THE BEAST OF FRIENDS - SEASON FOUR (A PREVIEW)
Hello beasties!
This week I'm going to give you a little run-through of the four double-episodes that make up the 4th and final season of THE BEAST OF FRIENDS... This year, I've been moving almost as slowly on my writing projects as I have on my actual bandaged legs at the moment (long story!), but I have finally completed the proofreading of the final script and have just sent off for a test copy from lulu.com before I release it in a few weeks time. As for what comes next I can't really tell you much about the spin-off series until season 4 is released - so let's just focus on the last four scripts of the BEAST instead.
SCRIPT 1: CRIMES OF PASSION
Just as Colin's life hangs in the balance he receives a visitor who appears to know the future. Meanwhile, the house is full of strangers - but what exactly they want is hard to fathom; although it would appear that one of them doesn't actually have a reflection...
This script introduces some new characters - one of them a new foe who appears throughout this final season - while the others are colleagues of Copernicus Smith and may be familiar to those who already know my work... Colin is still in hospital and still in danger - but will the enemy make her move or will things be trickier than that? This season there are only four scripts - but they are double-length episodes. In a way this way good for developing character interactions, especially during the final season of the series - but generally I prefer to write the short length episodes. As much as I like writing dialogue I am also a big fan of busy plot-lines and it is easier to write those when you have regular cliff-hangers to work to every 10 to 15 pages.
SCRIPT 2 : A JOURNEY TO THE OTHER SIDE...
Katrina decides to accept her fate and will accompany Roland and his associates back to the other side – however unknown to Horner, Warren and Colin it is not Katrina but Velma who has accepted this plan. Meanwhile, Nigel tries to match-make Warren with Copernicus, whilst the real Katrina realises that rules are sometimes there to be broken when she is offered a way out – but with a catch…
There is a lot of game playing in this episode - but just who knows what and who is completely oblivious. One way or another nobody is going to get exactly what they would like - especially not "the friends". This script also features a character from the third season who is due to play a big part in the last two scripts of this season. It was nice to have Copernicus, Roland and Nigel to work with in this episode - as they are characters that I have written about for twenty five years. I have returned to a number of other old characters from the same era whilst writing HOT STUFF!! one of the new spin-off series from BEAST.
SCRIPT 3: THE SCANDALMONGERS...
Katrina decides to accept her fate and will accompany Roland and his associates back to the other side – however unknown to Horner, Warren and Colin it is not Katrina but Velma who has accepted this plan. Meanwhile, Nigel tries to match-make Warren with Copernicus, whilst the real Katrina realises that rules are sometimes there to be broken when she is offered a way out – but with a catch…
There is a lot of game playing in this episode - but just who knows what and who is completely oblivious. One way or another nobody is going to get exactly what they would like - especially not "the friends". This script also features a character from the third season who is due to play a big part in the last two scripts of this season. It was nice to have Copernicus, Roland and Nigel to work with in this episode - as they are characters that I have written about for twenty five years. I have returned to a number of other old characters from the same era whilst writing HOT STUFF!! one of the new spin-off series from BEAST.
SCRIPT 3: THE SCANDALMONGERS...
Lots
of bad things are going on… Somebody is causing trouble for Horner, Warren and
Colin – whilst Katrina must deal with her problems without them. Two old adversaries
return – one a member of the press – the other one is a real mother…
I enjoyed writing this script most of all this series and it was nice to have some returning characters - one in particular that is especially close to my heart, although I can't really reveal who right now. This episode also sees Katrina doing her best to solve the problems of the household - even when she can't be living there in person. Things are starting to unravel and events build to a conclusion that will be resolve one way or another in the final script of the season. I got to have a lot of fun writing this script - but was also keen to reflect on some of Katrina's personal battles; aware that I needed to be careful with balancing the serious with the silly and not going too far either way.
SCRIPT 4: FANGS FOR THE MEMORIESI enjoyed writing this script most of all this series and it was nice to have some returning characters - one in particular that is especially close to my heart, although I can't really reveal who right now. This episode also sees Katrina doing her best to solve the problems of the household - even when she can't be living there in person. Things are starting to unravel and events build to a conclusion that will be resolve one way or another in the final script of the season. I got to have a lot of fun writing this script - but was also keen to reflect on some of Katrina's personal battles; aware that I needed to be careful with balancing the serious with the silly and not going too far either way.
Life
is completely upside down! Horner has been dragged into the sewers by a
creature that came up his bath plug-hole. Katrina has just strangled Ashley.
Colin and Lucy are facing an unknown terror in the basement of the pawn shop.
Shy Yeti is on the run and Warren hears bad news from Copernicus and Co… That’s
only the tip of the ice-berg in what we present here as the very last episode
of Beast.
Ah well, so the episode summary above gives away the two returning foes from script 3 - Ashley and Shy Yeti; but maybe things are not quite as they seem. Ashley doesn't appear very much in this script - however Shy Yeti does make a cameo; I do so like getting to mock myself! There are a number of other returning characters in this final episode - but, I can reveal, nothing from Cromitty and Clive - two of the main characters who I sent packing in the second season and then exploded to high heaven during the third season. The cast they are a-changing, with Lucy now part of the main team, but I also remained strong when it came to killing off a main character towards the end of the episode. I definitely continued to mix the dramatic with the daft - a rather silly beast or two to balance the tragedy of a key character being killed off. As I wrote the ending I saw it more as the end of a chapter, rather than the end of everything; especially as I had already begun work on the spin-off series by this stage. Oh yes, and then there's one other thing I still had to write - THE BEAST OF FRIENDS MOVIE SCRIPT!!! But more about that another time...
Next time - it's almost the big day... THE BEAST OF FRIENDS - SEASON 4 is due out the week beginning 12th October - but firstly I have a trip to Devon to share with you... There will be photos - some chitter-chat and hopefully a short story involving the character of Horner from BEAST as he goes to seek the advice of THE MYSTIC CATS OF TORQUAY!!! I kid ye not...
Ah well, so the episode summary above gives away the two returning foes from script 3 - Ashley and Shy Yeti; but maybe things are not quite as they seem. Ashley doesn't appear very much in this script - however Shy Yeti does make a cameo; I do so like getting to mock myself! There are a number of other returning characters in this final episode - but, I can reveal, nothing from Cromitty and Clive - two of the main characters who I sent packing in the second season and then exploded to high heaven during the third season. The cast they are a-changing, with Lucy now part of the main team, but I also remained strong when it came to killing off a main character towards the end of the episode. I definitely continued to mix the dramatic with the daft - a rather silly beast or two to balance the tragedy of a key character being killed off. As I wrote the ending I saw it more as the end of a chapter, rather than the end of everything; especially as I had already begun work on the spin-off series by this stage. Oh yes, and then there's one other thing I still had to write - THE BEAST OF FRIENDS MOVIE SCRIPT!!! But more about that another time...
Next time - it's almost the big day... THE BEAST OF FRIENDS - SEASON 4 is due out the week beginning 12th October - but firstly I have a trip to Devon to share with you... There will be photos - some chitter-chat and hopefully a short story involving the character of Horner from BEAST as he goes to seek the advice of THE MYSTIC CATS OF TORQUAY!!! I kid ye not...
More soon! Yeti hugs, Paul xx
All contents of this post are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2015.
