April 02, 2002 |
''MR. TELEVISION'' MEMORIALIZED
Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Don Rickles, Norm Crosby and Jayne Meadows were among the 300 mourners bidding farewell to entertainment legend Milton Berle at a private memorial service-turned-impromptu celebrity roast Monday in Los Angeles. Longtime pal Rickles set the tone of the ceremony by declaring, "I would like to be paid for this." Berle's son-in-law, ex-Night Court actor Richard Moll, later joked, "Being around Milton, I got to hear the best jokes in the world and I want to thank Shecky Greene and the late Henny Youngman for those." Berle died Wednesday at age 93. |
WRAPPED UP IN YOU
Country singers Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood are officially dating, reports Nashville's Tennessean newspaper. The crooning twosome who've recorded several duets together were seen holding hands at a prominent songwriter's memorial service two weeks ago, and have been publicly canoodling elsewhere, too. |
SHE'S MARRIED, BUDDY
Ben Affleck is going gaga over Jennifer Lopez. The Oscar winner who's currently shooting the crime comedy Gigli with the singer-actress is explaining why he took out ads in the Hollywood trades last month singing the praises of the singer-actress. Affleck tells Access Hollywood that he was ashamed of the "preconceived notions" he had about working with the alleged diva. "So, I thought I'd write a paragraph saying what a professional, decent person I think she is and how kind she is," he explains. "The ad was more aimed at other people than it was to her, just because there is so much negativity people gossip and criticize and bicker I think it's nice and rare when you meet someone who you think is actually exceptional and worth praise. I think she is a really great woman, intelligent, smart, capable and professional all the way. I thought that was something people might want to know." Paging Cris Judd... |
KENNETH LAY MR. JUNE?
Taking a page from Playboy magazine, Playgirl said on Monday that it is seeking current or former male employees of Enron to pose nude for an in-the-works "Men of Enron" spread. Speaking of Playgirl, Survivor: Marquesas blondie Gabriel Cade won't be cashing in on his good looks anytime soon. "No Playgirl for me," the 23-year-old castoff laughs to TV Guide Online, adding: "I think women apply to Survivor for that kind of fame, while the men are more about playing the game." |
PRINCESS SUSAN
Oscar winner Susan Sarandon has joined the cast of Children of Dune, the Sci Fi Channel's six-hour follow-up to Frank Herbert's Dune, Variety reports. Sarandon will play ruthless princess Wensicia. The miniseries is slated to air in early 2003. |
NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE
Still curious as to what was behind Jennifer Connelly's somber acceptance speech on Oscar night? Well, the New York Post has a theory: The paper is reporting that the Beautiful Mind actress broke up with boyfriend, former Sports Night star Josh Charles, right before the show. |
LAW AND ORDER
Sopranos star Robert Iler will stand trial on robbery charges on May 6. The 17-year-old actor and two pals are accused of robbing two other youths of $40 last summer in New York. He could face a 15-year prison sentence if convicted. |
MORE MOB NEWS...
Robert Iler's Sopranos dad, James Gandolfini, will lend his voice to DreamWorks' upcoming computer-animated pic Sharkslayer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy winner will play the "Soprano" of all sharks. He joins an all-star cast that includes Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and Renιe Zellweger. |
BACK TO THE BEACH
The on-again, off-again Baywatch reunion movie is on again. Fox has given producer-star David Hasselhoff the green light for a two-hour telepic slated for November sweeps. It remains unclear which Baywatch castmembers will be returning for the flick. |
MIDSEASON CASUALTIES
Fox has axed its low-rated Monday night drama The American Embassy after just four episodes. UPN, meanwhile, is doing away with its new Friday night reality lineup consisting of Under One Roof and repeats of The Amazing Race 2. |
REAL WORLD
The success of The Osbournes has MTV getting real. The music channel is launching six new reality shows, beginning with Saturday's premiere of Taildaters (8:30 pm/ET), which lets family members tag along on a date. Also in the pipeline: Virgin Chronicles, in which music stars revisit their firsts (including, yes, their first time), and the behind-the-scenes college romp Sorority Life. |
SHORT CUTS
MSNBC is courting talk show pioneer Phil Donahue to host a new prime-time show starting in June... Jay Leno will celebrate his 10th anniversary as host of NBC's The Tonight Show with a prime-time special on April 30 (10-11 pm/ET)... Speaking of milestones, CBS will air The Honeymooners 50th Anniversary Celebration on May 6 (10-11 pm/ET). It will feature rare and never-before-seen clips from the classic comedy series... Barbra Streisand's mother, Diana Streisand Kind, died last Wednesday after falling in her Los Angeles home. She was 93... Veteran actress Rosetta LeNoire, probably best known as Mother Winslow on Family Matters, died March 17 of natural causes. She was 90... Breaking news has once again forced Nightline to postpone its five-part series on gay life. Michael Ausiello with Daniel R. Coleridge |
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