British Comedy Guide

Fool Me Once

INT: A LABORATORY
WE SEE TWO SCIENTISTS, PROFESSOR ASTWOOD & PROFESSOR HARTWELL ARE IN CONVERSATION AS THEIR COLLEAGUE PROFESSOR MEEHAN ENTERS.

Astwood:
Come in Professor Meehan, we've got something to show you.

Meehan:
I hope this isn't another one of your silly pranks Jeremy?

Astwood:
Not at all dear boy.
Now listen to me carefully. We've managed to synthesise an extraordinary new element.

Hartwell:
We think it may be the most highly explosive substance we've ever discovered.

Meehan:
Good Lord! Does this element have a name yet?

Astwood:
Yes. We've called it Aprilfoolium.

Meehan:
It's called April....Foolium? You pair of Rotters, how could you!

Hartwell:
What's wrong?

Meehan:
You chaps promised that the next element we created would be named after me.

Hartwell:
We've been through this already old Chum. If we named it after you weed need to call it Meehan-ium

Astwood: (SINGS THE MUPPET SONG)
Ba Ba Dadada!

Hartwell:
You see the confusion that could cause?

Meehan:
I suppose so. Anyway what did you need me here for?

Hartwell:
We want you to assist us in transporting the sample to a safer area.

Meehan:
So where is it at the moment then?

Astwood:
In a test tube on the edge of that Rickety table over there.

Meehan:
Are you mad?

Astwood:
It's ok we put a beermat under one of the legs, so it's perfectly fine.

Meehan:
Hang on a darn minute...I see what day it is today. Saturday April the first.

Hartwell:
What's your point man?

Meehan:
We're not insured to handle dangerous chemicals over the weekend are we?

Hartwell:
Well we can't just leave it here, look at the way it's fizzing.

Meehan:
Let me examine this a bit more closely.

MEEHAN WALKS TOWARDS THE TABLE

Astwood:
(SHOUTS) April Foooool!

MEEHAN SPINS ROUND

Astwood: (CONT)
-Ium is very volatile be careful for heavens sake.

Meehan:
Honestly! what do you two take me for?

MEEHAN TURNS BACK TOWARDS THE TABLE TRIPS FORWARD AND KNOCKS THE TEST TUBES FLYING.

THERE IS A LARGE EXPLOSION AND EVERYTHING GOES WHITE.

CUT TO:
A SUITED MAN SITTING BEHIND A DESK OPPOSITE A SCIENTIST IN A WHITE COAT.

Scientist:
I've got some very bad news Mr Meyer sir. I'm afraid there's been another accident. This time it was unstable batch of Aprilfoolium.

Mr Meyer:
I can't believe this has happened again, first there was that disaster with the Notrealium and then there were all those deaths caused by that consignment of Onlyjokeium.

Scientist:
I don't know what's wrong with our safety procedures sir, It's obvious how deadly these substances can be! Three of our best men today were completely Vapourised.

Mr Meyer:
Vapourised eh? Well at least we won't have to worry about the Crematorium.

Scientist:
No that stuff's fairly stable Sir.

END.

Very good.

Don't get the meehan-ium bit though.

Thanks Afinkawan
I wasn't too sure about that bit either

It's meant to be like that Muppet song
Where one sings Manamana -
And the backing singers do the Ba Ba Ba dada

I liked it Steve but I didn't get the Muppet bit either.

Agreed.
Even if you were to hear it said it would probably be a bit out of place.

It shall be cut & replaced with something that makes more sense methinks

Good stuff but the manama line needs to be sold stronger.

Very clever and funny. Neat ending too. And for what it's worth, I got the Muppets joke. If you really wanted to cement it you could just put the reference song in brackets.

Cheers David.

I've just been informed that it's Doo Doo DooDooDoo!
rather than BaBa dadada.

Would that have helped I wonder?
Who could be bothered to want to know?

Thought it was really good but I was another who didn't get the Muppet joke. If it were filmed I'm sure it would be obvious, but maybe do something else until then to help us readers.

I've added 'THE MUPPET SONG' to The SINGS direction.
I don't even know if it has a name, or if it's that well known.

I liked it Steve and I got the Muppet line/song (Go Team Benny!).

Not sure about the ending though. Seemed a little forced. Out of interest, did the ending come to you before you started the sketch or as you were writing it?

It formed itself quite quickly
Originally It was just meant to be about the AprilFoolium element as the joke, with it being real as the kind of twist.
The Meehan-Ium bit came later.
And then I thought it needed an extra scene, the Jokium & Notrealium made me laugh and the Cremetorium I thought of at the end and probably kinda forced it in because it seemed quite snappy & silly & suited the sketch!
Well spotted
- Go team Benny Againny!

Quote: Steve Sunshine @ July 6 2010, 10:46 PM BST

The Meehan-Ium bit came later.

I'd change that to "Menam-ium" too.

Good point.
I think first time through in my head I wanted him to have a name that would sound silly with an -Ium suffix
so I ended up calling him Ian Meeham.

And then the Muppets came into my head as usual.

Steve.

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