Lesson 1

[Janet McGinn]

JUNE 5, 2025… TV SERIES CHOICE… Prison Break ….
What I learned doing this assignment is … BINGE WORTHY leaves unanswered QUESTIONS to compel the viewer to watch and follow the journey of the characters.

Prison Break — LIST THE 5 STAR MODEL…
** 1 ** Big Picture Hook… a man deliberately gets himself incarcerated to orchestrate his brother's escape from death row.

** 2 ** Intriguing Character: Mike tattoos his body with a map of the prison compound, with a lucky plan to be sent to the same Maximum Security Prison as his brother. Mike commits an armed robbery and lets the judge sentence him to prison for 5 years.

** 3 ** Empathy Distress: Mike watches the guard stabbed and the inmates laugh. We are sad to know that appeals denied, Lincoln's scheduled execution is next month, on May 11. Mike's nephew, L.J., sells weed to show he has no care what happens to him in the future. Lady Lawyer is torn between her past love of Lincoln and her current fiancé planning a wedding.

** 4 ** Build Layers / Open Loops: First 5 minutes of the pilot shows Mike rips off the posted newspapers that introduce all prison character … Brother Lincoln…. Chicago Mobster Abruzzi … Senior “Rich” Convicted “Cooper” … Prison Doctor– all become necessary for the escape plan. Open loops are other characters connected to Mike, the lady lawyer and his nephew.

** 5 ** Inviting Obsession.. – [Mystery] Mike in prison, his mis-direct to the doctor of being “diabetic” when he’s healthy. – [Dept of emotion] : Lady lawyer who has a dysfunctional view of her love life. Teenager, L.J. dealing drugs because he has no self worth. – [High concept] Killing of the Bishop and the corrupt organization? Will Mike survive Maximum Security Prison with his brother?
[ I think this TV series will explore moral justice and family devotion.

[Xochi Blymyer]

WHAT I Learned doing this assignment is the characters have initial challenges and then the keep piling up to lead me into wanting to know if they will survive and succeed but knowing the obstacles are many. Also, I wouldn’t normally be interested in a show about basketball but it grabbed my interest with the good characters and hook.
Subject line: TV SHOW – SWAGGER – 5 Star Model

1. BIG PICTURE HOOK – Jace is a talented kid with an attitude from a bad neighborhood trying to make it as a basketball star. Can he keep going despite all the roadblocks.
2. AMAZING AND INTRIGUING CHARACTER – Jace is talented but challenged in the world he lives in, his mom is a badass, his coach, Ike, is ex basketball player who Jace doesn’t respect, at first, is a good guy but gets himself in trouble and wants to deliver more than he may be able to.
3. EMPATHY/DISTRESS – He’s a good kid that has many roadblocks, feel for the coach and want the Mom to get what she wants for her son.
4. LAYERS/OPEN LOOPS – Will Jace make it, will he allow Ike to coach, will he get over his fears, will he survive his neighborhood.
5. INVITING OBSESSION – Will he make it? Police take him down, he has trouble with kids at school, Jace needs to be a team player, Coach may not have the money to keep going, Jace is great but he fails at the game and coach has missteps too.