January 13, 2005 |
CHANGE OF GAME
Coming off of one of the lamest Survivor seasons ever, CBS has some big twists in store for the upcoming 10th edition. Debuting Feb. 17, Survivor: Palau will feature 20 contestants, three of which will be booted at the end of the first episode. "They're given very little instruction about what to do, and some of them are genuinely lost," exec producer Mark Burnett tells Variety. "Two people don't make it to the first challenge. That's how tough it is. It's very emotional." The cast includes a 23-year-old dolphin trainer from Florida, a 55-year-old English teacher and a 39-year-old Vegas Showgirl — whose name, regrettably, is not Cristal Connors. |
AMERICAN HERO
At last we have proof that Simon Cowell's bark is, in fact, worse than his bite. The American Idol meanie is the latest celebrity to join PETA's anti-fur campaign. In a new print ad, the secret softy is pictured holding a four-legged friend; underneath the photo is the line, "If you wouldn't wear your dog, please don't wear any fur." Now would somebody please do something about the inhumanity of Cowell being forced to sit next to Paula Abdul season after season? |
SPOOKY SPEAKS
The truth is out there about the long-awaited second X-Files flick. Actually, the truth was in Wednesday's USA Today, but that's neither here nor there. David Duchovny told the paper that he expects to shoot the sequel later this year or early in 2006. "It'll be a stand-alone horror movie," he said. "Mulder and Scully investigate one particular case that has nothing to do with alien life. It has to do with supernatural stuff." |
AND THE GRAMMY HOSTING GIG GOES TO...
Queen Latifah will host the 47th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13, it was announced today. Latifah, whose Dana Owens Album is up for Best Jazz Vocal Album, will also perform during the ceremony. |
X MARKS THE SPOT
Director Bryan Singer has tapped one of his X-Men, James Marsden, to play Lois Lane's love interest in Superman Returns. As previously reported, Kate Bosworth has (unfortunately) nabbed the role of Lois, while One Life to Live grad Brandon Routh will star as the Man of Steel. |
IN THIS CORNER...
Boxing mogul Don King likes to watch guys dish it out, but he can't take a hit himself. Yesterday, the spin doctor filed a $2.5 billion lawsuit against ESPN for airing a SportsCentury bio of him that he claims is defamatory. Among the statements made by the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning program to which King objects: Allegedly, he underpaid star pugilists including Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and Meldrick Taylor, and has a really, really bad hairdo. (Okay, that last one isn't alleged at all; that's just a fact.) |
THE DIRECT APPROACH
Desperate Housewives and Lost (I can't believe they almost killed Shannon!) scored nominations for the Directors Guild of America's annual awardsfest. Housewives will compete in the comedy category with Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm, while Lost will face off against ER, Deadwood and The Sopranos. |
THOU SHALL NOT REMAKE
ABC has announced plans for a two-part, four-hour Ten Commandments miniseries to air as early as November. Producers insist the project, which will rely on extensive biblical and historical research, is not a remake of the Charlton Heston epic. What's more, they promise the parting of the waves sequence won't look like it was shot in someone's kiddie pool. |
SHORT CUTS
Taking a page from Oprah's book, Live with Regis and Kelly will give away one 2005 Pontiac Montana SV6 minivan every day during the entire month of February... Sixteen years after taking its "final" bow, A Chorus Line will return to Broadway in Sept. 2006. |
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