TV Pilot Script - Flint's Fight

Logline: A struggling comic book artist confronts his son's leukemia diagnosis by creating a children's comic book to explain the illness and treatment, finding healing for both himself and his child.

Scene 1:

INT. FLINT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The apartment is small, cluttered with comic book art supplies. FLINT (30s), weary but kind, sits at his drawing table, his young son, LEO (6), nestled beside him. Leo is pale, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

LEO Daddy, will I die?

Flint hesitates, his hand trembling slightly as he puts down his pen.

FLINT (softly) No, sweetie. We're going to fight this together.

LEO But what is this… leukemia thing? They keep saying it's bad.

Flint tries to explain in simple terms, but his words falter. He reaches for a stack of books on a nearby shelf – medical textbooks, dense and intimidating.

FLINT (forcing a smile) Let's find a book that explains it better, okay?

He searches, finding only clinical texts filled with jargon. Leo looks at the pictures, confused and frightened.

Scene 2:

INT. LIBRARY - DAY

Flint searches the children's section, his frustration growing. He finds books about other illnesses, but nothing about leukemia that's accessible to a child. He sits down, defeated, flipping through a book on butterflies. The vibrant colors contrast sharply with the sterile medical texts he’s been looking at.

Scene 3:

INT. FLINT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Flint is sketching furiously in his notebook. Leo is asleep in his bed. Flint is drawing a superhero battling a monstrous cell, representing leukemia. He's creating a comic book.

Scene 4:

INT. FLINT'S APARTMENT - DAY

Flint is working on his comic, the pages filled with colorful illustrations and simple, age-appropriate explanations of leukemia, its treatment, and the side effects. Leo watches, his eyes wide with fascination.

Scene 5:

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Leo is undergoing treatment. Flint reads his comic to him, pointing at the pictures. Leo giggles, his fear momentarily forgotten. Other children in the ward are drawn to the comic, their parents watching with grateful relief.

Scene 6:

INT. FLINT'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Flint is finishing the last page of the comic. He looks at Leo, who is sleeping soundly. A single tear rolls down Flint's cheek. He smiles, a genuine smile of hope and resilience.

Scene 7:

INT. COMIC BOOK STORE - DAY

Flint is signing copies of his comic book, "Leo's Superpower," which is now published. Parents and children surround him, thanking him for creating a book that helps them understand and cope with leukemia. The scene ends with Flint looking at a picture of him and Leo, both smiling.

Themes: Facing adversity, the power of art, finding hope in difficult times, father-son bond, the importance of accessible medical information for children.

Ending Note: The pilot ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that Flint's comic book will help other families facing similar challenges. It leaves the door open for future episodes exploring the ongoing challenges and triumphs of Leo's treatment and Flint's journey as a creator and a father.