Created By: Matthew John Latham

Imagine the ability to walk in another person's shoes. One day, you open your eyes and you look at the mirror to see that the person looking back is a stranger. The amount of control that you have over that person's life is unimaginable...

But do they have the power to control the choices of others? Can we allow those people to make our decisions? Do they act against fate? Destiny? Or do they write it?

What are their purpose? How many are there? What are they capable of?

Bear witness, to the Shadow...

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Duncan Thomas Jenkins feels he has the world on his shoulders when really he's pretty much done nothing. After leaving school after doing his A-Levels at 18 he took a gap year before thinking about going to University; unfortunately he did nothing at all except work for the local branch of a very successful chain of supermarkets at the customer service desk. He's well respected and liked at his work that his manager didn't notice that he handed his two weeks notice in three weeks ago; and after eighteen months working there he gets nothing while an eighteen year old blonde girl who's been there six months get a huge goodbye ceremony.

But this is set to change. He is determined to get out of this little self-depressed rutt that he's got himself in. He's applied to attend Bridge Docks University (Part of the Greater Sussex Collective for Higher Education) and he's going to get over these personal emotional blocks in his mind. But it's going to be easy as he's not exactly the best thing when it comes to social interaction and doesn't particularly trust people very well. This unease is amplified due to him meeting his cousin Katie on a daily basis after they usually over saw each other over a blue moon. As he tries to get to know Katie and her friends while getting to make his own - he still manages to find himself creating obsticles to get across to meet his goals.

One of the reasons that Duncan is apprehensive is due to the fact that he's had history of bad decisions that have effected his own belief in himself and his morality. It's a case of the wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time but it's affected him to the point he believes himself to be a bad person. The example of this is an incident involving his own girlfriend and the only kiss he had. His girlfriend Claire had rapidly declining mental and emotional issues that had her not liked to be touched apart from holding hands. In an act of an innocent attempt to kiss his girlfriend; momentum and tripping up on something led to them falling on the bed and Claire (and subsequently Duncan) believing he forced himself on her. Other inncidents that will be explored in the series will continue to build on Duncan's belief of his own morality.

Things take an interesting twist when Duncan finds out that he has the ability to somehow place his personality into others. And further investigation reveals that he is one of a select group of people with the ability to Shadow. The reasonings and hows are not known; but Duncan finds that there are several people with this ability, and that there's several people who are interested in what are known as Shadowers. What's even more intriguing is that once Duncan's personality fades away, the Shadowed believe that they did everything DUncan did whilst Shadowing them.

As Duncan finds himself shadowing random people; he ends up telling Katie what he can do and she tries to drive him to help those he shadows...but he's going to be slightly reluctant...

Katie Wilkes commutes to Bridge Docks University from the Greater Sussex region of Fenchurch. The distance is why she and Duncan aren't really that close (they used to be when they were younger); but she tries to get to know him more. Mainly because she is a socialible and upbeat person, as well as containing some stubborness that must a family trait. She's got a more faithful view of the world and believes that there's a road paved for everyone and that everyone must have the opportunity to do what they're supposed to do. This translates to her drive to get Duncan to try and help people with his ability.

She's actually in the same academic year as Duncan, but she didn't take a gap year so she is in the second university year to Duncan. She has her own group of friends and enjoys doing things that normal students do. She's intelligent and does well in her work and isn't one of those that is up late the night before rushing her assignments. She has been best friends with Cheryl since she was four years old and they are alike; except Katie does usually think before she acts as opposed to Cheryl's impulsiveness. She is an old fashioned romantic at heart and is a very strong optimistic. Which obviously clashes with Duncan's pessimism straight away.

Unlike the previous incarnation, she didn't go to senior school with Duncan and they aren't as close. The start of the series will focus on Duncan and Katie trying to reconnect after all this time.

Katie's best friend since she was four years old, she has also taken a gap year and ends up being in the same classes amd modules as Duncan and instantly tries to be friends with him. Duncan recognises her from being friends with Katie but she has no memory of him at all. Where she is as optimistic as Katie, Cheryl is a lot more prone to being impulsive and fun-loving. Holding no holds barred she has no grasp of tact but will use that as an advantage to enjoy herself and try to cheer people up. She will take nothing from no body and can stand up to anyone and possibly an army of a million rabid beasts without batting an eyelid.

Cheryl's view on life is to live everyday as it's her last; and while she has this happy and optimistic view on life it does make her narrow-minded. Whereas Katie can think about things and ponder the other points of view on events and how other people feel, Cheryl can't exactly see this and can get frustrated if she can't understand why people think differently.

Those that read the original: CHERYL WILL NOT DIE. This version is going to be as melodramatic or as dark as the original, so her death isn't needed.

An older student on the same course as Duncan, Cheryl and Ben; he comes across as nice and approachable but it feels almost mechanical; forced at times as if he's hiding something. He is in fact hiding something; but opposed to the original incarnation Victor's character and background has been completely changed and any skeleton's in his closet are now different.

He is the first person that Victor really gets the chance to speak to at Bridge Docks University, and Duncan is quite put-off by Victor's forwardness despite the strange vibe that's being felt from him. Victor's role in the series is more of a supporting character though; and the majority of his appearances will actually be quite distant and removed from the action of Duncan and Katie (Victor's true nature is being held back as it's a surprise for The First Ones). This is because the series needs a familiar face to follow when aspects of the plot that can't feature Duncan and Katie need to be explored.

If Anyone Was Interested: In the original incarnation, Victor was a sixteen year old who was charged with Manslaughter after a primary school teacher who tried to touch his sister was killed in a hit and run. The manslaughter charged was due to the teach suffering images after Victor had attacked the teacher in a fury of physical violence.

Graeme Robertson is a prick. Or at least one of those pricks that at school was so annoying yet girls used to fancy him. Now it seems that he has yet to fully grow up even though he's attending college training to be a fireman. Over confident, self-aware that he's attractive and an air of arrogance to him; Graeme definitely can set a few fires alight if given the chance. But despite this antagonistic arrogance to him; he has suffered his own share of troubles in his past.

Graeme was best friends with Duncan since around the same age that Cheryl and Katie first met. They were pretty much inseparable and close until puberty kicked in and Graeme started to enter his rebellious phase. But then a series of tragic events in Graeme's life that he associates Duncan with started a spiral of hatred and the collapse of the friendship between the two of them. The backstory of Graeme and Duncan is so intertwined that the people they are now are influenced by each other. The problem is that there's faults that lie on both Duncan and Graeme's side of their stories; and whilst Duncan may have had experiences that have been misinterpretated to being worse than they actually were: in the case of Graeme Duncan is actually guilty of some things...and innocent of others.

Oh - he's also the boyfriend of a girl called Cheryl Danson after around twelve months. Thought that fact would need mentioning; as it's the reason he and Duncan will end up meeting for the first time since sixth form...

Ben David is another member of the course that Duncan and Cheryl are on at Bridge Docks University - only he lives on campus in the student dorm rooms.. He goes out, parties a bit, stays awake as much as he can amd lives the student lifestyle of being broke and doing work the night before. He's a keen footballer and is involved with several after school clubs like football and tennis. His decision to attend University was to experience the lifestyle and to (eventually) find maturity. He gets on really well with Cheryl and the two of them both hit it off immediately, and gradually ends up bringing up a friendship with Duncan.

He's also gay. Which confuses a lot of people (particularly Duncan) as he doesn't 'act gay'. Now Ben is someone who doesn't define himself on his sexuality at all, in fact he's quite put off with the camp stereotype that is usually delivered - but Duncan's unease with it is a major factor in their friendship. This stems by the fact that Duncan is actually unsure what his problem with it is, and maintains socialising with Ben to find out what the problem is and to get over his problem with it. Ben's role is for the main male friend for Duncan to make at University; but also to keep in mind Duncan's personal goals for attending University in the first place.

Graduated from Dennigham University in Business, Charlotte Vance's career plans ended up spinning in completely different directions when her dad died and left her his livelihood: his gift shop/cafe/takeaway/arcade/tourist information stretch on the Bridge Docks sea front. Not being able to sell it on to private companies trying to monopolise the sea front she ended up taking on board the business only to find it actually struggling off season. Not only that she has several different pressures trying to advise her what to do with it that she constantly is in two minds about going for her own goals in life or trying to keep with her dad's dream. She takes a job elsewhere to try and help pay to keep the shop running; and in the midst of giving some members of the multiple-outlet more responsible; Duncan ends up working for this (despite trying to find a job that wasn't like his old one).

She always appears rushed off her feet and comes across as a dark presense at times; when in fact she gets to know people that work with her and tries to maintain an air of friendliness from her. She keeps saying that Duncan reminds her of her when she was his age. It doesn't exactly fill Duncan with confidence for the future. Mainly because for some reason, she scares Duncan.

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THE MOVIE

Moody and anti-social git Duncan Jenkins starts University with a goal to try and get over his social inhibitions. As he tries to adjust to social interactions, he finds that his personality is copied over one of his new friends - and that they've got a secret that will ultimately end up with Duncan's life being in very imminent danger. Reluctantly seeking the help of his cousin, Duncan finds that his new ability will change his life forever. But what is the connection to his new ability towards his module leader (named Gerald Thompson), fellow student Victor Baker and a string of missing people and murders that have started throughout Bridge Docks?

THE SERIES

Duncan ends up getting a job on the Sea Front with a huge tourist information/gift shop/cafe/take away thing that is quite popular, and run by Charlotte. His "initiation" to the job is distracted by Duncan shadowing a young man who has recently become engaged to his fiancé. But things aren't going to be easy, as he proposed to someone else a week before...

Danny Knightings is a hot-shot striker for Bridge Dock's league two football team who was scooped up by the Premier League's Denningham City. The days surrounding a friendly between Denningham and Bridge Docks have met with investigations into the transfer of Danny a year ago, and as Duncan is dragged along to this derby - he finds himself shadowing Danny and the middle of dodgy agents, outlandish wages and huge amounts of public scrutiny...

Duncan shadows a young man studying Biological Science at Denningham University who's been flirting a lot with Ben. As Katie tries to encourage Duncan to help spur on his friends romance, Duncan not only has to deal with his own reservations on homosexuality - but also the fact that the Shadowed has not come to his family yet...

With the opening of the Bridge Docks branch of a well-known chain of sex shops, Duncan has to battle his own sexual frustration when Cheryl and Katie drag him along to keep it open. Things complicate further when Duncan shadows a Priest that's the head of church group opposing the shop's opening, and Duncan learns that he's rapidly losing his faith...

Familiar faces that Duncan met during The First Ones return and seem to target a teenage mother that Duncan has recently shadowed. As Duncan and Katie try to deal with the young girl's family life; Duncan learns something about the abilities of Shadowers...

Duncan has to face his own guilt and morality when he shadows his ex-girlfriend who's currently in a mental hospital. But Duncan's behaviour misleads her doctors to believe that she's finally cured. Duncan attempts to try and get her back in there but realises he might actually be able to learn stuff about his ex-girlfriend that he never knew...

The season will last thirteen episodes; but there is a movie that will act as a sort of 'pilot'. It is so I can tell the story I want to tell without any real major constraints to structure and pace.

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Matt's Note: If this idea sounds familiar it was actually a show that did air on MZP. Some of you may have of heard of it. This is a re-invention. Some things are similar, a lot is changed and some elements are comepletely removed. Some oharacters have gone (bye Danielle, Erica) and some were just not needed really or I found them boring (Duncan's mum probably won't feature as much). Some characters not listed will turn up eventually; Chantelle especially.

The series has a greater emphasis on the mythology. Originally I was going to string out the terms that describe what Duncan does (the term is actually 'Shadow'), and a lot of stuff actually bringing elements and ideas that I was going to introduce in the third season of the original. Cheryl is staying alive; so anything that was originally planed was out the window - mainly because I think there's better mileage for her here. And I do have my perception on who she is that won't change.

So that's it! If you want questions answered about the original or elements of that in this don't hesitate to ask, but I generally perfer this incarnation of the premise.

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