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TV Idea: The Unwanted

This is a bit like teen superheroes, but with no super powers.

It is a bit like the Dirty Dozen, but they are good people.

A charismatic man, Randall Klope runs an Institute (some call it a cult), called Unleash Your Potential, but it is known by most people as Klope’s and his followers are Klopians.

He is mostly famous for his TV adverts, where he asks if you have somehow not been given the opportunity to realise your potential. And (for a big fee) you can do a 6-week residential course that teaches you how to attain your goals, etc. Many stay beyond the 6 weeks, and live in communes where they support each other. Some of the people are famous on social media, and so that encourages more people to join, and also suggests it is a cult.

There are branches everywhere. One is purposefully (but not acknowledged) not very fancy, and that is where the few people who get a scholarship go. But the person running it is actually a good woman, and she puts effort into selecting who gets the scholarships from many thousands who apply. And she finds people who should be wildly successful but significant flaws are holding them back.

A very, very strong man, who could win the World’s Strongest Man, but has anger management issues.

A fast runner who has drug/alcohol issues

A teen genius crippled by anxiety.

A hacker (of course). Actually, this is sounding like The A Team.

And suddenly there are crimes to solve, and the long arc is the cult and what is really going on (think the drug in The Boys).

Yes, highly derivative, but lots of people would identify with the characters, and the life lessons could be useful for anyone struggling with issues. For each hero to overcome their problems, we are seeing a multi-season transformation and a lot of failures. Real as opposed to quick fixes in one episode.

Published in Writing