Dana: This is idiotic! Bert: Dana.
This is idiotic, and I'll tell you what else --
this is no way to run a network!
-- Don't call me idiotic. -- Bert...
No, I'm a f ull-grown adult, lady,
and I've heard about you at these meetings.
I am not other people. I am the network CFO.
This is not slow-pitch softball, Bert, it's the Olympics,
and whatever you might think of my decorum,
what I'm doing right now is my job!
I understand, Dana, but unless you can point to the tr ee upon which money is growing --
This sucks.
A casual observer would never guess
you wer e f rom a good f amily, Dana.
Hey, let's leave f amilies out of --
This is happening every week, Isaac.
Not every week.
Every damn week
we'r e looking f or change
under sof a cushions!
Meanwhile, Luther Sachs has just
cashed a $7 40 million bonus!
-- Dana... -- Newsweek says he's one
of the five highest-paid CEOs
in the country,
and you'r e still cutting back on Olympic coverage?!
-- Yes. -- So I'm asking --
-- what's going on? -- We r eviewed the budget.
A budget that was approved
eight months ago!
It went through the normal r eview process
at the network level
and was sent up to the corporate level.
Oh, I like the sound of this.
Dana, a budget that calls for a 34-man team in Sydney
is overly ambitious.
Well, God f orbid we be ambitious!
Let's dial down the volume a bit.
And, Ray, Bert,
I got to say that cutting down f rom 34 to 12
is off-the-charts ludicrous.
12 people is gonna look like local news.
Isaac, CSC's gonna close a deal with Austech.
Austech?
It's an Australian carrier.
-- What kind of deal? -- Austech shares production costs in Sydney
and supplies supplementary manpower.
-- What do we do? -- Wraparound.
-- Wraparound? -- Yeah.
For a ref reshing change of pace?
That'll be ex citing f or us.
We'r e not her e to keep you inter ested, Dana.
However, we do keep you employed,
so, as long as we do, please watch your mouth.
Isaac: Bert, I'm more steamed about this than Dana is,
so bring it over here.
Isaac.
For instance, why are you in this meeting?
I'm in it because I'm in it, Isaac.
Well, that answer is f ar f rom satisf actory to me
'cause I think you'd agree that it's unusual
that you'd play a hands-on role in --
Finance is going to be playing mor e of a hands-on role in CSC operations.
-- Well, that's good news, -- Isaac.
'cause it's the sensitive hand of finance
that always leads to prizewinning coverage.
Your prizewinning coverage is racking up deficits
to the tune of $ 120 million a year.
You want to cut me a check,
we can end all this right her e.
How's it gonna work?
Austech works out of their studio in Melbourne.
They've got another f acility in Sydney.
They'r e hardwir ed into your earpiece.
Can I ask why they need any producers at all?
-- They don't. -- What?
Ray just said they don't.
If you look through the budget, you'll see traveling staff
is limited to on-air and support.
-- Ar e you -- -- Dana, ar e you telling me you'd produce better coverage
if you wer e sitting in the back of a truck in Sydney?
Yes, I'm telling you that.
Sydney is wher e the Olympics ar e.
Folks, this is not a town-hall meeting.
I'm telling you the way it is.
Live with it, don't live with it.
Either way, I've got a lunch.
Nice to see you, Isaac.
Yeah.
It's gonna be gr eat.
You'r e gonna love the f ootage f rom Austech.
Get out.
It's gonna be fine.
[ Sighs ]
Is ther e any chance
they'r e just talking about the Olympics?
No.
-- They'r e talking about production? -- Yep.
-- Promotion? -- Yeah.
So they'r e talking about losing people.
They'r e not talking about it.
Right.
-- Do me a f avor. -- What?
Keep it to yourself.
Yep.
[ Chuckles ]
That was f unny what you said bef or e
about the prizewinning coverage.
You do this job f or a lif etime,
and you do get a sense of humor.
Yeah.
Want a drink?
It's noon.
Austech.
-- Hey. -- Hey, Jer emy.
I didn't know
anyone was using the room.
I'm just doing the A.L. East.
I can pick it up later if you want.
-- No. -- You sur e?
Yeah.
So, it's Passover.
Yeah, I know. I'd have known anyway
f rom being 28 and looking at a calendar,
but my mother called me this morning just in case.
You doing anything?
Well, we've got the two shows.
Yeah, well, I'm, you know, just --
What?
I'm just, uh -- Elliot, Will, and I
ar e doing a little something between shows.
A Seder?
It's not gonna be a big deal.
We'r e just gonna br eak some matzo, say a prayer.
That's gr eat.
-- You want to come? -- Yeah.
-- It's not gonna be a big deal. -- Let's make it a big deal.
No, I want to keep it small.
I don't want to make a lot of noise about it.
-- I understand -- quiet, understated. -- Yeah.
-- I'll go write the pageant. -- The pageant?
Ther e ar e sections of the Haggadah that, quite f rankly, could use a polish.
You'r e gonna do a r ewrite on the Haggadah?
It's not written in stone, Danny.
Actually, some of it is.
Now, I'll need a company of players. Who's coming?
Well, me, you, Elliot, Will pr etty much r epr esent
the Jewish population around her e.
Let's throw open our doors.
-- You think? -- Yeah. Passover's about
the telling of a gr eat story to those who've never heard it.
Usually it's small childr en, but, you know, gentiles will do.
[ Chuckles ]
All right, well, ask whoever you want,
but I don't think anybody's gonna want to be ther e.
-- Why not? -- 'Cause I'm gonna be ther e.
-- Dan, it wasn't that bad. -- It was.
-- No, it wasn't. -- You'r e not Casey.
Casey's gonna f orgive you. Everyone else alr eady has.
Anyway, between shows. I took car e of the f ood.
Well, then all that's left is f or me to organize production.
Okay.
Ask Casey.
Go away.
-- Ask Casey. -- Go away now.
Okay.
I would like to see the f ollowing things --
I would like to see our f eed f rom Toronto on any even-number ed monitor,
I would like to hear a sound test at Shea,
-- and I would like someone to f eel my f or ehead. Dave: Natalie --
-- Elliot, f eel my f or ehead. -- Ar e you sick?
She's not sick.
-- Oh, I believe I'm coming down with something. -- What?
Dave: Don't encourage her. Will: The picture's up on four.
-- Will, give me your hand. -- I just ate a sticky bun.
Okay, then don't give me your hand.
You'll have to trust me. I'm burning up.
Dave: Natalie. -- Olympic f ever, baby!
-- Oh, God. -- Catch it!
-- I thought ther e was something r eally wrong with her. -- Well, you be the judge.
-- Hey. -- I've got the fever, Jeremy. I'm hot.
-- Yeah? -- I cannot be stopped.
Okay.
Keep cobalt-2 on a standby.
Sound 10's on a flat roll.
What do you need?
Dan and I ar e making a Seder between the shows.
-- Will and I ar e alr eady ther e. -- Yeah.
-- And the r est of you ar e invited, too. -- I'm not Jewish.
Yeah, I dated you f or a year and a half.
Right up until the day I broke up with you.
An event that occurr ed just moments after I broke up with you,
but it's Passover, and I digr ess.
That's pr etty unusual f or you.
Hey, just the kind of festive wit I'm looking for.
This is a universal Seder,
and you'll be playing evil Pharaoh.
-- Thanks. -- You bet.
-- We'r e playing roles? -- Jeremy: Yeah.
Like in a play?
-- Exactly like that, Will. -- Cool!
Let me tell you something, Erickson can pitch.
Yep. Who am I playing?
You'r e playing Pharaoh's assistant Maggie.
-- Ther e's someone named Maggie in the Haggadah? -- There is now.
All right, I'm locking the Chyron.
Olympic f ever, mi muchacho!
-- Oh, man, she's doing it in Spanish now. -- Give me sound.
Ex cuse me, everyone.
Cut f ootage f or the 50s in a half-hour.
-- Dana. -- Yeah.
-- Hey. -- Hey, what?
-- N-Nothing. -- Okay.
-- So listen... -- Yeah.
ther e's this video stor e on my corner --
now, it's not a chain or anything.
-- It's just the one stor e. -- Hurry up with this.
I don't f eel I have your undivided attention.
You don't.
Okay.
So, I go into this place f rom time to time.
To r ent Caddyshack?
Or La Dolce Vita, yeah.
Anyway, the guy wants me to do a "10 f avorites" list
so he can put it up on the wall next to my pictur e.
You'r e having trouble coming up with 10 movies?
-- No. -- Then what's the problem?
I don't want to do this.
Then don't.
I mean, I really don't want to do this.
Then don't.
It's not like I'm being a snob or anything.
It's just -- I have a car eer,
and I can't have my pictur e up ther e next to the guy
who just opened f or Carrot Top at Carolines.
Don't do it.
I just don't know what to say to the guy.
Tell him you won't do it.
I'll sound like a jackass.
You ar e a jackass.
You think I should do it?
I honestly don't car e, Casey.
I would give all I had at this moment
f or my biggest problem to be your ego.
That was a little harsh.
Do me a f avor.
Go make up with Dan, would you?
Hey, leave me alone.
-- Casey... -- No, I'm serious, Dana.
-- Leave that be. -- Okay.
If I did do the list, it'd be a damn good list,
I can tell you that much right now.
-- How many Rocky movies? -- "l" through "lll. "
-- [ Laughs ] Not IV and V? -- Don't be ridiculous, Dana.
This is the 10 best movies of all time.
Ah.
[ Snaps fingers ] See ya.
Okay.
[ Sighs ]
-- Hey. -- Hey.
I did most of the A.L. East,
but I'm gonna come back to it.
-- After the stuff at 4 :00? -- Yeah.
Okay, I'll keep it open.
Yeah. Good. I'm also gonna get some mor e film on Erickson.
-- They'r e sending it to me... -- On the satellite.
-- Yeah. -- Okay.
Casey...
Believe it or not, um, Jer emy and I
ar e having a little Passover Seder in between shows.
I don't know, actually,
I thought it might be kind of f un.
We never have had a Seder together, me and you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I've never been to a Seder at all.
Yeah, well, this one's
not gonna start a stampede of conversions or anything.
[ Chuckles ] But, uh, it might be nice if you want to come.
No, I don't -- I don't think so, Danny.
Oh, just asking.
Yeah, I gotta do this stuff.
Yeah.
I'm saving 2:20 f or the A.L. East.
Good. Thanks.
Dan: Manager Johnny Wilson was upbeat
after the announcement, declaring,
"This is gr eat. This is gr eat.
"This is how you win championships.
This is just so gr eat."
Close your eyes. It's just like sitting by Walden Pond.
Indeed. We'r e gonna pay some bills
and come back in just a minute.
I'm Casey, he's Dan.
-- Don't go away. -- We'r e out.
Thr ee minutes back.
Let me tell you something, I'm f eelin' a little woozy.
-- Yeah? -- Why do you --
I'm f eelin' a little lightheaded,
-- a little woozy. -- Let's see Nashville on r eady-1 .
Doctor, doctor, Mr. M.D., can you tell me, please, what be ailin' me?
Dave: Ready- 1.
Take a walk with me a second.
2:30 back.
What's up?
No, nothing.
I was just -- I keep meaning to ask you.
Do you know Rick Rogers at Prime Sports?
I don't know him. We've probably shaken hands at some point.
-- You should call him. -- Why?
No, nothing.
I keep meaning to tell you over the past f ew days,
ther e've --
ther e's a senior producer leaving.
Ar e they looking f or me to r ecommend someone?
No.
'Cause Kim's r eady. She can do that job.
No, I just wanted to mention it 'cause --
How was the budget meeting this morning?
It wasn't good.
Cutbacks?
Yeah.
What?
Olympic coverage.
I know. I wanted that f or you.
What about people?
I think we'r e gonna lose some people.
Kim and Elliot ar e very employable.
-- Yeah. -- Don't worry about it.
I am worried about it.
-- Don't be today. -- Why?
I don't know. It's Passover.
Okay.
Who's Sarah?
-- I am. -- Cue Sarah.
-- What ar e you doing? -- Rehearsal.
Time?
-- 60 seconds back. -- Make it snappy.
"Abraham, we ar e simple, honest, hardworking people,
-- and our lives ar e good." -- "I completely agree, Sarah.
"I hope we never have to leave
my f ather's house or even this land."
"But Abraham's wish was not to be,
f or one day, while tending to his sheep..."
-- [ Bleating ] -- Would you please?
"Abraham heard... the voice of God."
-- "Abraham." -- Dave's God?
Yes.
-- "Who's that?" -- "It's me."
"I'm hearing things.
The wind must be playing tricks with my ears."
"It's not a trick. It's me. I've chosen you."
-- "Chosen me?" -- "I've chosen you. You've been chosen. "
-- "I don't like the sound of that." -- "No, it's okay.
"What I want you to do is this -- I want you and Sarah
"to leave your f ather's house and leave this land
"and go f orth to a place called Canaan.
-- Oop. -- "Ther e in Canaan
you will become the f ounder of a gr eat nation."
-- Okey-doke. -- 10 seconds live.
Dana: "The wind must be playing tricks with my ears"?
I'm a genr e writer.
In 3...2...
That's all f or us, but like your next-door neighbor, we just won't go away.
We'll be back at 11:00 with the West Coast scor es and highlights.
You've been watching "Sports Night" on CSC. We'll see you later.
-- Music. -- Go.
-- Animation. -- Go.
We'r e out.
Good show.
Rehearsal's in one hour.
I need Joseph, I need Jacob, I need Pharaoh.
-- What about Pharaoh's assistant? -- Yes, I need Maggie.
-- I broke up with you first. -- I'll need Pharaoh's ex ecutioners.
-- Pharaoh wasn't ex ecuted. -- That's one interpretation.
-- So, I'm gonna run out and do this thing. -- Yeah.
-- Go see this guy. -- What guy?
A guy downtown at my video stor e.
About what?
Uh, it doesn't matter.
Okay, well, I'll see you tonight f or the show, then.
Yeah, well, I gotta go change first, but, um...
Yeah, yeah, sur e.
So, you got people coming to this Seder, or -- ?
Yeah, some people ar e coming.
It's no big deal.
See ya later.
[ Indistinct voices ]
So.
Yes.
I was sorry to hear that you and Joanie split up.
Jenny. It wasn't Joanie. It was Jenny.
-- If you don't mind me saying so -- -- Not much chance of that.
I think she was good f or the boy in you, but not the man in you.
-- Really? -- A chor eo-animator?
That's like dating Mary Poppins
or your junior-high-school librarian.
-- Natalie. -- Am I out of line?
-- No, ex cept she wasn't a chor eo-animator. -- What was she?
A porn star.
Really?
She's made over 80 adult films.
She's slept with, if possible, mor e men than you have.
Jenny was a porn star
f or both the boy and the man in me.
Ah.
Yes.
Hey.
-- Hello. -- You got a second?
I believe I do, yes.
Not quite finished with your scene yet, Dana.
-- Well, hurry up. I'm all aflutter. -- Okay.
I'll stay right her e.
And the problem is I'm alr eady on page 9
and I haven't introduced Moses yet.
That's problematic if you'r e telling the story of Ex odus,
yet it's an epic tale,
so maybe it isn't problematic,
nor is it problematic that I'm talking to myself,
f or that is the cr eative process.
All right, stop now.
-- A porn star? -- Yes.
He broke up with me 'cause I wanted to do too much.
I wanted to have too much f un.
So, logically, his next girlf riend would be a porn star.
I was not entir ely f orthcoming bef or e.
When?
When I talked to you bef or e
about Rick Rogers and Prime Sports.
W-What do you mean?
In the next f ew months, ther e ar e going to be massive rollbacks.
You think Kim and Elliot ar e in danger?
-- No. -- Jer emy?
-- Natalie... -- Don't ever misunderstand me, Dana.
I hate Jer emy's br eathing guts,
but I love him like I've never loved anyone,
plus which, I honestly don't think
-- we can do the show without him. -- I know.
My point is that if anyone's job
is worth fighting for, it's --
Oh, God.
-- Natalie... -- They want to fir e me.
All it is is an instinct right now.
Yeah.
A senior associate's a luxury position.
Fox doesn't have it -- CNN/SI.
Yeah...
Yeah, okay.
Okay?
Yeah.
So...
maybe you want to call Rick Rogers at Prime Sports.
-- Nah. -- Natalie...
-- I'll wait. -- Okay.
I'll wait and see what happens.
That's fine, but --
I'm gonna go check out some cut f ootage.
Okay.
[ Door closes ]
[ Sighs ]
Let's go. [ Claps ]
Wher e's Pharaoh? I can't work like this.
-- Natalie! Natalie: Yeah.
-- You're on. -- Can I talk to you outside?
-- That's happening a lot today. -- Out ther e.
Somebody find me my Moses. It's almost time.
It's almost time?
Well, we've got another 500 or 600 years, but we'r e getting ther e.
-- Hey. -- Yeah.
A porn star?
-- Yes. -- You slept with a porn star?
It never actually got that f ar.
You dated a porn star and never slept with her?
Yeah.
What a goober.
Thanks.
Natalie?
Yeah?
You okay?
Yeah.
It looked f or a second like --
Dana thinks ther e's gonna be some rollbacks.
-- Does she think it's gonna be you? -- Yeah.
Dana's not gonna let it happen, Natalie.
-- Jer emy... -- Dana's not gonna let it happen,
and neither will I.
I miss you.
Okay.
Let's go back inside.
[ Indistinct voices, telephones ringing ]
[ Door opens ]
Isaac: Jeremy, what the hell am I supposed to do?
You'r e Moses.
Ah, Moses.
Yes.
Why don't we all take our seats? Anywher e.
Right ther e's good.
I was hoping -- if no one minded --
I was hoping on saying a f ew words bef or e we started.
I know I've spoken to you all individually,
but it's worth saying out loud on this occasion
that my behavior last week,
both on and off the air, was r egr ettable.
I appreciate those who have forgiven me,
and I understand those who haven't yet.
I just say that these are f ractious times --
prof essionally, personally, socially.
I'd suspect in the next f ew days, we'r e gonna hear
that our Olympic budget has been cut back dramatically
and that there might be other cutbacks
that could be f ar worse.
It seems to me that more and more
we've come to expect less and less f rom each other,
and I'd like to be first to start bucking that tr end.
We need each other badly.
Badly.
I need you all badly. [ Knocking ]
-- Hey. -- Hey.
-- How's it going in ther e? -- I'm bombing.
-- No. -- I'm trying to tell them how I f eel, but I'm not...
-- Well, you'r e good at that. -- You'r e better.
Anyway, I saw this guy... at my video stor e.
And I started thinking.
What?
That I wouldn't trade
the last 10 years working with you f or anything.
Not f or anything, Danny, I swear to God.
You see, you do it good.
You do it good.
All right, come on.
The gefilte fish is getting cold.
Isn't it supposed to be cold?
Unh-unh. You coming?
You know, we've got a lot of r epair work to do.
You know wher e we start?
Wher e?
We get our show back.
Dana: "And God heard their cry and said unto Pharaoh,
"'Slavery is unholy and will not stand.
You will end it now. "'
"But Pharaoh ignor ed the will of God.
God allowed his voice to grow."
"'Let me be perf ectly understood.
"'Every man, woman, and child is my cr eation,
"'born of this Earth with an absolute right
"'to live f r ee within my laws
"'as their will so commands them.
You will let my people go, and you will do it now."'
"And once again, Pharaoh
ignor ed the will of God."
Together: "Yes."
"And that was a mistake."
Together: "Yes."
"For God then looked down at his lineup card,
"pointed to a kid on the bench, and said,
'Moses, you'r e up!"'
[ Laughter and cheering ]
-- Yeah! -- Whoo-hoo! -- All right!
"About damn time the cavalry showed up around her e,
wouldn't you say?"
-- Yes. -- All right.
Jer emy, would you bless this wine
and all these gifts in f ront of me?
[ Translation f rom Hebr ew ] Blessed ar e you, Lord, our God, King of the universe,
who cr eates the f ruit of the vine.
Blessed ar e you, Lord, our God, King of the universe,
who has chosen us f rom among all people and exalted us above every tongue
and sanctified us with his commandments...
[ Rock music plays ]