Original subtitles

It's time for... It's Apple Pie!

Sorry, Mr.

Apple Pie himself, America's number one game show host, the man with all the

questions, Dennis Blake!

Also starring America's number one clock watcher, the woman with America's

favorite...

Next week, we'll be coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia.

And now, here they are!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm Justin Peretti. So here is tonight's first question.

In England's War of the Roses, what color were the roses?

Walter, it's you.

Red and white.

Red and white is correct for $800.

Moving right on.

What was French Revolutionary leader Jean -Paul Marat doing?

When he was murdered.

Walter? Taking a bath.

Taking a bath is also correct for another $800.

Change of face question. Who, after Joe DiMaggio, had the longest hitting streak

in baseball?

Ted Williams.

Look at that. Look at that. I stumped him. I got it. One second. It was Pete

Rose.

Oh, I'm sorry. We're out of time. No baseball fans here today. Pete Rose was

correct answer.

And here's tonight's... You think she's coming to Atlanta?

Yeah, the whole show is. The tour's the country. They'll be here for two weeks

starting next Tuesday.

There are two and a half angels mentioned by name in the Bible. Who is

angel?

Lucifer. Lucifer.

Lucifer is correct for another $800.

How'd you know that?

I don't know. I just know.

Which means that, once again, Carrie is going to lead you to the winner's circle

where you will try to answer tonight's final countdown question. Carrie?

She does that very well, too, doesn't she?

Remember that for each full second remaining on the clock, you will receive

,000. Are you ready?

I'm ready.

All right, then, let's get right at tonight's final question on It's About

Ben.

Whose face is pictured on the $100 ,000 bill?

Trick question.

There is no bill.

Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson?

Woodrow Wilson is absolutely correct.

There's such a bill, it just not circulated. $8 ,000.

which gives you a grand total of $86 ,000.

It also means that you're going to be back tomorrow night to swear off against

two new contestants.

I'll bet she is just a nice, down -to -earth, all -American girl. And we want

you back, too. That's it for tonight, folks. Put the apple pie in the oven,

I'm coming home.

There, Marjorie Wood, talent coordinator.

Said she could get me as many tickets to the show as I want.

Let's go, won't you?

Yeah, probably. She can get you backstage to meet Carrie Summers.

And Marge could probably get you on the show.

No, no, thanks.

On national TV, I'd probably choke.

Come on, let's get back to work.

Hey, Carrie Summers is your real name?

these from the Chamber of Commerce.

Oh, not more apples.

Everybody in the country thinks that apples are my thing. What can I say?

Dig in.

Oh, sorry.

I didn't mean to interrupt.

You didn't interrupt, Dennis. I was waiting for you.

People, I just flew in from Chicago and Globe Syndication is not happy.

Seems the number crunchers have detected a disturbing pattern in the ratings in

a dozen or so of the major markets. They are slowly but surely slipping.

They told me to do whatever it takes to nip this in the bud.

Marge, sweetheart, thousands of people want to be It's About Time contestants,

am I right?

Babe, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands.

In fact, whenever we have interviews, there's a line going all the way around

the building, am I right?

Yes. Well, with all those people to choose from, how come our contestants

look like they crawled out of the basement of the public library?

How come a few good -looking blondes can't make the cut from time to time?

come on, Larry. This is a game show, not a beauty pageant. From now on, I want

at least one serving of cheesecake and or beefcake per show. You got me, babe?

Yeah, I got you, Larry.

Norman.

Norman, Norman, Norman.

My brother.

My dear baby brother.

Close -ups of people thinking are like watching paint dry.

Don't think of yourself as a game show director.

Imagine you're doing music videos, huh?

Crazy angles, quick cuts, smash pans, big zooms. Keep it going. Boom, boom,

boom. You're the MTV generation, kiddo. Make it work for you, huh?

Whatever you say, Larry.

Yeah.

Carrie, love of my life.

Lower necklines and the higher hemlines.

Bingo.

And last but not least, Dennis, our erstwhile host.

What does erstwhile mean? It means I'm replacing you, babe, with him, Lance

McCormick. He's young, he's hip, he's you 15 years ago.

Atlanta's your last gig, babe, sorry.

Try not to take it personally.

Okay, people, that's it.

I'll see you Friday at the next taping.

Everything okay?

You know what Larry did to you today was really awful.

I'm trying to talk him into reconsidering.

But I'm not getting too far.

Can I see him?

Larry?

Dennis is here.

Good luck.

Thanks anyway. You're a good friend.

Hi.

Can we talk for a minute?

I'm going to go for a walk.

What?

I just got offered a job as a host on a new talk show in L

.A.

That's great.

Well, I wanted to talk to you about it first before I took it, because I know

you've got a new show in the hopper. Who told you that?

Norm, I guess.

Well, I figured you'd need a familiar face to help get this thing off the

ground, and if I took the job, I could be tied up for years.

And we go back a long way, so I figured that I would give you a first crack at

moi.

I don't need you, Dennis.

How can you do this to me?

I have worked for you for 12 years.

How can you just throw me to the wolves like this?

I'm a businessman, Dennis.

You used to be good for business.

Now you're not.

I thought we were friends.

I don't do friends.

And now for the final question in our $100 round.

Camera three, start a slow zoom in on Dennis.

That's it. Camera one, magic zoom on contestants.

It's you,

Walter. The sandwich.

The sandwich is correct.

All right, contestants, here is the final question in this round. Right

Scientists have divided the natural world into how many...

Walter, for $700.

Three.

Yes, three is correct.

Now, Walter, you've done it again.

For the 22nd day in a row, you have become our daily winner, which means

you will be in our final countdown one more time.

Jack, will you escort Walter to the winner's circle, please?

and set up the final countdown area.

Standard operating procedure, folks. We always do a little restaging before the

final countdown.

However, thanks to the miracle of editing, you never see that on your

Hold on, people. Please stay in your seats. We'll have this fixed in a

Charlie? Charlie!

What the hell's going on out there?

Charlie?

Hey, people, look, I don't know what happened, but it looks like we're back

business.

Charlie, we'll roll tape as soon as you give me the word. All right, everybody,

stand by. All right, please.

All right, Walter, here we go. Your final countdown question for the night

Experiments with liquid helium by the Dutch physicist Ohnes produced a

breakthrough in what area of modern medicine?

Cryogenics.

Cryogenics.

ran for $98 ,000.

That's all the time we have, folks. So tune in tomorrow to find out just how

Walter here can go.

That's your cue, Mom.

Get the apple pie in the oven, because I'm coming home.

Conrad McMaster.

How are you?

Come here.

Let me look at you.

You look good.

Well... You haven't exactly turned into a fat, ugly slob yourself. Thank you.

Oh, you must be Ben Matlock. Yeah. Hi, I'm Marjorie Wood. Nice to meet you. Hi.

So, Conrad's your investigator.

Yeah, he always was pretty nosy.

Hey, would it be okay for Ben to meet Carrie Summers?

Oh, that's not really necessary.

Yeah, we're going to check. Bob.

Ben. What are you doing here? I haven't even arrested anybody yet. Oh, wait.

This game. See the show.

Anybody recognize this?

Boy, it's... It's mine.

My apple peeler.

Well, we found it behind a curtain backstage just a few minutes ago.

Last time I saw it, it was in my dressing room.

You're Dennis Blake, aren't you?

Yeah. My wife's a big fan of yours. Oh, that's nice.

In fact, she's a little upset this morning. She heard on some talk show

you'd just been fired. Is that true?

Yeah.

Who fired you, Mr. Blake?

Well,

the executive producer, Larry Fisher.

Maybe we should continue this discussion downtown.

Mr. Matlock, Dennis is no killer. Please, you've got to help him.

Oh, I don't know. No, please.

He can pay your fee. Oh, easily.

He makes a pretty good wage.

And he's innocent.

Dennis is the most gentle man I know.

Um, this apple pie and mom thing, does he say that after every show?

Has for 15 years.

Hey, Bob.

Wait a minute.

Maybe I'll bum a ride downtown.

No, they look much better short.

Yeah? Oh, they're great.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to announce that there is life after Larry.

Everybody in this room is still employed, and It's About Time is still

production. What are you, Alexander Haig? You got it, babe. I'm in charge

It's About Time belongs to me. It's part of my brother's estate.

Ann. Before any of you wonders what Dennis is doing here, he's here because

want him here.

Now, getting down to business.

Item number one.

It's about time questions.

The police have agreed to remove them from Larry's office and give them to me.

At least that way we won't have to be showing out a small fortune to the

research company for at least another month.

Item number two.

The dentster.

Not only did I bail him out, but I unfired him. He's back in the saddle for

good.

Welcome back, Dennis.

See what I tell you? They love you, babe.

Nobody could believe it. I mean, this guy had become a clone of his brother

practically overnight.

You gonna have trouble taking orders from him? Nah.

Norm can't be any worse than Larry was.

What's the matter?

Marge, I gotta ask you some questions.

Go ahead.

Ben and I figured that whoever really killed Larry was someone on the show.

There's just no other explanation for the blackout in that peeler.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Which means we need to find out who else on the show had a motive.

Am I a suspect?

Dennis says a friend of yours used to work on this show.

Todd Delquist?

And I'm sure that Dennis has told you that he was considerably more than a

friend.

He says Larry fired him.

That was quite a few months ago, Conrad.

He says it made it impossible for him to find work on another show.

That was the rumor.

Dennis seems to think that what happened to your ex -boyfriend had something to

do with you.

Larry kept propositioning me. I kept refusing.

So instead of firing me, he fired Todd.

The only other job Todd could get was a job at a radio station down in...

Boy, it's the Idaho.

Larry did all that just to get back at you?

Being a vindictive SOB was his life.

How could you work for somebody like that? Why didn't you just quit? I didn't

realize it was so late. I gotta get going. You were afraid if you quit, he

blacklisted you too, weren't you?

I would have taken him to court, Conrad.

It would have been a lot more satisfying taking his money than his life.

Please take your seats.

Hi, I'm Marjorie Wood. I'm the talent coordinator for It's About Time.

The good news is that all 20 of you have passed our preliminary screening and

have met our eligibility requirements.

The bad news is that not all of you will actually become It's About Time

contestants. I'm going to meet with two other groups, just like this one, and

we're going to split you into trios.

And then we're going to see how well you do in a mock game if it's about time,

shortly after which you will be notified whether or not you've made the cut.

Now, Michael, now I'm going to call your name. Please stand up, but do remain by

your seats, okay?

Michelle Thomas.

Michelle Thomas.

Hi, Michelle.

It says here, Michelle, that you're single, you're an attorney, and it looks

like your strengths are history, mythology, and sports.

Um, I just want to ask you one more thing, Michelle.

Why do you want to be a contestant on our show?

Well, to learn things.

You know, about myself under pressure, about other people.

But mostly because it would just be so much gosh darn fun.

Have a seat, Miss Thomas.

Um, okay, Mr. Edward Price.

Miss Summers?

Miss Summers?

Miss Summers?

Hi. Hi.

I'm Ben Matlock, Dennis Blake's lawyer.

Miss Summers is busy.

Oh, no, no, that's okay. Dennis is a friend of mine.

If you're his lawyer, you're a friend of mine, too.

Well, could we, I mean, would it be all right if we talked?

Sure.

Could we, could we slow down a little?

How's this?

Wonderful.

You go ahead. I'll catch up to you.

Ben here will protect me if the need arises.

Won't you, Ben?

Yeah. I'll give it my best shot.

Well.

Well.

You have the prettiest smile.

You're sweet.

No, it's wonderful.

I bet you get offers to do toothpaste commercials all the time.

Actually, I get all kinds of offers.

Oh, I bet you do.

Oh, no, no.

But I'm under contract. It's about time.

You can't do anything else?

Well, Larry always said being underexposed is far better than being

Oh, you and Larry were close?

Symbiotic is more how I describe it.

I use... I use Larry to get what I wanted, and he used me to get what he

We're both very happy.

So it was just business?

Just business.

Van, I can feel my gastrocnemius muscles tightening up. You can? Yeah.

I really should pick up the pace.

Oh, sure, sure. I wouldn't want anything to happen to your gastrocnemius

muscles, whatever they are.

My calf muscles. Oh. I learned that on the show. Oh.

See ya.

See ya. Yeah, see ya.

What can I

tell ya? I hated him.

But he was your brother.

So? He was still a slime bucket.

Dennis said he was the only one you ever worked for.

Yeah, he produced some of the most successful game shows on television. I

to see how he did it.

In case you ever had to step into his shoes like now.

In case I ever felt like creating and producing my own show.

Excuse me.

Hello, people.

Hi. I'm Norm Fisher.

I'm executive producer and, at least temporarily, the director of It's About

Time as well.

Now, as I'm sure Marge has explained, you're about to play a mock game of It's

About Time. Now, your performance will be videotaped and reviewed by Marge and

myself before we make our final decision.

Remember, television is a visual medium.

We'll be looking for a bounce, an energy, enthusiasm, a bing and a bang

boom and a... Now, who really wants to be a contestant on It's About Time?

Get out in front of those cameras and prove it. Before we tape our next trio,

we're going to take a ten -minute break.

You're free to stand up, stretch your leg, but please be back by 1025.

Sure, no problem.

startled me what are you doing i was just looking for a soft drink machine

oh gosh i'm so excited i must have just missed

it i'll see you inside

Okay, people, here's the next question.

The first human heart transplant operation was performed by what South

doctor? Rita.

DeBakey? No, that's incorrect.

Michelle? Christian Barnard. Correct.

For $300.

Okay.

Jane Austen originally called this famous novel First Impressions. Under

title was it published?

Rita. Fright and Prejudice.

Correct, for $200.

In a novel by Bram Stoker, the Hampstead Horror is also known as?

Michelle, it's yours?

Dracula. That's correct, for $900.

Here's the final question.

What was the name of the second man to set foot on the moon?

Take it, Sheldon. Neil Armstrong.

No, that's incorrect.

Michelle, it's yours.

Buzz Aldrin.

Right again for $800.

All right, that'll do it. And cut.

Well done, everyone.

Michelle, that's the highest anyone has ever scored in a qualifying match.

Okay, you three can take your seats and let's have... Well, there goes private

school for my kids. You probably just ruined their lives.

Congratulations.

Well,

Miss Fisher.

Mr. Matlock, what are you doing here?

Well, to tell you the truth...

My investigator's been following.

When he called and told me that you were visiting Daryl Colburn, I had to just

see for myself.

Yeah, well, um, now's not a good time for me. I'm busy.

Uh, Daryl Colburn was your brother's biggest competition in the game show

business, wasn't he? Yeah.

What were you talking with him about?

Seems to me that's none of your beeswax.

I just wondered if it had anything to do with that file you stole from your

brother's office this morning.

You've got the wrong guy, babe. I don't know what you're talking about.

The police don't like it when people steal things from offices they've

Especially when that office is the scene of a murder.

Are you trying to accuse me of stealing evidence?

You were seen in that office.

My brother had an idea for a new game show. So I figured I'd bring it to

Colburn while we were here in Atlanta.

No big deal.

Well, it belongs to me anyway.

I'm the sole heir.

Is Mr. Colvin by?

Lawyers are drawing up the papers as we speak.

It's going to be bigger than It's About Time. The biggest game show ever.

But you knew the idea. Why'd you need the file?

I didn't know the idea.

Larry didn't give me any details.

He didn't give details to anybody.

What a...

Guarding it with his life, huh?

You.

How's this?

Yeah, I think it's going to work out good.

Hello.

I was told to report here to someone named Doreen. Oh, yeah, that's me. Come

right on in, hon. I'll be with you in a minute.

You're Carrie Summers.

Hi. You a new contestant? Yeah, just got to work. Well, congratulations.

Thanks. They seem to think I dress like an insurance salesman.

Welcome to showbiz, darling.

Oh, boy.

Fabulous dress.

Hello. Thanks.

I'll tell the designer.

Oh, is the designer a friend of yours?

He likes to think he is.

Han, phone's for you.

All righty. Let's have a look at you.

Hello.

Are you from Atlanta?

Honey, you okay?

Oh, yeah.

Larry, you're dead.

There's nothing around here.

Bitten by a little dose of stage fright, huh?

Yeah, I can see it a mile away.

Okay. Okay, I'll do it right now. You know, a little deep breathing right

you go on usually does the trick.

Like this.

I'll call you, but I have to tell you where it is.

And use your brain, will you?

Don't call me here again.

I'm sorry, Rini. Something's come up and I've really got to go.

I'll change in my dressing room, okay? Okay. Keep going.

Nice meeting you.

Would it be all right if I use your phone?

Sure.

Are you feeling better?

Much.

Nikola Tesla.

Correct again, Walter.

I'm moving right along to the next question.

Who said that government is best which governs least?

You were first, Walter.

Thomas Jefferson.

Oh, I'm sorry. That's wrong.

Michelle at seven seconds.

Henry David Thoreau.

That is correct for $700, and we have a new leader.

But we also have one more question, which will determine which one of you

on to tonight's final countdown, so listen very carefully.

He was 26 years old. He was 3 feet 7 inches tall, and his name was Eddie

Goodell. What professional sport did he play?

Walter.

Baseball. That is correct.

You've done it again, Walter.

Terry, would you please escort Walter to the winner's circle?

And we'll be right back after this.

Let's say goodbye to the other contestants and set up for the final

Dennis, the big question's on its way, babe.

Nice job, guys.

Go right over there.

Boy, you put up a terrific fight.

Quiet, please. We're rolling.

Now, remember, Walter, that for each full second remaining on the clock, you

will receive $1 ,000.

Are you ready for your final countdown question?

I'm ready, Dennis. Then let's go.

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, attended what law

school?

Huh? Harvard Law.

I'm sorry, Walter.

I'm afraid that's wrong.

John Marshall didn't attend any law school.

Mark says Larry kept all the questions and answers in the briefcase.

Well, let's see. The briefcase was over there.

Let's see. The lights in the studio went off.

Door opened.

Stabbed.

And walked over here to the briefcase.

Picked it up.

Opened it, got out.

The answer, yeah.

Got a piece of paper.

Jot them down.

fired Dennis the day before.

Proof.

We've been carrying it around with us all day.

Gary, your smile could make a sick man well.

Thank you.

But more than your smile and your other attributes, you're educated. You have a

college degree, don't you? That's right.

From where?

University of Texas at Austin.

In what?

Communications, television production.

And before Larry Fisher hired you, where were you working?

I was working with a floor crew at a TV station in Milwaukee.

Did you ever do any lighting while you were there? Lots. I did it all.

So you were able to use your... your off -screen knowledge before Larry came

along and put you in front of the camera.

Right.

Did he sign you to an exclusive contract?

Yes. So you weren't allowed to do any ads or commercials or movies or other

projects outside of It's About Time?

If the project had Larry's approval, I could.

Approximately how many projects were you offered last year?

About a dozen or so.

And to how many did Larry give his approval?

None.

Huh.

Well, if Larry had given his approval, how much would you have made?

A few thousand dollars.

I really don't know.

Carrie, you're the most popular woman in daytime television today.

Don't you think a couple of...

100 ,000 would be closer to the truth.

Objection. The question is argumentative. And this whole line of

irrelevant. The state believes that my client is guilty largely

because he had opportunity and motive, Your Honor. How can this guy object

when I'm just trying to establish that somebody else did too?

Overruled.

This contract that he had you sign, how much did you make?

$500 a show.

How many shows a year?

About 160 or so.

So you grossed $80 ,000 a year.

That's right.

I bet that sounded like a lot of money back in Milwaukee.

But now it's...

As big a star as you are, it's peanuts, isn't it?

No, I don't think so.

You never resented Larry for locking you into a contract like that?

No.

But you did find a way to make up for that extra income that he had denied

didn't you?

I don't know what you mean.

You recognize this?

No. Well, maybe you'll recognize what's inside.

That is your handwriting, isn't it, Carrie?

And those are the questions and answers that were used on It's About Time,

aren't they?

You were selling them to Walter Belden.

We intercepted this envelope that you left for him at the hotel.

And what he eventually got was an envelope that we left for him. That's

he lost.

We fed him the wrong answer.

He appreciates all the money you helped him make, but he's not appreciative

enough to commit perjury.

All right, it's true.

I saw an opportunity, and I took it.

And Larry found out about you, didn't he?

And that's what you and he were arguing about just before my client

showed up.

You knew if he exposed you, your career would be just about over.

And so you attached a timing device to the lighting board before the next show

so the lights would go out during the taping. And when they went out,

Nobody could see anything. You left the stage and went to Larry's office and

stabbed him with something that would look like my client had done

it. But then you saw his briefcase and you couldn't help yourself.

You grabbed the paper and you scratched out the question and

the answer that Larry kept in his briefcase one more time.

Didn't you?

That's not true. I didn't do any of that. I wasn't even in his office that

I wrote down those questions and answers a week ago.

No.

No.

And this stationery proves it.

Look, it's about time.

And look at the masthead starring Lance McCormick.

Larry moved fast, didn't he?

The same day.

He fired Dennis. He ordered new stationery with his new star's name on

masthead. And according to the records at the print shop, they delivered this

stationery just moments before the lights went out.

The only time you could have written down these questions and these answers

after Larry was dead.

Harry, I'm sorry to have done all this to a person as pretty as you and with

that smile, but I had to.

Happy guy.

You got you two to thank for it. Yeah, you wouldn't say that if you knew how

close I came to blowing it. Blowing what?

That stupid game show.

I came this close to hitting my buzzer on that Gaydell question.

It was a reflex. If I hadn't stopped myself, we'd never have known for sure

Walter and Carrie were in cahoots.

Do you know the answer?

Well, of course.

Eddie Gaydell came to bat once in 1951 for the St. Louis Browns and walked on

four straight pitches.

You guys didn't know that?