News For Wednesday Oct 15, 2008 News For Wednesday Oct 15, 2008

Entertainment Entertainment

Design competition 'Project Runway' pins a winner - Added 7 weeks ago

A soft-spoken designer from Portland, Ore., has the competition sewn up on Bravo's hit reality show "Project Runway." A quartet of judges picked Leanne Marshall in the season finale that aired Wednesday night. Show...

Ryan O'Neal, son charged with meth possession - Added 7 weeks ago

Ryan O'Neal and his son, Redmond, were charged Wednesday with possession of methamphetamine. Both face felony drug possession charges, deputy district attorney James Garrison said. Redmond O'Neal, 23, also faces...

Lisa `Left Eye' Lopes solo album set for release - Added 7 weeks ago

Recordings by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who died six years ago, will be released as a solo album on Nov. 11. The album features a collection of songs Lopes recorded but never released, family friend Jay Marose said...

What _ me worry? MAD to auction early works - Added 7 weeks ago

Alfred E. Neuman, the grinning face with the flapping ears, has gazed out from the covers of MAD magazine for half a century _ becoming such a familiar presence that Charles, Prince of Wales, may have felt it necessary...

Lee Ann Womack returns after 3-year hiatus - Added 7 weeks ago

Lee Ann Womack's 2005 disc, "There's More Where That Came From," was arguably the best album of her career. It won her three Country Music Association awards, including album and single of the year, and was praised by...

Day 1 in Spears case ends without jury - Added 7 weeks ago

The first day of Britney Spears' misdemeanor driving without a license trial ended Wednesday without a single juror being seated. Potential jurors expressed a range of opinions on Spears and the matter during initial...

Estate of Macy's heir sues Jay Leno over rare auto - Added 7 weeks ago

The estate of a department store heir says in a lawsuit that Jay Leno was illegally sold a valuable automobile at a sham auction. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Manhattan by the estate of Macy's heir John W. Straus....

Supreme Court rejects 'Survivor' winner's appeal - Added 7 weeks ago

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Richard Hatch's appeal of his conviction for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of "Survivor." Hatch, 47, was sentenced to four years and...

CNN to start weekend comedy show with D.L. Hughley - Added 7 weeks ago

The latest entrant into the TV comedy business is ... CNN? The news network announced Wednesday that it's starting a show with comedian D.L. Hughley. Tentatively titled "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," it will air live...

In 'Clay,' a young man finds solace in hip-hop - Added 7 weeks ago

Can a nerdy white boy from the suburbs outrun family problems and find his place in life as a hip-hop artist? Such is the dilemma facing the young hero of "Clay," an entertaining, fast-paced, 80-minute hip-hop musical...

Brad Paisley and wife expecting their 2nd child - Added 7 weeks ago

A publicist for Brad Paisley says Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are expecting their second child. Spokeswoman Darlene Bieber didn't provide any other details Wednesday, but an announcement on...

'Housewives' actor injured in motorcycle accident - Added 7 weeks ago

Gale Harold was in critical condition Wednesday after the "Desperate Housewives" actor crashed his motorcycle the day before, a hospital spokeswoman said. Harold was awaiting further tests at USC Medical Center,...

Pavarotti exhibit opens in Rome - Added 7 weeks ago

An exhibition dedicated to Luciano Pavarotti opens Thursday in Rome as part of a series of tributes marking the first anniversary of the tenor's death. It recalls the opera star's career with costumes, music sheets and...

DJ AM says fleeing jet crash recalled `Miami Vice' - Added 7 weeks ago

DJ AM was jolted from a nap by a real-life nightmare: the fiery plane crash in South Carolina that left him badly burned and killed four passengers. After falling asleep on the runway, "The next thing I remember is us...

London Film fest kicks off with 'Frost/Nixon' - Added 7 weeks ago

The London Film Festival, an underdog among global movie showcases, was opening Wednesday with the world premiere of "Frost/Nixon," a film about a British contender taking on an American heavyweight. The Ron...

Author Gore Vidal fractured spine in recent fall - Added 7 weeks ago

Gore Vidal fractured his spine in a fall two weeks ago and canceled an appearance scheduled Thursday at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library in Toledo, Ohio. "I'm trying to grow a new vertebrae, which I believe...

NYC museum exhibit compares Civil War icons - Added 7 weeks ago

Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met face-to-face only twice _ once toward the end of the war with Mexico in 1848, and 17 years later at Appomattox, where then-Union commander Grant accepted the surrender of Lee's...

Doubt cast on claimed mob plot to kill author - Added 7 weeks ago

An anti-mafia prosecutor investigating a reported mob death threat against a best-selling author said Wednesday that an informant now denies having claimed there was a plot. Journalist Roberto Saviano, author of the...

Matthiessen, Robinson among book award finalists - Added 7 weeks ago

Talk about second chances: Peter Matthiessen, 81, received a National Book Award nomination Wednesday for "Shadow Country," an 890-page revision of a trilogy of novels he released in the 1990s. Others in the fiction...

`Porno' proves a five-letter word for movie's ads - Added 7 weeks ago

Kevin Smith made a movie with such a bothersome title he cannot even place ads for it in some places. Some newspaper, TV and outdoor ads for Smith's comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" have been rejected because of...

CBS leads in ratings for networks - Added 7 weeks ago

The season premiere of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS drew nearly 23.5 million people to the screen last week, a bright spot in what has already been a lackluster start to the fall TV season for the big...

Courteney Cox, Demi Moore make directorial debuts - Added 7 weeks ago

When women make movies, Hollywood pays attention, as scores of A-listers turned out to see Demi Moore, Courteney Cox and screenwriter Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith make their directorial debuts. Jennifer Aniston, Lucy Liu,...

Michael Lohan's charity boxing match set - Added 7 weeks ago

He's taken his lumps in the tabloids; now he'll be ducking swings in the boxing ring. Michael Lohan, the estranged father of Lindsay Lohan, will face Bob Venero, the president of Future Tech Enterprise, in an upcoming...

Tuesday's late-night TV wrap-up - Added 7 weeks ago

Late-night TV show hosts found humor in the presidential campaign. A sampling from Tuesday night: ___ "At a rally today in Virginia, they played the theme to `Rocky' as John McCain walked on to the stage. Does John...

'Ellen' airs video against gay marriage ban - Added 7 weeks ago

Ellen DeGeneres has made a public service announcement urging California voters to oppose a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage. DeGeneres married actress Portia de Rossi on Aug. 16, two months after the...

Neal Hefti, composer of 'Batman' theme, dies - Added 7 weeks ago

Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the movie "The Odd Couple" and the "Batman" television series, has died. He was 85. Hefti died Saturday at his home, said his son Paul Hefti. Neal...

Tuesday's late-night TV wrap-up - Added 7 weeks ago

Late-night TV show hosts found humor in the presidential campaign. A sampling from Tuesday night: ___ "At a rally today in Virginia, they played the theme to `Rocky' as John McCain walked on to the stage. Does John...

British Library buys archive of poet Ted Hughes - Added 7 weeks ago

The British Library said Wednesday it has bought a major archive of materials by poet Ted Hughes from the writer's estate for 500,000 pounds (US$880,000). The library said the 224 boxes and folders of manuscripts,...

Chef DiSpirito sambas off 'Dancing with the Stars' - Added 7 weeks ago

Rocco DiSpirito won't be cooking up any more moves on "Dancing with the Stars." The celebrity chef and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received the...

'One Tree Hill' creator signs up for 7th season - Added 7 weeks ago

The creator of the TV series "One Tree Hill" hopes the CW will decide by the first of the year whether to bring back the series now that he's agreed to head a seventh season. In a phone interview from Wilmington, where...

Aravind Adiga wins literature's Man Booker prize - Added 7 weeks ago

Aravind Adiga won the prestigious Man Booker award Tuesday for his first novel "The White Tiger." Adiga won the $87,000 prize for his book about a protagonist who will use any means necessary to fulfill his dream of...

Anne Hathaway's ex: Bad acts had good intentions - Added 7 weeks ago

Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend is asking a court to sentence him to three years in prison, rather than the more than four years he agreed to when he admitted scamming the Catholic Church. Raffaello Follieri's lawyer said...

Rather: Debates putting people to sleep - Added 7 weeks ago

Dan Rather believes the last presidential debate put many Americans to sleep. The former CBS News anchorman said the formats for the debates are so restrictive that it's tough to really call them debates. He blamed the...

Michael Lohan's charity boxing match set - Added 7 weeks ago

He's taken his lumps in the tabloids; now he'll be ducking swings in the boxing ring. Michael Lohan, the estranged father of Lindsay Lohan, will face Bob Venero, the president of Future Tech Enterprise, in an upcoming...

`A Body of Water' resounds long after it ends - Added 7 weeks ago

Playwright Lee Blessing chose an unusual approach to storytelling in his cryptic, interpretive drama "A Body of Water." Rather than gradually reveal the details of his characters' history and present disposition, he...

'To Be or Not to Be' receives a wan adaptation - Added 7 weeks ago

The fall theater season is still young, but Nick Whitby's "To Be or Not to Be" may turn out to be the most unnecessary Broadway production of the year. A wan if sporadically amusing adaptation of the classic Ernst...

CBS leads in ratings for networks - Added 7 weeks ago

The season premiere of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS drew nearly 23.5 million people to the screen last week, a bright spot in what has already been a lackluster start to the fall TV season for the big...

List of top 20 shows in prime-time Nielsen ratings - Added 7 weeks ago

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Oct. 6-12. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes...

Redgrave and Richardson to star in 'Night Music' - Added 7 weeks ago

Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson, mother and daughter, will play mother and daughter in a one-night concert version of "A Little Night Music," the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical. Richardson will star as...

Tim McGraw upset by label's decision - Added 7 weeks ago

Tim McGraw says his record label, Curb Records, released a greatest hits package of his songs against his wishes and without his involvement. McGraw, 41, said in a statement Tuesday that he's been working on a new...

Gary Coleman pleads not guilty - Added 7 weeks ago

Gary Coleman pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving Tuesday, his lawyer said. Both charges are misdemeanors and stem from a September incident at a bowling alley in Payson, about 60...

MISSING TITLE - Added 7 weeks ago

Aravind Adiga wins literature's Man Booker prize. ...

DJ AM joins Jay-Z on tour in first post-crash show - Added 7 weeks ago

DJ AM, who survived a plane crash last month in South Carolina, will appear on tour with Jay-Z. DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, will join the rap mogul Wednesday at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles,...

MTV, CNN partner for concert to support veterans - Added 7 weeks ago

MTV's Choose or Lose campaign and CNN have partnered to broadcast a concert supporting veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE" will air Oct. 24 on MTV (8 p.m. EDT)...

John Adams' `Doctor Atomic' opens at Met Opera - Added 7 weeks ago

A-bomb is a hit at the Metropolitan Opera. John Adams' intense and fascinating "Doctor Atomic," given its world premiere at the San Francisco Opera three years ago, made it to the Met on Monday night. Rather than use...

Not my dad's GOP: Buckley leaves National Review - Added 7 weeks ago

A week after endorsing Democrat Barack Obama for president, Christopher Buckley, a writer and son of William F. Buckley Jr., is leaving National Review, the conservative magazine founded by his father more than 50 years...

Travolta film victim of violence in French project - Added 7 weeks ago

A John Travolta movie has suspended plans to film in one of the Paris area's toughest housing projects after 10 cars to be used in the movie were burned, the production company and local officials said Tuesday. Filming...

Alicia Keys leads American Music Award nominees - Added 7 weeks ago

Alicia Keys had a leading five nominations for the 2008 American Music Awards, including artist of the year and favorite female artist in both the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories. Coldplay and the Eagles had four...

Presley names newborn twin girls Finley and Harper - Added 7 weeks ago

Lisa Marie Presley has named her newborn twin daughters Finley and Harper. Cindy Guagenti, a publicist for the 40-year-old singer, confirmed the names Tuesday, a week after Presley, who lives in the Los Angeles area,...

'SNL' this week? You betcha Tina Fey doesn't know - Added 7 weeks ago

It's the question dominating the political scene: When will Tina Fey be back on "Saturday Night Live"? "I don't know," Fey said. Over coffee Tuesday during a rare morning off from her NBC sitcom, "30 Rock," Fey noted...