The story of Ricallen isn’t new. It’s as old as time. As old as friendship…
Two men, both alike in achievement, resting high in the firmament of the sports universe, seeking to conquer life’s next great challenge. One, worthy of their camaraderie. Daniel Ricciardo and Josh Allen have surely established such a bond, and they’re about to take it to the next level by going all-in on an epic collab.
No, not a soccer team or a ferry. That’s for the hacks. Think faster. Think more irresponsible. Think hilarious. Think Ricallen. And Beats is there, all the while, to supply the soundtrack.
- VP
TONE
What if Joel Coen directed an episode of “Welcome to Wrexham”? For starters, there would be one camera. Maybe two. But definitely not five. The stakes would feel higher than they really are because of the gravitas of the filmmaking. For the sake of argument, No Country For Old Men could have been resolved if Josh Brolin just gave the $10,000 back that he stole from Javier Bardem. More apropos, The Big Lebowski was 10x funnier because it took an absurd situation and heightened it, creating unforgettable characters that will live on forever in the cultural lexicon.
That is the foundation of this story. Character is plot and we’ve got a whole lot of that in Daniel and Josh. Their iconic friendship not only drives the narrative, it propels the comedy. While they may be known for their various competitive accomplishments, neither are particularly known for being funny, which means we also have the element of surprise in our corner.
As the Sport of Kings, horse racing is classic Americana. With a culture associating masculinity and fraternity with taming horses and the open West, Ricallen is as classic as scotch and cigars. How do you think Macallan came to be? I don’t know but it’s probably similar.
Yes, Ricallen is a portmanteau of two serious athletes who become decidedly unserious when paired together. And dedicate so much energy to this absurd joint effort. It’s just crazy enough to be funny. To put it in the words of our whimsical narrator: “what could possibly go right?”
THE COMEDY
Like any hero’s journey, our arc is not measured by winning, but in all that we accomplish along the way. That’s a really nice way of saying these two have absolutely no chance of winning horse races with Ricallen. Nor do they have a clue, but bringing their blossoming friendship to full bloom is a satisfying reason to watch.
That’s not to say they won’t experience some actual wins. They do in fact buy a real life horse within the first few pages, after all. But even that process isn’t a straight line. These two are falling upward, which makes for a hilarious comedy of errors, while our supporting cast of esoteric characters nurture the calamity, filling out our vibrant bouquet of this microcosm. Not dissimilar to how an improv troupe operates, each cast member may play their own “game,” but they all use their umami to prop one another up. This balance is seminal, even when a character has a scene stealing moment, their unflappable dedication to the logline is what keeps this crazy train on the rails.
PILOT OVERVIEW
Speaking of logline…
LOGLINE: Two celebrity besties who have absolutely no business buying a horse buy a horse.
ACT ONE
Amidst his unique recovery routine at home spa in Buffalo, NFL QB JOSH ALLEN receives a FaceTime call from soulmate good friend, F1 Racer DANIEL RICCIARDO. Daniel is looking to level up their celebrity friendship with a vanity purchase. Josh agrees. After musing that their common interests include “going fast” and “the smell of manure,” the all-too-unlikely notion of buying a horse percolates. Josh and Daniel are both onboard. Instantly.
ACT TWO
A WHIMSICAL NARRATOR contextualizes the journey of Josh and Daniel throughout. The friends meet at Los Angeles Stable to judge horseflesh with SOPHIE, their beleaguered Assistant. HAPPY SQUATPUMP, CPA counsels them via FaceTime…against buying a horse. Ignoring his advice, Josh and Daniel press on.
Dejected, we hear the accountant lose his shit in a most outrageous fashion.
Back at the stables, Daniel and Josh are enamored with every horse they see. They meet a Clydesdale, a galloping show horse not fit for racing. A BREEDER approaches, not recognizing Josh and Daniel. Much to their chagrin. He shows off the “buyin’ horses” in the back stables. In glorious backlight, they see a gorgeous stallion named Megan (no relation). Her pedigree is flawless. Her price is $5mil. Josh and Daniel balk.
The Breeder speedwalks them through the more cost-effective horses in the stable, landing on a reasonably priced horse with a good disposition. He doesn’t even have a name. The Breeder converses with the Horse, who agrees to their purchase. Sophie threatens to resign, but Josh and Daniel are undaunted, won over by Breeder’s ability to speak equine. When the Breeder notes his one check policy, he asks who is writing the check, “Rick? Allen?” Like Dewey Cox’s moment of inspiration in WALK HARD, Josh and Daniel are compelled to dub the horse: Ricallen.
And thus, the legend of Ricallen was born.
ACT THREE
A training montage prepares us for the First Race. Amid music pumping out on a Beats Pill, Josh and Daniel bathe Ricallen, playfully. Daniel puts a Ricallen HQ sign on their barn.
Josh scrapes manure off his shoes. Sophie reviews expenses with Happy the Accountant, who is now in a sling. The Breeder converses with Ricallen. Josh and Daniel micromanage the Jockey. Josh and Daniel have Ricallen autograph posters with his horseshoe for merch.
The guys dismiss the slovenly Jockey for weighing too much. Josh reveals a custom jockey silk with a matching Studio Pros. The montage ends with the Whimsical Narrator telling us Josh and Daniel need to rest up for the first race, tomorrow.
The guys sleep over in the stable with Ricallen. Over a six pack, Josh and Daniel toast the “best idea they’ve ever had.” Before falling asleep, they wonder what Ricallen is dreaming of.
As they doze off, Ricallen speaks to camera in a voice we recognize. Ricallen IS our Whimsical Narrator. And the breeder is there to demonstrate that he was not insane by declaring he talks to the horses.
Then, we see a dream sequence of Josh and Daniel riding Ricallen, oiled up and bare chested.
There’s a post-credit tag with the Breeder singing “Midnight Special” to his horse friends after dark, because it’s a great button and because we all really wanna shoot that.
DIRECTING OUR TALENT
Acting chops that beget a memorable performance are not always inherent, especially from a pair of superstar athletes. I treat this discipline almost as a science. Just as every player has a different skill set, every player is a different kind of actor, and each requires varying levels of support. More often than not, an athlete will surprise you with their willingness to perform on camera – so many of them grew up the star of their own social media. I view it as my job to nurture that fearlessness by creating an environment conducive to improvisation.
The goal is to get them feeling comfortable, come in with a really dialed plan, then sprinkling in nuggets that give them room to play and help make it feel like their own. In success, this opens up a sense of autonomy that allows them to really bring it – and when they do, it’s profound. Side note, one of the first things a director learns is that traditional actors hate when you give them line readings. I’ve found that athletes love it. They will deliver it exactly as you asked. It’s no surprise that they’re incredibly coachable.
Sometimes athletes can read a little unenthusiastic if they’re not in their comfort zone. This obviously works counter to the upbeat, positive tone of our film. So we will elicit bigger, better performances by getting them revved up before every take. I am always honored and thrilled to be that hype man.
Furthermore, athletes like Daniel and Josh generally need to be challenged and encouraged. Not just by me but by one another. A funny thing happens when you get two stars of his caliber together. They start as something of a support system for one another and then quickly become somewhat competitive. This is insanely valuable because – when honed – it can become an unapologetically authentic performance.
Also seminal to our success is leaning into their unique individualities. This means finding those idiosyncratic moments like a well-timed blink from Josh upon realizing Daniel is referring to his powerful thighs, and not the horse’s. Or a little improv while the two talk over one another to capture their overwhelming excitement.
THE LOOK
We are exercising a discernible dose of creative latitude as we approach the hybrid nature of this piece. The filmmaking is stylized, verité in design but heightened to enhance the visual narrative. Similar to how we accomplished this roadtrip piece with the cast of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, while there is an element of docu, our story unfurls cinematically rather than is simply told linearly. It’s not out of place to find a beautifully lit silhouette shot of the guys walking out of a stable in slow mo in our show. Or a dream sequence for that matter. The camera has access to places it wouldn’t ordinarily in a docu-series. This is all loopable with the overall construct and ties intrinsically to the conceit of our whimsical narrator, adding an element of playfulness felt from the first frame.
We aspire to the elevated, cinematic documentary rather than a glossy, commercial documentary. The look should match that artful, HBO or Oscar-nominated doc style and not anything involving the Vanderpumps. Even when it’s done for comedic purposes, the cinematic quality visuals of “7 Days In Hell” or Best In Show shine through.
It’s not the traditional multi-camera, spray down coverage audiences associate with unscripted television. It’s more precise and deliberate, closer to what Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie did on “The Curse”. Instead of following the action with a bevy of cameras and finding the story in post, we know the story in advance, framing to capture the golden moment. That’s what I meant by the Coen Brothers directing Wrexham earlier. The best perspective for telling the story is the only perspective.
CASTING
Josh and Daniel are electric together. Their irreverent bond is the beating heart of this series. But it’s no secret that they are not actors and will likely come in hot from their respective training regimens, which may or may not include getting slapped with olive branches.
So we’re going to surround them with a crack team of comedic actors. Every actor sharing the screen with them will be able to carry a scene on their own. By doing this, we provide our stars with a support team to serve up the jokes so Josh and Daniel can spike the punchlines. Allowing Josh and Daniel to focus on being themselves rather than performing will unlock the freewheeling humor we’re looking to bottle.
And so, tapping into Beats’ extensive network of brand ambassadors, we can populate Ricallen’s world with stunt casting. For the Whimsical Narrator, who we learn is actually Ricallen himself, the dream would be to call upon the legendary Sam Elliot (he’s a Beats influencer, right?) The point is, someone with gravitas to weave this stupefying tale, counterpoint to Josh and Daniel’s exuberant bro bonding. A voice that embodies rugged masculinity. The ancient bond between man and horse. Let’s be ambitious. Harrison Ford. Morgan Freeman. The bigger the name, the harder the laugh when we reveal that the voice is actually our heroic horse.
For the Accountant, I’m thinking of someone unhinged like Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman, Paul F. Tompkins, or Rob Delaney. Their patience is tested easily but they’re too insecure to fire Josh and Daniel for buying a horse so they end up taking it out on their accounting accolades.
Sophie the Assistant is an anchor character, offering the common sense everyone else on screen seems to lack. Kate Berlant. Phoebe Robinson. Imagine if Awkwafina had played Janine in Ghostbusters? She’s a welcome dose of reality and an audience surrogate, not to mention a welcomed dry wit to the brazenness. She wishes her bosses wouldn’t tread the path of most resistance, but once they’ve chosen it, she does everything she can to pave the way toward success. She’s an antidote to the bromantic chemistry on display.
And then, there’s the Breeder. A man of mystery. A cross between Buscemi and Chris Cooper’s horse trainer in SEABISCUIT. The Breeder is no ordinary horse whisperer. He is to horses what Aquaman is to fish…minus all the other super powers. In a world of odd, nothing is stranger than the Breeder. That includes Ricallen serving as our Whimsical Narrator. I wonder if John Waters is available.
Even the supporting characters will be thoughtfully cast, sprinkling in funny people from LA’s improv circuit. The Spa Tech, who are all business as they flog an All-Pro QB with olive branches. The Jockey could be played against type as a hallmark of alcoholism. Think Jon Gabrus or Jacob Wysocki. His lifestyle does not align with being tiny and riding horses. To flesh out the jockey further, I love the idea that he speaks zero English. In fact, his language is incomprehensible to us without subtitles. It’s somewhere between Farmer Fran in WATERBOY and Jodie Foster in NELL. The language could be indecipherable, or it could be Esperanto.
BEATS / PRODUCT INTEGRATION
Beats are an easy product to integrate in every scene because they are a natural part of everyday life, as is a pumping soundtrack. Especially for top-flight athletes, purveyors of Beats since Day 1. Where there is music, Beats can be found. Whether it’s earbuds, headphones, pills, or speakers, Beats are organically woven into each scene without needing to be gratuitously featured.
It’s also a chance to show off the sound diegetically. We can hear it playing on screen, the way the characters do. Not only does it show off the product’s crystal clear audio, like all good sound design, it heightens the experiential comedy.
MUSIC
Music is the best way to showcase the quality of Beats. Beats has made deep in-roads with the music world through Apple. I know we have to exercise some restraint as it relates to licensing, but I can’t help but be greedy as it relates to pushing Beats’ licensing capabilities.
Wherever we net out here, an eclectic blend of tracks sets the tone for the show with musical cues. Our tracklist should play like the greatest personalized Apple Music station ever heard. Each genre is a golden opportunity to show off spatial audio and different aspects of Beats’ superior sound.
The music is a way to establish command of the narrative and tone. None of these songs may make sense written on a playlist, but once you see them in the context of the story we’re telling, you’ll never hear them again without thinking of Ricallen.
THANK YOU, PARTNERS
As I ride off into the sunset, I look back on this incredible journey we’ve been on together. And ahead to our bright future making something that feels so loved.
Goodness, it’s bright.
Wish I had brought my hat.
-VP
Patrick McConville 