| Primagravida |
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Dana and Casey are riding in Dana's car. Casey is driving.
Dana: My mother is right. I should have gotten married. I shouldn't have been so careless.
Casey: Dana, everything is under control.
Dana: I can't even get excited over this. Here I am- pregnant- and I'm considering this a burden. I keep thinking how this is going to affect my job. I am going to give birth and I am wondering how this is going to fit in between rundown meetings.
Casey: Take it easy.
Dana: I am going to be a horrible mother.
Casey: Dana? When Charlie was born, the only thing I had to recall was how I was raised. Look at Charlie. He's turned out great, even though some people don't always agree with his mother's decisions. Just take from the lessons you've learned, and you'll be a good mother. You still have plenty of time to prepare yourself; you're just entering the second trimester.
Dana: What if our baby turns out horribly? What about birth defects and diseases? What if our baby ends up being some criminal?
Casey: I guess we'll have to put a file inside the birthday cake.
Dana: This isn't funny, Casey.
Casey: I'm trying to alleviate the situation. Anyway, the show was your first baby. You took it from the beginning and built it up to what it is today. You'll use the same principles when raising our child, and you'll be a great mother.
Dana: Yeah, I've done such a good job with the show that they need to bring in Sam Donovan to fix all the things that I've done wrong.
Casey: Sam Donovan doesn't know the first thing about raising children. And he certainly can't produce the show the way you can. You've brought it all this way, and he's just tweaking it a little. After that, you'll continue to do a good job with "Sports Night" and your baby.
Dana looks out the window at the passing scenery.
Dana: I hope you're right.
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Isaac is sitting in his office and doing paperwork when there is a knock on his door.
Isaac: Come in.
The door opens, and Sam enters.
Isaac: Good afternoon, Sam.
Sam: Isaac.
Isaac: What did you wish to talk about?
Sam: There's a number of issues.
Isaac: Okay. Have a seat.
Sam sits in a chair in front of Isaac's desk.
Sam: First, I hope you don't see me coming in and helping the show as a way to usurp your authority here.
Isaac: I don't. The network made the decision to bring you in here. The network also makes decisions with which I don't always agree.
Sam: Good. Second, the new production associates have started working. They are going through some orientation with Kim.
Isaac: Good. I expect the interns to do a good job.
Sam: The network chose qualified candidates for the positions. Much research was done to see who deserved these positions. I apologize for you not being involved in this process.
Isaac: Is this apology coming from the executives?
Sam: No. I understand how you must feel not being an active participant in the hiring of the interns.
Isaac: Thank you for your support.
Sam: Third, do you know what feature Jeremy is currently working on?
Isaac: He's currently working on a number of features. Was there one in particular which is drawing your attention?
Sam: Just one in particular: his badminton feature.
Isaac: What about it?
Sam: It's like he's trying to produce a short film.
Isaac: I see.
Sam: Too much time is being spent of a subject which, frankly, doesn't appeal to a majority of our audience.
Isaac: Jeremy has been taking one less-glamorous sport a week and creating a feature on it. He's trying to, as he put it, "broaden the experience to include games which could be considered artistic as well as sporting."
Sam: I saw the one he did with the horses and the music and the riding.
Isaac: Dressage.
Sam: Yeah. Although I like this kid's thinking, it isn't what you want airing.
Isaac: Why is that?
Sam: Our core audience just wants to see scores, highlights, and statistics. Of course, they want to see features on their favorite athletes. When the feature is about something that doesn't appeal to them, they change the channel.
Isaac: I don't recall receiving any letters stating that the piece wasn't what they wanted to see.
Sam: Most viewers will just change the channel before they would take the time to write a letter. Why should they write a letter when there are 500 other channels out there? On that evening when his piece aired, the quarter-hour ratings started dropping. After the feature was over, the ratings did not rebound for the rest of the show. That means that the viewers found something else to garner their attention.
Isaac: I like to give my producers some leeway on what features they can create.
Sam: That's nice, but the viewers are saying they don't want it. They sit down, and they want scores, highlights, and statistics. If they wanted to broaden their minds, they would probably go to the theater or read a book.
Isaac: Well, there are times when I like to give our audience the benefit of the doubt. It's nice to think that they are intelligent and articulate enough to be able to understand and appreciate something they may not fully grasp. I stand by the decision to let these features air because it allows people to decide if these sports are something that interests them, instead of automatically assuming they would rather change the channel.
Sam: Could you scale back these features from once a week to once every other week?
Isaac: Give it a month, Sam. If you have the numbers to back it, I'll consider airing the features less frequently.
Sam: Good.
Dana bursts into the room.
Dana: You will not believe what just happened?! I have been moved like I've never been moved before!
Isaac: What happened?
Dana hurries to Isaac's desk.
Dana: There I was in the examination room. I was going through my regular check-up, when they decided to perform an ultrasound.
Isaac: Are you all right?
Dana: Isaac?! I am more than all right, I am ecstatic beyond words! You know what I got to experience from the ultrasound? I'll tell you what happened.
Dana gets down, right next to Isaac.
Dana: A heartbeat.
Isaac: Excuse me?
Dana: A tiny heartbeat. Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum. A heartbeat, Isaac. The sign of life.
Sam: You're pregnant?
Dana: I am carrying my child. I am going to be a mother. This is going to be the most wonderful experience. I know you two can't completely understand what I'm feeling right now, but it is so wonderful. I... Dana Whitaker... am a fountain of life.
Dana gets up and rushes to the door.
Dana: I have to share this with everybody. I heard a heartbeat. I heard a heartbeat!
Dana runs out of the room as Sam and Isaac look at each other in shock.
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Dan exits the elevator on the 49th floor. He heads down a corridor toward the "Sports Night" set.
A young girl approaches from the opposite direction.
Lindsey: Oh my gosh. Excuse me for a moment. You're Dan Rydell.
Dan: Yes, I am.
Girl: I used to watch you all the time when I was growing up. When I took the studio tour here at CSC, that is when I knew I wanted to work here.
Dan: It's good to meet you...
Girl: Lindsey. Lindsey O'Reilly.
Lindsey holds her notebook under her arm as she reaches out to shake Dan's hand.
Dan: It's good to meet you, Lindsey.
Lindsey: This is such an honor.
Lindsey pulls out her notebook.
Dan: Here. Let me do something for you.
Dan takes Lindsey's notebook and flips it to a blank page. He pulls out a pen and begins writing.
Dan: Now, this is a personal autograph. So, I don't want to see this appearing on eBay.
Lindsey: It won't, Dan. It's alright if I call you Dan?
Dan: Sure.
Dan hands the notebook back to Lindsey.
Dan: Now you better go catch up with your tour group before you get into trouble.
Lindsey: I'm sorry. I'm not with the tour group.
Dan looks confused.
Dan: You're not?
Lindsey: No. Kim asked me to find and tell you... (flips a couple of pages in her notebook) ...that A.J. will do a live segment from the Alamo Dome on tonight's broadcast. Dana asked me to remind you about the promo spots for next week, and Natalie wanted to remind you that lunch breaks are 60 minutes, not 65 minutes.
Dan: You work here?
Lindsey: Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm interning here as a production associate.
Dan: Since when?
Lindsey: This is my first day.
Dan: Which school do you attend?
Lindsey: Dartmouth.
Dan smiles.
Dan: Come with me, Lindsey. We're going to get along just fine.
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Dana is sitting at her desk as Natalie enters the office.
Natalie: What's up?
Dana: You will not believe what happened today.
Natalie: The Yankees finally made the trade.
Dana: No.
Natalie: I'm guessing some team came down with a bad case of food poisoning.
Dana: No. I heard a heartbeat.
Natalie: Who's?
Dana: My baby's.
Natalie: You're pregnant?!
Dana: Yes.
Natalie rushes over and hugs Dana.
Natalie: Congratulations. This is so exciting. How far along?
Dana: I just entered my second trimester.
Natalie: And Casey knows, right?
Dana: Of course.
Natalie: So you didn't tell me first.
Dana: Natalie? Casey's the father. He has a right to know.
Natalie: And you've known for quite a while now.
Dana: I wanted to keep it a secret as long as possible because I didn't know what was going to transpire.
Natalie: You kept a secret away from me.
Dana: I had to Natalie.
Natalie: You do realize there is a punishment for you harboring a secret.
Dana: Natalie, I'm pregnant. You can't do anything to endanger the baby.
Natalie: I've just made this my goal. When you go away on maternity leave, I plan on running the show so smoothly and so precise that when you come back, people will be going, "Dana who?"
Dana smiles.
Dana: Well, you'll do a fabulous job when I'm away. I wouldn't trust the show with anybody else.
Natalie: Thanks.
Dana and Natalie hug.
Natalie: Now, to make up for lost time... you've got to tell me all about it.
Natalie plops herself on Dana's couch and waits for Dana to begin talking.
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Dan is standing inside his office and looking out the window. He is dressed and ready to go on-the-air.
"Five minutes to air. First team to the studio."
There is a knock on Dan's door.
Lindsey: You wanted to see me, Dan?
Dan: Sure, come in.
Lindsey enters the office as Dan goes over to his desk.
Dan: I've got something for you.
Dan pulls out a paper bag.
Dan: I didn't exactly have time to gift wrap it, but I think you'll still like it.
Dan hands the bag to Lindsey. Lindsey opens the bag and pulls out a 'CSC' mug.
Lindsey: This mug is for me?
Dan: The first job I had as an intern was difficult. Somebody pulled me aside and gave me a network mug to show his appreciation for the hard work he knew I was doing. I developed a friendship with him which still exists today.
Lindsey: Thank you.
Dan: You're welcome.
Lindsey: You have to go to the studio.
Dan: I know.
Dan and Lindsey walk into the newsroom and head toward the studio.
Dan: So, how was your first day?
Lindsey: I learned a lot. There's so much of a difference between working on a college campus and working here. I don't know how, but I'm going to learn everything.
Dan: You've got plenty of time to learn. I'm still learning this job.
Lindsey: You've been doing this job for years.
Dan: Yeah, but if you don't learn at least one thing a day, then you're not working hard enough.
Lindsey: Thanks.
Dan and Lindsey stop outside of the studio.
Lindsey: Your tie.
Dan: What about it?
Lindsey reaches up and straightens Dan's tie.
Lindsey: It was a little off center.
Dan: Thanks.
Lindsey heads toward the control room while Dan walks into the studio.
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Everyone inside the control room is getting ready for the broadcast.
Dave: Sixty seconds VTR, 2 minutes live.
Dana: Let me hear A.J. in San Antonio. (listens) Sounding good. How's the updates on the NHL?
Elliott: Capitals and Hurricanes are still skating with four minutes to go, the Lightning and Panthers just wrapped up, and the Blackhawks and Sabres are in their second intermission.
Dana: Great.
Natalie leans over to Jeremy.
Natalie: Did you know anything about Dana?
Jeremy: What about her?
Natalie: She didn't say anything to you, or Casey didn't say anything to you?
Jeremy: I have no idea what you're talking about.
Natalie: Good man.
Alyson is applying her finishing touches on Dan.
Dan: Alyson, I just want to set the record straight between you and me.
Alyson: Okay.
Dan: It's okay if we flirt, but I just want you to know that it isn't going to go any further than that.
Alyson: Okay.
Dan: So everything is cool with that?
Alyson: Yeah.
Alyson leaves the anchor desk, while Bobbi looks at Dan.
Dan: And the same thing goes for you, Bobbi. Flirting is as far as we're going to go.
Bobbi: You do realize Alyson is married?
Dan: But... where's the wedding ring?
Bobbi: She works with lots of makeup and applicators. She doesn't want it to get dirty or ruined.
Dan: Oh.
The show's introductory music is heard in the background.
Dave: Sixty seconds live.
Natalie: (into mic) Danny? Did Casey ever tell you anything about Dana?
Dan: He has told me lots of things, Natalie.
Natalie: (into mic) Has he recently- say, within the last three months- asked you to keep a personal secret?
Dan: What secret?
Dana: Natalie.
Natalie: (into mic) About Dana.
Dan: There's nothing I can think of.
Dana: Now is not the time nor place.
Natalie: I'm just covering my bases, Dana. I'll forgive you for telling Casey first. I'm just making sure I'm the second person you've told.
Dana takes a deep breath and shakes her head.
Natalie: I'm not the second?
Dana: No.
Natalie: Who else knows?
Dana: My mother.
Natalie: I'm third.
Dana: And Isaac.
Natalie: Fourth?
Dana: And Sam knows.
Natalie: I'm the fifth person you told?
Dana: It just kinda' fell in that order.
Natalie: Boy, am I sure that I'm going to make everybody forget about you.
Dave: In 5, 4, 3, 2...
Dan: (on-air) Good evening. From New York City, I'm Dan Rydell sitting alongside Bobbi Bernstein. We've got matadors in Mexico, the Magic in Minneapolis, and the madness that comes with March. You're watching "Sports Night" on CSC. Let's get started.
