oldEpisode Four-hundred-twenty-nine:
Jack Saves the Day at the Brady Fish
Market. Later He Gets a Job with WGTB

---

[Air date late June 1992]

 

SCENE ONE: JACK HAS JUST HEARD SHOTS RING OUT FROM THE BRADY FISH MARKET AND HE SUSPECTS IT IS THE GANG OF CROOKED COPS. HE RACES TOWARDS THE FISH MARKET WHERE THE COP HAS SHAWN AND CAROLINE BRADY AS HOSTAGES. JACK BURSTS RIGHT IN.

 

COP: Stop right there. You're dead meat.

 

JACK PUTS HIS HANDS UP.

 

JACK: Alright, I've stopped.

 

THEY FORCE JACK OVER TO THE COUNTER.

 

JACK: Alright, alright, take whatever you want. Take whatever....

COP: You were told to SHUT UP!

JACK: Alright, alright, I shut up, alright.

 

AT THAT MOMENT, BO COMES BURSTING IN AND HE GOES FOR THE COP.

SCENE TWO: HE GRABS THE GUN FROM ONE COP BUT THE OTHER ONE HOLDS A GUN TO SHAWN'S HEAD. BO PUTS HIS GUN DOWN BUT A STRUGGLE FOLLOWS AND SHAWN GETS SHOT. THE COPS RUN OUT THE DOOR WHILE BO HELPS SHAWN. THE COPS RUN OUT THE DOOR.

SCENE THREE: AT THE BRADY FISH MARKET, JACK'S QUICK THINKING MAY HAVE SAVED SHAWN'S LIFE.

 

JACK: HEY, CALL 911. I'LL CALL 911. (Beat) Hello this is Jack Deveraux. There's been a shooting. There's been a shooting at the Brady Fish Market. Can you get over here as soon as you can? There's a been a shooting. A man has been shot. Hurry, tell them to hurry. Yeah, good, good. (Beat) Don't worry they're on their way. The paramedics are on their way.

 

THE REAL POLICE ARRIVE WITH ROMAN AND ABE.

 

ABE: Have you called the paramedics?

JACK: Yeah I already called them and they're on their way.

 

THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVE.

 

JACK: Over here, come on. Alright.

 

JACK CONTINUES TO TAKE NOTES AS THE PARAMEDICS TRY TO HELP SHAWN.

SCENE FOUR: ABE ASKS EVERYBODY FOR A DESCRIPTION BUT JACK SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE WITH A CLEAR HEAD.

 

ABE: Listen Jack, can you tell me anything else about this?

JACK: I sure can. I've got it all right here.

 

HE HANDS ABE HIS DETAILED NOTES.

 

ABE: Great, thank you.

JACK: Just make sure I get that back.

ABE: I will, don't worry.

 

ABE PUTS OUT AN APB OUT ON THE SUSPECTS AND USES JACK'S DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE POLICE FILES. JACK ASSISTS ABE TO READ HIS NOTES.

 

JACK: Yeah, brown hair....five ten....dressed as cops.

ABE: Well thank you Jack. I'm glad you kept a cool head about you.

JACK: I just wish I could have done a little more, you know. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to file my own story before the rest of the reporters in town get this over the police band. I hope that.... I just hope Mr. Brady's going to be alright.

ABE: Yeah. Hey, hey, hey, we're going to call you for a statement.

JACK: Certainly, certainly.

 

SCENE ONE: JACK IS DOWN AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT READING THE PAPER. IT IS SOME DAYS SINCE THE BRADY FISH MARKET HOLD-UP.

 

ALICE: Jack.

JACK: Look I'm not going to be at this table much longer. You can just give me my check.

ALICE: I am not going to give you a check.

JACK: You're not?....Wait a minute, I may not be the wealthiest man in this town anymore but I do pay my bills, eventually.

ALICE: Well of course dear, I know that, but we have a policy here at Alice's Restaurant. One free meal for every heroic act.

JACK: I beg your pardon. I don't know what you're talking about.

ALICE: Oh now Jack, don't be modest. The word's out.

JACK: The word?

ALICE: Yes, yes, the word is all over town. It's in the newspapers and I've talked to Caroline and she tells me how wonderfully helpful you were at that attempted robbery. I'm just so proud of you.

JACK: Look, I'm glad it didn't get any worse than it did. I'm glad that Shawn Brady is going to be alright. But I had nothing to do with any of the above.

ALICE: That is not the way I heard it.

JACK: Well we obviously have two different versions of the same story.

ALICE: Well I'm going to make sure that Jennifer hears the right version.

JACK: Wait a minute, you are not telling Jennifer anything. You are not telling her a thing.

ALICE: Why on earth not?

JACK: Because we....we can't have Jennifer worrying about me dodging hails of bullets.

ALICE: Well I'm sure she wouldn't want to be doing that all of her life.

JACK: Look, let me just make this very clear. Being in the line of fire is not my idea of fun and I don't have complaints mind you. It got me a front page story though these don't seem to come along very often these days.

ALICE: Oh, I'm sure they're a lot more out there Jack.

JACK: I don't think you know how difficult it is. I mean I happened to be in the right place at the right time the other day but that doesn't happen every day. It was luck, that's all it was.

ALICE: Oh come on.

JACK: It was luck, that's all it....let me tell you something. It takes a lot more than luck to....to get a good story these days. A lot more than luck.

ALICE: I have never known you to back down from a challenge.

JACK: Well you obviously don't know what's going on. I mean I am surrounded by people with years of experience beyond mine and these new ivy league graduates are just so eager, you can smell it.

ALICE: Sounds like somebody I know.

JACK: Well, maybe a long time ago and far away, but things are different now. I have to make it now, right now.

ALICE: Before the baby comes?

JACK: Exactly, before the baby comes. I mean I don't have the luxury, the years it takes in the newspaper business. I have to do it overnight.

ALICE: But darling aren't you doing very well at the paper?

JACK: That's just the point though. It takes years to back where I need to be. I need it right now, overnight, instantaneously.

ALICE: That's it!

JACK: That's what?

ALICE: You just said it. Overnight, instantaneously. Don't you realize what you're describing? Television .

JACK: Excuse me?

ALICE: That's right, don't you know that?

 

JACK LOOKS PUZZLED.

SCENE TWO: JACK IS VISITING WITH ALICE AT ALICE'S RESTURANT. SHE CAN SEE HOW LOW JACK IS WITH JENNIFER GONE AND HIS PRESENT LOSE OF POSITION AT THE SPECTATOR, SO SHE IS TRYING TO BOOST HIS CONFIDENCE.

 

ALICE: Jack, it's so plain, right before your face.

JACK: If it's so plain I....I'm sorry I can't see it.

ALICE: Your station, the station.

JACK: WGTB, what about it?

ALICE: Well, you work there, they love you and now you're a hero.

JACK: Oh please, not again with the hero business.

ALICE: Darling, but look, you take advantage of this.

JACK: Oh no.

ALICE: You go over there, you talk to your boss.

JACK: I....

 

SHE PULLS HIM UP AND STARTS PUTTING HIS COAT ON HIM.

 

ALICE: You tell him that you want to go to work on a program of your own.

JACK: You don't understand, I can't go to work on my own. They want to see Jennifer. She's the one with the high TV Q. They don't want to see me argue with myself.

ALICE: Oh! Well who knows? It may be just what the public is waiting for.

JACK: Alright if it's going to just quiet you down for just a minute maybe I will go. I mean who knows, it's so crazy maybe it might even work.

 

JACK LEAVES.

 

ALICE: Mission accomplished.

SCENE THREE: ACK ARRIVES AT JENNIFER'S TV STATION AND TALKS TO ARNIE THE BIG BOSS.

 

ARNIE: Let me get this straight Jack. You want to do a live cross talk without Jennifer?

JACK: Right. I figure that I'm soloing personally right now. Why not solo professionally as well? And you know people really like this reality television sort of thing.

ARNIE: You know, I don't think you've fully grasped the concept here Jack.

JACK: I....

ARNIE: You know the whole basis for the cross talk thing is debate. What are you going to do, debate with yourself?

JACK: Exactly, exactly.

ARNIE: Read my lips. Point, counterpoint. Left, right. Affirmative, negative. I mean you can't take on both sides of the issues all by yourself.

JACK: I most certainly can. I'm a reporter. I'm objective. I can take both sides of any issue and show them both respectively.

ARNIE: And you and the station will come across looking like we haven't made up our minds. No way. JACK: W....wait a minute, something's wrong here. This is where you're supposed to say, it's kind of crazy but it could work.

ARNIE: It's crazy alright Jack and you are too if you think I'm going to take the chance on such a screwy idea.

JACK: Now wait a minute, you know I'm really ashamed of you. I really thought you had the vision thing. I thought you could see this has possibilities. It's unique, it's ingenious, it's....

ARNIE: It's a dog Jack. Total dog. Call me when you come up with something sane.

JACK: You know we could have made this work, you know. We could have made ourselves in this thing.

 

ARNIE WALKS OFF.

SCENE FOUR: DURING THE TIME JACK WAS TALKING TO ARNINE, A NEW WOMAN PRODUCER AT THE STATION HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE WHOLE CONVERSATION.

 

PRODUCER: Jack.

JACK: Speaking.

PRODUCER: What a coincidence. You're just the man I've been looking for.

JACK: I am.

PRODUCER: Huh, huh. You know I've been thinking about you ever since that little speech you gave the other day about our responsibility to the public. I think we've got to get the word out about those fake cops.

JACK: Oh really. Well it's a little late, it's already happened.

PRODUCER: No, no, see that's fine for the people that read papers but what about everybody else. Now you were very eloquent with Arnie just now. Were you serious?

JACK: Eloquent or not, I meant every word.

PRODUCER: I could tell. You are intelligent, strong. But I agree with Arnie. You without your wife won't work. Not for a cross talk segment.

JACK: However?

PRODUCER: Well I just came from the Salem PD pitching your idea about a broadcast about those fake cops.

JACK: And they pitched you right back out.

PRODUCER: Actually Abe Carver agreed we should do a broadcast about it.

JACK: He did, really?

PRODUCER: Huh, huh and I know the perfect reporter to handle it.

JACK: Who?

PRODUCER: You.

SCENE FIVE: THE PRODUCER HAS JUST EXPLAINED TO JACK THE CONCEPT SHE HAS FOR A NEW BROADCAST.

 

PRODUCER: So that's what we're talking about, a regular feature on the evening news. The television version of Cinema Verité.

JACK: You know this is an amazing coincidence. I was just talking to Arnie about the popularity of reality based programming.

PRODUCER: Exactly, that's why it has to be simple. Just a reporter, the cops and a camera to record the action.

JACK: And I would be that reporter.

PRODUCER: That's my plan. Exciting isn't it?

JACK: Well that remains to be seen. Now let me get this straight. I follow a policeman while he makes an arrest....

PRODUCER: An arrest? Jack, I could send the janitor out if all I wanted was someone to cover a simple routine arrest. What I need for this is a tough gutsy investigative reporter who's not afraid to go for it. To lay it on the line to get me something hot.

JACK: Something hot?

PRODUCER: The high speed chases, the random shootings, the million dollar drug bust. All that drama that unfolds day after day right out there on our streets.

JACK: It sounds a trifle....dangerous.

PRODUCER: Well absolutely. But hey that's life in the big city right. So what do you say Jack, are you still in? (Beat) Oh has anyone ever explained the station's hazard pay policy to you?

JACK: Ah no, but I think you should. In detail.

SCENE SIX: LATER THAT DAY JACK COMES BACK TO ALICE'S CARRYING A LARGE BUNCH OF FLOWERS.

 

JACK: Ah there you are Mrs. Horton. For you.

ALICE: Oh Jack.

JACK: I don't think that your neighbor will miss these but if he does, no matter, I'll soon be able to replace them.

ALICE: I take it your meeting went well.

JACK: You take it.....yes, yes. You know I always told Jennifer that you're a very good source of advice.

ALICE: Well flattery will get you a steady supply of donuts.

JACK: Not that I'll ever need them in this new line of work.

ALICE: Oh really, come with me and tell me what is it?

JACK: Well it's....it's kind of a different kind of concept. Kind of a live action sort of thing.

ALICE: Oh, oh, sort of like a reporter on the street?

JACK: Oh, a reporter on the street, yes. I travel around with various policeman, visit their haunts, eat their donuts and I'm able to give the public an account of what it takes to make a policeman kick.

ALICE: Now it seems to me there must be more to it than that.

JACK: Well ah....yes I mean I do go on a few of the more serious calls every now and then.

ALICE: Serious? As in crime, violent crime.

JACK: Well.....yes, yes. Sometimes sort of, yes.

 

ALICE FROWNS.

 

ALICE: Oh Jack.

JACK: No, there's nothing to worry about.

ALICE: Well I not sure Jennifer would like this at all.

JACK: Well Jennifer's not going to hear about it, is she?

ALICE: Jack!

JACK: Think about it. Jennifer, all by herself, hundreds of miles from the rest of us, six months pregnant and crying herself to sleep every night worrying about me.

ALICE: Jack Deveraux, that is emotional blackmail!

JACK: It most certainly is. Are you going to talk to her?

ALICE: I....hope I don't live to regret this.

 

SHE WALKS AWAY.

 

JACK: I certainly hope that I do.