The Couch Potato Report - May 31st, 2005

This week The Couch Potato Report features TV on DVD!

All winter long many of us stay indoors to avoid the cold. A very popular companion while we are inside is the television.

As summer approaches and the weather continues to get nicer, many people turn their televisions off and head outside.

If you are one of those people, then I doubt you could call yourself a "couch potato."

Now, since this is "The Couch Potato Report" I don't have a list of things or activities you can do outside. No, my friend, I just have a series of things you can watch inside.

In fact, I have a series of series you can watch!

One of the greatest things about the DVD boom of recent years has been the amount of TV shows for years and eras gone by that are now available to own.

Some of the most watched programs of all time - such as I LOVE LUCY, THE SIMPSONS and SEINFELD are available. Some of the least popular shows of all time like SPORTS NIGHT, GET A LIFE, THE TICK and THE BEN STILLER SHOW are available.

And some shows that made a comfortable home in between are also now available on DVD.

From its debut in 1985 until it went off the air in 1989 MOONLIGHTING was a Top Ten show.

In my house during that time, it was Number One!

Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard starred in the very funny romantic comedy, yet interesting detective drama that was a mid-season replacement.

There were only six episodes in the first season, including the two-part pilot, but 18 were produced for the second.

Now, all 24 episodes from seasons 1 and 2 are available on DVD in a six-disc box set.

At its best MOONLIGHTING had witty wordplay, real chemistry between Willis and Shepherd and some good mysteries to boot.

I was and remain a huge fan of MOONLIGHTING and as I watched this box set I was surprised at how many things I say on a daily basis are direct quotes from the show.

MOONLIGHTING - SEASONS 1 AND 2 is a very welcome addition to my library!!

So is LAW & ORDER: THE THIRD YEAR.

Since LAW & ORDER - with its various incarnations and casts - is on TV at least two or three times every day, I had yet to bother with any of the DVD sets that have been released from the show.

But when I had the opportunity to pick up LAW & ORDER: THE THIRD YEAR, I jumped at the chance.

That is because this is the season that introduced Jerry Orbach as the cynical, wise-cracking Detective Lennie Briscoe.

Everyone who watches LAW & ORDER has their favourite characters and actors, Orbach is mine.

And since Orbach died last December, I really enjoyed seeing his work again!

Also, I think the writing and source material also got stronger during the third year of LAW & ORDER. Plus, they didn't win every case or solve every mystery.

I will always give more respect to shows that feature characters who don't always win then I will to shows that do.

The three-disc, 22 episode box set of LAW & ORDER - THE THIRD YEAR covers the 1992-1993 season and it also includes a five minute interview with Jerry Orbach and a six minute tribute to him from his fellow cast mates. It is a memorable tribute to a great actor.

His work in the 1999-2000 season of LAW & ORDER gave Orbach a third Emmy Award nomination -- his first as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

He lost to James Gandolfini for his work in THE SOPRANOS.

In 1984 the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series were:

John Forsythe for DYNASTY, Daniel J. Travanti, HILL STREET BLUES, Tom Selleck for MAGNUM, P.I. and William Daniels for ST. ELSEWHERE.

And the winner was Tom Selleck for MAGNUM, P.I.

Selleck's Emmy winning 1984 season of his hit show isn't out on DVD yet, but THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON is.

This four disc box set has all 18 episodes from the 1980-81 season plus four bonus episodes - the two "Simon & Simon" crossover shows and two 1984 episodes guest starring Sharon Stone.

MAGNUM, P.I. was a staple of Thursday night TV viewing from 1980 to 1988 because it had the right combination of smart and interesting scripts, beautiful locations and guest stars, and one Mr. Tom Selleck.

He is still regarded today by many as the only man who looks good in a mustache.

I must admit that I never watched MAGNUM, P.I. when it was originally on the air. I always watched THE COSBY SHOW and FAMILY TIES.

But over the years, I have watched the show in reruns and I really enjoyed this complete first season box set.

I also really enjoyed the friendships that Magnum and his friends T.C., Rick and Higgins share.

MAGNUM, P.I. is a great show and MAGNUM, P.I. - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON was fun to watch.

As I am speaking about these DVD box sets of old TV shows that are all now available on DVD I am going under the assumption that you have heard of them.

If you are a fan of any of the shows I mentioned, you know what they are about, and you don't need me to explain them.

For instance, if you enjoyed the show KNIGHT RIDER from 1982 to 1986 when it was on, you don't need me to tell you that the show was about a lone crimefighter who battles the forces of evil with the help of an indestructible and artificially intelligent supercar.

And you certainly don't need me to tell you that David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight before he went on to bigger successes as Mitch Buchannon on BAYWATCH.

So I won't tell you any of that.

I will just tell you that KNIGHT RIDER - SEASON ONE is a four-disc box set with all 22 episodes from the 1982-83 season and that KNIGHT RIDER - SEASON TWO is a three-disc set with all 21 second season episodes.

The final thing I will say about the show KNIGHT RIDER is I liked it when it was on, and I like it now!

All of the series I have been speaking about so far are ones that have entered the public consciousness and atone time during their run they were Top Ten shows.

The final series I am going to talk about this week differs from the others as it has never been a top ten show. In fact, during the season that is now available on DVD the show was ranked Number 26.

Like LAW & ORDER, LAS VEGAS is actually still in production and the show can be seen on Monday nights.

LAS VEGAS is a high polished, very fast paced show that revolves around the life and loves of a group of people at a fictional resort and casino in the titular town.

Hollywood legend James Caan from THE GODFATHER and MISERY leads the cast.

The very attractive cast!

LAS VEGAS might not be the best written show on TV, or DVD for that matter, but lead by Nikki Cox - the most beautiful woman on television - it sure is the prettiest, and that includes the men.

LAS VEGAS is a mix of eye candy, humor, and drama and its high pace is infectious.

The three-disc SEASON ONE UNCUT AND UNCENSORED DVD set features all 23 episodes from the 2003-04 season, several with unseen footage.

Enjoy! Unless you like to go outside when the weather warms up. But that is okay too! As long as you have a little couch potato in you, you are welcome here!

LAS VEGAS, KNIGHT RIDER, MAGNUM, P.I., LAW AND ORDER and MOONLIGHTING are all available now at a store near you.

COMING UP IN THREE WEEKS ON THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

The Extended Version of the classic Bill Murray film STRIPES has 18 minutes of extra footage, a one-hour documentary with interviews with the cast and a tribute to the late John Candy.

IN BE COOL hitman-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer gets into music. John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, but you will wish he didn't. Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn and The Rock also star.

BEYOND THE SEA is Kevin Spacey's biography of 1950s pop singer Bobby Darin and his wife. I say it is Spacey's as he co-wrote and directed it and he stars alongside Kate Bosworth and John Goodman.

In HITCH Will Smith plays a "Date Doctor" who has trouble landing the woman of his dreams. The very beautiful Eva Mendes is that woman.

Finally, the aforementioned Bruce Willis stars in the surprisingly entertaining action film HOSTAGE. He is a man who has to rescue a mob accountant that is being held captive in his fortified house.

I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on HOSTAGE, HITCH, BEYOND THE SEA, BE COOL and THE EXTENDED VERSION OF STRIPES, and some other releases, in twenty-one days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

All-star lineup unveiled for Live 8

LONDON (AP) -- London's Hyde Park, Circus Maximus in Rome and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are among the venues for Live 8, a series of concerts being organized by Bob Geldof, the driving force behind the 1985 Band Aid and Live Aid campaigns for African famine relief.

The July 2 concerts, which will be free, also will be held near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and in Paris. Performers will include Madonna, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran and Brian Wilson.

"We don't want people's money. We want them," Geldof told a news conference Tuesday. He said negotiations for the Paris venue were continuing.

Performers will include Elton John, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Madonna, McCartney, R.E.M., Sting and U2 in London; Will Smith, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Wonder, Jay-Z and P. Diddy in Philadelphia; Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Wilson in Berlin; Jamiroquai, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah and Craig David in Paris; and Faith Hill and Duran Duran in Rome.

The concerts are aimed at raising world awareness of poverty in Africa just days before G8 leaders meet in Britain.

Geldof said the G8 meeting provided a "unique opportunity for Britain to do something unparalleled in the world ... to tilt the world a little bit on its axis in favor of the poor."

John said he was "very proud to be involved."

"Now I'm fully aware of what's going on and seeing the injustices going on," John said. The 58-year-old pop star said he hadn't been mature enough to appreciate the last concert 20 years ago and its ramifications.

Geldof said that in the two decades since the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia, Africa had gone into economic decline.

"The result of that is we see people dying on TV screens every night," he said. "This is to finally, as much as we can, put a stop to that."

Live 8 is not going to be "gloomy and doomy," Geldof said, and is "not for charity but for political justice."

The concert in Philadelphia will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. John is set to headline an AIDS-relief concert for July 4 on the parkway. The site of the 1985 concert, JFK Stadium, was torn down to make way for an arena.

The June 13, 1985, concert in London took place at Wembley Stadium, which has also been demolished to make way for a new sports stadium. Fans enter a lottery by cell phone text message to obtain a ticket.

A look at the Live 8 concert lineups announced Tuesday by organizers:

LONDON:
Mariah Carey
Coldplay
Dido
Keane
Elton John
Annie Lennox
Paul McCartney
Muse
Razorlight
REM
Scissor Sisters
Snow Patrol
Stereophonics
Sting
Joss Stone
Robbie Williams
U2
Velvet Revolver
Bob Geldof
The Killers
Madonna
The Cure

BERLIN:
a-ha
Bap
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Lauryn Hill
Die Toten Hosen
Peter Maffay
Brian Wilson

PHILADELPHIA:
Will Smith (host)
Bon Jovi
Maroon 5
Dave Matthews Band
Sarah McLachlan
Rob Thomas
Keith Urban
Jay Z
Stevie Wonder
50 Cent
Kaiser Chiefs
P. Diddy

PARIS:
Andrea Bocelli
Craig David
Calo Gero
Jamiroquai
Kyo
Yannick Noah
Youssou N'Dour
Placebo
Axelle Red
Johnny Halliday
Manu Chao
Renaud

ROME:
Irene Grandi
Faith Hill
Jovanotti
Tim McGraw
Nek
Laura Pausini
Duran Duran
Vasco Rossi
Zucchero

LOSING COUNT ON 'THE 4400'

The future returns to haunt the past this week on the highly anticipated second season of "The 4400."

The USA Network series, which in just six episodes last summer became the breakout cable drama of the season, is finally back on Sunday at 9 p.m..

"It's a show that has sci-fi elements, but also relatable, human stories and characters that have problems that the average viewer can get behind," says Ira Steven Behr, the show's executive producer and one of its main writers.

"The 4400" of the title refers to the number of people who mysteriously disappeared over the course of about 50 years only to return to Earth all together on one night transported on a comet that turns into a big ball of light just before it lands.

None has aged a day since they were taken.

After spending months in a government quarantine, the 4400 are released back into the world. Many learn they have acquired superhuman powers and don't understand why. Some are alone, without relatives or friends because they've either died years before or moved on.

Of the 4,400, each episode has focused on the storylines of a handful of the returnees.

Among the important players are:

* Richard and Lily (played by Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Laura Allen), an interracial couple from different decades who met in quarantine and now have Isabelle, a mysterious baby.

* a spooky little girl with ESP named Maia.

* and a super-rich businessman who has appointed himself the spokesman for the 4400 and now started a quasi-religion around them.

Despite its record-shattering ratings, "The 4400" almost didn't come back this year because of angry network politics.

A dispute over rerun rights was eventually settled and Behr was given the green light to start working on new episodes.

"Once the smoke cleared and we were told the show would be back, it was just a matter of figuring out how big a hole they had dug for us," says Behr who was worried that there would not be enough time to write season two.

Most of the ideas for new season, he says, were thought up well before the show was renewed, over "pinball games" and walks on the Warner Bros. lot when he was working on another show.

Lucas, Spielberg OK 'Indy 4' script

The script approval for a fourth "Indiana Jones" film has cleared two major hurdles -- but still has one more to go.

Variety.com reports George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have given the green light to writer Jeff Nathanson's draft of "Indy 4," but star Harrison Ford, who has to give the thumbs up in order for the film to move forward, has yet to read the script.

Nathanson ("The Terminal," "Catch Me If You Can") took over the writing duties from Frank Darabont, ("The Shawshank Redemption," "Collateral") who had originally been brought in to script a concept the trio liked, but sources said Lucas was unhappy with the draft.

Scheduling the filming for "Indiana Jones 4" may hit a snag due to Spielberg's busy schedule -- he is heading to Europe to begin production on an untitled drama about the aftermath of the terrorist incidents at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and will follow it with a movie about Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Cival War, starring Liam Neeson.

Oasis, Aaliyah on 90s Box

Rhino set packs 130 ditties . . . and a few coffee beans

Rhino Records will release the seven-disc box set Whatever: The '90s Pop Culture Box on July 26th. The 130-song collection follows in the tradition of the label's Have a Nice Decade: The '70s Pop Culture Box (1998) and Like, Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box, Totally (2002).

Whatever captures last decade's diverse sounds, from MC Hammer's hip-hop novelty song "Can't Touch This," to lighter-flicking ballads like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train," to Moby's sample-drenched and commercial ready "Natural Blues."

The set also moves easily from international superstars to the relatively obscure with Oasis, Busta Rhymes, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Aaliyah and En Vogue appearing alongside the likes of Luscious Jackson, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland and the Flaming Lips.

And, of course, Sir Mix-a-Lot's cultural touchtone, the booty-shaking party staple "Baby Got Back," made the cut. "I was dating this girl -- she's the girl that's actually doing the 'Oh my god' part -- and she had a huge ass," the rapper told Rolling Stone of the song's inspiration. "Little tiny waist, just a Coke bottle body. And I always liked it . . . I wanted J. Lo before J. Lo was popular."

The box set's packaging will feature a clear plastic bag of coffee beans secured by a thermal sleeve as well as an eighty-four-page book with track-by-track commentary, photos and essays

'Wonderwall' tops best British song poll

LONDON (AP) — Britpop group Oasis' 1995 hit Wonderwall topped a radio station's poll of the best British songs of all time on Monday.

Listeners to Britain's Virgin Radio voted the anthem by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher's band their all time favorite British hit.

Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody came in second place and Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven placed third. Queen and the Beatles had the most entries of eight each in the poll of the best 100 songs, as voted by 8,300 listeners to the radio station.

Here are the Best British Songs, as voted by Virgin Radio listeners:

1. Oasis —Wonderwall

2. Queen —Bohemian Rhapsody

3. Led Zeppelin —Stairway to Heaven

4. The Beatles —Let It Be

5. John Lennon —Imagine

6. The Police —Every Breath You Take

7. The Jam —Going Underground

8. Verve —Bittersweet Symphony

9. Robbie Williams —Angels

10. The Stranglers —Golden Brown

Surfacing in time for summer

Summer brings breezier fare to the multiplex, from special-effects blockbusters to silly comedies and wholesome offerings aimed at families. And why shouldn't your DVD player get the same respite from the heavier fare of fall and winter?

USA TODAY has selected five movies with summer themes that get new treatment on DVD this season:

1. 'Jaws'

Why it says summer: This 1975 summer blockbuster was the first movie to gross more than $100 million. The hunt for the great white shark that terrorizes the resort town of Amity enlists a sailor, Quint (Robert Shaw), a police chief (Roy Scheider) and a scientist (Richard Dreyfuss). Plenty of beach scenes and jump-out-of-your-seat chills.

What's new: A 30th anniversary DVD arrives June 14 (Universal, $23, rated PG) with a new two-hour documentary, The Making of Jaws, and From the Set, a feature that has a previously unavailable interview with director Steven Spielberg. Also: a 60-page photo booklet.

2. 'Stripes'

Why it says summer: Released in the summer of 1981, this comedy about two down-on-their-luck friends who join the Army to get in shape secured ex-Saturday Night Live-r Bill Murray's status as a leading man.

What's new: It has been on DVD since 1998; an extended cut out June 7 (Sony, $20, rated R) has 18 minutes of new footage. A one-hour documentary includes interviews with the cast and a tribute to the late John Candy.

3. 'Father of the Bride'

Why it says summer: Got wedding issues? This remake of the 1950 Spencer Tracy-Elizabeth Taylor best-picture nominee should take your mind off of them for 105 minutes or so. Steve Martin is Dad, Diane Keaton is Mom and Kimberly Williams the bride. Martin Short is a fussy, funny wedding planner.

What's new: A 15th-anniversary edition out June 7 (Disney, $20, rated PG) includes Martin and Short interviewing each other.

4. 'The Sandlot'

Why it says summer: The 1993 Sandlot is a beloved tale of a new kid in town who makes friends on a pickup baseball team.

What's new: A direct-to-DVD sequel to the original film (Fox, in stores, $20, rated PG; with The Sandlot in a $25 double-pack), this is an updated take on the tale about baseball and a scary neighborhood dog that thwarts the kids. A special feature includes interviews with both casts and writer/director David M. Evans.

5. 'Summer Magic'

Why it says summer: Longing for the homey summertime films of days gone by? This oft-forgotten 1963 live-action Disney film will transport you back.

What's new: Just out on DVD (Disney, $20, rated G), the movie stars Hayley Mills — two years after appearing in the summer hit The Parent Trap— as a teenager whose family moves from Boston to the country. Burl Ives provides musical accompani- ment.

NEW CD RELEASES FOR MAY 31, 2005

Alio Die & Jack or Jive MEI-JYU (Projekt)

Autumn's Grey Solace Riverine (Projekt)

Better Than Ezra Before the Robots (Artemis)

Björk Army of Me (One Little Indian)

blink-182 Boxset (three CDs; interviews, audio biography and collectors' memorabilia) (Chrome Dreams)

Blowfly Fahrenheit 69 (Alternative Tentacles)

Peppino D'Agostino and Stef Burns Bayshore Road (Favored Nations)

Death in Vegas Satan's Circus (two CDs; new album and live greatest hits) (The LAB)

Electronicat Voodoo Man (Disko)

Four Tet Everything Ecstatic (Domino)

Connie Francis Sings the Standards - Live! (Artemis)

Glass Joe Glacious (Felonious)

Guru Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (7 Grand)

GWAR Live from Mt. Fuji (enhanced CD w/bonus tracks and video) (DRT Entertainment)

High & Mighty 12th Man (guests Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah and Princess Superstar) (Eastern Conference)

Hot Karl The Great Escape (guests MC Serch, Will.I.Am and 9th Wonder) (Headless Heroes)

The Hurt Process A Heartbeat Behind (Victory)

Kottonmouth Kings Kottonmouth Kings (guests Cypress Hill and Tech N9ne) (Suburban Noize)

Layzie Bone It's Not a Game (w/Snoop Dogg, Twista and more) (Cleopatra)

The Levellers Truth and Lies (Eagle Rock)

Lost Boyz Forever (updated versions of previously unreleased material; w/production by Erick Sermon) (Contango)

Malente Rip It Up (remix album) (Unique)

Maximo Park A Certain Trigger (Warp)

Meshuggah Catch 33 (Nuclear Blast)

Oasis Don't Believe the Truth (Epic)

Vidna Obmana Noise/Drone Anthology 1984-1989 (Projekt)

Oppera (w/singer Martika of "Toy Soldiers" fame) Oppera (Dunda Chief)

Sean Price (of Heltah Skeltah) Monkey Barz (w/members of Boot Camp Click) (Duck Down)

Shadow Gallery Room Five (InsideOut)

Sherwood Sing, but Keep Going (SideCho)

Smog A River Ain't Too Much to Love (Drag City)

Supagroup Rules (Foodchain)

Templars Out Remmer (Victory)

Thrones A Day Late, a Dollar Short (Southern Lord)

Tosca J.A.C. (!K7)

Twisted Tower Dire Crest of the Martyrs (Cleopatra)

XDoaneX West Coast Filmcore (Victory)

VA Clubber's Guide to Deep House (Cleopatra)

OST Rock School (documentary of students playing hits w/Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine, Billy Idol, Stewart Copeland and more) (Calvin)

DVD Made in Sheffield (documentary on early new wave scene; w/Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, ABC and more) (Plexifilm)

DVD Moog (documentary on inventor of modern synthesizer; w/performances by Stereolab, Rick Wakeman, Money Mark, Bernie Worrell and more) (Plexifilm)

DVD Chic Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)

DVD George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)

DVD Imperial Crowns Preachin' the Blues: Live! (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Ana Popovic Ana! (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Puddle of Mudd Live at the Key Club - Striking That Familiar Chord (from November 2004; w/bonus acoustic set) (Eagle Rock)

DVD Sadaharu New and Alternative Careers in Dance (two live 2004 concerts; w/music video and interviews) (Music Video Distributors)

RING AROUND THE SEQUEL

With no signs that the horror craze is abating, DreamWorks is moving forward on its third installment of "The Ring."

No writer has been hired, but producer Walter Parkes has confirmed that "Ring 3" is being developed and that the new film will be made on a smaller scale than the first two.

Those films, both of which starred Naomi Watts, were in the $60 million range.

The new "Ring" will be "by its very nature a small, intimate movie," Parkes said at a press junket for DreamWorks' summer tentpole "The Island."

The first "Ring," released in 2002, grossed $129 million domestically. "Ring 2," which unspooled earlier this year, took in $75 million.

Watts will likely not star this time around. Instead, pic will be told from the point of view of another character who also has the misfortune of sliding the infamous videotape into the VCR.

Or, who knows -- maybe this time DreamWorks will update to a DVD.

Patrick Stewart Rushed To Hospital with Chest Pains

Former Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart was rushed to the hospital yesterday after suffering chronic chest pains while shooting a new science fiction TV show. The 64-year-old halted filming of British miniseries Eleventh Hour and asked a crew member to take him to the Manchester Royal Infirmary, after suffering a heart scare. But doctors gave him an Electrocardiogram and concluded his heart was healthy, so he returned to the set three hours later. A spokeswoman for production company Granada TV says, "Patrick is absolutely fine and is back on set working." An insider adds, "Patrick has been working very hard in recent weeks, because the filming schedule is really tight. The director suggested he go for a check-up just in case."

Miss Canada Is Crowned 2005 Miss Universe

BANGKOK, Thailand - Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th annual pageant held in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The brunette from Toronto was chosen over Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria.

The two were among five contestants selected to answer questions onstage in the final round of the competition. The others were from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Glebova, 23, was asked what she considered the biggest challenge of her life. She said it was remaining optimistic.

"I always try to maintain a positive outlook on life," she said.

Earlier, the 12-judge panel narrowed the field of 81 contestants to 15, then 10 as the Miss Universe hopefuls modeled evening gowns and swimsuits.

During the event broadcast live, hosts introduced the contestants, judges and last year's winner, Australia's Jennifer Hawkins.

Thailand hopes that hosting the pageant will boost the country's tourism sector, which was badly hurt by last December's tsunami.

Contestants, who arrived in Thailand about three weeks ago, have visited tsunami-struck areas along the southern coastline and historic Buddhist temples around Bangkok.

They have also driven the country's famous three-wheeled motorcycle taxis, called tuk-tuks, and ridden atop elephants — Thailand's national symbol.

'Star Wars' Tops Box Office With $70.75M

LOS ANGELES - Payback for the Sith has meant a real payday at the box office.

"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" beat two strong newcomers to remain the top movie with $70.75 million over the long Memorial Day weekend, though Hollywood again failed to climb out of a prolonged revenue decline.

Debuting in second place was the animated adventure "Madagascar" with $61 million, while Adam Sandler's football remake, "The Longest Yard," opened a close third with $60 million, according to studio estimates Monday.

Despite the two big debuts and a strong hold for "Revenge of the Sith" in its second weekend, theatrical receipts overall were down for the 14th straight weekend compared with last year.

The top 12 movies grossed $225.5 million, an impressive four-day haul but still 5.5 percent behind last year's record Memorial Day weekend, when "Shrek 2" and "The Day After Tomorrow" alone combined for $181 million in grosses between them.

"On the one hand, yeah, 14 weeks, that's a terrible slump," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "But I'm optimistic, because this weekend proves you can still get a heck of a lot of people in theaters with the right movies.

"It takes a lot more to excite people today, and the crop of movies this year other than `Star Wars' and the movies that opened this weekend haven't inspired audiences to make that step and go to the theaters."

The final installment of George Lucas' "Star Wars" saga grossed $271.2 million domestically in its first 12 days, putting it on pace to soar beyond the $310 million total for its predecessor, "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones."

"Revenge of the Sith" may be on track to approach the $431 million domestic haul of "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released the "Star Wars" films.

As with "Titanic," the modern box-office champ that brought young girls back to the theater to see it again and again, "Revenge of the Sith" is drawing strong repeat business among young males.

"We've got a lot of kids who already have this picture four and five times," Snyder said.

Worldwide through Sunday, "Revenge of the Sith" had taken in $504.4 million since its almost simultaneous debut in most countries beginning May 18.

"Madagascar," featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as pampered zoo animals cut loose in the wild, plugged a hole among parents eager for a movie to take the kids to see.

"There was a pent-up desire for family pictures," said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, which released "Madagascar."

"The Longest Yard," an update of the 1974 tale of prison inmates taking on their sadistic guards in a football grudge match, was a key choice for young males, who make up the bulk of Sandler's audience.

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

1. "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," $70.75 million.
2. "Madagascar," $61 million.
3. "The Longest Yard," $60 million.
4. "Monster-in-Law," $11.1 million.
5. "Kicking & Screaming," $6.6 million.
6. "Crash," $6 million.
7. "The Interpreter," $2.6 million.
8. "Unleashed," $2.3 million.
9. "Kingdom of Heaven," $2.2 million.
10. "House of Wax," $1.6 million.

MIDAS TOUCHED

The real-life exploits of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may be drawing headlines, but for an equally fascinating Hollywood drama, consider what went on behind the cameras during the long and costly struggle to bring "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" to the screen.

The movie was delayed and rewritten numerous times. Its stars' entanglements were splashed all over the tabloids. It went so far over budget that the studio demanded producers "stop the monetary hemorrhaging."

Yet for all that, 20th Century Fox thinks "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" will be a hit when it opens June 10 - another notch in the belt of director Doug Liman, who is notorious for presiding over disastrous productions that somehow emerge triumphant.

"The truth is, Doug is a madman," says Akiva Goldsman, the Oscar-winning writer of "A Beautiful Mind"), who also produced "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

"[But] I think he has the ability, which is not insignificant, to have a movie coalesce around him. Actors want to work with him and studios want the product that exists with his name on it."

During a break from last-minute work on the film, Liman winces when he hears that Goldsman has called him a madman.

"I'm an unusual person," Liman acknowledges. But in every case, he says, "The movie I end up with is the movie I aspired to make."

Blue-eyed and rumpled, Liman is something of a filmmaking phenomenon. He remains affable — and successful — even as he drives colleagues to distraction and his films run significantly over schedule and over budget.

Some say he suffers from indecision and lack of focus so profound that his films were finished more in spite of him than because of him.

"I stepped into territory I've never been in before in 30 years," says Frank Marshall, who produced Liman's previous film, "The Bourne Identity."

"I've always had a respect for the line between a producer and a director. And I had to step over that line into something that I feel is the director's responsibility."

But even Marshall concedes that Liman has great ideas and that his films all share a fresh, distinctive visual style.

That started with the 1996 indie hit "Swingers," which introduced Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn to the world. Liman then made "Go," a small but well-received 1999 picture about the aftermath of a drug deal.

Reports of trouble surfaced on the next film, "The Bourne Identity," which nonetheless spawned a mighty franchise.

Several individuals who worked on "The Bourne Identity" — which went about $10 million over its $55 million budget — say it went off track in part because Liman constantly changed his mind about what he would do on any given day.

"He never knew what he wanted to do," says Marshall. "He would reshoot some scenes four or five times because he had a new idea. It was 'Let me see the footage and I'll decide whether I like it or not.' "

On "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," history seemed to repeat itself. The film — an action comedy about two hired assassins who are married to each other — went over schedule in part, Liman says, because Pitt had to leave in the middle to meet his commitment to appear in "Ocean's Twelve." He was gone for three months.

It took nearly two years to get the film made. The picture started shooting in January 2004 and didn't wrap until this past April.

According to a source involved in the production, the budget — originally set at just over $100 million — swelled to $126 million.

Pitt, who would not comment for this article, was said to have become exasperated with the drawn-out production. According to one story making the rounds, when Liman, at one point, urged Pitt to deliver more emotion in his performance, the actor pointed out that Liman was shooting the back of his head.

Top Ten Music Moments on NBC’s Scrubs

In the wake of series finales from some of NBC’s most successful comedies of the last 15 years—Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier—the network that once dominated the sitcom landscape has been reduced to relying on a painfully unfunny Friends spinoff and the increasingly tiresome Will & Grace as its main draws. Fortunately, one beacon of creative comedic hope remains amidst the wasteland of predictable punchlines and soulless laugh tracks: Scrubs. The show’s visual gags, daydream sequences, and curious affinity for former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, among other things, have made it NBC’s top comedy for four years running, even if its ratings don’t reflect that.

Scrubs builds on the blueprint laid down by series like ABC’s Sports Night in the late 1990s; it delivers the laughs for about 20 of the episode’s 22 minutes before setting the jokes aside to deliver a dramatic, thought-provoking conclusion over its final couple of minutes. Sometimes these conclusions fall flat, but more often than not, they succeed with just the right doses of endearing genuineness and believable melodrama. In other words, it tickles the X chromosomes in all the right places.

As expected, music plays a large role in these dramatic final moments. Like any series, Scrubs has established a certain style of song that shows up frequently in each episode’s final moments—acoustic guitar chords, swelling choruses and lovestruck lyrics are not uncommon. Zach Braff, who plays likeable doctor John “J.D.” Dorian in the series, copped this sound for his Grammy-winning Garden State soundtrack, though admittedly he may have had a hand in the original inclusion of artists like The Shins and Cary Brothers in Scrubs.

As often as Scrubs sticks to its musical formula though, it never hesitates to deviate from expectations when the situation calls for it. It’s a trait that extends to every aspect of the series, and makes it one of the most unique comedies on television today. The following ten moments are a few that combined music with the show’s plot and characters most memorably. Melodrama optional.

10. Rhett Miller - "Come Around" (2.18: My T.C.W.)
The final sequence in this episode showcases a common Scrubs tactic: wrapping up each separate storyline in a wordless montage. In this case, after J.D. reprimands Elliot, Turk, Carla, and Dr. Cox for complaining incessantly about their relationship problems while he’s unhappily single, each respective couple reconciles as Old 97s frontman Miller plays in the background. The beauty of this montage, which ends with J.D. lamenting, “Nothing sucks more than feeling all alone, no matter how many people are around”? You still feel a little sympathy, despite the fact that he’d turned down advances from the episode’s title character, “Tasty Coma Wife” (Amy Smart), a mere two minutes earlier. Our resilient hero J.D. eventually bounces back, hooking up with her two episodes later at her husband’s funeral.

09. The Coral - "Dreaming of You" (2.10: My Monster)
More than any other song on this list, The Coral’s irresistibly catchy single represents a significant change of pace from the Scrubs musical norm. Similarly, the plot turn that the song scores epitomizes the unpredictable nature of the show’s storylines. J.D. and Elliot, this series’ version of, say, Ross and Rachel, had been broken up for nearly a year, following a tryst that lasted all of one episode. But now, suddenly, with few hints and no foreshadowing, the bouncy bass riff and synth line in “Dreaming of You” sets off their romp around J.D.’s apartment. The lyric “I still need you, but I don’t want you now” never seemed less clichéd.

08. Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'" (3.02: My Journey)
A callback to the episode’s introduction, in which J.D. professed his love for the 80s arena-rock group by lending his falsetto to “Don’t Stop Believin”’s opening lines, the track interjects itself into the narrative in the final minutes. Scrubs has made this a habit over its four seasons; in many cases, the lyrics of the chosen song describes the situation as effectively as a dialogue could. While Journey doesn’t nail this plot spot-on, they do well enough. “Just a small town girl / Livin’ in a lonely world / She took the midnight train going anywhere” plays while a lovelorn Elliot rides a train to see potential boyfriend Sean (Scott Foley); the next shot cuts to show an equally lonely Sean while the next couplet (“Just a small town boy…”) starts up. The self-aware music selection is great—the episode’s exaggeratedly theatrical ending as the song’s chorus swells is even better.

07. Nil Lara – “Fighting For My Love” (1.14: My Drug Buddy)
The first brief Elliott/J.D. tryst I alluded to earlier took off in the final minute of this episode, to the tune of “Fighting For My Love.” After teasing at chemistry between the two characters during the show’s inaugural three or four weeks, the show had relegated them to the friend zone, seemingly indefinitely, before the sudden hookup went down in this episode. It was a welcome change from the awkward exchanges, heavy-handed foreshadowing, and the sense of inevitability that usually surrounds TV romances. Even though this one also seemed inevitable, it still caught you off-guard. “Fighting For My Love,” a typically Scrubs upbeat acoustic number provides the perfect soundtrack to the moment.

06. The Polyphonic Spree - "Section 9 (Light of Day / Reach for the Sun)" (3.19: My Choosiest Choice of All)
Not knowing beforehand that The Polyphonic Spree would appear in this episode, I didn’t pay much attention when one patient constantly expressed the desire to play with his band before they toured Europe. However, when Dr. Cox attempted to impress a fellow doctor—surprising the patient by bringing his bandmates into his hospital room to play an impromptu set—the band slowly streamed in, one by one, all decked out in identical white robes, and it clicked for me. The final minutes of the episode feature a montage that combines performance shots of the band with the final advances of the plot, effectively weaving “Light of Day / Reach for the Sun” in and out of the diegesis. I normally don’t like The Polyphonic Spree, but they work perfectly here.

05. Finger Eleven - "One Thing" (3.20: My Fault)
As overplayed as it was on radio airwaves, this Finger Eleven ballad still sounds good to me, and the final three and a half minutes of “My Fault” let it play in almost its entirety. In one of the most brilliantly written sequence of Scrubs’ four seasons, conflicts resolve in both touching and dramatic ways, from Carla and Turk reconciling their wedding issues to Elliot deciding at the last minute to ditch her plan to move in with Sean in favour of J.D. It culminates in this final exchange, right before the episode finishes:

J.D. (narrating): I think that the problem with most people who want what they can’t have is that when they actually get the thing they covet, they don’t want it anymore. But not this guy.
Elliot: “Well Dr. Dorian, you have me. You finally have me.”
(“One Thing” cuts out abruptly)
J.D. (narrating): Oh my God, I don’t want her!

Hey, it’s a comedy that, in the end, places comedy first rather than pandering to audiences who revel in the romantic conventions of so-called sitcoms. What a novel concept.

04. Colin Hay - "Beautiful World" (1.24: My Last Day)
I’m wary of my praise for Scrubs’ unconventional methods coming off a little too excessive, but bear with me as I toe that line between admiration and obsession again. In “My Last Day,” the first season’s finale, the writers didn’t just drop one bomb—they dropped every bomb. Initially, Colin Hay’s lyrics—particularly the constant “My my my, it’s a beautiful world” refrain—complement what appears to be an aw-shucks happy ending to the season. However, that’s before the track cuts out for a minute and an antagonized Jordan takes Dr. Cox’s earlier advice to “stir it up” by informing every main character of secrets and conflicts that had been stewing for most of the season. As soon as she concludes, Hay’s voice re-enters over acoustic chords, singing, “Still this emptiness persists / Perhaps this is as good as it gets.” Once again, it’s the off-screen vocalist that’s dictating the plot, as each on-screen character, one by one, wordlessly departs the scene. The final chords of “Beautiful World” reverberate with a combination of playful self-reflexivity and nostalgia for five minutes earlier, when things were far less complicated.

03. John Cale - "Hallelujah" (1.04: My Old Lady)
Using “Hallelujah” to score a crucial moment is nothing new to the television world. Virtually every show from The West Wing to The O.C. has used it at some point, and Scrubs was no exception, whipping it out in only its fourth episode. However, they do get some credit for using John Cale’s rendition rather than the Jeff Buckley version that’s suffered from a bit of overexposure. Technicalities aside, what we have here is a genuine goosebump-eliciting moment. The premise: J.D. introduces the episode by pointing out that—excepting the maternity ward and emergency room—one out of every three hospital patients dies before leaving. In a subsequent three-way split-screen, J.D., Elliot, and Turk introduce themselves to their new patients, setting up the payoff of seeing which will have their patient die on them by show’s end. The twist: Some days, the odds are worse. The sparse piano notes of “Hallelujah” play morosely in the background as each doctor has to apologize to their patient’s respective families. I’ve never watched a single episode of E.R., but I imagine this must capture what its best moments were like.

02. Josh Radin "Winter" / "Closer" (3.14: My Screwup / 4.19: My Best Laid Plans)
Another Zach Braff favourite, Josh Radin has contributed his whispered vocals and acoustic guitar plucking to two of the most memorable episodes of the series. “Winter” and “Closer” sound so similar—even down to their titles—that I had to include them as one entry here. The former track plays a critical role in “My Screwup,” an episode unanimously considered one of the show’s best. In a twist worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan film, the show’s writers mislead viewers for the episode’s entire second half, providing a jarring impact while maintaining its humour most of the way. “My Best Laid Plans,” meanwhile, offers a similarly downbeat ending, as J.D. breaks up with his girlfriend and Turk and Carla’s marriage appears on the verge of collapse. In both instances, Radin’s inconspicuous delivery and deceptively simple melodies make for poignant moments without being obtrusive. His approach isn’t spectacular, but it’s definitely memorable.

01. Jill Tracy and Cast - "Waiting for my Real Life to Begin" (2.13: My Philosophy)
Perhaps the definitive love-it-or-hate-it sequence over the duration of Scrubs’ four seasons, the final few minutes of “My Philosophy” represent the time when I felt most strongly that I was watching a show unlike any other I’d ever seen. Following up on an early conversation with J.D. in which she expresses hope that death is like a “big Broadway musical” in which “you go out with a real flourish,” one patient’s death inspires one of J.D.’s recurrent imagination sequences. In this one, death really is like a big Broadway musical, and its cast is… well, the cast of Scrubs. Six of the show’s main players, along with the late patient (played by Jill Tracy), take a turn at singing a few lines from Colin Hay’s “Waiting for my Real Life to Begin.” There even achieve a few moments of legitimately impressive harmony. It’s slightly surreal and surprisingly endearing—two traits that play a large factor in many of Scrubs’ best moments, musical or otherwise.

'Green Acres' star Eddie Albert dies at 99

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eddie Albert was a versatile actor who moved smoothly from the Broadway stage to movies, but he found stardom as the constantly befuddled city slicker-turned-farmer in television's Green Acres.

Albert died of pneumonia Thursday at his home in the Pacific Palisades area, in the presence of caregivers including his son Edward, who was holding his hand at the time.

"He died so beautifully and so gracefully that literally this morning I don't feel grief, I don't feel loss," Edward Albert told The Associated Press.

On Green Acres, Albert played Oliver Douglas, a New York lawyer who settles in a rural town with his glamorous wife, played by Eva Gabor, and finds himself perplexed by the antics of a host of eccentrics, including a pig named Arnold Ziffel.

He was nominated for Academy Awards as supporting actor in Roman Holiday (1953) and The Heartbreak Kid (1972).

Besides the 1965-1971 run in Green Acres, he costarred on TV with Robert Wagner in Switch from 1975 to 1978 and was a semi-regular on Falcon Crest in 1988.

He was a tireless conservationist, crusading for endangered species, healthful food, cleanup of Santa Monica Bay pollution and other causes.

Albert's mother was not married when he was born, in 1906. After marrying, she changed his birth certificate to read 1908, the younger Albert said.

Rarely the star of films, Albert often portrayed the wisecracking sidekick, fast-talking salesman or sympathetic father. His stardom came in television, especially with Green Acres, in which, ironically, he played straight man. The show joined The Beverly Hillbillies,Petticoat Junction and other high-rated CBS comedies of the 1960s and '70s.

"Some people think that because of the bucolic background Green Acres is corny," Albert told an interviewer in 1970. "But we get away with some of the most incredible lines on television."

His break in show business came during the '30s in the Broadway hit Brother Rat, a comedy about life at Virginia Military Institute. Warner Bros. signed him to a contract and cast him in the 1938 film.

According to Hollywood gossip, he was caught in a dalliance with the wife of Jack L. Warner and the studio boss removed him from a film and allowed him to languish under contract.

The actor left Hollywood and appeared as a clown and trapeze artist in a one-ring Mexican circus. He escaped his studio contract by joining the Navy in World War II and served in combat in the South Pacific. He received a Bronze Star for his heroic rescue of wounded Marines at Tarawa, his son said.

Albert managed to rehabilitate his film career after the war, beginning with Smash-up with Susan Hayward in 1947.

Among his other films: Carrie,Oklahoma!The Teahouse of the August Moon,The Sun Also Rises,The Roots of Heaven,The Longest Day,Miracle of the White Stallions,The Longest Yard and Escape to Witch Mountain.

Edward Albert Heimberger was born in Rock Island, Ill., grew up in Minneapolis and worked his way through two years at the University of Minnesota.

Amateur theater led to singing engagements in nightclubs and on radio. During that time he dropped his last name "because most people mispronounced it as 'Hamburger.'"

Moving to New York, Albert acted on radio and appeared in summer stock before he broke into Broadway and the movies.

Green Acres made Albert a rich man and allowed him to pursue his causes. He established Plaza de la Raza, a foundation in East Los Angeles that teaches arts to poor Hispanics.

He helped Dr. Albert Schweitzer combat famine in Africa. He traveled the world for UNICEF. Concerned about seeing fewer pelicans on beaches where he was jogging, he went with ecologists and his son on a trip to Anacapa Island.

"We discovered that in every nest all the eggs were crushed, and nobody knew why," the younger Albert said. "They took samples and tested them, and found DDT in all the eggs. ... An entire generation of species was being wiped out."

Albert began speaking about the harmful effects of the pesticide at universities around the country, and in 1972 the federal government banned DDT.

He continued acting into his 80s, often appearing in television movies.

"Acting was a tenth of his life. The majority of his life was committed to helping other people," said his son, also an actor. "This guy was, from the absolute depth of his soul, one of the true heroes of our world."

Edward Albert, 54, who became a prominent actor in Butterflies Are Free,40 Carats and other films, said he put his career on hold for the past eight years to aid his father, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

On Friday, he remembered a moment several years ago in which the two sat in a garden together.

"I said to him 'You're my hero.' I saw him struggling to put together the words, and he looked at me and said: 'You're your hero's hero.' I'll take that to my ... grave."

Albert was married to the dancer-actress Margo for 40 years until her death in 1985. In addition to his son, Albert is survived by a daughter, Maria Albert Zucht, and two granddaughters.

A private funeral was planned.

Sony BMG tests technology to limit CD burning

NEW YORK (Billboard) - As part of its mounting U.S. rollout of content-enhanced and copy-protected CDs, Sony BMG Music Entertainment is testing technology solutions that bar consumers from making additional copies of burned CD-R discs.

Since March the company has released at least 10 commercial titles -- more than 1 million discs in total -- featuring technology from U.K. anti-piracy specialist First4Internet that allows consumers to make limited copies of protected discs, but blocks users from making copies of the copies.

The concept is known as "sterile burning." And in the eyes of Sony BMG executives, the initiative is central to the industry's efforts to curb casual CD burning.

"The casual piracy, the school yard piracy, is a huge issue for us," says Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business for Sony BMG. "Two-thirds of all piracy comes from ripping and burning CDs, which is why making the CD a secure format is of the utmost importance."

Names of specific titles carrying the technology were not disclosed. The effort is not specific to First4Internet. Other Sony BMG partners are expected to begin commercial trials of sterile burning within the next month.

To date, most copy protection and other digital rights management-based solutions that allow for burning have not included secure burning.

Early copy-protected discs as well as all Digital Rights Management (DRM)-protected files sold through online retailers like iTunes, Napster and others offer burning of tracks into unprotected WAV files. Those burned CDs can then be ripped back onto a personal computer minus a DRM wrapper and converted into MP3 files.

Under the new solution, tracks ripped and burned from a copy-protected disc are copied to a blank CD in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. The DRM embedded on the discs bars the burned CD from being copied.

"The secure burning solution is the sensible way forward," First4Internet CEO Mathew Gilliat-Smith says. "Most consumers accept that making a copy for personal use is really what they want it for. The industry is keen to make sure that is not abused by making copies for other people that would otherwise go buy a CD."

As with other copy-protected discs, albums featuring XCP (extended copy protection) will allow for three copies to be made.

However, Sony BMG has said it is not locked into the number of copies. The label is looking to offer consumers a fair-use replication of rights enjoyed on existing CDs.

COMPATIBLE FOR ALL?

A key concern with copy-protection efforts remains compatibility.

It is a sticking point at Sony BMG and other labels as they look to increase the number of copy-protected CDs they push into the market.

Among the biggest headaches: Secure burning means that iPod users do not have any means of transferring tracks to their device, because Apple Computer has yet to license its FairPlay DRM for use on copy-protected discs.

As for more basic CD player compatibility issues, Gilliat-Smith says the discs are compliant with Sony Philips CD specifications and should therefore play in all conventional CD players.

The moves with First4Internet are part of a larger copy-protection push by Sony BMG that also includes SunnComm and its MediaMax technology.

To date, SunnComm has been the music giant's primary partner on commercial releases -- including Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" and Anthony Hamilton's solo album. In all, more than 5.5 million content-enhanced and protected discs have been shipped featuring SunnComm technology.

First4Internet's XCP has been used previously on prerelease CDs only. Sony BMG is the first to commercially deploy XCP.

First4Internet's other clients -- which include Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI -- are using XCP for prerelease material.

Sony BMG expects that by year's end a substantial number of its U.S. releases will employ either MediaMax or XCP. All copy-protected solutions will include such extras as photo galleries, enhanced liner notes and links to other features.

Music videos crushed by reality TV

Ever tune into MuchMusic and wonder where the videos are?

Like the song said, video killed the radio star. But 25 years after MTV debuted, it looks like reality has killed -- or at least rendered into a coma -- the video star.

We used to get pimps in a Jay-Z video -- now we get Pimp My Ride. And while nobody is ever going to complain about Jessica Simpson NOT singing, it's not like she's vanished. In fact, as half of the music station's Newlyweds couple, she probably gets more airtime than Madonna ever did during her Material Girl heyday.

Talk to industry analysts and they note a swing in viewers' tastes. Audiences would much rather watch a "behind closed doors-style infotainment" than the latest clip from Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera.

For this, say some, the music channels have no one to blame but themselves.

David Kines, vice-president of MuchMusic, says he's seen his audience become more informed during his more than 20 years with the company.

"They're definitely much more media savvy," Kines explains. "We've torn down the fourth wall. It makes them feel like they (the artists) are everyday people."

Hence such fare as The Osbournes or Newlyweds, which strip away the fairy tale lives of the fabulous and famous. Although he insists MuchMusic is still all about music -- Kines points to the proliferation of genre-specific 24/7 music video channels -- video flow has decreased to make room for more reality-themed series. Where does this leave a music video industry that's been seemingly left behind by the "reality" phenomenon?

Jannie McInnes is an executive producer with Revolver Film Company. Their latest music video was Blue Orchid for The White Stripes, directed by Floria Sigismondi.

"In the last two or three years, shows like Pimp My Ride and Newlyweds have taken precedence over regular video flow," says McInnes. "On the broadcast side, the most conspicuous change is that full-length videos are available for purchase online. This will give record labels an opportunity to profit from downloads of videos."

She expects online videos to only grow in popularity -- possibly at the expense of quality.

"Video budgets have become radically reduced in the last years, making it very challenging," she says.

Not helping? Formulaic videos. Gone are the days where what you saw on MuchMusic is fodder for banter around the watercooler. For that, McInnes blames the music industry itself. "If a track is formulaic, a by-the-book video will result."

The advent of technology is another reason why the status quo no longer applies. Video production is now available to do-it-yourselfers who can shoot and edit digitally on their home computers and post the clips on the Internet. A good thing? Maybe. As McInnes says, "It could be perceived to be a con that technology is used to sustain youth and beauty stereotypes."

Yet she still believes in the power a buzzworthy video can have on a band's chances at success.

"An artist can use music videos as platform to show how they reject conventions of the market or their music genre by doing something rebellious and exciting. The best videos to me are ones that open new possibilities of how you listen to a song."

Some of the music videos that managed to make a lasting impression on the industry and pop culture:

Thriller, Michael Jackson, 1983: A pre-scandal Jackson, left, forever changed the music video world with one of the first mini-movie videos.

Take on Me, A-Ha, 1985: At the time, nobody was blending animation and live-action in music videos. This one gave people a glimpse of what the future might hold. Unforgettable from a forgettable band.

Sabotage, Beastie Boys, 1994: Shooting in the form of a '70s cop show introduction, the Beasties kept us entertained while continuing to re-invent themselves with a touch of rock.

Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen, 1975: As if Wayne's World didn't do enough for the song, it was the video that made it come alive, and stay in people's memory banks for three decades.

Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), 1992: Grunge kicked into high gear after the release of the trio's raw video, featuring Kurt Cobain, above, shot in a high school gym.

Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.), 1993: Probably the only video we have ever seen that consistently makes some people cry when they watch it.

Hurt (Johnny Cash), 2003: Cash summed up his life in one dark and resonating video that demanded respect.

Buddy Holly (Weezer), 1994. Anyone who helps the Fonz re-live his glory days while giving back Ron Howard his full head of hair is tops in our books.

Strong TV Season Ends on 'Idol' Finale

NEW YORK - With nearly 30 million people watching the "American Idol" finale on Fox, broadcast television networks ended a season that gave everybody something to brag about — except NBC.

CBS can again claim the status of the nation's most popular network. Perhaps more significant financially, its viewership increased among young people.

For the first time since beginning a prime-time schedule in 1987, Fox was the No. 1 network among the 18-to-49-year-old viewers that broadcasters crave.

ABC launched a comeback that probably exceeded the dreams of even its most optimistic executives, seeing its viewership increase by 12 percent overall and 17 percent among the 18-to-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research figures released Thursday.

And NBC? Well, there's always next year — a winter Olympics year. NBC ended the season in an unprecedented fourth place among overall and young viewers.

The broadcast networks in general had virtually the same number of prime-time viewers this season than they had in 2003-04, which is significant because viewership had dropped steadily, every year, since the 1993-94 season.

Fans embraced new programming this year, a particularly encouraging sign for network executives. The 25 most-watched prime-time shows this season included six new series: "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC; "House" on Fox; "Medium" on NBC and "CSI: NY" on CBS.

"The networks were where the hot programming was this year," said David Poltrack, chief researcher at CBS.

With no new episodes of "The Sopranos" or "Sex and the City" this season, cable networks lost some of their cutting edge, he said.

But Jack Wakshlag, chief researcher at the Turner Networks, said cable networks continue to increase their share of the prime-time audience.

"There literally are more people spending more time watching television than a year ago," he said. "But they're not watching more broadcast television."

It's more than a battle over numbers for these executives. Ad agencies are expected to place orders for more than $18 billion in advertising for the fall season over the next few weeks, and dozens of networks are scratching for every dime.

Industry analyst Jack Myers said the broadcast networks will benefit from a high "buzz factor" this year, keeping money that might have otherwise shifted to cable.

"I think that cable will grow organically," Myers said. "But I don't think there's a lot of money going out of broadcast and into cable. I don't see that as much as the cable industry would like to."

For the second straight year, the most popular program on television was the Tuesday edition of "American Idol" (27.3 million viewers), followed by CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (26.6 million). After the Wednesday "Idol" edition, "Desperate Housewives" was next.

CBS averaged 12.9 million viewers in prime-time this year. ABC and Fox were in a flat-footed tie for second with 10 million viewers, followed by NBC at 9.8 million. The WB and UPN both averaged 3.3 million viewers.

NBC was down 11 percent among viewers and 16 percent among the young demographic. That latter drop, in particular, threatens its longstanding position as the network that earns the most advertising revenue during this "upfront" buying season.

NBC can take some comfort over the remarkable tightness of the network competition. Only six-tenths of one rating point separated first from fourth among 18-to-49-year-old viewers, and it's even closer considering Fox's numbers were inflated this year by the Super Bowl.

Any network that can repeat ABC's feat of minting new hits next year stands the chance of making a big move.

Guitarist Domenic Troiano dies

TORONTO - Veteran Canadian guitar player Domenic Troiano has died after a decade-long battle with cancer.

Troiano, who played in groups ranging from the Guess Who to Bush to the James Gang, was 59. He passed away late Wednesday.

"His absolute skill as a musician, certainly in the '60s, it was unsurpassed," long-time friend Larry LeBlanc, Billboard's Canada bureau chief, told the Canadian Press. "Everybody wanted to be Troiano."

Starting his career in the 1960s, Troiano carved out a reputation in musical circles as a musician's musician. He played in a long list of bands, including an early stint as a backup player for Ronnie Hawkins. He spent 1974-75 with the Guess Who and played for countless non-Canadian performers, including blues legend Etta James, Joe Cocker and Diana Ross.

"He could play anything. And he was so good at it," said Toronto broadcaster John Donabie, who interviewed Troiano in the 1960s when he was a member of the pioneering Canadian group the Mandala. Along with other members of that group, Troiano founded Bush, which released one album in 1970.

"Domenic Troiano lived for making music," said LeBlanc. His hits included Bush's I Can Hear You Calling.

Known to his friends as "Donnie," Troiano was born in Modugno, Italy, and became a naturalized Canadian in 1955. He spent the rest of his life in Toronto, except for a brief period in the 1970s when he called Los Angeles home.

In the 1980s, the prolific guitarist turned to composing for television programs like Night Heat, Hot Shots and Diamonds. He served as a producer for Moe Koffman and others, and in 1996 his skills as an axeman were recognized when he was made a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Troiano's recent credits include doing the soundtrack for the video game Fahrenheit in 1995.

"Every guitar player in Canada knows of Domenic Troiano," said LeBlanc. "And most of the guitar players in Canada will sit back and pause a bit today."

Troiano is survived by his mother, brother and sister. He was married briefly to singer Shawne Jackson, but the relationship ended in divorce about 10 years ago.

A funeral is planned for Monday in Toronto.

Barenaked Page Goes Solo

Barenaked Ladies co-frontman Steven Page will release his first solo album under the name Vanity Project on June 21st. The Toronto-based Page wrote eleven of the twelve tracks with British musician Stephen Duffy (a.k.a. Tin Tin), best known for the Eighties club hit "Kiss Me."

Page discovered Duffy -- who was Duran Duran's original drummer and who currently serves as Robbie Williams' music director -- by picking up a Tin Tin record as a teenager. "I got a sense just from the album sleeve that there was something more to it," Page says. "It was classic, romantic, slightly maudlin singer-songwriter stuff about unrequited love. It was a perfect fifteen-year-old-boy record."

So perfect that Page was moved to write Duffy a fan letter, and the two began a correspondence that spawned a two-decade friendship. Page even sent over early Barenaked Ladies demos, and Duffy provided feedback and encouragement. The two met for the first time in 1989 when the scholarly Page attended a summer program at Cambridge University, and Duffy invited him to hang around for a few days while his then-new band, the Lilac Time, recorded.

"Someone from the NME came to interview him, and he introduced me as a 'poet from Canada,'" recalls Page with a laugh. "That was pretty cool -- as opposed to, 'This is a kid who's a fan of mine.'"

On the diverse, self-titled Vanity Project album, Page strays from Barenaked Ladies' trademark bouncy pop. The opener, "Hit and Run," is a hard-edged, electric-guitar-driven track; the jangly, harmony-laden "Wilted Rose" evokes early R.E.M.; while the atmospheric single "That's All That's All" is a ballad built around acoustic guitars and a drum machine.

Page hopes that the new project will draw new listeners. "I think there are a lot of people who would like Barenaked Ladies music, but don't realize that they would," he says. "Maybe our radio hits or the image of the band have marred their view of what we really are about. The biggest success I could hope for with this record is that it might bring in some of those people."

The Barenaked Ladies faithful will be happy to know that Page and his mates are busy writing material for their next album, to be produced by Jim Scott, the engineer on 2000's Maroon.

Page is planning a solo acoustic tour in support of The Vanity Project late this summer.

Live Aid Organizer Confirms Another 'Big' Concert Is Coming

Rumors have been swirling for weeks that former Boomtown Rats leader Bob Geldof is secretly planning a massive sequel to the 1985 Live Aid concerts that raised millions to combat famine in Africa.

Geldof had repeatedly denied the rumors until Thursday. While attending the Ivor Novello Awards for songwriters in London, Geldof finally tipped his hand and said "there's something brewing ... it's big," according to The Associated Press. He cautioned that the event to fight poverty in Africa was unique, and "there's never going to be a Live Aid II."

The U.S. spokesperson for the concert, Elizabeth Freund, said Geldof will preside at a press conference announcing all the details on Tuesday in London, with a possible second conference in New York. Rumors have had everyone from Madonna and U2 to Paul McCartney, Oasis, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Eminem, Sting and a reunited Pink Floyd performing in both London and Washington, D.C., though Freund would not confirm or deny the speculation.

So far, only Sting has confirmed his participation. Also speaking at the Novello ceremony, the singer said, "Bob called me up and said I was doing it. He doesn't ask you, he tells you."

Freund would not reveal the date of the show, but a spokesperson for England's Prince's Trust said last week that the charity had canceled it's annual Party in the Park concert in London's Hyde Park on July 3 so that the Geldof concert could take place.

The concert, referred to as "Live 8" in the English press, is believed to have been timed to coincide with the gathering of the world's richest countries in Scotland for the G8 summit (July 6-8), at which they are to discuss alleviating Third World debt.

Geldof said planning the event has been exhausting, adding, "it's as petrifying as the buildup to Live Aid, if not more so. We'll have all the biggest names we can find. But it's not just about big names, it's about making a point. ... What started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks."

The original Live Aid took place in Wembley Stadium in London and in Philadelphia's JFK Stadium on July 13, 1985, and raised $245 million for famine relief in Africa. It was watched by more than 1.5 billion people worldwide and featured sets from Elvis Costello; B.B. King; Black Sabbath; Run-DMC; Sting; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Judas Priest; U2; Queen; David Bowie; the Who; Santana; Elton John; Madonna; Paul McCartney; Bob Dylan; Neil Young; and a reunited Led Zeppelin with Phil Collins on drums.

Raitt Returning In Fall With New Album

Bonnie Raitt eschews the 12-bar blues of her past on the new album "Souls Alike," due Sept. 13 via Capitol. For the first time, the artist also takes the production reigns in tandem with Tchad Blake (Pearl Jam, Crowded House).

Tracks include first single "I Will Not Be Broken," "The Bed I Made," "I Don't Want Anything To Change," "Deep Water" and "Crooked Crown," penned by what the label describes as unnamed, "lesser-known writers."

"Some of the songs are clearly terrain that people have come to know and appreciate from me, but the rest are about finding some new direction and something new to say," Raitt says.

"Souls Alike" is the follow-up to 2002's "Silver Lining," which has sold more than 539,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Raitt will tour in support of the album this fall.

In related news, Eagle Rock Entertainment will on Tuesday (May 31) release the DVD "Live at Montreux 1977," featuring Raitt's early hit cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway." Four songs from her 1991 return to the famed Swiss festival are included as bonus tracks.

Crow Whipping Up Something 'Good'

Sheryl Crow's as-yet-untitled new album will arrive Sept. 27 via Interscope, and will be preceded a month before by the single "Good Is Good." According to the artist's official Web site, the new album will include 10 tracks and will be accompanied by a tour that is in the planning stages.

Crow exclusively revealed to Billboard in December that she was hoping to release two separate albums in 2005, one that she described as an "artist" record, and the other pegged as a "pop" record. But based on the Sept. 26 release date, it appears unlikely that Crow would release a second set before year's end.

The artist admitted her relationship with championship cyclist Lance Armstrong has made an obvious impact on her new material.

"I am writing a lot more love songs because I'm really happy in my life, and I'm in a really positive relationship, but there's also so much stuff to write about in the world," she said. "It's a really interesting time to be an artist."

While working on her own music, Crow has also recorded tracks for three upcoming tribute albums. Her rendition of "For Free" will appear on a Joni Mitchell tribute, while a cover of "I Need Your Love So Bad" is pegged for a B.B. King collection and "To Love Somebody" is being earmarked for a Bee Gees' covers set.

THE FORCE IS STRONG!

Analysts estimating that Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith will surpass the $200 million mark on Thursday.

Mariah Makes Move on Elvis

The single life looks good on Mariah Carey.

This week, Carey scored her 16th number one single on Billboard's Hot 100 with "We Belong Together"--putting her in rarefied company.

Only the Beatles, with 20, and Elvis Presley, with 18, have had more Billboard number ones.

Carey, who has surpassed the likes of Michael Jackson (13 number ones) and the Supremes (12), as well as rival pop divas Whitney Houston and Madonna (11 apiece), is "the most successful female artist of all time," her label, Island Def Jam, touted in a press release Thursday.

Island Def Jam has reason to crow--the label has effectively resurrected the career of Carey, who fell on hard times after signing what the New York Daily News called "the biggest recording contract of all time" with Virgin in 2001 and then sustaining an "emotional and physical breakdown" as her Glitter movie and album tanked.

After the relatively lackluster sales of 2002's Charmbracelet, Carey, 35, has bounced back with The Emancipation of Mimi. The album debuted at number one in April, bouncing long-running chart champ 50 Cent. It has already been certified double platinum and spawned two hit singles, the lead track, "It's Like That," and the current hit, "We Belong Together."

"It is with a combination of pride and awe that I congratulate Mariah on accomplishing what no other female in modern pop history has been able to do--no one is more deserving than Mariah Carey of sharing the pantheon with the greatest of the greats," gushed Island Def Jam boss Antonio "L.A." Reid.

The singer played the modesty card upon learning the news. "I didn't know what to expect when I put this record out except I knew that it was a good record and I was happy with it," she told the Associated Press.

Carey is next scheduled to perform at the MTV Movie Awards June 4 in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be taped for broadcast June 9.

Tarantino, Rodriguez "Grind" It

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are in the house. Make that Grind House.

The directing buddies, who have previously collaborated on the recent thriller Sin City, along with the 1995 film anthology Four Rooms and 1996's bloody vampire flick From Dusk Till Dawn, are ready to tag team on a new horror film.

Each filmmaker write and direct a 60-minute frightfest that will be coupled together and released under the title Grind House next spring by Harvey and Bob Weinstein's new company.

The Weinsteins announced the project as part of their upcoming slate of post-Miramax films. The brothers will begin distribution films via their new venture, tentatively called the Weinstein Company, beginning in September, when they officially exit Walt Disney.

"We have said all along that we would hit the ground running and we are confident that this slate will represent and deliver the kinds of movies that audiences will love," the Weinsteins said in a statement.

As part of the Grind theatrical presentation, Tarantino and Rodriguez will create interstitial material, including trailers, and will incorporate bits from other filmmakers that will pay tribute to the grindhouse flicks of old.

Tarantino and Rodriguez have had strong relationships with the Weinsteins for more than a decade.

Tarantino's first two features, 1992's Reservoir Dogs and 1994's Pulp Fiction, helped put Miramax on the map as a major Tinseltown player, while Rodriguez's hit Spy Kids series became a big moneymaker for the studio's genre arm, Dimension Films.

Miramax also released Four Rooms and Dimension, From Dusk Till Dawn.

Tarantino and Rodriguez forged their friendship on the indie film circuit in the early 1990s, when Reservoir Dogs and Rodriguez' El Mariachi solidified their status as wunderkind directors. Tarantino played a supporting role in Rodriguez's 1995 El Mariach remake/sequel Desperado and costarred with George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn, which he wrote and Rodriguez directed as an homage to B-movie horror flicks. Rodriguez also contributed a song to Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol. 2.

No word yet on the Grind House plots, but expect buckets of blood and cheap thrills.

The announcement also ends speculation on what Tarantino's next project would be after directing the season finale of CSI, which aired last week to monster ratings.

He recently shot down speculation that he wanted to helm a new Friday the 13th installment. He also has been tweaking his script to his long-in-the-works World War II epic, Inglorious Bastards. (Longtime Tarantino collaborator Michael Madsen told British movie site EmpireOnline that he was going to costar along with fellow Reservoir alum Tim Roth and Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy.)

As for Rodriguez, he announced at Cannes earlier this month that he is developing Sin City 2. His next film, The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D, is due out June 10.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Engaged

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Garth Brooks stole the show Wednesday night when he got down on one knee in front of 7,000 fans and proposed to fellow country music star Trisha Yearwood. She said yes — and the crowd went wild.

The occasion was the "Legends in Bronze" event at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace, where 10 larger-than-life bronze statues honoring country stars were unveiled, including one of Brooks.

After his big moment, Brooks popped the question.

The marriage will be the second for Brooks, who has three children, and the third for Yearwood, said Brooks' spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer.

Brooks, 43, is credited with widening the genre's appeal in the 1990s by merging traditional country with honky tonk, pop, folk and rock. His "Ropin' the Wind" album was the first such country recording to debut at the top of the pop music charts. His latest album, "Scarecrow," went triple platinum.

Yearwood, 40, was named the Country Music Awards female vocalist of the year in 1997 and 1998. Her latest album is "Jasper County."

Other musicians honored with bronze statues were Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, George Jones and George Strait.

Yet Another Unnecessary Re-release!

Universal has also announced The Blues Brothers: 25th Anniversary Edition on 8/30 (SRP $22.98) which will include 2 versions of the film - the director's cut that appeared on the original DVD release and the theatrical cut (released for the first time on DVD). Other extras will include an introduction by Dan Aykroyd, a behind-the-scenes documentary, concert footage and more (much of this will likely be recycled from the previous DVD). This DVD will be available in both full frame and anamorphic widescreen versions.

Filmmaker Ismail Merchant Dead

Ismail Merchant, the producer whose venerable partnership with director James Ivory led to such Oscar-winning costume dramas as A Room with a View, Howard's End and The Remains of the Day, died in a London hospital Wednesday. He was 68.

A spokesman in his London office said Merchant passed away surrounded by family and close friends.

The filmmaker had reportedly been suffering from stomach problems over the past year, including undergoing an operation recently for abdominal ulcers.

The Merchant-Ivory machine, which also included German-born screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, produced a string of highly polished international hits, often derived from acclaimed literary sources and featuring all-star ensembles.

Merchant-Ivory's films frequently plumbed the depths of upper-crust English society at the turn of the century, with the best examples being two adaptations of E.M. Forster novels--1986's A Room with a View, which launched the career of a young Daniel Day-Lewis, and 1992's Howard's End, starring Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Emma Thompson.

The Remains of the Day (1993), adapted from a book by Kazuo Ishiguro, reunited Hopkins and Thompson, and delved into the life of a repressed butler who devotion to his employer prior to World War II is challenged by a fellow housekeeper, with whom he falls in love.

The three dramas racked up a total of 25 Academy Award nominations, including three Best Picture nods, and winning a total of six Oscars, including two for Jhabvala for Best Screenplay. Merchant personally received four Oscar nominations during his career, but never won.

His producer credits included 1983's charming Heat and Dust, based on Jhabvala's own novel, and 1984's The Bostonians, adapted from the novel by Henry James and starring Christopher Reeve and Jessica Tandy.

Born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in December 1936, Merchant came to New York University in 1958, and earned a business degree. While there, he developed an affinity for cinema and produced his first film, 1960's The Creation of Woman, a 14-minute short that an official U.S. entry at the Cannes Film Festival that year and eventually earned Merchant his first Oscar nomination.

A year later he met Ivory at a screening of the latter's documentary The Sword and the Flute, and the two struck up a friendship. They soon decided to go into business together making English-language costume dramas for the Indian market.

Their first film outing was The Householder, a comedy-drama about young Indian newlyweds based on a novel by Jhabvala.

In 1974, Merchant got behind the camera for with the Indian short Mahatma and the Mad Boy. It wasn't until 1993 that he finally made his feature-helming debut with In Custody, but for the most part, he stuck to the business side.

Even after their heyday in the late '80s through early '90s, Merchant-Ivory continued to churn out well crafted period stories, most notably 1995's Jefferson in Paris, starring Nick Nolte and Gwyneth Paltrow, 1996's Surviving Picasso and 2001's The Golden Bowl.

More recently, they teamed up for 2003's Le Divorce, a comedy of manners featuring Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts.

Before his death, Merchant was working on several projects, including The Goddess, a Bollywood-style musical with Tina Turner, and The White Countess, a costume drama about an American diplomat in 1930s Shanghai starring Ralph Fiennes and Natasha Richardson. The latter is due out in November.

Aside from his producing duties, Merchant was also a chef and author of several cookbooks, among them, Ismail Merchants Indian Cuisine.

Merchant's family is expected to announce funeral arrangements in the coming days.

Carrie Underwood Wins 'Idol' Contest

LOS ANGELES - Carrie Underwood, the country sweetheart who beguiled national television audiences with her strong voice and bright smile, is this year's "American Idol," defeating Southern rocker Bo Bice in the show's finale Wednesday night.

The Oklahoma native received more viewer votes than runner-up Bice, of Alabama, after Tuesday's final round, snaring the title and a record contract.

A tearful Underwood choked out a brief "thank you," then spoke with a song. She reprised "Inside Your Heaven," which both she and Bice performed in Tuesday's final round. The judges thought Bice outsang her; the voting audience obviously disagreed.

A 22-year-old college senior, Underwood became the talk of her hometown of Checotah — and the choice of fourth-season "Idol" voters — as she delivered almost uniformly consistent performances each week.

"She has more of the star quality," said Cindy Monteleone of Chicago, who was among hundreds of people who dropped by the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood to watch former "American Idol" contestants arrive for the show's taping.

Underwood couldn't compete with rock 'n' roller Bice on his style of music ("I'm not sure I'm loving the rocked-out Carrie," judge Randy Jackson said after one attempt) but shone in her favorite genre, country.

Friends and family describe Underwood as a polite, quiet, small-town girl who is dedicated to music.

Bice, 29, of Helena, Ala., would have been the oldest "Idol" winner. He brought an unexpected rock edge to the show's usually mainstream pop style, shining on songs such as the 1970s hit "Vehicle."

"He's just so sincere and he projects that," fan Donna Leoni, who was pulling for Bice, said outside the theater.

The live two-hour finale was padded by clips from throughout the season, interviews with the judges and the finalists, and concert and product plugs (the finalists received gift cars, which were featured in a big-screen video close-up).

There were also, finally, songs. A series of duets featuring the top 12 finishers and guest artists included Anthony Fedorov and Anwar Robinson performing with Kenny G; Scott Savol and Nico Smith with George Benson; and Vonzell Solomon with Billy Preston.

During the season, although onstage performances were unaffected, an offstage drama played out involving judge Paula Abdul and former contestant Corey Clark.

Clark claimed he and Abdul had an affair while he was competing in 2003 and that she coached him on how to do better on the show. Abdul has called the allegations "lies" and an attempt at character assassination.

In a bit of hard-edged comedy Wednesday, "Idol" fired back at ABC News' recent "Primetime Live" detailing Clark's claims. TV newsman Steve Edwards presented a satirical report, "Bad Judgment," which purported to reveal Cowell's "secret relationship" (the punch line: it was Cowell's love affair with himself).

"We won't let the truth get in the way of our ratings," the faux report said in an obvious dig at ABC, although the network and the Abdul controversy weren't specifically mentioned.

"American Idol" thrives on controversy, with disgruntled fans complaining over the years about overloaded phone lines, technical glitches and untalented contestants with amazing survival skills.

Viewership didn't suffer from Clark's claims: "American Idol" is the No. 1 series for the season in viewers (as opposed to households), averaging 27.3 million viewers a week. The finale, on the last day of the TV season, could guarantee Fox a first-ever ratings win among viewers age 18 to 49.

Viewers Find Few Answers on 'Lost' Finale

NEW YORK - The "Lost" castaways managed to open the mysterious hatch. But after they blasted it open with dynamite, what did they find? Not so fast! Viewers will have to wait through a long, hot summer for that answer.

During the thrilling first season of "Lost," fans of this information-stingy ABC serial may sometimes have felt a little lost themselves. No wonder they were hoping to find a few more clues as the two-hour season finale aired Wednesday night.

Sorry. The episode — fascinating and frustrating, as usual — mostly compounded the mystery.

It also left the audience with one particularly agonizing cliffhanger.

That came in the face of what seemed like a long-awaited rescue. The raft that took off from the island last week carrying four of the refugees encountered a rickety shipping boat in the dead of night.

Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Michael (Harold Perrineau) and his young son Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) were ecstatic — until a rough-looking sailor on board the other vessel ordered harshly, "Give us the boy."

A fight broke out, then the bad guys snatched Walt, plowing away through the inky water as they set our heroes' raft ablaze.

You'll be waiting until fall to learn Walt's fate, too.

In its first season, the breakout hit "Lost" has tantalizingly tracked the adventures of some four dozen survivors of a jetliner crash on a tropical island who-knows-where (turns out the plane's last transmission before splitting apart in midair pegged its location as hundreds of miles from where it came down).

On a recent episode, a freak accident claimed the life of one of the main refugees.

But there were plenty more, as portrayed by a large cast of featured regulars including Matthew Fox (as the sexy doctor, Jack), Evangeline Lilly (a dishy jailbird), Terry O'Quinn (the mystical outdoorsman, Locke), Dominic Monaghan (a rock-star junkie), Jorge Garcia (the fat guy, Hurley, who says "dude" a lot) and several others.

As they have struggled to determine where they were and how to get away, these characters have also forged some semblance of a civilized community, however fractious at times.

Meanwhile, details of their past have been filled in with flashbacks leading up to that doomed Oceanic Flight 815. Wednesday's episode had numerous scenes from the Sydney airport as characters unknowingly crisscrossed each others' paths on their way to their assigned seats on the plane.

Yes, the finale delivered a promised glimpse of the polar bear-like creature that, since the premiere, has stalked the castaways, but until now was never really seen (at least by viewers). But on the finale it was almost an embedded joke, appearing in one drawing of a comic book Hurley was seen reading on the plane.

The main thrust of the episode was the trek through the jungle to reach the strange hatch installed into the ground.

Discovered in a recent episode, it has held out a promise of safety — or at least some answers.

"What do you think is inside the hatch?" Hurley said.

"I think hope's inside," Locke replied.

Then a bit later, he told Jack, "The path ends at the hatch. All of it happens so we can open the hatch."

"No," argued the more practical-minded Jack. "We're opening the hatch so that we can survive."

"Survival is all relative, Jack," Locke replied.

If you wanted clear answers, you could have watched the conclusion of "American Idol" on Fox, against which "Lost" boldly went head-to-head.

For mesmerizing drama, however stingy its disclosures, you couldn't beat "Lost" Wednesday night.

'M:I 3' cast gets an overhaul

Former "Boston Public" star Michelle Monaghan has been added to the cast of "Mission: Impossible 3," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Monaghan will play the love interest of Tom Cruise's character, secret agent Ethan Hunt.

Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers ("Bend It Like Beckham," "Elvis") is in negotiations for a role in the film.

Numerous delays in the J.J. Abrams-directed movie forced Scarlett Johanssen, Carrie-Ann Moss and Kenneth Branagh to drop out of the project.

Ving Rhames, who appeared in all three installments of the action franchise, will be back as Hunt's sidekick Luther Stickel.

Recent reports linked teen star Lindsay Lohan and current Cruise girlfriend Katie Holmes to the film, but their involvement has not been confirmed.

"Mission: Impossible 3" will begin shooting in Caserta, Italy on July 18.

Michelle Monaghan appears in the upcoming Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie film, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which opens June 10.

'American Idol' Contestants Face Off

NEW YORK - Long-locked Alabama rocker Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood, the country fan from Oklahoma, squared off with soaring ballads and gospel choirs in the "American Idol" finals Tuesday.

Millions of voters will decide whether Bice's audacious claim of one of Underwood's songs will trump Simon Cowell's last-minute endorsement of her.

The winner of the nation's most popular talent contest will be announced on Fox Wednesday.

Bice, from Helena, Ala., wanted to bring some rock 'n' roll street cred to the competition. He looked every bit the hippie with his flowing white shirt, red sunglasses and shoulder-length hair on his opening song, an original called "The Long Long Road."

It almost backfired. Cowell called it a "very dreary song" and said Bice, 29, looked like his chemistry teacher.

"You're going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that to walk away with this title," he said.

He rebounded with a more rousing Chicago number and later sang "Inside Your Heaven," a song Underwood had performed only minutes earlier. It was a gutsy choice, giving voters a chance to compare him directly with his competitor on the same song.

Judge Randy Jackson declared Bice "forever in my dog pound" and Cowell thought he outsang Underwood.

Underwood, a 22-year-old college senior from Checotah, Okla., has made plain her love of country music and sang Martina McBride's "Independence Day" among her final three songs.

Easy-to-please judge Paula Abdul liked — we think — her version of "Inside Your Heaven."

"You sang the song beautifully," she said. "You hit a couple of not-so-great notes, but who cares?"

Her final song, "Angels Brought Me Here," was made for belting out and Underwood let fly. Her voice cracked with emotion during the final few notes.

"I think you've done enough to win this competition," Cowell said.

A victory means a guaranteed recording contract. But as Clay Aiken found out, losing doesn't have to mean obscurity.

One sure winner will be Fox. The finale — on the last day of the television season — is likely to guarantee the network its first-ever ratings championship among 18-to-49-year-old viewers.

The Couch Potato Report - May 25th, 2005

This week The Couch Potato Report features the film that was supposed to win Martin Scorsese an Oscar.

Some of the greatest directors of all time have never won an Academy Award for BEST DIRECTOR.

The list includes Charlie Chaplin, Howard Hawks, D. W. Griffith, Brian De Palma, Cecil B. DeMille, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Terrence Malick, Robert Altman, Spike Lee, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton, Tim Burton, Blake Edwards, Arthur Penn, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Peter Weir, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Sam Peckinpah, and Martin Scorsese.

The last name on the list had been nominated in 1980 for RAGING BULL and again in 1991 for GOODFELLAS and Martin Scorsese should have won both times.

Earlier this year many thought that Scorsese's fifth nomination for his work on the film THE AVIATOR would finally bring him Oscar gold.

At the end of the night THE AVIATOR went away with five Oscars, but Scorsese went home empty handed and is now 0-for-5 in the directing category.

Even though I regard Scorsese as one of the greatest directors of my generation, I am not that upset that he lost the Oscar this year. Clint Eastwood's MILLION DOLLAR BABY is just a better film than THE AVIATOR.

And there is no shame in losing to something - or someone - who's work is better.

Since Eastwood's MILLION DOLLAR BABY doesn't debut on video and DVD until July 12th, and THE AVIATOR is in store now, let me focus on Scorsese's work.

THE AVIATOR is the story of Howard Hughes, the eccentric billionaire aviation pioneer, industrialist and Hollywood film mogul.

In his day and age Hughes was famous for romancing some of the world's most beautiful women, including Ava Gardner and Katharine Hepburn.

In this day and age Hughes is just as well known because by the time of his death in 1976 he had become a mentally ill recluse.

His mental illness is touched upon in THE AVIATOR, but the film primarily recounts the years of Hughes life from the late 1920s through the 1940s. This was a time when Hughes was directing and producing Hollywood movies and test flying innovative aircrafts he designed and created.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job playing Hughes and his superb supporting cast includes Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Kate Beckinsale and Cate Blanchett, who won an Oscar for her work in the picture as Katharine Hepburn.

The film has a great cast, but that cast is the second best thing in THE AVIATOR.

It is Scorsese's work that allows us to actually feel as if we are back in Hollywood's legendary heyday, and in the experimental test planes as Hughes attempts to tame the skies.

Now even with all that praise, and everything the film has going for it, ultimately THE AVIATOR is only a good film. It is very good, but it isn't great.

I know this film is from a different Scorsese that made RAGING BULL, TAXI DRIVER and GOODFELLAS, but it is just missing that little extra bit of flair that he used to bring to his films. I suppose that we can't expect a masterpiece every time from him, but I thought there would be more than just a few flashed of Scorsese's brilliance.

Don't misunderstand me, THE AVIATOR comes highly recommended, especially to those who are curious about Howard Hughes or the era in which he lived and worked.

But if you are looking for the movie to be something special simply because of Scorsese's involvement, you will probably also arrive at the resolution that I did: THE AVIATOR is good, but not great.

However, Scorsese's good is often much better than some other director's best

THE AVIATOR might now have won Scorsese an Oscar for best director, but it is available now on video and DVD.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

The first seasons from three popular 1980s TV series are now available on DVD, and so is season one of a popular show that is still on the air right now .

Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard starred in MOONLIGHTING. This series is debuting on DVD with a six-disc box set that includes Seasons 1 and 2.

Tom Selleck is MAGNUM, P.I. and THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of his show has all 18 episodes from the 1980-81 season plus four bonus episodes - the two "Simon & Simon" crossover shows and two 1984 episodes guest starring Sharon Stone.

And KNIGHT RIDER - SEASON ONE is a four-disc box set with all 22 episodes from the 1982-83 season.

Those shows are all from the 1980s, but LAS VEGAS is the show that is currently on TV. If you are a fan, for whatever the reason, the three-disc SEASON ONE UNCUT AND UNCENSORED DVD set features all 23 episodes from the 2003-04 season, several with unseen footage.

I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on LAS VEGAS, KNIGHT RIDER, MAGNUM, P.I., MOONLIGHTING, and some other releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

Hawaii houses the secrets of 'Lost'

MOKULEIA, Hawaii (AP) — As a band of jittery plane crash survivors huddle on an island hillside listening to a distress call that has looped through the airwaves for 16 years, one of them asks, "Where ARE we?"

The answer: The Hawaiian island of Oahu.

The actors on the hit ABC show Lost, which wraps up its debut season Wednesday, are of course free to enjoy Oahu. Their characters are miserably unaware of the civilization just off frame. But the fans know better — particularly the ones who live on Oahu and proudly blurt out the true locations of flashback scenes set around the globe.

Sydney Airport? That's really the Honolulu Convention Center.

Korean strongman's daughter Sun met her soon-to-be husband Jin at the beautiful Byodo-in Temple in Kaneohe.

And, if you're looking for the spot somewhere in the Mideast where former Republican Guard member Sayid mooned over the imprisoned Nadia, look inside one of the World War II bunkers at the popular tourist spot of Diamond Head, within view of famous Waikiki Beach.

Watching the show each week, fan David Morgan often tells himself, "Hey, I know where that is!" That's because many of the settings are at his lovely, family owned Kualoa Ranch up against the sharp peaks of Koolau Range on the lush windward side of the island.

The 4,000-acre working cattle ranch has a long history of hosting film crews, dating back to the 1965 film In Harm's Way and including the more recent Godzilla,Jurassic Park, and 50 First Dates.

The ranch provides tours of filming highlights — as well as horse and all-terrain vehicle rides — and is a must-see stop for die-hard fans jonesing for the Lost experience while the show goes into repeats after Wednesday's finale.

Jin reunited with his father at his native Korean fishing village set along the shore of a tranquil, 800-year-old Hawaiian fish pond at the edge of the ranch. Ill-fated lottery winner Hurley set up a golf course to entertain the beleaguered castaways on a flat spot currently littered with cowpies. And Brit rocker Charlie and his brother, in a flashback, talked about kicking drugs at Morgan's house in the Nuuanu section of Honolulu.

At the end of a road cutting past a small airfield and another ranch along Oahu's North Shore is the former site of show's crash site, long since packed away. Rugged, beautiful and far from Hawaii's hordes of hottie surfers, Mokuleia Beach has precisely the end-of-the-world feel that permeates the show. Just you and a couple of locals casting their fishing lines from the edge of the surf.

Lost fan and new Hawaii Pacific University graduate Wes Grotjan said he's particularly noticed the show's use of Honolulu's Downtown and Chinatown sections, which have done turns as everywhere from the streets of New York to towns in Australia's Outback.

"I feel I'm kind of in on the joke that I get to see a lot of these places," said Grotjan outside HPU's downtown campus — a block from where struggling artist Michael foolishly ran out into the road and got hit by a car.

Oahu's North Shore is also home to other spots visited by the ill-fated passengers of Oceanic Flight 815.

Across from the fabled surf break of Waimea Bay — now flat as a pancake without the wintertime swells — is the Waimea Valley Audubon Center. Hunky badboy Sawyer and mystery lady Kate dove and jumped off the falls there, even though No. 3 on the list of posted rules explicitly says to do neither.

But never mind, a lifeguard is stationed just to the left of the falls should anything go wrong.

People are always intrigued by the possibility of jumping from the falls, but it's not clear if the TV scene has attracted more daredevils, said Hazel Shaw, a spokeswoman for the center.

Like the Kualoa Ranch, Waimea Valley has hosted film crews since the days of Magnum P.I. But the site doesn't receive a credit in the episode, so few would know where to look for the falls — except the readers of stories like this one, Shaw said.

PARAMOUNT GETS SMALL

Paramount is planning to announce Monday an ambitious slate of 11 titles for Sony's PlayStation Portable entertainment device, including "Sahara," arriving Aug. 30, the same day as its home video release. Paramount titles also draw heavily from fellow Viacom divisions Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV, making Paramount the first studio to bring TV shows to the PSP's Universal Media Disc format. The first wave of titles, due Aug. 9, consists of "Team America: World Police," "Coach Carter" and "Without a Paddle." The second wave, arriving in stores Aug. 30, includes "The Italian Job" and, "MTV's Viva La Bam: Vol. 1." Other titles coming this the year include "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and compilation UMDs of "Chappelle's Show," "The Ren & Stimpy Show," "South Park" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" episodes.

HOT COP

Annabella Sciorra signing on to play Detective Carolyn Barek, the female partner of Chris Noth's Detective Mike Logan on NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent this fall, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

TV's 'Sopranos' final season will focus on money

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The much-anticipated final season of "The Sopranos" will strike a theme of money and materialism, which for the characters on the hit mob drama is "all they care about," according to creator David Chase.

Chase insisted at a New York appearance on Tuesday that the sixth season, now in production, will be the last but still left open the tantalizing possibility that fans won't have to say goodbye to the fictional mob family just yet.

"I really enjoy it, so why leave something like that?" he told a forum sponsored by The New Yorker magazine and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. "It's just a question of whether the story works out creatively in six seasons, which I think it will. Then we probably shouldn't do a seventh."

Pressed repeatedly on the question of a seventh season, he said, "No. No more," but then conceded the plot line would not have to change drastically for added shows.

"It is possible," he said.

It has long been rumored that the show may climax with a feature film, something producers have remained silent on.

Naturally tight-lipped about who might get "whacked" in the upcoming season, Chase simply said: "Somebody, I guess."

"We do have that machine that sprays blood on the wall," he explained.

The show's creator, writer and executive producer said he has known for two or three years how the violent yet funny series will end. The Emmy-award show made its debut in 1999.

"I started thinking about what are these people really about, what are they really after," he said. "It's going to be about money and about materialism, buying stuff, consumerism.

"That's all they care about," he said. "All that stuff helps them not to think about larger issues. I notice that myself. When I go shopping, I feel better. It's like a high."

The final season of "The Sopranos" is not expected on HBO until spring 2006, nearly two years after the last season ended on the Time Warner Inc.-owned cable channel.

Meanwhile, as the show's actors work to replace its profanity-laced lines for future reruns on network television, Chase said he has little problem with HBO making money reselling the hit series.

But he said: "It's going to be very painful for me to see the show transformed like that. I probably won't even look at it."

In his own future, Chase said he would like to try full-length films and make a comedy or a psychological thriller.

Looking back, he said he was relieved that four broadcast television networks originally turned down the opportunity to make "The Sopranos."

"It would have been a plane crash of differing expectations," he said. "We would have had a terrible time."

Network television, particularly hour-long drama shows, "gives such a false picture of life," he said.

"So much of it is a glorification of authority and an attempt to convince the American people that life isn't tragic, that everything works out and all those cops and all those firemen and all those judges and all those doctors, they really care," he said.

His favorite "Soprano" is its burly, hot-tempered mob boss Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini. "He's so earnest," Chase said. "I guess that's what I like about him. When he's upset, he really gets upset about something."

Handicapping the 2005-06 TV Season

That the major TV networks are desperate to snag the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic is no surprise.

But now even CBS, once the domain of unhip, older-skewing viewers, is making no pretense: It's all about the under-50 set.

Last week marked the networks' annual advertiser and media upfront presentations, four days of celeb-studded, gimmicky sessions, where the nets unveiled their schedules for the tube season ahead. (See UPN President Dawn Ostroff with a big yellow snake around her neck, just like Britney! See CBS honcho Les Moonves, in puppet form, punch a puppet version of NBC honcho Jeff Zucker! See the Desperate Housewives cast arrive glammed out in gowns and furs!)

And it's a quote from CBS's Moonves, explaining why the network pulled the plug on former Friday night hit Joan of Arcadia, featuring a teen who talks to God, in favor of a new drama in which a psychic Jennifer Love Hewitt talks to the dead, that sums up this year's festivities.

"I think talking to ghosts may skew younger than talking to God," explained Moonves, whose top-rated network will likely finish the season just behind Fox in viewers 18-49.

And God, apparently, isn't the only one who gets kicked to the curb in the name of ratings. UPN, CBS' sister station, is pinning its ratings wishes for next season on new Thursday night comedy Everybody Hates Chris, a Wonder Years-type series based on Chris Rock's teen years in Brooklyn.

Rock took the stage at UPN's upfront on Thursday and told the crowd, "Everybody Loves Raymond, Everybody Hates Chris. White man out, black man in. See how it works?"

Jokes aside, UPN is hoping that's exactly how it works, as one of the biggest time-slot battles of next season will take place Thursdays at 8 p.m. Rock's show, which will include narration by the former Saturday Night Live star, goes head-to-head with CBS's Survivor, the WB's Smallville, Fox's The O.C., ABC's Alias and NBC's Joey.

"It's a really, really important night for the movie studios, and a ton of money flows into that night with movie advertisements," says Bill Koenigsberg, president and CEO of Horizon Media/New York. "It didn't surprise me that no one was willing to give up ground, that everyone wanted to stick to their guns there, because it's such a huge night. That's where a lot of the dollars are going to fall."

Speaking of the ratings-beleaguered former Friend, poor Joey, which was the buzz of last season's upfronts, took jabs from almost everyone at this year's presentations, including his own network.

"I think its storytelling was very disappointing," NBC's Zucker told the New York Times last week. "There was and continues to be a lot of residual good will toward that character."

Still, NBC, the erstwhile comedy king that is on track to finish this season's ratings race in fourth place, gave Joey another go, pairing it with the increasingly tired Will & Grace as lead-ins for a fourth season of Donald Trump's The Apprentice.

Shows that weren't as lucky and got the axe included Taye Diggs' Kevin Hill and Star Trek: Enterprise at UPN, CBS' Judging Amy and JAG, the WB's Jack & Bobby (one of last season's most buzzed-about new shows), ABC's Eyes and Blind Justice, and NBC's family drama American Dreams.

Among the programming trends for the 2005-06 season are:

- Lost Knock-Offs

Insiders were predicting that the networks would roll out a plethora of Desperate Housewives clones for next season, but it's actually ABC's other monster hit that inspired copycats, including NBC's Fathom (scientists investigating mysterious creatures who live in the sea), the WB's Supernatural (brothers who travel around investigating unexplained phenomenon), CBS's Threshold (a team of Navy investigators assembled to investigate an alien spacecraft found in the Atlantic Ocean) and ABC's Invasion (aliens trigger natural disasters while plotting to take over the planet).

- CSI Knock-Offs:
If prime-time characters aren't investigating otherworldly type beings next season, they're investigating crimes. The slew of new crime and/or investigation series include Fox's Bones, about a forensic anthropologist/novelist, and The Gate, about detectives in San Francisco's Deviant Crime Unit; CBS' Criminal Minds, about an elite squad of FBI profilers assigned to especially twisted crimes; and ABC's The Night Stalker, a remake of the '70s drama about a newspaper crime reporter who investigates stories with supernatural twists, and The Evidence, which opens by flashing the evidence in a crime, allowing viewers to follow along and try to solve the case with the cops.

"I'm surprised to see this glut of investigative dramas out there," Koenigsberg says. "You've got Navy SEALs shows and Pentagon shows and crime investigative shows and FBI shows. I think the reason for that is the success of off-network shows to cable, like CSI and Law & Order. There's a significant revenue stream there, with those shows coming out and then switching over to cable, which is a new avenue of profit."

- Bold Time-Slot Maneuvering:
The Thursday at 8 p.m. traffic jam is a bit of scheduling where, unfortunately, at least one or two shows are likely to become ratings casualties. Another time slot making TiVo-ing a necessity: Tuesdays at 9 p.m., home of CBS' The Amazing Race, Fox's House, ABC's Commander-in-Chief and NBC's My Name is Earl and The Office.

And the nets have planned some other risky moves that will prove pure genius or pure disaster next season: Fox surprised many with its renewal of critically beloved comedy Arrested Development, and surprised insiders further by moving the show from Sunday to Monday night at 8. The network also moved aging comedy Malcolm in the Middle from Sundays to the tough Friday night schedule. ABC, meanwhile, swapped Lost from 8 to 9 on Wednesdays, moved Alias to Thursdays and shifted David E. Kelley's Sunday night hit Boston Legal from its cushy post-Desperate Housewives position to Tuesdays at 10, while NBC ousted The West Wing from Wednesday night and moved it to Sundays at 8.

- Bruckheimer Rules:
Still. Jerry Bruckheimer produced four of the top 20 shows this season. As of next season, he will have a record 10 shows on the networks, including six on CBS. Among his new series are his first comedy, the WB's Modern Men, about three single pals who hire a life coach to help them get dates; CBS' Close to Home, about a mom/prosecutor; the WB's Just Legal, a drama about a teen prodigy attorney with a crabby mentor (Miami Vice's Don Johnson); and NBC's E-Ring, a military drama set at the Pentagon and costarring Dennis Hopper and Benjamin Bratt.

- Reality TV on Life Support?
Practically since Who Wants to Be a Millionaire helped spark the prime-time reality craze, industry types have been predicting its imminent death. And while the fall schedules for next season still include plenty of unscripted hits--Survivor, The Amazing Race, America's Next Top Model and yet another spin on The Bachelor--Fox, the network known for its reliance on short-term ratings grabbers in the past, has swept such fare out the door. Aside from the Saturday night Cops/America's Most Wanted lineup, Fox has scheduled no reality shows until the next installment of American Idol in January.

Other new series that generated buzz among advertisers at the upfronts: NBC's My Name Is Earl, a sitcom about a petty thief who decides to change his evil ways and make amends with those he's wronged after winning the lottery, and the Martha Stewart-hosted version of The Apprentice; Fox's Headcases, starring Chris O'Donnell as a lawyer who suffers a nervous breakdown, and Prison Break, a drama about an architect who gets himself thrown in jail to help his imprisoned brother escape; ABC's Commander-in-Chief, starring Geena Davis as the first female President, and Emily's Reasons Why Not, a comedy starring Heather Graham as a self-help author who can't follow her own advice; and the WB's Twins, a comedy about two sisters (including Roseanne's Sara Gilbert) thrown together to run their family's lingerie business, and Bedford Diaries, a drama from Oz creator Tom Fontana, about students in a human sexuality course at a liberal arts college in New York.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of high-profile pilots that didn't make the cut, including Alias and Lost producer JJ Abrams' The Catch, an ABC bounty hunter show starring Alias' Greg Grunberg and old-school comedian Don Rickles; NBC's Notorious, starring Tori Spelling in an autobiographical comedy; and Fox's New Car Smell, starring Brooke Shields in a comedy about a used-car dealership; Queen B, a comedy starring Alicia Silverstone; and Windfall, starring Luke Perry in a drama about a group of friends who win the lottery. And one pilot that was looked over by NBC--Old Christine, a comedy with Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a single mom--was later picked up by CBS for its midseason schedule.

"I was impressed with the new Chris Rock show," says Koenigsberg. "My Name is Earl on NBC is getting an awful lot of good buzz and it seems like it could be a breakthrough hit. Also E-Ring on NBC and Geena Davis as the President on ABC, there are some strong indications that it could be a breakout show as well."

"[But] I don't see the next Friends or Frasier or Seinfeld. I think it was a very safe route in terms of programming development."

And a prediction on that big Thursday at 8 battle?

"I think Survivor will garner the biggest ratings," says Koenigsberg. "And then I think it's going to be a toss-up between Joey and Alias."

'Sith' Can't Halt Slump

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of The Sith officially entered the record books Monday as the final tally for its four-day opening came in at $158,449,700, demolishing the previous four-day record of $134.3 million, set by The Matrix Reloaded in 2003.

Nevertheless, to the surprise of many analysts, the movie did not lift the overall box office out of its slump.

Total receipts were 3.5 percent below those for the same weekend a year ago. It marked the 13th consecutive week that the box office recorded total receipts below last year's.

"It's shocking," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. "We really thought this would end the slump." Part of the problem was related to the fact that Sith had its best day on Thursday, drawing away business for the weekend.

And although its $108.4-million weekend gross was the second-biggest of all time (behind only Spider-Man's $114.8 million), other movies on theater marquees did not represent the kind of draw that last year's comparable lineup, which included Troy and Shrek 2, did.

Next weekend -- the Memorial Day holiday -- will see some flashy additions to the list, including the animated Madagascar and the remake of The Longest Yard. But analysts suggest that even that array may not be enough to give the box office the boost it needs.

Here are the top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):
1. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of The Sith, 20th Century Fox, $108,435,841, 1 Wk. ($158,449,700 -- From Thursday);
2. Monster-in-Law, New Line, $14,350,134, 2 Wks. ($44,174,005);
3. Kicking & Screaming, Universal, $10,721,715, 2 Wks. ($34,196,720);
4. Crash, Lions Gate, $5,546,006, 3 Wks. ($27,648,811);
5. Unleashed, Focus Features, $4,123,556, 2 Wks. ($17,850,310);
6. Kingdom of Heaven, 20th Century Fox, $3,537,201, 3 Wks. ($41,218,408);
7. House of Wax, Warner Bros., $3,288,419, 3 Wks. ($26,912,839);
8. The Interpreter, Universal, $2,910,580, 5 Wks. ($65,403,045);
9. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Disney, $2,054,904, 4 Wks. ($46,902,653);
10. Mindhunters, Miramax/Dimension, $1,005,839, 2 Wks. ($3,562,161).

Lohan Wants To Be Taken Seriously

Teen star Lindsay Lohan is fed up with the press only being interested in her wild social life, because she's desperate to be taken seriously as an actress. The 18-year-old actress has signed up to work with Meryl Streep on the upcoming movie from legendary director Robert Altman, the film version of A Prairie Home Companion. And Lohan is enraged her fellow actresses Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, who are both just two years older than her, are highly praised for their work whereas she's known for her relentless partying and troubled family life. She says, "It's hard for me to have to watch that. I work just as hard as those people and sometimes (the media) make it seem that they're more mature because their fan base is more mature and my fan base is younger So they're writing about me going out all the time. It's easy to over-publicize me. I'm a young kid and I have a lot of pressure... (but) I know work is work."

'Star Wars' earns $108.5 million in 1st US weekend 55 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The final installment of George Lucas' "Star Wars" series grossed about $108.5 million during its first weekend of release across North America, the second-best three-day opening of all time, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

The record is held by "Spider-Man," which opened to almost $115 million in 2002. "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" narrowly pipped "Shrek 2," which bowed with $108 million in 2004. Final data will be released on Monday.

Since its release after midnight on Thursday, the "Star Wars" film has sold $158.5 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada. It was released by Twentieth Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

Voice of Fred Flintstone Dies at 85

LOS ANGELES - Henry Corden, the voice of cartoon caveman Fred Flintstone's "Yabba-dabba-doo!" for more than two decades, has died. He was 85.

Corden died of emphysema Thursday night at AMI Encino Hospital, his longtime agent Don Pitts said Friday. Corden's wife of nine years, Angelina, was with him at the time.

He took over as the lovable loudmouth Fred Flintstone when original voice Alan Reed died in 1977. Reed had been doing Flintstone since the character debuted in 1960.

Born in Montreal, Corden moved to New York as a child and arrived in Hollywood in the 1940s. His first acting role was in the 1947 film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Known for playing villains, he found small parts in movies, including 1952's "The Black Castle" and "The Ten Commandments" in 1956.

"As Henry said, he always played the cold-blooded creeps," Pitts said.

Corden moved into voice acting in the 1960s, and deployed his dialect skills in bit parts for Hanna-Barbera, including "Jonny Quest," "Josey and the Pussycats" and "The New Tom & Jerry Show."

Since "The Flintstones" echoed "The Honeymooners," Corden tweaked his role to approximate Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden character, Pitts said.

Corden also contributed to "The Jetsons," "Scooby-Doo" and "The Smurfs."

Corden, who lived in Encino, had been working until his health suffered about three months ago. He can most recently be heard on ubiquitous cereal commercials yelling "Barney, my Pebbles!"

Besides his wife, Corden is survived by five children and five grandchildren. A private memorial "party" is planned, Pitts said.

'Star Wars' Grosses $50M in Single Day

LOS ANGELES - The last of the "Star Wars" movies has done what no movie in history has ever accomplished — sold $50 million worth of tickets in a single day.

"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" grossed $50,013,859 from showings at 3,661 theaters and more than 9,000 screens around the country on Thursday, including special midnight shows, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

That beat the one-day record set in May 2004 by "Shrek 2," which sold $44.8 million on a single Saturday — its fourth day in theaters.

"It's staggering," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at Twentieth Century Fox. "It's probably 20 percent more than I thought we could do."

The George Lucas film, which features the transformation of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into the evil Darth Vader, also beat the opening day record held by "Spider-Man 2," which grossed $40.4 million when it opened on a Wednesday last June.

"Fifty million is a good opening weekend, let alone a single day," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. "This is the box office equivalent of a 100-year flood."

The news comes as a relief to Hollywood, which has seen a box office slump for 12 straight weeks.

Theater owners, studios and marketing partners had their hopes pinned on "Star Wars," to kick-start the summer movie season and they weren't disappointed.

The film debuted on 2,900 screens at midnight Thursday. The take from that one showing alone was $16.5 million, which beat the previous record of $8 million set by "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in 2003.

Thursday's take dwarfed the next highest film, and last week's box office champ, "Monster-in-Law," starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. That film grossed $1.5 million on Thursday, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

It is almost assured "Star Wars" will push past the $100 million mark for its opening weekend. The record for a three-day weekend is held by the first "Spider-Man," which grossed $114.8 million in May 2002.

DeGeneres' Talk Show Wins Daytime Emmy

NEW YORK - Ellen DeGeneres' easygoing talk show won its second straight Daytime Emmy award on Friday and "Jeopardy!" — with a boost from Ken Jennings' 74-game winning streak — was honored as best game show.

DeGeneres learned she had a fan from another generation when Merv Griffin, standing next to her as he accepted a lifetime achievement award, whispered: "I watch you every day."

"Thank you for this prize," DeGeneres said. "It shows us what we can do."

"Jeopardy!," which was created by Griffin in the 1960s, was honored as best game show for the tenth time.

"This just adds more luster to what has already been a shining season," said Harry Friedman, the show's executive producer. He didn't mention Jennings, whose machine-like mind caused a sensation before he lost in November.

The Daytime Emmys, held at Radio City Music Hall and televised on CBS, have lost wattage over the years after losing story lines like Susan Lucci's long losing streak. Its ratings last year were less than half what they were in 1997.

Stockard Channing added a Daytime Emmy award to her prime-time Emmy and Tony awards. She performed in "Jack," a children's special on Showtime.

"I thought nighttime was supposed to be hot," Channing said. "But daytime is where it's at."

Greg Rikaart of "The Young and the Restless" and Natalia Livingston of "General Hospital" both won their first Emmys for supporting actors in a soap opera. David Yago of "The Young and the Restless" and Eden Riegel of "All My Children" won Emmys for young actors.

Wearing a purple velour jacked as he accepted his award, Yago tested the CBS censors. The audio was silenced for part of his acceptance speech.

"Oh, my God," he said. "I should have been fired years ago."

Let's settle it in the kitchen: Chefs Bobby Flay and Michael Chiarello finished in a tie for the best service show Emmy.

The voice of Elmo on "Sesame Street," Kevin Clash, was honored as best performer in a children's series; Oscar the Grouch accepted the award for him. Henry Winkler also wasn't on hand to pick up his first Emmy for his voiceover work on "Clifford's Puppy Days."

The ageless Bob Barker, recovering from skin cancer surgery, was not going to be on hand to see if he would win his 14th Emmy as best game show host.

Bill Murray in defense of comedy

CANNES (CP) - Putting it a little more elegantly than Rodney Dangerfield ever did, Bill Murray claims that comedy just does not get the respect it deserves.

"I've always felt that people who don't think that comedians are actors are damaged -- really damaged," Murray said this week in a Cannes Film Festival interview.

The comic, who was nominated for a best actor Oscar for the oddly funny Lost In Translation, is here following the world premiere of Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers, in which Murray plays a man looking for a lost son he might have had with a past lover. The movie is poignant and droll.

"If you're a real true comedian, you can act," Murray said. "Because it's the ability to say a line straight. You have to be able to play straight to do comedy."

You can see the prejudice in the results of the Academy Awards, Murray said.

"We always joke: you give me an affliction and I'll give you an Oscar. You give me a fatal disease and I'll get a prize for it. You give me a wig or a mask or a disfiguration, and I'll make it work for you.

"To me that's just the way it is. It doesn't matter."

As for comedies, Murray said: "When you laugh, you're breaking some sort of tension. You're untying a knot. Somehow, that's not something that people take into their emotional bank ... even though people value it.

"But it's not something where people say: 'I want to give you a prize.' "

MUPPET-IZING THE 'WIZARD'

Follow the Road of Yellow Brick.

It's not an English-as-a-second-language exam. It's actually a line in "Wizard of Oz," airing tonight at 8 on ABC.

The phrasing is to prove that the TV movie is not based on the 1939 Judy Garland classic film.

Rather, it's based on the children's book written by L. Frank Baum, meaning that a lot of things you remember from the movie aren't there. For instance, Dorothy wears silver slippers, not ruby ones.

And, oh yeah, the singing Muppets.

The movie stars Ashanti, who won a Grammy in 2002, as Dorothy, surrounded by Muppets, including Kermit the Frog playing the Scarecrow and Miss Piggy playing all four witches — yes, in the book, there were four.

Fozzie Bear plays the Lion looking for courage, and The Great Gonzo plays the Tin Thing (beak and all) in search of a heart. For the adults, there's a Quentin Tarantino cameo, and Queen Latifah plays Dorothy's Auntie Em.

This isn't the first time Muppets have taken over a previously filmed story. In 1992, they made "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (with Kermit and Miss Piggy as Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cratchit) and in 1996, there was "Muppet Treasure Island," where Kermit battles pirates as Captain Smollett.

Those movies had pretty good music, too — Ziggy Marley is on the soundtrack for "Treasure Island" — but doing the "Wizard of Oz" provides a great excuse for the felt-y group to revive some old chestnuts, "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" and "The Rainbow Connection."

We'd like to see the crew in more adult fare (imagine "Apocalypse Now" with the Swedish Chef yelling, "de hurden, de hurden") but till then it's Piggy — the Witch is in the House.

Canadian music biz loses Net appeal

TORONTO (CP) - The music industry lost its quest Thursday to curb online file-sharing when an attempt to smoke out the identities of 29 alleged uploaders was quashed by the Federal Court of Appeal.

Despite losing the case, music makers greeted the ruling with smiles because the court offered them key guidelines for next time. The 27-page decision gives the Canadian Recording Industry Association a roadmap of how to present file-sharing evidence in future attempts to stop rampant music swapping. It also rejected the lower court's ruling on copyright law, saying the judge was premature in his statements that file-sharing is permissible.

Richard Pfohl, the music industry's lawyer, went as far as to call Thursday's decision "a complete success" even though the organization cannot proceed with lawsuits against these 29 people at this time.

"It provides us with a blueprint to proceed," he said. "We know exactly what we need to do."

For over a year CRIA has been trying to figure out who's behind pseudonyms such as Geekboy(at)KaZaA and Jordana(at)KaZaA.

The two are among 29 individuals suspected of collectively making 43,541 songs available to any web surfer for free.

Finding out the identities from Internet service providers, such as Shaw, Rogers and Bell, is a necessary step in order to launch lawsuits against people who use services like Kazaa and IMesh.

Writing on behalf of the three-judge panel, Justice Edgar Sexton said much of the evidence was hearsay posing a risk that "innocent persons might have their privacy invaded and also be named as defendant where it is not warranted."

The evidence was gathered by workers at New York-based MediaSentry and presented by the company's president who had only second-hand knowledge of how it was collected. Dating back to late 2003, it was based on screen grabs showing a list of songs placed in a shared folder.

Those representing the public's interest in the case also called the ruling a victory.

"The decision recognizes and affirms the right of privacy for individual Canadians," said Howard Knopf, a copyright lawyer with Macera and Jarzyna in Ottawa who represented the public's interest during the case.

However, Knopf cautioned that a portion of the decision "opens the door to the kind of shock and awe campaign that we've seen in the U.S." because it gives CRIA a chance to come back with better evidence.

Thursday's decision included several strong statements about the importance of protecting copyright in the online world so that music makers are not "robbed of the fruits of their efforts," suggesting CRIA should return to court when it has met all the necessary criteria.

Sexton went a step further saying that with proper evidence, musicians "have a right to have the identity revealed for the purpose of bringing action."

He tempered the statement, saying the courts will still need to make sure "privacy rights are invaded in the most minimal way."

The decision also refrained from making grand conclusions on copyright laws - specifically about the legality of downloading or uploading music via file-sharing.

At the time of the original ruling, headlines around the world called Canada a haven for pirates because courts couldn't prosecute due to outdated copyright laws.

Thursday's ruling strongly stated that the lower court should never have broached the subject of copyright infringement. At the time, Justice Konrad von Finckenstein said that uploading songs to shared folders on a home computer was permissible under law because the songs weren't actively being distributed to others.

"Conclusions . . . should not have been made in the very preliminary stage of this action," Sexton said in Thursday's written decision. "They would require a consideration of the evidence as well as the law applicable to such evidence after it has been properly adduced."

The industry interpreted the comment as vindication in its battle to thwart online cheaters.

"It makes it harder for people to say 'Canada is a piracy haven so steal whatever you want to.' It ought to be a warning sign for people on peer-to-peer services that you can, and will, be held accountable," said CRIA's Pfohl.

How soon remains to be seen as the court system is notoriously slow. As well, government legislation by the Liberals to amend copyright laws in favour of the music industry has been slowly working its way through Parliament.

This case has been closely watched by the TV, film and book publishing industries, which have also been negatively affected by the popularity of peer-to-peer sharing systems.

Grammer To Play Blue Beast in 'X-Men 3'

Fans of Kelsey Grammer are set to find him tough to recognize in his next project - he's playing a furry blue monster in the second X-Men sequel. In X-Men 3, the former Frasier star will play oversized mutant Beast, who has not yet appeared in any of the franchise's installments. While there has been a shocked reaction to Grammer's casting, producers of the movie insist he's the perfect choice for the part - because Beast is the most intelligent of all the mutants. Snatch star Vinnie Jones is also set to undergo a huge image overhaul when he plays villainous Juggernaut in the movie. His character is a 900 pound metal-clad battering ram. The sci-fi series stars Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn. The movie, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn, is set to debut in May next year.

That '70s "Spider-Man"?

Topher Grace is checking out of the basement and into the big time.

Coming on the heels of his last regular installment of That '70s Show, the actor has been tapped to join the cast of Spider-Man 3, Columbia Pictures announced Thursday.

Grace will join one of the biggest franchises in film, appearing alongside original Spider Man cast members Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco and recently announced addition Thomas Haden Church in the would-be blockbuster, due May 4, 2007.

Sam Raimi will return to direct the highly anticipated third installment, which starts shooting early next year.

"Topher Grace is an extraordinarily talented actor and will be perfect for the complexities of the role we are developing," Raimi said in a press release.

Of course, Raimi was mum on exactly what those "complexities" would be, leaving it up to the movie rumor sites to begin speculating on just which Marvel character Grace will essay.

Likewise, when Church was announced as Spidey's newest cinematic ne'er-do-well, Riami was equally coy, saying the Oscar-nominated Sideways star "will be a fantastic and challenging new nemesis and we all look forward to working with him."

It's widely assumed that multiple villains will appear in Spider-Man 3, and Grace is already an odds-on favorite to be one of them.

Meanwhile, Chlo Sevingy, who who has openly campaigned for a slot in the film, hasn't yet made the cut.

The actress has suggested she would make a perfect Black Cat in Spider-Man 3, but, per fan Website GoblinJournals.com, an "anonymous source" close to the film says there will be no Black Cat role in the new film; instead, the two baddies will be Sandman and Hobgoblin.

Villain issues aside, Spider-Man 3 is about the closest thing there is to a box-office lock.

Spider-Man 2 smashed records when it opened last summer, becoming the third film ever to earn more than $40 million in a single day. The film went on the gross $373 million at the U.S. box office. The original Spider-Man grossed $403 million domestically during its 2002 run. So far, the webslinger franchise has grossed more than $1.5 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

This represents Grace's biggest movie role to date. The actor, who along with Ashton Kutcher, decided to leave That '70s Show to pursue movie roles (they will both be back as guest stars in a handful episodes next season), has racked up solid cinematic credits. He most recently starred in In Good Company and the indie flick P.S., and had smaller roles in Traffic, Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve.

Meanwhile, in other big Marvel-related casting news, Kelsey Grammer has been tapped to play Beast--the super-intelligent blue behemoth, in the forthcoming X-Men 3, according to Variety.

He'll be joined by two other new X-Men recruits, Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, who can pass through walls (Lost's Maggie Grace is reported to be the top candidate), and the winged Angel.

They'll square off against another evil mutant, the metal-clad giant Juggernaut, to be played by Vinnie Jones (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).

British director Matthew Vaughn is taking over behind the camera from Bryan Singer (who is helming the new Superman). X-Men 3 is slated to hit theaters over Memorial Day 2006.

'Star Wars' Grosses $16.5M in Midnight Run

LOS ANGELES - Moviegoers flocked to the dark side in droves, giving the final installment of George Lucas' "Star Wars" tale a record-breaking midnight run.

"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" raked in an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings Thursday, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

That's double what the Oscar-winning film "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" took in during its midnight showings in 2003. The third film from director Peter Jackson's trilogy rang up about $8 million domestically from 2,100 midnight shows.

"This is extremely impressive," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. "It just says so much about how excited people are to see this film that they lined up at midnight and just got on board and went along for the ride."

After the midnight debut, "Revenge of the Sith" widened to 3,661 theaters for daytime and evening screenings. The studio, 20th Century Fox, said box-office results for the first full day would be available Friday.

Tickets for the film went on sale last month. Soon after, legions of fans began lining up at theaters across the country, many dressed in full "Star Wars" regalia and sporting Jedi light sabers.

The final chapter in Lucas' six-film saga chronicles Anakin Skywalker's transformation from hero to villain Darth Vader. The film may be the darkest chapter in the "Star Wars" story, featuring more violence and a story line showing how a democratic government turns into a despotic regime.

"Revenge of the Sith" is the first "Star Wars" film to earn a PG-13 rating. The first five films were rated PG.

Hollywood hoping 'Sith' a force to be reckoned with

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - As the dark side lures Anakin Skywalker, so too are industry insiders counting on the appeal of the final "Star Wars" movie to attract lethargic moviegoers to the theaters this weekend.

After 12 weeks of down year-over-year comparisons, the box office is counting on "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" to be the film that turns 2005 into a competitive year at the movies.

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas, 20th Century Fox and movie theater owners are doing everything in their power to ensure "Sith's" success.

The film bows Thursday at 12:01 a.m. with an astronomical 9,400 prints, a number bested only by DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" and Sony's "Spider-Man 2." In 3,661 theaters, "Sith" marks the widest release of a "Star Wars" film. ("Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" bowed on 3,161 in 2002.)

Lucas, who usually is strict about which theaters he will allow his films to be played in, has permitted Fox to expand into drive-ins and other less state-of-the art venues.

"Lucas has allowed us to play (theaters equipped with) nondigital sound and drive-ins," said Bruce Snyder, president of distribution at Fox. "The market has changed, and we have to get out as wide as possible while the heat is on. He's been very gracious in allowing us to go out as wide as we're going."

For top exhibitor Regal Entertainment Group, that means 1,733 prints in 470 theaters, a new record for the Knoxville, Tenn.-based chain. Online ticket retailer Fandango also has bested its own records, with sales as of Tuesday three times as strong as they were for "Clones" at the same point. The ticketing site, which services 1,100 theaters nationwide, has sold 60% more tickets for "Sith" than for "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," the company's record-holder for best-selling movie.

"Those that are waiting for the summer, 'Star Wars' has kicked it off loud and clear," Fandango president and CEO Art Levitt said. "There is unprecedented excitement in terms of numbers and sales, and we're seeing a much broader-based audience then just the hard-core 'Star Wars' fans."

According to Fandango, the film has already has sold out its midnight showings in theaters nationwide, including New York, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles. And as demand increases, theaters are adding more showings; according to Snyder, most multiplexes are showing "Sith" in five to six theaters at a time.

So what will that mean for the weekend numbers? Industry insiders are predicting a four-day opener in the range of $125 million-$160 million -- with the potential to best some impressive numbers. The biggest Thursday opening day, according to Nielsen EDI, was $42.5 million for Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Matrix Reloaded" in May 2003, which included Wednesday night previews starting at 10 p.m. "Reloaded" also holds the distinction of being the best four-day opener, with $134.3 million. Industry insiders are predicting that "Sith" could surpass both figures.

Another record in "Sith's" sights is DreamWorks' "Shrek 2" mark for any one day: $44.8 million during the first Saturday of its May 2004 release. But with the boxoffice in the doldrums for the past three months, no one is betting on anything.

At this year's ShoWest convention, Lucas did call the final installment of his epic adventure "Titanic in Space," but the likelihood of "Sith" reaching $600 million in total domestic box office is remote, even for the likes of Darth Vader.

Star Wars Fans Happy With Last 'Episode'

NEW YORK - Jay Greene and his friends had a pact: When the sixth and final "Star Wars" movie came out — the one that brings the plot back around to George Lucas' original 1977 masterpiece — they'd be there, on opening night.

Like the legions of other fans who showed up for midnight showings of "Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," Greene, 26, was eager to see how the saga all came together.

"Regardless of knowing what's going to happen, you still get that excitement, and it's closure for you," he said early Thursday after emerging from, appropriately enough, the AMC Empire 25 Theatre in Times Square.

"What's incredible is seeing him (Anakin) finally become Darth Vader," added Ryan Smith, visiting from San Diego.

Sold-out showings of "Episode III," the final installment of the seminal science fiction series created by Lucas, drew enthusiastic crowds to theaters across the country — many dressed in full "Star Wars" regalia with Jedi light sabers at the ready.

Both Greene and Smith described the excitement in the theater "like a party on opening night and that's why we're going back in."

Similar scenes played out nationwide ahead of the opening. People waiting for days and in some cases weeks could hardly contain themselves as the clock wound down Wednesday night.

In Chicago, 31-year-old graphic designer Ben Delery said that for him "Revenge of the Sith" was the most widely anticipated of the "Star Wars" epic. He noted it finally explains what drives Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker to embrace the dark side and transform himself into Darth Vader.

Much like the cult-following that emerged with the 1977 debut of the original "Star Wars," many fans said they would be repeat viewers.

"I could understand why. I would do it myself if it wasn't so late," said Charles Smallwood, of Philadelphia, who joined his mother at the midnight showing in New York.

Renee Portee, 45, added: "It lived up to all the hype. It brought everything together."

A few hours after the movie started rolling on East Coast screens, several Web sites already claimed to offer pirated copies for downloading over the Internet.

In Los Angeles, the line stretched around the block for the midnight showing at the Vista Theater on Sunset Boulevard. A group of cloaked youngsters watched previous "Star Wars" movies on a computer as they sat on the sidewalk.

"It's one of my favorite things, like electricity, fire, medicine," said Christian Miller, 27, who makes a living canvassing door to door for politcial campaigns.

Miller, dressed as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, portrayed by Liam Neeson in the film, said "It's proof that myth will have a role in human culture."

Jeff Schiffman, 25, of Burbank, moved to California three years ago for a job as a film restorer who worked on the original "Star Wars" trilogy for DVD.

Sporting a "Star Wars" tattoo, he wore a black cloak and sinister Darth Maul contact lenses for the latest film. Even his Yorkie, Zoe, had a "Star Wars" patch.

Schiffman chose the cloak, similar to that of the movie's evil emperor, because "the Dark Side is so much cooler," he said.

In Boston, the entire 16-person staff of a Web development firm planned to take Thursday off to see the film. The outing was paid for by the company — popcorn and soda included.

Seth Miller, the president and chief executive of Miller Systems Inc., said the tradition began with "The Phantom Menace" in 1999.

"It speaks to our culture. It's the benefit of not working at a giant monolithic — dare I say 'Imperial' — type company," he said, referring to the Empire in the "Star Wars" films.

Tickets for the movie went on sale last month, and many fans who couldn't bear the thought of a bad seat began camping out well in advance. "I'm a typical 'Star Wars' geek, trying to see the final episode," said Jimmy Burns, 32, who helped his Rebel Legion fan club be first into a Georgia theater on the outskirts of Atlanta.

"This is a big event for all of us," said Russ Rolle as he waited outside Edwards Big Newport, one of the largest theaters in Southern California. The 23-year-old student had been taking turns with friends since May 8 saving a spot in line to make sure they catch the first showing. His wristband identified him as No. 7 in line for one of the 1,200 seats to the sold-out 12:01 showing.

John St. Clair, of Hopatcong, N.J., recalled going to the first "Star Wars" in 1977. He saw the film five weeks after it opened, then saw it about 10 times.

"Nobody knew anything about the first movie. Word of mouth is what carried it," said St. Clair, 60.

"After the first three, you had a lot of questions of how everything came to pass, and this answered all those questions," he said.

The Couch Potato Report - May 21st, 2005

This week The Couch Potato Report features television shows, movies, puppets and white noise.

When I am not working, spending time with friends, at the movies, golfing, skating, exercising, or doing something else, I can usually be found watching TV.

I like watching TV and one of my current favourites is SCRUBS.

SCRUBS is a comedy about a group of young doctors who are trying to live their lives, and adjust to the demands of working at a busy hospital.

J.D. is the idealistic one who also narrates the show, Turk is the surgical intern and Elliot is their very talented, yet neurotic friend.

Rounding out the cast is Karla, the knowledgeable, sarcastic nurse; the tough and demanding Dr. Cox; the pompous, condescending Dr. Kelso; and the janitor.

He is a great secondary character who delights in tormenting the idealistic J.D.

Every member of SCRUBS’ cast is superb and the show has a goofy sense of humour and lots of snappy dialogue and visual jokes.

And now, much to the delight of my friends and I, SCRUBS – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON is now available in a three-DVD box set.

In a day and age when lesser quality shows get more press and better ratings, this box set is a great chance to catch up on what you’ve been missing.

Or if you love the show as much as everyone I know does, then you can enjoy it as much as we do!

The characters on SCRUBS are all well developed and the situations are both hilarious and touching, often at the same time.

SCRUBS is my current favourite show on TV not called THE SIMPSONS, and if you have been complaining that the latter show hasn’t made you laugh for years, then I suggest you spend some time with J.D., Turk, Elliot, Karla, Dr. Cox, Dr. Kelso and The Janitor.

They, and their show, are quirky, hilarious, and smart.

Yes, SCRUBS is my current favourite TV series. From 1990 to 1998 my favourite TV show was SEINFELD.

SEINFELD’s 1992-1993 series is still the best season that any TV show has ever had. During that year the show was simply the best thing on television, and that includes THE SIMPSONS!

That one season gave us all of these classic, often quoted episodes:

“The Bubble Boy” where George plays a game of Trivial Pursuit with the bubble boy and they get into a fight; “The Contest” between George, Jerry, Kramer and Elaine all betting to see who can go the longest without doing...that; “The Pick” where Jerry's girlfriend thinks she caught him picking her nose; “The Outing”… ‘not that there is anything wrong with that’; “The Implant” features Jerry dumping his girlfriend when Elaine tells him that her breasts are fake and the classic ‘double-dip’ line and then there is “The Junior Mint” where Jerry can't remember the name of his girlfriend, only that it rhymes with the word for a female body part.

This season really had it all!

And now, all of it is available on the four-disc DVD box set SEINFELD – SEASON FOUR.

The writing was unparalleled and Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards were all at the top of their game. There just isn’t a bad episode in the entire box set.

SEINFELD – SEASON FOUR was brilliant in 1992-1993 and in 2005 it still is!

Since it’s debut in 1997, many people have also called the TV show SOUTH PARK brilliant. It is not quite as brilliant as SEINFELD, but it also remains funny to this day.

Now the creators of SOUTH PARK have given us the hilarious puppet film TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. Yes, for the record, I said “hilarious puppet film.”

In fact, even the film’s rating contains a reference to the fact that the film features puppets. The film is rated “R - for graphic, crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language; all involving puppets.”

If the fact that TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE features puppets, and the fact that it is from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of SOUTH PARK, interests you, then you should see this parody of big budget Hollywood action blockbusters.

If it doesn’t, then stay away from it, trust me, you won’t find it hilarious, witty, clever or interesting. And, with all due respect to your intelligence, you certainly won’t get the fact that it is a parody.

You will think it is dumb, stupid, sophomoric and a waste of your time.

As for me, I thought it was disgustingly hilarious! Yes, it was moronic and even though it appealed to my most infantile and immature side, I still liked it. I like SOUTH PARK and I liked TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE.

As I said a moment ago, it is a “hilarious puppet film.”

If that sort of thing doesn’t appeal to you, then allow me to suggest the Academy Award nominated film KINSEY instead.

KINSEY is the cinematic telling of the flawed but honorable man who revolutionized our understanding of human sexuality. Liam Neeson plays Indiana University researcher Alfred Kinsey, and the always superb Laura Linney is his understanding and supportive wife.

She was justifiably nominated for Best Supporting Actress at February’s Academy Awards for her work in this picture.

KINSEY has humour, charm, and intelligence. I enjoyed seeing it, and finding out more about the man who was Alfred Kinsey.

The movie isn’t perfect, and the film doesn’t have a great deal of narrative tension, but it is well written and acted.

In this instance, that is enough for me.

Plus, you will usually hear me recommend any movie that Laura Linney is in. She is one of the best actresses of this generation!

You will also usually hear me recommend any movie that Michael Keaton is in, well, a few years ago you would have anyway.

Between 1982 and 1989 Keaton starred in the superb NIGHT SHIFT, MR. MOM, GUNG HO, BEATLE JUICE, THE DREAM TEAM, BATMAN and PACIFIC HEIGHTS.

Since then, he appeared in the good, but not great MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE PAPER, SPEECHLESS, MULTIPLICITY, JACKIE BROWN and OUT OF SIGHT.

Yes, along the way, he has had his share of bad movies as well, but his good ones were – and are – just so good that the bad ones can be forgiven and forgotten.

In recent years, Keaton has been doing less and less film work, so earlier this year when it was announced that he was returning to theatres in WHITE NOISE, I was hoping he was coming back to comedies.

Sadly, WHITE NOISE isn’t a comedy, but it was still good to see Keaton’s energy on screen again!

In WHITE NOISE he is a man who tries to contact his dead wife through images and voices that are recordable on a variety of electronic media such as VCRs and computers.

In real life, according to paranormal researchers, this is actually possible.

In real life it might be possible, but what happens in WHITE NOISE seems possible, but not plausible.

However, even with its plot holes, WHITE NOISE has enough spooky moments and scenes to make it worth your time... if you are a fan of supernatural thrillers.

If not, you probably won't care for it at all.

As for me, I found it just such a treat to see Michael Keaton in a film again that I liked WHITE NOISE.

You won’t proclaim WHITE NOISE to be an all time classic, but you will probably enjoy it.

I did!

I also enjoyed KINSEY, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, SEINFELD – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON and SCRUBS – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON and they are all available now.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT is the story of eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio stars and Martin Scorsese directs the Academy Award nominated THE AVIATOR.

Coming up in two weeks, the classic 80s TV series MOONLIGHTING debuts on DVD with a six-disc box set that includes Seasons 1 and 2!

I’m Dan Reynish and I will have more on THE AVIATOR, and some other releases in seven days and MOONLIGHTING in fourteen days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

CBS Cancels 'Judging Amy,' 'Arcadia'

NEW YORK - CBS on Wednesday canceled "Judging Amy," "Joan of Arcadia" and the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes" as the nation's most popular network tries to attract younger viewers.

The network will add two new comedies and four new dramas next season, including a series in which Jennifer Love Hewitt talks to dead people.

"Two and a Half Men," the highest-rated situation comedy left on broadcast television, will move into the 9 p.m. Monday slot vacated by "Everybody Loves Raymond," which drew a series-high 33 million viewers to its finale this week.

CBS is again the most-watched network and this season will narrowly miss beating Fox among the youthful 18-to-49-year-old demographic prized by advertisers. If Fox hadn't aired the Super Bowl this season, CBS said, it would have won.

Four of the five prime-time CBS programs with the oldest audience were removed from the schedule. CBS also canceled the Jason Alexander comedy "Listen Up" and the long-running military drama "JAG" stopped production. The Sunday "60 Minutes" remains as the CBS show with the oldest audience.

"We want to win it all," said Leslie Moonves, CBS chairman.

The Wednesday spinoff to "60 Minutes" was doomed by low ratings, not its controversial story last fall about President Bush's military service, Moonves said. With "48 Hours Mysteries" on Saturday, CBS has two remaining newsmagazines.

The failure of "Joan of Arcadia," which received an Emmy nomination and critical acclaim in its first season but faded this year, was one of his biggest disappointments, Moonves said.

CBS is trying two supernatural stories on Friday nights. "Threshold" features a team of experts called in when the Navy discovers aliens have landed in the Atlantic Ocean. Hewitt's "Ghost Whisperer," reminiscent of NBC's "Medium," is about a woman who conveys messages from dead people to the living.

"I think talking to ghosts may skew younger than talking to God," Moonves said.

With its crime dramas continuing to work well, CBS will add "Criminal Minds," a thriller about FBI profilers who try to stop criminals, and "Close to Home," with Jennifer Finnigan (NBC's "Committed) starring as a suburban prosecutor.

"King of Queens" returns to CBS's Monday comedy lineup, joined by two new shows: "How I Met Your Mother," a "Friends"-like romantic story created by two of David Letterman's former writers; and "Out of Practice," about a dysfunctional family of doctors, created by the team behind "Frasier."

CBS made no changes to its enormously successful Thursday lineup, where "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" reign supreme.

'The Riddler' Frank Gorshin Dies at 72

BURBANK, Calif. - Frank Gorshin, the impressionist with 100 faces best known for his Emmy-nominated role as the Riddler on the "Batman" TV series, has died. He was 72.

Gorshin's wife of 48 years, Christina, was at his side when he died Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, his agent and longtime friend, Fred Wostbrock, said Wednesday.

"He put up a valiant fight with lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia," Mrs. Gorshin said in a statement.

Despite dozens of TV and movie credits, Gorshin will be forever remembered for his role as the Riddler, Adam West's villainous foil in the question mark-pocked green suit and bowler hat on "Batman" from 1966 to '69.

"It really was a catalyst for me," Gorshin recalled in a 2002 Associated Press interview. "I was nobody. I had done some guest shots here and there. But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I can't put it down."

West said the death of his longtime friend was a big loss.

"Frank will be missed," West said in a statement. "He was a friend and fascinating character."

Gorshin earned another Emmy nomination for one for a guest shot on "Star Trek," a 1969 episode called "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."

In 2002, Gorshin portrayed George Burns on Broadway in the one-man show "Say Goodnight Gracie." He used only a little makeup and no prosthetics.

"I don't know how to explain it. It just comes," he said. "I wish I could say, `This is step A, B and C.' But I can't do that. I do it, you know. The ironic thing is I've done impressions all my life — I never did George Burns."

Gorshin's final performance will be broadcast on Thursday's CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Born in Pittsburgh, Gorshin broke into show business in New York. He did more than 40 impressions, including Al Jolson, Kirk Douglas, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and James Cagney.

Later, he took his impressions to "The Ed Sullivan Show" on a memorable evening — the same night the Beatles were featured. He did impressions in Las Vegas showrooms, opening for Darin and paving the way for other impressionists like Rich Little.

Sammy Davis Jr. said it was Gorshin who taught him to do impressions, Wostbrock said.

"He said you had to look like them and walk like them. Once you get that down, the voice comes easy," he said.

Gorshin's movie roles included "Bells are Ringing" (1960) with his idol Dean Martin and a batch of fun B-movies such as "Hot Rod Girl" (1956), "Dragstrip Girl" (1957) and "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957).

"He was fun, fascinating, wild and always a class act," Wostbrock said. "Here's a guy who always wore great clothes, stood up when a woman walked into the room — he was a gentleman. We did all our deals with a handshake. There was never a signed contract."

His other TV credits included roles on "General Hospital, "The Edge of Night" and "The Munsters" as well as guest appearances on "Donny & Marie," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Murder, She Wrote," "The Fall Guy," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Wonder Woman," "Charlie's Angels" and "Police Woman."

Besides his wife, Gorshin leaves his son Mitchell Gorshin of Orlando, Fla., and sister Dottie Roland of Pittsburgh.

Wostbrock said the funeral would be private and Gorshin would be buried in the family plot in Pittsburgh.

Tarantino digs directing 'CSI'

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Unlike criminal investigator Nick Stokes, who's buried alive in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation season finale, Quentin Tarantino didn't feel at all trapped by working within the confines of network television.

"It wasn't a challenge in that regard because ... I like the show," says Tarantino, who conceived and directed the episode. "I just wanted to do my episode of it. So the format was all the stuff I embrace. I just wanted it to be bigger, to feel in some way like a CSI movie."

TV's top-rated program concludes its fifth season Thursday (8 p.m. Eastern) with Tarantino's two-hour Grave Danger, subtitled Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in homage to his most recent feature project, Kill Bill, released in two parts.

Tarantino, who rose to auteur prominence with 1994's audacious Pulp Fiction, has seen every episode of CSI - many watched while shooting Kill Bill in Beijing, where he says the series played on "what was called the Adrenaline Channel" at 6 p.m. on Sunday - his day off.

Like much of the CSI audience, he's "fascinated by the whole forensic thing." And head criminologist Gil Grissom (William Petersen) is his favourite TV character - "the best detective to come along since Columbo."

Tarantino's unabashed admiration for the series led to his doing this season's last show.

"Word spread like wildfire that Quentin Tarantino was watching and we all took such pride in that, and eventually we started to think if he's such a big fan, why don't we ask him to write and direct a show," says executive producer/writer Carol Mendelsohn.

Petersen called the filmmaker, who immediately accepted. Working with the show's writing team, Tarantino came up with a script that originally was supposed to be one hour. But as filming started, it became clear there was enough material to fill two.

George Eads, who plays Stokes, says Tarantino's presence on the set energized cast and crew alike.

"So when Quentin came on that set, everybody had a little pep in their step, excited to be at work," he recalls. "They were laughing and smiling. They loved being there and after five years, it was like the adrenaline shot that was in Pulp Fiction that the girl got in the chest. That was exactly what our set needed."

Mendelsohn describes Tarantino's mood while shooting as "pure joy. There's nothing he would rather be doing ... and when you see him bring such wide-eyed enthusiasm and energy and love for his job, you just say 'I know why I do this!"'

Veteran character actor John Saxon, picked by Tarantino to guest-star as the criminal mastermind in the finale, also was taken with the director's spirit.

"He's so overwhelming enthusiastic. I think it really is one of his great strengths," Saxon says.

Tarantino says he chose Saxon because his favourite episodes of CSI have Grissom "matching wits with another mastermind ... I needed a big sequence in the middle with him and Grissom facing each other like (Robert) DeNiro and (Al) Pacino in the middle of Heat. I needed an actor who could really hold his own against Billy (Petersen) in that kind of situation and John Saxon is the only actor to ever steal a movie from Marlon Brando," a reference to the 1966 Western The Appaloosa.

Any one of the criminal investigation team could have been chosen to be the buried-alive victim, but Mendelsohn gave the job to Eads because "I didn't think anyone had more raw emotion inside of them at this point than George. I felt that he had something that needed to come out."

Tarantino couldn't agree more.

"It was just kind of perfect for this character, where he falls in the surrogate family," the director says. "He's kind of the bastard stepchild. Grissom has never really given it to him 100 per cent - they did an episode at one point about that - so it was perfect to see him now as the son who has never quite got the attention, but now they maybe are going to lose him and they realize how valuable he is."

Tarantino, who guest-directed a scene for the lurid feature Sin City, says he had few problems staying within the bounds of CBS's censors. "I wasn't trying to have them (the cast) cuss," he laughs, "and the show's pretty far out there anyway."

But as graphic as regular CSI episodes can be, Tarantino - who directed an episode of NBC's ER in 1995 - says he created one scene "so gory I think we are going to have to show it in black and white. But it's a hallucination sequence, so it will work kind of well like that."

Lindsay Lohan Says 'Mission' Role Possible

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Lindsay Lohan speeds into theaters this summer with "Herbie: Fully Loaded," but hopes to see some real action with a part in "Mission: Impossible 3."

The 18-year-old starlet says that she has a chance of landing a role in the action film franchise starring Tom Cruise.

"I actually met with J.J. Abrams, who is directing [the film]," reveals Lohan in an interview with "Access Hollywood" airing Tuesday, May 17. "I'm a huge fan of ... 'Lost' and 'Alias,' so hopefully, we will see what happens."

Lohan is psyched about co-starring with Cruise as well as the role's physical challenges.

"It's kind of an incredible feeling, I'm scared. If I do 'Mission: Impossible 3' that is going to be so exhilarating," she says. "I just can't wait to do stunts and get all into it. I'll be in training for a few weeks, putting on some muscles."

Some may doubt her ability to train for the role with her recent dramatic weight loss, which has sparked speculation about her excessive partying or bowing to the Hollywood mindset to be thin.

"I think there's a lot of pressure," Lohan admits. "Especially when you lose a lot of weight and then people are telling you, 'You look great!' You are like, 'So ... did I look fat before?'"

If she gets the part, she may replace Scarlett Johansson who, along with Carrie-Anne Moss, left the film due to scheduling and script delays.

Lohan recently wrapped the romantic comedy "Just My Luck" and races into theaters with "Herbie" on Wednesday, June 22.

Portman Prefers Being Bald

Revenge of the Sith star Natalie Portman accepts the bizarre responses her radical new haircut has provoked - but insists she prefers being bald. Fans were shocked when Closer Oscar nominee Portman shaved her head for her role in new movie V For Vendetta. She says, "Some people will think I'm a neo-Nazi or that I have cancer or I'm a lesbian. After all the crazy hairstyles I had to endure for the films, it's quite liberating to have no hair - especially in this heat."

Minogue Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Pop beauty Kylie Minogue has apologized to fans for postponing the Australian leg of her Showgirl Tour - after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. The singer discovered she had the disease earlier this week during a visit to her family in her home town of Melbourne. Minogue is devastated about letting down fans by cancelling the dates in her native Australia - due to open on Thursday - but insists there is no alternative because she requires immediate treatment. The 36-year-old's publicist explains in a statement, "Whilst at home in Melbourne with her family this week, prior to her Australian Showgirl Tour, Kylie was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She will undergo immediate treatment and consequently her Australian tour will not be able to proceed as planned." Minogue adds, "I was so looking forward to bringing the Showgirl tour to Australian audiences. Nevertheless hopefully all will work out fine and I'll be back with you all again soon." The diminutive star has been an avid supporter of breast cancer charities for many years, and recently raised a staggering $4,560 by auctioning her signed bra for Breast Cancer Care as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Minogue is the latest in a long list of celebrities who have battled the disease, including Olivia Newton-John, Dusty Springfield, and more recently Aimee Osbourne and Melissa Etheridge.

Murray Wants a Break from Acting

Bill Murray has announced plans to ditch his tiring movie career - in favor of mowing lawns and reading books.

The Lost In Translation star, 54, admits that since filming his new Jim Jarmusch-directed movie Broken Flowers recently, he's begun appreciating just how much he needs a break.

He says, "Doing all those movies in a row, I didn't have anything left. At the end of Jim's movie I was empty, dry as a bone."

Murray goes on to describe his experience shooting The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as "a penitentiary sentence" because he was separated from his family for so long.

He adds, "I'm really looking to cut lawns for the summer. I don't really want to work at all." Murray also intends to sit back, read books and play the guitar and piano.

Fox re-ups '24,' 'Arrested'

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - After several weeks of negotiations, Fox Broadcasting Co. has sealed a deal to bring back real-time political thriller "24" for two more seasons.

The network has also given a last-minute renewal to reigning best-comedy Emmy winner "Arrested Development," which has been on the bubble since the network cut back the show's second-season order in the spring because of underwhelming ratings.

Both shows are produced by Fox's News Corp. sibling, 20th Century Fox TV, and Imagine TV, the small-screen arm of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment.

While there has been a lot of buzz about "Arrested Development" getting a short order for next season, Fox's decision to pick up a full-season, 22-episode order of the quirky series, comes as somewhat of a surprise.

"'Arrested Development' is one of the best comedies on television," Fox's recently appointed entertainment president Peter Liguori said. "The decision to order another season becomes easy when you consider its amazing cast, creative brilliance, critical acclaim and advertiser appeal."

In addition to its returning series, Fox, which will announce its fall schedule Thursday at City Center Theater, will present to advertisers its new shows for next season, the comedies "Kitchen Confidential" and "The War at Home" and the dramas "Reunion," "Head Cases," "Bones" and "Deviant Behavior."

Nintendo Joins Battle of New Game Systems

LOS ANGELES - Let the battle for the digital den begin — again. Nintendo Co. on Tuesday was the last of the three major video game console makers to preview its next-generation system, called Revolution. The Japanese company had a tiny surprise, too.

Revolution will face stiff competition from Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 as the manufacturers vie to attract a more diverse audience with products that serve as digital entertainment hubs instead of just serving up video games.

After years of promoting their existing consoles with big-budget games, the three companies touted sleek new technology this week on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, an annual industry meeting that begins Wednesday.

The ability to play older games was addressed by all three makers, with backward compatibility meaning owners of the new systems will be able to play games created for the existing Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2.

Nintendo went a step further, announcing Tuesday to applause and cheers that Revolution's built-in wireless Internet will provide downloadable access to the thousands of games in company's 20-year-old library, going back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's president, did not provide many details on the Revolution but he showed an enthusiastic audience a black prototype box with a blue, front-loading disc drive as well as a picture of several possible color schemes, ranging from silver to bright yellow.

He said the final box will be about the size of a stack of three DVD cases.

Details on Revolution's high-tech innards were less specific than what is being provided by Microsoft and Sony.

Aside from the included Wi-Fi networking, the Revolution will have wireless controllers, two USB 2.0 ports and slots for DS memory cards. Nintendo did not say anything about the processor or graphics chips that will be used to power the machine, other than that they are being developed by IBM Corp. and ATI Technologies Inc.

"This is the console where the big idea can prevail over big budgets," Iwata said.

With Xbox 360 and PS3, meanwhile, snazzy technology able to deliver cinema-quality graphics and sound has been the center attraction.

Xbox 360 will have three speedy processors and custom graphics chip from ATI, a removable 20-gigabyte hard drive and wireless capability for cable-free access to the company's Xbox Live online multiplayer service.

And while Xbox 360 can play movies, music and television, it won't replace the desktop computer as an ideal nerve center for such content, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. The company on Tuesday announced an extender for its Media Center operating system that allows users to stream media from the desktop onto their Xbox 360.

"We think the PC is the best hub for that," he said. He later added, "It's the most general purpose of the devices."

PS3 is to boast Cell processors, jointly developed by Sony with IBM and Toshiba Corp., that are purportedly 10 times faster than current generation computer processors.

But beyond all the techno-lingo, important details for consumers — including price and game costs — still haven't been announced. The Xbox 360 will be the first to market, due around Thanksgiving, followed by the PS3 next spring and the Revolution sometime next year.

"They are all pursing strategies that really play to their own strengths," said P.J. McNealy, a senior analyst at American Technology Research. "At this point it is primarily marketing and position, that's the main goal here."

In 2004, the PlayStation 2 led the U.S. console wars with 43 percent of the market, according to Jupiter Research. The original Xbox was a distant No. 2 with 19 percent, followed by Nintendo's GameCube at 14 percent. The remainder included handheld game systems.

Jonathan Epstein, a video game agent for United Talent Agency, said the rise of broadband Internet and more processing power has fueled these new consoles' ability to move beyond games alone. And that could help grow the market for games beyond the traditional young male audience.

Nintendo's surprise announcement was a tiny redesigned Game Boy Advance called Micro, available this fall for an undisclosed price. The silver device, about the size of an iPod Mini, is a redesign and doesn't offer any new technology, officials said.

"This is just another kind of edgy element that we're adding to the mix," Nintendo of America spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan said.

New types of interactivity were the main thrust of Nintendo's hopes to broaden the $10 billion U.S. game market.

"Electroplankton" for Nintendo's DS handheld lets gamers manipulate fish and other sea creatures to create rhythmic sound effects and music. "Nintendogs," already available in Japan, employs the DS' microphone as you shout orders to get your digital pup to do tricks like sit and roll over.

Spears, Husband Do Letterman's Top 10 List

NEW YORK - Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were everywhere Tuesday — including reading a top 10 list on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman."

On the day their reality show premiered on UPN, the 23-year-old pop star and her husband stopped by Ellen DeGeneres' syndicated talk show, and later paid Letterman a visit.

"Britney and Kevin: Chaotic" also premiered — a six-episode series featuring private home videos during their courtship, engagement and wedding.

But let them tell you why to watch.

The couple's Top 10 reasons to check out their new show are:

10. Britney: There's never-before-seen footage of me wrestling an alligator.

9. Kevin: Unlike those "Desperate Housewives" chicks, we're not, like, 60 years old.

8. Britney: It's like "American Idol" except no one sleeps with Paula Abdul.

7. Kevin: In the first episode, you can see my ass.

6. Britney: I'm hot.

5. Kevin: She's hot.

4. Britney and Kevin: We haven't had nearly enough media coverage.

3. Britney: It's gotta be better than this show.

2. Kevin: If enough people tune in, maybe my wife will make out with Madonna again.

1. Britney: In the season finale, you'll find out that Dave is the father of my baby — oops.

...McGraw Has Top Single, Song at ACM Awards

LAS VEGAS - Leading nominee Tim McGraw took top single and song honors for his hit "Live Like You Were Dying" on Tuesday night at the 40th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Most of McGraw's six nominations came from the song about living life to its fullest. It has special meaning for the singer because his father, former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw, died of cancer last year.

Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss also grabbed two trophies for their haunting duet "Whiskey Lullaby," which won for best video and vocal event. Paisley said he had initially been concerned that radio wouldn't play the song because of its dark themes.

"It's death and drinking. It's summertime for God's sake," he said.

The show had an international flavor, with several segments piped in via satellite. Camouflage-clad Toby Keith performed "As Good as I Once Was" for a crowd of clapping U.S. troops in Iraq, saying "Welcome to honky-tonk university, ya'll. We're in Baghdad."

And Keith Urban accepted the top male vocalist and album honor for his "Be Here" from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

"I'm blown away," Urban said. "It's like 20 to two in the morning, but this is the best wake-up call I've ever had."

Spunky newcomer Gretchen Wilson, who had the breakout hit of the year with "Redneck Woman," took home honors for top new artist and female vocalist.

She cried as she accepted the second trophy, which had gone to Martina McBride each of the past three years.

"I don't even really know what to say, except for thank you," Wilson said.

Wilson, in jeans and a tank top, kicked off the show with a lively rendition of "Here for the Party," the title song of her quadruple-platinum debut album.

Veterans Brooks & Dunn beat out several newcomers for top vocal duo, their record 19th career award.

"This sure felt like the year that ya'll were gonna want to hear somebody else come up here and say thanks," Kix Brooks said. "We don't get it," Ronnie Dunn added.

Another veteran, Faith Hill, ended a five-year hiatus from the awards show with a performance of "Mississippi Girl." Wearing a sheer green blouse and jeans, Hill looked rejuvenated as she pumped her fist and strutted across the stage.

Retired superstar Garth Brooks was greeted by more than 20 seconds of applause as he walked onstage to honor his friend Chris LeDoux, who died March 9 of liver cancer.

"I'm not saying you're saying this but, I've missed you too," Brooks told the crowd.

Newlywed Kenny Chesney had five nominations, as did Krauss, who was not at the show.

Chesney's earnest performance of "Anything But Mine" evoked his surprise wedding to Renee Zellweger last week. The stars of Nashville and Hollywood tied the knot on the Caribbean island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where they were photographed barefoot on the beach. The song includes the line "she has to feel the sand beneath her feet."

The fan-selected Humanitarian Award went to Neal McCoy, who said he was "tickled to death."

Trophies were being presented in only 12 categories over three hours, allowing the performance-driven CBS telecast from the Mandalay Bay Resort to focus as much on entertainment as awards.

The honors were determined by the 3,000 members of the California-based academy, except for the humanitarian and video awards, which were decided by fans.

Toronto beats out Hamilton to house Canadian music hall of fame

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian music legends will soon be immortalized at a flashy music museum to be built in Toronto.

The city beat out nearby Hamilton to house the facility, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) was poised to announce Tuesday. "When you think of a Canadian music hall of fame, it could generate a somewhat dusty image and that is very far from what we're shooting for. It's going to be very high-energy," Ross Reynolds, chairman of CARAS, said Monday.

"It will be much more interactive than the rock 'n' roll hall of fame (in Cleveland)."

The facility, expected to open in the summer of 2007, will be located at the bustling corner of Yonge and Dundas streets in the city's downtown core.

It is expected to span three floors of a 10-storey building already under construction that will also include a record store, stereo store, movie theatres and restaurants.

Peter Tillmann, president of Spinning Wheel Designs and project director for the Toronto bid, likened the complex to an "entertainment-style project similar to Times Square, New York."

"The outside of the building has been designed like a giant billboard," he said.

"If you can imagine a 10-storey-high billboard with, say, 18 different types of television screens and monitors and flashing lights and all kinds of bells and whistles."

Inside, the facility will take visitors "behind the scenes" of the music industry, Tillman said.

"There will be a lot of exhibits where people can interact and become their favourite musician so they can get into an editing suite, they can play an instrument, they can do some recording with their vocals, they can go in and see how instruments are made," he said.

For more than 25 years, CARAS has been inducting musicians and industry leaders into a hall of fame, but has not had a "bricks-mortar" base.

Five cities - Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Sault Ste. Marie - originally bid on the project. All other candidates eventually dropped out or were eliminated except for Hamilton and Toronto.

Reynolds said Toronto was chosen because it draws so many visitors.

"The overriding driving factor here was the location and the traffic and the dynamism of that particular location," he said.

Currently the hall exists in the virtual world only at www.juno-awards.ca. Each year new names are added at a ceremony folded into the televised Juno Awards.

The building is to be the Canadian equivalent to Cleveland's famous structure - designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei - only it won't be limited to those in the world of rock 'n' roll.

The project will cost about $40 million, with funds to come from corporate sponsors and the music industry as well as a mix of private and public sponsors.

Dave Chappelle Speaks: 'I'm Not Crazy; I'm Not Smoking Crack'

Two weeks after going AWOL from his Comedy Central show, comedian Dave Chappelle has finally spoken out about his flight to South Africa. Denying that he's in a mental health facility or that he is on drugs, Chappelle chalked his disappearance up to a combination of stress, creative angst over the ideas for his show, and the fact that he's sometimes a "difficult dude."

Speaking to Time magazine, Chappelle said, "I'm not crazy; I'm not smoking crack." But a week after the third season of his "Chappelle's Show" was postponed indefinitely, Chappelle said he's definitely feeling intense pressure and needed to escape to get his head together.

"I'm definitely stressed out," Chappelle said, explaining why he abruptly left the taping of his show in late April to go on a "spiritual retreat" in South Africa without notifying his agent, publicist or fans.

"There were things that overwhelmed me," he said. "But not in the way that people are saying. I haven't spent any of the money. All that stuff about partying and taking crack is not true. Why do I live on a farm in Ohio? To support my partying lifestyle?"

Chappelle said the pressure to live up to the unprecedented $50 million contract he signed with Comedy Central for two more seasons of the show has definitely led to some intense stress, which he felt he needed to escape from.

"Let me tell you the things I can do here which I can't at home: think, eat, sleep, laugh. I'm an introspective dude. I enjoy my own thoughts sometimes. And I've been doing a lot of thinking here," explained Chappelle, described as "lucid and thoughtful" during a 90-minute interview.

"You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice," Chappelle said. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone — stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as the brakes."

Two weeks ago — and just a day after Comedy Central began promoting the anticipated May 31 debut of the series' third season — the channel announced that production on the show had been unexpectedly postponed (see "Production On 'Chappelle's Show' Suspended"). At the time, Chappelle's spokesperson did not provide any other information, saying only that both sides expected to resume taping at some point.

Then, last week, Entertainment Weekly reported that Chappelle had checked into a mental health facility in South Africa. In his interview with Time, however, the comedian denied that report. "I'm not in a mental facility," Chappelle, 31, said. He also denied a drug problem, but said he had a 40-minute consultation with a psychiatrist.

"If you don't have the right people around you, and you're moving at a million miles an hour, you can lose yourself," Chappelle said. "Everyone around me says, 'You're a genius, you're great, that's your voice,' but I'm not sure that they're right. ... You got to be careful of the company you keep. It's hard to know how much to say. One of the things that happens when people make the leap from a certain amount of money to tens of millions of dollars is that the people around you dramatically change."

Though he'd heard other people talk about how fame can change you, Chappelle said he now knows firsthand how it not only changes your life, but also the lives of people around you. "You have to have people around you that you can trust and aren't just out for a meal ticket," he said.

Chappelle, who is staying with friends in Durban, South Africa, also chalked his flight up to dissatisfaction with the direction the show was going, saying, "I want to make sure I'm dancing and not shuffling. Whatever decisions I make right now I'm going to have to live with. Your soul is priceless." Because he felt the show's first two seasons had "a real spirit to them," Chappelle said he wants to make sure everything he does has a similar spirit.

Chappelle admitted that he's sometimes a "difficult kind of dude," and that when he left the show for the first time, in December, it was over similar "psychological" issues. At the time, his spokesperson said Chappelle was suffering from an intense bout of the flu. "I have trust issues," he said. "I saw some stuff in myself that I just didn't dig. ... There were some things about myself that I didn't like. People got to take inventory from time to time."

Speculation for the breakdown in the show's shooting schedule had also centered on creative tension between Chappelle and Comedy Central. But a network spokesperson denied any creative clashes last week and Comedy Central president Doug Herzog told Time that the racial-envelope-pushing comedian has "complete creative freedom" on the show. Chappelle also denied that Comedy Central was part of the problem.

His longtime writing partner, Neal Brennan, said if there were creative differences, they were not out of the ordinary and that, "By the numbers, this was the worst way to have done it. He couldn't think straight. It was fight or flight — and he chose flight."

Herzog — who said he recently finally saw a handful of the sketches Chappelle shot earlier this year which he thought were as funny as anything from the first two seasons — has told his staff that he doesn't believe the show will be back on the air in 2005.

"When I get back, [I hope] everything will be up and running, or we'll make other arrangements," said Chappelle, who did not give a timetable for when he might return to the U.S., or if he will return to producing the show when he does. "I don't know what the lay of the land is."

Chappelle said a number of prominent black entertainers have stepped up to offer advice — among them former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill — but it's the advice his father gave him when he decided to try comedy that has stuck in Chappelle's mind. "He said, 'Name your price before you get there. And if you ever find it's more expensive than what you're prepared to give, then get out.' "

Gwen Stefani Plans Another Solo Album By Year's End

It seems the "Hollaback Girl" is getting ready to do just that — six months after its release, Gwen Stefani's planning a sequel to her solo album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby. She hopes to have it out by the holidays and thinks that deadline is doable since she has so many leftovers from her original recording sessions.

"Me and Pharrell are going in the studio again, and we just started talking about doing a whole 'nother album with the tracks that never made it on this record and maybe writing a few more," she said. "It's going to be kind of like 'part two.' "

After her initial sessions with Pharrell Williams, who produced "Hollaback Girl" (see "Gwen Stefani Answers No Doubt Fans With 'Attitude Song' "), Stefani realized that she overshot her mark. "The next day, I was like, 'Now I have to put out two records, I got too many tracks,' " she said. "There was a moment where I almost did, but it didn't work out."

Much like before, now her dilemma is trying to decide which tracks to pick. There's the first song she wrote with Linda Perry, "Fine by You." "It's cute, but not what I was looking for," Gwen said. "But it always feels good to write a song." There's also "Wonderful Life for Him," featuring Depeche Mode's Martin Gore on guitar, which was one of the last songs Stefani wrote with Perry and freaked the singer out so much she had to flee from the session (see "Gwen Stefani Turns To Bandmate For Aid After Freak-Out"). "It's a great track," Stefani said. "I wanted to write this deep song for a friend who had passed away, but I came in the next day and [Perry] had already written lyrics."

Stefani also has plenty of tracks she's already written with other producers, such as "Parental Advisory" with Rich Harrison and "You Started It" with Pharrell. Of the latter she said, "It has these great chords, and to me, it doesn't sound anything like the Neptunes. It sounds like an early, early No Doubt song. "There are a lot of songs to choose from," she laughed. "It's really hard to choose, just because I want everyone to hear all the songs."

NEW VIDEO AND DVD RELEASES FOR MAY 17, 2005

• The Adventures of Pete & Pete: Season One (2-disc set)

• Batman: Return to the Bat Cave

• Berga: Soldiers of Another War: PBS

• Blue (1968)

• Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss (2004)

• Candide (2004)

• Cheers: Season Five (4-disc set)

• Clarissa Explains It All: Season One (2-disc set)

• Class of 1984 (1982)

• The Commish: The Best of Season One

• Dance With Me Henry (1956)

• Dinotopia: The Quest for the Ruby Sunstone

• Escort West (1958)

• Fortunes of War (1987)

• The Golden Girls: Season Two (3-disc set)

• The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980)

• The Green Butchers (De Grønne Slagtere) (2003)

• Hour of the Gun (1967)

• The Hunting Party (1971)

• I'll Take Sweden (1965)

• Infection (2000)

• Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

• It's Easier for a Camel… (Il est plus facile pour un chameau…) (2003)

• Johnny Reno (1966)

• Kinsey: Special Edition (2-disc set) (2004)

• Kinsey (2004)

• Kinsey: PBS

• Law & Order: Season Three

• Loving Feeling (1968)

• Macarthur: PBS

• The Mask: Platinum Series (1994)

• More Dead Than Alive (1968)

• NBA Dynasty Series: The Complete History of the Philadelphia 76ers

• The Noose Hangs High (1948)

• The Princess and the Pirate (1944)

• Quicksilver Highway (1997)

• Return With Honor: PBS

• Sam Whiskey (1969)

• The Secret of the Holy Grail (2-disc set)

• Seinfeld: Season Four (4-disc set)

• The Scalphunters (1968)

• Sci-Fighter (2004)

• Scrubs: Season One (4-disc set)

• The Sea Inside (Mar adentro) (2004)

• Silk Stalkings: The Best of Season One

• The Simpsons: Bart Wars

• Six Feet Under: Season Three (5-disc set)

• Son of The Mask: Platinum Series (2005)

• The Stone Boy (1984)

• Team America: World Police (unrated) (2004)

• Team America: World Police (R-rated) (2004)

• Waterhole #3 (1967)

• War Letters: PBS

• West Point: PBS

• White Noise (widescreen) (2005)

• White Noise (full-frame) (2005)

• X-Treme Fighter (2004)

NEW CD RELEASES FOR MAY 17, 2005

An Angle We Can Breathe Under Alcohol (Sanctuary)

Miss Angel That's the Way I Tumble (Electro-Fi)

The Away Team National Anthem (guests Smif N Wesson, Little Brother and more) (6 Hole)

Chris Beard Live Wire (NorthernBlues)

Andy Bole Ramshackle Pier (Ad Hoc)

Breaking Point Beautiful Disorder (Wind-up)

Circus Maximus The First Chapter (Sensory)

Clairdee Music Moves (DeClare)

Clearlake Wonder if the Snow Will Settle EP (UK remixes and b-sides; w/cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl") (Domino)

Common Ground High Voltage (Delmark)

Elizabeth Cook This Side of the Moon (Emergent/Hog County)

Cowboy Troy Loco Motive (Warner Bros. Nashville)

Matt Darey Upfront Trance (two CDs) (Water)

De Novo Dahl Cats & Kittens (two CDs) (Theory 8)

The Deathray Davies The Kick and the Snare (Glurp)

Daz Dillinger The Dogg Pound Gangsta presents "Gangsta Crunk" (Gangsta Advisory/Daz Dillinger Music)

Disbelief 66Sick (Nuclear Blast)

DJ Rap Bulletproof (System Recordings)

Eleven Days of Rain Within (Dark Star)

Epoxies Stop the Future (Fat Wreck Chords)

The Forecast Late Night Conversations (Victory)

Yves Francois Blues for Hawk (Delmark)

Frost Welcome to Frost Angeles (Thump)

Robbie Fulks Georgia Hard (Yep Roc)

Keith Fullerton Whitman Multiples (Kranky)

Alexander Hacke (of Einstürzende Neubauten) Sanctuary (enhanced CD w/video footage and interviews; w/members of the Germs, the Jesus Lizard, Swans and more) (Koolarrow)

Jon Hassell Maarifa Street/Magic Realism 2 (City Hall)

Het Let's Het (Ad Hoc)

Hiltmeyer Inc. Sendling 70 (Gomma)

Horace Pinker Texas One Ten (enhanced CD w/videos) (Thick/Southern)

Idiot Pilot Strange We Should Meet Here (Reprise)

Insane Clown Posse The Calm (Psychopathic)

Vijay Iyer Reimagining (Savoy)

Catherine Jauniaux/Tim Hodgkinson Fluvial (Ad Hoc)

Juju Mob Black Candles (Eastern Conference)

Juliette and the Licks (actress Juliette Lewis) You're Speaking My Language (Fiddler)

Toby Keith Honky Tonk University (Dreamworks Nashville)

Kem Album II (Universal Motown)

L.E.G.A.C.Y. (of Justus League) Project Mayhem (produced by 9th Wonder) (6 Hole)

Bill Laswell Presents Trojan Dub Massive Chapter 1 (remixes of Trojan catalog) (Sanctuary)

Bill Laswell Presents Trojan Dub Massive Chapter 2 (remixes of Trojan catalog) (Sanctuary)

Huey Lewis & the News Live at 25 (DVD same day) (Rhino)

Love Hate Hero Just Breathe (Ferret)

MCCB Things from the Past (Ad Hoc)

Thollem Mcdonas/Rick Rivera Everything's Going Everywhere (Jazzheads/Edgetone)

Memphis Bleek 534 (w/Jay-Z, M.O.P., Young Gunz, Swizz Beats and more) (Island Def Jam)

Mercury Rev The Secret Migration (V2)

Van Morrison Magic Time (Geffen)

Natalie Natalie (Universal Motown)

Nudge Cached (Kranky)

Bobby Pinson Man Like Me (RCA)

The Red Chord Clients (Metal Blade)

Renegade Foxxx Still Hustlin' (Thump)

The Rippingtons Wild Card (featuring Russ Freeman) (Concord)

The Rocket Summer Hello, Good Friend (The Militia Group)

Avi Rothbard Twin Song (MidLantic)

Billy Joe Shaver A Tribute to - Live (Compadre)

Gwen Stefani Maximum (audio biography) (Chrome Dreams)

Supermachiner Rise of the Great Machine (Victory)

System of a Down Mezmerize (produced by Rick Rubin) (Columbia)

Finis Tasby What My Blues Are All About (Electro-Fi)

Thievery Corporation Perfect Remixes Vol. 4 (remixes of Luscious Jackson, Pizzicato Five and more) (Warlock)

Tight Phantomz Crazy When Wet (Southern Records)

Troubled Hubble Making Beds in a Burning House (Lookout!)

Tupac More Maximum (audio biography) (Chrome Dreams)

Venus Handcuffs Venus Handcuffs (Ad Hoc)

Ricky Warwick Love Many, Trust Few (Sanctuary)

Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne Let It Loose (Electro-Fi)

Woof 7 Inches (Ad Hoc)

VA Feuding Banjos: Revenge of the Citybillys (VI Music)

VA Norcal Comp 2005 (Agent)

VA The Devil Is a Busy Man (VI Music)

VA Totally Hits 2005 (BMG/Warner)

OST Darcy's Wild Life (NBC TV show) (Sony BMG)

OST Hour of the Gun (score by Jerry Goldsmith) (Varèse Sarabande)

OST Live Fast, Die Never: Music from the TV Series Angel (score by Robert J. Carl) (Rounder)

OST The Muppets: Wizard of Oz (w/Ashanti) (Walt Disney)

OST The Shield (TV drama; w/songs from Master P, Kelis, Damageplan and more) (Lakeshore)

DVD Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio with Billy Bang Live at the River East Art Center (Delmark)

DVD The Flaming Lips The Fearless Freaks (new documentary) (Shout! Factory)

DVD Peter Gabriel Growing Up on Tour: A Family Portrait (documentary of 2002 tour) (Lakeshore/Riverside)

DVD Lou Reed Spanish Fly: Live in Spain (Sanctuary)

DVD VA Hootenanny (Sanctuary)

DVD VA Live from Bonnaroo 2004 (two DVDs) (Sanctuary)

FOR ONCE, FOX HASN’T MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

It was a good weekend for big stars and underdogs as ABC, Fox and the WB all moved one step closer to setting their fall skeds.

Three webs all but wrapped up their series orders for the 2005-06 season, with new Fox Entertainment topper Peter Liguori moving with particular speed, picking up much of his first crop of shows nearly a week before the net's Thursday upfront presentation.

News was particularly good for many (but not all) skeins that had been hanging by a thread.

Fox told 20th Century Fox and Imagine TV that "Arrested Development" will be back for another season, while "The Bernie Mac Show" also got a surprise renewal. ABC had good news for 20th's John Stamos laffer "Jake in Progress," which is headed back for a second season, and vet comedy "Less Than Perfect," which many had written off as dead. Alphabet also ordered another season of "The Bachelor," which is expected to return sometime in 2006.

News was not so good for the WB's "Jack & Bobby": It's been killed after one low-rated season.

As for what's new, ABC had a busy weekend, picking up a hefty six dramas and five comedies.

Orders on the Alphabet drama front included Touchstone's "Commander-in-Chief," starring Geena Davis as the country's first female president, as well as John Wells' Warner Bros. TV buddy cop procedural "Evidence."

Also at the net, the Touchstone entry "In Justice" -- which revolves around investigators who work to free wrongfully convicted prisoners -- got the nod, as did supernatural thriller "Invasion," Warner Bros. TV's take on bizarre occurrences in a small town.

Then there's the Touchstone update of "Night Stalker," about journalists who investigate unusual phenomena, and J.J. Abrams' "What About Brian," also from Touchstone, which stars Barry Watson as a thirtysomething man who realizes all of his friends have gotten married.

Alphabet comedies scoring orders include the Tollin-Robbins entry "Crumbs," from Touchstone TV, about two brothers who end up running the family business when their parents die, and Sony Pictures TV's "Emily's Reasons Why Not," based on the book about a self-help author who doesn't take her own advice.

Also new are "Freddie," the Warner Bros. TV laffer starring Freddie Prinze Jr. as a young man raised by women; Warner Bros.' "Hot Properties," about four women in a real estate office; and NBC Universal TV Studio's "Sons and Daughters," about siblings and their families.

Bubble shows making a comeback include "Rodney," "George Lopez," "Hope & Faith" and the aforementioned "Jake" and "Less Than Perfect." Gone are "8 Simple Rules" and "My Wife and Kids."

In addition to "The Bachelor," ABC also has renewed frosh unscripted skeins "Wife Swap" and "Supernanny."

Over at Fox, drama pickups include "Deviant Behavior," from Regency TV, starring Johnny Messner as the leader of a team that investigates deviant criminals. Fox also nabbed "Reunion," from Warner Bros. TV, which looks year-by-year at the lives of high school pals returning for their 20th reunion.

Also at Fox, "Bones," from 20th Century Fox TV, stars Emily Deschanel as a forensic anthropologist, while in "Head Cases," also from 20th, Chris O'Donnell plays a lawyer who has a nervous breakdown (Daily Variety, May 13).

As for Fox comedy orders, Darren Star's "Kitchen Confidential," based on the book by bad-boy chef Anthony Bourdain, revolves around the world of New York restaurants. Bradley Cooper plays the lead character in the laffer from 20th Century Fox TV and New Line TV.

"The War at Home," from Warner Bros. TV, stars Michael Rapaport and Anita Barone as parents attempting to raise their teenage kids. "The Loop," from 20th Century Fox TV, stars Bret Harrison as a recent college grad who gets a corporate job and is forced to grow up.

Then there's improv laffer "Freebirds," produced by alternative shingle Fox 21, which shows the flipside of "The Loop" -- an unmotivated college grad who moves back in with his folks. "Freebirds" is an out-of-left-field pickup of a presentation shot for the virtually unheard-of sum of $50,000 and could be a sign of Liguori's willingness to embrace the experimental.

In addition to "Arrested" and "Bernie," Fox has renewed midseason laffer "Stacked." News doesn't appear to be good for laffers "Quintuplets" or "Life on a Stick." At the WB, Frog is moving forward with Warner Bros. TV's "Supernatural," the spooky road-trip drama starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as brothers who encounter unusual phenomena on the back roads of America; as well as the studio's "Related," about four sisters (Laura San Giacomo, Lizzy Caplan, Jennifer Esposito and Laura Breckenridge) in Manhattan.

Frog has also picked up the Jerry Bruckheimer drama "Just Legal," from Warner Bros. TV, about a teenage lawyer in Venice, Calif. And on tap, possibly for midseason, is "Pepper Dennis," from 20th Century Fox, with Rebecca Romijn as a news reporter in Chicago.

Net also is bringing back the Fran Drescher comedy "Living With Fran," with more comedy orders to come.

Meanwhile, the WB passed on its Ron White comedy project, which likely signals it won't schedule a "blue-collar comedy night," as had been expected. Frog also may be mulling a return to comedies on Sunday night.

Publishers Putting Out Too Many Books

NEW YORK - The publishing industry continues to put out more books than the public is prepared to buy, according to a report issued Monday by the Book Industry Study Group.

The number of books sold dropped by nearly 44 million between 2003 and 2004, even as the annual number of books published approaches 175,000.

"People are reading less, so what you're seeing is the same phenomenon that has hit magazines and newspapers, a massive shift toward home video, DVD, internet and cable," said Albert N. Greco, an industry consultant and a professor of business at the graduate school of Fordham University.

The Book Industry Study Group, a nonprofit research organization, reported estimated sales of 2.295 billion books in 2004, compared to an estimated 2.339 billion the previous year. Higher prices enabled net revenues to increase 2.8 percent, to $28.6 billion, but also drove many readers, especially students, to buy used books, Greco said.

The BISG anticipates a better year in 2005, thanks to the new Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and to a surge in high school and elementary textbook sales, with many states due to order new editions.

"We see that as a temporary spike," Greco said.

After 2005, the BISG expects a flat market for the following four years. Religious titles are an exception, with both dollar sales and the number of actual books sold expected to average more than 6 percent annual growth into 2009.

"The key isn't so much Bibles and prayer books, it's what we call `other' religious books," says Greco, citing such multimillion sellers as Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" and the "Left Behind" novels of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

An especially troubled area, Greco says, is college textbooks. While no hard statistics have been compiled, many believe that students are increasingly turned off by prices for new books and instead buying used editions. The BISG anticipates a steady drop in sales for new works, from 68 million in 2004 to 64.4 million in 2009.

"It's an unbelievably sophisticated business," Greco said of the used textbook market. "You get people visiting campuses and sending students e-mails, encouraging them to sell their books once they're done with them. You have instructors selling their exam copies of textbooks so that students have used editions within a very short time after a new book comes out.

"Another problem is online piracy from abroad, kids downloading texts from Web sites in Asia and other places. I had one student come in and show me the book he was using for my class. It looked exactly like the textbook I assigned, except the illustrations were in black and white."

Sony Unveils New PlayStation 3 Consoles

LOS ANGELES - Sony Corp. unveiled three flavors of its new PlayStation 3 video game machine Monday in what is likely a new round of console wars with rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co.

The new machine, set for release in the spring of 2006, is about the same size as the current generation PlayStation 2 but has a more rounded look. Besides black, the PS3 will be available in silver and white.

Sony officials said the PS3's new processor technology — called Cell — will offer high performance for movie-like realism in games, high-definition movies and other features.

"The PS3 is truly is a system to be placed in the center of the living room," said Ken Kutaragi, creator of the original PlayStation console as well as the more recent PlayStation Portable handheld.

Prices or a specific lineup of games that will be available were not were not provided, though Sony showed off numerous demonstrations of games in development.

The PS3 will use the Blu-ray disc format, capable of holding 50 gigabytes of information, which is about six times the capacity of existing DVDs, as well as slots for memory cards, a detachable hard drive and Bluetooth wireless for up to seven wireless controllers.

The PS3 also will be able to run the thousands of games available for the older PS2 and PS1, officials said.

One demonstration PS3 game showed a fiery battle between a soldier and a robot in an intricately detailed futuristic city. Individual tattoos and bits of blood could be seen on the warrior's face, while shafts of light beamed down from the rafters of a metallic corridor.

The announcement comes two days ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, an annual industry gathering in Los Angeles.

Last week, Microsoft showcased its new Xbox 360 in a 30-minute special on MTV.

Microsoft said it would begin selling Xbox 360 in North America around Thanksgiving, and Europe and Asia by the end of the year.

No pricing details have been announced on any of the systems.

Nintendo will discuss its new console, code-named Revolution, further on Tuesday morning.

In 2004, Sony's older PlayStation 2 led the U.S. console wars with 43 percent of the market, according to Jupiter Research. The original Xbox was a distant No. 2 with 19 percent, followed by Nintendo's GameCube at 14 percent. The remainder included handheld game systems.

But by 2010, Xbox 360 would grab the lead with 38 percent of the market, followed by Sony with 32 percent and Nintendo with 22 percent, Jupiter forecasts.

Microsoft is taking an entertainment hub approach with Xbox 360.

The curvy, white machine plays DVD movies and lets users listen to music, view photos and do real-time video chats with friends and relatives around the world.

The Xbox 360 features three processors, a removable 20-gigabyte hard drive, a custom graphics chip and built-in wireless for cable-free access to the company's Xbox Live online multiplayer service.

Last 'Raymond' Displays Some Tenderness

NEW YORK - Holy crap! Raymond nearly died. Well, not really. But while Raymond was having his adenoids removed, the nurse told his family he was having trouble waking from the anesthesia. A few moments later, the doctor reported that he was fine. But this momentary close call got everybody agitated over what it would be like to actually lose Raymond.

"For 30 seconds, you all thought I might be dead," he said later when his family had told him what happened. A sly smile crept across his face as he prepared to take full advantage of their momentary scare. "What did everybody do?"

So went Monday's funny finale of "Everybody Loves Raymond," which, in its own indirect way, addressed viewers, too, who now are losing Raymond after 210 episodes.

It was a typical outing, with just a little farewell tenderness — in Raymond's throat after the surgery, which he was nursing with ice cream, and in the hearts of the usually bickering Barones.

But just a little. "Raymond" was a series that, even at the end, wouldn't think of going soft on the domestic tensions that bonded Raymond (Ray Romano) with his wife Debra (Patricia Heaton), his meddling parents Frank and Marie (Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts), and his sad-sack brother Robert (Brad Garrett).

As usual, Raymond played his long-suffering wife against his over-adoring mother.

"You'll just have to have it done," Debra said when he told her he would need to have the surgery.

"Is that it? That's your attitude?" Raymond replied, indignant that she wasn't more upset.

Marie, by contrast, had a fit.

"They want to take a piece of my Raymond away," she wailed.

And although on this particular episode Frank didn't utter his trademark "Holy crap!," he was as crusty and uninformed as ever. Downplaying Raymond's operation early on, he advises, "Just go in, drop your drawers, bing-bang-boom!"

Nine years ago this month, "Everybody Loves Raymond" was announced as part of CBS' new fall lineup. But when the series was first shown to advertisers at Carnegie Hall, its star, then a little-known standup comedian, cracked up the gathering by bidding them farewell.

"This is going to be my last year on the show," he quipped. "We said it all in the pilot."

After an uncertain start in 1996 on Friday night, "Raymond" caught fire with its move a few months later to Monday, where it became a viewing ritual for millions.

Clearly, the audience found its simple concept not only funny but highly relatable.

The "Raymond" pilot set the tone from which the show never varied. When Ray bought his parents a Fruit of the Month Club subscription, his good turn inevitably backfired. His agitated parents demanded: How could he do this to them? All the pressure of eating a year's worth of fruit! And besides, was this "club" some kind of cult?

"Like we don't have enough problems!" Frank grumped.

The departure of the show — TV's only top 10 comedy — follows by a year the exits of other beloved, long-running comedies: "Friends," "Frasier" and "Sex and the City."

With no recent sitcoms making a splash (only CBS' "Two and a Half Men" is in the top 20), "Raymond's" goodbye had viewers wondering (and not for the first time): Is the sitcom dead?

A chaotic final kitchen scene showed the whole brood at full throttle. But before that, Ray and Debra had a rare moment alone.

"You like me," he told her with a sheepish grin.

"You like me, too," she replied.

They ended up in bed, where Raymond had been recovering from his surgery.

"And after we get done," he said happily, a boy-man to the finish, "we get to have ice cream."

Chappelle won't say why show's suspended

NEW YORK (AP) - Comedian Dave Chappelle wants to set things straight: "I'm not crazy, I'm not smoking crack," he told Time magazine more than a week after his hit Comedy Central show was suspended and the rumours started to fly.

"I'm definitely stressed out," said Chappelle, who took off last month for South Africa for a "spiritual retreat," leaving his fans - and even his agent and publicist - wondering where he went.

"You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice," he said. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone - stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as the brakes."

After Comedy Central announced the planned May 31 debut of the third season of Chappelle's Show had been postponed, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported the comedian had checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa.

"I'm not in a mental facility," said Chappelle, who also said he did not have a drug problem but had consulted a psychiatrist for one 40-minute session.

The comedian, 31, said he fled to stay with friends in Durban because he wasn't happy with the direction of the show, which trails only South Park as Comedy Central's most-watched program.

"There's a lot of resistance to my opinions, so I decided, 'Let me remove myself from this situation,' " Chappelle said.

Comedy Central president Doug Herzog told Time that the star has "complete creative freedom."

He has told staff he believes there won't be a Chappelle's Show in 2005, but leaves the option open for the comedian's return.

Chappelle, whose wife and two children live in Ohio, said he hopes to start up the show again, but did not indicate when he would return.

Comedy Central had inked a reported deal equivalent to $63 million Cdn to keep Chappelle's Show for two more seasons.

Meanwhile, the comedian hinted to Time about struggles associated with the power and fame that come with that kind of success.

"If you don't have the right people around you, and you're moving at a million miles an hour, you can lose yourself," he said. "Everyone around me says, 'You're a genius, you're great, that's your voice,' but I'm not sure that they're right."

BACK TO THE FUTURE

The new "Star Wars" movie, "Revenge of the Sith," could be titled "That '70s Show."

Though made 28 years after the original, the story of "Sith" actually happens before the original "Star Wars." So creator George Lucas and his crew made sure the new film resembled that 1977 classic.

Designers rebuilt sets from "Star Wars" and gave characters similar costumes and hairstyles. Lucas wanted to make sure that "Sith," also known as "Episode III" transitions smoothly into "Star Wars," also known as "Episode IV: A New Hope"

"I'm hoping that people will see it as a six-part series," George Lucas says. "In the future, I'd like people to watch the movies in order, from episodes I to VI."

The story of "Sith" is how Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader, and how Anakin's children, Luke and Leia, are hidden from him. The original "Star Wars" happens 20 years after "Sith," when those twins are grown and battle their evil father.

There's a scene on Alderaan - the lovely planet where Princess Leia grows up with her adoptive parents, Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) and his wife, Alderaan's queen. Alderaan is the planet that gets blown to smithereens by the Death Star in the original "Star Wars."

And the final scene of the "Sith" takes place on Tatooine, with the baby Luke in the arms of the people who will raise him, his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. They stand and look out at a double sunset just like the one Luke himself stares wistfully at in that classic scene from the original "Star Wars."

Lucas was aware that future generations might be thrown off by the shift in tone between the prequel trilogy and the originals, so he had staff of special-effects wizards go retro from time to time, even though most of the effects in "Sith" are in a completely different league from what Lucas was able to do in 1977.

While the most important aliens in "Sith," including Yoda, were created on a computer, some of the others, including the Trade Federation representatives and some of the Wookiees, were made the old-fashioned way.

"We put people in rubber heads to make sure there'd be some continuity," explains the film's animation director, Rob Coleman.

"We could have made them all in the computer. But sometimes you actually want that feeling of an actor in a suit. "

Lucas' crew also used costumes and hairstyles that give the new film a '70s veneer - like Leia's famous cinnamon-bun hair swirls.

Here are some of the links, both in design and story, that bring "Revenge of the Sith" full circle back to "A New Hope."

nSenator Bail Organa's ship. Several scenes at the end of "Sith" take place in the familiar white hallways of Organa's spaceship - the same one we see at the beginning of "A New Hope," when Darth Vader comes aboard looking for the stolen Death Star plans and finds Leia. One of the scenes ties up a loose end that has always bugged "Star Wars" geeks: Why doesn't C-3PO seem to recognize Tatooine when he arrives at the beginning of "A New Hope," even though he was created there? Lucas takes care of the concern with a single line of dialogue, as Organa tells a deputy to "have the protocol droid's memory wiped."

n Chewbacca. According to the official "Star Wars" timeline, Wookiees can live up to 200 years, so it makes sense that Han Solo's shaggy sidekick from "A New Hope" would be around and in fighting shape for "Sith," which takes place some 20 years before the original trilogy. Chewie helps lead a battle against the droids on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk. Peter Mayhew, the 7-foot-4 actor who played the walking carpet in the original trilogy, reprises his role.

nProto-Storm Troopers. Up until now, the clone warriors of the prequel trilogy have supposedly been good guys, fighting alongside Jedi Knights to defend the Republic against the separatists' droid army. But they've always looked suspiciously like the fascist storm troopers from the original "Star Wars." They look even more like storm troopers in "Sith," and (thanks to a plot point that we'll skip over for spoiler reasons) it turns out that they are related to them. By the way, that means that most of the storm troopers in the original trilogy were clones. That was Boba Fett's father, Jango Fett, under all those helmets.

nObi-Wan Kenobi. "Sith" finally explains why all of the Jedis except Obi-Wan and Yoda were wiped out before "A New Hope" began, as well as why Obi-Wan came to be living on Tatooine, so close to Luke Skywalker. Ewan McGregor, in playing the Jedi master, also studied the voice patterns of the original Obi-Wan, Alec Guinness. "It wouldn't be right to just do an Alec Guinness impersonation," McGregor has said. "I had to make the character somehow my own but at the same time make it believable that I become Alec Guinness."

n Jedi immortality. "Sith" also answers a question that has led to countless late-night bull sessions: What happened to Obi-Wan and Yoda when they seemed to die, but reappeared as glowing blue shapes? At the very end of "Sith," Yoda quickly tells Obi-Wan something about Qui-Gon Jinn, his old master, played by Liam Neeson in "The Phantom Menace." The "Sith" graphic novel, already in stores, explains that Qui-Gon didn't die - he discovered a path to immortality that he is going to teach to Yoda and Obi-Wan.

Tom Westman Wins 'Survivor: Palau'

NEW YORK - New York City firefighter Tom Westman won "Survivor: Palau" on Sunday night, picking up a million dollars in the live finale of the CBS hit.

Westman, a lieutenant with a Brooklyn ladder company, bested Katie Gallagher, Ian Rosenberger and Jennifer Lyon on the final night of competition. Many of his fellow firefighters were in the audience cheering him on as the Survivor votes were counted.

Gallagher, a radio ad saleswoman from Merced, Calif., won $100,000 as the runner-up.

In a game where over-the-radar power players are usually booted way before the finale, Westman was an anomaly. He dominated the individual immunity challenges, but his strong alliances and strategic relationships kept him from coming under fire.

The 41-year-old father of three from Sayville, N.Y., led the Koror tribe to demolish the Ulongs in every immunity challenge — a "Survivor" first.

Westman said he won by simply being himself.

Red tape could kill stores' CD-burning kiosks

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The concept seems great: Place CD-burning kiosks that can manufacture out-of-stock albums in retail stores and offer customized compilations, too.

But after numerous false starts, retailers, hardware suppliers and the major labels say a quagmire of issues still threatens to overwhelm the initiative.

Even with the momentum of Starbucks leading the way with Hewlett-Packard kiosks, and despite numerous other hardware suppliers flocking to stake a claim in the market, retailers say that in-store CD manufacturing still has one big problem: an unprofitable business model.

Key to the equation are significant hardware costs and stringent content-usage requirements from the majors.

Installing a CD-burning kiosk in a store can run $18,000-$35,000, hardware suppliers and retailers say. The actual cost depends on which hardware supplier is chosen and how many viewing screens or tablets are placed with each machine.

The machines also require software systems to manage in-store CD burning and provide accounting. These systems add thousands of dollars in costs.

Still, at least a dozen hardware suppliers have licensed music for kiosks or are in talks to do so, and more are popping up every day.

While all parties agree costs could decline if CD-burning kiosks are mass produced, other expenses still have to be dealt with to achieve a profitable model.

As it turns out, each major label is licensing music for kiosks with its own set of strings attached.

For example, Universal Music Group wants kiosks to use only special blank CDs sold by General Electric that, depending on who you ask, cost two to five times as much as normal blank CDs.

And EMI Music wants the cover art printed on paper to be installed as the front sleeve of the jewelbox. Another major is said to have limitations on when and how much music can be made available for in-store burning.

"Each content company has its own set of rules, which when explained makes sense. But when you put them all together, it's a mess" -- and an expensive one, Mike Dreese says. The CEO of Brighton, Mass.-based Newbury Comics is a member of the CD-burning task force of the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers.

A Feb. 24 meeting in New Orleans that brought together merchants, hardware suppliers and labels to discuss CD-burning kiosks was an eye-opener for all, as each camp aired its issues.

Following that meeting, NARM's task force created a 52-item punch list that could facilitate the CD-burning initiative. It was delivered to the majors April 1 for review. NARM spokeswoman Susan L'Ecuyer declines to comment on the list, which she describes as "preliminary."

Nevertheless, task force member Ish Cuebas, director of merchandising operations at Trans World Entertainment, says, "I see signs that retail can make this a business, but we need cooperation from the hardware, software and content people."

Without some compromises, "why waste all this time and money to find out if this is a business?" Dreese asks. He suggests, "Give us one year with no barriers to find out if it's a business. Then let's talk about the rules."

So far, the 6,400-unit Starbucks chain is testing HP kiosks in dozens of stores in Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and its company base, Seattle.

Also, Mix & Burn, a unit of New Hope, Minn.-based Navarre, is running tests in about a dozen stores, company executive Bob French reports.

Test sites include two Trans World Entertainment stores; two Best Buy stores; one Borders Books & Music store; one Newbury Comics store; one Electric Fetus outlet; one store in the Musicland Group; one in Bound to Be Read, an independent bookstore in Minneapolis; one in a Nordstrom department store; and two at the U.S. naval base in Norfolk, Va., under the auspices of Eurpac.

John Marmaduke, chairman/CEO/president of Amarillo, Texas-based Hastings Entertainment, is all for testing CD-burning kiosks. But, he says, "we want somebody to prove there is a business model that works. We want to be a fast second but don't want to be a pioneer. I am real happy to let someone else plow that furrow."

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is taking a different route, at least initially. It will allow customers to use their home computers to create their own compilations. Sources suggest that Anderson Merchandisers' Liquid Digital Media will make those compilations.

The Redwood, Calif.-based company was one of the first to enter into the CD-burning kiosk business back in 1999, along with RedDotNet. But that effort failed because the majors were reluctant to license their music.

Some other hardware suppliers -- including MICS (based in Cambridge, Mass.); Digital Kiosk Technologies (Indianapolis); Burn a Song (Los Angeles); VMS (London); Mediaport (Salt Lake City); Starbox (Orlando, Fla.); and Touchstand, a unit of Denver-based Synergy Media Group -- say they are either on the verge of placing kiosks in test stores, signing licensing deals with the majors or lining up financing.

While the field is crowded, it is clear that not all the hardware companies are ready to field kiosks with a full array of hoped-for capabilities, merchants say.

One kiosk company's system cannot handle variable pricing. Another company's unit so far can only make compilations, but not full albums. Still other companies that can manufacture albums are not ready to handle album cover artwork.

Still to be answered by all hardware suppliers is whether their kiosks will have industrial strength to withstand the wear and tear of the marketplace.

"Some seem ready to go and have their licenses in order, and others are struggling to get either the license and/or technology right, while still others are not even there," Dreese says. "But how much of it will be rubber that can meet a road somewhere is unclear."

As for the majors, it "remains to be seen how much creativity the rights holders will allow us to experiment (with) so that we can see what the consumer wants," Dreese says. "I am afraid that the labels are going to choke the golden goose before they know what kind of egg they have."

Jordan Katz, co-president of Sony BMG Sales Enterprise, agrees. "Some are overthinking it. It's a new market, and the egg has just been fertilized. Let's see what happens when retail puts marketing experience into it and we can learn together and see how it all pans out." If CD-burning kiosks works, there will be time later to revisit things and make changes, he says.

Dreese acknowledges that some standard-setting is important on the front end. "You can argue about what the standards should be, but their existence gives people something to focus on."

But Dreese thinks that the standards should be as simple as possible for the first year or two, with minimal sound and artwork requirements.

While the majors would like burned CDs to be as near to red-book quality as possible, retailers also wonder if the labels will allow the kiosk companies to equalize sound levels on customer-made compilations.

NO ONE PRICE FITS ALL

Getting pricing right is also proving to be daunting.

Naturally, pricing is tied to what the labels are charging for their content. It appears that EMI Music and Warner Music Group are applying their iTunes pricing model, with some variations, to the kiosk vendors, meaning they are charging them about 71 cents for most tracks, sources say.

Universal Music & Video Distribution also is charging 71 cents per track, but if a vendor or retailer charges more than 99 cents per track or $9.99 an album, then UMVD gets a 71% wholesale cut, sources say.

But while some think 99 cents should be the main price point for individual tracks to customers, others say there should be variable pricing on a per-track basis. For example, a superstar track would be priced at 99 cents, an established act at 79 cents and developing artists at 59 cents.

Some suggest that classics like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or the newest track from Eminem might cost $1.49, with other tracks by those acts costing 99 cents and tracks from older catalog albums running 49 cents.

"Pricing would vary depending on where the album or the artist is in their life cycle," one distribution executive says. Pricing would also depend on whether a track is going to be burned to a CD or downloaded to a portable device, other executives say.

When all the wholesale pricing models are taken into account for the kiosk, the cost for albums can range from $5.50 to $9.10, sources say. That means the top pricing tier for kiosks is about $3 below the $12.02-$12.07 that the majors charge direct accounts for prepackaged, front-line CDs.

But as things stood when NARM issued its punch list, all of the costs involved were threatening to saddle CD-burning kiosks with pricing equivalent to existing CDs.

If that's the case, Harper says, "the consumer will not adopt and buy the product, and the kiosk will fail."

Fonda-Lopez Faceoff Tops at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Moviegoers rewarded Jane Fonda's return to the big screen by making "Monster-in-Law" the weekend's top movie, though the comedy was short of a monster hit.

The total box office slump continued for a 12th straight week, but the force is expected to return next week when the final chapter in the Star Wars saga — "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," — hits theaters.

"Monster-in-Law," which pits Jennifer Lopez against Fonda as her villainous prospective mother-in-law, took in $24 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Fonda's first major film role in 15 years was also Lopez's strongest box office opening performance, ahead of 2002's "Maid in Manhattan," which opened with $18.7 million.

J.Lo versus J.Fo earned $3 million more than another comedic take on familial combat, "Kicking & Screaming," in which Will Ferrell faces off against his father and youth soccer coaching rival Robert Duvall.

The weekend's other major opener, the Jet Li action flick "Unleashed," took in a respectable $10.6 million. Last week's box office champ, the Orlando Bloom Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven," slipped to fourth place with $9.6 million, a 51 percent drop from its opening weekend.

The total box office take was down 6.7 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Troy" debuted with $46.8 million, but it was up 21.7 percent from last weekend.

"I'm encouraged by these numbers," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "This shows there is an audience out there. As we head into the week of 'Star Wars,' this is definitely a positive-looking marketplace."

Studio executives said they were not worried with the box office results so far. "Star Wars" will be followed by several big films, including the animated "Madagascar" and the Adam Sandler-Chris Rock remake of "The Longest Yard."

"There's nothing wrong with our business that a good movie won't fix," said David Tuckerman, head of distribution for New Line Cinema, which released "Monster-in-Law." "'Star Wars' will jump-start us."

None of the major studios are planning any wide releases next weekend, figuring that any new movie will be buried by the sixth and final episode of George Lucas' influential sci-fi saga.

"Because it's the final installment, it's going to go beyond the typical sci-fi audience. It's a cultural phenomenon. Virtually everyone has a vested interest in this movie," Dergarabedian said.

The only contest will be for second place.

"Hopefully we'll still be a choice for families," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released "Kicking & Screaming."

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. "Monster-in-Law," $24 million.
2. "Kicking & Screaming," $21 million.
3. "Unleashed," $10.6 million.
4. "Kingdom of Heaven," $9.6 million.
5. "Crash," $7.2 million.
6. "House of Wax," $6.3 million.
7. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," $4.8 million.
8. "The Interpreter," $4.4 million.
9. "XXX: State of the Union," $2.2 million.
10. "Mindhunters," $2 million.

Gumby Making Comeback on 50th Anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO - Five decades after Gumby first captured the nation's imagination, the little green guy and his chums are starring in a new art exhibit — the first in a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the television icon's creation and launch his comeback.

"Gumby and Friends: The First 50 Years" attracted fans of all ages at Saturday's opening at the historic Lynn House Gallery in Antioch, about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco. Creator Art Clokey, now 83, signed Gumby figurines at the two-story exhibit, which featured photographs, toys and other memorabilia.

"Gumby is an icon," said Diane Gibson-Gray, 49, executive director of the Arts and Cultural Foundation of Antioch, which is sponsoring the monthlong exhibit. "He's a cultural icon that many of us grew up with. And there's another wave coming. There's a whole new generation that's going to embrace and love Gumby as much as I did."

The Antioch exhibit is the first event planned this year to commemorate the 50 years since Clokey made a short art film called "Gumbasia," featuring clay animation set to jazz music, that inspired the beloved television series that debuted a year later in 1956.

Over the next four decades, Clokey, along with his first wife and later his second wife, produced 223 episodes chronicling the adventures of wide-eyed Gumby, horse Pokey and other pals as they traveled to the moon, the Wild West and Toyland.

In mid-June, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will open a six-month exhibit about Gumby and creator Clokey. Later that month, Clokey's family will celebrate Gumby's 50 years at a birthday extravaganza in San Francisco, said Joe Clokey, 43, who now runs the family's Gumby business, Premavision/Clokey Productions.

The first Gumby video game and a DVD of Gumby shows from the 1980s are scheduled for release this summer. And the family hopes a documentary film about Art Clokey's life will be broadcast on television.

Joe Clokey, who owns a company that produces educational videos, said his father asked him to take over the Gumby business six years ago and bring the gingerbread-shaped hero back to children.

"My dad wanted Gumby back on TV," said Joe Clokey, who lives just outside San Luis Obispo near his father. "He did Gumby because he loves children. He wants children to have something of value on TV."

The Gumby story can be traced back to the creator's troubled childhood, his son said. After Art Clokey's father died when he was 10 years old, he moved from Michigan to California to live with his mother. But his new stepfather did not want anything to do with him, and his mother agreed to send Clokey to an orphanage.

"It was really hard for my dad psychologically," said Joe Clokey. "That's one of the reasons why he stayed an 11-year-old boy for so many years."

Happily, Art Clokey was adopted by a well-known musician, Joseph Clokey, who encouraged Art's creativity and artistic interests. After college, he joined a seminary to become an Episcopalian priest, but soon met his first wife, Ruth.

The couple decided to move to Southern California to join the film business. Besides Gumby, they also created the clay animation series "Davey and Goliath."

Animators who worked on the Gumby series have gone on to work for Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks and director Tim Burton. Joe Clokey said animators are developing new episodes of Gumby as well as a new movie.

"The goal has always been about what's good for kids and what's fun for kids," Clokey said. "If you've got a heart, then Gumby's a part of you. That's what it's all about."

Lohan, Coldplay on SNL season finale

NEW YORK (AP) - NBC's Saturday Night Live will close out its 30th season on May 21 with Lindsay Lohan as host and Coldplay as the musical guest.

It will be Lohan's second appearance as host, the network said Wednesday. Coldplay, also making its second appearance on SNL, will perform songs from its upcoming album, X & Y, scheduled for release next month.

Lohan, 18, co-starred with SNL Weekend Update co-anchor Tina Fey in the comedy Mean Girls. Her upcoming films include Herbie: Fully Loaded, with Breckin Meyer and Matt Dillon, which will be in theatres June 22.

Miller Time over at CNBC

Dennis Miller has something new to rant about.

The comedian's daily CNBC talk show has been canceled due to low ratings.

Dennis Miller will tape its final episode Friday in Burbank, leaving CNBC with a prime-time slot likely to be filled by a new business-themed program in the third quarter of this year.

A repeat of CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer will air in its place in the meantime, according to an internal CNBC memo obtained by MediaBistro.com.

Dennis Miller bowed in January 2004 to lukewarm reviews and mediocre ratings, which have slipped in recent months to around 114,000, per Nielsen Media Research. Overall, the show has averaged 168,000 viewers, which, to be fair, is nowhere near as low as John McEnroe's canned CNBC yakfest, McEnroe, a show that sometimes registered an abysmal 0.0 rating.

Miller's show is the second CNBC cancellation in a week, following former Talk magazine editor Tina Brown's show, Topic A with Tina Brown, furthering speculation that CNBC is getting back to its business roots amid reports that Roger Ailles and his Fox News are seeking to capitalize on CNBC's weak ratings with the launch of a new Fox all-business channel.

"I wanted to let you all know that we will be expanding our signature Business Day programming up to primetime on the East Coast and will be adding an additional airing of Mad Money with Jim Cramer at 9 p.m. ET/PT," CNBC president Mark Hoffman said in an email to employees Wednesday.

Hoffman acknowledged that Miller would be a casualty of CNBC's decision to shore up its business audience in the memo.

"I have spoken with Dennis Miller about these plans and he has let me know that his strong preference is to leave his program immediately," Hoffman said. "Therefore, the final episode of Dennis Miller will air this Friday."

"Dennis is an exceptionally talented comedian with an unmatched wit and he and his team consistently delivered a very entertaining program," Hoffman added.

There was no immediate comment from Miller or CNBC.

Miller's previous foray into the talk-show format, HBO's Dennis Miller Live, ran from 1994 to 2002 and snagged the premium cable network its first-ever Emmy for an original series.

Foos Rock Hard, Sing Softly On New Album

The Foo Fighters present two distinct sides of their musical personalities on "In Your Honor," which offers one disc each of electric and acoustic songs. The 20-track project is due June 14 via RCA; first single "Best of You" is No. 5 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in just three weeks.

"Can you hear me? / Hear me screaming?," asks frontman Dave Grohl at the outset of the rock disc's first tune, "In Your Honor," during which Rush-style guitar work eventually gives way to the speed-metal riffage of Grohl's Probot side project.

The disc is highlighted by "Free Me," the riff of which sounds like a metal-leaning version of "Theme From Peter Gunn." It's one of the few tracks that recall the intense, harder-rocking material that dominated the 1995 self-titled Foo Fighters debut.

Grohl's lyrics seem obsessed with moving on from unknown problems; "there's no way back from here / but I don't care," he says during "No Way Back," while in "The Last Song," he promises, "this is the last song I will dedicate to you / made my peace and now I'm through."

Although an oft-circulated acoustic version of the 1997 hit "Everlong" proved the Foos were capable of toning down the volume, the softer second disc of "In Your Honor" may still surprise fans on its first few listens. Throughout, the band nods to acoustic-tinged rock forefathers like Pink Floyd, the Eagles and Led Zeppelin, even drafting the latter band's John Paul Jones to play piano on "Miracle" and mandolin on "Another Round."

"What If I Do" imagines the Foos as the house band at a country bar, sending patrons home after a long night with a breezy, rainy day number. A handful of tracks feature little or no drumming, although Grohl reclaims his spot behind the kit for the Replacements homage "Cold Day in the Sun," sung by drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Much has already been made of the Norah Jones collaboration "Virginia Moon," which could easily have made the cut for one of her own albums. With its jazzy tempo and come-hither lyrics ("In the morning when we're through / and tomorrow rescues you / I will say goodnight"), the cut could wind up being the Foo Fighters' very own "The Girl From Ipanema" -- or an affront to devotees of the band's louder music.

Other guests on the acoustic disc include Petra Haden (violin on "Miracle), Queens Of The Stone Age leader Josh Homme (guitar on closer "Razor"), the Wallflowers' Rami Jaffee (keyboards on six tracks) and photographer Danny Clinch (harmonica on "Another Round").

The Foo Fighters' only North American dates at present are three radio station-sponsored festivals (Saturday (May 14) in Baltimore, May 21 in Irvine, Calif., and June 10 in San Francisco). A more extensive tour is on tap for this summer.

Here is the track list for "In Your Honor":

Disc one:
"In Your Honor"
"No Way Back"
"Best of You"
"DOA"
"Hell"
"The Last Song"
"Free Me"
"Resolve"
"The Deepest Blues Are Black"
"End Over End"

Disc two:
"Still"
"What If I Do"
"Miracle"
"Another Round"
"Friend of a Friend"
"Over N' Out"
"On the Mend"
"Virginia Moon"
"Cold Day in the Sun"
"Razor"

Chappelle Reportedly Checks Into Facility

NEW YORK - Comedy Central star Dave Chappelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported on Wednesday.

The comedian's whereabouts and condition have been unknown since Comedy Central abruptly announced last week that the planned May 31 launch of the third season of "Chappelle's Show" had been postponed and production halted.

Chappelle flew from Newark, N.J., to South Africa on April 28 for treatment, said the magazine, quoting a source close to the show it would not identify. Entertainment Weekly said it had corroborating sources for its story.

"We don't know where he is," Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox said. "We've heard about South Africa. We don't know. We haven't talked to Dave."

Chappelle's spokesman, Matt Labov, would not comment on the magazine's story.

"It seems like the issues he's contending with are really quite serious," said Dade Hayes, a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly. "It isn't a case of him spending a weekend someplace recuperating from exhaustion."

The magazine's sources say Chappelle is still in the facility, which was not named, Hayes said. Chappelle's representatives have denied that the comedian was abusing drugs.

Chappelle reportedly signed a $50 million deal with Comedy Central for two more seasons of his show, a payday made possible because of the explosive sales of the show's first season DVD.

The magazine said Chappelle had shot four to five episodes' worth of sketches for the new season, but none of its onstage introductions.

DON'T CRY FOR RAYMOND

Ray Romano says the series finale of "Everybody Loves Raymond" will be just like any other episode.

"We don't have a lot of loose ends to tie up," the actor told AP Radio. "We don't do story [plotlines], and we don't have [any] cliffhangers."

While Romano wouldn't divulge any secrets, he promised that the ending won't be sappy.

"The expectation is for it to have a little emotional resonance, but it won't be overly done," he said. "We just want it to be funny."

On that note, Romano says he'll be appearing on David Letterman's show when the finale airs next Monday.

"I think we're going to have a viewing party that night," he said. "The cast is going to be there also, and the writers — we're all going to watch it together. When we watch it on May 16 — I'm trying to envision that, and I see that as being a landmark in my life."

"Everybody Loves Raymond" airs its final episode on May 16th (9 p.m. EST).

Lucas glad to leave Star Wars behind

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — A wilted monolith of establishment politics. An entrenched ruling class fearful of change. And one man who stealthily rebels from within, turning the system on its head and bending it to his will.

George Lucas' story is the benign reverse image of the palace coup engineered by the foul emperor of his Star Wars epic.

The emperor perverted a tired republic into a fascist state bearing the imprint of his boot heel, standard Richard III stuff for which history buff Lucas had many role models to study from ancient to modern times.

Lucas' accomplishments marked a one-of-a-kind revolution. He sneaked into a Hollywood that no longer had the verve or nerve to make the weird, giddy, goofy Saturday matinees of his youth. He found a lone patron among fainthearted studio executives willing to pony up cash for what was essentially an Arthurian sword-in-the-stone fantasy in space.

Then he went off and made the most rip-roaring blast of cinematic fun audiences had ever seen as 1977's Star Wars became the biggest box-office sensation of its time.

Where dollar signs twinkle, studios follow, and Hollywood has been lumbering behind Lucas ever since.

Science fiction and special effects suddenly were back in vogue, and over the ensuing 28 years, Lucas and his visual wizards have led filmmaking into a new age of virtual reality that made possible such effects extravaganzas as Jurassic Park,Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In the '70s, there was a "technological ceiling" over fantasy and science fiction films, even epics and period pieces, Lucas told The Associated Press in an interview at his sprawling Skywalker Ranch. "The tools weren't there," he said.

As television chipped away at theater business in the 1950s and '60s, studios folded up shop on the effects departments that helped create splashy historical adventures and otherworldly tales.

"It's like trying to paint pictures without brushes," Lucas said. "Hey, I brought the brush back and said, 'You know, there's a lot of things you can do with this thing. I think there's real power here.' And by bringing that back, I think that was the biggest effect."

"Because it allowed people to do all kinds of movies that were sort of restricted because they were too expensive. That's not to say special-effects movies aren't expensive, but they're much less expensive than if you tried to do it in the old-fashioned way and have 10,000 people out in the middle of the desert with catering cars and all the things you'd have to have."

Lucas — who turns 61 Saturday, just days before the May 19 debut of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, the final chapter in his six-film saga — never set out to be a Hollywood pioneer, a sci-fi maven or even a populist filmmaker.

A star pupil at the University of Southern California film school in the 1960s, Lucas adapted a short student flick he made into his feature debut with 1971's THX 1138, the first film from buddy Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope outfit, a failed experiment meant to give young industry lions the freedom to make movies their way.

Starring Robert Duvall in a dark satire on consumerism and dehumanization, THX 1138 baffled distributor Warner Bros., which dumped the abstract sci-fi drama into theaters. The film has gained cult status over the decades, largely because of Lucas' subsequent fame, but at the time, hardly anyone saw it.

Coppola challenged Lucas to try something light, so he followed with a comic drama based on his car-cruising days in the '50s and '60s.

With its ensemble cast and episodic story structure, American Graffiti was another puzzler for Hollywood. Yet its killer soundtrack, nostalgia factor and the appeal of such young stars as Richard Dreyfuss and Ron Howard caught the fancy of moviegoers, who turned it into a box-office smash.

Always figuring he would specialize in documentaries and strange art films, Lucas found himself with a narrow window of clout among Hollywood bankers. He decided to take one stab at a grand soundstage production with big sets and visuals while he had the chance.

Impressed with Lucas' youthful drive and his work on American Graffiti, 20th Century Fox studio boss Alan Ladd Jr. decided to back the filmmaker's space opera about a farmboy named Luke Skywalker, a plucky princess named Leia, and a roguish pilot named Han Solo as they battled an evil galactic empire and black-cloaked villain Darth Vader.

Star Wars shot past Lucas pal Steven Spielberg's Jaws to become the colossus of the modern blockbuster era the two men helped usher in. Counting rereleases that include the 1997 special-edition version with added footage and effects, Star Wars still stands at No. 2 behind Titanic on the domestic box-office charts with $461 million.

Lucas said he originally envisioned a bigger story arc that revealed Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia to be the children of Darth Vader, who finds redemption in his last moments of life through the good heart of his son.

He scaled Star Wars back to tell only the first chapter of that chronicle. After the film succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, Lucas followed with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

In a stroke of blind fortune that now looks like the savviest business decision in Hollywood history, Lucas retained ownership of the films and merchandising.

Lucas was getting paid next to nothing upfront and had to beg 20th Century Fox for more money to get the special effects close to what he had imagined. Ownership of the franchise was a bone the studio tossed him, and Lucas figured he would use it to make T-shirts and posters to promote the movie.

At the time, sequel and merchandise rights were about as valuable as a bucket of sand on the desert planet Tatooine, but the combined bonanza from films, toys and other Star Wars products has made Lucas one of the richest men in show business.

"He would be the first to tell you, he had no idea," said Rick McCallum, Lucas' producing partner since TV's The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in the early 1990s. "When you're getting nothing, you'll take anything ... He knew there were sci-fi exhibitions out there that 5,000 kids would go to, so the idea was to go to anything that had to do with science where people would lend themselves to science fiction, and he could sell them T-shirts."

The Star Wars movies allowed Lucas to build an empire that includes the visual-effects house Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, which have driven moviemaking into the digital era. Lucas' THX system has become a gold standard for theater and home-entertainment audio.

Even Pixar Animation, the company behind the Toy Story movies, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, was a Lucas offshoot he sold in the mid-1980s.

Spielberg and Lucas teamed with Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford for the swashbuckling Indiana Jones movies, the fourth installment of which they hope to begin shooting in 2006.

After Industrial Light & Magic's breakthrough with realistic digital dinosaurs on Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Lucas realized computer animation would allow him to tweak his three Star Wars movies, adding scenes, effects and creatures impossible to produce in the '70s and '80s.

The special-edition releases helped persuade Lucas to go back and tell the backstory of how headstrong youth Anakin Skywalker transformed into malignant monster Darth Vader.

Episodes I and II, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, were hits, but they disappointed many fans who wanted to see a full-blown Vader from the outset. Instead, Lucas followed Anakin from precocious boyhood through his awkward teen years and a forbidden romance.

Revenge of the Sith finally takes Anakin to the dark side as Vader, whose fear of losing the love of his life leads him into a bloodbath against the Jedi knights who raised him.

Lucas is braced for fresh complaints about the final film, expecting many viewers to gripe that it's too dark, the ending too bleak.

"Half the people like the movies, the other half don't. There's nothing I can do about that," Lucas said. "Nobody is indifferent about them. Even the reviews, we get fantastic reviews or horrible reviews. There's no middle ground. Nobody's saying, 'They're OK, I guess.'

"You can't really worry about it. I make the movie I feel I want to make, telling the story I want to tell, and how it gets received is how it gets received. At least it's my fault. It's totally mine. I don't have to have any excuses about it. I don't have to say, 'The studio made me do this,' or 'I know that was wrong, but I had to do it.' Whatever people don't like or they do like is my fault."

Millions of fans would love a third trilogy picking up after Return of the Jedi, but Lucas said he has no story in mind and no intention of continuing the tale on the big screen.

The adventure will live on in an animated TV show and a live-action series Lucas has planned, set among minor characters from the films in the 20 years or so between the action of "Revenge of the Sith" and the original "Star Wars."

Lucas also hopes to release three-dimensional versions of all six movies in theaters starting a couple of years down the road. The 3-D editions would be created using new digital technology that adds depth perspective to two-dimensional film images.

Other than the new Indiana Jones, the creator himself said he is done with big film productions. Lucas plans to go off and make the sort of artsy little films he would have been making all along if Star Wars had not taken off.

With money set aside to cover those film projects into his 70s, Lucas said he can do whatever he wants without worrying if his movies succeed or fail, toiling in comparative obscurity and happy to be free of Star Wars.

"The analogy I can use is, it's like going away to college," Lucas said. "It's great to get out of the house. You miss your parents a little bit, but you get to see them at Thanksgiving. But it's great to be in college, great to be on your own. It's great to have a new life."

'Star Trek: Enterprise' Series Ending

LOS ANGELES - "Star Trek: Enterprise" is about to go where it has never gone before: off the air, taking the "Star Trek" franchise with it.

After the two-hour finale airs (8 p.m. EDT Friday on UPN) this will be the first time in 18 years that no first-run "Trek" series is on TV.

"Enterprise" lasted four seasons. It was the first "Trek" spinoff to last fewer than seven seasons. Plummeting ratings did what no Klingon battlecruiser or Borg collective could accomplish. And this time, network honchos didn't bow to Trekker pressure to renew the series, as they did in the face of a write-in campaign that gave the original "Star Trek" a third year on the tube (1966-69).

In fact, many longtime Trekkers stopped watching long ago. There were gripes going back at least as far as the fourth incarnation, "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995-2001), about lame or retreaded plots, goofy aliens and the weak leadership of "Voyager's" Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and "Enterprise's" Jonathan Archer ( Scott Bakula).

Sadly lacking were the rules-be-damned machismo of James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) or the class and thoughtful maturity of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

The original "Trek" was not above a little T&A to jazz up ratings. (Who can forget Yeoman Rand's miniskirt or the green-skinned Orion dancers?) But "Voyager" may have upped the silliness ante with a Borg who wore skin-tight catsuits and high heels, while "Enterprise" had a curvaceous Vulcan officer stripping every other episode.

No villain like the unstoppable Borg cropped up for a decade, either.

Supporters say "Enterprise" had vastly improved in its final season and blame other reasons for the ratings drop: weekend reruns that drew an audience but weren't counted in the Nielsens; ditto for those who taped or TiVo'd the program. And shifting "Enterprise" to a Friday time slot didn't help.

Producer Rick Berman has cited the problem of "franchise fatigue" after decades of "Star Trek" spinoffs.

Perhaps, some Trekkers argue, it was time to take a rest. After all, it was 18 years between the original "Trek" and "The Next Generation," which went on to have a vast following.

In the meantime, there are the reruns, the DVD packages, the video games, the hordes of fans in chat rooms and conventions and the contributions to popular culture that range from Klingon language academies to the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty!"

Things have changed a lot over the years, both within and without the "Trek" universe, as scholars drew real-world comparisons to the shows.

The original series had a Cold War between the Federation and the Russians, er, Klingons and a cheerfully naive approach to solving racial and political conflicts.

"Next Generation" (1987-94) had a post-Soviet view in which the Klingons were allies, and a politically correct view that the values of other cultures, no matter how weird or repugnant, deserved respect.

Both also shared a sunny idealism that humans had overcome their own conflicts, lived in peace, and were on voyages of discovery and knowledge for the sheer joy of it.

The optimistic view of a united future humanity that the original "Trek" offered began to crumble in earnest with "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999). The earnest morality of the first two series gave way to gray areas in which the good guys dirtied their hands with assassinations and other foul deeds in fighting a war for survival.

Moral relativism had crept into the sparkling "Trek" universe. Some viewers were dismayed; others enthralled.

By "Enterprise," actually a prequel set more than a century before the original series, the plots involved murky machinations and feuds spreading across the galaxy and even through time. Innocence was replaced by a somewhat gloomy view. Even the vaunted Vulcans were portrayed as pompous and dissembling.

But in the meantime, "Trek" no longer had the TV universe to itself. "Bablyon 5" (1994-1998) created a world arguably as rich and complex as the Federation's. Nowadays, science fiction fans can choose from a host of syndicated and cable shows, including "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" (named for "Star Trek's" late creator and produced by his widow) and the new "Battlestar Galactica."

Maybe there's just too much competition these days, and the audience is too fragmented.

Maybe even Capt. Kirk couldn't save the franchise.

Maybe, as with people, so with "Trek": the one enemy that always wins is Time.

Or perhaps, someday in the distant future, "Star Trek" will rise again. Fans can have only one response to that hope:

Make it so.

Yahoo Introduces Online Music Service

SAN FRANCISCO - Internet powerhouse Yahoo Inc. is introducing an online music subscription service that will enable consumers to download thousands of songs onto their portable MP3 players for $60 annually, undercutting the prices of the current industry leaders by more than 60 percent.

The Sunnyvale-based company planned to unveil "Yahoo Music Unlimited" Wednesday in a direct challenge to similar subscription services offered by Real Networks Inc. and Napster Inc.

Yahoo is offering unlimited downloads from a library of 1 million songs for $6.99 per month or $60 for an annual subscription. That's a sharp discount from Los Angeles-based Napster and Seattle-based Real Networks Inc., which both charge $14.95 per month, or just under $180 annually, for similar services.

By encouraging consumers to become song renters instead of song owners, Yahoo, Napster and Real Networks are pursuing a different sales approach from Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iTunes music store.

Under the rental model, consumers must pay a recurring fee and synchronize their portable music players with the subscription service at least once a month to preserve the music. If the subscription expires, the previously downloaded music becomes unplayable.

Renters also can't transfer downloaded songs to a compact disc without paying an additional fee. Yahoo will charge its subscribers 79 cents to own a song, below the 99 cents-per-song price of Apple's music store.

Yahoo's subscription service is compatible only with MP3 players that use Microsoft Corp.'s digital music format. That means the service won't work with Apple's iPod, the most popular MP3 player. The list of 10 devices that will work with Yahoo's service initially include Dell Inc.'s DJ player and Creative Technology Ltd.'s Zen Micro.

"This is all about expanding the market," said Dave Goldberg, general manager of Yahoo's music division. "We are convinced this is the way you should be listening to your music."

Yahoo expects its low-priced subscription service to make money, Goldberg said.

The company already runs one of the Internet's most profitable businesses, earning $840 million last year on revenue of $3.6 billion. Yahoo ended March with 8.9 million subscribers, most of whom pay for high-speed Internet access, online matchmaking services, or premium e-mail.

Real Networks says more than 1 million people subscribe to its online music services. Napster ended March with 410,000 subscribers.

As part of its recent music expansion efforts, Yahoo last year paid $160 million for Musicmatch Inc., an online digital music jukebox. Yahoo intends to combine Musicmatch with its new service.

Yahoo's service sets the stage for a likely price war with Real Networks and Napster, predicted digital music industry analyst Phil Leigh. "About the only thing that would prevent a price war at this point is if Yahoo's software (for downloading songs) performs badly," said Leigh, who runs a market research firm called Inside Digital Media.

Yahoo's service also poses a possible problem for Cupertino-based Apple, which so far has refused to sell monthly subscriptions for unlimited access to its iTunes store.

Many record label executives prefer the subscription approach, Leigh said, because consumers are more likely to sample songs from relatively unknown artists, a phenomenon that helps the industry create more moneymaking stars. That means if Yahoo's push into online subscriptions is successful, the record labels might gain more negotiating leverage to pressure Apple into renting songs instead of simply selling them, Leigh said.

Rolling Stones announce Cdn. dates

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - The Rolling Stones, the ageless superstars of rock 'n' roll, will play four Canadian cities during a massive world tour that will begin this summer in North America.

The legendary rock stars, led by singer Mick Jagger, will play Ottawa on Aug. 28 at Lansdowne Park; Moncton, N.B. on Sept. 3 at Magnetic Hill; Toronto on Sept. 26 at the Rogers Centre; and Calgary on Oct. 28 at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

The Stones announced the tour in New York on Tuesday in a broadcast that was simulcast to several of the cities they will be visiting, including the southern New Brunswick community of Moncton.

The Stones performed four songs before taking questions from reporters, demonstrating that although they are all over 60 years of age, they still have the energy to deliver high-voltage rock 'n' roll.

Pencil-thin Jagger gyrated like a live wire around the stage at the Juilliard school in New York, looking more 16 than 61.

Later, he was asked the inevitable question after more than 40 years of touring and tireless performing: "Is this the last time?"

"We take each tour as it comes," he answered, adding the Stones would never set up a tour as their curtain call.

Jagger confirmed the band will rehearse in Toronto prior to the tour, but offered no other details. The Stones have rehearsed in Toronto for previous world tours in 1994, 1997 and 2002.

"We love Canada," Jagger said when asked by a British reporter if the band rehearses in Canada to avoid taxes.

"We'd never rehearse there for tax reasons."

The Stones tour will begin in Boston's Fenway Park on Aug. 21. The band has 35 dates confirmed in the United States and Canada.

The concerts in Moncton and Ottawa will be at open-air venues.

The Magnetic Hill site in Moncton can accommodate 60,000 people and is centrally located to draw fans from all three Maritime provinces, as well as from Newfoundland, Quebec and several New England states.

"They want to go to areas they've never been before," concert organizer Donald K. Donald said of the decision to play Moncton.

City officials said hotel rooms in Moncton are already almost sold out.

Word leaked out last week that the Stones would play in Moncton in early September. Thousands of fans bet that the performance would be on the Labour Day weekend and booked their accommodations.

"It will be the biggest concert ever in Atlantic Canada," predicted Ian Fowler, a municipal official.

Fowler said the spin-off benefits will be huge for New Brunswick and for the other Maritime provinces.

"It's a win for the whole region," he said.

Tickets will go on sale later this month at different locations in most provinces, as well as through on-line sites.

At least two Canadian acts will open for the Stones in Moncton - The Tragically Hip and the Quebec band, Les Trois Accords. Jagger wouldn't name the other opening acts for the tour.

The Stones have a longstanding connection to Canada, including a history of playing small club shows before launching their world tours. They headlined a SARS benefit concert in Toronto in 2003 that drew 450,000 spectators.

After the North American shows, the Stones will move on to Mexico, South America, the Far East, and Europe in the summer of 2006.

There is also a new album in the works to coincide with the tour.

Jagger said the setup for the tour will include seating for about 400 spectators on the actual stage, behind the performers.

"You'll get a great view of our bums," he said of the seating arrangement. "So we'll have to work on them a bit."

Bertelsmann buys Columbia House music club

FRANKFURT (AP) - German media company Bertelsmann AG said Tuesday it is buying the New York-based DVD and music club Columbia House.

Bertelsmann did not disclose the terms of the deal, under which the Guetersloh-based company's BMG division will acquire Columbia House. Citing people familiar with the deal, the Wall Street Journal reported it was worth approximately 312 million euros ($400.1 million US).

The U.S. retailer is 85 per cent owned by Blackstone Group. Sony Corp. and Time Warner each hold 15 per cent stakes.

"This move gives us strategic access to the growing business with DVDs, as well as broadening our customer base in the U.S. market," said Ewald Walgenbach, CEO of Bertelsmann's DirectGroup unit.

"In bringing together BMG Direct and Columbia House, we are combining two profitable businesses."

Columbia House has some eight million members in the United States, Mexico and Canada and sells music online and through the mail. BMG Direct operates its own mail order retail business, sending out 68 million catalogs annually and through its Web site.

Bertelsmann said Stuart Goldfarb, chief executive of BMG Direct, would be president and CEO of Columbia House.

Bertelsmann's reach encompasses nearly all forms of media, with publishing, music sales and broadcasting operations in approximately 60 countries worldwide.

The company, founded in 1835, owns the Random House publisher as well as a 50 per cent stake in Sony BMG Music Entertainment. It holds a 75 per cent stake in publisher Gruner + Jahr and has 90 per cent of broadcaster RTL. It also owns several book and music clubs, including DirectGroup.

Bertelsmann is not listed on the stock market. A majority stake is controlled by the Mohn family, directly and through a foundation. Group Bruxelles Lambert holds a 25 per cent stake.

'Spamalot' Receives 14 Tony Nominations

NEW YORK - "Monty Python's Spamalot," a madcap medieval musical loosely based on the zany British troupe's film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," led the field with 14 Tony nominations Tuesday, including best musical and bids for its King Arthur, Tim Curry, and Lancelot, Hank Azaria.

The musicals "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," about a couple of scam artists working the French Riviera, and "The Light in The Piazza," the lushly romantic tale of love at first sight — and its ramifications, got 11 each.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning "Doubt," John Patrick Shanley's drama of uncertainty set against the backdrop of a Catholic school in the Bronx, received eight nominations.

Kathleen Turner picked up a best actress nomination for her role as a boozy wife in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." Also nominated were Laura Linney as a spurned woman in "Sight Unseen," Mary-Louise Parker for her portrayal of a distraught housewife in "Reckless," Cherry Jones, who played a dour, authoritarian nun in "Doubt"; and Phylicia Rashad, an ancient, mystical woman in "Gem of the Ocean."

Best actor nominees: Billy Crudup, a jailed writer in "The Pillowman"; Philip Bosco for a disbelieving juror in "Twelve Angry Men"; James Earl Jones for a cantankerous father in "On Golden Pond"; Bill Irwin, Turner's boozy, battling husband in "Virginia Woolf"; and Brian F. O'Byrne, an accused priest in "Doubt."

The nominees in the best play category besides "Doubt" were "Democracy," "Gem of the Ocean" and "The Pillowman."

The off-Broadway sleeper hit that made it to Broadway — "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" — vies with "Monty Python's Spamalot," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "The Light in The Piazza" as best musical.

Besides Curry and Azaria, other leading actor in a musical nominees included Gary Beach for "La Cage aux Folles," Norbert Leo Butz and John Lithgow for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Nominated for leading actress in a musical were Christina Applegate, "Sweet Charity"; Victoria Clark, "The Light in the Piazza"; Erin Dilly, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; Sutton Foster, "Little Women"; and Sherie Rene Scott, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

In the same year he was up for an Academy Award (for his supporting role in "The Aviator") Alan Alda got a Tony nod as a featured actor in "Glengarry Glen Ross."

And Applegate — who still may be best known as a trampy teenager on the old sitcom "Married ... With Children" — received a nomination as the unlucky-in-love dance hall hostess in "Sweet Charity." She broke her right foot in March during the show's Chicago tryout, and the Broadway production was canceled after its next stop, in Boston. But Applegate's determination resurrected it.

Edward Albee, the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who challenged theatrical convention in such masterworks as "Virginia Woolf," "A Delicate Balance" and "Seascape," was picked to receive a special Tony for lifetime achievement.

The best revival of a play category pits "Virginia Woolf" against David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross," "On Golden Pond" and "Twelve Angry Men." In the best revival of a musical category, "La Cage aux Folles" will compete with "Pacific Overtures" and "Sweet Charity."

The Couch Potato Report - May 10th, 2005

This week The Couch Potato Report features me being positive. Very positive, in fact.

When I go to the movies, or sit down at home to watch a film, I obviously want what I am watching to be good. After all, I don't want to sit for ninety minutes to two hours - or longer - and not be entertained.

Now, after more than a few weeks of reviews that were mostly negative, this week I am happy to report that I have nothing but positive things to say.

Yes, with only a few exceptions, all of this week's releases are great!

So let me start with the best of the best of this week's releases, the DVD release of the complete first season of the television show ENTOURAGE.

ENTOURAGE is a about a young and up and coming Hollywood star named Vincent and his three childhood companions-turned-employees.

As Vincent begins his career we see how things work behind the scenes and that makes ENTOURAGE a very interesting show.

But the premise is only the second best thing about ENTOURAGE. The cast of young actors, rounded out by the seasoned Jeremy Piven of SERENDIPITY and OLD SCHOOL as Vincent's foul-mouthed agent, is what makes this show a treat to watch. The four main actors are supposed to be old friends, and they seem like old friends.

Friends I like hanging around with, or watching, as it were.

The DVD of ENTOURAGE - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON features all eight episodes and every one of them is worth watching, repeatedly. In fact, I watched all of them twice, just this week.

Admittedly, ENTOURAGE isn't a show for everyone as the language is pretty raw and the morals of the characters are flexible, to say the least. But if you like smart, funny, well written shows, then spend some time with this entourage.

That show has a group of people who make up an entourage, whereas legendary actor Peter Sellers could be a group of people all on his own.

I must admit, that prior to seeing the autobiographical film THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS I didn't know much about the man. For many years I had laughed at his work in THE PARTY, CASINO ROYALE and DR. STRANGELOVE and THE PINK PANTHER films, and BEING THERE is one of my favourite films of all time, but I didn't know anything about the man who was the cause of my laughter.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS allowed me, and allows us all, to get to know him, warts and all. The explanation given, and endorsed by Sellers himself, was that he was so good at impersonations and mimicry because he was lacking a personality of his own.

That point is driven home quite well in this movie.

Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush does an incredible job in his performance as one of the cinema's great chameleons, and the biopic allows us to get to know Peter Sellers a little bit more.

I don't know if we need to know more about the real man in order to appreciate what his cinematic legacy is, but if you would like to learn more, or just see a very entertaining movie about one of the world's most entertaining person, then THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS is now available for you to do just that.

Peter Sellers was great at his job and he is deserving of a movie about his life.

Steve Zissou, on the other hand, might not be as deserving.

Yet, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU is just that. A movie about the man's life.

But it is also so much more.

And it is fictional, don't let me omit that. Peter Sellers is a real person, Steve Zissou is not.

But THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU is a real movie, and it is the latest film from director Wes Anderson. Anderson made the classic film RUSHMORE in 1998 and he followed it up with the enjoyable, but not classic THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS in 2001.

Wes Anderson's career trajectory continues downward with his latest film, but, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU is still worthy of your time. It might be a slow character study in midlife detachment, but Anderson is just such an interesting filmmaker that even when his movies aren't classics they are still worth seeing.

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU is unique and different, and that makes it worth seeing. Plus, it stars Bill Murray! As far as I am concerned, his presence makes any film seeing.

In the film Murray plays Steve Zissou, a celebrated oceanographer, not unlike Jacques Cousteau.

Zissou and his crew set out on an expedition to find the mysterious, elusive, possibly non-existent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou's partner.

The team is joined by a young airline co-pilot who may or may not be Zissou's son, a journalist who is writing a profile of Zissou, and Zissou's estranged wife and co-producer, Eleanor.

Along the way they face pirates, kidnapping, bankruptcy, and several other dilemmas, and each and every one of them are unique and different.

No, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU is not a perfect film, it is too quirky to be perfect. But in a day and age when every film and TV show follows a set formula, I love that Wes Anderson's movies don't!

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU comes highly recommended and is worth your time.

Even if you don't care for the movie at all, I assure you that you won't see anything else like it until Anderson's next movie - THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX - comes out in 2006.

I also assure you that you will see movies like IN GOOD COMPANY between now and 2006.

Movies where two people meet and immediate sparks fly between them until something happens to break them up, before they get back together with a swell of romantic music.

Yes, between now and 2006 you will see many movies like that, and IN GOOD COMPANY is a movie that has elements of that, but it also has so much more!

Topher Grace from THAT 70'S SHOW is a man in his mid-twenties with a failed marriage and a career that he knows he isn't qualified to have.

Dennis Quaid from THE ROOKIE is a middle-aged man who has a career he's qualified for, but ends up second-in-command to the youngster.

Eventually Grace meets Quaid's college aged daughter and the pair seem to have something in common. Scarlett Johansson from LOST IN TRANSLATION is the daughter and she gives another great performance.

As the story goes on, both personal and professional relationships develop between Grace and his business colleague and between his colleague's daughter. And I am happy to report that none of them go where you think they will.

Movies today always focus on a person's strengths and we rarely get to see any weaknesses. IN GOOD COMPANY lets us see all sides, and it is an enjoyable film because of that.

It is enjoyable and unpredictable, and that is a great combination.

No, it isn't unique and different like THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, but it is different enough from most romantic comedies that it is worth recommending.

Wow, it feels good to say positive things about all four of this week's releases!

Yes, I recommend IN GOOD COMPANY, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS and ENTOURAGE - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON and they are all available now.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT is the complete first season of SCRUBS - one of my current favourite shows on TV - and the complete fourth season of SEINFELD, one of my all-time favourite shows on TV.

TV also gave us the show SOUTH PARK and that show's creators now offer us the hilarious puppet film TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. Yes, for the record, I said "hilarious puppet film."

KINSEY isn't hilarious, instead it is the true story of sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. Liam Neeson and the always fantastic Laura Linney star.

And finally next week, Michael Keaton returns to films after a few years away. In WHITE NOISE he is a man who tries to contact his dead wife through the white noise that comes from television.

I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more about - and on - WHITE NOISE, KINSEY, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, SEINFELD, SCRUBS, and some other releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

'Scrubs' Creator Diagnoses State of TV Comedy

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) It was the last day of filming on "Scrubs" for the season, and creator Bill Lawrence and star Zach Braff were feeling a little punchy.

Asked what he got for his 30th birthday (which was April 6), Braff replies: "The gift of love. I got the gift of love -- and a full-size poster of Bill Lawrence that I put above my bed."

Before anyone on the April conference call even posed a question, Lawrence set the tone. "[We're going to] be loose cannons and say things that can get us in trouble, because no one can call us Monday," he says. "We won't be here. ...

"So anyone can feel free to ask anything, even if not it's not about 'Scrubs' and you just want me to dis my bosses and get in trouble."
That sort of invitation is hard to pass up, and Lawrence got the now-familiar is-the-sitcom-dead question. His short answer: "I find that to be absolute bulls***.

"I think there's an issue going on that the networks put on crappy multi-camera material, and obviously it's not embraced. think the truth comes down to quality," he elaborates. "Whether it's a throwback multi-camera comedy like 'Everybody Loves Raymond' or a single-camera show like 'Scrubs,' shows that survive the test of time are going to have to be well-made, well-acted and ultimately have something the audience to hook into that's accessible.

"I challenge people a lot. When someone tells me sitcoms are dead, I defy anyone to tell me the last well-made, well-written, well-acted multi-camera sitcom that failed. And no one can come up with one, because they don't."

We also asked why he thinks NBC tends not to promote "Scrubs" very heavily, even to the point that it no longer gets the scenes-from-next-week treatment at the close of an episode. Rather than a rant, though, the question produces a thoughtful answer from Lawrence, a sitcom veteran ("Friends, "Spin City"), about the nature of the TV business.

"The bad part about the way TV works is, our show is on NBC, but it's 100 percent owned by Disney ['Scrubs' is produced by Disney's Touchstone TV]," he says. "I don't blame the network executives, but it's a sh***y situation. Our show did just -- it wasn't a giant hit out of the gate, but it did just well enough that it's going to stay on forever. But since they [NBC] don't stand to make any money on it in the end, they use it as a Band-aid. They move it from timeslot to timeslot ... always knowing that the core audience will follow along.

"If the question comes down to, Are we gonna promote 'Scrubs' or, in success, a show we stand to make millions of dollars on?, the answer's always gonna be, regardless of quality, the show you stand to make money on."

That fact, however, also spurred Lawrence and Braff to involve themselves heavily in the DVD release of "Scrubs'" first season; it's scheduled to hit stores May 17, a week after the show's season finale on Tuesday (May 10). In addition to commentaries from the Lawrence and the entire cast, the three-disc set includes features on cast members before they joined the show, the production process on the show's abandoned-hospital set and the cast discussing their favorite episodes.

"We really took the time to, hopefully, talk about stuff that people really into the show will care about," Lawrence says.

Adds Braff: "It's such a long time coming because we really put a lot into the first season. Everyone's been so patient -- whenever we do a Q-and-A anywhere, the first question is 'When is the DVD coming out?' The fans have been so patient, so we really put a lot into the first one."

"Scrubs" will end its fourth season -- and start its fifth in the fall -- with the interns making some big changes. J.D. (Braff) finally moves out of the apartment he shares with Turk (Donald Faison) and Carla (Judy Reyes), and one of them is faced with the prospect of taking a job at another hospital.

"The general thrust of next year will be a year that feels like the characters aren't kids learning things anymore," Lawrence says. "Because you can only do the J.D.'s scared about some kind of medical thing and then gets a big lesson from Dr. Cox [plotline] so much. ... Next year will be at least the start of the dynamic shifting, and the people that used to be our students are going to start to become teachers a little bit."

That also means the potential to introduce new characters, which can help keep a show fresh -- and also provides Lawrence a hammer to wield over his old hands, he jokes.

"It's a great thing," he says. "Any cast member gives me that fifth-year lip, they just walk out the door and a new one walks in."

Wonder Unveils Video, New Album Release Date

Stevie Wonder unveiled the first music video to feature video description technology for blind and visually impaired music fans yesterday (May 9) in Los Angeles. As previously reported, the standard and description-enhanced clip (narrated by Busta Rhymes) for "So What the Fuss" will be premiered tomorrow via Yahoo! Music.

"The whole point is that there are 10 million people who are blind or have low-vision and are not able to enjoy the experience of seeing music videos," said Wonder. "Why shouldn't we be able to experience that? I don't want this to be the last video description video; this is far bigger than me. We need to do everything to make the playing field of technology fair."

Joining Wonder were Motown president Sylvia Rhone, "Fuss" video director Paul Hunter and Linda Idoni, West Coast director of operations for the Media Access Group of WGBH. The Boston public television station pioneered the video description technology in 1990 and wrote the "Fuss" narration.

Attendees, who included members of the media and students from the Foundation for the Junior Blind, donned black blindfolds emblazoned with the title of Wonder's forthcoming album, "A Time 2 Love," to fully experience the Rhymes-narrated version. The video is set in an apartment and its surrounding neighborhood.

Talking about his new album, Wonder said the long-awaited/much delayed project is now slated for a June 14 release. The album is comprised of 16 tracks, with two bonus cuts earmarked for release in foreign markets. According to Wonder, these 18 tracks are three shy of the total number of songs on his groundbreaking double-album, "Songs in the Key of Life."

Among the album's additional selections are the title cut (co-written by labelmate India.Arie) "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Positivity." Wonder also noted that another song he originally wrote a while back for Luther Vandross, "My Love Is on Fire," will appear on "A Time 2 Love" as well as on the Vandross tribute album being assembled by BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis.

Though he declined to reveal the name of the second single, Wonder said the video for it would also feature the video description technology. As for rampant rumors that he will stage a concert this summer in New York, Wonder would say only that he "hopes to be there soon" after he delivers the album to Motown and his wife delivers a new child, due May 13 (Wonder's own birth date).

No 'Desperate' climb

A year ago, she was a relatively unknown former daytime soap actress who had just shot a pilot for a TV show. Even then, Maxim magazine saw something in Eva Longoria that inspired the editors to reserve a place for her on their annual Hot 100 list.

This year, the red-hot Desperate Housewives actress has catapulted to the top spot in the special issue, which hits stands May 19.

She follows an impressive list of previous No. 1's, including Jessica Simpson (this year's No. 9), Jessica Alba (this year's No. 5), Christina Aguilera (this year's No. 16) and Jennifer Garner (this year's No. 3).

"It's kind of exciting and shocking all at the same time, because I was No. 91 last year," says the Mexican-American beauty, 30. Longoria called in from her L.A. home shortly before taking off for Canada to begin work on the feature film The Sentinel.

"Considering all the women in the world, No. 91 isn't all that bad. But (last year) I didn't go to the (annual Hot 100 celebration) party, because I don't think anyone wants the 90s at the party."

Longoria, who appeared on the January 2005 cover of Maxim, is the only one of the Housewives on the list, but her co-stars aren't surprised. Co-star Felicity Huffman says, "What's hot about Eva is her smile, her laugh, her joie de vivre ... and following all of that, her (behind)."

"What doesn't make her a hottie?" asks Jesse Metcalfe, the lucky young buck who gets to share a bed and sometimes a bath with Longoria on ABC's hit prime-time soap. "She's pretty much flawless. She's not a diva in any way. Normally, when they're that hot, they're not that cool."

Longoria, who says she has a steady beau (but won't say who), credits her TV character with helping to elevate her Maxim ranking. "Maxim and Gabrielle go hand in hand," she says of the mag aimed at young men. "Gabrielle's sexy, confident and sensual, and I think Maxim shows those beautiful qualities in their women. When you look at the Top 10, it's singers or working actors who are doing really good things in the entertainment business."

This year, Longoria outranks such popular leading ladies as Tom Cruise's new love, Katie Holmes (No. 22); Catwoman Halle Berry (No. 41); and Star Wars queen Natalie Portman (No. 42).

Though thrilled to be No. 1, Longoria would place No. 7 Angelina Jolie — Brad Pitt's "pal" and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' goodwill ambassador — atop her own personal hot list.

"Angelina is the definition of sexy," Longoria says. "Everything about her is sexy — her empowerment, confidence, strength, beauty, character, her morals and what she stands for."

Weezer Make Believe (Geffen)

Oh, the suspense of a new Weezer album. Is Rivers Cuomo still one messed-up little rock auteur? Will he write a batch of crunchy pop-punk gems, reporting from his tortured private world about the fun he imagines the rest of us are having? Will he ever find true love? On Make Believe, the answers are yes, yes, and wake the fuck up. Make Believe is a breakthrough for Weezer, a bold step into the world of the two-word album title, with twelve songs running 45:15, positively epic by their standards. But most important, Cuomo's songs are his most plaintive and brilliant since Pinkerton, with couplets such as "I may not be a perfect soul/But I can learn self-control" narrating the latest kinks of his journey into full-fledged humanhood. Not since Brian Wilson has an L.A.-pop mastermind gotten such musical mileage out of wanting to be an ordinary guy, not realizing that his psychosexual freakitude is exactly what makes him one.

Make Believe kicks off with "Beverly Hills," the single that revisits the dork narrator of old Weezer songs like "My Name Is Jonas," ten years older but no wiser, graduating from comic books and twelve-sided dice to watching the E! channel. It's a thunderous tune, with an awesomely terrible 1970s wah-wah solo that must have been sampled from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. The sad love songs that follow -- "We Are All on Drugs," "Hold Me" -- build on self-loathing hooks ("I know that I can be the meanest person in the world") and huge pop flourishes. The best is "Pardon Me." It sure is weird to hear Cuomo go back to his old "Buddy Holly" voice, summoning up all his strength to belt, "I apologize to you/And to anyone else that I hurt too." Um, Rivers, is this a twelve-step thing? Nobody's mad at you, honest. In fact, after listening to Make Believe, we love you more than evs.

NEW CD RELEASES FOR MAY 10, 2005

Bryan Adams Room Service (Mercury Nashville)

Keith Anderson Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll (Arista Nashville)

Athlete Tourist (Astralwerks)

Billy Bang Vietnam: Reflections (Justin Time)

Dierks Bentley Modern Day Drifter (Capitol Nashville)

Alison Brown Stolen Moments (Compass)

John Cena & Trademarc You Can't See Me (Columbia)

Cheb i Sabbah La Kahena (Six Degrees)

Graham Collier Workpoints (Cuneiform)

Bobby Conn Live Classics, Vol. 1 (enhanced CD w/videos; recorded live before a studio audience) (Thrill Jockey)

Cranked Up! This Is a Weapon (Blackout)

A Day to Remember And Their Name Was Treason (Indianola)

Taylor Dayne Whatever You Want/Naked Without You EP (remixes and three new tracks) (Intersound)

DDM Snow on the TV (Dim Mak)

Diamond Nights Once We Were Diamonds EP (Hollywood)

The Duane Peters Gunfight (of U.S. Bombs) The Duane Peters Gunfight (Disaster)

Electrelane Axes (recorded by Steve Albini) (Beggars Group)

Estampie Signum (Noir)

FannyPack See You Next Tuesday (Tommy Boy)

Renée Fleming Haunted Heart (Decca)

The Frank and Joe Show 66 2/3 (Hyena)

Rosario Giuliani More Than Ever (Dreyfus)

Goldie Lookin Chain Straight Outta Newport (Record Collection)

Parry Gripp (ex-Nerf Herder) For Those About to Shop, We Salute You (collection of comedic advertising jingles) (Oglio)

Gush NÖRRKÖPING (Touch and Go)

GZR (Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler) Ohmwork (w/Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith) (Sanctuary)

Hal Hal (Rough Trade)

The Headphones The Headphones (Touch and Go)

The Hootz Too Hoot to Handle (hip-hop for kids) (Koch)

Javon Jackson Have You Heard (Palmetto)

Robert Earl Keen What I Really Mean (ICE #217; ICE #218) (Koch)

James Kochalka Our Most Beloved (Rykodisc)

Langhorne Slim When the Sun's Gone Down (Narnack)

Bryan Lee Live and Dangerous (Justin Time)

Fred Longberg-Holm Trio Other Valentines (Touch and Go)

Joe Lovano Joyous Encounter (Blue Note)

Dave Matthews Band Stand Up (DualDisc same day) (RCA)

Mercury Switch Time to Shine (Indianola)

Miriodor Parade + Live at Nearfest (two CDs) (Cuneiform)

Missippi The Book of Life (w/E-40 and Rick James) (Bungalo)

Calvin Newborn New Born (Yellow Dog)

Scout Niblett Kidnapped by Neptune (recorded by Steve Albini) (Beggars Group)

Nobody And Everything Else... (guests Prefuse 73, Mia Doi Todd and members of Beachwood Sparks; w/cover of the Flaming Lips' "What Is the Light") (Plug Research)

Old School Freight Train Run (produced by and featuring David Grisman; w/covers of Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman) (Acoustic Disc)

Pacifics Sunday's Chicken (Touch and Go)

Luciano Pavarotti World Tour Tribute (two CDs) (Decca)

Stephen Pearcy Fueler (Cleopatra)

Picastro Metal Cares (Polyvinyl)

Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation Mighty Rearranger (Sanctuary)

Pray for the Soul of Betty (w/American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis) Pray for the Soul of Betty (Koch)

Present A Great Inhumane Adventure (Cuneiform)

Prince Paul Itstrumental (Female Fun)

Psychograss Now Hear This (Adventure)

The Punks Thank You for the Alternative Rock (Kill Rock Stars)

Qntal IV (Noir)

Radio Massacre International Emissaries (Cuneiform)

The Real Tuesday Weld The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid (Six Degrees)

Red Café Got a Story to Tell (Capitol)

The Robot Ate Me Carousel Waltz (Kill Rock Stars)

Sharp Things Foxes & Hounds (Bar/None)

Shrift Lost in a Moment (Six Degrees)

Spookie Daly Pride Medicine Chest (Funzalo)

Spoon Gimme Fiction (Merge)

The Starting Line Based on a True Story (Drive-Thru/Geffen)

Story of the Year Live in the Loo: Bassassins (CD/DVD combo) (Maverick)

Styx Big Bang Theory (Universal)

John Surman Way Back When (Cuneiform)

Team Sleep (Chino Moreno of Deftones) Team Sleep (guest vocals by ex-Helium's Mary Timony and Pinback's Rob Crow) (Maverick)

Through the Sparks Coin Toss EP (Skybucket)

Juliet Turner Season of the Hurricane (Valley Entertainment)

The Unseen State of Discontent (produced by Dropkick Murphys' Ken Casey) (Epitaph)

Van Zant Get Right with the Man (Columbia)

Waking Ashland Composure (Tooth & Nail)

Doug Wamble Bluestate (Rounder)

Weezer Make Believe (enhanced CD; produced by Rick Rubin) (Geffen)

Lucinda Williams Live at the Fillmore (two CDs) (Lost Highway)

X Live in Los Angeles (2004 concert; DVD same day) (Shout! Factory)

VA Atlantiquity (remixes of classics by Chic, Donny Hathaway, others by King Britt, Jurassic 5's DJ Nu-Mark and more) (Rhino/Atlantic)

VA Café De La Noche (Sunswept)

VA Dead Band's Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo (Indianola)

VA Imaginational Anthem (compilation of solo acoustic guitar instrumentals w/John Fahey, Brad Barr of the Slip and more) (Near Mint)

VA Jazz Lounge Remix (Cleopatra)

VA Live from the Bluebird Café Vol. 1 (Artemis)

VA Pure Techno 3 (Water)

VA Superstars #1 Hits Remixed (hits from Beyoncé, Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys remixed by Junior Vasquez, Armand Van Helden and more) (BMG Heritage)

VA The Majestic Collection: The Best of Soul Fire Records (two CDs; hits, rarities and previously unreleased material from the funk/soul/dance label) (Koch)

OST Inside Deep Throat (documentary about controversial '70s adult film) (Koch)

OST The L Word Sessions (Tommy Boy)

DVD Best of the Rock 'N' Roll Greats (recent concert w/Styx, Steppenwolf, Rare Earth, Iron Butterfly and more) (Koch)

DVD Eminem: The Glory Years (documentary) (Chrome Dreams)

DVD James Chance Chance of a Lifetime: Live in Chicago 2003 (w/bonus documentary) (DBK Works)

DVD Billy Cobham's Culturemix New Morning: The Paris Concert (Music Video Distributors)

DVD DJ Domination World Domination (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Robben Ford New Morning: The Paris Concert (w/bonus interview) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD John Kay & Steppenwolf John Kay & Steppenwolf (recent concert) (Koch)

DVD Marillion Marbles on the Road (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Donny Osmond Live in Edinburgh Castle (Decca)

DVD The Vibrators Live Energized: CBGB 2004 (Music Video Distributors)

DVD VA Black Beach Unlimited (Music Video Distributors)

DVD VA Shake City 101: Krump Dance (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Audio Porcupine Tree Deadwing (w/three bonus tracks, making-of feature and photo galleries; 5.1 Surround) (DTS Entertainment)

Renee Weds Her Country Sweetheart in Shock Ceremony

Renee Zellweger has stunned Hollywood by marrying her country sweetheart Kenny Chesney. Details are sketchy, but it's reported the Chicago star and her new man exchanged vows yesterday on the Caribbean island of St Johns, where Chesney has a holiday home. Chesney, 37, jetted off to make Zellweger his bride after performing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday. He's expected back on stage in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Thursday. Since her 2000 engagement to Jim Carrey, the actress has dated a string of rockers and musicians, including The White Stripes' Jack White and Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice. Country superstar Chesney and his new blushing bride were romantically linked for the first time earlier this month when the Bridget Jones's Diary star was spotted kissing her new beau at one of his shows. It's the first marriage for both stars.

HBO - not just TV anymore

NEW YORK (AP) - The people at HBO Films have a rooting interest at the Cannes Film Festival this week. A film they bankrolled, Gus Van Sant's Last Days, is among the 20 competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or.

The story based on Kurt Cobain's descent toward suicide will be in movie theatres this summer and probably won't be seen on America's channel HBO for at least a year.

Making movies for theatres would seem counterintuitive for a premium cable channel, but it's a strategy that HBO Films is following on select titles to burnish its reputation and direct attention to projects that may otherwise be overlooked.

HBO and New Line Cinema announced in March that they had formed a new company to distribute films theatrically, acquiring the Newmarket Films distribution system.

"I hope it's a way of saying to filmmakers that there are a multitude of ways you can work with HBO," said Colin Callender, president of HBO Films. "It is sort of one-stop shopping. This furthers the notion that we're not constrained by traditional forms."

The risk for HBO lies in alienating subscribers who pay a monthly premium for the service and expect original films as part of the deal. Callender said the majority of HBO films will still premiere on the cable channel.

HBO first tried this approach in 2002 with Real Women Have Curves, a movie about a Mexican-American woman's struggle to get a college education in spite of her traditionalist family's desire she get a husband instead. It was made with an unknown cast and likely to get lost in a year HBO had a full slate of films coming out.

To get some attention, HBO took the movie to the Sundance Film Festival. It won two audience awards, and Callender was approached by people who wanted to release it theatrically.

At first he balked. Then, after thinking it over, he decided to give it a try. He saw a marketing opportunity with a shortage of films for adults in the theatres.

It was a success in the indie film world, grossing $6 million US after costing less than $4 million to make. Real Women Have Curves took the traditional route out of the theatres, appearing first on DVD and pay-per-view before finally debuting on HBO more than a year after movie fans could buy a ticket to see it.

When it finally came on HBO, it had a track record of success and drew more interest from subscribers than it would have if it had appeared new on television, he said.

And it had already made the company a profit.

HBO Films has since gone to theatres first with American Splendor, starring Paul Giamatti in the role of comic book writer Harvey Pekar; Van Sant's Elephant; and Maria Full of Grace, which earned Catalina Sandino Moreno a best actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a heroin smuggler.

In terms of reputation, most HBO films are worthy of being played in a theatre, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, a firm that tracks Hollywood box-office results.

For the general public, a theatrical release gives a movie "an aura of prestige," he said.

"I think a lot of people will be looking at this to see if it works," Dergarabedian said. "For small movies, it's a way to get the movies seen by a lot of people."

The most obvious candidates for a theatrical release are indie-type films likely to succeed through critical acclaim and word-of-mouth. Big concept, or star vehicles, are more suited to cable - where Empire Falls, packed with names like Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt and Paul Newman, will debut May 28.

Generally, HBO premieres about six to eight original movies a year. One or two go first to theatres, although that may be stepped up next year.

"We were and continue to be very conscious of our obligation to and unwritten contract with subscribers that we would provide them with exclusive and original movies," Callender said. "We had always resisted going out theatrically because it seemed at odds with that promise."

To use a business term in vogue, HBO is looking for ways to extend the brand. It makes a big difference that, particularly after the Newmarket deal, the company knows the movies will be released under the HBO Films banner.

It has tried other ways to give its movies more attention and circulation. Earlier this year, HBO agreed to let PBS air three of its current events-oriented movies, including Dirty War, a month after they appeared on the premium service. Rerun rights to the miniseries about the 1980s AIDS crisis, Angels in America, were sold to Logo, the gay and lesbian-oriented network that is to debut next month.

Someday HBO might try debuting a film on the network on a Sunday, for instance, and put it into theatres the following Friday, he said.

If HBO is lucky, Callender will face more dilemmas similar to the one he had this winter.

He was in a Los Angeles area movie theatre, where a chiefly black test audience was watching Lackawanna Blues. The Halle Berry-produced film about a Pennsylvania rooming house during the final days of segregation was to debut on HBO a few weeks later.

The test scores were among the highest he had ever seen. Callender panicked. Did he make a mistake scheduling it for HBO? Should it be in theatres?

He took over running a focus group discussion that he had planned to watch from behind a screen.

Participants advocated both viewpoints.

"In the end we went ahead with doing it on HBO," he said, "because we had done all the groundwork and to take it off would, in some sense, break that promise with viewers."

Rolling Stones tour announcement anticipated

The Rolling Stones are expected to announce plans for a new tour during a Tuesday (5/10) press conference that will originate from New York City's famous Julliard School of Music.

Though the band hasn't officially tipped its hand as to what Tuesday's announcement will be, various news reports say that a live telecast and performance is planned.

Earlier this year, Boston officials approved plans for major concerts on Aug. 21 and 23, which are widely expected to be the shows that launch a Stones world tour predicted to run well into 2006. The Stones' last outing was the 2002-2003 "Licks" world tour, which played to more than 3.4 million fans and grossed nearly $300 million, according to Amusement Business.

The outing will include a stop at the New Charlotte Arena in North Carolina, home to the NBA's Bobcats, the Charlotte Observer reported. That show reportedly will take place prior to U2's Dec. 12 concert at the same venue.

CBC news reported this week that the Stones are planning an early September outdoor show in Moncton, New Brunswick. Promoters are quoted as predicting that the show, at the 60,000-capacity Magnetic Hill concert site, will be the largest concert ever held in Atlantic Canada.

Charlottesville, VA's Scott Stadium is also expected to host a show, according to local news reports.

Earlier this year, producer Don Was told liveDaily that he was working with the Stones on a new album that is expected to hit stores later this year. Meanwhile, Virgin Records recently issued re-issued versions of two best-of albums from the Stones, "Sucking in the Seventies" and "Made in the Shade."

Report: NBC Makes Play for '24'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) It's a secret, last-second twist worthy of Jack Bauer: NBC is reportedly angling to poach the drama series "24" from rival FOX.

FOX and 20th Century Fox TV, which produces "24," are currently negotiating a license fee for renewal of the thriller, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer. The show's current license agreement expires after this season.

At the 11th (or 23rd, maybe, in this case) hour, though, NBC has made it known that it would love to bring a fifth season of the series of the show to its airwaves. "I can tell you that NBC has not been shy about expressing their interest in '24,'" a source who requested anonymity tells the New York Post.

NBC's reported interest comes despite the fact that the network and studio are both units of News Corp., which would seem to make the Peacock's odds of wresting the series from FOX pretty slim. Even disregarding the corporate connection, it seems unlikely that FOX would let one of its better-performing series go.

Nearly 12 million people per week are watching "24," which unfolds in real time over the course of 24 hours, this season, a marked improvement over last season's average of 10.2 million. The jump is even more impressive considering that "24" had ratings juggernaut "American Idol" as a lead-in for much of last season, whereas this year it's had to be more of a self-starter.

The broadcast networks are less than two weeks from announcing their 2005-06 lineups at the upfronts; NBC's presentation is scheduled for Monday, May 16, with FOX's set for three days later.

Jennifer Garner's Baby on Board

Jennifer Garner's next alias: mommy.

The Alias star is expecting her first child, E! Online and E! News have confirmed.

Multiple sources close to Garner and beau Ben Affleck say the actress is three months along. News of the pregnancy comes just two weeks after several published reports claimed the couple were engaged.

According to E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca, Affleck flew Garner's kin from West Virginia to California in April for his leading lady's 33rd birthday party. The question subsequently was popped in private, Casablanca reported.

At the time Affleck's rep, Ken Sunshine, described said reports as "garbage." On Saturday, Sunshine declined to address the baby news, saying "I never comment on [Affleck's] personal life." There was no immediate word from Garner's camp on the pregnancy or whether a ceremony was in the offing.

Despite having a baby on board, Garner is still keeping to her schedule this summer. Her next big-screen project, Columbia Pictures' romantic drama Catch and Release, begins its two-month shoot next week in Vancouver. The film costars Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis and Timothy Olyphant and marks the directorial debut of Erin Brockovich screenwriter Susannah Grant.

But Garner's November due date could prove tricky for the Alias brain trust. While ABC's spy thriller is wrapped for the season (the finale airs May 25), the show has been picked up for the fall and is slated to resume production in July. Now, producers must decide how to deal with Garner's pregnancy, either by incorporating it into the show (remember, Sydney's eggs were harvested last season) or just try to hide it. Then again, considering the show's sky-high slinky outfit-to-episode ratio, a burgeoning belly would be hard to conceal. Further complicating matters, Garner performs most of her own stunts.

Affleck, 32, and Garner costarred on screen together before coupling off--he was Daredevil to her Elektra in 2003's Daredevil. (His cameo in this year's Elektra wound up on the cutting-room floor, but is preserved for posterity on the DVD.)

They finally went public with their much-rumored romance last fall at the World Series, when she was spotted snuggling Red Sox diehard Affleck at Boston's Fenway Park. Their pairing was alternately dubbed Garfleck and Bennifer II.

But unlike the original Bennifer tandem of Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, the all-new edition prefers to fly under the radar. The World Series appearance aside, Garner and Affleck have generally managed to eschew being photographed together at red-carpet events.

Garner was previously married to Felicity costar Scott Foley. They split in 2003, and their divorce was finalized in March 2004. They didn't have any children.

The never-wed Affleck previously was engaged to Lopez. That relationship ended with the scuttling of their September 2003 nuptials.

SITH HAPPENS

'HOLD me, Anakin! "Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo!" Oh boy.

Yes, Natalie Portman really says that to Hayden Christensen in the new "Star Wars" movie, "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

And yes, the audience snickered when they heard that verbal clunker at a screening on Tuesday - even though they were watching the movie on George Lucas' home turf, in the theater on his Marin County, Calif., hideaway, Skywalker Ranch.

Not that Lucas cared.

"Dialogue is not my thing," Lucas freely admits, adding, "I don't like writing, and I don't like scripts."

And if fans mock the overheated love story between doomed Padme Amidala and even more doomed Anakin Skywalker, "it's not my job to make people like my movies," Lucas says.

If that sounds contemptuous, keep in mind that by following his own muse, Lucas has built the most envied film franchise ever. The five previous "Star Wars" movies have grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide, not to mention the $9 million in sales of DVDs, video games, plastic lightsabers and Yoda Pez dispensers.

And while Lucas may not like scripts, he loves spectacle - and "Episode III" has that in spades.

"Sith" offers the best "Star Wars" visuals yet, with a stunning opening dogfight, a spider-like Sith villain who fights with not one but four lightsabers, and - best of all - a remarkably lifelike Yoda. Plus, for the first time since "Return of the Jedi," we have a "Star Wars" story that we can follow, with almost no references to tariff disputes and only one line for that perennial laughing stock, Jar Jar Binks.

In "Episode III," Lucas is finally telling the story - in which Anakin completes his journey to the dark side by betraying his teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Padme, and turning into the arch-villain Darth Vader.

"This is where you see Anakin undergo change. It's what I wanted to play in the last movie," Christensen says. "It was good to get out there finally and do it.

"I had a lot of fun going over to the dark side."

DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE

In other words, this is the first "Star Wars" prequel that, spots of bad dialogue aside, is a must-see. And on some subconscious level, perhaps even Lucas knows it.

"I noticed a significant change with him on this movie," Christensen says. "This time around, he was genuinely passionate about the story he was telling.

"He would get so excited. He was up from behind the monitors on every take, talking to the actors, getting into it."

Watching "Episode III," you'll finally understand what Lucas has said all along - that the "Star Wars" saga is less Luke Skywalker's story than his father's.

"You learn that Darth Vader isn't this monster," Lucas says. "He's a pathetic individual who made a pact with the devil and lost.

"Now when you see Darth Vader walk into that ship at the beginning of 'Episode IV,' you'll go, 'Oh, that poor guy! He's still in the suit!'"

Even though everyone goes into "Episode III" already knowing that Anakin will turn into Darth Vader - "it's as predictable as 'Titanic,'" says producer Rob McCallum - Lucas has a lot of fun getting there (and those who want to be surprised should skip to the next section).

At the beginning of "Sith," the Clone Wars are in full swing. The good and democratic Galactic Republic is crumbling under the strain and in the chaos, a new dictator is rising, the Republic's Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

Our heroes - Yoda, Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi Knights - are still fighting on Palpatine's side, but they're growing more and more distrustful of him, with the notable exception of Anakin, who worries the Jedi Council with his close friendship to the chancellor.

Eventually, the Jedis realize that Palpatine is even worse than they suspected - he's actually Darth Sidious, the leader of the anti-Jedi Sith knights, who use the Force for evil. Along the way, we're treated to a groovy new bad guy (the computer-animated droid Gen. Grievous), a major battle involving an army of Wookiees including our old friend Chewbacca and a climactic 20-minute lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan on the planet of volcanoes, Mustafar.

SOUND AND VISION

"Episode III" also takes "Star Wars" to darker places than it has ever gone.

There are some surprisingly harsh moments in the movie, including a genuinely upsetting massacre of Jedi "younglings" by none other than Anakin, who just a few years ago was an adorable youngling himself.

Thanks to these rougher bits, the movie carries a PG-13 rating, unlike the other five, which were all PG.

This hard-core stuff might frighten young fans who discovered the franchise through "Phantom Menace," but they'll probably thrill older fans who have missed the rock 'n' roll edges of the original trilogy. Although Lucas famously refuses to read fan Web sites, he knows those people are out there.

"There are certainly fans who wish 'Episode III' had been 'Episode I,' and than the rest of the movies had been Darth Vader going around cutting people's heads off and terrorizing the universe," he says.

"But I'm not interested in that story. I'm interested in a character study of Anakin."

That might surprise those who have accused Lucas of caring more about cutting-edge special effects than the sassy characters who gave the original trilogy its heart.

But from Lucas' point of view, "movies aren't about words. They're about telling a story with images and motion and music."

'Kingdom of Heaven' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - The epic battle tale "Kingdom of Heaven" fought its way to the top of the box office, taking in $20 million in its debut weekend, but the film did little to boost slumping revenues at the start of the summer movie season.

The film by "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott features heartthrob Orlando Bloom as a warrior in Jerusalem between the Second and Third Crusades. The R-rated movie was followed in the rankings by another new R-rated movie, "House of Wax," which brought in $12.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Kingdom of Heaven" features Bloom as blacksmith-turned-warrior Balian who joins his knightly father in Jerusalem. The film also features Liam Neeson as Balian's father, the knight Godfrey of Ibelin, as well as Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson.

"House of Wax," featuring Elisha Cuthbert and Paris Hilton in a remake of the Vincent Price horror tale, is the latest from producer Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment.

The other notable new movie this weekend was "Crash," which features Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon and rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges in intertwining stories examining racial stereotypes in Los Angeles. The R-rated film played in 1,864 theaters and finished fourth with $9.1 million.

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" dropped to third place with nearly $9.13 million after debuting last weekend at the top spot.

Hollywood's box office slump continued with revenues down for the 11th straight weekend compared with the same weekend last year, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The top 12 movies grossed $76.9 million, down 24 percent from last year at this time when "Van Helsing" and "Mean Girls" were the top movies.

"It was quite an underwhelming week," Dergarabedian said. "This is theoretically the first weekend of the summer and it doesn't feel like one."

Though "Kingdom of Heaven" pulled in $20 million, it paled in comparison to other recent blockbusters that opened during the first weekend of May, Dergarabedian said. "Van Helsing" opened last year with a three-day haul of $51.7 million, while "X2: X-Men United" opened in 2003 with $85.6 million. In 2002, "Spider-Man" debuted the same weekend and collected a whopping $114.8 million.

"Kingdom of Heaven" played in wide release at 3,216 theaters and averaged $6,219 per cinema, said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at Twentieth Century Fox. It also opened in nearly 100 international markets and earned an additional $56 million, Snyder said.

"It's a great start and we're very pleased," Snyder said.

Box office watchers anticipate that Hollywood's slide will end May 19 when the final installment in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy debuts.

"Believe me, when 'Star Wars' comes out, people will drop everything and come to the theater," Dergarabedian said.

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. "Kingdom of Heaven," $20 million.
2. "House of Wax," $12.2 million.
3. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," $9.1 million.
4. "Crash," $9.1 million.
5. "The Interpreter," $7.5 million.
6: "XXX: State of the Union," $5.4 million.
7. "The Amityville Horror," $3.2 million.
8. "Sahara," $3.1 million.
9. "A Lot Like Love," $3 million.
10. "Fever Pitch," $2 million.

Paula Abdul to make appearance on SNL

NEW YORK (AP) - Apparently Paula Abdul has no plans to keep a low profile.

The American Idol judge being investigated for an alleged affair with a former contestant will make an appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live this weekend, the entertainment magazine show The Insider reported Friday. Abdul is a paid correspondent at The Insider.

A spokesman for Saturday Night Live would say only NBC is hopeful such plans would come together.

A former American Idol contestant, Corey Clark, claimed this week Abdul had an affair with him while he was competing in 2003 and coached him on how to do better on the Fox show.

Abdul issued a statement Friday expressing "my deepest appreciation" for fans who have expressed their support for her.

"All my life, I have been taught to take the high road, and never to dignify salacious or false accusations," she said.

"And I have been taught never, never to lie. Not only do I never lie, I never respond to lies, no matter how vicious, no matter how hurtful."

"I do trust my fans who can see through attempts at character assassination and I do trust the essential fairness of the American public," she said.

A spokesman for Abdul, Shawn Sachs, said he could not clarify what "lies" Abdul was referring to in her statement.

Group seeks changes to radio's CanCon rules

TORONTO - A group representing Canadian indie bands is calling on the CRTC to change its Canadian content regulations for radio, in order to promote lesser-known artists.

Under current regulations, radio stations must play 35 per cent Canadian content between 6 a.m. and midnight. There is no distinction between playing music by international superstars like Shania Twain or Avril Lavigne and spinning a tune by independent artists like Montreal's Arcade Fire.

The Toronto-based Indie Pool, which says it represents more than 40,000 indie artists in Canada, wants developing artists to get more CanCon "weight" than established ones, so that up-and-comers are not squashed by the big stars.

"The reason why CanCon is failing is because it worked," Gregg Terrence, the group's president, told CBC News. "It succeeded so much that Canadian radio can get away with just playing our international stars over and over again to reach their CanCon quotas."

Terrence is proposing that stations get one-and-a-half Canadian content credits for playing an unsigned artist but only three-quarters of a credit for playing music by the likes of Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Neil Young or Rush.

"The program directors have no ammo to take to their bosses and say 'That's why I'm playing this cool local band; that's why I'm playing Arcade Fire,'" he said.

So far, both the CRTC and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters have shown a positive response to the idea.

"The issues he's bringing up are excellent issues," said Nick Ketchum, the CRTC's director of radio and television policy. He said Terrence's proposal will be considered when Canada's broadcast regulator holds its next radio review in 2006.

However, the idea has drawn criticism from some stations.

"It's impossible to make new classic rock," said Dave Farough, program director of Toronto's classic rock station Q107.

While stations like his do end up playing what seem like the same old Canadian tunes in order to meet the CRTC's requirements, "they play music people know and love. Why should we be penalized for that?" he said.

Canada's content regulations date from the 1970s, when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission required that domestic TV and radio stations broadcast a certain percentage of Canadian-produced programming. Stations judge a song against the "MAPL" system, which looks at whether the composer, artist and lyricist are Canadian and if it was recorded or performed in Canada.

Bon Jovi Bring the Rock

Upcoming album is heavy on the guitars

When Bon Jovi played the tenth anniversary party for Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday night, they looked backed fondly, treating the star-studded audience -- featuring fellow rockers Mike Shinoda and Joe Hahn of Linkin Park, Mike Einzinger of Incubus and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains -- to a greatest-hits set in a specially constructed venue in the venue's parking lot.
But now the New Jersey rockers are getting ready to move forward, as they plan to release their new album in September. Collaborating with songwriter/producer John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette), Bon Jovi have finished thirteen tracks, and may add a few more.

"It's a heavy record," guitarist Richie Sambora says. "There are lots of guitars -- I'll tell you that, man."

The lead single is called "Have a Nice Day," but Sambora warns not to be fooled by its friendly title, describing it as "very Clint Eastwood." The guitarist cites "Welcome to Wherever You Are" as another favorite.

Bon Jovi plan to get back on the road in October to support the fall release, after they take the summer off. "We're gonna just hang with our families," Sambora says.

The guitarist will also use the downtime to get cracking on his next solo album, with help from some country folk. "I'm slated to write with Joe Don [Rooney] from Rascal Flatts, and I'm supposed to get together with Jo Dee Messina," he says. "I've also been talking to Kenny Chesney. I'm trying to branch out. That's what keeps you evolving . . . and I think that's part of the secret to our success."

Six Spideys?

It now appears that Spider-Man will be for director Sam Raimi what Star Wars was for George Lucas -- a series of six films that will engage Raimi's talents for years to come. Raimi told the website Sci Fi Wire that Sony Motion Picture Group Chairman Amy Pascal had told him that she wants to make six Spider-Man pictures. "So I think she's a woman of her word. And if she says there'll be six, there'll be six. ... If they were to ask me, and if I felt as passionate as I feel now about the character and had this great hunger and desire to tell the story, which I really do now, you couldn't keep me away from it."

Simpson Slams Durst Fling Reports

Pop beauty Jessica Simpson has slammed "absolutely untrue" reports of her alleged dalliance with rock lothario Fred Durst in Las Vegas last weekend. Local Nevada newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke claimed Simpson and the Limp Bizkit frontman "were all over each other" at the Hard Rock Hotel, with the singer's husband Nick Lachey nowhere in sight. Simpson's spokesman says, "Jessica and Fred Durst have mutual friends and were both at the event. The rest is absolutely untrue." The Newlyweds: Nick And Jessica reality TV couple recently purchased a $1 million condominium in Sin

Tucker Ready to "Rush"

Chris Tucker is suddenly in a rush to make movies again.

The Rush Hour star, who hasn't made a film since 2001's Rush Hour 2, is close to signing a two-picture, $40 million dollar deal with New Line Cinema that will finally put the wheels in motion for Rush Hour 3, according to Variety.

The deal sounds similar to one reported in a March issue of the New Yorker. In a story about Hollywood deal-making, the magazine reported that Tucker will get a $20 million-plus payday for Rush Hour 3, plus 20 percent of the receipts.

In any case, the long-in-the-works third edition of Rush Hour is aiming to begin production later this year in Los Angeles and Paris.

The first Rush Hour, a 1998 action-comedy mismatching Tucker and Jackie Chan as L.A. and Hong Kong detectives forced to team up on a case, was budgeted at $35 million and grossed more than $140 million domestically. The 2001 sequel brought everyone back at a cost of $90 million but did even better business, taking in more than $226 million at the North-American box office. Variety reports Tucker took home $2 million for Rush Hour and a cool $20 million for Rush Hour 2.

Chan has already signed on for Rush Hour 3, as has original Rush Hour director Brett Ratner. Chan stands to earn about $20 million and Ratner, $7.5 million, per Variety.

While Tucker has kept a low profile in recent years, he wound up making the wrong kind of headlines last month. He was busted in Georgia after leading police on a high-speed chase.

Police said the 33-year-old comic actor had gunned his 2005 Bentley up to 120 during the 12-mile pursuit.

Tucker, who told cops he was on his way to church, was rung up on counts of reckless driving and fleeing to elude--both charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine (it's doubtful Tucker will spend any time behind bars for the incident). The Atlanta native spent some quality time in jail before posting bail.

Tucker's name has also come up in Michael Jackson's ongoing child-molestation trial. Tucker, a longtime Jackson friend, reportedly had dealings with the singer's young accuser. Jackson's defense has listed Tucker as a potential witness, but it's not known if or when he will take the stand.

Another strong performance by Allen

New Line Home Entertainment has announced that on July 26th, writer-director Mike Binder's The Upside of Anger will be released to DVD only 137 days after its theatrical premiere. Starring Kevin Costner and Joan Allen, this poignant romantic dramedy was made on a modest budget and earned a modest box office. It deserves to find a second life on DVD. In addition to the anamorphic video presentation of the film's 2.35:1 aspect ratio and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, expect extras to include a commentary by Binder and Allen, deleted scenes with optional commentary, and a featurette entitled Creating the Upside of Anger.

10 years of Toy Story

Toy Story - hard as it may be to believe – is 10 years old. And to celebrate, a special tenth anniversary double DVD is in the cards from Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

While the full specs are still in the works, expect an audio commentary along with a newly created making of featurette and countless other special editions. No word on how many of these extras will overlap supplements from the already great set available now. A slew of obligatory promotional material for the upcoming film Cars will also be included on the disc.
The DVD will arrive on September 6th.

NBC Gives Ex-Pop Stars 'One More Time' on Stage

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "American Idol," meet VH1 Classic.
NBC has greenlit production on a stateside version of the British series "Hit Me Baby One More Time," in which former chart-topping singers get another chance to show their musical chops before a live audience. The show is scheduled to debut Thursday, June 2.

"This exciting new series will reunite the audience with some of their favorite classic musical performers and groups, who will play their hits and then compete against each other in an entertaining battle of the bands," says Craig Plestis, who oversees alternative programming for NBC.

In the show, pop stars from the past few decades will sing one of their own hits and cover a current song. Audience voting will determine the winner.
NBC has ordered just three episodes thus far but could increase that number if it does well. The British show has performed solidly for commercial broadcaster ITV.

Vernon Kay, host of the U.K. show, will repeat that role for NBC. There's no word yet on the list of performers; ITV's show featured the likes of Tiffany, Howard Jones, Dr. and the Medics and Belinda Carlisle, along with former members of Cutting Crew, T'Pau, Kajagoogoo and Haircut 100.

Journey Readies New Album, Tour

The theme of Journey's 30th anniversary summer tour will tie directly into the title of the veteran band's 13th album, "Generations."

"We'll play songs from the very first record and everything else from there on out, including music from the new album," guitarist Neal Schon says of the group's planned three-hour show. "We're going to be taking fans through a time trip here."

Taking a page out from Prince's 2004 Musicology tour, Journey will include a copy of "Generations" with each ticket purchased at most shows on its North American tour. A traditional retail release of the album will follow once the trek is complete. Although the band has spent its entire career on Columbia, it is unknown what label will issue the new set.

The tour, which will open June 26 in Irvine, Calif., will celebrate the anniversary of the band's 1975 self-titled debut. At this time 29 dates are confirmed for the run, which is expected to stretch into October.

"Generations" was recorded earlier this spring by the band's current lineup, which is completed by bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, singer Steve Augeri and drummer Deen Castronovo. Augeri has been in the fold since 2001, taking over the frontman role from Steve Perry, who led the band during its most commercially successful years in the late 1970s and 1980s.

As previously reported, the new album was recorded in Sausalito, Calif., with producer Kevin Elson, who was behind the boards for the band's 1980's "Departure," the 1981 smash "Escape" and that year's live set "Captured." It's the follow-up to 2001's "Arrival," which peaked at No. 56 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 186,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"There's a real sense of harmony and melody on this album filled with heartfelt lyrics," Cain says. "It has the ballads that people would expect from us and the rock-n-roll that I think has the Journey signature sound to it. I don't think it's going to disappoint anyone."

Here are Journey's tour dates:

June 26: Irvine, Calif. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
June 29: San Diego (Coors Amphitheatre)
June 30: Tucson, Ariz. (Casino Anselmo)
July 2: Kelseyville, Calif. (Konocti Harbor Resort)
July 7: Muskegon, Mich. (Heritage Park)
July 9: Indianapolis (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
July 11: Lansing, Mich. (Common Ground Festival)
July 15: Walker, Minn. (Moondance Jam)
July 16: Chicago (Northerly Island Amphitheatre)
July 17: St. Louis, Mo. (UMB Bank Pavilion)
July 20: Cleveland (Blossom Amphitheatre)
July 22: Goddard, Kan. (Lake Afton Park)
July 23: Kansas City, Kan. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
July 30: Paso Robles, Calif. (California Mid-State Fair)
July 31: Saratoga, Calif. (Mountain Winery)
Aug. 2: Denver (Universal Lending Pavilion)
Aug. 3: Albuquerque, N.M. (Journal Pavilion)
Aug. 9: Sturgis, S.D. (Buffalo Chip Campground)
Aug. 10: Sioux Falls, S.D. (Sioux Empire Fairgrounds)
Aug. 12: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
Aug. 13: Twin Lakes, Wis. (Country Thunder USA)
Aug. 17: Kingston, R.I (Ryan Center)
Aug. 24: Toronto (Casino Rama)
Aug. 26: Holmdel, N.J. (PNC Bank Arts Center)
Aug. 27: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Saratoga PAC)
Aug. 28: Wantagh, N.Y. (Jones Beach Amphitheatre)
Sept. 7: Vienna, Va. (Wolf Trap)
Sept. 8: Kettering, Ohio (Fraze Pavilion)
Sept. 24: Biloxi, Miss. (Beau Rivage Casino)

Furtado At Work On Third Album

Canadian vocalist Nelly Furtado is recording her third album in Los Angeles and says she hopes it will be finished "in the next couple of months," she writes on her official Web site. "It's got lots of surprises, so I can't tell you too much right now, but let's just say it's a whole lot of fun."

Furtado says she has already collaborated with the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams, Swollen Members, Jellestone and K'naan. Some of the tracks being eyed for inclusion are "Friend of Mine," "Vice," "Let My Hair Down," "Weak," "Hands in the Air," "Go," "Chill Boy and "Pretty Boy."

The as-yet-untitled new set will be released later this year or in early 2006 by Geffen/Interscope following its absorption of Furtado's former home, DreamWorks. It will be the follow-up to 2003's "Folklore," which debuted at No. 38 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 397,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

MTV Movie Awards Get "Mean"

MTV wants its Jimmy Fallon.

The Fever Pitch star has been tapped for a second hosting stint at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, which are set to tape June 4 and air June 9. He previously hosted the Movie Awards back in 2001 and also served as host of the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

"Jimmy makes the MTV Movie Awards better," executive producer Joel Gallen said in a statement. "He's funny, he's original, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He's already emailed me tons of ideas and we can't wait to get started."

The former Saturday Night Live star will preside over a ceremony where cliquey teens and disgruntled newsmen are the big contenders to go home laden with awards.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy, starring Will Ferrell, and Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan, each racked up a hefty four nominations.

Meanwhile, Lohan's Mean Girls costar and onscreen rival Rachel McAdams earned a leading five nominations, including Best Female Performance and Breakthrough Performance, Female. Lohan, who nabbed the Breakthrough Performance, Female prize last year, is also in contention for the Best Female Performance honor.

The MTV Movie Awards are known for honoring movies and performances that are overlooked by more traditional awards shows, such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

Hence, while Uma Thurman's kick-ass moves in Kill Bill: Volume 2 may not have been worthy of an Academy Award, she's gunning for the Best Fight honor for the second year in a row, based on her throwdown with Daryl Hannah.

And while Brad Pitt has yet to take home an Oscar, his performance in Troy puts him in contention for a golden popcorn statuette for Best Male Performance.

This year, the MTV Movie Awards include two new categories: Best Frightened Performance and Best Videogame Based on a Movie.

Nominees for the Best Frightened Performance include Sarah Michelle Gellar for her terrified turn in The Grudge and Cary Elwes for his fearful fronting in Saw. Videogame contenders include Spiderman 2 and The Incredibles--two of the films also in the running for Best Movie.

Perhaps the most signature categories at the MTV Movie Awards are Best Kiss and Best Villain. McAdams is up for both awards, based on her lip-lock with Ryan Gosling in The Notebook and her evil ways in Mean Girls. Other Kiss contenders include Natalie Portman and Zach Braff's smooch in Garden State, while other Villains include Tom Cruise's devious turn in Collateral.

Here's a complete list of the nominees for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards:

BEST MOVIE:
Kill Bill Vol. 2
Napoleon Dynamite
Spider-Man 2
Ray
The Incredibles

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE:
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Will Smith, Hitch
Brad Pitt, Troy
Matt Damon, The Bourne Supremacy
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE:
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill Vol. 2
Lindsay Lohan, Mean Girls
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Rachel McAdams, The Notebook
Natalie Portman, Garden State

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE:
Antonio Banderas, Shrek 2
Dustin Hoffman, Meet the Fockers
Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Ben Stiller, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Will Smith, Hitch

BEST ONSCREEN TEAM:
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls
Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox and Sarah Vowell, The Incredibles
Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, Justin Long, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, Joel David Moore and Chris Williams, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
John Cho and Kal Penn, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

BEST VILLAIN:
Tom Cruise, Collateral
Ben Stiller, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls
Jim Carrey, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, MALE:
Jon Heder , Napoleon Dynamite
Tim McGraw, Friday Night Lights
Zach Braff, Garden State
Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland
Tyler Perry, Diary of a Mad Black Woman

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, FEMALE:
Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls
Ashanti, Coach Carter
Elisha Cuthbert, The Girl Next Door
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Village
Emmy Rossum, The Day After Tomorrow

BEST ACTION SEQUENCE:
Destruction of Los Angeles, The Day After Tomorrow
The Subway Battle, Spider-Man 2
Beverly Hills Plane Crash, The Aviator
The Moscow Car Chase, The Bourne Supremacy
The Desert Terrorist Assault, Team America: World Police

BEST FIGHT:
The Battle of the News Teams, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Daryl Hannah vs. Uma Thurman, Kill Bill Vol. 2
Brad Pitt vs. Eric Bana, Troy
Ziyi Zhang vs. The Emperor's Guards , House of Flying Daggers

BEST KISS:
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, The Notebook
Natalie Portman and Zach Braff, Garden State
Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Jennifer Garner and Natassia Malthe, Elektra
Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch, The Girl Next Door

BEST MUSICAL PERFORMANCE:
Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, 13 Going On 30
Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
John Cho and Kal Penn, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Jon Heder, Napoleon Dynamite

BEST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE:
Cary Elwes, Saw
Sarah Michelle Gellar, The Grudge
Jennifer Tilly, Seed of Chucky
Mya, Cursed
Dakota Fanning, Hide and Seek

BEST VIDEO GAME BASED ON A MOVIE:
Spider-Man 2
Van Helsing
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Incredibles

"Chappelle's Show" Shut Down

Chappelle's Show is a no-go, bitch!

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Comedy Central said that the highly anticipated third season of Dave Chappelle's show will not make its May 31 premiere date.

"Comedy Central has suspended production on the third season of Chappelle's Show until further notice," network spokesman Tony Fox said in a brief statement. "All parties are optimistic that production will resume in the near future."

No official reason was given for the shutdown, but sources told E! News that Chappelle has been MIA from the set for weeks. There was no indication on how long the suspension would last.

In December, the network said that Chappelle's Show was behind schedule after Chappelle fell ill, forcing the network to postpone the expected February debut of new episodes.

"Dave--and his entire production crew for that matter--got a bit of a late start on writing season three," Fox told the New York Post. Production was slated to resume in January.

Last August, Chappelle, 31, reupped with Comedy Central in a massive two-year deal, valued at $50 million by the Hollywood Reporter. The deal also set a new Industry precedent--reportedly giving the funnyman a large cut of backend DVD sales.

Featuring Chappelle's often raunchy standup, offbeat sketches and killer parodies of Prince and Rick James, Chappelle's Show has steadily built a huge following since its debut in January of 2003. By the end of season two, the half-hour show was often pulling in more than three million viewers, a substantial number for basic cable. The first season currently ranks as the all-time top-selling TV show on DVD. (Paramount has indefinitely pushed back the release of the second season--the studio hopes to time the DVD to the start of season three.)

In addition to his gig at Comedy Central, Chappelle had been working on a book for Hyperion. There has been no word on the book's status; there's also no word on the reported Rick James biopic for Paramount in which Chappelle would portray the late R&B wild man.

Springsteen's 'Devils' bows at No. 1 on U.S. charts

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen notched his seventh No. 1 album on the U.S. pop charts Wednesday with "Devils & Dust," which was released in DualDisc format with the full album on one side and DVD content on the other side.

The Columbia Records release bowed on top of the Billboard 200 after selling 222,000 copies in the week ended May 1, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "The Boss" last debuted at No. 1 with 2002's "The Rising," which opened with sales of 525,000 and has sold 2.1 million to date. His first album to reach the top of the chart was 1980's "The River."

Just over a week ago, Springsteen launched a solo U.S. tour in support of "Devils & Dust" in Detroit. The outing next visits Oakland, Calif. Thursday. A European leg opens May 24 in Dublin.

After making history last week as the first male artist from a pop or rock group to bow at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with his debut solo effort, Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas' "... Something To Be" (Melisma/Atlantic) fell to No. 4 with 145,000 copies.

In between, Mariah Carey's former chart-topper "The Emancipation of Mimi" (Island/IDMJ) held steady at No. 2 with sales of 197,000 copies, taking its total to 828,000.

Newcomer Bobby Valentino, the first R&B act on rapper Ludacris' Def Jam-based Disturbing Tha Peace label, entered the chart at No. 3 with a 180,000-copy debut for "Disturbing Tha Peace Presents: Bobby Valentino."

Buoyed by the success of the former Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart-topper "1 Thing," Amerie's sophomore Rise/Columbia/Sony Urban Music set, "Touch," opened at No. 5 with sales of 124,000. The singer's 2002 debut, "All I Have," started at No. 9 with 89,000 and has sold 623,000 to date.

50 Cent's "The Massacre" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) slipped one to No. 6 on a 10% slide to sales of 114,000 copies, taking its haul to 3.4 million.

Jo Dee Messina's "Delicious Surprise" (Curb) landed at No. 7 with 99,000 copies, giving the country singer the first Billboard 200 top 10 title of her career. Messina's last album, 2000's "Burn," opened at No. 19 on the big chart with 61,000 units; it has sold 1.2 million to date.

Mike Jones' "Who Is Mike Jones?" (Swishahouse/Asylum/Warner Bros.) dropped five to No. 8 with 81,000 copies, while Il Divo's self-titled Sony bow also fell five, to No. 9, with 74,000. Gwen Stefani's "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" (Interscope) fell four positions to close out the top 10 after selling 71,000 copies.

Among other notable debuts on the chart were Ben Folds' "Songs for Silverman" (Epic), which moved 50,000 copies to give the artist his career-best debut on The Billboard 200 at No. 13. First season "Nashville Star" winner Buddy Jewell scored a No. 31 entry with his sophomore Columbia effort "Times Like These," which opened with 26,000 units.

After a six-year absence, Mint Condition returned to The Billboard 200 with "Livin' the Luxury Brown" (Image) at No. 45. Sales of 20,000 copies gave the group its highest placement on the list.

Just one slot back on The Billboard 200, New Order debuted at No. 46 with "Waiting For the Sirens' Call" (Warner Bros.), which also shot straight to No. 1 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums tally.

Overall U.S. album sales were up 3.6% over the previous week at 10.6 million units, about 0.5% lower than the same week last year. Sales for 2005 trail last year by about 9% at 186 million units.

Loews Goes Reel Time

Hate going to the movies and having a commercial-a-thon break out?

This might be the news you've been waiting for.

Coming soon to a theater near you: actual start times for feature presentations.

In response to gripes from customers about the increasing number of ads, PSAs, promotions and sneak previews running before a film, Loews, America's third-largest theater chain, has announced that it will soon start publicizing the real times that movies unspool.

But there's a catch. Beginning next month, Loews will include in its newspaper and Web listings a note alerting customers that "the feature presentation starts 10 to 15 minutes after the posted show time."

"It has been a long-standing tradition to show coming attractions and advertising before the feature, and we believe most of our customers understand this practice," Travis Reid, president and CEO of Loews Cineplex, says in a press release.

He added: "Recently however, some of our customers have suggested that we also publicize the start time of the movie. In response to those requests, we are pleased to communicate the start time of the overall show, as well as the approximate start time of the feature."

That's one way of putting it.

Traditionally, moviegoers would sit through cutesy "Let's All Go To the Lobby"-type spots attempting to coax the audience to concession stands, followed by a handful of coming-attraction trailers. In recent years, as local movie houses have expanded into megaplexes, exhibitors have begun to wring every ounce of revenue from each showing. First, more trailers were added. Then came the now standard slideshows of local merchants interspersed with lame-o trivia and Muzak-esque "movie tunes." There were also short films designed to hawk everything from Coca-Cola to the Los Angeles Times. Now, exhibitors routinely air long-form commercials that have little to do with the theatrical experiences, including spots for automobile manufacturers, perfume makers and credit card companies.

Loews isn't the only offender. Regal Entertainment touts what it calls "The 2wenty," a 20-minute block of advertising and "preshow entertainment" that mixes informercials for DVDs and TV movies with behind-the-scenes visits with stars--the idea being to make it entertaining enough that people don't notice they're being marketed to.

Audiences have finally begun to rebel, launching www.captiveaudience.org, a campaign petitioning theater chains to end the practice, and Commercial Alert, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit dedicated to reducing the over-commercialization of American culture.

"Stating when the actual movie starts is an improvement, but doesn't change our opinion that TV commercials have no place in movie theaters," Jason Thompson, director of Captive Motion Picture Audience of America, tells E! Online. "We don't get commercials on HBO, pay-per-view or other movie services that we pay for, so why should we tolerate them in theaters?"

Ditto Commercial Alert's executive director, Gary Ruskin, who points to a study by Connecticut-based research firm Insight Express that stated a majority of moviegoers don't want to see premovie ads.

"These premovie ads are very unpopular...We're talking about an industry that seems hell-bent on alienating its core customers," Ruskin says. "The moviegoing experience is turning into an infomercial experience."

Even politicians are now entering the fray. Andrew M. Fleischmann, a Connecticut state representative, made headlines last month when he introduced a bill calling for exhibitors to post the actual start times. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Loews will begin its reel time experiment in Connecticut. New York City Councilwoman Gale A. Brewer sponsored similar legislation.

Despite its new initiative, Loews still expects people to arrive well before the feature gets rolling.

"We still think people enjoy coming early, getting their popcorn, finding their sets, talking amongst one another," John McCauley, Loews' senior vice president of marketing, tells the New York Times.

And Madison Avenue will be there waiting.

Lyle Lovett plots spring, summer outings

Singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett returns to the road this month for a string of acoustic shows, after which he'll mount a summer outing with his Large Band.

Lovett's acoustic trio kicks things off May 10 and is scheduled to remain on the road through June 2; Lovett & His Large Band are then slated to launch their run in mid-June, and dates are stacked up through the end of July.

Lovett continues to support his latest album, 2003's "My Baby Don't Tolerate." The set is his inaugural effort for Lost Highway Records, and is his first collection of original solo material since 1996's "The Road to Ensenada."

"My Baby Don't Tolerate" earned a 2004 Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Album, and its title track was up for Best Male Country Vocal Performance that same year; the cut "In My Own Mind" was nominated in the 2005 Grammy category for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Tour Itinerary

May 2005
10 - Evansville, IN - Victory Theatre
11 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Theatre
12 - Davenport, IA - Adler Theatre
13 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre
14 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre
15 - Sioux Falls, SD - Washington Pavilion
21 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theater
22 - Poughkeepsie, NY - Bardavon Opera House
23 - Albany, NY - The Egg
27 - Cheyenne, WY - Cheyenne Civic Center
28 - Billings, MT - Alberta Bair Theater
30 - Edmonton, Alberta - Francis Winspear Centre for Music
31 - Calgary, Alberta - Knox United Church

June 2005
1 - Calgary, Alberta - Knox United Church
2 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
17, 18 - Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Nugget
19 - Kelseyville, CA - Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa
21 - Redding, CA - Redding Convention Center
22 - Eagle, ID - Eagle Park Pavilion
23 - Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheatre
24 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Hall
25, 26 - Seattle, WA - Summer Nights @ South Lake Union
29, 30 - Saratoga, CA - Historic Mountain Winery

July 2005
1 - Santa Ynez, CA - Chumash Casino
2 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
3 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's by the Bay
6 - Ketchum, ID - River Run Amphitheatre
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden
8 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10 - Saint Louis, MO - Roberts Orpheum Theatre
12, 13 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival
14 - Sterling Heights, MI - Jerome Duncan Ford Theatre
15 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Cain Park
18 - New York, NY - Central Park SummerStage
19 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
21 - Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre @ Westbury
22 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
23 - Hyannis, MA - Cape Cod Melody Tent
24 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel/Casino
27 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap Filene Center
28 - Richmond, VA - Innsbrook Pavilion
30 - Lakeland, FL - Youkey Theatre
31 - Pompano, FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheatre

September 2005
18 - The Woodlands, TX - C.W. Mitchell Pavilion
19, 20 - Fort Worth, TX - Bass Performance Hall

November 2005
12 - Los Angeles, CA - Walt Disney Concert Hall

'Entourage' Makes June 'Comeback'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) HBO has set the return date for its Hollywood comedy "Entourage" and plans to pair it with another showbiz-centered series, Lisa Kudrow's "The Comeback."

"Entourage" will begin its second season at 9 p.m. ET Sunday, June 5. The show will pick up a few months after the events of season one, with rising movie star Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his posse having returned to Los Angeles after shooting an independent movie in New York. His long-time friend Eric (Kevin Connolly) is now officially his manager and still butting heads with aggressive agent Ari Jacobs (Jeremy Piven), who wants Vince to take the lead role in an "Aquaman" movie.

Vince's brother Drama (Kevin Dillon), meanwhile, is still trying to resuscitate his career, and their buddy Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is still enjoying the ride. Debi Mazar, who had a recurring part as Vince's publicist last season, is now a regular, while Samaire Armstrong ("The O.C.") and Monica Keena ("Undeclared") will reprise their recurring roles.

Among the celebs popping up in cameos this season are Bono -- featured when the guys attend a U2 concert -- Hugh Hefner, Peter Dinklage, Nicole Eggert, Mandy Moore, Amanda Peet, Pauly Shore, Danny Masterson and director James Cameron.

"The Comeback" will air at 9:30 Sundays, also starting June 5. "Friends" star Kudrow, who co-created with Michael Patrick King ("Sex and the City"), plays a one-time sitcom star trying to regain her former glory.

Gretchen 'All Jacked Up' On New Album

Knowing she had substantial touring commitments looming, breakout country star Gretchen Wilson spent the better part of January and February recording material for her sophomore album. The result is the 12-track collection "All Jacked Up," scheduled for release Sept. 27 via Sony Music Nashville.

Produced by the artist with Sony Nashville Executive VP A&R Mark Wright and Big & Rich's John Rich, the set boasts seven songs written or co-written by Wilson, who is among a crop of artists credited with reinvigorating mainstream country music of late.

Beyond a title track described as "rousing" by the label, "All Jacked Up" features such songs as "Skoal Ring," "California Girls" and "Politically Uncorrect." The latter track boasts guest vocals by outlaw country legend Merle Haggard.

The new album will also include a cover of "Good Morning Heartache," the Evan Drake, Dan Fisher and Irene Higgenbothom standard popularized by Billie Holiday and recorded by the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Diana Ross and Carmen McCrae.

Wilson's debut, last year's "Here for the Party," was heralded by the single "Redneck Woman," which spent six weeks on top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Upon its release, the album bowed at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums list and No. 2 on The Billboard 200. The set has sold 3.47 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In February, Wilson received the best female country vocal performance Grammy for "Redneck Woman." Last month, she won a pair of fan-voted CMT Music Awards, taking home the breakthrough video of the year trophy for the "Redneck Woman" clip and the female video honor for "When I Think About Cheatin'."

Wilson is currently on the road supporting Kenny Chesney's Somewhere in the Sun tour, which tonight (May 3) plays Tupelo, Miss.

Neil Young Recording In Nashville

A month after undergoing surgery to address a brain aneurysm, veteran singer/songwriter Neil Young has returned to Nashville to resume sessions for his next album.

According to a post by Young's sister Astrid on her official Web site, longtime collaborators such as keyboardist Spooner Oldham, pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith and drummer Carl Himmel have joined Young in the studio.

The artist's medical status forced him to cancel his planned appearance last month at Canada's Juno Awards. "He's feeling good, has everything under control and is back in the saddle," Astrid Young wrote, likening the lineup of musicians to Young's acclaimed 1992 album "Harvest Moon."

The as-yet-untitled new set will be Young's first since 2003's "Greendale," which debuted at No. 22 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 204,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

WILL'S HAPPY RETURN!

Will Ferrell is returning to host Saturday Night Live on May 14, his first appearance on the show since he left the cast in 2002 after seven seasons. Queens of the Stone Age will be the musical guest.

Freeman Quits Comedy for Good

British funnyman Martin Freeman has devastated fans by announcing his plans to quit comedy for good. The star shot to fame in hit British TV comedy The Office, and has garnered international acclaim as Arthur Dent in amusing new sci-fi movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But despite his success in the genre, Freeman insists he's desperate for a serious role to help him lose his funnyman reputation. He explains, "One can only hope for a part as a paedophile child killer to break out of it. So it's now just a question of moving away from comedy and going for something a bit straighter. "Although I love comedy, my background isn't in comedy. I don't want to do novelty comedies for too long. But it's just going to look like I'm trying to validate mysel

Affleck and Garner Spark Pregnancy Reports

Ben Affleck's girlfriend Jennifer Garner has sparked reports she's pregnant with the Hollywood hunk's baby after she was photographed with a bulging stomach. The couple met on the set of 2003 movie Daredevil and allegedly got engaged 11 days ago fueling rumors they are expecting a child. And celebrity experts insist it's unlikely Garner's swollen belly is a result of over- eating or lack of exercise, because she famously devotes herself to a gruelling health and fitness regime, reports British newspaper The Sun. An insider says, "Jennifer was showing quite a big bump and she was walking very carefully. The bulge is out of proportion with the rest of her body, which is really toned. I'd say she's a few months gone."

Bright Side of Life: 'Monty Python's Spamalot' Recording Released by Decca Broadway

Decca Broadway releases the original cast recording of Broadway's new musical Monty Python's Spamalot May 3.

Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria and the company of the musical recorded the album at New York City's Right Track Studios Feb. 7.

Mike Nichols ("The Graduate," "Angels in America") directed the musical inspired by the 1975 feature film comedy "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" which ended its world premiere at Chicago's Shubert Theatre Jan. 23 and heads for the Broadway Shubert for a St. Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) start and a St. Patrick's Day (March 17) opening.

The self-proclaimed "lovingly ripped-off" show features a book by Eric Idle, based on the screenplay he co-wrote with Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table on their quest from God (voiced by a familiar actor) for the Holy Grail - with a short stop in the dazzling Spam-filled land of Camelot. The show boasts "a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and one legless knight" who sing and dance. (Python devotees will be happy to know The Knights Who Say "Ni!" also make an appearance.)

Featuring a completely new score with music and lyrics by Idle and composer John Du Prez ("A Fish Called Wanda"), Spamalot also includes songs ("Brave Sir Robin" and "Knights of the Round Table") from the original film.

The track listing for the album will be as follows:

1. "Tuning"
2. "Overture"
3. "Historian's Introduction to Act I"
4. "Finland / Fisch Schlapping Dance"
5. "Monks / He Is Not Dead Yet"
6. "Come With Me"
7. "Laker Girls Cheer"
8. "The Song That Goes Like This"
9. "He Is Not Dead Yet - Play Off"
10. "All For One"
11. "Knights of the Round Table / The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)"
12. "Find Your Grail"
13. "Run Away!"
14. "Intermission"
15. "Historian's Introduction To Act II"
16. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
17. "Brave Sir Robin "
18. "You Won't Succeed On Broadway"
19. "Diva's Lament (Whatever Happened To My Part?)"
20. "Where Are You?"
21. "His Name Is Lancelot"
22. "I'm All Alone"
23. "Twice In Every Show"
24. "Act II Finale"
25. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Company Bow"

The new musical stars Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Show, "Clue") as King Arthur, David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier," The Heidi Chronicles) as Sir Robin, Hank Azaria ("The Birdcage," Sexual Perversity in Chicago) as Sir Lancelot, Christopher Seiber (Into The Woods) as Sir Galahad, Michael McGrath (Wonderful Town) as Patsy et al., Steve Rosen (The Golem) as Sir Bedevere and Sara Ramirez (A Class Act) as The Lady of the Lake.

The ensemble includes John Bolton, Christian Borle, Brad Bradley, Thomas Cannizzaro, Kevin Covert, Jennifer Frankel, Lisa Gajda, Jenny Hill, Emily Hsu, James Ludwig, Abbey O'Brien, Daniel Pearce, Ariel Reid, Pamela Remler, Greg Reuter, Brian Shepard, Rick Spaans and Scott Taylor.

Todd Ellison is musical director and vocal arranger. Larry Hochman provides orchestrations, Glen Kelly handles music arrangements and Michael Keller is musical coordinator.

For more information, visit the show website at www.montypythonsspamalot.com.

The Couch Potato Report - May 3rd, 2005

This week The Couch Potato Report features treasure. Good or bad treasure, depending on you.

Let me say this right off the bat, NATIONAL TREASURE is an unoriginal, cliché filled movie.

But it is still worth seeing, as the filmmakers seem to know that they were making an unoriginal, cliché filled movie.

Nicolas Cage stars in NATIONAL TREASURE as Benjamin Gates. He is just the latest of a long line of Gates men who have spent most of their lives searching for a treasure that they believe was hidden by America's founding fathers.

The main thing this youngest Gates has going for him is that he possesses the ability to unravel the encrypted clues set before him.

Which is why this movie was made about him, and not one of his relatives.

Since NATIONAL TREASURE is an action film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer - the man who gave us ARMAGEDDON, BAD BOYS and KING ARTHUR - everything in the picture blows up big and loud. To quote Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok from SCTV:

"Everything blows up real good!"

The explosions are great, but there are just so many coincidences piled up upon coincidences in NATIONAL TREASURE that it gets hard to believe after a while.

As I mentioned, Benjamin Gates can unravel the encrypted clues set before him, but the filmmakers want us to believe that in the 229 years since the clues were left, no one would even accidentally stumble across them?!?

So, in order to enjoy NATIONAL TREASURE, you will have to check your brain, and the ability to rationalize at the door.

If you do that, you will find NATIONAL TREASURE to be a pretty good cinematic roller-coaster ride.

It will take you from the Arctic Circle to the burial tombs of Trinity Church in New York City, and it might even have you wondering if there is anything written on the back of the Canadian Constitution, or even the British North America Act.

NATIONAL TREASURE is an action movie with no gratuitous sex, profanity, or excessive violence. Yes, it is a unoriginal, cliché filled movie, but it has enough fun in it to recommend.

Plus, everything blows up real good!

The running time of NATIONAL TREASURE is two hours and eleven minutes, and I watched the movie in two hours and eleven minutes.

The running time of the film version of ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is two hours and twenty-three minutes. Yet, it took me four hours and seventeen minutes to watch it.

That is because I found the movie to be so uninteresting that I kept pausing it to do other things. I made supper, called my Mom on the phone, spoke with a friend in Montreal, cleaned my apartment...I did anything and everything I could think of to avoid having to sit and watch ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

But, after the aforementioned four hours and seventeen minutes, I finished watching the movie.

Now, even though I found the movie uninteresting, I must admit that the songs were great, the sets beautiful and the acting was great. I just had no interest in the movie.

I guess that is because I look at Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as a play, a play that should be seen on a stage.

That said, for almost the entire decade that I was living in Toronto the play was on stage right down the street from my house, and I never went once.

So since it was on stage for a decade, and only in theaters for a few weeks, I will always consider it a stage play.

Yet no matter what I consider it, there are millions of people around the world who have seen, and loved THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the tale of a masked, mysterious figure who falls in love with a female singer he is tutoring. Unfortunately for the Phantom, she is in love with another man and, in the end, she has to choose between them.

Will she choose beauty or the beast?

Emmy Rossum from MYSTIC RIVER is also wonderful in the movie, but even with her, the beautiful sets and songs, the movie version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA just couldn't keep me interested.

It isn't that I don't like musicals, because I do. I just didn't like this musical.

Now if you have seen the play on stage and you would like to have a version of it to watch whenever you'd like, then this release is perfect for you.

As for me, well I did get to speak with my Mom and my friend in Montreal, and my apartment is a bit cleaner, so I guess I partially have ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA to thank for that.

Our final new release this week is Disney's POCAHONTAS - THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD.

When the movie first came out in 1995 I remember being disappointed by it. At the time Disney was on a very successful roll with their releases of THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN and THE LION KING, and there was no reason to think that POCAHONTAS would be any different then those classic films.

Yet it was different, and it remains different ten years later. It isn't as cute as those others and it deals with some reasonably serious adult issues.

POCAHONTAS is a fictionalized chronicle of the arrival of English settlers in Virginia. The explorers have come to the New World in search of gold and they promptly begin changing the landscape and preparing to kill the land's inhabitants.

A young woman named Pocahontas observes the newcomers and a battle arises as a result of the romance that develops between her and one of the explorers.

In this new 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD POCAHONTAS has been fully restored and it now also includes the song "If I Never Knew You," and never-before-seen animation seamlessly integrated into the original film.

POCAHONTAS isn't the best animated film that Disney has ever released, in fact it isn't even in the same ballpark as THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN or THE LION KING, but it remains a fun-filled adventure your whole family can enjoy.

And sometimes that is enough.

The POCAHONTAS - 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and NATIONAL TREASURE are all available now on video and DVD.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

I will tell you about ENTOURAGE - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON. ENTOURAGE is a TV show that follows a young and rising Hollywood star and his three childhood companions-turned-hangers-on.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS also first debuted on TV. Geoffrey Rush plays Sellers in this biography and he does an incredible job as one of the cinema's great chameleons.

Another great cinematic chameleon is Bill Murray. Unfortunately even a great performance from Murray can't save THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU. That said, I will still recommend it.

Next week will also see me recommend IN GOOD COMPANY. Topher Grace from THAT 70'S SHOW is a young college whiz kid who manages workers twice his age, including the great Dennis Quaid. Scarlett Johansson - Bill Murray's co-star in his superb picture LOST IN TRANSLATION also stars.

I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, ENTOURAGE, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, IN GOOD COMPANY, and some other releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

'Family Guy' Bounces Back Big for FOX

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "Family Guy" fans put their eyeballs where their DVD money had previously been and turned out in droves to watch the show's return.

The animated series, returning to FOX more than three years after the network last aired an original episode, gathered some of the best ratings in its history Sunday (May 1). About 11.85 million people watched the fourth-season premiere, according to fast national ratings from Nielsen, and a huge number of them fell in the young-adult demographics FOX loves. (Final ratings will be out Tuesday.)

Sunday was a pretty good night in general for the broadcast networks. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" each drew their second-biggest audiences of the season, and the CBS movie "Riding the Bus with My Sister" also performed well.

It was "Family Guy," though, that provided the most eye-catching numbers of the night. The show scored a strong 5.7 rating among adults 18-49 -- second to "Housewives" and more than double FOX's season average (2.5) for the half-hour. It even beat the ABC hit among two of the demographics that helped resurrect "Family Guy," teenagers and men 18-34.

All this for a show that averaged fewer than 5 million viewers per week in its most recent season on FOX, 2001-02. Strong ratings for repeats on Cartoon Network and DVD sales helped convince FOX to put the series back into production.

The network's other animated offerings posted decent numbers as well. "The Simpsons" celebrated its 350th episode (although some counts have the show at 351) with two episodes that averaged just over 11.1 million viewers, and "American Dad" held onto about 80 percent of the "Family Guy" audience. Like its lead-in, "Dad" also improved substantially on the network's season average for the time period.

For all the good news at FOX, though, ABC still dominated the first Sunday of sweeps. Nearly 25.9 million people watched "Desperate Housewives," the second-largest audience of the season for the show. Its 11.4 rating among adults 18-49 was also its second-best performance. "Grey's Anatomy" (18.5 million viewers, 8.5 18-49 rating) had its second-largest audience and best-yet rating in the 18-49 demographic.

At CBS, "Riding the Bus with My Sister" brought in 15 million viewers, an improvement of close to 4 million over the network's season average for its Sunday movie.

Linkin Park protests Warner Music's scheduled IPO

Sex, drugs and IPOs? Initial public offerings are hardly on the short list of things rock 'n' roll bands concern themselves with. That changed Monday after the popular band Linkin Park all but threatened to stop making music for its label, Warner Music, in protest of the company's IPO next week.

Upset that just $7 million of the IPO's $600 million in estimated proceeds will go to the company and its artists, Linkin Park demanded in a statement to be released from its contract to deliver seven albums to Warner. The band, popular for albums that meld rock, rap and electronica, declined comment.

Linkin Park's move is potentially significant because it is an embarrassing public airing of unhappiness by a Warner artist, says Melanie Hase, analyst at IPO tracker Renaissance Capital. Linkin Park said that it accounts for 10% of Warner's revenue and that it was scheduled to release its newest album next year. Nielsen SoundScan data, though, show the band accounted for less than 3% of shipments so far this year and since 2000.

Revenue questions aside, Hase says the band's displeasure is understandable. A vast majority of the IPO proceeds are being used to pay back debt incurred when management, including music industry vet Edgar Bronfman Jr., bought the unit from Time Warner in March 2004. By the time of the IPO, company insiders and executives will have received more than $800 million in bonuses and dividends, while the company will still have $2.2 billion in debt, Hase says.

Still, unless other artists join in, it's questionable whether Linkin Park will have enough clout to make Warner rethink its strategy or for investors to reconsider the IPO, says Brian Garrity, business editor at Billboard magazine. "The track record of bands going up against labels like this isn't very favorable," he says.

Garrity says Linkin Park is renegotiating its contract with Warner, and he figures the band is using the IPO as a bargaining chip. "This is a nice piece of leverage for them to try to get a better deal with Warner," he says.

Warner says Linkin Park has been paid fairly. "They have always been compensated generously for their outstanding worldwide success," spokesman Will Tanous said in an e-mailed comment.

If anything sours investors, though, it will be the IPO's questionable terms, not Linkin Park, says Francis Gaskins, president of IPOdesktop.com. Gaskins says Warner is just the latest in a flurry of IPOs in which investors, having bought a company by using heavy debt, look to cash in and pay down the debt. Investors have been lukewarm on such deals. "This is a serious bailout, and that's why people don't like it," he says.

Fourth Harry Potter hits screens Nov. 18

NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment of the film series based on the J.K. Rowling novels, will be released simultaneously to both conventional theaters and in the big-screen IMAX format on Nov. 18.

"We previously committed to releasing two of Warner Bros. Pictures' biggest ... films of 2005 in IMAX's format —Batman Begins and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory— and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a great addition to that list," Dan Fellman, president of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in a statement Monday.

The latest Harry Potter film was directed by Mike Newell. Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry, with Rupert Grint starring as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.

Former 'Idol' Contestants Ready to 'Feud'

LOS ANGELES - Ten former "American Idol" contestants are involved in a very different kind of competition.

The singers, including last season's runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, are appearing on "Family Feud," the syndicated game show. They were divided by gender for the taped shows, which will be broadcast this week.

Besides DeGarmo, the female team includes Julia DeMato, Amy Adams, Vanessa Olivarez and Kimberley Locke. Ricky Smith, A.J. Gil, Jon Peter Lewis, George Huff and Matt Rogers are on the men's side.

"It was so much fun. It felt like we were right back on the 'American Idol' again, living and breathing each moment together," said DeGarmo, a high school senior from Snellville, Ga.

DeGarmo, who finished second on "American Idol" last year to Fantasia Barrino, has kept up with the Fox program this season.

"At first it was kind of hard to watch it because it seems like it was just yesterday ... it's kind of odd not to see myself with it," said DeGarmo, who turns 18 next month.

School has not kept her from nurturing her music career with performances and a trip to the Grammy Awards. On a February visit to Germany with President Bush, DeGarmo sang for U.S. troops.

'FAMILY' PLOTS

It is going to be another mob hit! The goodfellas cast of the Emmy-award winning show "The Sopranos" were back in action at the Silvercup Studios in Queens on the first day of shooting their sixth and likely final season for HBO.
Not even the actors know what will happen to them in the 10 episodes to be shot. Creator David Chase isn't spilling the beans either. The plot is as secret as the code of omerta, the mob's oath of silence. The shows aren't expected to air until next year, and there's even talk that the family's saga may end with a feature film.

James Gandolfini who plays New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano looked like a million bucks as he strutted onto the set with script in hand and was greeted, well, like a don.

Gandolfini grinned and said it was "fabulous" being back after the series 16-month hiatus.

There was plenty of palling around with wiseguy co-stars Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti and Steve Van Zandt as Silvio Dante, slapping one another on the back and feinting punches.

The corpulent Joe Gannascoli, who plays Vito Spatafore, boasted that while the series was off the air, he lost 40 pounds.

While waiting for their cues, Gandolfini and an unidentified actor pored over a copy of Mad magazine, which featured a send up of the show titled "Sopranos on the Set."

"There's going to be a lot of blood shed this year and hopefully it isn't mine," quipped Sirico as he jabbed his finger toward his pals.

Broadway star Edie Falco who plays Carmela, the beleagured wife of Tony Soprano, was the first to arrive, and quickly ducked out of sight. A wardrobe crewmember was seen carrying a black party dress in tow, possibly for a restaurant scene.

By the last episode, which aired in June, Tony had gotten back together with Carmela and had barely missed being nabbed by the feds.

PARIS SPEAKS!

Does Paris Hilton not know everyone is making fun of her? Or does she just not care?

Maybe a little of both, especially after "House of Wax" producer Joel Silver printed up "See Paris Die" T-shirts.

"At first, I wasn't too keen on the idea, but, um, whatever," the 24-year-old heiress tells The New York Post.

"I can laugh at myself."

If that's the case, Paris will have plenty to chuckle over in "Wax."

There's even a scene shot in greenish night-vision, just like the most memorable scenes in her notorious sex tape, "One Night in Paris."

Director Jaume Serra insists that Paris was in on the joke - "she's a cool girl," he says - but the reality is a little more complicated.

Q - Did you know the night vision scene was alluding to the sex tape?

A- I didn't see the movie until two days ago. I didn't even know they were doing that, but, whatever. I didn't mind.

Do you think people are mean to you?

Yeah. But, whatever. I don't mind.

Why is everyone so mean?

I don't know. I'm easy to do it to, I guess. But whatever. I'm a businesswoman. I'm not doing anything bad.

Last night at the "House of Wax" screening people applauded when you got killed.

I did, too.

You did? Why?

Because it's such a cool scene. They're applauding because they love it.

You don't think people resent you?

Well, maybe someone's trying to be cool, and like, "Ooh, look. I'm cool. I'm clapping." But, whatever.

Some people think of you as an heiress who had everything handed to her.

If people knew how hard I work, they wouldn't say that. I work my butt off.

What's your normal workday like?

I get up at, like, 6 a.m., and I'm on conference calls or on my way to a photo shoot or shooting a film or in the studio or at a meeting. It's always something. It's never free.

Your next career move is releasing an album, right? When do you write your songs?

I carry around a recorder. It's in the car. If I'm upset of happy or I'm thinking something, I'll say it into the recorder, and then I'll go work with my producers and my writers and come up with songs.

You say you want to retire from all this. Or at least cut back and have kids.

Yeah. In two years. Two or three.

And you say you don't go out anymore.

Not really. My boyfriend likes to stay at home. He hates going out.

So, you're dating a guy who's also named Paris. Paris Letsis.

Mm-hmm.

How do you tell each other apart?

He calls me "Gorgeous" or "Princess." I call him "Babaluna."

What are you going to name your first child?

Paris.

Dixie Chicks Recording With Rick Rubin

The Dixie Chicks are in Los Angeles recording a new album with producer Rick Rubin. No release date has been pegged for the Open Wide/Columbia set, which will be the follow-up to 2002's "Home." As previously reported, Rubin recently produced the next Columbia album from veteran vocalist Neil Diamond, due this summer.

“Home” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 5.8 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Chicks have been off the road since a run on last fall's Vote for Change tour. Earlier this month, group member Emily Robison gave birth two twins named Julianna and Henry.

'Shrek 3' gossip alert

Good news for those who just don't get enough of them on TV, in tabloids and in celebrity magazines: Justin Timberlake is joining Cameron Diaz for Shrek 3.

Timberlake will play a young King Arthur, or "Artie," a rebellious high school student with no interest in being king, Shrek 3 producer Aron Warner says. It's up to Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, to teach Artie how to act like royalty, Warner says. The film is due May 18, 2007.

Despite their high-profile relationship, Diaz, who is the voice of Shrek's wife, Fiona, had no say in Timberlake landing the job, Warner insists. "Our desire was to get somebody who is visible and had their own persona to bring to the table," he says. "Justin fit that bill perfectly." (In Shrek 2, a poster of "Sir Justin" hangs in Fiona's girlhood bedroom.)

Don't bother asking Warner for the skinny on the couple. Warner, who has produced all three Shrek films, says he "disappears into my work. I'll finish one of these movies and discover three years have slipped by. I'm the last person to ask about gossip."

He can dish a little on Shrek and bride Fiona. Warner says "there is a baby involved" in the third installment. "In teaching Artie to be king, Shrek has to overcome his deep-seated fear of being a father."

But whose baby is it?

"That's all I'm going to say," Warner says. "We've got to leave something for a surprise."

Kevin Smith Reviews 'Revenge of the Sith'

Director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) has written one of the first reviews of George Lucas's Star Wars: Episode 3 -- Revenge of the Sith. Posted on his website, www.viewaskew.com, the review contains numerous spoilers -- and numerous adjectives that are not likely to be included in any ads for the movie. Smith calls it "quite simply, f***ing awesome." He remarks that it "is so satisfyingly tragic, you'll think you're watching Othello or Hamlet." He says that Lucas was correct in setting a dark tone for the film and suggests that there are several scenes that will disturb children. However, he notes, "This is the birth of Darth Vader we're talking about. The only comic moments in the flick are given to R2D2, and while good, they're all pretty few and far between; the order of the day is dark, dark, dark."

'Hitchhikers Guide' Takes $21.7M in Debut

LOS ANGELES - "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" thumbed its way to the top of the box office, debuting at $21.7 million to beat out the explosive "XXX" brand.

Ice Cube's action tale "XXX: State of the Union" opened a weak third with $13.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"XXX" came in behind the previous weekend's top movie, "The Interpreter," starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, which slipped to No. 2 with $14.2 million, lifting its 10-day total to $43.6 million.

Hollywood's pre-summer slump continued, with overall revenues down for the 10th-straight weekend. The top 12 movies grossed $84.8 million, off 10 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Mean Girls" and "Man on Fire" led the box office.

Adapted from the first of the late Douglas Adams' comically philosophical books about the nature of our big, old goofy universe, "Hitchhiker's Guide" follows the adventures of an ordinary Brit who catches a ride with aliens moments before Earth is destroyed to make way for an interstellar bypass.

Adams' books have been cult favorites for decades, but the movie's mix of cheeky humor, oddball ideas and singular visuals clearly hooked a mainstream audience. Reviews were mixed, some critics calling the movie a fitful gag reel that sapped the essence of Adams' witty prose and others finding it a refreshing dose of whimsy and irreverence.

"Obviously, the thought process of the public was, 'That looks interesting. I want to see it. It's fresh and looks different,'" said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Hitchhiker's Guide."

Critics soundly trashed the new "XXX" flick, but they also disliked Vin Diesel's original, which did more than three times the business over opening weekend than the followup.

What went wrong?

"I wish I could say," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for "XXX" studio Sony. "Certainly, we're disappointed, because it's a film we all believed in. We have Ice Cube, who is a big star, and I think he's one of those rare actors who really can do just about anything. So I really don't know."

Ice Cube, previously known for the R-rated "Friday" movies and the saucy "Barbershop" comedies, broadened into the family market with this year's hit "Are We There Yet?" But the absence of Diesel may have undermined the movie's appeal, while fans may not have bought into rapper Ice Cube as an action hero.

"Ice Cube doesn't seem like a sweethearted dad, either, but 'Are We There Yet?' did incredibly well," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Maybe people just associated Vin Diesel more with that role than anybody thought."

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. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," $21.7 million.
2. "The Interpreter," $14.2 million.
3. "XXX: State of the Union," $13.7 million.
4. "The Amityville Horror," $8.1 million.
5. "Sahara," $6 million.
6. "A Lot Like Love," $5.2 million.
7. "Kung Fu Hustle," $3.8 million.
8. "Fever Pitch," $3.75 million.
9. "Robots," $2.65 million.
10. "Guess Who," $2.2 million.