Brian Eno does a similar kind of thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies

No love for Doc Bricker on Love Boat? He was a tireless crusader against passenger loneliness.

This is great! I think all three ideas from the hat have merit. As CJ mentions, there is "Love Boat." Restaurants can provide great settings. One of the restaurant movies I love is "The Big Night," and of course there is "Casablanca." Another I really like is the German movie "Soul Kitchen," which adds in a parolee who falls in love with an artist. I've always loved horse stories and think it would be easy to start building a story around a sports bar opened by a jockey. There are so many directions it might take. Caine's arcade is lovely and the connection between father and son is great. So many parents can relate--I loved my son's many creations from cardboard boxes that for several years adorned my living room. Perhaps you could build a story around an escalating conflict with a city hall bureaucrat who objects to the swing on public property...