Gimme A Break Series Finale "Mama Gets Married"

[Wildchats]

This was done on Final Draft. It was copied and pasted on here, so it will be a little different than how it would look when printed out. This is how a scene is written in proper screenwriting format. This is the first time I ever wrote any Gimme A Break! fanfic with final draft. I am just doing the teaser, which is the first few minutes before the opening credits. This is to prove my fanfic from way back in the days was done by a 16-21 year old beginner who had no idea how to write a screenplay, how it was structured and formatted et. I am just doing this to compare my old fanfic fraud screenwriting form to my true screenwriting form.


“MAMA GETS MARRIED” (SERIES FINALE)

TEASER

INT. NELL’S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM- NIGHT

Nell, Addy, Joey, Matthew, Marty, B.J., Grandpa, Maggie and Tina gather around the sofa and watch a fight on television.

B.J.
Come on, Hulk, you can do it, big boy!

JOEY
Yeah, go, Hulk!

MATTHEW
Hit ‘em high, hit 'em low!

GRANDPA
Knock his block off!

MARTY
Wait, wait, wait...

Screams come from the television.

EVERYONE
Yeah!

MAGGIE
Way to go, Hulk!

Everyone cheers but Nell.

MAGGIE (CONT'D)

Nell, you look so down. I just won two hundred bucks.

NELL
That’s why I am down, you fool, I lost a hundred bucks.

MAGGIE
Better luck next time.

NELL
Get out!

MAGGIE
Alright, but come tomorrow morning, you know what to do, right?

NELL
What?

MAGGIE
Call room service for me, I’m
loaded now, if you know what I mean?

NELL
Yeah, loaded on popcorn! Get out of here! Go!

Nell grabs popcorn and throws it at Maggie.

MAGGIE
Alright, I’m going. I’m going.

Maggie leaves.

B.J.
Don’t mind Maggie, she gets this way when she gambles and wins. Speaking of winning, I gotta get upstairs so I can score, if you know what I mean?

NELL
Score with this!

Nell grabs popcorn and throws it at B.J. as he leaves.

MARTY
Nell, would you mind I take some of this popcorn here, I have no food in my apartment.

NELL
Don’t you have money? You did win that bet, right?

MARTY
Sure, but I only do my shopping on Mondays, tonight is Friday.

NELL
So?

MARTY
So, I live by tradition.

NELL
I’ll give you tradition. Get out!

Nell grabs popcorn and throws it at Marty as he leaves.

GRANDPA
Nell, don’t worry, here’s a little something for you.

Grandpa gives Nell his watch.

NELL
Grandpa, this is that two hundred dollar watch the Chief bought for you over six years ago for your 55th anniversary with Grandma.

GRANDPA
I don’t need it anymore. Nell, I didn’t just win two hundred dollars, I won six hundred. I’m off to Sears in the morning!

NELL
Get out!

Nell throws popcorn at Grandpa as he leaves.

TINA
Good night, Nell.

NELL
Mrs. Tercobie, I’m sorry for the way I acted tonight. I get that way when I lose anything.

TINA
Not me, I won a hundred bucks! Wait till I tell Vern! Ah!

NELL
Get out! Go!

Nell throws popcorn at Tina as she leaves.

ADDY
Nell! I’m ashamed of you!

NELL
Addy, why is it I have all this bad luck? Ever since my Mama introduced me to that Ernie guy a week ago, it’s been bad days ever since.

ADDY
Ernie's a nice guy, and he makes your Mama happy. She hasn’t had a partner since your daddy died six years ago.

NELL
Addy, you’re right. I just keep thinking about the story of the Tweedledee Motel, that’s all, and how Ernie wanted to go on the road with my Mama.

ADDY
It was just a dream. It was a dream you had that your Mama almost got to experience before she had you.

NELL
I know, Addy, but why would Mama want to go on the road with a man she wasn’t engaged to so she could ditch one she was engaged to, only to figure our it wasn’t gonna work with the sax player?

ADDY
Because your mother is a devoted baptist, that’s why. A good lady.

NELL
Good lady? Ever since she introduced this Ernie to me it’s been jazz clubs this and fight matches that. I’m surprised they didn’t meet us here tonight.

ADDY
I’m sure they just got caught up in the excitement that’s New York, or maybe they had a fling somewhere.

Nell looks at Joey and Matthew. They sit on the couch and watch Addy and Nell talk.

NELL
If you two don’t go to your room now, I’m gonna bring your there and nail the door shut. Move it!

Nell grabs popcorn and throws it at Joey and Matthew as they rush off.

JOEY
Let’s go, Matt.

MATTHEW
Okay, Joey.

Joey and Matthew go to their room.

ADDY
The kids are gone, now, let’s continue gawking.

NELL
Gawking? About Mama? There’s not much to gawk...Wait a second, there is. This Ernie guy, he claims my Mama stayed in that motel with him.

ADDY
Do you think she’d actually do a thing like that? She was a devoted woman. Do you think she’d do...

NELL
Addy, I did before I got married, and my Daddy never did. I take after my Mama, I sure as hell don’t take after my Daddy.

ADDY
Children don’t take after strangers.

NELL
My Mama is no stranger, Addy, I got her temper, you know that. But Ernie, he's a complete stranger to me. Unless... Addy, what if I take after my Mama and Ernie, two kinky minded jazz club groupies?

ADDY
Nell, just talk to Maybelle about it, she’ll tell you the truth.

NELL
Addy, she told me to drop it. She told me I knew the answer. It’s been killing me all week. What if Ernie really is my father?

ADDY
The fight’s over. They’re interviewing the crowd. Watch the program, it’ll take your mind off of things.

Addy goes to her bedroom.

Nell looks at the television and observes a HOST (30), tall, brown wavy hair with a microphone. He interviews the crowd.

Nell eats popcorn and watches the television.

HOST
And here’s a charming young couple. So, what did you two think of the fight tonight?

Ernie and Mama Maybelle appear on the television screen.

Nell coughs up popcorn.

ADDY (O.S.)
You okay in there?

NELL
Fine. Fine.

Nell grogs as she talks. Her face twists.

HOST
Sir, what do you think about all of this here tonight? Do you think things turned out for the best?

ERNIE
I sure hope so.

HOST
Sir, the fight’s over, how can you hope so?

ERNIE
Because, this.

Ernie gets down on one knee.

Nell looks at the television and stops with the popcorn.

ERNIE (CONT'D)
Maybelle, will you marry me?

Ernie presents Maybelle with a ring.

MAYBELLE
Yes, Ernie, yes, I will.

Nell coughs up popcorn and cringes.

Addy walks back into the living room and sees Maybelle and Ernie on the television.

ADDY
Look, Nell, it's your mother and Ernie! They look happy! I guess that's where they went tonight, to the fights. I bet they got lucky and won, they did say they were going with Hulk all the way last night when I saw them at the market shopping together. Looked as if they were happily married for years. You'd have never guessed they were only dating.

Nell looks at Addy, rolles her eyes, grabs the bowl of popcorn, and rushes after her through the living room. Addy screams as Nell throws popcorn at her.

END TEASER


The theme would be slowed down, a whole new credit sequence would be made, and this would make way for the extremely large cast of everyone who appeared in the New York Episodes who was on the opening credits.


Starring

Nell Carter
Telma Hopkins
Joey Lawrence
Matthew Lawrence
Lara Jill Miller
John Hoyt
Rosie O'Donnel
Rossetta LeNoire

And

Paul Sand as Marty



Guest Starring Characters

Ernie
Lorretta
Howard
Jerome
B.J.
Tina Tercobie
Vern Tercobie (Played by Tom Bosley)
Reverend








As you can see, this is just an idea of how a screenplay is written. You have characters, dialogue, action, scene headings, and you set something up in the first few pages (the inciting incident) that will lead into what the episode will be about. There is something that happens that changes things, in this case, Mama Maybelle gets proposed to by Ernie. Of course, there is the subplot of Nell still wanting to find out if Ernie could be her daddy and if he and Maybelle did indeed sleep together, all of which would be answered by the end of the episode. Nell has her flaws as a character, and they would be shown throughout the episode. By the end, Nell will realize how she acted and how she must change to overcome that flaw, in this case, it's butting into people's private lives which she did a lot throughout the series and she must realize what she does is wrong.


If GAB had a series finale and got one additional episode in season 6, I think "Mama Gets Married" would have been a perfect way to end the series. It would have answered the question if Mama and Ernie really did sleep together/if he is Nell's real father, and it would have included all of the cast members who appeared in season 6's New York episodes, including Samantha, who returns to live at Nell's Apartment for Summer Break after completing her Freshman year at Littlefield college.


If I continued to write the episode, I would have act I (the first set of scenes before the commercial) be about Nell visiting Mama at her apartment, ever so carefully trying to bring up the subject about Ernie again, the two getting into another argument as they usually do, Ernie showing up, and him explaining to Nell the truth, just as Addy told her in the teaser. Maybelle was a devoted baptist and a good lady, and it was definitely not the 80's back in the 40's. A woman back then was cautious and respectful to the one she was engaged to. There was neveer any hanky panky with multiple lovers, yet Maybelle had to decide on the dream of being a dancer or staying in Alabama with her current love, a man of the church. She chose God because he would never leave her and that's why she couldn't go with Ernie on the road. Ernie would tell Nell that at the Tweedledee Motel he told Maybelle this, that she was a good lady, and Reverend Harper would never leave her as a man of the church never leaves his congregation or family, unlike a jazz man who travels from town to town. He didn't want that for Maybelle, and he wanted her to raise her family the right way, in one place, with no divorce or complications in the marriage, and he is happy it turned out well for her. Now that they are both older and retired, and Maybelle is now a widow, Ernie has the perfect opportunity to re-connect with Maybelle and the two can now be married. Nell understands all of this now, and Ernie tells her it's not right to interfere in other people's private lives, unless it's something big that may include her, personally, then it's okay. Nell accepts Ernie's request to marry her mother when he asks Nell personally.

Act 2 would be the wedding at a church in the neighborhood. Lorretta, Howard, Jerome and Sam all show up. Everyone who was included in the New York episodes, whether they were on the cast or lived in the building (B.J/Mrs. Tercobie) show up. Matthew gets to be the ringbearer and loses the ring, then Joey helps him find it in the church before the wedding. We even get to meet Vern, Mrs. Tercobie's husband. Everyone goes back to Nell's Apartment for the wedding reception. Nell does a speech and raises her glass of champagne to her Mama and Ernie and everyone is happy as the series comes to a close.


Throughout the episode there would be small references to the series, such as Nell's father, Lorretta, her past in Alabama, The Chief in Glenlawn, The Kanisky girls, Gertrude the goldfish, et. There would be no flashbacks scenes, if any, a motage with music, simillar to the one shown in "Joey Meets Matthew". But I doubt the episode would call for one. Instead, a speech by Nell would be a good way to end the series, and her and her Mama on good terms now that Mama Maybelle is married again and won't argue with Nell anymore because she has Ernie to argue with now.

[jgrif026]

no offense but this is incredibly ridiculous

[ThomasE]

It's just fun fan fiction, is all. The only issue I have is not that it was written to completion. I'd rather see a fan fic that is complete. I think he was doing an illustration.