TV Telethon
``America: A Tribute to Heroes''
At least 27 television networks have agreed to set aside their regular
schedules to simulcast Friday's star-studded benefit for terrorist attack
victims.
``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' will be seen across the broadcast spectrum,
on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, UPN, the WB, Pax TV, Univision and the
Telemundo network.
Cable channels signed on include HBO, TNT, E!, Lifetime, Comedy Central, MTV,
VH1, TNN, BET, BET Jazz, Fox Family, FX, Court TV, Discovery, TLC, Showtime
and the Sundance Channel.
Although other cable networks may sign on, some have declined to participate.
The ESPN sports networks - ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ESPNews - will stick
with regular programming. ``Sports has resumed and we're trying to get back to
some degree of normalcy, putting it back in its proper context,'' spokesman
Chris LaPlaca said.
Nickelodeon, which airs children's programming regularly through 10 p.m. on
Fridays, and The Disney Channel are also not taking the telethon.
CNN plans to show parts of the program, and Fox News Channel will cover it as
a news event. MSNBC has not decided what to do. Although HBO is showing the
telethon, its sister channel Cinemax is not.
Friday Telethon
TV Telethon
Just Added
Pop star Mariah Carey is slated to appear Friday on a multi-network broadcast
telethon for victims of last week's devastating attacks and perform for the
first time since she suffered a nervous breakdown this summer, organizers said.
Carey, who was hospitalized for a mental and physical breakdown in July and
suffered a relapse in September, is expected to sing the popular song ``Hero''
on the star-studded tribute program, a publicist for Virgin Records said.
Carey's first public appearance since her first breakdown in July will be at a
Los Angeles charity screening of her upcoming movie, ``Glitter,'' for the
Make-a-Wish Foundation, but she will not sing there, her label said.
Mariah Carey
by Helen A. Handbasket
TV News
Bill Maher, FedEx & Sears
FedEx Corp. and Sears pulled out as "Politically Incorrect" sponsors after
host Bill Maher called past U.S. military actions "cowardly."
Maher said Wednesday his comments were aimed at political leaders, not
soldiers, and he defended his right to offer criticism in difficult times.
"I should have been more specific," Maher said. "I never meant to imply nor
have I ever thought that our actual servicemen are cowardly. ... It's our
government, it's our politicians, who have been cowardly in not letting the
military do their job."
"If we don't face our problems realistically, we won't overcome them," the TV
talk show host added in a phone interview.
FedEx reviewed the ABC show's Monday edition after receiving complaints,
spokeswoman Carla Richards said. The company's 30-second spot, which aired
during the show, has been pulled indefinitely.
Retailer Sears, Roebuck and Co. also said Wednesday it canceled its
advertising on the show after customer complaints.
Maher said some of his critics were willfully misrepresenting his remarks.
"I understand people have a lot of anger and hate. They should direct it
toward the terrorists and not me," he said. "It's amazing that I should have
to point out I find (the attacks) despicably evil."
ABC issued a statement supporting Maher.
Bill Maher
Fun Link
Oh, Go Ahead!
BC 'Sanitized'
New! Updated!
BartCop Astrology
Check it out at BC Astrology.
"Guitar Greats" has been set aside for now, and replaced with an astrological look at the
WTC Tragedy using various, relevant horoscopes, including charts for Manhattan and the US.
Very interesting reading!
Film News
'2001' in 70 mm
For the first time since its 1968 debut, ``2001: A Space Odyssey'' will be
released in theaters for a limited 70mm run, Warner Bros. said Wednesday.
Seattle's Cinerama will start screenings of the digitally restored Stanley
Kubrick classic Oct. 5, with December dates set for L.A.'s Egyptian Theatre,
San Francisco's Castro and the Uptown in Washington, D.C.
The restored print of ``2001'' also was made available on DVD this summer as
part of the boxed set of Kubrick's films.
'2001'
Remember, there is a degree of timing necessary for the maximum viewing
enjoyment of this film.
Hmmmmmm---time to go look for a good brownie recipe.
Music News
'God Bless America'
The simple melody of "God Bless America," first written by Irving Berlin in
1918 as a Broadway show tune, has been outperforming the national anthem this
week, wherever citizens and untrained singers gather to express their
patriotic feelings.
From the steps of the Capitol to the stages of Broadway, from the National
Cathedral and even the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange, Americans have
chosen a song that many learned as toddlers and still remember the best.
The national anthem has also made an emotional comeback on the airwaves, as
radio stations resurrect a version recorded by Whitney Houston during the
Gulf War.
The Irving Berlin song, which was first recorded by Kate Smith for CBS radio
in 1938 as the clouds of war hovered over Europe, was also sung yesterday at
the reopening of the New York Stock Exchange, where Rose-Ann Sgrignoli, a
39-year-old major in the Marine Corps, found herself, to her surprise, leading
a chorus of Wall Street traders, corporate executives and politicians.
Irving Berlin, who was born in eastern Russia and immigrated to the United
States when he was 5, originally wrote "God Bless America" for "Yip, Yip
Yaphank," a Ziegfeld- style comedy, in 1918. But in the end, he pulled the
song, figuring it was a bit too solemn for the show's finale. "It seemed
painting the lily to have the soldiers go out signing `God Bless
America,' " he wrote later.
Berlin, who donated all royalties from the song to the Boy Scouts and the Girl
Scouts, often said it was the most important song he ever wrote.
'God Bless America'
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Don't worry about the HTML, just send text, or rich text, or a Word document, photos, video, whatever you have, and Michele will take care of the rest. Don't hesitate to write with any questions you may have and bring on the recipes!
To check out 'Train Station Chicken', and more (like 'Dump Cake' & Peach Cobbler),
In The Kitchen With BartCop
Music News
The Artist Formerly Known As...
The recording artist formerly known as Cat Stevens says "no right-thinking
follower of Islam could possibly condone" the terrorist attacks on America.
Yusuf Islam posted a message on his Web site saying, "I wish to express my
heartfelt horror at the indiscriminate terrorist attacks committed against
innocent people of the United States."
Stevens recorded such classic hits as "Peace Train," "Morning Has Broken" and
"Moon Shadow" before converting to the Islamic faith in 1977.
He retired from the music business in 1978.
Yusuf Islam
TV News
Sopranos
A judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by an Italian-American
organization that accused the makers of the HBO television series ``The
Sopranos'' of offending Italian-Americans by depicting them as mobsters.
The American Italian Defense Association sued Time Warner Entertainment Co.
under the ``individual dignity'' clause of the Illinois Constitution.
The group didn't want money or the cable show's cancellation, but a
declaration from a jury that the show offends the dignity of Italian-Americans,
attorney Ted Grippo, who represented the association, had said.
Tom Yannucci, a lawyer representing Time Warner, had argued that viewers
wouldn't assume from watching the show that all Italian-Americans are mobsters
or morally corrupt.
He was pleased with the decision to throw out the lawsuit.
Ciao, Bambino
BartCop TV Is Here!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot', has updated, again!
There is even more to check!
The Vidiot.
The Vidiot has been updating nearly daily!
Read all the latest.
Disney News
'Bad' Timing For 'Bad Company'
Disney's Touchstone Pictures has postponed the release date of ``Bad Company,''
an action-comedy starring Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock, due to content
issues related to last week's attacks.
The picture, directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer,
centers around a black-market nuclear weapon and humorous CIA hijinx.
The tentatively titled ``Bad Company,'' which originally was called ``Black
Sheep,'' had been slated for wide release sometime in December, possibly at
Christmas. It now has been pushed to an unspecified 2002 release date.
A source close to Bruckheimer Films said that prior to last week's events,
Schumacher had intended to make certain changes to ``Bad Company'' before its
year-end bow, but in light of the national crisis, the filmmakers were
``looking at the movie with new eyes'' and decided it would ``not be
appropriate for a Christmas release.''
In a statement released Wednesday, Disney confirmed the film had been pushed
back ``due to the national tragedy,'' and said it will be released next year
but did not specify when. Sources indicated the new date is likely to be
decided once the studio knows how the Bush administration will react to the
attacks.
'Bad Company'
More Disney News
Disney Donation
The Walt Disney Co. said it will give $5 million to a survivor relief fund for
organizations aiding victims and their families of the Sept. 11 attacks on the
World Trade Center and Pentagon.
In a statement issued late Monday, Disney said the money is in addition to
individual employee donations that are made.
Local events in southern California and around the country, sponsored in part
by Disney employees and various business units, have raised over $1 million to
aid in the relief effort, Disney said.
disney donates
TV News
Rosie & The Red Cross
Rosie O'Donnell has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help
victims of last week's terrorist attacks.
The talk show host made the donation from her personal account - not from her
charity, The For All Kids Foundation - the day after the Sept. 11 attacks in
New York and Washington.
Rosie
Another Big Donor
Jim Carrey
Actor-comedian Jim Carrey plans to donate $1 million to the families of those
killed or missing in last week's devastating attacks on America, his publicist
said Wednesday.
A statement said Carrey, one of the highest-paid performers in Hollywood, was
making his donation victims' families ``with his deepest sympathy for their
unredeemable personal losses. He hopes this donation encourages other people
to contribute as generously as they can.''
The Canadian-born Carrey is the latest celebrity joining efforts to raise
money for victims of four hijackings last Tuesday in which jetliners were
crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in western
Pennsylvania. He will also be one of scores of stars taking part in a two-hour
telethon Friday to be simulcast by the four major broadcast networks.
Jim Carrey
TV News
Regis On Dave
For Regis Philbin, last week's attack struck close to home.
His son was in the Pentagon and on the telephone with his famous dad when one
of the hijacked airliners struck the building.
Philbin went public with the story for the first time Monday night on David
Letterman's "Late Show" on CBS.
The suggestion came when Philbin was praising Letterman for coming back on the
air.
"Do you think Kathie Lee will come back?" Letterman said.
"Now there is somebody who could end this in a hurry!" replied an enthused
Philbin.
"You want a quick end to this? Send Kathie Lee over there!"
Regis On Dave
In The News
Woody Allen
American director Woody Allen said Wednesday the attacks on New York and
Washington had united his country behind President Bush, but hoped any
military response would be measured.
Allen, in Munich to promote his latest film ``Curse of the Jade Scorpion,''
said it was important to root out the causes of the hatred that led to the
suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that left more than
5,000 people dead.
Allen said he and many other New Yorkers had long been expecting some sort of
guerrilla attack on the city. ``Most thought there would be some sort of bomb
attack in the subway,'' he said. ``But not something like this. We used to
make jokes about it. I even made jokes about it.''
woody allen
First Person Diary
Ray Berry
Ray has (temporarily, I hope) suspended 'Bush-Toons'. In its place, he has put
his daily diary of life in Manhattan since Tuesday.
Ray has great observational abilities, a way with words, and has still been able
to keep his sense of humor.
To visit & read, www.bush-toons.com
Music News
More Elton John
British pop legend Elton John said he would not go straight for anything and
talked about how much he enjoyed his lifestyle in an interview with the German
magazine Amica published Wednesday.
``I am gay and wouldn't want to be heterosexual for all the money in the
world,'' he said.
``I've got enough money, don't have to follow any rules, don't have to be in
the office from nine to five and take the kids to school in the morning.
``It is simply a fantastic life when you don't have any parameters,'' he
said. ``It's brilliant.''
John's new album ``Songs from the West Coast'' will be released next month.
Elton John
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
