Parallels is a five-season, forty-episode streaming series in development set in the present-day of the Empire Universe. It follows Sarah Taylor, Empress Eleanor d’Australia, Toshe Marinos, and others as they navigate what many believe are the end times for the superpowerful Empire of Australia.
Sarah has never belonged anywhere. Her mother was institutionalised and her father was dead. She was raised by her godfather—who loved her as best he could in his own distant way. Isolated throughout her life, she’s struggled to fit in. She’s always been the odd duck and always felt it acutely. But now Sarah is about to learn the secret that drove her mother insane and killed her father: that she’s not supposed to be alive. It will change her life forever.
But, secretly, The Man in the Top Hat gathers strength looking for something. To what end is not yet clear. He leaves a collection of dead bodies in his wake and all over town people can’t seem to stop singing the songs he puts in their heads.
Meanwhile, prognosticators have been foretelling the end of the great Empire of Australia—the world’s only superpower. The wolves of Russia and Norway are at the gate, ready to feast upon its corpse, but Eleanor d’Australia, the heir to 32 powerful Empresses before her, is working hard to stave off what some believe is her inevitable doom.
Parallels is a sprawling, tent-pole, science-fiction drama engineered to be a viral hit. It interweaves an eclectic musical playlist into the lives of the characters and casts musicians in leading roles to produce a web of interconnected fan bases built into the work. As much a celebration of music as it is a sci-fi romp, Parallels’ use of musical talent and music as a storytelling device makes it unique in the crowded pantheon of streaming series fare. The series features music by superstars like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to more niche artists with devoted followings like Tom Waits, Randy Newman and The Faint. Roles for musicians range in size and complexity from cameos to star turns as plot-driving characters.
Parallels Characters
Daughter of legendary inventor Jasper Taylor.
Widow of Jasper Taylor and mother of Sarah Taylor. Institutionalized for insanity.
The secretive billionaire co-founder of Paralux. Best friend of the late Jasper Taylor.
A Cascadian mogul and power broker with a vicious streak and three very unhappy daughters.
Head of Paralux security and much tougher than she looks.
The composer and lyricist.
An undercover agent working against the Empire of Australia.
The 33rd Empress of Australia.
Ambassador of the Republic of Louisiana to Cascadia.
A famous musician who has fallen in with the wrong crowd.
The youngest daughter of Victoria Kazmarazz and a novice in the order of the Disciples of Jesus.
The wunderkind head of Advance Research Projects for Morgen Genentech who’s hiding a big secret.
Head of Paralux Operations
Leader of the Purity movement.
A charming sociopath with a penchant for getting people to do what he wants.
A powerful mogul with a very dark secret. Executive Officer of Morgen Genentech.
The visionary First Minister of Cascadia has a vision for a new world order.
A fortune teller with an ulterior motive.
The eldest, estranged daughter of Victoria Kazmarazz and an officer in the Australian Foreign Legion.
A shadowy figure whose motives are unclear.
Leader of the Empire of Australia’s spy network, 1151.
A venerated monk of the Disciples of Jesus.