News For Friday Aug 29, 2008 News For Friday Aug 29, 2008

Entertainment Entertainment

Defense gives closing arguments in wiretap case - Added 2 days ago

A federal prosecutor claimed Tuesday that taped phone calls between Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and a high-powered lawyer showed they were conducting illegal wiretaps, even though the alleged wiretapped...

Nicollette Sheridan, Michael Bolton end engagement - Added 2 days ago

Nicollette Sheridan and Michael Bolton have ended their engagement. The split was amicable, said Nicole Perna, a publicist for the pair. The 44-year-old actress and 55-year-old singer have been engaged since March...

Marty Stuart to start country music TV show - Added 2 days ago

Marty Stuart thinks there's room on TV for the style of country music he remembers from "The Porter Wagoner Show," "Flatt & Scruggs" and, of course, "Hee Haw." So Stuart decided to create his own show. "The Marty...

List of top 20 prime-time shows in Nielsen ratings - Added 2 days ago

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Aug. 18-24. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses...

NBC's Olympics coverage logs one final ratings win - Added 2 days ago

It was seven more golden days for NBC last week, radiant with Olympics coverage that brought the sort of ratings victory a network dreams of. If only it didn't have to end. Overall, the 17-day Beijing Games were a...

Haley Joel Osment to make B'way debut - Added 2 days ago

David Mamet's "American Buffalo," a robbery tale set in a Chicago junk shop, has found its third partner in crime _ Haley Joel Osment, who will be making his Broadway debut in the production. The 20-year-old Osment,...

Pink Floyd, Renee Fleming receive 2008 Polar Prize - Added 2 days ago

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf on Tuesday presented the 2008 Polar Music Prize to American soprano Renee Fleming and Pink Floyd band members Nick Mason and Roger Waters for their contributions to popular music and opera....

Mortier hopes to run both NYC Opera and Bayreuth - Added 3 days ago

Gerard Mortier says his application to run the Bayreuth Festival in Germany will not change his plans to run the New York City Opera starting with the 2009-10 season. Mortier, former head of the Salzburg Festival and...

Manager: Spears not slated to perform on VMAs - Added 3 days ago

Britney Spears won't perform on this year's MTV Video Music Awards, according to her manager. "Contrary to media reports, Britney was never slated to perform on this year's VMAs," Larry Rudolph, Spears' manager at Jive...

Guthrie adds 'Little House' seats - Added 3 days ago

Fans will get an extra chance to see the sold-out "Little House on the Prairie" musical at the Guthrie Theater. The show stars Melissa Gilbert as the proper and reserved Ma Ingalls, mother of the bold pioneer girl...

After 50 years, Rogers still excited about hits - Added 3 days ago

Kenny Rogers is proud of his 50-year career, but he can't help but hope that the best is yet to come. "For me, the whole goal is to stay relevant as long as I can," said Rogers, whose career retrospective, "Kenny...

Dr. Dre's 20-year-old son found dead in LA - Added 3 days ago

Dr. Dre's 20-year-old son has died, the rapper's publicist said Tuesday. "Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr.," publicist Lori Earl said in a statement. Young Jr., who was named after his father,...

A fall TV season with questions in the air - Added 3 days ago

With fall in sight, ABC is inviting viewers to stay home and watch ABC as an energy-saving measure. For this tongue-in-cheek promotion, National Stay at Home Week begins Sept. 21 _ also the official start of the...

Anne Hathaway's politics, in her own words - Added 3 days ago

Celebrities are getting serious at the Democratic convention. Sure, there are parties aplenty. But a contingent of Hollywood types under the Creative Coalition banner are gathering for sober-minded luncheons and forums...

'Ratchet & Clank' leads wave of fresh PSN games - Added 3 days ago

Of the three video-game console manufacturers, Microsoft was the first to embrace online gaming, and its Xbox Live has become essential to anyone who wants to play against faraway competitors. Sony and Nintendo are...

Music Review: The Verve reunites with new album - Added 3 days ago

The Verve, "Forth" (On Your Own) It's been 11 years since British band the Verve released its last studio album, 1997's emotional "Urban Hymns," and unleashed its hit anthem "Bitter Sweet Symphony" onto the world. ...

John Legend performs at the Democratic convention - Added 3 days ago

Wolf Blitzer is a John Legend fan. After CNN aired a live performance of Legend's new song, "If You're Out There," from the floor of the Democratic National Convention, Blitzer promised to continue to interrupt the...

`100 Things' co-author Dave Freeman dies in LA - Added 3 days ago

Dave Freeman, co-author of "100 Things to Do Before You Die," a travel guide and ode to odd adventures that inspired readers and imitators, died after hitting his head in a fall at his home. He was 47. Freeman died...

Bollywood's 'Hari Puttar' film sparks lawsuit - Added 3 days ago

Let's see Hari Puttar get out of this one. Bollywood producers set to release a film called "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors" are working to fend off a lawsuit filed by Warner Bros. that claims the movie title hews too...

Fourth `Idol' judge a straight-shooting hitmaker - Added 3 days ago

Scooching in between Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson sounds intimidating, if not a little scary. But Kara DioGuardi, the newly-installed fourth judge on "American Idol," is confident she'll find her niche...

Another Wagner joins leadership bid for Bayreuth - Added 3 days ago

As the annual Bayreuth Festival moves toward its conclusion later this week, the real drama is unfolding behind the scenes over a successor to 89-year-old director Wolfgang Wagner. The furor increased Monday with news...

Deputy pulls gun during stop of Diddy's entourage - Added 3 days ago

A sheriff's deputy pulled a gun on members of Diddy's entourage during a routine traffic stop over the weekend, but the situation was quickly resolved and a spokesman for the entertainer said the deputy was professional...

'Battlestar Galactica' franchise steams ahead - Added 3 days ago

Need proof the television ratings system is dead, a victim of the TiVo, the ubiquitous satellite dish and schizophrenic viewing habits? Take a look at what's happening with "Battlestar Galactica." If the traditional...

'Spore' designer spills on explicit creatures - Added 3 days ago

Will Wright is not offended by the explicit monsters some folks have created using his evolution simulator, no matter which private parts they may resemble. In fact, Wright said he's been impressed with the indecent...

'Thunder' pulls in $16.3M, holds off 'House Bunny' - Added 3 days ago

The action comedy "Tropic Thunder" clung to the top spot again at the weekend box office with $16.3 million, while the campus romp "The House Bunny" debuted in second place with $14.5 million. The top 20 movies at U.S....

'Promises to Keep' a hit for Biden - Added 3 days ago

The publisher of Sen. Joe Biden's memoir, an instant best seller for the presumed vice presidential nominee, is being reissued in paperback with a first printing of 100,000. The Random House Publishing Group released...

`Idol' alum Ace Young to make Broadway debut - Added 3 days ago

Another "American Idol" alum is heading to "Grease" on Broadway. Ace Young, who competed on season five of the Fox show, joins the cast Sept. 9, playing Kenickie in the revival of the popular musical. The 27-year-old...

Video-game news: Europe's big show - Added 4 days ago

Real news from the virtual world: _CONTINENTAL CONGRESS: The Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, is the biggest annual video-game event in Europe, and it keeps getting bigger. This year, more than 203,000 people...

Fall films: Bond, Bush, high school divas - Added 4 days ago

Hollywood's heavy hitter, Harry Potter, has been sidelined for fall, with the sixth adventure about the boy wizard transported from its original November release into next summer's schedule. Good thing the season has a...

Gill, Matthews, Seger perform on Little Feat CD - Added 4 days ago

Vince Gill didn't need coaxing to record tracks for a new CD featuring classics by influential '70s group Little Feat. "Since I was about 18 or 19 they've been my favorite band," Gill told The Associated Press...

Fourth child on the way for Charlie Sheen - Added 4 days ago

Make that "Two and a Half Men," three daughters and a baby on the way for Charlie Sheen. The actor is expecting a child with wife Brooke Mueller, Sheen announced Monday in a statement. "Brooke and I are thrilled!" the...

Van Cliburn to perform at Liberty Medal ceremony - Added 4 days ago

Classical pianist Van Cliburn will perform next month during the 2008 Liberty Medal ceremony in Philadelphia honoring former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. The Texas native, now 74, was only 23 when he won the...

Matthews, Crow kick off Democratic convention - Added 4 days ago

Singing at the Democratic convention, Sheryl Crow dedicated her song "Strong Enough" to Barack Obama and then added a twist to the lyrics for the occasion. "Are you strong enough to be my man, or my president?" Crow...

Susan Lucci, Toni Braxton set for ABC's `Dancing' - Added 4 days ago

Susan Lucci, Toni Braxton and Lance Bass will hit the floor on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." They are among 13 celebrities slated to compete on the new season of the top-rated dance contest, premiering Sept. 22. The...

Barenaked Ladies singer survives plane crash - Added 4 days ago

The lead singer of the Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies and three other people survived a plane crash in rural southeastern Ontario, authorities said Monday. Ed Robertson's Cessna 206 floatplane crashed in a wooded...

Andy Dick won't face sex battery charge - Added 4 days ago

Prosecutors say they won't charge Andy Dick with sexual battery stemming from his arrest last month. The "NewsRadio" actor with a reputation for crude public behavior is still scheduled to face a judge later this week...

Highlights of Hollywood's fall, holiday schedule - Added 4 days ago

Highlights of the fall film slate (release dates are subject to change, and some films will play in limited release): Late August-September: APPALOOSA: Hired lawman (Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris) take on a tough...

Rushdie says mother's gossip was inspiration - Added 4 days ago

Salman Rushdie says his mother's gossip had a strong influence on his literary career. Rushdie says his mother was a "world class gossip" and that it was from her that he got a feel for talking about secrets. He says...

Robert Caro speaks of the LBJ centennial - Added 4 days ago

As the centennial of Lyndon Johnson's birth approaches, historian Robert A. Caro would like to think of his longtime subject at his happiest and most fulfilled: Not when Johnson was president, in anguish over Vietnam,...

Davis, Wolfson attending convention for Fox - Added 4 days ago

Longtime Clinton confidant Lanny Davis and Howard Wolfson, Hillary Clinton's former communications director, once anticipated being very busy at this week's Democratic National Convention. They never envisioned going...

`Thunder' reigns again with $16.1 million weekend - Added 4 days ago

The action comedy "Tropic Thunder" weathered a rush of new movies to remain No. 1 for a second-straight weekend with $16.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Paramount-DreamWorks release...

Former Bond Sean Connery launches autobiography - Added 4 days ago

He's recognized around the world as the iconic face of James Bond. But in Britain, Sean Connery is also well known as a proud Scot, and on Monday he returns to his hometown to launch his autobiography. "Being a Scot"...

West, Lopez, Daughtry among stars in Denver - Added 4 days ago

Never mind those stinging "celebrity" ads, or the rebuttal by Paris Hilton. Musicians, artists and Hollywood types are descending on Denver _ and so what if Barack Obama doesn't need their star power? He'll get it...

For fall: Bond's back, Hollywood does high school - Added 4 days ago

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Highlights of Hollywood's fall, holiday schedule - Added 4 days ago

Highlights of the fall film slate (release dates are subject to change, and some films will play in limited release): Late August-September: APPALOOSA: Hired lawman (Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris) take on a tough...

`Hamlet 2' rocks with racy musical numbers - Added 4 days ago

"Rock Me Sexy Jesus." "You're As Gay As the Day is Long." "Raped in the Face." These aren't insults. They're song titles from the new film "Hamlet 2," which opened over the weekend. The movie follows an eternally...

Robert Caro speaks of the LBJ centennial - Added 5 days ago

!!-- pobj:NY301-0102531150 -->!!-- pobj:NY305-0521560800 -->!!-- pobj:NY302-0729581150 -->!!-- pobj:NY304-0829570800 -->!!-- pobj:NY303-0911561149 -->As the centennial of Lyndon Johnson's birth approaches, historian...

Davis, Wolfson attending convention for Fox - Added 5 days ago

Longtime Clinton confidant Lanny Davis and Howard Wolfson, Hillary Clinton's former communications director, once anticipated being very busy at this week's Democratic National Convention. They never envisioned going...

At writing camp, schlepping goes with scholarship - Added 5 days ago

It's billed as the oldest writers' conference in the nation, a gathering at a picturesque mountaintop retreat where literary giants, book editors and up-and-coming novelists have been coming together once a year since...

Will star wattage in Denver help or hurt Obama? - Added 5 days ago

Back in 2004, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons was in Boston for John Kerry's coronation as the Democratic nominee, staging a big hip-hop summit to draw new voters. This year, though he's a Barack Obama supporter, he plans...