"IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID, THAT DURING PROHIBITION, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF OUR COUNTRY’S LIQUOR CAME ACROSS THE RIVER FROM CANADA - INTO DETROIT.
THOSE FIGURES ARE INACCURATE. IT ALL CAME FROM THERE - DETROIT WAS BORN ON THE BANKS OF THE SHORES."
--AL CAPONE, 1939
"The Shores"
is a drama set in 1960’s Detroit during the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the Detroit race riots, and the civil rights movement.
It centers around a family - mainly two brothers - as they navigate the moral and literal through lines of wartime, social revolution, and outrunning their family’s turbulent legacy.
Unlike most other period dramas, ’The Shores’ incorporates many historically significant and accurate elements into it’s multiple intersecting story lines. Historical elements that will resonate with our audience.
’The Shores’ intersects scripted content with historical reality: focusing on The Vietnam War & the Tet Offensive - the Detroit Race Riots of 1967 & the Black Panthers.
featuring the legendary lost iron ore tanker - THE EDMUND FITZGERALD - and mostly exploring the Irish vs. Italian mob families vying for territory and power in Detroit’s criminal underworld thirty years post-prohibition...of which our two main protagonists (Mike & Scott) belong to the former.
JIMMY HOFFA also plays a significant role in seasons 1 & 2, a-la STEPHEN GRAHAM as AL CAPONE in ’Boardwalk Empire.’
Stylistically, this show concept is a single camera based in realism. The City of Detroit itself will serve as A kind of omniscient character; with the viewers finding themselves involved with it’s own individual journey; both similar to, and different from those of our CHARACTERS.
Our overall main themes revolve around family, loyalty, and redemption. Our brothers - Mike & Scott McNeal - are on a journey to avenge their fallen father, survive the Vietnam War & make it home - so they can keep their family safe, and take back the streets of Detroit.
The first two episodes, or act one, is set primarily in Vietnam, with secondary flashbacks and exposition set in the past. After mike and scott are honorably discharged from the Army, our entire story takes place in & around Southeast Michigan, save for a few moments in Cleveland, and the shipping lanes of the Great Lakes.
Detroit is one of many victims in this story that seeks and receives redemption.
To emphasize: the City itself will serve as our backdrop for the vast majority of the series, and will have a distinct presence and inflection in almost every story line.
*The series has been outlined as a limited eight-part television Event - much like ’The Night of' (HBO) or ’Quarry’ (CINEMAX), but could also very easily serve as an episodic television show over multiple seasons*
The shores - Official trailer
further inquiry:
15fifty productions
los angeles, ca 90036
(818) 438-2397
info@15fifty.com