Thursday 7 December 2017

THE SHY LIFE PODCAST - BROCANTE'S RETURN!!!

A GUIDE SCRIPT FOR THATPETERG FOR A NEW EPISODE...

This script is between Shy Yeti (Paul) and infamous antiques dealer, Brocante who Paul had dealings with back in episode 100 when he was middle man between Bettina Du Pres and Aunt Tappie when a present or two was required. This time, however - Paul is calling for a quite different reason. These scenes will feature during another episode - as yet undecided, to be released early (ish) in 2018.

SCENE 1 (OF 3) - EARLY IN THE EPISODE

BROCANTE: (politely)

Hello! Brocante's Antiques! (he pronounces it pretentiously as Bro-con-tay's On-teeeks)

SHY: (almost nervously at first)

Hello? I'm not sure if you'll remember me...

BROCANTE: 

Ah yes! Mister Shy Yeti from Old London Town... How nice of you to call...

SHY: (surprised)

Goodness! How did you know it was me!?

BROCANTE: (with regret)

I'm telepathic... Actually no... If you want the truth you're the only person who ever calls here - literally the phone hasn't rung since you called during episode 100...

SHY: (surprised)

Good grief, really? That's almost ??? episodes ago now!

BROCANTE: (moving on - trying to sound helpful)

I know... It's a shame, but true... I've learnt to live with it... Anyway, what can I do for you, Mr Yeti? Are you on the look out for another delightful antique bargain?

SHY: (uncertain)

Well... I am and I'm not...

BROCANTE: (curious)

Would you care to explain?

SHY: (politely)

Well, I'd love to hear of any bargains that you may have to offer - but I am also curious to know whether you also buy antiques - should I have something of interest to your business...

BROCANTE: (warming to the subject)

Well now... That certainly leaves me curious... As it happens I might be interested - depending on what it is that you have to sell...

SHY:

Ah, well - let's hear what YOU have to sell first... I'm curious now... Anything exciting?

BROCANTE:

Oh yes, sir... Plenty... Let me see... I should probably let you in on a few movers and shakers for the 2018 Spring catalogue... Do you think?

SHY: (enthusiastically)

Oh yes! Yes, please!

BROCANTE: (completely seriously)

I'm sure what your thoughts are re: neck-warmers for giraffes - because we have a lovely set of those in some rather unusual some-might-say unsavoury colours; dating back to the late 1990s...

SHY: (surprised)

My goodness! I take it they've been well-looked after...

BROCANTE: (attempting to do his best sales pitch for the item)

Most definitely... They've never been used - they were stitched by my niece, Wanda when she was abducted by aliens back in '93 and all they would let her do was knit scarves... and the odd hat...

SHY:

Oooh... My friend Brenda's really into hat-making - she's a whizz with a bobble...

BROCANTE:

It's a dying art - it really is... I do hope your friend wasn't also kidnapped by aliens...

SHY:

Oh... No... I don't think so, no...

BROCANTE:

I'm glad to hear it... Of course when Wanda returned from the stars she simply didn't have the heart to give them away, except that she needed the money to bail her husband out when the aliens came back again 15 years later... He was hopeless with the knitting and so in his case the space people simply demanded money to return him...

SHY:

Goodness! I was kidnapped by aliens a while ago now - it was the making of me though... No obtrusive probing and I met some lovely alien gentlemen who are now amongst my best friends...

BROCANTE:

Alas Wanda wasn't so lucky... Returning to our original topic of conversation - I can send you photos of the scarves if you think you'd be interested...

SHY:

Oh, I'm definitely interested... The only thing that concerns me is the colour of them - you described the colour as... unsavoury - that's a very odd way to describe something that you are trying to get someone to buy...

BROCANTE:

I guess so... Although I don't suppose you really ought to eat them - so in which case they ARE unsavoury... Alien wool comes from alien cows and alien cows are grumpy at the best of times - not to mention the odd things that they eat...

SHY: (not liking the sound of that)

Oh... Oh! I'm not sure I want to think about this too much... So what was the actual colour of the scarves again?

BROCANTE:

Red... A sort of... dried blood kind of colour...

SHY:

Oh...

BROCANTE:

It would go very well with your eyes, sir...

SHY:

My eyes are blue...

BROCANTE:

Exactly! Red and blue go very well together...

SHY:

And how much are you charging for these things?

BROCANTE:

I'll send you a quote and then you can call me back and let me know your thoughts...

SHY: (in agreement)

Alright... Do you still have my email address...

BROCANTE:

Yes, sir... Probably... Do consider my offer won't you - I'll keep them reserved for you - but do be aware that there is quite a waiting list...

SHY:

Really?

BROCANTE:

No, sir... That was just wishful thinking... Goodbye now...

SHY:

Oh...

THE PHONE FALLS SILENT AND SHY YETI IS LEFT WAITING FOR THIS QUOTE - HAVING RATHER FORGOTTEN WHY HE CALLED IN THE FIRST PLACE... 

SCENE 2 (OF 3) - MID-WAY THROUGH THE EPISODE

BROCANTE: (politely, kinda blah, blah, blah)

Hello! Brocante's Antiques! (he pronounces it pretentiously as Bro-con-tay's On-teeeks)

SHY: (enthusiastically)

Hello? It's me, again - Shy Yeti... We've spoken before...

BROCANTE: (vaguely)

Really? Are you sure? No, you must be mistaken... I'm pretty sure I'd remember talking to a yeti; shy or otherwise!

SHY:

I'm the yeti from England... I bought the antique badger hats... You remembered me when I called before - earlier this episode; you were telling me about scarves for giraffes...

BROCANTE: (like.. no... who are you?)

Hmm... It's not ringing any bells...

SHY:

They were the colour of err... dried blood... The scarves, I mean - not the giraffes!

BROCANTE: (enlightened)

OOOOOH! The blood-red scarves for giraffes - why didn't you say so? Mr Yeti! Of course, it's you! No need to be so mysterious - it's most splendid to hear from you... How can I help you?

SHY:

Well, do you remember that you sent me a quote... For the scarves...

BROCANTE:

Ah, okay... Remind me... What did I quote you?

SHY:

Shakespeare... "To be or not to be..."

BROCANTE:

Oh! Yes! That's a good one, isn't it, sir!?! Everyone likes that one...

SHY:

Err... Yeah...

BROCANTE:

So, now - is there anything else I can help you with? Would you like another quote? Something from an old Audrey Hepburn movie, perhaps - or The Best Of Woody Allen...

SHY: (delicately)

That would be splendid... Thank you... Only I have something that I'd like to ask you first...

BROCANTE:

Of course, sir... Go ahead... I'm all ears...

SHY:

Aha! Well, I don't know if you know this - but I do a podcast...

BROCANTE:

I'm afraid I have no idea what a podcast is, sir - I don't even own a television set...

SHY:

It's like a radio show...

BROCANTE: (trying to sound as if he is beginning to know what is going on)

I vaguely know what you are referring to - and you are the keeper of your very own "radio pod-cast" are you?

SHY:

I am, yes - and on that show I have a cast of characters who help me out...

BROCANTE:

How odd, sir? Who are these... characters if I may be so curious...

SHY:

Oh, Yeti Uncle John - we're related... Ikk - he's an alien... Cromitty - he's a slightly erratic mad-ish professor... Bettina Du Pres - a socialite of uncertain means... Dameus Twinklehorn - an actor and eccentric... Charlie Grrr - a bear celebrity... There are others - but those are the main ones...

BROCANTE: (unsure)

I see... Fascinating, sir... But how does this concern me?

SHY:

Well... It's just... You know... I kind of wondered how much they might be WORTH...

BROCANTE:

I'm sorry? How much they might be worth WHERE, sir?!

SHY: (helpfully)

In your shop... I thought you might be able to value them - tell me how much you might be able to sell them for on the celebrity marketplace... I could maybe trade them in, perhaps - get myself a new cast for episode one hundred and fifty... You know... A new year - a new cast - a bit of spring-cleaning around the old show... Things like that...

BROCANTE:

Hmm... Yes, I see your point, sir... It makes sense; mix things up a little bit... Fresh blood and all that!

SHY:

So? Is it something that you can help me with, perhaps?

BROCANTE:

Hmm... I need to think about it... Believe it or not this wouldn't be the first time this had happened - that Ricky from The Foul Monkeys podcast sells off his co-stars on a regular basis and I've been able to give him quite a good price for them too - helps him to buy new material for the show...

SHY: (hopeful)

That's what I'd heard - SOOOOooooooo - I just wondered...

BROCANTE: (being helpful)

Listen... I'll call you back... Within the hour... I promise, you... Stay by the phone...

SHY: (enthused)

Oh! How exciting...

BROCANTE RINGS OFF LEAVING SHY HOLDING THE PHONE LOOKING ONE PART ENTHUSIASTIC - ONE PART CONFUSED... WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!?!

SCENE 3 (OF 3) RIGHT AT THE END OF THE EPISODE

BROCANTE: (politely, almost bored sounding)

Hello! Brocante's Antiques! (he pronounces it pretentiously as Bro-con-tay's On-teeeks)

SHY: (trying not to sound too disappointed)

Hello! It's me again - Shy Yeti... We spoke earlier... You said you were going to call me back, but I never heard from you and now the episode is almost over - I wondered whether I might have missed your call!!

BROCANTE:

Shy WHO sir?

SHY: (grumpy)

SHY YETI! FROM LONDON! WE'VE DONE BUSINESS...

BROCANTE: (coy)

Oh, sir... I'm blushing...

SHY: (embarrassed)

No! No, not like that, silly... I bought the badger hats and we were speaking before about the possibility of me selling some of my regular cast members to you as antiques or somesuch...

BROCANTE: (enlightened)

OH! SHY yeti... Why didn't you say? Of course I remember you!

SHY: (relieved)

Thank goodness... I was beginning the think that I was talking to someone with the memory of a gold fish...

BROCANTE:

Not to my knowledge, sir...

SHY:

Oh, well... I'm glad... So... Had you thought about my suggestion? I emailed you some profiles of the regular cast who appears on my podcast in the hope that you could price them up... They're quite a mixed and interesting bunch - from a bear celebrity to a... mad scientist isn't a term that I like to use...

BROCANTE: (a little vague)

I do recall... Isn't one of them a cute little alien with a high squeaky voice?

SHY:

Yes... Yes... Lovely Ikk... To be honest he's the one that I'd be most reluctant to part with...

BROCANTE:

I can see why - but he's probably the one that other podcasters would be most keen to trade you for...

SHY: (catching on)

Ah! Trade, you say... Do you mean like how football clubs swap their players around...

BROCANTE:

Exactly that... To be honest I really don't think you'll get much for them as antiques - but on the other hand I'm pretty sure a talent agency would be keen to take them off your hands...

SHY:

Talent, you say? Oh... Yes... I suppose so... I never really thought of them in terms of actually having talent... I'm sorry... I've wasted your time, haven't I?

BROCANTE: (encouraging)

No... No.. Not at all... It just so happens - that as well as owning an antique shop I also RUN a talent agency - so I'm pretty sure that we can do business... However one of the criteria of doing a deal will be that you agree to take my useless man-servant Igor as a work experience student on your podcast...

SHY:

Oh... Well... Yes... Okay, then... No problem...

BROCANTE: (doing his best sales-pitch)

Don't worry... He's quite easy to look after... He sleeps on the ceiling and will keep your home free of spiders and other creepy-crawlies by kindly eating them all for you...

IGOR: (excitedly)

Me Igor! Me love spiders! Tasty! Tasty! Tell him about the bunny rabbits, master... I like their lovely ears...

BROCANTE: (distracted)

Shhh now, Igor... I'm trying to speak... So, Mr Yeti - what do you say? Is it a deal!?

SHY: (hopeful)

That sounds perfect... So you think we'll make some money from trying to trade my regulars on the open podcast-host market, then?

BROCANTE:

Oh yes... I'm pretty sure that you'll make at least ONE BILLION POUNDS... (he laughs stagely)

SHY:

Oooh 'eck! I like the sound of that...

SUDDENLY WE HEAR ANOTHER VOICE - IT IS YETI UNCLE JOHN...

YETI UNCLE JOHN: (irritatedly)

Oi! Yeti! Wake up! You're dreaming! You've a podcast to edit...

SHY: (sleepily)

Oh! What? Did I drop off...

YETI UNCLE JOHN:

You were mumbling something about the podcast, but I couldn't work out what you were talking about...

SHY:

Oh... Alright then... Sorry... Let me just get myself together and then I'll get on with the editing... I just need to make a quick phone call...

YETI UNCLE JOHN:

Alright... Well, don't take too long, will you?

SHY:

No! No... Of course not... (he thinks of minute and then mutters to himself as he dials a number) Hmm... That dream has given me an awesome idea...

BROCANTE: (politely)

Hello! Brocante's Antiques! (he pronounces it pretentiously as Bro-con-tay's On-teeeks)

SHY:

Hello! Hello... It's ME, Shy Yeti! Do I have an deal for you... Now listen to this...

THE MUSIC SWELLS TO A PEAK AND THE EPISODE CONCLUDES...

This script was written between the 25th October and 28th November 2017, with further rewriting done up until 7th December 2017.