Hollywood, BitTorrent software creator Bram Cohen reach agreement
LOS ANGELES (AP) - In a deal aimed at reducing illegal Internet traffic in pirated films, Hollywood reached an agreement Tuesday with the creator of the popular file-sharing software BitTorrent.
The agreement requires 30-year-old software designer Bram Cohen to prevent his website, bittorrent.com, from locating pirated versions of popular movies, effectively frustrating people who search for illegal copies of films.
BitTorrent must remove web links leading to illegal content owned by the seven studios that are members of the Motion Picture Association of America.
"BitTorrent Inc. discourages the use of its technology for distributing films without a licence to do so," Cohen said in the statement. "As such, we are pleased to work with the film industry to remove unauthorized content from bittorrent.com's search engine."
MPAA chief executive Dan Glickman declared, "They're leading the way for other companies by their example."
The agreement represents the latest effort by the entertainment industry to discourage illegal Internet downloads. It also demonstrates Cohen's sensitivity toward Hollywood's piracy problems, making him potentially more attractive to studios for future deals related to movie downloads.
Cohen disclosed in September his company had raised $8.75 million US in venture funding to develop commercial distribution tools for media companies.
The BitTorrent technology pioneered by Cohen - and used by an estimated 45 million people - assembles digital movies and other computer files from separate bits of data downloaded from other computer users across the Internet. Its decentralized nature makes downloading more efficient but also frustrates the entertainment industry's efforts to find and identify movie pirates.
The agreement with Cohen would not prevent determined Internet users from finding movies or other materials using tools or websites other than Cohen's, but it removes one of the most convenient methods people have used.
Singer-Songwriter Chris Whitley Dies
HOUSTON - Chris Whitley, a chameleon singer-songwriter who oscillated between roots rock 'n' roll, blues and alt-rock, has died. He was 45.
Whitley died Sunday of lung cancer in Houston, according to his record label, Messenger Records.
The Texas-based singer was surrounded by his family and girlfriend, according to his Web site.
"I hope you all will mourn my brother's death, but more important, celebrate his life as Chris was all about life and living," read a message from his brother, Daniel. "I started the celebration by cranking up `Dirt Floor' in his honor."
"Dirt Floor" was Whitley 1998 album. He recorded eleven albums since his 1991 debut, "Living with the Law," including this year's "Soft Dangerous Shores."
Tim McGraw, Green Day Big Winners at AMAs
LOS ANGELES - The American Music Awards spread things around Tuesday, with country star Tim McGraw, alternative rockers Green Day, soul stars Destiny's Child and hip-hop chart toppers Black Eyed Peas each winning two awards.
Mariah Carey, in the midst of a career comeback, had gone into the evening's competition the heavy favorite with a leading four nominations, but the pop diva took home only one award, for favorite female artist in the soul-R&B category.
"Thank you so much for the warmth and the love," she said as she accepted the evening's first award moments after opening the show with a rousing rendition of "Don't Forget About Us." Carey, who appeared in a sequined, silver, spaghetti-strap gown slit to the waist, had to quickly change into a black evening gown before accepting her award.
The show was as much about those who didn't show up as those who did. Many of the night's biggest names, including Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Kelly Clarkson and 50 Cent, were nowhere to be seen.
Notable moments provided by those who were there included an inspired pairing of Cyndi Lauper and Sarah McLachlan for a soulful version of Lauper's 1980s hit "Time After Time."
The rapper Pharrell, Gwen Stefani and the Eurythmics also took to the stage, and the Rolling Stones closed the show with a two-song performance from Salt Lake City, wrapping up the evening with a spirited rendition of "It's Only Rock&Roll (But I Like It)."
Stefani, who bested out Carey for the favorite female pop artist award, barely had time to get to the podium after completing her performance.
"What did I win?" she asked as she was presented her first American Music Award. "I guess whatever I won, I just want to say thank you to the fans, especially all my girls. Imagine what it feels like to be me all these years and have your support. It's just outrageous."
McGraw roped in both awards in the country category in which he was nominated. He came out ahead of Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith for favorite male artist and his album, "Live Like You Were Dying," beat albums by Keith and Gretchen Wilson, who took the honor for country female artist.
The Black Eyed Peas earned favorite group honors in both the rap/hip-hop and pop-rock categories.
Rapper 50 Cent's album, "The Massacre," won the favorite rap/hip-hop album honor, while Missy Elliott took home the favorite female artist award in the rap/hip-hop category for the second year in a row.
"I got to thank God because that's my inspiration for everything that I do," Elliott said. She also dedicated the award to the late singer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash shortly after takeoff in 2001.
Actor-singer Will Smith won favorite make artist in the pop-rock division, edging out Rob Thomas and 50 Cent, while R. Kelly edged Omarion and John Legend for favorite soul-R&B male artist.
Shakira, who picked up the favorite Latin music artist award, praised the trend toward the presentation of more Spanish music on U.S. radio.
"I can only say that when a Spanish song gets played on Top 40 American radio, it means the pseudo rules of the industry are changing," she said. "America is a cross-cultural open country and music is a language on its own."
Destiny's Child was two-thirds absent, as only singer Kelly Rolland was on hand to accept the group's awards.
"This feels very awkward being up here by myself," she said as she accepted the favorite band award in the soul-R&B category. "I miss my girls, Beyonce and Michelle, wherever you are. I love you so much."
In a cross-genre category, country group Sugarland bested alternative rockers The Killers and singer Jesse McCartney for breakthrough new artist.
In awards presented off-camera, Green Day won favorite artist in the Alternative category and the band's album, "American Idiot," received the pop-rock category honor.
Eminem won the favorite male artist in the rap/hip-hop division, while Clarkson received the honor for favorite artist in the adult contemporary category.
Nominees were chosen on the basis of record sales, with winners selected through a survey of about 20,000 listeners.
Comedian Cedric The Entertainer hosted the three-hour ceremony, broadcast live on ABC from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
He took to the stage wearing a grey pinstripe suit and holding a boombox that he dubbed the first iPod. He quickly noted that new versions of Apple Computer Inc.'s digital music player seem to be coming out all the time and getting smaller and smaller.
"I got the new Apple Tic-Tac. It freshens your breath and plays one song," he joked.
The scene on the red carpet before the show reflected the hodgepodge of musical genres being honored at the AMAs, with hip-hop, pop and country stars making their way through the gantlet of press.
"It's an American quilt," said Lauper, who arrived in a black dress with sheer sleeves and a fringed hem.
She and McLachlan exchanged compliments backstage after the rousing response they received for their duet on "Time After Time," which was co-written by Lauper.
"'Time after Time' is one of the best pop songs ever written, in my opinion. It's an incredible, beautiful, timeless song," McLachan said.
The Couch Potato Report - November 22nd, 2005
This week The Couch Potato Report features Cruise, Spielberg and "The Beav."
For some summer films, like THE LONGEST YARD, FANTASTIC FOUR, and THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, it was easy to check your brain at the door and just enjoy them.
Doing that with some other summer movies was harder, primarily due to expectations.
For instance, if Steven Spielberg decided to make another science fiction movie, there would be expectations.
After all he's the man who made CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and E.T. - THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL.
And if that film starred Tom Cruise, the world's biggest movie star, and was going to be based on the classic H.G. Wells book "The War Of The Worlds", well, talk about expectations!
In the end, despite that pedigree, and the best special effects money can buy, the newest version of WAR OF THE WORLDS isn't very good.
The film is very faithful to the book and the story still focuses on aliens who are looking destroy humankind as quick as possible.
But unlike the WAR OF THE WORLDS inspired INDEPENDENCE DAY this movie doesn't give us much of a thrill ride. Ultimately, that is why I didn't find it very entertaining.
Yes, it has the special effects, Spielberg's unflappable direction, and Cruise's reliable performance as a divorced father who has to rise to the challenge to save his kids, but it doesn't have enough thrill ride moments to make it a great action film, or even a great summer movie.
In reality, it is just a dramatic film with some summer explosions thrown in for good measure.
But it is the second most popular film of 2005 in theatres, so people must have enjoyed it, right?
Well, I didn't enjoy it when I saw it in a theatre, and when I watched the DVD this week I was more than bored.
WAR OF THE WORLDS has great special effects, great directing, a great cast and a great premise, but unfortunately the sum of the movie's parts are nowhere near great.
Another film base on a book is also new on video and DVD this week and I hope this film becomes a cherished holiday classic alongside IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.
When THE POLAR EXPRESS was released in theatres a little over a year ago much of the publicity the film received was due to the fact that the film used a "performance capture" technique to translate live performances into all-digital characters.
I admit that if you focus on the technological side of the film you won't enjoy THE POLAR EXPRESS as much as you should.
However, if you can enjoy the film you will find it to be a classic! It is a wonderful celebration of the Christmas spirit, and yes I said Christmas and not Holiday Spirit.
Late one Christmas Eve night, a doubting boy boards a magical train with many other pajama-clad children. The train is headed to the North Pole and only one of the children will be chosen to receive a magical gift that only those who still believe in Santa are eligible.
Tom Hanks' voice stars in THE POLAR EXPRESS and he is directed by Robert Zemeckis, the man who gave us FORREST GUMP and the BACK TO THE FUTURE FILMS.
Yes, THE POLAR EXPRESS is visually stunning, but the story is what is most overwhelming. And who knows, it might even fill you with the childhood joy of Christmas.
Christmas - and Holiday - gift giving might be easier this year if you have people on your list who love TV shows on DVD.
After all there is a wide array of DVD Box Sets already available, and this week we add four more.
And I must admit that it is about time for one of these releases!
My friends, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER has finally debuted on DVD!
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER premiered in the fall of 1957 and instead of looking at life from a parents point of view it focused on the adventures of seven-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver and his 12-year-old brother, Wally.
Ward and June Cleaver try to keep their youngest son in line, but he always ends up in one kind of jam or another.
Some of the stories are a little dated today, but the show's charm still shines through. It remains one of the best TV shows ever and now all 39 episodes from the show's first season have been digitally remastered and they are available in a three-disc box set.
"Seinfeld" is another classic television show, albeit from a different era. SEINFELD - SEASON 5 and SEASON 6 are also new on DVD this week.
Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer continue to go through life, discussing and experiencing things that we can all relate to on one level or another.
SEASON FIVE includes: The Puffy Shirt, The Sniffing Accountant, The Bris, The Lip Reader, The Stall and The Opposite and you will find The Big Salad, The Gymnast, The Soup, The Race, The Label Maker and The Kiss Hello on the SEASON SIX set.
Each of the sets are four discs and they also include an array of retrospective interviews and behind-the-scenes features.
Since I have already raved about seasons ONE to FOUR here on The Couch Potato Report, you know I love the show, so let me just conclude by saying: Giddy-up!
The final DVD set that I am going to speak about this week is also our final "leftover." Yes, we have now covered all of the major titles that came out while there were no shows this summer.
So, that final "leftover" is the DVD set for A DIFFERENT WORLD - SEASON ONE.
IN 1987 the show debuted as a spin off of THE COSBY SHOW. Daughter Denise was sent off to college to find out that there was "a different world" awaiting her outside the Huxtable house.
In addition to Lisa Bonet as Denise, this first season of the show stars the young, and always beautiful, Marisa Tomei, who would eventually go on to win an Academy Award for her work in MY COUSIN
VINNY.
Denise, Maggie, Whitley, Dwayne Wayne, Ron. They are all still attending Hillman College on this new 4-DVD box set.
A DIFFERENT WORLD - SEASON ONE, SEINFELD - SEASONS 5 & 6, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER - SEASON ONE, THE POLAR EXPRESS and WAR OF THE WORLDS are all available now at a store near you.
Coming up in the next Couch Potato Report is the superb documentary THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star in MR. AND MRS. SMITH as a couple who hide their real jobs from each other; and in SKY HIGH the son of superheroes must save the world.
There is also FAMILY GUY - VOLUME THREE, MURDERBALL and THE MUPPET MOVIE, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND and THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL are being re-released to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Kermit The Frog!
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, 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!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pretty Lady named Cdn classics by Socan
TORONTO (CP) - Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot and Trooper's Pretty Lady were among five oldies added Monday to the list of homegrown classics by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.
Jann Arden's Insensitive, Paul Carrack's Don't Shed A Tear and Nick Gilder's Hot Child In the City rounded out the list of tracks, which passed the 100,000-airplay mark on domestic radio in 2004.
All the songs were written by Canadians.
In addition to marking classics, Socan, which collects and distributes royalty cheques on behalf of songwriters, acknowledged newly written songs which dominated radio last year.
They included Nelly Furtado's Powerless and Try, Sarah McLachlan's Fallen and Stupid, Sarah Harmer's Almost, k-os's Crabbuckit, Finger Eleven's One Thing and Emerson Drive's Waitin' On Me.
The songwriters were to receive trophies at a gala dinner reception on Monday night.
Former 'Showgirl' Crosses 'Threshold'
The dramatic arc of this story would be better if the actress, having starred in a widely derided film that would for years be an easy Hollywood punchline, picked herself up and vowed, Scarlett O'Hara-like, never to go hungry, creatively speaking, again.
Instead, Elizabeth Berkley just went back to work.
"It really has been a great lesson," she says. "Even though people knew me from 'Saved by the Bell,' after that movie it was really up to me to pave my own way."
That movie, of course, is "Showgirls," the legendarily savaged production that also was Berkley's first major role in a feature film. Ten years removed, though, Berkley has forged a nice working actor's career for herself, bouncing between stage, movie and TV work. Her latest role comes Tuesday (Nov. 22) on CBS' first-year drama "Threshold."
In the episode, she plays the trophy wife of an oil magnate who becomes infected with the alien DNA that the government team led by Molly Anne Caffrey (Carla Gugino) is trying to contain. Her character starts to behave rather strangely -- and violently -- but, Berkley notes, "she feels she has a purpose for the first time ever."
"Her drive to spread [the alien DNA] is uncompromised," the actress says from New York, where last week she was filming an episode of NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." "That's her mission, and she'll stop at nothing to do that, because of this passion and newfound thrill of actually having that purpose. Whether that means seduction, fighting -- whatever it takes. So it was kind of fun to play the bad girl."
The part also allowed her to do something she's never done before: punch through a window. "It was fake glass, obviously, but I've never done a stunt like that in my life," she says, adding with a laugh, "I'm not used to punching."
Berkley has landed a number of guest roles on high-profile shows in recent years, including spots on "CSI" and "Without a Trace." She says doing guest roles requires a somewhat different approach than longer-term work, but it boils down to respecting the fact that a show's regular cast determines the tone on set.
That wasn't an issue on "Threshold," she says, partly because she and Gugino are friends outside of work and partly because the show's cast and crew "are excited about what they're doing, and you can feel that."
"You can really feel the tone on set if people are creatively happy," she says," because then people don't care about the hours. They just love the work. That's what I felt here -- people really cared about what they were doing."
Berkley, whose recent work also includes turns on stage in "Sly Fox" and "Hurlyburly" and the well-received indie film "Roger Dodger," says she doesn't really know what's up next for her. (She does mention that she'd love to work on FX's "Nip/Tuck.") But that's okay -- in fact, it's part of the appeal of acting for her.
"I wouldn't want to know exactly what the next thing is all the time," she says. "The adventure is what moves me ...
"I love what I do so much, and even with the highs and lows of the business, my love for what I do is my salvation, always. It's always exciting that way."
NEW CD RELEASES FOR NOVEMBER 22, 2005
Akon Trouble (CD/DVD combo; Special Edition of 2004 album) (Universal Motown)
Alexisonfire/Moneen Split EP (Vagrant)
Birch Book (In Gowan Ring) Birch Book (In Gowan Ring) (Secretly Canadian)
Michael Bublé Caught in the Act (CD/DVD combo; live performance) (Reprise)
Chamillionaire The Sound of Revenge (two-CD limited edition available same day) (Universal Motown)
Ray Davies Thanksgiving Day EP (V2)
Death from Above 1979 Romance Bloody Romance (remix album; w/Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme) (Vice)
DJ Kay Slay The Champions - North Meets South (Koch)
Dr. John Sippiana Hericane EP (Blue Note)
Enya Amarantine (Reprise)
Fort Minor (Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda) The Rising Tied (w//Black Thought, Common, John Legend and more; executive produced by Jay-Z) (Warner Bros.)
Fra Lippo Lippi Songs (Rune Arkiv)
The Fully Down Don't Get Lost in a Movement (Fearless)
Bill Harley One More Time: More Favorite Songs and a New Story (Empyrean)
Seu Jorge Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (Hollywood)
Talib Kweli Right About Now... (w/Mos Def and Jean Grae) (Blacksmith/Warner Bros.)
Jens Lekman Oh, You're So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian)
Lil' Tweety Confessing a Feeling (enhanced CD) (Thump)
Samara Lubelski The Spectacular Passage (Secretly Canadian)
Gerard Malanga Up from the Archives (Sub Rosa)
Ricky Martin Life (guests Fat Joe, Amerie, the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and more) (Columbia)
John Mayer Trio Try! (recorded in Chicago) (Columbia)
The Mendoza Line Full of Light and Full of Fire (Secretly Canadian)
MX-80 We're an American Band (Secretly Canadian)
Nelly Sweatsuit (best of two 2004 albums plus new songs w/Diddy, Notorious B.I.G., Paul Wall and more) (Universal Motown)
The Never Enders Air Raid Romance (Indianola)
Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy Appendix EP (Secretly Canadian)
Part Chimp I Am Come (Secretly Canadian)
Queens of the Stone Age Over the Years and Through the Woods (CD/DVD combo) (Interscope)
The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang (deluxe edition w/bonus tracks, remixes and more) (Virgin)
Juelz Santana What the Game's Been Missing (deluxe limited-edition CD/DVD combo available same day) (Def Jam)
Ray Scott My Kind of Music (Warner Bros. Nashville)
Southern Kaos Get It How U Live (Dollywood)
Scott Stapp (ex-Creed) The Great Divide (Wind-Up)
Static Re: Talking About Memories (City Centre Offices)
System of a Down Hypnotize (produced by Rick Rubin) (Columbia)
Tristeza A Coloures (Better Looking)
Wayne B Night of the Hunter (Quartermass)
Mike West A Westside Story - Chapter 1 (w/Daz Dillinger, the Outlawz, Pitbull and more) (Integrated)
VA Big Boi Presents...Got That Purp? Vol. 2 (w/Goodie Mob, Bubba Sparxxx, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown and more) (Purple Ribbon/Virgin)
VA High School Reunion: A Tribute to Those Great Eighties Films! (covers of '80s tunes from popular films; w/Kristin Hersch performing the Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation," Matthew Sweet covering Tom Petty's "American Girl," Frank Black doing Iggy Pop's "Repo Man" and more) (American Laundromat/Face Down)
VA Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now (two CDs; new songs by Coldplay, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and more, plus classics by Louis Armstrong, Dr. John and others) (Concord)
VA Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Higher Ground: Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert (Blue Note)
VA Just Like Paradise: A Millennium Tribute to Diamond David Lee Roth (w/current and former members of Aerosmith, Poison, Black Sabbath, Dio and more) (Versailles)
VA Yo Gotti Presents: The Blackout Squad Volume 2 (w/Yo Gotti, Al Kapone and more) (Inevitable Entertainment)
OST Four Dead Batteries (Hightone)
OST Muppets Christmas Carol (Disney)
OST Rent (film adaptation of Broadway musical) (Reprise)
OST Stargate: Atlantis (score by Joel Goldsmith) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST The High and the Mighty (score by Richard Kaufman) (Varèse Sarabande)
OST Zathura (score by John Debney) (Varèse Sarabande)
DVD The Best and Worst of American Idol, Seasons 1-4 (three DVDs; also available separately; limited edition w/interviews and behind-the-scenes footage) (Fremantle/Capital Entertainment)
DVD The MC: How We Do It (interviews w/Kanye West, 50 Cent, KRS-One, RZA and many more) (Image)
DVD Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis Harry and Branford: A Duo Occasion (Marsalis Music/Rounder)
DVD Cradle of Filth Peace Through Superior Firepower (live concert w/behind-the-scenes footage and music videos) (Roadrunner)
DVD Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand (two DVDs; live collection) (Epic)
DVD Peter Gabriel Still Growing Up: Live and Unwrapped (two DVDs; includes material from 2003's "Growing Up Live," plus many other previously unreleased tracks and documentary) (Rhino)
DVD Hellogoodbye OMG HGB DVD ROTFL (w/music videos, interviews, performance footage and more) (Drive Thru)
DVD The Hives Tussles in Brussels (Interscope)
DVD Jack Johnson A Weekend at the Greek & Live in Japan (two DVDs) (Universal)
DVD Keane Strangers (two DVDs) (Interscope)
DVD Killswitch Engage (Set This) World Ablaze (Roadrunner)
DVD Lifehouse Everything (Geffen)
DVD Nailbomb (Soulfly's Max Cavalera and Fudge Tunnel's Alex Newport) Live at Dynamo (Roadrunner)
DVD Papa Roach Live and Murderous in Chicago (Geffen)
DVD Radiohead The Astoria London Live (Capitol)
DVD Rush R30 (two DVDs; deluxe edition w/two CDs available same day; live 2004 Frankfurt show) (Rounder)
DVD Carly Simon Queen Mary 2 Concert (Columbia)
BACK ON TRACK
Per Variety, New Line Cinema sealing a deal with Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, director Brett Ratner and scribe Jeff Nathanson to make the long-delayed third Rush Hour movie.
Oprah Agrees to Appear on the 'Late Show'
NEW YORK - Oprah, Dave. Dave, Oprah. The cold war between television titans Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman has thawed to the point where Winfrey has accepted Letterman's invitation to appear on the "Late Show" on Dec. 1.
Letterman made the announcement during a taping of his show on Monday. Winfrey's appearance will coincide with opening night of the Broadway musical "The Color Purple," which she is producing.
"What a big night that is going to be — not only for us, not only for Oprah, but for Broadway," Letterman said. "You have the big `Color Purple' Broadway opening, and then right across the street here in this theater, you have Oprah appearing here. I mean, that's what Broadway is all about — it's a street of dreams."
It's Winfrey's first visit to "Late Show," although she was twice Letterman's guest on his NBC show before the late-night comic moved to CBS in 1993.
The origin of their "feud" was murky, although Letterman has frequently joked about her through the years. Letterman's failed 1995 stint as Academy Awards host is best remembered for his awkward "Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah" introduction.
Winfrey told Time magazine in 2003 that she wouldn't go on Letterman's show because she's been "completely uncomfortable" as the target of his jokes.
"This just gives you an idea of what a big, big star this really is," Letterman said on Monday. "She's huge. Put bygones behind us, the water under the bridge, over the dam, wherever water goes — standing in your basement — she's going to be here on this show and it's going to be fantastic."
Back in 2003, Letterman joked about wanting Winfrey on his show to hold "the Super Bowl of love." Winfrey — who had sent an olive branch gift of books for Letterman's newborn son — called his bluff and invited him on her show. He declined.
"Here's what would happen: I would go on the `Oprah' show, and I would break down and sob like a little girl ... I don't want to have that happen," he said at the time. "I'd feel ridiculous. I'd never be able to live that down, that Oprah would make me sob."
Former Winfrey protege Dr. Phil has been a frequent Letterman guest, offering his own form of "tough love" in a needling relationship.
Oprah's appearance is a big boost for Letterman, who has been struggling in the ratings this season and falling further behind his nemesis, NBC's Jay Leno.
The timing isn't quite ideal, however: Winfrey will visit the day after the November ratings sweeps period ends.
Peak 'Seinfeld' Seasons to Be Released
NEW YORK - "Seinfeld" has not suffered from shrinkage. Seven years after its finale, not only does the classic sitcom air up to two hours a day in some markets, but the reruns remain fresh enough to spark watercooler chitchat about everything from puffy shirts to mimbos.
"Isn't it weird how present it still is on the television landscape?" Jerry Seinfeld wondered during a recent joint interview with Jason Alexander (who played George), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) and Michael Richards (Kramer).
"I hear it all the time, `We go to bed with you guys. We never miss it,'" says Alexander.
Tuesday marks the DVD release of seasons five and six, a period when "Seinfeld" was at its peak with episodes like "The Fusilli Jerry," "The Face Painter" and "The Opposite."
"Most people, you do a TV series, it ends three, four, five years later; it's a relic," Seinfeld says. "But we're still hearing from the people, the audience, the people on the street, as if we're still doing it.
"It feels alive."
Seeing the four principals together again is like a reunion of the Beatles — for the actors as well, who are rarely together any more. Despite last year's acrimony over DVD proceeds, today they revel in each other's company, quickly recounting dialogue when certain scenes are mentioned.
Recalling Kramer's exploits to save a severed pinky toe by commandeering a city bus, Alexander repeats Jerry's line: "You kept makin' all the stops?"
"They kept ringing the bell!" Richards replies, in character.
And they all laugh — it's still funny to them. Similarly, on many of the DVD commentaries, insider insight devolves into simple laughter; the viewer no longer has a guide, but a companion on the couch.
"The show had an intense comedic energy that you do not find on other shows," Seinfeld says. "There's an intense comedic scene happening all the time, and that's the way we tried to make them, really packed, tight, strong — and that just holds the audience."
Alexander adds, "On this show, the comedy was the thing, so if you had to kind of trash a character a little bit..."
"Or entirely," chimes Louis-Dreyfus, whose character perhaps suffered the most — a long, subtle descent from "sponge-worthy" to flirting with Newman, if needed.
"Seinfeld" nearly didn't get the chance to become a hit. It wasn't until the third or fourth season that the show really found its rhythm and audience.
"It seemed early on that it was such a specific audience and when every new element of the audience came on, I was just thinking, `Wow,'" Alexander says. He remembers being astounded when he saw, through his mother's friends, "the senior citizen community groovin' on our show."
"It really was written and geared for a very specific audience, but our comedic strength trumps all of that," Seinfeld says. "The subject matter, the dialogue, the tone isn't right for most of America."
Part of what he's referring to is the racy material. Though vulgarity is often hidden by acrobatic metaphors and pregnant omissions ("You know, I was alone..."), "Seinfeld" still managed to slide plenty past the censors.
How did they get away with their most heralded triumph, "The Contest," from season 4?
"We were somewhat unsupervised," Seinfeld says. "The audience was there and the network is not going to complain if everyone's liking the show."
But one fact of television life is that it can't help but eventually feel dated. While "I Love Lucy," "M A S H" and "Cheers" still have their charms, they are very much of their era.
The absence of cell phones, Jerry's old computer and the group's fondness for "Melrose Place" may soon feel antiquated. Louis-Dreyfus cringes at some of her outfits and hairstyles, and is quick to correct Seinfeld's claim that her clothes have aged more than his.
After the show ended, Seinfeld, 51, mostly went back to standup, a journey chronicled in the documentary "Comedian." The other three have tried new shows: Alexander with last season's canceled "Listen Up," Richards with the failed "The Michael Richards Show," and Louis-Dreyfus on "Old Christine," which debuts at midseason on CBS.
But being pigeonholed by "Seinfeld" is a price the cast will gladly pay. "What actor wouldn't want that kind of experience?" says Louis-Dreyfus, 44.
Perhaps inevitably, the foursome is further removed from "Seinfeld" than many fans. Richards, 56, says he never says "Giddy up!" — "not even when I'm on a horse."
They say they rarely watch their old show, though Alexander, 46, recounts the fun of watching "Seinfeld" with his children, who were surprised what a jerk their father was.
The cast will nevertheless have plenty to remind them of "Seinfeld." People actually practice Mr. Constanza's pseudo Christmas holiday, Festivus, for example. Alexander still gets shouts of "Can't-stand-ya" and "these pretzels are makin' me thirsty!" Louis-Dreyfus hears "yada yada yada," and Seinfeld is asked "where's Kramer?"
So what does Richards get?
"Wish you were back."