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Sports Night Pilot Script
Sports Night Pilot Script
Sports Night Pilot Script
SPORTS NIGHT
(pilot)
Aaron Sorkin
1/12/98
SPORTS NIGHT
(TEASER)
WOMAN'S VOICE
MAN'S VOICE
ANOTHER WOMAN
MAN'S VOICE
FIRST WOMAN
SECOND WOMAN
FADE UP ON:
RUNNING THE SHOW IS DANA WHITAKER, A WOMAN IN HER 30'S AND THE
PRODUCER OF SPORTS NIGHT. HER ASSOCIATE PRODUCER IS NATALIE
RYDELL, EARLY 20'S AND A LITTLE NEW TO HER JOB. ISAAC JAFFEE,
50'S, THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, STANDS IN BACK WITH HIS ARMS FOLDED.
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
A GLASS WALL SEPARATES THEM FROM THE STUDIO WHERE CASEY AND DAN,
BOTH IN THEIR 30'S, ARE CLIPPING ON THEIR MICROPHONES AND EAR
PIECES AND ARRANGING PAPERS ON THE DESK. ELLIOT, AN INTERN, FLIES
IN AND OUT WITH SOME PAPERS AND THEN SITS OFF CAMERA AT A LAP-TOP.
DAN
DANA
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
NATALIE
DAN
NATALIE
Sorry.
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
CASEY
Excuse me--
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
Roll tape.
NATALIE
SFX: THE TAPED SPORTS NIGHT INTRO BEGINS. ITS THEME MUSIC AND
STORY TEASERS CAN BE SEEN AND HEARD ON MONITORS THROUGHOUT THE
STUDIO AND CONTROL ROOM.
CASEY
Excuse me.
DANA
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
Helsinki's in Finland.
DANA
What?
CASEY
NATALIE
DANA
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
CASEY
ENGINEER
NATALIE
ENGINEER
INTERN
DAN
NATALIE
ELLIOT
NATALIE
CASEY
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
Right.
DANA
In three, two--
DAN
DANA
ELLIOT
CASEY
Thank you.
MAIN TITLES
ACT ONE
(A)
INT. NEWSROOM
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THE PLACE IS IN FULL HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AS STAFFERS WORK THE PHONES
AND THE COMPUTERS WHILE ELLIOT AND KIM, AND ASIAN-AMERICAN INTERN
SHOUT ACROSS THE ROOM TO EACH OTHER.
ELLIOT
KIM
The lawyer?
ELLIOT
KIM
ELLIOT
KIM
ELLIOT
I'm trying.
DAN ROSEN ENTERS. IT'S MORNING AND HE'S WEARING STREET CLOTHES.
DAN
ELLIOT
DAN
He hit somebody?
ELLIOT
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KIM
DAN
KIM
DAN
Really?
KIM AND ELLIOT TRY TO MAKE SUBTLE GESTURES WITH THEIR HANDS AND
THAT SAY "YEAH THIS IS PRETTY BAD BUT I GUESS IT'S NONE OF OUR
BUSINESS".
DAN
ELLIOT
DAN
KIM
DAN
KIM
We're trying.
DAN
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CASEY
(SHOUTING) Elliot--
ELLIOT
Right here.
DAN
CASEY
I came in early.
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
What do we know?
CASEY
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DAN
ELLIOT
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
CASEY STARTS TO HEAD INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM. DAN MAKES A GESTURE
AT THE INTERNS, MIMING "IT'S OKAY, IT'S A PHASE THAT WILL PASS".
THE INTERNS MIME BACK: "HOW LONG ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH
THESE MOODS?" DAN GIVES THEM A GESTURE THAT SAYS "JUST ROLL WITH
IT". THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT CASEY HAS STOPPED, TURNED AROUND, AND
IS LOOKING AT THEM.
CASEY
DAN
ELLIOT
KIM
No.
CUT TO:
ACT ONE
(B)
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
ISAAC
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
Got it.
ISAAC
Is he quitting, is he staying, is
he in, is he out, is he sleeping in
his office, has he told Danny that
he's quitting... the show we're
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
DANA
I understand.
I'll talk to him later.
ISAAC
DAN
CASEY
Really?
DAN
Yeah.
CASEY
Nobody cares.
DAN
NATALIE
Museums.
DAN
ISAAC
DANA
NATALIE
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NATALIE (CONT'D)
ISAAC
Yeah?
NATALIE
(SOBER) Yeah.
ISAAC
DAN
ISAAC
CASEY
Yeah.
ISAAC
STAFFER (J.J.)
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
ISAAC
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DANA
CASEY
J.J.
CASEY
Yes...
J.J.
CASEY
Yes...
J.J.
CASEY
Right...
J.J.
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
J.J.
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CASEY
J.J.
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
Come on back.
DAN
CASEY
Thank you.
J.J.
ISAAC
Alright, c'mon--
DAN
J.J.
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DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
Danny--
ISAAC
Dana?
DANA
J.J.
DANA
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NATALIE
J.J.
Here we go.
DANA
ISAAC
DANA
J.J.
NATALIE
J.J.
NATALIE
J.J.--
ISAAC
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
J.J.
DANA
DAN
CASEY
ISAAC
ELLIOT
DAN
NATALIE
DANA
NATALIE
CASEY
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DANA
CASEY
DANA
Yes.
CASEY
DANA
I told Natalie.
CASEY
Yes.
DANA
CASEY
NATALIE
DANA
NATALIE
DANA
CASEY
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DAN
ISAAC
DAN
What?
CASEY
ACT TWO
(C)
CASEY
Hey.
DANA
Casey--
CASEY
DANA
Fine.
CASEY
Thanks.
DANA
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
I know.
DANA
CASEY
DANA
DANA (CONT)
NATALIE (O.S.)
Yay.
CUT TO:
(D)
JEREMY, A NERVOUS YOUNG MAN IN A JACKET AND TIE SITS AND WAITS AS
DANA AND NATALIE ENTER.
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
NATALIE
JEREMY
I'm okay.
NATALIE
JEREMY
No thank you.
NATALIE
DANA
NATALIE
I'm just--
DANA
NATALIE
DANA
I know.
NATALIE
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
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JEREMY
Football, I guess.
DANA
JEREMY
I said football.
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
NATALIE
DANA
Natalie?
NATALIE
Sorry.
DANA
JEREMY
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A little, but--
DANA
JEREMY
Oh come on--
NATALIE
A shot of bourbon?
JEREMY
Please.
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
NATALIE
Yes.
JEREMY
DANA
JEREMY
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DANA
Right!
NATALIE
Excellent!
JEREMY
DANA
NATALIE
DANA
JEREMY
DANA
That's right.
JEREMY
CUT TO:
(E)
INT. STUDIO
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
Danny--
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
NATALIE
JEREMY
Wow.
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DAN
JEREMY
I heard.
CASEY
NATALIE
JEREMY
Cool.
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
NATALIE
NATALIE AND JEREMY EXIT. AFTER THEY ARE OUT OF EARSHOT, CASEY
WAITS A MOMENT BEFORE SAYING...
CASEY
DAN
What?
CASEY
DAN
I don't--tired of what?
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CASEY GOES TO THE ANCHOR DESK AND PICKS UP ONE OF THE SCRIPT PAGES
DAN WAS WORKING WITH--
CASEY
DAN
Casey--
CASEY
DAN
Casey--
CASEY
DAN
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CASEY
Hey look--
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
KIM
Guys--
DAN
KIM
Guys--
DAN
KIM
DAN
KIM
DAN! CASEY!
DAN/CASEY
WHAT!!!???
KIM
KIM LEAVES THE STUDIO... DAN AND CASEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER, THEN
WALK/RUN AFTER HER.
CUT TO:
(E)
AS KIM TROTS IN, FOLLOWED BY DAN AND CASEY, THEY JOIN DANA,
NATALIE, ISAAC AND THE ENTIRE OFFICE STAFF, SOME 30 OR 40 PEOPLE,
ALL STARING UP AT THE BANK OF TV MONITORS.
CASEY
DAN
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CASEY
DANA
CASEY
DAN
SFX: WE HEAR A STADIUM FULL OF SCREAMING PEOPLE AND THE VOICES OF
TWO ANNOUNCERS WHO ARE SHOUTING THEIR LUNGS OUT TO BE HEARD OVER
THE NOISE.
ANNOUNCER #1 (VO)
ANNOUNCER #2 (VO)
ISAAC
DAN/DANA/NATALIE, ET AL
CASEY
DAN
AS THE STADIUM CROWD, THE ANNOUNCERS AND THE STAFF CONTINUE THEIR
FRENZY, CASEY PICKS UP A TELEPHONE AND DIALS...
CASEY
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ISAAC
DANA
CASEY
NATALIE
CASEY
MOST OF THE CROWD HAS ALREADY STREAMED INTO THE STUDIO AND CONTROL
ROOM WHERE MONITORS ARE STILL SHOWING THE END OF THE RACE. CASEY
HUSTLES TO JOIN THE OTHERS AS WE
CUT TO:
(F)
DANA
CASEY
I got it.
DANA
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6/7/2019 Script -- Pilot (1/12/98)
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DANA
15 seconds.
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
CASEY
DAN
DANA
In three, two--
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CASEY
DANA
We're out.
NATALIE
CASEY
DANA
CASEY
Come here.
DANA
What?
CASEY
DANA'S QUITE TAKEN WITH THIS AS CASEY KISSES HER GENTLY ON THE
CHEEK.
DANA
CASEY
Okay.
DANA
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CASEY
Elliot!
ELLIOT
(STOPPING) Yeah.
CASEY
Argentina.
ELLIOT
Got it.
HE STARTS OUT--
CASEY
Elliot!
ELLIOT
(STOPPING) Yeah?
CASEY
Um...double check.
FADE TO BLACK
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