“Plot twist!” Chewy “Mr. Marbles” ad: “ Pets Aren’t Just Pets, They’re More: Inheritance | Chewy”
Very well done. It genuinely looks like part of a larger show.
ADDENDUM (spring 2025): Conversation in the comments with Chewy. TommygunNG is yours truly.
Addendum:
“Marbles” – TV show premise
The story is of a talking cat who was “owned” by an older gentleman for a few years before he passed away. Upon his death, the old man arranged for shipments in perpetuity for “Mr. Marbles” from Chewy, the pet supply company. Marbles also inherited the summer Beach House.
The old man left two sons and a daughter. The daughter runs the company he built, and one of his sons is an VP at the company. The other has other employment. They have their rivalries, but they are not fundamentally at odds. “Dynasty” Ultra-Light. For family matters, they do come together.
The opening scene, which will be based on the commercial, will include a video left by the Old Man to the beneficiaries explaining by exposition the story to rectify discontinuities. Substantively, the video will have have him somewhat, pulling the family together, and emphasizing the need to maintain family, maintain the company, and look out for Marbles.
The story centers around the three grown children and the personal lawyer of the old man, who may or may not have been in a romantic relationship with the old man, hiding the truth about the talking cat while pursuing their lives and business. They do not deprecate Marbles because he’s a cat, but they are very mindful of the “logistical“ issues of him being such a creature.
Every episode will feature product placement from Chewy.
Company:
Manufactures various household tools and utensils. Made it big with ergonomics advancements. Expanded to include more pet-related items after Marbles joined the family. Has two manufacturing plants – one in the HOME state of Florida, and one in Alberta, Canada. Each employs about 30 to 50 people.
Family holds 75% controlling interest, and will never give that up. Though the three children struggle amongst themselves more than they should, they is very protective of the company. The disputes are internal.
Bio: Mr. Marbles:
Marbles was born on the street. His mother did the Cat Distribution System thing and distributed his littermates, but he wanted to stay with her to protect her. He knew he was the only cat who could understand human language and used that to help get them food and whatnot. But he couldn’t make his mother understand what he was doing. One day she goes off, apparently inherently thinking that he needed to be on his own. He chased her down, but not in time to prevent her from being killed on the freeway.
He spent a few months on his own, when he viewed the old man in his roadster parked at an overlook. Something told Marbles this was his human.
The old man took him to the vet, who said he was in excellent health for a street cat. After all, Marbles was smart about how he acted and what he ate. Only upon getting home, did he reveal his capacity for human speech and thinking.
Over the next month, the old man introduced his kids to that fact, and pledged them to secrecy. Ditto his hot female lawyer with whom he may or may not have a relationship — that trip to Cabo was all business, they assured his kids.
Marbles will sometimes disappear for a couple of days. Then the old man will find him in front of the TV bouncing between news channels about some grand event, like the mysterious destruction of terrorists. Marbles never does tell where he was during those times, and the old man never asks. He just salutes the feline, and moves on.
The old man died of a long-term condition. The beach house was put into a pet trust, looked over by the lawyer. Todd is allowed to live there to handle things, and because he’s an unmarried geek and he can be near the train set. He will also be there to open the Chewy packages, which of course will be featured in every single episode. Product placement, you know.
Bio: Old man:
Died at age 80.
US Marine Corps vet. One tour in Southeast Asia as enlisted.
Built company from the ground up.
Interests included antique cars and model trains. Restored a 1920s roadster, with modern engine and safety gear.
Married at age 30. Wife passed away ten years ago in traffic accident. Spurred the modernization of the roadster.
The couple had two dogs. Both passed from old age.
Carried Ruger LCR in .357. Never hunted or shot skeet, but kept a double barrel over-under on the wall in his office.
He met Marbles while parked on an overlook contemplating the loss of his wife. Not suicidal, but definitely lonely. Marbles walked up to him, and they both knew.
Bio: Audrey
Age: 40s.
Married, no kids. Husband is retired US Navy veteran, rank of Lieutenant Commander. No military service herself. Never considered it due to lingering effects of childhood injury.
Executive VP of the company. Inherited full presidency on death of old man. No one doubts her competency at the job.
MBA. Undergrad BA in finance, minor in art history.
Carries Taurus Judge Public Defender, the first chamber loaded with bird shot because she has a snake phobia. (Husband carries same.) Soon after she learned Marbles could talk, he stopped a snake near her, and won her over.
No pets, but husband is volunteer manager at the shelter which received money from the Old Man, and she rides horses. Once whipped a stable boy for mistreating an animal. Out of court settlement with NDA, and never talked about.
Bio: Todd
Age: 30.
BA in computer science; minor in some sort of creative composition.
VP of company, focuses on technical marketing, but with a hand in plant operations, having learned some logistics from his older brother. (The plant operations manager is not a family member, and so gets more direct supervision than might be expected.) People say he got his job strictly through nepotism, but he actually does do his job, and very well.
A geek.
Unmarried, because he’s a geek.
No pets, but best friend of the three to Marbles. Marbles feels for him because he’s a geek. Inherited the Old Man’s train set, arguably worth six figures. Todd had maintained an apartment, but now lives in the summer home to handle the logistics issues of Marbles being the inheritor. Also, because he’s an unmarried geek and he can be near the train set.
As a youth, he wanted to be a rock star. He was eliminated in the quarterfinalson America’s Got Talent.
Left graduate school to enlist in U.S. Space Force. Yes, because he’s a geek. Disappointed he was not issued a phased plasma rifle in the 40W range. Left after one enlistment. Finishing an enlistment in ANG. He is by far the richest member of his unit, despite not being an officer. Wanted to buy machine guns for the unit, like that one father did in the Tom Behringer Rough Riders movie, but was told it wasn’t allowed anymore. Ended up finishing grad school with ABD.
Carries HiPoint C9 with compensator because he’s cheap and the comp makes it look like something a space geek would carry.
Bio: “John”
Age: 38.
Middle child. Married, two kids (boy and girl). Wife is a part-time accountant at a midsize accounting firm. She does it to maintain her skills.
Inherited the Old Man’s 1920s roadster.
One dog, Duke, a German Shepherd. Marbles easily learned to dominate him.
Undergrad degree in logistics, minor in military history.
Served 12 years in Army as logistics officer. Officer in Army Reserve.
Does contract logistics work for government and some international corporations. Not a cover for CIA, he says. Also handles shipping for the family company, and serve on the Board of Directors.
Extensive arsen…, ur, gun collection, and it does enter into his work. Carries nickel-plated 1911 because the guy in the Titanic movie carried one. (Wife carries a Walther PPK in .32 for the style. That and she had a crush on Roger Moore. She still swoons watching Moonraker.)
Has sometimes disappeared around the same time Marbles disappears, but no one puts it together.
Bio: Hot lawyer chick.
Age: 30s.
Not married, but may or may not have had a relationship with the old man. Wink wink.
Graduated MU law school.
Attorney for the company, and personal attorney to the old man. They took a business trip to Cabo. Well, they said it was a business trip.
No military service.
No pets, because her building does not allow them.
Carries Ruger LCR in .357, the same as the old man did. It is just a coincidence, she assures people.
Had a boob job while working for the old man. The old man was supposed to be the only one who knew about it, but somehow Marbles found out about it. And the Lawyer knows he knows.
