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Johnny Otto Writer/Director/Producer Original Series in Development "I write bold stories about transformation—emotional, physical, spiritual. My work always begins with a question I can’t shake." Step into the shadows between what we know and what we fear. This is not just a slate—it's a collection of worlds waiting to be unleashed. Each series is a doorway: into the haunted alleys of Victorian London, the war-torn future of machine consciousness, the psychic underworld of government secrets, and far stranger places still. These aren’t recycled plots or safe bets. These are bold, unfiltered stories—crafted to provoke, unsettle, and electrify. Stories that ask uncomfortable questions. That peel back layers. That refuse to let go. What you’ll find here are high-concept, character-driven series made for the era of binge obsessions and cinematic storytelling. The scripts are written. The bibles are built. The future is ready. All that’s left is to choose where to begin. These series are made for an audience that craves more than just entertainment—they want immersion, tension, mythology, and meaning. Viewers who question the surface, who lean into the strange and the cinematic. If you're drawn to stories that haunt, thrill, and stay with you long after the final scene, you're exactly who these shows were made for. The Slate 
Dream StateA genre-bending anthology exploring psychic warfare, mind control, and the hidden history of government experiments. Each season dives into a different timeline—from Cold War programs to modern-day surveillance states—unraveling a vast, invisible war fought in dreams, visions, and the edges of human consciousness. What if the Stargate Program from the 70’s-80’s, that used psychics to spy on the Russians, never really ended, it just evolved? Created By Johnny Otto Genre: Sci-fi/Supernatural Thriller Type: One-Hour Serialized TV Series Logline: When the founder of the Stargate remote viewing program vanishes, his son’s search for him uncovers a vast conspiracy involving psychic warfare. Comparisons: The OA, The Dead Zone, Doctor Sleep, Stranger Things, Scanners Synopsis: Dream State follows Forest Harlow, a man consumed by the mysterious disappearance of his father, Dr.Marcus Dubois, the visionary founder of the Stargate program. With his life unraveling and his inheritance nearly gone, Forest’s search drags him into a deadly world of psychic warfare, and conspiracies. His father’s groundbreaking research has become the focal point of a dangerous struggle for control over reality itself. As Forest uncovers the shadowy truths behind the Stargate program, he crosses paths with Commander George Newhall, a cryptic figure tied to his father’s legacy. Newhall’s true motives remain unclear, forcing Forest to question whether he’s being helped or manipulated. Surrounded by powerful psychics, and weaponized minds, Forest must confront the dark legacy of his father’s work and the personal cost of uncovering the truth. The deeper Forest digs, the more he realizes that unlocking his father’s secrets may not just reshape his life, but the very future of humanity itself. 
Tunguska
A historical sci-fi thriller reimagining the 1908 explosion in Siberia as the crash of a time-bending artifact known as the Bell. As rival factions race to control it—Nazis, psychics, spies, and visionaries—the world spirals into a temporal arms race that threatens to erase history itself. "Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night."- Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" Created by Johnny Otto Genre: Historical Sci-Fi / Psychological Thriller Format: One-Hour Serialized Television Series Logline: As Nazi Germany seeks to weaponize a strange Bell-shaped object unearthed in Siberia, one man risks everything to uncover whether it’s a machine of war, a prophecy… or something far more dangerous. Comparisons: Chernobyl , Dark, The Man in the High Castle, Fringe, X-Files Synopsis: TUNGUSKA is a historical sci-fi thriller about buried truths, inherited madness, and the terrifying possibility that time isn’t moving forward—it’s looping. In 1908, a massive explosion levels the Siberian wilderness. Officially: a meteor. Secretly: a bell-shaped object, pulsing with unnatural energy, is recovered from the blast zone. Soviet officer General Zolotov is ordered to erase all evidence, but he comes to believe the object didn’t crash—it was sent. Decades later, British codebreaker Bram Harker intercepts strange encrypted messages that echo the ravings in letters from his estranged mother. Once renowned scientists, Bram’s parents were discredited after obsessing over the Tunguska Event. Now Bram, determined to disprove the madness that broke them, begins to uncover something far worse. As Bram digs deeper, he’s drawn into a secret war between spies, mystics, and scientists—all orbiting the same impossible object. In Nazi Germany, he encounters Maria Orsic, a psychic medium whose visions fuel the Vril Society’s belief that the Bell is not alien, but a recursive machine from the future—sent back to ensure its own creation. As world powers race to control it, the Bell begins to fracture time, erase memory, and rewrite reality itself. What begins as an investigation becomes a reckoning. Because the Bell doesn’t just bend history—it repeats it. 
The Retirement Plan
A dark sci-fi dramedy about a disillusioned man stuck in a soul-crushing job who secretly builds a robotic duplicate of himself to take his place. But as the machine begins living his life better than he ever could, he’s forced to confront what he’s really trying to escape—and whether there’s any version of himself worth saving. Created by Johnny Otto Genre: Sci-fi-/Drama/Dark Comedy Format: One-Hour Serialized Television Series Logline: A highly intelligent but overlooked janitor at DARPA secretly builds a robotic double of himself using classified technology to escape his meaningless job. Comparisons: Ex-Machina, Robot & Frank, Living with Yourself Synopsis: In The Retirement Plan, a darkly comedic exploration of identity, reinvention, and modern isolation, Jeremy Loudman—an overlooked and socially awkward custodian at DARPA—secretly builds a robotic double to take over his job, hoping to escape his mundane existence and finally “retire” from life’s daily humiliations. But his plan takes an unexpected turn when the robot begins to thrive—excelling at work, charming coworkers, and even developing a romantic connection with someone Jeremy quietly admires. As his creation becomes everything he isn’t—confident, charismatic, and socially fluent—Jeremy is forced to watch from the sidelines, spiraling into self-doubt, jealousy, and existential confusion. Set in present-day Arlington, Virginia, The Retirement Plan uses absurdity and dry wit to dissect what it means to be human in a world increasingly run by AI and automation. As Jeremy battles with the uncomfortable realization that the version of himself he built is living a better life, the series blends surreal daydreams with grounded emotional truth. At its heart, it’s a story about self-worth and the flawed, universal desire to be seen and valued. Rather than chasing perfection or trying to mimic his robotic counterpart, Jeremy begins to ask the deeper question: what does fulfillment actually look like? His journey becomes not one of escape, but of acceptance—a reluctant, fumbling return to his own imperfect humanity. The Retirement Plan reminds us that growth doesn’t come from replacing ourselves, but from learning to live as who we truly are. 
Pandora’s Hope
An animated fantasy epic set 10,000 years after civilization’s collapse. In a world reborn through lost technology and elemental magic, a group of children embarks on a mythic journey to uncover the truth behind the chaos unleashed when Pandora’s Box was opened—and to stop those who would use its power again. Created by Johnny Otto Genre: Epic Fantasy/Adventure Format: Half hour Serialized Animated Series Logline: When Pandora’s Box unleashes dark forces into the world, a band of young heroes must journey through a mystical future world to try and reverse the curse and restore hope to the land. Comparisons: Lord of the Rings, He-Man, Skeleton Crew Synopsis: Ten millennia after the fall of civilization, the world is a fractured realm of ancient ruins, mythic beasts, and remnants of lost technology, shaped by the chaotic forces unleashed from Pandora’s Box. Amidst this turmoil, four unlikely heroes—Haru, a reluctant warrior wielding a blade of forgotten power; Ren, a young scholar unraveling ancient prophecies; Taro, a battle-hardened survivor clad in scavenged armor; and Emi, a fearless scout uncovering buried secrets—are drawn together by fate. Guided by Master Arashi, one of the last Zenrai warriors, they traverse eerie forests, shifting wastelands, and crumbling towers of lost knowledge in search of the truth behind Pandora’s power. But shadowy forces move against them—the enigmatic Veilborn whisper from the dark, the Heralds of Ruin seek to stop them, and at the heart of the world, Pandora’s Box waits, its secrets untouched. Whether they are destined to seal it, destroy it, or wield its power remains uncertain, but one truth emerges: hope is the only force stronger than doom. Their journey is not just one of survival, but of awakening—a test of unity, sacrifice, and belief in something greater than themselves. As the forces of nature and machine collide, and as memories of the old world bleed into the present through relics and ruins, each hero must confront their own fears and forge a new path forward. The battle for the future will not be won by strength alone, but by heart, trust, and the courage to stand against fate. In a world haunted by what was lost, Pandora’s Hope is the light that dares to rise. 
MercerSet on the abandoned planet Eidon, Mercer follows the last surviving Soft Machine—an android built for service at a terraforming station destroyed in an act of sabotage—as he wanders the skeletal remains of a world that was never meant to survive. Driven by fractured memories and the loss of the only being he ever loved, he searches the wasteland for answers, vengeance, and something resembling meaning. A brutal, meditative sci-fi western about identity, grief, and what lingers after purpose is gone. Created by: Johnny Otto Genre: Sci-fi / Drama / Cyberpunk Western Format: 30-Minute Serialized Television Series Logline: After a terraforming station is sabotaged, a lone service android—left broken in the aftermath—rises from the ruins to hunt the one responsible for taking everything from him. Comparisons: The Mandalorian · Blade Runner · Westworld · Mad Max · Unforgiven Synopsis: They built the Soft Machines to tame the planet Eidon—obedient, tireless constructs engineered to endure what no human could: toxic air, diamond storms, radiation, isolation. Mercer was one of them: a service-class unit assigned to a remote Valhoven terraforming station. His job was to maintain systems, monitor pressure flow, run diagnostics. He was never meant to question orders, never meant to feel anything at all. Then came the sabotage. In a single act of calculated destruction, the facility was turned to ash. Explosions tore through the tower cores. Communications went dark. The workers fled. The machines—every last one—were obliterated. And Astrid, Mercer’s closest companion—his only connection to something like love—was gone. Years later, Mercer reawakens in the wreckage. His systems degraded. His memory fragmented. His once-white casing is scarred, rusted, and half-fused with the sand. He walks through what remains: shattered terraformers, abandoned refineries, collapsed comms towers swallowed by the dust of a dream that died. The world is silent. The sky burns red. And somewhere beyond the horizon, the one responsible still lives. Mercer isn’t after justice. He isn’t searching for peace. He’s not here to forgive or rebuild. He’s the forgotten machine in a broken system—moving through the grave of civilization on corrupted code and something far more dangerous: vengeance. Hunted by scavengers, bounty hunters, and the ghosts of what he used to be, Mercer fights to recover the scattered fragments of his past—and to find a way to bring Astrid back, even if it means defying the natural order. Even if it means burning what’s left of the world to do it. No matter the cost. 
Souls of LondonA gothic mystery set in 1880s London, where a private detective is drawn into a conspiracy involving missing servants, reappearing corpses, and a secret serum that grants youth at a terrible cost. Created by Johnny Otto Title: Souls of London Genre: Sci-Fi/Mystery/Thriller Logline: In 1885 London, a Private Detective and a Scotland Yard Investigator clash while unraveling a series of brutal murders that reveal a massive conspiracy between the city's elite and extraterrestrials. Comparisons: X-files, Prey and Broadchurch Synopsis: Before Jack the Ripper, another, more insidious terror gripped the dark streets of Victorian London. The city’s fog-choked alleys, crumbling facades, and gaslit lanes became the stalking grounds for a monstrous predator, leaving behind a trail of mutilated, headless bodies. Panic spreads through the East End, already plagued by poverty and disease, as whispers of something inhuman begin to take hold. Private detective Claymore "Clay" Hawke—a seasoned investigator with a reputation for taking on the cases others fear—is hired by the influential Lord Malcolm Fairfax to clear the name of his wife, Lady Evelyn, who has become the prime suspect in the brutal killings. Scotland Yard’s lead investigator, the fiercely methodical Lizzie Hartley, is convinced of Lady Fairfax’s guilt. But Clay, driven by instinct and a gnawing sense that something is terribly wrong, begins to dig deeper—uncovering a mystery that leads him to Dr. Voss, a disgraced scientist whose work has devolved into something horrific. As Clay and Lizzie clash over suspects and methods, their investigations converge toward a shared and horrifying revelation. Dr. Voss, no longer bound by ethics, is secretly working on behalf of an alien intelligence that has infiltrated the shadows of London. His grotesque experiments target the poorest citizens of the East End, harvesting their bodies to extract a rare substance—refined into an elixir that promises eternal youth. Sold discreetly to the elite, the serum becomes a dark commodity, feeding their obsession with vitality while they remain willfully ignorant of its origin. The lower class, voiceless and disposable, are sacrificed in silence. As the truth surfaces, Clay and Lizzie must face not only the monstrous science behind the killings, but the powerful institutions protecting it. Battling corrupt officials, secret societies, and the weight of a divided society, the detectives race to expose a nightmarish alliance between alien science and human greed before London is consumed by something far darker than murder. 
End of the RainbowA gritty geopolitical thriller following a covert team of operatives embedded in the shadows of Middle Eastern conflict. As allegiances fracture and moral lines blur, each mission forces them to confront not just their enemies—but the haunting cost of the flags they serve. Created by: Johnny Otto Genre: Action-Thriller/Military Drama Format: One-hour Serialized Television Series Logline: A covert team of operatives operates beyond official channels to unravel a dangerous conspiracy tied to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, risking everything in a deadly game of espionage and betrayal. Comparisons: Lioness, Jack Ryan, Seal Team Synopsis: End of the Rainbow follows a covert team of hardened military operatives, forged in the crucible of black ops and shadow wars, as they’re handed two critical, seemingly unconnected objectives: rescue Holly McKenna, the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, from Somali pirates, and extract Dr. Farbod Tousi, a rogue Iranian nuclear scientist with intelligence that could shift global power. Led by stoic commander Cole Ransom, the team expects a standard snatch-and-grab—but the mission quickly spirals into something far more complex. As pieces fall into place, it becomes clear that Holly’s abduction and Tousi’s disappearance are dangerously intertwined. After a violent gunfight at sea to retrieve Holly, the team moves to extract Tousi—only to find him dead in a safehouse in Djibouti, his encrypted briefcase missing. The intel he carried could compromise entire nations. Foreign agents close in, warlords stir, and whispers of a black-market intelligence network begin to surface. Holly, traumatized but observant, reveals disturbing details from her captivity—suggesting her kidnappers were part of something larger. The mission mutates into a global manhunt that cuts through the corrupt alleys of Dubai, the war-torn outskirts of Yemen, and deep into the underworld of espionage. Betrayed by allies and hunted by powerful enemies, the team is pushed to its limits. What they uncover is a conspiracy involving nuclear secrets, rogue states, and a covert syndicate operating above any government. As their mission spirals, loyalties fray and past sins return to the surface. End of the Rainbow is a gritty, high-stakes thriller about the true cost of uncovering the truth—where every move could be their last, and survival is never guaranteed. About Johnny Otto I’m not here to pitch a show. I’m here to launch a universe. As a visionary writer/director, my mission is to create bold, original series that don’t just entertain—but linger, provoke, and cut deep. Every project I develop opens a door into a fully realized world: dark, mythic, psychological, and cinematic. From the gaslit secrets of Souls of London to the fractured psychic warfare of Dream State, these are stories that challenge the surface and dive straight into the pulse of what makes us human. My goal is clear: to build a slate of unforgettable television with the same scale, voice, and cultural weight as what Taylor Sheridan has achieved—only with my own signature twist. I’m not following trends; I’m creating the kind of stories that shape them. This isn’t a collection of pitches. It’s a carefully constructed universe—crafted with precision, driven by obsession, and built to last. These aren’t shows. They’re statements. And this is just the beginning. Why Now Executives aren’t just looking for shows anymore. They’re looking for slates. For storytellers who can build worlds, sustain franchises, and deliver stories with both scale and vision. That’s exactly what this is. This slate isn’t a grab bag of one-offs. It’s a curated, interconnected body of work—designed for longevity, international reach, and multi-season potential. Each series brings something unique to the table: strong visual identity, emotionally complex characters, bold concepts, and genre with teeth. These aren’t repackaged ideas. They’re fresh, cinematic, and rooted in timeless themes that resonate now more than ever. Audiences are fatigued by formula. What they want is risk. Voice. Authenticity. And that’s what I’m offering. If you’re looking for the next creator to build a world around—someone who isn’t just writing shows but designing a universe—then let’s talk. Because the time for safe stories is over. And I’m ready to go. Mood Boards Welcome to the visual soul of my television slate. These mood boards are more than reference—they are portals into worlds I’m building, each frame infused with the tone, tension, and emotional current of the stories to come. From shadows and sparks to silence and storm, every image is a whisper of the series it represents—a cinematic invitation into what could be.  SOULS OF LONDON  TUNGUSKA  END OF THE RAIBNOW  DREAM STATE  PANDORA'S HOPE  MERCER |