Best In Show

Spelling Bee Going Prime Time...Harvard Author Yanked...Rukeyeser Dies

2006-05-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

For the first time in its 79-year history, the National Spelling Bee the original "reality TV" will go prime time for next month's drama-filled finals. Thanks to recent movies, books and even a Broadway musical, young spellers are suddenly hot. After 12 years of showings by the sports cable network ESPN, the final rounds of the two-day Scripps National Spelling Bee will be shown live Thursday evening, June 1, on the ABC network.
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A Harvard University sophomore's debut novel has been permanently withdrawn by the book's publisher and her two-book deal canceled after allegations of literary borrowing piled up against her. Little, Brown and Co. will not publish a revised edition of Kaavya Viswanathan's "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life" nor will it publish a second book, Michael Pietsch, Little, Brown's senior vice president and publisher, said in a statement Tuesday.
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Louis Rukeyser, a best-selling author, columnist, lecturer and television host who delivered pun-filled, commonsense commentary on complicated business and economic news, died Tuesday. He was 73. Rukeyser died at his home in Greenwich after a long battle with multiple myeloma, a rare bone marrow cancer, said his brother, Bud Rukeyser.

Another Paris Breakup...Sopranos Getting Real...Sarandon Makes Nice

2006-05-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's apparently over for Paris Hilton and Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos. "So it would appear. Yes," Hilton publicist Elliot Mintz told The Associated Press on Tuesday of the reported breakup.
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It would be enough to give Tony Soprano agita. Continuing a string of off-screen run-ins with the law, two more fringe characters from "The Sopranos", the television mob boss's favorite chef and his muscle-bound bodyguard _ have been charged in separate criminal cases.
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Actress Susan Sarandon, a harsh critic of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's stance on the Iraq war, offered nothing but praise for her Tuesday as the two women teamed up to promote the late Christopher Reeve's battle for spinal cord research.

Limbaugh Does Perp Walk...Fats to Perform...Berry Wants to Adopt

2006-05-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

Rush Limbaugh must submit to random drug tests under an agreement filed Monday that will dismiss a prescription fraud charge against the conservative commentator after 18 months if he complies with the terms.
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Poor health led Fats Domino to cancel an autograph session Monday to raise money for a music charity, but he is still scheduled to perform Sunday at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
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Halle Berry says she wants to adopt a child someday. "I will adopt if it doesn't happen for me naturally," the 39-year-old actress said in a recent interview with TV newsmagazine "Extra." "I will definitely adopt. And I probably will adopt even if it does happen naturally."

Top 5 At Box Office...Doherty Free...Springsteen Closes Festival

2006-04-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

2. "United 93," $11.6 million.
3. "Stick It," $11.3 million.
4. "Silent Hill," $9.3 million.
5. "Scary Movie 4," $7.8 million.
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British rocker Pete Doherty was released on bail Sunday by police investigating tabloid newspaper photos that showed him injecting himself and a woman with drugs, a police official said.
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Opening weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival drew thousands of fans as superstar acts and local musicians supported and celebrated the city and its music scene, suffering since Hurricane Katrina. Bruce Springsteen headlined Sunday's performances his first appearance at the festival

Richards Falls Out Of Tree...Bush Dines With "Enemy"...Doherty Arrested

2006-04-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was hospitalized for a mild concussion he suffered while vacationing in Fiji, reportedly after falling out of a palm tree.

Richards, 62, was injured earlier this week and flown to a New Zealand hospital for treatment, band spokeswoman Fran Curtis said in a statement Saturday.
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The political and celebrity worlds were joining forces to honor journalists for their coverage of the White House and the downfall of a corrupt congressman.

Continuing a tradition begun by Calvin Coolidge, President Bush planned to attend the annual dinner Saturday that is hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association.
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Troubled rocker Pete Doherty was arrested Saturday as part of a police investigation into tabloid newspaper photos allegedly showing him injecting himself and a woman with drugs, police said.

DeGeneres Sweeps Emmys...50 Cent Dishes Oprah...Baldwin Free

2006-04-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres swept Daytime Emmy awards for talk show and host for the second straight year. "This means a lot to me," she said Friday night after winning the talk show award and telling her partner, actress Portia de Rossi, "I love you."
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He usually saves his beefs for other rappers; this time, 50 Cent is going after Oprah Winfrey. In an interview with The Associated Press, 50 complained that Winfrey rarely invites rappers on her talk show: "I think she caters to older white women."
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Actor Daniel Baldwin will not face felony charges after his arrest for investigation of cocaine possession, authorities said Friday. Baldwin, 45, and another man were arrested on April 22 at a motel in Santa Monica. A small amount of cocaine and drug paraphernalia were found in the room, Santa Monica police Lt. Frank Fabrega said in a prepared statement.

Snoop Doggy In Trouble...Stone Accepts Libel Damages...Novel Pulled

2006-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg was released on bail Thursday after a fracas at London's Heathrow Airport that injured seven police officers, his lawyers said.

The rap star was driven away from the airport station, police said, while speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy. They did not give details of five other men arrested with him.
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Sharon Stone has accepted an undisclosed sum in libel damages from a British newspaper that alleged she had left her 4-year-old son in a car while dining at a London restaurant.

Kirsty Howarth, a lawyer for the owners of the Daily Mail, told a judge at London's High Court on Thursday the newspaper now accepted that the allegation was untrue, and apologized to Stone for the distress and embarrassment it had caused.
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A teen novel at the heart of a plagiarism dispute has been pulled from stores. Author Kaavya Viswanathan, a Harvard University sophomore, had acknowledged that several passages in "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life" were borrowed from the works of another writer.

Lost Actress Chooses Jail...Pacino Joins Oceans 13...Alex Blow Ups

2006-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

"Lost" actress Michelle Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a single count of driving under the influence, choosing to pay a $500 fine and spend five days in jail rather than do 240 hours of community service.

Rodriguez, who portrays police officer Ana Lucia, and cast member Cynthia Watros were both charged with drunken driving after they were pulled over Dec. 1 in separate cars within 15 minutes of each other.
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Al Pacino's going gangster again. The Oscar-winning actor is set to join George Clooney and the rest of the gang for Ocean's Thirteen, the latest installment in the continuing criminal escapades of Danny Ocean and his company of crooks.
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Entertaining Mr. Sloane" could be retitled "Exiting Jan Maxwell." The actress left the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the Joe Orton comedy last Sunday after complaining about the behavior of her co-star, Alec Baldwin.

My Best In Show for the Week

2006-04-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Wednesday-Travel Channel- 9 PM-Alaska Wide Open : Alaska is the largest state in the union, and the most extreme. For centuries, people have braved the elements in search of beauty, isolation and riches. From finding gold to traversing the land via dog sled, Alaska's treasures are revealed.

Wednesday-E!-8 PM-The E! True Hollywood Story: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards are a real-life love story, but it seems to be the 'can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em' type of romance.

Thursday-E!-8 PM-The E! True Hollywood Story: Hugh Hefner: Girlfriends, Wives & Centerfolds A revealing look at the Playboy Empire and its charismatic founder, Hugh Hefner.

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-The Mourning Son:Grief Striken - Friends and family gather for the funeral of Will's (Eric McCormack) father. During the reception everyone shares with Will fond last memories of his father, while Will's last memory of his father is not as pleasant. As he tries to come to terms with their last fight, Marilyn (Blythe Danner) helps him realize the changes he must make in his life. Will's ex-boyfriend Vince (guest star Bobby Cannavale) also attends the funeral service. Meanwhile, Grace (Debra Messing) attempts to comfort the grieving younger members.

Maury Hit With Suit...Supermodel Denied Entry...Top Five At Box Office

2006-04-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

A producer for TV talk-show host Maury Povich filed a $100 million sex harassment lawsuit against him and other members of his staff Monday, claiming they barraged her with sexual remarks and made her watch porno movies and expose her body.
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Supermodel May Andersen, arrested after allegedly hitting a flight attendant on a plane from Amsterdam to Miami, was refused entry into the United States on Monday and will be returned to the Netherlands, officials said.

Andersen, 23, will return to Amsterdam on the next available flight from Miami, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Zachary Mann.
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Here's a complete look at the weekend's top-grossing films, based on final studio figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
1. Silent Hill, $20.2 million
2. Scary Movie 4, $16.8 million
3. The Sentinel, $14.4 million
4. Ice Age: The Meltdown, $13.3 million
5. The Wild, $8.3 million

Longoria To Star In Film...Madonna Stunts...New Star Trek Soon

2006-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Desperate Housewife star Eva Longoria, who recently told reporters she will not renew her contract with the hit sitcom in order to be a film star, is set to join the cast of a new romantic comedy called 'Deep in the Heart of Texas.'
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Madonna, whose tickets for her upcoming world tour sold out within 10 minutes, is planning on performing dangerous stunts during the show. The singer has become interested in Parkour, or "free running", which includes jumping and climbing techniques, and has met up with the sport's founder Sebastien Foucan.
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J.J. Abrams, creator of the ‘Lost Series’ and director of Mission Impossible: III, which is due in cinemas next month, is set to direct the next Star Trek film, which will be the 11th film of the franchise.

My Best In Show for the Weekend

2006-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Saturday-History Channel- 8 PM-Houdini:Unlocking the Mystery: In one of magic history's rarest events, a private collector auctioned off the largest collection of personally-owned Harry Houdini artifacts and memorabilia, providing an unprecedented peek behind the curtain at the world's great showman and magician.

Saturday-NBC-11:30-Saturday Night Live-Natalie Portman / Fall Out Boy

Sunday-ABC-9 PM-"Desperate Housewives: The More You Know, the Juicier it Gets":Take a fond look back at the antics of the residents of Wisteria Lane. The special will bring viewers up to date with all the latest goings-on, including Bree and Andrew's escalating war, Susan's love triangle with Mike and Karl, Lynette's new job as her husband's new boss, Gabrielle and Carlos' quest for a child, the Applewhite family's secret life, as well as the ongoing mystery surrounding Paul Young and Felicia Tilman's determination to get to the truth about her sister Martha's murder.

Sunday-Bravo-9 PM-Inside The Actor's Studio:Pierce Brosnan

Sunday-Travel Channel-10 PM-Alaskan Wild: Alaska is one of the few true wildernesses left on earth. Aerial photography highlights the snowcapped mountains, wide open spaces and glaciers that punctuate the vast and unforgiving landscape.

Travolta Does Dallas...Lachey Loves Jessica...Cooking Tossed

2006-04-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Gurinder Chadha will direct John Travolta and Jennifer Lopez in a big-screen version of the prime-time soap opera "Dallas." The British filmmaker, who directed 2002's "Bend it Like Beckham," said Friday she had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox. Travolta will star as the conniving Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing and Lopez will play his wife, Sue Ellen.
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Nick Lachey says his divorce from Jessica Simpson is a "nasty situation," but he's not trying to hurt her with his revelations about their split and, he still loves her.
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NBC tossed its "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" into the garbage disposal. Following abysmal ratings of its planned weeklong series of shows, NBC quickly aborted its kitchen competition. It was taken off the air Thursday and Friday, replaced by reruns of other series.

Roth Getting Dumped...No Sexual Harassment...Julia Bombs

2006-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

No surprise: David Lee Roth's run as morning radio host is about done. Big surprise: It appears raunchy satellite radio stars Opie and Anthony will replace him on seven CBS Radio stations.

A deal was in the works to dump the ex-Van Halen singer's ratings-deprived program with shock jocks Greg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia, according to two people with knowledge of the deal. They spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement of the agreement next week.
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Sometimes vulgarity is not just acceptable but necessary in the workplace, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday as it threw out a sexual harassment case by a former assistant on the "Friends" TV show.

The justices, ruling 7-0, agreed with Warner Bros. Television Productions that trash talk was part of the creative process and, therefore, the studio and its writers could not be sued for raunchy writers' meetings.
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The reviews, with a few exceptions, were not exactly encouraging, but, yes, Julia Roberts survived her Broadway debut in a revival of Richard Greenberg's "Three Days of Rain."

The New York Times, generally considered the most important outlet for theater reviews, burbled about Roberts the Hollywood star, the paper's critic confessing he was "a Juliaholic." But then he said, "That she does not do well at least not by any conventional standards of theatrical art is unlikely to lose Ms. Roberts any fans, though it definitely won't win her any new ones among drama snobs."

TomKat's Baby...Farrell Sex Tape...Hef Gives Gift

2006-04-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Word of the world's most famous silent birth has finally been heard. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the public lovebirds dubbed TomKat by the media, "joyously welcomed the arrival" of a baby girl Tuesday, said Cruise spokesman Arnold Robinson.
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Colin Farrell can breathe easy his private parts will remain out of public view. Farrell and ex-girlfriend Nicole Narain reached an amicable settlement in their legal battle over a sex tape they filmed three years ago, her attorney said Tuesday.

"We worked out our differences and settled. The terms are confidential, and both parties are happy," said Narain's attorney, Leodis Matthews.
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Hugh Hefner was the one handing out presents as his 80th birthday rolled around. Moved by a plea from a class that watched a film he produced no, not one of THOSE films on a 17-year-old television, the founder of the Playboy empire, who turned 80 on April 9, gave a 32-inch color TV to Rockingham County High School.

My Best In Show for the Week

2006-04-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Tuesday-History Channel- 8 PM-Mega Disasters:San Francsco Earthquake:At the dawn of the 20th century, San Francisco was the place to be; a hub of trade and travel, business and banking. Located just to the east of the San Andreas Fault, the bay area is interlaced with eight major earthquake-producing faults. We examine the cataclysmic earthquake that struck on April 18, 1906--it jolted the city for 50 seconds, the earth split for 270 miles, and a resulting firestorm raged for three days. Amazing photographs document the city's destruction and efforts to rebuild.

Tuesday-National Geographic-8 PM-Megastructures: Golden Gate: Within the next 50 years a massive earthquake is expected to rock the foundations of San Francisco's famous landmark. Can engineers strengthen the mammoth structure in time?

Wednesday-Bravo-9 PM-Top Chef: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Thursday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Inside the World's Mightiest Bank: Learn what the world's most powerful financial institution is doing to control an unprecedented global demand for U.S. dollars. Investigate the Fed's control over digital-age counterfeiting and how the U.S. economy is preparing for a paperless future.

Thursday-NBC-9:30 PM-The Office: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN SUCKER-PUNCH -- After Dwight (Rainn Wilson) karate punches Michael (Steve Carell), Jim (John Krasinski) organizes a lunchtime rematch at Dwight's dojo where Pam (Jenna Fischer) becomes annoyed when Jim gets too friendly.

Jane Says No...Julia Debuts...Tops At Box Office

2006-04-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jane Fonda says she would like to tour the country and speak out against U.S. involvement in Iraq, but her controversial history of Vietnam War protests leaves her with "too much baggage."

"I wanted to do a tour like I did during the Vietnam War, a tour of the country," the Oscar-winning actress said Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "But then Cindy Sheehan filled in the gap, and she is better at this than I am. I carry too much baggage."
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Julia Roberts movie star officially becomes Julia Roberts stage star Wednesday when the Oscar winner opens on Broadway in a revival of Richard Greenberg's "Three Days of Rain."

Not that her marquee status was in doubt during the play's three weeks of sold-out preview performances at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
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1. "Scary Movie 4," $41 million.
2. "Ice Age: The Meltdown," $20 million.
3. "The Benchwarmers," $10 million.
4. "The Wild," $9.6 million.
5. "Take the Lead," $6.7 million.

Namibian Name For Brad and Jolie Baby...U2 Favorite Lyric...Scary Movie 4 Tops Charts

2006-04-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

A local governor in Namibia said Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt told him they will have their baby in his country and are considering giving the child a Namibian name, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Samuel Sheefeni Nuuyoma, the governor of the Namibian province where the couple is staying at a heavily guarded lodge, said he had breakfast Friday with the two stars, according to The Sunday Times of South Africa.
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The Irish band U2 has given Britain its favorite song lyric, according to a survey released Monday. The line "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers" from the 1992 song "One" topped a poll conducted by music channel VH1.
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Bob and Harvey Weinstein returned to the box-office lead as "Scary Movie 4" debuted with $41 million, the first No. 1 opening for the new company founded by the former Miramax bosses.

It was the best Easter weekend debut ever, beating the $30.1 million opening of "Panic Room" in 2002, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Opus Dei Wants Disclaimer...Dern Studies Grandfather..."Babyface" Sues Baker

2006-04-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

The conservative religious group Opus Dei has asked for a disclaimer on the upcoming film based on the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code."

Opus Dei, portrayed as a murderous, power-hungry sect in the novel by Dan Brown, wrote in an April 6 letter to Sony Corp. that a disclaimer would show respect to Jesus and to the Catholic Church.
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Bruce Dern turned to his grandfather for inspiration when preparing for his role on HBO's "Big Love," a polygamy drama set in Utah.

Dern's grandfather, George Henry Dern, was Utah's 21st governor. He served two terms from 1925 to 1933 as the second non-Mormon and Democrat to lead the state.
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Grammy-winning singer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against singer Anita Baker, claiming she owes him more than $250,000.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-04-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Saturday-History Channel- 8 PM-10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America:Albert Einstein's letter to FDR urged the development of an unthinkably powerful new weapon. The result, known as the Manhattan Project, brought government and science together to build a bomb that would change the world forever.

Saturday-Discovery Times-10 PM-The Quest for the True Cross: Based on the New York Times best-seller, scholarly detective work and historical adventure draw conclusions about the remains of Christ's actual cross. This comprehensive study could overturn centuries of academic assumptions about the crucifixion.

Saturday-NBC-11:30-Saturday Night Live-Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam

Sunday-ABC-9 PM-"Don't Look At Me": Carlos and Gaby get temporary custody of baby Lily, Bree's father and stepmother come to town to mediate between Andrew and her, and Susan suddenly finds Karl back in her life.

Sunday-A&E-8 PM-Mysteries of the Bible: From the beginning of recorded history, people from all over the world have believed in an afterlife. In Christianity, the powerful images of heaven and hell--fire and brimstone, harps and halos--have shaped Western thought for thousands of years.

South Park Hammers Comedy Central...Jacko Restructures...Looney Tom Says No

2006-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Banned by Comedy Central from showing an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the creators of "South Park" skewered their own network for hypocrisy in the cartoon's most recent episode.
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Michael Jackson restructured his finances with the help of Sony Corp., which co-owns a valuable music catalogue with the pop star, Jackson attorneys said Thursday in a statement.
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Katie Holmes was raised a Catholic, but, says fiance Tom Cruise, their soon-to-arrive baby will not have a Catholic baptism. "No," Cruise tells Diane Sawyer in an interview on ABC's "Primetime," airing Friday, 9 p.m. EDT. "No, I mean you can be Catholic and be a Scientologist. You can be Jewish and be a Scientologist. But we're just Scientologists."

Another Nutty Cruise Soon...A Pointer Sister Dies...Another Britney Oops

2006-04-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Tom Cruise has been practically shouting from the rooftops about his love for his pregnant fiancee, Katie Holmes. But when their much-anticipated baby is born, the superstar dad probably won't say a word.

Cruise, a longtime Scientologist who introduced Holmes to the faith, is likely to follow Scientology's practice of quiet birth. Followers believe the absence of talk and other noise in the delivery room is more healthful for mother and baby.
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June Pointer, the youngest of the singing Pointer Sisters known for the 1970s and 1980s hits "I'm So Excited," "Fire," and "Slow Hand," has died, her family said Wednesday. She was 52.
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Child welfare officials and a sheriff's deputy visited Britney Spears' home because her infant son was accidentally dropped from a high chair, according to published reports.

Six-month-old Sean Preston fell April 1 as his nanny was lifting him from the high chair and something in the chair snapped, Star magazine reported Tuesday. The infant slipped from her arms and fell, bruising his head on the floor, the magazine said.

Rapper Shot Dead...Lauer Happy At NBC...Library of Congress Top 50

2006-04-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Proof, a member of rap group D12 and a close friend of Eminem, was shot to death early Tuesday at a nightclub along Eight Mile, the road made famous by the 2002 film that starred Eminem and in which Proof had a bit part.
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While the television world was paying attention to Meredith Vieira's selection as Katie Couric's successor on the "Today" show last week, Matt Lauer quietly agreed to a contract extension to keep him on the show until 2011.

NBC confirmed the deal Tuesday, after Lauer revealed it during an interview with The New York Times. The network released no details. Lauer will make around $13 million a year, roughly equivalent to Couric's pay, the newspaper said.
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A high school band plays Beethoven. President Calvin Coolidge delivers his inaugural address. Fats Domino turns "Blueberry Hill," a hit for big-band leader Glenn Miller, into a rock 'n' roll classic. They're among the 50 records that the Library of Congress has deemed worthy of preservation this year.

My Best In Show for the Week:China...India...More

2006-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-Discovery Times Channel-8 PM-China Rises - Party Games :As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, it is envisioning a new political dawn for a growing nation and is ready to invite the world to see its progress.

Wednesday-Bravo-7 PM-Top Chefs:Nasty Delights

Wednesday-National Geographic-10 PM-Gospel Of Judas

Thursday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime :Southern India

Thursday-Biography Channel-10 PM-The Exorcist: An eye-opening investigation into a practice that pits ordinary human beings, armed only with their beliefs and rituals, against dark, demonic forces.

"Malcolm" Takes Up Racing...Ice Age Hot Again...Theron Wins Gay Award

2006-04-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

Frankie Muniz is going to take a break from acting to be a professional race car driver. Muniz, the star of TV's "Malcom in the Middle" for the past seven years, recently wrapped up the final episode of the hit show and turned his attention to driving race cars for at least the next two years.

The 20-year-old Muniz got fired up about racing in 2004 when he was invited to take part in the Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race that has been a part of the Grand Prix of Long Beach for 30 years.
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Score one for the prehistoric animals.The 20th Century Fox family tale "Ice Age: The Meltdown" took in $34.5 million to remain the No. 1 movie for a second straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
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Charlize Theron was honored with a top prize from the country's leading gay organization that monitors the media.The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation presented its Vanguard Award to Theron at Saturday's 17th annual GLAAD Media Awards for increasing "visibility and understanding in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

Griffith Sued...McClanahan Talks Dumbbells...Casablanca Named Best

2006-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

A designer sued Melanie Griffith for allegedly refusing to pay nearly $26,000 for dressing the actress and her daughters for the Golden Globes Awards and reneging on a promise to mention his name on the red carpet.
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Rue McClanahan recommends two forms of exercise to fight the effects of aging: weightlifting and frequent sex. "It just depends on the availability of the material," the 72-year-old actress said Friday. "Dumbbells are easy to come by, but most of them are married."
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"Casablanca" and a pair of "Godfathers" are among the 101 greatest screenplays ever, according to members of the Writers Guild of America. Film and television writers ranked the screenplays in the guild's first best-of list, released Thursday.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-04-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Saturday/Sunday-CBS- 2:30/3:30-7 PM-Masters Golf Tournament

Saturday-Travel Channel-10 PM-Travel Channel Presents:Paris: Determined to show Colin what makes this city tick, the Cocktail Kings head to Dimitri's home city of Paris and the Champagne region on Reimes.

Saturday-NBC-11:30-Saturday Night Live-Antonio Banderas/Mary J. Blige

Sunday-National Geographic-9 PM-Gospel Of Judas

Loren Uncovered...Stones Hit China...Rockwell Discovered

2006-04-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

An exhibit of Sophia Loren's family photos, dresses, jewels, awards and career memorabilia opens Friday at the Vittoriano museum in Rome's historic center. The exhibition, titled "Scicolone, Lazzaro, Loren," begins with photos of her turbulent childhood in southern Italy and follows her rise to stardom.
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The Rolling Stones arrived in Shanghai Thursday for their first concert in mainland China. But although the Stones may now be welcome in China, the country may not be ready for "Honky Tonk Women." "Let's Spend The Night Together?" Maybe not.
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One of Norman Rockwell's most famous paintings was found hidden behind a fake wall in its owner's home, proving that the version the owner had long displayed was a forgery, family members and experts said.

They believe that the owner, illustrator Donald Trachte Sr., made the copy of "Breaking Home Ties" himself in the early 1970s, decades after he bought it from Rockwell and made it the centerpiece of his art collection.

Da Vinci Paperback Hot...Poor Tom...Pitney Dead at 65

2006-04-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Da Vinci Code" is a smash in paperback, too. More than 500,000 copies of Dan Brown's historical thriller sold in its first week of paperback release, and an initial printing of 5 million has been upped to 6 million, publisher Anchor Books told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
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Tom Cruise says his father was abusive and that school, where he faced other bullies, was difficult, in an upcoming issue of Parade magazine. "He was a bully and a coward," the 43-year-old actor says of his father, Thomas Cruise Mapother III. "He was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life _ how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang!
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Gene Pitney, whose keening tenor voice produced a string of hits including "Town Without Pity" was found dead in his hotel room in Wales Wednesday following a concert that fans acclaimed as one of his best. He was 65. Pitney apparently died of natural causes, police said. He was staying in a hotel in Cardiff, Wales where he had played a concert Tuesday night during a tour in Britain.

Alba Forgives...Trailer Pulled...Benson Withdraws Petition

2006-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Jessica Alba's dispute with Playboy is over. The 24-year-actress has dropped demands the magazine pull its March issue after receiving a letter of apology from Hugh Hefner. Alba was upset because she had not agreed to be on the cover.
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A New York City movie theater has pulled the trailer for "United 93," which chronicles in real time the hijacked United Airlines flight that crashed into a Western Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11.

The AMC Loews Lincoln Square 12 theater in Manhattan said it made the decision after viewers complained they found it too upsetting.
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Two days before right-hander Kris Benson was scheduled to make his Orioles debut, his outspoken wife, Anna, withdrew her petition for divorce. Anna Benson, an actress and model who has posed topless, filed for divorce in Atlanta on March 31. The petition for divorce claimed the marriage was ``irretrievably broken.''

Crazy Tom to Wed...Hollywood Does Digital...Ice Age Hot

2006-04-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

American actor Tom Cruise told Germany's leading tabloid in its Monday edition that he wanted to tie the knot this summer with fiancee Katie Holmes, after the birth of their baby and the upcoming release of his new film, "Mission Impossible III."

Cruise was in Germany to plug the film on the country's popular "Wetten Dass ..." ("I'll Bet ...") TV show. He said on the show Saturday that two pilots were at the ready to fly him home should Holmes go into labor.
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Hollywood studios will start selling digital versions of films such as "Brokeback Mountain" and "King Kong" on the Internet this week, the first time major movies have been available online to own.

The films can't be burned onto a disc for viewing on a DVD player. Still, the move is seen as a step toward full digital distribution of movies over the Internet.
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"Ice Age: The Meltdown" put some fire into Hollywood's chilly year, debuting with a whopping $68 million and delivering the fourth-best premiere ever for an animated movie. It was the best opening ever for a movie debuting in March, easily beating the $46.3 million debut of the original "Ice Age" in 2002.

My Best In Show for the Week:Slim Pickings

2006-04-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM-Boston Legal:"Gone": While Denise Bauer shops with her housekeeper and the woman's four-year-old son, the unthinkable happens when the boy is kidnapped by a known pedophile.

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-Will and Grace-After losing his job as the host of "JackTalk," Jack (Sean Hayes) vows never to return to acting. An unrelenting Karen (Megan Mullally), however, will not let Jack give up on his passion and decides to do whatever it takes to get Jack to an audition.

Thursday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Anthony Bourdain: Leftovers :Anthony Bourdain has put together some of the funniest, most embarrassing, and even painful, experiences from his 'No Reservations' travels to show the audience that making a television show is not as cut and dry as most people think.

Anderson Calls for End to Seal Hunt...Fats in Hall...Bono Feels Exploited

2006-04-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Pamela Anderson is renewing calls for her homeland to end its East Coast seal hunt. Anderson, a native of British Columbia, said Saturday that she was disappointed Prime Minister Stephen Harper had refused her request for a meeting after Canada's annual Juno music awards shows on Sunday, which she was invited to host.

The refusal prompted the former "Baywatch" star to write Harper a letter warning that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would escalate its efforts if Canada does not stop the annual seal harvest.
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Antoine "Fats" Domino didn't attend his induction Saturday into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame, but said he was deeply touched by the honor. "I have received many honors in my lifetime, however none touch my heart as much as being recognized by the people of my home state Louisiana," the musician known for "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame" wrote in a letter.
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Bono complained in a front-page commentary Sunday that he feels exploited by propaganda for the campaign of Italy's premier, which says the activist rock star is "grateful" to the leader for the nation's aid for poor countries.

Bono's photo appears midway through a 160-page glossy publication prepared by Silvio Berlusconi's party that is being delivered to millions of Italian voters before April 9-10 elections.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-03-31T05:18:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday-History Channel-8 PM-Saddam and the Third Reich: Few people realize that the Baath party was actually formed upon the principles and organizational structure of the Nazi party. Iraq, because of its oil and hatred of Jews, was an important battleground between the Axis and Allied powers in World War II. Nazi propaganda was broadcast throughout Baghdad, and Iraqis often went on rampages against Jews throughout the war.

Saturday-CBS-8 PM-NCAA Basketball Championship.

Saturday-NBC-11:30-Saturday Night Live-Scarlett Johansson

Sunday-Bravo-9 PM-Inside the Actors Studio:Natalie Portman

Sunday-9 PM-Desperate Housewives-Everybody Says Don't":Carlos and Gaby learn the truth about their baby, Paul Young must face the music on Wisteria Lane, and Lynette is forced to give a court deposition about Bree's drinking.

Sunday-E !-10:30 PM-Gone Bad: Supermodels Gone Bad Not all supermodels exhibit model behavior. Witness the spirited cat-fights, strange career moves and public gaffes of the bold and the beautiful.

Bad Naomi...Spears Sued...Clooney Bag

2006-03-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Naomi Campbell was charged with second-degree assault Thursday after cracking her housekeeper in the head with a phone during an argument in her Park Avenue apartment, police said. The 35-year-old British-born supermodel was taken into custody shortly after police went to Lenox Hill Hospital to investigate the reported assault, police said.
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Three men hired to guard pop star Britney Spears have filed a lawsuit claiming they worked long hours and were not paid overtime.
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George Clooney's swank Oscar swag bag has fetched thousands at auction. Clooney donated the bag to the United Way, and Wednesday it sold for $45,100 in an extended online auction that began March 21, organization spokeswoman Sheila Consaul said.

Paula Hysterical For Another 3...Paris Does Rap...Big Mouth On Broadway

2006-03-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

Paula Abdul has decided she can continue to put up with Simon Cowell on "American Idol." Abdul, who shares judging duties on Fox's hit talent show with Cowell and Randy Jackson, has signed a deal to remain for another three years, the network announced Wednesday.
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Oscar-winning rappers Three 6 Mafia say they are producing and recording tracks with Paris Hilton."We ran into her at a William Morris Agency party and she said she liked our song `Stay Fly' and asked could we work with her," said Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, a member of the Memphis hip-hop group.
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The Broadway revival of "Three Days of Rain," starring Julia Roberts in her Broadway debut, is pretty much sold-out for its three-month run."Some seats are available, but not many," producer David Stone said Wednesday, although he and fellow producer Marc Platt have declined to talk about exact figures and the advance.

Brad Talks Architecture...Brokeback Wins...Here Comes the Judge

2006-03-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

Brad Pitt is bringing his love of architecture to the public - public television, that is.Pitt will narrate "Design: e2," a series about environmentally friendly architecture, which is slated to air in June on PBS, a spokeswoman from kontentreal productions said Tuesday.
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"Brokeback Mountain" lost out in the best-picture Oscar race, but the film about the troubled love affair between two cowboys has taken the top film prize from a leading gay organization that monitors the media.The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation presented the award Monday at a ceremony recognizing mainstream media for "fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community," the group said in a statement.
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A judge has ordered lawyers for Michael Jackson and ex-wife Debbie Rowe to submit copies of missing papers from their divorce file.Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider on Monday ordered Rowe's lawyer, Marta Almli, to submit duplicate copies of Rowe's 2001 motion to terminate her parental rights to her two children with Jackson, and an emergency motion filed more than two years later seeking temporary exclusive custody and visitation rights.

My Best In Show for the Week:Eating In Asia...Katrina...Britney Does Jack...More

2006-03-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Anthony Bourdain: Asia Special : Anthony Bourdain takes a much-anticipated trip to Asia to visit the two main hubs of "mother cuisine," Japan and China.

Tuesday-Discovery Times-10 PM-Killer Hurricane: Anatomy of Katrina :Take an inside look at the life cycle of Katrina. From those at the National Hurricane Center, to the scientists tracking the storm surge, to the engineers who constructed the now broken levees, examines this year's unbelievable hurricane cycle.

Wednesday-Bravo Channel-10 PM- Top Chef.

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-Will and Grace-JACKTALK GETS A NEW LOOK- BRITNEY SPEARS AND WANDA SYKES GUEST STAR- After a large corporation takes over OutTV, Jack's (Sean Hayes) talk show "JackTalk" is completely revamped. An immediate change comes when the new conservative owners hire Amber-Louise (guest star Britney Spears) as "JackTalk's" new co-host.

Thursday-National Geographic Channel-7 PM-Elephants Of Kilimanjaro:The shy creatures that roam the steep slopes and high forests of Africa's Great White Mountain are under threat as more and more of the area is cultivated by man. Can they survive?

Inside Man Tops At Box Office...Speaker Gets Dirty...Britney Nude Sculpture

2006-03-26T22:38:00.000-08:00

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Inside Man," $29 million.
2. "V for Vendetta," $12.3 million.
3. "Stay Alive," $11.2 million.
4. "Failure to Launch," $10.8 million.
5. "The Shaggy Dog," $9.1 million.
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The filmmaker who ate nothing but McDonald's meals for a month for his Oscar-nominated film "Super Size Me" gave a profanity-laced, politically incorrect speech at a suburban Philadelphia high school, but not everyone was lovin' it.
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Sculptor Daniel Edwards, this week announced a controversial sculpture dedication 'Nude Britney Spears Giving Birth' at Capla Kesting Fine Art in Brooklyn's Williamsburg gallery district.

Buck Owens Dead...Leno Wins In Court...Scum Dad

2006-03-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Singer Buck Owens, the flashy rhinestone cowboy who shaped the sound of country music with hits like "Act Naturally" and brought the genre to TV on the long-running "Hee Haw," died Saturday. He was 76.
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Jay Leno has won a round in court with a ruling that comedy deserves a break. A state appeals court ruled that a lower court should have dismissed a lawsuit that a woman filed against the "Tonight Show" host and NBC. The lawsuit by Claire Walter, 40, of Irondequoit, claimed Leno violated the state's Civil Rights Law by commercially using an unflattering photo of her in an on-air joke without her permission in 2003. The photo was taken for internal use at her former employer, Dorschel Automotive Group Inc.
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An inmate who was temporarily released from jail to be tested as a potential kidney donor for his ailing teenage son instead fled with his girlfriend to Mexico, prompting outrage on both sides of the border, officials said. "America's Most Wanted" plans to run an update on the case Saturday to target spring breakers in Mexico, Simpson said. The couple was last seen near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, authorities said.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-03-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday-CBS-8 PM-NCAA Basketball

Saturday-CBS-8 PM-NCAA Basketball

Saturday-Travel Channel-10 PM-Final Touches:The renovations of the GVR Spa and Whiskey bar is finally completed. The entire staff celebrates an extraordinary year of success after winning Las Vegas' best local hotel award.

Saturday-NBC-11:30-Saturday Night Live-Steve Martin/Prince

Sunday-A&E-7 PM-24:When Jack's plans to return Alex Hewitt to the CTU fail, he turns to Sherry Palmer for help; Tony and Michelle are caught trying to help Jack; Palmer helps Prescott secure Turkish airspace for U.S. warplanes.

Sunday--9 PM-Desperate Housewives-"Could I Leave You?":Susan invites Dr. Ron to meet Karl after he finds out about their arranged marriage, Gabby and Carlos try to find a beautiful baby to adopt, and Bree -- in order to combat Andrew's extortion attempt -- reluctantly joins AA.

TV Time Warp...South Park Wins...Blake Not Bankrupt

2006-03-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

Fans of television comedy are stuck in a time warp. TV viewers are watching more sitcoms each week than they did a decade ago, a new study concluded. Unfortunately for broadcast networks, they're tuning in to "Friends," "Seinfeld" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns more than anything new on the air.
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Nothing like a little controversy to cook up a big audience. Last week's spat that pitted "South Park" against Scientology and Isaac Hayes, with a rumored dollop of Tom Cruise stirred in, led Wednesday night to the animated series' highest-rated season premiere since 2002, according to a Comedy Central spokesman. An estimated 3.5 million viewers _ including 2.3 million in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 age bracket tuned in to watch the show unleash a new salvo against Scientology.
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Baretta may still be broke, but he's no longer bankrupt.A judge rendered void Robert Blake's bankruptcy filing Wednesday, leading the actor to request a new trial in the wrongful death lawsuit of his slain wife that resulted in a $30 million judgment against the aging TV star.

Rolling Stone Goes Reality...Lion Sleeps Case...Star Does Breasts

2006-03-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

MTV and Rolling Stone are teaming for a reality series that will focus on amateur journalists as they compete for a one-year staff position at the legendary magazine, an MTV spokeswoman announced Wednesday."The series will capture the drama and excitement of the fast-paced world of Rolling Stone," said Lois Curren, executive vice president of MTV programming, in a statement Wednesday. "Rolling Stone has long been an incubator for top journalists, which makes this an amazing opportunity for aspiring writers."
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Three impoverished South African women, whose father wrote the song known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," have won a six-year battle for royalties in a case that could affect other musicians.

The story surrounding the song that never seems to go out of date amounts to a rags-to-riches tale, replete with racial overtones.
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Star Jones Reynolds is recovering from a breast-lift procedure performed last week at a Santa Monica hospital, her publicist said Wednesday. "Star is recovering wonderfully," publicist Brad Zeifman said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Fox Oks Animations...Joan Can't Find A Match...Gawkers Site

2006-03-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

In a victory for animated folks, Fox has renewed long-running primetime series "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."The network has ordered two more seasons of "The Simpsons," its 18th and 19th, and one more of redneck comedy "King of the Hill," its 11th.
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Joan Rivers is looking for love in cyberspace. So far, no luck. The 72-year-old red-carpet critic and comedian said she and assistant Matt Stewart created a profile for her on Match.com. "We were hoping to meet Mr. Right," Rivers told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "We didn't even get a wink."
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You know it's hard out there for a celebrity,even Geraldo's not safe. The popular blog Gawker.com has launched a new "Gawker Stalker" feature that pinpoints the locations of readers' random celebrity sightings on the Internet, using a Google map of Manhattan.

The Dog...Jimi Hendrix...Rock...More

2006-03-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Tuesday-A & E-9 PM-Dog The Bounty Hunter

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM-Boston Legal-"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang": While Shirley Schmidt and former husband Ivan Tiggs (Tom Selleck) work together on a divorce case involving a couple arguing over their Victorian erotica collection, the recently remarried Ivan tries once again to woo Shirley back into his life.

Wednesday-Biography Channel-8 PM- Jimi Hendrix. Life of the guitar legend who astonished audiences with brilliant artistry, then died tragically at....

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-Will and Grace-COWBOYS AND IRANIANS :An ecstatic Jack (Sean Hayes) coerces Will (Eric McCormack) into coming out with him to a gay cowboy bar to meet his new boyfriend Travis.

Thursday-History Channel-6 PM-A show that proves history should be heard as well as seen. The year: 1979. On the radio: Blondie, The Knack, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steely Dan. In the papers: Skylab, the Hostage Crisis, Three Mile Island, and Lee Iacocca. Learn the details that the headline banners left out...all to a beat you can rock to!

Blake Sounds Off...Kid Rock Prevails... V for Victory

2006-03-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

A year after Robert Blake was acquitted in criminal court of killing his wife, the former tough guy actor spends his days exercising horses at a friend's ranch and planning a comeback.

He acknowledges the past year has often been a time of despair, particularly the civil trial last fall in which a jury ordered him to pay his wife's family $30 million.
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Lawyers for Kid Rock and a California company have reached a tentative agreement to extend a judge's order blocking the release of an explicit sex video featuring the rap-rocker, former Creed singer Scott Stapp and four women.

Under the agreement, the temporary injunction would remain in effect without the necessity of another court hearing, according to William Horton, a lawyer for Rock who spoke to The Detroit News.
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Audiences were in a rebellious mood, lifting the action tale "V for Vendetta" to the top spot at the weekend box office with a $26.1 million debut. The Warner Bros. film, which stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving in a story of revolution against a totalitarian British government, bumped off the previous weekend's box-office leaders.

Brad and Angelina...Stein Speaks Out...Neverland No More

2006-03-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

The main thing missing from the much-rumored wedding between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was the bride and groom. Still, officials held out hope that the couple would show up this weekend to tie the knot in this Lake Como retreat, a favorite getaway for the rich and famous.
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Ben Stein says the people who were snubbed on Oscar night weren't the stars who were passed over for Academy Awards, but American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The conservative humorist, writer and political pundit said movie stars and film industry professionals failed to highlight the sacrifices of soldiers during the awards ceremony on March 5.
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Trains once packed with laughing children no longer roll around the grounds. The arcade that pulsed with rap music, the curse words edited out, has fallen silent. No one waits at the gate with ice cream for youngsters to arrive. After years of rumors about its demise, the fantasy playland Michael Jackson created as a celebration of childhood and a retreat from his troubles is going dark.

Best In Show This Weekend:Pyramids...March Madness...Housewives

2006-03-17T23:33:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Saturday-Discovery Times-5 PM-Why Build Pyramids? Pyramids served many purposes throughout history, from a gateway to heaven for Buddhists to a sacrificial altar for Mayans. Learn how the same structure that guarded Pharaoh's treasures in the afterlife served to honor the gods with human sacrifice.

Saturday-CBS-8 PM-March Madness.

Sunday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Ft. Knox & USS Washington: The USS Washington is a nuclear carrier the length of four football fields that holds 5,000 personnel. Discover how its mission of defense has changed since the events of 9/11. At Ft. Knox, see the vault that holds $3 trillion dollars of pure gold.

Sunday-ABC-9 PM-Desperate Housewives-"One More Kiss"When Lynette catches Gabrielle kissing Tom, her jealousy drives a wedge in their friendship. Meanwhile, Mike tries to bond with Zach, which threatens Paul, Andrew tries to blackmail Bree, and the Wisteria Lane neighbors are becoming more and more suspicious of the mysterious Applewhite family.

Jessica Dishes Bush...Kotter Likes Ice Cube...Spears Suit

2006-03-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

Jessica Simpson loves President Bush. She's just not a big fan of Republican fundraisers. The Hollywood starlet and tabloid cover girl was on Capitol Hill Thursday to lobby Congress for Operation Smile, an organization that provides reconstructive surgery to children with facial deformities. But all anyone wanted to know was why she turned down an invitation to attend a Republican fundraiser with Washington's top star Bush.
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Former "Welcome Back, Kotter" creator-star Gabe Kaplan says rapper-actor Ice Cube is a great choice to play his old role in the big-screen remake of the hit 1970s TV series.
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A judge said Thursday she needs more information before ruling on a motion by US Weekly magazine to dismiss a $20 million libel lawsuit filed against it by Britney Spears.

Ritter Settlement...Clooney Feud...Fats Finds Pianos...More

2006-03-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

The family of late actor John Ritter has reached a tentative settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit against Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where the actor died, an attorney for the hospital said Wednesday.

"There is an agreement in principle," attorney Rory Hernandez told The Associated Press. "But we still have to follow the legal procedure."
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It's George Clooney versus Arianna Huffington in a standoff worthy of "Good Night, and Good Luck."The newly minted Oscar winner says he did not write a blog posted Monday on commentator Huffington's Web site, though he gave her permission to use a compilation of his critiques of the Iraq war from interviews with Larry King and London's The Guardian.
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NEW ORLEANS - Workers have recovered what was left of three pianos in Fats Domino's Ninth Ward home, which was submerged in almost 10 feet of water when Hurricane Katrina caused a levee break near his neighborhood in August.
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Michael Jackson has agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages owed to employees at his Neverland ranch, averting a potential lawsuit, state officials said Wednesday. The workers were to be paid Thursday, the Department of Industrial Relations said. Jackson had been given a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline later extended to Wednesday to pay up or face a lawsuit.

Stapleton Departs...Bruce Sounds Off...Box Office Weekend

2006-03-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Oscar-winning actress Maureen Stapleton has died, her son said Monday. She was 80. Stapleton, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in "Reds," had been living in the Berkshire Hills in Lenox. Her son, Daniel Allentuck, said she died Monday of natural causes.
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Colombia's ambassador to the United States is criticizing Bruce Willis for comments he made during a press conference to promote his new film, "16 Blocks." The actor said the United States should consider "going to Colombia and doing whatever it takes to end the cocaine trade."
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Top-grossing weekend movies based on estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. "Failure to Launch," $24.6 million
2. "The Shaggy Dog," $16 million
3. "The Hills Have Eyes," $15.5 million
4. "16 Blocks," $7.3 million
5. "Madea's Family Reunion," $5.8 million

Best In Show This Week:Shatner...Basketball...Polygamy...More

2006-03-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-CBS-8 PM-King of Queens:When the Heffernans receive an oil painting of themselves as an anniversary gift from Deacon and Kelly, they dislike the picture so much that they decide to stage a robbery rather than hang the painting in their home.

Monday-A&E-9 PM-A 2-hour probe of the secretive world of Mormon polygamy in Utah, where an estimated 30,000-50,000 people live in polygamous relationships.

Monday-Travel Channel-10 PM-Cruise Ships FAQ:Get responses to the most frequently asked questions about taking to the high seas, and learn all that a cruise has to offer, from fabulous food feasts to tours of exotic locales.

Tuesday-Bravo-6 PM-The Real Housewives of Orange County

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM-Boston Legal.

Wednesday-ESPN/ESPN2-7 PM-NIT Tourney.

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-Will and Grace-Harry Connick Jr. returns as Leo.

Thursday-ABC-8 PM-This exciting series from Simon Cowell and the producers of American Idol about the biggest search ever for America's best new invention will premiere with a two-hour special, with coverage of open casting calls in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

Thursday-History Channel-8 PM-You've got a cell phone at one ear, an iPod at the other. You know that Blackberry is now a verb and Spam is not only canned meat. But just how did we get here? Blame William Shatner--yes, that William Shatner--Captain Kirk..

Launch #1...Who Cares if Katie Leaves...More Short Takes

2006-03-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - "Failure to Launch," a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, took off at theaters, debuting as the top weekend movie with $24.6 million.
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Good morning, Matt! Almost lost in the overheated speculation about whether Katie Couric will become an evening news anchor for CBS is the real possibility that someone else may soon sit next to Matt Lauer on the "Today" show set.
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Both George Clooney and Teri Hatcher denying a Page Six report that claimed the newly minted Oscar winner was the purported mystery man who dumped the actress, prompting Hatcher to go public with her painful past about being molested by her uncle.

Short Takes

2006-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

TUCSON, Ariz. - A Colorado man accused of stalking singer Linda Ronstadt for nearly a decade has been ordered by an Arizona judge to stay away from her.

Ronstadt has upcoming concerts and fears for her safety because of Bernie Salazar Ortiz's long history of stalking her and his schizophrenia, court documents indicate.
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State regulators said Friday they will go after Michael Jackson in court if he fails to meet a Tuesday deadline to pay $100,000 in penalties and $306,000 in back pay owed to nearly 50 workers at his Neverland Ranch. "If they don't comply then we file suit to get a judgment," said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations. The ranch operators have until the close of business Tuesday to pay up.
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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill met with reporters to talk about their upcoming tour, but ended up venting their frustration with the cleanup efforts along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Hill, who grew up in Jackson, Miss., and McGraw, a native of Delhi, La., have spent time in the devastated areas helping with relief efforts and raising money for victims.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-03-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday-A&E-11 PM- A special preview of The Biography Channel's new series that profiles young NASCAR drivers and their ascent from dirt tracks to the main event. First in the driver's seat: Kasey Kahne, the 2004 Nextel Cup rookie of the year

Saturday-Spike TV-7 PM-Pros vs. Joes: Could you cover Jerry Rice?

Saturday-Turner Classic Movies-8 PM- Hustler, The (1961) A pool shark falls into the clutches of a crooked gambler. Cast: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott. Dir: Robert Rossen. BW-134 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

Sunday-ESPN2-8 PM- Telecast of The World Baseball Classic

Sunday-Travel Channel-9 PM- From coast to coast, discover America's ten very best beach spots in America's Best Beaches for 2006! Whether you're looking to play, party, or just relax, they've covered it all.

Sunday-ABC-9 PM- "There Is No Other Way": Carlos and Gaby face a hiccup in the adoption process, Susan goes under the knife, Andrew and Bree wage war with each other, Paul Young reappears on Noah Taylor's radar, and Tom has trouble accepting that his wife is also his boss.

Sunday-Bravo Channel-9 PM-Inside the Actor's Studio:Michael J. Fox

Short Takes

2006-03-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Leif Garrett was ordered to remain in a strict live-in drug rehabilitation program for another month, despite telling a judge he was "going down the right path" after spending 42 days there.

The 44-year-old former teen idol asked a Superior Court commissioner Thursday for permission to return to an outpatient treatment program so he could be with his mother, who is suffering from an undisclosed illness.
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The state barred workers from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch on Thursday and fined the singer $69,000 because the estate's workers compensation insurance policy had lapsed. The "stop order" was issued after a worker reported Tuesday that a co-worker who had been injured did not have the state-required health coverage, said Dean Fryer, spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations.
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Lance Armstrong spent Wednesday morning comforting 13-year-old Will Reeve, less than two days after his mother, Dana Reeve, died of lung cancer. "I would say that his spirits were pretty good considering that, in the last 18 months, he's lost his father, his mother and his grandmother," Armstrong told syndicated entertainment show "Inside Edition."

Short Takes

2006-03-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

Oscar gold became real gold for best-picture winner "Crash"- its DVD sales spiked after Sunday's Academy Awards.

On Monday, Lionsgate, the film's distributor, sold 17,500 copies of "Crash," more than half the previous week's entire total of 33,000. The DVD was No. 19 on Amazon.com's top-sellers list on Wednesday, up more than 80 places from last week.
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LOS ANGELES - Less than a month after filing for divorce, the estranged wife of David Hasselhoff has filed for a court order on a claim of domestic violence by the former "Baywatch" star, according to court records. Actress Pamela Bach, 42, made the filing Monday against Hasselhoff, 53, in Los Angeles Superior Court, summary records on the court's Web site show.
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SYDNEY, Australia - Irish rock band U2 on Thursday announced it was postponing its tour dates in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hawaii later this month and in early April. In a statement, the tour promoter said the decision was unavoidable "due to the illness of an immediate family member of one of the band."
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The daughter of late, legendary singer Frank Sinatra saw her father take the stage Wednesday at a London theater he first graced in 1950 - thanks to technology that has helped create an unusual new musical. Nancy Sinatra, 65, famed for her own hit song "These Boots are Made for Walkin'," visited Britain to see a 24-piece orchestra provide backing to movie footage of the entertainer.

Short Takes

2006-03-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Restraining orders are undoubtedly not hot, but leave it to Paris Hilton to find a way to keep the legal system from affecting her social life. On Monday, a court commissioner signed off on an unusual keep-away order that prevents the hotel heiress from coming within 100 yards of event planner Brian Quintana--unless, that is, the dueling duo happen to be attending the same function.
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Apparently, they didn't really want to hurt him. Boy George cut a deal with New York City prosecutors to avoid jail time for a cocaine bust last fall. The 44-year-old "Karma Chameleon" singer pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lesser charge of falsely reporting a burglary during a brief appearance in Manhattan Criminal Court. He got off with five days of community service and a $1,000 fine, and was ordered to enroll in a drug rehabilitation program.
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In a desperate bid to do the right thing, Teri Hatcher went public with a dark truth from her childhood. The actress has revealed to Vanity Fair that she was sexually molested by an uncle 35 years ago, but kept the abuse a secret until recently.

In the magazine's cover story, on newsstands Friday, Hatcher, 41, said she learned in 2002 that a 14-year-old victim of her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, had committed suicide by shooting herself and that Stone had been arrested and charged with three counts of molestation.

Short Takes

2006-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Dana Reeve, who won worldwide admiration for her devotion to her "Superman" husband, Christopher Reeve, through his decade of near-total paralysis, has died of lung cancer at the age of 44.

Reeve, a singer-actress who gave up some of her own career to be one of the nation's best-known caregivers, died late Monday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center, said Kathy Lewis, president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
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MANALAPAN, Fla. - The musician Yanni was arrested at his home after an alleged domestic dispute with his girlfriend, authorities said. Yanni, whose legal name is John Yanni Christopher, was arrested early Friday and faces a domestic battery charge, according to a police report.
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Top-grossing weekend films, per Exhibitor Relations:

1. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $12.6 million
2. "16 Blocks," $11.9 million
3. "Eight Below," $10.1 million
4. "Ultraviolet," $9.1 million
5. "Aquamarine," $7.5 million

Best In Show This Week

2006-03-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-A&E-9 PM-Shaq:Holding Court.

Monday-E Channel-10 PM-Dr. 90210: New Beginnings and New Horizons - Part Three A Vegas stripper sees Dr. Aiello to trade in her double F implants for a career in nursing, while Dr. Rey heads into uncharted territory by performing a labiaplasty on an employee.

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM-Denny Crane finds just the right thing to cure his depression after his one-day-old marriage falls apart: The case of a man arrested for electrocuting and paralyzing a burglar. Meanwhile Shirley Schmidt seeks Alan Shore's help when nude photos of her taken by a famous photographer are put up for auction. And a suspicious Paul Lewiston asks Brad Chase to befriend his daughter to find out if she's still using drugs.

Wednesday-Travel Channel-8 PM-Sturgis:The Great Ride.

Wednesday-Bravo-11 PM- Top Chef Premiere.

Thursday-National Geographic Channel-7 PM-Filmmaker Adam Ravetch ventures into the Canadian Arctic to film the unique and rarely seen behaviour of female walruses and their newborn calves. A moving account of motherly devotion.

Short Takes

2006-03-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - The year of the small movie could mean small ratings for the Academy Awards, whose organizers hoped a new host and the cultural buzz over front-runner "Brokeback Mountain" would beef up viewership for Sunday's show. The Oscars generally lure their biggest audiences in years when blockbusters such as "Titanic" or "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" are favored to win.
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LOS ANGELES - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Paris Hilton won worst-of prizes Saturday at the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof mocking the worst of 2005. But they were upstaged by Jenny McCarthy, who received three Razzies for worst picture, actress and screenplay as producer, star and writer of the gross-out romantic comedy "Dirty Love."

Cruise had been nominated for worst actor for "War of the Worlds," though he lost to Rob Schneider for "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo." But Cruise did win in a new category for most tiresome tabloid target, for the public spectacle of his romance with Katie Holmes.
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NEW YORK - Macaulay Culkin wonders where he fits into Hollywood these days. "I don't know what people want from me," the grown-up child star of the "Home Alone" movies told Time magazine. "I'm the most out-of-work actor I know," said Culkin, who has a semiautobiographical, stream-of-consciousness novel, "Junior," due out this month. "In the last two years I've basically taken meetings for a living."

Short Takes

2006-03-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

PASADENA, Calif. - Mariah Carey kept her comeback going Saturday, picking up best album and best single honors at the 20th Annual Soul Train Music Awards.

Carey, who won three Grammys last month, nabbed awards for best-female album with "The Emancipation of Mimi" and best-female single with "We Belong Together."
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The cowboy love story "Brokeback Mountain" won best picture and its creator Ang Lee was named best director Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards, which played out as a potential prelude to the Academy Awards.
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NEW YORK - Mel Gibson will give audiences a preview of the ancient language spoken in his upcoming movie, "Apocalypto." During a brief appearance on the Academy Awards on Sunday, Gibson will speak Maya, the only language in the film. His last movie, "The Passion of the Christ," was performed in Latin and Aramaic.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-03-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday-Bravo-7 PM- Inside the Actors Studio: Kiefer Sutherland

Friday-NBC-10 PM-New series: Conviction

Friday-Travel Channel-8 PM-In Search of Amelia Earhart

Saturday-TVLand- 48 hour Marathon Tribute to Don Knotts

Saturday-Travel Channel- 10 PM- American Casino: Playboy Golf Weekend

Sunday-National Geographic Channel-7 PM- Dna Mysteries: The Search For Adam: Geneticist Spencer Wells journeys back through humanity's family tree. Could there really have been an 'Adam' from whom all men today are descended. It would make all of mankind 'cousins'...

Sunday-ABC-8 PM- Academy Awards

Sunday-Bravo-9 PM- Inside the Actors Studio: Martin Lawrence

Short Takes

2006-03-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - Kid Rock blames Scott Stapp for losing a sex video showing them with several strippers, but appreciates Stapp for one thing. "What perfect timing," Rock told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. "I got a record coming up ... Maybe I should thank him."
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"Sin City" star Jessica Alba is all hot and bothered over Playboy using an image of her for their cover, and is threatening to sue the bunny branded magazine. Alba says, “Playboy has violated my personal rights and blatantly misled the public, who might think I had given them permission to put me on their cover when I didn't.”
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Top-grossing weekend films, per Exhibitor Relations:

1. "Madea's Family Reunion," $30.2 million
2. "Eight Below," $15.7 million
3. "The Pink Panther," $11.3 million
4. "Date Movie," $9.2 million
5. "Curious George," $7 million

Short Takes

2006-03-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

TORONTO - Paul McCartney and his wife will travel to the ice floes off the Canadian Maritimes this week to observe seal pups before the country's annual hunt opens, the Humane Society of the United States said.

The former Beatle and Heather Mills McCartney, both longtime animal-rights activists, will head out to the frigid ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Thursday and Friday in their bid to prompt Ottawa to end the annual hunt of seals.
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NEW ORLEANS - Britney Spears spent part of Mardi Gras with a group of students whose lives were upended when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area six months ago. Standing in the French Quarter surrounded by St. Catherine of Siena School dancers wearing "Gatorettes" uniforms, the 24-year-old pop star, a Louisiana native, talked on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday of her recent "surprise" meeting with four older students from Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans.
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VUNG TAU, Vietnam - Gary Glitter was scheduled to go on trial Thursday on charges he committed obscene acts with two underaged Vietnamese girls. The former British glam rocker has been accused of kissing, fondling and "engaging in other physical acts" with a 10-year-old and 11-year-old at his rental home in the port city of Vung Tau last year.

His trial, which will be closed to the public, will be held at the courthouse in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The verdict will be read publicly Friday.

Best In Show This Week

2006-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Tuesday-TVLand-8 PM-Andy Griffith Marathon honoring Don Knotts.

Tuesday-Animal Planet-8 PM-Rio de Janeiro is famous for its Carnival, samba, white sandy beaches and beautiful people. But few people know that this glamorous city is one of the greenest metropolises in the world, surrounded by rich rainforests full of equally flamboyant wildlife.

Tuesday-Travel Channel-8 PM-Mardi Gras 2006: Let The Good Times Roll: After hurricanes Katrina and Rita ruined New Orleans, there has been some doubt whether the metropolis could rise again. The organizers of New Orleans' most fabled event are planning to put on a show to prove that the city can and will function again.

Tuesday-Biography Channel-10 PM-Dead Famous: Ghostly Encounters Grace Kelly. Gail Porter and Chris Fleming, our sexy and funny ghost busters, continue their search for the spirits of famous Americans. Hollywood heart-throb...

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM- Boston Legal

Wednesday-Biography Channel-9 PM- Don Knotts. Life of the comic actor who overcame a traumatic childhood and a crippling bout with hypochondria to create the classic character Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

Thursday-NBC-9 PM-My Name Is Earl DIDN'T PAY TAXES All New

Short Takes

2006-02-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Never mind the Rock Hall, there go the Sex Pistols. Britain's most infamous punk rabble rousers are giving the big middle finger to the music industry types who've tapped the band for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, issuing a grammatically impaired open letter saying they have no intention of attending the induction ceremony scheduled for Mar. 13 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
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Will moviegoers have to wait to crack The Da Vinci Code? The answer might hinge on a high-stakes legal battle playing out in the U.K. that threatens the future of the mega-popular novel and its cinematic offshoot. Trial began in London Monday pitting two British authors against publisher Random House and accusing Da Vinci mastermind Dan Brown of lifting the central theme for his 2003 (and 2004, and 2005?) bestseller from their 1982 nonfiction tome, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (or, as it was called in the U.S., Holy Blood, Holy Grail). In a twist, Random House also published Holy Blood.
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LOS ANGELES - Dennis Weaver, an actor with a Midwestern twang who played stiff-legged Chester the deputy on "Gunsmoke" and the cowboy cop hero in "McCloud," has died. He was 81.Weaver died Friday from complications of cancer at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, his publicist, Julian Myers, announced Monday. "He was a wonderful man and a fine actor, and we will all miss him," said Burt Reynolds, who appeared with Weaver in "Gunsmoke" in the early 1960s

Short Takes

2006-02-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Darren McGavin was painting a movie set in 1945 when he learned of an opening for a small role in the show, climbed off his ladder, and returned through Columbia's front gates to land the part.

The husky, tough-talking performer went on to become one of the busiest actors in television and film, starring in five TV series, including "Mike Hammer," and endearing holiday audiences with his role as the grouchy dad in the 1983 comedy classic "A Christmas Story." McGavin, 83, died Saturday of natural causes at a Los Angeles-area hospital with his family at his side, said his son Bogart McGavin.
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NEW YORK - "The Sopranos" will definitely be taken out next year, the show's creator said, though he can't say it won't hit the big screen at some point. "It may be that in two or three or four years I could be sitting around and get an idea for a really great 'Sopranos' movie," David Chase told The New York Times in a joint interview with James Gandolfini, star of the HBO series. "I don't think that will happen. But if one morning somebody woke up and said this would make a really good, concise, contained 'Sopranos' story, I wouldn't rule that out."
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LOS ANGELES - Former "Saturday Night Live" regular Tracy Morgan was given three years' probation after pleading no contest to drunken driving, authorities said Friday. The 37-year-old comedian was arrested shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 2 in Hollywood after police stopped him for speeding, city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

Short Takes

2006-02-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Don Knotts, who kept generations of TV audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show" and would-be swinger landlord Ralph Furley on "Three's Company," has died. He was 81.

Knotts died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, said Sherwin Bash, his friend and manager.
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The fight over the fortune of oil entrepreneur J. Howard Marshall II between the one-time Playboy Playmate of the Year and Marshall's youngest son, 67-year-old E. Pierce Marshall, goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The case is remarkable in part because of the number of zeros involved _ the estate has been estimated at as much as $1.6 billion in 2000. But Smith has added colorful and sometimes raw speech and some unusual fashion statements for a grieving widow, including a T-shirt with "Spoiled" spelled out in rhinestones across her ample chest.
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SANTA FE, N.M. - Jessica Simpson took a break from filming her latest movie to dine with Gov. Bill Richardson, his wife and others at the governor's mansion. Simpson, who is in Santa Fe filming "Employee of the Month," ate with the governor Thursday night. The film is the fifth shot in New Mexico by Lions Gate Entertainment, an independent production and distribution studio.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-02-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Saturday-National Geographic Channel- 7 PM-Unlocking Da Vinci's Code-How many of bestseller The Da Vinci Code's contentious claims could be true? Was Mary Magdalene really Jesus' wife? Elizabeth Vargas asks Dan Brown to separate fact from fiction.

Saturday-8 PM-Olympics All Weekend

Sunday-ABC-8 PM-Dancing With the Stars.

Sunday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Mysteries of the Smithsonian-With nine separate locations on Washington's historic Mall, the Smithsonian may be the world's biggest museum. It is also an extraordinary storehouse of the weird and the macabre, including the giant squid in the basement of the Natural History Museum.

Sunday-ABC TV-9 PM-Desperate Housewives

Short Takes

2006-02-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

James Bond director Lee Tamahori placed on three years probation, fined $390, and told to attend an AIDS education course after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass. As part of the Die Another Day director's plea deal, two misdemeanor counts of unlawfully soliciting an act of prostitution and loitering with the intent to commit prostitution were dismissed.
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Howard Stern launching a film festival as part of his "commitment to democratize entertainment," In Demand Networks announced Wednesday. The top three films in the Howard Stern Film Festival competition will receive cash prizes and air on Howard TV On Demand.
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Apple announcing Thursday that one billion songs have been legally downloaded from its iTunes Music Store since it was launched less than three years ago. The billionth song downloaded was Coldplay's "Speed of Sound."

Short Takes

2006-02-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Weekend Box Office Top 5 :
1. Eight Below
2. Date Movie
3. The Pink Panther
4. Curious George
5. Final Destination 3
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A group of angry James Bond fans have elected to just say no to Daniel Craig. The 007 diehards have launched the Website craignotbond.com to protest the selection of the first blond Bond, who will make his debut in the role of the iconic spy in the upcoming Casino Royale.

According to the site's founders, EON Productions made a poor and aesthetically displeasing decision when they chose Craig to take over Pierce Brosnan's license to kill.
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A judge has signed a temporary injunction blocking a California porn distributor from releasing a sex tape featuring Kid Rock, Scott Stapp and four women.

Short Takes

2006-02-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

London, England - The New James Bond film was marred with even more controversy as new James Bond Daniel Craig had two teeth knocked out during a bout of pretend fighting while filming Casino Royale.

The film which has garnered much press over its unlikely choice for Bond, inability to cast a Bond girl, and former director being arrested for solicitation in drag, this latest injury is another thorn in the franchise’s side.
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London, England - Prince Charles is in a legal battle before a British High Court to keep his personal documents confidential.

The Prince of Wales is asking Mr. Justice Blackburne to rule that a London publication, The Mail, breached his confidentiality and copyright when it published extracts from his journals, which he claims were copied by a former member of his staff and given to the newspaper.
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Los Angeles, California- Outspoken movie-maker Spike Lee has attacked the Hollywood studios for not including African-Americans as executives.

The Malcolm X director is appalled the major studios only recruit white men and women for executive positions.

Best In Show This Week

2006-02-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-Spike TV-6 PM-2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Special

Monday-CBS-8 PM-King of Queens

Monday-NBC-8 PM-Olympic Winter Games all week

Monday- History Channel- 11 PM-UFOs and the White House

Tuesday-Bravo-8 PM-Inside the Actor's Studio:Robin Williams

Tuesday-BBC America-10 PM- Footballers Wives-Episode 1

Wednesday-National Geographic Channel-7 PM-Golden Baboons:Zambia's resident golden baboons followed in breathtaking close-up over the course of a year.

Thursday-National Geographic Channel-9 PM-King Tut's Curse:For years, the boy-king Tutankhamun has been an object of fascination worldwide, not only for his own mysterious demise, but also for the rumoured strange deaths of those who came to discover him. In this unprecedented forensic investigation National Geographic Channel sheds light on two of the world's great mysteries: the death of Tutankhamun and the Curse of the Pharaohs.

Thursday-Travel Channel-10 PM- Cruise Ship Secrets

Friday-Animal Planet-8 PM-The Planet's Funniest Animals

Friday-Comedy Central-10 PM- Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet,#*%$#@!!

Friday-A&E-I0 PM-Playboy Celebrity Centerfolds

Short Takes

2006-02-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - Sometimes there is too much of a good thing. Martha Stewart believes her version of NBC's popular reality show featuring Donald Trump flopped this past fall because of too much "Apprentice."
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William Cowsill, lead singer of US family group The Cowsills, has died in Canada at the age of 58. Cowsill, whose group inspired TV series The Partridge Family, had been ill for several months but no cause of death was given. The singer, whose hits in the 60s and 70s included Hair, died in Calgary, Alberta, on Friday. His brother and fellow band member Barry Cowsill drowned during Hurricane Katrina last year.
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Britney Spears telling People magazine that she rarely takes her infant son outside because she fears the advances of aggressive paparazzi. "I mean, Princess Diana got killed by one of these people. They're crossing the line," the singer said.
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Richard Bright, who acted in the Godfather movies and on The Sopranos, was struck and killed by a bus in New York City on Saturday. Bright, 68, was hit by a private Academy Bus as he crossed the street in his neighborhood, police said. The driver told police he was not aware that he had hit anyone. No arrests have been made.

Short Takes

2006-02-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

More than one million rock fans in Brazil have enjoyed a Rolling Stones concert on Rio's Copacabana Beach - one of the biggest gigs the world has seen. The band played some 20 songs including Jumpin' Jack Flash and Satisfaction.

The stage, facing Sugar Loaf Mountain, was the height of a seven-storey building and had a walkway linking it to the Stones' hotel. It was the first time the Rolling Stones had performed in Brazil for free. Thousands of police were on duty.
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Western romance Brokeback Mountain emerged as the big winner at the Orange British Academy of Film Awards(Bafta) winning best film and director for Ang Lee. Jake Gyllenhaal also won a best supporting actor for his role in it playing a gay rodeo cowboy. There was disappointment for The Constant Gardener, which took only one of the 10 awards it was nominated for.
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The tour bus in which the late Ray Charles toured America has been donated to a US college the legendary singer financially supported. The vehicle, which has its own kitchen and four TVs, has been given to Atlanta's Morehouse College, an arts college for black American men.

Short Takes

2006-02-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

DETROIT - The company that distributed the infamous Paris Hilton sex tape hopes to distribute an equally risque video of Kid Rock, former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp and four strippers. Chatsworth, Calif.-based Red Light District has posted a trailer featuring a mild portion of the video on its Web site.
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"I want you to close your eyes," Patty Brisben playfully instructs a young man as she rubs scented lotion into his forearm and, to raucous laughter, reaches for an electric toy and a glove. "Fantasize about having an all-over body massage."

Welcome to Sex Week at Yale, a biennial celebration that has become one of the most provocative campus events in the country.
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New York, New York (AHN) - Songbird Toni Braxton will begin touring March 10 for the first time in more than ten years.

Braxton made the decision to go out on the road to support her new album, “Libra.” The tour will begin in Atlantic City, New Jersey and end at the Essence Music Festival July 3 in Houston, Texas.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-02-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday- NBC- 8 PM- Olympic Winter Games.(All weekend)

Friday-Travel Channel-8 PM-America's Most Haunted Places-Savannah

Friday-AMCTV-8 PM- You Only Live Twice

Friday-tbs-9 PM-Trains,Planes, and Automobiles

Saturday-ESPN Classic- 7 PM-3 Nation: The Life And Legacy of Dale Earnhardt presented by The United States Marine Corps.

Saturday-tbs-8 PM-Jerry Maguire

Saturday-E-9 PM-The Girls Next Door: Just Shoot Me-The girls bare all for an upcoming Playboy pictorial.

Sunday-History Channel-6 PM-Reel to Real- A riveting special that reveals the never-before-told stories of eyewitnesses, including amateur and professional photographers, caught in the horror of the World Trade Center tragedy.

Sunday-tbs-8 PM-O Brother,Where Art Thou?

Sunday-Spike TV-8 PM-Austin Powers

Sunday-ABC TV-9 PM-Desperate Housewives

Sunday-CBS TV-9 PM-Terminator 3-Rise of the Machines

Short Takes

2006-02-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Jeff Goldblum is in final negotiations to star in NBC's drama pilot "Seeing Red," Anne Heche is set to topline ABC's one-hour "Men in Trees," and Gale Harold has landed the lead in another high-profile drama pilot, Fox's "Vanished."
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Eyes still glazed over from those assault-on-the-senses trips to the toy store during the holidays? Better splash some cold water on your face, because the industry is already back with its offerings for next time, which it showed off this week at the annual Toy Fair.

Aside from the new, facially altered Ken doll, among the most buzz-worthy was the only toy that wasn’t actually seen at all. It’s the “top secret,” 10th anniversary Elmo — aptly named T.M.X. for “Tickle Me 10” or “Tickle Me Extreme” — which Fisher-Price is keeping in the closet until Sept. 20, when the $39.99 product will be unveiled in all its fire-engine-red, furry, squeaky-voiced glory.
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The Rolling Stones were the top-selling musical act in the US last year, according to business magazine Forbes.The rockers generated $168m (£96.7m) in record and concert ticket sales during 2005 - $18m (£10m) more than their nearest rivals, Irish band U2.Country singer Kenny Chesney came third in the list with $110m (£63m) in sales.

Short Takes

2006-02-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

The 2006 Best In Show Trophy was awarded to "Ch Rocky Top's Sundance Kid," a.k.a. "Rufus," a Bull Terrier.
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From Kentucky Fried Chicken to the Kentucky Derby, the Bluegrass State isn't scoring points with Pamela Anderson.

The former Baywatch babe has announced plans to boycott the annual horse race, claiming it's a form of animal cruelty.
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NEW YORK - Britney Spears, a Louisiana native, will celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans later this month when the devastated city hopes to revive some its old partying ways.

"I am honored to be a part of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans this year," Spears said in a statement Monday. "It is so important for this amazing city to continue its annual traditions and I am really looking forward to being involved."
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LOS ANGELES - Not true. That was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' response Tuesday to a Valentine's Day report by Life & Style magazine claiming that the Hollywood superstar and his pregnant paramour have split up.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)-
Country music outlaw Willie Nelson sang "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" more than 25 years ago. He released a very different sort of cowboy anthem this Valentine's Day.

"Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)" may be the first gay cowboy song by a major recording artist. But it was written long before this year's Oscar-nominated "Brokeback Mountain" made gay cowboys a hot topic.

Best In Show This Week

2006-02-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Tuesday-FX-10 PM-The Shield

NBC-8 PM-The Olympics

USA Network- 8 PM-130TH WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW

Animal Planet-9 PM-The Most Extreme Lovers

A & E-9 PM-Dog the Bounty Hunter-Dog and his team gather for a very special "Dog Style" Hawaiian luau to re-live the series' most dramatic captures, wildest hunts, and most humorous moments. While enjoying a traditional Luau set against the stunning mountains and beaches of Hawaii, Dog, Beth and the rest of the team recall the their favorite moments from the series' first two seasons.

Wednesday-ABC-9 PM-Lost

NBC-8 PM-The Olympics

AMCTV-8 PM-Octopussy

Spike-10 PM-2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show

Thursday-NBC-8 PM-The Olympics

ABC-8 PM-Dancing With The Stars

Friday-NBC-8 PM-Winter Olympics

National Geographic-9 PM-Most Amazing Moments: Extreme Moments-Captured on film, the moments when people and predators are pushed to the limit. From a Filipino man who is crucified every year to a lizard which squirts blood at enemies.

Top Five Nonfiction Books At Amazon

2006-02-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

1. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman

2. Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

3. You're Wearing That? : Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation

4. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell

5. Manhunt : The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Top Non Fiction Books

Short Takes

2006-02-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Top Five Best Selling Hardbacks in Fiction(NY Times):

1. Cell : A Novel by Stephen King

2. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb

3. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

4. The Hostage by W.E.B. Griffin

5. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
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BERLIN -- He has three nominations, but George Clooney doesn't expect to win any Oscars this year. Clooney is a directing and screenplay nominee for "Good Night, and Good Luck" and a supporting-actor nominee for the provocative oil-industry thriller "Syriana."

"I don't think we're going to win any," a deadpan Clooney told reporters Friday, where "Syriana" was screened at Berlin's annual film festival. "There's been a lot of 'Brokeback Mountain' stuff."
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Just two months after announcing Peter Jennings' replacements, ABC's World News Tonight is facing the prospect of being anchorless.

With Bob Woodruff sidelined indefinitely as he recovers from a near-fatal roadside bombing in Iraq, coanchor Elizabeth Vargas is preparing to take a leave of absence of her own--albeit for a much happier reason.

Short Takes

2006-02-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - With Fox's "American Idol" showing no sign of going flat, NBC announced it's planning a singing competition based on a 50-year-old European show that helped launch the careers of Celine Dion and ABBA.

The U.S. version of "Eurovision Song Contest" will combine broadcast and online elements, NBC said Friday. As with "American Idol," which itself was patterned on the hit British series "Pop Idol," the winner will receive a recording contract.
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HELSINKI, Finland - Conan O'Brien, who endorsed the re-election of Finnish President Tarja Halonen with mock ad campaigns, said Saturday he expects to be rewarded with a Cabinet position as inspector of saunas.

Hundreds of fans welcomed the American talk show host on Saturday to a freezing Helsinki, the capital of the land of the saunas - only two weeks after Halonen, 62, secured a second six-year term as Finland's first female presudent.
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Top 5 Most Rented Flicks on NetFlix:
1. The Aviator

2. Million Dollar Baby

3. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

4. Mystic River

5. Crash

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-02-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday- NBC 8 PM- Olympic Winter Games.(All weekend)

Saturday- Animal Planet- 8 PM-11 PM EST- AKC/Eukanuba National Championship 2006.

Saturday-Bravo 8 PM- Terminator 2

Saturday-E!- 9 PM- The Girls Next Door-Hefner's ex gal-pal Barbi Benton drops by the Mansion.

Saturday-WGN-11 PM-Sex and the City-Samantha visits the Playboy Mansion; Charlotte joins her friends in Los Angeles.

Sunday-National Geographic-6 PM-Hunter Hunted-What happens when the tables turn and predators become prey? This gripping series profiles deadly encounters where humans are the hunted.On a remote Alaskan island, the wary coexistence between humans and bears deteriorated into terror. Two men were attacked and only one lived to tell the tale.

Sunday-ESPN 7 PM- AFC/NFC Pro Bowl.

Sunday-TBS-8 PM-The Replacements-A comedy based on the 1987 professional football players' strike. When a team loses all of its real players, the coach (Hackman) does the only thing he can: dig through the wreckage to find some diamonds in the rough. Keanu Reeves plays the ace QB, and Jon Favreau shines as the crazy linebacker.

Sunday-CBS-9 PM- Sum Of All Fears -Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman star in this Network Television Premiere based on the Tom Clancy novel.

Grammy Awards

2006-02-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

Partial list of Grammy Award Winners:

Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Ordinary People," John Legend.

Pop Vocal Album: "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson.

Rap/Song Collaboration: "Numb/Encore," Jay-Z featuring Linkin Park.

Song of the Year: "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," U2.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson.

Album: "Late Registration," Kanye West.

Album: "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," U2.

Performance by a Duo or Group: "Don't Phunk With My Heart," The Black Eyed Peas.

Rock Vocal Performance: "Devils & Dust," Bruce Springsteen.

Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," U2.

Female R&B Vocal Performance: "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey.

Contemporary R&B Album: "The Emancipation of Mimi," Mariah Carey.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "From the Bottom of My Heart," Stevie Wonder.

2006 Grammy Nominees CD

Short Takes

2006-02-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Mariah Carey ended her 16-year Grammy drought by winning three trophies Wednesday, but her hopes of making Grammy history were smashed as rock gods U2 won four awards, including song of the year for "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own."

Carey, one of the best-selling artists of all time, hadn't won a Grammy since her first two as a fresh-faced ingenue in 1990. On Wednesday, she was nominated for eight and won three in the pre-telecast ceremony. No woman had ever won more than five in one night.
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For the first time in nearly 29 years, Barry Manilow tops The Billboard 200. "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" bows at No. 1 with sales of 156,000 copies in the United States, giving the artist his best sales week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.

The Arista album features Manilow revisiting such evergreens as "Unchained Melody" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." The artist's lone prior chart-topper came in July 1977 with his double concert LP "Live." His last album, "Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony" (Concord), peaked at No. 47.
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LOS ANGELES - "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher decided to leave as little to the imagination as possible when she arrived at Wednesday night's Grammy Awards in a stunning, transparent blue John Paul Gaultier dress.

"I didn't want anybody to have to wonder if I wore underwear or not," quipped Hatcher, who was a presenter at Wednesday's show.
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Sly Stone, the J.D. Salinger of funk, was drawn out of seclusion by a Grammys tribute. Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the reclusive pioneer of a hugely influential soul-rock-funk fusion made his first major public appearance since Jan. 12, 1993, when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Organizers of tonight's Grammy Awards show might want to keep Kanye West and Brandon Flowers apart to avoid any sour notes. Sparks are already flying after Flowers, the frontman for the Killers, said the lightning-rod rapper, "makes me ill." Flowers made the comments in a recent Rolling Stone interview that also included jabs at Jamie Foxx.

Short Takes

2006-02-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - With award season still under way, Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley are exchanging ballgowns for birthday suits. Under the artful eye of photographer Annie Leibovitz, the starlets posed nude for the cover of Vanity Fair magazine's yearly Hollywood issue, to be released Wednesday. Fashion superstar Tom Ford also appears on the cover photo, though he stuck with a more traditional suit- one of black fabric.
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LOS ANGELES - A court commissioner issued a restraining order Tuesday against celebutante Paris Hilton , ordering her to stay away from an event producer who claimed she threatened and harassed him. Superior Court Commissioner Tim Murphy approved the restraining order after Brian Quintana, 37, testified that Hilton, 24, shoved him on at least three occasions and badmouthed him.
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It's Steve Martin on the movie poster, since he's bumbling Inspector Clouseau.
But at Monday's premiere of The Pink Panther, Beyoncé Knowles caused a near riot when she arrived. The singer, who plays sultry femme fatale Xania, said she had difficulty keeping a straight face during the shoot. "Thank God I hate messing up takes. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do the movie."
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Short Takes

2006-02-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Police have confirmed that Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci is being investigated after a fan said the star punched him in the mouth because he snapped a photo of him in a shopping center parking lot.
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LOS ANGELES - B.B. King's dog, Lucille, has disappeared, and the legendary bluesman is offering an autographed copy of one of his signature "Lucille" guitars in an effort to get her back. The 2-year-old white female Maltese, named after King's signature guitar, went missing about 10 days ago in West Hollywood while she was under the care of his co-manager, Matthew Lieberman.
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LOS ANGELES - After 11 years of marriage, actress Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from rocker Richie Sambora, her publicist said Thursday. "This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time," CeCe Yorke said in a statement.
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NEW YORK - Madonna says she's more stubborn than a terrorist - at least when it comes to her music career. "What's the difference between a pop star and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist," jokes Madonna, poking fun at her diva reputation in the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, which hits newsstands Feb. 21.
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ROME - An Italian priest who runs a music label specializing in religious songs said on Monday that Michael Jackson could be one of several artists to sing on a CD of Pope John Paul II's prayers, but cautioned that the project is "only a small idea" that has yet to be run by the Vatican for approval.

Best In Show This Week

2006-02-06T06:05:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show For the Week On Networks and Cable:

Monday-Travel Channel-9 PM-Alaska's Arctic Wildlife- As spring loosens the icepack on the northwest coast of Alaska, animal life awakens. Birds, whales and walrus begin to migrate, while polar bear cubs emerge from their dens to frolic in the snow.

Tuesday-ABC-10 PM-Boston Legal-The terminally ill Daniel Post (Michael J. Fox) hosts his own funeral, an event that Denise Bauer would rather not attend. Meanwhile, Alan Shore takes an interest in a woman who causes a political uproar when she leads a protest with hundreds of bare-breasted women. And Catherine Piper (Betty White), who is now the office building's new sandwich lady, decides that the office of junior associate Garrett Wells is the perfect spot for her to do her accounting work.

Wednesday-CBS-8 PM-Grammys-It's that time of year again when the biggest stars in the music industry gather to celebrate music's biggest night: THE 48TH ANNUAL GRAMMY® AWARDS broadcast LIVE from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Friday-NBC-8 PM-Winter Olympics-The 2006 Winter Games from Torino begin Friday, February 10th.

Friday-Fox-8 PM-Arrested Development-Two-hour season finale of “Arrested Development”.

Short Takes

2006-02-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - They may not have flashed any body parts _ except for Mick Jagger's well-toned stomach _ but the Rolling Stones made ABC glad editors were on duty for the Super Bowl halftime show.
Two sexually explicit lyrics were excised from the rock legends' performance Sunday. The only song to avoid the editor was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," a 41-year-old song about sexual frustration.
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The 10 most popular Super Bowl Commercials according to USAToday ad meter last night:

1. A secret fridge stocks Bud Light. 2. Budweiser Young Clydesdale dreams big. 3. FedEx Cave man uses prehistoric overnight delivery. 4. Sierra Mist Sierra Mist can't clear airport security. 5. Bud Light Men pretend to work on rooftops, but relax instead. 6. Budweiser Sheep streaks at big game. 7. Ameriquest Patient's family walks in on medical misunderstanding. 8. Bud Light Office manager motivates employees with hidden bottles. 9. Ameriquest Plane turbulence creates awkward situation. 10. Budweiser Stadium crowd turns a wave into a Bud promotion.

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LOS ANGELES - Horror fans remained on the line for "When a Stranger Calls," a remake of the scary movie about a terrorized baby sitter that debuted at No. 1 with $22 million over the typically sluggish Super Bowl weekend.

Distributor Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released "When a Stranger Calls," said it was the best Super Bowl debut ever, beating the $19 million haul the studio's horror flick "Boogeyman" took in over the same weekend last year.
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New York Euphoria teammates celebrate their victory over Los Angeles Temptation at the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles February 5, 2006. The 30-minute game featured models playing full-contact football in lingerie and aired locally on pay-per-view during halftime of Super Bowl XL.

Short Takes

2006-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

The Janet Jackson ripple effect (or should that be "nip" effect) has finally come around to the game that started it all. Sunday's Super Bowl will be on a five-second tape delay pregame, postgame and halftime.

ABC has had the same five-second delay on its Monday Night Football broadcasts, but this will be a first for the big game. According to National Football League spokesman Brian McCarthy, the decision to delay the Super Bowl was entirely up to ABC, which delays other live entertainment programming
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Reacting to pressure from Christian groups, NBC canceled an episode of "Will & Grace" that featured Britney Spears as a conservative who hosts a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's" on a Christian TV network. NBC last week was forced to pull its highly touted new show "The Book of Daniel" because of charges its portrayal of Jesus was blasphemous.
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NEW YORK - Al Lewis, the cigar-chomping patriarch of "The Munsters" whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom, died after years of failing health. He was 95.

Short Takes

2006-02-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

AUSTIN, Texas - Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow have split, the couple announced in a joint statement Friday night. The seven-time Tour de France champion and the rock star announced their engagement in September. It would have been her first marriage and his second. He has three children from a previous marriage.
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A clean and sober Courtney Love is ready to roll. And rock. The widow of Nirvana icon Kurt Cobain told a Los Angeles court Friday, per reports, that she "feel[s] great," is spending her days playing guitar, and has "put a very gnarly drug problem behind [her]."
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The not-so-simple life of Paris Hilton has hit another bump in the road. Phoenix-based broker David Hans Schmidt, known as the "Sultan of Sleaze" due to his ties to the celebrity porn industry, has announced plans to auction off a slew of the hotel heiress' possessions for the bargain price of $20 million.

The items in question, including clothing, furniture, computers, personal journals, photos and videotapes, were stored by Hilton in a Los Angeles storage unit while she was in the process of moving from one house to another.
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Paging the producers of Casino Royale: We think we found your next Bond babe. Lee Tamahori, the New Zealand filmmaker best known taking the directing reins on the last 007 adventure, Die Another Day, is facing prostitution charges after dressing as a woman and allegedly approaching an undercover police and offering to perform a sex act for cash.

Best In Show This Weekend

2006-02-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

My Best In Show This Weekend On Networks and Cable:

Friday- Fox- 8 PM. EST- Bernie Mac Show -This is the 100th episode. New neighbor introduces Bernie to the world of Bar Mitzvah.

Friday-TNT-8 PM-The Fifth Element-250 years in the future, life as we know it is threatened by the arrival of Evil. Only the fifth element (Milla Jovovich) can stop the Evil from extinguishing life, as it tries to do every 5,000 years. She is helped by ex-soldier, current-cab-driver, Corben Dallas (Bruce Willis), who is, in turn, helped by Prince/Arsenio clone, Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker). Unfortunately, Evil is being assisted by Mr. Zorg (Gary Oldman), who seeks to profit from the chaos that Evil will bring, and his alien mercenaries.

Friday-Comedy Central-1 AM EST- The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson- This is the hottest roast ever and it is uncensored. You have to see it to believe it.

Friday-Discovery Channel- 8 PM EST- Grizzly-Get an inside look at the life of Timothy Treadwell, as documented by filmmaker, Werner Herzog. Treadwell spent 13 summers in Alaska living with grizzly bears. He spoke their language, knew their moods, and survived unarmed among them.

Friday-USA Network-10 PM- Monk- The most compulsive obsessive ex-cop you will ever see.

Saturday-ESPN-8 PM-40 Things You Didn't Know About The Super Bowl.

Saturday- CBS- 8 PM EST- The Super Bowl is one of the most watched television programs of the year, but the game isn't the only attraction. What would the Super Bowl be without the creative ad spots? Jim Nantz hosts this special counting down the Top 40 Super Bowl commercials of all-time.

Saturday-NBC-11:30 PM EST- Saturday Night Live- Steve Martin with musical guest Prince.

Sunday-ESPN-11 AM-4:30 PM- Super Bowl Pre-Game Show.

Sunday-ABC-6 EST- The big daddy of them all. The Super Bowl. What else needs to be said?

Madonna Meets Gorrillaz

2006-02-03T04:33:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - The Grammy Awards will open with a meeting of the Material Girl and the virtual world. Madonna and the Gorillaz will perform together for the first time at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be presented Wednesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 47-year-old pop star will sing with the Gorillaz, who will be appearing in 3-D animated color. The brainchild of Blur frontman Damon Albarn, the Gorillaz are a melding of rock and hip-hop that represents band members as cartoon alter-egos created by animator Jamie Hewlett.

Grizzly Man on Discovery Channel

2006-02-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Timothy Treadwell, tireless and passionate advocate for grizzly bears, was killed in October 2003 by the beast he so fervently adored and tried to protect. His remains, along with those of his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were discovered near their campsite in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve. They had been mauled and devoured by a grizzly, the first known victims of a bear attack in the park. The bear suspected of the killings was later shot by park officials.

Director Werner Herzog's film uses Treadwell's own startling documentary footage to paint a nuanced portrait of this complex and compelling figure while exploring larger questions about the uneasy relationship between man and nature. Discovery Docs, Discovery Channel's theatrical documentary unit, has partnered with Lions Gate Entertainment's new feature-length documentary unit to co-produce Grizzly Man .

It premieres on Discovery Channel on Friday, Feb 3, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and encores on Saturday, Feb 4, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Free Preview

Britney Hit The Books

2006-02-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

Apparently Britney is not only honing her acting talents but in the past also honed her oral skills. The sexy pop star Spears has reportedly mastered the art of giving oral sex, thanks to a little help from 'Sex And The City' star Kim Cattrall. Britney, is said to have learned the art of fellatio after reading sex manual 'Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm',written by Kim.

Kong Lands With A Thud

2006-02-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

With all the hype of the movie King Kong ,it only garnered four Oscar nominations. All of those were in the technical categories.
King Kong Trailer

Dancing With The Stars

2006-02-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

ABC-TV has a program,Dancing With the Stars, that pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers who teach the celebrities dance steps. Although I am tired of so called reality shows, this kept my attention. The dancers are graceful and the judges comments are pretty tough. The judges give Simon Cowell a run for his money.

China Cancels Release of Geisha

2006-02-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK- The Chinese government canceled the release of "Memoirs of a Geisha" a decision made amid speculation that officials are worried the sight of Chinese actresses playing Japanese geishas would stir a backlash.

The film originally was cleared for distribution on Feb. 9, but the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV reversed itself over the weekend, a U.S. film industry official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release that information.

The official reasons weren't immediately clear, and Chinese authorities couldn't be reached because offices were closed for a national holiday.