a grand old house for her first day. BARNEY, a patient, screams at her when she parks her bike in an azalea bush. He
bangs his head against the fence drawing blood. DR. FLANAGAN (58), her new boss, warns her to keep an eye on the
clients. She lied about being able to cook. Dr.
D Flanagan leaves.
PRITA (35), the nurse acquaints Natalie with SAMMY (21), an autistic dressed as Abe Lincoln, in full oratory mode. She
draws him out from the start. The OCD MR. PETERSON (33) loses it when Natalie steps over his caution tape in his doorway.
Natalie meets REGGIEs (28) life size mannequin companion Beyonc. JOHN DOE (45) (aka Bruce Jenner) grubby and
unbalanced is convinced of his celebrity.
celebrit When Natalie says, Bonjour he confers with his voices then asks if shes with the
French National Police. Natalie has her first therapy session with Barney. He wont tattle about the bike incident if she brings
him a BIG GULP. Reggie steals the house credit card and keys while she is occupied. Natalie has therapy with Mr. Peterson.
His sons birthday is coming. He wants to bond with his son, but without touching him. McGregor briefs her on tomorrows
new mental patient.
At the infectious disease center,
cente Sunjay shows an engagement ring he bought for Natalie to his co-worker who teases him.
Sunjay hasnt told his traditional Indian parents Natalie exists.
Prita leaves early. Natalie is alone, freaked. She scrapes up a ratatouille, Reggie close at her side. Mr. Peterson rushes in
John Doe stole his blue light bulb. She runs to John Doe, hes about to stick his toe in a socket. She dives to stop him. The
smoke alarm goes off, Sammy has a fit. Dinner is burned. Fried, out of food, Natalie takes the guys to the store and surprisingly, they work as a team shopping.
Back at the house, the kitchens a wreck. Natalie makes quiche. She ducks into the bathroom for a cry, calls mom. Scared
shes becoming a part of their lives, and wants to quit. Sammy comes in and tells her its been the best day hes ever had.
Natalie is touched, but the moment is broken when John Doe comes in to pee.

SEASON ONE
Episode 1: THE EPIPHANY
Natalie starts work at the mens group home, causing conflict with her boyfriend. Shes charged with making the men dinner,
but the new disruptions (the guys) put her off her game, leaving her scrambling to save the meal and wondering if shes really
cut out for the job.

Episode 2:WHISTLEBLOWER
After finding John Doe trying to dig up aisle three, Natalie repeats Reggies comments about porn, she inadvertently gets Dr.
Flanagan fired, forcing her to think about the consequences of her actions and the greater good. John Peterson puts in a call to
his ex-wife when he receives divorce papers.

Episode 3:FEEL THE RHYTHM

Natalie introduces the guys to music therapy, with varying reactions, she worries she cant make a difference after all. She
convinces Reggie to open up about his past. Once he gets the rhythm, the others follow suit. Reggies new confidence leads him
to apply for community college. A la Numbers, John Peterson has charted all scenarios that could lead him to convince his wife
not to divorce him.

Episode 4:THE GRASS IS GREENER

Dr. Phillips, the new boss, arrives grating on Natalies nerves from the start, advocating traditional therapy techniques and
bland, balanced food choices. Natalie stands up for herself and her methods.

Episode 5:THE MOUSE MURDER

A dead mouse is found murdered in John Petersons room, fascinating all the residents. John Peterson places the blame on
Sammy, which enrages John Doe, who decides to defend him and take on the role of detective to find the real killer. As tensions
rise and the residents take sides, Natalie struggles to find a way to bring them back together and solve the case once and for
all.

SEASON ONE (CONTD)

Episode 6: NATALIE GOES ON A JEW DATE
Jackie convinces Natalie to go on a blind date with a reporter. Its a disaster, so he threatens to write a scathing article about
Natalies residents. John Peterson worries about his anonymity, Natalie and the guys work to prevent the home from the bad
press, bringing up ethics and moral responsibility.

Episode 7: FAMILY MATTERS

At a therapy session with Natalie, John Peterson wants to stay married, so he writes to his son, prompting the boy to come visit
without notice. His wife comes looking for him, urging their son to reject his father, despite Johns insistence that hes getting
better. Tension rises as the Mom and son join the group for dinner. The residents antics threaten to drive Johns wife away for
good, setting his progress back permanently.

Episode 8: DINNER FOR TWO?

Natalie discovers that Sammy has a crush on a girl from school and wants to ask her on a date. Determined to help him,
Natalie and the others plan a test date so that Sammy can prepare for any potential disasters, and Natalie worries about
Sammy getting his heart broken.

Episode 9: NEW GUY

Jeff, a new resident, throws the organized chaos of the home into disarray as his narcissistic and controlling personality put
him at odds with every man in the house. Natalie is forced to step in to prevent all her progress with her clients from being
destroyed while still helping this complex and damaged new resident.

Episode 10: PAPA COMES CALLING

Natalies father comes to visit, dropping the bombshell that hes left her mother behind in France with a broken heart. He sets
up camp in her living room with his Cornish hens as Natalie attempts to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, her friendship with
Colin advances and tension at work rises when she learns that one of the residents is planning to move out.

SEASON ARCS
Season 1 - ACCEPTANCE

Natalie earns the trust and acceptance of her clients and co-workers at the home, often using unconventional
methods to reach them. John Doe goes missing until Natalie finds him at the supermarket. Dr. Flanagan is
fired for watching pornography on the job, but his replacement has a few too many quirks of his own,
believing John Does claims that all the residents are in the alien abduction protection program. Natalie
finally breaks up with Sanjay and after some bad dates with Jewdate, develops a crush on McGregor.
McGrego She
makes headway with Sammy and Reggie in therapy. They both have a crush on her until Sammy meets a girl
at college so Reggie decides to go to Community College too. Both are on track to live independently. John
Peterson has a tough time when his son visits him but he does finally eat Natalies food at the table in the last
episode. Natalies father surprises her when he comes and tells Natalie hes left her mother and is moving in.
A new client, Jeff Platt, moves into the home, causing waves, and Natalies relationship with McGregor
moves to a new level.

Season 2 - CHANGES

Natalie fights to keep control of the increased workload and mediating between her squabbling father and
mother. McGregor asks Natalie on a date, finally, causing tension in the home. Natalies parents reconcile
when they find out her mom is pregnant. Reggie gets caught with a resident at a womans home. John Does
wife shows up, but rejects him, afraid the life insurance company will want a refund. One of his adult kids
becomes a regular visitor. McGregor takes a job as a minister in another town and asks Natalie to go with
him, leaving her torn. One of the guys moves out, throwing Natalie into depression. Natalies new sibling is
born and she leaves her brood for a week to go to France. All these changes cause Sammy to start acting
bo
up, wanting to quit school, experimenting with different modes of dress and seeing girls. At the end of the
season, Natalie finds peace with her decision with McGregor. Prita marries, and Dr. Phillips gets fired when
he tries to get in contact with the aliens.

SEASON ARCS
Season 3 - NEW BEGINNINGS

Natalie is promoted to be head of the group home, also in charge of the womens home down the street. She
now has to split her time between both places and soon realizes that women have serious problems with
self-esteem. Sammy finishes college, gets a job, and moves out. One failed resident after another leaves the
house restless. The church falls on bad times and threatens to close the home, until an anonymous donor
saves the day, allowing the residents to move into a newer, more luxurious home. John Doe struggles when
his new meds eliminate the voices in his head. He asks his wife to take him back, and when she refuses, he
begins dating a woman from the womans
woman house. Natalie becomes very invested in one woman suffering
from multiple personality disorder, and finds that though her career is rewarding, its detrimental to her
social life and any possibility of a boyfriend. Nearing thirty, she contemplates transferring to a hospital in
order to be around more people.

Season 4 - GROWING UP

McGregor returns to town and proposes to Natalie, who accepts. They elope but Natalie still wants her big
wedding so they plan one. Her father thinks its insane to have a formal wedding if theyre already married,
but after her mother threatens him, he agrees to pay for it if they get married in France. Sammy brings his
girlfriend to the wedding. Prita quits because shes pregnant. Jeff finds out that John Peterson is a famous
blogger and lets the cat out of the bag. Jeff enjoys John Petersons anxiety as fans descend on the home.
Reggie graduates college and gets a job. He moves out and leaves Beyonc for one of the residents. John
Peterson and John Doe are the only ones left now.
no John Peterson shakes Natalies hand in the season finale.

SOMETIMES TO FIND YOURSELF,

YOU HAVE TO GO OUT OF YOUR MIND.

SIZZLE REEL:

BETTY SULLIVAN - Creator/writer

bettysulli@gmail.com
323.422-4057