FALL

THE PREMISE

Ex-convicts struggling with the temptations to fall back on their old ways.

FALL takes place in an unspecified American town in the north midwest. It is always fall; rainy, cold, and gray. The name of the series is not only linked with the season it takes its name from, but also the fact that our protagonists could "fall" for temptation. The town was once a blooming hub of industry, but the factories are now closed, and entire blocks lay deserted.

We follow the surrealistic, everyday lives of our two protagonists Harry Tomko, the former bone-breaker now family man, and Kyle McMillian, a con-man just releaed from prison, who in our first episode steps off the Grayhound bus in Harry's little town. The series is about their surreal existance and the temptation to go outside the law.

SETTING CONVENTIONS

A town in the norh midwest (perhaps North Dakota, Minnesota, or Wisconsin). A poor, somber setting. Modern times, but unspecified. No aliens, no in-your-face magic, but a big honkin' heap of surrealism. A lot of small-time crooks, criminals, and misery.

TONE

The mood of the series is tad depressed, with a dark sense of humor. You feel for Harry and Kyle's attempts to walk the straight and narrow. The series is realistic in regards to physical abilities, but with surrealistic elements.

The series consist of 1-hour episodes. It is on cable (HBO or Showtime). The cinematography is rather bizarre; switching from hand-held video cameras to film, between dull color and B&W, featuring lots of short, quick cut scenes in between the major scenes.

The soundtracket is typical American heartland rock, in the style of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, and John Foggerty, mixed with somber acoustic music, and even som blues or bluegrass when it fits the mood.

The theme song is Los Lobos' song "Matter of Time" featuring Elvis Costello.

Some of Harry's scenes with his girlfriend Margie features an acoustic version of Johnny Cash' "I Walk the Line" in the background.

FRANCHISE

In each week's episode Kyle and Harry are faced with another problem threatening their small-town existance and tempting them to cross the line.

"Temptation of the world can come from very good people, who imagine they need to keep us on their straight and narrow."
- The Temptation of Christ, Mark 1:12-13

"Another word for temptation is testing," and Kyle and Harry are tested in each episode.

SETS

Dark Horse - Harry's bar
Harry's office at Dark Horse
Kyle's booth at Dark Horse
Henderson's Used Cars
Margie's house
Angeline's school
The sheriff's office
Ms. Kruk's pawn shop, complete with plexiglass windows and a security camera
All American Diner
Sarah the waitress apartment
Mermaid Motel - where Kyle is staying
Next Town - not as much a set as a place talked about on the series
Elsie Young's mobile home, where Bobby still lives

THE CAST

Harry Tomko
Kyle McMillian
Margie Young, Harry's girlfriend
Sheriff Buck Madden, Margie's ex-husband and Angeline's father
Angeline, the daughter of Margie and Buck, living with Margie and Harry (for now...)
Elsie Young, Margie's sister
Bobby Young, Elsie's small-time crook of a son
"The Milton Kid," is bad influence on Bobby
Sarah, the Dark Horse waitress
Jenny Haggard, friend of Margie and Elsie, and a rumormonger of some skill
Mr. Henderson, the town's crooked used cars salesman
Ms. Kruk, pawn shop owner, illegal bookmaker, and fixer