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A 12-Year-Old's Script Becomes Reality In 'City Girl'

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "CITY GIRL")

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: The following program was written in 2003 by a 12-year-old girl.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) "City Girl."

SARAH RAMOS: I'm Sarah Ramos. I am the creator of "City Girl."

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Sarah Ramos, probably best known for starring as Haddie Braverman on "Parenthood," wrote the script for "City Girl" when she was 12 years old.

RAMOS: I actually have barely any recollection of writing "City Girl," although when I found it in my closet, it was, like, a 50-page script, and there were, like, red pen marks, like, halfway through where I was, like, revising. But I remember that I wrote it for, like, the lead role for Reese Witherspoon, I think, after seeing "Legally Blonde" and being like, wow, I really need to, like, capitalize on her comedic talent or something.

SIMON: A lot of 25 year olds might shrug in embarrassment to discover something they wrote when they were 12. Sarah Ramos decided to produce and star in it as Casey Jones, a 20-something with a mid-2000s wardrobe who works in a store, is late all the time, eats lunch with her ex-boyfriend and loves rap music.

RAMOS: The biggest problem for her that she has these headaches, and she needs them to go away.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "CITY GIRL")

RAMOS: (As Casey Jones) Excuse me, waiter. Can I have an aspirin?

And conveniently on, like, a 15-minute lunch break she goes to see a doctor, and he gives her medicine that she doesn't even know what it is, and it immediately fixes her headaches.

SIMON: He's a new doctor. She wants to get to know him, so they go out to lunch.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "CITY GIRL")

RAMOS: (As Casey Jones) Yeah, it's McDonald's.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As Dr. Foley) I was thinking SUBWAY.

RAMOS: (As Casey Jones) Loosen up, have some fun.

RAMOS: It's like that I literally didn't understand the logic of how the world works, like, even in just that story. Casey goes to McDonald's with her doctor to get to know him, which would never happen.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "CITY GIRL")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) May I take your order?

RAMOS: (As Casey Jones) Yeah, I'll have a number six, a number seven and that's all.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) OK. For here or to go.

RAMOS: (As Casey Jones) To go.

They say to go even though they're in the drive-through. It's just - I don't think you can really be embarrassed by being so determined to tell a story and yet having a total lack of regard for logic. That's just being a kid.

SIMON: Six episodes of "City Girl" are online now, but that's only part of the original manuscript. Will Sarah Ramos produce the rest of it?

RAMOS: I think it would be really funny - I know there's a scene where Casey and Dr. Foley go to Toys R Us and then they go to a nightclub. That's what you have to look forward to.

SIMON: Sarah Ramos - her web series "City Girl" online now. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.