Pig Heaven

Treatment
Pig Heaven
WGA Registration Number : 1098955
Alternative Titles: Hog Heaven & Hog Wild!
Big House Digital
written by
Mary K. Morse
Jamie Sides

Have you ever longed to escape the commotion of the city and retreat to the country? While most people only dream of this rural ideal, the Jones family is risking everything to make it a reality.
Pig Heaven documents the adventures and misadventures of the Jones", who, having left behind their charmed, cosmopolitan lifestyle in England, is in the process of setting up a free-range pig farm in rural central Virginia.

Bill, the “FARMER,” is a surly Brit, who despite his confident facade, has no idea what he is getting into.“It’s like those old movies," he explains, "you know, the kind where someone is driving down a steep mountain and suddenly the brakes go out. You just close your eyes and hope for the best.”

Kimberly, the “FARMER’S" wife, is a privileged American, who, never even having owned a pet, admits that she is "completely out of [her] element."

Neither has spent an extended period of time out of the city, let alone on a farm, and their careers as an IT consultant and Art Historian respectively, have left them ill-prepared for the new venture.

The family has purchased eighty acres of fallow agricultural land in Dillwyn, Virginia. Along with setting up the farm, the family plans to build a custom-built timber frame home. The farm presents a financial risk. The prospect of losing all of the money they have worked so hard for over the years is daunting. If the business goes belly-up, they are left with nothing.

Why then is the Jones family embarking on this adventure?

Bill is fed up with the rat race and wants more time to spend at home with his family. Kimberly, who has for the most part raised the children, wants to share the responsibility with her husband.

But why pigs???

As crazy as the whole idea sounds, the Jones" believe they are on to something big. In England, free-range, organic pork has become all the rage. Recently some farmers there have begun rearing rare breeds, such as the Tamworth pig, in the woods, where they forage for food. A natural diet, combined with a copious amount of exercise, results in pork that is lean, tender and flavorful. They believe this will appeal to gourmet consumers and restaurants, as well as to the health conscious, and that it is just a matter of time before this trend crosses the Atlantic.

Pig Heaven is a true reality program in that it is not contrived. The Jones family will proceed whether or not it is filmed. Because Pig Heaven is a work in progress, it is difficult to outline precisely how the documentary will unfold. However, the following is an outline of potential episodes:

“They’re Here!”
Meet Bill, Kimberly and the children. See what they"ve left behind in England. Previously recorded interviews show just how little they know about what they are getting into. Visit the farm. See how very different life in Dillwyn, VA is compared to what they are used to. Then witness the arrival of the pigs. See the Jones" lives begin to turn upside down as the pigs take over all aspects of their lives. There"s no going back now.

“Love is in the Air”
This show will cover the "ins and outs" of breeding free-range, pedigree Tamworth pigs. The Jones children will learn the facts of life quickly growing up on a pig farm. Success is riding on the the boars" ability to perform. Can they "do it"?

“The Patter of Tiny Trotters”
In this episode the piglets will be born! Like any birth, we will see the challenges that this brings. See Bill stay up all night in order to keep the sow from unintentionally drowning her offspring in the creek. He may be handy with a computer, but is he any good with a scalpal? Listen to Bill recount the trama of castrating ten week old piglets.

“Bringing Home the Bacon”
As if simply rearing pigs wasn"t hard enough, the Jones" plan to process the meat themselves. The first attempts at creating sausages (including stuffing casings) and smoking and curing bacon will be shown. Will they be able to stomach this kind of work? Food connoisseurs will enjoy this program because here Bill and Kimberly also begin to play around with recipes.

“This Little Piggy went to Market”
Here we see the pigs marketed and sold to the public. Will restaurants buy the idea of free- range pork raised in the wild? Will consumers be willing to part with their pennies after sampling the product at farmers" markets? Will their investment in pork bellies pay off? Tune in to see if they can move their product.

Follow-up Episode
We will check up on the family to assess their progress. Can Bill and Kimberly"s marriage survive with Bill sleeping with the pigs? Will Kimberly ever adapt to farm life in her Prada shoes and Dolce and Gabana outfits? Has the company managed to stay afloat? More importantly, see if the family has been able to strike a balance between having both the financial success and the quality of life they seek. Has it all been worth it? Have they managed to make Pig Heaven a reality?

Pig Heaven is sure to appeal to a vast audience with a variety of interests. Some viewers will watch the program to laugh at the family’s mishaps. Others will tune in out of sheer curiosity to see whether or not the business succeeds. There will also be those that will watch the documentary for escapism. The serenity and pastoral nature of the countryside will appeal to city slickers who long for a quieter life. Even those who thrive on city life will enjoy Pig Heaven, for its appeal is universal in that it addresses an underlying dissatisfaction with life in the twenty-first century. There are those among us who feel that life is passing us by and that we are missing out on the things in life that matter most. Pig Heaven aims to remind us of the importance of family, the art of ingenuity, seizing the moment, and that the pillars of success are based on a foundation of ... PIGS???

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