[Scene:
Studio / Booth]
[Basically
everyone is in this scene.]
[The
show is finishing up. Liv, Trager, and
the White House people are smiling; Trager especially looks pleased.]
Casey:
…while Lee Janzen's tee shot landed him an ace at the 17th at Pebble
Beach, securing his win and utterly flabbergasting the then leading Tiger
Woods. Dan?
Dan:
That's all for us, but we'll be back on Monday. And right now, Casey and I are going to have a party. You've been watching Sports Night on CSC,
have a good night.
Casey:
Good night.
[Booth]
Dave:
We're out.
Dana
[standing and removing her earpiece]: Good show.
Natalie:
No.
Dana:
What?
Natalie:
It was a great show.
[Studio]
[Dan
and Casey stand as Liv makes her way over to them.]
Liv:
That was fun!
Dan:
You like that, huh?
Liv:
I'm going to be doing this someday.
Casey:
I just bet.
Dan:
So explain to me again why we have to change?
Casey:
It's just… something we do.
Dan:
I'm already wearing a suit.
Casey:
I know.
Dan:
It's a nice suit.
Casey:
Very nice.
Dan
[gesturing]: Goes with my eyes.
Casey
[explaining to Liv]: Apparently it's bad etiquette to appear at a party in the
same clothes you broadcast in.
Dan:
No one will care.
Casey:
Dana will.
Dan:
One person out of the several billion that will be here this evening.
Casey:
Know who's going to be here?
Dan:
Cal Ripken Jr?
Casey:
Besides him.
Dan:
Who?
Casey:
Marion Jones.
Dan:
I'll go change.
Casey
[to his departing form]: Good man.
Liv:
Marion Jones?
Casey:
Yep.
Liv:
The Olympic track runner Marion Jones?
Casey:
The very one. Dan's got… kind of a
crush on her.
Liv:
I wonder if she'll be wearing a skirt.
Casey:
Do you?
Liv:
She's got great legs.
Casey:
Runners tend to.
[Booth]
Dana:
I'm going to go change my clothes. Dave, Elliot, please make sure everything's
in some semblance of order.
Natalie:
Dana, please be calm.
Dana:
Once things get started, I will calm down.
Natalie:
You have nothing to worry about.
Dana
[pauses]: That's right.
Natalie:
Things are fine.
Dana:
Things are…fine, yes, they are just finely fine. Fine. [Nods in a
distracted sort of way and walks into the hallway where she immediately crashes
into Trager. He smiles at her, she
freaks out.]
Dana:
Oh, my God, I am so sorry.
Trager:
It's okay.
Dana:
I was-
Trager:
Walking very quickly.
Dana:
-not watching where I was going-
Trager:
I wasn't watching where you were going either.
Dana:
I am so sorry-
Trager:
Dana, relax, it's fine.
Dana
[takes a deep breath]: Okay. Yes. I'm going to go change my clothes now.
Trager:
You look fine.
Dana:
Be that as it may, I'm going to change my clothes now.
Trager:
Into what?
Dana:
A dress.
Trager:
You're already wearing a dress.
Dana:
This is a skirt.
Trager:
Close enough.
[Dana
begins to walk away.]
Trager:
Dana.
[She
turns.]
Trager:
It was a good show tonight.
Dana
[smiling]: Thank you.
[She
turns and begins to walk away again, and momentarily braces herself against the
wall. Trager sees this but doesn't
comment. Dana leaves. After a moment, so does Trager.]
[Scene:
Back in the booth]
[Natalie,
Jeremy]
Natalie:
Why aren't you going to change your clothes?
Jeremy:
Because-
Natalie:
Everyone else is going to.
Jeremy:
I don't give into peer pressure. Besides, I'm a guy, no one cares what I wear.
Natalie:
Dan and Casey are guys, they're changing.
Jeremy:
They're famous. No one's seen me today
but you guys.
Natalie:
You're not very dressed up. [He's
wearing what he usually does, shirt and tie, etc. There is a jacket hanging on the back of his chair.]
Jeremy:
Observe. [He picks up the jacket and
puts it on.] Voila. Wearin' a suit.
Natalie:
I hate you. [leaves]
[Jeremy
shakes his head, chuckling.]
[Scene:
Dana's office / Party Area {which includes the area outside Dan and Casey's
office, and the conference room]
[We
begin in Dana's office. Dana is putting
in an earring – she has changed clothes – and looking smashing. Her dress may look however you want it to,
but it should match the blue scarf {Author's
note: the one Donna gave her in "Simply Unpredictable"} she wears
draped around her shoulders. Natalie
knocks and enters. She has too changed
clothes… and if Sam thought she was pretty before, he should see her now. Don't worry, he will.]
Dana:
Are they here?
Natalie: There must be a hundred people out there. Dana… you look spectacular.
Dana:
Thank you. You too.
[Natalie
self-consciously smooths her dress.]
Natalie:
Thanks.
Dana:
Is everything all right out there?
Natalie:
Everything's perfect. And guess what?
Dana:
I can only guess.
Natalie:
There's fruit.
Dana:
Well thank God for that.
[Isaac
knocks and enters.]
Isaac:
Dana, Natalie, you two clean up real good. Now why don't you get your butts out here and join this party?
[Dana
takes his arm.]
Dana:
Let's go.
[They
all three smile and go, via continuous shot, into the main party area.]
[Description
time. As was mentioned before, this is
the area outside Dan and Casey's office, the place where are usually many, many
desks and things. No more. They've all been cleared out to an undisclosed
location where they will remain until after the party. The lights are not as bright as they usually
are, and music – probably jazz or swing for now – plays somewhat quietly in the
background. As far as people go, well,
there certainly is a crowd. You can
have fun with this. Josh was right in
the beginning- there are definitely sports people here. You can imagine whoever you want, except
Dennis Rodman or professional wrestlers. A few people are dancing, many more are standing or sitting and talking. The doors to the conference room are open,
and that's where most of the refreshments are. For now, that's where we go. Jeremy is draining a glass of water as Donna enters.]
Donna:
Hey, Jeremy.
Jeremy:
Donna! I wasn't expecting to see you.
Donna:
I'm just full of surprises. Josh and Sam are here too.
Jeremy:
Sam? Oh, Sam Seaborn, the one you've
mentioned before?
Donna:
Yep, that Sam.
Jeremy:
Huh. [Sees the fruit bowl on the
table.] "Do I dare to eat a
peach?" [Dares.]
Donna:
What?
Jeremy:
It's from a T.S. Eliot poem called "The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock."
Donna:
Prufrock?
Jeremy:
J. Alfred Prufrock will never be understood by anyone. He stays in his room in an eternal present
even as he grows old, and "In the room the women come and go, talking of
Michaelangelo."
Donna:
Are they eating peaches?
Jeremy:
Damned if I know.
Donna:
Sounds kinda depressing.
Jeremy
[shrugging]: That's Eliot for you.
[Main
area]
[Josh
and Sam are standing by the window. Sam
is trying not to stare at Natalie {and is failing miserably}, who is standing
across the room talking to some sports person. Dan is standing near her, and every so often looks up to see Sam looking
in their direction.]
Josh:
You should dance with her.
Sam:
No I shouldn't.
Josh:
Yes, you should.
Sam:
Stop it!
Josh:
You're a good-looking guy, she'll say yes.
Sam:
She doesn't know who I am.
[Sam
turns and looks out the window for a moment, and Josh gestures to Dan, somehow
communicating to him to bring Natalie over. Dan grins and complies.]
Dan:
Hey, guys. Natalie, you've met Josh,
right? [Sam whips around.]
Natalie
[shaking hands with Josh]: Yes, the last time he was here.
Dan:
How about Sam?
Natalie
[now shaking with Sam, who looks a trifle dazed]: No.
Sam:
I'm Sam.
Natalie:
Yes, and I'm Natalie.
Sam:
Nice to meet you.
[Sally
approaches the group. Josh looks
startled at her sudden appearance.]
Dan
[keeping a somewhat fixed smile]: Sally.
Sally:
Dan, are you going to introduce me?
Dan:
Josh Lyman, Sam Seaborn, meet Sally Sasser, she's the producer of West Coast
Update.
Sally
[to Sam]: We have the same initials, did you notice?
Sam:
Mm?
Sally:
I said we have the same initials.
Dan:
Man, Sally, they're not kidding when they say you're the life of the party.
Sally
[ignoring him]: Some coincidence, isn't it?
Natalie:
Not really. Casey has the same initials
as Colin Montgomerie.
Sam:
And Chico Marx.
Natalie:
And my mom has the same initials as Audrey Hepburn.
Josh:
I have the same initials as James Little.
Sally:
Who's that?
Josh:
Kid I went to high school with. He was
a real geek.
Sally:
Fascinating.
[Trager
comes up to them, smiling a bit.]
Trager:
Hey, Sam, Josh can I borrow you for a minute?
Sam:
Sure.
[Trager
leads them through the crowd to the other side of the room and into the
conference room.]
Sam:
What's up?
Trager:
Just rescuing you from Sally. I'd
advise getting a glass of punch or something so she won't see you for a few
minutes.
Sam:
Um… thanks.
Trager:
Trust me, it's for the best.
Josh:
I think I believe you.
Trager:
Good. [Starts to leave.] Oh, and if my first name were Quincy, I'd
have the same initals as Quentin Tarantino. [Leaves.]
Josh:
Interesting guy.
Sam:
Yeah. [Looks around distractedly, and
absently eats a cookie.]
Josh:
Ask Natalie to dance.
Sam:
No!
Josh:
C'mon.
Sam:
No.
Josh:
C'mon. [elbows him]
Sam:
Josh, I believe you graduated from high school several years ago.
Josh:
Why won't you?
Sam:
Because… [waves vaguely in the general direction of the door]
Josh:
I am so glad we've got you as Deputy
Communications Director-
Sam
[tersely]: And you've made that joke about twenty-five times now.
Josh:
It never loses its fun. [Sam ignores
him.] Oh, come on, she isn't seeing
anyone- well, not really.
Sam:
What does that mean and how do you know?
Josh:
Which question do you want me to answer first?
Sam:
Either one.
Josh:
I know because Donna and Jeremy correspond.
Sam:
Correspond?
Josh:
They write letters or something; he tells her about the goings-on at Sports
Night, she breaches national security. Anyway, what I mean is that Natalie is, for all intents and purposes,
available to at least dance with you.
Sam:
Somehow I get the impression that you aren't telling me everything.
Josh:
She's… got this on-again-off-again relationship with Jeremy… they see each
other, but other people too, it's hard to explain.
["Isn't
This A Lovely Day" {from "Top Hat"} starts to play. Donna runs in.]
Donna:
Joshua.
Josh:
Donnatella.
Donna:
You should dance with me.
Josh:
Why?
Donna: Cos I said so.
Josh:
Uh-
Donna:
Also because I like this song, and I can't find Casey.
Josh:
Boy, I feel special. [Donna grabs his
arm and drags him out to the main area, where we follow, as Sam remains in the
conference room.]
[Josh
and Donna begin dancing, but we'll ignore them for now. Nearby, Dan and Liv are dancing, and also
Trager and Dana. Dana looks a bit
nervous, but Trager seems perfectly at ease.]
Trager:
Something wrong?
Dana:
No.
Trager:
This is a good song.
Dana:
Yes.
Trager:
Irving Berlin.
Dana:
I know. [Shakes her head quickly.]
Trager:
Dana?
Dana:
Hmm?
Trager:
You sure you're all right?
Dana:
I'm fine.
[Over
to Dan and Liv.]
Dan:
Wasn't this in a movie?
Liv:
Top Hat.
Dan:
With Ginger Rogers and Frank Sinatra?
Liv:
Fred Astaire.
Dan:
That's the one.
Liv:
That's the one.
Dan:
What did Frank Sinatra do?
Liv:
He sang. Crooned. Had blue eyes. Whatever.
Dan:
He was a sailor.
Liv:
Was he?
Dan:
In that movie.
Liv:
Anchors Aweigh, or On the Town?
Dan:
I don't remember.
Liv:
No, what I mean to say is that he was a sailor in both.
Dan
[after a pause]: You think he ever did any sailing in real life?
Liv:
I couldn't say.
[Back
to Dana and Trager. Dana looks
decidedly distant now.]
Trager:
Dana.
Dana:
Mm?
Trager:
Are you awake?
Dana
[laughing a little]: I'm sorry, yes, I am. Um, thanks for the dance.
Trager:
Anytime.
[Dana
heads away, and gets exactly two steps before passing out. Trager catches her, looking like he expected
this.]
[Casey,
meantime, has just come out of the conference room when:]
Trager
[OS]: Casey.
[He
stands besides Casey, carrying Dana.]
Casey:
Oh, my G- what happened?
Trager:
She fainted. I should know this, but
where's the nearest couch?
Casey:
Dan's and my office, this way.
[Leads
him around the crowd, many of whom are looking at them curiously, to the office
and lets them in.]
Casey:
I'll get her a glass of water.
Trager:
Good idea. [He puts Dana on the couch,
and for the first time, he looks genuinely at a loss. Hesitantly, he puts a hand on her forehead as if feeling for
temperature. Natalie enters and starts
to say something, but Trager interrupts.]
Trager:
She fainted.
Natalie:
When?
Trager:
About a minute ago.
Natalie:
And… what, you're trying to take her temperature?
Trager:
I've never been around a person that's fainted before.
[Casey
enters with a cup of water and a small plate with cheese and a cookie on it.]
Natalie:
Cheese?
Casey:
I panicked, it was the first thing I saw.
Trager:
So, what now?
[Natalie
takes the cup from Casey and flicks a few drops into Dana's face. She awakens and starts to sit up, but
Natalie prevents her.]
Natalie:
Here, drink this.
Dana:
Ugh… [Drinks the water. Her eyes fly
open as she sees Trager and Casey there.] Oh, God…
[Casey
hands her the plate.]
Dana:
Thanks… cheese?
Casey:
There's a cookie there too!
Dana:
What happened?
Trager:
You passed out. I'm guessing it wasn't
because I'm an overwhelming dancer.
Dana:
Um-
Casey:
Dana, when's the last time you slept or ate?
Dana:
I've been sleeping just fine, thank you.
Casey:
Eat.
[Obediently,
Dana nibbles on the cookie.]
Dana
[muttering]: This is so embarrassing.
Natalie:
If you need anything, let us know. [Dana nods as Natalie shoos Trager and Casey out and then shuts the door
behind them.]
[Back
to the main area, continuous]
[Sam
approaches Trager and, because she is still there, Natalie.]
Sam:
Calvin? Is everything all right? I heard-
Trager:
Dana's resting.
Sam:
Oh.
Natalie:
Have you met Dana yet?
Sam:
No, but now's probably not the best time.
Natalie:
You're right.
[There
is a brief pause, during which Sam tries desperately to come up with something
to say. As Natalie begins to walk
away:]
Trager:
So, you know what Sam noticed?
[Natalie
turns back as Sam looks in startled panic at Trager. Trager, for his part, is smiling and pays no attention to Sam's
sudden glare.]
Natalie:
What did you notice?
[Sam
looks back at Natalie, floundering a bit, until:]
Sam:
There's fruit.
Natalie
[enthusiastically]: There's fruit!
Sam:
I thought it was a little strange. Just
a basket of fruit, no… toothpicks or skewers or anything.
Natalie:
Skewers? Like… fruit kebabs?
Sam:
Sort of like that, yeah.
Natalie:
I'm glad there's fruit. I've been
telling Dana all day that there should be some.
Trager:
And I'm sure that didn't bug her.
Natalie:
No, because she was ignoring me most of the time.
Sam:
Ignoring a call for fruit?
Natalie:
I know, can you believe it?
Sam:
Hardly.
[Trager
scans the crowd quickly.]
Sam:
Who are you looking for?
Trager:
Sally.
Sam:
That woman is frightening. [Trager and
Natalie chuckle.] I'm not kidding,
she's… she's way too tall.
Natalie:
Yes.
Sam:
And fixated on initials.
Trager:
Well, you two do have the same
initials.
Sam:
I don't care. Why are you looking for
her?
Trager
[vaguely]: Just because. Oh, never
mind.
[Sally
approaches them.]
Sally:
There you are!
Natalie:
Where who is?
Sally
[talking to Sam]: You just kind of disappeared there.
Sam:
I do that. I'm stealthy.
Sally:
Stealthy.
Sam:
I could be a superhero, but I decided that the White House was a better venue
for my talents.
Natalie:
Sally, did you realize that you and Sam have the same initials as Soupy Sales?
[Sam
and Trager laugh. Sally looks perplexed
and gives Natalie a tight little smile.]
Sally:
Thanks.
Natalie:
Anytime.
Sally:
So, Sam, would you care to dance?
[Sam
opens his mouth to reply, trying his best not to look frightened, but-]
Natalie:
He can't.
[Sally
and Sam look at her.]
Sally:
He can't dance?
Natalie:
Well, that I don't know, but what I meant was that he's promised me this next
one. [She smiles at the dumbfounded Sam
and takes his arm, heading toward the dancing crowd. Sally watches them for a moment and turns back to Trager, only to
find that he is gone.]
[Scene:
Dan and Casey's office.]
[Dana,
Trager]
[Dana
is sitting on the couch still, staring out the window. Trager slips quickly through the door and
stands there for a few moments before Dana notices him.]
Dana:
Hi.
Trager:
Hey. How you feeling?
Dana:
Better, thank you.
Trager:
Well, you look pretty miserable. [Dana,
insulted, starts to respond.] I mean
upset.
Dana:
I just fainted in front of a whole lot of people. I'm a little embarrassed.
Trager:
Have you ever fainted before?
Dana:
No.
Trager:
Well, see, it was bound to happen sooner or later. There's a first time for everything.
Dana:
Did it have to be tonight?
Trager:
You've got some color back to your face.
[Dana's
hand goes to her cheek, as if trying to ascertain that he's right.]
Dana:
Good.
Trager:
Dana, why didn't you eat today?
Dana:
I didn't have time.
Trager:
You didn't have time?
Dana:
I didn't have time.
Trager:
You couldn't have just grabbed something and eaten it during rundown, or
something?
Dana:
I didn't think about it.
Trager
[smiling]: You're changing your answer, ma'am.
Dana:
Listen-
Trager:
Dana, you thought about it. And you had
plenty of time.
Dana
[giving in]: I ate around noon. I had a
cheese sandwich, and a little later I threw it up.
Trager:
Are you sick?
Dana:
No, it was nerves, and I decided I shouldn't try it again unless I was feeling
more relaxed.
Trager:
What were you so nervous about?
Dana:
The fact that some very, very important people were going to be here
tonight. Sports figures and network
people.
Trager:
Do I make you nervous?
Dana:
Well-
Trager:
Because I try to come off as nonthreatening.
Dana:
You don't make me nervous, talking like this. Calvin Trager, owner of this station, makes me nervous.
Trager:
Then I'll have to change my name.
Dana:
Wh-
Trager:
Dan Rydell's a good name, but it's taken. Listen, Dana, you have nothing to worry about. You think I'm going to change my mind about Sports Night? It's not going to happen, unless you hire a
stapler and a dalmation to replace Dan and Casey. But if things keep up even a quarter as good as they were
tonight, you'll still have a great show.
Dana
[after a pause]: Oh.
[Trager
motions for her to get up off the couch. Dana does so.]
Trager:
C'mon, people are asking for you. [Dana
smiles.]
[He
leads her into the main area, and we pan over to Josh and Dan, who are watching
Natalie and Sam.]
Josh:
Look at them.
[Dan
chuckles a little. Natalie is looking
over Sam's shoulder (like any good dance partner), and Sam is smiling at her
hair.]
Dan:
Y'know, Josh, next time bring a woman with you.
Josh:
I brought Donna this time.
Dan:
You can bring her, but I meant a different woman.
Josh:
Why?
Dan:
Now, don't get me wrong, I like Donna just fine, but see, there's a pattern
developing. Donna comes the first time,
she has a thing for Casey. Sam comes
the second time, he has a thing for Natalie. I figure I'm bound to be in the running sooner or later.
Josh:
Hey, you never know, maybe I have a thing for you.
Dan:
I'm not your type.
[Josh
laughs.]
Josh:
I'm just trying to picture you with CJ…
Dan:
Is she attractive?
Josh:
Oh, yeah, but she'd probably eat you alive.
Dan:
I like a challenge.
Josh:
You want a challenge, I'll bring Toby.
Dan:
Is Toby a woman?
Josh
[chuckling]: Not at all.
Dan:
Bring CJ.
[Sally
approaches the two of them, smiling a little too sweetly. Wordlessly, she hands Dan a folded $50 bill
and walks away. Dan and Josh grin at
each other.]
[The
music quiets and Trager's voice can be heard calling over the crowd.]
Trager:
Everyone! May I have your attention
please! [The room's occupants turn and
face him; he is standing by the window, and there is a table behind him upon
which rests a large cake.]
Trager:
[gesturing to the cake] We're going to cut this thing now, but first I want
Isaac to say a few words.
[Isaac
stands beside Trager.]
Isaac:
Three years is a long time. It's 1,095
days. 26, 280 hours. 1,576,800 minutes. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. My point is, for that amount of time, we've
had people at this station that think and talk and live sports ten hours out of
every day, if not more than that. We've
had hard times and trying times in these past three years, but for the most
part we've had good times. Let's keep
it up. And now, let's get this damn
thing cut.
[People
cheer and applaud. Josh wades through
the crowd to Sam and Natalie, followed closely by Donna.]
Josh: We should probably go.
Sam
[checking his watch]: Yeah…
Natalie:
Hang on. [She leaves and comes back
fairly quickly, handing Sam a napkin with some writing on it.]
Sam:
What's this?
Natalie:
Write me a letter.
Sam:
What?
Natalie
[smiling]: Write me a letter.
Sam:
Okay. [He smiles.]
[Fade
to title, then to black.]