STORY CONCEPT
Miles encounters an ethical question or dilemma in the ordinary world of his cramped home and neighborhood. When he retreats to the solace of his nautically-themed blanket fort, he is transported to Oyster Island; a fantastical island inhabited by talking animals (who appear suspiciously similar to the plush animals in Miles’ fort), and a variety of architectural and natural wonders to explore; including a 10-story lighthouse, a tree house, waterfalls, lagoons, beaches and forests. Here he experiences an adventure related to the central dramatic question of each episode.
Through his adventure, Miles learns the answer to his question and returns to the real world to apply it. Sometimes he travels to Oyster Island by himself, other times he invites his big brother or sister.
SHOW CONCEPT
MILES ACROSS THE SEA will transport young kids on an adventure to a magical, mysterious, and fun-filled world. Here, children explore how to build relationships with people who are different through the diverse characters who inhabit Oyster Island. Despite their differences, the show’s characters, human and animal alike, work together to resolve the conflicts that arise from differing goals. Children learn how to build the deeper relationships they need to navigate everyday life.
THE WORLD
What would the world’s greatest playground look like to you? How about an island where you can explore, learn, and play? From the spectacular Bear Cave Falls to the shadowy Badlands to the treacherous Shipwreck Bluffs, there are plenty of natural wonders to investigate. The Tree House, Fort, School House, and Lighthouse all offer opportunities to experiment and examine. If fun is on the agenda, a climb to the top of Big Bear Mountain will lead you down a secret path to the Slippery Snail Waterfall where you can plunge into the crystal Lagoon and then wind along a lazy jungle river to the sandy beaches of the Island’s Bay.
THE CAST
CHARACTERS
Miles is a bright-eyed seven-year-old, who is adopted into a loving multiracial family. He is very much the ‘heart’ of the show: a kid with a big imagination prone to pursuing instant gratification and wish fulfillment, but also open to learning good behavior and the right way of dealing with difficult situations. As the proxy for the target audience, he is the character most often confronted with conflict and the need to learn and understand a specific lesson. By nature, he is a kind-hearted boy, but like any kid, he often struggles with balancing his needs against those of the people around him.
Character reference: Simba (Lion King) or Mowglie (Jungle Book)
Jessie, Miles’ adopted older sister, a tough, independent, nine-year-old girl. When she travels with Miles to the Island, she loves to spend time in the ocean surfing and runs the surf school next to the lighthouse where she offers a coach-like voice of discipline and determination.
Character reference: Max Mayfield (Stranger Things) or Violet Parr (The Incredibles)
Luke, Miles’ adopted older brother, A bright bookish, eleven-year-old boy and straight A student. When he travels with Miles to the Island, he’s interested in doing science, namely marine biology. He heads for the Aquarium Lab in the basement of the lighthouse and is often the go-to source of information and research on the local environment, flora, and fauna.
Character reference: Steve Urkel (Young Sheldon)
Grandpa, Miles’ maternal grandfather. The other lighthouse keeper in Miles’ imagination. Grandpa is an eccentric man with a shock of wild gray hair, a beach comber, treasure hunter, and yodeler. He, too, is a wise character but more in a playful manner.
Character reference: Emmett Brown (Back to the Future)
Grandma, Miles’ maternal grandmother. In Miles’ imagination, the co-lighthouse keeper on Oyster Island. She is a gentle, wise, and loving woman in a big cable-knit sweater and galoshes. Grandma provides the patient and reliable moral ballast. In real life, she has all the same character attributes, but is retired and lives in Tampa with Grandpa.
Character reference: Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast) or Gramma Tala (Moana)
Mom, Miles’ mother. A middle school science teacher who has instilled a love of learning and exploration in her kids. Though she now lives far from her seaside childhood home, saltwater still flows through her veins. And despite the fact that the family has only been able to pull off one trip to visit her parents, mom’s stories have helped Miles to develop a magical notion of the ocean.
Character reference: Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross)
Dad, Miles’ father. A firefighter who works hard to provide for his family and an involved dad who enjoys sharing time with his kids on his days off. As a firefighter who works 24 hours on, 48 hours off, he’s home often and always ready with a word of wisdom and encouragement for his two sons and daughter. He’s also a great cook!
Character reference: Jefferson Davies (Father in Spiderman – Into the Spider-Verse)
Relay (River Otter) was purchased from a Mississippi river estuary gift shop outside of New Orleans. On Oyster Island, he sports a Cajun accent and a taste for crawdads and Zydeco. Relay’s energy and confidence, bless his heart, can sometimes override common sense. He is personable, friendly, careless, and a bit of a natural troublemaker. He typically initiates or finds his way into the center of the action. Relay’s fun-loving, easygoing attitude, which many of the other animals resonate with, clashes with Terry the turtle’s Type A get off my lawn personality and practicality. However, when a friend is in a jam, Relay is the first to help.
Character reference: Jack Black (Po in Kung Fu Panda)
Scram (Bear Cub) The scientist, analytical and naturally curious. He was the baby bear of the Orlando three-bear set. Baby Scram looks up to Miles and is always thrilled when he decides to visit Oyster Island. He loves assisting in the lab and wants to be just like Luke when he grows up.
Character reference: Chip (Beauty and the Beast)
Terry (Turtle) The old grump, brutally honest and painfully slow. Terry is an old and crusty turtle. He’s been in the family for years and was given to Miles by his Grandmother, who can’t even remember where she got him, it’s been so long. He’s an old-fashioned plush who doesn’t change all that much when he comes alive on the island; slow-moving and slow-talking, he mostly just wants to be left alone to nap. He calls things as he sees them. If you are looking for an honest opinion and don’t mind waiting around to hear it, Terry is your turtle.
Character reference: Walter Matthau (Grumpy Old Men)
Marianna & Marie (twin sister flamingos) who are very difficult to tell apart. They are comic characters who sometimes act in perfect unison; other times, they are diametrically opposed and argumentative. Grandma originally picked up the pair in Miami for Jesse, but pink was not her color and she donated them to Miles when he was four. Of course, when they come to life on Oyster Island, they have Cuban accents.
Character references: (The Minions) female with Spanish accents.
Boudreaux (Crocodile) The artist, he is creative but does not like conflict and has a tendency to be pessimistic. The opposite of an intimidating reptile, Boudreaux is afraid of his own shadow. But when it comes to making and designing stuff, he is the island’s go-to-artist! He hails from a seafood themed restaurant near Panama City Beach with an alligator tank. The manager of the restaurant failed to recognize the difference between alligators and crocodiles when stocking the merchandise counter. Don’t call him a gator. He’s very sensitive about that.
Character reference: Rex the Dinosaur (Toy Story)
CHARACTERS
Miles is a bright-eyed seven-year-old, who is adopted into a loving multiracial family. He is very much the ‘heart’ of the show: a kid with a big imagination prone to pursuing instant gratification and wish fulfillment, but also open to learning good behavior and the right way of dealing with difficult situations. As the proxy for the target audience, he is the character most often confronted with conflict and the need to learn and understand a specific lesson. By nature, he is a kind-hearted boy, but like any kid, he often struggles with balancing his needs against those of the people around him.
Character reference: Simba (Lion King) or Mowglie (Jungle Book)
Jessie, Miles’ adopted older sister, a tough, independent, nine-year-old girl. When she travels with Miles to the Island, she loves to spend time in the ocean surfing and runs the surf school next to the lighthouse where she offers a coach-like voice of discipline and determination.
Character reference: Max Mayfield (Stranger Things) or Violet Parr (The Incredibles)
Luke, Miles’ adopted older brother, A bright bookish, eleven-year-old boy and straight A student. When he travels with Miles to the Island, he’s interested in doing science, namely marine biology. He heads for the Aquarium Lab in the basement of the lighthouse and is often the go-to source of information and research on the local environment, flora, and fauna.
Character reference: Steve Urkel (Young Sheldon)
Grandpa, Miles’ maternal grandfather. The other lighthouse keeper in Miles’ imagination. Grandpa is an eccentric man with a shock of wild gray hair, a beach comber, treasure hunter, and yodeler. He, too, is a wise character but more in a playful manner.
Character reference: Emmett Brown (Back to the Future)
Grandma, Miles’ maternal grandmother. In Miles’ imagination, the co-lighthouse keeper on Oyster Island. She is a gentle, wise, and loving woman in a big cable-knit sweater and galoshes. Grandma provides the patient and reliable moral ballast. In real life, she has all the same character attributes, but is retired and lives in Tampa with Grandpa.
Character reference: Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast) or Gramma Tala (Moana)
Mom, Miles’ mother. A middle school science teacher who has instilled a love of learning and exploration in her kids. Though she now lives far from her seaside childhood home, saltwater still flows through her veins. And despite the fact that the family has only been able to pull off one trip to visit her parents, mom’s stories have helped Miles to develop a magical notion of the ocean.
Character reference: Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross)
Dad, Miles’ father. A firefighter who works hard to provide for his family and an involved dad who enjoys sharing time with his kids on his days off. As a firefighter who works 24 hours on, 48 hours off, he’s home often and always ready with a word of wisdom and encouragement for his two sons and daughter. He’s also a great cook!
Character reference: Jefferson Davies (Father in Spiderman – Into the Spider-Verse)
Relay (River Otter) was purchased from a Mississippi river estuary gift shop outside of New Orleans. On Oyster Island, he sports a Cajun accent and a taste for crawdads and Zydeco. Relay’s energy and confidence, bless his heart, can sometimes override common sense. He is personable, friendly, careless, and a bit of a natural troublemaker. He typically initiates or finds his way into the center of the action. Relay’s fun-loving, easygoing attitude, which many of the other animals resonate with, clashes with Terry the turtle’s Type A get off my lawn personality and practicality. However, when a friend is in a jam, Relay is the first to help.
Character reference: Jack Black (Po in Kung Fu Panda)
Scram (Bear Cub) The scientist, analytical and naturally curious. He was the baby bear of the Orlando three-bear set. Baby Scram looks up to Miles and is always thrilled when he decides to visit Oyster Island. He loves assisting in the lab and wants to be just like Luke when he grows up.
Character reference: Chip (Beauty and the Beast)
Terry (Turtle) The old grump, brutally honest and painfully slow. Terry is an old and crusty turtle. He’s been in the family for years and was given to Miles by his Grandmother, who can’t even remember where she got him, it’s been so long. He’s an old-fashioned plush who doesn’t change all that much when he comes alive on the island; slow-moving and slow-talking, he mostly just wants to be left alone to nap. He calls things as he sees them. If you are looking for an honest opinion and don’t mind waiting around to hear it, Terry is your turtle.
Character reference: Walter Matthau (Grumpy Old Men)
Marianna & Marie (twin sister flamingos) who are very difficult to tell apart. They are comic characters who sometimes act in perfect unison; other times, they are diametrically opposed and argumentative. Grandma originally picked up the pair in Miami for Jesse, but pink was not her color and she donated them to Miles when he was four. Of course, when they come to life on Oyster Island, they have Cuban accents.
Character references: (The Minions) female with Spanish accents.
Boudreaux (Crocodile) The artist, he is creative but does not like conflict and has a tendency to be pessimistic. The opposite of an intimidating reptile, Boudreaux is afraid of his own shadow. But when it comes to making and designing stuff, he is the island’s go-to-artist! He hails from a seafood themed restaurant near Panama City Beach with an alligator tank. The manager of the restaurant failed to recognize the difference between alligators and crocodiles when stocking the merchandise counter. Don’t call him a gator. He’s very sensitive about that.
Character reference: Rex the Dinosaur (Toy Story)
EPISODES
1. Fraternizing Flamingos
Theme: Welcoming the Stranger
When a new kid with a foreign accent starts school, Miles is afraid that befriending him might lose him cool points with his regular friends. He travels to Oyster Island where the animals are experiencing the same dilemma: the arrival of two eccentric flamingo sisters with thick Spanish accents. Because of their differences the animals keep their distance until a crisis, that the flamingos are uniquely equipped to address, strikes the island. Can Miles and friends learn the value of welcoming the stranger and that our differences make us stronger?
2. He Shares Seashells by the Seashore
Theme: Sharing
When one of Miles’ seldom played with toys ends up in the donation bin, Miles protests that it’s not fair to give away his stuff – you can never have too many toys! He travels to Oyster Island with his sister Jessie where they take part in a seashell collecting contest with Relay. Whoever collects the most shells in a certain time, wins! With victory in his sights, and shells becoming harder and harder to find, Miles discovers Scram the bear is in need of the precious mollusks for a birthday necklace he is making for his mom, BB. Will Miles risk losing the contest to share with a friend in need?
3. Otter, Otter Everywhere
Theme: Diligence
When Miles is having a hard time finding the motivation to complete a team project for school, his older brother Luke reminds him that his partners are counting on him. However, Miles would rather play and escape to Oyster Island. Once there, Grandpa assigns Miles and Relay the task of fixing a hole in the roof of the beach hut. From their perch atop the roof, Miles and Relay spot tons of more interesting and fun things to do around the island and head off to explore and play as a storm rolls in. Will Miles learn the value of sticking to a task and dealing with the consequences when he does not?
EPISODES
The first season can be comprised of 26 episodes (11 minutes each) or 13 Episodes (22 minutes each). Every episode is self-contained, having its own theme and moral. In each story, there is always a challenge Miles meets with and overcomes, whether through each other or with the help of the other animal characters, the solutions are always a group effort.
Intended for a young audience (ages 4-8), the show’s adventurous humor and quality animation recommend itself to repeat viewings for the entire family. The best aspect of Miles and the island animals improbable friendship is their differences.
THE SHOW’S CYCLE
- In real life, Miles encounters a character question or dilemma: prompted by his mom or dad and/or interactions with his siblings or friends: Why should I share? Why should I tell the truth? Why should I show kindness to others?
- Then in the quiet and seclusion of his blanket fort, Miles holds his favorite seashell (from an oyster) up to his ear and travels to Oyster Island. From a purely empirical standpoint, Miles is imagining. But for Miles and the audience, the seashell acts as a bridge which transports Miles to an Oyster Island adventure.
- On the island, Miles encounters a situation with a parallel theme to his real-world dilemma.
- Miles attempts to address a problem in a similar way to his real-world actions.
- Miles experiences an opposing idea or reaction allowing him to see and feel the consequences of his actions.
- Miles takes positive action in relation to the theme to resolve the problem.
- A ‘B’ story related to the theme, centering around one of the animals is intercut with Miles’ ‘A’ story. The ‘B’ story may resolve in a way slightly different from the main story, but also in support of the theme.
- A musical component is involved with the A or B storyline.
- By holding the shell back up to his ear, Miles takes his newfound knowledge back home with him to address the question or resolve the problem.