(OPENING CREDITS roll over footage of the band playing a blistering live version of Highway Star. It's important to see how happy they all are and how crazy the crowd is going.)

THE DEEP PURPLE STORY

EPISODE ONE

Starring
Anthony Hopkins as Jon
David Jason as Ian
Sean Connery as Big Ian
Tony "Baldrick" Robinson as Roger
Keanu Reeves as Steve
and Alan Rickman as "The Villain In Black"

Written, directed, and produced by David Meadows

SCENE ONE

(The back of a moving tour bus, later that same night. The guys sit around in stony silence, all the on-stage smiles have gone. Highway Star (faded) is still playing as the background music.)

JON: Guys, I'm quitting.

IAN: Whaaaa...? You plonker, Jon!

STEVE: Dude! No Way!

BIG IAN: Damn your eyes, Jon Lord!

ROGER: Hey take it easy guys. Jon, man, tell us what's wrong.

JON: I don't know... but...

(CLOSE UP on Jon)

JON: ...Lately I've had oppressive feelings of impending doom...

SCENE TWO

(CUT TO a dark room, close-up on a flickering candle. The camera pans round, showing more candles. Pan over a box with several small dolls in it. They are labelled "ROD", "NICK", "DAVID", etc, and some have pins sticking in them. The background music is now very creepy, kind of like slow mournful cello music (but probably a guitar playing the "Fools" solo). The camera slowly reveals a figure sitting on the floor among the candles. It's... THE VILLAIN IN BLACK (TVIB). He holds a tiny model of a Hammond Organ in one hand and a large pin in the other.)

TVIB (whispering softly): Oh yes I will now have my revenge. You will feel my hand at the end, just as you did at the beginning...

(The picture breaks up in a flashy swirly scene cut to - )

SCENE THREE

It's bright day, a busy London street 1968. We hear happy, up-beat 60s pop music in the background. Establishing shots show Big Ben and red double decker buses (that's the only way that Americans know you're in London). Crowd shots show happy, carefree London teenagers. Little do they realise what dark forces are about to enter their lives...)

To be continued...

Episode 2
Contents