Entertainment News
Alex's Entertainment Report
Alex
Martin Scorsese has hinted that Leonardo DiCaprio may shoot gay sex scenes for his forthcoming Alexander The Great movie. The legendary film-maker insists the biopic of the Macedonian empire builder will not avoid the more controversial aspects of the warrior king's life. In response to questions about the leader's homosexuality, he says, "We have to deal with the whole life of Alexander. We want to deal as honestly as possible with it all." Scorsese, who just directed DiCaprio in Gangs of New York, says the star will be perfect as Alexander. He says, "There is a bust of Alexander, and it bears an amazing resemblance. He had great charisma. Someone called him the first superstar." Alexander was 32 when he died in 323 BC. DiCaprio is 27.
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Skinny actress Gwyneth Paltrow received some advice on the New York subway last week - an old lady ordered her to eat something. The slight Paltrow struck up a conversation with the woman, who failed to recognize her, after she sat next to the star on the train. And as the two parted the lady turned to Paltrow and handed her a five dollar bill in thanks, with the advice, "Go get yourself something to eat, honey. You look like you could do with a meal."
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Legendary actor Richard Burton had a secret child with his first wife Sybil Williams. The Welsh-born Hollywood star left Williams in 1963 to marry fellow Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor. Until now it was believed that Burton and Williams had just one child together - Kate, now 44. But actress Kate has revealed that her Burton was reluctant to leave her mother for Taylor, because they had another child together, Jessica Burton's secret child was born suffering from autism and schizophrenia and was institutionalized at just 6-years-old. Kate admits, "Jessica is mentally retarded which is very difficult. But she has been in a home for a very long time and it is something that has become part of our lives. Everybody has something in their family and it's hard. I feel fortunate that my father was so successful that he made the money he did so he could support her for the rest of her life. Certainly my life would have been different if Jessica had been all right. I wouldn't have been the daughter of Richard Burton. There would have been two of us to share things."
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Actress Goldie Hawn is leading a mission to stop America from gossiping, with a campaign called Words Can Heal. The bubbly blonde star returned to her native New York Monday to tell Americans still shaken by the September 11th atrocities that they should return not just to normal, but to a "better normal" which recognizes how hurtful gossip and unkind words can be. Outspoken Hawn, who has a family with actor Kurt Russell, explains her objections to gossiping, saying, "I have sat around dinner tables of others where they have done nothing but talk about people the whole dinner. I didn't want to be there. Not because it was terrible what they say, but I was bored." She adds, "There's many ways to look at this. One is that you're just a gerbil running in a cage with that little roundy roundy toy and going nowhere ... talking about people. Or you can have fun. You can actually talk about real stuff." Hawn expounded her views in a speech to America's National Press Club.
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The Top 32 Worst Toys This Holiday Season
32. Chia-Beard (as seen in Kabul!)
31. Fluffy the Robot Cat -- Sleeps all day, no batteries required!
30. Operation: Stem Cell Retrieval Edition
29. Big Box of Sharp Pointy Things That May Also Be Toxic
28. Playskool's My First Prostate Exam
27. Al Qaeda: The Board Game -- Turn family night into an all-out Jihad!
26. Stinky -- Like a Slinky, but no telling WHERE it's been!
25. Junior Bris-master 3000
24. "Super Britney" and "Amazing Justin" Dolls -- with boomerang chastity belt and exploding blue marbles
23. Tickle Me Jacko
22. Burqa Barbie -- actually a recycled Evel Knievel doll in a purple Crown Royal bag
21. Jenna Bush Junior Bartending Set
20. Lil' Dumbass Backyard Pro-Wrestling Kit
19. Easy-Baked Bong -- Acapulco Gold sold separately
18. Microsoft XXXbox
17. Pee Monkeys: Watch them come alive when immersed in urine!
16. Big Wheel Zamboni
15. Rock 'em Sock 'em "Springer" Guests
14. "Super Happy Fun Sticks" -- From the fine people at The Altria Group
13. G.I. Joe and G.I. Dave Don't Ask, Don't Tell action figures
12. Walt Disney's "101 Hurricane Names" Video
11. My First Meth Lab
10. Lil' Scientist Home Anthrax Lab
9. Hasbro Bucket o' Broken Glass
8. Wal-Mart Barbie, complete with tube top, NASCAR back tattoo, and sixth toe
7. Larry King's Plastic Ass-Kissin' Lips
6. MacGyver Action Hero Kit -- 3 paperclips, a bent spoon and some toenail clippings
5. Plant 'n' Watch Grass
4. John Ashcroft Junior G-Man Kit -- with Constitution shredder!
3. The Package That's Exactly the Same Size and Weight as an X-Box But Turns Out to Contain a Pair of Sensible Brown Slacks
2. Rubik's Pube
and the Number 1 Worst Toy This Holiday Season...
1. "My First Time" Britney Spears Life-Size Anatomically Correct Action Figure
(Worst Toys This Holiday Season List is courtesy of www.TopFive.com.
Check it out for more hilarious lists.)
~~ Alex
Alex's Site
Weekly Review
from Harper's Magazine
WEEKLY REVIEW - 11 December, 2001
The Taliban surrendered Kandahar, the last Afghan city under its
control, to a loose confederation of warlords, who immediately began
fighting among themselves and looting stores. Afghan refugees,
particularly children, were dying in great numbers; Uzbekistan finally
agreed to allow humanitarian aid to cross its border at the
"Friendship Bridge."
The CIA asked Pakistan for help finding in Osama
bin Laden, whose mother told a Saudi newspaper that she was
disappointed in her son. Mullah Omar was still at large.
The White
House issued a holiday terror-strike warning. Attorney General John
Ashcroft testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which had
summoned him to explain his dubious anti-terrorism tactics. "To those
who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty," he said,
"my message is this: your tactics only aid terrorists." He also
accused his critics of giving "ammunition to America's enemies." The
attorney general went on to defend his refusal to compromise the right
of potential terrorists to keep and bear arms.
Mary Robinson, the
United Nations commissioner for human rights, criticized the Bush
Administration for its plan to hold secret military trials of
foreigners accused of terrorism. Immigration courts were already
holding secret trials; court officials have been forbidden even to
confirm that the cases exist.
Clayton Lee Waagner, who was arrested
for mailing hundreds of anthrax hoax letters to abortion clinics, said
he had nothing against John Ashcroft: "I understand he's anti-abortion
also. He's a good man."
( continued at Weekly Review )
--Roger D. Hodge
VCR ALERT
Tonight On A & E
Tonight, 9 PM CST (10 PM EST/PST) on A&E - 'City Confidential' will air "Kansas City: The Final Curtain."
If you want some insight into how things are in Kansas City, both
past and present, it's compelling viewing.
From an article by Aaron Barnhart - REMEMBERING HARVEY
in the Kansas City Star:
'' Because "City Confidential" is a crime-based show, most of the hour is devoted to the legal aspects of Harvey's murder. And
the program tacks on a mini-travelogue of Kansas City. Wallach does a fine job with this, spotlighting the local jazz scene
and noting that few cities can boast so many performers who play jazz for a living...''
Many thanks to Moose & Squirrel for this VCR Alert.
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Began the evening on NBC, with 'Emeril', looking for the Burt Reynolds guest
appearance. Bill Gates was on 'Frasier' longer....must have some badly interesting tape
on the floor somewhere.
On '3 Sisters', large white loads all over where given a confidence
boost when the 'hot' sister threw herself at one, even as he protested that he was prone to 'flop sweat',
and many things considered quite inappropriate. (Don't want to sound too cruel, but, I keep hoping to get a good stare at Dyan Cannon to see why she only
kind of looks like Dyan Cannon.)
Then there was 'Frasier'....jeez, can tell Frasier isn't raising his kid - although they'll probably
re-write the episode for one of Freddie's rare visits.
'Scrubs' had some wonderful wordplay, when it was least expected.
Tonight, Wednesday, the big ticket is 'City Confidential' on A&E at 9/10 (CST//EST/PST).
Also, CBS starts the evening with '60 Minutes II', followed by reruns of 'Raymond' and
'Becker'. Then, it's '48 Hours'.
NBC has fresh episodes of 'Ed', 'West Wing', and 'Law & Order'.
Over at ABC, it's a fresh night with 'My Wife & Kids', 'Jim', 'Drew Carey',
'Whose Line Is It', and '20/20.
The WB has a rerun on 'Dawson's Creek', and a fresh 'Felicity'.
Faux has fresh episodes of 'King Of The Hill', 'Grounded For Life', 'Bernie Mac',
and 'Titus'.
UPN has reruns of 'Enterprise' and 'Special Unit 2'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Next Year's Grammy's
Bandleader Count Basie, singers Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney and Al Green and singer-songwriter
Joni Mitchell will receive lifetime achievement awards at next year's Grammy ceremonies, the
Recording Academy said Tuesday.
Recording Academy president Michael Greene said the five musicians had ``given us some of the
most distinctive and seminal recordings of the last century'' and had left a timeless legacy.
Recordings by all five artists have already been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Disc jockey Alan Freed, who helped popularize rock 'n' roll in the 1950s through television and
radio shows will receive a Trustees Award along with engineer and producer Tom Dowd, whose use of
stereo recordings in the early 1950s revolutionized the way music was recorded.
Lifetime Achievement Awards At the Grammy's
New! Updated!
(10 Dec., 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has done good, again!
Currently, look at the charts of George Harrison.
Very interesting reading!
Back In Trouble, Again
Gary Busey
Actor Gary Busey was arrested and booked for investigation of spousal abuse after his ex-wife
telephoned deputies to complain the actor left her bruised, authorities said.
Busey, the Oscar-nominated star of 1978's "The Buddy Holly Story," was arrested at his Malibu
home about 6 p.m. on Dec. 2, said Sgt. Tim Youngern of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The 57-year-old actor was booked at the Lost Hills station for investigation of spousal abuse
and was released a short time later on $50,000 bond, the sergeant said Tuesday.
Busey's ex-wife Tiani called deputies to the home. The couple's nearly four-year marriage
ended in divorce in June 2000.
Busey is no longer represented by manager Herb Nanas or attorney Arthur Soll, who handled the actor's
divorce case and said Tuesday he didn't know how to reach the actor. Busey has no representation listed
with the Screen Actors Guild. Busey and Tiani were married Sept. 23, 1996, about a year after paramedics
were called to Busey's Malibu home by his future bride, who said he had collapsed after using cocaine.
Authorities filed drug charges, but they were dropped after he enrolled in a drug-rehabilitation program.
gary busey - or is that a-busey?
"TNN's Conspiracy Zone "
Kevin Nealon
Ex-"Saturday Night Live" member Kevin Nealon, late of ABC's "Hiller and Diller" (1998) is returning in a new series.
"TNN's Conspiracy Zone with Kevin Nealon," which debuts Jan. 6 (9 p.m.), will feature Nealon taking a humorous
look at issues such as "Is Elvis really dead?" and "Do psychics speak with the dead?" Nealon will moderate a panel
discussion on topics such as these. The panel will feature both proponents and skeptics of each topic and will rotate each week.
The premiere episode, "Big Brother," will feature panelists Jim Redden, Judith Lewis, Adam Corolla ("The Man Show")
and Adam "Batman" West debating whether the U.S. government will use technology to invade our lives.
Future panelists include Linda Blair, Eric Idle, Jimmy Kimmel, John Salley and Coolio.
"TNN's Conspiracy Zone with Kevin Nealon"
Watching The Knicks
Chris & Howard & Beth
Comedian Chris Rock, left, radio personality Howard Stern and actress Beth Ostrosky, right, watch the New York Knicks
play the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden in New York, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2001.
Photo by Jeff Zelevansky
New MTV Documentary
Tupac Shakur
MTV plans to make a documentary film on the life of Tupac Shakur, the 25-year-old rap star
killed in a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
His mother, Afeni Shakur, will be the documentary's executive producer.
Van Toffler, president of MTV Productions, said the documentary will include previously
unreleased footage and photos of Shakur, as well as his poetry and letters.
New MTV Documentary
``The Lord of the Rings''
Cast Tattoos?
``The Lord of the Rings'' cast members who reunited at the premiere of the fantasy epic had two
things in common -- they all had tattoos and all agreed director Peter Jackson was a genius.
Britain's acting knight Sir Ian McKellen described playing the wizard Gandalf in the first ``Lord
of the Rings'' movie as ``the best time I have ever had in my life.''
``All members of the cast have got a tattoo. When we had it done in a tattoo parlor in Wellington,
New Zealand, we all swore never to tell anyone,'' he told Reuters Television at Monday's glittering
world premiere of ``The Fellowship of the Ring.''
``It wasn't painful. In fact it was joyful. It was symbolic of the friendship that kept us together
for over a year. For the rest of my life I will be proud to wear this little badge of 'Lord of the Rings,''' he said.
But McKellen drew the line at revealing just where he had put his tattoo. ``No I won't tell you where it is.''
British horror film veteran Christopher Lee also lavished praise on the director.
``What Peter has done is miraculous. No director in history has made three films at the same time,'' he said.
Now the 79-year-old Lee has just one ambition -- he hopes to live long enough to see the next two films in the trilogy
when they come out in 2002 and 2003.
LOTR Tattoos?
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Impending Nuptials
Quinlan - Gumbel
Just three months after his divorce became final from wife June, Bryant Gumbel is planning another
walk down the aisle. Friday morning, Gumbel presented his longtime gal pal Hilary Quinlan with a
sizable rock and asked her to marry him. Despite the ugly divorce she was drawn into, and Gumbel's
penchant for penny-pinching, Quinlan said yes. There is no date set for the wedding.
Impending Nuptials - Quinlan & Gumbel
Very Busy Actress
Halle Berry
Anyone who's heard Angelina Jolie gush about her husband's charms can guess Billy Bob Thornton has something
special. Halle Berry doesn't have to guess.
He's very sexy," Berry says of her co-star in the upcoming "Monster's Ball."
"I think he's handsome, absolutely, but his sex appeal comes from something else - the way he looks at you,
the way he takes you in. He makes everyone feel special; he takes the time to talk to you and look at you."
Their scene was filmed on a closed set and the resulting footage was so hot that a minute's worth had to
be cut to avoid an NC-17 rating.
Berry says the fact that both stars are secure in their marriages helped them leave their inhibitions at the door.
The 33-year-old actress says her notorious "three-second boob shot" opposite Hugh Jackman in this year's
"Swordfish" prepped her for this role.
Berry, who is about to start filming the "X-men" sequel and is negotiating to play a villain in the
next James Bond film, also walked away believing she had given a career-changing performance.
Halle Berry
But, He's Their Shrimp
george stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos is sensitive about his height - or lack thereof. During a conference call
last week with "Good Morning America" producers, the diminutive Stephanopoulos raised concerns
when he learned he'd be doing a segment Friday with the Rockettes. "That's embarrassing," he cried.
"It's just going to highlight how short I am - I'm a shrimp!" One producer answered: "Yes, George,
but you're our shrimp." Stephanopoulos put his size-7 foot down, and Diane Sawyer ended up doing the segment instead.
But, He's Their Shrimp
Job Security Through 2012
Tim Russert
NBC's Tim Russert now has the kind of job security that the politicians he interviews can only dream about.
He signed a contract extension that will keep him at NBC through 2012, which will include the next three
presidential elections. Terms were not disclosed.
``I believe I have the best job in television,'' the 51-year-old ``Meet the Press'' host said Tuesday.
Russert was in New York on Tuesday for a luncheon to celebrate his 10th anniversary on the Sunday morning
talk show. ``Meet the Press'' has grown 52 percent in the ratings since he took over, making it the dominant
Sunday morning news show.
Tim Russert
The Largest Private Landowner In The United States
Ted Turner
Ted Turner is buying 12,318 acres in Cherry County in north-central Nebraska, adding to the holdings for his bison ranches.
The purchase gives the CNN founder about 234,000 acres of ranch land in three counties in Nebraska's Sandhills.
Turner is the largest private landowner in the United States with about 1.75 million acres in New Mexico, Montana,
South Dakota and Nebraska. His ranch empire, based in Montana, raises bison.
Ted Turner, Land Baron
'The Dead Monkey' Libel Case
David Soul
David Soul won a libel case Tuesday against a journalist who called a play Soul was in the
worst he had ever seen - without having seen it.
The 58-year-old actor and singer, best known for portraying Detective Ken ``Hutch'' Hutchinson
in 1970s television show ``Starsky and Hutch,'' sued Matthew Wright of The Mirror newspaper
over a review of the 1998 play ``The Dead Monkey.''
An article under Wright's byline called the play - in which Soul starred with his wife, Alexa
Hamilton - the worst West End show the author had ever seen. It said that only 45 people attended
a Monday evening performance, and that the audience laughed derisively at Soul.
Wright's lawyer, Mark Bateman, said his client apologized for the article's inaccuracies. But he
said it was common practice for a columnist to write in the first person even when relying on
information from a third party.
Soul was awarded $29,000 in libel damages plus his legal costs, which the newspaper estimated at $215,000.
'The Dead Monkey' Libel Case & David Soul
Audio Files From BC
Bonus Page Link
Looking for some 'Garbage'?
Here are some MP3 files from BC
Aw, come on....isn't anyone curious?
3 days notice....this link will disappear in 3 days, and the files will be deleted...
Let The Bitching & Whining Begin
geraldo
From his perch near Tora Bora, Afghanistan, Fox News Channel correspondent Geraldo Rivera seemed
more agitated by a question about carrying a gun than by the mortar rounds that just exploded nearby.
``I refuse to address that issue,'' said Rivera, speaking into a satellite phone. ``It's been blown way
out of proportion. It makes me sound like a tabloid talk show host goes to war. It's so unfair.''
He's traveling with two guards who have five guns between them, Fox spokesman Robert Zimmerman said. Rivera
isn't necessarily carrying a gun in most situations, but has one readily available, he said.
Former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, who covered World War II for United Press International, said all journalists
he knew then adhered to Geneva Convention rules that they should not carry weapons.
geraldo, the muy macho moron with 2 bodyguards
Changing Representation
Billy Bob
For the William Morris Agency, Billy Bob Thornton has become the man who isn't there.
The Oscar-winning screenwriter, director, actor and musician has discharged the firm after
almost a decade there. He has signed with Creative Artists Agency.
Thornton is currently in theaters with the Coen brothers' black comedy ``The Man Who Wasn't
There,'' which has grossed almost $6 million after 40 days of limited release. His next picture,
the acclaimed ``Monster's Ball,'' opens Dec. 26. His last major release was the box office flop
``Bandits.'' He won an Academy Award in 1997 for writing ``Sling Blade.''
Billy Bob Thornton
The Tennis Channel
Pete Sampras
Tennis champ Pete Sampras is playing at the net, joining the nascent Tennis Channel as an
investor and spokesman.
The Tennis Channel plans to launch next summer with an ad-supported 24-hour schedule of
live and classic matches, interviews and instructional videos. Distribution details are expected early next year.
Sampras will also participate in an instructional tennis show and advise on the channel's content and direction.
The Tennis Channel - Investor & Spokesman, Pete Sampras
New Security For Hollywood Screenings
Varies By Studio
The camera pans to follow horses galloping across rugged mountain terrain.
It's a grandiose moment from ``The Lord of the Rings,'' but amid December's screen scramble, it looks
decidedly less than epic. The reason? The film's advance showings are taking place on several modest-sized
screens due to an Oscar-season facilities crunch and heightened security measures.
As kudos campaigns kick into gear, several high-profile pictures are unspooling in what would politely be
called ``intimate'' L.A. locations. ``Rings,'' for example, is playing at places like Raleigh Studios and
the ignominiously named ``Screening Room No. 24'' on the Sony lot.
Sony's long-awaited ``Ali,'' on the other hand, has been available for viewing only at the Fox lot. The studio
ascribes this quirk to the fact that helmer Michael Mann has been doing post-production work at Fox. Screenings,
the logic goes, are simpler there.
As they book rooms, studios are balancing two considerations: providing the optimal viewing experience and giving as
many people as possible a shot at seeing the film. Complicating their lives, many filmmakers exert a great degree of
control over where and when a picture screens -- e.g., Mann with ``Ali.''
Find The Film Screenings
Updated!
BartCop TV!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot' never seems to rest - and doesn't let little things like laundry or
housekeeping get in the way!
Damn near every show on TV must is listed - days & days worth of great reading.
If you have any questions about nearly any tv program, check out
BC TV!
She Who Brings Shame To The Name Martha
That Stewart Woman
The theme song for Martha Stewart's television show has hit a sour note for a Redding man who claims
he wrote the music but isn't getting credit for it.
Edward Dzubak, a three-time Emmy-winning composer, claims that Stewart's company and musician Kevin
Moore violated U.S. copyright law by failing to give him credit for the music used on ``Martha Stewart Living.''
Dzubak is seeking a court injunction that would force her to stop using the music.
The domestic diva's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, has issued a statement denying the allegations.
Dzubak maintains the theme was modified slightly from his composition, but is essentially his work.
That Stewart Woman & Her Theme Song
Newest Film - ''Terminal''
Tom Hanks
Two-time Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks has decided to take up residence in DreamWorks' airport drama ''Terminal.''
Okay, so Hanks starring in a DreamWorks movie isn't exactly news--with him having already done several
projects for what has become his favorite studio--but this project is one of those roles that has
Oscar nomination written all over it.
The story follows a man from the Balkans who's forced to settle down permanently in an airport lounge
after he encounters visa problems stemming from the war going on in his homeland. While living there,
he befriends several airport workers and falls for a Latin flight attendant.
For Terminal, Hanks will help to develop the screenplay, which was originally written by Sacha Gervasi.
The studio has yet to name a new director after original helmer Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, The Truman Show)
bailed to do his own script, A River Road (Niccol will now receive an executive producer credit).
Tom Hanks In ''Terminal''
Only Covers, No Original Music Available
The Beatles
Forget hobbits, wizards and Tom Cruise: The most coveted cameos of this year's holiday movie season
belonged to the Beatles. Or at least their music.
Even before the recent passing of George Harrison, music from Liverpool's fabbest foursome was considered
a must-have on several new movie soundtracks, including I Am Sam, starring Sean Penn, and Wes Anderson's
new ensemble film, The Royal Tenenbaums.
Only problem is, the surviving Beatles are notoriously protective of their original recordings--especially
when it comes to using them in movies. And while securing the rights to a Beatles song may not be difficult,
getting the okay from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono (on behalf of John Lennon) and the family of
Harrison to use an original Beatles recording is darn near impossible.
Case in point: Anderson, with his movie due to hit theaters Friday in New York and L.A., won't be able to use
the classic "Hey Jude" in the opening of The Royal Tenenbaums as he had planned, not to mention "I'm Looking
Through You," which he had chosen for the final scene.
The soundtrack, due in stores December 18, will feature songs from the Velvet Underground, Nico, Elliott Smith
and Nick Drake, among others. But FoxNews.com reports that Anderson will replace "Hey Jude" in the film with an
instrumental version of the song by Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of Devo), who worked on the film's score.
Likewise, the producers of I Am Sam also ran into trouble when trying to use original Beatles tunes for their
film--even though the legendary group figures into the storyline. Sean Penn, who plays a mentally disabled
father battling for custody of his 7-year-old daughter, refers to the Beatles in many of the scenes, and the
movie's own tagline declares the Beatle mantra, "Love is all you need."
Beatles Music By Anyone But The Beatles
A & E's ``Biography of the Year''
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
The A&E television network said it was emphasizing the positive by naming Mayor Rudolph Giuliani its ``Biography of the Year.''
All of A&E's top 10 personalities of the year were connected to the Sept. 11 terror attacks and their aftermath, but Osama
bin Laden, accused of masterminding the attacks and provoking a war, did no better than fifth.
President Bush was second on the list, which was released in a special that aired Monday night.
Characterizing bin Laden's significance is a delicate question at media outlets that sum up the year's people and events. The most
prominent selection may be Time magazine's annual Person of the Year, to be announced on CNN on Dec. 23.
Time has given its distinction to villainous characters in the past, notably Adolf Hitler in 1938. When Time named Iranian Ayatollah
Khomeini in 1979, thousands of people canceled their subscriptions, said magazine spokeswoman Debra Richman.
The others on A&E's list: the uniformed heroes of Sept. 11; the civilian heroes; Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf; U.S. national
security adviser Condoleezza Rice; Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Vice President Dick Cheney
and Secretary of State Colin Powell, who made up one entry.
To be considered for ``Biography of the Year,'' a person must have had a significant impact on America and the lives of its people, Dolan
said. The person must also be well-known, with an interesting life story.
A & E's ``Biography of the Year'' - Mayor Rudy
CBS + UPN
= Les Moonves
CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves has just been handed a lot more power -- and a whole new set of headaches.
CBS' Viacom Inc. parent announced Monday that its money-losing UPN network, will be shifted next month
from Paramount Television Group to the Moonves-controlled CBS Television.
With the restructuring, it's now expected that CBS will now also handle ad sales for UPN. Other areas will be consolidated,
and layoffs are likely-- though with only 110 staffers at UPN, it likely won't be a bloodbath.
Moonves, currently basking in the glow of CBS' November sweeps win in total viewers and the network's continued move toward a
younger audience profile, clearly emerges as the big winner of Karmazin's decision. Moonves is now the first person ever to
control two broadcast networks; Turner Broadcasting chief Jamie Kellner has oversight of the WB broadcast network and the
Turner cable networks, such as CNN and the Cartoon Channel.
Despite UPN's primetime ratings uptick this season, the network still bleeds money, pulling in far less ad revenue than its
closest competitor, the WB. What's more, UPN still struggles to attract top-name producers.
In addition, a good chunk of UPN's Nielsen gains can be chalked up to Thursday wrestling, but the WWF -- not UPN -- sells ad
time for that franchise. And while its Monday urban comedies also are doing well, the shows' demos aren't the most upscale.
CBS + UPN = Les Moonves
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
Moose & Squirrel Information One-Stop
http://geocities.com/mooseandsquirrel1
What a great site! Information and reference materials of the first order!
Between 'Moose & Squirrel' and 'Google', who needs 'refdesk'!
Time To Call A Mechanic!
Bill Mechanic
Walt Disney Studios has taken a major step to bolster its slender production schedule by closing
a production deal with Bill Mechanic, a former studio chief at Twentieth Century Fox and
one-time Disney executive.
The deal will provide for 20 films over the next five years. Mechanic will be able to decide which
films to produce. Disney will minimize its risk by putting up only a small share of the production
costs plus prints and advertising, with most of the financing being put up by banks and equity investors.
While Disney will handle distribution in North America and most foreign territories, Mechanic will cover
his Pandemonium Films shingle's overhead and development through his European equity investors.
Mechanic will now play a major role in filling the Disney pipeline, one that could be as significant as
Disney's equity partnership with Spyglass Entertainment, home of ``The Sixth Sense,'' and its relationship
with key suppliers like Jerry Bruckheimer, the prolific producer of ``Pearl Harbor.''
Though it is unclear which will be the first project for Disney, Mechanic is readying three pictures. These
are ``Men of Destiny,'' to be directed by John Woo; ``Moon and the Sun,'' to star Natalie Portman; and the comedy ``Doubting Thomas.''
Mechanic initially joined Disney in 1984 and served as president of international distribution and worldwide video.
He left the studio in 1993 to join Fox as president and was upped to Fox Filmed Entertainment chairman in late 1996
where he oversaw such productions as ``Titanic,'' ``Independence Day,'' ``There's Something About Mary,''
``Braveheart,'' and ``Fight Club.'' He left Fox in June 2000 and formed Pandemonium in Sept. 2000.
Bill Mechanic Returns To Disney
Time To Say ''Buh-Bye''
'E.R.'
Two more stars of U.S. television's top-rated drama, ``ER,'' will hang up their scrubs this week, and a
third will check out of NBC's hospital series in May as the hit show wraps up its eighth season.
But far from throwing ``ER'' into cardiac arrest, critics say the latest personnel changes in the emergency
room of Chicago's fictional County General Hospital will provide a transfusion of new blood at a time when
the program is showing signs of age.
Eriq La Salle, who has played gifted but brooding surgeon Dr. Peter Benton since the show premiered in 1994,
is making his last appearance on Thursday night's episode in a storyline involving a custody battle over his
character's son. Leaving with him will be actress Michael Michele, his on-screen love interest and ``ER's''
resident pediatrician, Dr. Cleo Finch, a three-year veteran of the series.
In May, the show will lose another of its core central characters when long-suffering Dr. Mark Greene, the
chief attending physician played by Anthony Edwards, is written out of the series. The smart money has it
that Greene will finally succumb to the brain cancer that shadowed him last season, but he could just
as easily get hit by an El train.
His exit will leave Noah Wyle, the once wide-eyed Dr. John Carter who recently was promoted to ``ER's''
chief resident, as the sole remaining star who has stayed with the series since its debut. His contract
will keep him in place for the duration of NBC's current licensing deal with production company Warner Bros.
Television, which runs for two more seasons.
It also marks the latest in a string of high-profile ``ER'' departures, dating back to Sherry Stringfield and
Ming-Na, who left the series early in its run and then returned, followed by George Clooney, Julianna Margulies and Gloria Reuben.
More Buh-Byes On ''ER''
Wasn't Ming-Na (although she was 'Ming-Na Wen', then) 'Dr. Wendy Armstrong, Resident Bulimic' on ''St.
Elsewhere''?
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"Boondocks" (9 Oct 01)
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
