Donor
Donor is a tense black comedy noir set in an isolated country hardware store in a shadowy 80’s Ireland. Dee, the overly protective store manager, is desperate to get pregnant to please Dennis, her depressed security man boyfriend, motivated by a traumatic breakup in her past. However, when she discovers, despite Dennis' young age, that he is completely infertile, she secretly advertises for a black-market sperm donor, aided by their cunning shelf stacker Pam. This opens a dark and seedy underworld full of oddballs, charlatans and losers which ultimately becomes a threat to Dennis’ life.
Dee - The hardware store manager
Dee is the overprotective hardware store manager and the story's main protagonist. She is in her mid 20’s and has a bit of a punk style to her clothing, a remnant from her youth.
She believes it is ok to say the odd white lie in order to protect people from the truth if it causes them harm. However this current belief has given her many problems to deal with. Her mollycoddling of her boyfriend Dennis has contributed to his depression, she tries her best to omit from his life the one thing he feels it needs, hardship. Dee is reluctant to give out to Pam the shelf stacker which Pam then takes full advantage of by being constantly late to work and unwillingly to do her job when she eventually arrives.
Dennis - Dee’s boyfriend and the hardware store security man
Dennis is the security man for the hardware store and main antagonist to Dee’s plan. He is in his early thirties and has a punkish flare to what he wears with black music tank tops and studded bracelets.
He provides the story with the stakes. Dee is head of heels in love with him and if he discovers her plan she could lose him. Dennis desperately wants a child as he feels the hardship of parenting will rid him of his depression. Dee’s greatest fear is that he discovers the results from their fertility test, that he is completely infertile and may not be able to cope.
Pam - The hardware store shelf stacker
Pam is the store shelf stacker and acts as Dee’s mentor. Unlike Dee and Dennis, Pam is dressed older than her years, she is in early 20’s and wears business suits with shoulder pads and large framed specs.
She provides Dee with the necessary knowledge and encouragement needed to achieve her plan in finding a black market sperm donor. Pam takes advantage of Dee’s good nature to do as she pleases at work.
Will and James - The blackmarket sperm donors
Will and James are the two sperm donor’s and are both allies to Dee’s plan and also antagonists for her need for secrecy. They are both unsavoury characters in both appearance and intent and they represent the immoral aspect of Dee’s plan of tricking her boyfriend.
Will is horribly obese and unhealthy looking, dressed in a matching green tracksuit. In sharp contrast to the rest of him lies a big Elvis like quiff, which has been perfectly positioned and greased into place.
James is in his mid thirties and dresses like a mixture between a cowboy and a homeless man with a large dirty looking cowboy hat, and old denim jeans and a jacket. The only thing he is missing are the cowboy boots and in fact he arrives barefoot.
Genre: Black comedy in noir style similar to Fargo
Main characters: The overprotective Dee - the hardware store manager, Dennis - Dee’s depressed security man boyfriend and Pam - the scheming shelf stacker
Format: Drama series Content: 1 Season x 4 Episodes (25min each)
Theme: Is it ok to lie and cheat for a good cause?
Goal: Dee desperately wants to get pregnant to please Dennis.
The stakes: Dennis is besotted by Dennis and doesn't want to lose him after a traumatic breakup with a previous boyfriend.
Inciting incident: Dee receives test results and discovers Dennis is infertile.
Plan: Dee decides not to tell Dennis and due to her poor financial situation she feels the best solution is to find a black market sperm donor.
Ticking clock: The store owner Fintan has found the shop has a shoplifting problem. Dee must sort this out before the end of the month otherwise they will be made redundant. This leaves her trapped in the store to carry out her plan. Dennis is installing security cameras which will make things even m