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{SEGMENT INTRODUCTION: Clip of Dixie as Randi King from the "Pilot" episode of Family Law}
Applause
MARIE: All right, Donny wanted to do something a little different here today.
DONNY: Before I bring out Dixie Carter -- you know, she's such a lady, that I decided rather than have her just walk out of the alcove there like everyone else, I told her to stay in her trailer.
MARIE: (to audience) That's a dressing room.
DONNY: Uh huh. I told her stay in her trailer dressing room, "I'm gonna come get you because I'm gonna be a gentlemen and escort you in here."
MARIE: He loves her, so I say "Go for it baby."
DONNY: Okay. (to camera man) Arthur, follow me buddy.
Applause as Donny gets up and walks behind stage, making his way to the studio lot and Dixie's trailer. He continues talking to "Arthur" as he walks.
DONNY: You see, because I want you to know that Dixie is my Dixie Chick. As a matter of fact, she's in Family Law, and they produce Family Law right across the lot here in this stage right over here... here we are. She's doing two shows at the same time. She's such a busy woman, and she's such a lady. (knocks on her trailer door) Oh Dixie?!
DIXIE: (opening the door) Is it Donny?
DONNY: Hello, Dixie!
DIXIE: Hi!
DONNY: May I escort you onto the stage? (takes her hand as she steps out of the trailer)
DIXIE: You're such a gentleman.
They walk arm-in-arm as the audience -- watching from monitors -- applauds and cheers. Donny and Dixie continue to talk as they walk.
DONNY: I don't want to introduce you yet and have everyone applaud; we're gonna have everybody wait until we get onto the stage. How are you?
DIXIE: So good to see you.
DONNY: Great to see you, too. You are working so hard.
DIXIE: I know! I'm busy!!
DONNY: Well, you're doing two shows.
DIXIE: Happily. Happily busy. Two shows, but close together. Both of them on Monday nights.
DONNY: That's right. They were telling me the other night that you -- at least the cast -- was here filming until 6:00am.
DIXIE: Yeah, I wasn't working that night, I'm happy to report. (laughs)
DONNY: (approaching the stage) Okay, here we go. Ready? Hold on everybody. Ready, ready.
MARIE: Okay, here she comes... Dixie Carter!!
DONNY: Ladies and gentlemen, Dixie Carter!
Applause as Dixie and Donny step on the stage.
DIXIE: Hi!
MARIE: How are you?! So good to see you!
DIXIE: (to Marie) I'm so glad to meet you.
DONNY: Now was that an entrance?!
DIXIE: Thank you! That was an entrance. I love you so dearly.
MARIE: (to Donny) I know why you did that -- because you just want to see her walk. (to audience) Have you seen her walk? (to Dixie) You walk great!
DIXIE: (embarrassed) No!
MARIE: You got that southern walk.
DIXIE: Well, we were all in beauty contests when I was little.
MARIE: Well, there ya go!
DIXIE: We had to do it, we had to learn how to do it. (as the three of them take their seats) Y'all, I just have to tell you now, I
have to say, that my little girls -- who were little then -- and I, spent so many hours in front of the TV watching the two of you. I have to thank you.
DONNY: Did you? Thank you.
DIXIE: And I hope you can find a show to share with all your sweet children that will be as wonderful. Do you watch the reruns?
DONNY: (cutting in) Family Law.
DIXIE: Not, Family Law. That won't do it for a bunch of little children, no. (chuckles)
MARIE: Do we watch reruns? It's amazing how the next generation starts and they watch those shows, and they love those shows. Now you're doing a new show which is Ladies Man.
DIXIE: That's the situation comedy.
MARIE: The situation comedy. You're actually doing two shows.
DIXIE: Family Law is the drama that I'm on every week, and Ladies Man I'm just on on an irregular basis.
DONNY: There's a hot secret goin' on... across the lot....
DIXIE: Now you've heard about that already, haven't you?
DONNY: I've heard about the secret, yes. You gotta tell us what the hot secret is.
MARIE: It's a small lot.
DIXIE: I will not.
DONNY: But you have to.
DIXIE: I will not.
DONNY: You have to.
DIXIE: I cannot, but I'll say this...
DONNY: (joking) Then I'll escort you back to your trailer.
DIXIE: (laughs) No! But I'll say this -- it has to do with romance. Well, let me just say that in this new show, Family Law, I'm not quite as lady like as I was as Julia Sugarbaker.
DONNY: Oh baby, explain that one!
DIXIE: Well to start with, I've killed my husband, gone to jail, studied law in jail, and I've gotten out, and just by the mercy of circumstances, I've gotten a job with Kathleen Quinlan's law firm. Her husband has left her and taken all the partners, all the clients, and all the furniture. And I come into the situation and she's desperate, otherwise she would not hire me -- a convict, a murderer -- you know?
DONNY: Right.
DIXIE: (laughing) But it's a really good part.
MARIE: You love it don't you! But the thing is I mentioned Ladies Man because Sharon was here --
DONNY: And Alfred, as well.
DIXIE: You had both of them on!
MARIE: Oh yes, they were both here, from Ladies Man.
DIXIE: Aren't they darling?
MARIE: Oh please, she's terrific and he is so amazing. But I asked her, "Who would you like to be?" just, you know, an actress. She said you. (audience "awws" and Dixie looks taken aback)
DIXIE: She did?
DONNY: She said she would love to be you, yes.
MARIE: Isn't that so sweet? She said she would love to be you.
DIXIE: Me? That's quite a compliment.
MARIE: But I love the concept of this show because it's one man with all these women in his life. His wife, his ex-wife, the mother-in-law, the mother --
DIXIE: They just drive him crazy.
MARIE: You play his mother.
DIXIE: I play his mother-in-law, I play Sharon's mother.
MARIE: Oh, you play Sharon's mother.
DIXIE: Betty White is Alfred's mother and I'm Sharon's mother. Betty and I are like Abbott and Costello. We just have the best time! (they all laugh)
DONNY: She's a wicked woman.
DIXIE: She is. You can't get ahead of her, can you? She's like lightning.
MARIE: And she has this wonderful wicked sense of humor.
DIXIE: Oh, yes! When she looks at me I can't keep my face straight. I kept saying during rehearsal last week, "Betty, I promise, on the night, I will not laugh, I will not break up," because, you know, it's so hard!
DONNY: We have a clip of Ladies Man.
DIXIE: You do?
MARIE: We do.
{CLIP}
JIMMY: It's supposed to smell like the Alps.
PEACHES: That's not what it smells like. It smells exactly like the hot sweat on a naked Spanish matador in a cheap Barcelona hotel room. (pause, looks to Betty White's character and smiles coyly) I imagine.
{END CLIP}
Audience erupts in laughter and applause and Dixie sinks into the sofa on which she's sitting covering her face with her hands in humorous embarassment.
DIXIE: (still laughing) Well, that's not quite as ladylike either, is it?
DONNY: (laughing) No! It's gotta be fun for you to go from a situation comedy to a drama. You really have the best of both worlds, don't you?
DIXIE: It's really exciting, just wonderful!
DONNY: If you could choose just one, which one would you go for -- comedy or drama?
DIXIE: I don't have any idea. Family Law is the first drama that I've done. And it's a remarkable role. So that's my main thrust now -- Family Law.
MARIE: I'm gonna ask you what I asked Sharon Lawrence. If you could be any actress for a day -- I know she picked you, I know it's a hard question -- who would you pick?
DIXIE: (after a moment; smiling) Oh Marie, I couldn't trade with anybody right now. I couldn't. (audience applauds) I'm just sooo pleased.
More applause
DIXIE: I have a heroine I would have loved to be, but I got to do Master Class two years ago and so I got to live out some of that; the great singer Maria Callas was my idol.
MARIE: Ah.
DIXIE: So I would have loved to have had that kind of career, but God knows best. I mean I didn't get to be an opera singer but I met Hal Holbrook, my husband, because I moved
to California to work in television. I wouldn't have met Hal --
DONNY: How long have you been married to Hal?
DIXIE: (proudly) Fifteen years, my dear. Fifteen years. (audience applause and Dixie's laughter muffles the following) That's a long marriage for me.
MARIE: (laughing with everyone and repeating Dixie's statement so all can hear) She says, "That's a long marriage for me."
DIXIE: (mock-shame) I'm terrible. No, I'm lucky. I went to great lengths to get him to marry me.
MARIE: You are lucky. (takes Dixie's wrist in hand) Check that out, baby.
DONNY: Oh, baby, that's beautiful.
DIXIE: Oh, yes. I'm bedecked and bedizened. He bought this for Christmas -- an old, pretty old watch.
MARIE: (looking at one of Dixie's rings) And that's gorgeous. Is that an emerald?
DIXIE: That's an emerald! That's my birthstone.
MARIE: You go girl!
DIXIE: (laughs) You go girl. I'm just lucky, and not because he gives me the occasional bauble, he's just the finest kind of man.
MARIE: That's so Southern. Isn't that just wonderful?
DIXIE: If you look at him from a distance... if you saw Hal Holbrook from a distance you would say -- people do this to me all the time -- "Is he as nice as he seems like he would be, Dixie?" And he's better.
DONNY: Is he really?
DIXIE: He is. He's the most decent, wonderful... In this day and time need I say: a good man is hard to find, like the songs says.
Applause
MARIE: Do you cook?
DIXIE: No, dear, I don't. My mother was a great cook, but I don't. I'm entertaining but I'm not a cooker.
MARIE: I don't cook either.
DIXIE: And you don't feel guilty about it?
MARIE: Absolutely not!
Laughter
DIXIE: I do a little bit.
MARIE: (admitting) I do, too.
DIXIE: I keep saying, "Well, next year I'm gonna start cooking, Hal." But so far, he's entertained enough by my just being around with him that I don't have to.
MARIE: Well, you're charming.
DIXIE: Thank you.
DONNY: Well, we wish you all the best with Family Law and Ladies Man. Family Law is on Mondays at 10:00pm, correct?
DIXIE: Mondays at 10:00. Ladies Man is at 8:30.
DONNY: Both Monday?!! You own Monday night, don't you?!
DIXIE: Yes, both Columbia TriStar, both CBS, and both Monday night.
MARIE: And both great.
DIXIE: And both great shows.
DONNY: Well, we wish you all the best. We thank you for coming out.
MARIE: Thank you.
DIXIE: Y'all are darling.
MARIE: Stay tuned. We'll be right back!
{END SEGMENT}
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