The following was provided by "Scoop". It is a Treatment (synopsis) for an upcoming miniseries on CBS.
Many new writers often ask "how do you write a synopsis/treatment?" Well here's a good example. Print it out and study it.
Thanks, Scoop.
SYNOPSIS OF "SALLY HEMINGS: AN AMERICAN SCANDAL"
Part One
Monticello, Charlottesville, Va., 1787
After Sally Hemings' sister, Critta (Klea Scott), gives birth to a son by Jefferson's mean-spirited nephew, Peter Carr (Chris Stafford), her mother, Betty (Diahann Carroll), the matriarch of the Hemings family of Jefferson house servants, informs Sally (Carmen Ejogo) that she will soon escort Jefferson's daughter, Polly (Jessica Townsend), to Paris to join Jefferson -- who is serving there as Ambassador to France. Jefferson's other daughter, Martha (Mare Winningham), is already in Paris. Sally resists going and leaving her boyfriend, Henry (Larry Gilliard Jr.), but Betty insists it's a privilege to go. Her son, James (Mario Van Peebles), who is serving as a chef in Paris for Jefferson, has gotten word to Betty that "Negroes" are free in France.
In Paris, James enthusiastically welcomes Sally, who is surprised by the well-appointed quarters and well-made outfits that await her there. She also finds it unusual that the white servants are following James' orders. James tells the somewhat overwhelmed Sally that she will benefit greatly from the freedoms and educational opportunities there while serving as a maid. At Jefferson's dinner party with guests such as Thomas Paine (Kevin Conway), Pierre Du Pont (Paul Kandel) and Lady Cosway (Kelly Rutherford), Jefferson first sees Sally -- and is surprised by how much she has grown to look like his beloved late wife. Later, Jefferson tells Sally that he plans to educate her.
Passing by a rally with James, Sally first learns how much the French peasants are suffering under the French king and queen. At a dinner party that follows, Lady Cosway, who is frustrated that Jefferson isn't giving her a romantic commitment, informs him that she has decided to depart to London to reconcile with her husband. Over the next nine months, Sally and Polly are schooled together. Sally is coached on the manners of society and learns to read and write in French and English.
Sally asks Jefferson if when he wrote "All men are created equal" in The Declaration of Independence, did he also mean slaves? He responds that "slavery is an abomination and there's no easy answer" -- and recommends that she read Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense"
Serving as an attendant to Martha and Polly at a party at Versailles, Sally surprises Paine by quoting from "Common Sense." Later, Paine remarks that the educated Sally shows how all slaves, if freed, could become productive members of society. He encourages Jefferson to return to the States and use his influence to push an anti-slavery bill through Congress. Jefferson and Sally share a romantic moment during a brief dance at the party -- which is interrupted by a grand entrance by hosts King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After Martha and Polly leave for boarding school at a convent, Jefferson admits to Sally that he has feelings for her. Their romance begins shortly thereafter.
Three months later, the dangerous conditions of the French Revolution force Jefferson to retrieve his daughters and prepare to return to Monticello. Sally informs Jefferson that she is pregnant. James entreats Sally to remain with him in France and is baffled by her choice to give up her and her future child's freedom in order to remain by Jefferson's side. Before making the decision, however, Sally tells Jefferson she won't give birth to a slave -- and gives him her condition for returning. James reluctantly returns with Sally to the United States -- and is promised freedom from Jefferson prior to their departure.
Upon their arrival at Monticello, the outspoken Betty is angry and saddened to see that Sally is following in her own footsteps -- for Betty had become pregnant by her owner, Master Wayles. A forgiving Henry offers to help raise Sally's unborn baby -- and is heartbroken when Sally tells him she's in love with the baby's father. Meanwhile, the disheartened James finds it harder than ever to take orders from Jefferson's belligerent nephew.
At a welcome home party -- which also serves as a congratulatory party regarding Jefferson's newly assigned post as secretary of state -- Martha becomes reacquainted with her cousin, Thomas Mann Randolph (Zeljko Ivanek), who is obviously attracted to her. Shortly before Jefferson's departure from Monticello, Sally gives birth to his son. He looks white and is named Thomas Jefferson Hemings.
One year later, Martha marries Randolph and moves to his plantation with a gift of 20 slaves -- including Henry. When Henry and other slaves are temporarily transferred to Monticello, he tells Sally that Randolph is crazy -- that he mutters and forgets to put on his clothes. Sally secretly begins to teach Henry to read. Martha comes to Monticello to give birth, but her child is stillborn.
Sally shepherds an abused runaway slave from a nearby plantation and when she is caught by the slave's master, she must call herself Jefferson's property in order to escape from his clutches. The next day, Jefferson tells her he has handed the president his resignation and will remain at Monticello.
During the course of the next four years, good times include the birth of Martha and Sally's baby girls and Jefferson's plans for a domed Monticello. But sad times soon follow as Sally's baby falls ill and dies -- and James, who had lost his spirit and started drinking upon his return to the plantation, finally tells Jefferson that he will be leaving as per their agreement in Paris. One year later, Polly marries Jack Eppes (Duke Lafoon) and Jefferson gives them a plantation and "twenty-six slaves in service to (their) happiness."
Henry tells Sally that he wants to take part in slave revolts. When she says that killing is wrong, Henry responds that a somewhat pampered Hemings house slave wouldn't understand. He also tells her that Vice President Jefferson spends time with a woman named Margaret Bayard Smith when he is in D.C. When Sally confronts Jefferson about Margaret, he says she's just a social companion. She says she's keeping similar company which enrages him. When Henry gets caught among a group of armed escaped slaves, the local authorities end up killing him -- to Sally's horror. Sally demands an answer on where Jefferson stands on slavery. He references his first draft of The Declaration of Independence. She says that he must try again to end it.
Sally gives birth to another son (Beverly) and Jefferson decides to run for president. At Monticello, Jefferson hosts a dinner for James and Dolly Madison (Reno Roop and Kathryn Meisle) and Richmond Recorder writer James Callender (Rene Auberjonois). The smarmy Callender makes a point of commenting on how they are being served by fair-skinned, red-haired slaves. Callender then unsuccessfully tries to blackmail Jefferson for a position of post master of Virginia in exchange for not writing about Jefferson's slave children. Sally and Jefferson's daughter, Harriet, is born the year Jefferson becomes the third president of the U.S. Following his election, Callender runs scandalous stories about Jefferson and Sally, but Jefferson steadfastly refuses to discuss it. Madison begs him to deny the claims -- but Jefferson will not. Martha urges Jefferson to sell Sally to bring an end to the speculation and protect his legacy. Feeling that he is to blame for the scandal, their child Tom (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) chooses to run away -- nearly breaking Sally's heart.
Part Two
Monticello, Charlottesville, Va., 1802
Martha tries to unite the family to end the rumors of Jefferson's relationship with Sally. Unbeknownst to Jefferson -- who is living in Washington, D.C. as president -- Martha works to rid the house of any letters and evidence of the liaison.
Later, a drunk James crosses Callender's path and makes a scene while warning him to stop defaming his sister. James is then seen taking his own life and is buried at Monticello. Sally's eulogy notes that James' skills, education, manners and ultimate freedom were not enough to get him the respect he desired -- which is why he died in despair.
When Gabriel Lilly (Mark Joy), a hired white slave master, starts to hit the slaves -- and eventually Sally -- Jefferson's nephew, Samuel Carr (Peter Bradbury), fires him on the spot. Lily then orchestrates a ruse to get Sally -- after which he savagely beats and whips her. Samuel ends up rescuing her -- and her family nurses her back to health. Meanwhile, Jefferson proudly writes to Sally of the finalization of the Louisiana Purchase. Shortly thereafter Callender is found drowned in the shallow part of a river.
Concerned about Polly's failing health, Jefferson returns to Monticello. Samuel tells Sally that Jefferson doesn't care for her. He gives her some specific Jefferson writings and makes an unwanted advance. Sally reads the negative observations Jefferson made about blacks 25 years earlier and shares her disgust with Jefferson. He counters that he was ignorant when he wrote it -- and declares his love for her.
In the next 12 years, Polly and Betty die, Sally and Jefferson have two more sons (Madison and Eston), and after serving two terms as president, Jefferson again retires to Monticello. Because of a long drought, Monticello has not been prosperous in years. However, Jefferson cannot contain his enthusiasm regarding retirement, the completion of the dome at Monticello and the beginning of his next project -- the creation of the University of Virginia.
When Jefferson's builders come to collect money he doesn't have, Jefferson holds out hope that he will be able to get his old friend DuPont to back the university during his upcoming visit. DuPont brings his son (David Bridgewater) and his American nephew, William Alexander (Zachary Knighton). William mistakes Sally's daughter, Harriet (Amelia Heinle), for a Randolph -- which she does not correct. Sally tells Harriet not to deny who she is -- but Harriet exclaims that she wants to have a full and free life.
When Alexander learns Harriet's true identity, he cruelly and publicly rejects her. Meanwhile, Jefferson and DuPont finally realize that while Jefferson's been seeking money from DuPont for the university -- DuPont has been wanting Jefferson to invest in gunpowder. After a good laugh at the irony, DuPont prepares to leave -- after stating his embarrassment at Alexander's behavior.
Five years later, to avoid complete financial ruin, Jefferson is forced to sell most of his possessions. The sale includes the prized books in his library -- which will replace books that were destroyed when the British burned the National Library in 1812. Informing Jefferson that he is bankrupt, Martha convinces the despondent Jefferson that he must sell some of his slaves.
In an emotional moment, Jefferson gathers many of the slaves and tells them that he has failed them in freedom -- and that his Monticello dreams failed because they were based on the inequity of slavery. He then informs them that they will be sold. After the tear-filled slave auction, Harriet and Beverly decide to leave Monticello. Jefferson gives them money and makes sure they are properly escorted to the stagecoach in Charlottesville.
Four years later, Sally's son, Tom (Sean Pratt), finally comes back to her -- offering to take her back to his home and family. Sally tells him that Monticello is as much a home to the Hemings as it is to the Jeffersons. She can't leave it -- nor would she want to leave Jefferson.
Martha brings Jefferson the unsettling news that the bank is foreclosing on Monticello. Jefferson falls ill, and after once more declaring his love for Sally, he dies on July 4, 1826 -- the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Martha brings Sally Jefferson's will -- declaring that there were no inheritances. However, he was able to afford to free five slaves -- including Sally's sons, Madison and Eston. Martha says she will overlook the fact that Sally is not mentioned, since her father wouldn't have wanted to separate Sally from her family. Sally reveals to a surprised Martha that she's been free since Paris -- and tells her they're more alike than Martha would like to believe. In fact, since Sally's father was Martha's grandfather -- they're truly family. The two finally connect for a moment before embarking upon their separate futures.
