The Memo That Got Away

This episode aired in 1989. The episode opens where FYI is trying to do the 1980's decade in review. Jim, Corky, and Frank are there. Murphy is nowhere in sight. Murphy's co-workers are annoyed that she is not there. They don't have much. They've hit a total mental block.

Frank: Who are we kidding, the 80's were even duller than the 50s. Ronald Reagan was just Eisenhower with more hair.

The elevator opens and Lewis Kletter steps off. He's thirteen, wearing a sport jacket and tie and clutching a briefcase. With everyone rushing around him, he is almost forced back into the elevator. He sees Corky and starts talking to her. Lewis is a journalism student at his junior high. Corky reminisces about her journalism class where she got to cut and paste to make articles. And Lewis is only learing libel and the use of fair comment and criticism defense. He came to FYI because he wanted to interview Murphy for his paper. Corky tells him to sit in the secretary's desk to wait for her.

Murphy thinks that Lewis is her new secretary -- there must be a conspiracy in personnel. Murphy sends him away saying he is busy, but he butters her up by complimenting her on one of her interviews. Murphy decides to spare him a few minutes. They go into her office.

Lewis asks her for comments about a memo that she wrote the President of the News Divison saying what she thought of al the people on her show. Murphy is horrified. She asks Lewis how he got it.

Lewis: Well, the other day, I was fooling around with my computer. See, I figured out how to break into the news system. I like to see how other people write their copy. Boy, Dan Rather really hates George Bush. Anyway, I came across this in your file. See, I'm going to run it in next Monday's Gazette. It'll knock the spelling bee story right on its butt.

He asks her for a quote. Murphy says that she was pressured by the network to write it and that if he publishes it the press will have a field day. They won't understand how much she loves and repects her co-workers. (There is a knock at the door. Murphy yells BEAT IT! Jim humbly appologizes.) Murphy tries to get the memo from him, but Lewis has to leave. He's late for homeroom. He tells Murphy that she can reach him -- his dad's in the book, but don't call after nine because Lewis has his retainer in.

It's the next day. Jim, Corky, and Frank are having lunch at Phils. Again Murphy is nowhere in sight. Before they had too little material, now they have too much. They have to figure out what to cut. Murphy enters, says she wants to help, but has an important meeting.

Corky: I'd say someone isn't pulling he rweight around here, and her initials are "M.B."
(Lewis enters)
Murphy: Oh, look. There's a little boy who looks like he's lost. Maybe I'll help.

Murphy goes over to him, and much to her dismay, he wants to stay. They sit in a corner booth. Murphy feels like everyone is watching her. Murphy sucks up to Lewis, Lewis meets Phil... Miles interupts:

Miles: We really need you over there. We're putting together a list of indictments during the Reagan years and you're the only one who knows them by heart.

Murphy is still trying to get that memo from him. She decides she's going to tell him a story she's never told anyone -- the day she checked into the Betty Ford...

Murphy: I'd been working really hard, preparing for an interview with Noriega. It took a long time to get him to agree to go on camera, so I was really feeling the pressure. I was drinking a lot, just trying to keep one step ahead of the panic I always feel before I ask the first question. The night before we had to fly to Paama, I sat alone in my office convinced I would never be able to pull it off. So I opened up a bottle of Scotch... I don't remember anything after that. A total blackout. When I woke up, I was home but I couldn't remember how I got there. I was shaking. I couldn't even light a cigarette. I never got on that plane to Panama. But I did get on a plane to Betty Ford. And it was the hardest thing I've ever done.
LONG SILENCE
Lewis: Nah, I like the memo better.

Murphy is shocked. He really wants this memo. She tries to bribe him. She's planning a whole day, including a trip to the Redskins locker room.

A few days later, Murphy is still trying to coax Lewis into dropping his story. Right now he is driving her Porsche up and down her driveway. Eldin is shaking from it. Murphy has taken Lewis on a special White House tour, Andy Rooney's tailor, lunch at the Press Club, and an arcade where he played Donkey Kong ($40 worth) and still couldn't win! Eldin is totally sick of this kid and its obvious in the conversation between them. He informs Murphy: "My rates just went up."

Lewis still won't do anything about the memo, he's still going to print it. Murphy asks his price. What he wants to kill the memo forever. Lewis says he'd kill the memo if she goes to an eighth grade dance with him. Murphy is so crazed, she's actually considering it. Murphy finally realizes that its stupid and says that he can go ahead and print the memo and she can handle the consequences. She sees his briefcase, and tries to inch it away so that he won't see it and she can keep the memo. But Lewis sees, and leaves with his briefcase.

Corky, Jim, and Frank are still working on the '80s in review. Murphy is too cheerful, too friendly, giving too many compliments. She's hiding something. Murphy passes out the memo for them to read before it hits the presses. She thought it would be better that way. Everyone is uncomfortable. Jim reads that he is "stiff." After they finish reading, they ignore her.

The next day, the article is supposed to be printed in Lewis's school newspaper. Murphy gets the paper, and its not printed anywhere! Relief and remorse set in. Relief because its not there, remorse because she shared it with everyone. Lewis enters. He gives her every copy of the memo. The editor cut his story. He is sad that the story was cut. Murphy actually cheers him up. She sends Lewis back to work (his new idea for a story is "When Good Hall Monitors Go Bad") and gets her keys back.

Corky, Jim, Frank, and Miles have chosen to forgive her... Frank is being a little less mature about it, but the rest decided some points she made were valid. Murphy is going to treat them all to lunch. She feels relieved. Frank says he wants Murph's parking spot. She tries to convince him to take her new Nintendo instead. All he wants is that spot. Everyone is friends again. The ep fades to black.

What Murphy said when she was handing out the memo: By the way, Frank, I haven't said this to you in a long time, but I think your pieces are among the most substantive in network television. And Jim, driving over here, it occured to me that for all the years you've been at the anchor desk, you've always remained in touch with the audience. And Corky, what can I say?... What can I say?... You've grown. (later) Miles, that was one of the finest examples of authorative problem-solving I've ever seen. Now if I could interrupt the work of the greatest news team in the world, I'd like to share something with you.

Some parts of the memo that were quoted during the episode. Jim Dial needs to be careful he doesn't become too comfortable in his role as senior anchor. He could lose touch with our audience.

Sometimes Frank Fontana gets caught up in the flash of the story and ignores the substance.

"Any network that's busier counting beans than finding good stories is doomed to mediocrity."

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