Original subtitles

Who can turn the world on with a smile?

Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all

seem worthwhile?

Well, it's you, girl, and you should know it.

With each glance and every little movement you show it, love is all

need to waste it. You can have the town, why don't you take it?

You're gonna make it after all.

Ted, it's our closing story. It's incredible.

Swarms of locusts have overrun Pakistan.

No go, guys.

Ted, it's almost airtime. Now get out there and read it. I'm not going to read

something you throw at me the last minute.

Why don't you give me a couple of hours to go so I have a chance to learn it?

Ted, the locusts only did it this morning.

They don't know you're a slow learner.

Look, Ted, we really need that story. We're three minutes short.

And we've got some great footage on the locusts.

What are they doing?

I think they were eating a car or something.

What made car?

I don't know.

A 58 DeSoto. What's the difference?

58 DeSoto, don't you see?

For all we know, it could be old footage of 1958 locusts.

Ted, get out there and read that copy. I'm sorry, Mary. I see no reason to read

this item.

Ted, get out there and read that copy or I'll break your face.

Now, that's a reason.

What are you doing standing here and arguing? We could have gone on the air

there'd be nothing on the screen except Ted's empty chair. Right, but sooner or

later, probably somebody would notice.

Good evening, this is Ted Baxter with the WJM News.

Our big story is tonight, transit strike looms in the Twin Cities.

Police crackdown on pornographic bookstores and swarms of locusts have

Pakistan, destroying crops, homes, and suspiciously old automobiles.

Once, I would like to see an entire broadcast where Ted... Hold it, Mary.

I think that something's wrong.

Excuse me.

Can't seem to catch my breath.

In other news today, the mayor announced that... Oh, boy.

In other news today, the... Oh, boy.

Sorry, I seem to have this burning sensation in my... Oh, my God.

Something's wrong with Ted.

Maybe it's just indigestion. He'll be all right in a minute.

In other news today, the old boy.

There he is again.

Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic. Keep calm.

No problem, except I think I'm having a little heart attack.

This is Ted Vash saying good night, good news, and maybe goodbye.

Murray, Murray, you get right down there.

All right. Harry, you call the fire department rescue squad.

Manny, call the control booth. Tell them to put on Ted's interview with the

governor. Sandra, what's the name of that doctor on the ninth floor?

Jackson. Jackson. Yeah.

Yeah. Get me Dr. Jackson on the ninth floor.

Emergency. Ted.

Ted, are you okay?

Fire department's on its way.

Why'd you order the fire department? They're not on fire.

Look, their rescue squad is trained to handle heart attacks.

Who said I'm having a heart attack?

You did, Ted.

Well, I want another opinion.

Newsroom? Yeah.

I hear you're having some problems. Thanks for coming so fast. Well, we're

to emergencies.

He's right over here.

It's okay, Ted. He's here.

Hello. Hi.

and Mr. I just came to fix the Xerox machine.

I think he passed out. Oh, what do we do?

Mouth to mouth.

Yeah, that's it.

I'm not going to die. I can tell I'm not going to die. How, Ted?

I'm starting to get excited.

These are Ted's friends.

Mary Richards, Lou Grant, and Murray Slaughter.

Dr.

Carter's Ted's doctor.

How's he doing, Doc? Just fine. It was a very mild heart attack.

He can go home in a couple of days. After a week's rest, he'll be back at

You know, with proper diet and exercise, he can be better than ever. Oh, that's

wonderful. Of course, Ted doesn't believe the doctor.

He thinks he's just trying to make him feel really good so he can shaft him

the bill.

Looking over your tests, they look very good.

Yeah, I'll bet.

Ted, it's the truth. Believe me, I've known people in your condition who live

be a hundred.

Yeah, and then what?

Nice meeting you all. Same here, doctor.

Mary, I didn't get a chance to thank you. You saved my life by pressing your

lips to mine. Ted, it was nothing.

Well, what'd you expect? I was sick.

You guys want to hear my will?

Ted, don't talk like that. Well, it's important, Mary.

I've got quite a bit socked away.

I mean, not millions, but more than you'll ever see.

Ted, will you stop?

Just get your rest, get better, and we'll see you back at the office.

Yeah. Well, we'd better go now. We don't want to tire you. Sure. Bye -bye.

Georgette, call me.

Bye, Georgia. Bye, Ted.

See you in the office.

Hey, Doc.

Yeah?

I didn't want to ask with everybody around.

Something's been bothering me.

It's kind of personal.

How does it affect you if you have a heart attack about, you know... Sex?

Ted, you can have it as often as you did before your heart attack.

I thought you said he was going to be better.

No kidding, Phil.

You really did a great job filling in for Ted. And I know it must have been

rough doing both the morning news and evening news. I was glad I could be of

help, Lou. As a matter of fact, you know, I was just starting to enjoy it.

but Ted will be here any minute. And if he sees you, well, you know how Ted is.

I don't imagine he was too happy about having someone else fill in for him.

Right, I got you. I'll just get my jacket. Thanks again, Phil. Right.

Hi, guys.

Ted.

It's great to be back, Mary.

Lou!

Murray!

Phil.

Hi, Ted. Welcome back. Phil Howard.

You're a terrific replacement.

I watched you every night. You were sensational.

Wasn't he sensational, guys?

Oh, yeah.

Hey, I've got a great idea.

Why don't Phil and I do the 6 o 'clock news together? You know, go anchorman.

Ted's changed.

Now, look, I really got to be going. Ted, take good care of yourself, huh?

What a great guy.

And a real talent.

Ted, what's happened to you?

Lou, I've been reborn.

All because of a little spider.

A spider?

Yes. Mary, a couple of days ago, I was sitting on my terrace.

Outside the bedroom, I noticed this little spider next to the screen door,

spinning his web lovingly, patiently, skillfully.

Then Georgette opened the door and tore the web.

The spider had to build it back up again.

Then a little later, someone else opened the door and he had to build it back up

again. Then someone else came and said, Could you move it along?

Sure, though.

Well, I learned something from that little spider that never gave up.

Kept rebuilding his web over and over and over.

I learned that life is short and you have to live for today.

Well, Ted, that's not a live for today story. That's a perseverance story.

Well, it was a perseverance story, Mary, but it became a live for today story

when I smacked that spider with my newspaper.

Don't you see?

It's just like life. You go along spinning your web, and then whammo, the

man upstairs hits you with his newspaper.

Ted, that is not bad.

Thanks, Murray.

It's too bad it took a heart attack to open my eyes.

Oh, I've been such a fool.

But from now on, I'm going to spin a web of love, beauty,

Truth, I'm going to savor each moment of life like some rare exotic delicacy.

And I'm going to treat every person like I'm never going to see them again.

Dad, you promised to lie down before the show.

Oh, sure, sweet cakes, anything you say.

Mary?

Lou?

You've really outdone yourself tonight. Never have I tasted such an incredible

dinner. Oh, well, thank you, Ted, but it's just my meatloaf. Ah, but what a

meatloaf. It was perfect.

Not too meaty, not too loafy.

And the peas, they were so... Ted, what is it?

Did you ever really stop to take a good look at salt?

Tiny grain, so pure, so white.

And every single one of them is salty.

You know, I've been around salt all my life, but I never really ever paid

attention to it.

Look at it, Mary.

Here, have one.

Oh, yeah.

Georgette, would you like to look at some?

You showed me salt yesterday, Ted.

Georgette hasn't completely adjusted to the new Ted Baxter.

Well, frankly, Ted, neither have I.

I know I promised not to mention it again, but honestly, that present you

brought me... Hey, Mary.

You come to dinner, you bring a gift. What's the big deal?

Ed, you come to dinner, you bring flowers, candy, nuts, but a new bed.

Well, Mary, you're not married.

God knows why you're an incredible woman.

I just thought maybe if you had a new bed, your luck would change.

Hey, hey, what's money?

Money's only measurement is the amount of joy it brings the ones you love.

Here, Mary, have some money.

Take it, Mary.

Take it, Mary.

If you don't, he'll just give it to strangers.

Please. I am not taking your money. Now, stop that. All right, I don't want to

spoil this moment for you.

same thing, Georgette.

Tonight's sunset will never come again. Tomorrow, you and I and the sun will be

a day older.

Not if you don't knock it off.

I'll watch the moon instead.

I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

Wait for me, moon!

Wow, he really has changed.

I know, and Mary, I've had it with him.

I mean, I'm not ready for this.

to go bad, I could handle.

Then he has a little heart attack and turns into St.

Francis of Assisi.

Mary, I just heard.

There's a holdup fifth and main. Police have them pointed. Send a crew. Murray,

I have the police on line two. Get the facts. Start writing the lead. Right,

Lou.

Hi, guys.

Is it a glorious day?

Hi, let me talk to Charlie. This is Slaughter. How many are there?

Anybody hurt?

What kind of weapons do they have?

talking to the police. Hey, you guys are doing a terrific job.

Those new stop signs, beautiful.

What do you mean the crew is on a break? This is an emergency.

Ted, please, I'm working.

Ted.

If you don't mind, we have a little news tip we're trying to follow up on. Oh, I

don't mind.

Let me talk to Charlie, please. I just don't want to see you getting tense

you're doing it.

Hey, I worry about you guys.

Charlie, I'll call you later.

Come on.

Listen, at the hospital, he taught us a wonderful exercise to get rid of

tension. Now, I want us all to do it, okay?

You sit here. Just sit, sit, sit, sit, sit.

And what we're going to do is we're going to close our eyes. We're going to

five deep, long breaths. And as I count them out, I want you to blot out

everything else except the feeling of your own breath.

All right, everybody, close your eyes.

One.

and put our heads on each other's stomach and laugh.

Ted, why don't you save that one for tomorrow? For now, why don't you go in

hug the cameraman?

That's a nice idea.

I love you guys.

Remember, breathe.

Okay, we'll lead off with a holdup. Move the housing story to third right after

the midgets convention.

Right. Lou, look, somebody's got to straighten out Ted.

Yeah, I know.

I can't avoid it any longer.

Mary, straighten out Ted.

taking a walk in the park trying to figure out what to say to Ted.

Do you have any luck?

Yeah. I know exactly what I'm going to say to him.

I'm going to say, Ted, you're making everybody crazy with this new attitude

yours. You're screwing up the whole newsroom. And Ted, I think it's

Terrific?

Look, I know this sounds stupid.

But did any of us ever stop to think that Ted might be right?

Not for a second.

I mean it, Murray.

As I was sitting in the park with the flowers and the trees and the children

playing, I began to wonder if maybe there could be more important things in

world than putting on a news show.

But what's wrong with taking the time to enjoy life?

To enjoy people.

Things, nature.

Why should we have to have a heart attack to appreciate things?

You're really serious about this, aren't you?

Sure. What's wrong with being a little more appreciative?

Look, we've been working together now, Mary, for seven years.

And in all those years, did I ever once tell you how wonderful I think you are?

Did I ever tell you what a joy it is to see you here every morning?

I ever tell you what a delight it is to be your friend?

Is that true, Mr. Grant?

You really mean that?

Yes, I do.

Well, there are a lot of things like that that I never said to you either. I

think you're a wonderful man.

It's really great to be around you.

You make life exciting and fun.

And I'm really glad I know you.

You're a beautiful human being.

Come here.

Murr, what is it?

I've got a lovely wife.

Great kids.

Wonderful friends.

I've got my health.

A paid -up house.

And occasional hair.

I'm the luckiest man in the world.

Oh, Murr.

Lou.

Murray.

Okay, now. Okay, now.

Let's go. Let's go.

We've still got our show to put on.

Is that convention footage still in the film library?

Yes.

Oh,

Mr. Grant.

Here's tonight's rundown. I thought you might want to take a look at it.

Mary, look at that.

What? That sunset.

It's beautiful.

I've been working here for 12 years trying to get out the news, and not once

I ever look out this window and see that beautiful sunset.

It is gorgeous.

Shimmer's off that building over there. Oh, yeah.

Howard Cliston's off the lake.

Incredible.

Guys, get in there.

Tommy, go get the crew.

What is it, Lou?

That sunset. Look at that sunset.

Isn't that fantastic? What's going on?

The sunset.

Oh.

I get tired of it.

What about the other things?

What about salt?

Doctor says I've got to cut down on it.

What happened?

Well, I guess this experience, this feeling must go away.

Yeah.

I just remembered.

The same thing happened in the war.

During combat, I never held life more dearly.

But the feeling started to go away the minute the Germans stopped shooting at

me.

I never forgave them for that.

I guess it always wears off.

Yeah.

I guess in a couple of days you won't be feeling like this anymore.

We'll all be back to normal.

Okay.

Back to work.

Hey, wait a minute.

So what?

So it doesn't last forever.

So it wears off.

But that's no reason not to appreciate it when it's here.

Hey, we got it.

Let's make the most of it.

Mary, you're absolutely right. Come on!

This is Ted Baxter with the WTM News. In tonight's headlines, more civil unrest

in Northern Ireland.

Negotiations between the city and transit workers have again broken down.

Police have announced three arrests in connection with a statewide...