May 16, 2002 |
FALLEN ANGEL
James Cameron probably isn't feeling like the King of the World today: Fox has axed his second-year sci-fi drama Dark Angel. The Oscar-winning filmmaker isn't holding out hope that he'll get a chance to tie up the show's loose ends in a two-hour telepic next season. "I doubt it, quite frankly," he tells TV Guide Online. "I think these decisions are made on a very mercenary basis. I think that once they've decided that they've got to put their money elsewhere, they'll put their money elsewhere. Which is too bad, because I think that we have a loyal fan base." The new Joss Whedon-produced space western Firefly will take over Jessica Alba's Friday night timeslot. Other Fox casualties include Titus, That '80s Show and Greg the Bunny. As expected, critical fave 24 has been renewed and Andy Richter Controls the Universe will return at midseason. At Fox's fall presentation to ad execs today, the network is expected to announce that it's adding a whopping 10 new shows. |
FRIENDS FOREVER?
David Letterman made a surprise appearance at CBS's upfront presentation Wednesday to poke fun at his network and his so-called rivalry with CBS chief Les Moonves. "We're all excited to find out what this year's Wolf Lake will be," Letterman cracked. A taped segment showed Moonves washing Letterman's car and holding cue cards on the Late Show set. (Despite all the silliness, it was clear these two will never be friends.) Meanwhile, based on clips of CBS's new fall shows, Monday night sitcom Still Standing (starring The Full Monty's Mark Addy) looks to be a winner, while Sunday night comedy Bram and Alice — which is being paired with a relocated Becker from 8-9 pm/ET — has a big "L" written on its forehead. Somewhere, Ted Danson is very angry. |
OUTLAW
Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon was one of several people arrested Tuesday at a Manhattan protest against proposed school budget cuts. Nixon, whose daughter attends a school in the city, was charged with disorderly conduct. She's due back in court on June 19. |
BORN TO RUN... FOR OFFICE?
A coalition calling itself "The Independence for New Jersey" has launched a campaign to get Bruce Springsteen elected as New Jersey's next U.S. senator. In order to get the Boss on the ballot, the group — headed by political consultant Doug Friedline (the same guy who helped put Jesse Ventura in office) — must have 800 signatures on its petition by June 4. It's not clear whether Springsteen has any desire to go into politics, but he must be flattered by all the attention. |
ALL PAM, ALL THE TIME
Capturing the true meaning of Memorial Day, TNN will mark the holiday (May 27) with "Pam's Day Off," a 12-hour Baywatch marathon starting at 9 am/ET. Presumably as a nod to voyeuristic veterans, they're only showing episodes featuring Pamela Anderson as busty lifeguard C.J. Parker. |
BY GEORGE, JASON'S GOT A NEW GIG
Spreading the good word about KFC apparently isn't fulfilling enough for Seinfeld grad Jason Alexander. The 42-year-old actor will begin teaching acting classes at the University of Southern California this fall as part of the school's George Burns Distinguished Visiting Professor in Performance program. |
RECORD ROUND-UP
Musiq's Juslisen entered the Billboard album chart at No. 1 with 260,000 copies sold. Celine Dion's New Day Has Come jumped four places to No. 2, followed by the debut of Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. |
SHORT CUTS
Late R&B singer Aaliyah received four nominations for this year's Black Entertainment Television Awards, announced Tuesday. The event airs live on BET June 25... Where in the world was Today's Matt Lauer this morning, the fourth day of his popular globe-trotting series? Angkor Wat, Cambodia... Epic Records will release The Osbourne Family Album, featuring the favorite songs of Ozzy and Co., on June 11. Included on the CD: daughter Kelly's cover of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach." |
|
|
|
