An interim minister takes her agnostic child psychiatrist son with her to new churches, while he tries to help kids from being bullied.

SYNOPSIS:

Imagine if Peter Dinklage had his own half-hour TV show. Imagining Peter Dinklage, as a child psychiatrist, is the motivation for this TV Pilot, Interims. My mother was a minister assigned to struggling churches and had to deal with some odd characters at those churches. I wondered what it would be like for a female minister to travel around with her agnostic son, especially the strong-willed and unpredictable type. She is saving souls, and he's saving kids from bullies.

Someone of Dinklage's height is a key component of the narrative, whoever takes the role should be a diminutive person. I am a diminutive person, as was my mother, and we know all about being bullied. The series would not make fun of small people. The show would identify the subtle prejudice everyone has about short people. The child psychiatrist knows the pain the children go through, and because of his height, the students know he understands their situation.

The mother minister loves her son and tries to protect him, but doesn't preach to him. She understands why he may be angry at God but she feels her son has a calling and lets him be cranky and obnoxious. In this case, we let the son character be himself, a bit angry, in need of love, and frustrated he has to work so hard to be who he is. He's a lot like the children he counsels and that's why he's good at his job.

A short synopsis of the TV pilot: Rev. Joan Brown, a female Presbyterian minister, is five years from retirement. Bishop Michael Ludden sends her to an Arkansas church to relieve a pastor who is undergoing cancer treatment.

She goes to Arkansas with her son, a late-thirties little person, who is a child psychiatrist. Her son is a typical preacher's kid who has animosity toward religion and is rebellious. His diminutive stature adds to his anti-social behavior. He's a perfect person to deal with bullying and mental health.

In the pilot episode, Rev. Brown and her son arrive at the parsonage, unpack and meet their neighbor Fletcher. Fletcher is a friendly man but his backyard is a junkyard. Simon makes a snide comment to the man about his backyard the first time they meet. The reverend is upset with her son for being belligerent. She tells him, "We have to make this work."

The next day, Rev. Brown goes to her church office and meets Carol, a young youth pastor who is upset the church is dying and that she doesn't have any "youth" to the pastor.

Simon goes to the local middle school. As he walks to the principal's office, the bell rings and a mob of middle schoolers swarms him, harassing him and threatening him physically. Simon holds his own but he meets a bullied kid, Billy, who scurries off.

The principal and the security officer disperse the mob of students and press charges against one of the bullies. The principal, Mr. Brookledge (late forties, black male) asks why Simon would want the job of child psychiatrist at the middle school. Simon says, "Because of the kid that curled up on the floor. He is your future school shooter. I'm here to save him. I am an expert on bullies and psychopaths, you are lucky I'm here. I am an interim."

I think this show would be liked by parents and teachers, and help bullied children find solutions or ask for help. I see the show being more edgy than preachy.