News Reading Script · Light kicker story to close a newscast
Fifty Years Overdue (Light News Kicker)
A light news kicker script to close a broadcast: a library book comes back fifty years late with a handwritten note and a fine of more than $900.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Length
- 146 words · ~58 sec
- Skills
- comic timing, tonal shift, news delivery
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
And finally tonight, a story about patience. A lot of patience.
Staff at the Bellwick Public Library found a surprise in the return slot Tuesday morning: a hardcover copy of 'Birds of the Lower Meadow,' checked out in March of 1976. It was due back in April. Of 1976.
Tucked inside was a handwritten note from the borrower, now seventy-one, who found it while clearing out her attic. 'I kept meaning to bring it back,' she wrote. 'Then I kept meaning to for fifty years.'
At the old rate of five cents a day, the fine would come to more than nine hundred dollars.
The library has waived it. Head librarian Otis Pell says the book is in better shape than most that come back on time.
It goes back on the shelf this week, with a two-week due date. Staff will be watching the calendar.
Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0. Original script drafted with AI assistance and edited by SceneDub; any resemblance to existing characters is coincidental.
Practise it now
The teleprompter scrolls at the speed you set in words per minute. Tick "Record audio while reading" to capture a take; the audio stays in your browser until you download it.
Coaching notes
- 'It was due back in April. Of 1976.' is the first laugh. Take a small beat before 'Of 1976' and say it drier, not bigger.
- Read the borrower's note, 'Then I kept meaning to for fifty years,' with affection. You're laughing with her, never at her.
- Let 'The library has waived it' sound like the happy ending it is, then give 'watching the calendar' a knowing little smile to close the show.
Try it three more ways
- Read it as a deadpan anchor who refuses to crack a smile until the very last word.
- Read it for a children's news program, with simpler warmth and a bigger reaction to the fine.
- Read it as a radio host who is a librarian's kid and finds this story personally delightful.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
All news reading and broadcast scripts · Full script library
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "Fifty Years Overdue (Light News Kicker)" script?
146 spoken words, about 58 sec at a conversational 150 words per minute and 1 min 7 sec at a slower 130 wpm. Your take will vary with pauses and character choices.
Can I use this script in my voice acting demo reel?
Yes. SceneDub's original scripts are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can perform, record, edit, and publish them, including in demo reels, classes, and auditions, as long as you credit "Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0" where you share the recording or the text.
How should I practise this script?
Read it silently once, then perform it with the direction above: warm, wry, gently amused, relaxed broadcast pace, ~150 words per minute, with room for beats. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.