“The Co-Op” a new streaming series

Pitch: “The Co-Op* is Parks and Recreation with assassins—where the real enemy is the printer.”*

Genre: Workplace Comedy/Spy Thriller

Logline: In a top-secret international co-op where intelligence agencies from every nation work together to police unsanctioned spycraft, a dysfunctional team of elite operatives must stop rogue amateurs—while navigating petty office drama, bureaucratic nonsense, and their own clashing stereotypes.

1. Overview

The Co-Op is a high-stakes workplace comedy set in a clandestine global agency where spies from rival nations (MI6, CIA, FSB, MSS, DGSE, Mossad, etc.) are forced to work together. Their mission: track down and eliminate amateur spies, mercenaries, and wannabe James Bonds who threaten global stability. Think The Office meets Kingsman with a dash of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Despite their elite skills, the team is hilariously inept at basic office life—coffee machine wars, passive-aggressive sticky notes, and inter-agency rivalries derail missions as often as actual enemies.

2. Setting

HQ: A hidden facility (disguised as a bland corporate office) in a neutral country (like Switzerland or Belgium).
The Bullpen: An open-floor plan where spies from hostile nations sit side-by-side, glaring over cubicle walls.
The “Break Room”: A high-tech armory disguised as a kitchenette—microwaves double as bomb defusal kits.
The Boss’s Office: Glass-walled, soundproofed, and filled with bizarre souvenirs from past missions (e.g., a taxidermied honey badger wearing a wire).

3. Main Characters

A. The Team

ALEX “SMOOTH OPERATOR” CARTER (American, CIA)

The try-hard maverick. Thinks he’s the protagonist of an ’80s action movie.
- Comedy Trope: Overcompensates with gadgets, but his earpiece always dies mid-mission.
- Secret Shame: Failed the CIA’s “Boring Cover Job” exam twice.
- Chris Pratt or Glen Powell

ELEANOR “THE QUEEN” CHATSWORTH (British, MI6)

The posh, unflappable sniper. Carries tea bags in her bulletproof vest.
- Comedy Trope: Passive-aggressively corrects everyone’s grammar, even during firefights.
- Secret Shame: Her aristocratic family thinks she’s a “corporate consultant.”
- Jodie Comer or Florence Pugh

DMITRI “BABUSHKA” PETROV (Russian, FSB)

The stoic, suspicious brute. Always eating hard-boiled eggs.
- Comedy Trope: Claims every mission is “Western propaganda.”
- Secret Shame: Writes romance novels under a pseudonym.
- David Harbour or Oleg Taktarov

JI-HOON “THE GHOST” KIM (South Korean, NIS)

The tech wizard. Can hack anything but the office printer.
- Comedy Trope: Silent until he drops a devastating one-liner.
- Secret Shame: Secretly a K-pop stan.
- Steven Yeun or John Cho

FATIMA “THE SANDSTORM” AL-FAYED (Egyptian, GIS)

The master of disguise. Changes outfits 5x a day.
- Comedy Trope: Always assigned “undercover as a janitor” roles.
- Secret Shame: Has a PhD in Art History—useless in the field.
- Zoe Saldaña or Naomi Scott

LARS “THE VIKING” SORENSEN (Norwegian, PST)

The overly friendly interrogator. Breaks enemies with kindness.
- Comedy Trope: Brings herring for “team-building.”
- Secret Shame: Afraid of lutefisk.
- Alexander Skarsgård or Pilou Asbæk

B. The Boss

DIRECTOR HELGA SCHMIDT (German, BND)
- The terrifyingly efficient bureaucrat.
- Comedy Trope: Delivers kill orders in the same tone as HR memos.
- Secret Weapon: Her stapler is a disguised flamethrower.
- Sandra Oh or Tilda Swinton

C. Recurring Antagonists

THE INTERN (Unknown Affiliation)
- A clueless college kid who stumbled into HQ. Is he a spy? A pawn? Or just really bad at internships?
- Jacob Tremblay or Iman Vellani
GARY FROM ACCOUNTING
- The only normal person in the building. Knows too much.
- Paul F. Tompkins or Ben Schwartz

4. Episode Structure

Each episode follows:

Mission Briefing: A ridiculous amateur spy threat (e.g., a TikTok influencer who found a classified satellite).
Team Chaos: Infighting, cultural misunderstandings, and office pranks (Dmitri replaces Alex’s gun with a banana).
Field Fiasco: The mission goes sideways (Fatima’s wig gets caught in a ceiling fan).
Improvised Win: They succeed—but not how they planned (Lars befriends the villain into surrender).
Post-Credits Teaser: The Intern does something suspicious (again).

5. Tone & Themes

Espionage Meets Bureaucracy: Filing expense reports for bullet wounds.
Stereotypes Subverted: The Russian is a secret softie, the American is bad at guns.
Found Family: They hate each other—until an outsider threatens the Co-Op.

6. Sample Episode Ideas

“The Tinder Spy” – A matchmaking app is a front for amateur espionage. Alex accidentally matches with the target.
“Die Hard Copy” – An office Christmas party turns into a Die Hard homage. Eleanor is not amused.
“The Manchurian Intern” – The team becomes convinced the Intern is a sleeper agent. (He’s not. Or is he?)

7. Why This Works

Fish-Out-of-Water: Super-spies trapped in mundane office life.
Global Appeal: A diverse cast with universal workplace humor.
Action + Comedy: High-octane missions undercut by dumb human flaws.

WHY THIS CAST WORKS

Chemistry: Pratt + Comer = chaotic banter. Harbour + Saldaña = odd-couple hilarity.
Action Cred: Most have done stunts or serious roles (John Wick, MCU, Mission: Impossible).
Comedy Pedigree: From Parks and Rec to Killing Eve, they’ve nailed tone-blending.

Bonus Cameos:

Danny DeVito as a rogue spy who’s just a little old man in a trench coat.
Awkwafina as an overeager amateur they keep having to arrest.

BUDGET ESTIMATE FOR THE CO-OP

1. Development & Pre-Production

Scriptwriting & Showrunner: $500K–$1M
A-list comedy showrunner (e.g., Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Archer).
Creative Team (Directors, Producers): $1M–$2M
Mid-tier comedy directors (e.g., episodes by Taika Waititi or Michael Schur alums).

Total Pre-Prod: $1.5M–$3M

2. Cast Salaries (Per Episode)

Lead Actors (Pratt, Comer, Harbour, etc.): $150K–$300K/ep
Big names (Pratt, Comer) would be on the higher end.
Supporting Cast (Oh, Skarsgård, etc.): $50K–$100K/ep
Recurring/Guest Stars: $20K–$50K/ep

Total Cast Budget (10 eps): $8M–$15M

3. Production Costs (Filming, Locations, Crew)

Filming Locations: $2M–$5M
Mix of studio sets (HQ bullpen) & European locations (for “global” spy vibe).
Stunts & Action Sequences: $1M–$3M
Comedy-action isn’t Mission: Impossible, but fights/chases add up.
VFX & Tech: $500K–$1.5M
Minimal CGI (mostly gun muzzle flashes, hacking montages).
Costumes & Props: $500K–$1M
Spy gadgets, disguises, and office attire.

Total Production Budget: $4M–$10M

4. Post-Production (Editing, Music, FX)

Editing & Sound: $500K–$1M
Original Score & Licensing: $300K–$800K
Spy-movie-esque theme + needle drops (e.g., Archer-style music).

Total Post-Prod: $800K–$1.8M

5. Marketing & Miscellaneous

Promo Trailers, Press Tours: $2M–$5M
Contingency (10% of total): $1.5M–$3M

Total Marketing/Other: $3.5M–$8M

TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET (10 EPISODES)

Low End: $18M ($1.8M per episode)
Mid Range: $35M ($3.5M per episode)
High End (A-list cast, premium action): $50M+ ($5M per episode)

COMPARABLE SHOWS FOR REFERENCE

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S1): ~$2M/ep (mostly studio-based)
The Boys (S1): ~$8M/ep (heavy VFX/action)
Killing Eve (S1): ~$3M/ep (international filming, star leads)

Since The Co-Op is a blend of workplace comedy and spy action, the budget would likely sit between B99 and Killing Eve, landing around $3M–$4M per episode for a polished but not excessive version.

The Inner Monologue