Henry Deacon's new show

With Eureka shutdown by the DOD, key citizens fly to D.C. for job interviews with various agencies. One after another we see often unusual and sometimes comical discussions of different job possibilities peppered with a healthy dose of Eureka flashbacks - a sentimental homage, befitting a beloved series gone too soon.

But when it is Henry's turn, we only see/hear his reactions and questions (not the interviewer's), so we don't have any idea what he is being offered.

When the dust settles, the other characters go on their way, as we follow Henry Deacon on his new challenge, "What's the Big Idea?" Think Eureka meets The West Wing meets Big Brother (without the weekly elimination) meets a non-partisan Think Tank.

Unbeknownst to the general population, the govts of the world have collected the wisest of the wise *philosophers* into a single place where they can hide in plain sight - free from the politics and bureaucracy that comes with running a country. A secret think tank where no one would think to look - Las Vegas.

Each participant maintains a home and identity on the grid (occasional part time hourly, never salaried work), among the population, but the bulk of their time and energy is spent in the underground luxury bunker where they ponder not the mysteries of the universe, not the next great scientific advance or gizmo, but instead, they seek answers to the same question over and over... "What's the Big Idea?" (WBI)

No subject is off limits - capitalism, education, abortion, same sex marriage, assisted suicide, human rights, big govt vs big corporations, prisons, peace in the <take your pick of regions>, politics vs policy, campaigning vs governing, "The Next 10 Amendments"... any and all commonplace, actual real world dilemmas that perplex the industrialized nations of the world. All of which have remain unresolved, some for generations. While each episode focuses on a single subject, in fact, it is believed by some in the group that similar to the grand unified theory of the physics world, there exists a grand unified theory of humanity.. underlying piece(s) of the puzzle missing that if adopted correctly, takes us all to a new place.

Henry becomes the new leader of the group, replacing the recently departed patriarch and originator. His job? Simple - marshal the oft temperamental but always wise group of super geniuses to identify, create or discover big ideas that can catapult mankind into a new renaissance. Humanity 2.0, so to speak. If possible.

A Eureka of philosophers, where thought experiments challenge and tease the mind and play out with a second cast of reusable characters before our eyes. A tour de force showcasing the glories of intellectual rigger and disciplined debate addressing seemingly unsolvable problems in a manner educated people wish TV, cable and radio talking heads did daily in and for their country.

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WBI's website builds a community of viewers who long for intellectual stimulation the show's characters have in each episode. Everyone is invited to chime in on the content seen in the show, and beyond. Each week when Henry announces to his group the subject for the Round Table, audience subscribers receive the exact same materials. Paid membership (price TBD) is available to audience members to participate in online Round Table sessions (after each episode airs).

Via social networks and the WBI mobile app the show's original brand of wisdom accompanied by surveys, quizes and challenges keep WBIers on their toes.

Via the website educational materials for people of all ages, inside and outside the classroom will be available - some for free, some for a price.

Local WBI chapters meet before, during and after each episode to enjoy the show and partake in unscripted think tank sessions, as the show's characters do. Monthly dues TBD.

Regional and National conferences keep the audience active, even between TV seasons.

Now, imagine being the only one in the industry able to pitch such a ubiquitous ad package to advertisers. Advertise to who? Mostly smart people. Which is code for what? Mostly people with a lot of disposable income.

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It's not a sitcom or a game show or a whodunit or a crime drama or an unscripted drama. No bar or coffee shop. No 30-somethings pretending to be 20-somethings. No laugh track, car chases or biologicals. No bar hopping delinquents hunting DTFs. No spinning chairs or tribal councils or bickering uninspired ninnies faking intelligence between commercials breaks. And it certainly won't have any expensive eye candy special effects. "What's the Big Idea" will hook the audience with principles they've never heard, proposals they've never pondered and possibilities that excite them. WBI will force the audience to think, not demand they stop.

And our beloved Henry Deacon leads his group and the audience on the never before available roller coaster of the mind.

Wanna take a ride? :-)

@DanFarfan