JULY 23, 2006
LOTTO FEVER
by Dan Truly
Hey, folks, this is Dan Truly, the writer of "Lotto Fever" and the winner of my very own jackpot: getting to create an episode of The Dead Zone.
It was terrific gig from start to finish. I had come in to pitch some episode ideas and this one, "Lotto Fever," just seemed to light up the room from the get-go. Basically, I wanted to do two things with it: to create a loveable loser-type character who seemed to be driving the story by kidnapping Johnny (but of course wasn't), and also to do an "After Hours"-like spin through Cleaves Mills, showing us the late-night underbelly of gambling dens, mob thugs, etc., the things that might go on in a little town while all the good citizens were asleep.
As is true for any freelancer, there are a million facts and textures and character aspects you can't know without being in the Writers' Room day in and day out, so it took a while to beat the outline into shape. Probably went through a dozen versions over all.
One had Johnny suffering from a hellacious cold and doped up on cold medicine throughout the episode. Another had him and Boyd accidentally robbing a pharmacy (don't ask). But apart from the story beats, what was most important was fleshing out who Boyd was, how he'd won then lost his fortune and, most importantly, finding the heart of the episode, how Johnny could help Boyd to see what he'd really lost -- something much more valuable than any lottery jackpot -- his family.
The credit for finding that goes to executive producer Tommy Thompson, someone I've known for a hellish eternity, er, I mean, many glorious years. Tommy and I worked together on "The Pretender" and have always shared a love for down-and-out characters; guys who are trying hard but always seem to be their own worst enemy.
Although I gave Boyd some amusing quirks and funny things to say, it was Tommy who really helped pull the emotion out of Boyd's situation and make his plight both dangerous and kind of heartbreaking.
Then, halfway through the shoot, I got a call from Anthony Michael Hall who very graciously complimented me on what I'd done with both Boyd's and Johnny's characters and thanked me for the script. What more can you ask for, right?
Looking back, writing an episode of The Dead Zone must have been my destiny.
- I've always loved the book
- I've been watching the show for years
- I got to work with Tommy Thompson again, as well as with consulting producer Juan Carlos Coto (another alum from "The Pretender" and quite possibly the only poker player on Earth worse than me)
- Since writing "Lotto Fever," I got a job working on my new show, "Blade: The Series," only to find that -- lo and behold! -- I was now writing alongside Dead Zone staff writer Adam Targum
- It turns out a lot of the Vancouver-based crew for Dead Zone became the Blade crew; not to mention the director of "Lotto Fever," Michael Robison, ended up directing my first Blade episode which also guest-starred the amazing actor Bill Mondy a.k.a. Deputy Roscoe!
So I guess now the only thing left is for the beautiful Nicole DeBoer to realize she's in love with a goofy, balding TV writer and my destiny will be complete! (I kid, I kid).
Seriously, hope you enjoyed "Lotto Fever" and keep watching The Dead Zone!
Dan Truly
Writer
