2. The Miracle Chaser
An Episodic TV Show By: Mark Brown - 3/19/10
LOGLINE
“X Files” meets “Touched by an Angel” / “CSI.
OVERVIEW
JANE PORTERFEILD is preoccupied by the unusual. The things that happen in life that are too astounding
to be chalked up to coincidence, quite even possibly considered by some as the supernatural. When she was 9
months old her parents died in a car accident. The car was thrown over a two hundred foot cliff and completely
destroyed. As the car exploded and burst into flames some eye witness say that the child inside the car was car-
ried out by a mysterious person others say the child was thrown out of the window and cradled to the floor by an
unseen hand, several eyewitness reports differ, but the one thing that they all agree upon is that it was a miracle
that Jane Porterfield, at 9 months old survived the accident completely unscathed.
Jane was taken in by an all girl’s catholic boarding school. She didn’t like the catholic school much and was
often expelled for smoking or deviant behavior. She stayed there until she left for college at NYU, all of which
was paid for by a trust left from her parents. After graduating she worked on Wall Street for several years then
as a free lance reporter before she discovered her calling. On her 33rd birthday she received her entire trust,
with it a mysterious message from her father stating that she should visit the 7 wonders of the world to under-
stand her purpose in life. Greg Burns, her lawyer and estate trustee tells her she cannot receive the trust until
all of the requirements of the trust are fulfilled. So reluctantly, she takes off across the world, even though she is
not particularly religious but this experience makes her think twice about her view of God and changes her life.
She is told that her life was spared for a reason, a purpose, and that purpose is to use her talents to chronicle and
verify the occurrences of miracles that come here way. She dreams of her parent’s death and an unseen hand
that protects her and guides her to safety and this really shakes her up. After receiving the trust, and inspired
by the world she immediately sets up a business with a staff of three and begins her life long journey to discover
and chronicle similar miraculous events. This show is a portrayal of her journey… Miracle Chaser. A show
you won’t soon forget.
CAST
JANE PORTERFEILD – Early 30’s, smart, whitty and fun, is on a life trek…to chronicle and discover the how
valid or invalid the concept of miracles are within the realm of modern society. She is not particularly a reli-
gious woman although she has had a strict catholic upbringing, but is drawn almost compelled to uncover and
chronicle every unexplainable activity that even resembles a miracle and determine if it is a real phenomenon or
just a part of our collective imagination. Though she has not made a determination yet, she intended on getting
the information and studying the various strange occurrences that crosses her life. She also somehow feels this
is her life’s calling since she was saved at an early age during a fatal car accident. Perhaps this was more than
good luck or coincidence… perhaps it was fate, a work of God. She is the leader of a very skilled team that she
has put together to assist her in this endeavor. They are a fun group but are very capable professionals, who are
prepared for just about anything.
3. RICK DAVIS, white, Early 40’s is a retired University professor. This guy is borderline brilliant. At 19 he wrote
a paper on the connection of science and electrostatic energy to the metaphysical, that gave him international ac-
claim. He dropped out of society to roam the world and discover himself but ran out of money so he needed a job.
He was referred to Jane by Sheila Clarke his mentor and parental figure. If there is a second leader it would be
Rick. He is a take charge, kind of guy, with boyish good looks that commands attention. He provides the hard
scientific analysis to any process. He is the information guy. He has 4 doctorate degrees, one in physics, history,
medicine and one in world religions. He is a walking encyclopedia.
BRIAN TAYLOR, white, early 20’s is the tech geek that graduated from MIT at 20. Unlike Rick he is an adven-
ture freak that loves challenges and risk. Much like the thrill that “Tornado Chasers” get, this guy thrives on the
adrenaline rush from the unexpected and the weird and odd occurrences in life. He is a tech genius in gadgets,
communication, and science… a regular Mcguiver on speed. He often gets in several confrontations with Rick
who is more methodical and systematic.
LEE ANN LUI, Asian, Early 30’s is a linguistics specialist speaking over 7 languages including, English, Man-
derin, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Portugese and Swahili. She graduated from George Town University
in Washington DC and has strong diplomatic relationships around the world that affords her a great deal of access.
In addition, she is a martial arts expert and skilled in various ancient eastern medical practices including several
meditational techniques. She is a no nonsense all business type of girl and if she has a job to do, you can rest
assured that it will get done.
SHEILA CLARKE, white, late 50’s, is the mother of the group. She doesn’t often travel with them. She stays
home at base and coordinates any activities that are necessary. If there is a problem she will send in additional
help or provide scheduling or orchestrate the influx of information in remote areas. She is ex-CIA so her knowl-
edge base and experience runs deep. She is deeply religious and sees this as an important mission. She always
counsels Jane on keeping an open mind to the idea that miracles do in fact happen on a daily basis. She is assisted
by her right hand man TYRONE, black, 30’s who is anxious to get some action, which she only allows on a rare
occasion.
FORMAT
The show will be told in a one hour nontraditional format similar to CSI. It often opens like a documentary, or
written journal as Jane chronicles these events. With eye witness testimonies she will begin unfolding the story of
each unexplainable event. As she discovers the facts she will re-interview or re-document the occurrence and the
story will unfold to her as it does to the viewer. This story telling structure will help in heightening the suspense
and provide more of a climatic ending. It will be a three act structure hour drama that may also be told out of se-
quence but culminating in the third act not dissimilar to that of Pulp Fiction or Usual Suspects with a hint of CSI.
POSSIBLE SHOW EPISODES
Each show will have Jane and her team investigate and discover a new occurrence, a new event. She may often
go to a different country and try to understand a mass event or it may be as simple as a mystery curing, or a vision
being realized by someone, or seemingly miraculous event that baffles the scientific mind. All in all each show
will have its own intrigue and own journey, with Jane at the center as she discover whether or not miracles really
exist or in fact are they just some freak coincidences that often occur. At the end of each show she may come to a
conclusion or the evidence me be inconclusive. More often than not the matter is left without complete resolution
and it ends with the viewing audience as well as Jane having to draw their own conclusion as to whether what they
just experience was a miracle… or not. An unsettling mystery that forces Jane to continue to search for truth, and
clarity behind the unimaginable, an urge for her to continue to be… a “Miracle Chaser”.
4. 1. “The Guardian”.
o A 14 year old girl stops a bus. A 14 year old girl is running from some guys who intend on beating her up.
After a long chase she runs out into the street in incoming traffic where a grey hound bus is and it runs directly into
her. The bus crumples inches before her as it comes to a stop. After the commotion clears she walks away from
the accident completely unscathed. Doctors examine her and are unable to determine why she is not harmed.
JANE PORTER arrives on the scene to begin her investigation. Apparently this is not the first time something
like this has happened to this young girl. When she is under a great deal of stress her bodies vital signs increases
which causes a release in some sort of electrostatic energy that allows her to repel any form of matter, material
or even gaseous in substance. In times past this would be simply dubbed a miracle. But today with science and
further explanation it is inconclusive. After further inspection it is clear that we do not quite understand the depth
and scope of the human body. .. or perhaps it was as the girls old grandmother put it, her guardian angel protecting
her. This force field is in fact evidence of that. No one knows for sure if this is the right explanation but this is
yet another entry in the journal of JANE PORTER… the Miracle Chaser.
2. “Unnatural Disaster”
o A series of natural disasters has hit Ghana, Africa. Everything from earthquakes to in climactic tornadoes.
No one knows how or why this is happening. Jane sees this on the internet and goes to investigate. Upon arrival
she discovers that an albino boy seems to see this tragedy before it happens. He goes into a trance and then draws
the disaster out on a piece of paper. It is unclear as to whether he is predicating these disasters or actually caus-
ing them. After much research with her team Jane doesn’t draw a solid conclusion but this boy leaves her dumb
founded when he saves her life after predicting her death. It appears that destiny may not be altered but can often
be bent. He dies in order to save her in the process and tries to make her a believer in what he terms as miracles.
3. “The Plague”
o We open as we often do with the Jane’s team documenting eyewitness testimonies of incredible phenom-
enon’s. The tapes of the interview then are being reviewed by Jane. It’s a huge plague, a pandemic that has hit
the southern part of Mexico. What makes this unusual is that a small village of nomads seems to be completely
unaffected. Upon further investigation the patriarch of the village tells Jane that they are the direct decadence of
Moses and carry with him the same protection as the Israelites of old.
4. “Stranger”
o A girl meets a strange man and he instructs her about her future. He only meets her and tells her about
events that may adversely affect her and how she may avoid the pitfalls.
OTHER STORY IDEAS
- Someone has cured a series of diseases by sending a piece of his clothes to neighboring villages. He appears
to be a modern day type of Jesus, seemingly mimicking many of his miracles from turning water into wine to
healing a crippled man. He walks on water.
- “The abduction” A woman claims that she was abducted and went to heaven and transported to other worlds
in our galaxy.
5. - “Rip van winkle story” Though based on legend it has some basis of truth. A father went disappeared at 25 years
old and now has returned 60 years later and claims that a woman who now lives in a nursing home who appears to
be 40 years his senior is in fact his daughter. Jane and her team are brought in to investigate this curious situation
and find to find out if it has any basis of truth and if so what how? What is the explanation?
- Near death experience that and the light at the end of the tunnel. Is it fact or fiction? Is it in fact an angel. A
man who has experienced “death”, a boy who has “died” three times, and two women who have flat lined four
times tell of their experience and testify about what they see, what appears to be physically impossible but what
they all term as miracles.
- An old lady talks about an old village where the residence had the ability to transfer bodies. Jane and her team
go to the village to investigate this phenomenon.
- A woman claims to be able to able to see the spiritual thru a contraption that she has invented. They say the eyes
are the channel to the soul well this invention allows you to look into a man’s soul.
- Bali, India. An Indian village is decimated by what appears to be a nuclear atomic bomb. This seems impossible
because this small Indian village would have no access to anything like this. The only survivor is a little girl that
doesn’t remember what happens. After much investigation we find that this girl has the power of this devastating
event under her control. Thru much research they discover what triggers it within this girl and how in fact this
is possible.
- A man testifies that he got shot 5 times on 4 different occasions but yet he has no bullet wounds, or scares to
suggest that he was. On many occasions it is clear he should have been dead. It is discovered that his white
cells have the capacity to instantaneously regenerate itself at a rapid rate. Is this a miracle or just an unexplained
element of science? It then begs the question was in fact is a miracle? If it can be explained by science is it not
still a miracle? Or are miracles by nature unexplainable?
- An Indian chief is upset that his son has been unjustly put in jail by a Florida sheriff. He goes to the court room
at his sons arraignment and in a bizarre manor proclaims to the judge that unless his son is released unharmed and
all charges dropped there will be no rain in Florida and all the crops will die and the farming community will be
decimated. This creates news after 2 months pass and it doesn’t rain at all in Florida. There is an unexplainable
drought. The media are having a field day with this and are comparing him to a modern day Elijah who stopped
the rain in Egypt. After a while the farming community are desperate and pressure is being put on the Judge to re-
lease his son. Jane and her team come down to investigate and chronicle this most bizarre event. They interview
the chief and he tells them that him and his ancestors have always had the power to command the elements. After
much discovery and confusion the Judge pardons his son and lets him out of jail and just like Elijah he commands
the rain to return and within a few hours it’s pouring with rain. Everyone is left stunned. Jane and her team de-
bate if this was in fact a miracle or mere coincidence. They’re not sure.
- A girl got kidnapped and left for dead in the jungles of Zairre. She actually survived for 5 years being nursed
and protected by wolves. Much like the fabled story of Romulus and Remus, the twins raised by wolves.
- A woman rescues 14 people from a burning building who all receive 3rd degree burns, but she is completely
unharmed. Not even her clothes are singed or smell like fire. She attests that her guardian angel provided a
blanket of protection for her which accounts for her unharmed condition. She is very religious and points to
the story of Shadarach, Meshac and Abednego, three Hebrew boys in biblical times that were cast in fire by King
Nebucchanezzar and were unharmed. She then points out Daniel in the lion’s den who also was unharmed. He
attests that her situation is not dissimilar to those. Jane and her team ponder this thru and they analyze her story.