“Pratfall” 7 August 1998		Written by Rupert Holmes. Directed by Joanna Kerns.
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The show opens on October 9, 1941.

In the modern age, we can watch muscle bound hosts leading us through a half-hour of aerobicizing on ESPN. But, thanks to the magic of radio, any couch potato can lead us through an exercise routine. In fact, it is on the couch that Eugenia knits while Betty and Mr. Foley follow her instruction to exhaustion.

Victor seems to be spending more time in Washington than he expected. Betty has received a letter from him which, being informal, apparently did not have his return address on it. The address was on the envelope, which has been misplaced. The envelope, the wastebasket it may have fell into, and Scott Sherwood, who was looking for it, have vanished.

Hilary places an ad where "a" Walter Winchell speaks very highly of her. And with three dollars, he certainly does. (Doris Snithing probably arranged for the ad.) I think it's another step in her attempt to make Ballinger's prediction of her return to Broadway come true.

But the direct reason for the ad, however, is the imminent Pittsburgh Radio Awards which give out "The Golden Lobes," shaped like an ear.

WENN's sixteen Nominations include:

Scott has been collecting the waste cans trying to find Victor's missing envelope in hopes that the letter is with it, or at least somewhere in the trash cans. Information is power.

Hilary has tracked him down because she's looking for a letter Jeff's (new) lawyer sent him. She spotted it in the mail box and assumes it's about the status of his divorce from Pavla. Infor...well, you know.

Hilary finds a discarded tangerine from last week's episode. Scott finds a shoe; presumably the one Hilary threw at him last season.

But Scott also finds a letter that indicates someone on the WENN staff will be the only nominator for the highest award, the PRAT (Pittsburgh Radio Achievement Trophy). They wonder who was the recipient of the letter. Hilary eliminates Scott, since he brought the letter to Hilary's attention. Then she says that with the exception of Scott, it could be anyone. I wondered at the time why she didn't eliminate herself, but I didn't make the obvious intuitive leap then.

Scott reports to Betty that he couldn't find the letter or envelope. Betty lets Scott know the letter is "safely filed away," which I assume means it is at The Barbican Hotel (or perhaps the strongbox?).

Betty is receiving so many complaints about the bickering on "Young Doctor Talbot" between Jeff and Hilary that she wants to return Scott to the role. Jeff is UNhappy with that since it may sway the voting in the awards, just two days away. But Scott brushes off the award as UNimportant and says, generously, that he'll give the award to Jeff if he wins. Jeff, accustomed to Scott's prevarications, handily has a paper ready for Scott to sign to that effect. <g>

(During Jeff's speech, he makes it clear that Pavla has mysteriously still not been located.)

But Hilary continues with her ranting during "Young Doctor Talbot" and Jeff tries to convince her to cooperate to save his role. He mentions in passing "his buddies at the PRA" (Pittsburgh Radio Association). Scotty, watching out for Hilary, draws her aside and points out that Jeff may be the sole nominator for the PRAT award. Hilary thinks on it for a moment and realizes she needs to start "campaigning" in case the nominator hasn't already submitted the name. She starts by returning to Studio A and does a 180 degree turn that is such an about face that she steps out of the Nurse Treadwell role and speaks in praise of Jeff as Hilary Booth.

Jeff reciprocates with the same information he gave in "Klondike 9366" using the transitioning ("Interestingly...") he did in "Some Good News, Some Bad News."

October 10th opens with Hilary stepping up her campaign, even to the extent of remembering Gertie's last name and its spelling! And she has gifts, somewhat, for everyone. (What a twisted mind is Rupert's. A "Hilary Booth Coloring Book!")

Eugenia, with a Golden Lobe nomination, wants to more honestly perform her Gym show. So when she does her show today, she does the jumping jacks until exhaustion forces her to take her show in a whole new direction: exercising the inner self.

October 11th and the Golden Lobe Award show arrives.

John Henson does a great job as a really obnoxious host. WENN winners include Mr. Foley who is too choked up to make an acceptance speech and Betty who, as the only one nominated for Best Scenario, is denied the opportunity to speak.

When the Best Actor award is split between two actors at WEEP, Scott shows he has been taking the acting very seriously and even critiques one of the actors.

The host claims the secret nomination for the PRAT award was mailed that morning which would make it one day too late. However, it's hard to believe anything Sheldon Glebe says. (Particularly since Gleeb was prose and dialogue with "sheer nonsense," as Steve Allen called it, at it's core. But Paul B. Lowney's Gleebisms usually had meaning behind it. Glebe is simply irritating.)

Finally, it's time for the big award: the PRAT. And it goes to...Hilary Boot!!

As things are wrapping up, Hilary lets slip evidence that Hilary herself was the nominator. Scott is very impressed at how well Hilary pulled "out all the stops to win a trophy [she] intended to give to herself." This episode displayed the strong mutual respect that has built up between Scott and Hilary.

A nice, well-rounded episode. And notice how I didn't mention Ferengi...whoops!