If there is space in the TV schedules for shows where teams of ghost hunters, wearing night-vision goggles, stumble around in the pitch black, inside derelict mental institutions, then there is surely also space for a reality show where the Tranchers carry out armed extractions of vulnerable trans individuals from hostile situations.
It would need an unwieldy and ambiguous title that wouldn't alienate the boomer demographic – something like 'Gender Rescuers'. The format would be a fusion of 'Most Haunted' and 'Dog the Bounty Hunter'.
The episode structure practically writes itself: You base the show on the Unicorn Ranch, which allows for any shortfall in the running time to be filled with shots of the alpacas. This also provides a basis for story arcs to bookend the episodes, along with plenty of saccharine moments, for example, a ewe rejecting her lamb because she identifies as a male sheep.
We get to witness the Tranchers' ongoing efforts to fortify their ranch against an impending attack from the local white supremacist groups, who have unified themselves around a mysterious and charismatic leader, named Earl, who is very much the Professor Moriarty of the show.
Phillip is filmed screwing offcuts of wood to the inside of a car's doors “to make the vehicle bulletproof”. There follows a discussion regarding the grade of chicken wire that would be required to protect the wind-shield – the holes need to be just large enough the catch bullets and stop them from passing though.
After a few minutes of a side-story, where one of the Tranchers attempts to source a replacement stove nob from an auction website, disingenuously called SHEbay, the show moves up a gear: In the Unicorn Ranch Situation Room (already sinking on its foundations in one corner) one of the senior Tranchers briefs the extraction team on their mission. These sorties mostly entail breaking a captive troon out of a rural property, all of which have ridiculous names like 'Broken Buck Ranch'. Photos of the kidnappers are shown, pixelated to avoid legal action, and also because, like every human threat to the ranch in this show, they don't fucking exist. There are some cautionary words of warning regarding intelligence that suggests Earl may be on site, and that everyone should take extra. care. This is followed by a visit to the Quartermaster, where everybody gears up.
The missions themselves all take place after dark and consist shaky, black and white headcam footage, taken at odd angles, with long reconnaissance shots being filmed on 'Sniper cam' - literally a sniper scope.
The show will develop its own lexicon: “We got a cis by the north-east perimeter wall. I can scope two cis loitering by the red pick-up.”
At some point, one of the rescuers will claim to have seen Earl and there will be a futile attempt to identify him:
“Bonnie, we need to see his face. Can you get in for a closer look?”
“Negative, there's a wooden beam in the way.”
There is always a wooden beam, or some other conveniently-placed object, blocking the view of Earl's face.
When things inevitably kick off there will be a lot of breathless running between cover, firing into the air at nothing, and a level of urgency that far exceeds that which the situation demands.
Back at the ranch everybody hugs and there are some affirming words from Phillip about how “everyone did good out there today.”
I envisage a season finale where the Trancher's receive word that Earl intends to attack Unicorn Ranch. Faced by overwhelming numbers, Phillip makes the hard decision to evacuate. He calls upon the people who the Tranchers have rescued to assist in an alpaca drive, through a dangerous valley, to a secret safe space.
This cliff-hanger, which will see the Tranchers, their livestock, and their poor abandoned lamb, homeless, will open the door to a second season.
I would watch the shit out of a show like this, and I am sure many others would too. The Tranchers would b happy too, as they could continue their grifting, at least until some form of scandal results in a prominent member of the team going to jail.