BEHIND THE STORY...
Cartoon Network was looking for new vehicles that featured children in the leads. They were also looking for something unique. I came up with this idea about a brother and sister in a constantly changing world. One head of development thought it was a great idea with an instantly understood premise. He handed it over to his assistant. The assistant never contacted me. And when I asked about it, was told they did not remember it… but they were sure it was something the network was not interested in.
And now my pitch...
ANOTHER DAY!
A bored brother and sister break a wishbone and wish that tomorrow would be “different”.
It is!
In fact, now when they wake up in the morning, they never know what the world will be like. They might wake up and find they have become the family pets, or that they are living in space as children of famous astronauts, or that it is a world where children raise the parents, or that they are alien invaders planning to take over Earth. Their only guide is Phoenix, the bird spirit that gave them their wish. Now their only wish is to get back to their normal life! To do that, they need to assist Phoenix in accomplishing its mysterious tasks.
The Characters
No typical sibling opposites found here! Both Taro and Luca are bright and energetic. They play off of each other well, and respect each other’s skills. Of course they do have their differences…
Taro – Older by a year, Taro is an artist waiting for inspiration. His artistic streak gives him a keen memory that remembers all he sees and hears, though sometimes through creative vision.
Luca – The “little sister” who is her brother’s equal, Luca is technically gifted. She is the one you call to assemble toys at Christmas. More mechanic than scientific, she prefers hardware to software.
Phoenix – An expert of being “re-born”, the Phoenix has tired of humans who make pointless wishes. Its goal is to teach the value of a wish by showing Taro and Luca how hard it is to grant them.
Sample Episodes
Each episode features Taro and Luca waking to their new day. Almost immediately, Phoenix arrives in a suitable form to help situate them and offer a clue as to what they might have to do that day. Phoenix’s guidance can never be direct. It must always infer, never refer.
“Left In Space” - Taro and Luca find themselves as children on a space station. The family has been there many years watching the skies and being bored. Phoenix tells the siblings it has been the father’s wish to someday be able to save the Earth. Can Taro and Luca create a disaster easy enough to solve by “dad”.
“Foxhound Helpers” - Taro and Luca wake up and find they are in a funny animal cartoon. They have become a squirrel and a skunk in the woods. The Phoenix informs them that the poor hound only wishes he could finally catch the fox. Can the duo overcome more than 50 years of cartoon history?
“Double Dealing” - Taro and Luca wake to find they are identical twins whose parents wish they could tell them apart.
“Poultry-Geists” - The kids wake up as ghostly chickens haunting the house of a family who wishes the spirits would go away.
“Swimming the Channels” - They wake inside a TV always on and watched by a young boy who’s mom wishes he would turn the TV off and go out to play.
“A Pound for Flash” - Waking up in a kennel, the kids find that the ugly dog next to them, Flash, wishes he could be adopted.
text, image and format © John Cawley
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