| Can't Stop the Music |
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As Isaac talks on his telephone, Natalie runs into his office.
Natalie: Sally?!
Isaac: (into phone) It's contingent on a number of things, but I don't think there will be many more changes.
Natalie: Sally?!
Isaac: (into phone) I think the staffs can handle it.
Natalie: Sally?!
Isaac: (into phone) I hate to do this, but could you hold on for just a moment? Thanks.
Isaac places the caller on hold.
Isaac: I understand you may have some reservations about Sally.
Natalie: Some?! It's Sally.
Isaac: She's very professional and she'll do a good job in the short-run.
Natalie: Why not Kim? Why not Joseph? Why not me?
Isaac: You have a new show, and I didn't want to take you away from that. I didn't want you to have the extra burden when I think it's important you get your show off to a good start.
Natalie: It wouldn't be an extra burden to assume Dana's responsibilities. Now if you wanted to talk about a burden, then you need to be talking about Sally. Why didn't you ask Kim or Joseph?
Isaac: Joseph would end up working around the clock, and Kim is going on a two-week vacation next week.
Natalie: Well, sleep is overrated and so are vacations.
Isaac: I've made my decision. You're still running the show when Dana goes away on maternity leave.
Natalie: But in the mean time, we have to put up with Sally?
Isaac: Sally needs to work with you.
Natalie: But I can still boss her around and give her grief?
Isaac: Work with her and not against her, Natalie. It won't do any good to put up a fight. You'll hurt the show and you'll hurt your career.
Natalie: Can't I give her some sort of title?
Isaac: She's the executive producer of a show with lower ratings than yours.
Natalie: So I can throw that in her face?
Isaac: If it will make you leave.
Natalie: Cool!
Isaac shakes his head as Natalie leaves the office.
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Dan is typing on his laptop as Jeremy enters the office.
Dan: Hey, Jeremy.
Jeremy: We've got the reports from Oakland and St. Louis. I've also got the wire reports from Boston.
Jeremy hands Dan the report.
Dan: Great. Thanks.
Jeremy: Natalie is doing her first show.
Dan: How is it going?
Jeremy: It depends on who you watch.
Dan: Whom should I be watching?
Dan and Jeremy look at the network feed coming through Dan's television on the wall.
Jeremy: Coach looks very comfortable.
Dan: And Natalie?
Jeremy: On pins and needles.
Dan: Let me ask you this. How do you think this program is going to turn out?
Jeremy: Objectively?
Dan: Is there any other way?
Jeremy: I could be biased.
Dan: Be objective.
Jeremy: I have a feeling I'm going to be watching "Can't Stop the Music," only this time the part of Bruce Jenner will be played by Coach Duncan.
Dan: That bad?
Jeremy: He needs a lot more polishing. Charisma can only take one so far.
Dan: Okay. Thanks, Jeremy.
Jeremy: Not a problem.
Jeremy leaves the office as Dan continues to watch the program.
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Inside the control room, there is very little activity going on. Natalie sits alone at the top of the control room, while Dave, Chris, and Will work the boards at the front.
Will: VO-3 is on stand-by.
Natalie: I want to see a preview of the graphics for 5.
Chris: Preview of 5 is up.
Dave: Back in ten.
Dan can be seen from the outside looking into the control room.
Natalie: (into mic) Be sure to follow the format, Coach.
Dave: In 5, 4, 3, 2...
A segment plays on the monitor of a college basketball player blocking a shot, followed by the same player performing a dunk over two other players.
Coach: (on-air) Welcome back to the "Coach Bubba Duncan Show." I am here talkin' with Dean Query, the junior forward from Georgetown, who recently announced his intentions of enterin' the NBA draft.
Chris: Five is up.
A graphic of Dean Query's career statistics appear at the bottom of the screen.
Coach: (on-air) Now, you are a pretty big fella'. Did coaches recruit you to play basketball and football?
Natalie: Damn it.
Dean Query: (on-air) Yeah. Schools wanted me in both sports, but the great school and facilities at Georgetown persuaded me to go there.
Coach: (on-air) You look like you would have been a darn good tight end. What made you choose basketball over football?
Natalie: (into mic) Stick to the format, Coach.
Dean Query: (on-air) Growing up on welfare made me go after the best situation I could get. I got a full-scholarship to play basketball.
Coach: (on-air) But you turned down an offer from Florida State to play football.
Dean Query: (on-air) Well, I could make a couple of million a year playing in the NFL, or I could make more playing in the NBA. I had to take the best option for my family.
Coach: (on-air) You're predicted to receive a signin' bonus of over seven million dollars if you're one of the top ten picks.
Will: Natalie? What am I supposed to do with 8?
Chris: And graphics 11 and 12?
Natalie: I'll get it back guys. (into mic) Coach? Steer it back toward the next clip.
Coach: (on-air) I'm told that we have a clip of your high-school coach talkin' about you from a year ago. Let's roll that clip.
Natalie looks in despair at the clip begins to roll.
Dave: Back in ninety.
Natalie rips off her headset and storms through the control room.
Natalie: I'm going to kill him.
Dan enters the control room and grabs a hold of Natalie.
Dan: Take it easy, Nat.
Natalie: Let go, Danny.
Dan: It's his first show.
Natalie: And it's going to be his last.
Dan: Give him a chance.
Natalie: Danny? He's already missed two cues. He keeps looking into camera three when camera two is clearly lit. He's not using the questions that were given to him. He's just doing a cutesy-little chit-chat with this guy, and that isn't what this show is about.
Dan: What is this show about?
Natalie: It's about doing interviews and getting answers other networks can't.
Dan: He doesn't have a degree in journalism.
Natalie: Yeah, but two decades in college football makes him a god in everything.
Dan: Give him a chance. He isn't going to be perfect the first time.
Dave: Natalie? Coach is continuing the interview and the segment hasn't ended yet.
Natalie: Why isn't he looking into the monitors?!
Natalie runs back to her chair and throws on her headset.
Natalie: Oh screw it.
Natalie sets her headset back on the control board.
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Dan and Elliott are inside the editing room.
Elliott: I'll cut another five seconds if that will help you out.
Dan: Sure. Thanks, Elliott.
There is a knock on the door, and standing outside is Dan's publicist, Catherine.
Dan: Oh, I've got to run, Elliott.
Elliott: Okay.
Dan hurries out of the room and meets Catherine in the hallway.
Catherine: How is my main man doing?
Dan: I might be doing a lot better in a minute. How did the appeal go?
Catherine: The appeal was denied.
Dan looks disappointed.
Dan: Come with me.
Dan leads Catherine through the hall and into the conference room.
Dan: Did they just deny the appeal as soon as it was presented?
Catherine: Actually, it was dismissed because of a technicality.
Dan: A technicality?
Catherine: Yes. The association wouldn't extend the deadline by three hours.
Dan: What deadline?
Catherine: To consider you for a nomination. You see, the deadline for receiving nominations was on the fifth of the month. What we discovered was that the deadline was at 1 P.M., and we have proof of a signature receiving your consideration at 3:34 P.M. on the fifth-
Dan: You sent it in late?
Catherine: I can't believe the association wouldn't extend the deadline by a few hours.
Dan: No. You didn't get it in on time.
Catherine: We had a date, but we didn't discover the time until the fourth of the month.
Dan: You didn't think that you could hand-deliver it on time?
Catherine: We had notified the association that your consideration would be coming there on the fifth. They stated they didn't have a problem with it. Now they are disqualifying you because you didn't get it in there on their specified time.
Dan: Man.
Catherine: We might have a case against the delivery service because they didn't get it there early enough. Plus, we'll try to file another appeal with the association, but it doesn't look good.
Dan: It certainly doesn't look good.
Catherine: I'm sorry, Danny.
Dan: It doesn't look good for you.
Catherine: I've got three people working on it for you.
Dan: The time period to receive these considerations is what- four weeks?
Catherine: Thirty days.
Dan: So you had thirty days to send it in.
Catherine: We received the specific date and not the time for the deadline, Danny.
Dan: You had thirty days.
Catherine: The time was overlooked by an assistant.
Dan: You basically procrastinated or you forgot about it.
Catherine: We didn't forget. It just arrived there a little later.
Dan takes a deep breath.
Catherine: We're working on it, Dan. We'll get you some more PR opportunities, and there is a big coronation-
Dan: You're fired.
Catherine: Excuse me?
Dan: Get out. I don't want to ever see your face again. You're fired.
Catherine: We've got magazine shoots and some articles about you lined up.
Dan: You can either leave right now, or I'll call security to have you escorted from this building.
Catherine: You wouldn't do that, would you?
Dan: The other option is to throw you out the window and watch you fall 49 floors.
Catherine straightens her business suit.
Catherine: I'll have the office contact you in the next couple of days.
Dan: Don't even bother.
Catherine: I'm sorry, Dan. It was an honest mistake. I'm really sorry all of this happened.
Dan: I am too.
A composed Dan watches Catherine leave the conference room.
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Sam is working at his desk when Natalie walks in.
Natalie: You set me up.
Sam gives an unemotional look toward Natalie.
Natalie: You knew that I was going to be teamed up with somebody who isn't cooperative, has his own agenda, and can't learn a darn thing.
Sam leans back in his chair.
Natalie: Coach... no Bubba... no Montgomery... that's right, Montgomery Duncan belongs in front of the camera as much as any other freak off the street who thinks he can waltz right in and do a successful show.
Sam folds his hands.
Natalie: You need to get somebody else in there who can read the teleprompter and follow his cues.
Sam shakes his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Natalie.
Natalie: Aren't you going to fire him? Aren't you going to say anything?
Sam reaches over to his bookcase, pulls out a book, and hands it to Natalie.
Sam: What is that book about?
Natalie looks at the cover.
Natalie: Life is a Game of Football by Bubba Duncan. What the hell is this? You're giving me his book to read?!
Sam: I expect you to return it once you're through reading it.
Natalie tosses the book on the desk.
Natalie: I'm not doing this homework assignment.
Sam: Suit yourself.
Sam takes the book and places it back on the bookshelf.
Sam: What do you want out of your show?
Natalie: I want someone-
Sam: What do you want out of your show?
Natalie: I want a good show.
Sam: What are your expectations?
Natalie: I want a show where hard-hitting questions are asked.
Sam: Did you think you would meet your expectations after the first show?
Natalie: No, but-
Sam: Did you think you would have the absolute perfect host after the first show?
Natalie: I was hoping.
Sam: Did you think you would be the perfect executive producer after your first show?
Natalie: That's my overall goal.
Sam: But you wouldn't achieve it after the first show.
Natalie: I would expect us to be further ahead than where we are.
Sam: You didn't think you'd turn Coach Duncan into Dick Schapp overnight, did you?
Natalie: Well... no.
Sam: Look at your resources. You can't fit a square peg into a round hole. You need to look at everyone's strengths and utilize them to produce the best possible program. If Coach's strength is having a casual conversation with sports stars, and the viewers like it, then go with it.
Natalie: This isn't the show I was hoping for.
Sam: This is the show you got, and I would hope you would take advantage of the opportunity. You're a talented producer and I have faith you can put this together.
Natalie: Thank you, but I don't think you've worked with-
Sam: Since you don't wish to read his book, let me paraphrase what Coach has learned. He's been coaching for over two decades, and he knows that no team is the same. Talent levels fluctuate and assistant coaches come and go. He teaches the same plays year after year, and they are executed differently every season. He molded a well-respected college program by working with what he was given. He put together a winning program, and he didn't always do it the way he wanted to do it.
Natalie: You want me to mold the show to his talents?
Sam: Use everyone's talents and create a show from that. You'll be adjusting it as you progress.
Sam reaches up and grabs the book off the bookcase. He hands it back to Natalie.
Natalie: Thanks.
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The show is in the middle of a broadcast.
Dan: (on-air) Georgia Tech announced they were going to expand Bobby Dodd Stadium an additional 10,000 seats to create an overall seating capacity of 51,000. If anyone has looked at the seating capacity at the stadium over the past six years, the school has listed it at 45,000. One would think adding 10,000 seats to 45,000 would create 55,000, but at this top-notch engineering school, it was discovered that there were only 41,000 seats. I think the question we all need to ponder is this: where are the additional tickets printed for 4,000 seats which never existed?
Bobbi and I will be right back to wrap up this edition of "Sports Night" after a few words from our sponsors.
As the show goes to commercial, Dan straightens out his papers.
Dan: It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Bobbi: Wonder what?
Dan: Where all those tickets went.
Bobbi: I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, if that is what you are asking.
Dan: Okay.
Dan takes a drink of water.
"Daniel?"
Dan looks over and sees Isaac sitting off the set. Dan gets up, leaves the anchor desk, and walks over to Isaac.
Dan: What's up, Isaac?
Isaac: I heard about what happened with your nomination.
Dan: Yeah. My ex-publicist forgot about it and got it in too late.
Isaac: There will be future nominations and awards for you, Dan.
Dan: I know.
Isaac: You do need to keep one thing in perspective.
Dan: What's that?
Isaac: Everyone is going to eventually forget who won which award. If you're in this business only to win awards, you're never going to win them.
Dan: I know- I should concentrate on just doing my job.
Isaac: No. You should concentrate on why you love doing your job.
Dan reflects for a moment.
Dan: Thanks, Isaac.
Isaac: You're welcome.
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Inside the control room, a hat is being passed around and everybody is dropping a piece of paper inside.
Dave: 60 seconds back.
The hat makes its way around to Natalie.
Natalie: Has everyone submitted their name?
Isaac enters the control room.
Isaac: What's going on?
Jeremy: We've lost track of who is supposed to get danishes for the crew.
Lindsey: Yeah. I always seem to get stuck with getting them.
Elliott: It would probably be fair if we put each of our names inside a hat and have a name drawn out each night.
Chris: You better not draw my name because I've got plenty to do tonight.
Will: And it better not be my name, either.
Chris: I've got more work than you.
Will: I have more work than you.
Dave: I hope they draw both of your names.
Natalie: Isaac? Since you didn't put in your name, I think you should select the lucky person.
Isaac: All right.
Isaac walks over, reaches into the hat, and pulls out a slip of paper.
Isaac: It says, 'Sally.'
Sally: I'm getting the danishes tonight?
Natalie: Isaac drew your name.
Chris: I'll have a cheese danish.
Will: Prune.
Elliott: Cherry.
Jeremy: Apple or Cherry, your choice.
Dave: Cheese.
Lindsey: Raspberry.
Natalie: I'll take whatever they have. You got all that, Sally?
Sally: I think so.
Natalie: Hurry back.
A couple people wave goodbye to Sally as she leaves the control room.
Dave: Back in 10.
Isaac starts digging through the hat and pulling out the slips of paper.
Isaac: This one says, 'Sally.' (opens another slip) 'Sally.' (opens another slip) 'Sally.' Do all of these have Sally's name on them?
Natalie: That's the plan. Sally's getting the danishes tonight.
Dave: In 3, 2...
Dan: (on-air) We're back to the show everyone loves to watch, and I apologize if you think you are watching "Survivor." This is "Sports Night" on CSC...
