MGM Theater Trailer Will Push Bond DVD

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - MGM is bringing "Die Another Day" back to theaters this May. Kind of.

Audiences who sit down to watch this summer's "2 Fast 2 Furious," "The Matrix Reloaded" and "X-Men 2" will see a new trailer for "Die Another Day," the most recent 007 outing that grossed $160 million in the United States.

But this time, the studio will be promoting the June 3 DVD release.

The 30-second trailer will be tailored to moviegoers at more than 900 theaters nationwide. MGM's deal for the unique promotion targeting other movies with similar demographic appeal was struck with Regal Cinemas nationwide and NCN, a company that provides pre-feature ads to multiple theaters in the top 14 markets, including the AMC and Pacific chains.

Other movies to which the trailer will be attached are "Daddy Daycare," "Bruce Almighty" and "The Italian Job."

The double-disc "Die Another Day" should easily become the top-selling 007 movie on the DVD format because that market has grown significantly since the last Bond movie, "The World Is Not Enough," was released three years ago.

But it will not have the kind of overall opening-weekend unit sales and revenue numbers of some of the biggest titles in recent months, such as "Spider-Man" and "Monsters, Inc.," as MGM continues to introduce the VHS versions of the 007 movies as rentals before repricing them to be purchased on videocassette months later.

Like all the 007 DVDs, "Die Another Day" will be loaded with seven hours of extras, including the first audio commentary by the actor playing Bond. Pierce Brosnan teams with co-star Rosamund Pike for his audio track, while director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael G. Wilson also will provide an audio commentary.

In other DVD news, DreamWorks has slated May 6 as the DVD release date for "Catch Me if You Can."

The film's retro-style opening credit sequences are emulated in customized menus for each of the many extra features on the two-disc set.

Co-star Leonardo DiCaprio talks extensively about his approach to the con artist character of Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who is also profiled separately in a featurette. The FBI's real-life investigation is chronicled as well.

Also announced this week for DVD release are Focus Features' "Far From Heaven" through Universal, set for April 1, and Warner's "Two Weeks Notice," slated for April 29.

'Late Show' Host Letterman Diagnosed with Shingles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The eye infection that sidelined late-night television host David Letterman for most of this week was brought on by a case of shingles, a viral infection related to chickenpox, his doctor said on Thursday.

Actor Bruce Willis filled in as host of the CBS "Late Show" on Wednesday, while tennis legend John McEnroe and Regis Philbin from the morning show "Live! With Regis and Kelly" assumed guest-host duties for Thursday and Friday's shows.

The "Late Show" was already scheduled to be on a production hiatus next week, but it was not immediately clear whether Letterman would be ready to return the week after next.

When "Late Show" producers first revealed Wednesday that Letterman would miss that day's taping due to an eye infection, they had said repeats of earlier broadcasts would air Thursday and Friday. Letterman's absence this week was his first since his recovery from open-heart surgery in early 2000, when he missed several weeks of shows.

Before then, Letterman, 55, had never missed an appearance in his more than 20 years of late-night television.

A statement issued by Letterman's production company quoted the comedian's physician, Dr. Louis Aronne, as saying, "Dave is on his way to a full recovery."

Shingles is a viral infection of the nerve roots that typically results in pain and rash. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and occurs as a result of reactivation, possibly through physical or emotional stress, of the virus in a person who has already had chickenpox.

Playboy Is Looking For 'The Women of Starbucks'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lattes aren't the only steamy things at Starbucks these days. Much to the chagrin of Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., Playboy Magazine has issued an alert: "Calling all coffee-making cuties!" to pose nude for an upcoming issue featuring the "Women of Starbucks."

With the application process already percolating, the chain of more than 6,200 coffee shops worldwide, is anything but thrilled with the cattle call by the adult magazine to its coffee-making employees, known as baristas.

The company on Thursday offered a frosty statement: "Starbucks Coffee Company is aware that Playboy Enterprises has issued a call for entries for a 'Women of Starbucks' section in a future magazine. Starbucks is not affiliated with this project and does not endorse it. All further inquiries should be directed to the contact at Playboy, Theresa Hennessey."

Hennessey, at Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s Chicago headquarters, said the magazine was already getting a lot submissions for the issue. "Starbucks is such a big part of American pop culture, and Playboy is always trying to stay on top of the latest trend so it seemed like a natural fit, especially with all the beautiful women there," she said.

Hennessey said that while Playboy had not approached Starbucks beforehand, it was sensitive to copyright and trademark issues.

FAIR USE, FAIR PLAY, FAIR PLAYBOY

"However we use or title the piece, we'll be using it within the boundaries of fair use of trademark law. By saying 'Women of Starbucks,' that's using it an a descriptive manner within the boundaries of fair use," she said.

"If the girls want to submit their photos and want to do something in their off time, they should be able to do that."

The application deadline is April 1 for a publication date likely before the end of 2003.

"The photo department will sift through the applications and will narrow it down and try to see who would be the best representatives to put in a pictorial. Typically we have about 10 to 15 women for a themed pictorial in an issue," she said.

In recent years, Playboy has scored big with other corporate-themed pictorials such as "The Women of Enron," as well as 7-Eleven.

BAWA WAWA'S WESTS

Renée Zellweger, Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore lined up for this year's 22nd annual Academy Awards edition of The Barbara Walters Special, set to air at 7 p.m. on March 23 before the Oscars.

DREW CARREY Shuffled to Summer

Due to ratings struggles on Friday night, ABC has pulled THE DREW CARREY SHOW. They will resume new episodes in the summer.

Nicholson, Pacino Join STUCK ON YOU

Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino have joined the cast of the Farrelly Brother's STUCK ON YOU, starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear and Cher. In the film, Damon and Kinnear play conjoined twins. One of the pair wants to be a famous actor, and he has to convince his other half to go along with him to Hollywood. Once there, they are cast in a tv show starring an unhappy actress (Cher).

No Hartnett For SUPERMAN V

According to Warner Bros., Josh Hartnett has passed on the chance to play Superman in whatever sequel is coming. Warner has announced that their next three top choices are Brendan Frasier, Paul Walker and Matthew Bomer (ALL MY CHILDREN). Screen test deals are currently being negotiated for the three and Warner hopes to do so next week. Warner has said they are not looking for someone that looks like Superman or even can act well; they're looking for someone to sign a three-picture deal.

Bruce Springsteen Hits TV & Concert Stage On Friday

The hour-long Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band special airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday (February 28) on CBS--the same night the group's tour resumes in Duluth, Georgia. The broadcast, taken from a show in Barcelona last October, will feature a number of songs from The Rising, including the title track, "Lonesome Day," "You're Missing," and "Waiting On A Sunny Day," as well as older material such as "Darkness On The Edge Of Town."

E Street Band guitarist Little Steven said that Bruce Springsteen and company were very pleased with how the show--which was originally broadcast live in Europe--turned out. "It was, you know, one of the most extraordinary audiences in the world, and it was just one of those freaky things where you do a great show the same night as you're doing a live broadcast--usually that doesn't happen," Little Steven said. "You know, you'll do a good show with a live broadcast, or with a film crew there, you know, but they're never...You know, very rarely are they great, for some reason, but this was an exception to the rule. This was...Everything came together."

Little Steven added that he's also anxious for American viewers to get a look at the exuberance of the European audiences. "It's different, man," Little Steven said. "The audience is different, the vibe is different, it's...You know, it's cool. I mean, there's something different about it that I think American audiences would love to get a chance to see actually, you know--get a taste of that European audience."

Little Steven previously described the Barcelona audience as being "berserk."

Springsteen and the band will play in the U.S. until March 11, and then tour Australia, Canada, and Europe before returning home for summer dates.

'Sexist' Thong Ad Withdrawn

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's tourist board has temporarily withdrawn an ad showing a woman's half-naked bottom marked by the suntan outline of a thong with the slogan "Spain marks," after a deluge of complaints that it was sexist.

The ad was pulled after protests by political and women's groups, a spokeswoman for the tourist board Turespana said. A meeting of regional government and tourist authorities will decide whether the poster should be banned altogether.

"We asked the Women's Institute what they thought, and they said it was positive, not sexist. In fact, there is also a version in which a man appears, so it is a balanced campaign," the Turespana spokeswoman said.

Spain's Women's Institute is a department of the Social Affairs Ministry. But other women's' groups were not impressed.

"This resorts to the figure of a semi-naked woman as a tourist attraction, which is pitiful and it seems like we're taking a step backwards," said Micaela Navarro, responsible for equality issues at the main opposition Socialist party.

Tourism is Spain's biggest industry, accounting for more than one tenth of its economy. The "Spain marks" campaign has already been launched internationally, with a series of different photographs deemed to cause less offence.

'Buffy' Series to End After Seven Seasons

NEW YORK - Stick a stake in it: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is done.

After seven years, the series will be over at the end of this season, said its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"'Buffy,' in this incarnation, is over," Gellar told Entertainment Weekly magazine for its March 7 issue, her eyes welling with tears.

The series will wrap up with a five-part story, which will include the return of Faith, the bad-girl slayer, and Buffy's first love, Angel.

"We're gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar said. "It's going to be pretty spectacular."

But the show may come back to life in some form: Its creator, Joss Whedon, is planning a spin-off that may include some "Buffy" cast members. It will be pitched first to UPN, "Buffy's" home for the past two seasons; for five seasons before that, it was on the WB.

Gellar, 25, gained fame on the cult hit as Buffy Summers, a perky high school student burdened with the responsibility of killing vampires in the seemingly idyllic town of Sunnydale, Calif.

Last summer, she co-starred with Freddie Prinze Jr., who's now her real-life husband, in a live-action movie version of "Scooby-Doo." A sequel is scheduled for release in March 2004.

'Mr. Rogers' dies of cancer at 74

PITTSBURGH -- Fred Rogers, who gently invited millions of children to be his neighbour as host of the public television show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" for more than 30 years, died of cancer early Thursday. He was 74.

Rogers died at his Pittsburgh home, said family spokesman David Newell, who played Mr. McFeely on the show. Rogers had been diagnosed with stomach cancer sometime after the holidays, Newell said.

"He was so genuinely, genuinely kind, a wonderful person," Newell said. "His mission was to work with families and children for television. ... That was his passion, his mission, and he did it from day one."

From 1968 to 2000, Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister, produced the show at Pittsburgh public television station WQED. The final new episode, which was taped in December 2000, aired in August 2001, though PBS affiliates continued to air back episodes.

Rogers composed his own songs for the show and began each episode in a set made to look like a comfortable living room, singing "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood," as he donned sneakers and a zip-up cardigan.

"I have really never considered myself a TV star," Rogers said in a 1995 interview. "I always thought I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit."

His message remained simple: telling his viewers to love themselves and others. On each show, he would take his audience on a magical trolley ride into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, where his puppet creations would interact with each other and adults.

Rogers did much of the puppet work and voices himself. He also studied early childhood development at the University of Pittsburgh and consulted with an expert there over the years.

"He was certainly a perfectionist. There was a lot more to Fred than I think many of us saw," said Joe Negri, a guitarist who on the show played the royal handyman in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and owner of "Negri's Music Shop."

Negri said Rogers refused to accept shoddy ad-libbing by guests who may have thought they could slack off during a kid's show.

But Rogers could also enjoy taping as if he were a child himself, Negri recalled. Once, he said, the two of them fell into laughter because of the difficulty they had putting up a tent on the show.

Rogers taught children how to share, deal with anger and even why they shouldn't fear the bathtub by assuring them they'll never go down the drain.
During the Persian Gulf War, Rogers told youngsters that "all children shall be well taken care of in this neighborhood and beyond -- in times of war and in times of peace," and he asked parents to promise their children they would always be safe.

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility," he said in 1994. "It's easy to say 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.'

"Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes."

Rogers came out of broadcasting retirement last year to record public service announcements for the Public Broadcasting Service telling parents how to help their children deal with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"If they see the tragedy replayed on television, they might think it's happening at that moment," he said.

Rogers' show won four Emmy Awards, plus one for lifetime achievement. He was given a George Foster Peabody Award in 1993, "in recognition of 25 years of beautiful days in the neighborhood."

At a ceremony marking the show's 25th anniversary that year, Rogers said, "It's not the honors and not the titles and not the power that is of ultimate importance. It's what resides inside."

The show's ratings peaked in 1985-86 when about 8 percent of all U.S. households with televisions tuned in. By the 1999-2000 season, viewership had dropped to about 2.7 percent, or 3.6 million people.

As other children's programming opted for slick action cartoons, Rogers stayed the same and stuck to his soothing message.

Off the set, Rogers was much like his television persona. He swam daily, read voraciously and listened to Beethoven. He once volunteered at a state prison in Pittsburgh and helped set up a playroom there for children visiting their parents.
One of Rogers' red sweaters hangs in the Smithsonian Institution.

Rogers was born in Latrobe, 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Early in his career, Rogers was an unseen puppeteer in "The Children's Corner," a local show he helped launch at WQED in 1954. In seven years of unscripted, live television, he developed many of the puppets used in his later show, including King Friday XIII and Curious X the Owl.

He was ordained in 1963 with a charge to continue his work with children and families through television. That same year, Rogers accepted an offer to develop "Misterogers," his own 15-minute show, for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

He brought the show back to Pittsburgh in 1966, incorporating segments of the CBC show into a new series distributed by the Eastern Educational Network to cities including Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.

In 1968, "Misterogers' Neighborhood" (the spelling changed later) began distribution across the country through National Educational Television, which later became the Public Broadcasting Service.

Rogers' gentle manner was the butt of some comedians. Eddie Murphy parodied him on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1980s with his "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," a routine Rogers found funny and affectionate.

Rogers is survived by his wife, Joanne, a concert pianist; two sons; and two grandsons.

Key events in the life of Fred Rogers:

March 20, 1928: Fred Rogers is born in Latrobe, Pa.

1954: Rogers introduces The Children's Corner, a children's show in Pittsburgh where he works as an unseen puppeteer.

February 1968: Misterrogers begins broadcasting.

1985-86: Ratings peak for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, as eight per cent of all U.S. households tune in.

1991: During the Persian Gulf War, Rogers tells youngsters, "All children shall be well taken care of in this neighbourhood and beyond -- in times of war and in times of peace," and asks parents to promise their children they will always be safe.

1993: At a ceremony marking the show's 25th anniversary, Rogers says, "It's not the honours and not the titles and not the power that is of ultimate importance. It's what resides inside."

December 2000: Rogers tapes the show's final episode.

August 2001: Final episode airs.

September 2002: Rogers comes out of broadcasting retirement to record public service announcements telling parents how to help their children deal with the Sept. 11 attacks anniversary.

Feb. 27, 2003: Rogers dies of stomach cancer.

He will be missed!

ANOTHER YEAR FOR '24,' 'ALIAS'

TWO of TV's biggest cult hits, "Alias" and "24" will both be back next fall.

ABC and Fox announced yesterday that the two shows will be returning, although there had been some doubt about the fate of the spy thrillers which havwe garnered some of TV's most passionate fans.

Fox entertainment president Gail Berman would not confirm that "24" star Keifer Sutherland would return however, apparently to protect the secrecy of what happens in the show's final episode later this year.

?!?!?

Final Rush?

Rush will make its first, and likely only, public appearance of 2003 tomorrow when the legendary rock trio is inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.

The presentation takes place during a closed gala ceremony during the Canadian Music Industry Awards at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle hotel.

The distinction between this Hall of Fame award and the one received at the 1994 Juno Awards is the qualifier "industry." Over the past 35 years, Rush has become more than a band; it has become an industry, a business.

"I hadn't thought about it in that light, but obviously we've become some kind of institution in this country," muses bassist/singer Geddy Lee.

Rush is the second band, following the Guess Who, to join such movers and shakers in the Canadian Industry Hall of Fame as retailer Sam "The Record Man" Sniderman, and concert promoter Donald Tarlton (aka Donald K. Donald).

Rush's Lee, drummer/lyricist Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson have released 22 albums, which have worldwide sales of over 35 million. They own eight Juno Awards, a Lifetime Achievement award from the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, and are Officers of the Order of Canada.

"It's a compliment," Lee says of receiving such awards. "It's recognition of what you like to consider a worthwhile life, especially for a band that's been around as long as we have. It's nice to be reminded that the industry, in particular, doesn't take it for granted."

Who could take for granted a band that returns after a five-year absence (following the tragic deaths of drummer Neil Peart's daughter in a car accident and wife from cancer) with a new studio album, Vapor Trails, and what turned out to be one of the top 20 highest-grossing tours of 2002?

The band played 63 shows in 62 North American cities to some 600,000 fans. "There was a renewed energy in the way we approached our live performances," says Lifeson.

What the future holds for Rush after such a successful comeback is anyone's guess -- even the band's. There's the brand new The Spirit Of Radio: Greatest Hits: 1974 - 1987, and a still untitled DVD, made up of footage from the band's first tour of Brazil, slated for a spring release. But a new studio album?

"This year, I plan to be with my family," says Lee, "do a lot of travelling, focus on my life outside of music, which I've been neglecting the past four years. I'm sure at some point I'll start getting itchy to do some work. I don't know what form that will take, whether it will be band work or work on my own, but this year I'm just going to try and take a break."

Lifeson says he plans to do some production or another solo album. He expects to get together with Lee later in the year to do "some casual writing" with a view to start working on an album in 2004, followed by a tour, but then he reconsiders.

"At this stage in our lives, it meant so much for us to get out on the road and play this tour and we felt so good about it, in some ways. If it were to end now I would feel that there was some kind of closure, that we went through a rough period and did it great one more time," he says. "So the door goes two ways at this point. Either we dive into the next project in a year and repeat the whole thing, or we just find that we've had our fill and move on."

Marvel sues Sony over 'Spider-Man'

HOLLYWOOD, California (Variety) -- Marvel Enterprises set the gears in motion Tuesday to sue Sony Pictures Entertainment over the Spider-Man character. Marvel asked that the filing be sealed from public view under the terms of a contractual provision.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Marvel said the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court involves its Spider-Man licensing agreement with Sony, whose Columbia Pictures division released last year's blockbuster film based on Marvel's web-slinging comic book hero.

The release goes on to say that the suit is not an attempt to stop production of the "Spider-Man" sequel slated for 2004 or to alter any of the merchandising or licensing deals that are in place.

Marvel's release cites contractual provisions as the reason for filing the suit under seal. In such a filing, there is no public record of the lawsuit being filed or the contents of the suit.

Filing under seal for a least a brief period -- 30 to 60 days -- in not unusual. California law, however, contains a strong presumption that court files are public, and filings under seal can be challenged.

Technically, Marvel filed a motion to file its complaint under seal; when the motion is heard, the public has an opportunity to challenge the sealing.

The stated purpose of Marvel's release is to inform investors that it does not foresee any negative impact from the litigation. Without the release, there would be no public record of the litigation.

Litigation is a way of life for Spider-Man. Sony grabbed the rights to the superhero in 1999 at the culmination of a six-year litigation.

Marvel initially licensed Spider-Man to Carolco and James Cameron wrote a treatment. After Carolco's bankruptcy, Sony, Viacom and MGM all claimed they owned a piece of Spider-Man. After a loss at trial by Viacom and a settlement with MGM, Sony made a deal with Marvel and emerged the winner of the Spider-Man wars.

Fox Greenlights DAREDEVIL 2, ELEKTRA

20th Century Fox has announced official plans to make sequel to the hit movie DAREDEVIL, as well as a spinoff based on the character of Elektra. Jennifer Garner, who played Elektra in Daredevil, will star in the spinoff, picking up from where character's story left off in DAREDEVIL. Garner will also play Elektra in DAREDEVIL 2.

Harry Potter Author to Cast Spell Over 'Simpsons'

LONDON (Reuters) - The creator of Harry Potter, the world's most popular boy wizard, is set to cast a spell over cult U.S. cartoon show "The Simpsons," her spokeswoman said Wednesday.

J.K. Rowling will bring a touch of magic to the animated sitcom about the dysfunctional family by appearing as herself in an episode set in England.

"I can confirm that she did a voice-over for 'The Simpsons,"' the spokeswoman told Reuters.

In the episode, Rowling will meet beer-guzzling Homer Simpson and his family when they visit England to find a girl with whom Grandpa Simpson had a wartime fling.

"'The Simpsons' bump into J.K. Rowling outside a bookshop and they talk all about Harry Potter," Don Payne, executive producer of the cult cartoon told the Sun newspaper.

The episode will also feature "Lord of the Rings" star Sir Ian McKellen, the paper said.

The family go to see him perform the Shakespeare play "Macbeth," but bring him bad luck by saying the play's name aloud -- in defiance of a well-known theatrical superstition.

This leads to the actor being hit by scaffolding and then struck by lightning.

Rowling, who has sold millions of Harry Potter books around the world, joins dozens of stars from Paul McCartney to Dustin Hoffman who have lent their voices to the show.

Bruce Willis Hosts 'Late Show,' Letterman Out Sick

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Bruce Willis filled in as host of the CBS "Late Show" on Wednesday in place of David Letterman, who was sidelined by an eye infection, producers of the program said.

It was Letterman's first absence since his recovery from open-heart surgery in early 2000, when he missed several weeks of shows, then alternated with a series of guest hosts for a few weeks.

Before then, Letterman, 55, had never missed an appearance in his more than 20 years of late-night television.

A statement released by Letterman's production company quoted the comedian's physician, Dr. Louis Aronne, as saying, "Dave has an infection of his right eye. It's under treatment and we expect a full recovery."

Willis already was scheduled to appear as a guest on Wednesday's show, along with CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, just back from his exclusive interview with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Also appearing were actress Carmen Electra and singer John Mayer.

"Late Show" episodes scheduled to air on Thursday and Friday will be replaced with repeats, and, as previously scheduled, the show will be dark the week of March 3, producers said.

Letterman's eye was visibly puffy during Tuesday night's broadcast.

"I look like somebody gave me a beating," he remarked on the show. "It's either an irritation, inflammation or infection ... For the love of God, does it hurt?!"

Letterman was first sidelined from his show undergoing bypass heart surgery on Jan. 14, 2000. CBS ran repeats of the show for the next three weeks, followed by a series of taped "Late Show Backstage" telecasts, with frequent guests showing clips of their favorite moments from the program.

Letterman returned part time on Feb. 21 of that year, then alternated for a few weeks with a series of guest hosts, including Bill Cosby, Nathan Lane, and David Brenner, before coming back full time the week of March 27.

Lennox To 'Bare' Self On New Album, Tour

Annie Lennox will release a new album, "Bare," June 10 in the U.S. via J Records (a day earlier internationally through BMG). "The songs are gorgeously lush, elegant, and eloquent," is how Billboard's Melinda Newman described the music after hearing the material last year.

The album was recorded in London and produced by long-time collaborator Steve Lipson (Cher, Pet Shop Boys), who has described "Bare" as a "truly career defining album. Her best yet." Among the songs included are "Pavement Cracks," "The Hurting Time," and "The Saddest Song." A single has not yet been determined, according to a J Records spokesperson.

Lennox will precede the release with about a month of North American tour dates starting at the end of March. A management representative says that the tour will visit only small theaters, "making it a very intimate evening with Annie Lennox." There will be no opening act on the tour.

Currently, only four dates are confirmed. U.S. shows in Miami (March 26), Tampa, Fla. (March 28), and Atlanta (March 30) will go on sale Friday (Feb. 28) via Ticketmaster. A Toronto date (April 4) will go on sale the same day through Ticketmaster Canada. A May date in Zurich is also confirmed; further dates are expected soon.

Fans will be able to keep up with Lennox's travels and information on the new album through a new Web site that is in the midst of being established, according to management.

Lennox last toured in 1999 with Dave Stewart as the Eurythmics. That run came in support of the act's "Peace" (Arista). She has only played a handful of shows as a solo artist, with no full scale tours to support either of her two previous releases, 1995's "Medusa" and 1992's "Diva."

"That was all because of my babies," Lennox said in her Billboard Century Award interview. "We did a few appearances. At one point, I'd been away from my daughter for about a week, and it was disastrous. I felt like part of my body had been cut off and was on the other side of the world -- I couldn't bear it... I just never want to be away from my kids like that. It's not healthy."

Both "Medusa" and "Diva" were released through BMG-associated Arista in the U.S., where Lennox thrived under label head Clive Davis. The move to J Records reunites her with Davis, who established the label after exiting Arista in 2000. Following BMG's November purchase of his 50% stake in the label, he was named chairman of the company's RCA Records Group, which holds the J label under its umbrella.

"Medusa" debuted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.8 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. An album of covers, it is best remembered for the ballad "No More 'I Love You's" (originally recorded by U.K. band the Lover Speaks), which reached No. 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and No. 23 on the Hot 100.

"Diva" reached No. 23 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 2.6 million copies. That set spawned the hit singles "Walking on Broken Glass" (No. 6 AC, No. 7 Modern Rock, No. 14 Hot 100) and "Why" (No. 6 AC, No. 12 Modern Rock, No. 34 Hot 100).

Here are Annie Lennox's confirmed tour dates:

March 26: Miami (Gusman Cultural Center)
March 28: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Theatre)
March 30: Atlanta (Woodruff Arts Center)
April 4: Toronto (Toronto Centre for the Arts)
May 23: Zurich (Kongresshaus)

Bye Bye Robbie!

Rob Lowe returns to The West Wing (NBC, 9 p.m. ET/PT) in what's being billed as his farewell performance. Lowe has been much missed, so let's hope it's not too late for all concerned to change their minds.

Hello Saddam

CBS is scheduled to air Dan Rather's interview with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The interview will run in a special edition of 60 Minutes II (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Nicole Kidman News

SEXY COUPLE: Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt in talks to star in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, an action-adventure flick following a bored married couple who discover they are enemy assassins hired to kill each other. Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) will direct.

TWITCHING HER NOSE: Nora Ephron coming aboard to pen and possibly direct the feature version of the 1960s sitcom Bewitched, with Kidman set to star.

MSNBC Axes Phil Donahue's Talk Show

NEW YORK - MSNBC fired Phil Donahue on Tuesday, abruptly ending the veteran talk show host's return to television after six months of poor ratings.

Donahue's final show will be Friday night. The news show that precedes him on the air, "Countdown: Iraq," temporarily will be expanded to two hours to replace him.

"We're proud of the program and we're disappointed that the show was not able to attract the viewership we had hoped for and expected," said Erik Sorenson, MSNBC president. "We thank Phil and his staff for their dedication, commitment and passion."

Donahue's office referred calls to his agent on Thursday, and he did not immediately return a call for comment.

The move was not a surprise. MSNBC hoped "Donahue" would provide a liberal counterweight to Fox News Channel's competing "The O'Reilly Factor," but the ratings started poorly and didn't improve.

MSNBC tried to tweak the show in November, putting Donahue in front of a live audience in New York instead of in a New Jersey studio, but it made little difference.

The political talk show format has yet to prove — and may never — that it can support a liberal voice, said Andrew Tyndall, head of ADT Research, a television news consulting firm.

Donahue's chances weren't helped by MSNBC's impatience, he said.

"They're very quick to cancel shows," Tyndall said. "Right from the start, they haven't settled on a format and let it grow so people can find it. If it's not working in a few months, they cancel it and move on to something else."

MSNBC also has sought a younger audience than its cable news rivals and the hiring of Donahue, 67, went against that strategy. "Anyone who's under 25 doesn't remember when his old talk show was on the air," Tyndall said.

During this month, a "sweeps" month in which ratings are watched closely to set advertising rates, "Donahue" averaged 446,000 viewers. O'Reilly drew 2.7 million viewers, up 28 percent from February 2002, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Connie Chung's CNN show that debuted shortly before "Donahue" averaged 985,000 viewers this month, Nielsen said.

"Countdown: Iraq," with Lester Holt as host, is one of the network's few success stories, occasionally inching past CNN to second in the cable news ratings.

Donahue was a nine-time Daytime Emmy winner for his syndicated talk show, which began in 1967 and aired nationally from 1970 to 1996, paving the way for dozens of such shows to follow.

He began his MSNBC show July 15 with a panel discussion on whether the United States should try to oust Saddam Hussein. On Monday night, with Rosie O'Donnell as guest, they talked about the same topic.

The show's failure is "a footnote" to Donahue's career, Tyndall said. "His legacy is unharmed," he said. "He invented an entire genre of television."

Not Surprisingly, Actor Robert Blake Proclaims Innocence

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Robert Blake says he did not kill his wife and believes that God will make sure he is cleared, but he also says he does not worry about his upcoming trial because he is already "a dead man."

Blake, who on Wednesday faces a preliminary hearing that will determine if he must stand trial on murder charges, proclaimed his innocence during an interview on ABC's "20/20" program that is scheduled for broadcast on Wednesday night.

"Of course I'm innocent," Blake told television personality Barbara Walters during the interview, which was conducted last week at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.

"No, I'm not going to be found guilty," the "Baretta" star responded when asked if he would be convicted. "Why? It's real simple. Because God has never, ever deserted me. Can't say I haven't deserted Him from time to time."

Bonny Lee Bakley was found shot to death on May 4, 2001 while sitting in Blake's car not far from a restaurant where the couple had dinner. Blake had gone back into the restaurant to retrieve a gun that he left there.

But Blake, who would face a life prison term if he is found guilty, says he is not concerned about that possibility.

"What do I care?" Blake said. "How do you kill a dead man? What are they gonna do to me that they haven't done already? They took away my entire past. They took away my entire future. What's left ... to take? They gonna take my testicles and make earrings out of them?"

WANTS TO CLEAR NAME FOR DAUGHTER'S SAKE

The 69-year-old actor, best known for playing detective Tony Baretta on the 1970s television drama, also offered his theory about who killed his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, on May 4, 2001.

Blake said Bakley, who has been portrayed by defense attorneys as a grifter who bilked men with "lonely hearts" letters, was probably slain by one of her victims.

"In my heart I believe that some man maybe 10, 15, maybe 20 years ago -- because she used to get married to them ... I think she destroyed a lot of lives," he said. "And I think one life she destroyed saw her on television ... Because we got engaged and it was in all the newspapers."

Blake added that he used to see strange people "hanging around" his house and that one of them followed him and Bakley when they went to dinner on the night of the murder.

Blake also said during the interview that he wants to clear his name for the sake of his young daughter, Rosie, and says he does not expect to last long if kept behind bars.

"I'm not going to last another year," he said. "I'm 70 years old. Things happen to old people. They get aneurysms, they get strokes, they get heart attacks."

Blake, a former child actor who starred in the "Our Gang" comedies, has also appeared in dozens of movies, including 1967's "In Cold Blood," based on the Truman Capote book of the same name, in which he portrayed one of two men who murdered a Kansas family and were hanged for their crime.

My Big Fat TV debut

Nia's sitcom impresses but the true test comes Sunday

After raking in more than $250 million US at the box office with movie hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it's time to see if her TV marriage is going to work similar ratings magic. The debut episode of My Big Fat Greek Life on CBS and Global last night was a promising start.

With a lead-in from Everybody Loves Raymond, the premiere courted comparisons to CBS's most successful sitcom when newlyweds Nia and Thomas Miller agreed to move into a house across the street from her buttinsky clan's restaurant, the Dancing Zorba. But the true popularity test comes this Sunday when the show settles into its regular CBS timeslot opposite perennial favourites The Simpsons.

The series is set shortly after the wedding, with the former Nia Portokalos (Vardalos) and teacher Thomas (Steven Eckholdt) returning from a honeymoon in Greece with plans to set boundaries with her parents Gus and Maria (Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan) and an extended family that includes Nia's chesty cousin Nicky, short-order cook brother Nick, outrageous aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and an assortment of cousins, uncles and grandparents.

But Nia's family hijacked the pair at the airport, where Nia explained her marriage with "non-Greek" Thomas to a fellow traveller, quipping, "It'd make a good movie."

SLIGHTLY MORE HIP

Once home, the first order of business for Maria and Voula -- after asking if Nia was pregnant yet after her 10-day vacation -- was to inform Thomas, "now that the honeymoon is over, remember it's not all about your pleasure." So much for boundaries.

Accompanied by a laughtrack, the comedy is more broad on TV than in the movie, which earned Vardalos an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay, and Nia is slightly more hip. But she's as likable on the small screen as on the big one, which is a big fat plus for this show.

'N Sync singer star Joey Fatone guests as Nia's cousin Angelo this Sunday, when she learns her parents plan to leave the Dancing Zorba to her in their will.

RADIOHEAD Release Date Announced

RADIOHEAD will reportedly release their next album during the 2nd week of June. Currently being recorded in Los Angeles, the "Amnesiac" follow-up is expected to be titled either "2+2=5," or "Are You Listening."

Grammy has a Jones for Norah, but will it be a jinx?

By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

Norah Jones' five-for-five Grammy sweep may include a booby prize.

The jazz-pop chanteuse, 23, took three of the four top categories Sunday: best new artist, album and record. Best song went to Jesse Harris for writing Jones' hit, Don't Know Why, from debut Come Away With Me, which accounted for an extraordinary eight trophies.

History casts a pall over Jones' triumph. Among new artists, she's eclipsed only by Christopher Cross, who took all four top slots in 1980 and then promptly faded, as did Grammy-showered newcomers Hootie & The Blowfish and Tracy Chapman.

Will Jones succumb to the new-artist curse? Past winners Mariah Carey, LeAnn Rimes and Sheryl Crow didn't. But in Grammy physics, a sky-high victory often portends a backlash. Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker dubbed her "terribly over-rewarded."

Jones' defeat of legend Bruce Springsteen "could lead to critical resentment," says Grammy historian Paul Grein. "I'm sure there were people in her camp who were thinking, 'Uh-oh.' She might have been better off if Bruce had won best album."

Come Away has sold 3.5 million copies and could steamroll toward 10 million, "making this album that much harder to follow," Grein says. "I hope it doesn't bury her. She's already shown she can defy odds, so maybe she'll find a way to break the Grammy jinx."

Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts, says Jones could follow the trajectory of Bonnie Raitt or Tina Turner, whose Grammy bonanzas yielded enduring boosts in stature and sales clout.

In addition to boosting sales of her Nick of Time album, Raitt's 1989 coronation "set up the rest of her career," Mayfield says.

Jones' motherlode probably will spark a sales spike for Come Away, which is No. 3 in Billboard this week. Santana's eight-Grammy jackpot in 2000 triggered a 166% jump for Supernatural the next week.

"People will plunk down money this week to find out what the fuss is about," Mayfield says. Longer-term success "will depend on what she comes up with next, which would have been scrutinized anyway. ... It's refreshing to see this quiet little record that didn't fit any format find an audience."

That audience grew with Sunday's 24.9 million Grammy viewers. She'll gain more exposure with today's release of DVD Norah Jones Live in New Orleans, tonight's performance on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman and a U.S. tour that kicks off June 6.

Jones, who was weaned on jazz and blues, grew up in Texas with her mother, a nurse. She recently reconciled with her father, sitarist Ravi Shankar, after a lengthy estrangement. Blue Note signed her in early 2001.

"I didn't expect this," she said, holding an armload of statuettes backstage. "Nor did I need it."

If Grammy gold turns into a career millstone, she could be right.

Kiss Says Pyrotechnics Are Here to Stay

NEWARK, N.J. - Pyrotechnics have become as much a part of rock concerts as guitars and drums, and will continue to be used despite last week's deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire, according to a rock band known for its fiery displays.

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss, which has built stage shows around pyrotechnics for 30 years, said the displays are fine for large arenas or outdoor shows, but can be deadly in small clubs.

They say the key is having bands and venue owners agree beforehand on exactly what can be used onstage.

Onstage sparkler fountains at a Great White concert in West Warwick, R.I., ignited the small club Thursday night, killing 97 fans and injuring more than 180 others.

"People want a thrill, people love spectacle and people love to be entertained," Stanley, Kiss' lead singer, told The Associated Press. "That's why people go to horror movies, why they go on roller coasters, and why a band like us has been able to be around as long as we have.

"But you have to be extremely careful with anything that has to do with fire," he added.

Bassist Simmons, who accidentally has set his hair ablaze a half-dozen times while breathing fire onstage, said he "would no more ban pyrotechnics at rock concerts than I would on the Fourth of July."

"It's all about full disclosure," Simmons said. "The venue has to know what it's buying."

That has emerged as a central question in the Rhode Island fire. Great White claims it had permission to use pyrotechnics inside The Station, but club management denies it. Fire officials said the required permits were not obtained, and would have been denied had they been sought.

Ex-Heartbreakers Bassist Dead at 47 - Report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock musician Howie Epstein, bassist for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers for 20 years until ousted from the band last May, has died in a New Mexico hospital, Billboard magazine's Web site reported on Tuesday.

Epstein, who was 47, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the veteran rock band in 2001. He had battled legal and drug problems in recent years.

Although the cause of the musician's death on Sunday night was not immediately known, a female companion who took Epstein to a Santa Fe hospital told authorities he had been using heroin and also had been taking prescription antibiotics for an illness, according to Billboard.com.

"We are deeply saddened at the news of Howie's passing," the online report quoted Petty & the Heartbreakers as saying in a statement. "It's difficult to put into words how much we loved him and will miss him. The world has lost a great talent and a kind ... soul. We can only take solace in knowing he is now at peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his many friends."

The veteran rock band fired Epstein in May of last year, citing his "ongoing personal problems," and he was replaced on tour by Ron Blair, the original band member Epstein subbed for in 1982.

Epstein and his then-girlfriend, Carlene Carter, daughter of country music icon June Carter Cash, were arrested in New Mexico in 2001 while driving a vehicle that was reportedly stolen. Inside, state troopers found three grams of black tar heroin and drug paraphernalia. Carter was charged with heroin possession, and both with receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, but the cases ultimately were dismissed.

Epstein, a Milwaukee native who previously played with John Hiatt and Del Shannon, joined the Heartbreakers in 1982. In addition to playing bass, he sang harmony.

In an interview with Reuters last fall, Petty said no one had heard from Epstein in many months.

New On DVD And Video Today

One of the best flicks of 2002 (Road To Perdition) bows at home today, as does one of the worst (The Tuxedo). There are other ones too.

UP FIRST, THE BIGGIES

Road To Perdition- A Mob hitman makes it personal when his family is murdered. (Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Jude Law)

The Tuxedo- A bumbling spy invents a suit that fights crime. (Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Isaacs)

Tuck Everlasting- A young women falls in love with an immortal. (Jonathan Jackson, Alexis Bledel, Ben Kingsley)

Knockaround Guys- Four mobster sons next job send them to Montana. (Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green)

HERE'S THE REST.

She's (Finally) Back!

The delicious DAMHNAIT DOYLE returns with a new collection of music today called "Dav-Net."

Check it out! For now, check her out!

Oh, there are some other things coming out today as well. Here's the list.

Welcome back, Dav!

Newton doomsday prophecy cited

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Sir Isaac Newton predicted the world would come to an end 57 years from now, a TV network says, based on a document unearthed from a Jerusalem archive by a Canadian researcher.

Newton's sombre prediction is part of the documentary Newton: The Dark Heretic. In a statement promoting the program, to be aired March 1, the British Broadcasting Corp. said it will show a handwritten Newton document predicting the end of the world in 2060, according to calculations he made based on the Bible.

The BBC said the document was found in a Newton collection in the Jewish National Library in Jerusalem.

Raphael Weiser, director of the library's manuscripts and archives department, said Sunday that Canadian academic Stephen Snobelen had worked extensively on its Newton collection and had brought a BBC camera crew with him, but Weiser said he had not seen whatever document the program intended to present as evidence.

"They came here two months ago with a researcher from Nova Scotia," Weiser said Sunday. "He found in one of our folios this note and they are going to show it on their program."

Snobelen, of the University of King's College in Halifax, could not be reached on Sunday.

Weiser said he could not confirm the manuscript's contents or authenticity until it is revealed in the BBC film.

"I didn't see it with my own eyes," he said. "When they show it on TV, we will see it."

Newton, who died in 1727, won immortality for formulating the law of gravity, but he was also a theologian who wrote well over a million words on biblical subjects and was influenced by Hebrew scripture, according to academic articles on his work.

The BBC statement said he studied the Bible for more than 50 years, trying to unravel what he believed were God's secret laws of the universe.

The Israeli daily Maariv said the documents now in Jerusalem were discovered in England at the home of the Duke of Portsmouth and put on sale at the London auction house, Sotheby's, in 1930.

The buyer, named by the paper as Abraham Yehuda, later donated the collection to the Jewish National Library, it said.

Weiser said the library has never fully examined its wealth of Newton manuscripts.

"We have thousands of volumes of Newton," he said. "We haven't researched it all."

Season Two Is Coming For You

You'll be happy to learn that Warner Bros has officially announced the DVD release of South Park: The Complete Second Season for June 2.

The 3-disc set will include all 18 second season episodes in the original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio. Extras will include documentary, interactive menus, music video and TV spot. Warner's spec list includes no mention of audio commentary tracks, so we're waiting for word from Comedy Central as to whether there will be separate audio commentary CDs as there were for Season One. Here's the cover art...

Foo Fighters Joined By Unknown Man In Grammy Acceptance

The Foo Fighters won the best hard rock performance Grammy, but the most interesting part of the honor came just after their name was called. While singer-guitarist Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins were at the podium making their acceptance speech, a large, unidentified man was standing behind them cracking his knuckles and waving to the audience.

As Grohl appeared to end his thank you speech, the man leaned into the microphone to comment.

"And rock would not be anything without B.B. King," the unknown man said. "Rock would be nothing without him. Thank you." Grohl responded, "I was gonna, I was gonna say that."

Backstage after the incident, Grohl and Hawkins were still perplexed about the interruption. "He just wanted to go to the bathroom, because after that whole schlemiel he stepped out in the backstage and said, 'I gotta take a piss.' That was it. I don't know," Grohl said about the unidentified man. Hawkins added, "Does anybody know who that dude was? No. I have no idea...Yeah, he's our DJ. He's our MC."

METAL MEMBER

Metallica announcing on Monday that they've selected Robert Trujillo, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, as the group's new bass player. Original bassist Jason Newsted left the metal band two years ago.

Shankar Thrilled With Jones' Grammy Wins

NEW DELHI, India - While Norah Jones' music is little known in most of India, her sweep at the Grammys brought a wave of pride and cheer to a home in southern New Delhi, where her father sat watching the awards ceremony.

Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, the 82-year-old sitarist who's India's best known musician.

"It was such a joy seeing Norah getting so many Grammy Awards. I knew even as a child how talented she was and it makes me so happy to see how she has charmed everyone to such an extent with her singing," Shankar said in a written statement to The Associated Press.

Shankar is a three-time Grammy winner. His other daughter, Anoushka Shankar, also had a nomination Sunday night for best world music album.

"Norah is my daughter but she grew up in America ... I cannot take any credit for the music that she has excelled in," Shankar told the Star News television channel. "Her base is Western, jazz and country music."

Beating crowd favorite Bruce Springsteen, the 23-year-old Jones earned five Grammys, including album and record of the year, and her disc "Come Away With Me" was responsible for eight trophies overall. Her disc has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide and become the talk of the music business.

"I am absolutely thrilled. I can't tell you how happy I am," he said. "I was fully confident that she would win at least five or six. But when she won eight, I was surprised and very happy."

Shankar said in a newspaper interview last month that he'd thought of composing a piece for both daughters to perform together.

"But I don't want to force it upon them," he told The Hindustan Times. "It would be wonderful if it happened."

Shankar has had an estranged relationship with his daughter and her mother, New York concert producer Sue Jones. For 10 years, Norah Jones had no contact with her father, but the two since have made peace. Shankar recently saw his daughter perform.

"We sort of reconnected before all this happened," Jones said in May. "Truth be told, I wouldn't have wanted him to come see me in a little bar where everyone was talking. I'm over everything, I don't resent him. I just don't want him to be the focus of all my press."

Virgin Records, which released Jones' album in India, said it was preparing for a sharp increase in sales after the Grammys sweep.

"We have been selling a good amount of her CDs and cassettes even before she won the Grammys. It has been among our top five albums last year," said T.V.N. Sridhar, who handles sales and marketing for Virgin in northern India. "But now the big boom has started."

CBS' Rather Lands Saddam Interview

NEW YORK - CBS News' Dan Rather said hard work and luck helped him land his interview with Saddam Hussein on Monday — the Iraqi leader's first interview with a foreign television journalist in 12 years.

CBS posted a report about the interview on its Web site Monday afternoon, saying Saddam has challenged President Bush to a live debate on their nations' differences.

It's the biggest interview "get" of the year in television news, one all the national news organizations had been seeking. Reached by telephone in Baghdad, Rather credited his executive producer, Jim Murphy, and foreign desk staffer Ana Real for their work in securing it.

"It was a lot of hard work, some team play and, yes, some luck," he said.

Rather reported on the interview Monday on the "CBS Evening News." But the first taped excerpts won't be seen until Tuesday morning. The full interview is to air in prime time Wednesday, on "60 Minutes II."

Rather has interviewed Saddam once before, in 1990. CBS News also ran excerpts earlier this month from Saddam's interview with Tony Benn, a retired British lawmaker who has become a peace activist.

The anchorman was in Iraq on Monday, hoping to secure the interview, and was told at 8 a.m. EST that Saddam was ready. After two hours spent going through security, Rather and Murphy met Saddam.

Rather said the fact of his previous Saddam interview probably helped him secure this one. Competitor Peter Jennings of ABC News also interviewed Saddam in 1990, while NBC's Tom Brokaw has not.

"We made a point of saying to him that we keep our word," Rather said. "We do what we say we will do and won't do what we say we won't do. They came out of that with the experience that we are who we say we are."

CBS acknowledged that former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who is prominent in the global anti-war movement and met with Saddam on Sunday, put in a good word for Rather in helping secure the interview.

Clark has known Rather for a long time, said CBS News spokeswoman Sandra Genelius. In a competitive situation seeking an interview, journalists call on many different resources, she said.

Rather did not anticipate any criticism from supporters of a potential war with Iraq who might be upset that he's talking with the nation's potential enemy.

"I'm a reporter," he said. "What reporters do is try to talk to everybody on all sides of the story. I don't know any journalist who wouldn't take this interview. If you do, have them call me, collect."

Day-Lewis Favorite to Scoop Oscar for Best Actor

LONDON (Reuters) - British actor Daniel Day-Lewis was tipped Monday as the favorite to win the Oscar for best actor following his success at Sunday's Bafta awards for his role in "Gangs of New York."

Leading British bookmaker Ladbrokes said Day-Lewis, who won best actor at the British film awards, has replaced former frontrunner Jack Nicholson as the clear favorite for the coveted award with odds of 10/11. Nicholson was nominated for his part in "About Schmidt."

Sunday's awards also confirmed Nicole Kidman's billing as the favorite for the best actress Oscar following her Bafta win for her role as tormented author Virginia Woolf in "The Hours."

"The significance of the Baftas as a form guide for the Oscar race has increased dramatically now that the British awards precede the Hollywood bonanza," Ladbrokes said in a statement.

"With that in mind Day-Lewis and Kidman are now strong fancies for the Oscars on March 23rd."

Day-Lewis, awarded an Oscar in 1989 for playing a disabled man in "My Left Foot," took five years out before starring in "Gangs of New York."

Set between 1846 and 1863, the film tells the story of the bloody gangs from downtown New York, a melting pot of immigrants, and their pitched battles to establish supremacy.

Kidman, who has yet to win an Oscar, was nominated last year for her role in the musical "Moulin Rouge."

The musical Chicago, starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, has remained the favorite to scoop the Oscar for best picture, despite being pipped by Roman Polanski's The Pianist for the Bafta Best Picture award.

Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hold its 75th annual awards show Sunday, March 23.

If You Liked BEST IN SHOW and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN

Here's A MIGHTY WIND

'Daredevil' Clings to Top Box-Office Spot

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Serious film proved no match for a daredevil and a big old frat party.

Ben Affleck's superhero adventure "Daredevil" remained the No. 1 movie for the second straight weekend with $18.9 million, pushing its 10-day total to $70.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Old School," starring former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Will Ferrell with Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson as thirtysomething partiers who form a college fraternity, debuted a close second with $17.5 million.

A rush of heavy new dramas had modest to weak openings. "The Life of David Gale," starring Kevin Spacey as a capital-punishment opponent who lands on death row, was No. 6 with $7.2 million.

The Civil War epic "Gods and Generals," featuring Robert Duvall in a follow-up to "Gettysburg," debuted at No. 8 with $4.8 million. "Dark Blue," with Kurt Russell and Ving Rhames in a police thriller set in the days leading up to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, opened in ninth place with $3.75 million.

Hollywood had a solid weekend overall, with the top 12 movies grossing $96.2 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend last year.

Among the new movies, "Old School" had a healthy $6,508 average in 2,689 theaters. "The Life of David Gale" averaged $3,580 in 2,002 cinemas, "Gods and Generals" did $3,115 in 1,533 theaters and "Dark Blue" managed just $1,723 in 2,176 locations.

Critics welcomed "Old School" as a lowbrow but fun successor to the campus classic "Animal House," with Ferrell earning high marks compared to other "Saturday Night Live" alumni, whose big-screen efforts often draw bad reviews.

Men made up 58 percent of the audience for "Old School," and 56 percent of viewers were younger than 25.

"The genius of the movie, if you can call it genius, is it had appeal across a pretty broad age range," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "You had older teens and twentysomethings interested, then you had thirtysomethings who wanted to see people they could relate to in this frat-house setting."

"Daredevil," based on the Marvel Comics character, is poised to become the first movie released in 2003 to top $100 million. The movie began with a largely male audience but drew solidly among women this past weekend, said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Daredevil."

"It's a legitimate across-the-board movie today," Snyder said.

The musical "Chicago" continued to trade on its leading 13 Academy Awards nominations, coming in at No. 5 with $8.5 million. Considered the front-runner to win best picture, "Chicago" pushed its two-month total to $94.4 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Daredevil," $18.9 million.
2. "Old School," $17.5 million.
3. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," $11.9 million.
4. "The Jungle Book 2," $8.6 million.
5. "Chicago," $8.5 million.
6. "The Life of David Gale," $7.2 million.
7. "Shanghai Knights," $6.4 million.
8. "Gods and Generals," $4.8 million.
9. "Dark Blue," $3.75 million.
10. "The Recruit," $3.5 million.

Once Again They Got It Wrong!

"Various Artists- O Brother Where Art Thou?" "Two Against Nature- Steely Dan." "Come Away With Me- Norah Jones."

What do these three discs have in common? They have all been unjustifiably named the best "Album Of The Year" over the past three years at The Grammy Awards. The latter defeated Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" just last night. Granted, I am a huge Springsteen fan, so I could see how you might think that I am biased towards The Boss.

Not true.

If Eminem or the Dixie Chicks, or even Nelly had won the award, I would have been fine. An argument could be made that all of those releases helped define the music world in 2002. But Norah Jones?!?!

Do you know anyone, and I include me in that list, do you know anyone who owns, loves or has even heard the disc? Yes, even I haven't heard the whole CD and I don't own a copy of the CD or even MP3's of the songs, save for the title track.

Yet Ms. Jones, in the same fashion as Steely Dan and the "O Brother Where Art Thou?", has now been recognized as THE Album Of The Year.

I am disgusted! If the Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences, the people who give out The Grammy Awards, don't soon completely revamp the way that they give out these Awards, I assure you that I will no longer care.

Can they afford to lose me, a serious music fan who always clears his schedule for Grammy night? Can they afford to see us longtime viewers and supporters walk away due to the idiotic way they dole out Awards? I'm sure they can.

But they can't afford to lose you, the casual music fan who tunes in if there is nothing else on.

So I implore you to stand up and be counted. Make the Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences accountible for their Awards. If they want us to recognize their selected item as "Album Of The Year", shouldn't they recognize an album that is refelctive of the year in question?

Can you, in any way, say that that album in 2002 was Norah Jones? And that isn't a rhetorical question.

Personally, I say "Come on up to 'The Rising'!"

PS- Even with my stance on the above issue, I will give the Grammy people major points for their tribute to the late, great Joe Strummer. Putting Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl and Little Steven together for a rousing rendition of "London Calling" was tremendous. It was a tribute worthy of the man who inspired it.

Norah Jones Sweeps Grammy Awards

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The soft, jazzy voice of Norah Jones inviting listeners to "Come Away With Me" swept up eight Grammy Awards at Sunday night's top music industry awards that were punctuated by a smattering of low key anti-war protests.

Jones, 23, nominated personally for five awards and tipped by many music critics to dominate the 45th annual Grammys, did just that by taking home the golden gramophone statuettes for Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Record of The Year for the single "Don't Know Why," Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Album.

"I can't believe this, I can't believe this. Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. This is freakin' me out," Jones, who wore a black dress, said on the Madison Square Garden stage after receiving the Record of the Year award from the famous singers.

Later, after receiving the coveted Album of the Year, the modest Jones said, "I just want to say that at a time when this world is very weird, I feel really blessed and really lucky to have had the year I've had. Thank you very much."

The number "Don't Know Why" from her debut album "Come Away With Me" won Song of the Year for songwriter Jesse Harris while the album collected Best Engineered Album, non-classical category and Producer of the Year, non-classical.

Jones outdid the critics' other top pick, veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen, who won three Grammys for his album "The Rising" influenced by the Sept. 11, 2001 hijacked plane attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, killing nearly 2,800 people.

The three-women country band Dixie Chicks won four Grammys for work on the album, "Home."

Jones is the daughter of Indian music master Ravi Shankar, 82, and former music promoter-turned nurse Sue Jones who were not married and split up before she was born. When she stood on stage to accept the first of her gold gramophone statuettes Sunday night, she thanked her mother but did not mention Shankar.

A few musicians made low-key statements or gestures opposing the U.S. buildup to the possible war on Iraq. The most pointed remarks were made by award presenters, rocker Fred Durst and Raitt.

"I don't know about you but I just really hope we are in agreeance (sic) that this war should go away as soon as possible," Durst said before presenting the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy to Foo Fighters.

Raitt, who joined Franklin to present the Record of the Year Grammy, said, "Enough about building a mystery, let's build some peace."

Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy winner Sheryl Crow sported a guitar strap with the words "No War" written on it and wore a large, silver peace sign on a necklace as she performed on stage during the show broadcast live by CBS.

THE RISING

In the pre-telecast segment the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences gave Springsteen, 53, three Grammys in rock categories for "The Rising," the first all-new recording with his famous E Street band since 1984.

Springsteen and the band performed a rousing version of "The Rising" during the awards ceremony.

The Springsteen album includes the track "Into the Fire," which he wrote after the Sept. 11 attacks. Another track was "My City of Ruins," an earlier song about down-on-its-luck Asbury Park, New Jersey, that the musician dedicated to New York after the attacks.

In another echo of the attacks on New York, country singer Alan Jackson's emotional "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" won in the category of Best Country tune.

Dixie Chicks won Grammys for Best Country Album for "Home" and Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, "Long Time Gone," and Best Country Instrumental Performance, "Lil' Jack Slade" and Best Recording Package on "Home" went to art director Kevin Reagan.

Dixie Chicks talked about how satisfying it was winning with the "Home" album, which they put together themselves.

"This is special," said lead singer Natalie Maines. "We feel we made this one by ourselves. We had no on else to answer to."

The Blues album called "Screamin' and Hollerin' The Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton" won three Grammys in the pre-telecast show -- Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album.

The Grammys returned to New York for the first time since 1998. The awards were moved to Los Angeles in 1999 after then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had a much-publicized dispute with Academy executives.

If you are interested, you'll find a complete list of the winners at the official Grammy website.

MUGGLE ALERT!

Warner Bros. finally confirming that actor Michael Gambon will take over the role of Professor Dumbledore for the late Richard Harris in the Harry Potter movies.

ACROSS THE POND

Roman Polanski's The Pianist winning honors for Best Picture and Best Director at the British Academy Awards Sunday. Nicole Kidman won Best Actress for The Hours and Daniel Day-Lewis was named Best Actor for Gangs of New York.

Nia Vardalos builds 'Big Fat Greek' franchise

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

A blockbuster movie can do amazing things for a stalled sitcom.
Nia Vardalos and Steven Eckholdt star as newlyweds in My Big Fat Greek Life.

CBS passed on Nia Vardalos' pilot about her raucous Greek family for last fall's schedule. But the mood changed when her $5 million film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, became the year's surprise hit and grossed more than $240 million.

"When the film crossed $120 million, they coincidentally picked up the phone and said, 'We're picking you up as a series,' " Vardalos says of My Big Fat Greek Life, which makes its debut tonight (9:30 ET/PT), then moves to Sundays (8 ET/PT).

In less than a year, Vardalos has gone from Hollywood hopeful to the real-life star of a Cinderella story more unlikely than that of her Wedding character, a mousy type who found love, pizazz and the backbone to stand up to her loving but domineering family.

"We're out on video. We're in theaters. And the TV show is premiering. It's just unheard of," Vardalos says of her Greek empire. "And really fun."

There's an Oscar nomination, too, for best original screenplay.

Vardalos, 40, a Winnipeg native and veteran of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe, remains stunned by the power of a short, family-oriented monologue. Inspired by her family and her husband, actor Ian Gomez, her piece grew into a screenplay and a one-woman show, produced with the simple goal of trying to attract a better agent. After Rita Wilson, an actress of Greek heritage, saw the show, she and her husband, Tom Hanks, shepherded the story onto the big screen. Both are involved in producing the series.

"I keep thinking I'll be able to catch my breath one of these days. One thing piles on the next. I have these moments, as if I've absorbed it all. Then I start to shiver. What happened?" says Vardalos, who also will star in the upcoming movie Connie and Carla Do L.A.

As star and co-executive producer of the TV show, with responsibility for its voice and tone, Vardalos hopes to remain faithful to the film while moving beyond it. To start, she wants to reduce the old-world feel, making the family less obstinate and shifting away from such themes as the father's idea that women shouldn't go to college.

The success of Wedding probably means many viewers will give Life a look. But Brad Grey, whose company is one of Life's producers, hopes the early spotlight doesn't lead to snap judgments.

"My experience is you don't find your footing for six to 13 shows," he says. "Hopefully, if given time, we'll find our way to an entertaining show."

In what might be a first for a movie turned sitcom, all but one member of the movie cast returns, including Portokalos family members Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Louis Mandylor and Gia Carides. The change is the spouse: Steven Eckholdt (It's Like, You Know ...) replaces John Corbett, who has his own series, Lucky, premiering on FX in April.

Eckholdt, a longtime friend of Vardalos', played the same part in the pilot and says the series has been more fun. "It just has a different vibe to it. It might be that it's the cast; there's a cohesiveness they bring with them."

Eckholdt doesn't feel like a stranger at the Wedding party, but he realizes his relationship with his on-screen Greek-American in-laws has to be laced with frustration. "There has to be that conflict in order to sustain it. A movie is a two-hour capsule. A TV series has to be there every week."

The presence of Eckholdt and the Wedding cast creates an instant comfort level for Vardalos on the set, but there have been adjustments and concessions. She didn't want a laugh track, but that sitcom staple will be there. The demands of a weekly series mean delegating writing duties.

On Wedding, "I had complete autonomy. No one touched a word of that screenplay but me," Vardalos says. "At CBS, they are very supportive, but I can't possibly write every episode. And yet these are characters I created, so no one knows them better than I do.

"It's a tough couple of first episodes, trying to keep characters' voices right, trying to keep jokes out of the script. It's a work in progress."

Marsh McCall, the day-to-day executive producer, is impressed by Vardalos' ability to jump from writing to rehearsing to editing. "She doesn't seem to need sleep," he says.

Even with non-stop work, the series could find crossover success elusive. For every M*A*S*H, there are plenty of duds, such as Working Girl and 9 to 5.

But Vardalos, who went from virtual anonymity to wealth and fame in less than a year, says she doesn't feel pressure.

"I'm a bit of a fearless idiot that way," she says. "I honestly think this whole experience is, 'Hey, I'll try it.' If it doesn't work, OK, I'll do something else."

Limp Bizkit Names New Album, Offers Track Online

Limp Bizkit has announced that Bipolar will be the title of its next studio album, due out May 13. None of the tracks to appear on Bipolar have been announced, but Limp Bizkit has posted a new song, titled "Just Drop Dead," on the band's official website.

In a written introduction to the song, frontman Fred Durst notes, "It's a crazy world we live in, and too many people can't be honest. Everything happens for a reason." Durst concludes, "This is raw, unmixed, and straight from the studio."

Durst reveals the inspiration for "Just Drop Dead" came from "someone who just shouldn't have crossed the line...Someone who thinks they can just get away with anything regardless of how bad the karma will be."

NUMBER ONE- A Generation’s Final Journey comes to DVD

The tenth and most recent Star Trek film Star Trek Nemesis is making its way to DVD as a special edition from Paramount Home Entertainment this May.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-E crew find themselves on a diplomatic mission to initiate peace with the Romulans. Learning that the Romulans have undergone a political upheaval and their new Praetor, Shinzon, wants to discuss a peace treaty with the Federation, Picard and his crew must investigate the situation and determine Shinzon's sincerity. But they learn that not only is the new Praetor not a Romulan at all but a native of Romulus' sister planet Remus, they also find that he is a human replica of Picard, originally bio-engineered by the Romulans to be substituted for the captain as a weapon against the Federation. Now, Picard and his crew must determine if the Romulans truly desire a peace treaty, or if they have other plans in mind.

The film will be available in both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen (a first for Trek DVDs) and carry sound in Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as English and French Dolby 2.0 Surround. Extras include seven deleted scenes an audio commentary by director Stuart Baird, four brand-new featurettes titled "New Frontiers: Stuart Baird on Directing Nemesis," "A Bold Vision of the Final Frontier," "A Star Trek Family's Final Journey" and "Red Alert! Shooting the Action of Nemesis" and a photo gallery. Streetdate is May 20th.

NUMBER TWO- Cheers!

In other Paramount news, wanna go where everybody knows your name? Now you can... again and again and again. On May 20th Paramount will debut Cheers: The Complete First Season. This 4-disc set features all the first season episodes presented in their original 4:3 full screen aspect ratios, plus a bar full of extras: The featurettes "Setting The Bar: A Conversation with Ted Danson," "Love At First Fight: Opposites Distract" and "Coach Ernie Pantusso's Rules of the Game," some "I'll Drink To That: Stormin' Norm-isms," and the trivia game "It's A Little Known Fact...".

NUMBER THREE- After Cheers!

How about Frasier: The Complete First Season, one of the few TV spin-offs to be as successful as the original? Paramount will also debut this 4-disc set on the 20th, with plenty of extras as well: audio commentary on the pilot episode by Peter Casey and David Lee, the featurettes "Behind The Couch: The Making Of Frasier" and "Frasier Crane's Apartment," and a trivia game. All 24 episodes are also presented in 4:3 full screen (the show didn't go HD until last year).

NUMBER FOUR- Stands with a fist

Just announced was a 3-disc set of Oscar winner Dances with Wolves, streeting on May 20th. Featuring the 236-minute extended version (the theatrical cut is not included) of the film presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround (no DTS option is included), the extras are plentiful: All-new, full-length audio commentaries with Kevin Costner and producer Jim Wilson, and on the second director of photography Dean Semler and editor Steve Potter, the new "Creation of an Epic" documentary, the original making-of featurette, the music video, a still montage with introduction by Ben Glass, a poster gallery, trailers, and TV spots.

NUMBER FIVE- A 'Back to the Future' Update

Rounding out today's news is an update on those corrected Back to the Future II and III discs, which should be available in the next month to consumers who called or wrote in to receive replacement discs. Repressed box sets should also be arriving in stores in March as well, but how to tell? Look for the packaging which will have a "V2" printed near the bottom of the bar code sticker, which indicates it has been remastered (these "V2" letters will also be printed on the discs themselves.) I you would like to get corrected versions of your current misframed BTTF set, just send back discs II and III (without the case) at the following address:

Back to the Future DVD Returns
PO Box 224468
Dallas, Texas 75260

Be sure to include your name, mailing address, a daytime phone number, and a return address. Good luck!

And you are now up to date on new DVD release news.

'NEVER BE KRAMER AGAIN'

Kramer is dead.

That's the word from Michael Richards, the loose-limbed actor who immortalized the character on "Seinfeld."

Richards, 53, now says he doesn't want anything to do with his famed alter-ego.

"I don't want to be Kramer anymore!" Richards declared in an interview with The Guardian newspaper of London. "He was nice for 10 years, but now I'm running away from him."

Richards last week made his London stage debut starring in a revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace" at the Strand Theatre.

The wire-haired actor formerly known as Cosmo is playing the role of Jonathan Brewster, the character played by Raymond Massey in director Frank Capra's famed 1944 movie starring Cary Grant.

Richards, who has rarely spoken publicly since the demise of his short-lived NBC sitcom "The Michael Richards Show" in 2000, said starring in his own show was a mistake.

"About three shows in, I thought, 'What am I doing?' " he said. " 'I just got off 10 years on a TV show. Why am I going back into this?' I was glad to get out!"

He doesn't miss "Seinfeld" at all, but values his fame from the show for the acting jobs it gets him today.

"Do I miss 'Seinfeld'? No!" he said. "It had a good run. And the popularity to me is only useful to the extent that it gets me work."

BNL helps out Waltons rocker

Barenaked Ladies' frontman Ed Robertson has little time for anything besides working on his band's new album and spending time with his family, but he did produce the solo debut from Jason Plumb, formerly of Saskachewan's The Waltons.

"I could only really do it for someone that I really know and love and respect," Robertson says of a possible sideline as a producer. "It requires so much of your time. I have three kids now and the band keeps me really busy, so to do that in my free time was hard for me."

He describes the album, for which he co-wrote a couple of songs with Plumb and produced it at Jeremy Darby's Canterbury Studios in Toronto, as "more rockin' maybe" than The Waltons.

Robertson has been a fan of Plumb's songwriting for years. The Waltons formed in 1987 and moved to Toronto in '91. The band's independent debut, Lik My Trakter, was released in '92.

"They were around before us, but we ended up being really fortunate," says Robertson. "We actually had them open for us on our first Canadian tour."

Robertson is now concentrating on finishing up the demos for Barenaked Ladies's follow-up to 2000's Maroon with bandmates Steven Page (vocals/guitar), Jim Creeggan (bass), Tyler Stewart (drums) and Kevin Hearn (keyboards).

"We're just at Kev's house (in Toronto), demoing on a Pro-Tools rig," says Robertson. "We're recording really hard right now, but we're not recording a record yet.

"For the first time, we've actually done some writing as a five-piece, which is new for us," he adds. "We just rented a rehearsal space in Toronto and showed up a couple of days a week and hammered stuff out. We've got some great stuff.

"We've written the most we've ever written for a record. It's really exciting. We start recording probably the last week of March. We've already got like 26 songs done. We want to make a 12 song record."

The band will decide on a producer in the next week. The album is due by year's end. No word on when Plumb's album will be released, but here's hoping that it hits the racks soon!

White Stripes Move Up Album Release Due To Internet Leaks

Internet leaks of its new album have forced White Stripes to change the release date for their forthcoming Elephant. Originally slated for April 15, Elephant will now come out on April 1 in the U.S., with the U.K. release a day earlier (March 31).

The group and its labels, Third Man/V2 in the U.S. and XL in Britain, took extreme measures to keep the album from being pirated, including pressing advance copies on vinyl only and making MP3 snippets of several tracks available at the White Stripes website. Despite such measures, the entire album has been made available on a variety of Internet sites.

The new release date now precedes the duo's tour of Britain, which kicks off April 7, while Elephant shows in the U.S. start in the Stripes' hometown of Detroit on April 15 at the Masonic Scottish Rite Theatre. More tour dates should be announced soon.

BIG FAT DVD SALES

My Big Fat Greek Wedding setting DVD sales record last week with 4 million discs sold in the first five days.

Molina in Spidey sequel

HOLLYWOOD, California (Variety) -- Actor Alfred Molina, who portrayed Mexican artist Diego Rivera in "Frida," has been cast in Columbia Pictures' upcoming

Molina will play Doc Ock, aka Dr. Otto Octavius, an atomic researcher who designs a chest harness with four artificial tentacle-like arms designed to enable him to manipulate radioactive substances from a safe distance.

The scientist is transformed into a supervillain by a freak lab accident that bombards him with radiation, bonding the harness to his skin and nervous system. Now criminally insane, Doc Ock can control his arms mentally rather than by mechanical controls.

Molina joins a cast that includes Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. Director Sam Raimi begins principal photography on "The Amazing Spider-Man" in April, with the film's release planned for next May.

Molina recently earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his portrayal of Diego Rivera in Julie Taymor's biographical film "Frida," starring Salma Hayek. He's also featured in Columbia's upcoming "Identity."

I Hate Those Ads!

A patron is suing a theatre chain for showing commercials.

Hey, can I get in on that?

Eminem, Coldplay Win at Brit Awards

LONDON - Singer Robbie Williams, R&B artist Ms. Dynamite and the alternative band Coldplay won honors as Britain's top musicians at the Brit Awards Thursday.

Two Americans — rapper Eminem and singer Pink — were named best international male and female solo artists in the British version of the U.S. Grammy Awards.

Ms. Dynamite, who emerged recently and has become one of the country's top music stars, also won best British urban act, and Coldplay got best British album for "A Rush Of Blood To The Head." Eminem won best international album for "The Eminem Show."

Ms. Dynamite performed a retooled version of George Michael's hit "Faith," with lyrics expressing opposition to a possible war in Iraq.

"We've been here before, talk of violence and talk of war. I don't wanna see children die no more, so I've gotta make a stand," she sang.

Williams, who first found fame with boy band Take That, was not at the awards show in west London but sent his thanks via video. He used the public platform to tell fans he was available, having recently split from his girlfriend.

"I'd like to thank the Brits for allowing me to put my lonely hearts message out there," he said.

Williams has sold nearly 10 million albums in Britain and has had a series of No. 1 hits, including "Millennium," "She's the One" and "Rock DJ."

Former Bee Gee Robin Gibb, at the ceremony as an award presenter, recalled his brother Maurice, who died last month at 53.

"My brother Maurice Gibb was a great British musician and a great British songwriter, and tonight I'm here in his honor," Robin Gibb said.

Tom Jones was honored for his "outstanding contribution to music." He dedicated the award to his parents and thanked his fans.

"I've been doing this now for 38, 39 years," he said. "I've enjoyed every moment of it and now this, after all these years, can you believe it?"

Other winners included the Red Hot Chili Peppers for best international group and Norah Jones for best international breakthrough artist.

Liberty X won best British single for "Just A Little," Blue won best pop act, the Sugababes won best British dance act, and Will Young was named best British breakthrough artist.

The Brit Awards are run by the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., an industry association.

Most winners are selected by a vote of more than 1,000 industry members, including representatives from record companies, the press, retailers, record producers, DJs and promoters.

Simon and Garfunkel Considering a Grammy Reunion

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have built a bridge over their troubled waters and may even sing at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in their first public performance together in 10 years.

A spokesman for Simon said the two -- who often had strained relations -- sang together in a private setting on Wednesday, uniting for the first time since 1993.

"They got together yesterday and had a wonderful time. They got together as two great old friends and sang for the first time since 1993. They're thinking of performing at the Grammys, but they're not sure if they have enough time," the spokesman said.

Sources close to the situation said the two were to meet the award show's writer-producer Ken Ehrlich on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, where rehearsals for the show were getting underway.

Neither Ehrlich or a spokesman for Cossette Production, the company producing the Grammys were available for comment.

Another source confirmed that managers for the artists, who have reunited only a few times since splitting up 33 years ago, have been discussing a public reunion at the Grammys.

Simon and Garfunkel, considered the most successful folk-rock duo of the 1960s for creating such enduring hits as "Sounds of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," will get a Lifetime Achievement Award this week from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the host of the Grammys.

The award, honoring their work, will be presented at a special pre-Grammy ceremony on Saturday night and will again be mentioned during the CBS telecast, beginning at 8 p.m.

"Art's really excited about getting the award with his friend," a spokesman for Garfunkel said.

NEW YORK THEME

Sunday's Grammy ceremony is the first to be held in New York since 1998 and is expected to focus around the theme of New York City, which is why an appearance by Simon and Garfunkel, both native New Yorkers, would be particularly poignant.

Other performances are expected by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, No Doubt, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, Eminem, Norah Jones and Avril Lavigne.

Simon and Garfunkel met as kids in the New York borough of Queens and released their first record in the late 1950s, calling themselves Tom & Jerry.

They scored a hit with their first single, "Hey Schoolgirl," but follow-up efforts floundered and they split up. They reteamed and released an initially unsuccessful debut acoustic album as Simon & Garfunkel in 1964 before splitting up again.

But a year later, their producer overlaid their strongest song, "Sounds Of Silence" with Beatles-style electric guitars and drums and it became a huge hit.

As their success grew, their partnership weakened with growing creative tensions, particularly as Simon, who penned most of the songs, began to feel constrained by working with the same collaborator and as Garfunkel began to feel overshadowed by Simon's songwriting talents.

They split around 1970 as their landmark album "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was released. They have reunited a few times since then, including in 1981 for a concert in New York's Central Park, attracting half a million people, and also toured in the early 1980s.

Coming Soon On DVD, FINALLY!!!

At long last for fans of incredible comedy, Warner Home Video will release the
entire run of The Ben Stiller Show on June 3rd.

OH YEAH, BABY!!

Starring Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick and Bob Odekirk, this mistreated Fox TV show remains a cult favorite, although it never quite became a ratings success. This two disc-set, which includes every episode presented in 4:3 full screen and Dolby 2.0 stereo, plus a featurette, interviews and promo spots. Retail is $34.95.

AWESOME!!!

PEACE ON EARTH

U2 frontman Bono placed on the short list of possible winners for this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts on behalf of AIDS-stricken Africa and other charitable causes.

ABC's Bachelorette Picks Poetic Fireman

NEW YORK - Roses are red, violets are blue, "The Bachelorette" is history, and Charlie is, too.

Proving a stuffed whale and treacly prose are the key to at least one girl's heart, television's most eligible bachelorette, Trista Rehn, fell for Ryan, the sensitive firefighter who tickled her fancy with poems.

Ryan Sutter, 27, of Vail, Colo., immediately dropped to his knees to ask the woman he'd known for six weeks to marry him. She said yes.

Hunk Charlie Maher was sent away, no doubt disappointing Rehn's star-struck family.

It was all the stuff of fairy tales, and ABC was certainly hoping Wednesday's last episode of "The Bachelorette" was a happy ending in the ratings, too.

The reality series has faded in appeal compared to Fox's juggernaut, "Joe Millionaire," which averaged nearly 35 million viewers Monday. But it still was ABC's most popular show last week. The network stretched the final episode of "The Bachelorette" to two hours, and it unfolded like a 500-page Hallmark card.

"The fact that I'm falling so hard for two guys at the same time is very stressful to me," said Rehn, the 29-year-old physical therapist and former Miami Heat cheerleader, setting up Wednesday's cliffhanger ending.

It was stressful for Sutter and Maher, too, who awkwardly tried to divine Rehn's true feelings between nuzzles and kisses.

One early hint it was a good night for Ryan: a quick camera shot showing her waking up clutching the stuffed whale he had bought for her earlier.

Rehn took both men home to meet the folks in St. Louis, the yellow leaves on trees a reminder that Wednesday's episode was filmed months ago. The handsome, easygoing Maher made Rehn's mother and stepmother swoon; they all but asked to watch when Maher said he occasionally clipped his chest hairs with a buzzer.

Sutter was more shy, but won points by privately asking Rehn's father if he could propose to his daughter.

Both men picked up sparkling engagement rings on Rehn's decision day, ready to spend the rest of their lives with a woman they'd courted on camera.

Tears dropped from Rehn's eyes when she informed Maher that her heart belonged to someone else. Driven away in a limousine, he said he felt like he'd been hit by a bus.

Instead, Sutter got the rose.

"This day is a day I dreamed about my entire life," she said. "I see smiles and laughter, I see babies and grandbabies, I see comfort and safety. I see me in a white dress and I see it with you."

Ryan replied that he loved Trista "with every ounce of who I am."

Time will tell if television's dating game will work. As Rehn moved inexorably toward her decision, ABC continually hyped Thursday's interview with the winning couple from last fall's "The Bachelor."

Their engagement is already on the rocks.

Country Performer Johnny Paycheck Dies at 64

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Johnny Paycheck, the carousing country music singer best remembered for his blue-collar anthem "Take This Job and Shove It," has died, the Grand Ole Opry said on Wednesday.

Paycheck, 64, died on Tuesday in a Georgia nursing home after a long battle with emphysema and related respiratory ailments, the NBC television station in Nashville reported.

His 1977 hit about a factory worker bent on revenge against his boss still resonates with listeners and continues to get radio play, especially on Friday afternoons.

But Paycheck's success was short-lived as he continued to wrestle with drugs and the law until he was imprisoned for two years in 1989 for wounding a man in a barroom fight.

After keeping a promise to clean up while in prison, Paycheck was finally offered membership in the Grand Ole Opry in 1997 and made a few appearances at the Nashville fixture before becoming too ill to perform.

"People still come to see me because they still remember me as that crazy, good-time-Charley honky-tonker. And I don't tell 'em any different," he said in a 1997 interview with the Nashville Tennessean newspaper.

He admitted to a lifetime of drug-taking and alcohol abuse in another interview with the newspaper.

Paycheck had nearly three-dozen hits, beginning with the hard-driving 1965 song "A-11." He earned two Grammy nominations during his career, the first in 1971 for the single "She's All I Got" and the second in 1978 for "Take This Job and Shove It."

He had a powerful, expressive voice, distinctive inflection and a knack for delivering solid country emotion.

His hits included "I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised," "He's in a Hurry (To Get Home to My Wife)," "and "If I'm Gonna Sink (I Might as Well Go to the Bottom)," which was the tentative title of his unfinished autobiography.

Born Donald Eugene Lytle in Greenfield, Ohio, he picked up a guitar at age 6, and was performing and traveling on his own by age 15.

He joined the Navy while underage, but was court-martialed and imprisoned for fracturing an officer's skull, the first of several tussles with the law.

He was fined for slandering an airline attendant and pleaded no contest to the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl -- though he later denied the assault ever happened.

He launched his career as a sideman to such stars as George Jones and Faron Young. He adopted the name Paycheck from a boxer.

Dr. Phil Lifts Letterman Over Leno

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Dr. Phil was a ratings elixir for David Letterman on Monday, as a guest appearance by the self-help guru boosted CBS entry "The Late Show" to its highest overnight rating in 17 months and its first victory over NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in three years.

According to Nielsen, Monday's "Late Show" netted a 6.3 household rating and 15 share in Nielsen's 55 metered markets, the program's best numbers on any night since Sept. 17, 2001 (its first telecast after 9/11), when it posted a 6.7/17.

It also marked a hefty 54 percent jump over Letterman's Monday average this season (4.1/10).

"Late Show" beat "Tonight" head-to-head (6.3/15 to 6.0/14) for the first time since Feb. 21, 2000 -- when Letterman returned after heart surgery (9.3/23). But Leno's ratings were up, too, as this was its best overnight score since Nov. 13, 2000.

Overall prime-time viewing levels were very high Monday, due in part to sweeps stunts and an East Coast blizzard.

Phil McGraw, host of hot syndicated series "Dr. Phil," had been the butt of numerous on-air Letterman jokes in recent months.

After "Late Show," the Craig Kilborn-hosted "Late Late Show" on CBS delivered a 2.2/8 in the overnights, its highest since Sept. 17, 2001.

TRAILER SMASH!

Sometimes, all you need to see is a movie's trailer - it's often better than the film itself.

Trailers are a $90 million-a-year industry in Hollywood, with their own production crews, their own release dates and now even their own awards show: The Golden Trailers, which will be handed out on March 13 in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Dennis Miller.

"Trailers are my favorite part of going to the movies," says Evelyn Brady, a former advertising executive who started the Golden Trailers four years ago.

"But the editors who work on these never get any credit. I wanted to shine the spotlight on them."

So give it up for the artists who snip and clip movies into memorable sound bites.

Remember the "Sweet Home Alabama" trailer - and Reese Witherspoon's great line, "Oh, you have a baby . . . in a bar?"

"I remember people rolling in the aisles at that," says People magazine senior editor Jess Cagle, one of this year's Golden Trailers judges.

" 'Sweet Home Alabama' was only a sort-of-funny movie, but the trailer was hilarious. And that can open a movie big."

Golden Trailer awards are divided into groups such as best action, best foreign, best drama and even trashiest.

Snob appeal gets no weight here: hence a film like "Bringing Down the House" gets a nod alongside "About Schmidt" for the best comedy trailer - as does the yet-to-be-released "Daddy Day Care," which doesn't exactly sound like Oscar material.

There's even an award saluting good trailers for not-so-good films. Nominees for the Golden Fleece trophy include "Final Destination 2," "The Hot Chick" and "Rollerball," widely considered one of the year's worst movies.

"There is so much riding on these," Brady says. "Studios are frantic to get them right."

Studios may commission as many as 16 different previews for a big blockbuster and spend as much as $600,000 on each of them.

Often, trailers are tailored to the audience that will see it - "one with fast cuts for the kids, another with romantic, gushy cuts for the women, and yet another with action cuts for the guys," Brady says.

"Gosford Park" is a good example: A sneak peek for female moviegoers played up the romance.

But to sell the film to teens and college students, quick-cut previews focused on Ryan Phillippe and a Rolls-Royce pulling up to the mansion - the car was even artificially sped up in the trailer, just for the MTV crowd.

Occasionally, promos will include footage that doesn't appear in the film.

The trailer for "Unfaithful," for instance, featured a scene in which a detective warned Richard Gere not to look to deeply into Diane Lane's affair.

"I want to know the truth!" Gere shouts. Not in the movie.

In "The Royal Tenenbaums" trailer, Gwyneth Paltrow's character wins a Pulitzer Prize. What Pulitzer?

Studios also test previews to death - and they've found that more is better when it comes to customer satisfaction.

"Test audiences often like trailers that tell the whole story, but that doesn't mean they want to see the movie," Brady says. "The best trailer whets the appetite."

Just as a winning trailer can help make a movie - a crummy one can kill it.

"Say you've got a trailer for a horror film, and the audience laughs at it," Brady says. "That's definitely a bad sign."

Meet The Hills This June

Finally making their DVD debut on June 24th, Hank, Peggy, Bobby and the rest of the King of the Hill gang will get The Complete First Season treatment from Fox Home Entertainment.

Each episode from the 1997-1998 season will come complete with a 4:3 full screen transfer, English, French and Spanish Dolby 2.0 surround tracks, and plenty of extras: audio commentary on select episodes (Pilot, The Order of the Straight Arrow, Hank's Unmentionable Problem, Westie Side Story, Shins of the Father, Plastic White Female, King of the Ant Hill and The Company Man), the featurettes "Becoming King of the Hill," "Mowing Lesson with Charlie," "The Do's and Don'ts of King of the Hill," "Dale's Conspiracies," and "Meet the Hills," no less than 75 deleted scenes, extended scenes, and an alternate ending to the series closer, a Barenaked Ladies music video, the main title with alternate music themes, 12 promo spots, and a special "Thank You from the Production."

Spice Girl Spokeswoman Denies Reunion

LONDON - Could a reunion be far behind? A spokeswoman for Posh Spice says all five former Spice Girls, Ginger, Baby, Sporty, Posh and Scary, are planning what she calls "a social get together" this week. But she denies that a comeback is in the cards, saying the women won't be discussing reunion plans.

This is the first time in five years that all five Spice Girls have gotten together. The group formed in 1994 and sold 35 million albums worldwide in four and a half years, according to their Web site. Some of their hits include "Wannabe," "Say You'll Be There" and "2 Become 1." The girlpower group also made a movie, "Spiceworld." Ginger Spice left the group in 1998. And the remaining four haven't recorded together since 2000.

Double Dose of Beatles for Fab Four Fans

LONDON (Reuters) - Beatles fans had two reasons to twist and shout on Tuesday with announcements of a Europe-wide tour by Paul McCartney and the release of a never-before seen video of three Beatles jamming together.

Fresh from a hugely popular North American tour, McCartney said he would kick-off his first British tour in 10 years in April, with gigs featuring 22 Beatles songs from "All My Loving" to "Let It Be."

His "Back In The World" series of marathon concerts -- each nearly three hours long -- will also hit European cities in France, Spain, Germany and Scandinavia.

"I had a lot of fun touring this show around America last year, but now I'm bringing it on home and that's special to me as I always look forward to playing to a home crowd," McCartney, 60, said in a statement.

"We'll be playing some of my Beatles stuff -- rather a lot of Beatles stuff, actually -- some Wings stuff and some more recent stuff, so basically the show pretty much spans my whole career," he added.

His sweep through Canada, the United States, Mexico and Japan last year broke sales records and was hailed by Billboard Magazine as the tour of the year.

For Beatles fans unable to get their hands on a concert ticket, a reunion performance by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison filmed in 1994 will be released on DVD in March.

The session was filmed at Harrison's studios at his mansion in Oxfordshire, England and is the only time the three played together after the Beatles split in 1970.

A small segment of the footage was featured in the 1996 Beatles Anthology Video.

John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment in December, 1980 and Harrison lost a battle with throat cancer in November, 2001.

More recently, McCartney has been involved in a dispute with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, after he reversed the credits on his latest album from the traditional "Lennon-McCartney" to "By Paul McCartney and John Lennon."

McCartney has said he was not worried about Ono's displeasure at the credit reversal and called the spat a "long-running and rather silly dispute."

'Joe Millionaire' Sums It Up

Evan and Zora may not have found love on Joe Millionaire, but they did find money.

As fans expected, Evan Marriott picked Zora over Sarah in Monday's extended finale of Fox's hit reality show, Joe Millionaire. After he told Zora he had lied to her about having $50 million and she told him she forgave him, and was actually happy that he didn't have the money, Joe revealed its final, long-promised twist. They were given a $1 million check in both their names, presented on a silver platter by the butler.

That makes them millionaires — if they stay together. Next week in a special detailing the show's aftermath, viewers find out if they did.

After more than an hour of recap Monday, Evan finally broke the news to Zora, telling her flatly, "I've chosen you." (Her response: "Are you serious?") He then owned up to the show's central ruse: "I don't have $50 million. I don't have $50,000. I'm sorry I lied to you." He asked an enigmatically calm Zora to give him her answer later that evening, then went to break the news to Sarah.

Though he said his time with her had been "really neat," he told Sarah she was not his pick, saying later that he feared she was more into Joe Millionaire than Evan Marriott. She was then reunited with the already rejected Melissa, and they had a laugh at Evan's expense, with Sarah calling him a "big loser without any money."

So, did Evan make the right choice? "Definitely," says Shannon Stewart, 34, of Norcross, Ga. "I have been a Zora fan since Day One." The pick didn't surprise her, but the twist with the money did.

Chris Johnson, 28, of Chillicothe, Ohio, had been a Melissa fan, but he switched to Zora. "This was kind of the ending I was hoping for. I wanted Zora, and I was kind of hoping the end would be them getting money themselves."

The two-hour special was the climax of a surprisingly successful run for Joe, which has averaged 20 million viewers since its Jan. 6 premiere. With much of the Northeast snowbound, Fox was hoping to top last week's 24 million peak, though the show did face stiffer-than-usual competition from NBC's two-hour Michael Jackson special and a repeat of ABC's interview with Jackson.