"Private Dancer"
Cut Scenes:

The first version of the script, dated December 4th 1990, calls Debbie Allen's
character 'Alana', Dianna's surname is Perry and Valerie's is Jackson.

When Al appears he congratulates Sam on his 'nice wad' (of tips), Sam argues "I'm a scientist, not a stripper!" and Al tries to spend more time checking out the excitable female patrons.

Sam's dance with Joanna/Alana, which Dianna tries to get involved with, is missing, instead replaced with an unusual moment where Sam talks to Kenji, a Japanese clothing designer dressed in an Al- type outfit, getting him confused with the hologram.

Sam and Joanna/Alana's discussion at the bar reads very differently but essentially has the same beats.

Sam walking Dianna home is shuffled around a bit, and contains some extra discussion as Sam accidentally reveals that he knows she left school early.

Sam and Al's chat in the dressing room where Sam shares his new understanding of sign language takes place out in the street.

Dianna and Sam's argument is written very differently, including a moment where he raises his voice, and she retorts "keep yelling, I'll never hear it.".

When Sam and Dianna attend the dance audition, Alana/Joanna's friend Gina sees Sam and says "honey, I hope you brought your G-string".

When Valerie convinces Dianna to go on the "date" it's more clear that she is either a pimp or sex worker herself as she says "you don't think I dress like this with what Mario pays me?"

When Al explains Dianna's future in the transmitted version he ends with "...and he finishes high school, which is the important part" - in the script she "finishes high school. She eventually becomes a top choreographer in music videos".

Syndication Edit:

In the network version, after Sam and Diana have taken leave of the hotdog vendor, the camera lingers on the vendor long enough for him to put his hat back on before cutting to the shot of the ducks. The syndicated version cuts to the ducks while the vendor is still bareheaded, begins Sam's voiceover line, "Why don't you tell people that you're deaf?" about 1.9 seconds later into the duck shot, and then cuts back to Diana saying, "Why should I?" instead of running her line over the ducks as well. When the network version cuts away from the ducks, the two versions are back in synch again.

 


Syndication Edit:

[Mario is "upgrading" cheap liquor into an expensive bottle.]

Mario: [To Diana] Rod told me you weren't interested in dancing at parties.

-- begin cut -->

Mario: [Looks at her and sees she couldn't read his lips before.] Rod told me you weren't interested in dancing at parties.

<-- end cut ---

Diana: He had no right to tell you that.

 


Syndication Edit:

[The very beginning of the third act. The front of the building that Diana pretended to live at.]

-- begin cut -->

Voice: [V.O., in the background] Taxi!

<-- end cut ---

Concierge: [To Sam] Nope, I ain't got nobody like that here.

 


Syndication Edit:

[Diana uses a series of signs.]

Sam: I don't understand you.

Diana: Good, now you know what the world feels like to me. [Walks off.]

-- begin cut -->

Sam: [Catches up with her.] Listen. This is not about being deaf.  This is about being afraid.

Diana: I'm not afraid of anything.

Sam: You're afraid of failing.

Diana: I can't dance her style.

Sam: Yes you can. I've seen you dance. You're great.

Diana: But it's not her style. If I want to dance in Joanne's company, I have to copy her. You've danced with her. She's strong and [unintelligible] and she's [unintelligible]. I, I don't dance like that. I, I need more experience before I audition.

Sam: How are you going to get it? By stripping at parties?

Diana: I'm not a stripper.

Sam: Well, you would have been if I hadn't stopped you.

[She walks off again.]

<-- end cut ---

Sam: [He catches up with her again.] Listen. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

 


Syndication Edit:

[At the club. Diana is practicing for the audition.]

-- begin cut -->

Diana: [Tries a step. Stumbles. Tries again. Stumbles.] I can't do it.

Sam: [Watches] Yes you can.

Diana: [Turns away. Sam stamps on the floor. She turns back.] I've been trying for six hours.

Sam: O.K., well, maybe ... maybe you're trying too hard. You know, I mean, you said that Joanne does everything easy, right? So let's just, come on, let's just do it easy.

Diana: Show me.

Sam: Me?

Diana: You are terrific dancer.

Sam: Nah, no, no, not really.

Diana: What's the matter? Afraid you'll fail?

<-- end cut ---

[Sam joins her on the dance floor.]

 


Syndication Edit:

The network closing credits consist of clips from the episode, which run for a few seconds and are then freeze-framed with credits. The syndicated closing credits eliminate all the moving footage and just use the freeze-frames with the credits. The network version plays an instrumental disco number over the credits. The syndicated version substitutes the standard shortened closing theme. Clips:

Sam onstage covering his bikini with his hat; Al boogieing in the crowd.

Sam dancing with Joanne. (outtake)

Diana describing the music of the leaves to Sam. (outtakes)

Diana and Sam practicing together.

Al and Sam watching Diana do her second audition.

Sam teaching Al the signs for "quantum leap." (outtake)