Adult Animated Dog Series

Maxwell’s Stolen Journal

“If dogs ruled Hollywood…”

The Pitch

“Fame will chew you up like a squeaky toy, then steal your favorite shoes.” — Maxwell

Logline — In a world where dogs rule Hollywood, a streetwise Beagle blackmails a dignified Great Pyrenees to turn his stolen journal into a hit animated series — one humiliating episode at a time. 

Comps — “The Studio” x “Marley & Me”

Format — Half-Hour Adult Animated Series

Settings — Hollywood locales and a country manor in England.

Tone & Style — Canine satire with emotional undertones. American-British cultural clashes between the stuffy, old Maxwell and the cunning, blackmailing E.P. Percival.

A running gag is a squeaky toy the blackmailer squeaks to keep his blackmailed victim in line. 

Set in a vintage-inspired vibe with gray, black and white pen-and-ink images with red accents.

Meet the Cast

  • Maxwell

    PRIVILEGED POUCH

    A noble Great Pyrenees lives a blissful life in England at Wagamore Knolls. But don’t be fooled by his lofty position and stuffy ways. As a writer, he’s prone to meltdowns.

  • E.P. Percival

    PRODUCER / BLACKMAILER

    An American Beagle poses as an Executive Producer (but he’s really a P.A. intern). In a rush to make his name known, blackmail is a fast way to the top.

  • Champagne

    STARLET

    A Poodle ready to canoodle. Follows spotlights to stalk stars. Shines in Sir Woofington’s eyes. Will he make her a star? Or will she be E.P Percival’s spy?

  • Lorenzo

    BUSINESS MANAGER

    A quiet Chihuahua who never howls-a. Few understand the accent in his bark-a. Snoops into every dog’s business-a.

  • Greyson Yale

    DIRECTOR

    An artsy Greyhound. Claims he mentored Meryl Streep. Insists on being called by his full name. Craves caviar.

  • Mixed-Breeds

    SUPPORTIVE ARTISTS

    Stunt dogs, stand-ins and backgrounders. Work at scale for biscuits. Overtime for belly rubs.

Story Summary

In Brief: When Maxwell’s personal journal is stolen by a pack of dogs, the pages are ripped out and fly through the sky from England all the way to Hollywood. The streetwise E.P. Percival — an intern posing as a producer — reads them and vows to turn the shocking journal confessions into the next hit series — and make Maxwell the star. But the dignified Maxwell refuses. That’s when the faux- producer resorts to blackmail , leaving Maxwell little choice but to pack his bags and head for the spotlights — and unwanted fame.

I.The Stolen Journal

Maxwell’s shocking confessions are unleashed to the world when his private journal is sniffed out, dug up and stolen by a rowdy pack of flea-bitten dogs. As they rip out the pages with their yellowed fangs, reams of paper swirl through the sky and take flight over the grand country estate of  Wagamore Knolls, just outside of London.

The oddity of a mass of papers fluttering through the sky  captures the attention of the media and sets off a frenzy that goes viral.

Everyone is glued to their screens, watching and waiting to learn what the curiosity in the sky actually is. No one guesses it’s the personal journal pages of the reclusive Maxwell — a noble Grand Pyrenees and apparent scribe of an intimate journal filled with juicy confessions that would make even a Pitbull blush.

The Flying Fluff — as the media calls the mass of papers — travels around the globe. The flight begins over England, then puffs its way over every continent, country and ocean on the face of the planet.

News reporters and photographers compete to write the best story and take the best shot of The Flying Fluff. But it’s a crafty Beagle, a P.A. intern posing as a deal-making executive producer — one E.P. Percival — who grabs the goods when the journal pages land in — of all places — Hollywood, California.

It’s not every day a paw-written journal by a Great Pyrenees finds its way to the deck of a Beagle’s beach hut. As Percival was snoozing in the afternoon sun, he never dreamed a treasure trove of new material would land on his furry belly.

He reads the journal pages — and voila!  He has a vision the stories would be an instant hit for the next animated series. How lucky can a dog get?

II. E.P. Percival’s Blackmail Scheme

E.P. Percival tracks down  Maxwell in England leading a life of a pampered pooch. Without a single worry inside the confines of the high stone walls surrounding Wagamore Knolls, he seems content in his secluded paradise.

That is, until Maxwell is stunned to see that American Beagle on his front doorsteps. How did he have the nerve? Why does he lack manners? More bewildering, why does this ragtag Beagle step one paw onto Wagamore Knolls?

Percival pushes a contract under Maxwell’s nose and tells him to sign it — then pack his bags and head for the bright lights of Hollywood.

For what, Maxwell wonders. To star in his own series? The old Great Pyrenees has no desire for fame, nor the glitz of Tinseltown. How tacky! And he certainly has no intention to have his personal thoughts made public in a streaming series.

As shocking as Percival’s behavior is, that  sleazy Beagle dives into a darker place when he blackmails Maxwell to choose the lesser of two evils.

“Which would you prefer,” E.P. Percival asks. “To be a star in your own series based on your journal stories? Or have me tell the world about your, uh, Garden Party Incident?”

III. Maxwell’s Choice

Will Maxwell give in to E.P. Percival’s blackmail? How did he ever find out about the Garden Party Incident? It’s the only confession he never wrote about in his private journal.

If those few, regrettable moments in his long canine life ever became public, it could be worse than having his entire journal confessions turned into a streaming series for all the world to see. It would make him a laughingstock in his highfalutin, blue blood crowd.

The impatient E.P. Percival taps a paw. He’s waiting for an answer. As Maxwell shivers with indecision, the American Beagle pulls out a squeaky toy formed in Maxwell’s likeness — then squeaks it in the furry face of the dignified Great Pyrenees.

Maxwell whimpers and howls. He makes a choice. He cannot let E.P. Percival tell the world about the Garden Party Incident. 

Maxwell folds. He agrees to go to Hollywood. His private journal will be made into an animated series. But will he survive Hollywood with his dignity intact? 

Will his ultimate fame feed his ego to romance a certain Poodle starlet known by the one name of Champagne?

And will he ever agree to allow Percival to merch his likeness as a — ugh — squeaky toy?

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Pass the pupcorn!

Woof!