MIKE BIRBIGLIA'S SECRET PUBLIC JOURNAL - OUTLINE

Dysfunctional lead character trying to get his shit together. Like INSECURE this show explores a relationship that's just okay, but not perfect. Loved the use of voice over. 

​Written by Andrew Secunda
Created by Mike Birbiglia & Andrew Secunda

1. TV STUDIO: Mike tells audience he’s surprised he has a show b/c he’s so awkward. References his brother’s…
2. WEDDING: Mike’s brother JOE and Joe’s bride PAULA pose for photos. Mike is not enthusiastic enough about his gf ABBY being in the family photo…
3. BACK TO STUDIO: Mike comments on the faux pas. he knows.
4. WEDDING, LATER: Mike searches for his probably annoyed girlfriend, while his TV studio standup provides V.O. Mike talks to brother Joe about whether marriage is good or bad. Mike is skeptical. Nice game of Joe rooting through gifts, deciding what to put on eBay, and generally being cheap.
5. WEDDING LATER: Mike is distracted by a very hot girl, Shauna. Learns that the girl is with his dorky cousin Kevin, wtf?
6. WEDDING LOUNGE AREA: Mike finds Abby. She might be annoyed, but her rubs her feet, and the VO tells us that is how they dealt with it.
7. WEDDING, MIKE’S TABLE: Burt, Mike’s dad, ribs Mike about how Abby is too good or Mike. Mike brings up Shauna and Kevin and Abby sees through it, He awkwardly excuses himself
8. GOOD LINE OF ACTION: Burt has trouble saying anything that doesn’t sound like a scoff or bark. 
9. STUDIO: Mike continues to comment on the unfolding story.
10. WEDDING, BAR AREA: Mike flirts with Shauna.
11. STUDIO: Mike comments on how this is gonna be bad…
12. WEDDING: Mike wraps it up with Shauna, casually suggests she email him, then yes to dance with Abby
13. FLASHBACK TO GEORGETOWN: We see how Mike and Abby met. 
14. BACK TO WEDDING: Kevin cuts in to dance with Abby, which leaves Mike with hot Shauna…
15. STUDIO: Mike comments again on how this is not what he should have done but…
16. WEDDING: Mike agrees to dance with Shauna.
17. STUDIO: Mike promises that it gets worse.

ACT TWO

1. EXT. MIKE AND ABBY’S PLACE: They are arguing about how Mike was grinding with Shauna at the wedding.
2. INSIDE THEIR PLACE: They learn that their friend PTOLEMY didn’t alert them that RAMON the cat has something wrong with it.
3. TAXI: Joe calls Mike, Mike updates him on cat, Joe says he’s gonna meet them at hospital. We learn that Joe is on a staycation for his honeymoon.
4. VET’S OFFICE: They get info on how to care for cat. Also it turns out Joe is just there to get a stealth diagnosis on his dog. Abby tells Mike he has to cancel his big show to take care of cat b/c she has shift at hospital that night.
5. COMEDY BASEMENT: Mike does his routine as the cat makes noises from off stage.
6. BATHROOM: mike pushes on the cat’s bladder. Not enjoying it.
7. COMEDY BASEMENT BAR: Shauna approaches but Abby calls and Mike picks up.
8. HOSPITAL - SAME TIME: Abby calls to check in as doctor Doug flirts with her in the bg. Mike’s VO takes us to a…
9. FLASHBACK: of Doug being a hero. 
10. COMEDY BASEMENT BAR: Abby says she’ll be home at midnight then hangs up. Then he’s back with Shauna, who is curious if that was Mike’s gf. ZAC shows up and slides in on Shauna. 
11. STUDIO: Mike comments on the situation…
12. BAR: Mike says he’s gotta go home. It’s clearly not an easy choice. 
13. MIKE’S PLACE: Mike tending to the cat.
14. MIKE’S PLACE MOMENTS LATER: Abby comes home and really appreciates that Mike took care of the cat. 
15. STUDIO: Mike says he couldn’t sleep that night so he checked his email at 2 AM…
16. LIVING ROOM, NIGHT: Mike reads an email from Shuana. She gave him her number. 
17. BATHROOM: Mike huddled with lap top, considering responding. But the cat is sweet to him and he closes the laptop. 
18. FADE TO BLACK
19. KNOCKING OVER BLACK
20. BATHROOM LATER: Abby comes into bathroom. Confronts him about photo and commitment. She asks when will he be ready…
21. STUDIO: Mike comments, he should have said “Let’s talk about it next summer.”
22. BATHROOM: Mike utters “next summer.” Abby cries tears of joy.
23. TV STUDIO: Mike knows. That wasn’t good.

LESSONS: Mike’s commentary from the TV Studio added a lot of stakes, because it provided some dramatic irony in small moments. Like, he told us something bad was gonna happen before it happened, so then there was tension until it happened. Dramatic irony is a huge component of so many good scripts we read, we should really try to weave it into our own scripts. This script also did a great job of adding fun little games to the scenes without getting too wrapped up in them (Mike’s brother Joe is a good example of this). Also, this felt honest. The characters weren’t too broadly drawn, and it felt like Mike was talking about stuff that was real and true to his character, which is another big component in lots of great scripts. Finally, there was that BIG THING hanging over the pilot: they never talked about the not wanting Abby in the photo moment. This created more tension, which was then resolved or addressed again in the last scene in a meaningful and memorable way. 

Also, this is a good example of how to do that whole "dating someone and they're great but it's still not working out" vibe. A lot of shows attempt it and miss the mark, because the person the hero is dating is flat or dull or boring. In this show, Abby wasn't the MOST dynamic character, but the conflict between her and Mike was real. That conflict was the underpinning of MIke's dissatisfaction, and it was basically all his fault. It put the onus of responsibility squarely on him (thus making him a very interesting character). That's much richer than a character with an eh significant other, because the EHNESS is too much of an excuse, and it makes the reader lose respect not only for the hero and hurts the credibility of the story and world on the whole. 

More lessons learned...

Great single issue explored here...  is mike committed? What is his problem? Also, there's no need for him to get CAUGHT for doing the standup show. The question, and what the standup show addresses, is whether or not Mike wants to be with Abby. And the final scene, where she brings up the photo again, is the real crux of the whole episode.