Scene: President Bartlet is getting ready to read copy on TelePrompTer for live broadcast to school children announcing Galileo 5 landing on Mars. Sam Seaborn has already told NASA public affairs writer who wrote copy that Sam needs to polish it to suit Bartlet, but writer rebuffs his offer. C.J. Cregg is standing nearby. President Bartlet (reading from prompter): Good morning! Im speaking to you live from the West Wing of the White House. Today we have a very unique opportunity to take part live in an extremely historic event, whoa boy...(Bartlet stops reading chuckles)... Sam: How ya doin, Mr. President? Bartlet: Who write this intro? NASA guy: I did, sir. Im Scott Tate from NASA Public Affairs. Bartlet: (gets off chair and walks over to Tate) Scott, unique means one of a kind, something cant be very unique...nor can it be extremely historic. C.J.: While were at it, do we have to use the word live twice in the first two sentences like we just cracked the technology? Tate: Look, um... C.J.: Were also broadcasting in living color, right? Bartlet: Sam... Sam: Yeah...(walks toward President) Bartlet: (pats Tate on the shoulder) Hes gonna make some changes. Tate (to Sam): You gonna clear em with me? Sam: I doubt it. (turns to TelePrompTer operator) Write this: Good morning. Eleven months ago, a twelve-hundred-pound spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Eighteen hours ago...(he stops, turns to C.J., and, asks without missing a beat) Is it 18 hours ago? Were on the air at noon eastern. C.J.: Yeah. Sam: (continuing) Eighteen hours ago, it landed on the planet Mars. You, me, and 60,000 of your fellow students across the country along with astroscientists and engineers from the jet propulsion lab in southern California, NASA Houston, and right here at the White House...(cut to C.J. and Bartlet watching Sam create the words spontaneously...you can see the Presidents face respond with pride and satisfaction)...were gonna be the first to see what it sees and to chronicle the extraordinary voyage of an unmanned ship called Galileo 5. Bartlet: (backhands C.J. on the arm, then gestures to Sam and smiles proudly) He said it right. (And, on perfectly scored cue, Maestro W. G. Snuffy Waldens gorgeous WW theme music ramps up to full level as WW opening graphic montage appears.)
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 00:51:53 +0000
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