January 14, 2005 |
SEVERED WIRE?
A decision on The Wire is coming down to the, um, well, you know. At the Television Critics Association winter press tour Thursday, HBO chairman Chris Albrecht said that no decision has been made about renewing the acclaimed (yet ratings-challenged) drama for a fourth season. "I have received a telegram from every viewer of The Wire," he said. "All 250 of them." (Hey, me too!) Albrecht added that a final verdict is expected to come down in a few weeks. |
FROM BAD TO WORSE
After reviewing previously top-secret documents, Primetime Live revealed yesterday that Michael Jackson's 15-year-old accuser testified before a grand jury last spring that the singer had taught him to do more than moonwalk — the boy was also given an unsolicited tutorial in masturbation. Thus far, ABC has refused to comment on how its news department got its gloved hands on the file. |
IN RELATED NEWS...
A Los Angeles woman has filed court papers claiming that Michael Jackson is the father of her two boys, born in November 2004. According to The Insider, the woman says she participated in an in vitro fertilization procedure with Jackson, but has not had access to her children since they were born. Jacko's reps deny the allegations. |
THE WRITE STUFF
The Writers Guild of America has come out with the nominees for its annual awards, and The Aviator, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Garden State (go Zach!), Hotel Rwanda and Kinsey are up for best original screenplay, while Before Sunset, Mean Girls (go Tina!), Million Dollar Baby, The Motorcycle Diaries and Sideways will vie for best adapted screenplay. Trophies are handed out Feb. 19. |
TIME TO COMPROMISE
Under fire from the PC police for depicting followers of Islam as terrorists on 24, Fox says it will provide its local affiliates with PSAs that portray Muslims in a favorable light. In case you haven't been watching, this season's 24 features an upper-middle-class Muslim family operating as a sleeper terrorist cell in the U.S. But they're not pure evil: Last week, the matriarch — played by the brilliant Shohreh Aghdashloo — poisoned her son's clingy girlfriend. (I knew she was a good egg.) |
SPEAKING OF 24...
Kiefer Sutherland will play a Secret Service agent caught up in a plot to assassinate the president in the suspense pic The Sentinel, Variety reports. Filming will begin in May after the 24 star is done saving the world yet again. |
BRAVE FACE
Brad Pitt, who made his first public appearance since announcing his split from Jennifer Aniston on Wednesday at the Tokyo premiere of Ocean's Twelve, has joined NBC's all-star tsunami telethon, scheduled for Saturday. Other late additions include Robert DeNiro, Andy Garcia and Hugh Grant. |
GAY DELAY
MTV has pushed back the launch date of its gay and lesbian-themed cable network LOGO from Feb. 17 to June 30. The delay gives LOGO execs more time to develop original programming and shop at the new West Elm store in Chelsea. |
SHOOTING J.R.
Dallas star Larry Hagman will host a new six-part series on TLC focusing on the real personalities who dominate Dallas high society. Sheer Dallas debuts in April with profiles of Marilee Stone and Holly Harwood. |
COP OUT
Poor Andy Sipowicz can't catch a break. When NYPD Blue signs off for good on March 1, Dennis Franz's long-suffering gumshoe will not be reunited with his MIA spouse, played by Charlotte Ross. Exec producer Steven Bochco says he approached Ross about bringing Connie back into the fold for the grand finale, but she "turned us down." Ross' manager/hubby Michael Goldman insists a scheduling conflict was to blame, not rumored bad blood between her and Bochco. "She wasn't available for it," he maintains. "She feels bad, but it is what it is." Oddly, when asked what project Ross was working on, Goldman remained vague, saying only that "she's got a lot of stuff coming at her." Like, for instance, a big can of whupass from Andy/Connie fans. |
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