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Showbiz Tonight

Show Biz Tonight for March 17, 2005, CNNHN

Aired March 17, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: A Letterman kidnapping plot.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And a verdict in the Lil` Kim trial. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Late night nightmare. An alleged plot to kidnap Dave Letterman`s son. Tonight we`ve got the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The contestant that you chose to keep in the competition is Mikalah. Congratulations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Judging "American Idol." One more down as millions watched. Now it`s 11. Former finalist Kimberly Caldwell picks her winner.

HAMMER: Hot mama! Stifler`s mom is one animated actress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER COOLIDGE, "ROBOTS": Well, hello there! What`s your name?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Jennifer Coolidge live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: It was one of the great jokes of all time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Kirk kids `em The Star Trek captain pulls off an enterprising prank. William Shatner`s here with the punch line.

HAMMER: Girl grown up! A former Spice Girl goes solo and reveals all about her new revealing album.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA BUNTON, SPICE GIRLS: Hi, everyone. I`m Emma Bunton. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: Our top story tonight, that is still unfolding, a plot to kidnap David Letterman`s son.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live with the story - - David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hi, Karyn and A.J. A shocking plot, indeed. Authorities in Montana have arraigned earlier today of a man who allegedly planned to kidnap "Late Show" host David Letterman`s son and nanny from his Montana home and hold them for a $5 million ransom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): He was a proud papa when his son, Harry Joseph, was born in November, 2003. His boy was all he could talk about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: My father passed away when he was 57. I`m 56 years old, and yesterday I had my first child. So I named him for my father, and his name is Harry Joseph Letterman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: But now, a parent`s worst nightmare. Authorities say there was a plot to kidnap his only son. The suspect, 43-year-old Kelly Frank. He worked as a painter on Letterman`s Montana ranch. Officials say he was arrested Sunday when a friend of Frank`s went to the cops and told them he was approached with the plans. Letterman`s sprawling ranch was apparently the target, about 60 miles outside of Great Falls, near Choteau.

This isn`t the first time Letterman`s personal life has been invaded. In 1988, Margaret Ray was arrested for stalking Letterman and breaking into his New Canaan, Connecticut, home. She once told reporters she left cookies and an empty bottle of Jack Daniel`s in the foyer. The troubled woman committed suicide seven years ago. That same year, another woman was arrested for trespassing at that same home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

A David Letterman spokesman would only tell us that his boss is traveling today. "The Late Show With David Letterman" not be taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater behind me today due to CBS coverage of the NCAA championships -- Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, David Haffenreffer, outside of Letterman`s studio in New York.

Well, Lil` Kim has got some big problems tonight. Earlier this afternoon in New York, the rap star was convicted of lying to a grand jury about a shooting outside a New York City radio station. Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy but acquitted of obstructing justice. The shoot- out occurred in 2001 at the Hot 97 radio station. Now, Kim could face up to 20 years in prison at her June sentencing.

HAMMER: And Martha Stewart back in a New York court today. She`s appealing her conviction for lying about a stock sale back in 2001. Yes, Martha already has served half her sentence. She was released, of course, two weeks ago from prison but has five months of house arrest yet to go. She began serving her sentence before her appeal was heard to help put the matter behind her.

BRYANT: Fox is still posting big numbers for "American Idol 4." More than 27 million people tuned in to last night`s episode, where the first finalist was sent packing. Lindsey Cardinale got the boot. Her Tuesday night rendition of "Knock on Wood" received the lowest number of viewer votes. The move didn`t come as a huge surprise, especially not to good ol` Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Simon said, I think 30 million TV sets in America had their volume turned down simultaneously during that song. The contestant that you chose to keep in the competition is Mikalah. Congratulations. You are safe. Lindsey, your journey ends tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: And to help us judge the latest cut and to make some sense of the whole Mario quitting thing is season 2 "American Idol" finalist and TV Guide Channel host Kimberly Caldwell, who joins us live from Los Angeles. Kimberly, let`s get right to it. What`s your take on Mario?

KIMBERLY CALDWELL, FORMER CONTESTANT: How`re you doing?

OK, I think that there`s a lot of different things that you can think about this. There`s a lot of rumors spreading. The whole P. Diddy thing I think got cleared up. But you know, to be on "American Idol" and to get that opportunity is an amazing opportunity, but at the same time, signing that contract once you get into the top 12 means that you are connected with "American Idol."

And he was one of the front-runners in "American Idol," and I think that there was a huge possibility of him actually take home the entire thing. So it may have something to do with the contract. It may have something to do with his personal life. And nobody can really tell right now.

BRYANT: Kimberly, did you ever feel like quitting when you were playing along with "American Idol?"

CALDWELL: Oh, no!

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: You wanted it all, right?

CALDWELL: Hey, I have a job now don`t I? Oh, no. I definitely didn`t ever think about quitting. And of course, you miss your friends and your family because, you know, you`re kind of in the "American Idol" bubble at that time.

BRYANT: Sure.

CALDWELL: But that`s -- you know, that`s what you have to do to get to where you want to be. And it worked out OK for me, so I`m happy.

BRYANT: OK. Do you think Lindsey should have been kicked off last night?

CALDWELL: I don`t know if I think she should have been kicked off, but I think at this stage in the game, in the top 12, you have to really bring it and give 110 percent. And I`m usually not the one to say I agree with Randy. I think no matter what song you choose, you should be able to nail it, and that`s the bottom line. But in this instance -- excuse me -- in this instance, I believe that the song selection may have hurt her, yes.

BRYANT: OK. So who do you want to go the distance, now that -- obviously, you sounded like you thought Mario Vazquez had a good shot. Who do you want to see at the end of the day?

CALDWELL: I did. I`m really sad that Mario had to leave, but I`m a huge fan of Nadia. I think she has the "it" factor, if you know what I mean.

BRYANT: Sure.

CALDWELL: And I`m a huge fan of Bo`s, as well. I think he did an amazing job and really captured the audience last night and ran into the audience. And I think he stepped out of the "American Idol" boundaries. So I really respect that guy.

BRYANT: Yes, I think Bo is definitely winning over a lot of hearts right now.

CALDWELL: Who do you like the best?

BRYANT: I have to say I am a Bo fan. I think -- when he did "Spinning Wheel" and when he did the Allman Brothers song, he totally -- he totally nailed it for me, so...

CALDWELL: I think it`d be awesome if a rocker...

BRYANT: Yes!

CALDWELL: ... took over "American Idol" this year.

BRYANT: It`d be cool. Well, Kimberly Caldwell, thank you for joining us.

CALDWELL: Thank you.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) judge "American Idol." There you go -- A.J.

HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Well, we have more on "American Idol" tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be debating whether the show`s actually is good for music. We`ll do that coming up in just a few minutes.

Well, the Spice Girls took the music business by storm. They sold 40 million albums. Well, now, in the wake of that storm, Baby Spice has a new name, a new album and a sexy new image. I had the chance to sit down with Emma Bunton at the Hard Rock Cafe here in New York City to find out about her first solo album "Free Me."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): From Baby Spice to naughty and nice. First things first. Bye-bye, Baby.

EMMA BUNTON, BABY SPICE: I`m Emma, and my name is Baby Spice!

HAMMER: Don`t call her by her Spice Girl name. She wants people to get to know her as Emma Bunton.

BUNTON: I`ve grown up a lot, obviously, over the years. And you know, I love fashion. I love working out. You know, all these kinds of things. And I think it`s just -- you know, I like to think I`ve now turned into a woman.

HAMMER: She`s also turned into a solo artist. Her album, called "Free Me," is in stores now. It`s her first without Ginger, Scary, Posh and Sporty.

BUNTON: Being in the Spice Girls was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I -- you know, I traveled the world. I met the girls at 18, and I was doing so much. You know, at 21, I was in the U.S. touring. It`s just amazing.

HAMMER (on camera): You clearly are not afraid of your past. A lot of artists will really want to walk away and separate themselves from your past. You recognize, Hey, that what I did then. But this album really is -- it`s a statement. It`s a bold statement about you.

BUNTON: I do write the lyrics, so the album is very personal. You know, I would say to people that if they listen to this album, they will get to know me a little bit better.

HAMMER (voice-over): Her lyrics, relationship-heavy. The feel retro, with influences from Motown, something she couldn`t do in the past.

BUNTON: I had all the musicians come in. We did everything live. So you know, that`s something that`s very special about this album. It`s not smothered in production.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was with the British bombshell as she rehearsed her first single in New York City.

BUNTON: It was really natural to go into the studio and have lyrics and work with producers who, you know, I really got on with. And I had -- I knew exactly how I wanted this album to sound when I walked into the studio.

HAMMER (on camera): You put it out there in the UK, and it was met with great success and great acclaim. The United States is always a little frightening for some artists. Tell me about how you feel. Is this really, like, the final frontier? If I can make this happen here, then sky`s the limit?

BUNTON: Of course, I think every British artist always wants to make it in America. It`s something -- it`s a dream. And of course, you know, you have to work hard here, and it`s such a huge place. But that`s something that I`m looking forward to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: She`s a songwriter, too. Emma co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album. Her second single, "Maybe," just hit radio. And as I mentioned, the album has kind of a retro feel. It`s real nice, Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, A.J.

Well, William Shatner`s got an album of his own. That`s one of the many things he`s got going on. The "Star Trek" legend joins us to tell us about Miss Congeniality and the fast one he pulled on an Iowa town.

HAMMER: And stunning sexual allegations made by Jane Fonda. Our "Buzz Bench" is buzzing about the "Barbarella" star.

BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which legendary French performer appears in the multiple- Oscar-winning 1958 film "Gigi"? Is it Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday, Edith Piaf or Maurice Chevalier? We will be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which legendary French performer appears in the multiple-Oscar-winning 1958 film "Gigi"? Was it Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday, Edith Piaf or Maurice Chevalier? The answer is D, Maurice Chevalier.

BRYANT: It`s 14 minutes past hour. Time now for the "SHOWBIZ Showdown." As we told you earlier, nearly 30 million of you are watching "American Idol" and voting for your favorite singer each week. But even though the show`s still going strong, record sales for "Idol`s" winners have progressively declined, which leads us to tonight`s hot topic, "American Idol." So we`re going to let the "Showdown" begin.

Joining us live, Steve Gottlieb, president and founder of TVT Records, who says "American Idol" is good for music. He joins us from Austin, Texas. And Brian Hiatt, associate editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine, who says "American Idol" is not good for music. Now, Brian, I`m going to start with you. Why do you think "American Idol" is so bad?

BRIAN HIATT, "ROLLING STONE": Well, "American Idol" might be good for the music industry, but it`s definitely bad for music because most of the music it produces is bad. It`s as simple as that. And if you look at "American Idol" and how it works, many of the great artists of the past 40 years or so would never make it past even the first audition. How well would Bob Dylan do on "American Idol"?

BRYANT: OK, Steve, what`s your take? You think the show is good for the music industry.

STEVE GOTTLIEB, PRES., TVT RECORDS: I think it`s great. I`m down here in Austin at a music convention called South by Southwest, where thousands of rock bands are competing the old-fashioned way for an audience, in front of live audiences, and they`re going through a different competition to become -- to reach fame and fortune.

BRYANT: Right, but you think the show`s a good idea for music?

GOTTLIEB: I think even though they`re going a completely different route, they still respect all the people on "American Idol" and respect any artist who has the nerve to put it out on the line and stand up in front of a huge audience and expose themselves and compete.

BRYANT: Right. Now, Brian, I want to talk about this. You`re saying you don`t think Dylan would have made it. I mean, yes, I think of Bruce Springsteen, he`s a American idol in many ways, doesn`t really have the voice that Simon and Randy might be looking for. Is this show just looking for somebody who can move units, or is it really looking for an artist?

HIATT: I don`t even know if it`s looking for someone who can move units. It`s looking for someone who fits the very particular criteria that is "American Idol." And it`s sort of someone who can sing in a particular way and it`s not necessarily a contest to find the person who can make best record or the person who`s the most artistic, it`s the person who has the best voice, defined in a very specific way that`s not even really fitting with the way that the rest of the music industry is working nowadays.

BRYANT: Now, Steve, you kind of have a smirk there. What do you think about that? I mean, are they growing artists on "American Idol," or are they growing, you know, growing pop commodities?

GOTTLIEB: I don`t think -- I think time will tell what they`re growing.

BRYANT: Right.

GOTTLIEB: But I don`t think anyone has any illusions that what they`re doing is, you know, a particular slice of music and representing, you know, what the panel and the public is voting for. But we`re all searching for -- we all have our inner Simons and Paulas and...

BRYANT: Sure.

GOTTLIEB: ... Randys. And in a way, we all relate to that because we`re all judging music and looking for our own individual stars that really touch us. And so I think we can appreciate it without sharing the same taste as the judges.

BRYANT: All right. Well, in any case, it`s good television. You would agree on that?

HIATT: It`s definitely good television, yes.

BRYANT: All right.

GOTTLIEB: A great guilty pleasure.

BRYANT: There you go.

HIATT: The thing he admits is it`s a guilty pleasure.

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: There you go. Scott Gottlieb, founder and president of TVT records, thank you for joining us, and Brian Hiatt, associate editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine.

Now we want to know your thoughts at home. It`s our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day. "American Idol": is it good for music? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: Her name is Jennifer Coolidge. You know her as Stifler`s mom, among her many roles. Well, now she`s playing Aunt Fanny in "Robots." And Fanny is really a quite appropriate name for her character. She`ll tell us why, live

BRYANT: And a former "Sex and the City" girl`s guilty pleasure. Speaking of guilty pleasures. That`s in today`s "Thursday In Style."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Robert Blake thanks Barbara Walters. Find out why in our "Talk of the Day." That`s coming up in about 15 minutes.

BRYANT: Time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories making news tonight. NBC renewals. "The West Wing" and "Joey" have been picked up for another season. "ER" has been renewed through 2008. "Las Vegas" and "Crossing Jordan" also got another season nod.

And another Aniston break-up, but don`t jump out of your seats. It`s just the title of a movie she has signed onto. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed today that Jennifer Aniston will star in "The Break Up" alongside Vince Vaughn. Now, the comedy flick is scheduled to be released in February of 2006.

More "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, the new animated feature film "Robots" is full of colorful characters, including Aunt Fanny, whose best known characteristic is a little junk in the trunk, if you know what I`m saying. And the very animated actress who gave Aunt Fanny her voice is here. Thanks for stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer Coolidge. Nice to have you here.

JENNIFER COOLIDGE, "ROBOTS": Nice to be here.

HAMMER: Now, before we have at it, we want to show everybody the character in "Robots" that you brought to life. So let`s roll this.

COOLIDGE: Oh, great. Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bless her little heart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, why is she called Aunt Fanny?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You couldn`t call her Aunt Booty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

COOLIDGE: Oops!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a little artsy-fartsy. The artsy`s OK, but when she gets fartsy...

COOLIDGE: Oh, right on my shoes! I`m so clumsy. Well, hello there! What`s your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m Rodney Big Bottom. No, I`m Rodney Copper Bottom! Copper Bottom!

COOLIDGE: That`s a wonderful name! Big Bottom. Well, I just -- what happened to your friend?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It would seem to me that doing an animated flick for any actor is just a great gig.

COOLIDGE: It is the best gig in Hollywood, and every actor in Hollywood wants them because -- you know, hey, if they`d been offered to me 10 years ago, I would have been doing them. I mean, they`re -- it`s best job. It`s -- I mean, I work 10 hours over two years, and you get to be part of this amazing movie. And you know -- and it`s just -- it`s fun and easy, really easy. And animation guys are incredibly cool.

HAMMER: Did you know going in that you were going to be doing the voice for the character with the big butt?

COOLIDGE: I was hoping I was doing the woman with the big butt because when I had saw an illustration of all the characters, it was my favorite one. I thought it was the most interesting one.

HAMMER: You know, the voice that you ended up going with was one of several, I understand?

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: You actually brought them a few different choices?

COOLIDGE: Yes, I sort of thought they wanted a more matronly sound. You know, I sort of did this voice that sounded like something -- you know, like Aunt Bee on -- you know, on "Mayberry RFD," that show, Andy Griffith Show...

HAMMER: Right.

COOLIDGE: ... something like that, more matronly. But they wanted a sexier voice, and so I just tried to sound like what a big butt would sound like.

HAMMER: OK. It seems to have worked out!

(LAUGHTER)

COOLIDGE: That`s one they chose.

HAMMER: Now, I imagine every day, probably, walking down street, or certainly, you walk into a shopping mall, you must get quite a few, Stifler`s mom! Do you get a couple of those?

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: Now, do you have anybody now coming up to you and saying, Aunt Fanny!

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: No, an entirely different thing.

COOLIDGE: I haven`t had any Aunt Fannys yet, but I -- you know, I`m really hoping that -- no, I`m joking.

HAMMER: It could be coming.

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: Congratulations, by the way. As we mentioned just a few moments ago, "Joey" picked up for another season on NBC.

COOLIDGE: Yes, I got the phone call, like, maybe two hours ago, that...

HAMMER: Wow.

COOLIDGE: Yes. I just -- I guess you guys knew before I did.

HAMMER: We did, as a matter of fact, and I`m happy that you`re here to celebrate with us tonight. And that wasn`t even intended to be a recurring role, was it.

COOLIDGE: No. No, I did the pilot, and you know, I sort of decided I would do this sort of very crazy woman for a one-shot deal...

HAMMER: Right.

COOLIDGE: ... and sort of did her a little bit over the top. And then they asked if I wanted to sign on for -- to be a series regular, and I said sure. But you know, I couldn`t really change it after that, so I...

HAMMER: Series TV also another great gig.

COOLIDGE: Yes. That is a very good gig. And Matt LeBlanc makes it a good gig, you know, the -- he`s one of the nicest guys in the business that I`ve met. He`s incredible. And he makes it really easy to show up for work every day. I mean, he`s -- he really knows what he`s doing, and he`s hilarious.

HAMMER: So everybody that I told that you were coming in -- Oh, my God! she`s favorite! She`s hilarious. She`s so much fun. I want to know, what`s a Saturday night like for Jennifer Coolidge? What are you doing? Are you hanging with the Hollywood people, or do you do kind of your own thing?

COOLIDGE: Oh, gosh. Yes, I`m probably sleeping. No, no. I -- yes, I go out. I go out. I have a bunch of dogs and -- I guess I don`t do that at night. What do I -- yes, I go out to -- I`m -- I`m still fun and, you know, I`m -- what? What do I do at night?

HAMMER: You`re schwinging (ph).

COOLIDGE: I go to a lot of movies.

HAMMER: Schwinging in the hills.

COOLIDGE: I go to a lot of movies, yes. I`m obsessed with movies still.

HAMMER: Well, we appreciate you spending this Thursday night here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer.

COOLIDGE: Oh, thank you for having me! Thank you.

HAMMER: And congratulations on your current projects, of course...

COOLIDGE: Thank you.

HAMMER: ... "Robots" and "Joey." "Robots" in theaters now, and "Joey" can be seen Thursday nights on NBC. Thanks for stopping by.

COOLIDGE: Thank you.

HAMMER: Karyn.

BRYANT: It is a private tour, and you`re invited. Coming up, where the celebs do their shopping, your only look inside of the brand-new Mark Jacobs store in LA.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

KARYN BRYANT, CNN ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Why is this man punking an entire Midwestern town? He has a new TV show and a movie and we have a chat with William Shatner.

AJ HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Kim Cattrall`s (ph) guilty pleasures. She had a lot of them on "Sex and the City" and a few in real life as well. Find out a few of Kim`s favorite things in "Thursday in Style."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. This is (INAUDIBLE) If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

Kidnapping plot. Word came in tonight that a plot was underway to kidnap David Letterman`s son and the child`s nanny and hold them for a $5 million ransom. Letterman`s son Harry was born in November 2003. A man who was working as a painter at the Letterman ranch in Montana has been arrested. Kelly Frank (ph) of Sims, Montana is charged with solicitation after allegedly approaching an acquaintance about the kidnapping idea.

Minutes ago, Letterman released a statement. It says "Regina and I would like to express our endless gratitude to the FBI and law enforcement professionals from Teton County and surrounding areas of Montana. We`ll be forever grateful for their tireless effort and determination to vigorously pursue this situation."

HAMMER: Lil` Kim verdict. Late this afternoon, in New York, hip hop star Lil` Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy for her testimony about a shooting outside a New York City radio station. She could face up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for June 24th.

BRYANT: Martha Stewart appeal. Stewart was in court in New York today, as her lawyers argued for her conviction to be overturned. Afterward, Stewart briefly answered a reporter who asked her what she was doing for St. Patrick`s Day. She said she planted her potatoes.

HAMMER: Of course she did.

HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s showbiz showdown question of the day. "American Idol," is it good for music? We`d like you keep voting by going to the web, cnn.com/showbiztonight is the address. If you got more to say, send us an e-mail to showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will share some of what you had to say at 55 past the hour.

BRYANT: Marc Jacobs is the fashion maven who dresses Sarah Jessica Parker, Winona Ryder, J. Lo, I wish me, and in just a couple of hours, as part of L.A. fashion week, stars will descend on his brand new store in L.A. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first and only one to take you inside the store before it opens. Brooke Anderson leads the way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bags, button down, blankets, even umbrellas, just some of what you will find at brand-spanking new Marc Jacobs store in L.A. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first and only to take you where the stars go and we got the royal tour.

ROBERT DUFFY, PRESIDENT, MARC JACOBS: This is the spring and summer collection. This is our home furnishings. This is our men`s collection. (INAUDIBLE) Really this store has really been sort of the thing that we were both looking forward to for so long.

ANDERSON: The Melrose Avenue shop is retro cool with dressing rooms fit for a queen or maybe just Hollywood`s version of a queen. This is what would happen if J. Lo walked in the door, right? We`ve got to have a special situation. She would have a spacious...

DUFFY: spacious dressing room. She could keep the door open. They have this little kitchen back here.

ANDERSON: Her own kitchen, she could chill. Listen to the music.

DUFFY: We can close the door.

ANDERSON: And that`s it.

DUFFY: And no one can see her.

ANDERSON: Let`s wave, bye.

DUFFY: Bye.

ANDERSON: And what`s a designer store without a celebrity stylist checking out the new threads for the stars.

MARK ALAN HARMON, CELEBRITY STYLIST: Uma Thurman run down here and buy yourself this skirt. (INAUDIBLE) where he`s been. What`s taking you so long, but we`re so excited he`s here. Nicole Kidman can work this one.

ANDERSON: She can wear anything, honey.

HARMON: I know. Gwyneth Paltrow ought to be fabulous in this.

ANDERSON: Polka dots, are those back?

HARMON: Polka dots are -- I think it`s ugly.

ANDERSON: And the truth comes out.

HARMON: You can`t love everything.

ANDERSON: After browsing the collection store, a quick stroll across the street takes you to the more casual Marc by Marc Jacobs, where in addition to shirts and shoes, you can find skateboards and motorcycle helmets but Mark Alan`s favorite find was a little less sporty.

HARMON: My gosh, look at this. A clutch under the arm.

ANDERSON: Under the arm. And we`re off.

HARMON: Styling honey. It`s all about a little Marc Jacobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Part of L.A.`s Melrose Avenue is blocked off for tonight`s opening of the store and Tomorrow, we`ll show you which stars came out for the big bash.

HAMMER: It is time now for more "showbiz shorts." It`s a girl, soul food stars Nicole Ari (ph) Parker and Boris Cadjo (ph) are the new parents of a baby named Sofie. Parker gave birth on Saturday. A publicist for Parker and Cadjo say they plan to get married in May.

Double tribal on "Survivor." Instead of the usual one vote, there were two tribal councils last night and one person from each tribe got voted off. Willard was the first to go, then Angie.

Another Martha movie. CBS hopes to get Cybil Shepard to play Martha Stewart in an upcoming movie it has in the works. Of course Shepard starred as Martha Stewart in a TV movie two years ago. That`s what you are seeing right here. The new one would cover Stewart`s more recent trials and tribulations, including her jail time.

BRYANT: They`ve been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. Now, as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows.

Last year, Barbara Walters interviewed Robert Blake for "20/20." Part of that interview was used in Blake`s trial. And after his acquittal yesterday, Blake thanked her personally. So, naturally, it was a hot topic on "the view" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he said that he always had hope, never gave up hope and he also spoke directly to you Barbara at the news conference. Take a look at this.

ROBERT BLAKE: Barbara Walters, God bless you, darling. I would have never got out of the joint with you. God bless you, Barbara, wherever you are.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Now, in addition to thanking Barbara Walters, Robert Blake also did a little bit of a pitch job after his acquittal. We`ll take that to "the buzz bench," coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, why is William Shatner hanging out in the Midwest? My chat with Mr. Shatner later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Now tonight`s birthday shout out. Rob Lowe turns 41 years old today and the shout out comes from the star of the TV show "Summerland."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORI LOUGHLIN: Hey, Rob, it`s Lori Loughlin saying hi to you and happy birthday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s time for tonight`s edition of "the buzz bench" and here`s what we are buzzing about tonight. Jane Fonda`s tell all book, Robert Blake is looking for a job, and is "number three" good enough for Tom Cruise? What are you doing?

BRYANT: What? I didn`t do anything.

HAMMER: I thought you were laughing at me.

BRYANT: I didn`t laugh. Sensitive. Joining us on "the buzz bench," "Rolling Stone`s" Joe Levy, "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe and Fuse VJ, Marianela. Now, we want to start off with the Jane Fonda story. The papers are reporting that in her book, "My Life So Far," it`s going to reveal that her late husband, Roger Vadim, used Fonda to seduce other women for his sex romps. What do you think of this?

MARIANELA, FUSE VJ: Well, ultimately I guess we won`t know until the book comes out in a month. But Jane, when you think Jane Fonda, I think a very liberated, risqu' sort of aggressive woman. She was like the sex kitten of her time. I don`t know if it took much persuasion really and in my point of view, there`s like no shock value here, unless there is a tape to go with it or something. Nowadays you got to have a tape too. If it is like Martha Stewart involved in a three - then that`s like, whoa, that`s juicy.

JOE LEVY, ROLLING STONE: ...a little upsetting actually. That would be juicy in all the wrong ways.

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, TIME MAGAZINE: I was thinking Janet Reno on that front.

HAMMER: Jane came out today and refuted all of this apparently.

LUSCOMBE: She said the book would clear it up.

MARIANELA: If this is hype for the book, if this is hype for the book, not enough shock value.

LEVY: Also, I thought this news was around before. Vadim is the guy who directed her in "Barbarella (ph)." He was Bridget Bardot`s husband. He was a libertine. We knew this and I thought the news that they had quite a wild time of it had been around before this British tabloid came out with this supposed revelation.

LUSCOMBE: I think the way to sell that book is to get her in the "Barbarella" costume now.

BRYANT: (INAUDIBLE) He said he sort of mentally abused her too.

LEVY: Insecurities and forced her to be thinner I think. This is before she had workout tapes and played on other people`s insecurities and forced them to be thinner. So maybe she went from being the oppressed to the oppressor. I don`t know. I`m not saying. I`m just suggesting.

UNKNOWN: But you just did.

HAMMER: Speaking of aging gracefully, let`s move on to Robert Blake now, not guilty, but that`s not what we`re talking about. He came out and made a statement after the verdict was handed down yesterday and he basically said if you want to know how to run through $10 million in five years, talk to me. I need a job. Belinda.

LUSCOMBE: By the way, if you want to know how to run through $10 million in like five minutes you talk to Elton John. That`s amateur. I think a couple of TV executives when asked have said he`s not really on our must list. But I think people are really missing an opportunity here. You got Lil` Kim. You got Michael Jackson. You got Martha Stewart. You`ve got him, this is like celebrity defendant show. Spitting contest to see who wins the best or have someone voted off the court.

BRYANT: I don`t think you have anything to worry about. I am sure they are running a reality show for him right now as we speak.

LEVY: I actually think he`s going to appear on "Fear Factor" and the terrifying thing is to pass through the fear challenge. You`re going to have to have dinner with him at the very Italian restaurant where he apparently did not kill his wife.

MARIANELA: If all else fails, we`re looking for new VJ`s.

HAMMER: I don`t know if he`s going to get any money from this but "Electroglide (ph) and Blue," the movie he did back in 1973 is about to come out.

LEVY: I thought that was a lubricant.

HAMMER: The movie Joe, is about to come out on DVD.

MARIANELA: I wasn`t born then so I don`t know.

BRYANT: Yeah. I want to move on. "Premier" magazine came out with its list of the top 50 movie stars of all time. Tom Cruise was listed at number three. Robert de Niro down in the high 30s and Brad Pitt was at number 50. The number one person they said of all time Cary Grant. What is your take on this movie star list?

LEVY: Well, I work at a magazine where we`ve made lists. This list suspiciously looks like one where some people sat around and said where are we going to put de Niro? What about Cruise? Tom Cruise, look it`s a movie star`s list. It`s not an actor`s list. It`s fair to call Tom Cruise a great movie star. He`s a good actor. We know he`s not a better actor than De Niro. De Niro`s not actually down in the 30s. I think he`s somewhere in the double digits, somewhere between 10 and 20. Jane Fonda is number 32. It`s a strange list. It really is. These are all great movie stars, but you look at it and think really, what makes Tom Cruise number three. Is he a greater movie star than Nicholson?

HAMMER: Belinda, get in there.

LUSCOMBE: Well, I think the reason they chose Cary Grant as number one and Marilyn Monroe as number two is they wanted dead people because they didn`t want the publicist on the phone, going oh yeah, my client. We`re never dealing with you again.

LEVY: It`s going to generate a lot of conversations just like the one we are wrapping up right now on the "buzz bench." Thank you for dropping by everybody. Of course Joe Levy from "Rolling Stone" magazine, "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe. Thanks for joining us for your first time out and Marianela from Fuse TV. We appreciate your buzzing.

BRYANT: All right. Well, in a couple of weeks, we may be talking about William Shatner`s new show on "the buzz bench." It`s kind of like "War of the Worlds," but instead of aliens doing the invading, it`s actors and directors. We`ll hear all about it from the man himself, coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, what really gets Kim Cattrall going? The "Sex and the City" star`s guilty pleasures. Coming up in "Thursday in style."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: William Shatner is one hell of a busy guy. He plays Denny Crane (ph), a self-centered eccentric lawyer on ABC`s "Boston Legal." He`s also back as Stan Fields (ph), the beauty pageant manager in "Miss Congeniality Two." And not only that, but he`s punking a small Iowa town in a new mini series on Spike TV, something Captain Kirk might not do, but I do want to welcome Mr. William Shatner. Now as you can hear, we have common people playing in the background. This rocks!

WILLIAM SHATNER: It`s from the record "The Has Been."

BRYANT: How much is music part of your life because this is killing me? I love it.

SHATNER: Music has always been a part of my life. But to be able to perform music is -- it`s tough.

BRYANT: Yeah. Well, we want to take a look at a clip from something here that we do have. So let`s roll some Bill Shatner footage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Riverside, Iowa, population, 928. The self- proclaimed future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.

SHATNER: We need to fill our cast with some of you. He belongs in those overalls, doesn`t he?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been in them all my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s nothing to understand (INAUDIBLE)

SHATNER: Brooke, you`ve got it all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: So that is "Invasion Iowa." What`s up with that guy?

SHATNER: Well, we took a movie crew to Riverside Iowa and told them we were shooting this passion project of mine and we needed help for back stage and in front of the camera, behind the camera, and they all jumped to it. What we were really doing was shooting those people that we cast and we used and we hired and the whole town and their reaction to this crazed group of movie makers.

BRYANT: Plus you play yourself to the extreme with all kinds of eccentricities.

SHATNER: Well, either that or I am really acting. My real self is coming out. It is the purest of acting. And it`s on eight hours March 29th on Spike television. And it`s a hoot beyond anything you have ever heard of.

BRYANT: What is new in the world of pageantry? Of course you`re coming back in "Miss Congeniality two."

SHATNER: Well, pageantry is happening March 24th as "Miss Congeniality" opens. It`s having a big Hollywood opening. That`s more fun for actors to go and wave to the crowd and the search lights are going and the press is all there and then you can go right into the theater and then right down the aisle right out of the exit door, get in your car and go home.

BRYANT: Go home, go home and your character gets kidnapped in this film this time?

SHATNER: Gets kidnapped and then Sandra Bullock has to come and try to find me and she can`t and she does. And it`s funny. It`s funny beyond funny.

BRYANT: Now one last question, how would your "Boston Legal" character have handled the Robert Blake case.

SHATNER: Whoa, baby.

BRYANT: Tough one. If you could do a quick summary on that.

SHATNER: Well, I`m sure -- I`m glad that Robert Blake was not miscarried into injustice. That`s a double negative, isn`t it?

BRYANT: I think so. Well, we want to just leave it at that but you won a Golden Globe for "Boston Legal." Congratulations on that. You`ve got "Miss Congeniality Two" and "Invasion Iowa," William Shatner`s movie "Miss Congeniality Two" armed and fabulous in a theater near you next weekend. Spike TV is going to have the premier of "Invasion Iowa" on March 29th. Thank you.

SHATNER: Thank you.

HAMMER: He`s a busy man.

It`s time to get your laugh on in "laughter dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you just might have missed. This one from "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is our way of saying "Happy St. Patrick`s Day." Jimmy`s cousin Sal had a surprise pickup for an unsuspecting courier. Let`s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not exactly an animal but it`s the most important cargo you`ll deliver all day. What --

Get back here.

LEPRACHAUN: I`m free. I`m free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never seen nothing like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve never seen a leprechaun?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Nicely done. Nicely done.

Well, Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures. That`s coming right up in "Thursday in style."

HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off in tonight`s "showbiz showdown" question of the day. "American Idol," is it good for music? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. You got more to say, we would like you to e-mail us what`s on your mind, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address and we`re going to read some of what you had to say coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: She of course played the naughty one in "Sex in the City." And in real life, Kim Cattrall makes sure she takes time for her own indulgences.

BRYANT: Now, in "Thursday in style," a look at some of Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA McGULLY, IN STYLE MAGAZINE: I think everybody wants to know what her guilty pleasures are.

In terms of night life, Kim Cattrall is really into comedy clubs and she likes to go out. She says she`s guaranteed a night of entertainment and humor. She loves Caroline`s. It`s really big and she just likes to see the emerging comedic talent in New York.

On late-night TV, she says anything on AMC, a black and white movie, anything with Veronica Lake. She loved that "I Married a Witch" and anything that`s a little bit offbeat about great, strong women, she really is into. Kim Cattrall is really into cream de la mer (ph) moisturizer. It`s pricey she knows, but New York is a really dry place in the winter and she said it really lets her skin breathe and it`s not greasy at all.

Kim`s guilty pleasure in terms of fast food are actually Nathan`s Franks. For her 30 cents, she loves a really good hot dog. Her guilty pleasure when it comes to dessert is sauterne. She doesn`t drink a lot of alcohol, but she loves just a little bit of sauterne after dinner, just that little sweet taste and she`s happy.

Kim really loves a good romance. Jackie Collins, Danielle Steele and she loves Judith Krantz so much. She was actually in the TV movie of "Scruples." Her guilty pleasure is Disneyland. She went to Disney with her good friend Mario Canton. They had a blast. They went on every single ride from the haunted mansion to the pirates of the Caribbean and she said she wouldn`t have expected it, but she really had a great time.

Kim`s number one guilty pleasure is chocolate. She loves all different kinds. She`s not a snob about it. She loves Cadberry. She loves Godiva. She`s really into her chocolate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: To read more about Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures, pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine on newsstands now.

HAMMER: You`ve been voting online on our question of the day, "American Idol," is it good for music? Here are the results, 33 percent of you said yes, "American Idol" good for music, 67 percent of you said no, "American Idol" not good for music. We`ve gotten some e-mails as well. Harriet from Red Wing, Minnesota says, "American Idol" is good TV that promises an opportunity for the winner, not the improvement of the music industry.

And Marty from Bakersfield, California, says, music is about creation, not how well you can sing another artist`s work.

Let`s see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: The marquee man is still nowhere to be found, so we found some guy on the street to do it. Let`s roll.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this thing on? OK, here we go. Playing tomorrow, you know the voice. Now meet the man. What`s it like to be John Melendez, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Plus, 50 Cent gets his game on. No, not that one. 50`s one of the big players in the video game. An exclusive look at 50`s game bulletproof, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Looking forward to that tomorrow night. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Nancy Grace is up next right after the latest from headline news.

END


Aired March 17, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: A Letterman kidnapping plot.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And a verdict in the Lil` Kim trial. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Late night nightmare. An alleged plot to kidnap Dave Letterman`s son. Tonight we`ve got the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The contestant that you chose to keep in the competition is Mikalah. Congratulations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Judging "American Idol." One more down as millions watched. Now it`s 11. Former finalist Kimberly Caldwell picks her winner.

HAMMER: Hot mama! Stifler`s mom is one animated actress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER COOLIDGE, "ROBOTS": Well, hello there! What`s your name?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Jennifer Coolidge live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR: It was one of the great jokes of all time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Kirk kids `em The Star Trek captain pulls off an enterprising prank. William Shatner`s here with the punch line.

HAMMER: Girl grown up! A former Spice Girl goes solo and reveals all about her new revealing album.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA BUNTON, SPICE GIRLS: Hi, everyone. I`m Emma Bunton. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: Our top story tonight, that is still unfolding, a plot to kidnap David Letterman`s son.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live with the story - - David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Hi, Karyn and A.J. A shocking plot, indeed. Authorities in Montana have arraigned earlier today of a man who allegedly planned to kidnap "Late Show" host David Letterman`s son and nanny from his Montana home and hold them for a $5 million ransom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): He was a proud papa when his son, Harry Joseph, was born in November, 2003. His boy was all he could talk about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: My father passed away when he was 57. I`m 56 years old, and yesterday I had my first child. So I named him for my father, and his name is Harry Joseph Letterman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: But now, a parent`s worst nightmare. Authorities say there was a plot to kidnap his only son. The suspect, 43-year-old Kelly Frank. He worked as a painter on Letterman`s Montana ranch. Officials say he was arrested Sunday when a friend of Frank`s went to the cops and told them he was approached with the plans. Letterman`s sprawling ranch was apparently the target, about 60 miles outside of Great Falls, near Choteau.

This isn`t the first time Letterman`s personal life has been invaded. In 1988, Margaret Ray was arrested for stalking Letterman and breaking into his New Canaan, Connecticut, home. She once told reporters she left cookies and an empty bottle of Jack Daniel`s in the foyer. The troubled woman committed suicide seven years ago. That same year, another woman was arrested for trespassing at that same home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

A David Letterman spokesman would only tell us that his boss is traveling today. "The Late Show With David Letterman" not be taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater behind me today due to CBS coverage of the NCAA championships -- Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, David Haffenreffer, outside of Letterman`s studio in New York.

Well, Lil` Kim has got some big problems tonight. Earlier this afternoon in New York, the rap star was convicted of lying to a grand jury about a shooting outside a New York City radio station. Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy but acquitted of obstructing justice. The shoot- out occurred in 2001 at the Hot 97 radio station. Now, Kim could face up to 20 years in prison at her June sentencing.

HAMMER: And Martha Stewart back in a New York court today. She`s appealing her conviction for lying about a stock sale back in 2001. Yes, Martha already has served half her sentence. She was released, of course, two weeks ago from prison but has five months of house arrest yet to go. She began serving her sentence before her appeal was heard to help put the matter behind her.

BRYANT: Fox is still posting big numbers for "American Idol 4." More than 27 million people tuned in to last night`s episode, where the first finalist was sent packing. Lindsey Cardinale got the boot. Her Tuesday night rendition of "Knock on Wood" received the lowest number of viewer votes. The move didn`t come as a huge surprise, especially not to good ol` Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Simon said, I think 30 million TV sets in America had their volume turned down simultaneously during that song. The contestant that you chose to keep in the competition is Mikalah. Congratulations. You are safe. Lindsey, your journey ends tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: And to help us judge the latest cut and to make some sense of the whole Mario quitting thing is season 2 "American Idol" finalist and TV Guide Channel host Kimberly Caldwell, who joins us live from Los Angeles. Kimberly, let`s get right to it. What`s your take on Mario?

KIMBERLY CALDWELL, FORMER CONTESTANT: How`re you doing?

OK, I think that there`s a lot of different things that you can think about this. There`s a lot of rumors spreading. The whole P. Diddy thing I think got cleared up. But you know, to be on "American Idol" and to get that opportunity is an amazing opportunity, but at the same time, signing that contract once you get into the top 12 means that you are connected with "American Idol."

And he was one of the front-runners in "American Idol," and I think that there was a huge possibility of him actually take home the entire thing. So it may have something to do with the contract. It may have something to do with his personal life. And nobody can really tell right now.

BRYANT: Kimberly, did you ever feel like quitting when you were playing along with "American Idol?"

CALDWELL: Oh, no!

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: You wanted it all, right?

CALDWELL: Hey, I have a job now don`t I? Oh, no. I definitely didn`t ever think about quitting. And of course, you miss your friends and your family because, you know, you`re kind of in the "American Idol" bubble at that time.

BRYANT: Sure.

CALDWELL: But that`s -- you know, that`s what you have to do to get to where you want to be. And it worked out OK for me, so I`m happy.

BRYANT: OK. Do you think Lindsey should have been kicked off last night?

CALDWELL: I don`t know if I think she should have been kicked off, but I think at this stage in the game, in the top 12, you have to really bring it and give 110 percent. And I`m usually not the one to say I agree with Randy. I think no matter what song you choose, you should be able to nail it, and that`s the bottom line. But in this instance -- excuse me -- in this instance, I believe that the song selection may have hurt her, yes.

BRYANT: OK. So who do you want to go the distance, now that -- obviously, you sounded like you thought Mario Vazquez had a good shot. Who do you want to see at the end of the day?

CALDWELL: I did. I`m really sad that Mario had to leave, but I`m a huge fan of Nadia. I think she has the "it" factor, if you know what I mean.

BRYANT: Sure.

CALDWELL: And I`m a huge fan of Bo`s, as well. I think he did an amazing job and really captured the audience last night and ran into the audience. And I think he stepped out of the "American Idol" boundaries. So I really respect that guy.

BRYANT: Yes, I think Bo is definitely winning over a lot of hearts right now.

CALDWELL: Who do you like the best?

BRYANT: I have to say I am a Bo fan. I think -- when he did "Spinning Wheel" and when he did the Allman Brothers song, he totally -- he totally nailed it for me, so...

CALDWELL: I think it`d be awesome if a rocker...

BRYANT: Yes!

CALDWELL: ... took over "American Idol" this year.

BRYANT: It`d be cool. Well, Kimberly Caldwell, thank you for joining us.

CALDWELL: Thank you.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) judge "American Idol." There you go -- A.J.

HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Well, we have more on "American Idol" tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be debating whether the show`s actually is good for music. We`ll do that coming up in just a few minutes.

Well, the Spice Girls took the music business by storm. They sold 40 million albums. Well, now, in the wake of that storm, Baby Spice has a new name, a new album and a sexy new image. I had the chance to sit down with Emma Bunton at the Hard Rock Cafe here in New York City to find out about her first solo album "Free Me."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): From Baby Spice to naughty and nice. First things first. Bye-bye, Baby.

EMMA BUNTON, BABY SPICE: I`m Emma, and my name is Baby Spice!

HAMMER: Don`t call her by her Spice Girl name. She wants people to get to know her as Emma Bunton.

BUNTON: I`ve grown up a lot, obviously, over the years. And you know, I love fashion. I love working out. You know, all these kinds of things. And I think it`s just -- you know, I like to think I`ve now turned into a woman.

HAMMER: She`s also turned into a solo artist. Her album, called "Free Me," is in stores now. It`s her first without Ginger, Scary, Posh and Sporty.

BUNTON: Being in the Spice Girls was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I -- you know, I traveled the world. I met the girls at 18, and I was doing so much. You know, at 21, I was in the U.S. touring. It`s just amazing.

HAMMER (on camera): You clearly are not afraid of your past. A lot of artists will really want to walk away and separate themselves from your past. You recognize, Hey, that what I did then. But this album really is -- it`s a statement. It`s a bold statement about you.

BUNTON: I do write the lyrics, so the album is very personal. You know, I would say to people that if they listen to this album, they will get to know me a little bit better.

HAMMER (voice-over): Her lyrics, relationship-heavy. The feel retro, with influences from Motown, something she couldn`t do in the past.

BUNTON: I had all the musicians come in. We did everything live. So you know, that`s something that`s very special about this album. It`s not smothered in production.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was with the British bombshell as she rehearsed her first single in New York City.

BUNTON: It was really natural to go into the studio and have lyrics and work with producers who, you know, I really got on with. And I had -- I knew exactly how I wanted this album to sound when I walked into the studio.

HAMMER (on camera): You put it out there in the UK, and it was met with great success and great acclaim. The United States is always a little frightening for some artists. Tell me about how you feel. Is this really, like, the final frontier? If I can make this happen here, then sky`s the limit?

BUNTON: Of course, I think every British artist always wants to make it in America. It`s something -- it`s a dream. And of course, you know, you have to work hard here, and it`s such a huge place. But that`s something that I`m looking forward to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: She`s a songwriter, too. Emma co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album. Her second single, "Maybe," just hit radio. And as I mentioned, the album has kind of a retro feel. It`s real nice, Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, A.J.

Well, William Shatner`s got an album of his own. That`s one of the many things he`s got going on. The "Star Trek" legend joins us to tell us about Miss Congeniality and the fast one he pulled on an Iowa town.

HAMMER: And stunning sexual allegations made by Jane Fonda. Our "Buzz Bench" is buzzing about the "Barbarella" star.

BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which legendary French performer appears in the multiple- Oscar-winning 1958 film "Gigi"? Is it Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday, Edith Piaf or Maurice Chevalier? We will be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which legendary French performer appears in the multiple-Oscar-winning 1958 film "Gigi"? Was it Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday, Edith Piaf or Maurice Chevalier? The answer is D, Maurice Chevalier.

BRYANT: It`s 14 minutes past hour. Time now for the "SHOWBIZ Showdown." As we told you earlier, nearly 30 million of you are watching "American Idol" and voting for your favorite singer each week. But even though the show`s still going strong, record sales for "Idol`s" winners have progressively declined, which leads us to tonight`s hot topic, "American Idol." So we`re going to let the "Showdown" begin.

Joining us live, Steve Gottlieb, president and founder of TVT Records, who says "American Idol" is good for music. He joins us from Austin, Texas. And Brian Hiatt, associate editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine, who says "American Idol" is not good for music. Now, Brian, I`m going to start with you. Why do you think "American Idol" is so bad?

BRIAN HIATT, "ROLLING STONE": Well, "American Idol" might be good for the music industry, but it`s definitely bad for music because most of the music it produces is bad. It`s as simple as that. And if you look at "American Idol" and how it works, many of the great artists of the past 40 years or so would never make it past even the first audition. How well would Bob Dylan do on "American Idol"?

BRYANT: OK, Steve, what`s your take? You think the show is good for the music industry.

STEVE GOTTLIEB, PRES., TVT RECORDS: I think it`s great. I`m down here in Austin at a music convention called South by Southwest, where thousands of rock bands are competing the old-fashioned way for an audience, in front of live audiences, and they`re going through a different competition to become -- to reach fame and fortune.

BRYANT: Right, but you think the show`s a good idea for music?

GOTTLIEB: I think even though they`re going a completely different route, they still respect all the people on "American Idol" and respect any artist who has the nerve to put it out on the line and stand up in front of a huge audience and expose themselves and compete.

BRYANT: Right. Now, Brian, I want to talk about this. You`re saying you don`t think Dylan would have made it. I mean, yes, I think of Bruce Springsteen, he`s a American idol in many ways, doesn`t really have the voice that Simon and Randy might be looking for. Is this show just looking for somebody who can move units, or is it really looking for an artist?

HIATT: I don`t even know if it`s looking for someone who can move units. It`s looking for someone who fits the very particular criteria that is "American Idol." And it`s sort of someone who can sing in a particular way and it`s not necessarily a contest to find the person who can make best record or the person who`s the most artistic, it`s the person who has the best voice, defined in a very specific way that`s not even really fitting with the way that the rest of the music industry is working nowadays.

BRYANT: Now, Steve, you kind of have a smirk there. What do you think about that? I mean, are they growing artists on "American Idol," or are they growing, you know, growing pop commodities?

GOTTLIEB: I don`t think -- I think time will tell what they`re growing.

BRYANT: Right.

GOTTLIEB: But I don`t think anyone has any illusions that what they`re doing is, you know, a particular slice of music and representing, you know, what the panel and the public is voting for. But we`re all searching for -- we all have our inner Simons and Paulas and...

BRYANT: Sure.

GOTTLIEB: ... Randys. And in a way, we all relate to that because we`re all judging music and looking for our own individual stars that really touch us. And so I think we can appreciate it without sharing the same taste as the judges.

BRYANT: All right. Well, in any case, it`s good television. You would agree on that?

HIATT: It`s definitely good television, yes.

BRYANT: All right.

GOTTLIEB: A great guilty pleasure.

BRYANT: There you go.

HIATT: The thing he admits is it`s a guilty pleasure.

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: There you go. Scott Gottlieb, founder and president of TVT records, thank you for joining us, and Brian Hiatt, associate editor of "Rolling Stone" magazine.

Now we want to know your thoughts at home. It`s our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day. "American Idol": is it good for music? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: Her name is Jennifer Coolidge. You know her as Stifler`s mom, among her many roles. Well, now she`s playing Aunt Fanny in "Robots." And Fanny is really a quite appropriate name for her character. She`ll tell us why, live

BRYANT: And a former "Sex and the City" girl`s guilty pleasure. Speaking of guilty pleasures. That`s in today`s "Thursday In Style."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Robert Blake thanks Barbara Walters. Find out why in our "Talk of the Day." That`s coming up in about 15 minutes.

BRYANT: Time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories making news tonight. NBC renewals. "The West Wing" and "Joey" have been picked up for another season. "ER" has been renewed through 2008. "Las Vegas" and "Crossing Jordan" also got another season nod.

And another Aniston break-up, but don`t jump out of your seats. It`s just the title of a movie she has signed onto. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed today that Jennifer Aniston will star in "The Break Up" alongside Vince Vaughn. Now, the comedy flick is scheduled to be released in February of 2006.

More "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, the new animated feature film "Robots" is full of colorful characters, including Aunt Fanny, whose best known characteristic is a little junk in the trunk, if you know what I`m saying. And the very animated actress who gave Aunt Fanny her voice is here. Thanks for stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer Coolidge. Nice to have you here.

JENNIFER COOLIDGE, "ROBOTS": Nice to be here.

HAMMER: Now, before we have at it, we want to show everybody the character in "Robots" that you brought to life. So let`s roll this.

COOLIDGE: Oh, great. Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bless her little heart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, why is she called Aunt Fanny?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You couldn`t call her Aunt Booty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

COOLIDGE: Oops!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a little artsy-fartsy. The artsy`s OK, but when she gets fartsy...

COOLIDGE: Oh, right on my shoes! I`m so clumsy. Well, hello there! What`s your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m Rodney Big Bottom. No, I`m Rodney Copper Bottom! Copper Bottom!

COOLIDGE: That`s a wonderful name! Big Bottom. Well, I just -- what happened to your friend?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It would seem to me that doing an animated flick for any actor is just a great gig.

COOLIDGE: It is the best gig in Hollywood, and every actor in Hollywood wants them because -- you know, hey, if they`d been offered to me 10 years ago, I would have been doing them. I mean, they`re -- it`s best job. It`s -- I mean, I work 10 hours over two years, and you get to be part of this amazing movie. And you know -- and it`s just -- it`s fun and easy, really easy. And animation guys are incredibly cool.

HAMMER: Did you know going in that you were going to be doing the voice for the character with the big butt?

COOLIDGE: I was hoping I was doing the woman with the big butt because when I had saw an illustration of all the characters, it was my favorite one. I thought it was the most interesting one.

HAMMER: You know, the voice that you ended up going with was one of several, I understand?

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: You actually brought them a few different choices?

COOLIDGE: Yes, I sort of thought they wanted a more matronly sound. You know, I sort of did this voice that sounded like something -- you know, like Aunt Bee on -- you know, on "Mayberry RFD," that show, Andy Griffith Show...

HAMMER: Right.

COOLIDGE: ... something like that, more matronly. But they wanted a sexier voice, and so I just tried to sound like what a big butt would sound like.

HAMMER: OK. It seems to have worked out!

(LAUGHTER)

COOLIDGE: That`s one they chose.

HAMMER: Now, I imagine every day, probably, walking down street, or certainly, you walk into a shopping mall, you must get quite a few, Stifler`s mom! Do you get a couple of those?

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: Now, do you have anybody now coming up to you and saying, Aunt Fanny!

(LAUGHTER)

HAMMER: No, an entirely different thing.

COOLIDGE: I haven`t had any Aunt Fannys yet, but I -- you know, I`m really hoping that -- no, I`m joking.

HAMMER: It could be coming.

COOLIDGE: Yes.

HAMMER: Congratulations, by the way. As we mentioned just a few moments ago, "Joey" picked up for another season on NBC.

COOLIDGE: Yes, I got the phone call, like, maybe two hours ago, that...

HAMMER: Wow.

COOLIDGE: Yes. I just -- I guess you guys knew before I did.

HAMMER: We did, as a matter of fact, and I`m happy that you`re here to celebrate with us tonight. And that wasn`t even intended to be a recurring role, was it.

COOLIDGE: No. No, I did the pilot, and you know, I sort of decided I would do this sort of very crazy woman for a one-shot deal...

HAMMER: Right.

COOLIDGE: ... and sort of did her a little bit over the top. And then they asked if I wanted to sign on for -- to be a series regular, and I said sure. But you know, I couldn`t really change it after that, so I...

HAMMER: Series TV also another great gig.

COOLIDGE: Yes. That is a very good gig. And Matt LeBlanc makes it a good gig, you know, the -- he`s one of the nicest guys in the business that I`ve met. He`s incredible. And he makes it really easy to show up for work every day. I mean, he`s -- he really knows what he`s doing, and he`s hilarious.

HAMMER: So everybody that I told that you were coming in -- Oh, my God! she`s favorite! She`s hilarious. She`s so much fun. I want to know, what`s a Saturday night like for Jennifer Coolidge? What are you doing? Are you hanging with the Hollywood people, or do you do kind of your own thing?

COOLIDGE: Oh, gosh. Yes, I`m probably sleeping. No, no. I -- yes, I go out. I go out. I have a bunch of dogs and -- I guess I don`t do that at night. What do I -- yes, I go out to -- I`m -- I`m still fun and, you know, I`m -- what? What do I do at night?

HAMMER: You`re schwinging (ph).

COOLIDGE: I go to a lot of movies.

HAMMER: Schwinging in the hills.

COOLIDGE: I go to a lot of movies, yes. I`m obsessed with movies still.

HAMMER: Well, we appreciate you spending this Thursday night here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer.

COOLIDGE: Oh, thank you for having me! Thank you.

HAMMER: And congratulations on your current projects, of course...

COOLIDGE: Thank you.

HAMMER: ... "Robots" and "Joey." "Robots" in theaters now, and "Joey" can be seen Thursday nights on NBC. Thanks for stopping by.

COOLIDGE: Thank you.

HAMMER: Karyn.

BRYANT: It is a private tour, and you`re invited. Coming up, where the celebs do their shopping, your only look inside of the brand-new Mark Jacobs store in LA.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

KARYN BRYANT, CNN ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Why is this man punking an entire Midwestern town? He has a new TV show and a movie and we have a chat with William Shatner.

AJ HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Kim Cattrall`s (ph) guilty pleasures. She had a lot of them on "Sex and the City" and a few in real life as well. Find out a few of Kim`s favorite things in "Thursday in Style."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. This is (INAUDIBLE) If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

Kidnapping plot. Word came in tonight that a plot was underway to kidnap David Letterman`s son and the child`s nanny and hold them for a $5 million ransom. Letterman`s son Harry was born in November 2003. A man who was working as a painter at the Letterman ranch in Montana has been arrested. Kelly Frank (ph) of Sims, Montana is charged with solicitation after allegedly approaching an acquaintance about the kidnapping idea.

Minutes ago, Letterman released a statement. It says "Regina and I would like to express our endless gratitude to the FBI and law enforcement professionals from Teton County and surrounding areas of Montana. We`ll be forever grateful for their tireless effort and determination to vigorously pursue this situation."

HAMMER: Lil` Kim verdict. Late this afternoon, in New York, hip hop star Lil` Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy for her testimony about a shooting outside a New York City radio station. She could face up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for June 24th.

BRYANT: Martha Stewart appeal. Stewart was in court in New York today, as her lawyers argued for her conviction to be overturned. Afterward, Stewart briefly answered a reporter who asked her what she was doing for St. Patrick`s Day. She said she planted her potatoes.

HAMMER: Of course she did.

HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s showbiz showdown question of the day. "American Idol," is it good for music? We`d like you keep voting by going to the web, cnn.com/showbiztonight is the address. If you got more to say, send us an e-mail to showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will share some of what you had to say at 55 past the hour.

BRYANT: Marc Jacobs is the fashion maven who dresses Sarah Jessica Parker, Winona Ryder, J. Lo, I wish me, and in just a couple of hours, as part of L.A. fashion week, stars will descend on his brand new store in L.A. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first and only one to take you inside the store before it opens. Brooke Anderson leads the way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bags, button down, blankets, even umbrellas, just some of what you will find at brand-spanking new Marc Jacobs store in L.A. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first and only to take you where the stars go and we got the royal tour.

ROBERT DUFFY, PRESIDENT, MARC JACOBS: This is the spring and summer collection. This is our home furnishings. This is our men`s collection. (INAUDIBLE) Really this store has really been sort of the thing that we were both looking forward to for so long.

ANDERSON: The Melrose Avenue shop is retro cool with dressing rooms fit for a queen or maybe just Hollywood`s version of a queen. This is what would happen if J. Lo walked in the door, right? We`ve got to have a special situation. She would have a spacious...

DUFFY: spacious dressing room. She could keep the door open. They have this little kitchen back here.

ANDERSON: Her own kitchen, she could chill. Listen to the music.

DUFFY: We can close the door.

ANDERSON: And that`s it.

DUFFY: And no one can see her.

ANDERSON: Let`s wave, bye.

DUFFY: Bye.

ANDERSON: And what`s a designer store without a celebrity stylist checking out the new threads for the stars.

MARK ALAN HARMON, CELEBRITY STYLIST: Uma Thurman run down here and buy yourself this skirt. (INAUDIBLE) where he`s been. What`s taking you so long, but we`re so excited he`s here. Nicole Kidman can work this one.

ANDERSON: She can wear anything, honey.

HARMON: I know. Gwyneth Paltrow ought to be fabulous in this.

ANDERSON: Polka dots, are those back?

HARMON: Polka dots are -- I think it`s ugly.

ANDERSON: And the truth comes out.

HARMON: You can`t love everything.

ANDERSON: After browsing the collection store, a quick stroll across the street takes you to the more casual Marc by Marc Jacobs, where in addition to shirts and shoes, you can find skateboards and motorcycle helmets but Mark Alan`s favorite find was a little less sporty.

HARMON: My gosh, look at this. A clutch under the arm.

ANDERSON: Under the arm. And we`re off.

HARMON: Styling honey. It`s all about a little Marc Jacobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Part of L.A.`s Melrose Avenue is blocked off for tonight`s opening of the store and Tomorrow, we`ll show you which stars came out for the big bash.

HAMMER: It is time now for more "showbiz shorts." It`s a girl, soul food stars Nicole Ari (ph) Parker and Boris Cadjo (ph) are the new parents of a baby named Sofie. Parker gave birth on Saturday. A publicist for Parker and Cadjo say they plan to get married in May.

Double tribal on "Survivor." Instead of the usual one vote, there were two tribal councils last night and one person from each tribe got voted off. Willard was the first to go, then Angie.

Another Martha movie. CBS hopes to get Cybil Shepard to play Martha Stewart in an upcoming movie it has in the works. Of course Shepard starred as Martha Stewart in a TV movie two years ago. That`s what you are seeing right here. The new one would cover Stewart`s more recent trials and tribulations, including her jail time.

BRYANT: They`ve been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. Now, as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows.

Last year, Barbara Walters interviewed Robert Blake for "20/20." Part of that interview was used in Blake`s trial. And after his acquittal yesterday, Blake thanked her personally. So, naturally, it was a hot topic on "the view" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he said that he always had hope, never gave up hope and he also spoke directly to you Barbara at the news conference. Take a look at this.

ROBERT BLAKE: Barbara Walters, God bless you, darling. I would have never got out of the joint with you. God bless you, Barbara, wherever you are.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Now, in addition to thanking Barbara Walters, Robert Blake also did a little bit of a pitch job after his acquittal. We`ll take that to "the buzz bench," coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, why is William Shatner hanging out in the Midwest? My chat with Mr. Shatner later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Now tonight`s birthday shout out. Rob Lowe turns 41 years old today and the shout out comes from the star of the TV show "Summerland."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORI LOUGHLIN: Hey, Rob, it`s Lori Loughlin saying hi to you and happy birthday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s time for tonight`s edition of "the buzz bench" and here`s what we are buzzing about tonight. Jane Fonda`s tell all book, Robert Blake is looking for a job, and is "number three" good enough for Tom Cruise? What are you doing?

BRYANT: What? I didn`t do anything.

HAMMER: I thought you were laughing at me.

BRYANT: I didn`t laugh. Sensitive. Joining us on "the buzz bench," "Rolling Stone`s" Joe Levy, "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe and Fuse VJ, Marianela. Now, we want to start off with the Jane Fonda story. The papers are reporting that in her book, "My Life So Far," it`s going to reveal that her late husband, Roger Vadim, used Fonda to seduce other women for his sex romps. What do you think of this?

MARIANELA, FUSE VJ: Well, ultimately I guess we won`t know until the book comes out in a month. But Jane, when you think Jane Fonda, I think a very liberated, risqu' sort of aggressive woman. She was like the sex kitten of her time. I don`t know if it took much persuasion really and in my point of view, there`s like no shock value here, unless there is a tape to go with it or something. Nowadays you got to have a tape too. If it is like Martha Stewart involved in a three - then that`s like, whoa, that`s juicy.

JOE LEVY, ROLLING STONE: ...a little upsetting actually. That would be juicy in all the wrong ways.

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, TIME MAGAZINE: I was thinking Janet Reno on that front.

HAMMER: Jane came out today and refuted all of this apparently.

LUSCOMBE: She said the book would clear it up.

MARIANELA: If this is hype for the book, if this is hype for the book, not enough shock value.

LEVY: Also, I thought this news was around before. Vadim is the guy who directed her in "Barbarella (ph)." He was Bridget Bardot`s husband. He was a libertine. We knew this and I thought the news that they had quite a wild time of it had been around before this British tabloid came out with this supposed revelation.

LUSCOMBE: I think the way to sell that book is to get her in the "Barbarella" costume now.

BRYANT: (INAUDIBLE) He said he sort of mentally abused her too.

LEVY: Insecurities and forced her to be thinner I think. This is before she had workout tapes and played on other people`s insecurities and forced them to be thinner. So maybe she went from being the oppressed to the oppressor. I don`t know. I`m not saying. I`m just suggesting.

UNKNOWN: But you just did.

HAMMER: Speaking of aging gracefully, let`s move on to Robert Blake now, not guilty, but that`s not what we`re talking about. He came out and made a statement after the verdict was handed down yesterday and he basically said if you want to know how to run through $10 million in five years, talk to me. I need a job. Belinda.

LUSCOMBE: By the way, if you want to know how to run through $10 million in like five minutes you talk to Elton John. That`s amateur. I think a couple of TV executives when asked have said he`s not really on our must list. But I think people are really missing an opportunity here. You got Lil` Kim. You got Michael Jackson. You got Martha Stewart. You`ve got him, this is like celebrity defendant show. Spitting contest to see who wins the best or have someone voted off the court.

BRYANT: I don`t think you have anything to worry about. I am sure they are running a reality show for him right now as we speak.

LEVY: I actually think he`s going to appear on "Fear Factor" and the terrifying thing is to pass through the fear challenge. You`re going to have to have dinner with him at the very Italian restaurant where he apparently did not kill his wife.

MARIANELA: If all else fails, we`re looking for new VJ`s.

HAMMER: I don`t know if he`s going to get any money from this but "Electroglide (ph) and Blue," the movie he did back in 1973 is about to come out.

LEVY: I thought that was a lubricant.

HAMMER: The movie Joe, is about to come out on DVD.

MARIANELA: I wasn`t born then so I don`t know.

BRYANT: Yeah. I want to move on. "Premier" magazine came out with its list of the top 50 movie stars of all time. Tom Cruise was listed at number three. Robert de Niro down in the high 30s and Brad Pitt was at number 50. The number one person they said of all time Cary Grant. What is your take on this movie star list?

LEVY: Well, I work at a magazine where we`ve made lists. This list suspiciously looks like one where some people sat around and said where are we going to put de Niro? What about Cruise? Tom Cruise, look it`s a movie star`s list. It`s not an actor`s list. It`s fair to call Tom Cruise a great movie star. He`s a good actor. We know he`s not a better actor than De Niro. De Niro`s not actually down in the 30s. I think he`s somewhere in the double digits, somewhere between 10 and 20. Jane Fonda is number 32. It`s a strange list. It really is. These are all great movie stars, but you look at it and think really, what makes Tom Cruise number three. Is he a greater movie star than Nicholson?

HAMMER: Belinda, get in there.

LUSCOMBE: Well, I think the reason they chose Cary Grant as number one and Marilyn Monroe as number two is they wanted dead people because they didn`t want the publicist on the phone, going oh yeah, my client. We`re never dealing with you again.

LEVY: It`s going to generate a lot of conversations just like the one we are wrapping up right now on the "buzz bench." Thank you for dropping by everybody. Of course Joe Levy from "Rolling Stone" magazine, "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe. Thanks for joining us for your first time out and Marianela from Fuse TV. We appreciate your buzzing.

BRYANT: All right. Well, in a couple of weeks, we may be talking about William Shatner`s new show on "the buzz bench." It`s kind of like "War of the Worlds," but instead of aliens doing the invading, it`s actors and directors. We`ll hear all about it from the man himself, coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, what really gets Kim Cattrall going? The "Sex and the City" star`s guilty pleasures. Coming up in "Thursday in style."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: William Shatner is one hell of a busy guy. He plays Denny Crane (ph), a self-centered eccentric lawyer on ABC`s "Boston Legal." He`s also back as Stan Fields (ph), the beauty pageant manager in "Miss Congeniality Two." And not only that, but he`s punking a small Iowa town in a new mini series on Spike TV, something Captain Kirk might not do, but I do want to welcome Mr. William Shatner. Now as you can hear, we have common people playing in the background. This rocks!

WILLIAM SHATNER: It`s from the record "The Has Been."

BRYANT: How much is music part of your life because this is killing me? I love it.

SHATNER: Music has always been a part of my life. But to be able to perform music is -- it`s tough.

BRYANT: Yeah. Well, we want to take a look at a clip from something here that we do have. So let`s roll some Bill Shatner footage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Riverside, Iowa, population, 928. The self- proclaimed future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.

SHATNER: We need to fill our cast with some of you. He belongs in those overalls, doesn`t he?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been in them all my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s nothing to understand (INAUDIBLE)

SHATNER: Brooke, you`ve got it all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: So that is "Invasion Iowa." What`s up with that guy?

SHATNER: Well, we took a movie crew to Riverside Iowa and told them we were shooting this passion project of mine and we needed help for back stage and in front of the camera, behind the camera, and they all jumped to it. What we were really doing was shooting those people that we cast and we used and we hired and the whole town and their reaction to this crazed group of movie makers.

BRYANT: Plus you play yourself to the extreme with all kinds of eccentricities.

SHATNER: Well, either that or I am really acting. My real self is coming out. It is the purest of acting. And it`s on eight hours March 29th on Spike television. And it`s a hoot beyond anything you have ever heard of.

BRYANT: What is new in the world of pageantry? Of course you`re coming back in "Miss Congeniality two."

SHATNER: Well, pageantry is happening March 24th as "Miss Congeniality" opens. It`s having a big Hollywood opening. That`s more fun for actors to go and wave to the crowd and the search lights are going and the press is all there and then you can go right into the theater and then right down the aisle right out of the exit door, get in your car and go home.

BRYANT: Go home, go home and your character gets kidnapped in this film this time?

SHATNER: Gets kidnapped and then Sandra Bullock has to come and try to find me and she can`t and she does. And it`s funny. It`s funny beyond funny.

BRYANT: Now one last question, how would your "Boston Legal" character have handled the Robert Blake case.

SHATNER: Whoa, baby.

BRYANT: Tough one. If you could do a quick summary on that.

SHATNER: Well, I`m sure -- I`m glad that Robert Blake was not miscarried into injustice. That`s a double negative, isn`t it?

BRYANT: I think so. Well, we want to just leave it at that but you won a Golden Globe for "Boston Legal." Congratulations on that. You`ve got "Miss Congeniality Two" and "Invasion Iowa," William Shatner`s movie "Miss Congeniality Two" armed and fabulous in a theater near you next weekend. Spike TV is going to have the premier of "Invasion Iowa" on March 29th. Thank you.

SHATNER: Thank you.

HAMMER: He`s a busy man.

It`s time to get your laugh on in "laughter dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you just might have missed. This one from "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is our way of saying "Happy St. Patrick`s Day." Jimmy`s cousin Sal had a surprise pickup for an unsuspecting courier. Let`s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not exactly an animal but it`s the most important cargo you`ll deliver all day. What --

Get back here.

LEPRACHAUN: I`m free. I`m free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never seen nothing like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve never seen a leprechaun?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Nicely done. Nicely done.

Well, Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures. That`s coming right up in "Thursday in style."

HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off in tonight`s "showbiz showdown" question of the day. "American Idol," is it good for music? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. You got more to say, we would like you to e-mail us what`s on your mind, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address and we`re going to read some of what you had to say coming up next.

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HAMMER: She of course played the naughty one in "Sex in the City." And in real life, Kim Cattrall makes sure she takes time for her own indulgences.

BRYANT: Now, in "Thursday in style," a look at some of Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA McGULLY, IN STYLE MAGAZINE: I think everybody wants to know what her guilty pleasures are.

In terms of night life, Kim Cattrall is really into comedy clubs and she likes to go out. She says she`s guaranteed a night of entertainment and humor. She loves Caroline`s. It`s really big and she just likes to see the emerging comedic talent in New York.

On late-night TV, she says anything on AMC, a black and white movie, anything with Veronica Lake. She loved that "I Married a Witch" and anything that`s a little bit offbeat about great, strong women, she really is into. Kim Cattrall is really into cream de la mer (ph) moisturizer. It`s pricey she knows, but New York is a really dry place in the winter and she said it really lets her skin breathe and it`s not greasy at all.

Kim`s guilty pleasure in terms of fast food are actually Nathan`s Franks. For her 30 cents, she loves a really good hot dog. Her guilty pleasure when it comes to dessert is sauterne. She doesn`t drink a lot of alcohol, but she loves just a little bit of sauterne after dinner, just that little sweet taste and she`s happy.

Kim really loves a good romance. Jackie Collins, Danielle Steele and she loves Judith Krantz so much. She was actually in the TV movie of "Scruples." Her guilty pleasure is Disneyland. She went to Disney with her good friend Mario Canton. They had a blast. They went on every single ride from the haunted mansion to the pirates of the Caribbean and she said she wouldn`t have expected it, but she really had a great time.

Kim`s number one guilty pleasure is chocolate. She loves all different kinds. She`s not a snob about it. She loves Cadberry. She loves Godiva. She`s really into her chocolate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: To read more about Kim Cattrall`s guilty pleasures, pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine on newsstands now.

HAMMER: You`ve been voting online on our question of the day, "American Idol," is it good for music? Here are the results, 33 percent of you said yes, "American Idol" good for music, 67 percent of you said no, "American Idol" not good for music. We`ve gotten some e-mails as well. Harriet from Red Wing, Minnesota says, "American Idol" is good TV that promises an opportunity for the winner, not the improvement of the music industry.

And Marty from Bakersfield, California, says, music is about creation, not how well you can sing another artist`s work.

Let`s see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: The marquee man is still nowhere to be found, so we found some guy on the street to do it. Let`s roll.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this thing on? OK, here we go. Playing tomorrow, you know the voice. Now meet the man. What`s it like to be John Melendez, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Plus, 50 Cent gets his game on. No, not that one. 50`s one of the big players in the video game. An exclusive look at 50`s game bulletproof, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Looking forward to that tomorrow night. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Nancy Grace is up next right after the latest from headline news.

END