News For Friday Oct 10, 2008 News For Friday Oct 10, 2008

Entertainment Entertainment

`Dexter' brings Smits back as a TV crimebuster - Added 2 days ago

Jimmy Smits, a proven TV star in "L.A. Law" and "NYPD Blue," is looking like the go-to guy when a drama's juicy guest role demands leading-man heft. In the final season of "The West Wing," he was a Latino politician...

DJ AM's friends announce Hollywood benefit concert - Added 2 days ago

Friends of DJ AM are throwing a party to welcome the celebrity disc jockey home after he survived a fiery plane crash last month in South Carolina. Mark Ronson, Cut Chemist, Steve Aoki and other AM pals will perform at...

Superman's dad dies _ again - Added 2 days ago

Superman's dad has died again. DC Comics has killed off Clark Kent's Earth father with a heart attack. In Action Comics #870, out Wednesday, Superman can't hear his mom's cries for help in time to save Jonathan Kent. ...

Story of teen who went missing in Aruba to be film - Added 2 days ago

A cable channel is working on a television movie about a teenager from Alabama who went missing in Aruba in 2005 when she was on a graduation trip. "The Natalee Holloway Story" is going to be based on a book by her...

My Morning Jacket singer released from hospital - Added 2 days ago

My Morning Jacket singer-guitarist Jim James has been released from the hospital after being injured in a fall during a concert at the University of Iowa. A Cedar Rapids newspaper reported that James slipped and fell...

Travis Barker: `I'm just thankful to be alive!' - Added 2 days ago

Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who always has been afraid of flying, says he's glad to be alive after suffering severe burns in a fiery plane crash last month. "I hate planes," Barker said in an interview with...

Linkin Park cancels China tour over back injury - Added 2 days ago

Linkin Park is canceling its China tour because lead singer Chester Bennington has suffered a back injury. The band didn't say Tuesday how Bennington suffered the injury. A statement posted on Linkin Park's official...

Campaign Comedy: Tuesday's late-night TV wrap-up - Added 2 days ago

Political debates inform voters _ and provide material for late-night TV show hosts. "Tonight's presidential debate took place in Nashville, Tenn. Which is perfect, because the economy right now is like a bad country...

Nick Nolte escapes his burning home in Malibu - Added 2 days ago

Actor Nick Nolte jumped out a window and used a hose to fight a fire that broke out in his Malibu home Tuesday, authorities said. The 67-year-old actor scraped his arm and inhaled some smoke but was not hospitalized,...

Exhibit on cigarette advertising opens in NYC - Added 2 days ago

A phalanx of white-coated doctors endorses Camel cigarettes in an exhibit that opened this week at the New York Public Library. Movie stars and baseball greats are there, too, in tobacco ads dating from the 1920s to...

Linkin Park cancels China tour over back injury - Added 2 days ago

Linkin Park is canceling its China tour because lead singer Chester Bennington has suffered a back injury. The band didn't say Tuesday how Bennington suffered the injury. A statement posted on Linkin Park's official...

Chef DiSpirito keeps 'Dancing with the Stars' - Added 2 days ago

Rocco DiSpirito will serve seconds on "Dancing with the Stars." The celebrity chef came in last place on the ABC dancing competition, but he wasn't dismissed because injured contestant Misty May-Treanor dropped out of...

Lawyer: CBS' 'fraud' hurt Rather's income - Added 3 days ago

Dan Rather could have made millions of dollars more per year if CBS had not defrauded him before firing him, his lawyer said Tuesday. Martin Gold discussed the finances after a hearing on Rather's ongoing $70 million...

Court denies appeal in Spears' driving case - Added 3 days ago

Britney Spears may have to stand trial for driving without a valid license after all. A three-judge panel in Los Angeles on Tuesday denied a motion by Spears' attorney seeking a delay in the trial and a possible...

Leigh's `Happy-Go-Lucky' could extend Oscar touch - Added 3 days ago

Director Mike Leigh has a knack for putting relatively unknown British actresses into Academy Awards contention, as he did with "Secrets & Lies" and "Vera Drake." His latest find is Sally Hawkins, who co-starred in...

List of top 20 shows in prime-time Nielsen ratings - Added 3 days ago

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Sept. 29-Oct. 5. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses...

Strong ratings for CBS; `Mentalist' looks like hit - Added 3 days ago

CBS is looking good so far this TV season, easily winning last week in the prime-time ratings and perhaps minting a new hit in "The Mentalist." About a man who solves crimes using acute powers of observation, the show...

After divorce, Bill Murray looks for renewal - Added 3 days ago

The deadpan and depressed characters Bill Murray has specialized in portraying as an actor in recent years have always stood in contrast to the life-of-the-party guy he is in real life _ whether on a golf course or...

A rejuvenated Maxwell returns after 7-year break - Added 3 days ago

It's hardly unusual for a singer to drop off the musical map. Declining album sales, drug habits, legal woes and other dramas have landed a multitude of chart-toppers on the "Whatever Happened To ..." list. Yet it is...

David Duchovny checks out of sex addiction rehab - Added 3 days ago

An attorney for David Duchovny says the actor has checked out of a rehabilitation facility for treatment of sex addiction. Duchovny, who plays a sex-obsessed character on Showtime's "Californication," voluntarily...

Hollywood's undead: They're just like us! - Added 3 days ago

The dead used to be a world away, far beyond the realm of mortal existence. If they walked the Earth at all, they inhabited the night. But the coffins and long black capes are gone. The destructive haunting is over....

Artist prints `Zero Dollar' in dig at Wall Street - Added 3 days ago

With the financial meltdown leaving many Americans wondering what a dollar is worth, one New York City artist has an answer _ zero. Painter and printmaker Laura Gilbert is passing out signed and numbered prints of the...

A-list women celebrate their own in Hollywood - Added 3 days ago

In the year of "Sex and the City," perhaps it's no surprise that an event honoring women drew some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Keaton and Halle Berry joined...

Esquire names Halle Berry 'sexiest woman alive' - Added 3 days ago

Alongside a photo spread that shows her in little more than a T-shirt, Halle Berry talks about being the sexiest woman alive, a title Esquire magazine gives her in its November issue. "I don't know exactly what it...

Misty May-Treanor out of 'Dancing with the Stars' - Added 3 days ago

Misty May-Treanor is too hurt to keep dancing. The 31-year-old "Dancing with the Stars" contestant and Olympic gold medalist volleyball player appeared at the conclusion of Monday's show on crutches and with a cast on...

Campaign Comedy: Monday's late-night TV wrap-up - Added 3 days ago

You'd hardly know the Democrats have even chosen a presidential candidate, judging from late-night comedy monologues. It was Republican John McCain and _ oh, by the way _ his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin,...

China state TV to air 50-part Bruce Lee biography - Added 3 days ago

Bruce Lee is getting a belated hero's welcome in China, with the country's state broadcaster set to air a 50-part prime-time series on the late kung fu star. Lee became a chest-thumping source of nationalistic pride to...

Matthew Broderick returns to Broadway next spring - Added 3 days ago

Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next spring in a revival of "The Philanthropist," a comedy by English playwright Christopher Hampton. The Roundabout Theatre Company production, directed by David Grindley,...

D'oh! Ex-`Simpsons' writer wins $5,000 prize - Added 3 days ago

Larry Doyle, a former TV writer-producer for "The Simpsons," was named the winner Monday of this year's Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was cited for the novel "I Love You, Beth Cooper." "Clearly Larry Doyle was...

'Idol' singer Paris Bennett gives birth to girl - Added 3 days ago

Former "American Idol" contestant Paris Bennett has given birth to a daughter named Egypt. Bennett was in labor for five hours before her 5-pound, 15-ounce baby was born Monday. The first-time mother is reportedly...

R. Kelly seeks $3.4 million from tour promoter - Added 3 days ago

R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect. R. Kelly Touring, which represents the singer, filed court documents on Monday seeking a...

Misty May-Treanor out of 'Dancing with the Stars' - Added 3 days ago

Misty May-Treanor is too hurt to keep dancing. The 31-year-old "Dancing with the Stars" contestant and Olympic gold medalist volleyball player appeared at the conclusion of Monday's show on crutches and with a cast on...

D'oh! Ex-`Simpsons' writer wins $5,000 prize - Added 3 days ago

Larry Doyle, a former TV writer-producer for "The Simpsons," was named the winner Monday of this year's Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was cited for the novel "I Love You, Beth Cooper." "Clearly Larry Doyle was...

ABC names new `This Week' producer - Added 3 days ago

Veteran Washington hand Ian Cameron was appointed Monday as the producer in charge of ABC's Sunday political talk show "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Cameron has been the Washington senior producer for ABC's...

Spokane author's book published Monday - Added 3 days ago

Sherry Jones' "The Jewel of Medina" reached bookstores Monday amid fears that the book about the Prophet Muhammad's child bride might lead to violence and threats. But the author said she had received no threats and was...

Paris exhibit showcases Picasso's masters - Added 4 days ago

When Velazquez painted a 17th century Spanish princess, he gave her wispy hair, pale skin and a cautious gaze. Three centuries later, Picasso turned the girl's face into a Cubist maze of green and purple, yet he...

Miley Cyrus celebrates Sweet 16 at Disneyland - Added 4 days ago

Miley Cyrus' 16th birthday party was more boisterous than sweet. Cyrus celebrated the hallmark birthday at an over-the-top Disneyland celebration Sunday _ even though she doesn't actually turn 16 until Nov. 23. The...

Hopper stars in Starz series `Crash' - Added 4 days ago

With a raft of weird roles to his credit, Dennis Hopper might well yawn about playing another wacko. Yet Hopper is totally tickled by his outrageous new alter ego, freaky Los Angeles music producer Ben Cendars in the...

Audiences choose 'Chihuahua' with $29M debut - Added 4 days ago

Drew Barrymore's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" pawed its way to the top spot at the weekend box office, debuting with $29.3 million. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by...

Matthew Broderick returns to Broadway next spring - Added 4 days ago

Matthew Broderick will return to Broadway next spring in a revival of "The Philanthropist," a comedy by English playwright Christopher Hampton. The Roundabout Theatre Company production, directed by David Grindley,...

Mexican director Servando Gonzalez dies at 85 - Added 4 days ago

Servando Gonzalez Hernandez rose from gofer at a Mexican film studio to become a director in Hollywood. But he may be most remembered in Mexico for film that nobody ever saw. Gonzalez, who died in Mexico City on...

King Tut exhibit begins another run in the US - Added 4 days ago

An exhibit showcasing items buried in the Egyptian tomb of King Tut is back in the United States. "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" opened over the weekend at the Dallas Museum of Art, the first of three...

Slick Rick among honorees at VH1 Hip Hop Honors - Added 4 days ago

Even though he's considered one of rap's all-time greats, when Slick Rick is asked about his most significant accomplishment, he doesn't mention having a platinum-selling record, classic hits like "Children's Story" or...

Colbert on Colbert: It's fun playing a jerk - Added 4 days ago

Stephen Colbert was raised in South Carolina to be a Southern gentleman. But he spends his days being a jerk. It must be tough. Not really, says the Comedy Central star. "I was taught to be nice, so it's not in my...

Stonewall Jackson, Grand Ole Opry settle lawsuit - Added 4 days ago

Country singer Stonewall Jackson has settled his federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Grand Ole Opry and its management. The terms of the settlement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Nashville were not...

Lohan's estranged father to jump into boxing ring - Added 4 days ago

Michael Lohan isn't the type to back down from a fight. The estranged father of Lindsay Lohan has publicly feuded with the actress, her girlfriend Samantha Ronson and her mother Dina Lohan. For his next battle, Lohan...

Top court stays out of DVR patent fight - Added 4 days ago

The Supreme Court refused Monday to disturb a $74 million judgment against Dish Network Corp. for violating a patent held by TiVo Inc. involving digital video recorders. Without comment, the justices declined to...

Audiences adopt 'Chihuahua' with $29M weekend - Added 4 days ago

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" was barking up the right tree with movie-goers, who put the Disney comedy at No. 1 for the weekend with a $29 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday. Featuring a talking Chihuahua...

'Idol' LaKisha Jones weds in Beverly Hills - Added 4 days ago

Former "American Idol" contestant LaKisha Jones has tied the knot. The Flint, Mich.-native married financial adviser Larry Davis at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Sunday. Some fellow "Idol" alums attended the wedding,...

Jimmy Kimmel back as American Music Awards host - Added 4 days ago

Jimmy Kimmel is coming back to provide more laughs for the American Music Awards. The comedian and talk show host is slated to host the annual event on Nov. 23 live from Los Angeles on ABC. Pink and the Jonas Brothers...