Who's ready to check out Micky's radio show?

Lauren: I am!

Micky: I can't wait to show it off!

Mike: Should be interestin'.

Peter: Micky plays great music! I can't wait!

Davy: As long as 'e don't blow up the studio, I'll give it a listen.

Micky: Real funny, Dave.

(We open in a small room in a radio station, about a week or so after the incidents of "Hell Bent." Micky sits behind a table, his feet propped up, while another man sits behind the controls. Micky has a stack of records next to him and is happily gabbing away.)

Micky: And that was "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night. You know, I managed to get my hands on an early release of a song not due out until the fall. I'll play it at some point in the next... *glances at the clock* 40 minutes, so hang around for that. Maybe I'll even serenade all you great listeners with my own rendition of it. Such a great song. It's called "An Old Fashioned Love Song," and I'm not playing it now, later. Right now, we've gotta take a quick break and let the sponsors make money while I take a quick trip down the hall. To do what...well, use your imagination. We'll be back in one-twenty. *points at the man behind the controls; the "On Air light goes off and Micky slides his headphones off*

Jack: (The man with the blond curls from "Monkees in Wonderland" pops his head out of the control booth) All clear, Mick.

Micky: Good, man! I gotta go grab a soda.

Jack: Could you get me a Coke or somethin’.

Micky: You got it! *heads out the door and down the hall; stops by the soda machine and drops some change in* One for me...*grabs the vended soda bottle and drops more change in the machine* And one for Blondie.

*Micky grabs the second soda & pauses, listening.*

(We see two men in business suits walk around the corner from the vending machine. One is short and young and wears glasses; the other is older.)

*Micky turns away, pretending to be intent on his soda.*

Young Man: You won't be disappointed, Mr. Hampton. You can be sure I'll make changes here.

Mr. Hampton: Good. Many radio stations are starting to switch to formatting. It's so much easier to schedule your day and know what kind of records to play.

*Micky's eyes narrow, not believing what he's hearing.*

Young Man: Formatting is the latest in radio, sir! All songs on the air will be of one specific type. Some radio stations aren't even formatted for music. There's a big market for all-news or all-weather or all-religion or whatever.

Mr. Hampton: Magazines have been narrowing their markets, and I think it's time we did the same.

*Micky's eyes widen.*

Young Man: Right! You've been skewering too old of a demographic, Mr. Hamilton, sir. You need to play ALL new songs, not just a new song every now and then and then ten songs from the 50s. No one wants to hear music from the 50s. Young people want to hear a new voice, a voice that speaks to them.

*Micky quirks an eyebrow. He doesn't do that already?*

Mr. Hamilton: And we'll provide those voices. (Frowns) Are you sure getting rid of the staff is the right way to go about it? We have a good mix of young people, like that Dolenz fellow on the air now, and people who have been here for years.

Young Man: Why don't we keep Dolenz and the other young fellow...what was his name...

Mr. Hamilton: Jack Hillman.

Young Man: (Nods) Oh right, him. We'll keep those two on for the time being and see if they can draw a younger demographic. It shouldn't be hard to replace the others.

Mr. Hamilton: I still don't think this is a good idea, but if you say so...

Young Man: I know so. Don't you want to expand your audience?

*Micky does a *whew* motion and starts heading back for the studio, but still trying to listen...*

*Micky checks his watch again, makes a face, and practically plows through the studio door. He tosses a soda to Jack, who catches it, wide-eyed, and dives back into his chair, pulling on the headset, just as the "On Air" light comes on. We cut to Micky wrapping up his show.*

Micky: *grinning* I hope all of you great kids out there enjoyed my show tonight. I'm sure all of you enjoyed those great 50s tunes. I played them just for you. Also, would the kid who keeps calling in to let his dog howl because of, supposedly, my version of "Old Fashioned Love SOng" earlier, STOP calling in? I'm going off the air now, and I'm sure the next jock doesn't wanna hear it. This is Do-do-Dolenz saying have a great night and don't forget to do your homework! *points to Jack* ;)

*The "On Air" light goes off and Micky again slides his headset off.*

(Jack laughs, takes his headphones off, and comes out to the main room.)

Jack: Thanks for warming them up for me, man. ;)

Micky: No problem. I even spared you the dog howling. *pauses; glances around* Can I talk to ya a second before you go on?

Jack: No prob, dude. They've got a bunch of commercials for some of the local hot spots running now.

Micky: Well, when I went out to get the sodas earlier, I heard Mr. Hampton and some young guy in a business suit yacking about reformatting the station. :P

Jack: (Eyes widen) No shit? Really? You think they'd do that? I always figured Mr. H was cool about the variety thing, man.

Micky: It sounds pretty definite. They'll be getting rid of just about everyone except for you and me, but we're only staying if we hold a younger demographic that's to their liking. They specifically mentioned playing ALL new songs. No more 50s music! :P

Jack: That's wrong, man. Some of the DJs here have been around since they played Bing Crosby on "Late Night Ballroom," and I don't see anything wrong with the 50s music.

Micky: I feel the same way. We've got to do something before everyone loses their jobs over some stupid "shake up."

Jack: Yeah, but what can we do? We ain't suits.

Micky: They wanna know who their audience is, right?

Micky: The best thing to do is let the audience call in, let THEIR voices be heard. Let them make requests. That sorta thing. That'd probably be enough to slow them until we can figure out how to get this rotten idea completely out of their minds. :P

Jack: Right. I'll start tonight. (Grins) Maybe you could go over to your place and...encourage a few callers? Your wife is young, and she's got buddies, and so do you. Hell, you've got young kids. If they can talk, they could probably figure out how to request something, not to mention our listeners will think they're adorable. ;)

Micky: Trust me, I'll have phones ringing as soon as I get home. *grins* And I'm sure the twins would LOVE to hear themselves on the radio. ;)

Jack: I could make them local stars, man. ;)

Micky: *claps Jack's shoulder* Your phone will be off the hook. Thanks for helping out, man. *jerks a thumb* I gotta get going... *points to the clock* And so do you! ;)

Jack: Hey, yeah, and my engineer will be in any minute. You get home and spread the word. ;)

Micky: I'm outta here! *turns and heads for the door, waves before he goes out*

*We fade out on the closing door and in on the living room in Lauren and Micky’s house. Micky just told Lauren what he heard and told Jack.*

Lauren: I can't believe they think they can just fire everyone because they don't bring in the right audience! That's gotta be the stupidest thing I've ever heard! And only new music? Do they know how many stations are already doing that? It's so hard to find a station like KLAC that still plays such a variety of music! It doesn't even sound like they'll be keeping you and Jack on for very long, either! How DARE they?! X-(

Micky: Babe, the twins are sleeping!

Lauren: I'm just so mad! It isn't fair! It isn't fair to the DJs, and it isn't fair to their loyal audience, either! :P X-(

Micky: No, it isn't, babe (grins) which is why Jack and I are going to do something about it.

Lauren: What're you two gonna do? No offense, Mick, but you haven't been there very long. How much pull could you have there?

Micky: I know we don't...but our AUDIENCE does. They want a larger audience and more of the younger demographic, right?

Lauren: Right...

Micky: We're going to turn to the power of the little man and his great big telephone reciever. ;)

Lauren: *folds her arms, grinning* And with enough ringing phones... ;)

Micky: We might be able to make them listen before they stick their fingers in their ears and tell those damn phones to stop ringing. ;)

Lauren: Sounds good to me. I'd be glad to join in making the phone ring. *pauses* How about the others? We oughtta get them in on this, too.

Micky: We'll call everyone we know, and everyone they know, and everyone the kids know, and everyone Onyx knows, and everyone the whole NEIGHBORHOOD knows! We'll show Mr. Hamilton how much the variety format is loved! :D

Lauren: Wait, Mick, Onyx can't talk, unless there's something I don't know. ;)

Micky: He can meow, right? ;)

Lauren: But will they understand it correctly? ;)

Micky: (Picks up Onyx from his sleeping place on the couch) If they don't, I'll find a cat translator somewhere, right, Onyx? (He scratches the cat's chin, and he purrs)

Lauren: *rolls her eyes* Oh, Mick. ;)

Micky: We've got to do everything we can to attract people to the station. (Grins) I told Jack we'd even have the twins call and make a request. People love cute kids. ;)

Lauren: So it really doens't matter then if my rant earlier did wake them up, huh? ;)

Micky: I'd wake them up anyway. ;)

Lauren: I know you would. Why don't we BOTH go wake them and spread the news to the others?

Micky: (Onyx reaches up to paw him) We'll ALL go, then we'll ALL spread the news..and tell everyone else to spread the news, too. ;)

(Micky and Lauren head upstairs, Micky still with Onyx in hand. They go up to the twins' room. It looks pretty much the same as it did in "Monkees Zoo Revue," only the infamous crib has now been replaced with two beds on either side of the room.)

Lauren: *goes to wake Shelly* Shelly, wakey wakey. :)

Micky: (Goes to Little Mick) Hey, little man, upsy-daisy! We have a surprise for you! (Onyx jumps out of Micky's arms and onto the bed next to Little Mick, where he cuddles and goes back to sleep...and accidentally tickles the little boy's nose with his tail ;) I-) ))

Little Mick: *eyes open* Kitty! :P

Shelly: (Yawns and rubs her eyes) Mommy?

Lauren: Up and at 'em, kiddos, we're going to visit with your aunts and uncles. :)

Micky: Ooops. Um, sorry, Onyx, but I think you'd better go back downstairs to sleep. ;) (He gently nudges the cat, who stands rather superiorily and struts out of the room)

Shelly: Now? (Looks out a window) Still dark!

Little Mick: *waves after Onyx* Bye bye!

Lauren: We're going to have a sleepover...yeah. :) ;)

Little Mick: Sleepover fun! :D

Shelly: Oooh, sleepover! See Katie! :D

Lauren: That's right, Sweetie! *picks up the little girl* :)

Micky: We're gonna help save Daddy's radio station. (Picks up Little Mick)

Shelly: Radio! Daddy on radio! :D

Little Mick: *claps* Like radio! :D

Lauren: And we need your help. *lightly taps Shelly's nose with an index finger* :)

Shelly: Why? (Giggles) Nose! :D

Micky: Some silly men in suits are going to take a lot of the DJs off the air and tell Daddy and Jack they can't play older music anymore. :p

Little Mick: *makes a face* Bad men! :P *grins* Like Jack! :)

Lauren: Gee, Mick, maybe we should get your sisters in on this, too. ;)

Lauren: Coco would do anything for Jack. ;)

Micky: Hell, they're in the area. Just don't bring them HERE. They can call from their own home. If Coco wants to chase Jack, that's on her. (Makes a face) :p

Lauren: I'll give them a call. ;)

(Fade out on Micky and Lauren taking the kids downstairs; fade in on the Pad. Emma is just putting the reciever down as Mike comes into the kitchen in a robe and pajamas.)

Mike: (Yawns) What was that all about?

Emma: (Makes a face) Something about Micky's radio show.

Mike: Oh, that's been off the air for almost an hour now. Is he home, or did he get into another accident that wasn't an accident? :p

Emma: No, he's home, but he's NOT happy. Apparently, there's some kind of shake-up at the radio station, and they're going to change the variety format and can everybody. :p

Mike: WHAT?

Emma: That's what I got from Lauren. They're coming over here with the twins now, and they want us to call Peter and Valerie and tell them about it.

Mike: Well, I'll call them, but I don't know how well I'll be able to explain...whatever all of this is.

Emma: Just do the best you can.

*There's muted blue lights from the veranda. Micky comes in, holding little Mick. Lauren follows him, holding Shelly.*

Emma: Hi, guys. What's going on? What's all this about the radio station?

Mike: Yeah, man! That job is great publicity, for you and for us and the album!

Micky: Well, there's an upside and a downside to that. The upside is that the new album would be played because it's new, but probably not played by me. The suits at the station want to change the format, shifting to all new songs and getting rid of all the DJs, except Jack and me for now. :P

Mike: Man, I LIKE what you guys do now. I hear blues songs on your station I haven't heard since I left Texas!

Emma: Micky, aren't you leaving the job anyway when you go on tour in a couple of weeks?

Micky: Technically, they have me down as part-time. That way I can do the tour but still keep my job. *pauses* I love the station's music archive. They've got everything I grew up on, and that's everything that they want to take off the station. :P

Emma: They even have some older stuff from Broadway that people are classifying as "easy listening" now.

Mike: Who's doin' the change? It's awful sudden.

Micky: Hamilton and some young stuffed suit who thinks he's full of brilliant ideas. He probably talked Hamilton into it somehow.

Emma: Ugh. I hate young stuffed suits who think they're full of brilliant ideas. Whenever they pop up, heads roll and things change...not usually for the better. :p

Lauren: Exactly. :P

Mike: Oh, geez. This reminds me of the time I got that job in the toy factory after Pete was turned down. That guy in charge of the computers was a grade-A ass. The computers were more fun. :p

Micky: I liked kicking that jerk in the shin. ;)

Lauren: And blowing up the blackbird toy. ;)

Micky: *grins* Yeah. ;)

Mike: You guys did look like you enjoyed that part. ;)

Micky: *shrugs* Who wouldn't? ;)

Emma: (Looks at the twins) Why don't we get you two settled down in the basement room? :)

Little Mick: *claps* Basement, yeah! :)

(Emma takes the twins downstairs as Mike gets off the phone.)

Mike: Well, I just talked to Val and Pete, and they're on their way.

Micky: Good.

Mike: Davy should be home from the late movie he went to see soon, too.

Mike: Mick, do you really think a bunch of calls will change these guys' minds?

Micky: Truthfully, I'm not sure. I hope it will. I just can't sit back and watch a couple suits ruin a perfectly good radio station. I have to do something, and this is it.

Mike: I understand that, Mick. I don't like it, either. It isn't right and it isn't fair to your audience or the rest of the employees at your station. What I'm saying is, maybe it would be better to have some physical evidence of the station's popularity, too, not just phantom voices over the phones.

Micky: *nods* Okay, then, what? Letter writing? ;)

Mike: (Grins) No. Personal appearances. ;)

Micky: Oh. *pauses; realizes* Ohhhhhh. ;)

(Mike just grin and Micky grins wider as we fade out on the Pad. ;) )