Way Too Much TV:
NOTES: Dr. Jan and Terri are from the Disney cartoon 'Amphibia', and they're both 10 years older. Dr. Jan has the same hairstyle, look, and outfit, but is slightly more built, and a bit heavier, and the older Terri (who's now Dr. Terri) is based on a picture from the user UnderLoudF on Deviantart.
It was a great day in Los Angeles, California. Ronnie Anne and her friends Sid and Sameer were arriving at the Natural History Museum. With Tina and Jojo's help, they made it to L.A., where they were outside...
Tina: Guys, this is the Natural History Museum, where Dr. Jan and Dr. Terri work at.
Ronnie Anne: We met them when they were visiting the city last month.
Sameer: Yeah, to promote their museum's work!
Sid: They're the same doctors who helped save the world from a frog invasion?
Jojo: (nods) Yes, but there's some people who still believed the whole thing was a hoax.
Everyone went into the museum, where Dr. Jan, the curator of the museum, and her partner, Dr. Terri (who is non-binary) greeted them...
Dr. Jan: Hey, Tina, Jojo, how are you doing today?
Jojo: We're doing fine, Dr. Jan.
Jan: (to R.A., Sid, and Sameer) We saw you kids in Great Lakes City last month, didn't we?
R.A.: You have.
Tina: Ronnie Anne, Sid and Sameer are visiting Los Angeles today.
Jojo: They asked their parents if they could come here with us.
Dr. Terri: Well, we enjoy showing everyone around the museum.
Jan: Do you adorable young kids want a free tour?
Of the three tweens there, only Sameer raised his arm up...
Sameer: I'd like one.
Jan: Wonderful, Sameer!
R.A.: Maybe later. I would like to go see Hollywood.
Sid: And I would like to see the L.A. Zoo.
Terri: Okay. Sameer, just wait over there (points to a bench) and we'll get you a place in the tour group.
Sameer: Alright.
Sameer went over to that bench, and sat down. Jojo and Tina then walked away, and before they would join them, R.A. and Sid wanted to say goodbye to Sameer first...
R.A.: Have fun with the tour, Sameer. I'm gonna go see Hollywood.
Sid: And I'm gonna visit the Los Angeles Zoo.
Sameer: Okay.
Just then, a noise came from the back area, and the three kids turned to that direction... and saw Flip pushed something that's under a big, red, cover...
R.A.: Flip, what are you doing here?
Flip: I talked to the curator of this museum about testing a new project that could benefit all of us. Well, mostly me. But you guys could be the first ones to test these out.
Sid: What are they?
Sameer: What's under the covers?
Flip: What's the one thing that everyone loves?
R.A., Sid, and Sameer thought about that. A moment later, they each had a response...
Sameer: Their parents?
Filp: Nope.
Sid: Animals?
Flip: Nope.
R.A., now surprised, asks, 'Sports?'
Flip: (chortles) Why don't I just show you?
The tweens nodded, then Flip took off the cover to reveal... 3 portable televisions, with chairs.
Flip: Televisions, with built in chairs! I've asked Dr. Jan to have some people try these, just for a test run. If this works, it could be a popular attraction in the museum, which means, I could make a lot of money!
Sid: Well, good luck with that, Flip.
R.A.: Television isn't a big deal in public.
Sameer: Are those TVs set to the History Channel?
Flip: Oh, these TVs have more channel than just the history one. In fact, every channel you've ever heard of is on them! I'll switch these on something you'll really like: cartoons!
Flip turned the TVs onto Cartoon Network, and R.A., Sid, and Sameer were intrigued by them. Flip says, 'My work here is done,' and left the main room, leaving the tweens to watch the TVs. An hour later, at 2:00pm, Jan and Terri went over to the kids, who were watching the TVs...
Jan: Wow, you're all really into those TVs, huh?
Sid, Sameer, and R.A. nodded.
Terri: Well, Sameer, there's a spot in this tour group. Are you ready to explore the museum now?
Sameer: Maybe later, Dr. Terri.
Terri: (confused) What? But there's a spot for you in the tour now...
Sameer: (watching the TV) After I finish watching this cartoon.
Terri was still confused, but let him be. After an hour had passed, with Tina and Jojo just coming into the museum...
Jojo: Wow, there's a lot to see in Los Angeles!
Tina: And that was just a small part of it!
Jojo and Tina then saw Sid, Sameer, and R.A. Still watching the TVs...
Jojo: Kids, did you see Hollywood yet?
They were glued to the TV's, still silent...
Tina: Excuse me kids, did any of you hear Jojo?
Again, they were staring mindlessly at the TVs. At that point, Tina lifted her left index finger, in a flash, the TVs immediately went out, briefly snapping the kids back to their senses...
Sameer: (notices Tina and Jojo) Oh, hello, Tina, Jojo.
Jojo: We were worried you kids were get too attached to those things.
Tina nodded...
Tina: Yeah, we think it would be best if we talk over there, away from them.
Sameer, Sid, and R.A. went to the benches with Jojo and Tina...
R.A.: Alright, Jojo, Tina, how was Hollywood?
Jojo: It's incredible!
Tina: Magnificent!
Jojo: We got a book about L.A. and the best sights to see here. We were wondering if you would like to read it with us.
All three kids nodded, with Sid saying, 'We'd love to.'
Jojo and Tina then began reading the book about Los Angeles to them, but when they looked to talk to them about a picture of an attraction in Hollywood some time later...
Jojo: So, you see...
Jojo and Tina saw that Sid, Sameer, and R.A. went back to watching the TVs. Jan and Terri came in, and saw what was happening...
Terri: Wow, these TVs might not be great for business if that's all the kids will do here.
Jan: Alright, I'm going to tell them to stop watching TV, Dr. Terri.
Terri: Wait, Dr. Jan, let them figure it out for themselves. Soon, they will get tired of the TVs, and turn them off.
Jan was unsure about that, but decides to try Terri's suggestion, and let Sameer, Sid, and R.A. continue watching the TVs. At that moment, a commercial for a huge toy robot came on. It had many special gadgets, and you could use a remote to make it move around. R.A., after watching the commercial, says to Sid and Sameer, 'Let's get that robot!' They agreed, with R.A. using her phone to call the number on the television to order the toy robot. All Jojo, Tina, Dr. Jan, and Dr. Terri could do is look at the kids incredulously. Later, it was 5:00pm, and R.A., Sid, and Sameer were still sitting in front of the TVs...
Jan: Do you think they're getting tired of watching TV?
Terri: Sorry, they're still at it, Dr. Jan.
Jan: (to Jojo and Tina) Do either of you have any idea on how we can get them away from those televisions?
Jojo and Tina thought for a moment, then Jojo spoke up...
Jojo: Well, Sid loves animals. Maybe if we act like a monkey came here, she could be interested enough to turn away from the TV.
Jojo had out a monkey puppet, and put it on her right hand...
Jan: Ooh, good idea, Jojo. Let's try it.
The clown, baby girl, and the two history doctors went to the three kids, and Jojo put her monkey act on...
Jojo: (does a monkey-like voice) Hey, Sid! I'm a monkey! Do you wanna be my friend?!
Sid turns to Sameer and R.A., and tells them, 'Hey, guys, a monkey is talking to me through the TV!'
Jojo tried again...
Jojo: No, I'm not on TV. I'm right next to you, Sid!
Sid: Wow, these TVs are cool.
Jojo went back to the others, disappointed. Tina says, 'Not even a cool animal couldn't make her turn away.'
Jan: We better put a stop to this.
Terri: Maybe you're right.
Everyone then tried calling out to Sameer, Sid, and R.A...
Jan: Kids, that's enough watching TV!
Terri clears their throat loudly.
Jan: Do you hear me?!
The three kids still look up. It was like they were hypnotized by them...
Jan: All right, that's it! No more TV!
Tina used her index finger again to turn off the TVs, while Jan unplugged the cord for them.
With that Sameer. Sid, and R.A. completely snapped out of their trance...
Sid: (looks up) Oh, hi, everyone.
Jan: I think you kids watched enough TV.
Sid: You're probably right. We better get going.
Jan: Wait, where are you going?
Sameer: Well, I'm going to take a tour of the museum.
Terri: Ooh, I'm sorry, there aren't any more tours today. They'll be more tomorrow.
Sid: I'm going to see the animals at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Jojo: Sorry, it's already closed now.
R.A.: I'm going on a tour to see Hollywood.
Tina: (shakes her head) It's too late to get a tour right now.
Sid: (gasps) Are you saying that we missed everything?
Jan: You can't miss everything, because there's always different things to do. But you did miss out on the stuff you wanted to do today.
Sameer, Sid, and R.A. groaned, put their hands over their faces, and said, 'Oh, no!'
Just then, a knock was heard on the museum's door...
Terri: I'll see who that is.
Everyone else stayed in the main room, and a few minutes later, Terri came back carrying a box...
R.A.: That must be the toy robot we ordered!
Sid: At least one good thing happened today.
Jojo helped open up the box for the kids, and they went through the Papier-Mache inside, feeling for the robot...
Sameer: I feel something!
Sameer lifted his right hand out of the box... and he was selling the (tiny) toy robot.
R.A.: (stunned) Wow. The robot looked a lot bigger in that commercial.
Sid: I found the remote!
Sid pressed the button on the remote to turn the robot on, but nothing happened. She then pressed the up and down buttons on the remote to get the robot to move. The robot still did nothing.
Sameer: Why isn't the robot moving?
At that, Terri decided to feel around the box themself...
Terri, after feeling around the box for a moment, she felt something...
Terri: Hold on, let me take a look at this.
They revealed that they found a small instruction booklet from inside the box. They opened it up, and read a page.
When Terri saw something important, they nodded...
Terri: Oh, yeah... it says that the toy robot needs special batteries.
Sid: What kind of batteries?
Terri: Well, let's see, you got to send 10 dollars to (Terri puts her glasses on to see the tiny inscription more clearly) the place that make the toy, in Yorkshire, England.
R.A.: (groans) Dang it! Those TVs stole our time!
Jan: Well, I don't think they stole your time away. I think you gave it away.
Jan turned to the three kids with a speech...
Jan: Kids, there is a lot of stuff to see on TV, but it doesn't mean you have to watch it. You should really only watch TV in moderation, so you'll have time for other things.
Sameer, Sid, and R.A looked at each other, and realized that fact...
R.A. (sighs) You're right, Dr. Jan.
Sid: Yes, we've been watching TV for too long.
Sameer: I'll try to limit my TV time.
At that moment, Flip came in, excited...
Flip: I wonder if my TVs are gonna become a feature to the museum? I know at least a few kids who love them! (eyes Sameer, Sid, and R.A.)
Jan: (awkward) Well, Flip... we think it's best we don't have these Televisions here.
Terri: Yeah, tourists could miss out what they came here to see. We learned that today.
Flip: What, what else would people do here then watch TV?
Sameer: Well, Flip, they would see all the dinosaur skeletons and other artifacts here.
R.A.: My family might need that empty box.
Sid: (excited) And I can make some zoo animals with this Papier-Mache!
Sameer: And we can keep the toy money, and one day, we could ask our family for those 'special batteries' in England.
Flip: Come on, what's wrong with TV?
Sid: That's nothing wrong with TV, Flip. There's a time for that, and a time for other stuff.
Sameer: Right now, we all want to do other stuff.
Flip moaned, and pushed the TVs out of the museum, then everyone else laughed.
R.A. turned to Tina, and asked, 'Tina, could you bring us all back here tomorrow? We would like to do what we should've done today.
Tina: I definitely can!
The kids and Tina then walked out of the museum, and Jojo said to Jan and Terri, 'I'm happy to see that they learned a valuable lesson.'
Terri: Yes, I'm hoping they have a great day in the city tomorrow.
Jojo nods, and then headed out the door. The following day, Sameer, Sid, and R.A. Did have a great time in L.A. R.A. got to explore Hollywood like she wanted, Sid went to the L.A. Zoo, and got to see all the animals there, and finally, when Sameer showed up at the museum, he was on the first tour of the day, and got to see all the exhibits. All in all, the three kids had definitely learned from the experience of watching too much TV, and had a great time the next day.