Original subtitles

Hello, I'm calling from the trip. I'd like to confirm a quote. You're right

around the two hours. How much money was involved?

It was over a thousand dollars.

Was it over ten thousand dollars?

No.

I didn't see it.

Action?

Yes. I saw them drinking.

Alcoholic beverages?

They were making Bloody Mary.

Oh, how chic.

I need her name.

I know she broke the rules, but I can't snitch on a friend.

I am not as interested in punishing your friend as I am in helping her. She has

a problem.

And by you keeping me from helping her, you're not being a very good friend.

Tori Pruitt.

Cut.

Print. Nice.

Okay, let's do a pick -up right away. Just the end from... I'm not as

in punishing her.

And, uh, Carly, any time you can give us tears.

Okay, I was holding them back, Larry. We can go anytime.

Okay. All right, put us on a bell, Fredwin.

Let's roll it.

And action.

I'm not as interested in punishing your friend as I am in helping her.

She has a problem.

And by you keeping me from helping her, you're not being a very good friend.

Wait, really?

Cut and print.

Okay, that'll do for here.

Here goes Tori's house, stage 12.

Can I talk to him now? Yeah, you got it.

Good cut, Vic.

Good cut, babe.

Come on, we're going to get him.

Come on, you can do it, pal.

Bring it on in. Dad, you can do it. Bring it on in, Mark.

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey!

Oh, let's go, Rick.

Let's go.

My hand's a little cooler in here.

Let me get this junk out of your way.

Are they filming Jaws 3 near you? No, I think you noticed Carly's seashell

collection. She's, you know, like a lot of kids, into all this ecology stuff.

See, when we were kids, we didn't even have the ecology.

You have the ecology.

You just didn't call it that, Mike.

Yeah, we were all so out of it then, the only rare species we were interested in

was a souped -up impala.

I've got an abalone shell just about the same size. You got it in the gift shop,

right? $3 .98?

No, I got it snorkeling off the coast of Baja. Cost me $250 and a jellyfish

sting.

Would you like to have a seat?

Okay.

What TV do you work for?

Uh, Tribune.

I already talked to your TV editor.

What was her name, Mike?

Carol Hastings.

Yeah, well, this is more of a news story. I'm going to be talking to a lot

kids who work. You are my first actress.

You mean you're not going to ask me what John Travolta's really like?

Uh, no.

No, I want to know how you feel about having to spend so much time working.

Well, it's not like working in a factory or anything.

I mean, when you talk about kids working, what I think of is kids out in

field picking lettuce or something.

How do you know about kids picking lettuce?

I'm 12. I know that stuff.

You're making an awful liar of me.

Studio tells everybody I'm 10.

Of course, being little is kind of an advantage.

I'll probably be able to play a kid for a few years still.

Hello, Mike. Got you up early, huh?

Joe, this is Carly's father, Al Mitchell. Joe Rossi from the Tribune.

Hi, Joe.

Pleasure's ours. Carly, here's your milk. Okay, I'll drink it in a minute.

been three hours.

Milk every three hours?

Every two.

Just a growing girl.

Got this nervous stomach.

Runs in the family. I've got it, too.

Carly, honey, how do you expect Mr. Rossi to conduct an interview with a...

Smell of the stinky seashell collection, huh?

How's he going to do that?

It smells terrible in here.

I don't smell anything.

Well, of course you don't, because you're here all the time.

Do you know, last week in this very room, a network vice president

fainted? The producer was not too thrilled about that. Thank you, Michael.

Come on, what do you say we take Mr. Rossi outside?

I think I'm out of time anyway.

They've moved the dining room scene until later on in the day, and I'm

to get to the school in there. I'm sorry. It was nice talking to you. Bye.

Please, I'm sorry, Joe.

We didn't get very far.

There's five other kids on the show.

Maybe one of them is free. Hey, Michael, I think Carly would be real

disappointed if she didn't get to finish the interview.

Joe, what's the angle of the article?

Well, I'm doing a series on child labor.

What are you doing here?

This isn't labor. She loves it.

I mean, most people work their whole lives without ever getting a chance to

something they really love doing.

Can you imagine?

A 12 -year -old kid working with John Travolta?

Yeah.

What's he really like?

Grant! We'll get him, all right?

That's the way to do it.

Bye -bye, nice game.

Ollie, Ollie.

Next week, we'll kill him.

Thank you, man. Guess I shouldn't have thrown the bat.

That's right.

I guess the Empire was doing the best we could.

Uh -huh.

Sorry.

Good.

So, what are you going to do from here?

I don't know.

Just go home, have a little dinner. Why?

I just thought maybe you'd like to go grab a cheeseburger or something.

With you?

Yeah.

Does that spoil your dinner?

My mom gave me some money.

If you feel like a cheeseburger, it's on me.

Oh, you're going to have a little more than that.

So I'll buy.

Well, I don't know. I think we can beat those Panthers.

They got pitching, but I think they're weak up the middle.

Well, they got a big catcher. I think he's 14.

Oh, no.

He's starting to get a mustache.

I saw him driving a car once.

This is it, Mr. Griffin.

Oh, is this your house?

Looks pretty dark.

Yeah, I guess that's because my mom's not back yet.

You want me to wait?

No, I've got my key. I'll let myself in.

Maybe I better come in with you. No, no.

It's all right. I do this all the time.

Really, it's okay.

I don't have to get up now.

I know, but maybe better. I like you. I like you too, Peter.

But tonight just isn't the best night.

Come on.

Don't be alarmed, Mr. Donner.

I'm Mark's baseball coach.

Oh, is he all right? Oh, no, sure, he's fine. He's sleeping.

I just was waiting for you to get home.

Why?

So he wouldn't be alone.

Oh. Listen, Meg, maybe some other time. Oh, no, just a sec, Peter.

No, I'll call you.

I'm sorry if I got in the way here. I'm sorry.

Well, that's okay.

I just don't understand why you're here.

Well, I thought you wouldn't want Mark to be alone in the house.

Oh, thank you.

But he doesn't need looking after.

If he needed looking after, I'd be looking after him myself.

I see.

Well, I'll be going. I'm really sorry if I spoiled your evening.

And I'm glad I met you.

Mark is such a great kid. He really is a nice...

What's this? Carly, congratulations.

The best thing in the whole world has just happened.

The network wants to spin you off.

They love you as Linda Buckley so much, they want you to have your very own show

for mid -season replacement.

Great.

Oh, honey.

So proud of my little girl.

Carly, isn't that fantastic? Congratulations.

We are going to celebrate with a hamburger and apple pie at the pantry.

company, of course.

They won't be back in ten minutes, and I've got to change.

Ah, ever the professional.

Connie, he's right. You can take a few minutes just to feel happy about it.

Guess it hasn't hit me yet.

Okay.

We'll get out of your way.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

Animal, you were supposed to take pictures of the game. I did.

It really captured all the excitement, the electricity in the air, the

of the play at home play. That's a boring shot.

Not to the kid who stole home for the first time in his life or his parents or

me. Look, did you get any shots of the kids?

Yeah, this one here.

Oh, that's great. Now you won't have to have a team for it this year.

Thanks, General.

I didn't know you just wanted snapshots.

I'll get those for you next game. No sweat.

How come Rossi has the hard job of interviewing kid actors, musicians, and

skaters while I have to go down to court and watch eight -year -old criminals

and interview parents who lost their child to suicide?

Suicide? Oh.

Ten.

Why did a ten -year -old commit suicide? What kind of parents do you have?

Very nice.

Normal and very confused.

Here, I think you've earned this.

Look, maybe you could put it on your dressing room door instead of one of

paper darts.

It's neat.

Thanks.

You don't seem too thrilled.

Do you have one of those?

I just haven't quite adjusted to all this yet.

Is this a bad time to finish the interview? Your publicist said you had

free time.

No, no. Great to hear.

What can I tell you?

Well, how did you get into business? Do you have an agent?

My dad does all that. He gave up his whole career selling real estate just so

could manage them.

So, your dad must be doing pretty well, too.

He's your agent and he gets a salary.

Oh, no. Not both.

He gets 10 % as my agent. He doesn't take anything else. There's the Coogan

Right. It was named for a child actor a long time ago. Right.

It means that 25 % of what you make goes into a trust for you. What about the

rest? My dad takes care of all that.

So you sort of support your whole family.

No, my dad has worked really hard to get me where I am. And my family gives up a

lot of privacy and time so I can act.

Well,

let's talk about what it's like to have your job.

You must be kind of a hero in your regular school. Is that fun for you?

Oh, sure.

It's also a responsibility because so many kids look up to me.

Huh?

You want to know how I really feel, Joe?

Of course I do.

You've got to promise not to write it.

Okay. But I'm not going to lie in the article, Carly.

That's the problem.

I always have to watch what I say.

I know I'm lucky and have no right to complain, but, Joe, I hate it.

Hate what?

Acting. No, not acting.

Being an actress.

Being in a series.

Not having any friends.

You don't have friends?

I used to, but I don't see them anymore.

I'm always working.

I used to live in Eagle Rock, and there were these two girls, Lynn and Rachel, I

really liked.

I miss them.

I feel like I'm missing all sorts of stuff.

Like what?

Like just being normal.

Like going to a regular school.

Like there's this Jacques Cousteau film at the Tar Pits Museum and I can't go to

it because I have to work.

Oh, boy.

I just got this great interview and I can't use it.

I'm sorry. But if you printed that, it would hurt too many people.

Hurt their feelings.

Well, I gotta go.

I might go see something on child actors.

Uh, I don't know.

You spent two days on nothing else.

Yeah, well, I got a great interview, but I can't use it. Why not?

It's off the record.

You never let anyone talk off the record. You never let the governor talk

the record.

It's complicated.

I'm still working on it.

Who's the interview?

Her name's, uh, Carly Mitchell.

Carly Mitchell's a 12 -year -old kid.

You were outmaneuvered by someone who doesn't even have a learner's permit.

I said I'm working on it.

I'm working on it.

Hi, Mark. Come on in.

Hi, Mr. Grant.

How'd you get over here?

On my bike.

You made it all the way up the hill?

Oh, sure. It's easy.

They have to walk the last couple of houses.

Mm -hmm.

Does your mother know you're out after dark?

She's not home yet. She had to go out.

Well, sit down.

You had your dinner?

Yeah, I had some cereal.

Have a bowl of chili.

They go good together in your stomach.

Okay.

I need you to see my mitt.

Deadly mitt.

Great glove.

Cost 45 bucks.

You may not be the most valuable.

Player on the team, but you sure got the most valuable glove.

Yeah.

You could be in the majors before you fit into this. When did you get it?

Today. My mom brought it home for me.

I thought you said she didn't come home yet.

Oh. Well, she came home for lunch and gave it to me.

So you came home from school for lunch, too?

No, she just kind of met me.

She met you just to give you the mitt?

Yeah.

Neat mitt, isn't it?

Mark, would you take that glove?

Take it?

Without paying for it.

No!

Yes.

Okay, what if I don't use your name in the story?

Sure. He'll just say 12 -year -old girl that plays one of his sisters on a show

about a family that lives on a boat.

Everyone will know it's me. I promise I won't be that specific.

Lay off, Joe. I've got enough things to worry about.

Holly, honey, they want you on stage 14.

Joe, could you just wait a half an hour? You don't have to run.

I'll try.

Okay.

Are you the teacher who works on the set?

No, I'm the hairdresser on the show.

Oh. I guess you work with a lot of kids then.

Yes.

Yeah, difficult?

The worst.

I was one myself.

Really? Who are you?

I still am.

Dixie Collins.

Golden Skates.

The Duncans on Prairie Flats.

Down Street.

I remember those movies.

You were terrific.

Thank you.

Look, I'm doing a story that deals in this area. Do you mind if I ask you some

questions? No.

Well, you were so good. Why aren't you still acting?

Well, because as a child, I was a good enough actor.

I was kind of cute, and I paid sense out of the lines.

That's not enough when you try to act as an adult.

So when I was 14, parts got fewer and fewer.

And when I was 16, people were beginning to say, whatever happened to you?

And I spent my childhood trying to be a star, the one thing I couldn't be.

Then what did you do?

I panicked.

I was screwed up for about ten years.

And then, with the help of a good therapist and AA, I settled down and I

this job.

I like it and I'm okay.

Do you have any kids?

Two girls.

Seven and fourteen.

Do they want to act?

I don't care if they want to. They're not going to.

Mrs. Donner.

Hi. Hi.

Glad you could make it.

Please, call me Meg.

You know, I was kind of surprised when you called me.

Well, Mark's a good kid and I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't want you to

get the idea that I was asking you out or... Well, I did.

Oh.

Well, gee.

I didn't want you to think I was coming on to you.

Well, I wouldn't find that insulting.

Um... This is about Mark.

Um... Have you, um...

Have you seen that new baseball glove of his?

What glove?

I told him when he left my house that he should talk to you about it. I guess he

didn't. I guess not.

I think he stole a baseball glove.

I haven't seen it.

I guess he's trying to hide it from you.

He's got a new, expensive baseball glove.

Well, what do you want me to do?

Well, I figured you'd want to know.

I think Mark's not a bad kid. I think he just wants attention.

Most kids do.

He didn't tell me what store.

I'll handle it. But I think that's minor compared to Mark's problem. I said I'll

handle it.

Will you?

Since when is this your business?

I guess it is.

Your guess is right.

You got a letter from your friend, Rachel.

It's open.

Yeah, I opened it.

But it says personal on it.

Well, a lot of your mail says personal, Miss Mitchell.

And they should be personal.

Well, honey, it was in a pile with all the other stuff, and I just opened it.

All right, tell you what I'll do then. I'll leave all the letters marked

personal for you. You can handle them, all right?

Okay. All right.

Daddy, my department's retiring tomorrow, and I wanted to bake them a

He's always been so nice.

Do I have to go to that party for the affiliates?

Oh, Carly, come on. The affiliates are real important people. I mean, they're

the ones who own all those television stations.

Tell you what.

You go to the dinner for a little bit.

I'll tell them that you have to leave early because you got an early call, 6

or something.

And Mom will have everything organized. And then as soon as you get home, you

can bake a cake. How's that?

It wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

I thought I could spend the whole evening doing that and decorating it.

Now, Mom will decorate the cake.

Where are my shells?

Your what, honey?

My seashell collection. It's not here.

Was anyone in here?

No, I don't think so.

Do you have them?

No, I don't.

But what happened?

Honey, you're getting yourself all upset and you've still got another scene to

play.

Carly, why don't you finish changing your shoes, go back to the set, let me

worry about the seashells, okay?

Would you ask Mike if he knows anything?

Yes, I will.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

I don't know

what made them think they had the right.

What was it, like the way I walked or something?

You didn't do anything provocative that would make them suspect you? No,

absolutely not.

Excuse me?

Oh, that's okay. Billy Newman?

I'm Barbara Hodges. This is Paul Stone.

I don't want to interrupt.

It's okay. Paul knows about you.

Why don't you listen for a second? We're almost through.

Go ahead.

Okay.

So, two cops come in the boys' washroom and they pick me.

The strip search.

They did it right there?

No. They took me to the vice principal's office.

Made me take everything off. My shirt, my pants.

What did they find?

Nothing.

I guess they forgot it was the year of the child.

You have a good case.

I'd like to call the vice principal and your parents.

Great, and let the adults decide if what they did to me was okay. No.

I'll be calling as your attorney.

Why can't I be there?

You can, and you will be, every step of the way.

Okay. You have a very good case, Paul.

And a very good lawyer.

Thanks. Don't worry.

I wish I had a lawyer when I was a kid. I always tried to find ways out of

making my bed.

I get that all the time.

People think I'm in business to negotiate allowance money.

Fact is, we're dealing with some very fundamental issues.

Such as?

Children's rights.

For example, does Paul have the same right to privacy an adult has?

Do the same laws of due process apply to him as to an adult?

How many of the things a kid calls his does he really own?

The right of a kid to food, shelter, clothing, education, safety?

Safety. Yeah.

The right not to be beaten.

Some of my cases are children who have been brutalized by their parents.

In other words, if I'm spanked and I don't think I deserve it, I can come to

you? I don't want to quibble on this issue, Billy.

Because the kids that come to me are not whining about spanking.

They're scarred. Some of them for life.

How do they know to come here?

A grapevine.

And there's been a lot of publicity about the center.

Of course, reporters always ask questions like, do I take fees in

They think what I do is cute. It has nothing to do with cute.

I thought you'd enjoy it, Mr. Donner.

Mark's coming right along.

Well, sure. I can understand that you're busy.

But it would really mean a lot to Mark.

Huh?

Well, sure.

Sure. They say they don't care.

But believe me.

When you see the looks on their faces when their fathers show up.

What about next week?

Oh, well, I'll call you before that game.

Mm -hmm.

Yeah.

The bottom of the third, we got five runs in.

Jimmy's had three at best. I'll send you in for him.

You and my mom had lunch today.

Yeah, we did.

You gonna ask her out for dinner?

It was just sort of a business lunch.

Did you like her?

Yes, of course.

left field.

Jimmy, Buck's going in for you. Nice going.

You want to come to my birthday party tomorrow night?

Tomorrow night?

Mom said I can invite anybody I wanted to.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable there.

No, it'll be great, really. I promise you'll have a good time.

You better get out on the field.

Say yes.

Yes, now go on.

You're late.

I missed my bus.

Anyway, we've still got time before the movie starts.

I thought you told me the other day you were going to miss that movie because

you had to work.

Well, things have changed.

Well, am I going to get my interview today?

No.

I think I'm wasting my time.

Look, there's something I'd better tell you.

Why? I've run away.

From home?

From everything.

Today?

Yesterday. I guess the studio's keeping it quiet.

Carly, you're 12 years old. What are you doing running away?

If you're unhappy, you could talk to your parents.

No, I can't. They never listen.

What do you mean?

Well, when we moved from Eagle Rock to Beverly Hills, you know when I found out

about it?

When I got home from work and the moving van was in front of the house.

What?

I must have moved a half a dozen times when I was a kid.

My dad would call us all together and break the bad news.

We just couldn't afford to live where we were anymore. So we'd pack up all our

junk and move to a cheaper apartment.

But at least they told you first.

My father makes all these decisions for me.

Look, he just said yes to a new television series for me without even

what I wanted to do.

Yeah, but they are your parents, and they've got to be worried about you now.

I called them and told them I was all right.

Where are you staying?

I can't tell you, but it's okay. I'm with a friend.

Come on, we're going to miss Dr.

Stowe. How can you talk about that?

Come on, let me take you home. No.

I'm going to tell your parents that I've seen you.

Why? Because I'm sure they're desperate.

I'll tell them that, besides from being a little stupid, you're okay.

But I want to know where you're going to be tomorrow at this time.

You're going to have my parents with you?

I'll come along.

I will.

Okay. I'll be right here.

Now that I know it's your birthday.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

Let me just say what I've been thinking.

As I've been doing my research, I've sensed a basic change in people's

towards children.

If you'll forgive me, with your generation, there seems to be an

acceptance of the idea of having kids.

Oh, yeah. But today's young people, by contrast, are so concerned with

individuality and freedom that kids are more a nuisance to them than anything.

But look at my own children.

Neither one of them has any interest whatever in having a family.

Or is it possible that today's generation recognizes the responsibility

having children more than any other? Come on. Come on, I don't buy that. To

it's a case of self -indulgence. The cult of me first.

Well, before I bring a child into the world, I want to be sure that I can give

it the kind of upbringing it deserves.

Oh, yeah.

Budget it right in there. Like, can I afford the new car?

If you love the child, you can afford him.

Okay. That was fun.

Let's talk about politics and religion.

Hi, Meg.

Lou.

Come in.

I'm, um... I'm a little late.

That's okay.

Chicken's still in the oven and the potatoes are still in the box, so...

good. Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I wasn't trying to tell you how to

raise your son.

I'm sorry, too.

I understood what you were trying to do.

Thanks. Thanks.

Where are the kids?

Well,

Mark's in his room watching a tube.

I only have one kid.

No, I want the kids for the party.

Well, you're it.

Huh?

Mark wanted a grown -up party.

Mark?

Mr. Grant's here.

What do you mean? You saw her? Where?

She's all right. Did you talk to her?

Yes. Was she with anybody?

No. Now, somebody's got to be helping her do this. Is it you?

No. Look, she asked me to tell you she's okay, but she doesn't want to be in the

series. Is she eating?

She really did look okay, but she's very worried about her future.

She's just a little kid.

I'm the one supposed to do the worrying. She's got to learn that.

I'm the one who does the worrying. Now, where'd you say we could get her?

I didn't. She asked me not to.

And you told her you wouldn't.

Tell, all right, that's fine. But I forced it out of you. Connie will

understand.

I don't know where she's staying.

I didn't know she ran away when she asked me to meet her.

Well, the studio wanted to keep it quiet.

I'm sure she'll be in touch with you, Mr. Mitchell.

But I think you should know, Carly's very angry.

Still.

Mr. Rossi, I'm scared to death that my little girl is out there all alone.

I gotta tell you, she knows better than to act like this.

She's letting an awful lot of people down.

I'm pretty angry myself.

It's Willie Mays.

I know about him.

Say hey, kid.

Did he play when you were little, Mr. Grant?

More like when your mom was little.

See, did you ever see Willie Mays once?

I think so.

Maybe on television.

Oh.

Tinsel live in concert.

Happy birthday, Mark.

Ellen says Timmy really loves that.

Well, Timmy's 10, Mom.

But thanks.

Dad sent me $12, too.

Oh, one for each year.

Yeah, isn't it great?

Now, don't carry it around. Put it in your bag.

I just wanted to show it. You've shown it now. Put it in your bag.

Okay.

That birthday throw to knock up on me.

I didn't say anything.

We were thinking that I should have made him a cake.

Your mom made you a cake. My mom made me a cake, right?

Oh, kids like store -bought.

I didn't talk to him about the glove, Lou.

It's too late.

I should have done it right away, but now he's used it.

Not my business anymore.

Well, Mark says you won't let him use the new glove when he plays.

I won't.

then it is your business.

Talk to him.

Tell him why he shouldn't steal.

Oh, Meg, for Pete's sake.

Please?

It doesn't matter what I say to him. You're his mother. You're the one with

influence. But he respects you. He'll listen to you.

Meg. It's all right here.

Can I have some more cake?

No, no, no. Just one more piece.

All right, here, here, here.

I think I'm going to start the dishes.

Here, let me help you. No, no, no, no. You and Mark enjoy yourselves.

This is a nice birthday party, Mark.

Thanks for inviting me.

Yeah, it was okay.

Got any plans for your birthday money?

I'm going to buy one album for sure.

Maybe two. I don't know.

How about making a down payment on the glove?

I could do that.

It'd just be a waste, though.

My mom works in a store.

She says that they know a lot of stuff's going to get ripped off.

They have it all figured out and how much they charge.

Plus, the store's rich.

I'm not worried about the store, Mark.

I know.

You're worried about me and how when I grow up I'm going to be some kind of

crazy guy who goes around stealing stuff all the time.

I'm worried about you making up a lot of excuses for what you did.

Like maybe what you did isn't wrong.

It could be that you're starting to believe those excuses.

That worries me.

You gonna tell the store?

I'm still waiting for you to tell the store.

Thanks really a lot for ruining my birthday party.

Lee Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

You sure it was the kid? I saw him running down the street. It was him.

Broke a window.

I didn't think he had that good an arm.

I don't know.

I've had it up to here with him. If I was raising him, I'd raise him totally

different. But I'm not his father. I'm his coach.

The kid broke your window, Lou. He was sore at me.

You're protecting him just like his mother is.

I'd tell him I was going to call the cops, shake him up a little.

Ow.

What good would that do?

Well, it'd give him a dose of the real world. He needs to know he's not going

get away with things all his life.

Oh. Lou, believe me, your problem with that kid is not such a big deal. I mean,

it's really obvious. I've got a problem with a kid who ran away.

Carly's had it with working. She's fed up with her folks. I'm her contact with

them, and they hate me.

Where is she?

I don't know. Someone's putting her up.

You better steer clear. If her parents think you encouraged her to run...

You didn't encourage her to run, did you?

No, of course not.

Well, even if they think you did, and they call the cops in on this, you could

get into big trouble.

Next time you see her, take her home.

Doesn't she have any say in this? She belongs with her parents. It's clear

She's not their property.

A kid ought to have some say in what she wants her own life to be. There's a

little kid trying to make her voice sound low on 52.

not a parent. I'm not a teacher.

I don't know how to be patient with kids, so I'll just tell you I think

being dumb.

Thanks a lot. You know what I think? What? I think you just want to get a

out of me.

Wait a minute. You don't think I've got a story here? A child TV star has run

away. I'm the only one who's seen her. I had that story last night, and I didn't

use it. Now, why do you think I didn't use it? Because you know if you did, I'd

never talk to you again.

Hey, enough, okay, Carly?

You've run away.

What are you thinking about?

You think you're going to spend the rest of your days watching Jacques Cousteau

movies or walking along the beach and dreaming about ecology?

I haven't thought about anything since I left the studio.

Except my dad, mom, and my sister.

But mostly my dad.

You know, he gave up his job and everything for me.

And I know that they miss me.

Stop looking at me like that. I know I have to go back.

I can only drive you home now.

Okay. But I have to go to the bathroom first.

I'll wait here.

Look, Lou, I really appreciate you coming to Mark's party and talking to

about the baseball club.

Well, Mark didn't.

Somebody broke a window at my house.

I think he did it.

Well, now you know what I have to deal with.

Okay, get it fixed and just send me the bill.

I don't want to do it that way.

You want to check now?

I think Mark should fix it.

I'll get the materials, but I want him to repair the window with me.

Good luck.

You have to tell him that's what he's going to do.

He pays such attention to everything I say to him.

You're making too much of disciplining a kid.

He probably just wants you to take a strong stand with him.

I didn't know you were such an expert at child rearing.

I raised three daughters.

Who do you?

Yeah.

Back in Minnesota.

Did you have a wife?

Well, sure.

Did you work?

No, not while the kids were growing up.

So then when you talk about raising kids, what you mean is you went to the

office all day and someone else stayed at home with the kids.

Unfortunately, I can't do that. I have to work.

You don't work at night.

I've been alone with Mark since he was two years old.

Until he was seven, I didn't go out.

Look, Lou.

I missed a whole important part of my life by getting married when I did and

having Mark.

Don't you think I'm entitled to that?

Don't you think Mark is entitled to... To a responsible parent, right?

Well, at least to somebody who will encourage him and tell him when he's

screwing up, set limits for him. He seems to like it from me. I think he'd

it from you.

Drazi?

Really?

We just saw the doctor. He said you'll be fine.

I was going to come home when this happened. But I asked Joe.

That's right. Don't worry about that.

We'll call the company.

They'll shoot around you or do an episode where Linda Buckley's away at

I'm in the hospital with an ulcer. You'll take all the time you need.

They've been really understanding.

Honey, you've been under a lot of pressure.

Maybe we didn't realize how much.

We know now.

You've been very brave about this.

No, I've not been brave. I'm a real chick.

Uh -uh -uh.

Not so, young lady.

Most adults don't handle your responsibilities the way you did.

What is it, Carly?

What? What's wrong?

Why don't we just not talk about this now?

I don't understand.

Do you understand?

I think Carly feels that you're not listening to her.

I'm listening. What is it?

I think you have to listen to her.

Daddy, I don't want to act.

Well, you just tell me what you need. Tell me how much rest you need. I'll

to the producers and we'll delay the pilot.

Daddy, that's not what I'm saying.

I just don't want to do this anymore.

Well, I don't think you can just say that.

We've got a contract.

When's the contract over?

They've got options on you for the next three years.

Now, maybe we can do something about that, but, honey,

you're in the middle of the season.

What if I agreed to finish the season? I can do that.

I don't want to mess up this show.

Maybe they could write in an episode where I die.

Carly, come on. Look, you're upset now.

Not just now.

Carly, I know you. I've seen your work.

Look, I've watched you work. You're good.

You're good because you enjoy it. I know you.

Not that doing it I don't like. It's just there are other things I would like

do right now.

But if I don't act, I know you being my manager, you'd sort of be out of a job.

Don't worry about that.

And we have the payments on the new house and everything.

Honey, that isn't something for you to worry about.

Carly.

Don't be so concerned about that job I gave up.

Want to know something?

I didn't even really like that job.

I can do lots of other jobs.

Well, I better be taking off.

Thanks for taking me here.

You've been a real great job.

Oh, I don't mind.

You know, people like to read stories with happy endings, and I think the

that I would write would mean something to a lot of people, a lot of kids, and a

lot of adults.

Don't you think?

Sure do, Joe.

So, with your permission, why don't we just take this whole beautiful story and

put it on the record?

Absolutely not.

Oh, hello.

Hi. My mom made me come over to fix the window.

I already fixed it.

I didn't think you were coming.

It gets kind of cold here in L .A. in the winter. I didn't want the snow

in.

You mean it's all fixed?

There's nothing for you to do.

I could break it again.

Come on in. I'll give you a little ice cream.

You think you're funny, don't you?

Yeah.

I don't think you're funny.

Yeah, you do.

Some credit him with inventing science fiction.

Explore the future with H .G. Wells tonight on an all -new biography.

Now, they should be fighting crime, not each other. A macho cop is forced to

ride with a female officer on Police Story, next on AMA.