The Neighborhood Listen - BONUS ROOM #24: Evident Leigh...The First Chapter: A Read-Through

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

Burnt, Joan and Doug finally read through Doug's magnum opus, the script to EVIDENT LEIGH, the half hour procedural centered around EVIDENCE.Subscribe to cbbworld.com on the Maximus tier to hear the entire episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello, listeners to the free feed of the neighborhood. Listen, this is Doug. I'm just so excited about this bonus room episode that I convinced the powers that be to let you listen to a sample of it, okay? Because it takes us, as we tend to do, it takes us a while to get into the meat of the episode. We take like 25 minutes or so to actually get into reading this thing. But they are a fun 25 minutes and we think you're going to like it. But if you want to hear the script to evidently the pilot I've been working on for all this time, we actually get into it and read it line for line, you're not going to want to miss it. Or maybe you do want to miss it. If so, you can stay on this feed. But if you want to hear it, go to CBBWorld.com and subscribe to the Maximus tier. That's how you get every episode of the show, ad free, and you get all of these bonus rooms. at this point this is our 24th bonus room and they run the full gamut from just straight up more episodes of the neighborhood listen to Mitch McNutt's podcast. We don't know how he got on there. We sit down with guests we've had before on the show. We answer your questions. We go on double dates. You get to come into the sizzler. It's just been a ton of fun. So we hope to see you there. Go to CBBWorld.com. We're still not sure what CBBWorld means.

But if you go to CBBWorld.com, subscribe to the Maximus tier. You get not only this show in the bonus rooms, you get everything else that CBB World has to offer. Some great stuff I hear. So, we'll see you there. Enjoy your sample. It's a bonus episode for the fans that we like the most. Just kidding. Sort of.

And we're your hosts. It's the bonus room. For you. all right Doug so um how how do you want to go about this what should we do i mean we've got the scripts um for everybody who's listening now no babe it's a read-through you never you never you never you never read is in the term i thought burn is brunt's got you there he's got you there i've got you there Doug i've got you there i mean both of the words are right there read through the script you read through it doesn't mean you memorize through the script

Are you off book? You know what, read. Hear me out. Oh, okay. This is how I read it. Read through. Oh, I see. The exact same spelling.

And then we have already read through this. We've memorized it. Now we're going to perform it. Yeah, this has been stamped read through. Is that a homonym? It's a homoonym. Her word is spelled the same way, pronounced different words. Yes, that is a homo.

A very good word. Because phone is you hear it. That's right. So it's two words that sound alike. Yes. But are different words. Oh, no, I feel like a homonym is a word, two words that sound the same, spell different. Is that what you just said?

Yes. Okay. What's a hominamaphia? What's the word for when someone says something and somehow you didn't hear it so you say the exact same thing back to them? Will you, will you excuse me one moment? Yeah, I can. Of course, I can't. Homonomaphia.

Oh, no, no, no. Did you say hominatapeia? I come on a feside. Do you remember that commercial? No, what's that? It's an old commercial for a long-distance service where someone meant to call Phoenix, but they accidentally called Fiji.

Oh, okay. And so this gentleman or resort answers the phone, knock on a Fisade. I cannot tell you what he actually says. Okay, got it, got it, got it, got it. I'm just saying as quickly as possible. But then the voiceover says, I meant to call Phoenix, but I called Fiji.

It seems like there's probably something problematic in there. where they just made it clear that in Fiji, you couldn't understand it. Yeah, it has the same country code as the United States for it. Okay, so no, this is a read-through of Doug's. I mean, I don't want to, do you want to talk about it, babe? Evidently. If you remember from quite a few seasons ago. The first chapter.

Oh, right. Right. This is Doug's pilot that for a while he was. Hold on. So is the idea that there's. going to be another series after this? Oh yeah, at least octology.

So, okay, how long do you see the first iteration, Chapter 1 of Evident Lee's story? How long do you see that running? You mean in syndication? Wow, he's really gone all the way to syndication. He's shooting for the moon.

He truly is. I feel like we're boats passing through the night. It is mine. He's already on TBS. Yeah. Does that still exist, by the way? That's a great question, Joe. I have no idea of TBS is still a thing. USA? Are they still out there?

I think so. I think they are. Now, so I meant the original run. Do you see this as a network show or a streaming show? Oh, good question, Bert. Thank you, Ted. Where's the prestige at these days? Between those two.

Well, good question. I mean, there's... I mean, I'll tell you what. It's not... Should I tell you? what it's not. It seems easier to tell you what?

You can narrow it down. That's good actually for this. The Emmy just came out. Who got the most nominations? I mean, HBO is still, or should I say Max? No, they turned it back to HBO. It's so confusing.

Yes. That's always prestigious, babe. That's never changed. The White Lotus. I can't see, yeah, White Lotus for sure. The Gilded Age. And just like that.

The Last of Us. Welcome to Plathville. Which one's that? Sure. That's on HBO. No, I know, but I can't remember which one that is. Follows the family of the Plaths. Well, that doesn't.

Through their many trials and tribulations. Like Ben Platt? No. Okay. It's like the Platt if they were in... Isn't it Plath? P-L-A-T-H. Okay.

Is what a Plath? It's Plathville, not Plathville. It's Plathville. Okay, okay, got it. It's a reality TV show. a reality TV show. Oh, boy. I can't see HBO wanting a half hour procedural, which is this, which this still is, right? Which is what you had said. Very unique. Very unique. Not not typical. And this is the pilot that unbeknownst to us, Doug had been sending

guests. And it was contingent, there was on that contingent on them appearing on the show, they had to read the pilot. Which is weird. because it's not like we were getting some sort of great guests. They would have gladly done it no matter what. You didn't have to put any rules on it. And I sent it with docuSign. So they had to scroll through the whole thing and initialize each page. Byrne, do you like to just do one of the docu signs that they give you as a font?

Or do you have to do your own signature? I have put my signature into my laptop so that I can do it for anything. anything. Oh, I didn't know that was a thing. Yes. Oh, that's cool. It's like a button you press or like a control something. I paid a hacker to do it. You paid a hacker to do it. What? Tell me this story. But, Bert, I've seen your signature. It's not, I mean, it's basically just a line. It's, you have to, you have to look closely at it because you see the little peaks. You have to, if you look at it, you have to look at it magnified. If you look at it in a magnifying glass, it's crazy. It's like looking at a germ with a magnifying glass. You see it's moving.

Right. His signature almost looks like it's moving. When you zoom, in, it's like, it's like a beautiful mountain range. There's so much going on. Yeah, it's a city scape. But far away, it's just a line. The horizon is what you're seeing. How long does it, that's right. How long does it take you to do, to do it?

Can you do it? 12 minutes. That's why I had to have the hacker put in my laptop. I have a 12 minute signature. Well, it's a good thing you're not doing stage doors at a, at a theater where you have to sign your autograph all the time. That would take forever. You know, sign in playbills.

You'd have to do a stamp. Do you think I'd get a lot of, Do you think I'd get a lot of backstore, backstage johnnies or whatever? Back stage door johnnies. Stage door johnnies, that's what I meant. Like I go, I go, I, okay. So I leave the stage. You leave the stage.

That's right. I sit in front of the mirror, still in my grease paint, the sweat dripping down. And I look at myself in the mirror and I say, how much longer? How much longer can we do this? You're talking to yourself. I'm talking to myself. Co-star comes in. I completely changed to me.

Completely changed. Fully different. Yes, darling. Once again, we fooled them. That's 100% of things. Then I, of course, we, you know, we talk about the affair that we're having to know what we think nobody knows about, but everyone knows about it.

Well, Perr, you're so intuitive. This is crazy. I change in front of her because who cares. Of course, who cares. We're all theater people. Even if we weren't having the affair. A colleague comes in who you know hated it, but says you're a genius. Exactly.

And you just go through the motions. That's right. And then I got, of course, I put on my tuxedo and my white scarf. This is always after a show. Always. I'm assuming. Wow. I mean, I don't know anyone that does that, but a tuxedo.

This is just what I know of theater. Okay. That working actors, working theater actors on a theater actor budget always slip into a tuxedo on my white scarf. One that they own. I put the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, Boutanier, you know, in my lapel. Because you're hoping to go to Sartis later? Well, of course.

Okay, of course. I want to see if they've put me up on the wall yet. Next to Kermit. Are you kidding me? Kermit the frog is up there? No, it's a Muppets Take Manhattan reference. Oh, thank God. In fact, he probably is now, but in the movie, he comes in with a mustache.

She's like, hello, how are you? This is not a movie podcast. This is not a movie podcast, and it's not a theater podcast either. No, it's not. But then so then do you think And he tries to sneak His portrait up on the Sardi's Oh, I see

And he gets in trouble, yeah They catch him I should hope so Yeah I would imagine If you were a theater actor Working on the Great White Way And you walked into Sardis

And you saw Kermit the Frog picture up there You'd be furious Well there is a rumor Burton you're gonna be You're gonna be shocked Oh I love rumors It's a Broadway rumor

Which I know you especially I love Broadway rumors News on the reality of the Rialto. That's what they call it. Is this a sweaty oracle? Oh, no, he got a mention on our podcast. It finally happened. This is a TikTok Broadway influencer that we're talking about who has T,

constant Broadway tea, and he's a real character. Do you like yelling? Are you hard of hearing? Do you like outfits that constantly change in style? Do you have hearing issues, but you love Broadway gossip? Sweaty Oracle is for you. Yes, I don't want to interrupt. The news is, the T is that the Muppets are actually going to be on Broadway in a Christmas show.

So, Bert, it might not be too crazy after that happens, okay? Well, at least they would have legitimately earned it. Sure, yeah. It's either that or they're doing True West. Fossey and Kermit switching roles each night? Yes. Love to see it. So, listen, Keanu and Alex Winters are doing Godot, so why can't Fawsey and Kermit do?

Oh, Keanu and Alex Winter, yeah, that's happening. I thought that happened already. I think they're in rehearsals. Oh, okay. Not like I follow it too closely or anything. But I don't want to interrupt this idea. So you haven't made it out the stage door yet. You're discussing your stuff in the tux.

You're about to go out. I'm in my tucks. And I'm standing at the door. Yes. And it's just me. And I have to take a big deep breath. Okay. It's tonight the night, nobody's there.

Oh, that's your fear. That's the fear. It's tonight, nobody's there. Because I go from, I'm a callow young actor. I'm full of myself. And I expect them to be there. And then they become a chore. Oh, no, I have to run the gauntlet of these adoring fans.

Of course. It's like, it's either too much or chilly. You know, it's either a, it's either a, it's either a, fire hydrant, right? You know, or it's just a slow drip. And I know what it is to overplan because when I was doing my cabaret last year, the Christmas cabaret, or maybe that was two years ago, Doug got excited. He put up barricades outside the theater.

Oh, wow. And there was nobody. Nobody? Nobody at all. I still think, babe, and I haven't talked about this with you, I still think he paid a nice old couple to come and to walk by and say, oh, we were, we forgot. where we parked our car. See, this is what seemed like

they had lines that they had memorized, right? That they had read through. You know what I mean? Right. And they said, oh, we forgot. We parked our cars.

We were walking back past the theater. We can't believe we caught you. Could we have your autograph? You know, and that's what they said. The old man didn't talk. Why didn't you give him lines? I didn't give anyone lines to you. I was trying to trick him,

I was trying to get him to. Now, here's the thing, though. On the one hand, I find it strange that if you were to pay people to pretend to be fans that you would have them show up on time

back up the street and then have a reason why they were walking there so long after the show it ended as opposed to just having to be that's why I think it was Doug because I know in his head he thought

it's going to be too on the nose if they're right there outside and it's just march right up then it's obvious see so then did you or didn't you? So you did do it he did do it do you think the barricades kept me like his earlobes always get red when he tries to lie. Can you see that?

Oh, God, don't look. It's really adorable. I also think the barricades too far away from the theater. And so that... Wait, what? I think he put the barricades too far away from the theater.

You think that's what it was. Yeah, people didn't even... They thought, well, we can't... Okay. We're definitely not allowed. Well, that makes me feel a little better. Maybe people did wait. I don't know.

Creates demand. Sorry? Creates demand for next time. It creates demand. I thought he said Craig's demand, and I didn't know if that was a website. I'm not aware of. Like Craig's list, but it's...

I won't look on that website. Because I don't, I don't care what Craig wants. Well, the problem is, is... Craig's demand is intense. If you read it, you have to give him what he demands. Yes. Not asking demanding. And we're doing this on the honor system.

It's local and dignity falls. Craig's demand. If you read it, you are honor bound to give Craig what he demand. Yeah, it's like the ring. He knows if you read it. Like, it's like the video. Yeah, and you have seven days. You have to meet his demands. Now, he doesn't, to be fair to Craig, he doesn't abuse it. Everything he demands is reasonable. Yes. But it is inconvenient. Absolutely. Yeah. Oh, boy. Anyways. So this is why we're here tonight. We have gathered here to read through. Now, is this a rewrite? Did you do a rewrite, babe? I did. I touched some things up.

Okay. You did what? You touched some things up? I've touched some things up. Okay. I don't know if that's the industry term, is it? I think it's probably just did some rewrites. That's more a cosmetology term? I've heard maybe punchups. I'm an outsider. I think touch up is more of a cosmetology term. Okay.

I think so. Or like if you're restoring a painting. Oh, that one lady. Do you remember that? Boy, oh boy. That just, I still feel like that's almost, I still have, like, I think it's, there's 5% of me that thinks it's not true,

that it was a prank. Do you know what it was like a, you know, that it was not real. That didn't really happen. How could it have, How could it have gone that badly? Here's why. Okay.

Here's why I think it's real. Okay. There's so many paintings of Jesus. Who cares? Right? It wasn't even a famous one. It was famous in certain circles. Okay.

But it's not like, oh, no, I can't believe she desecrated that particular portrait of Jesus. It's not like it was a portrait of Cynthia Reevo. Boy, oh boy, why do people get mad about that? Go, go sit down. That's what I say. Go sit down. Take several seats. Remember that.

the back, I do. I take several seats. Okay, sorry, go on. So that's why you think. So because she still insisted she did a good job. Oh, yes, I forgot about that detail. She doubled down. She said, well, if they don't want my help, they shouldn't have asked. She stood by it.

She stood by it. Okay. Make you look like a howler monkey. Huller monkey. So can I ask, did you, before I even, I, no, I will say I didn't, I didn't do a read through of this, but I did a flip through of it. And I didn't see any. There's less of, I know, what you're going to say.

Wait, you have sound effects too? There might be some sound effects. Okay. It's, you did get rid of. Please tell me you got rid of the catchphrase where if you remember the episode when we discussed this pilot in the first place, it was brought up that his catchphrase, Lee's catchphrases, I'm going to go, what is it, in the other room and play with myself? Yeah.

Yeah. And I, and I, and I always want, if you'll excuse me, like that made it better. Because he's being gentlemanly about it. And I never liked that. I never cared for that. I didn't think it was a good catchphrase for the hero of a show. Same. Especially when the rest of the town is corrupt.

The whole town is corrupt. The whole town is corrupt. So you don't want Lee to say anything in any way that's sort of odious or not. I've kept it open now. So sometimes they'll just say, you'll find, if you'll excuse me. Oh, so now he just said, oh, so it's been short if you'll excuse me. kind of the catchphrase, and then he adds something new to that every time. Or you mean, he just says that, he says that part in his head.

We have to wonder what it means. We'll never know what it means. He'll often say it, and then he scuttles off. Yeah, that's what he's saying. Scuttles off. He's the hero of the show. So you're going to be, I'm assuming. We've been cast in different parts.

You're reading Lee, Burns. So I just, I hope to hear that scuttling. I'm reading Lee. I think you should read Lee. Wait, are you going to read Lee? Burt should be Lee, I think. Or we can do however you like. Whatever you're.

I'll do whatever you. I'm yours to direct. Because here's the thing, when Lee scuttles off, sometimes it's in the middle of a scene and there's other characters are left to kind of... Well, we're going to have to double triple quadruple up, obviously. I haven't read through this yet. Burr hasn't touched it.

Is Lee very prominent in the script at all? He's the lead. He's the lead, but he's highly mysterious. So he's a man of... How much is he on screen, I guess, is the question? Quite a bit. Quite a bit. Does anyone beat him?

for screen time in the show named after him? I don't think so. I don't think so. You wrote it. Well, I don't have it measured. I would think that's a slam dunk yes or no question. Yeah, you haven't storyboarded it or anything. You don't know.

He's a man of few words, but they're firm words. So you spend a lot of screen time just not saying anything, probably. Are there lots of zoom ins? Well, we'll find out. Are you going to read the state questions, right? You'll be busy. You'll have plenty of lines. You'll be busy.

You'll be busy. There's some great stuff. Some juicy stuff Every actor wants to hear Yeah And then there's a lot of descriptions You can read You know of what you're doing

Very quickly before we begin Yes So do you think I would get a lot of stage Georgianis Uh Yes I do Okay I do You think if I were to pursue a career

I just I heard stage Georgina's And I just was worried About what you meant by that And Same question I got my hands full of my co-star I mean, that is the opposite of stage o'jones. I mean, it's always talking about the ladies getting the stage o'johnies.

Backstage betties? I think you would. Oh, right. That's another one. I think you would. You know, because, Bert, I'll tell you, the few times that we've done some live shows, there are folks waiting outside to meet you. No.

There really are. Is that true? Yeah, but you always go out the back. I always go out the back. And I always have to tell them, well, he would have loved to have been here. You know why I go out the back? Because that's what I do when I'm at work. And I feel like the podcast, I'm at work.

as well. Oh, I'm sorry that you feel like you're at work. I feel like I'm at play. I meant it's a job. You know, when you're doing a live performance, that's a job. Absolutely sure. And so I go out the servants entrance or what have you. But you don't want to go. The service entrance. I don't know what they call it in the theater. If the theater is a kitchen, you go out the back, yes. That's right. I don't understand that because I mean, as an actress, I just want to go out and have people tell me I did so good. Well, I mean, that sounds nice. It's great. Not when it doesn't happen. Not when it doesn't happen.

I had a friend in Wicked and she played Alphabet when she went to the stage door, she was signing someone's playbill. Someone said to her face, you're getting better. It's a true story. I believe my friend. It's a true story. So sometimes it's not good to have stage Georgianis or ginas.

Sometimes it's not good. I'll stop saying it. I can tell them her. Bert doesn't like it. All right, let's get going on this, fellas. I would have said to that person, well, you're getting worse. Oh, burnt, I wish I had you around in those moments. I mean, I wish my friend had you around in those moments.

Would you ever play Alphabet? You know, I feel like I'm more of a Glinda, really. You know, just the realty thing. Glinda would have been a realtor if she wasn't a witch, I think. That's interesting. Do you think there's somebody doing fanfic about that? where Glinda's a realtor. Zero doubt about it.

If you ever want a wild ride, look up wicked fanfic. It is something else. Because wait, I can't remember how a fanfic. In a way. I guess in a way. Well, certainly the book. Yeah, that's right. Say again.

Isn't that what you just said? Yeah. Wicked is fanfic. The novel you mean. Or just even the show. Is that what you're talking about? Yeah. Yeah.

Why are we all getting quieter? I don't know. What's happening? This is like the end of the thing. But yeah, which I want to make clear, I'm aware. Tom Scarrett was not in, okay? But he should have been. He should have been.

And it was another, it was another bearded actor from that time. And I really. I don't think she was confusing Kurt Russell with Tom Scarrant. No, I just, no, I would never do that. It's just that that's who I placed in my head. And I need to do a little bit better. I need to check my. before I make a comment like that in the future going forward with movies because I used

to be, I go ahead and I wreck myself and I don't want to do that anymore. So anyways, Wild Ride, if you want to look up some Alphaba and Glinda fanfic, it's crazy. In fact, yeah, it's wonderful and wild. Is it, 50 Shades of Grey was Twilight fanfic, right? That they just took the vampire parts out of? Is that what it was? Oh, really? I think so. I know, I feel like it was written by similar ladies. I mean, Twilight was basically like a Mormon lady. Yes. And, yeah, I guess I, do you know what?

I'll be very honest here. I never read the shades of gray. I read all of Twilight. I read all of Twilight. I read all of Twilight. Yeah, I really did. I thought it was fun. It was fun.

Maybe I feel like a teenager again. You know what I mean? Just writing about crushes and stuff. That's the stuff I like. I could give a, I could give a damn about the werewolves. I didn't really care. Well, then I, so did your team, Edward? All the way.

She made me... Why would anyone be Team Jacob? Now, I've seen maybe 10 minutes of this franchise. Again, this is not a movie book. And from what I've heard about it, why would anyone be on the side of the wearable? He sucked. Joan would make me sleep in the den

when she was reading this. It was tough, and she would light all these candles to get ready. Sure. And then kind of, you would drape yourself along the love seat. You're talking about when I read Twilight or when I read this pilot? Oh, okay.

When you read Twilight. Because you're holding the script right now when you're saying it and I was confused. Okay. I'm just saying that was a tough time. Yes, I did do that for twilight.

I did. Yeah, I like to set. Who is a tough time for you, babe? I didn't know this. You were cast out. I was cast out

and I had to protect your twilight time. Oh, he had to protect my twilight time. Heavenly shades of night of fault. All right. We really should get going into this. The researchers we're listening to. Yeah.

Guys with chains going out to beat someone up. Pushing someone. Caving someone. One's skull. Twilight. Snap in their fingers. Only you. All right.

Shall we begin? Yeah, let's go. Now, Doug, you're going to read the, what is it called? Stage directions? Yes. And is this, does this have a cold open because if it does, then I'll sing. Wait for the theme song. Oh, I love this.

Let me know when the theme song happens. So cold open then the theme song. Yes. Okay. Love it. Okay. Okay. Ready?

Yes. wipe transition from what i'm sorry babe but i already have a note i i gotta stop you right there i'm sorry i want you to hear it all but in order to hear it all you got to go to cbbworld dot com and sign up for the maximus tier that's where you'll get the feed that includes all of our episodes and the bonus rooms all in one feed. But I hope you enjoyed what you heard. We really just wanted to give you a peek into the bonus room because we've been having so much fun,

passing the time until season nine. Hey, that rhymed. And that rhymed again. Whoa. All right. See you on CBB World.