He forces a big laugh and then, thinking quickly, explains to Regis this had all been a joke. Regis lets out a sigh of relief. The other writers, realizing something has gone terribly wrong with their plan, join in the forced laughter. They let Regis out of the Kia back at the studio, tell him the tape will air some time during sweeps, and then drive off to return the rental car. On the flight back to Los Angeles, the showrunner, consulting producer, supervising producer, and now solo co-producer discuss the lessons they've learned from this experience.
Television is cyclical, they agree.
The game shows and news shows will be cancelled, and the sitcoms will come back. Always put away a little money for the slow times. And most importantly, next time you plan on eliminating a popular game-show host from the face of the Earth, bring in an hour writer. They're good with plot.