Pricey nostalgia
It's fair to say that no defunct television show commands the kind of craving for DVDs like "The Wonder Years."
Among shows that have yet to release full seasons, "The Wonder Years" - a nostalgic coming-of-age series set in suburbia circa 1970 - is one of the most sought-after. The website TVshowsonDVD.com lists the 10 most requested DVDs still unreleased by studios, and "The Wonder Years" sits at No. 2, right behind "Beverly Hills 90210."
Amazon.com offers the only two "Wonder Years" DVDs, and the cheapest one - "The Christmas Wonder Years: The Holiday Episodes" - costs $74.99. For the more affluent, a used 70-minute DVD of "The Best of The Wonder Years" starts at $97.84 and runs up to $186.99 for a new one.
But full seasons of the show remain locked up, as costly music licensing has postponed their release.
"We're not that far along," said Jyoti Sarda from 20th Century Fox Marketing, of releasing full seasons of the show. "We know it's something we'd like to put out. We know that people want it out. Consumers are waiting. Fans are waiting. We talk about needing to tackle it, but we haven't gotten to a place where it's being actively worked on."
"It's not imminent," said Steve Feldstein, senior vice president of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, "in that it's not going to be out in the next couple of months."
"The Wonder Years" aired on ABC from 1988-93. Set in the late 1960s and early 70s, it followed the adventures of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) as he negotiated adolescence.
Actor Daniel Stern provided the voice- over narration of the adult Kevin, and it was this filtering of junior-high angst through an adult's memories that resonated with viewers. People can identify with Kevin's experiences growing up, right down to schoolkid crushes, bullying siblings, parental expectations and the general trials of teendom.
The period music on "The Wonder Years" is critical to the show's emotional resonance, serving as an aural touchstone to viewers of a certain age. In one of the series' most memorable scenes, Kevin climbs a tree to peer into on-and-off girlfriend Winnie's window after she's hurt in an accident. The background music: "We've Got Tonight," by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.
Sarda hopes to begin releasing the DVDs within two years. No matter when they come out, the original music most likely won't be on them.
"I think that's the only way really we're going to see it," says Gord Lacey, creator of the Web site TVshowsonDVD.com. "I don't have a list of the songs used in the show, but something tells me they're not going to be able to release a completely intact series."
The music-licensing hurdle is substantial. "The Wonder Years" borrowed more than 300 pieces of music for its 115 episodes. Even more daunting is the fact that the music is from what has emerged as a resurgent, nostalgic era.
"I'd love to put it out on DVD, so other people can enjoy it," Sarda said. "So we just have to work through these issues. It's not that simple, because music is an integral part of that show. So it's not like you can just go in and replace it all."
Rights to broadcast on TV differ from rights to distribute for home entertainment. Most shows now negotiate home-entertainment rights prior to production. Shows produced in the pre-digital days - like "The Wonder Years" - never negotiated those rights.
The only two DVDs of "The Wonder Years" out now - "The Holiday Episodes" and "The Best of The Wonder Years" - both used replacement music.
"You go in and see which songs are expensive that are not as essential," Sarda says. "And that process of going through each episode and doing that analysis is a more complicated process than putting out a TV show that doesn't have these issues."
Getting Chummy
Already the biggest media outlet in Canada, Bell Globemedia will soon appear before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission with another order to “super-size me.” BGM owns CTV and the Globe and Mail, along with 17 TV specialty channels, including TSN, MTV and the Discovery Channel. On Wednesday, BGM announced it had agreed to pay $1.4 billion for control of national rival CHUM Ltd., which owns 33 radio stations and 12 TV stations, headed by the Citytv channels in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. CHUM also owns 21 specialty TV channels and the Muzak background-music operation in Canada.
Will the CRTC approve the BGM acquisition? Industry observers believe so. It is widely assumed that Canada’s media gatekeeper is about to green-light Torstar’s recently proposed 20 per cent purchase of BGM (price: $283 million). This means that very soon, the country’s largest city newspaper (the Toronto Star) and national newspaper (the Globe and Mail), along with Canada’s most-watched TV network (CTV), one of our biggest radio chains, 38 specialty TV channels, and even the guys who select the songs we hear on elevators will all be affiliated.
The proposed acquisition looks to be an excellent move for BGM. The Wall Street Journal recently confirmed a widely held industry belief that advertisers are moving from network television; as an example, General Motors halved its network advertising between 2002 and 2005, spreading promotion dollars to TV specialty channels and the internet. By reducing rival CanWest Global Communications — which owns Global TV, the National Post and the Southam newspaper chain — to a speck in its rear-view window, BGM has created, in the parlance of industry annual reports, “a 21st-century multi-media platform” that can reasonably hope to lock up consumers and advertisers.
The BGM takeover of one of its biggest rivals may not turn out to be a chummy deal for Canadians, however. Wednesday's announcement came with the grim news that 281 CHUM jobs were to be “eliminated.” How will the TV channels survive with severely reduced staffs? One CHUM franchise, Ottawa’s A-Channel, simultaneously announced the implementation of “Overdrive Automation,” a system that would introduce wholesale robotic equipment to the newsroom. That’s great news for the currently unemployed C-3PO and R2-D2, but a bad omen for the journalism industry and TV viewers across the country.
In addition to an inevitable lowering of performance standards for existing CHUM affiliates, the emergence of a super-sized multi-media platform like BGM sucks all the air out of the tank of rivals who simply can’t compete with an automated conglomerate offering centrally generated programming. Some North American industry analysts believe that the money simply isn’t there for local TV anymore. Indeed, in the United States, where network affiliates experienced a nine per cent loss of revenues in 2005, stations in many cities, including Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Denver, have taken to running dating services and charging guests to appear on morning talk shows.
Here in Canada, there is the added danger of news and programming coming from increasingly monolithic content providers. When approving media mergers, the CRTC inevitably introduces “firewall” regulations to make sure businesses keep financial and editorial departments separate. Still, compromises are inevitable within media conglomerates.
If nothing else, their emergence makes a lie out of the adage that bigger is better. Just ask anyone old enough to remember when Winnipeg and Ottawa had two daily newspapers, with Winnipeggers enjoying equal access to the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Tribune, and Ottawa readers able to choose between the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Journal. Then, in 1980, in a widely controversial move that prompted the Kent Commission investigation into media monopolies, the Thomson and Southam news chains simultaneously closed down the Journal and Tribune, allowing the respective chains to feast on the profits of non-competitive markets: Southam took Ottawa, Thomson grabbed Winnipeg. The two businesses were bigger and more profitable as a result of the alleged trade, but both cities seemed somehow diminished. The papers became less vigorous in serving their communities.
Today, it is an accepted wisdom that the Globe and Mail became a better product after the arrival of a second national newspaper, the National Post. As in most businesses, competition is good for the consumer in the news and entertainment industries.
BGM’s acquisition of CHUM marks the disappearance of a major competitor in Canada’s shrinking media world. There could be more mergers in the near future. Allan Waters, the founder and chief of CHUM, died in December; the industry is rife with speculation that Canada’s aging, first-generation communication moguls — including J.R. Shaw of Shaw Communications in Calgary, and, in Central Canada, Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications and the Greenberg family of Astral Media — face similar estate pressures to put their radio and cable TV empires up for sale.
The manner in which CHUM gutted its operation to attract a buyer also represents a troubling sign for Canadian consumers. It seems apparent that truly local, commercial TV stations may be disappearing, with unique affiliates evolving into transfer points for content shaped elsewhere.
Extra Shrek Casting Announced
Chances are you already know the basic plot for Shrek The Third – King Harold (John Cleese) is ill and Shrek (Mike Myers) must quickly find and groom Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz)’s nephew Artie (Justin Timberlake) for ruling or he’ll have to take the thrown himself and will never be able to return to the easy swamp life.
Meanwhile, Rupert Everett’s Prince Charming takes advantage of Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas)’ mission to try and take the kingdom of Far, Far Away by force. But he doesn’t count on Fiona gathering a crack team of princesses to fight him off.
Now the DreamWorks team have officially announced more voice talents. The princesses will be played by a group of comediennes, including Amy Sedaris as Cinderella, Amy Poehler as Snow White, Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel and Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty. Artie’s party meanwhile, will include rising star John Krasinski (of US TV’s The Office) and Eric Idle as Merlin. Meanwhile, Shrek’s mission won’t be helped by Captain Hook, who will get his tonsils from Deadwood’s Ian McShane.
"Pirates" seek more treasure at box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Two comedies with impressive pedigrees will open at the North American box office this weekend, but they won't come close to reigning champ "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
With $183.6 million banked after six days, Johnny Depp's buccaneer sequel was just $8.4 million away from establishing a record for the best first week, beating the old mark of $192 million earned by "Spider-Man 2" in 2004. "Pirates" is likely to earn $60 million-$65 million over the weekend.
Of the rookies, Universal's "You, Me and Dupree" should do better than Sony's Wayans brothers effort "Little Man."
Starring Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon, "Dupree" offers a new take on the old tale of the impossible houseguest who will not leave. Directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, the PG-13 movie is likely to bow in the high-teen to low-$20 million range.
"Little Man," directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and starring Marlon and Shawn Wayans, centers on an anxious father-to-be who mistakes an extremely short-statured, baby-faced criminal to be his newly adopted son.
The big question for the PG-13 film is whether it will expand beyond the Wayanses' core black audience. If it does, as their "White Chicks" did in 2004, "Man" could gross in the high-teen to low-$20 million like "Chicks" did in June 2004, when it opened to $19.6 million.
Sony also will sneak its upcoming animated film "Monster House" in 702 theaters this weekend. It will go wide July 21.
In limited release, Cyan Pictures will open the bawdy comedy "The Oh in Ohio" in Los Angeles, New York, Cleveland and San Francisco. The unrated film stars Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton, Danny DeVito and Liza Minnelli.
First Independent Pictures will open two films this weekend. The R-rated "Mini's First Time," starring Alec Baldwin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Luke Wilson and Nikki Reed, will bow on seven screens. From first-time writer-director Nick Guthe, the black comedy centers on a young girl's attempts to get her mother declared insane.
Also from First Independent is the David Mamet-penned "Edmond" from director Stuart Gordon. Starring William H. Macy, Julia Stiles and Joe Mantegna, the R-rated film centers on a successful businessman who leaves his wife and family after a visit to a fortune teller.
"The Groomsmen," from distributor Bauer Martinez Entertainment, will bow on three screens in Los Angeles and New York. From writer-director Edward Burns, the R-rated film brings together an ensemble cast that includes Matthew Lillard, Jay Mohr and Brittany Murphy in another Burns riff on man's inability to grow up.
The Who Announce Seven Canadian Dates
Rock legends The Who have announced the first block of North American dates on their upcoming world tour, and it includes seven Canadian stops.
The trek is scheduled to begin on September 12 in Philadelphia and will, for now, end with a show at Toronto's Air Canada on December 4.
Other Canadian stops include Ottawa's Scotiabank Place on September 15, London's John Labatt Centre on September 30, Winnipeg's MTS Centre on October 3, Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome on October 5, Edmonton's Rexall Place on October 6, and Vancouver's GM Place on October 8.
Additional North American shows in November and December are planned, and will be announced at a later date.
The Who are also scheduled to hit South America, Japan, Australia and Europe in 2007.
It marks the first time the band has launched a full-scale world tour in 20 years.
Tickets for the Canadian dates will go on sale on July 17 through all TicketMaster outlets.
The Who's new album, tentatively titled "Who 2," is scheduled to be released on October 23.
The Who's North American dates (so far):
Sept. 12 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Centre
Sept. 13 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
Sept. 15 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
Sept. 16 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
Sept. 18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sept. 21 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sept. 25 Chicago, IL United Center
Sept. 29 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept. 30 London, ON John Labatt Center
Oct. 3 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Oct. 5 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
Oct. 6 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Oct. 8 Vancouver, BC GM Place
Oct. 10 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Oct. 11 Seattle, WA Key Arena
Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Dec. 4 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Gandolfini knee surgery delays 'Sopranos'
PASADENA, Calif. - Fans of "The Sopranos" will have to wait a bit longer for the mob drama's final chapter.
Because of "unexpected" knee surgery for series star James Gandolfini, the concluding episodes that were expected to begin in January will be delayed about two months, HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht said.
The surgery alone would have pushed the season start back just a few weeks, but that would have put "The Sopranos" up against the football playoffs and the Super Bowl, Albrecht told a television critics' gathering Wednesday.
A specific air date for the Sunday-night series has yet to be determined but it's likely to be in early March 2007, he said.
A call to HBO about Gandolfini's surgery was not immediately returned Thursday. The actor, who plays mob boss Tony Soprano, was in a traffic accident in New York recently. A collision with a taxi knocked him off his scooter but he reportedly was able to walk away.
Albrecht joked Wednesday how much mayhem the last eight episodes from series creator David Chase could contain.
"I know you're all hoping that people die," he told the Television Critics Association, noting some have complained "that not enough people are dying and getting whacked in the show."
He promised the audience won't be disappointed in the conclusion.
"I know the story lines for the final eight, and I am absolutely positively certain that when the curtain comes down on `Sopranos,' the vast, vast, vast majority of people will say it's one of the great things of all time."
Viewers of the HBO series have been a patient lot. When "The Sopranos" returned last March, it was after a hiatus that was just three months shy of two years.
Albrecht denied that ratings fell for the just-concluded season, saying "the reverse is actually true."
"When you take into account the cumulative audience, not just from all the plays (repeat airings), but from HBO on Demand, there were more people watching last season than the season before," he said.
Albrecht also said that HBO will be offering debuts of its original series on HBO on Demand six days before they air on the HBO channel.
Elmo and friends to help military families
WASHINGTON - You know the deal: Your kid asks a question on a touchy subject. You squirm and dodge the issue.
With a little help from Elmo, Sesame Street is urging parents to level with their little ones — especially those in military families trying to deal with Mom or Dad's lengthy deployment overseas.
"Our goal is to really get military families with young children ... to talk about the different stages of deployment with their children, not only talk about it but prepare them for it," said Jeanette Betancourt, vice president of content design at Sesame Workshop, which produces Sesame Street.
Sesame Workshop has produced a DVD, in both English and Spanish, that will be distributed free to military families next month. CEO Gary Knell was to announce details Friday in Houston, joined by officials of Wal-Mart, which has committed $1.5 million to the project.
Karla Sketch, the family readiness coordinator at Fort Campbell, an Army base on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, says parents often request coloring books, pamphlets or any materials that will help them discuss a soldier's absence on a kid's level.
Many parents, she said, are afraid of saying the wrong thing and frightening their children. "Are they going to tell their kids too much? Are they going to tell them enough? Some parents are new to the military. They don't even understand it themselves," Sketch said.
The DVD shows Elmo and his parents preparing for Elmo's dad to be deployed, though it doesn't say where he's going.
The characters discuss their feelings, exchange keepsakes and review the reasons why Elmo can't go, too. They promise to think about one another often, and keep up their regular practice of saying goodnight to the moon.
"Elmo, you know, no matter where I am, I'll still be able to see the moon, just like you," his dad says.
The DVD also addresses the mixed feelings that sometimes come unexpectedly with reunions. Elmo describes feeling "excited in a funny way" on reunion day. He goes on to say his tummy is doing flip-flops.
Sketch says that kind of dialogue is critical and often overlooked.
"A lot of times, after a year, you have to get to know that person again. Reunion is a process you have to get through," she said. "It's going to be great the first day, but it is a process, and it's not just going to be back to business as usual as soon as that soldier comes home."
Some half a million children of active duty personnel are newborn to 5 years old, said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Arsht said Sesame Street accurately and sensitively depicts what their lives are like by using show characters like Elmo, Telly and Rosita interspersed with interviews with real-life families throughout the DVD.
Joanna Lopez and her family were among those featured in the interviews. Her husband, Ernesto, is an infantryman based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina who has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Lopez, who has a 9-year-old and 5-year-old and is expecting her third child, predicted the DVD would be helpful to families like hers.
"Some parents don't know how to deal with children when there is a deployment," she said. "Other kids in school will say, 'My daddy is away killing bad guys.' This prepares the mom or dad to prepare the kids with better things to say."
Moses Rogers, a Navy reservist and father of two, also near Fort Bragg, was another participant in the program. He said being part of the DVD project made him think about deployments in a new light.
"I think the lesson that I got personally was, separating from your family is really hard, but if you communicate that is good," he said.
If he were to offer advice to other families now, Rogers said that he would say, "Talk to your children. Let them know what's going on. Let them know that you're going somewhere to help somebody."
Jessica Simpson Gets Personal
Nick is in. So is Adam. Joe for sure. Dane may take a little longer.
Jessica Simpson has announced plans personalize her new single, "A Public Affair," offering fans the chance to purchase customized versions of the track with their names inserted into the lyrics of the song.
All it takes for fans to be able to pretend that Simpson is really singing to them is a valid credit card number and an Internet connection--the single is available for purchase through JessicaSimpson.com or Yahoo! Music. Having a common name also helps: After submitting the credit card, buyers can comb through a list of 500 different monikers that can be inserted into the song.
Those with particularly "unique" names--or for those who simply want to try and slip a profanity through the system--recording (and vetting) could take between one and three weeks.
Which means Nick can download his copy immediately. Moxie-Crimefighter, on the other hand, may have to wait a bit.
What, exactly does the so-called Custom Cut include? Simpson's label, Epic Records, promises buyers will get three in-song shout-outs, with the name-checks inserted between verses. The track will be compatible with all portable music players.
The personalized song will be made available next Tuesday, the day before its star-studded music video debuts. Simpson's fifth solo album, A Public Affair, drops Aug. 29.
Perhaps Epic is hoping the gimmick will boost the profile of the single "A Public Affair," which has languished in the lower depths of the Billboard Top 40 since its release two weeks ago (it currently sits at 39, down a slot from the previous week). So far, the song has been making noise for the wrong reasons online, taking heat on blogs and in message boards for its purported resemblance Madonna's '80s-era smash "Holiday,"
In the meantime, Simpson is gearing up to host the 2006 Teen Choice Awards, airing Aug. 20 on Fox. Dane Cook, her costar in the upcoming Employee of the Month, confirmed to E! News that he will cohost the event.
Which will make for a potentially uncomfortable backstage moment.
Although they deny it, Simpson and Cook have been linked romantically in the tabloid press. Simpson's ex, Nick Lachey, along with his current paramour, MTV's Vanessa Minnillo,is also scheduled to attend.
In addition to hosting duties, Simpson has been nominated for Choice Movie Breakout Performance for The Dukes of Hazzard, Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon and Choice Female Hottie.
Lachey, meanwhile, is up for Choice Male Hottie, Minnillo battles it out for Choice TV Personality and Cook will vie for Choice Comedian.
Comedian Red Buttons dies in L.A. at 87
LOS ANGELES - Red Buttons, the carrot-topped burlesque comedian who became a top star in early television and then in a dramatic role won the 1957 Oscar as supporting actor in "Sayonara," died Thursday. He was 87.
Buttons died of vascular disease at his home in the Century City area of Los Angeles, publicist Warren Cowan said. He had been ill for some time, and was with family members when he died, Cowan said.
With his eager manner and rapid-fire wit, Buttons excelled in every phase of show business, from the Borscht Belt of the 1930s to celebrity roasts in the 1990s.
His greatest achievement came with his "Sayonara" role as Sgt. Joe Kelly, the soldier in the post-World War II occupation forces in Japan whose romance with a Japanese woman (Myoshi Umeki, who also won an Academy Award) ends in tragedy.
Josh Logan, who directed the James Michener story that starred Marlon Brando, was at first hesitant to cast a well-known comedian in such a somber role.
"The tests were so extensive that they could just put scenery around them and release the footage as a feature film," Buttons remarked.
Buttons' Academy Award led to other films, both dramas and comedies. They included "Imitation General," "The Big Circus," "Hatari!" "The Longest Day," "Up From the Beach," "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" "The Poseidon Adventure," "Gable and Lombard" and "Pete's Dragon."
A performer since his teens, Buttons was noticed by burlesque theater owners and he became the youngest comic on the circuit. He had graduated to small roles on Broadway before being drafted in 1943.
Along with dozens of other future stars, including Mario Lanza, John Forsythe, Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb, Buttons was enlisted for "Winged Victory," the play that famed director-playwright Moss Hart created for the Air Force. Buttons also appeared in the 1944 film version, directed by George Cukor.
Discharged in 1946, Buttons returned to nightclub and theater work. In 1952, CBS signed him for a weekly show as the network's answer to NBC's Milton Berle.
"The Red Buttons Show" was first broadcast on CBS Oct. 14, 1952, without a sponsor since the star was virtually unknown. Within a month, the show became a solid hit and advertisers were clamoring.
Buttons drew on all his past experience for monologues, songs, dances and sketches featuring such characters as a punch-drunk fighter, a scrappy street kid, a Sad Sack GI and a blundering German. The hit of the show was a silly song in which he pranced about the stage singing, "Ho! Ho!... He! He!... Ha! Ha!... Strange things are happening!" It became a national craze.
After a sensational first season, "The Red Buttons Show" began to slide. Reports circulated that the star had fits of temper and frequently fired writers, and the show ended after three seasons.
"Certainly I made mistakes, and mistakes were made for me," he said in 1960. "When you go into TV cold, as I did, it's murder."
While the failure was a severe blow to the normally optimistic comedian, he soon recovered and resumed his career as a guest star on TV shows. A straight role on "Suspense" brought him to the attention of Logan, who cast him for the career-making "Sayonara."
In 1966, Buttons starred in another series, "The Double Life of Henry Phyfe," as a humble accountant enlisted as a government spy. The show lasted only six months.
Over the years Buttons remained a steady performer on television, appearing on such series as "Knots Landing," "Roseanne" and "ER." He also took his act on the road, appearing at Las Vegas, Atlantic City, conventions, and returning to his beginnings in the Catskills.
Still in good health at 76 ("They call me the only Yiddish leprechaun"), he appeared in New York in 1995 with an autobiographical one-man show, "Buttons on Broadway."
It was his first Broadway show since 1948, when he appeared in a play with the unfortunate title of "Hold It." One critic, Buttons recalled, began his review: "`Hold It?' Fold it."
Buttons was born Aaron Chwatt on Feb. 15, 1919, son of an immigrant milliner, in a tough Manhattan neighborhood where, he once said, "you either grew up to be a judge or you went to the electric chair."
He struggled through schools in Manhattan and the Bronx — "Mom and Pop went to school as often as I did; they should have graduated with me." He started performing at the age of 12, winning an amateur contest singing "Sweet Jenny Brown" in a sailor's suit.
At 16 he was working as a singer and bellhop in a gin mill on New York's City Island. Since all bellhops were called Buttons and Chwatt had red hair, he got his new name.
During his summer vacation, he worked as a singer on the Borscht Circuit — the string of Catskills resorts catering to a largely Jewish clientele where Danny Kaye, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Hart and others trained for stardom.
In later years, Buttons became a favorite at testimonial/roast dinners with his roaringly funny "Never had a dinner" routine. He cited famous figures who had never been so honored. Examples: "Abe Lincoln, who said `A house divided is a condominium,' never had a dinner"; "(Perennial presidential candidate) Jerry Brown, whose theme song is `California, Here I Go,' never had a dinner." (When he did "Buttons on Broadway," he altered the routine and named people who never did one-man shows.)
In 1982, Red Buttons finally had a dinner. The Friars Club honored him with a star-filled roast and a life-achievement award.
"When I was a kid in the Bronx and watching and dreaming from the second balcony," the guest of honor said, "in my wildest imagination I couldn't have written this scenario tonight."
Buttons was married and divorced twice in his early career. He is survived by his third wife, Alicia, their children, Amy and Adam, and a sister.
Sony BMG deal could be undone; EMI-Warner in doubt
LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European court annulled the European Union's approval of a 2004 merger between Sony Music and BMG in a surprise decision that could force a break-up of the world's second-biggest music company.
The unprecedented ruling by the European Court of First Instance on Thursday, upholding a challenge to the deal from independent record labels, also cast doubt on the viability of combining EMI Group and Warner Music, which are engaged in a duel to buy each other.
Warner's shares tumbled 15.2 percent to $25.24 on the New York Stock Exchange while EMI's closed down 9.2 percent at 277 3/4 pence in London.
The European Commission said it would have to re-examine the union of Sony and BMG, a 50-50 joint venture between Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. and German media group Bertelsmann AG. It can also appeal against the ruling.
The decision means Sony Music and BMG, respective home to such artists as Bruce Springsteen and Kelly Clarkson, have seven days to submit the merger plan anew to the EC, which also would have to consider new industry conditions, including the rapidly growing market for online and mobile phone downloads.
The Commission would then have a month to decide whether to approve it, consider remedies or open a four-month in-depth probe, which could lead to a rejection of the deal.
"If we were to give a red light, then the joint venture would have to be reversed," Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said during a regular briefing with reporters.
Sony and Bertelsmann said they would review the ruling.
Europe's second-highest court, overturning an EU-approved merger for the first time, said too cursory an examination was conducted into whether there was already collective market dominance in the music industry and whether that dominance might grow following the Sony BMG deal.
DEAL CHANCES PLUMMET
EMI and Warner, the world's third- and fourth-largest music companies, respectively, have each offered about $4.6 billion to buy the other, with both bids rejected.
Warner has offered 320 pence a share for EMI, and EMI $31 for each of Warner's shares.
Two people close to the deal, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that talks between the two companies were likely to be suspended because of the ruling.
"It seems to pile on regulatory risk for EMI and Warner, especially at a time when there was an increasing number of people that would have been backing the inevitability of this deal," Credit Suisse analyst Simon Baker said.
London-based EMI told shareholders at its annual meeting on Thursday it still believed buying Warner for $31 a share would be good for them, and that it was studying the court decision.
"I said we would not have made the proposal if we felt we could not receive regulatory approval," EMI Chairman Eric Nicoli said. "There is no reason at this stage to change that view."
Warner also said it was reviewing the decision.
The case against the creation of Sony BMG was brought by Impala, the umbrella trade group for 2,500 independent labels, which claimed that reducing the industry from five major players to four put too much market power in too few hands.
The EU approved the deal believing there was no monopoly among industry goliaths because of a lack of public fighting among them and the diversity of music available to consumers.
"The elements on which that argument was founded were incomplete and did not include all the relevant data that ought to have been taken into account by the Commission," the court said. "They were therefore not capable of supporting the conclusions drawn from them."
A third source close to the deal said the ruling may not be as bad a setback as it looks, and the EU could still clear the Sony BMG deal as well as pave the way for EMI and Warner.
"A merger between any of the players is possible as long as the Commission doesn't make mistakes in its analysis," the source said.
Along with Vivendi's Universal Music, the world's largest music company, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner account for about three of every four CDs sold globally.
The indies say they would accept a Sony BMG merger only if it included conditions that ensured a level playing field for radio advertising, manufacturing, distribution and other costs.
"The EC had the courage to scrutinize and correct its mistakes," said Hein van der Ree, Impala's vice president and the managing director of Epitaph Europe.
"This locks the door for an EMI/Warner merger, thankfully," he added, "and keeps the doors of market access open for the little guy."