'Batwoman' revived as a lesbian

NEW YORK (AP) - Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet.

DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year. The five-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.

"We decided to give her a different point of view," explained Dan DiDio, vice-president and executive editor at DC. "We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That's one of the reasons we went in this direction."

The original Batwoman was started in 1956, and killed off in 1979. The new character will share the same name as her original alter ego, Kathy Kane. And the new Batwoman arrives with ties to others in the Gotham City world.

"She's a socialite from Gotham high society," DiDio said. "She has some past connection with Bruce Wayne. And she's also had a past love affair with one of our lead characters, Renee Montoya."

Montoya, in the 52 comic book series, is a former police detective. Wayne, of course, is Batman's true identity - but he has disappeared, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, leaving Gotham a more dangerous place.

The 52 series is a collaboration of four acclaimed writers, with one episode per week for one year. The comics will introduce other diverse characters as the story plays out.

"This is not just about having a gay character," DiDio said. "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."

The outing of Batwoman created a furor of opinions on websites devoted to DC Comics. Opinions ranged from outrage to approval. Others took a more tongue-in-cheeck approach to the announcement.

"Wouldn't ugly people as heroes be more groundbreaking?" asked one poster. "You know, 200-pound woman, man with horseshoe hair loss pattern, people with cold sores, etc.?"

DiDio asked that people wait until the new Batwoman's appearance in the series before they pass judgment.

"You know what? Judge us by the story and character we create," he said. "We are confident that we are telling a great story with a strong, complex character."

DiDio spent most of the morning fielding phone calls from media intrigued by the Batwoman reinvention.

"It's kind of weird," he said. "We had a feeling it would attract some attention, but we're a little surprised it did this much."

Dixie Chicks dominate album charts

The Dixie Chicks' latest disc took a short cut to No. 1 on the Canadian album charts this week.

The trio's seventh album, "Taking the Long Way," debuted in the top spot with sales of just under 40,000 copies, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.

"Long Way," the Dixie Chicks' first No. 1 album in Canada, topped the first-week sales of the previous studio disc "Home," which checked in at No. 2 with 21,000 in sales back in September of 2002.

The Dixie Chicks also grabbed the No. 1 spot south of the border, selling 525,000 copies of "Long Way" in the U.S. They are now the first female group to have their first three albums premiere at the top of the charts stateside.

Back in Canada, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium" (15,000) was relegated to the No. 2 position, while former Blink-182 singer Tom DeLonge's new band Angels & Airwaves came in at No. 2 with their debut effort, "We Don't Need To Whisper" (14,000).

Shakira's "Oral Fixation Vol. 2." remained at No. 4, James Blunt's "Back to Bedlam" slipped two notches to No. 5, Tool's "10,000 Days" sank four to No. 6, and Rihanna's "Girl Like Me" dropped from 5-7.

Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere," buoyed by the mad success of their single "Crazy," made their first top 10 appearance at No. 8, Michael Buble's "It's Time" occupied the No. 9 position, and Crazy Frog's "Crazy Hits" moved from No. 11 to No. 10.

Other notable debuts included the WWE compilation "Wreckless Intent" at No. 11, Def Leppard's covers disc "Yeah!" at No. 13, and the American Idol collection "Season 5" at No. 14.

In the U.S., Disney's "High School Musical" placed second (175,000), followed by the American Idol collection in third, Angels & Airwaves in fourth, and the Chili Peppers in fifth.

'Superman' Will Fly Into Theaters Early

Superhero flick opts for Wednesday premiere

This news many not necessarily change your end-of-June plans, but Warner Brothers has bumped up the release of "Superman Returns" by two days.

Instead of taking flight on movie screens everywhere on Friday, June 30, Bryan Singer's reboot of the superhero franchise will now open on Wednesday, June 28, extending the potential franchise pic's release through the protracted July 4th weekend.

"We were always considering this an option," Dan Fellman, WB's president of domestic distribution tells Variety. "I'm glad that we are in position to do it and take advantage of the summer holiday playtime."

The trade paper reports that the studio had long hoped to have "Superman Returns," which stars Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and newcomer Brandon Routh, in theaters by the Wednesday, but there had been some internal questions regarding the completion of prints, particularly those for the movie's IMAX run.

Now, though, "Superman Returns" is set up for an open playing field from the end of June through the July 4th holiday, which falls on a Tuesday. For that period, "Superman" will face only counterprogramming from Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada."

More competition is expected on July 7th with the release of Sony's "Little Man," as well as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" from Disney.

FEY'S DAYS AT 'SNL' UNCERTAIN

Tine Fey may not have a future on "Saturday Night Live."

An "SNL" spokesman said yesterday that Fey "has not yet made a decision" on whether she'll stay with the show as head writer and co-anchor of "Weekend Update" - or leave to focus on her new sitcom, "30 Rock," premiering this fall on NBC.

Fey created "30 Rock" and will co-star with Alec Baldwin, "SNL" alum Tracy Morgan and current "SNL"-er Rachel Dratch.

She'll also executive-produce and write the show, leaving her precious little time to devote to her weekly gig anchoring "Weekend Update."

Us Weekly reports in this week's issue that Fey will leave "SNL" to focus on "30 Rock" - and quotes a source confirming her departure from NBC's late-night comedy franchise.

"That's why she wore the T-shirt that said 'Thank You' during the closing credits of the [May 20] season finale of 'SNL,' " the source tells Us Weekly.

"She wore it. That's about it," the show's spokesman said regarding Fey's T-shirt.

NBC has high hopes for "30 Rock," one of its two fall shows - along with Aaron Sorkin's drama, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" - that will examine life behind-the-scenes on a network TV show.

On "30 Rock," airing Wednesdays, Fey will play Liz Lemon, the head writer of a New York-based TV variety show ("The Girly Show"), who's dealing with unpredictable co-stars and a "demanding" network boss (played by frequent "SNL" host Baldwin).

"In this bold, star-studded comedy, anything can happen!" trumpets NBC on its Web site.

Fey, 36, joined "SNL" in 1997 and was made head writer in 1999 - the first woman in the show's history to hold that title.

She's been anchoring "Weekend Update" with Amy Poehler, who re placed Jimmy Fallon in 2004.

Fey, who's married to musician Jeff Richmond, took some time off from "SNL" last season after giving birth to the cou ple's first child, Alice.

Wiseman Says "Die Hard 4?"

Yippee-ki-yay, Len Wiseman?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director of the fantasy-horror thriller Underworld and its sequel, Underworld: Evolution, is in talks to take the helm of Die Hard: 4 for 20th Century Fox.

Bruce Willis is once again set to reprise his role as wise-cracking New York cop John McClane, stuck in yet another impossible situation. This time around, the plot will find our aging tough-as-nails action hero coming out of retirement to battle terrorist baddies looking to wreak havoc on the Internet.

The script, written by Mark Bomback and Doug Richardson, was originally called Die Hard 4.0, but is expected to receive a new title in the vein of the third installment, 1995's Die Hard With A Vengeance.

Per the trade, producer Arnold Rifkin was looking for up-and-coming talent to revive the franchise and Wiseman fit the bill, having made his directing debut with 2003's stylish Underworld, which told the nightmarish tale of a war between vampires and werewolves. Both the film and its follow-up starred Kate Beckinsale, whom Wiseman married.

A rep for Fox was unavailable to comment on the report and there's no word on additional casting yet. The studio has remained tightlipped about development on Die Hard 4 since the project was first revealed back in 2002.

For his part, the 51-year-old Willis previously vowed never to do another sequel, jokingly asking during media interviews for the last chapter how much misery McClane can take as he gets himself mixed up with one diabolical criminal conspiracy after another.

1988's Die Hard, directed by John McTiernan and considered one of the defining action movies of the '80s, saw the character take on terrorist mastermind, Hans Gruber ( Alan Rickman), and stop him from robbing the vaults of a Japanese corporation in a Los Angeles skyscraper.

1990's sequel, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, helmed by Renny Harlin, saw McClane foiling a plot by mercenaries to take over an airport to free a drug dealer.

And finally, Die Hard With a Vengeance, with McTiernan at the reigns again, put McClane in a cat-and-mouse game with Gruber's bomber brother, Simon, around New York as he attempts to rob the federal bank.

All told, the combined worldwide gross of all three films have topped $1 billion, not including millions more raked in from video and DVD sales.

If all goes well, Die Hard 4 could hit the big screen by summer 2007.

Dixie Chicks return to No. 1 on charts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a cool reception from country radio, the Dixie Chicks returned to No. 1 on the pop and country charts with their first album since publicly criticizing the president three years ago.

The album "Taking the Long Way" took the top spot on country albums chart and the Billboard 200 overall chart — which are based on sales rather than radio airplay — with 526,000 units sold in its first full week.

For the year, the Chicks' first-week showing is behind only Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang" (722,000 units), according to Wade Jessen, director of Billboard's country charts.

The new album hit stores May 23, and its first-week sales are the trio's best since "Home" sold 780,000 units in its first week of release in September 2000.

First-week sales on "Taking the Long Way" were better than Toby Keith's "White Trash With Money" (330,000) and Tim McGraw's "Greatest Hits Vol. 2: Reflected" (242,000).

Country radio programmers have been slow to embrace the group since lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 on the eve of the war in Iraq that the group was ashamed President Bush was from their home state of Texas.

Back in the U.S., their music was boycotted and the Chicks said they received death threats, leading them to install metal detectors at their shows.

CBC program boss optimistic about future

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's private TV broadcasters may be enjoying a cash cow right now by importing top-rated U.S. series like Desperate Housewives and Lost and substituting their own commercials.

But all that could end within five years as technology allows consumers to download episodes directly through the Internet or via podcasts, says CBC Television's new top programming executive.

And that's when a public broadcaster, with a prime-time grid packed with attractive domestic content, will become much more important, says Kirstine Layfield.

"This has happened overseas," she says. "Those technologies are so much more advanced there, there's much more globalization of programming (and) the public broadcasters got stronger."

Layfield concedes CTV has done very well for itself while the CBC has suffered ratings and budgetary shortfalls. But the former executive in charge of content for the Alliance Atlantis suite of specialty channels seems determined to put the most optimistic face on her decision to move from the private to the public sector.

She insists that, despite being told by some that she must be crazy, to be the executive director of English programming at the CBC is a "dream come true" because there are no shareholders to take money out of the company.

"Every dollar of revenue that comes in here will be put to a purpose that will show up on the screen," she says. "This is not a margin business here."

And with evidence that U.S sources may some day soon be selling a lot more of their content directly to the public through new technology platforms, Layfield heads up a whole new team of programming executives at the CBC who plan to ramp up production on homegrown fare starting this fall. With some 150 hours of prime-time domestic entertainment on the air this past season, the plan calls for 175 hours in the 2006-2007 season and 250 hours by 2008.

"In the end, people want to hear about themselves, and they want to hear indigenous stories and they want to see themselves. So it can be an opportunity to turn it around."

And Layfield, ever the optimist, dismisses the reality that the CBC's ratings are in the dumpster after such disasters as a lost hockey season and last fall's morale-destroying employee lockout, to say nothing of the continued absence of a strong, long-term financial commitment from a minority federal government.

To that end, Layfield and her team have already dumped the keystone strategy of her predecessor Slawko Klymkiw, who believed in a strong emphasis on so-called "high impact" programming, that is, movies of the week and miniseries, not regular series. But with the dismal ratings performance of Trudeau 2, and with the cancellation of highly respected but little-watched series like Da Vinci's City Hall and This Is Wonderland, it's natural to wonder about the source of Layfield's optimism and just what kind of programming is coming down the pipe that will work for a change.

But she seems to agree with the unions that represent TV actors and crews that it's series, not one-shot dramas, that will draw in and hold the viewers.

"I think that kind of tentpole strategy of big events is a great strategy to have. It worked at the time when it was being implemented. But eventually when you have such tight resources as we have here you have to populate the rest of the schedule."

The CBC will unveil its new season at a media event June 15 and, apart from a new series from Da Vinci creator Chris Haddock called Intelligence, and Marc Starowicz' much-talked-about epic history of hockey, Layfield is revealing little of her programming plans till then.

She won't indicate whether three potential series, Cheap Draft, Rabbittown and This Space For Rent, will make the cut, but she is clear that a previous practice of airing pilot episodes of such shows to test the public's pulse is out the window. The trio of pilots aired in January.

Layfield also believes the CBC has been getting a bum rap in the media for the way it handled recent cancellations.

"West Wing in the States is sent off with a fond farewell," she notes. "Here it's "CBC AXES Da Vinci!"

Meanwhile, how will the CBC produce and finance so many promised hours of Cancon?

Part of the strategy involved Layfield and company embarking on a recent 2 1/2-week, 10-city tour of the country during which they talked not only to regional staff but private sector producers. Although one prominent producer dismissed the endeavour as a 'dog and pony show', Layfield says meeting with 1,600 potential production partners was a great reaching-out experience.

"We're saying we're a new team, we have a different attitude. It's a different time," she explains.

"I think producers, although skeptical because I think they always will be, in the end have told us 'We'll give it a shot'."

Joining Layfield on the new program executive team are Fred Fuchs in charge of A&E content, Sally Cato as creative head of drama and Starowicz as head of documentary programming.

XM says suspending some radio sales

NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said on Tuesday that it is suspending the sale of two products and reviewing others after a U.S. regulator said the devices exceeded limits for wireless signal strength.

XM said the suspensions applied to Audiovox Corp. and Delphi Corp. radios that let consumers play XM's satellite radio service on regular radios but declined to say if it stopped the sale of other products.

The satellite radio service said it was keeping its latest subscriber growth target for 2006 but said in a filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it could provide no assurances that the issue would "not have a material impact" on its operating results or financial position.

"We're working to expedite this issue and minimize the extent of any interruption at retail. We're continuing to target 8.5 million year-end subscribers," spokesman Chance Patterson said.

XM, which cut its forecast from 9 million on Friday, said that the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the signal strength of wireless transmissions from the Delphi and Audiovox products exceeded FCC limits, potentially interfering with nearby FM radios using similar frequencies.

XM leads the U.S. satellite radio service with more than 6.5 million subscribers, compared with 4.1 million at its rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.. The sector is one of the world's fasting growing new technologies, and analysts have forecast total users may top 40 million in a few years.

But XM has been battered this year with bad news, including probes by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission, concerns about its relationship with beleaguered auto maker General Motors Corp, and charges that it is spending too much in its quest to gain new users.

The company said in its filing that the FCC sent it a letter stating that Delphi's XM SKYFi2 radios, which it started selling more than a year ago, was not in compliance with emission limits.

Audiovox also received a similar letter about its Audiovox Express radio, which started selling in late 2005, XM said.

XM said it was also taking a series of actions involving various radios it did not name to bring them into compliance with guidelines.

Its actions include requests to manufacturers to stop shipping radios or accessories that might need hardware or software changes or changes to operating or installation instructions, XM said.

For example changes could include the addition of small attachments that reduce emissions, it said. Patterson declined to say if XM was stopping the sale of other products besides the ones named in the filing.

He said that factory installed satellite radios for cars were not affected and that it did not suspend sales of its digital music players from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Pioneer Corp.

XM said in the filing that it would look for new equipment authorizations where appropriate and that it expects to give the FCC new information shortly, including the results of modified radios that comply with in-car test criteria.

The company said that the sale suspensions do not involve any health and safety issues. Patterson said that no product recalls were planned.

MGM revamps DVD, TV distribution

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on Tuesday unveiled new plans to revitalize the movie studio by ending video and DVD distribution pacts with Sony Pictures Entertainment and reestablishing a TV sales division.

MGM said it signed a new worldwide video and DVD distribution pact with 20th Century Fox to consolidate sales efforts under one company. Previously MGM split video and DVD distribution between Fox overseas and Sony in domestic arenas.

For Sony, MGM's decision cuts both ways. Sony's home video business will lose lucrative distribution fees it would have earned for releasing titles from MGM's library of 4,000 movies and 10,000 TV episodes. However, Sony will benefit if MGM makes more money because Sony owns 20 percent of the company.

Sony also secured a deal to extend a film co-production and distribution pact with MGM for one more James Bond film beyond November's release of "Casino Royale." Sony and MGM further agreed to co-produce and distribute a new "Pink Panther" comedy and other yet-to-be determined films.

Finally, MGM will continue supporting Sony's blu-ray DVD technology by releasing DVDs in the new video format.

"We have identified another important opportunity to build out our business by returning our worldwide television sales operations in-house and by consolidating our home entertainment releases with a single distributor," MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan said.

Sony has a seat on MGM's board, meaning it had a say in the decision.

The moves follow MGM's March announcement to again begin distributing movies to theaters on its own, and it comes about seven months after Sloan took the reins of the company.

Venerable MGM, known for producing movies like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" during Hollywood's Golden Age, was acquired last year by the Sony-led consortium for roughly $3 billion in cash, plus assumed debt.

Private equity investors Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners together own roughly 50 percent of MGM, Sony and cable TV company Comcast Corp. each own about 20 percent. Other major investors include DLJ Merchant Banking, Quadrangle Group and Sloan.

Sony Pictures is part of Japanese electronics company Sony Corp, and Fox is part of News Corp.

Farina turns in badge at "Law & Order"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Dennis Farina is leaving "Law & Order" after two years, and will be replaced by Milena Govich, who played one of the assistant district attorneys on series creator Dick Wolf's short-lived drama "Conviction."

The moves are part of a major talent overhaul on NBC's 16-year-old crime drama. Also exiting, after a similarly short stint, is Annie Parisse, who played Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia.

The show, which lost 1.8 million viewers last season, is being moved from its longtime Wednesday berth to Fridays in the fall, to Wolf's chagrin.

Farina played the snappy dresser Detective Joe Fontana, who investigated crimes and apprehended suspects with partner Edward Green ( Jesse L. Martin).

"Dennis is the consummate professional, and I respect his decision to pursue other opportunities, and he will be sorely missed," Wolf said. "I genuinely hope we work together again."

Farina had succeeded longtime "L&O" star Jerry Orbach, whose character on the show, Detective Lennie Briscoe, transitioned to Wolf's short-lived "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" until Orbach's death in late 2004.

Govich, a 29-year-old Oklahoma native who guest-starred on "L&O" in 2005, also had a recurring role on FX's "Rescue Me."

Myers touting self-help with comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Mike Myers is in final negotiations to write, produce and star in an untitled self-help comedy.

The Paramount Pictures centers on a self-help guru named Pitka who is called upon to solve a couple's romantic problems. Like Myers' groovy Austin Powers incarnation, Pitka was created and workshopped by Myers at several theaters in Manhattan. Myers will co-write with longtime associate Graham Gordy.

In April, Myers signed on to star in Paramount's "How to Survive a Robot Uprising."

Myers, whose credits include the "Austin Powers" trilogy and "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat," will again voice the title character in the third installment of DreamWorks' animated "Shrek" franchise.

Beyonce Knowles celebrating "B'Day" in September

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Destiny's Child principal Beyonce Knowles will release her second solo album, "B'Day," on September 5 in the United States, and a day earlier internationally, which will be her 25th birthday.

Knowles co-produced, wrote and arranged all the tracks on the Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia set. Co-producers include Rich Harrison, the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz. The first single is "Deja vu" featuring Jay-Z and co-produced by Rodney Jerkins.

She completed the album after wrapping her role in the film "Dreamgirls," which recently premiered to much Oscar buzz at the Cannes Film Festival and is set for a December 22 release. Loosely based on Motown's Supremes, the movie co-stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover.

"B'Day" will be the follow-up to Knowles' 2003 solo debut "Dangerously In Love," which topped the Billboard 200 and has sold 4.3 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The disc won five Grammy Awards.

Destiny's Child issued its final album "Destiny Fulfilled" last year. It sold 3 million copies and spawned the hit single "Check On It," which held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for five straight weeks.

Group member Kelly Rowland's own sophomore project, "My Story: Kelly Rowland," was recently bumped from July to the first quarter of 2007, reportedly to allow more time to work out a marketing strategy. Both are managed by Mathew Knowles, Beyonce's father.

Warner to Proceed Straight to Video

The studio is launching a direct-to-DVD business with plans to release 10 to 15 movies a year.

Looking for new, less risky ways to boost profit, Warner Bros. is launching a direct-to-DVD business that will release 10 to 15 low-budget movies a year.

First up will be a sequel to the studio's 2005 hit "The Dukes of Hazzard," scheduled to go on sale at the end of this year or in early 2007.

Movies made exclusively for DVD typically are done on the cheap without the costly stars and lavish production expenses associated with theatrical films.

Adhering to that model, Warner aims to keep each direct-to-DVD movie's production budget to $5 million or less, although some films may cost slightly more. The "Dukes" sequel, for example, won't reunite cast members Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott.

The new venture, a partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, aims to cash in on what has been a lucrative, relatively inexpensive business for such rivals as Walt Disney Studios and Universal Pictures.

"We recognize that the made-for-video business is a place we need to put emphasis and devote considerable resources," Warner President Alan Horn said. "Discipline is the key to the ultimate success of the new venture for us."

Still, the direct-to-DVD business is no sure bet. It faces increased competition from boxed sets of popular television shows such as "Lost," "24" and "Desperate Housewives," one of the hottest areas in home video.

"The made-for-home entertainment business can be very profitable if you select the right projects, control your development and production costs and time your releases to minimize your marketing expenditures and maximize your exposure," said Louis Feola, Universal Pictures' former home video president who oversaw such popular direct-to-video franchises as "The Land Before Time."

Jeff Robinov, Warner's production president, and Kevin Tsujihara, president of the studio's home entertainment group, will oversee the new division, which is expected to be operating within three months. The two are looking to hire an executive to run the day-to-day operations of the unit, which is expected to have 10 staff members, including its own creative, business and marketing personnel.

Robinov said the division would produce live-action DVD prequels and sequels to existing Warner Bros. movies such as "Dukes," which grossed $80.3 million domestically but was not the kind of hit that would justify spending the large sums required to make and market a theatrical release.

Still, Robinov said, "That doesn't mean they don't have audience interest and built-in awareness."

Robinov added that although profit margins in the direct-to-video business could be thinner than in theatrical releases, such built-in awareness along with creative marketing could mitigate the financial risks.

Tsujihara said a "Dukes" sequel allowed Warner to repackage on DVD the original film and episodes of the popular 1980s TV series it was based on.

Warner's new division also will produce and acquire original made-for-DVD movies running the gamut of genres including horror, comedy and action films. Last month, Warner, a unit of media giant Time Warner Inc., announced it would finance three, under-$5-million DVD-only horror films to be directed by Daniel Myrick ("The Blair Witch Project"), producer Tony Krantz ("24") and TV writer John Shiban ("The X-Files").

Until now, Warner has released direct-to-video titles on a scattershot basis, mostly animated family fare from the studio's "Scooby-Doo," "Tom & Jerry" and "Looney Toons" franchises. The studio plans to continue releasing family-oriented DVDs, including films culled from its DC Comics library of characters, among them Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

"We've had an existing slate of four to five of these evergreen titles a year, and they are fairly profitable," Tsujihara said. "We'd like to put together slates that have a mixture of genres."

The Couch Potato Report - May 30th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on a small new Canadian film and a 29-year-old American one.

Have you ever found a film interesting that you couldn't recommend?

The Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING fits that bill for me.

This made-in-Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia movie is about a thirteen year old boy who is enrolled in high school after years of being home schooled by his pseudo-hippie parents.

The boy is clever, intelligent and since he was raised in a household of casual nudity and openness about sex he is also androgynous.

We all know that kids can be cruel and the boy’s transition from home to school doesn’t go smoothly.

He does manage to get along well with the teachers, especially his English teacher.

However, this man has his own problems, including an ailing Mother.

The teacher's problems increase once he realizes that the boy has developed a crush on him.

As I mentioned, I found WHOLE NEW THING interesting, and the Canadian cast featuring Rebecca Jenkins, Robert Joy, Daniel MacIvor, Callum Keith Rennie, and Aaron Webber as the boy are all superb, but I just didn’t think the film was very good.

If you like small, interesting Canadian films, then I think you should see it. Otherwise don't bother as the film isn't very good.

The pace is slow, some of the secondary stories - especially the affair the boy's Mother has - just seem added on because the filmmakers wanted to make the movie longer.

However, for some reason, maybe because it is a Canadian film, I found it interesting enough to watch right until the end.

I am glad I saw WHOLE NEW THING, as I really like small, interesting Canadian films, but I won’t ever need to see it again. Once was enough.

Yes, I like small, interesting Canadian films. I also like big huge American box office hits from the 1970s.

Films like SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.

Burt Reynolds stars in this film as “The Bandit”, a man who is hired to deliver a tractor trailer full of beer.

Along the way he is pursued by a relentless sheriff. Jackie Gleason plays Sheriff Buford T. Justice.

Sally Field is Reynold’s love interest and Jerry Reed is The Bandit’s truck driving buddy.

I have seen this film almost every year since it originally came out and one of the reasons that I am continually entertained by it is the fact that it doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is.

It is just ninety minutes of pure cinematic fun.

And now the new SPECIAL EDITION DVD for SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT features a remastered version of the film, a new “Making `Smokey And The Bandit'” feature and a CB Radio Tutorial.

I always wondered if they thought they were making Shakespeare when they were filming, or if they were having as much fun as the audience did watching it, and this new DVD gave me the answer.

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT was fun 29 years ago when it first came out, and it is fun now.

Wow, has it really been 29 years?!?!

Oh well, either way the SPECIAL EDITION of SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and the interesting Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING are both available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

In the 4 disc set for ALF - SEASON THREE the former Gordon Shumway, refugee of the long-gone planet Melmac, continues to wreak hilarious havoc upon his adoptive Earth family the Tanners.

And the JOHN WAYNE - AN AMERICAN ICON COLLECTION is a two-disc set that features five of The Duke’s films.

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 time on The Couch!

Nostalgic Sesame Street DVD set coming in October

For the first time ever, Sesame Workshop is planning to release Classic Sesame Street on DVD. Sesame Workshop has not yet announced if the set will contain complete episodes or skit compilations.

In September, Sesame Workshop stated that they were considering the possibility of releasing "classic" Sesame Street material on DVD, but not to expect anything anytime soon. This is due to the necessary development time, many legalities and several other organizational issues that would need to be addressed first.

There is now light at the end of the tunnel. Recently we received the following response from Sesame Workshop on the issue:

We are planning to release a "Sesame Street Nostalgia Box Set", however this is something that will not happen until October '06.

In the meantime, we released a boxed set of The Electric Company in February '06, and there are plans for a second volume of The Electric Company as well.

So, now it is official. The first DVD box set of "classic" Sesame Street material should be released (if all goes as planned) in October 2006.

There are no further details on the set available at this time, but we'll be sure to keep you all updated as more information is revealed on this exciting upcoming release.

Police Squad! - Frank Drebin's Almost Ready To Roll, And We've Got The Street Date!

The day after Christmas this past year we broke the news that Paramount Home Entertainment had officially revealed to us that Police Squad! was on its way to DVD in 2006. The short-run series starring Leslie Nielsen only lasted 6 episodes, but was important in that it led up to the release of all three Naked Gun films, which were a big-screen extension of the show's premise. Now, on Memorial Day, we've got the street date for this long-awaited, highly anticipated release!

How long before Police Squad! - The Complete Series DVDs hit store shelves?

Well, the studio hasn't made a formal announcement yet, but word among our industry sources is that this is planned to hit the streets on November 7th!

Remember to count this as a "rumor" until the formal date is announced by the studio, because until then it's always subject to change. We don't know about costs or extras or anything else yet, though. Just that date, and to expect all 6 episodes that include guest stars such as Lorne Greene, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Tommy Lasorda, K. Callan, Robert Goulet, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Spencer Milligan, William Shatner, John Ashton, Florence Henderson, Dick Miller, William Conrad, and Dick Clark.

Stay tuned, and we'll have more for you about this just as soon as we can!

'X-Men' scores record holiday opening

LOS ANGELES - The superhero epic "X-Men: The Last Stand" proved magnetic over the Memorial Day weekend, taking in $120.1 million, the biggest opening ever for the holiday weekend.

Preliminary estimates also gave the latest installment of the comic book franchise the fourth best three-day opening ever and the best single Friday in movie history with a gross of $45.5 million.

The film's box office was the second-biggest one-day gross ever after last year's "Star Wars: Episode III."

The movie exceeded expectations, including those of 20th Century Fox, which released it.

"Wow," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox. "It blew my expectations away. It's rarefied air."

The film was embraced by audiences despite mixed reviews and fears about what would happen to the franchise when director Brett Ratner, best known for the buddy-comedy "Rush Hour" movies, took over the from Bryan Singer, who is directing this year's "Superman Returns."

The movie's climactic tale of a drug company developing a "cure" the mutants appealed across the board.

"There was something for everybody to relate to," Snyder said. "That's what makes 'X-Men' crackle as it does. Everyone has these feelings of being a little bit different."

While moviegoers flocked to see the exploits of mutants such as Storm ( Halle Berry), Wolverine ( Hugh Jackman) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), they also came out to support the two other big summer films, the religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" and the animated family film "Over the Hedge."

"Da Vinci," starring Tom Hanks, was the second-highest grossing film of the four-day weekend with $43 million, down 56 percent from last week's impressive opening weekend.

The DreamWorks Animation film "Over the Hedge" took in $35.3 million, down 30 percent from last weekend.

This year's box office revenue for the top 12 films is running about 6 percent of last year and with potential blockbusters on the horizon, such as the Pixar Animation film "Cars" and "Superman Returns," the industry is poised for a spectacular summer.

"I think this puts to bed the notion that people don't want to go to movies anymore," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The combination of 'Da Vinci Code' and 'X-Men' proves that people really love to go to the movies, especially in the summer."

Last year saw a slump in box office revenue and fears were kindled this year when the first two big films of the summer, "Mission:Impossible III" and "Poseidon" opened lower than expected.

The Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" also made an impressive debut over the weekend.

Playing on only four screens in New York and Los Angeles, the film from Paramount Vantage, about the dangers of global warming, took in an estimated $365,787 from Friday to Monday — a per screen average of $91,447.

"Not only are superheros big right now, but global warming as a topic is really hot as well," Dergarabedian said.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "X-Men: The Last Stand," $120.1 million.
2. "The Da Vinci Code," 43 million.
3. "Over the Hedge," $35.3 million
4. "Mission: Impossible III," $8.6 million.
5. "Poseidon," $7 million.
6. "RV," $5.3 million
7. "See No Evil," $3.2 million
8. "Just My Luck," $2.3 million.
9. "United 93," $1.1 million.
10. "An American Haunting," $936,680.

Fraggle Rock - 2nd Season Date Confirmed! Plus Price, Specs, & More!

Way back in January we had news that Fraggle Rock - The Complete 2nd Season would make it to DVD on September 5th. In the past few days we've received confirmation from industry sources that this is indeed the date that HIT Entertainment will be shipping this product, and this time it will get to the retailer channels via their new distributor, Fox Home Entertainment.

Cost will be $49.98 SRP, for 175 minutes of Fraggle fun in 1.33:1 full screen video and English Dolby Stereo 2.0 audio. While extras weren't mentioned by our contacts, we've already seen reports that we can expect new interviews and home videos shot by "Wembly" and "Sprocket" puppeteer Steve Whitmire.

This will be great fun, and we can't wait! Expect more Fraggle Rock to continue to come to DVD in the lead-up to the new 2007 big-screen Fraggle film that Brian Henson is pulling together, taking the gang into outer space! It's not a stretch, actually, since the very first episode showed Gobo's Uncle Matt heading through the opening to outer space...so don't forget that "outer space" to them is the world of humans (like us). Stay tuned and we'll bring you more about the upcoming releases that are sure to tie in with this new movie that's in the works.

Marathon 'Runner'

WB preps 'final cut' of sci-fi classic

Warner's homevid will release a remastered 'Blade Runner,' to be followed by a theatrical version, which studio says will be director Ridley Scott's final cut.

Warner homevid has disentangled "Blade Runner's" famously thorny rights issues to pave the way for a September reissue of the remastered "Director's Cut" version, followed by a theatrical release of a version promised to be truly Ridley Scott's final cut.

Warner's rights to "Blade Runner" lapsed a year ago, but the studio has since negotiated a long-term license. The pic, now considered a sci-fi classic, has had a troubled history from the start: When Scott ran overbudget, completion bond guarantors took control of it and made substantial changes before its 1982 theatrical release, adding a voiceover and happy ending. That version was replaced by the much better-received director's cut in 1992, but Scott has long been unhappy with it, complaining that he was rushed and unable to give it proper attention.

The helmer started working on the final cut version in 2000, but that project was shelved by Warner soon after, apparently because the studio couldn't come to terms with Jerry Perenchio over rights issues.

The restored "Director's Cut" will debut on homevid in September, and remain on sale for four months only, after which time it will be placed on moratorium.

"Blade Runner: Final Cut" will arrive in 2007 for a limited 25th anniversary theatrical run, followed by a special edition DVD with the three previous versions offered as alternate viewing: Besides the original theatrical version and director's cut, the expanded international theatrical cut will be included. The set will also contain additional bonus materials.

The massive "Blade Runner" project comes on the heels of Scott's four-disc treatment for "Kingdom of Heaven," released this week by Fox homevid, less than a year after the pic's initial homevid release.

'Breakfast Club' principal Gleason dies

BURBANK, Calif. - Paul Gleason, who played the go-to bad guy in "Trading Places" and the angry high school principal in "The Breakfast Club," has died. He was 67.

Gleason died at a local hospital Saturday of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos, said his wife, Susan Gleason.

"Whenever you were with Paul, there was never a dull moment," his wife said. "He was awesome."

A native of Miami, Gleason was an avid athlete. Before becoming an actor, he played Triple-A minor league baseball for a handful of clubs in the late 1950s.

Gleason honed his acting skills with his mentor Lee Strasberg, whom he studied with at the Actors Studio beginning in the mid-1960s, family members said.

Through his career, Gleason appeared in over 60 movies that included "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Most recently, Gleason made a handful of television appearances in hit shows such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

Gleason's passions went beyond acting. He had recently published a book of poetry.

"He was an athlete, an actor and a poet," said his daughter, Shannon Gleason-Grossman. "He gave me and my sister a love that is beyond description that will be with us and keep us strong for the rest of our lives."

Actor Jimmy Hawkins, a friend of Gleason's since the 1960s, said he remembered Gleason for a sharp sense of humor.

"He just always had great stories to tell," Hawkins said.

Gleason was survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. Funeral plans were pending.

Wind That Shakes the Barley earns top prize at Cannes Film Festival

CANNES, France (AP) - British director Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a saga set amid Ireland's struggle for independence in the early 1920s, won top honours Sunday in an unanimous vote at the Cannes Film Festival.

It was the first time veteran filmmaker Loach won the main prize after seven earlier entries in the main competition at the world's most prestigious film festival.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley stars Cillian Murphy as an Irish medical student who takes up arms against a reign of terror by the Black and Tans, British troops sent in to quell calls for independence.

Loach, who previously won the third-place prize at Cannes with 1990's Hidden Agenda and 1993's Raining Stones, said he hoped the film would be a small step encouraging the British to "confront their imperial history. And maybe, if we tell the truth about the past, maybe we tell the truth about the present."

Prizes for best actor and actress went to ensemble casts. Penelope Cruz and her five key cast mates in Pedro Almodovar's Volver, including Carmen Maura, Yohana Cobo and Lola Duenas, shared the actress prize. The film, a comic drama about women making do without men, also won the screenplay honour for director Almodovar.

"It's such an honour to be able to share this award with all these amazing women," Cruz said. "I think this award really belongs to Pedro, the master. . . . Thank you so much, Pedro, for what you do for women."

The men of Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb's Second World War saga Days of Glory, about North African Muslims who volunteered in the fight to free France from the Nazis, received the best-actor honour. The cast includes French stars Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri and Sami Bouajila.

In accepting the award, the Days of Glory cast joined in on an anthem sung by French colonial soldiers during the war.

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won the directing prize for Babel, which features Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a multicultural drama about loosely linked families around the globe.

Inarritu said more than 1,000 people contributed to the production of the film and that "I'm receiving this award on behalf of all of them."

The grand prize for second-place film was given to French director Bruno Dumont's Flanders, a stark drama following soldiers from dreary farm country through a grisly tour of duty in the Middle East.

The third-place jury prize went to British filmmaker Andrea Arnold's Red Road, a sombre tale about a Scottish woman carrying out surveillance on a man responsible for tragedy in her past.

The award for best film from a first-time director went to Romanian filmmaker Corneliu Porumboiu for his Christmas drama A Fost Sau N-A Fost?

The main competition's three high-profile American films - including Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst as the 18th-century French queen - were shut out for prizes. Marie Antoinette earned praise for its style and visual panache but was criticized as a superficial treatment of the Austrian aristocrat who became a symbol of extravagance preceding the French Revolution.

The other U.S. entries were Richard Linklater's consumer satire Fast Food Nation, which had a lukewarm reaction, and Richard Kelly's darkly comic tale of apocalypse, Southland Tales, which received a scathing response from critics who scorned it as self-indulgent nonsense.

The nine-member jury that chose Cannes winners was headed by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai and included actors Samuel L. Jackson, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Monica Bellucci and Ziyi Zhang. Wong said the decision for the top prize was unanimous.

The 59th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival opened May 17 with Tom Hanks and Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code, which received a harsh reception from Cannes critics but went on to become an instant blockbuster the following weekend. The film did not compete for prizes at Cannes.

Other high-profile films that screened out of competition included the superhero adventure X-Men: The Last Stand, the animated comedy Over the Hedge and the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, chronicling former U.S. vice-president Al Gore's efforts to educate the public about global warming.

After 15 years, Couric makes 'Today' exit

NEW YORK - Millions of Americans can scarcely remember a weekday where Katie Couric wasn't a part of their morning routine. Maybe the "Today" show was on in the background when they gathered their homework for school. Later, she was there when they gulped a quick cup of coffee before work. In a few years, they'd watch TV while feeding the baby and Couric was still there — a few hairstyles later.

That comes to an end on Wednesday, Couric's last day as "Today" co-host. She'll be feted in a three-hour special edition stuffed with film clips and performances by Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and the cast of the Broadway show "Jersey Boys."

How will she be able to hold it all together?

"I haven't really thought about it and worried about it," Couric told The Associated Press. "I'll do what I've always done for 15 years and be myself. I'll react the way I react."

Couric, 49, will take June off and then report to work at CBS News. She'll start anchoring the "CBS Evening News" in September.

Her tenure as "Today" host began on April 5, 1991. She looked impossibly young then next to Bryant Gumbel, her playfulness a perfect counterpoint when he lapsed into self-seriousness. She was pregnant with Elinor at the time, and gave birth to her second daughter Caroline in 1996.

Viewers felt an immediate connection. She was family, and fans grieved when Couric's husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998 and made her a young widow. Couric evolved from the girl-next-door into someone more glamorous — a diva at times, some critics thought. For more than a decade, however, she has remained viewers' first choice in the morning.

Jeff Zucker, then the "Today" executive producer, said he knew she was a natural from that first day.

"She emerged as one of the seminal hosts in morning television history," said Zucker, now CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group. "She grew up on the air and changed both professionally and personally. She earned her stripes as one of the great news broadcasters in history. I think she'll be remembered for her ability to do both the silly and the important."

Morning shows morph every day from news to a program primarily for stay-at-home women who want entertainment and advice. A host must be able to convincingly interview a head of state and a rock star within minutes of each other.

Couric was tested early. She was being given a tour of the White House in 1992 by first lady Barbara Bush, and had studied up on things like Dolly Madison's tea set.

Then President Bush unexpectedly walked in ready to talk, and Couric had to wing it for a 19-minute interview that touched on the presidential campaign and international affairs.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes that morning, at least my career," she remembered.

Interviews with politicians are some of her fondest memories, like call-in shows conducted with Vice President Gore and Ross Perot. Couric's on-air colonoscopy — a spectacularly successful attempt to raise awareness about the disease that killed her husband — is an indelible memory of her time on "Today."

"Because I had to learn so much when Jay was sick and distill a lot of complicated medical ideas for my own edification, I've become good at that for other people," she said. "I've really enjoyed doing that because hopefully I'm doing a service."

Couric is most proud of giving her all to make each segment a positive experience, whether it's a newsy interview or a cooking segment. She won't miss "having to go from zero to Mach 10 in 10 minutes every morning."

She makes a startling admission: "I'm not a morning person."

That said, Couric doesn't feel the urge to take a sledgehammer to her alarm clock for all the years it went off at 5 a.m.

"People are always so disappointed — they're so sadistic," she said. "When I tell them that I don't get up at 3, they're really disappointed. The hours are really very manageable. But you really have to jump-start your brain in a fast way. That's a tough experience. To ease into the day a little bit more might be a nice change of pace for me."

Despite jumping to the competition, Couric said NBC has been "incredibly gracious" during the transition.

"I think I've had a long time to come to grips with this one," Zucker said. "Obviously, it's bittersweet for all of us. We're sorry to see her go but completely understand why she wants a new challenge in her life. We all feel great about the way it's happened and we all feel great about the future.'

Business is business, though: NBC kept Couric on the job until the very last day of her contract, and painstakingly negotiated an agreement that restricted what CBS executives could say about her until the contract expired.

In September, when Couric shows up in the evening at CBS, Meredith Vieira will move into her chair next to Matt Lauer on "Today."

Does Couric have any advice for her successor?

"Have fun!" she said.

"X-Men" annihilates "Da Vinci" at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The final film in the "X-Men" superhero trilogy blew past last weekend's box office champ, "The Da Vinci Code," to post the fourth-highest all-time opening in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" sold about $107 million worth of tickets in the three-day period from Friday to Sunday, dwarfing "Da Vinci's" $77 million opening a week ago, said tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

The Vatican conspiracy thriller slipped to No. 2, but sales data were not immediately available as most studios were planning to report sales estimates for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend on Monday.

The three-day record for a film opening on a Friday is held by 2002's "Spider-Man" ($115 million), followed by 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith ($108.4 million) and 2004's "Shrek 2" ($108 million).

"X-Men: The Last Stand," which reportedly cost at least $165 million to make, was released by News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, which licensed the comic book franchise from Marvel Entertainment Inc. The first film in the series, "X-Men" opened to $54 million in 2000. Three years later, "X2: X-Men United" launched with $86 million. Fox executives were not available for comment.

The new film, whose returning cast of mutants includes Hugh Jackman as the heroic Wolverine and Ian McKellen as the evil Magneto, was directed by Brett Ratner, best known for the "Rush Hour" films. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last week, and earned rave reviews -- unlike Sony Corp.'s "Da Vinci Code."

In addition to taking over from "Da Vinci" as the highest opening so far this year, the new "X-Men" beats the nine-year-old Memorial Day weekend record held by "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," which opened to $72 million during its first three days. Steven Spielberg's dinosaur picture earned an additional $18 million during the Monday holiday.

Projections for the four-day period will be released on Monday, and final data on Tuesday.

Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures said it took the No. 3 and No. 4 places with "Over the Hedge" ($27.3 million) and "Mission: Impossible III" ($6.6 million), respectively. Their totals rose to $85.3 million after two weeks and $115.5 million after four weeks, respectively.

A new special edition version of Apocalypse Now! is coming to DVD

Paramount Home Entertainment is preparing a new version of Apocalypse Now! for release this August, entitled “The Complete Dossier”.

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, this classic and compelling Vietnam War epic stars Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, who is sent on a dangerous and mesmerizing odyssey into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade American Colonel named Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has succumbed to the horrors of war and barricaded himself in a remote outpost. Also stars Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.

“Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier” will come in a cool custom packaging and feature a number of great bonus materials. The release contains both the Original 1979 Version of the movie as well as the 2001 Redux Cut. It is complemented by Commentary Tracks on both versions of the film, featuring Francis Ford Coppola. as well as a selection of Rare, Unseen Footage.

Also included on the release are Lost Scenes a number of Brand New Featurettes as well as 12 never-before-seen Segments From The Cutting Room Floor and various Then & Now Retrospectives. Also look for Marlon Brando’s complete “The Hollow Men” Reading on the release and a Cast Member Reunion.

All in all this release will contain more than 2 hours of new bonus materials!
“Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier” will be in stores on August 15!

Feeling McPhortunate

Katharine McPhee: ''I came in second for a reason.'' The ''American Idol'' runner-up chats with Entertainment Weekly magazine about her tricky song choices, meeting Meat Loaf, and why she wasn't dying to win

Did Katharine McPhee look like she was having more fun on the final American Idol results show than ever before in the competition? Backstage on Wednesday night, she was still getting flower shipments (to add to the thousand roses that are still sitting in her dressing room). She took a few minutes to sit back, kick up her feet, and talk about why her destiny was not to win American Idol.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You didn't look too shocked when Ryan announced Taylor won. Did you have a feeling that's how the show would end?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Did I know? I guess I had a feeling that he could probably take it home. Especially because Taylor has been high up in the voting thing for the last couple of weeks. He'd never been in the bottom three. I think he's the only one who's never been in the bottom three. He did it. I wasn't in a panic. It wasn't like, ''I was staying up for four hours last night voting,'' like, ''Oh, I have to win American Idol!'' At the point I made top two, I felt like there were so many doors opening for me.

Plus you got the car.

Yeah, I got the car and the record deal.

And you don't have the label of ''American Idol winner'' permanently attached to your name. Losing to Taylor might end up being the best thing that ever happened to you.

Yeah, thank you. I'm starting to think that now too. Some years the runner-up hasn't done that well. But Clay has obviously shown that being the runner-up is just as great as being the American Idol.

Except, I have issues with his hair — but that's another story entirely. Your song choices were somewhat controversial. How did you choose them?

''Black Horse and Cherry Tree,'' I chose that because I think I knew everyone was going to want me to sing that. Everyone was like, ''Oh, good, we wanted you to sing that.'' It's just a song that I think I could've put on an album or something like that. And also it's a fun song for me to let go. And then ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' was a hard decision for me. I had everybody who thinks they're everybody telling me what they think I should do. ''Don't sing it.'' ''Oh, it's too soon to sing that song.'' Blah blah blah. And then it ended up being the one thing Simon thought might save me, so I don't have any regrets. I'm glad I did it. I didn't win American Idol for a reason. I think I came in second place for a reason. It's not second-best; it's just as good.

It's what you do with it now that will shape your career. But when Simon predicted on Tuesday night that Taylor would win, weren't you bummed?

No, I didn't get mad at all. I wasn't really hurt. It was just one of those things when it's like, Okay, someone's gotta win. And then you think, Well, maybe I can still win. I don't think I was in this... I don't think I was really desperate to win American Idol. I was just grateful to be in the top two, to be honest.

Your single, ''My Destiny,'' was pretty widely panned by the judges and fans. Did you like it?

I liked it when I heard it, but it's a lot different when you hear it produced. I think people will like it when they hear it produced, with the echo behind it, just a lot of things they put with the song that you don't get to hear live. And also, my voice was not doing good. I sang it as best I could.

In the theater you sounded great, but I watched the show back on TV and you could hear your voice was strained.

Yeah, I was losing my voice by the dress rehearsal. I had to have a shot of cortisone from my doctor. He came in and definitely saved my day.

Losing your voice and then your ear piece not working Tuesday night before ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' — so much drama! And then tonight you seemed like you were so relaxed and so ready to finally have fun.

I slept pretty well last night. I wasn't in this ''Oh my gosh, I have to win American Idol'' mode. Tonight I had so much fun.

Did you ask producers to hook you up with a Meat Loaf duet?

They just came to me. It wasn't like it was my choice. They just said, Okay, you'll be singing with so-and-so.

I haven't heard the guy in a while.

I didn't even know who he was. But now I do. He was like really big in the '70s, right?

Well, and more recently than that. You must know ''Paradise by the Dashboard Light,'' right?

I don't.

Okay, let's go to a musical era you'll remember. When you and Taylor sang ''(I've Had) The Time of My Life,'' did you sort of want to pay homage to the Dirty Dancing theme song and do ''the lift''?

Yes! We wanted to! We thought there was going to be a commercial break before the finale for the results. I was supposed to be wearing a different dress, and we wanted to do a spin and a dip at the end, but not with that dress.

So what's next for you? Free time? Spa days?

No, we're going to New York and then we have the tour. It's going to be busy, busy, busy from now on.

New wave music impresario Ian Copeland dead at 57

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ian Copeland, a pioneering booking agent and music promoter credited with helping launch the "new wave" alternative rock movement of the 1970s and '80s with such bands as the Police, the B-52's and R.E.M, has died at age 57, relatives said on Wednesday.

Copeland succumbed to melanoma on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles where he was surrounded by family members, including younger brother Stewart Copeland, a founder and drummer of the Police, his publicist said.

With the help of older brother Miles, Copeland began his career in show business as a booking agent in London, where he discovered the Scottish funk outfit Average White Band, who made their debut in 1973 opening for Eric Clapton.

Copeland moved in the mid-1970s to Macon, Georgia, to work for the Paragon Agency, which booked tours for popular southern rock acts like Charlie Daniels, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band.

But it was Copeland's role in helping brother Miles, founder of the International Records Syndicate (I.R.S.) label, introduce the British band Squeeze to the United States that transformed his career.

The brothers adopted a strategy of building fan support for Squeeze by booking the group on a tour of smaller nightclubs, and successfully repeated that formula to launch other bands, including the Police and the B-52's.

Their work was pivotal in establishing the "club circuit" that helped usher in the punk rock and new wave scenes to the United States.

After the demise of Paragon, Copeland moved to New York and started his own booking agency, Frontier Booking International (F.B.I.), which represented such acts as Adam Ant, the Bangles, R.E.M., nine inch nails, the Go-Go's, UB40, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Oingo Boingo, the Dead Kennedys and the Cure.

The son of a jazz musician turned U.S. intelligence officer, Copeland was born in Damascus, Syria, in the midst of a military coup. As a young man he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War and served in the infantry, earning numerous decorations.

He is survived by his two daughters, brothers Stewart and Miles and a sister, Lorraine, a writer and producer. Memorial plans were pending.

Roth predicts Van Halen comeback

DETROIT (Billboard) - Now that he's lost his radio job, David Lee Roth is seeking gainful employment in another capacity -- as lead singer of Van Halen. Again.

"I see it absolutely as an inevitability," says Roth, who was deposed by CBS Radio in late April as one of Howard Stern's replacements. "There's contact between the two camps, and they have legitimate management; Irv Azoff is part of their loop now.

"To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago' -- 'So what? It's showbiz!' So I definitely see it happening."

Despite that claim, Roth -- who was Van Halen's singer from 1974-1985 -- acknowledges that he hasn't seen Edward Van Halen "in a couple of years." The last time Roth recorded with Van Halen was for the group's "Best Of Van Halen Volume 1" album in 1996, though there have been periodic rumors ever since.

Roth isn't sitting around while he waits for the call, however. He joins the John Jorgensen bluegrass band for two songs -- "Jump" and "Jamie's Cryin' " -- on "Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen," a bluegrass-styled tribute to Van Halen. Roth calls it "a detour" as well as "an interesting return ... Before there was rock 'n' roll, there was me and a single guitar, flat pickin' Doc Watson (songs)." Roth plans to make a number of TV appearances on behalf of the album, which comes out June 6.

Roth is also planning to tour later this summer to play Van Halen hits -- "I'm so proud of that music," he says -- favorites from his solo album and covers. He'll leave the banjos and fiddles at home, though.

"I like to bring out the brass section now and the keyboard players and the singers and so forth," Roth explains. "It's probably a little closer to the Rolling Stones' revue than to the early three-piece power trio. But the demand is amazing; I guess I'm lucky enough to be one of those guys now who can point at the map and say 'Let's go here' -- or, rather, my favorite expression, which is 'Let's follow the sun."'

Cheech says no reunion with Tommy Chong

CONCORD, N.C. - Those rumors about an on-screen reunion of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong? Reefer madness, according to Marin.

The actor — one half of the stoned comedy duo that embodied 1970s and 1980s marijuana humor — said there will be no future joint efforts with Chong.

"DOA," Marin replied when asked about the prospects during a press junket this week for "Cars," the new animated summer offering from Disney and Pixar. In the film, Marin voices Ramon, a vintage low-rider who befriends lead character Lightning McQueen ( Owen Wilson).

"We've tried to do it a bunch of times and we always end up at the same place," Marin said. "All the old animosities resurface."

"You know what?" he added. "I'm real comfortable leaving Cheech & Chong right where it is. I was a big Laurel & Hardy fan when I was a kid. I used to watch them on TV all the time and then one time I saw a Laurel & Hardy film they made when they were a lot older and it creeped me out. I just never wanted to do that."

Marin said breaking into animated films with 1988's "Oliver and Company" helped give his career a second act. He went on to do voices in "FernGully" and "The Lion King," acted in the "Spy Kids" series of children's movies and co-starred on the TV series "Nash Bridges."

"That was always a point of conflict with Tommy and I," Marin said. "I wanted to kind of keep moving and do other stuff and he wanted to stay at that same thing. My natural inclination was to keep moving."

"X-Men" set to "Stand" tall at holiday box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "X-Men: The Last Stand," the third and last film in the superhero trilogy, is expected to take the box office crown from "The Da Vinci Code" during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but will be hard-pressed to match the $85.6 million three-day bow of its 2003 predecessor.

Fox's PG-13 film is debuting in 3,689 theaters, slightly less than the 3,741 in which "X2" debuted during the first weekend in May. Unlike this year, there was precious little competition in the marketplace then. "X2" went on to gross $214.9 million domestically.

Amid mostly positive reviews, the Marvel sci-fi actioner has been tracking strongly for quite some time, attracting a broad age range but skewing slightly younger and more male.

Sony's "Da Vinci Code" debuted a week ago with a sterling $77.1 million, and Paramount's "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation, parlayed $38.5 million in its opening session. Conventional box office wisdom says they should gross almost as much in the four-day holiday period.

With Brett Ratner taking over as director from Matthew Vaughn, who himself had replaced Bryan Singer, "X3" features returning stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Famke Janssen. The story follows the battle among mutants when a cure is discovered that would strip them of their powers and make them human.

"X3" will also roll out in most countries overseas, with the notable exceptions of Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Last weekend, "Da Vinci" pulled in an international gross of a record $154.7 million.

'Lost' Finale Leaves Viewers Less Lost

NEW YORK (AP) -- As promised, "Lost" viewers were left with plenty to ponder but juicy answers to savor as well, thanks to Wednesday's season finale of the ABC mystical adventure series.

Go no further if you don't want to know what happened (or may have happened).

Roughly two months - or, more accurately, two TV seasons in real time - after Oceanic flight 815 crash-landed by this lost tropical island, viewers learned:

- The sailboat seen at the end of last week's episode belonged to Desmond, who had been found at the start of this season in the hatch when the castaways first made their entrance. Grateful to hand to someone else the weird computer-entry task, Desmond ran away - and set sail in the boat he had arrived in years earlier. But after 2 1/2 weeks on the water, he had gotten nowhere.

"There's no outside world, there's no escape," he wailed, drunk and despondent, when the castaways retrieved him from the sailboat just offshore.

- What may have caused the jetliner's crash: an excessive buildup of electromagnetic energy that Desmond, as the hatch's occupant at the time, failed to properly diffuse.

- Why that numbered sequence (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) needed to be entered on the keyboard every 108 minutes: To diffuse the powerful buildup safely.

So the audience learned that the button really did need to be pushed, and wasn't a meaningless exercise after all, which became a season-long issue that on the finale fueled a raging argument between Locke (the disillusioned former believer) and Mr. Eko (the fiercely loyal convert to the button-pushing cause). After an explosion in the hatch, they were both unaccounted for.

- Finally, Michael seemed to prove without a doubt that he would sell out his friends to save himself and his son, Walt, who was kidnapped at the end of last season by the Others.

After having been brainwashed by the Others, Michael had gunned down fellow castaways Ana Lucia and Libby a few episodes ago to facilitate the escape of Henry, an "Other" from across the island whom the castaways had been holding captive.

Then - despite the best efforts of Jack and Sayid to outmaneuver him - Michael made good on his plan to deliver Jack, Hurley, Sawyer and Kate to the Others in exchange for getting Walt back.

Hurley was released by the Others with an order to return to camp and warn the rest of the castaways against retaliating.

"But what about my friends?" Hurley protested.

"Your friends are coming home with us," said Henry, the Other who had been held in the hatch.

While Jack, Sawyer and Kate looked on, bound and gagged, Michael and Walt were given a motor boat to make their safe escape.

"My hunch is, you won't say a word to anybody," Henry told Michael as he sent him on his way, "because if you do, people will find out what you did to get your son back."

"Who ARE you people?" asked Michael, voicing the question that has plagued "Lost" viewers all season.

"We're the good guys, Michael," Henry said simply.

Disinclined to argue and at last reunited with Walt, Michael piloted his boat to apparent freedom.

Hoods were pulled over the heads of Jack, Sawyer and Kate. Their safety while in the Others' custody was assured by Henry. But viewers will have to wait until fall to see.

FIRST "24" SPOILER

Just because Jack Bauer is on a slow boat to China, that doesn't mean he'll wind up there.

That's the word from Howard Gordon, executive producer of "24," who acknowledged this week that the challenge of bringing Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) all the way back from China next season would wreak havoc with the suspense series' "real-time" format.

Following the surprise cliff-hanger which had Bauer being shanghaied by Chinese government agents at the conclusion of the season finale of "24" Monday, fans have wondered how Bauer would ever get back to the United States in time to participate in next season's 24-hour adventure, given the great distance between the two countries.

In an interview with the TV trade publication TV Week, Gordon revealed that Bauer won't be trapped in China when the new season begins next January.

"It's just an impractical thing given the real-time constraints because, even by the time we concluded that story, it would take Jack 16 hours - you know, three-quarters of the series - to get back to L.A.," Gordon said, inadvertently revealing that, somehow, Bauer escapes from the Shanghai-bound cargo ship in which he was last seen long before it gets to China.

"Unfortunately, I don't think much of the story will take place in China," Gordon said.

He revealed nothing else about how the next season of "24" will play out. "I just started writing the first [episode] this morning," he said.

CHAT FIGHT

'THE VIEW' LADIES LITERALLY RIP INTO UNGRATEFUL CHICKS

The ladies from "The View" shredded a copy of Time magazine yesterday after getting dissed by the issue's cover girls - controversial country music group, The Dixie Chicks.

"We are furious!" roared "View" moderator Meredith Vieira in the opening moments of the show, "Furious!"

In Time's cover story this week, Dixie Chick Emily Robison says that the group takes its political views very seriously and will try to limit appearances to high-caliber, meaningful gigs.

Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines' "new motto is, 'What would Bruce Springsteen do?' " says Robison. "Not that we're of that caliber, but would Bruce Springsteen do 'The View'?"

Even with a new CD to promote, the group has no plans to appear on "The View," the article says. "They're . . . not doing . . . 'The View,' " sneered co-host Joy Behar as she tore the article into confetti and tossed the shreds over her head.

When the singing group was starting out, however, it had no problem appearing on the show and was even interviewed by former co-host Debbie Matenopolous.

"This is obnoxious, obnoxious," said Vieira. "We started these girls - back in 1998, they couldn't get arrested. We were one of the first national shows to give them a platform, because they deserve a platform - they are incredibly talented performers."

The Dixie Chicks alienated their Country Western fan base in 2003, when during a performance in London, they said that the group was ashamed to be from Texas because President Bush was from Texas.

The Chicks apologized soon afterward, but have since taken the apology back.

"It's one thing to diss the Bush administration, it's treason to diss 'The View'!" said Behar. For the next hour, the four hosts of the women's coffee klatch show repeatedly slammed the Dixie Chicks until the show was over - when Vieira made it clear they were joking around and invited The Dixie Chicks to appear anytime.

Critics Revolt at 'Marie Antoinette' Screening

Many Cannes attendees had been forecasting that Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst, would turn out to be the sleeper at the festival. After an early screening for the press today (Wednesday), many agreed that it was a sleeper all right -- but in the wrong sense of the word. A thunder of boos erupted when the closing credits appeared, followed by a smattering of applause. At a news conference, Coppola insisted that she had intended to make a film that reflected life at the court of Versailles prior to the French Revolution and the life of the young queen in particular. She insisted that the film had no political intent (even though it argues that the French revolution was caused in large part by the costly decision of the king to send troops to America to support the colonists' revolt against the British). One reporter observed that it seemed ironic that $40 million had been lavished on a movie that depicts royal decadence. Co-star Steve Coogan responded that $40 million does not represent a decadent film budget.

Mop-topped Hicks crowned 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES - Taylor Hicks, the mop-topped manic dancer who wooed TV audiences with his raw singing style and boisterous personality, was named the new "American Idol" Wednesday in a pop star-filled finale that included Prince and Mary J. Blige.

Hicks, 29, of Birmingham, Ala., became the latest in a string of Southern and Midwestern contestants to win the Fox talent contest after collecting more viewer votes than runner-up Katharine McPhee, 22, of Los Angeles.

Hicks leaned over, overcome by host Ryan Seacrest's announcement.

"Soul Patrol!" he shouted, acknowledging his avid fans by their nickname. "I'm living the American dream," he added as he closed out the show with a performance of "Do I Make You Proud."

It was Katharine vs. Taylor, McPheever vs. the Soul Patrol, with a recording contract and the fifth "Idol" title up for grabs.

More than 63 million votes were cast, "more than any president in the history of our country has received," Seacrest said.

Fans picked the raw sound and footloose moves of Hicks, who made his mark on Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" on Tuesday's show. The sultry McPhee's well-trained voice was shown to perfection on the standard "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Last season's victor, Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Okla., opened the finale, joining Hicks and McPhee on "I Made it Through the Rain" and later soloing on "Don't Forget to Remember Me."

On Tuesday, Underwood won two trophies at the Academy of Country Music Awards, underscoring how much an "Idol" victory can mean. She was named top new female artist and won best single for "Jesus Take the Wheel."

Other pairings of contestants and stars included Paris Bennett and Al Jarreau; McPhee and Meat Loaf; Chris Daughtry and Live; Elliott Yamin and Blige; Hicks and Toni Braxton, and the dozen finalists with Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick.

Prince was a surprise final performer, taking the stage for two songs, including "Satisfied" — and without an "Idol" contestant alongside.

Asked backstage if he had any advice for contestants, Meat Loaf replied: "If you want to do this, you're gonna go up and down, and up and down, and people are going to love you and hate you ... Just stick with it," he said.

With two hours to fill the show also tossed in some comedy. Contestant Kellie Pickler was seen trying gourmet dining and dumping her escargot — snail — under her chair, while "Golden Idols" were awarded to also-rans who flopped in their auditions.

Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken, with a slick new look, performed a "duet" on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with his alter ego, a wannabe "American Idol" contestant who evoked the originally geeky Aiken.

Hicks and McPhee weren't as odd a finals pairing as second-second finalists Ruben Studdard and Aiken, but close.

McPhee was the first Los Angeles native to make it big on "American Idol." With a singer-vocal coach mom behind her and a starlet's beauty, McPhee looked and sounded groomed for success.

Hicks, whose thatch of prematurely gray hair helped him stand out from the pack, had barely survived the first audition at which judge Simon Cowell warned he didn't have a chance of advancing in the contest.

McPhee attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for a semester; Hicks has been a fixture on honky-tonk stages. McPhee skillfully played to the cameras, all calculated seduction; Hicks stomped across the set, with Cowell once comparing him to a drunken dad at a wedding.

The finale closed out a relatively tame contest compared to seasons past, when jammed phone lines, technical glitches and annoyingly untalented singers drew complaints from fans. Last year, judge Paula Abdul denied an ex-competitor's claims of an affair in 2003.

This season's biggest jolt came when rocker Chris Daughtry of McLeansville, N.C., was voted out before the finale. Many observers had predicted he would win the contest after routinely drawing praise from the judges and online support.

Despite the lack of offstage drama, or because of it, this edition of "American Idol" was the most-watched yet. Compared to last year, the show was up 14 percent in total viewers with an average weekly audience of 30.3 million — impressive growth for an established program.

The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes routinely ranked as the top-rated TV shows, drawing 28 million or more viewers. The series also is seen via delayed broadcast or satellite delivery in more than 150 other countries.

Debaroti Dasgupta, 26, accompanied by her mother, flew in from Malaysia for the show after winning a radio competition in which she impersonated finalist Elliott Yamin.

"So my heart broke when he was out in the semifinals," she said before the show Wednesday at the Kodak Theatre. "But I"m here supporting Taylor and I hope he wins tonight."

Tom stompin' mad CBC won't air show

Stompin' Tom Connors is Stompin' mad, but the CBC says he has no reason to be.

The legendary Canadian singer claims he spent more than $200,000 of his own money to film a concert special in high-definition that he was led to believe would air on CBC-TV.

But the network subsequently passed on the show and Connors feels he has been left holding the bag.

"It kind of riles a fella up," Connors, 70, said yesterday after he and his representative, Brian Edwards, sent an open letter to media outlets, detailing their side of the argument.

"I haven't looked into (legal alternatives) yet, but we're trying to get Beverley Oda, the new minister of Canadian Heritage, involved in this," Connors added.

CBC spokesperson Ruth Ellen Soles said the network merely agreed to look at the special when it was completed, but no deal ever was struck.

"First of all, CBC acknowledges Stompin' Tom is a Canadian icon," Soles said. "But CBC did not commission the production of a Stompin' Tom show. We agreed to look at it when it was completed. I want to underline that no commitment was made and no contracts were signed.

"We then reviewed it and made the decision not to purchase the show for broadcast. It was a programming decision. We make those every day. It's the nature of the business. And it's interesting to note that at the time, we encouraged the producers of the show to approach other broadcasters."

Connors indicated that pitching the show to CTV, or Global, or one of the specialty music channels is an option, but he feels it fits best at the CBC.

"This (CBC) is our national network and Stompin' Tom is a national character," Connors said.

Connors and Edwards believe that at the very least, the CBC acted immorally by strongly encouraging them to move ahead. And in a wider sense, they feel Connors has been unfairly ignored by the CBC through the years.

"Every Canadian artist who ever was a Canadian artist has had a CBC special," Edwards said. "Many of those shows received in excess of a million-dollar budget (from the CBC), and they didn't even have a hit record yet.

"With Stompin' Tom, we're talking about someone who ranked No. 13 overall when the CBC counted down the 100 greatest Canadians."

The Couch Potato Report - May 24th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on a performance that should have won an Oscar, and one of the greatest filmmakers ever.

Several moths ago I correctly predicted that Reese Witherspoon would win the Best Actress Academy Award.

My reasoning at the time was that her work in WALK THE LINE was so good, and that she was so likable as a performer and person that the category would play out more like a coronation than a contest.

However, if the Academy Awards were actually given out each year to the actors and filmmakers who produce the best work, Witherspoon wouldn’t have an Oscar now.

Instead, Felicity Huffman - normally seen on television’s DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - would have one for her work in TRANSAMERICA.

Huffman doesn’t just play Bree, a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual awaiting gender-reassignment surgery, she is Bree.

Huffman transformed herself for the role. The way she moves, the way she speaks, the way she acts, and all of it is new and interesting.

She gave a superb performance and she deserved to win the Academy Award for her work.

In the film, as Bree is waiting for the surgery, she finds out she fathered a son, seventeen years ago, and she heads to New York, to bail her son out of jail.

The pair end up going on a cross-country journey and together they find the answers to some of life’s questions that have been plaguing them.

TRANSAMERICA is heartfelt, honest, funny, painful, and Felicity Huffman is incredible in it, but the rest of the film just isn't as good as she is.

That is primarily due to the pacing. While some might enjoy the length of time the film takes to get where it’s going, I found it too drawn out.

Plus, while it has superb acting at it’s core, TRANSAMERICA never seems to aspire to be brilliant.

The filmmaker’s are content to tell their main story, with a few side stories along the way, but in the end, one person finds out another one’s secret and they aren’t happy about the fact that that person has a secret.

That sense of familiarity hurts TRANSAMERICA, but otherwise, I highly recommend the film, primarily due to Felicity Huffman’s Oscar worthy performance.

No, TRANSAMERICA isn’t perfect, but if you accept it - and it’s subject matter - for what it is, you will witness a very good film.

And if you pick up THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION you will witness 5 very good films!

Cecil B. DeMille was one of the world's most successful filmmakers during the first half of the 20th century.

DeMille directed hundreds of silent films, before coming into huge popularity during the late 1910s and early 1920s, when he reached the apex of his popularity with such films as Don't Change Your Husband (1919), The Ten Commandments (1923), and The King of Kings (1927).

DeMille was one of the first directors in Hollywood to become a celebrity in his own right, and he is regarded as a man who knew what the movie-going public wanted, and gave it to them over and over.

Gloria Swanson immortalized DeMille with the oft-repeated line, “All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up” in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, wherein DeMille played himself.

DeMille is probably best known for his 1956 film The Ten Commandments, which is very different from his 1923 film by the same title.

Cecil B. DeMille is one of the innovators who made moviemaking what it is today.

Inside THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION you get his 1934 film CLEOPATRA, with Claudette Colbert as the man-hungry Queen of Egypt who leads Julius Caesar and Marc Antony astray.

This is the definitive CLEOPATRA, far superior to the Elizabeth Taylor version.

The set also includes 1935’s THE CRUSADES with Loretta Young; 1932’s THE SIGN OF THE CROSS with Fredric March; 1939’s UNION PACIFIC with Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea and some great train wrecks; and the 1934 release FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE about four passengers who escape their bubonic plague-infested ship and land on the coast of a wild jungle.

THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION is a superb set of films, unfortunately all you get are the films.

There are no vintage short subjects, making of features, audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes documentaries.

The films are superb, yes, but had they been supplemented with some special features, if could have given us a unique look inside the films of one of Hollywood’s true legends.

As it is though, THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION is still worth watching because we might not have some of the films we love today had Mr. DeMille not lead the way.

“All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.”

THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION featuring CLEOPATRA, THE CRUSADES, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, UNION PACIFIC and FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE is available now at a store near you along with the very good modern day film TRANSAMERICA.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

The Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING is about a boy who is enrolled in high school after years of being home schooled by hippie parents. The intelligent and androgynous youth confounds his classmates and captures the attention of his English teacher, which leads to problems for everyone involved.

The SPECIAL EDITION of the 1977 classic SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT features a remastered version of the film, a new “Making `Smokey And The Bandit'” feature and a CB Radio Tutorial.

And the JOHN WAYNE - AN AMERICAN ICON COLLECTION is a two-disc set that features five of The Duke’s films.

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 time on The Couch.

Nike and Apple tell runners: "It's worth it"

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Is all this exercise really helping me?

Nike Inc. said on Tuesday it is making running shoes that will tell the wearer how far and how fast he or she has run and how many calories they have burned.

The instant information will come from a miniature Apple Computer Inc. iPod and a new wireless system called Nike+iPod.

Nike shares rose over 2 percent following the announcement of its plan to capitalize on the popularity of iPod portable digital music players with runners, 75 percent of whom already listen to music while they exercise.

Using a Nike+iPod Sports Kit, expected to sell for about $29, miniature versions of the iPod will be able to give audio data on time, distance, pace and calories burned on-demand through an attachable receiver that gets data from a sensor in the insole of special Nike shoes.

The new Air Zoom Moire line of running shoes -- priced at $100 -- are the first to have space for the sensor, but others will follow, Nike said. The removable sensor, about the size of a piece of bubble gum, can be used with any compatible shoe.

In 2004 archrival Adidas-Salomon AG launched a so-called "smart shoe," embedded with a computer chip and a motor that constantly adjusts the shoe's cushioning to suit the runner's needs.

But Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker said such a "smart shoe," would not, by itself, be able to access relevant data until after the run was done and the shoes had been removed.

"We realized making a smart shoe wasn't really smart enough," Parker said at a New York launch event attended by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe.

Nike, the world's biggest maker of sports shoes and apparel, also launched a line of performance clothing, including jackets, shirts and shorts, that holds iPods and keeps wires untangled and out of sight.

"We share the same types of consumers (with Apple)," said Trevor Edwards, Nike's vice president of global brand management. "We know that these two brands work really well together."

A 2002 deal between Nike and the Netherlands' Philips Electronics NV that resulted in a portable digital music player that tracked time and distance fizzled, Edwards said, because of differences in the two companies' target consumers.

Apple came to Nike after it separated from Philips, CEO Parker said after the event.

"We both had a mutual interest in pursuing (an) opportunity in this area," Parker told Reuters. "Not for Nike to get into the mp3 market per se, but for Nike to establish an opportunity with somebody who is really leading in that area."

Apple, which has shipped over 50 million iPods, controls 77 percent of the U.S. market for portable digital music players, according to market research firm NPD Group.

SELLING MORE FOOTWEAR?

Analyst John Shanley of Susquehanna Financial Group said the Nike+iPod launch was innovative but would not appeal to the company's core base of teenage boys.

"Is it going to move the needle in terms of them selling more footwear?" he asked. "Probably not."

But investors and sporting goods retailers were encouraged by Nike adding to its performance apparel business, since sales of that line have been outpaced by growing brand Under Armor Inc..

The connector kit will be available in both Nike and Apple stores within two months, the companies said, adding that Nike will also sell nano iPods, but Apple will not sell Nike shoes.

Apple will also include a Nike Sport Music section on its iTunes music store, which will feature playlists of well-known athletes such as Armstrong, the companies said.

The Nike+iPod system will let runners call up a favorite song instantly and then instantly upload their workout information to a Nike Web site, www.nikeplus.com, where they can share the information with their friends.

Nike shares closed up $1.01, or 1.3 percent, at $78.99 on the New York Stock Exchange. Apple shares fell 23 cents or less than 1 percent to $63.15 on Nasdaq.

Brooks & Dunn win at country music awards

LAS VEGAS - Brooks & Dunn, the most honored artists in the history of the Academy of Country Music's awards show, picked up a record 20th and 21st trophies Tuesday night as country music's elite gathered to perform and compete for honors.

Newcomer Carrie Underwood, last year's "American Idol" winner, was also a double winner, taking top new female vocalist and single of the year awards. The latter was for "Jesus Take the Wheel," a song she performed on the show.

"I wouldn't be here if God hadn't opened all the doors for me," she told the audience.

Kenny Chesney captured the entertainer of the year award.

Brooks & Dunn claimed the first award handed out Tuesday, song of the year for "Believe," a gospel-tinged tune written by Craig Wiseman, co-writer of the 2005 song of the year, "Live Like You Were Dying."

"It's always fun to be a part of something so strong and so spiritual," said Kix Brooks, who also shared the top vocal duo award with Dunn.

Brad Paisley, who had a leading six nominations going into the show, got the award he said he wanted, album of the year for "Time Well Wasted." He also shared vocal event of the year honors with Dolly Parton for "When I Get Where I'm Going."

Keith Urban was top male vocalist for a second year and Sara Evans, up against Underwood, Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack, captured her first ACM award, for top female vocalist.

"I've waited for this my whole life," she said.

Jason Aldean, whose song "Why" is No. 1 this week, was named top new male vocalist and Sugarland was honored as top new duo or vocal group.

The three-hour show was as much about music as awards, however, and Trace Adkins provided one of the evening's musical highlights. Dressed all in black — from his cowboy hat to his leather suit — Adkins added a Las Vegas touch to the program as he performed his song "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" while surrounded by shimmying showgirls.

Reba McEntire, hosting the show for an eighth time, also took a shot at country music's newest outlaws, the Dixie Chicks.

"I don't know why I was so nervous about hosting this show this year," she said. "If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foot in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

The Chicks, criticized in country circles when Natalie Maines told an audience in 2003, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," are striking back at their critics in their new single, "Not Ready to Make Nice."

Earlier in the show, Wilson paid tribute to more traditional country themes, including the nation's soldiers, working men and the Bible, in the song "Politically Incorrect."

This year's 41st annual ceremony, at the MGM Grand, was the third to be held in Las Vegas after it moved from Los Angeles. Airing on CBS, it went up against part one of the two-part "American Idol" finale on Fox.

The (Nashville) Tennessean reported Tuesday that the academy wants to move the awards show to April to escape the conflict with "Idol," TV's top-rated show. The size of the "Idol" audience has dwarfed that for the awards show the past three years.

Performers Tuesday included Paisley, Underwood, Urban, Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich and McBride.

There was also a medley of songs honoring the late Buck Owens. The creator of country music's Bakersfield Sound died in March.

Vince Gill received the Home Depot Humanitarian Award for his community service and charitable giving of his time and talent — a trophy and a playground built in a city of his choice. He said that probably would be New Orleans. Previous winners include McEntire, McBride, Lonestar and Neal McCoy.

Awards announced before the broadcast included: producer, Buddy Cannon; on-air personality — national, Blair Garner; on-air personality — major market, Gerry House; on-air personality, medium market — Scott Innes; on-air personality, small market — Becky Austin and Brad Austin; radio station, major market — WFMS-FM; radio station, medium market — WUSY-FM; radio station, small market (tie) — WGSQ-FM, WYCT-FM; bass player, Michael Rhodes; fiddle player, Jonathan Yudkin; guitar player, Pat Buchanan; percussionist-drum, Shannon Forrest; piano-keyboard, Mike Rojas; specialty instrument, Bryan Sutton; steel guitar, Paul Franklin.

The 3,000 members of the academy select the nominees and winners of the awards.

It's McPheever versus Hicks' on 'Idol'

LOS ANGELES - In Tuesday night's final showdown between ashen-haired soulster Taylor Hicks and sultry Katharine McPhee, the "American Idol" winner was clear to one person: Simon Cowell.

"Assuming that I was right — the show was tied — then you have just won `American Idol,'" the tart-tongued "Idol" judge told Hicks following his last performance.

After the show, Hicks told The Associated Press in response to Cowell's comment: "I just hope that people don't get complacent."

McPhee and Hicks each performed three songs in Tuesday's sing-off, staged in front of more than 3,000 fans at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The winner will be crowned Wednesday.

At the show's start, Cowell offered the singers typically sugar-free advice: "I would suggest that the contestants pray that the other one forget the words."

In the first round, McPhee, 22, opened with a rendition of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Cowell called it "good with a small `g'."

Hicks wore a purple velvet jacket — "arguably the worst jacket I've ever seen in my life," Cowell sniped — for his first number, a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." Cowell handed his vote to Hicks: "It was a great way to start ... Round one to you."

Round two was a reverse of the first.

McPhee's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," drew praise from judges — and tears from her father, Daniel.

"You worked it out again — that was hot!" judge Randy Jackson gushed.

Hicks sang Elton John's "Levon" to mixed reviews.

"I think Kat has taken the second round," Cowell commented.

The final round had McPhee and Hicks debuting new singles.

McPhee, wearing a silky blue dress, performed a pop ballad, "My Destiny." Jackson praised her but derided the song choice as "average."

"I would say to everyone who wants to vote for Kat, vote and remember the second song," Cowell reminded viewers.

Then Hicks performed "Do I Make You Proud?" and Cowell declared the 29-year-old Alabama native the winner.

"My vision as an artist is to inject as much soul as I can into popular music," Hicks told the AP later.

McPhee, looking calm and pretty in a flowered top and bare feet, told the AP backstage after the show that she was "totally at peace with whatever the outcome."

"But onstage I also thought, `Never underestimate the power of my fans,'" she continued.

Even though Cowell chose Hicks as the winner, the audience was split. Fans held signs saying "Hicks, Hometown Hero" and "We Got the McPheever."

Scarlet Swall traveled from Kansas City to attend her third "Idol" finale and considers Hicks "brilliant."

"It's kind of my birthday gift being here at the Kodak," the 65-year-old Swall said. "It's so exciting. Back in Kansas City, we have neighborhood parties up to the finals."

McPhee fan Tess Kleinhammes was upset at Cowell's statement.

"I didn't think that was fair at all," said the 13-year-old, who had flashed a sparkly sign in support of McPhee. "I think Katharine is better than Taylor. She's one of my role models."

When told about Tess' support of her, McPhee said, "I love being a role model. It's still a man's world in society." Her advice: "Girls should keep working on themselves."

Which, she said, she's done herself.

"I've been through many therapy sessions ... It's an ongoing struggle to work on myself."

It was a party atmosphere at the Kodak Theater from the moment the fans started arriving.

Los Angeles resident Steven Ahn, 47, came out with his daughter, 8-year-old Kirsten and her best friend Maggie. Asked who they wanted to win, they chimed in: "Katharine! Because she's a good singer!"

"Yeah," they continued. "We want to grow up to be like her."

Bush Gets No Respect From Chicks' Maines

NEW YORK - The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back. "I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

As war in Iraq loomed, Maines told the London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

The remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career.

Bandmate Emily Robinson said she knew right away the remark wouldn't be taken lightly and got "hot from my head to my toes."

"It wasn't that I didn't agree with her 100 percent; it was just, 'Oh, this is going to stir something up,'" she told Time.

For band member Martie Maguire, the controversy was a blessing in disguise.

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."

The Chicks' hits include "Landslide," "Goodbye Earl" and "Wide Open Spaces." Their new album, "Taking the Long Way," is due out May 23. The first single is "Not Ready to Make Nice."

'Da Vinci Code' Opening Beats Expectation

LOS ANGELES - "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.

Preliminary results showed that the movie, based on a runaway best-seller and starring multiple-Oscar winner Tom Hanks, appealed to moviegoers despite lackluster reviews.

The Columbia Pictures movie opened in 3,735 theaters in the U.S. and grossed a respectable average of $7,764 per screen.

"This is the first big film of the summer to exceed box office expectations," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc., which tracks box office receipts.

Dergarabedian said the movie could gross $60 million to $80 million in its opening weekend. That would easily eclipse Tom Cruise's latest offering, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III," which fell well below expectation with $48 million on its opening weekend earlier this month.

For "Da Vinci Code," controversy around a script that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child "only served to pump up the marketplace and get moviegoers get really interested in seeing what the fuss was about," Dergarabedian said.

"Whether you are a fan of the book or just a lover of great mystery thrillers, this film is a true entertainment event," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures. "We had an exceptionally strong Friday with sell out business reported in territories virtually all over the world."

The film's box office take was notable in a shaky Hollywood market but far from record-setting. Twenty-nine films have had single-day receipts that exceeded $30 million.

The record for the biggest opening day, $50 million, is held by last year's "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith."

Preliminary three-day box-office estimates were to be released Sunday, with final figures expected Monday.

Dixie Chicks don't stick at country radio

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars.

"Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band.

The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week.

"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks.

From the beginning of the album rollout, the Dixie Chicks were eager that their songs be worked to radio formats beyond country. The album was produced by rock veteran Rick Rubin, whose credits include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash.

By picking the defiant "Not Ready" as the first single, they've reopened a wound that was particularly deep for country radio fans, and left many country programmers with the burning question: Why on earth would the band choose to do this?

After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."

KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."

Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."

He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.

The two singles have had a striking lack of impact at radio, considering the band's history. Between 1997 and 2003, it notched 14 top 10 country singles, including six No. 1 hits. In addition to eight Grammy Awards, the group has won 10 Country Music Assn. Awards and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. The trio has sold 23.4 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Dixie Chicks and reps from their label, Columbia Records, declined to participate in this story. But -- at least as far as Maines is concerned -- the drop-off at country radio was part of its plan.

Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."

Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."

At KNCI Sacramento, Calif., the Chicks' music weathered the 2003 controversy only to be pulled as a result of Maines' new Entertainment Weekly comments, coupled with poor scores in local music tests.

"When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."

Crowds, protests expected as "Da Vinci Code" opens

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Moviegoers, shrugging off a burst of negative reviews, were expected to flock to Friday's opening of the religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" as some Catholics vowed coast-to-coast protests against the film.

The upbeat commercial outlook for the movie, adapted from Dan Brown's best-selling novel, hinged on advance ticket sales and an assumption that many of the more than 40 million people who bought the book are eager to see the film, regardless of what critics think.

Moreover, the film, directed by Ron Howard, has generated a level of publicity and media hype unseen since Mel Gibson's blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" arrived in theaters two years ago.

Industry experts predicted that, like the controversy Gibson stirred with his graphic depiction of Christ's crucifixion in "The Passion," the debate over "The Da Vinci Code" has only heightened interest in Howard's film.

Opening in more than 3,700 U.S. theaters and about 8,700 overseas, "The Da Vinci Code" is expected to tower over its box-office competition, grossing $50 million to $80 million during its first weekend in the United States alone, according to industry analysts.

"The early matinees are very strong and extremely encouraging," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for distributor Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp.

The two biggest U.S. theater chains, Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc., both reported brisk advance ticket sales, as did the movie ticketing service Fandango.

And Daily Variety reported "The Da Vinci Code" generated respectable business in a handful of overseas markets where it debuted earlier this week, including France and Australia.

"There's just so much awareness and interest in this film," Regal spokesman Dick Westerling told Reuters. "I think people want to go see it and make up their own minds what they think of the movie."

PANNED IN CANNES

The film was generally panned by critics at the Cannes film festival this week who said the picture was somewhat miscast and lacked the suspense and thrill of the book.

The movie stars Tom Hanks as a Harvard scholar who teams up with a French cryptologist (played by Audrey Tautou) to solve a murder mystery entwined in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and a supposed alternate history of Christianity.

A central premise of the story is that Jesus fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, and that a clandestine society has for centuries protected the identity of Christ's living descendants from agents of the Christian Church.

The Vatican has labeled the story blasphemous and launched its own public relations offensive against the film.

A Catholic lay organization, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, took out full-page ads in USA Today calling for worshipers to stage prayer vigils outside at least 1,000 theaters nationwide on Friday.

"In all 50 states, we have organizers," said Francis Slobodnik, who is coordinating the campaign for the Pennsylvania-based group and called the film "an insult directed toward God."

Asked whether protests might backfire by helping to draw more attention to the film, Slobodnik said: "Go ask any businessman if they would like people with signs standing outside their of business, and they would say 'no.' We are generating publicity, but it is negative publicity."

The biggest commercial challenge facing "The Da Vinci Code" this weekend comes from DreamWorks' computer-animated wildlife-in-suburbia adventure "Over the Hedge," which also opens on Friday.

According to Variety, "The Da Vinci Code" is accounting for more than 80 percent of Fandango's advance ticket sales, compared with just 4 percent for "Hedge."

Parents go where few have gone before in naming son

KENAI, Alaska (AP) -- Like all parents, Marcus Weldy and his wife Rebecca McInnes Weldy of Nikiski are hoping their newborn baby will live long and prosper, but they went a step further to ensure their son's future.

"We decided to name him James Tiberius Kirk Weldy," said Rebecca in regard to the newest family member who, according to the Captain's Log, was added to the family fleet at 4:31 a.m. on Friday, April 21, 2006.

For those not in the know, James T. Kirk - played by William Shatner - was the commander of the starship Enterprise in the 1960s science fiction series "Star Trek."

Rebecca said she is not a convention-going "trekkie,"as "Star Trek" fans are called, but is a longtime fan of the show.

"I really, really liked the first 'Star Trek' and William Shatner. He's the only captain in my opinion," she said.

Rebecca said she is too busy to keep watch much television these days, but she remembers tuning in regularly to watch "Star Trek" as a girl.

"I'd watch the original series after school and watch 'The Next Generation' too," she said.

"My whole family - my mom, brother, sister and my dad by forfeit - we're all 'Star Trek' fans," she said.

As Rebecca tells it, it was her mother who pushed to go where no one - or at least few - have gone before with regard to baby naming.

"We originally just liked the name James, then Tiberius was going to be his middle name. My mom loved the idea and said, 'You've got to put Kirk on there too,'" she said.

James joins siblings Roy, Rosabella, Vincent and Nicolaus.

"James will be our last baby and with four older brothers and sisters we thought he might need some of the captain's qualities. The original Kirk was bold, determined and brave, so hopefully he will be, too," she said.

So far, James seems to be off to a good start, according to Rebecca. Like his namesake, who frequently ignored the rules when it suited him, young James wasn't born when and where he was supposed to be.

Rebecca went into labor in the early morning and realized she couldn't make it to the hospital even if her husband drove at warp speed. Dr. "Bones" McCoy, the doctor on the starship Enterprise, was unavailable to make a house call, so the couple did the next best thing.

"We called the Nikiski Fire Department and EMS, and, to their credit, they were here within three minutes, but James was already born. His dad delivered him here at home, which wasn't the plan or anything, so I guess he's already charting his own course," she said.

Despite his early arrival, Rebecca said James is healthy and eating well, though he's nursing rather than eating from a food replicator.

"He's getting big, is bright-eyed and doing good," she said.

Marcus, James' father, said he also is a "Star Trek" fan and is happy with his new son's name.

"It's unique, that's for sure. Not everyone catches on right away, but those that do get it have really liked it. Everyone calls him 'Little Captain,'" Marcus said.

As to whether James will attend public school or Star Fleet Academy, his parents said it's too soon to say.

$UPERMAN BUDGET IS UP, UP AND AWAY

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... the sky-high cost of making "Superman Returns."

The new Man of Steel flick, due out June 30, is the culmination of a long, long, long process - one that's had a rotating cast of directors and stars, and drawn a steady stream of Warner Bros. funds since the project began in the early 1990s.

The current version, with "X-Men" director Bryan Singer at the helm, finally began production last spring - as the studio and eager audiences sighed with relief.

But given Singer's penchant for high-end special effects and copious reshoots, some in Hollywood have speculated that the film's sizable budget has since ballooned to nearly $300 million.

"From what I gather, it will be the most expensive film ever," says box office expert David Poland, editor of Movie City News.

"There's no way the picture could cost less than $250 million, based on what they green-lit. And they green-lit $200 million with [previous director] McG. Then they started production, and then they got rid of McG, and then they started with Bryan, and finished, and then had to reshoot.

"I figure it anywhere between $290 and $300 million at this point," he concludes.

Edward Jay Epstein, author of "The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood," takes a different view of the calculation, saying that estimates shouldn't include money for so-called "pay or play" deals with previous participants - a list that includes Brett Ratner, Tim Burton, Kevin Smith, J.J. Abrams and Nicolas Cage - who were eventually cut out.

"There has been a long odyssey of Warner Bros. attempting to make this movie," he concedes, "but those costs would have been written off. The only way a movie like this could cost anything approaching [$300 million] is if you have someone like Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg each getting 16 percent of the gross."

The exact, ultimate price tag of the new "Superman" has become a hot topic as the film nears opening day. Variety has said it's $250 million; last week, the Wall Street Journal reported $261 million.

Both of which drew protests from Warner Bros. suits, who insist the movie's costs are being incorrectly interpreted and inflated.

"The number - after tax credits - is around $204 million," Susan Fleishman, executive vice president of corporate communications for Warner Bros., said in a prepared statement.

But even that "Titanic"-sized budget would seem to be exorbitantly high for a movie featuring no huge movie stars - Kevin Spacey's the highest-profile, and he ain't that high - and a dubious need for extravagant special effects.

After all, the story's main conceit is a guy in tights who can fly. And, as Poland snarks, "the technology in flying has not improved that much."

"Based on the trailer, it doesn't look like one of the most expensive movies ever," says Brandon Gray, publisher of BoxOfficeMojo.com. "They could be saving the good stuff for the actual film, of course - but that's an uncommon practice. Usually they show every special effect in the trailer."

In an effort to track down a possible source of the "Superman" money pit, The Post pored over the film's second trailer with special-effects expert Eric Hanson, who's worked on CG-heavy films including "The Fifth Element" and "The Day After Tomorrow."

The biggest and potentially most expensive scene in the trailer, he says, seems to be the one in which Superman (Brandon Routh) stops a fiery plane from crashing.

"It's probably a [computer-generated] double," he says, "and it will definitely be a CG double for action sequences like when he's on the wing of the plane. It could be a live-action face. But things like the cape are definitely going to be computer graphics.

"This is a good example of a shot that has to withstand pretty close scrutiny. There's a fair amount of budget that will go into that."

Hanson says a big-budget film like this one will typically spend six to nine months before shooting even begins on CG research and development, plus a year of actual production time. "You're probably looking at 300 to 400 artists," he estimates.

Ultimately, Hanson says, the price tag for CG work in films like this is about $1 million per minute. "I'd wager probably half the film is effects," he says, "but it could be higher."

Given the film's estimated 150-minute running time, that's $75 million right there.

But as Epstein points out, "it all depends on what comes out on the screen. It makes no difference to me how expensive a movie is. Warner Brothers is the most profitable movie studio there is - I would assume that whatever the film costs is what they value it at."

No matter what the final price tag is, one thing's clear: "Superman" had better be able to leap opening-day box office records in a single bound.

Tom Cruise Loses "South Park" Fight

South Park'ers Matt Stone & Trey Parker have won their free speech battle, after the cartoon episode which mocks actor Tom Cruise was pulled from British TV. According to IMDB.com, the 2005 episode entitled, "Trapped in the Closet," was shown at the National Film Theatre in London on Monday, for free, hampering Cruise's efforts to shut-down the screening. "If we were charging there may have been legal problems," said a spokesman for the unusual event. "But it was a free event, so it should be fine." Stone and Parker were also on-hand for fans, to discuss the show and specifically the 'closet' episode they defend as a display of free speech.

Mischa Barton's 'O.C.' Character Killed

LOS ANGELES - Fox's "The O.C." closed its third season Thursday with a deadly twist. Marissa Cooper, played by Mischa Barton, was killed in a car crash.

Barton's character was central to the show, which follows four wealthy Newport Beach teens through the emotional ups and downs of high-school life.

Barton was already a familiar face when she began starring on "The O.C." in 2003. She worked as a model and appeared in several films, including "The Sixth Sense," and TV's "Once and Again." She is also a spokesmodel for Neutrogena and the Collection bebe clothing line.

Rumors flew in recent months that she was ready to leave "The O.C."

Earlier this week, Barton told "Access Hollywood," "My character has been through so, so much and there's really nothing more left for her to do."

Barton, 20, has a film arriving in 2007, "Guilty Pleasures," and other projects in the works.

Marissa's death came at the end of an otherwise upbeat episode.

The class of 2006, which includes Marissa, Ryan, Seth and Summer, graduated from Harbor High School. Seth and Summer were accepted by the same college. Ryan was reunited with his mother, who gave him a Land Cruiser as a graduation gift. Marissa's mom gave her a pearl necklace, while her dad gave her an opportunity to work with him on a yacht set to sail around the Greek islands.

Ryan was taking Marissa to the airport in his new SUV when they were antagonized at high speed by a drunken and vengeful Volchok, who they both had a history with. Volchok swigged from a flask as he chased the pair in his car.

Ryan lost control of the Land Cruiser and crashed, the vehicle rolling off the road. He pulled Marissa from the wreckage just before the vehicle caught fire.

There, on the side of the road, she died in his arms.

'Will & Grace' Ends but the Pair Lives On

NEW YORK - It was a funny & satisfying conclusion for "Will & Grace" Thursday as the NBC sitcom ended its eight-season run by looking ahead more than 20 years.

"You know what's funny? We haven't changed a bit," said a slightly grayer Will (Eric McCormack) to Grace ( Debra Messing) and their pals Karen ( Megan Mullally) and Jack ( Sean Hayes), as they toasted themselves in a neighborhood Manhattan bar.

Go no further if you don't want to know the details.

Bottom line: The gay guy and straight girl who were so much in love successfully navigated their incompatibilities, ending up bonded by marriage after all: Will's son to Grace's daughter.

At the start of the hour-long finale, Will (in the present) was making good on his pledge to care for pregnant Grace. He planned to help her raise the child.

But then Leo ( Harry Connick, Jr.), Grace's ex-husband, unexpectedly arrived from Rome to say he wanted her back — finding, much to his surprise, that she was pregnant with his child.

Flash forward two years: Grace and Leo and their little daughter, Lila, were together and happy.

Will and his partner, Vince ( Bobby Cannavale), were together with Ben, their little boy.

But Will and Grace hadn't spoken in two years. They were angry, feeling that somehow each had deserted the other.

Karen and Jack (as they shared a bubble bath and conversed on cell phones) fretted about this estrangement.

"Sometimes it seems like our sole purpose in life is just to serve Will and Grace," Karen declared.

"Right," Jack agreed indignantly. "It's like all people see when they look at us are the supporting players on `The Will and Grace Show.'"

They plotted to bring the unsuspecting former best friends back together. The plan worked.

"I am so sorry I hurt you, Will," Grace said. "But I'd be lying if I said I regret what happened. And I don't think you do either."

"God, you're right," said Will. "Grace, I don't want to fight with you anymore."

But despite their having made up, their lives — and respective families — took them on separate paths.

Then, some 18 years further into the future, college students Ben and Lila were moving into dorm rooms across the hall from one another. They met. Sparks flew. Their parents Will and Grace were reunited once more.

"I still can't believe our kids are getting married," Will told Grace as they chatted on the phone while they each watched TV, just as they did from the first episode of "Will & Grace" in 1998.

And what of Karen, the boozy, rich Manhattan diva, and Jack, her outrageously gay buddy?

We see them, also 20 years in the future, contentedly living together in luxury.

"Isn't it funny how we've been with each other longer than we've been with any of our husbands or boyfriends?" chirped Karen. What's more, Jack and Karen were caring for — and still trading barbs with — Rosario ( Shelley Morrison), Karen's wisecracking maid.

A sitcom about a gay man and a straight woman linked in every way but physically was a radical idea when "Will & Grace" premiered. But it quickly caught on and built into a hit, with nearly 200 episodes.

At its peak in the 2001-02 season the series drew an audience of more than 17 million, though its popularity tapered off in recent years (this season it has averaged 7.8 million viewers).

But even at the end, the characters were true to themselves, the affection between this Fab Four was palpable, and the banter remained razor-sharp.

On the phone, Will voiced his doubts about the dress Grace planned to wear to their kids' nuptials.

"I'm not crazy about the trim," he said.

"Will," she shot back, "you never were."

Dixie Chicks Announce Tour Dates Thu May 18, 5:51 PM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Dixie Chicks are launching a 43-city North American tour in July to promote their new album, "Taking the Long Way."

The first show will be July 21 in Detroit, and the tour is scheduled to wrap up on Nov. 11 in Tacoma, Wash., the group announced Thursday. Stops include New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto.

The Chicks are teaming up with Target stores and MSN to promote the tour.

The Columbia label CD goes on sale May 23, and fans who buy it from Target stores will get a passcode to buy four concert tickets before general sales begin in early June.

All tour information is being posted on MSN, which also will offer a behind-the-scenes look and a Webcast at http://dixiechicks.msn.com of the Dixie Chicks' June 15 London concert.

The trio of lead singer Natalie Maines, banjo and guitar player Emily Robison and fiddle and mandolin player Martie Maguire had several hits, including "Wide Open Spaces" "There's Your Trouble" and "Landslide," from their first three albums.

But their music was boycotted by some U.S. radio stations after Maines told a London audience on the eve of the war in Iraq that the group was "ashamed" the president was from their home state of Texas.

The single "Not Ready to Make Nice" has been getting country-radio airplay and was listed at No. 50 on this week's Billboard chart after peaking at 36.

The Dixie Chicks tour dates are:

July

21: Detroit, Joe Louis Arena

22: Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena

23: Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center

25: Philadelphia, Wachovia Center

28: Albany, N.Y., Pepsi Arena

29: Boston, Banknorth Garden

August

1: New York, Madison Square Garden

4: Washington, Verizon Center

13: Milwaukee, Bradley Center

15: Chicago, The United Center

18: Minneapolis, Target Center

20: Kansas City, Mo., Kemper Arena

22: St. Louis, Savvis Center

23: Indianapolis, Conseco Fieldhouse

24: Des Moines, Iowa, Wells Fargo Arena

26 Fargo, N.D., Fargodome

September

3: Phoenix, Glendale Arena

6: Fresno, Calif., SaveMart Center

8 Sacramento, Calif., ARCO Arena

9: Oakland, Calif., Oakland Arena

14: Los Angeles, STAPLES Center

16: Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay

23: Omaha, Neb., Qwest Center

24: Denver, Pepsi Center

26: Oklahoma City, Ford Center

27: Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Forum

29: Dallas, American Airlines Center

30: Houston, Toyota Arena

October

1: Austin, Texas, Frank Irwin Center

3: Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Entertainment Center

5: Tampa, Fla., St. Pete Times Forum

6: Jacksonville, Fla., Veterans Memorial Arena

7: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., BankAtlantic Center

17: Atlanta, Phillips Arena

20: Knoxville, Thompson-Boling Arena

22: Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum

27: Ottawa, Scotiabank Place

28: Toronto, Air Canada Centre

November

4: Edmonton, Alberta, Rexall Place

5: Calgary, Alberta, Saddledome

8: Vancouver, British Columbia, GM Place

9: Portland, Ore., Rose Garden

11: Tacoma, Wash., Tacoma Dome

Another 'Idol' Gets the Boot, Leaving Two

NEW YORK - Tears streamed from "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul's eyes when the result was announced. The audience stood and clapped, paying their respects.

In a close vote, Abdul's favorite finalist, Elliott Yamin — an "Idol" underdog and blue-eyed soul singer — was bounced off the Fox talent contest during Wednesday's elimination show.

The exit of the 27-year-old Richmond, Va., resident cleared the path for a final showdown between gray-haired Taylor Hicks and sultry Katharine McPhee. The winner will be crowned May 24.

During Wednesday's program, Yamin told host Ryan Seacrest he felt "truly blessed."

"I hope it doesn't stop here," he said of his music career.

Yamin, who is 90 percent deaf in his right ear, was considered the show's best — and most sensitive — male singer. When "Idol" featured a segment on Wednesday documenting his return home to greet fans in Virginia, he broke down in tears. Abdul also wept.

Judge Simon Cowell seemed to sense Yamin's impending departure on Tuesday's program.

"Your songs are not going to carry you through to next week — that's the problem," Cowell told Yamin, who had performed a cover of Ray Charles' "I Believe To My Soul."

"However, you are a great guy. You are a great singer. And whatever happens, you will make your mom very proud for what you've achieved for this competition."

Abdul, who recently said she wanted Yamin to win "Idol," called him a "funky white boy."

"You pierce through the heart," she told him on Tuesday's program.

Nearly four years since its debut, "Idol" continues to rule the ratings. It has attracted 25 million to 33 million viewers each telecast this season.

Seacrest said on Wednesday's program that viewers called in 50 million votes.

Stradivari Violin Auctioned in New York

NEW YORK - The bids for a nearly 300-year-old Stradivarius violin opened at $700,000 and quickly soared to $1 million. Gasps, whispers and titters occasionally punctuated the room as the price tag climbed even higher. Soon it was at $2 million, then $3 million.

The violin sold Tuesday for more than $3.5 million in what was a record for the most paid for a musical instrument at auction, Christie's said. The violin is one of the world's most prized musical instruments.

The instrument, made in 1707 by Italian violinmaker Antonio Stradivari, sold for $3,544,000. The winning bid, which included the house's commission, broke a record of $2,032,000 paid for another Stradivarius at Christie's in April 2005, the auction house said.

The new owner bought the violin anonymously via telephone.

Kerry K. Keane, who heads Christie's department of musical instruments and was the bidder's proxy, described him as "a gentleman who is international" and a "benefactor and patron of the arts" who loves classical music.

The violin, which had been expected to sell for $1.5 million to $2.5 million, will probably be heard soon on stages worldwide, Keane said, declining to elaborate.

The violin's former owner, who also wanted to remain anonymous, bought it privately in 1992 from an estate, Keane said, and loaned it to violinists including Kyoko Takezawa, an orchestral soloist, recitalist and recording artist who has performed with many of the world's top orchestras.

The violin, made in Cremona, Italy, is considered a product of Stradivari's golden period. Musicians and collectors covet the violins he made from 1700 to 1720 because of their beauty and superior sound, Christie's said.

A violinist and teacher brought the violin to the United States in 1911. Since then it has had various owners.

It is named The Hammer for Christian Hammer, a 19th-century Swedish collector.

Bidding on Tuesday for the full-size violin, which has a 14-inch-long back and was propped in front of the auctioneer's podium, started at $700,000, quickly rose to $1 million before ending its final tally in bidding of less than five minutes.

"It's always been fashionable to own a Stradivari," Keane said.

The Da Vinci Code secret is out: critics hate it

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Critics panned "The Da Vinci Code" on Wednesday ahead of the world premiere of the year's most eagerly awaited movie.

Opening the annual Cannes film festival, Ron Howard's adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller was described variously as "grim," "unwieldy" and "plodding."

Even before its general release on May 18 and 19, the movie starring Tom Hanks generated much controversy as Christians around the world called for it to be banned.

The novel has enraged religious groups because one of its characters argues that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that elements within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the truth.

In Thailand on Wednesday, a police-run censorship board overturned an earlier decision to cut the last 10 minutes of the film, but insisted the distributor added disclaimers stating it was fiction.

And in addition to Vatican calls to boycott the picture, the Indian government said it would show the movie to Christian groups before clearing it for release. In the mainly Catholic Philippines the censors have given it an "adult only" rating.

At a news conference, Howard and Hanks defended the film, calling it a piece of fiction. British actor Alfred Molina, who plays a Machiavellian bishop in the movie, blamed the media for creating controversy where there was little or none.

At a screening late on Tuesday in Cannes, members of the audience laughed at the thriller's pivotal moment, and the end of the $125 million picture was greeted with stony silence.

Trade publication Variety had barely a nice word to say.

"A pulpy page-turner in its original incarnation as a huge international bestseller has become a stodgy, grim thing in the exceedingly literal-minded film version of The Da Vinci Code," wrote Todd McCarthy.

Lee Marshall of Screen International agreed.

"I haven't read the book, but I just thought there was a ridiculous amount of exposition," he told Reuters.

"I thought it was plodding and there was a complete lack of chemistry between Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks."

BOX OFFICE BLOW?

While critics argue the controversy surrounding the film, and the fact that more than 40 million people have bought the book, will ensure a strong box office performance, word-of-mouth is likely to hit sales later on.

The movie industry will be watching The Da Vinci Code particularly closely after the first two summer blockbusters -- "Mission: Impossible III" and "Poseidon" -- failed to find the Hollywood Grail of box office success.

Hanks defended the film against its critics.

"This is not a documentary. This is not something that is pulled up and says 'These are the facts and this is exactly what happened.' ... People who think things are true might be more dangerous than people who ponder the possibilities that maybe they are and maybe they aren't."

Howard had some advice for those who objected to the story.

"There's no question that the film is likely to be upsetting to some people. My advice is ... to not go and see the movie if you think you're going to be upset."

Ian McKellen, an openly gay actor who plays Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code, sought to make light of the controversy.

"I'm very happy to believe that Jesus was married," he said. "I know the Catholic Church has problems with gay people and I thought this would be absolute proof that Jesus was not gay."

The Da Vinci Code premiere late on Wednesday kicks off 12 hectic days of screenings, interviews, photocalls and partying in Cannes, the world's biggest film festival.

Paul McCartney, Wife Blame Media for Split

LONDON - Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his second wife, Heather Mills McCartney, said Wednesday that they are separating after nearly four years of marriage, blaming intrusion from the media and insisting their split is amicable.

Rumors of a rift between Mills McCartney and the singer's children — especially Stella McCartney — have circulated for years. Talk centered around the idea that Mills McCartney — who is nearly half his age — wanted to devote more time to campaigning against land mines and fur.

"Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways," a statement from the couple said. "Our parting is amicable and both of us still care about each other very much."

McCartney, 63, and Mills, 38, married in June 2002, four years after his former wife, Linda McCartney, died of breast cancer. McCartney and Mills had a daughter, Beatrice, in October 2003.

"Separation for any couple is difficult enough, but to have to go through this so publicly, especially with a small daughter, is immensely stressful," it added. "We hope, for the sake of our baby daughter, that we will be given some space and time to get through this difficult period."

McCartney's wealth was estimated at $1.5 billion by the Sunday Times in their annual list of Britain's richest people. The couple are believed not to have a prenuptial agreement.

In 2002, Heather Mills told Vanity Fair that McCartney didn't force her to sign a prenuptial agreement before their huge wedding — despite tabloid reports to the contrary.

Mills said she offered to sign an agreement, but that McCartney — who was worth more than $1 billion at the time — wouldn't allow it.

"I wanted to prove that I love him for him," she was quoted by the magazine as saying. "He said, 'I wouldn't let you.'"

McCartney told the magazine that he knew some people would think he was being suckered by a gold digger.

"I"m not stupid," he told Vanity Fair. "Heather's a really nice person, or else I wouldn't be attracted in the least. She's great. But you're going to find people who are going to knock her, because the better story is the negative one."

Mills McCartney has been accused of meddling in her husband's career — such as the dismissal of his longtime publicist Geoff Baker — and even of influencing him on issues as diverse as dying his hair and plastic surgery.

In a statement on her personal Web site, Mills McCartney posted a note from McCartney blasting the press and denying the rumors.

"Although some of these articles can be funny, there are others that are plain malicious and you need to be strong not to be hurt by some of the cruel suggestions that flow from these peoples pens," the statement said.

"The media sometimes suggests a rift between my kids and Heather, but in fact we get on great and anyone who knows our family can see this for themselves," McCartney wrote.

Mills is a former model and a vociferous animal rights campaigner who recently traveled with McCartney to eastern Canada to fight that country's seal hunt. The couple met in 1999 through Mills' charity, the Heather Mills Health Trust. She launched the trust after losing a leg in a motorcycle accident in 1993.

News of the split was first reported in Wednesday's edition of the Daily Mirror.

McCartney already has three children from his marriage to Linda, who died in 1998 — musician James, photographer Mary, and fashion designer Stella. He also has a stepdaughter, Heather, from Linda McCartney's first marriage.

ABC Promises Uninterrupted Blocks of 'Lost'

It's a plight that "Lost" fans know all too well -- You tune in on a Wednesday night praying for a new episode only to find a random repeat from nearly a season earlier, or else a lengthy and unexpected clip show. ABC is hoping to eliminate that experience.

Following a format somewhat resembling FOX's successful treatment of "24," ABC revealed its new fall schedule on Tuesday (May 16), vowing to dramatically reduce "Lost" repeats. The plan calls for "Lost" to begin the season in its standard Wednesday 9 p.m. ET time slot, but just when the show would typically move into a rerun cycle in the winter, ABC has an alternative up its sleeve.

"We really wanted to just say to the audience, 'Listen, it's going to be on for this block here and then we'll bring it back and it will run straight through,'" explains ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson. "So yes, the plan is that 'Lost' will come on in the fall in the first or second week of the season, run for seven episodes and then 'Day Break' will launch into that period and 'Lost' will come back in January or early February and run straight through for the remainder for the season."

That way, instead of wondering why Shannon and Boone suddenly seem to be alive again and why the castaways are still scratching their heads over the contents of the mysterious hatch, viewers can follow Taye Diggs as he relives the same day over and over again trying to avoid being framed for murder.

"I think it's the best role he's ever played," McPherson says of Diggs and his "Day Break" character. "He just explodes off the screen and really is a TV star. I think that like 'Lost,' it's a challenging area, but we really feel like in the drama world that's what we do well and we want to take those chances."

McPherson wouldn't rule out the possibility that "Lost" repeats might still air in different time periods, including the 8 p.m. hour before fresh content. He also refused to leak any information on new cast members.

"There are no new people at this point," he hedges. "All the cast are returning except the people we shot on 'Lost.'"

Although convention wisdom holds that a schedule loaded with new programming and low on repeats is an expensive schedule, McPherson urges pundits not to cry for either ABC or "Lost."

"It's an extremely profitable show for everyone," McPherson reassures the masses. "There's DVDs that'll be out, there's the dotcom, there's going to be a lot of content... The thing to keep in mind is that it won't be three-on/one-off/two-on/one-off. There will be no break in the aired episodes. Much like '24,' you will be able to come into that experience and stay with it week after week after week."

McPherson explains that it's all just part of a changing television landscape in a medium which is offering viewers more options than ever before.

"It's a more expensive schedule, but I think the audience is more demanding right now," he says. "I think that the audience has so much choice, is so sophisticated, is so demanding now that we have to work into our schedule more and more original programming and I think that giving the audience what they want is something we're charged with doing."

Not much is shaken up in No. 1 CBS' schedule

NEW YORK — CBS, bringing six freshman shows back for second seasons, will add just one new comedy and three dramas to a fall schedule that is far more stable than those of major competitors.

The network, which presents the fall lineup to advertisers Wednesday, will finish its fourth consecutive season as No. 1 among total viewers, thanks to a lineup long on procedural crime dramas, including three versions of CSI.

After Threshold failed last fall, CBS will try to broaden its palette with another sci-fi-tinged thriller and legal and medical dramas.

CBS' Sunday movie — the last network movie slot and a staple since 1986 — is canceled, making room for two dramas. Without a Trace, which regularly beats ER on Thursdays, could move to Sunday nights at 9, which would allow CBS to launch new shows behind that series, The Unit and CSI.

Returning freshman shows are The Unit, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, Close to Home and Ghost Whisperer, and midseason comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine will return to its Monday 9:30 p.m. ET/PT slot.

Comedies Courting Alex and Out of Practice are goners. (Practice co-creator Joe Keenan, a former Frasier producer, may move to Desperate Housewives.)

The King of Queens returns for a ninth season. But it will not air until January at the earliest and is expected to be paired with new comedy Rules of Engagement, about a single guy, his engaged friends and a married couple. How I Met YourMother is expected to fill King's Monday 8 p.m. ET/PT slot, followed by new comedy The Class, about a group of third-grade classmates reunited as adults. Class will mark Friends' co-creator David Crane's TV return. Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia) stars.

Like NBC and ABC, CBS is putting an emphasis on dramas as the networks continue to struggle to develop hit comedies.

New fall dramas: Shark, starring James Woods as a celebrity defense lawyer who becomes an L.A. prosecutor; Jericho, about the aftermath of a nuclear mushroom cloud in a Kansas town; and Smith, about career criminals plotting heists and starring Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen and Simon Baker.

Midseason dramas include Waterfront, starring Joe Pantoliano as a corrupt mayor of Providence, and 3 Lbs., about a gifted brain surgeon, starring Stanley Tucci in a retooled version of a series rejected last spring with Dylan McDermott.

Pixar Fought Disney To Protect Its "Children," Says Lasseter

John Lasseter, the co-founder and creative leader of Pixar, has acknowledged that he worried endlessly during the protracted negotiations with Disney about the possibility that Disney would produce sequels to the original Pixar films like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. if a deal extending their relationship wasn't concluded.

In an interview with Fortune magazine, Lasseter said, "It would have been easier just to walk away, but Steve [Jobs] stayed in there for me, because I loved these characters that we have created. They're like family, like children.

And if we didn't get a deal, Disney would own our children. Who knew what they would do? These were the people that put out Cinderella II. We believe that the only reason to do a sequel is if you have a great story, period. It's not 'Let's just keep cranking it out.'"

Lasseter said that he and Jobs decided to wait until Michael Eisner left as CEO of the studio before resuming negotiations with Disney, and that he received a phone call from Robert Iger on the day he was named to succeed Eisner. "And that said a lot to us, because he was serious about wanting to make a deal with us to keep distributing our films. He understood that the biggest issue for us wasn't money, but to have control of our characters."

When he heard that Disney wanted to take over Pixar, Lasseter recalled, "at first I was very nervous." However, he added, Jobs reassured him, saying, "Get to know Bob Iger. That's all I can say. He's a good man."

Record labels sue XM over portable device

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The recording industry on Tuesday sued XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., alleging its Inno device that can store music infringes on copyrights and transforms a passive radio experience into the equivalent of a digital download service like iTunes.

A spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, comprising major labels such as Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group Plc and Sony BMG, said the suit was filed on Tuesday in New York federal court.

The suit accuses XM Satellite of "massive wholesale infringement," and seeks $150,000 in damages for every song copied by XM customers using the devices, which went on sale earlier this month. XM, with more than 6.5 million subscribers, said it plays 160,000 different songs every month.

"...Because XM makes available vast catalogues of music in every genre, XM subscribers will have little need ever again to buy legitimate copies of plaintiffs' sound recordings," the lawsuit says referring to the hand held "Inno" device.

The suit says that XM has touted its service's advantages over the iPod and cites XM's advertising literature that says "It's not a Pod. It's the mothership."

XM said the Inno, which is manufactured by Pioneer Corp., are legal devices that allow consumers to listen to and record radio just as the law has allowed for decades.

While the labels are asserting the device has transformed radio broadcasts into a download service, XM said the device does not allow consumers to transfer recorded content. XM also said that content recorded from radio broadcasts like XM's is not on demand, in contrast to the content people buy from online music stores like Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iTunes service.

XM said it will vigorously defend this lawsuit on behalf of consumers and also called the lawsuit a bargaining tactic.

The company's shares, which rose 4 percent to close at $17.63 on Nasdaq, were down 1.3 percent at $17.40 in after hours trading.

The labels are currently in talks with XM and its rival Sirius Satellite Radio, to renegotiate digital royalty contracts for broadcasts.

XM and the labels had also been in talks about the licensing of content for the digital portable player, but failed to reach agreement, according to sources familiar with the matter. The labels had pressed for licenses similar to those required for services like iTunes, the sources said.

Sirius earlier this spring came to an agreement with music labels over the ability to save songs to its S50 portable satellite receivers that double as MP3 players.

"XM Radio is the largest single payer of digital music broadcast royalties, and royalties paid by XM go to the music industry and benefit artists directly," the satellite radio company said.

"The music labels are trying to stifle innovation, limit consumer choice and roll back consumers' rights to record content for their personal use," XM added.

"It's a question of economic impact. Will these devices substitute for the purchase of a record? Everything is changing and the industry is petrified," said Jay Cooper, an entertainment lawyer.

Kidman engaged to country star

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, ex-wife of actor Tom Cruise, is engaged to marry country music star Keith Urban, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

Confirmation of the engagement ends months of speculation about the couple, both of whom are 38 and were brought up in Australia.

They met in January 2005 at an awards dinner held by the Australian government in Los Angeles honoring the two of them, Urban spokesman Paul Freundlich told Reuters.

Freundlich said he had no further details about the couple's engagement or their wedding plans.

A spokeswoman for the actress added only, "I'll leave that confirmation to Paul. That's the old-fashioned, traditional way of announcing such things."

People magazine reported earlier that Kidman had revealed her engagement to the publication in an interview Monday while discussing a weekend gala event she hosted in New York, accompanied by Urban.

"He's actually my fiance," Kidman, an Academy Award winner for her role in the 2002 film "The Hours," was quoted as saying. "I wouldn't be bringing my boyfriend."

People said Kidman was photographed in November wearing a ring on her wedding finger while walking arm-in-arm with Urban in Boston.

Kidman, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, ended her 10-year marriage to Cruise in 2001. The couple have two adopted children.

Cruise's fiance, actress Katie Holmes, recently gave birth to their first child together, a daughter they named Suri.

Kidman was born in Hawaii but brought up in Australia. Urban, a singer and guitarist, was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia. He won a Grammy in 2005 for best male country vocal performance on the song "You'll Think of Me."

ABC Moves 'Grey's Anatomy' in Fall Lineup

NEW YORK - ABC is moving its hottest show, "Grey's Anatomy," to Thursdays in the fall as part of an aggressive schedule that will bring at least 15 new series to the air next season.

Ted Danson, Taye Diggs, Calista Flockhart, Anne Heche, David Arquette and Rachel Griffiths are among the stars that will appear in new ABC series, the network announced Tuesday.

ABC has also left the newsmagazine "Primetime" off its fall schedule for the first time since its introduction in 1989. But ABC News said "Primetime" will remain in production for specials, limited-run series and perhaps as a replacement for a failed entertainment program.

ABC is the only one of the major networks to increase its ratings over last year on the strength of hits "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." But the rest of its schedule was weak, forcing the network to make an uncommonly large number of pilots.

Moving the medical soap "Grey's Anatomy" to 9 p.m. Thursdays sets up a battle with one of TV's most popular shows, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS, and NBC's most-touted new series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

"There's a lot of history of big shows going up against one another and there's plenty of room for both," said Steve McPherson, ABC entertainment president.

ABC canceled "Commander in Chief," leaving Geena Davis as a one-year president, although a two-hour movie may be made with the same cast. "Invasion," "Hope & Faith," "Jake in Progress" and "Sons and Daughters" were among the other shows left off the schedule.

Flockhart and Griffiths star in "Brothers & Sisters," a drama about a maladjusted family. Danson is a self-help guru going through a midlife crisis in the comedy "Help Me Help You," Heche is a relationship counselor who moves to Alaska in the drama "Men in Trees" and Diggs is in "Day Break," a thriller that uses elements of the movie " Groundhog Day."

The Couch Potato Report - May 16th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on some producers and some dinosaurs.

THE PRODUCERS is the film of the Broadway musical based on the original 1968 Mel Brooks film. This new version stars Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell.

Also new this week is DINOSAURS - THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS is the set for the 1991-1994 show about the life of a family of Dinosaurs who live in a modern world. They have TV's, fridges, and all the amenities that you and I enjoy. The only humans in the show are caveman, who are viewed as pets and wild animals.

The Dinosaurs in the show were animatronic and created by the late Jim Henson. As a huge fan of the man I watched the show, hoping that it would have the class and humour of THE MUPPET SHOW or the many other shows that Henson has been a part of.

Sadly, he made the costumes, but he didn’t write the scripts. That said, there are still a great many laughs to be had from DINOSAURS. I’m not sure it will gain any new fans with this DVD release, but as an old fan I know I am quite happy.

And now the box set for DINOSAURS - THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS is available at a store near you along with the original version of THE PRODUCERS and the new film of the Broadway musical THE PRODUCERS.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

In TRANSAMERICA Felicity Huffman from TV’s DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is a transsexual woman who must confront his past when he was a man.

And THE CECIL B DEMILLE COLLECTION is a 5-disc collection that is a tremendous example of the work of one of the innovators who made moviemaking what it is today.

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 time on The Couch!

CRTC radio review revives Cancon debate

The rules that govern the amount of Canadian content played on the radio are being debated again, more than three decades after they were first introduced.

On Monday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began a series of hearings as part of its review of the country's commercial radio policy.

The broadcast regulator's hearings – which are being held all week in Gatineau, Que. – are expected to broach a range of topics, including increasing diversity on radio, the industry's move to digital transmission and the amount of local news and information.

However, the issue of Cancon – the percentage of Canadian-made musical content that stations are required to play – has emerged as the dominant subject.

Currently, most commercial radio stations are required to play 35 per cent Canadian content.

Stations urge less Cancon, more 'points' for emerging artists

The Canadian Association of Broadcasting (CAB), which represents commercial radio stations, presented its views to the CRTC on Monday.

The group has pitched a revised Cancon judging system whereby stations would receive more credit for playing emerging Canadian acts than they would for playing established artists.

The Canadian Recording Industry Association supports similar changes.

The CAB is also pushing to ease the Cancon requirement for some stations, such as reducing it to 25 per cent for oldies stations.

The broadcasting association has argued that despite recent successes, traditional radio now faces stiff competition from newer technologies – including satellite radio, the internet and digital music players.

"Next door you have this new emerging universe of unregulated services – by way of internet, by way of broadband, by way of wireless – that access consumers without any regulations," Glenn O'Farrell, the president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Association of Broadcasting, told CBC News.

"And we need to compete with that new environment."

Voices raised for higher Cancon requirements

On the other side of the spectrum, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) wants the Cancon requirement raised.

According to SOCAN vice-president Paul Spurgeon, the Canadian Broadcasting Act calls for the "predominant use of Canadian resources."

His group interprets the act as saying more than half of all music played should be homegrown.

"Some people might think it to be somewhat aggressive but we've looked at the law on this," he told CBC News.

"After considering this, we can't argue with the notion that 'predominant' means 'predominant' – which means more than 50 per cent."

SOCAN is also urging the CRTC to raise the Cancon requirements for specialty radio stations, including jazz and classical stations, from the current 10 per cent to 35 per cent.

The Canadian Independent Record Production Association has similarly asked for the general Cancon quota to be raised to 45 per cent.

Since January, more than 150 individual and groups have submitted comments and topics for consideration to the CRTC in relation to the Commercial Radio Review.

The last review took place in 1998. Another was scheduled for 2003 but the commission decided to postpone the review while it dealt with applications to introduce satellite radio to Canada.

A report, including any regulation changes, is expected later in 2006 or early in 2007.

'Underdog' Finds Its Polly Purebred

Have no fear, Amy Adams... "Underdog" is here.

According to Variety, the Oscar nominated actress is set to play the female lead in Disney's adaptation of the popular animated television show, to be directed by Fredrik Du Chau ("Racing Stripes").

Premiering on NBC in 1964, "Underdog" told the story of a canine-superhero with an occasionally annoying tendency to speak in rhyme. By day, he was just Shoeshine Boy, but he could become Underdog whenever Polly Purebred (Adams, presumably) was in danger.

Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl") will voice the main character in the live action/CGI mix. Peter Dinklage is in place as the main villain.

Adams, toasted last year for her work in "Junebug," is becoming an old hand with the CG/live action mix, taking a lead role in Disney's "Enchanted." She'll next be seen in a supporting role in this summer's "Talladega Nights."

'Clerks II' Moves Up To July

Fans have already waited more than a decade for the sequel to "Clerks," but that interval is about to be reduced by a month.

Previously set to battle "Snakes on a Plane" for Aug. 18 box office gold, the Weinstein Co. has moved "Clerks II" up to July 21.

"Why the move? Getting into Cannes changed everything," writer-director-star Kevin Smith says in a statement posted to the NewsAskew website. "Since the film will have its world debut on May 26th, the Weinstein folks thought it'd make more sense to get the film out there sooner, rather than later. They found a weekend in which there wasn't any flick that directly compete with the movie for an audience, and staked their claim."

Analyzing the competition, he adds, "Now, we're opening against some pretty big flicks ('Lady in the Water,' 'Monster House'), but nothing that's appealing directly to our core audience. So while we'll never open at number one (those two flicks alone are pretty mass-appeal movies), we stand to make a decent chunk of change and wind up somewhere in the top ten."

Smith has already repeatedly said that with a budget of only $5 million, waltzing into profit should be a breeze for the sequel, which focuses on the continuing adventures of Randal (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O'Halloran), the titular clerks from the original.

"Clerks II" is screening out-of-competition at Cannes.

'Scrubs' Gets Another Midseason Run

NEW YORK -- With the NFL swallowing an entire night of primetime and the network high on several new dramas, a couple of current NBC shows were likely to get lost in the shuffle.

Or, if not lost, at least filed away for a while.

So the good news for fans of "Scrubs" and "Crossing Jordan" is that both shows will be back at some point during the 2006-07 season. The bad news is that NBC hasn't figured out what point that is yet.

That "Crossing Jordan" was held back isn't that surprising, given that NBC will be broadcasting prime-time NFL games on Sundays in the fall. However, the network has scheduled a new drama, "Raines," for the 10 p.m. Sunday timeslot after football season, meaning "Jordan" may likely find a new home somewhere.

The show has survived an extended absence in the past, going 10 months between its second and third seasons when star Jill Hennessy was pregnant.

As for "Scrubs," which received a full-season order, it's the second year in a row the Emmy-nominated comedy has been held off the fall schedule. NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says the decision was driven by the network's need to "bulk up" its schedule with one-hour shows and the somewhat fragile state of comedy on network TV -- NBC has just four on its fall schedule.

"We're going to revisit comedy," Reilly says. "Obviously we have some good ones on the bench -- NBC has also picked up two comedies, "Andy Barker, PI" and "The Singles Table," for midseason. We're going to get out of the gate, hopefully have some real success, and then look. ... We've got to revisit it and figure out strategically where to get it in."

Radiohead's Yorke Flies Solo

Everything's in its right place for Thom Yorke.

Radiohead's wiry frontman has announced that his first solo album, The Eraser, is set to hit stores on July 11.

But don't go getting all paranoid android thinking the Grammy-winning British art rockers are going to disappear completely.

In a message to Radiohead fansite W.A.S.T.E., Yorke emphatically denied that bandmembers have any intention of going their separate ways with his new musical foray.

Instead, he reports that Radiohead has been feverishly working in its U.K. studios on new tunes for the band's highly anticipated seventh album, which Radiohead has been road testing with a short tour that began earlier this month in Europe. The tour makes its way to North America in June via intimate theater venues, as well as a June 17 headlining gig at the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee, before wrapping up in August.

"Yes it's a record! No, it's not a Radiohead record," the singer wrote in a post dated Friday. "As you know, the band are now touring and writing new stuff and getting to a good space, so I want no crap about me being a traitor or whatever splitting up blah, blah...this was all done with their blessing."

And while The Eraser is his own baby, Yorke tells fans he doesn't like referring to the disc as a solo project, claiming "it doesn't sound right."

Solo or not, the new disc is going to be distributed by Indie label XL Recordings and feature nine tracks produced and arranged by Nigel Godrich, the famed Radiohead collaborator who shepherded the group to prominence via his work on The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A and Hail to the Thief.

"The elements have been kicking round now for a few years and needed to be finished, and I have been itching to do something like this for ages," Yorke said in his post. "Inevitably, it is more beats and electronics."

Billboard reports that one song, "Black Swan," will be featured over the closing credits of Warner Independent Features' upcoming thriller A Scanner Darkly, which Richard Linklater is adapting from the classic Philip K. Dick sci-fi novel.

The film's score was rumored to be written entirely by Radiohead, but the band will instead contribute a limited amount of music along with Yorke's new tune.

As for their long-awaited creep back to the stage, Yorke & Co. kicked things off with the May 1 tour opener in London, which saw the unveiling of new songs "Arpeggi" and "Bodysnatchers." Radiohead was forced to cancel a May 10 concert in Amsterdam after the unexpected death of drummer Phil Selway's mother. The band has rescheduled the show for Aug. 28.

Here's a complete track listing for Yorke's The Eraser:

"The Eraser"
"Analyze"
"The Clock"
"Black Swan"
"Skip Divided"
"Atoms for Peace"
"And It Rained All Night"
"Harrowdown Hill"
"Cymbal Rush"

Jennifer Garner Says 'Alias' Had a Good Run

BURBANK, Calif. - "Alias" is coming in from the cold. "I think we have done these characters justice and to do any more would be pushing it," says series star Jennifer Garner, who plays double-agent Sydney Bristow, perhaps TV's most gorgeous female spy since Diana Rigg played Emma Peel on the `60s British series "The Avengers."

After five seasons, the ABC series that revitalized the espionage genre with a visually dazzling combination of glamor, angst and trickery concludes Monday, May 22, with a pair of episodes (9 p.m. EDT).

The brainchild of J. J. Abrams (who has since created ABC's hit drama "Lost" and directed "Mission: Impossible III"), "Alias" leaves behind a loyal, cult-like group of fans who understood the minutia of the double-dealing plot twists.

Yet mainstream viewers were often left scratching their heads over the spies' constantly shifting alliances between good and evil, not to mention their occasional faked deaths.

Show runner and executive producer Jeff Pinkner says it's "always been a family drama" and has "always played with the question of whether or not Sydney Bristow had a choice in what she was doing in her life ... fate versus free will."

The role made Garner an A-list star and her private life media fodder. Supermarket tabs tracked her divorce from "Felicity's" Scott Foley, her dating of "Alias" co-star Michael Vartan, her marriage last year to film star Ben Affleck and the November birth of their daughter, Violet.

Simply clad in black, action-star work clothes, the gracious, fresh-faced actress arrived promptly for lunch at the Mickey Mouse-themed Rotunda restaurant on the Walt Disney Studios lot, where the final episodes of "Alias" were in production.

Pinkner joined her and they shared feelings about the bonds that develop among cast and crew during the series run.

"This show will always be the backdrop to me growing up and I did it with these people. They've seen me struggle through stuff, figure stuff out, struggle through it again," said Garner, now 34. "They have been enormously kind to me the entire time and have done nothing but facilitate my growth, and been very patient."

That included her real-life pregnancy, which was worked into the plot, with Bristow giving birth to a daughter, Isabelle, in the April 19 episode.

Filming that sequence felt "too intimate," Garner said. "It was a horrible scene to shoot. I felt ridiculous. I kept saying to the crew, 'This wasn't what it was like. I wasn't like this. I was very calm.'"

Certainly more fun for the actress over the years were the many disguises Bristow adopted to go undercover, including "hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of wigs," Garner recalled. Her favorite was "the blonde bob," which she donned, along with blue contacts, to pose as a Nordic beauty. "It's the only time I've ever felt, `I wish I was this person.'"

She also mastered snippets of many foreign languages, the hardest being Czech.

And Garner is proud to say she performed many of her own stunts, though she's miffed that as her fame grew so also did Disney's insistence on stunt doubles.

She said she had wanted to do a "descender" in one of the final episodes, where "you're rigged in a harness. Couldn't be safer. A hundred and fifty feet. I've done higher than that several times."

But she was told insurance wouldn't cover her. "I was crushed. I was so bummed."

So on this day, she was happy to be going back after lunch to shoot a rappelling scene, even though "it's just a wussy thing."

Pinkner co-wrote one of the final episodes, but, teasingly, would only say, "People die; people live."

However, he assures the conclusion honors Bristow's ongoing romance with CIA agent Michael Vaughn (Vartan) and her relationship with her parents, particularly her father, double agent Jack Bristow ( Victor Garber).

The final episodes also pay off the mythology of the show, based on the mysterious prophecies of 15th century seer Milo Rambaldi, and add another kink to the machinations of treacherous spymaster Arvin Sloane ( Ron Rifkin).

Garner admitted to some ambivalence as production on the series drew to a close.

"I feel very much like a college senior," she said. "Kinda, `When will this ever end? I'm never going to get out of here!' and at the same time, `Oh, don't let it end. Who am I without it? I don't want it to end! I love these people.'"

NBC Ready for Some Regis

Regis Philbin got another first-string job. Joey got sacked. Crossing Jordan got benched.

Football analogies were in order Monday as NBC announced a fall schedule that will rely on prime-time pigskin and six new series to turn around the fourth-place network.

The ubiquitous Philbin, Matthew Perry and Alec Baldwin will be among the familiar faces in freshman shows. Matt LeBlanc, Benjamin Bratt and the Fear Factor bugs are among the stars losing their network parking spaces.

Overall, NBC announced plans for four new dramas, two new comedies, four midseason replacements and one new Philbin-hosted, Simon Cowell-produced talent show.

Canceled were: Joey, the LeBlanc-led Friends spinoff put out of its misery after two seasons; Fear Factor, the bug-eating reality show exterminated after six seasons; save for My Name Is Earl, every single new NBC show from last fall, including the Bratt-staffed E-Ring and the cult fave Surface; and, except for Deal or No Deal, every single new NBC show from midseason, including Teachers and Conviction.

In addition to the previously announced Sunday Night Football, or as it was known for 35 years on ABC, Monday Night Football, NBC will go long with Friday Night Lights, an hourlong drama inspired by the 2004 football film of the same name (itself based on the 1990 football book of the same name).

Less the network alienate non-football fans, NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly noted in a telephone press conference that Friday Night Lights has been described as "The O.C. that's got authenticity."

NBC, however, will risk alienating Crossing Jordan fans by renewing the crime drama for a sixth season, but leaving it off the fall schedule.

The show, which had higher ratings than The Office, The Biggest Loser and Las Vegas (three NBC series rewarded with fall slots), got squeezed out of its 10 p.m. Sunday home by Sunday Night Football and a new Jeff Goldblum series. Sunday Night Football will dominate NBC's Sunday nights through December; Raines, a House-ian police detective drama starring Goldblum, will assume the 10 p.m. slot in the winter.

In lieu of a fall slot, Crossing Jordan, "a great utility player," per Reilly, will be plugged in somewhere, sometime during the new season.

Scrubs, a bubble show renewed for a sixth season, will be deployed on a similar as-needed basis.

Elsewhere, NBC resolved a few cliffhangers: No, ER won't be moved off Thursday (although, yes, it will have to learn to share); no, The Apprentice won't be fired; and, yes, Andy Richter won't rest until he stars in a hit series of his own.

NBC handled the ER matter--the aging, but still semi-popular series dedicated to the advancement of new regular John Stamos--by announcing that the medical drama would air in its traditional 10 p.m., Thursday slot through December, straight, no repeats, and then step aside for The Black Donnellys, an Irish Mob drama from Crash director Paul Haggis. Once the Haggis show concludes its run, ER will get back its turf. Or, at least that's the plan for now.

The Apprentice, meanwhile, currently struggling through its least watched season ever, will be allowed to see if a change of scenery (Los Angeles instead of New York) can improve Donald Trump's TV fortunes. The series will be back for a sixth cycle in January.

As for Richter, the former Conan O'Brien sidekick, late of the short-lived sitcoms Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Quintuplets, will see if the third time is the charm with Andy Barker, P.I., a midseason replacement comedy about an accountant who turns gumshoe.

A brief look at the other new series:

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (fall): The previously announced star of the schedule that isn't football. In this hourlong drama, Friends alum Perry and West Wing alum Bradley Whitford play producers of Saturday Night Live, sorry, "a popular, late-night comedy show comedy sketch show."

Heroes (fall): "A high school cheerleader learns that she is totally indestructible." No one-trick pony, this hourlong drama about ordinary people discovering their inner Superman and Wonder Woman, also promises a stripper (Final Destination's Ali Larter) who "uncovers that her mirror has a secret."

Kidnapped (fall): Prison Break meets Dynasty in this hourlong thriller about the abduction of a teenage boy that focuses on his well-to-do Manhattan family, his kidnappers and his would-be saviors in law enforcement. Best-case scenario for NBC: The show's a hit, and the kid doesn't go home for a very long time. Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany head the ensemble cast.

20 Good Years (fall): In this "high-energy romp" of a sitcom, John Lithgow, 60, and Jeffrey Tambor, 61, play friends who optimistically estimate they have two solid decades left to change their lives.

30 Rock (fall): SNL head writer Tina Fey plays the head writer of SNL, sorry, "a frenetic television variety show." Frequent SNL guest host Alec Baldwin costars, as do SNL regulars current, Rachel Dratch, and past, Tracy Morgan. NBC said it was not known yet if Fey and Dratch will continue to work on the show that actually is called SNL.

America's Got Talent (January): Regis Philbin looks for new talent that presumably producer Simon Cowell isn't looking for on American Idol.

The Singles Table (midseason): Because no NBC schedule would be complete without at least one attempt to redo Friends, this half-hour comedy sees five "witty and single strangers" bond while consigned to the "singles table" at a wedding. John Cho (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) stars.

And here's a night-by-night look at NBC's fall lineup:

SUNDAY: Football Night in America; Sunday Night Football (January 2007 lineup: America's Got Talent; The Apprentice; Raines)

MONDAY: Deal or No Deal; Heroes; Medium

TUESDAY: Friday Night Lights; Kidnapped; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

WEDNESDAY: The Biggest Loser; 20 Good Years; 30 Rock; Law & Order

THURSDAY: My Name Is Earl; The Office; Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; ER (fall)/The Black Donnellys (January)

FRIDAY: Deal or No Deal; Las Vegas; Law & Order: Criminal Intent

SATURDAY: Dateline Saturday; reruns

Hagar puts Cabo on tour, shots included

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - When Sammy Hagar is fired up, he tends to talk kind of fast.

Exhibit A: "Cabo-esque looking, a bunch of tents, with poles and all that, and we're filling all these little booths up with fun stuff, like taco stands, margarita stands, shot stands, and some outdoor grills with people grilling chickens and carne asada and making tacos out of 'em, and salsa, wandering mariachi bands, sand all over the place, we're putting up volley ball courts, it's all about bathing suits, bikinis, no shoes, no shirt, no problem, it's a whole different kind of concept."

Phew. It turns out he's describing the shed version of the Cabo Wabo Village.

Hagar is bringing Cabo north of the border this summer. The Red Rocker's summer trek even has a Cabo San Lucas-themed concourse attraction -- the Cabo Wabo Village -- on each date, beginning with a sold-out show June 3 at the Hyundai Pavilion in Glen Helen, Calif.

Hagar's shed tour comes on the heels of six sellouts at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where he opened his first U.S. Cabo Wabo Cantina in 2004. He launched the first Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in the early '90s.

Hagar is still talking breathlessly. "It starts at 3 o'clock with karaoke stages and body builders, like you're just going down to the beach in Cabo to see what's going on. So I'm just bringing that whole feel and look and sound and smell even to this village. People can start partyin' at 3, 6:30 the doors open, you go inside and continue to party inside the venue, I come on at 7:30 or 8:00, depending what the curfew is because we do a three-hour show."

Hagar's band the Waboritas will play first, then Hagar will hit the stage with his former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony in an outfit they call the Other Half. "Michael kicks off his classic Van Halen bass solo on steroids, then (the band and) I come out and do an hour of classic Van Halen. We're just trying to have some fun with it."

The band rips through around 10 Van Halen standards. "Eddie (Van Halen) and I wrote every one of those songs together," Hagar continues. "If those guys don't wanna come out and do it or make it difficult to do, whichever way you want to look at it, the fans deserve to hear 'em, I deserve to sing the songs I wrote, so I feel good with Mike doing it that way. Otherwise I'd never do an hour of Van Halen in my show.

"Then we do a big grand finale with anybody in town that wants to come up and jam with us. I'm going to invite a lot of different people, kinda make it an open mic kind of situation, then we bust the pinata. If people can still walk, we'll come back with an encore."

He and Anthony are joined onstage by guitarist Vic Johnson, drummer Bro Lauser and background singers.

To Hagar, this summer's run is "just a new way of doing a tour and a concert, instead of just doing the same show you did the night before, packing up and leaving. It ain't that kind of show. It's an all-day event and it's user-friendly.

"If you've never been to Cabo, this will really put the hook in you. If you've been to Cabo, you're gonna sit there drinking shots and go, 'Man, it sounds and smells like I'm in Cabo.' It's just got a vibe we're trying to re-create."

Sounds like fun. Hagar will wrap up his tour with a performance, Cabo Wabo Village and all, at the Rock'n the Rally festival August 10 in Sturgis, S.D. Hagar gave 650 tickets to the Sturgis performance to winners on his "Are We Having Fun Yet" cruise to Cabo.

Foster Quotes Eminem at Penn Graduation

PHILADELPHIA - You can add rapping to the list of Jodie Foster's talents. The Oscar-winning actress spoke Monday at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement ceremonies, ending her address with the chorus of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile," the semi-autobiographical 2002 film in which he starred.

Foster, who graduated from Ivy League rival Yale University in 1985, received an honorary doctor of arts degree.

She earned laughs from the graduates by taking pictures of them from the podium and then by recalling her own years at Yale. But she struck a serious note later, saying the country and world are worse off than they were four years ago, and challenging graduates to change that.

The U.S. "squandered" the goodwill and sympathy other nations offered after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Foster said. She also criticized officials for the "disastrous and shameful" handling of Hurricane Katrina.

Penn seniors had expressed skepticism and seemed underwhelmed by her selection as commencement speaker when it was announced earlier this year, but she received a standing ovation after her speech.

Foster, 43, won Oscars for 1988's "The Accused" and 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs." She received nominations for her roles in 1976's "Taxi Driver" and 1994's "Nell."

Aimee Masters, 22, who received her bachelor's degree in sociology and women's studies, said Foster was "really inspiring."

"Everyone around me was really happy with what she said," Masters said, adding that quoting Eminem "was surprising, but I liked it."

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff, who earned a master's degree in positive psychology, was among the approximately 6,000 graduates.

MTV Launches Online Music, Video Store

LOS ANGELES - For years, MTV Networks Inc. sat on the sidelines while Apple Computer Inc., RealNetworks Inc. and others racked up sales of music downloads. Now the cable network group that helped popularize music videos two decades ago is entering the online music fray with URGE, a new service that makes its public beta debut on Wednesday.

URGE comes integrated into the newest version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Player, which users of Microsoft's Windows will receive in coming weeks as an upgrade. Prior to that, the player upgrade will be available for download at the URGE and Microsoft Web sites.

At launch, URGE will have more than 2 million tracks, which can be purchased individually at 99 cents or as full albums starting at around $9.95.

The service also will offer unlimited downloads at a monthly rate of $9.95, or $14.95 for the ability to transfer songs to any of more than 100 compatible portable music players.

Initially, URGE will also feature streaming videos, with video downloads becoming available for purchase later this year.

URGE will also be the featured music service on Microsoft's media player, which will continue to have built-in links to several other services.

The company has begun clearing content from its vault of exclusive appearances by recording artists on staples such as "TRL" and "MTV Unplugged" for sale on URGE, said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music Group.

The tie-in to MTV should also help URGE sell consumers on the upside of subscription services better than others have to date, said analyst Phil Leigh with Inside Digital Media.

"The thing that works to their advantage is they have a well-recognized brand that is popular to a demographic that is going to be receptive to purchasing digital music," Leigh said.

Still, URGE enters an online music market struggling to compete with online piracy and the dominance of Apple's iTunes Music Store and its market-leading iPod digital music player.

And like established rivals RealNetworks' Rhapsody and Napster Inc., URGE is not compatible with Apple's Macintosh computers or its market-leading iPod digital music player.

That incompatibility, combined with the availability of music on Internet file-sharing networks, has made subscription music plans a tough sell.

Earlier this year, Napster said it had more than a half-million subscribers. RealNetworks, which doesn't break out the number of Rhapsody subscribers, says it has more than 1.7 million paying customers for the service and its cadre of radio streaming plans combined.

Apple's iTunes Music Store, which doesn't offer a subscription plan, has sold more than 1 billion songs since its launch three years ago, while more than 50 million iPods have been purchased since 2001.

"Whether the consumer really wants a service that's only compatible with non-iPod players is going to be the big issue," said Steve Gordon, entertainment attorney and author of "The Future of the Music Business."

Toffler acknowledges the popularity of Apple's store and player, but argues both the a la carte singles model and the subscription business are still in their infancy.

"Only 5 percent of music sales happen digitally," he said. "Hopefully, through the TV channels we have and the dot-com sites ... we can educate people about the virtues of subscriptions. It's not about selling a million singles."

Eva Longoria Tops Maxim's 'Hot 100' List

NEW YORK - Eva Longoria tops Maxim's seventh annual "Hot 100" list of the most successful women in film, TV, music, sports and fashion for the second year in a row.

The "Desperate Housewives" actress told The Associated Press that her repeat selection for the No. 1 spot was a shock.

"I was actually really shocked last year when I made the list," said the 31-year-old Longoria, who ranked No. 91 on the 2004 roster.

"So 91 to No. 1 was a big jump, and then to get it a second time in a row — I just couldn't believe it," she said Friday. "I was like, `Surely there are more beautiful women in the world.' I can name 10."

Maxim said it is the first time the magazine has bestowed the No. 1 honor back-to-back. Editors made the selections for the issue, which will be on newsstands Thursday.

The magazine said all of the women on the list have several things in common, including "a tremendous amount of buzz surrounding them, undeniable beauty and a promise of greater things to come."

Jessica Alba is No. 2, followed by Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, Stacy Keibler ("Dancing With the Stars"), Scarlett Johansson, Cameron Diaz, Kate Bosworth, Keira Knightley and singer-actress Christina Milian.

The list also includes "Desperate Housewives" stars Nicollette Sheridan (No. 48) and Teri Hatcher (No. 73).

"I would have voted all of our `Housewives' on the list," Longoria told the AP in a phone interview.

"The Maxim Hot 100 continues to get hotter, and it is all because of girls like Eva Longoria, who always looks sensational and continues to reach new heights in her career," Editor in Chief Ed Needham said in a statement Monday.

What does boyfriend/San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker make of all this?

"Oh, he's very proud," Longoria told the AP. "He thinks he's with a beautiful girl every day, so for him, it's, you know, someone else solidifying what he already thinks."

'Survivor' Picks Its $1 Million Winner

NEW YORK - It was a high-stakes battle that didn't have a clear-cut favorite — but, as always, in the end there was one "Survivor."

(Spoiler alert: Those still waiting to watch Sunday's season-ending "Survivor: Panama, Exile Island," you've been warned.)

Aras Baskauskas, a 24-year-old yoga instructor from Santa Monica, Calif., beat out Danielle DiLorenzo, a 24-year-old medical sales representative from Boston, to win the 12th edition of the CBS reality show — and the $1 million champion's payoff.

DiLorenzo, who host Jeff Probst said in an interview was one of "the weakest players who've ever played the game," won the final immunity challenge — a contest that involved balancing on a series of wobbly platforms on the ocean — to reach the final two.

The immunity win allowed her to eliminate one of the other two still remaining, Baskauskas or ex-Navy fighter pilot Terry Deitz. DiLorenzo chose to send Deitz packing, breaking the "alliance" agreement she'd made with him.

Baskauskas, who briefly played professional basketball in Lithuania, had an intense rivalry — a "macho" hostility, as DiLorenzo called it — with the 46-year-old Deitz, who won multiple immunity challenges during the 39-day-contest.

At the final council vote, however, when it came down to Baskauskas or DiLorenzo, Deitz voted in favor of Baskauskas.

"Out of the two of you, you were head and shoulders the winner," said Deitz in reference to his nemesis, flashing his vote card to the camera.

When he made his case at the final council to the jury of ex-"Survivor" castmates, Baskauskas said he deserved to win because he "worked hard at establishing real relationships."

Booted contestant/jury member Shane Powers blasted Baskauskas, however. DiLorenzo, Powers said, was "useless at camp" and that Deitz, not Baskauskas, should have landed in the final two.

Cirie Fields, a 35-year-old nurse from Walterboro, S.C., was the first of the final four to be voted out of the competition during Sunday night's two-hour finale.

The show from executive producer Mark Burnett, who also produces NBC's "The Apprentice," remains a top-level ratings performer.

After the final votes were cast at the tribal council in Panama, they were tallied on a live broadcast Sunday night from the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan.

'West Wing' Ends With Graceful Transition

NEW YORK - It was an orderly transition Sunday night as President Jed Bartlet left office and "The West Wing" came to a graceful end.

After seven TV seasons (and two terms in his fictional White House), the heroic, quirky, often embattled chief executive played by Martin Sheen was succeeded by Matt Santos ( Jimmy Smits). As the Bartlet administration came to its inevitable conclusion, so did the NBC drama.

"You did a lot of good, Jed, a lot of good," the First Lady ( Stockard Channing) told her husband as Inauguration Day dawned.

Bartlet's mood at that moment must have matched many viewers': relief, satisfaction, gratitude and sadness that it was about to be over.

And later on, Abbie Bartlet said proudly, "Jed, you made it. You're still here" — after the assassination attempt, his battle with multiple sclerosis, and the punishing duties of his job.

Sentiment hung heavy through the hour, both for the characters and the audience. In particular, former chief of staff Leo McGarry, who had died suddenly on the campaign trail as Santos' vice-presidential running mate, was repeatedly recalled (as was, implicitly, the late John Spencer, who played him until his death of a heart attack last December).

"I'm gonna take one final stroll around the joint, to make sure nobody's making off with the cutlery," Bartlet told his secretary ( Lily Tomlin) after tending to one final presidential task: signing some pardons in the oval office.

Caution: Spoiler alert. Would he pardon Toby Ziegler ( Richard Schiff), a trusted senior adviser who had leaked classified information out of conscience, then confessed; been fired, tried and indicted; and now was facing prison?

Though still torn between feelings of betrayal and affection — well, of course, Bartlet pardoned Toby.

For the episode, a full-scale inauguration platform was erected, where the ceremony would soon begin as, back at the White House, Bartlet staffers watched coverage of it on their TVs and finished packing up.

Then, at 42 minutes into the hour, Santos took the oath of office. An era was over. So, remarkably, was the brief inauguration scene.

"Nice speech," the former president told President Santos (viewers will never know).

"No JFK," Santos replied.

"No," smiled Bartlet. "But you've got time. Make me proud, Mr. President."

"I'll do my best, Mr. President," Santos said.

And Bartlet was gone.

In the unseen Santos administration ahead, "West Wing" favorites Donna Moss and Josh Lyman ( Janel Moloney and Bradley Whitford) will be part of the team — and presumably will remain an item, a recent development after having been partners for years in TV's sexiest unconsummated, unacknowledged romance.

"The West Wing," which premiered in fall 1999, was the vision of Aaron Sorkin, whose genius was reflected in the pilot episode, repeated Sunday night just before the finale aired. Sorkin not only created the series, but wrote all the episodes for several seasons before leaving it.

Although a popular hit as well as a critical smash, the series in recent seasons dropped precipitously from its former Top-10 status and was canceled by the network.

Even so, this season's episodes have been strong, charting not only White House goings-on but also the campaign between Santos and his Republican challenger, Arnold Vinick ( Alan Alda).

Viewers can be cheered that Sorkin will be back on TV: NBC has announced that his new series, "Studio 60 on Sunset Strip" will be on its fall lineup, with stars including "West Wing" alumni Whitford and Timothy Busfield.

And Sunday the final scene of "The West Wing" left the audience on a forward-looking note, too, even if expressed in a wistful tone.

"What are you thinking about?" Abbie Bartlet asked her husband as they flew back home to New Hampshire after the marvelous adventure they had shared with "West Wing" fans.

"Tomorrow," he replied.

Jewel to plug new release on 'Y & R'

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jewel is hitting the daytime-TV soap world to promote her new CD.

The singer-songwriter will appear May 31 on The Young and the Restless. The CBS soap opera is daytime's top-rated drama. On the show, Jewel will perform at a fundraiser hosted by characters Nick and Sharon Newman to mark the first anniversary of their teenage daughter's death in a drunk-driving accident.

She'll sing Again and Again and Good Day from her new Goodbye Alice in Wonderland CD, released earlier this month.

At the end of the episode, Jewel will appear in a public service announcement for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The singer's acting credits include the movie Ride With the Devil and the TV series The Lyon's Den.

Do you own songs bought online? Well, sort of

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Like millions around the world, you have an iPod, the market-leading digital music player made by Apple Computer Inc. and have spent perhaps a few hundred dollars buying songs from the company's iTunes music store.

But do you really own the tunes? Whether you do, however, depends on how you define ownership.

"Owning implies control and if you bought the tracks on iTunes you don't have complete control," said Rob Enderle, president of market researcher the Enderle Group.

Those songs you bought online from Apple play just fine, of course, so long you do so on the company's iTunes digital jukebox software, on an iPod, burn a CD (you can only burn the same "playlist," or collection of songs, seven times), or stream them wirelessly to your stereo using another Apple gizmo.

But Apple's FairPlay digital rights management, or DRM, software prevents you from listening to those purchased songs on a music player from Dell Inc., Creative, Sony, or others. The same thing goes for songs you've imported to your computer from CDs you already own.

The DRM software is Apple's way of preventing piracy and is a large part of the reason why the recording industry has so warmly embraced the iTunes Music Store.

"A lot of people would argue it's the closest thing you're going to get other than buying a CD," said analyst Mike McGuire of market research firm Gartner of the restrictions Apple and others place on music bought online.

To be sure, Apple rivals have their own DRM technology to protect against piracy, such as Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp., but none have been as successful so far as Apple. The Cupertino, California-based company has a 70-percent market share in the United States for digital music players, and higher than that for music purchased online.

Beyond just having songs you bought from iTunes "trapped" on the iPod and in iTunes, it's also not a snap to move songs from an iPod - whether you bought them or initially pulled them off a CD - back up to a computer. While it's possible to do so, Apple doesn't make it easy, right off the bat, because it's trying to discourage piracy.

"They do it to lock you in," Enderle said, noting an example of if you spent $500 on buying songs from iTunes. "You now have a $500 switching cost to pull out of iTunes."

But there are a number of different and perfectly legal reasons why you'd want to be able to do that.

For example, your computer suffers a disastrous crash, you lose data that includes your music library, and you want to recover your lost music library from your iPod and return it to your now-repaired computer.

There are programs that let you move songs from the iPod, up to a computer - such as Senuti and PodWorks - but, for the average user, it may be more than he or she is up for. There are some ways around companies' DRM technology, but those are far trickier to use and Microsoft and others frequently plug holes in their software to prevent converting DRM-protected songs into unprotected MP3 files.

As for how complicated it is to get around DRM protection, consider this quote from a Website: "Microsoft's DRM is actually, for a change, really well thought out. The XML content header at the top of every protected WMA file just can't be changed because it's digitally signed using either ECC or RSA. The same thing goes for the actual license files and corresponding keys."

That's language that is probably not readily understood by the average consumer.

"The average consumer hasn't run into the restrictions" that the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Sony have placed on online music purchases, McGuire said. "Certainly there's some interest in Apple wanting people to return to the iTunes store but these restrictions are really due to the rights holders and the labels."

Cruise Sinks 'Poseidon' at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - It was bottoms up for "Poseidon," as the cruise ship disaster remake failed to topple "Mission: Impossible III" from a second week atop the nation's box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Mission: Impossible III" clung to No. 1 with a $24.5 million take during an anemic North America box office weekend that saw the Tom Cruise action film drop 49 percent from its opening weekend.

Internationally, "Mission: Impossible III" raked in another $70 million to bring its two-week earnings overall to $214 million.

"It's not a bad start," said Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing, distribution and operations.

"Poseidon," which reportedly cost $150 million-plus to make, debuted in second place with what was described as a solid weekend opening of $20.3 million.

"You've got two PG-13 action movies vying for the top spot and each earned over $20 million. I think that's pretty strong for Mother's Day weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., which tracks box office performance.

But the overall North America turnstile take was more than 13 percent behind the comparable 2005 period, the first time in seven weeks that box office receipts dropped over last year's figures.

"The top 12 films for this weekend are down about 13.5 percent for comparable weekend last year. Hollywood has been on a roll for seven weeks," Dergarabedian said, adding the upcoming weekend has two potential blockbusters that could again float all boats.

"This was a solid but not spectacular weekend leading up to a big week ahead with `The Da Vinci Code' and `Over the Hedge.' This will be classic counter-programming," he said.

The Robin Williams comedy "RV" was third with $9.5 million, Lindsay Lohan's "Just My Luck" debuted in fourth with $5.5 million and "An American Haunting" was fifth with $3.7 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Mission: Impossible III," $24.5 million.
2. "Poseidon," $20.3 million.
3. "RV," $9.5 million.
4. "Just My Luck," $5.5 million.
5. "An American Haunting," $3.7 million.
6. "United 93," $3.6 million.
7. "Stick It," $3.2 million.
8. "Ice Age: The Meltdown," $3 million.
9. "Silent Hill," $2.2 million.
10. "Hoot," $2.1 million.

Global rebrands Prime as TVtropolis

WINNIPEG (CP) - Global TV has announced that five new original Canadian shows are in production for its new specialty channel TVtropolis, a rebranding of its 10-year-old service Prime TV.

The new name and image will take effect June 1. The programs include Ad Persuasion, a look at inventive and bizarre TV commercials; FANatical, which follows a group of obsessive TV fans; Inside the Box, a game show for TV junkies; Popaganda, a pop-culture-themed talk-magazine show and Whatever Happened To? (working title), a series that will chase down faded stars of the 1980s and '90s.

Christine Shipton, the vice-president of original programming for CanWest MediaWorks, says the titles will have a flavour that will perfectly complement their new focus, the world of pop culture and celebrity.

Prime won its licence with a format the licensees said would target an audience of men and women over the age of 50. It's new motto is "Hit TV lives here" and will offer iconic TV hits of the last 10 to 15 years.

TVtropolis will launch June 1 with a day-long marathon of pilot episodes of the classic U.S. series The Nanny, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Newsradio, Beverly Hills 90210, Seinfeld, Frasier and Married With Children.

There will also be a sneak preview of the reality series Celebrity Fit Club.

Sum 41 guitarist quits band to focus on new project: reports

TORONTO (CP) - Sum 41 is minus one guitarist.

Dave Brownsound has reportedly left the pop-punk group to focus on his new band, Brown Brigade, which will have a heavier metal sound. "I couldn't continue on creatively in Sum 41 without being a thorn in the side of the band," Brownsound said in a statement quoted by MTV.com

"As people grow, they change. All I can ask is that our fans understand and accept my thanks for being there for me whenever I was feeling happy, sad or depressed."

Brownsound, whose real name is Dave Baksh, said the split was amicable after more than a decade of brash, catchy hits with bandmates Deryck Whibley, Steve Jocz and Jason (Cone) McCaslin.

"We are brothers and no matter what, they are Sum 41 and they will make an incredible album. Peace love and all of the above," he said.

Mike Renaud, the president of Upper Management - which represents the guitarist - told MTV.com that the split was simply a matter of Baksh wanting to focus his creative energies elsewhere.

"He's got a new band called Brown Brigade, and he felt it was time to make a switch," Renaud said.

"There's no bad blood between anyone in Sum, and Dave is incredibly proud of everything he did with the band.

OutKast Album, Film Penciled In For August

After numerous delays, the OutKast film "Idlewild" is now slated to arrive Aug. 25 in U.S. theaters, three days after the release of its LaFace soundtrack. The first single from the album, "Mighty O," leaked online earlier this week. The cut features OutKast's take on Cab Calloway's famous scatting from "Minnie the Moocher."

Andre 3000's verse finds him resisting easy categorization: "The damsels in distress but they a mess / They only like my armor and that I'm a performer/ They read one magazine and want to think they're getting warmer / They're only getting colder."

Big Boi, meanwhile, reasserts his dominance over other rappers with lines like "Intended for anyone filling out this application / An estimate is needed for your underestimation / I'm firing on the spot, go back and check your calculations." Later, he threatens, "I'll hurt you like the president's approval rating by serving you're a** with words, fool."

Written and directed by Bryan Barber, "Idlewild" is set in the 1930s around the music and business of running a speakeasy. While it will fit the film's context, Big Boi told Billboard.com last year not to expect period music.

"It's hip-hop. It's OutKast. It is what we've been doing for years," he said. "Some songs have a little more piano or whatever, but the whole project was a natural progression from a double CD [OutKast's 2003 album "Speakerboxx/The Love Below"]. It was like, where do we go from here?"

Recording artists Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray and Fishbone's Angelo Moore also appear in "Idlewild," along with actors Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Ben Vereen and Cicely Tyson, among others.

Simpsons, The - Looking for this? Season 8 Date, Specs, Extras and Box Art

"Where's season 8?!" That's been the question we've gotten over and over again, and we haven't had an answer, until now.

Season 8, which will be in a Maggie head case and a standard version, will be released on August 15.

The set will retail for $49.98 US, or $69.98 CAN, and seasons 2-6 will be repriced to $39.98 US or $49.98 CAN on the same day.

The 4 disc set will include all 25 episodes (550 mins) from the eighth season of the show. Specs are familiar to collectors of the series; full frame video (1.33:1), English Dolby Digital 5.1, and French/Spanish Dolby Surround audio tracks, with English and French subtitles. Now, on to the extras!

Commentary tracks include:

Treehouse of Horror VII with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X.Cohen, Dan Greaney, Ken Keeler, Dan Castellaneta, Mike B. Anderson.

You Only Move Twice with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Ken Keeler, Dan Castellaneta, Mike B. Anderson

The Homer They Fall with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Mark Kirkland, David X. Cohen, George Meyer

Burns Baby Burns with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Mark Kirkland, David X. Cohen

Bart After Dark with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Richard Appel, Dominic Polcino, David Silverman, Ken Keeler

A Milhouse Divided with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Steve Tompkins, Steven Dean Moore

Lisa's Date With Density with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Mike Scully, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Susie Dietter, and special guest star Alex Rocco

Hurricane Neddy with Commentaries by: Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, Steve Young, Bob Anderson

El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein along with Molly and Simon Weinstein, George Meyer, Jim Reardon

The Springfield Files with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Reid Harrison, Steven Dean Moore, David Silverman

The Twisted World of Marge Simpson with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Chuck Sheetz

Mountain of Madness with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Jim Denton "Contest Winner"(Portrayed By Dave Thomas), Mark Kirkland, David Silverman

Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Chuck Sheetz, David Silverman

The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X. Cohen, Yeardley Smith, Steven Dean Moore, and special guest star Alex Rocco

Homer's Phobia with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Ron Hauge, Steve Tompkins, Mike B. Anderson, and special guest star John Waters

The Brother From Another Series with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Ken Keeler, Pete Michels, and special guest star Kelsey Grammer

My Sister, My Sitter with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein along with Molly and Simon Weinstein, Yeardley Smith, Jim Reardon, George Meyer

Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Dan Castellaneta, Dave Thomas, Bob Anderson, David Silverman

Grade School Confidential with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Rachel Pulido, Susie Dietter

The Canine Mutiny with Commentaries by: Josh Weinstein, Ron Hauge, Dominic Polcino, George Meyer

The Old Man and The Lisa with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, George Meyer, David X. Cohen, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Mark Kirkland

In Marge We Trust with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Donick Cary, Yeardley Smith, Steven Dean Moore, David X. Cohen, Alex Rocco

Homer's Enemy with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Hank Azaria, Jim Reardon

The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, David X. Cohen, Dan Greaney , Ken Keeler, Yeardley Smith

The Secret War of Lisa Simpson with Commentaries by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein, Yeardley Smith, Mike B. Anderson

Other extras include:
Deleted Scenes
'The Simpsons House Featurette with James L. Brooks
Animation Showcase: Treehouse of Horror VII - Act III
Illustrated Commentary: Treehouse of Horror - Act III
Illustrated Commentary: Lisa's Date With Density
Illustrated Commentary: Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
Animation Showcase: In Marge We Trust - Act III
Animation Showcase: The Secret War of Lisa Simpson - Act I
Illustrated Commentary: Secret War of Lisa Simpson
Deleted Scenes Gallery with optional commentary by Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Josh Weinstein & Steven Dean Moore
Promotional Spots Featuring Matt Groening
Sketch Gallery
Special Language Feature: 4 Extra Languages on Homer's Enemy

Episodes on the set include:

Disc 1
Treehouse of Horror VII
You Only Move Twice
The Homer They Fall
Burns Baby Burns
Bart After Dark
A Milhouse Divided

Disc 2
Lisa's Date With Density
Hurricane Neddy
El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer
The Springfield Files
The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
Mountain of Madness
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious

Disc 3
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
Homer's Phobia
The Brother From Another Series
My Sister, My Sitter
Homer Vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
Grade School Confidential
The Canine Mutiny

Disc 4
The Old Man and The Lisa
In Marge We Trust
Homer's Enemy
The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson

The 12 phenoms: How they did it

They found success the hard way, overcoming humble beginnings and a lack of financing on the way to mainstream popularity.

Here is a look behind the story behind seven film phenoms from the past 25 years.

1. Porky's (1982)

Sound bite: "I'm gonna get laid. Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus." — Pee Wee (Dan Monahan)

Plot: Libidinous Florida high school guys in the '50s seek satisfaction at the ramshackle pleasure palace known as Porky's.

A phenom is born: American Graffiti and Animal House mixed nostalgia and sex first. But what Porky's lacked in artistry and Belushi antics it made up for with full-frontal nudity, off-color jokes and a loudly aroused Kim Cattrall.

"Porky's did a simple thing: telling it as it was," says director Bob Clark, who based his script on memories from Fort Lauderdale High. "I wanted to look at how Americans developed our sexuality at that time. It was never treated with any honesty before. Just some Beach Blanket Bingo nonsense."

How the audience was hooked: Execs at 20th Century Fox "didn't want to release it and wouldn't show the movie to test it," Clark says. A screening finally was held in San Diego. A line formed 90 minutes before the start. "They smelled something about this movie," Clark says.

Lasting impact: The Farrelly brothers. The American Pie series. All owe a debt to Porky's for demonstrating how to milk titillating titters.

2. The Terminator (1984)

Sound bite: "I'll be back." —The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Plot: Machines send a cyborg back in time to kill the mother of a yet-unborn human hero.

A phenom is born: In the early '80s, James Cameron's lone directing credit was Piranha II. And no one who caught Schwarzenegger in the ridiculous if profitable Conan the Barbarian adventures took the ex-Mr. Universe seriously. But playing a mechanical monster turned Schwarzenegger's acting limitations into a plus.

How the audience was hooked: The poster was killer: Arnold with sunglasses, scowl and massive gun. Although Orion chairman Arthur Krim didn't think much of the film, action fans ate it up. Barbara Boyle, Orion production chief, says he later confessed, "I don't know what the audience wants. Clearly, The Terminator is it."

Lasting impact: Cameron would captain 1997 all-time box-office champ Titanic. Schwarzenegger ascended as Hollywood's top action hero until the century's end. The film was one of the first big hits of the home-video era, leading to the $200 million-plus success of 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. No wonder there is talk of a T:4.

3. Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Sound bite: "That's not a knife. That's a knife." — Dundee (Paul Hogan)

Plot: Down Under Tarzan meets Yankee Jane and relies on his native know-how in the Big Apple.

A phenom is born: If the scaffolder turned product spokesman's laidback charm could start a run on Foster's Lager and encourage a 40% surge in Australian tourism, why not sell that same genial persona in a full-length feature?

How the audience was hooked:Crocodile Dundee's clean-cut laughs could be safely shared by the entire family. Or as Hogan once said: "It's not full of boob jokes or lavatory-wall humor, and the guy looks at the world through rose-colored glasses and gives everyone the benefit of a doubt."

Lasting impact: Dundee broke records for an Aussie import, and Hogan paved the way for Aussie-bred talents like Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. Alas, all Hogan could do was degrees of Dundee.

4. Dirty Dancing (1987)

Sound bite: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." — Working-class mambo king Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze)

Plot: At a Catskills resort in 1963, sheltered Baby's life is forever changed by dance teacher Johnny.

A phenom is born: It was quickly clear that this summer romance was a swooner. "At the first screening in New York, it scored like a real studio movie," says MJ Peckos, who oversaw marketing and distribution at Vestron Video. "It captured a time that people related to." The real pay dirt, though, was in the suggestive dancing and catchy music, a phenom of its own. The film spun off two best-selling soundtrack albums and four hit singles, as well as a touring stage show.

How the audience was hooked: Clichés aside, the crowd-pleaser packed with sexual heat, girlish emotions and the Oscar-winning tune (I've Had) The Time of My Life connected strongly with women. As for the magnetic Swayze, a few pelvic thrusts to Otis Redding's Love Man was all it took to achieve superhunkdom.

Lasting impact: The DVD continues to sell well, and a 20th anniversary edition is planned. A stage version is flourishing overseas.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Sound bite: "Cowabunga!" — Turtle battle cry

Plot: Pets mutate into human-size reptile crimefighters beneath New York's streets.

A phenom is born: The attraction of these nunchuck-swinging, pizza-gorging wisecrackers confounded most adults. "I had never heard of them," says Robert Shaye, founder and co-chairman of New Line. "But I listened to my colleagues, and they had 7-, 8-year-old kids who were completely gaga over the Turtles. Children embrace things that are subversive."

How the audience was hooked: Unlike most tie-in targets, the comic-book superheroes and cartoon stars came to the big screen with a merchandising empire in place. They were presold and prepared to rock the box office, opening to $25.4 million.

Lasting impact: The Turtles dragged kid culture out of the Care Bear dark ages. After a good run in the '90s, with more than $4 billion in entertainment and product sales, they're having a revival. A CG-animated feature is due next year.

6. Boyz N the Hood (1991)

Sound bite: "Either they don't know, don't show or don't care about what's going on in the 'hood." — Doughboy (Ice Cube), watching the news

Plot: Three high school seniors try to survive gang-infested South Central L.A.

A phenom is born: Spike Lee's breakthrough She's Gotta Have It ushered in a new wave of black cinema, but few were as acclaimed as John Singleton's filmmaking debut. What set Boyz apart from the pack was its portrait of a caring single father (Laurence Fishburne) and his influence on his son (Cuba Gooding Jr.). "It was a rough and raw look at South Central, but it also had this great relationship," says Mark Gill, who handled publicity at Columbia. At 24, Singleton became the youngest Oscar nominee ever for best director and the first black director so honored.

How the audience was hooked: "We first sold it to the African-American community, but we also went after white kids who were listening to rap," Gill says. Sporadic violence marred the film's $10 million opening on 837 screens, causing eight theaters to pull it. Because of demand, it expanded to 920 a week later.

Lasting impact: Singleton continues directing (Shaft) and producing (Hustle & Flow). The cast was a launching pad of black talent. Ice Cube proved rappers could act, and Hollywood keeps plundering the music, themes and stars of the hip-hop world.

7. The Crying Game (1992)

Sound bite: "I can't help it. It's in my nature." — Irish Republican Army prisoner Jody (Forest Whitaker)

Plot: IRA terrorist grows close to his hostage. When matters end tragically, he escapes to London and looks up the soldier's mistress, Dil.

A phenom is born: The surprise twist was a curse at first. Studios wouldn't touch the script by Dublin-based filmmaker Neil Jordan (Mona Lisa), fearing that the plot shocker — she was a he — would be a turnoff. Producer Stephen Woolley dug into his own holdings to raise the money to produce the film.

When Miramax, which had rejected the script, saw the finished product, it snapped it up. "It was Harvey at his best," says Gerry Rich, head of marketing, of boss Harvey Weinstein. "Miramax would take on films no one else would and approach them in a renegade way." Jaye Davidson, who had no acting experience, was discovered at a party and was Oscar-nominated for his beguiling Dil.

How the audience was hooked: Weinstein's rep as a relentless promoter was honed by the stunts he pulled to attract attention to The Crying Game, publicizing that the film had a "secret" yet insisting that no one reveal it. He and his staff made calls to assure that the media played along.

Lasting impact:The Crying Game took Miramax's PR game to the next level (though blogs have made such secrets obsolete) and legitimized the gender-bending genre. Many embraced its exploitation of a twist, for good (The Sixth Sense) and bad (The Game).

A new box office mission: Cruise vs. cruise

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Mission: Impossible III," which opened to lackluster sales a week ago, should accomplish a second weekend atop the North American box office, despite Friday's arrival of "Poseidon," which has been tracking poorly, industry observers said.

Midweek business for the Tom Cruise vehicle has been fairly solid, so "M:I-3" will head into the weekend with more than $60 million in its coffers. If the high-end actioner from director J.J. Abrams drops a respectable 50% from its $47 million opening, that would put the weekend tally in the $23 million-$24 million range.

The underwater-set disaster movie "Poseidon," which observers expect will follow close behind, borrows its premise and name from 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure." Director Wolfgang Petersen's PG-13 update stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss and Andre Braugher.

Petersen is no stranger to directing adventures on the high seas -- his track record includes "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm." The production costs on the special effects-filled Warner Bros. release are estimated at $150 million.

Lindsay Lohan's latest, "Just My Luck" (20th Century Fox), is tracking to land in the third slot. Lohan plays the luckiest girl in the world who finds she has swapped her good fortune for that of an unremittingly unlucky guy, played by Chris Pine. Director Donald Petrie's PG-13 romance is targeting girls 11-17 but will probably play slightly older as well.

Sony Pictures' "RV" most likely will take the fourth slot in its third weekend. The Robin Williams family comedy had the lowest drop of the top-ranked films last weekend and has generated about $33.3 million so far.

The only other film bowing in wide release this weekend is "Goal! The Dream Begins," a PG-rated soccer drama that already has done well in several international markets. Danny Cannon directed the Disney film, which stars Kuno Becker and Alessandro Nivola.

"Goal!" centers on a young Latino who has the odds stacked against him and makes his way from Los Angeles to England with dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.

In the limited-release arena, Sony Pictures Classics opens "Sketches of Frank Gehry" in two theaters in New York. Directed by Sydney Pollack, the biographical documentary explores the famed architect's creative process.

Dixie Chicks Recall Death Threat

NEW YORK - Natalie Maines says one of the death threats she received after criticizing President Bush three years ago was "definitely scary" because the sender "had a plan."

Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, told a London audience during a March 10, 2003, concert: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment was made as war was looming with Iraq, and Maines later apologized for the phrasing of her remark.

In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EDT), Maines says one threat she received in the summer of 2003 was different from the others.

"It was definitely scary because it seemed so — it wasn't just somebody wanting to write a hate letter," she says. "It was somebody who obviously thought they had a plan."

Emily Robison, who plays banjo and guitar in the Texas trio, says, "There was one specific death threat on Natalie. (It) had a time, had a place, had a weapon. I mean, everything. ...`You will be shot dead at your show in Dallas.'"

The band flew into Dallas, "went straight from the police cars to the stage and straight from the stage back to the police cars and back to the plane," Maines says. "So, you know, it was all surreal. But at that stage, everything was surreal."

Her London comment angered many country music fans and caused radio stations to pull Dixie Chicks music from their playlists. The Chicks said they received death threats, leading them to install metal detectors at their shows.

Today, the Chicks refuse to apologize to fans who were upset by Maines' comment.

"We don't make decisions based on that," Maines says. "We don't go, `OK, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going to play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt.

"We're not like that because we're not politicians. We're musicians."

The band, which also includes fiddle and mandolin player Martie Maguire, echoes that sentiment in the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" on their latest album, "Taking the Long Way," slated for release May 23.

New Aguilera album set for August

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Christina Aguilera has set an August 15 release date for her first album in four years, the retro-jazz set "Back to Basics."

The RCA Records set find Aguilera paying tribute to soul, jazz and blues from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. The first single "Ain't No Other Man" will be digitally released June 12. She will also perform it at the MTV Movie Awards, which will be broadcast four days earlier.

Other tracks set for the album include "Save Me From Myself" (dedicated to Aguilera's new husband, Jordan Bratman), "Candy Man," "I Got Trouble," "Thank You" (which features bits of prior Aguilera hit "Genie a Bottle") and "Still Dirrty," described by RCA as a "sassy club track."

The new album is the follow-up to 2002's "Stripped," which has sold more than 3.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Ashlee Simpson coy about rumoured nose job

NEW YORK (AP) - Ashlee Simpson is laughing off rumours she had a nose job - but she's not denying it, either.

Recent photos splashed across the Internet and in tabloids suggest the multiplatinum singer has made an alteration to her profile, removing the bump that made her nose distinctive.

When asked about the speculation during a phone interview Wednesday, Simpson giggled and said: "Everybody's already saying it, so I just don't talk about it."

"I'm like, OK, whatever. It doesn't bother me."

But when asked whether the rumour was true, the 21-year-old singer didn't confirm or deny it but just giggled more.

"Maybe - who knows!"

Simpson - the younger sister of Jessica - is about to launch a summer tour in June. Her latest album is I Am Me; her first album, Autobiography, was released in 2004 and sold three million copies.

BROTHER IN ARMS

'My Name is Earl" comes full circle in its season finale tomorrow night, minus one very important thing: 42 percent of its audience.

That's the difference between the number of people who tuned in for the premiere of "Earl" last Sept. 20 (15,249,000) and the number who watched the show just last Thursday (8,798,000).

Part of the dropoff was likely due to "Earl's" move Jan. 5 to Thursday nights at 9 from its original, less-competitive time period, Tuesday nights at 9.

But still - where'd those 6,451,000 viewers go? "CSI" on CBS? "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC? Probably both of the above.

And all this time I thought Earl-ism was catching on. Maybe that's because I was such an early, willing convert to Earl Hickey's easy-to-digest brand of instant karma.

But, hey, that's me - I'm a sponge for any new religion that comes along, especially one as simple as Earl-ism, which basically says this: Do good things for others, and good things will happen to you.

In actual practice, this has never worked for me, but in "My Name is Earl," it has always worked for Earl (Jason Lee), ever since he bought, then lost, then found again a lottery ticket worth $100,000.

And it is that moment - the moment that started it all - to which "My Name is Earl" returns in the final episode of its first season tomorrow night.

The episode answers the question that has hung in the air since the series premiere: How on earth did that lottery ticket float in the breeze all the way from the street in front of the convenience store where Earl was struck by a car to the parking lot of the motel where Earl and brother Randy (Ethan Suplee) were picking up trash days later?

The answer is complicated. And I won't spoil the episode by revealing it here except to say that the saga of the fateful lottery ticket involves Willie the One-Eyed Mailman (Bill Suplee); Earl's ex-wife, Joy (Jaime Pressly); her current husband, Crab Man (Eddie Steeples), who sets the finale episode in motion; and Paul the pizza delivery man (guest-star Max Perlich).

Despite its declining viewership, "Earl's" survival is virtually assured since NBC renewed it months ago for a second season.

For the network, it's a good deed that deserves one in return - namely, a high-rated, end-of-season sendoff for "My Name is Earl."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus to Host 'SNL'

NEW YORK - Julia Louis-Dreyfus will return this weekend to "Saturday Night Live," where she began her career over two decades ago.

"It's exactly the same schedule and pattern as it was 21 years ago — except more fun," Louis-Dreyfus told The Associated Press on Wednesday, shortly before the show's customary "table read" of potential sketches.

She hosts Saturday's show (11:30 p.m. EDT, NBC), with Paul Simon as musical guest.

Louis-Dreyfus first honed her comedic skills at improv theaters in Chicago. She was just 21 when she moved to New York and joined "SNL." Her eventual husband, Brad Hall, made the same trip from Chicago to the NBC show as a cast member.

But Louis-Dreyfus' three seasons at "SNL" — mostly during Eddie Murphy's heyday — were tense for her.

"I think a lot of it was my own fault. I didn't know how to navigate the waters of show business in general and specifically doing a live sketch-comedy show," she says.

"I've learned a little bit since then."

Of course, Louis-Dreyfus, 45, went on to play Elaine Benes in "Seinfeld," and currently stars on CBS' "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

She is, to her surprise, the first female former cast member to host "SNL."

"How's it possible that Gilda (Radner) or Jane (Curtin) or all of these people didn't host," Louis-Dreyfus wonders. "For some reason they didn't, and here I am."

Louis-Dreyfus says she had been approached in the past to host "SNL," but thought raising her two children with Hall took precedence over a week of rehearsing and then hosting the show. Now that the kids are a little more grown, she says, the timing is right.

"We're going to get a huge kick out of being able to show the whole place to our kids," Louis-Dreyfus says of herself and Hall. "We spent a lot of our lives here."

Muppet Show Season 2 DVD planned for release later this year

Just over six months ago, the first season of The Muppet Show was released in a 4-disc special edition DVD box set, and ever since fans have been craving more. Disney has stated that they plan on releasing "The Muppet Show: Season 2" on DVD and the next season is expected sometime this year.

The sales of the season one were outstanding, and Disney can't wait to release more subsequent sets. The first season gained great critical acclaim, won several DVD awards, and was on the top of DVD best-sellers list for months.

Word from many retailers was that that "The Muppet Show: Season 2" was originally slated for released in February 2006 (just six-months after the first season). However that February release was put on hold due to several production delays and hold-ups. The set's production is still underway, but the definitive release is still somewhat up in the air. The DVD was bumped and is currently lined up for a hopeful "summer 2006" release (however that may end up changing as well).

There were numerous delays with this particular title, however Disney has assured that these delays were not based upon the past sets performance, which Disney cited as "terrific", nor is it due to a lack of company support. The production of this set is simply taking longer than originally expected - due to the enormous amount of legal clearances needed, and the time needed on episode restoration and supplemental features. Disney knows the demand for this product is high, and wants to deliver a quality product that won't disappoint.

Disney is currently shooting for a summer release. Buena Vista Home Entertainment is not able to give a final list of any features of specifications – those aren’t finalized yet. Disney is anticipating the release of all five seasons of The Muppet Show (and there are rumors of a complete Muppets Tonight set to follow the fifth season's release).

"The Muppet Show Season 2" DVD set is simply requiring more than most of Buena Vista's TV shows on DVDs. It is coming, but rather than rush the release and cut corners, Disney wants to keep the quality of these highly-anticipated sets up to the fans' desires and expectations.

Must-Move "ER"?

Like a granny leaving her longtime home for a less taxing condo, ER may soon be vacate its longtime TV home for a less showy night of the week.

The aged medical drama could be moved from Thursday to Tuesday or Wednesday next fall to make way for the new Matthew Perry series, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the Hollywood Reporter said.

NBC will make the call when it unveils its 2006-07 lineup on Monday.

ER has aired on Thursdays at 10 p.m. since its September 1994 debut. In its and its network heyday, it was the star of Must-See TV, averaging as many as 30 million viewers a season.

This season, ER is averaging 12.1 million for the now struggling NBC, all in all, not bad for a show that's lost more stars (George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, etc.) than some shows ever had.

But these days, ER is so not appointment TV that not even a guest spot by the returning Noah Wyle rates much interest. The second half of a Wyle story line set in war-torn Darfur ranked a so-so 27th (11.8 million viewers) in the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings. By comparison, CBS' Without a Trace, the new king of 10 p.m. Thursday, ranked eighth (19.1 million) for the TV week ended Sunday.

ER, which has already been renewed for next season, turns 13 seasons old in the fall.

In other ratings-related news:

Monday night's final (we think) 7th Heaven went off without a hitch, except in the wedding department, with an estimated 7.2 million seeing off the WB family drama.

David Blaine's fishbowl act averaged an estimated 9.9 million for ABC on Monday night. And while David Blaine: Drowned Alive ran an unimpressive fourth in its 8-10 p.m. time slot, viewership climbed an impressive 93 percent from start to breath-holding finish, the network said. (The 7th Heaven and Blaine ratings will be reflected in next week's rankings.)

Apparent death(s) became ABC's Lost, which just missed the Top 10 (11th place, 15.6 million).

Crunch time on Fox's American Idol means Wednesday's results show (first place, 29.3 million) is the bigger draw than Tuesday's performance show (second place, 28.6 million).

Sunday night advantage back to ABC's Grey's Anatomy (fifth place, 22 million) over ABC's Desperate Housewives (sixth place, 21.3 million).

Once upon a time, ER was NBC's standard-bearer. Now, it's Howie Mandel and the Monday night edition of Deal or No Deal (16th place, 14.4 million).

CBS' Ghost Whisperer (30th place, 11.1 million), NBC's Crossing Jordan (31st place, 10.7 million) and ABC's Supernanny (35th place, 10.3 million) enjoyed respectable season finales; ABC's According to Jim (90th place, 4.5 million) did not.

The WB's One Tree Hill (113th place, 3.1 million) gave the CW something to think about before it finalizes its fall schedule--a third-season cliffhanger up 11 percent from its season-long average.

The 1980s are over. Dynasty is over. The CBS reunion special, Dynasty: Reunion: Catfights & Caviar (73rd place, 5.4 million), never got started.
Overall, CBS and Fox continued to dominate the May sweeps: CBS won the week in total viewers (12.3 million); Fox won the week in 18-to-49-year-old viewers.

CBS took second in the demo, while Fox took second in viewers (10.7 million).

Left to fight for leftovers, NBC finished third in viewers (8.9 million), and fourth in the demo; ABC placed third in the demo, and fourth in viewers (8.7 million).

Here's a look at the 10 most watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 29.3 million viewers
2. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 28.6 million viewers
3. CSI, CBS, 26 million viewers
4. House (Tuesday), Fox, 22.7 million viewers
5. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 22 million viewers
6. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 21.3 million viewers
7. CSI: Miami, CBS, 19.3 million viewers
8. Without a Trace, CBS, 19.1 million viewers
9. House (Wednesday), Fox, 17.2 million viewers
10. Survivor: Panama--Exile Island, CBS, 17 million viewers

Hasselhoff Ridden Off "Knight Rider" Movie?

The talking car's back, but the driver could be MIA.

After years spinning its tires in Development Hell, the movie version of NBC's hit 1980s series Knight Rider is finally ramping up, with the Weinstein Co. announcing Tuesday that it has snapped up the film rights.

However, it appears KITT will be speeding to the big screen sans David Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff, who shot to fame as the show's titular crime-fighting hero, Michael Knight, had been attached to the project for years, but a source close to the movie deal tells E! Online that the actor is currently not involved.

According to the insider, it's still too early to say whether Hasselhoff will appear at all. Still, his name was conspicuously absent from Tuesday's press release, which trumpeted the news that former Miramax chieftans Harvey and Bob Weinstein had struck a deal with the show creator Glen A. Larson, who will write and executive produce the feature.

"I am a huge fan of the original series and could not be happier that we've joined forces with Glen Larson to bring these iconic characters to the big screen," said Harvey Weinstein in a statement.

Larson chimed in: "Teaming up with Harvey and Bob, with their unparalleled success in motion picture, gives Knight Rider an exciting opportunity to be a breakout franchise."

As anyone versed in '80s pop culture can tell you, Knight Rider tells the tale of a young undercover cop named Michael Knight who's shot in the line duty and left for dead. He manages to be saved and, after getting a new face and new identity, becomes the lead agent for a dying billionaire's secret Foundation for Law and Government.

His prime ally is a yapping black Trans Am named KITT (originally voiced by St. Elsewhere star and former Screen Actors Guild President William Daniels) with enough high-tech gizmos (infrared and X-ray vision, microwave jamming, flame throwers, grappling hooks, chemical analyzers, ejection seats, super-turbo boost) to put James Bond to shame. Together, the two thwart baddies at every turn.

Hasselhoff's rep, Judy Katz, had no comment on the Knight Rider movie.

The actor has been making headlines with messy divorce from actress Pamela Bach. Last week, after scathing allegations on both sides, the couple were granted joint custody of their two teenage children.

But the personal problems haven't sidelined him from his day job. He will next appear in the comedy Click, opposite Adam Sandler and Kate Beckinsale , hitting theaters June 23.

Hasselhoff has long expressed an eagerness to pilot Knight Rider to blockbuster success. In 2001, he told E! Online that he was "excited" and "working hard" with Larson to get the flick off the ground. He said the plot would focus on his character training a younger generation of do-gooders. Eventually, Revolution Studios came aboard to jumpstart the franchise, but the movie was never made and, with Revolution folding, the rights reverted back to Larson.

The last time Hasselhoff played Michael Knight was in Knight Rider 2000, a made-for-TV movie that aired in 1991.

Britney Spears Pregnant With Baby No. 2

NEW YORK - The baby bump is for real. Britney Spears told David Letterman on Tuesday that she is pregnant with baby No. 2. "Don't worry Dave, it's not yours," the pop princess quipped on "The Late Show."

The revelation ended weeks of speculation in entertainment magazines, which have been regularly publishing pictures of Spears' apparently expanding waistline.

Spears, 24, and her husband, backup dancer-turned-rapper Kevin Federline, 28, were married in 2004 and have an 8-month-old son, Sean Preston.

Federline also has two children, Kori and Kaleb, with his former girlfriend, Shar Jackson.

Child welfare officials and a sheriff's deputy reportedly visited Spears' home in April after her son accidentally tumbled from a high chair.

In February, authorities visited the home after photographs showed the singer in a car with her son in her lap, rather than in a car seat as required by law. Spears later apologized, saying she held the boy in her lap because of a "horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi."

Spears rose to fame at 16 with a naughty schoolgirl image and the multiplatinum album "... Baby One More Time."

Vintage TV Faces the Music

The DVD business is helping keep Hollywood solvent these days, as studios rush to empty their storage rooms and give the boxed-set treatment to even long-forgotten TV shows like "Space 1999" and "Bridget Loves Bernie."

But one mystery is why fans of some hit series of the past few decades -- well-known shows including "WKRP in Cincinnati," "The Wonder Years" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" -- can't find them on store shelves.

The reason: Hollywood doesn't want to pay the piper.

Each of these shows includes popular music in the soundtrack, and the shows' producers paid license fees to those who own the rights to the tunes. But back then, no one anticipated that DVD sales of old TV series would turn into a billion-dollar business. So the music rights don't allow the release of these shows on discs.

Now, Hollywood is finding that in some cases, relicensing the music for DVDs either costs too much or is too difficult to negotiate. That has left some series in DVD limbo. For others, it has prompted studios to replace background songs with generic-sounding substitutes. In a few cases, scenes are eliminated entirely. Most DVD boxes don't notify consumers of any of these alterations.

In deciding whether to release an old series on DVD, a studio must weigh whether enough discs will sell to justify the music-licensing fees, and sometimes the numbers don't add up, says Ben Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

'Multiple Millions'

That's why fans of "Ally McBeal" have yet to see a full season of the Calista Flockhart romantic comedy on DVD, says Peter Staddon, senior vice president of Fox Home Entertainment. Although Fox has released a three-disc "best of" DVD of the series, which includes about a half-dozen episodes, Mr. Staddon says to license the music for all 112 of the shows -- including those where Vonda Shepard performed covers of songs such as "Someday We'll Be Together" and "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" -- would cost "multiple millions" of dollars.

And although Sony has "painstakingly cleared" the majority of music used in its library of TV shows for DVD release, it hasn't been able to reach a licensing deal for the Frank Sinatra song "Love and Marriage," which was heard in the opening credits of "Married... with Children," says Mr. Feingold. Sony sells DVD versions of four seasons of the popular sitcom about a dysfunctional family, replacing the Sinatra song with new theme music.

"While it was a signature song, it's the content of the show that counts," says Mr. Feingold. He says DVD buyers, at least in this case, haven't been all that upset by the switch. "I've received maybe one or two emails about it," he says.

That same tack was taken by Fox for the DVD version of "Roswell," about alien teenagers stuck on Earth. Songs by hit artists such as Hole, Beck and Counting Crows have been replaced with songs by virtual unknowns Eleventeen, Goldo, and Glen Phillips, respectively, among many others.

Yet the musical reworkings can be extensive, and some fans notice. When the sixth season of "Dawson's Creek" was recently released on DVD, 49 of 204 songs in the 22 episodes were replaced, according to the fan site dawsonscreekmusic.com. One of the songs was the Sophie Hawkins hit "As I Lay Me Down," which was heard during a crucial scene in a bar where Joey (Katie Holmes) hears it on a jukebox, says she hates it, and Dawson (James Van Der Beek), kicks the jukebox. The song was replaced by "We Belong" by Sylvia Tosun. The original song "was meaningful to the two main characters," says Paul Karpontinis of Montreal, who operates a "Dawson's Creek" fan site on Geocities.com. "The scene culminated in a moment that fans had been waiting for. Not only did the new music alter the mood of the scene, they changed a song that was referenced by a character in the show."

Paul Stupin, who for seven years was executive producer of "Dawson's Creek," says music substitution usually is driven by DVD economics but argues that it "breathes new life" into old episodes, "in some instances making them even better." He says he had his producing partner and music supervisor submit four possible songs for each substitution. They then watched as each song was laid against the scene to determine the best one. In some cases, however, when he couldn't clear a song's rights for DVD, and the song was integral to the scene, the scene itself was cut. For example, in one episode the DVD release is missing a scene where a character sings "Love Is All Around" by the 1960s group the Troggs. But the 15 seconds that were lost as a result, Mr. Stupin says, "were not essential."

Song-Swapping

Some people in the music-licensing business say they shouldn't be blamed for such song-swapping or scene-cutting. Music-rights holders would be willing to peg the cost of licensing a song to how many DVDs are sold, which would make it cheaper for a show's producers in many cases because sales volume tends to be limited, says Jeffrey Brabec, vice president of business affairs at Chrysalis Music Group, which controls the theme songs to "The Sopranos" and "Las Vegas" (both of which were licensed for DVD release). But, he says, studios prefer to pay a flat fee no matter if one DVD is sold or one million, to protect against getting socked with huge royalty payouts if a DVD becomes a huge seller.

Sometimes the artist behind a song simply will refuse to grant licensing rights altogether. Bob Emmer, chief operating officer of Shout! Factory, a DVD distributor, says that in preparing the DVD release of "Second City TV" he had to delete a scene from the 1970s comedy-sketch series that parodied musician Neil Young because he couldn't obtain rights from the artist. In the scene, an actor played a psychiatrist named "Dr. Neil Young" who gave answers to a patent's question only in lyrics from Mr. Young's songs. "He had a problem with it," says Mr. Emmer, declining to elaborate. A spokesman for Mr. Young had no comment.

The bewildering research, paperwork and legal haggling involved in clearing music for release sometimes prompts studios to leave the chore to independent DVD distributors, who get a fee or a cut of the revenue. DreamWorks, for example, didn't want to go through the hassle of clearing music rights for a short-lived 1999 series it produced for Fox, "Freaks and Geeks," which was set in the 1980s and includes music from period by Lynard Skynard, Van Halen and Styx, as well as the show's theme song, Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation." Mr. Emmer says it cost Shout! Factory about $1 million to obtain music rights to 118 songs for the DVDs, but it was worth it: So far, his company has sold about 112,000 units of the 18-episode DVD, with a list price of $70, and about 7,000 units of a collector's edition packaged like a high school yearbook, for $129.

"The music is so interwoven with the TV show that to put in other music would have caused a lot of problems," says Mr. Emmer.

The Couch Potato Report - May 9th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on a German city, a British Nanny, an American flop, and one classic disaster film that always satisfies.

When I hear that there is a new film coming to theatres that was directed by Steven Spielberg, well that is a film I want to see!

After all, this is the man who gave us JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, JURASSIC PARK, THE INDIANA JONES TRILOGY, SCHINDLER’S LIST, E.T. - THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and many other superb and wonderful films.

Unfortunately, even great filmmakers have their off days, and even though his MUNICH was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture, the film represents an off day for Steven Spielberg.

A very, very off day. There are parts of the film that are actually absurd.

The film begins during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.

MUNICH is - as the movie says as it opens - “Inspired By Real Events” and it looks at the story of the Black September aftermath. Specifically about the five men chosen to eliminate the ones responsible for that fateful day.

MUNICH is not a documentary, as Spielberg himself states in a 4 minute opening segment recorded specifically for the DVD, thus once the real life events at the Olympics ends, the “inspired by real events part” takes over.

But this movie just isn’t inspired at all.

MUNICH wants to be a thriller, and I will admit that - at times - it does possess thrilling elements. But most of the time it is a very slow moving, by the numbers dramatic movie with hints of action.

Then, at other times, it is absurd. For instance, there are several times when one of the main characters is thinking about what happened to the eleven Israeli athletes. He was never anywhere near Munich, and we never see him discussing the specifics of the event with anyone who was there.

Yet somehow he is able to envision the events in their entirety. I know this is called “dramatic license” and the filmmakers put those flashbacks in there to help them tell their story, but these instances are absurd.

There is nothing memorable about MUNICH, and like A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ALWAYS, WAR OF THE WORLDS, AMISTAD, and THE TERMINAL, it is a Steven Spielberg film you should just stay away from.

But, you can expect to see me back in line when Spielberg’s Abraham Lincoln Project and INDIANA JONES 4 open in theatres in 2007.

After all, when I hear that there is a new film coming to theatres that was directed by Steven Spielberg, well that is a film I want to see!

I also like to see all of Emma Thompson’s films.

From HOWARD’S END to SENSE & SENSIBILITY, THE TALL GUY and PETER’S FRIEND she is very reliable if you are looking for a good performance in a movie.

NANNY MCPHEE features Emma Thompson as a magical nanny who magically arrives to try and take care of seven children who behave so badly that all of their other nannies have run away.

I have to be honest, I didn't expect to like NANNY MCPHEE as much as I did.

It is a film aimed for kids, but I watched the whole thing and enjoyed it. I wouldn't say that adults should watch it without a child being present, it isn't that good, but if you have to see it with them it won't be a waste of your time.

I even enjoyed the predictable fairy-tale ending.

Nanny MCPHEE was fun!

On the other hand is RUMOUR HAS IT.

Jennifer Aniston from TV’s FRIENDS is a woman who attends her sister's wedding and learns family secrets. Secrets like the fact that her family was the inspiration for the book and film THE GRADUATE, and that she just might be the offspring of the well-documented event.

In addition to Jennifer Aniston, RUMOUR HAS IT also stars Kevin Costner from DANCES WITH WOLVES, Shirley MacLaine of TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and Mark Ruffalo from ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. AND it was directed by Rob Reiner, the man who gave us STAND BY ME, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THIS IS SPINAL TAP and A FEW GOOD MEN.

So with that pedigree, RUMOUR HAS IT should be pretty good, right?

Well it isn’t. It isn’t funny, it isn’t engaging, and it’s boring.

The only way that this film would ever be worth your time is if you are on a 5 or 8 hour flight and you just can’t sleep. Maybe then, and only then, would RUMOUR HAS IT be worth your time, simply because you would have nothing else to do, and no where else to go.

But, if you don’t have a flight planned for the near future, RUMOUR HAS It just isn’t worth your time.

Ignore it!

Finally this week is the DVD re-release of the "classic" 1974 disaster film EARTHQUAKE.

The remake of POSEIDON has prompted the studios to re-release some of the "great" disaster films of the 1970s, including 1972's original THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, 1974's THE TOWERING INFERNO, and the aforementioned EARTHQUAKE.

These are the type of films that I will always stop and watch when they are on TV late at night, especially EARTHQUAKE.

They might look a little fake by today’s standards, but they always entertain me as they are star-studded fun.

EARTHQUAKE stars Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, and is about how all of their lives are effected when a major earthquake rips through Los Angeles and reduces the city to ruins.

EARTHQUAKE might not be high art, but it does earn high praise from me, and it is available now at a store near you, along with RUMOUR HAS IT, NANNY MCPHEE, and MUNICH.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

THE PRODUCERS is the film of the Broadway musical based on the original 1968 Mel Brooks film. This new version stars Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell.

SCRUBS - THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON features all 22 episodes from the series' third year, and the episode called MY CREW UP is one of the best half hours I have ever seen on television!

Finally next week, DINOSAURS - THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS is the set for the 1991-1994 show about the life of a family of Dinosaurs who live in a modern world.

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 time on The Couch!

Tuesday May 9, 2006

BURDEN OF A DAY Pilot and Paper Planes (Blood and Ink)
CAM'RON Killa Season OST
EIGHTEENTH DAY OF MAY Eighteenth Day of May (Ryko)
JAPAN The Very Best Of (Virgin)
JAPAN The Very Best of (DVD) (Virgin)
PAUL SIMON Surprise (Warner)
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Stadium Arcadium (Warner)
THE SALADS The Big Picture (Kindling/Warner)
THE STILLS Without Feathers (Vice Records)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Happy Endings OST (Ryko)

BitTorrent teams up with Warner Bros. to sell movies, TV

BitTorrent, the internet file-sharing site once blamed for helping people pirate movies and TV shows, has partnered with Warner Bros. to sell the studio's content.

Starting in the summer, the BitTorrent website will offer for sale more than 200 movies and TV shows from the Warner Bros. catalogue.

Available titles will include new films such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and The Dukes of Hazzard, as well as selections from the studio's library, including The Matrix, Dog Day Afternoon and the sci-fi TV series Babylon 5.

Customers will be able to download the content to their computer drives using the BitTorrent technology.

However, they will not be able to copy files to another computer or burn them onto a DVD.

Shows to be released on same day as DVDs

New content is scheduled to be available on the site on the same day as new DVDs are offered in retail stores.

Prices have not yet been finalized, but the company expects to price TV shows at around $1 US per episode and movies at the price of a new release on DVD.

"We have just been embraced by the largest movie studio that is owned by largest media company," said BitTorrent co-founder Ashwin Navin, according to Reuters. "We expect to see more deals and to push the envelope."

In 2004, the Motion Picture Association of America began actively pursuing legal action against websites around the world that facilitated file sharing using the BitTorrent software.

The system allows a large file – for instance, a movie or TV show – to be broken into smaller parts, so that a person downloading the file can also begin sharing it with another person. This allows for faster downloads because the bandwidth is shared.

In 2005, the California-based BitTorrent formed an agreement with the motion picture association to help stem unauthorized swapping of pirated movies and TV shows on its website.

Furtado Ready To Dance On New Album

Nelly Furtado has turned off the light on pop music -- at least for the moment. On her third album, "Loose," due June 20 via Geffen, she makes a concerted effort to get jiggy.

"For a long time I kind of denied my R&B and hip-hop roots," the Canadian singer/songwriter tells Billboard.com. "All that rap and R&B I listened to as a kid made an impression on me; I used to write R&B songs in my bedroom that sounded like Mariah Carey songs. Now I'm tapping into that again, and I'm like, 'Wow, I didn't know I could go back there.' It feels so good."

Though she wrote and recorded material with Track & Field (which co-produced her 2000 debut "Whoa, Nelly!" and 2003's "Folklore"), Nellee Hooper, Pharrell Williams and Rick Nowels, Furtado made the bulk of "Loose" in Miami with producer Timbaland, with whom she worked on the hit 2001 remake of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On."

Nowels produced "In God's Hands," which Furtado says is "as far as I was willing to go in terms of pop right now," while Lester Mendez helmed the English and Spanish versions of "Te Busque," a duet with Latin pop superstar Juanes. Unfortunately, label politics have prevented Furtado from sampling Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's vocals on the closing track, "All Good Things," which he co-wrote.

And in a change of creative course, Furtado let another writer -- Virginia-based MC Attitude -- compose most of the lyrics for the new album's sexy first single, "Promiscuous."

"I think now I have more separation between what I do as a songwriter and what I do as an artist," says Furtado, who duets with Timbaland on "Promiscuous." "If a song doesn't reflect what I'm going through right now, then why should I sing it?" She adds that some of the more pop-oriented songs she wrote for "Loose" will be recorded by other artists.

Furtado is planning to perform in Europe in June, with a 20-date North American club tour following in July. Japan, Latin America and a more extensive North American swing also on her docket this year.

'WEST WING' CLIP EPISODE VETOED

NBC has yanked a "West Wing" retrospective that was supposed to air right before Sunday's series finale.

Instead, viewers will see the series' pilot episode, which originally aired in 1999, and has been repeated many times over the years - including on NBC's sister cable network, Bravo (which airs "West Wing" repeats).

The pilot is also on the show's first-season DVD.

Scrapping the retrospective was a "creative" decision, an NBC spokesman said yesterday.

"We decided to go with airing the pilot," he offered by way of explanation.

But insiders say NBC didn't want to air the retrospective because it would have to pay the "West Wing" actors for their additional work - and it just wasn't worth it in this era of network cost-cutting, especially for a show that's lost much of its audience.

NBC announced plans for the one-hour retrospective last January. The sudden decision to scrap it left many "West Wing" fans feeling cranky - and sounding off on the show message board.

"I'm just confused at this decision and trying to put myself in NBC's position," wrote "bluemeister." "The only thing I can think of is that they can then include the retrospective on the Season 7 box set and tout it as 'exclusive' and 'never-before-aired.' "

"I, too, am less-than-thrilled with this decision," wrote "TheMuse." "I have yet to talk to one person happy about seeing the pilot for the millionth time."

Writes another fan with the screen name "Neurosturgeon": "I think that they canceled the retrospective because the ratings of the show have been so low that they don't think that there is any reason to spend any 'new money' on a loser.

"Showing the pilot will cost them nothing. It is a cheap way to fill up an hour. It is all about the money."

Axl: New GN'R album due this fall

NEW YORK (AP) - Rock recluse Axl Rose made a surprise radio appearance to proclaim that Guns N Roses 10-years-in-the-making Chinese Democracy album will finally hit store shelves this fall.

The comments Saturday on Eddie Trunk's syndicated radio show marked the first interview the painfully private Rose has given since his failed 2002 comeback tour, which was abruptly scrapped midway amid riots and cancelled shows.

Roses impromptu appearance came when former Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach, who was co-hosting the show, called Rose's cellphone and patched the call through the studio.

Quizzed on when the near-mythical album would come out, Rose said, "Sometime this fall or late fall." His band could be heard rehearsing in the background. "It will be out this year."

Trunk invited Rose to drop by the studio, and about an hour later he did.

Asked about the aborted 2002 comeback tour, which ended when Rose failed to appear for a gig in Philadelphia, Rose told Trunk he felt pressured into doing it before he was ready. But he insisted he has no regrets, since the short-lived tour helped the new band members to gel. (The 2002 lineup included keyboard player Dizzy Reed from the original GNR, former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck, bassist Tommy Stinson from the Replacements, guitar shredder Buckethead, drummer Brian (Brain) Mantia formerly of Primus, guitarist Richard Fortus from the former Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love, and keyboard player Chris Pittman.)

"Can you tell people why the tour ended at that point?" asked Trunk.

"Umm, no, not exactly," said Rose, declining to discuss it.

Plans are currently in the works for Rose to relaunch his comeback by playing four shows at New Yorks Hammerstein Ballroom over the next 10 days, then head to Europe to play several music festivals.

Rose said the band at the Hammerstein shows will be similar to the one that played the 2002 tour, except for a new lead guitarist, whom he declined to identify except to say it's not an old GNR member. Buckethead left the band in 2004.

However, later in the broadcast, Rose seemed to contradict himself when he said hes been hobnobbing with former GNR guitarist and songwriter Izzy Stradlin, and strongly hinted that Stradlin may show up for the Hammerstein shows.

Former GNR guitar maestro Slash may end up back in the band as well, but probably not before the Hammerstein shows.

PlayStation 3: Home for Christmas

LOS ANGELES — Sony said Monday that it will roll out the PlayStation 3, the long-awaited successor to the world's most popular video-game system, in time for the holidays.

In a presentation in advance of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Sony announced it will ship the powerful new system to North America on Nov. 17.

The price will be $499 for a system with a detachable 20GB hard drive, and $599 for one with a 60GB hard drive. Sony plans to have 4 million available by year's end worldwide. "PlayStation 3 is the most ambitious project we've ever undertaken," says Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment.

The PS3 will play PS2 games, as well as titles from the original PlayStation, CDs, DVDs and new high-definition movie discs. The PS3 also will connect to Sony's handheld PlayStation Portable (PSP) and will include a wireless, motion-sensing controller.

The wireless controller was demonstrated with a launch game called Warhawk, an aerial combat game with futuristic planes zipping through clouds and over water. Other games include Tekken 6, Stranglehold (a game by film director John Woo), Ridge Racer 7, Final Fantasy XIII, Virtua Fighter 5 and Call of Duty 3.

One racing game shown used the PSP as an "interactive wing mirror."

"You can position this next to your TV screen and see what's coming up behind you," said Sony's Phil Harrison.

An online game network also will allow voice and text messaging. "The goal is to create a virtual society or community," says Hirai.

PlayStation 3 was originally due in stores in spring, but development delays forced Sony to push back the introduction. The delay gives a yearlong head start to Microsoft's $300-and-up Xbox 360, which was introduced in November and is still in short supply. Microsoft has sold 3.2 million units worldwide, 1.8 million in the USA.

Nintendo's Wii (pronounced "we") system, which is expected to be less expensive than either the 360 or the PS3, and which comes with an innovative controller, is to be unveiled at a news conference today.

Complicating this next generation of consoles is an underlying battle over high-definition video-disc formats. PS3 games will be on the new Blu-ray Disc format, and the system will play Blu-ray high-definition movies. Microsoft plans to market an add-on drive that will play movies in the competing HD DVD format championed by Toshiba with supporting studios Warner, Universal and Paramount.

Nicole Kidman: Still Loves Tom Cruise

NEW YORK - Nicole Kidman says her divorce from Tom Cruise was a "major shock" — and, she still loves him.

"That was a major shock," the 38-year-old actress says in an interview in the June issue of Ladies' Home Journal, on newsstands Tuesday.

"He was huge; still is. To me, he was just Tom, but to everybody else, he is huge. But he was lovely to me. And I loved him. I still love him," she tells the magazine.

Cruise filed for divorce in February 2001 after 10 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized later that year.

"I always knew the rug was going to be taken out from underneath me at some stage," Kidman says. "I didn't think it was going to happen in the way it happened. I had seen my mother battle breast cancer, so I had a fear of my health being jeopardized — that was really where I was thinking mine would come.

"I knew I was going to get hit with something. But I think a divorce, and the demise of what your family is, is a little death in itself."

Cruise and Kidman adopted two children, Isabella, now 13, and Connor, now 11.

"I feel enormous love for whoever my children's birth parents are," Kidman says. "And if my children choose to go find them at some stage, I can't wait. Because — it's the weirdest thing — I actually feel (they're) very connected to us as a big, strange family, and whether they choose to search for them or not, who knows."

The 43-year-old actor's latest movie, "Mission: Impossible III," debuted with $48.025 million this weekend, a solid opening yet well below industry expectations and almost $10 million lower than the franchise's previous installment, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Katie Holmes, Cruise's 27-year-old fiancee, gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, Suri, last month.

Kidman, who stars in the upcoming "Fur," about photographer Diane Arbus, is reportedly dating country singer Keith Urban, 38.

"I'm pretty careful about who I share my life with," she says. "I surround myself with truthful, kind people, most of whom are not in the business. It's the life I want to have when I'm an old woman with long, gray hair."

Veteran CBC anchor dead at 48

TORONTO (CP) - Veteran CBC news anchor Lorne Saxberg died Saturday in a snorkelling accident while on vacation in Phuket, Thailand, CBC News reported on its website.

"We're shocked and very, very sad that this has happened," CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles said Sunday.

"He was part of our family of journalists and reporters and newsreaders."

Saxberg had a 27-year career with the country's public broadcaster and was a widely recognized news anchor on both television and radio.

The 48-year-old broadcaster was one of the original anchors when CBC's all-news channel Newsworld was launched in 1989, CBC News reported.

He was recently awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award for a documentary he wrote and hosted on the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb, CBC reported.

Saxberg grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont., and graduated from Confederation College's broadcasting program before joining CBC Radio as an announcer in his hometown.

He later moved to Toronto where he joined the roster of anchors at Newsworld.

Saxberg took a leave from CBC two years ago to work as an announcer and trainer with NHK Japan in Tokyo.

"He was the consummate pro and an exceptional journalist," said Ken Becker, a Newsworld producer who worked with Saxberg for many years.

"When he was in the anchor chair, you knew you could throw Lorne any story - from the outbreak of war to the birth of a panda at the zoo - and he'd deliver it to the viewer with exactly the right tone."

"He brought to every story a vast knowledge on nearly every subject, a reporter's curiosity and an appreciation of fine writing."

Despite Saxberg's international success as a broadcast-journalist, he never strayed far from his northwestern Ontario roots.

Along with his family, Saxberg bought and restored a dormant 130-year-old mining shop near his hometown to create the Silver Islet General Store and Tea Room, where he served as harbourmaster and returned every summer to work at the store.

"I know he was looking forward to coming home this summer," said Shane Judge, a radio reporter with CBC Thunder Bay who worked with Saxberg years ago. "He just loved it on the North Shore. He made sure he came here every year."

'LOST' FINALE SHOCKS CREATOR

J.J. Abrams, co-creator of the re vitalized "Lost," is telling fans the season finale in two weeks is a killer.

"The ending of this year in 'Lost' blows the ending of last season out of the water," he told scifi.com over the weekend. "It's an incredible finale.

"You'll see what happens, but I can tell you that a lot of it has been there and been building from the beginning of this season. It's not out of the blue, but what happens at the very end of this year, for me, it's the greatest finale I have ever heard."

Abrams took himself off the show earlier this year to direct "Mission Impossible III" with Tom Cruise, but says the people who have been running the series in his absence came up with a year-ender that surprised even him.

The episode, titled "Live Together, Die Alone," airs May 24. An ABC press release describes it:

"After discovering something odd just offshore, Jack and Sayid come up with a plan to confront the Others and get Walt back.

"Meanwhile, Eko and Locke come to blows as Locke makes a cataclysmic decision regarding the button."

ARG! POOCHES PICK UP SCENT OF DVD PIRATES

Two black Labradors in Britain have been trained as the world's first dogs to sniff out counterfeit DVDs, according to reports.

The dogs, Lucky and Flo, are being used by FedEx and British Customs to crack down on DVD piracy.

A spokesman said the dogs had been taught to identify DVDs located in boxes, envelopes or other packaging which would then be sold illegally in the U.K.

Sutherland reveals 24 movie plans

Kiefer Sutherland has revealed that a movie version of his hit US TV show 24 is to film in London.

The actor, who plays hero Jack Bauer in the thriller series, told chat show host Jonathan Ross about his plans on Ross's BBC One show.

"We're working on that," he said. "We'll shoot the film here. We're really excited about it.

"In the US, 24 was slow to catch on but in the UK it was big so Fox stuck with it, so thank you Britain."

Sutherland has starred in the Fox TV show for five series and is reported to have signed up for three more.

The show was considered groundbreaking when it first aired in 2001 because it was screened in "real time" with one day spread over 24 episodes.

Sutherland's performance in 24 won him a Golden Globe award in 2002 and he has also been nominated for four Emmys.

The actor rose to fame in films such as the 1987 teenage vampire film The Lost Boys and the movie Flatliners with his former fiancee Julia Roberts.

His next big screen outing will be in crime thriller The Sentinel, opposite Michael Douglas and Kim Basinger.

He is also voicing a character in Disney's latest cartoon feature, The Wild, in which he plays a lion called Samson.

Doctor Who Triumphs at 2006 BAFTA Awards

Doctor Who was the main winner at this weekend's prestigious industry awards, the BAFTA Awards (or British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards), taking all three of the awards for which it was nominated. Billie Piper and a Dalek accepted the award for Best Drama Series, as well as the Pioneer Audience Award for best television programme of 2005. Russell T Davies won the Dennis Potter Award for outstanding writing for television, which was presented to him by a kilted David Tennant. Davies is reported as saying, "We were told that bringing it back would be impossible, that we would never capture this generation of children. But we did it."

The show's success, alongside a number of other BBC successes, dominates much of the early coverage of the awards ceremony, with a two-minute report appearing on BBC News 24 and BBC One's evening news (also available online at BBC News); this report includes a brief clip of the Dalek arriving for the ceremony and David Tennant speaking to reporters on the programme's "cross-nation appeal". The Guardian appears to be making Doctor Who's awards front-page news, with "Doctor Who finally materialises on red carpet as TV series scoops drama prize" concentrating on the supposed previous lack of industry awards for the series, discussed by Russell T Davies in a recent Guardian podcast.

Apple Computer wins trademark dispute vs Beatles

LONDON (Reuters) - Apple Computer has won its trademark dispute with the Beatles, part of a long and winding road of legal battles which may lead the band's famous songs to the door of Apple's market-leading iTunes Music Store.

In the case decided on Monday, Apple Corps -- which represents the band's interests and has a green Granny Smith trademark -- had argued that the Apple Computer had violated the companies' former trademark settlement by using its logo to sell music.

Apple Computer, which has sold millions of iPods and more than a billion song downloads, held that iTunes was primarily a data transmission service and was permitted by the agreement.

"I find no breach of the trademark agreement has been demonstrated," Justice Edward Mann said in his judgment, issued in London's High Court. "The action therefore fails."

Apple Corps had battled Apple Computer over its own stylized fruit logo twice before and the latest case related to an out-of-court settlement in 1991.

The ruling, which Apple Corps said it will appeal, means that Apple Computer will be able to continue using its fruit logo on the iTunes Music Store and in ads for the service.

Apple shares climbed about 1 percent to $72.59 on the Nasdaq exchange by 1354 GMT (9:54 EDT).

CAN'T BUY ME BEATLES...ONLINE

The Beatles are high-profile holdouts from Internet music services such as iTunes, but it emerged during the trial that Apple Corps is preparing the band's catalog to be sold online for the first time, according to a submission by Neil Aspinall, managing director of Apple Corps and a former Beatles road manager.

"We are glad to put this disagreement behind us," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said. "We have always loved the Beatles, and hopefully we can now work together to get them on the iTunes Music Store."

A spokeswoman for Apple Corps said that no decision had been made on when the Beatles' songs would be available to purchase online.

Apple Corps -- owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison -- agreed to a 1991 out-of-court settlement, which included a $26 million payment by Apple Computer and set out areas in which each party would have exclusive use of their respective logos.

The Beatles' company argued that Apple Computer's move into the music business violated that deal, but Justice Mann ruled that no breaches had occurred.

"I think the use of the apple logo is a fair and reasonable use of the mark in connection with the service," Mann said, referring to the Apple Computer logo within the iTunes Music Store.

The trial in the High Court's usually staid courtrooms was marked by the incongruous playing of the disco hit "Le Freak" by the Apple Corps legal team, who were demonstrating the iTunes software for the judge.

Michael Jackson not laughing over GQ spoof

Michael Jackson is demanding that GQ magazine apologize and pull its May issue because of an article spoofing his image.

The article, titled "Where's Michael," features a Jackson impersonator in several photographs.

Jackson is furious about the spoof, according to his representative, Raymone Bain.

The article is accompanied by pictures of the look-alike sitting in a darkened movie theatre amid a row of children.

Writer Devin Friedman claims to have made a quest to find Jackson in Bahrain, the Middle Eastern country where he lives.

Jackson moved to the Gulf state soon after being acquitted of child-molestation charges in California last year.

One photo features the Jackson impersonator in the desert, draped in a black cloak, with his trademark glittery white glove, a reference to several purported sightings of the star in Bahrain.

GQ editor-in-chief Jim Nelson says it's "clear that the pictures in the story ... are satirical."

Jennifer Garner & Jamie Foxx Called To "The Kingdom"

Jennifer Garner and Jamie Foxx might soon be reigning over The Kingdom. The Hollywood Reporter says the star of TV's Alias is in negotiations to co-star alongside the Oscar-winning Foxx, for a role much like her TV alter-ego - playing as government special agent. Actor/director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights,) is directing the drama/thriller that will follow a special team of FBI operatives who are sent to the Middle East after terrorists target a housing compound for American workers. With production wrapped on her hit spy series, Garner is focusing on her movie career and will be seen in the upcoming films, Catch and Release, the mystery/thriller, Sabbatical and the mystery/romance, Be With You, all due out next year.

Metallica Avoiding Battles On New Album

Five years ago, James Hetfield would not have been awake or sober enough to get into the studio at 9 a.m., but that's where he's frequently found himself as work continues on Metallica's new album. "I would have been going to bed at 9 a.m., not going to work," he tells Billboard.

Things have changed for Hetfield, who has been sober for nearly five years. On May 12, he will receive an honor he says he is more proud of than any career achievement. The MusiCares MAP Fund, a non-profit organization aimed at helping music industry professionals with addiction recovery treatment, will present Hetfield with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his "devotion to helping other addicts with the recovery process" during its second annual benefit concert at the Music Box/Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood.

"I don't believe that you have to walk straight into the fire to know how hot it is," Hetfield says. "That was my path. The biggest awareness is that you're not alone and that there is some help. When people get so far into it, where they feel their life isn't worth anything, that's too far. But, you can survive it. That's important to know."

Hetfield admits the process of making an album while sober is "very different because there is a lot more awareness of what we are doing and sometimes over-thinking it. Now we are very present for it all and I'm not afraid to do or try anything musically."

But he says the current project, which is being produced by Rick Rubin, is "going great because everyone is present and everyone is enjoying the process. The process is a lot easier. [Drummer] Lars [Ulrich] and I would butt heads daily. It would be going to war every day. You'd suit up in your armor before you go in the studio. Battling back and forth. Now it's helping each other do the best of their ability. It's all moving toward the same goal instead of pulling back."

Floyd's 'Dark Side' Celebrates Chart Milestone

On March 17, 1973, a band in musical transition named Pink Floyd hit the Top 200 chart with the release of its new album, "Dark Side of the Moon." It entered the chart at No. 95, the top debut that week. And then a funny thing happened: It never left. Or almost never, anyway.

More than 14 years later -- 736 weeks to be precise -- in July 1988, it finally fell off The Billboard 200. Add in a later run on that chart and another 759 weeks on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, and Pink Floyd, with this issue, reaches the staggering plane of 1,500 weeks on the charts.

It's difficult to contextualize just how singularly dominant a chart -- and cultural -- force the album has been. The runner-up for time served on The Billboard 200, Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Legend," is several years behind, and Floyd's lead in total chart weeks is greater Marley's by an almost 2-1 margin.

Label sources say "Dark Side" has sold roughly 40 million copies worldwide and still routinely moves 8,000-9,000 copies on a slow week. In fact, the album still often outpaces the low end of The Billboard 200, and every song on the more than 30-year-old record still gets radio play, with some among the most-played songs at classic rock stations monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

"When the record was finished, I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me, and I remember playing it for my wife then, and her bursting into tears when it was finished," Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters tells Billboard. "And I thought, 'This has obviously struck a chord.' I was kinda pleased by that. I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is a pretty complete piece of work,' and I had every confidence that people would respond to it."

As previously reported, Waters plans to play the album in its entirety on his upcoming tour, an idea he says spawned from a request by Formula I.

"Somebody rather fancifully suggested Pink Floyd playing 'Dark Side of the Moon, and somebody else rather fancifully approached various people who said, 'Are you f***ing insane? It's not going to happen.' So they asked me ... The more I've worked on it, the more the idea has grown on me. I'm going downtown as we speak to work on visuals for 'Dark Side of the Moon' and the rest of the show. I've got a great band together, and I have every hope that we will do the work justice."

'M:I3' Cruises to Modest Box Office Win

LOS ANGELES - Fewer people chose to accept Tom Cruise's latest mission, a possible sign that the odd behavior of Hollywood's biggest star may have taken a toll on his box-office charm.

Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III" debuted with $48.025 million, a solid opening yet well below industry expectations and almost $10 million lower than the franchise's previous installment, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Industry analysts had expected the movie to open in the range of "Mission: Impossible II," which debuted with $57.8 million from Friday to Sunday over Memorial Day weekend in 2000, and Cruise's "War of the Worlds," which premiered with $64.9 million from Friday to Sunday over Fourth of July weekend last year.

Rob Moore, Paramount's head of worldwide marketing and distribution, said he did not believe Cruise's private life had any impact on "Mission: Impossible III," directed by "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams.

"I don't think so. There's no question it concerns us if the press is writing about things other than the movie," Moore said. "If people are writing about his personal life, then by definition, they're not writing about the movie."

Cruise's antics in the past year or so, publicity over his romance with Katie Holmes and the tabloid blitz regarding their daughter's birth in April may have left some movie-goers burned out or disenchanted with the actor.

Traditionally reserved about his private life, Cruise abruptly became an open book, jumping up and down on a couch while professing his love for Holmes in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and spouting his Scientology beliefs, including rants against psychiatry.

"Expectations were really high for this film. I think it's a good number, but people were obviously expecting better numbers," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "There's a lot to be said for how a star's public persona can affect a movie's box office."

"Mission: Impossible III" earned generally favorable reviews, some critics calling it the best in the franchise and many offering high praise for Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Cruise's nemesis.

Along with potential Cruise backlash, the long six-year interval since "Mission: Impossible II" may have dulled audience appetites.

Head-to-head comparisons are difficult, since the previous "Mission: Impossible" movies and "War of the Worlds" opened over long holiday weekends, when Sunday grosses typically are much stronger than during a regular weekend.

Debuting in about 55 other countries, "Mission: Impossible III" took in $70 million, for a worldwide total of $118 million. Paramount noted that the new movie beat the $115 million worldwide debut of "Mission: Impossible II" in those same countries.

Factoring in higher ticket prices, the debut for "Mission: Impossible III" looks worse. About 7.3 million people saw the new movie, compared with 10.7 million over the opening weekend for "Mission: Impossible II" and 10.3 million for "Mission: Impossible," which opened with $45.4 million over Memorial Day weekend in 1996.

The weekend's other wide releases had fair to poor openings. Freestyle Releasing's "An American Haunting," starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland in a 19th century supernatural tale, debuted at No. 3 with $6.4 million.

New Line's family film "Hoot," adapted from Carl Hiaasen's novel about teenagers trying to save endangered owls, flopped with $3.4 million, tied for No. 9.

"Mission: Impossible III' led Hollywood to its seventh-straight weekend of rising revenues. The top-12 movies took in $99.4 million, up 27 percent compared to the same weekend last year, when "Kingdom of Heaven" led the box office with an anemic $19.6 million.

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

1. "Mission: Impossible III," $48.025 million.
2. "RV," $11.1 million.
3. "An American Haunting," $6.4 million.
4. "Stick It," $5.5 million.
5. "United 93," $5.2 million.
6. "Ice Age: The Meltdown," $4 million.
7. "Silent Hill," $3.9 million.
8. "Scary Movie 4," $3.8 million.
9. (tie). "Akeelah and the Bee," $3.4 million.
9 (tie). "Hoot," $3.4 million.

Critics praise 'chatty' Dylan's satellite radio debut

Critics used to raspy mumblings from Bob Dylan are singing his praises after his debut as a host on satellite radio this week.

Dylan's weekly one-hour show, Theme Time Radio Hour, features the 64-year-old music icon spinning an eclectic mix of his favourite tunes. Each episode revolves around a specific theme and Dylan offers commentary and information about his choices.

On Wednesday morning, his debut episode featured a weather theme and included a lineup that veered from Judy Garland singing Come Rain or Come Shine to Jimi Hendrix's The Wind Cries Mary.

With most people used to a reclusive, mumbling Dylan, the show offered a real surprise: critics described the singer-songwriter as uncharacteristically chatty and engaging as a host.

"You can understand Dylan on radio better than you can in concert," wrote Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Dave Hoekstra.

British musicologist Charlie Gillett described the show to the U.K.'s Observer newspaper as "seamless and natural" and said Dylan's "growly commentary is charming."

"It's how radio should be," Gillett said. "It draws you in and you never for a moment think he's playing games, which he's supposedly notorious for doing."

The Telegraph's Robert Sandall praised Dylan's insightful commentary about the musical choices, which were shared "in his own uniquely insouciant and personally unrevealing fashion."

Bloomberg called the episode a "promising premiere" and said Dylan's "passion for old-time radio, combined with his reverence toward American musical traditions, make this just the kind of niche program that fee-based satellite radio is made for."

Upcoming episodes will revolve around themes such as Mother's Day, cars, police, dance and whisky. Special guests – including Elvis Costello, Sarah Silverman, Charlie Sheen and Jimmy Kimmel – will offer network IDs and other contributions.

Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour airs in Canada and the U.S. on XM Satellite Radio.

Mission Possible: Bigger Summer B.O.

Last year, Hollywood kicked off its summer season with an Orlando Bloom epic that failed to loom large at the box office. This year, Hollywood is going straight for the heavy artillery: Tom Cruise.

The summer 2006 box office kicks off Friday with a bombardment of Cruise's Mission: Impossible III on 4,054 screens, the fourth-largest opening ever.

Paul Dergarabedian of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations says a "$60 million-plus [opening] is certainly in the cards" for M:I3. And, truthfully, the actioneer doesn't need to open that big to represent a big improvement over 2005.

Debuting on the same May weekend last year, the Bloom-led Kingdom of Heaven grossed less than $20 million, which given the bad state of things was enough to give it bragging rights, briefly, as the nation's No. 1 movie.

Hollywood's tepid summer of 2005 was an outgrowth of its stone, cold spring. This year, M:I3 arrives as the film industry is riding a winning streak--for six straight weeks, the weekend box office has been up when compared to last year.

Overall, through last Sunday, ticket sales were up 6.75 percent, according to Exhibitor Relations; attendance was up 3.5 percent.

Given that 2005 was such an off year, from beginning to end, an arguably better measuring stick for 2006 is 2004. When stacked up against that blockbuster year, 2006 is holding its own--revenue up 1 percent; attendance down 5 percent, per Exhibitor Relations.

"[The 2006 box office is] not as strong as 2004, but would could be--because that was the year Passion of the Christ was generating all this box office that was unprecedented," Dergarabedian said.

The summer box office season runs from May through Labor Day weekend. Before this month alone is out, MI:3 will have been joined in theaters by Tom Hanks and The Da Vinci Code, and Wolverine and X-Men: The Last Stand. Last year, the only May opener that looked like a blockbuster lock on paper was Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith. (Madagascar, another May 2005 opener, ended up being a year-end Top 10 film, as well, with a $193.1 million gross.)

"I think it hurt the industry [last year] by not having the big opener in the first weekend in May," Dergarabedian said.

So far, MI:3 is off on the right foot with critics. As of Friday afternoon, the reviews-tracking RottenTomatoes.com had collected 106 notices, and judged that 73 percent of them were positive.

More than one critic reviewed the movie on a summertime sliding scale, with Time's Richard Corliss noting that MI:3 "accomplishes its mission to run smart variations on dump tropes," and encouraging the audience to "devour and enjoy."

And more than one critic saw the movie as a comment on Cruise's year of jumping on couches. In the LA Weekly, Scott Foundas called Cruise costar Michelle Monaghan the "doe-eyed Katie Holmes surrogate." In the New York Times, Manohla Dargis called the film "a seriously strange vanity project, as the simpering brunette [Holmes, sorry, Monaghan] is swept into a new world by a dashing operative for a clandestine operation."

Cruise and the real Holmes took in Thursday night's Hollywood premiere of MI:3--it was Holmes' first public appearance since she and Cruise "joyously welcomed" the birth of their first child, Suri, on Apr. 18.

As for Orlando Bloom? He won't be deployed in a movie this summer until July, when he'll have Johnny Depp's back in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

RHCP's Flea fumes over leaked CD

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are upset over an Internet leak of their upcoming album "Stadium Arcadium," set for release Tuesday, and are urging fans not to download it illegally.

In a web posting on the band's official site on Tuesday, RCHP bassist Flea shared his feelings on the discovery of the leak.

"Well that's not very nice. If you download it now off one of those file-sharing sites, you will be getting a pale imitation of the record," he wrote in his latest blog. "It will be of... poor sound quality... and that will break my heart. It will break John Frusciante's heart. It will break Anthony Kiedis' heart. And it will break the heart of Chad Smith."

He also lashed out at the music pirate who leaked the band's first studio album in four years.

"For people to just steal a poor-sound quality version of it for free because some a--hole stole it is sad to me. It is stealing from us and that is lame. Everyone has to live with their own conscience on that one."

It is unknown who the leaker is or how they managed to obtain a copy of the not-yet-released material.

Upon the release of "Stadium Arcadium," the Chili Peppers will embark on a North American tour beginning August 11 in Portland, and will play a month long Canadian stint beginning Sept. 14 in Vancouver.

Richards to undergo brain surgery

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will undergo brain surgery after a concussion suffered following his fall from a coconut tree in Fiji last week proved to be a brain hemorrhage, Undercover.com reports.

Surgeons are planning to drill a hole in the 62-year-old rocker's skull in order to drain blood out of his brain.

Following his fall in Fiji, Richards was transported to a hospital in New Zealand, where he was originally diagnosed with a mild concussion. After Richards continued to suffer from a dull headache, it was concluded that he had a small hemorrhage.

Richards is expected to make a full recovery but it is unclear whether he will be able to perform with the Stones, who will resume their "A Bigger Bang" world tour in a few weeks.

HOW THE MOST PROMISING NEW FALL DRAMA LOST ITS 'COMMAND'

It just might be the steepest, single-season decline in TV history.

So what went wrong with "Commander in Chief"?

Just about everything.

ABC's "prestige" drama about a female president was once considered the most promising new show of the current season.

But a little more than seven months after it premiered last fall with the highest ratings of any new series, "Commander in Chief" is leaving office in disgrace.

The hard truth: The show lost 60 percent of its audience from its debut last Sept. 27 through last Thursday. (The show attracted 16,365,000 viewers when it premiered at 9 p.m. Tuesdays. It fell to 6,513,000 last Thursday at 10 p.m.)

Another hard truth: It was never that good in the first place.

It should have been. On paper, the show had a quality cast, led by Geena Davis, Oscar winner for "The Accidental Tourist," as the president, and Donald Sutherland, a movie legend, as her archrival.

And it had a highly promotable premise - the nation's first woman president - with which to trigger a thousand prelaunch magazine and newspaper stories.

But all the publicity in the world couldn't mask the show's deficiencies.

For openers, it had the misfortune to be on TV at the same time as "The West Wing."

NBC's White House drama might have been in its last season, in a time period - Sundays at 8 p.m. - where long-time fans had trouble finding it, but as far as presidential TV shows go, "The West Wing" remains the gold standard.

"Commander in Chief" was anything but golden.

President Mackenzie Allen's White House never felt authentic, a situation that had nothing to do with the president's gender. Compared to the Bartlet administration of "The West Wing," President Allen's White House was an empty place seemingly staffed by six people under the age of 35 who didn't know what they were doing.

It's likely the show's quality suffered from the behind-the-scenes turmoil that saddled the series with three different bosses in its inaugural season.

It was also harmed by spotty scheduling, including a four-week hiatus in December and a 10-week absence from Jan. 31 to April 13.

Whatever the problems on or off the screen, ABC this week decided it had had enough of "Commander in Chief," yanking it for the remainder of the May sweeps and the season - both of which end officially on May 24.

ABC plans to burn off the show's remaining three episodes (19 were produced; 16 have aired) in June. And while a spokeswoman would not concede the show is gone for good, it's doubtful it will be on ABC's fall schedule when the new lineup is announced later this month.

Silver Surfer May Enter 'Fantastic' Sequel

For years, comic fans have clamored to see the Silver Surfer on the big screen, but is this they way they wanted it to happen?

It's being reported in Variety that the funny book cult favorite has a featured role in one of two possible scripts for the upcoming "Fantastic Four" sequel.

The trade paper reports that 20th Century Fox and Marvel are choosing between a script by Mark Frost ("X-Men 2") and a second script by Don Payne ("My Super Ex-Girlfriend"). The film, which will be directed by Tim Story, has a July 4, 2007 release date already staked out, so production can't be far away. The Payne script, the script with the Silver Surfer, is rumored to be in the lead.

Not to imply that Variety would ever run a studio-planted story or anything, but if Fox is still determining which script to go with, the little blurb in the trade seems very much like a tentative feeler out into the fan community. Given the decidedly mixed reaction in that community to the first "Fantastic Four," the studio may not want to risk jeopardizing a Silver Surfer feature if the fans are negatively predisposed to the character being reduced to a supporting role in a franchise that's already generated ire.

The Silver Surfer is no stranger to playing second banana to the Fantastic Four, of course. The character was introduced in "Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 No. 48," which may suggest that the studio is trying to mirror the character's comic launch for his theatrical debut.

Budget concerns have always hampered a possible Surfer film. Silver Surfer is the tortured herald of Galactus, a cosmic being that travels the universe devouring worlds. He looks like a nude, silver-skinned man, and he flies around the universe on a silver surfboard. That doesn't come cheap.

Stay tuned, we guess, for additional details.

"Mission" set to kick box office into high gear

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Mission: Impossible III," the third installment of Paramount's highest-grossing franchise, will get an early start to the weekend by opening across North America at midnight Thursday.

The Tom Cruise thriller will be in an ultrawide 4,054 theaters, and it goes without saying that it will be the top-grossing film this weekend.

There has been much speculation as to how "M:I-3" will do at the box office because of Cruise's recent unconventional public displays, and also because it is the third film in the franchise. On the other hand, the influx of fresh ideas from a new director (J.J. Abrams), the addition of Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as the villain and a six-year wait since the second installment plays to the film's advantage.

The first "Mission" film opened almost 10 years ago, during Memorial Day weekend 1996, and grossed $56.8 million in four days (Friday to Monday) from 3,012 venues. At the time, it was the biggest four-day opening weekend in history, and that debut was softened somewhat by Tuesday previews and a Wednesday bow. The first "Mission" went on to a domestic take of $180.9 million.

Fast-forward to Memorial Day weekend 2000, when the second film debuted with a stellar four-day gross of $70.8 million from 3,653 theaters. At the time, the opening was the second-biggest for a Memorial Day weekend behind Universal's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" ($90.2 million). "M:I-2" grossed $215.4 million by the time it left North American theaters.

Abrams, who fills the shoes of Brian De Palma and John Woo, got the largely based on his work on "Alias," which he created, and on his being a fan of the "Mission: Impossible" television series. The director has said that he and his co-writers wanted to instill more emotion, humor and character development into the franchise.

Fresh off his best actor Oscar win for "Capote," Hoffman is making his first appearance in an action film, playing an icy villain intent on disrupting Hunt's attempt to live a more normal life. Michelle Monaghan plays Hunt's love interest, and Ving Rhames reprises his role as the resident technophile. As on the previous two "Mission" films, Cruise and business partner Paula Wagner handled producing responsibilities.

Two other films opening in wide release this weekend are direct counterprogramming moves aimed at specific audiences and are tracking to finish in the top five.

New Line Cinema's "Hoot," based on the book by Carl Hiaasen, will be in 3,018 theaters. The PG-rated family comedy was written by Wil Shriner, who also makes his feature directorial debut.

Freestyle Releasing's "An American Haunting" will be going out in 1,679 locations and marks the widest release since the indie distributor's inception in January 2005. The PG-13 film, written and directed by Courtney Solomon, is aimed at horror fans and stars Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek.

More favourite CBC Radio shows move onto podcast

CBC has launched 22 radio programs on podcast as part of a major expansion of podcasting by the public broadcaster.

CBC Radio began podcasting — that is provided recordings of its radio programs that could be downloaded to a digital player or computer — last April. Shows are available free through iTunes, over CBC.ca and from other download services.

Initially four shows went on air — the science show Quirks & Quarks, a column called The Mood and selections of Radio Three and Metro Morning.

On Wednesday, CBC began offering a greatly expanded podcasting service, with selections of popular national shows such as As It Happens, The Current, Sounds Like Canada and DNTO, as well as some regional selections.

CBC decided to expand its service because of huge demand for CBC podcasting and the results of a recent survey of podcast users, Bob Kerr, director of business development and digital programming at CBC, said in an interview.

"The most popular podcasts were Radio Three and Quirks & Quarks — they went through the roof," Kerr said. "They have become the most popular podcasts in Canada."

About one quarter of podcast listeners download programs and listen to them en route to work, but most listen at home, or in a single spot like a workplace, he said. Podcast listeners tend to be younger than regular CBC Radio listeners, with more falling in the 18-to-39 age group.

They're spread right across the country, with the greatest number, 35 per cent of listeners, in Ontario and 18 per cent in British Columbia. U.S. residents make up six per cent of podcast listeners; a further four per cent live in other countries.

The 22 CBC shows available on podcast are updated regularly, and often are different from the original radio programs, Kerr said, with some, like World at Large, being compilations of several shows.

CBC plans to monitor demand for the new service and then decide on how to further expand its podcasting project, Kerr said.

"There's the whole world of video as well," he said. Apple's iTunes music store does not yet offer video in Canada, but there is potential for CBC television to be made available once it does, he said.

'Star Wars' goes back to basics

Die-hard Star Wars fans soon can see the original theatrical versions of the first three Star Wars films on DVD.

Even though George Lucas adamantly declared 2004's digitally restored Star Wars Trilogy DVDs the definitive versions of his movies, fans have held out hope for DVDs of the originals.

Their wishes will be granted Sept. 12 when Fox releases new two-disc DVDs ($30 each) of Star Wars (since retitled as Episode IV: A New Hope), The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that include the films as they first appeared in theaters, along with the new, restored versions (now available in the four-disc $70 Star Wars Trilogy).

The individual DVDs will be taken off the market on Dec. 31, a strategy that Disney uses on many of its classic releases.

Lucas re-released his original three Star Wars films in theaters in 1997 with inserted scenes and improved special effects. Those "special editions" were further enhanced for the four-disc DVD set. With the original versions coming to DVD, here's what you'll see again:

• In Star Wars, Han Solo shoots a bounty hunter named Greedo. Lucas changed the scene later so it seemed that Greedo draws first, and changed it again for the DVD so that they appear to shoot simultaneously.

• In Empire Strikes Back, the ice creature that captures Luke Skywalker gets less screen time.

• In Jedi, Sebastian Shaw returns as Anakin in the movie's final scene. Lucas substituted Hayden Christiansen, who plays Anakin in the more recent films, for the 2004 DVD.

Back in 2004, Lucas told the New York Post, "The special edition is the one I wanted out there."

This new set of DVDs does not constitute "George changing his mind," says Lucasfilm's Jim Ward. "What we've always said is George viewed the revised versions of the films as the definitive versions."

Fan attachment to the originals is strong. The movies topped entertainment website IGN.com's recent chart of Top 25 Most Wanted DVDs.

"People want the option of having the movies that they remember and people are opposed to George Lucas' revisionist tendencies," says the site's Chris Carle.

The original films' video quality will not match up to that of the restored versions. "It is state of the art, as of 1993, and that's not as good as state of the art 2006," Ward says.

LEGITIMATE QUESTION

During an appearance on The Late Show, David Letterman reminding Tom Cruise that he is not married to Katie Holmes, the mother of his newborn daughter. "Did you have to bring it up?" Cruise replied, adding, "I can't wait to get married." Call it a hunch, but we're guessing that'll happen right around the time of his next promotional gig.

Star salaries coming down in Hollywood: report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Poor Jim Carrey. His movies have raked in nearly $2 billion at box offices, but now a leading entertainment magazine says the comedian's asking price of $25 million a film has become "a bit of a gamble."

In its issue out this week, Entertainment Weekly rates top stars on whether they are worth the money.

Among those whose asking prices have become too high are Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell and Eddie Murphy, the magazine said.

It added that after years of ever-rising star salaries, the prices for top talent are now coming down because the cost of making movies is going up, among other issues. "It's long overdue," former Twentieth Century Fox Chairman Bill Mechanic told the magazine.

Entertainment Weekly quoted several studio executives as saying the rising cost of production has led many stars to take large parts of their fees from revenue and profit participation that may never materialize if films flop at box offices.

Carrey, star of hits like "Bruce Almighty," had been a big beneficiary of the 1990s' salary run-up during which he saw his paycheck hit the $25 million mark.

However, his recent big-budget movies like "Fun with Dick and Jane" barely topped $100 million in domestic ticket sales, leaving his star tarnished, the magazine said.

Carrey's not the only one. Kidman is considered a risky bet after the box office failure of "Bewitched" and "The Stepford Wives" among other recent films.

Will Ferrell's $20 million also made the list of risky bets given recent box office disappointments and Eddie Murphy's $20 million was considered downright "too pricey."

But Tom Hanks' $25 million was thought to be "worth every penny" because he remains "one of the most bankable brand names in the world." Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, at $5 million to $7 million a picture, and Rachel McAdams at $3 million to $4 million, were bargains.

Movie piracy losses bigger than expected

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lost sales from pirated DVD movies and Internet downloads are higher than previously thought, a report in the Wall Street Journal said on Wednesday.

A study showed the industry was losing $6.1 billion annually in global wholesale revenue, about 75 percent higher than earlier estimates, it said.

Losses came not only from fewer ticket sales, but also from fewer DVD sales, considered one of the industry's biggest profit centers, the report cited unnamed sources as saying.

The newspaper said some in the U.S. movies industry sought to suppress the report.

The study was conducted by LEK Consulting LLC and commissioned by U.S. films industry lobbying group the Motion Picture Association of America.

The MPAA was not immediately available for comment.

According to the report, losses in the U.S. alone totaled almost $1.3 billion.

The study also dispelled commonly held beliefs. Mexico, for instance, now ranked as the world's largest market for pirated U.S. films, overshadowing China and Russia, with $483 million in lost revenue in 2005.

The study was conducted in 28 countries, over 18 months, and cost $3 million, according to the Journal.

Broadcast icon, Pat Marsden dead at 69

TORONTO (CP) - Pat Marsden changed the face of sports broadcast journalism and had a good time doing it. Marsden died Thursday at age 69 of lung cancer.

A colourful character who enjoyed a laugh, a drink, a flutter at the casino, friends and family, Marsden is perhaps best known for his play-by-play coverage of the Canadian Football League telecasts in the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked as host of the 1972 Canada-Soviet Union hockey summit series telecasts.

Marsden was inducted into the Canadian Football Reporters Hall of Fame in 1989.

Leif Pettersen worked with Marsden for five years on CTV's football telecasts starting in 1982 and the two were also longtime friends.

"I have pictures of him all over my desk today," Pettersen said.

"He brought so much enthusiasm to the broadcasts. Pat had great knowledge of all sports. He was a great technician of sports, knew them all, knew the personalities."

Pettersen also recalled how Marsden loved a party.

"Oh gosh, I've got stories you cannot print," Pettersen said. "The thing that hurt us more than anything in our whole football careers doing television was the invention of mini-bars in the hotel. When they put those in, the party never stopped."

Marsden also spent eight years as morning host at the Toronto all-sports radio station The Fan 590, leaving in May 2004.

Marsden's wife T.A. told the station that her husband died around 6 a.m. ET on Thursday. He was diagnosed in January and spent time at Sunnybook Hospital.

"He had to get out of here because he couldn't get a rum and coke," T.A. said.

Marsden was an Ottawa native, who started a career in radio as sports director of CKOY.

He went on to become the longtime sports director of CTV's Toronto outlet, CFTO, returning to radio at CFRB after a stormy exchange with his boss.

"He was the host of the No. 1 sportscast in the country for a lot of years at CFTO," said Ron Reusch, sports director at sister station CFCF in Montreal. "One thing I think Pat did that very few did at that time was express his opinion on a regular basis. He was very outspoken. He would put his own stamp on the shows.

"There weren't many who did that in the country at that time. And I think Pat started something that a lot of us do now. He was more like a columnist than a sportscaster."

Marsden was diagnosed after visiting his doctor about a pain in his lower back. Lung cancer was found and had spread into his bones.

"It's over for me, I know that," he told the Ottawa Sun in February. "I expect I'll be gone sooner rather than later. I don't think I'll get more than six months. This is one you don't beat. There's no chance. Funny, eh? I've had every sickness known to man in my life except syphilis. I never thought I'd get this."

Marsden said he had been a smoker since the age of four.

"But I have no regrets," he told the Sun. "I'm 69 and I've had a good life with lots of laughs and lots of friends. Lots of great memories."

After retiring and moving to Florida, Marsden returned to The Fan in Toronto, commuting from the U.S. for the first few years. He and his family eventually moved back to Toronto.

The station opted not to renew his contract in 2004.

"It happens," he told the Sun. "If they don't want you, they don't want you. I'm finished with the business. It's like you don't matter anymore. That's fine. No use worrying about it. You take what comes along in life."

He is survived by his wife T.A., and his children Taylor, Connor, Mike, Patti-Lee and Ruth Mary.

The funeral was held Tuesday at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto.

Chili Peppers book 8 Cdn. dates

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have released details of their North American tour, and it includes eight dates across Canada.

MTV.com reports the 26-date arena trek, which kicks off on Aug. 11 in Portland, OR, will start the Canadian portion on Sept. 14 at Vancouver's GM Place, and will end on Oct. 1 at Quebec City's Pepsi Coliseum.

In between, they will visit Calgary (Sept. 16), Edmonton (Sept. 17), Saskatoon (Sept. 19), Winnipeg (Sept. 20), Toronto (Sept. 25) and Montreal (Sept. 28) (details below).

The tour, which features opening act The Mars Volta, finishes up in St. Paul, MN on Nov. 5. Additional dates may still be added.

The Chili Peppers are touring in support of their latest studio album "Stadium Arcadium," which hits Canadian stores on May 9.

Ticket onsale dates for the Canadian shows have not been announced as yet.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' North American tour dates, according to MTV.com:

8/11 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
8/15 - Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
8/16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
8/18 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
8/21 - Glendale, AZ @ Glendale Arena
8/22 - San Diego, CA @ iPay One Center at the Sports Arena
8/24 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
8/27 - Fresno, CA @ Selland Arena
9/14 - Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
9/16 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
9/17 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
9/19 - Saskatoon, SK @ Saskatchewan Credit Union Centre
9/20 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
9/25 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
9/28 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/1 - Quebec City, QC @ Pepsi Coliseum
10/17 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
10/20 - Boston, MA @ TD Banknorth Garden
10/21 - Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
10/23 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
10/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Gwinnett Center
10/30 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
10/31 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
11/2 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
11/3 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
11/5 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

Eddie Murphy Back for "Beverly Hills 4"?

Eddie Murphy might soon be back in action for a fourth chapter in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise.

Moviehole.net reports Murphy, who turned 45 Tuesday, wants to go back undercover in Beverly Hills for another sequel, now that he's seen a good script.

The Cop movies, released in 1984, '97 and '94 respectively, starred Murphy as rebellious New York Cop, Axel Foley, whose unorthodox methods helped stop crime in the wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood.

The expected new sequel is in anticipation of a comeback for the upcoming Dreamgirls star, which early reports say has the potential to become a hit.

Apple renews record label deals, sticks with 99 cents per song

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Songs at Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store will remain 99 cents per download after the company extended its distribution deals with major recording labels.

The recording industry and Apple had been at odds over Apple's insistence to keep its flat rate with some labels wanting variable pricing, including higher prices for new releases.

"Apple has all the cards, and when you have all the cards, you can play hardball," said Ted Schadler, analyst at market research firm Forrester Research.

Apple shares jumped 2.9% Tuesday, after the renewals were confirmed.

The distribution contracts were up for renewal for the first time since iTunes launched in April 2003. Apple said Tuesday it would continue to offer the 99-cent pricing from a library of over 3 million songs, but declined further comment.

ITunes helped propel the legitimate music download business, and Apple claims it has about an 80% share of the market, which last year climbed to 353 million song downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Analysts say recording labels make about 70 cents per download but could pocket significantly more if the prices were raised by a few cents.

Representatives from two of the four major labels — Sony BMG Music Entertainment and EMI Group PLC — declined to comment on the iTunes contract renewals. The remaining two — Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — did not immediately return phone calls.

None of the negotiating parties would say how long the new deals will last, but Schadler suspected the record labels insisted on shorter-term contracts.

Apple's dominance of the download market means the Cupertino-based company does have the upper hand for now, but analysts predict its market share will pare down as rival services, including online music subscription services, gain traction.

Shares of Apple closed at $71.62, up $2.02, in Tuesday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Napster Launches Limited Free Service

Napster is offering free music again. However this time, it’s legal.

Napster, Inc. re-launched its Napster.com Web site today (May 1), allowing users to search and listen to any song in its 2 million-track library free for up to five plays. The service does not require users to download any software, only register with a valid e-mail address.

The new Napster relies on advertising to compensate record labels and artists, who will share in the ad revenue the site generates. Napster is selling banner ads on the Napster.com site, as well as including premium audio and video ads in the music player.

Once a song has been streamed five times, listeners are offered the chance to either buy the track for 99 cents, or subscribe to one of the company’s monthly usage plans.

The Napster.com service also provides links that users can embed into e-mail, instant messages, blogs or Web sites to let others stream songs free as well. Finally, the company added a public music archive called the "Narchive" -— a site where users can upload personal stories, photos and other data to what amounts to a community blog of sorts.

Napster.com is available on all operating systems and Web browsers in the U.S only, but the company says it has plans to extend the service overseas in the near future.

Sirius Loss Doubles on Stern Compensation

NEW YORK - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. reported Tuesday that its first quarter loss more than doubled, due largely to expenses of $225 million in stock-related compensation to its star shock jock Howard Stern.

Sirius reported a net loss of $458.5 million, or 33 cents a share, for the January-March period compared with a loss of $193.6 million, or 15 cents a share, a year ago.

By far the largest factor affecting the results was costs for stock-based compensation, which all companies had to begin recording this year under new accounting rules. Sirius reported stock compensation expenses of $284.6 million, of which about $225 million went to Stern and his affiliates, a company spokesman said.

The company said stock compensation costs accounted for 20 cents per share of the loss in the most recent quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had been expecting a wider loss of 36 cents per share.

Revenues nearly tripled in the quarter to $126.7 million compared with $43.2 million in the same period a year ago as the company continued to build up its subscriber base.

Sirius said it had 4.1 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter, having added about 761,000 customers in the most recent period.

Both Sirius and its larger rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. are spending heavily to sign up subscribers and programming talent to their services, which require special radio receivers and cost about $15 per month.

The Couch Potato Report - May 2nd, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on one film that is “nice”, one that is “awful”, and three TV show DVD Box Sets.

Of all the words used to describe movies, perhaps the most underused one is “nice.”

Films are usually described as good, great, superb, horrible, bad, awful, entertaining, highly recommended, a waste of time, or worthy of your time, but very few films are ever called “nice.”

So let me add one to the “nice” category. The film made out of Steve Martin’s wonderful novella “Shopgirl” is nice.

SHOPGIRL is a nice film!

Claire Danes from THE HOURS and BROKEDOWN PALACE plays Mirabelle, a disillusioned salesgirl and aspiring artist who sells gloves and accessories at a department store.

She has two men in her life: wealthy divorcee Ray Porter and struggling musician Jeremy.

Steve Martin plays Ray and Jason Schwartzman from RUSHMORE is Jeremy.

Mirabelle falls in love with Ray, while Jeremy falls in love with Mirabelle.

Eventually the shopgirl must decide which man will make her happier.

I loved Martin’s original novella and when I heard they were making a movie out of it, I was actually disappointed. The story and the characters existed so beautifully in my mind, and that is where I wanted them to stay.

But somehow, the film is just as engaging as the source material and Danes, Martin and Schwartzman all give wonderful performances. More importantly, they all seem like real people, and in a day and age when too many films with love triangles are full of unbelievable characters, that is refreshing.

What is also refreshing is that SHOPGIRL is a nice movie. Yes, SHOPGIRL is “nice.” It is also very good!

Oh the other hand is DIRTY LOVE.

Not only is DIRTY LOVE not good, but it is actually really, really bad. In fact, it was named The Worst Picture Of The Year at the most recent Golden Raspberry Awards.

The Golden Raspberry Awards were created in 1980 and are intended to complement the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer.

DIRTY LOVE stars and was written by former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy. She plays a photographer trying to get back at her two-timing boyfriend after he breaks up with her.

The film, which earned just $58,116 at the box office, also won Razzies for worst actress, worst director and worst screenplay.

Now, don’t be mistaken, I don’t recommend you see DIRTY LOVE as it is a horrible movie, but if you would like to see what people have named The Worst Film Of The Year, DIRTY LOVE is now available on DVD.

Three new DVD Box Sets for old TV shows are also now available on DVD.

DINOSAURS - THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS is the set for the 1991-1994 show about the life of a family of Dinosaurs who live in a modern world. They have TV's, fridges, and all the amenities that you and I enjoy. The only humans in the show are caveman, who are viewed as pets and wild animals.

The Dinosaurs in the show were animatronic and created by the late Jim Henson. As a huge fan of the man I watched the show, hoping that it would have the class and humour of THE MUPPET SHOW or the many other shows that Henson has been a part of.

Sadly, he made the costumes, but he didn’t write the scripts. That said, there are still a great many laughs to be had from DINOSAURS. I’m not sure it will gain any new fans with this DVD release, but as an old fan I know I am quite happy.

I was also very happy to sit down and watch all 39 original, uncut episodes from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON.

The quintessential 1950’s American family of Ward, June, Wally and Beaver Cleaver are back and SEASON TWO has stories about building a boat through beating a bully and dealing with girls.

Ahh, if real life was only as easy as it was on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.

Or on THE COSBY SHOW for that matter!

THE COSBY SHOW - SEASON TWO features the 25 original second season episodes on four discs.

SEASON 2 includes the episode where the family honour’s Mr. Huxtable’s parents' wedding anniversary with a show-stopping lip-sync routine to Ray Charles's "Night Time Is the Right Time."

This set also has the episode where the family shows Theo what the real world is like when they show him what takes to live on his own.

Thursday nights in the 1980s weren’t complete without THE COSBY SHOW and now you can watch SEASON TWO anytime you’d like as it is available at a store near you.

So are LEAVE IT TO BEAVER - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, DINOSAURS - THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS, the awful DIRTY LOVE and the “nice” film SHOPGIRL.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Steven Spielberg's Academy Award nominated MUNICH is about a secret squad that tracks down the 1972 Olympic terrorists.

NANNY MCPHEE features Emma Thompson as a magical nanny who takes control of 7 naughty children.

In RUMOUR HAS IT Jennifer Aniston is a woman who attends her sister's wedding and learns family secrets. Secrets like her family might have been the inspiration for THE GRADUATE.

And then there is the “classic” 1974 disaster film EARTHQUAKE, starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, and an all-star cast.

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 time on The Couch!

Jessica Alba to be in the 'middle of the action' as host of MTV Movie Awards

NEW YORK (AP) - Jessica Alba has a new starring role: host of the MTV Movie Awards.

"It's always a crazy, fun show, and I can't wait to be right in the middle of the action," the 25-year-old actress said Monday in a statement to The Associated Press. Alba is nominated for three golden popcorn trophies - sexiest performance for Sin City and best hero and best on-screen team with Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans and Ioan Gruffudd for Fantastic Four.

The 2006 MTV Movie Awards will be filmed June 3 at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, Calif. The show will air June 8 (9 p.m. EDT).

Alba, who starred in the TV series Dark Angel, appears opposite Hayden Christensen in the upcoming film Awake, a psychological thriller.

Music fans not the enemy: artists' coalition

A coalition of top Canadian musicians and the group that oversees Canada's recording industry sent out opposing messages Monday about the development of new copyright laws.

Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page led a union of Canada's top musicians at a Toronto news conference Monday, as they demanded a seat at the table when the federal government drafts new copyright legislation.

Last week, Page, members of indie group Broken Social Scene, veteran act Blue Rodeo and other top artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Randy Bachman and Sum 41 were among those who united to form the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.

"For a very long time, we – as artists – have allowed industry groups to speak on our behalf. We want that time to stop," Page said Monday.

Take cues from fans, group says

The group opposes two major initiatives that global recording industry groups have used to battle music piracy: suing music fans and placing copy-protection on albums to make it difficult or impossible to transfer the music onto digital music players.

Taking cues from music fans and not fighting them is what should be done, said Canadian singer-songwriter Andrew Cash.

"The music business has spent so much creative energy and money fighting instead of taking a look at what fans are really doing and trying to find a way to swim with it," Cash told CBC News.

The artists' coalition is not opposed to copyright reform, the members said Monday.

However, they are advocating a cooperative approach that incorporates emerging technologies, rather than a combative plan of attack.

"We cannot afford to have an adversarial relationship with our fans. New technology affords fans new ways to listen to music. We as artists... must adapt to that," Page said.

"To say, 'See you in court,' and then, 'See you at Massey Hall,' isn't going to work."

CRIA seeks tougher laws against file-sharers

For the past few years, the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which represents the world's major international record labels, has been pressuring the Canadian Heritage Department to toughen the country's copyright laws.

The group, which says it oversees about 95 per cent of the recordings released in Canada, would like to see the government sign international treaties that, among other things, would change the law to make it illegal to share music files for free.

This would pave the way for lawsuits against Canadians who share high volumes of music files, similar to lawsuits launched in the U.S., Australia and Europe.

Graham Henderson, president of the CRIA, believes that such measures are necessary to protect the industry.

"For every legal song or video file downloaded and paid for, 14 files are swapped without any compensation of any kind," he claimed during a lunchtime speech to the Canadian Club in Toronto Monday.

"Canadians will continue to steal other people's property until we tell them it's wrong and find ways to stop them."

Henderson also argued that artists support this view, as he unveiled a public service announcement that criticizes free music file-sharing and features singer Alanis Morissette.

While some musicians agree to make their music available for free to "seed the marketplace," he said, "if in Canada the only thing we're thinking about is how to give it away, I think we're making a mistake."

He urged Canadians to "respect artists who want to be paid."

Cash's Final Song To Appear On 'American V'

"Like the 309," the last song written by Johnny Cash before his death, will be included on "American V: A Hundred Highways." Due July 4 via American Recordings/Lost Highway, the album was recorded with producer Rick Rubin in the months leading up to Cash's September 2003 passing.

"These songs are Johnny's final statement," Rubin says. "They are the truest reflection of the music that was central to his life at the time. This is the music that Johnny wanted us to hear."

A song utilizing one of Cash's favorite subjects, trains, "Like the 309" is one of two original songs on the disc. The other, "I Came to Believe," was written and recorded earlier in his career about addiction and salvation through a higher power.

The balance of the set includes such songs as Bruce Springsteen's "Further On (Up the Road)," Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," Hank Williams' "On the Evening Train," Rod McKuen's "Love's Been Good To Me" and the traditional spiritual "God's Gonna Cut You Down."

"I think that 'American V' may be my favorite of all of the albums in the American series," Rubin says. "It's different from the others, it has a much different character. I think that this is as strong an album as Johnny ever made."

Beginning with 1994's "American Recordings," the series of stripped down recordings brought Cash to a new audience and sparked interest in the country legend's career. The four albums have sold 2.6 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "American IV: The Man Comes Around" has been the best received, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. The 2002 disc, which featured a popular cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," peaked at No. 22 on The Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart after Cash's death.

Cash began work on "American IV" the day after completing "American IV," according to Rubin, using the process to help him navigate the period after his wife June Carter-Cash's May 2003 death.

"Johnny said that recording was his main reason for being alive," Rubin says. "And I think it was the only thing that kept him going, the only thing he had to look forward to."

With Cash's engineer David "Fergie" Ferguson, the songs were completed by a group of musicians who had worked on previous "American" recordings: Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarist Smokey Hormel (Beck, Tom Waits), along with guitarists Matt Sweeney (Guided By Voices, Chavez) and Jonny Polonsky.

"We felt Johnny's presence during the whole process through to the end," Rubin adds. "It felt like he was directing the proceedings, and I know that the musicians all felt that as well... More than once, Fergie and I would look at each other and say 'Johnny would love this,' because it was so good and so different from anything we'd done before, we knew he would be excited by what was happening."

As previously reported, a trove of sparse solo recordings Cash made in the 1970s will be released May 23 via Columbia/Legacy under the heading "Personal File."

Lots of people will get their pictures on the cover

It cost 'Rolling Stone' $1M to produce the special 3D cover for their 1000th issue.

After all, Wenner says, Sgt. Pepper's colorful cover pictured people who had influenced The Beatles and the 20th century, and there was some fun involved: You had to look closely to recognize all the faces.

An homage to Sgt. Pepper's ensued. "We said, 'Let's pack it' " with faces, Wenner says.

As a lark — and for the extra $1 million it cost — he also had the cover of the May 18 issue, which hits newsstands Friday, printed in 3-D. "In the back of my mind, 3-D was always in a bag of tricks that somehow I wanted to pull out one day."

The cover features more than 150 pop icons of our times, from Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin to Britney Spears and Eminem. George Clooney is there, and so are Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise and Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. "There are plenty of famous people who are not in there. There just wasn't room for everybody," Wenner says.

But even if there had been room, President Bush, whom the May 4 issue of RS called the "worst president in history," would not have made it, Wenner says, citing a "combination of incompetence, laziness and ineptitude for the job." Meanwhile, Clinton — whom Wenner ranks as his favorite president — is in the second row, between Joni Mitchell and Justin Timberlake.

The 1,000th issue is a milestone for Wenner, who starting publishing RS on cheap newsprint from a loft in San Francisco, thanks to a small loan from his future wife's parents. The first issue was Nov. 9, 1967.

"I fell in love with rock 'n' roll and The Beatles and Bob Dylan, and, with a good helping of drugs, I wanted to live my life that way," says Wenner, whose all-time favorite group is — who else? — the Rolling Stones.

A magazine sounded about right. He had done some writing in college, and at the 1964 Republican convention, he was a copy boy for NBC anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.

Today, nearly three decades later, at a time when some younger readers wouldn't know Sgt. Pepper from Dr Pepper, RS still attracts them to its slick pages: The magazine's rate base of 1.4 million readers, its highest ever, has a median age of 27.

"It is one of the few magazines that stayed true to its original mission and audience from the beginning," says Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor. "Wenner was able to maintain the original flavor and keep the passengers on board while bringing in new ones. RS is unique. There is nothing like it on the same scale."

Some might argue that the magazine's best years ended with the turbulence of the '60s and '70s, but not Wenner, now 60. He says its profiles are among the best in the business: "I don't think it's lost its clout culturally. If you look around at all the media and think about the most impactful place you can be, if you're a musician or a movie star, Rolling Stone still carries more weight and prestige, I dare say, than Time, which used to have a lock.

"Most other magazines have an interview in a hotel room with a PR person present. It's nice, it's fun and there's some prestige to being in some of these magazines, but there's no real depth. We go inside a person's life. You really see stuff."

New CD Releases - May 2, 2006

Beethoven's Wig Many More Sing Along Symphonies (Rounder)

Brandtson Hello, Control. (The Militia Group)

Clear Static Clear Static (Maverick)

Coachwhips Double Death (CD/DVD combo) (Narnack)

Current 93 Black Ships Ate the Sky (guest vocals by Marc Almond, Antony, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Shirley Collins and more) (Durtro)

Danko Jones Sleep Is the Enemy (Razor & Tie)

Alejandro Escovedo The Boxing Mirror (produced by John Cale) (Back Porch/Narada/EMI)

The Fever In the City of Sleep (Kemado)

Gigi Gold & Wax (Palm Pictures)

Governor Son of Pain (Atlantic)

Roy Hargrove Quintet Nothing Serious (w/Slide Hampton) (Verve)

Jewel Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (Atlantic)

The Lovely Feathers Hind Hind Legs (Equator)

Ministry Rio Grande Blood: The True Story of Faith, Family and Flag (Megaforce/13th Planet)

None More Black This Is Satire (Fat Wreck Chords)

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam (J Records)

The RH Factor (w/Roy Hargrove) Distractions (guest producer/vocalist D'Angelo) (Verve)

The Soft Lightes (formerly known as Incredible Moses Leroy) Say No to Being Cool, Say Yes to Being Happy (Bar/None)

Thursday City by the Light Divided (produced by Dave Fridmann) (Island)

Ralph Towner Time Line (ECM)

Wolfmother Wolfmother (Interscope)

DVD Chieli Minucci and Special EFX A Night with (Shanachie)

Halle Berry Says She Wants to Adopt

NEW YORK - Halle Berry says she wants to adopt a child — someday. "I will adopt if it doesn't happen for me naturally," the 39-year-old actress said in a recent interview with TV newsmagazine "Extra." "I will definitely adopt. And I probably will adopt even if it does happen naturally."

However, Berry has no immediate plans to join the ranks of celebrity moms Angelina Jolie, who is pregnant, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Katie Holmes, who recently gave birth.

"There are too many babies being born," Berry joked. "No, no, now's not the time."

Berry is reportedly dating 30-year-old model Gabriel Aubry. Both Aubry and Berry are included in People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful" issue, now on newsstands.

She has been married and divorced twice — to baseball player David Justice and to R&B singer Eric Benet.

Her new film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," is set for release May 26.

Radiohead announces summer tour

Radiohead has announced dates for their North American summer tour, and it includes one Canadian stop.

The trek is set to begin on June 1 in Philadelphia, and will make its way to Toronto's Hummingbird Centre on June 7 and June 8.

Tickets for the Toronto shows will go on sale on May 6 at 10 a.m. ET through all TicketMaster outlets. There is a limit of two tickets per person, with a price tag of $71.65 each.

Radiohead are currently wrapping up work on their as-yet-untitled new studio album.

The band's last album, "Hail to the Thief," entered the Canadian album charts at No. 1 back in June of 2003.

Here's the dates for Radiohead's summer tour so far:

June 1, 2: Philadelphia, Tower Theatre

June 4, 5: Boston, Bank of America Pavilion

June 7, 8: Toronto, Hummingbird Centre

June 13, 14: New York, Madison Square Garden

"Nerd" alert: director signs on to remake

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Kyle Newman has signed on to direct "Revenge of the Nerds," a remake of the seminal 1984 teen comedy.

The project is being developed by Fox Atomic, the new young-adult genre division of Fox Filmed Entertainment. The studio is eyeing a summer start date.

The film reteams Newman with scribe Adam F. Goldberg, who is rewriting the latest "Nerds" incarnation. The pair worked together on Newman's upcoming "Fanboys," which will be distributed by the Weinstein Co. Newman also penned the animated children's comedy "Gnomes."