Music. The comedy4cast network. Let's dog ear that for now.
This is the 2023 comedy4cast Podcast Spectacular, brought to you by the fantastic Patreon patrons.
Thank you. Why not join Bryn, Chuck from the Technorama Podcast,
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This year's original 20-chapter story is called Big Shot. To hear it from the beginning, go to comedy4cast.com slash 2023.
And remember, comedy4cast is all one word, with the number 4.
Now, here's Chapter 9, Playing the Game. Previouisly in our story, a mysterious stranger arrived in Middling Fair looking for Danny Hillcrest.
Music.
Find Danny? Why the heck would you want to do a thing like that?
Look, I need to see Hillcrest. Can you just call his room?
I can, but it won't help. He departed the hotel a few hours ago.
Danny hadn't just left the hotel. He fled in a panic, just after mentioning to Abby
Falmacher and Giles that he owes people for all the scripts he has been mailing out to Hollywood.
I had to borrow an awful lot to send out all these scripts.
I'm not sure certain people will be happy if things don't work out and I can't repay them.
The Stranger has spoken with the hotel restaurants Maitre D' and Cindy, each of whom told of a recent
incident involving Danny, but neither of them knew his current location. They also didn't
know the meaning of the phrase he had scribbled on one of the placemats. A ram sang.
As this chapter begins, the stranger is in his hotel room at the Venus Arms speaking with Cap,
the hotel's older-than-dirt bell captain. Cap mentioned he too has a story that involves Danny.
Desperate to find Hillcrest, the stranger agrees to hear Cap out.
It all started last week. No, wait. It was five years ago. I think.
Which year had a two in it? Maybe this was a bad idea.
Oh, when isn't important. What matters is that one morning, Danny came down to the lobby,
and came over to the front desk to talk to Giles.
More like pester. Quiet! This is my flashback.
Where was I? Hi! Danny Hillcrest here! Ugh, yes Danny, I know.
What can I do for you? I need to postcredit mail this script draft to Paramount Plus and or Minus.
It's the latest revision of my romantic comedy rom-com movie script.
This version's about a spring romance where a house painter falls for a hairdresser.
It's called Brushes with Love! Shouldn't you try writing about things you actually know something about?
Besides, this concerns me how? I was hoping you could loan me some stamps.
I'm a little low on cash. Well, that checks out. How tragic.
Perhaps Cap can help you. Cap! Wake up! Noble gases!
Oh, it's you guys. You know, this old bench makes a terrible bed.
That is but one of the many reasons why you shouldn't be sleeping in the lobby.
Danny wants to ask you a question. But before he can try to hit me up for a shave and a haircut two bits,
a couple of delivery people wheeled in a big metal box.
We have a delivery for a Miss Abby Fallmacher.
Isn't she a bit old to be having a kid?
Cap! I will ring her in the office. It will only take a minute.
Yeah, yeah. I just need someone to sign for this so we can set it up.
Oh! I can do that.
Okay, where's the nearest outlet? I found it right here by this bench. Excuse me, pops.
Okay, it's plugged in. Anything? Yep, all set. Excuse me, but what is that?
It's called a video game.
But why is it here? You must have the wrong address. No, he doesn't.
Ms. Falmacher, why do you want a video game here in the lobby of the hotel?
And why is this file cabinet with a TV right next to me?
It's about time the Venus arms got with the times.
These arcade game machines are all the rage. They sure are.
30 years ago.
Oh. Well, nevertheless, we need to attract more business to the hotel.
I think this sort of thing can help.
Either that, or I can roll back employees' salaries a decade or two.
As I said, I'm all in favor of this new plan. I love it!
It's called clinical commotion! Wanna see how it works? Do I!
Here. This one's on me.
You play bedpan Bob, this guy here, the one on the gurney. Where's my bedpan?
Hey, it's like a bed made out of roller skates. You have to maneuver Bob around obstacles to get him to his next surgery.
Use this joystick to go forward, backward, and side to side.
And press the buttons to make him do things like sign medical waivers, show his insurance card,
and repeat his medical history. Look out!
And if you hit the nurses with your gurney, you lose points.
But these people here, you can run into them.
Who are they? Relatives bringing you flowers so they can get into your will. Coming through!
Now you give it a try.
Goodbye, nurse! I love it! This game is closely almost as exciting as watching my favorite TV show about Grey's Anatomy.
I just can't recall the name.
Oh, please, don't encourage him. But it was too late.
People sitting in the lobby started chiming in.
It's called Grey's Anatomy. That reminds me of my favorite medical movie
about a character who talks to animals.
The Muppet Movie.
And they kept on asking that Denny kid questions about movies and TV shows and whatnot.
Hey, what did you think of that new Marvel movie? And Danny kept answering! And playing!
Bill, my insurance! I'm not quite catchingly caught up on the M&MCU,
but it sounds like the movies are getting longer and longer.
Infinity War? Wakanda Forever? I don't have that much time to watch a movie.
All on the same quarter!
It would have made Jack Benny proud.
But I ain't Jack Benny!
As far as I know. Time for meds! You sound like you're more of a DC guy.
To be honestly frank, I don't really spend a lot of time at the movie cinema theater.
Except at the concession stand.
I mostly watch the trailers on YouTube. They tell me the whole movie.
Later that night, everyone left the lobby. Except for Danny.
Who kept playing that f***ing game right next to the bench where I was trying to sleep!
Quiet! This is a hospital!
The next morning, Ms. Falmacher was back! Good morning, all!
You took my spleen! Oh, Hillcrest, you're still here? Bill my insurance!
Are you about done playing that machine? I will be, as soon as I need to put in a quarter.
You mean you've been playing that same free game since yesterday? Yes, he has!
Oh look, he's still playing. Good morning, Danny. What's your score now?
14 million points!
And Bedpan Bob has had his appendix removed, his knee replaced, and he got a free plastic surgery nose job.
Keep going. I texted all my friends telling them that if they stopped in Middling Fair,
they should come and see you.
Me too. It was so fun watching you play. I love it! Hmm. Maybe I love it too.
Will Abby let Danny play that game forever? Will Cap and Giles continue to put up with all the noise?
And what about Bedpan Bob? My hospital gown is open!
To hear what happens next, be sure to come back for Chapter 10.
Cap checks out.
If you like the show, help spread the word by sharing a link on social media. You're this show's greatest media influencer.
In this episode, as the stranger, Grant Johnson, voicegranted.com. As Delivery Person 1, Steve Ng, steveng5.com. As Delivery Person 2,
Kreg Stepp, from the Technorama podcast, chuckchat.com slash technorama, and the Topic is Trek podcast, thetopicistrek.com.
As Abby Fallmacher, Bonnie Kenderdine. As Bedpan Bob, Grant Baccioco, from the Saturday Morning Media family of podcasts, saturdaymorningmedia.com.
As Hotel Patron 1, K.H. Brower, author of the solar punk series The Bosque Family Adventures. KHBrower.com.
As Hotel Patron 2, Cameron McGrath. And the narrator was played by Gary J. Chambers.
garyjchamersvo.com.
Additional voices, as well as story and music by Clinton Alvord.
Copyright 2023, all rights reserved.
See you next time, but for now, that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye-bye.
Music.