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Showbiz Tonight

Anna Nicole Smith Signs to Write Column for `National Enquirer`; Does Popularity of DVDs Spell Trouble for Movie Business?

Aired April 07, 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: Anna Nicole wordsmith.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And taking notes on "American Idol." I`m Karyn Bryant.

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

BRYANT: Anna Nicole in the tabloids. But this time, she`s holding the pen and talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Inquiring minds want to know.

HAMMER: Judging "American Idol." It`s down to the final eight. Former contestant Kimberly Caldwell joins us live with the play-by-play.

BRYANT: Steve Zahn live. Life`s a desert in his new movie. And you`ve seen him in tons of others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE ZAHN, "SAHARA": I know. I get it all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: The "Sahara" star jumps on board SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Cameron Diaz, head-banger? We`ll tell you the heavy metal secret in Cameron`s fashion past.

BRYANT: Michael Buble in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." We`re bubbling over with enthusiasm for his Sinatraesque sound. But can he beat the sophomore slumps?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BUBLE: This is Michael Buble. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, and you are at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: Well, it sure won`t win her a Pulitzer Prize, but tonight, Anna Nicole Smith can add columnist to her credits. The blond-haired supermodel-turned-reality-TV-star-turned -- well, you know -- today revealed that she`s picking up a pen and pounding the typewriter. Well, almost.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here to explain -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Oh, boy, A.J. and Karyn. Yes, indeed, we just couldn`t resist this event today, as the former Guess jeans model, and so much more, for that matter, announced that she`s a new writer for "The National Enquirer."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Anna Nicole Smith turning heads today at Grand Central terminal in New York City, triggering an Anna Nicole frenzy. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, too, as the blond bombshell showed off her brand- new column in "The National Enquirer." Anna`s the new celebrity writer for the tabloid, a job that even she admits is going to be challenging.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH: I know I`m not a writer. I don`t even know how to spell. You know, what better way to get my words out there. And you know, another way to look at it is what better way to get an education, right?

HAFFENREFFER: Anna originally turned down the writing gig but reconsidered after learning that some people had the wrong impression of her.

SMITH: They did a poll on me, and I found out that there`s a lot of people that don`t like me. And I thought, well, maybe if I have my own column, you know, and people know me, then maybe they`ll change their opinion.

HAFFENREFFER: So what does Anna write about? Well, she picked eight items this week. She tells readers that she`s behind Ashton and Demi, writing, "Go, Demi! Go, Ashton! Go, age difference!" She also offers up some sympathy for celebrity journalist Pat O`Brien, who recently checked himself into rehab for an alcohol problem. "Rehab sucks," she writes. "There`s no special treatment." She`d know. Anna did a stint at Betty Ford back in 1995.

The former "Playboy" playmate may be writing the headlines now, but recently, she`s only been making them. She surprised the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards in Australia when she pulled down her top. Back in November, producers at the American Music Awards had to cut short her introduction to rapper Kanye West after slurring her words on stage. Anna says she`s going to work very hard at her new gig.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to be nice? What are you going to do? Are you going to stay away from certain things?

SMITH: Well, you`ll just have to read my column and find out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: Anna had her own reality show on E!, and she reveals in her column that she may be back on television soon. She`s been pitching a brand-new show -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks a lot, David Haffenreffer.

Well, tonight, a tribute from Bono. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as U2`s Bono paid tribute to the pope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONO, U2: I said, Holy Father, do you want a pair of fly-shades? Maybe it was the fly-shades, but he said, yes. And then he handed me these.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Bono was referring to a closed-door meeting in which the pope tried on the singer`s trademark sunglasses and then presented a rosary to the U2 frontman. Bono then dedicated a song about love -- it`s a terrific song called "Miracle Drug" -- and dedicated that one to the pontiff.

Bono spent time with the pope discussing AIDS, debt relief for third world countries and peace. And while Bono admits he and John Paul II didn`t always see eye to eye, he said the pope was the best leader the Catholic Church has ever had.

Well, you can watch coverage of the pope`s funeral in its entirety on CNN starting at 3:00 AM Eastern.

HAMMER: Jane Fonda is now talking about another war mistake. Fonda, who has just admitted she made a terrible mistake during her `70s trip to Vietnam, says the war in Iraq is also a mistake. On "The Late Show With David Letterman" last night, Fonda again repeated she regretted posing for photos on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft missile. She was also very frank when Letterman asked her what she thought of the war in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: How do you now, with this background and the kind of person you are, how do you view the activity in Iraq?

JANE FONDA: I think the war is wrong I think it`s a mistake, and I think that we should get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Back in 1972, Fonda thought the U.S. should get out of Vietnam, too. Fonda calls herself a lightning rod for the Vietnam war and told Letterman her image as Hanoi Jane was created by the right wing. Fonda`s been making the rounds to talk about her just-published autobiography, "My Life So Far."

BRYANT: Tonight, the "American Idol" contestant who got a second chance after being voted off the show is gone for good. The people have spoken, and last night, Nikko smith got the axe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go, America. Your results. Scott, you are safe. Which means, Nikko, you are leaving us tonight on "American Idol."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Nikko had been called back to replace Mario Vasquez, after Mario quit for what he said were personal reasons. The voting this week broke non-finale records, and past winners Ruben Studdard and Fantasia made appearances. Fantasia absolutely rocked the house with her single, "Truth Is." And she also had a little advice for this year`s contestants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FANTASIA BARRINO, SEASON 3 WINNER: My advice is to just come out here and act ugly. Have a good time. Have a good time. Just have a good time, y`all. You know, if you don`t make it, this is not the end. It`s just a door open for you. Everybody on our season has a record deal. Everybody took it and ran with it. All of y`all are awesome. Take it and run with it. Get out here and act ugly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: All right, Fantasia.

Well, as we do here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT every Thursday, we judge "American Idol" with former contestant Kimberly Caldwell, who is a TV Guide Channel host. Kimberly joins us live from Los Angeles.

Good to see you again. And I noticed you were at the show last night, right?

KIMBERLY CALDWELL, TV GUIDE CHANNEL HOST: Yes, I was, actually. You didn`t get to see me. I think you saw my arm...

BRYANT: Right...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: ... right next to Ruben. Yes, exactly. Well, so what do you think about Nikko last night? Should he have gone?

CALDWELL: Well, I know it was really hard for everybody to sing show tunes, and I`m glad that our season lucked out and didn`t have to do that. But I think I would have chose something more upbeat, like a number from "Grease" or something. So I know that that was really difficult for everybody. I do not think that Nikko should have gone home last night. I don`t think that it was his time.

But at the same time, he`d been through an emotional roller-coaster. He`s been on the show, then kicked off the show, then brought back to the show. But I think that he has been at his best for the last couple weeks. And the only thing you can do, if you leave "American Idol," is go out with a bang, and I think that he definitely, definitely did that.

BRYANT: OK, well, who should have gone instead, then?

CALDWELL: I don`t know who should have gone. I think that Scot`s performances have not been as good as his previous ones -- you know, when he, like, was ripping off his glasses and ripping off his hat and everything like that. But at the same time, you know, it has to be really hard because he`s been having accusations towards him, and he knows that the audience is taking that into perspective. And it still -- at the same time, he went first. And if you look at the past "Idol" performances, the people that go first really have it a little harder than the people that go further down the line because people kind of forget who they are by the end of the show.

BRYANT: Right.

CALDWELL: So I think that it really hurts somebody to go first.

BRYANT: OK, now, last quick question. Fantasia likes Carrie. Who do you still like in the competition?

CALDWELL: I`m a huge fan of Vonzell. I think she`s got the triple threat, which means she can sing -- you know that...

BRYANT: Right...

(CROSSTALK)

CALDWELL: She`s got an amazing personality. She has amazing stage presence. And you know, she`s got the look.

BRYANT: OK.

CALDWELL: And I`m a huge fan of Bo, but I hope that he strips off the silky satin little shirt...

BRYANT: Yes, the look...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: Exactly. Exactly. All right, well, Kimberly Caldwell, thanks for joining us again here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

CALDWELL: Thanks. See you next week.

BRYANT: See you.

HAMMER: It is time now for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. American drama versus "American Idol." Numbers out today show "The West Wing" had its highest rating since January in last night`s amazing season finale. But still, it came in fourth in the time slot. As Karyn mentioned, "American Idol" easily won the night.

Catching "Fever" -- the Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon movie "Fever Pitch" premiered at Boston`s Fenway Park last night. Fallon stars as an obsessive Red Sox fan, and part of the film was shot at the park. "Fever Pitch" opens tomorrow.

Well, we`re all rushing out to see "Fever Pitch" in theaters this weekend, but lately, it`s the DVDs that are making more money than the ticket sales, "Ray" being a prime example. We`re going to dive into that coming up in "SHOWBIZ In Depth."

BRYANT: Plus: She`s a little bit rock chick, a little bit red carpet glam. Cameron Diaz, fashion chameleon That`s coming up in "Thursday In Style."

HAMMER: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actress caused a stir for embarking on a lengthy tirade while naked from the waist down in the 1993 Robert Altman film "Short Cuts`? Was it Glenn Close, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore or Susan Sarandon? Hang out because we`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actress caused a stir for embarking on a lengthy tirade while naked from the waist down in the 1993 Robert Altman film "Short Cuts"? Was it Glenn Close, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore or Susan Sarandon? The answer is C, Julianne Moore.

HAMMER: It is 14 minutes past the hour and time for "SHOWBIZ In Depth." The DVD craze. DVD scales are scorching hot right now and really giving the box office a run for the money. One example, "The Incredibles." the Oscar-winning animated film was released on DVD three weeks ago. In its first day of release, it sold five million copies. That`s more than $100 million worth. And it surpassed the $70 million that it made in its first weekend at theaters.

So we are looking into the DVD phenomenon with Michael Isbell. He`s a film critic for the popular movie site Aintitcoolnews.com. And also joining us live here in New York, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Julia Boorstin, who covers the entertainment industry for "Fortune" magazine.

Michael, I want to start with you. Did anybody see this coming, this big craze with the DVDs?

MICHAEL ISBELL, AINTITCOOLNEWS.COM: Well, last year, we had Ben Affleck`s movie, "Surviving Christmas," fail at theater, and we had a DVD release 30 days later. That`s certainly gone on. Also, the...

HAMMER: Another movie?

ISBELL: Yes the -- well, I`m sorry...

HAMMER: Well, "Ray" was another example...

ISBELL: "Ray" was another example.

HAMMER: ... of a movie that did big office, as well as huge DVD sales.

ISBELL: That`s right. What happened also is that movies have changed from not being just a theater release to a cultural event.

HAMMER: Right.

ISBELL: What happened with DVDs is that back in the old days, in 1989, you had "Batman" released. And it would be six months down the road, and the DVD would be released, and all your friends would have seen the movie, and suddenly, you don`t know -- you know, there`s nothing to talk about.

HAMMER: Exactly.

ISBELL: And with the DVD being released right on top of the theater, you`re able to stay on top of the same event that the moviegoers participated in.

HAMMER: And Julie, I`m the kind of a guy, you know, a movie comes out in the theaters, and I`ll say to myself, You know what? I`m just going to wait for that to come out on DVD. And the fact is, that`s happening three months, in many cases, after a movie`s been released. That has to be cannibalizing some of the profits at the box office.

JULIA BOORSTIN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Well, it is taking away from the box office, but it`s actually making the movie companies themselves more money because the truth is, is that when you see all those ads for a theatrical release, and even if you go see the movie itself, it`s all functioning as advertising for the DVD.

And the reason why the window between the DVD release and the theatrical -- movie theater release has gotten so short is because the movie studios are actually making the most of their advertising bucks. They spend so much promoting these movie releases.

HAMMER: Right.

BOORSTIN: They want to also be advertising the DVD down the road. So it`s very smart. And the truth is, is that they actually get a bigger portion of your money when you`re buying a DVD than when you have to -- when you go buy a movie tickets because you buy a movie ticket, they have to split it with the movie theater company.

HAMMER: And you get a little more bang for the buck with the DVD. You know, you get the extra features on there.

ISBELL: That`s right.

HAMMER: You get the behind-the-scenes. You get some games occasionally. But how important is that to DVD sales? Is that something consumers really look for? Because I personally do not, but maybe many people do.

ISBELL: Right. Well, I think it affects more the way directors make the movie and choose which scenes to put into the DVD than it does affect the sales. I think mostly film geeks and people who are really interested in the background information -- it`s always interesting to hear Marty Scorsese talk about what he did to make "The Aviator," if you`re really interested in film.

BOORSTIN: But also, for certain movies, like "Star Wars," people are going to want to see a lot of the special effects or a lot of the, you know, things that make that movie particularly unique. And often, with a movie like "Star Wars," they`ll break it down and they`ll explain it to the viewer.

HAMMER: But real quickly, Julia, it`s so much easier to watch a DVD now. Anybody can have a home theater or take a DVD with you on a plane or even in the car. That must have something to do with the boom.

BOORSTIN: Absolutely. DVDs are so easy to use. I mean, people still don`t know how to work their VCRs, and people certainly don`t know how to record things on them. But DVDs are so easy. You can fast-forward through it. You could find your favorite scene. People love the fact that they`re small, they`re portable. Bring -- you know, I can watch DVDs on my laptop, and many laptops today, you can watch a DVD on, and people have portable DVD players. It`s so easy and accessible, it really raises the appeal of the DVD.

HAMMER: And our collections will grow. Michael Isbell and Julia Boorstin, thanks very much for stopping by tonight and giving us your insight.

BOORSTIN: Thanks.

BRYANT: Tonight, Hollywood is buzzing about Bonds. We are hearing all kinds of speculation about who might be the next actor to play suave secret agent James Bond. Papers in the U.K. say that British actor Daniel Craig has been offered the part for a three-picture deal. Now, you may remember Craig as Paul Newman`s son in "Road to Perdition." There are other rumored candidates -- Oscar-nominated actor Clive Owen and Dominic West, star of the HBO cop show "The Wire," who is, in fact, English, even though he`s playing Baltimore.

But don`t count out the last Bond. "Daily Variety" reports today Pierce Brosnan is rumored to be negotiating a deal to play 007 for a fifth time. Just a few months ago, Brosnan was saying he`s done with the Bond franchise, but this afternoon, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT placed a call across the pond to Ion (ph) Productions, which makes the Bond movies. They told us that despite the rumors and reports, the next Bond has not yet been chosen.

But it still begs the question: Should Pierce Brosnan stay on? So that`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. James Bond: Is it time for a new 007? 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: The many looks of Cameron Diaz, sometimes rockin`, sometimes California cool, but of course, always in style. We`ll check out Cameron`s closet coming up in "Thursday In Style."

BRYANT: Plus: It`s a girl. Elisabeth Hasselbeck announces her baby`s name on "The View."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where we`re giving you a sneak peek at tomorrow`s "Oprah." Maria Shriver and her mom, Eunice. -- I kept thinking I was going to say that wrong -- it`s Eunice Kennedy Shriver -- they`re sitting down for their first TV interview together. Maria, of course, is the niece of the late President John F. Kennedy and is married to actor and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. And as she tells Oprah, "The Governator" not only runs a tight ship at the office but with his kids at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA SHRIVER: He`s serious about, you know, the girls being able to do their laundry, being able to sew, clean their room, iron their clothes and take care of themselves and...

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: Being able to sew?

SHRIVER: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my mother does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: You can catch the rest of the Shriver and Shriver interview tomorrow on "Oprah."

HAMMER: Well, it`s time now for "Thursday In Style." Tonight we take you on a visual style biography of Hollywood A-lister Cameron Diaz. She is one woman who`s not afraid to push the limits of fashion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "IN STYLE" MAGAZINE: Cameron`s style is really an eclectic mix of many different things. She can go from cheeky rock star with sort of a Bohemian edge to a very, very sophisticated elegance on the red carpet.

I think what a lot of people don`t know about Cameron Diaz is that as a teenager, she was an admitted heavy metal head-banger. And a lot of that sort of fearlessness and punk rock edge were carried over into her modern, contemporary style.

What makes Cameron Diaz such a unique style icon is the fact that she really mixes high and low fashion with amazing results. She was at the premiere of "Shrek 2" in Los Angeles, and she wore this very beautiful gilded camisole by Alexander McQueen (ph), paired it with a flouncy, boho (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and stripey tie-dye skirt. And in the end, you know, she paired it with was a pair of flip-flops, proving that she`s ultimately a California girl who can create a unique style all her own.

Cameron Diaz`s red carpet style is definitely multi-faceted. She`ll wear everything from the basic black dress that always has a couture edge. One year, I believe at the Golden Globes, she wore a Chanel Couture mini- dress that caused a gigantic stir because it`s this little black dress, and yet she was just so amazingly sexy and beautiful in it. Another year, she was the first presenter to open the Oscar ceremony in this amazingly beautiful tailor-made-for-her Grecian Prada gown.

Bobby Farrelly, who directed Cameron Diaz in "There`s Something About Mary," has said many, many great things about her. He called her as close to the ideal woman as one can get. He famously once said that Cameron Diaz is like Grace Kelly but with gas (ph).

A lot of women should follow her example. She`s unafraid of aging. She has a great sense of self-esteem and believes in herself. She is strong. She`s empowered. She knows who she is, and she`s loving life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All that, and one of the best smiles on the planet. For more on Cameron Diaz and her fashion savvy, just pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine. It is on newsstands now.

BRYANT: It`s a girl. Today, Elisabeth Hasselbeck called in to her co-hosts on "The View" only a day after delivering a new baby girl. Baby Grace Elisabeth weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and groggy Mommy Hasselbeck gushed to the girls over her new little one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST: First of all, how are you feeling?

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST: Oh, I`m a little -- I`m a little beat up.

VIEIRA: Yes.

HASSELBECK: But it`s all worth it because she`s just awesome. She is just the cutest thing. I`m a little biased.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s the baby`s name?

HASSELBECK: The baby`s name is Grace Elisabeth.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that`s beautiful!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very nice!

(APPLAUSE)

VIEIRA: And your mom -- your mom is Elisabeth, right? So it`s Elisabeth, Elisabeth and then Elisabeth.

HASSELBECK: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that`s very cute.

HASSELBECK: She has hair.

VIEIRA: And what color is her hair?

HASSELBECK: You know, her hair is, like, a lightish brown.

VIEIRA: Uh-huh.

HASSELBECK: I think it gets darker in the back. Tim said it looks like his hairline.

VIEIRA: And was it really Tim`s birthday yesterday, as well?

HASSELBECK: Yes. Yes, it was.

VIEIRA: Oh, that`s so cute!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: With Hasselbeck on maternity leave, this week`s guest host is Hilary Duff.

HAMMER: "Lost" finds a way to shake things up. It`s a milestone for the castaways on the hit TV drama, and we`ll have that story coming up.

BRYANT: Plus 50 Cent and the "Fab Four"? Yes, 50 shares something with the Beatles. We`ll take that to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Zahn is on. Steve Zahn is on a treasure hunt. But first he stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The "Sahara" star joins us live.

BRYANT: And smooth sounds. He`s got a touch of yesteryear in him. But he`s touching today`s audiences with his music. A show biz sit down with Michael Buble.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour and I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Anna Nicole, columnist. Today Anna Nicole Smith, former "Playboy" playmate and reality show star showed off her brand-new column in the newly relaunched "National Enquirer." She`ll pick eight items per week to write about. Anna Nicole also says she is pitching a new reality show.

BRYANT: Sent home again. Nikko Smith, who was brought back to AMERICAN IDOL after Mario Vasquez quit, he was voted of the show last night. The voting, by the way, broke a non-finale record. Last season`s winner Fantasia also made an appearance.

HAMMER: Macaulay Culkin was difficult to deal with. That`s what a former maid at Michael Jackson`s Neverland ranch says about the child star. In testimony at the pop star`s trial today, she also added that she saw Jackson kiss Culkin on the cheek and put his hand on Culkin`s leg and buttocks. She also says Culkin was quote destructive during his visits to the ranch back in the early 1990s, including one time when he dumped a bowl of popcorn on Jackson`s head.

BRYANT: It came in first in the 8:00 time slot and ABC`s drama LOST also had a first casualty last night. In case you haven`t seen it yet, here`s a spoiler alert. Are you ready? Well, Boone is the first major castaway to die on the island. The guy known for being in love with his step sister died from injuries he sustained while investigating a plane tangled in a tree. Now Boone, played by 26-year-old model turned actor Ian Somerhalder told Regis and Kelly how he found out about his alter ego`s demise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN SOMERHALDER, ACTOR: I didn`t find out just by reading the script. They called me and told me. They were very nice about it. You know, it`s always interesting when someone tells you that your life is being ripped away from you.

REGIS PHILBIN, HOST, "REGIS & KELLY": Yeah, exactly. How`d you feel about that?

SOMERHALDER: It stung for that second.

PHILBIN: Yeah.

SOMERHALDER: And then I guess you realize --

KELLY RIPA, HOST, "REGIS & KELLY": No, you could come back in a flash. Back?

PHILBIN: Well, maybe he would.

RIPA: I`m not giving scoop. I don`t know.

PHILBIN: He`s just guessing.

RIPA: I`m saying he could come back as a ghost. He could come back as a, you know, listen.

SOMERHALDER: I hope so.

RIPA: Soap opera mentality. You`re never dead, even when you`re dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, maybe he`s not really dead. Anything is possible. I suppose. "Lost" creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof explain this week`s issue of -- or explain in this week`s issue of "Entertainment Weekly" -- easy for me to say -- that Boone`s death was necessary to set off the chain of events that will lead to the much-hyped season finale on May 25th.

HAMMER: Now another chance for you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. With all the speculation now going on over whether Pierce Brosnan will play James Bond again, here`s what we`re asking you to vote on tonight. James Bond, is it time for a new 007? We`d like you to keep voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you have something additional you`d like to tell us, send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. We`re going to share some of what you have to say at 55 past the hour.

BRYANT: Tonight in our showbiz sit down, Steve Zahn. He`s starring with Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz in the new movie "Sahara" which opens tomorrow. The movie is an action adventure set in Africa and Zahn is the trusty side kick who can catch the bad guys and crack a joke at the same time. He`s kicking it to my left right now for showbiz sit down, the wise cracker himself Steve Zahn. Thanks for joining us.

STEVE ZAHN, ACTOR: Thank you.

BRYANT: I`m a big fan. I think you`re great.

ZAHN: Thanks. Wow.

BRYANT: Give us a little background info on "Sahara."

ZAHN: Well, it`s this epic movie, this action adventure, old school, not a lot of CGI. It`s the stories from a Clive Cussler novel, "Sahara."

BRYANT: It`s kind of a treasure sort of mixed with a.

ZAHN: Yeah. It`s kind of hard to in a couple minutes to explain.

BRYANT: OK.

ZAHN: But it really has a -- it embodies that old Indiana Jones. You see 20 horses. We had 20 horses. You see tanks, we had tanks. It`s not a lot of computer generated stuff. It`s a --

BRYANT: It`s a real live action movie. We`re going to take a clip, look at a clip. Let`s check it out, "Sahara."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Panama? Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody pick up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re ignoring me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to Panama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s in Panama?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t know you were in Panama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worse, you`re in Nicaragua.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we were in Panama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: OK, it gives you a feeling of the action in there. You just mention the budget. I heard this had a huge budget. But you`re on camels. You`re wearing the same ratty t-shirt. Was craft service like caviar? Where do they spend the money in this picture?

ZAHN: On the explosions.

BRYANT: Yeah.

ZAHN: That`s about it.

BRYANT: Really? It`s not in your trailer or anything like that?

ZAHN: No. I had to fly in like power bars for like months. But, it was a -- I`ve never been involved with anything close to this. I mean it was -- it was enormous. We had I think more helicopter -- helicopters.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZAHN: More hours than "Black Hawk Down" which was pretty incredible. I mean, it -- it was every day was what are we doing? Riding camels. You`re going to get blown up and then there`s, yeah, it was nuts.

BRYANT: Not for nothing, but how does it feel? Because this happens to you in a lot of your movies. The other guy gets the girl. How do you take that? And did you see them falling in love on the set?

ZAHN: No. Look I got a bigger -- look at my gun though. Look at that. I don`t get the girl but look at the gun.

BRYANT: Nice.

ZAHN: That was in my contract. No girls but I get to drive the tank.

BRYANT: Why does that always happen to you though that you don`t get the girl? I mean it doesn`t always.

ZAHN: Because I don`t have the six-pack abs like Matthew does.

BRYANT: No? That`s too bad.

ZAHN: I mean kind of, but not the same. Because his is like crazy good.

BRYANT: Right. Right. Well, I tell you what, you`re great with animals. You`re great with kids. I know there`s another daddy daycare on the way. We`re happy to see that, right daddy camp?

ZAHN: I don`t think so. Breaking news here. Breaking news.

BRYANT: Really?

ZAHN: I don`t know. I don`t think so. I`m not there. I`m here.

BRYANT: OK. Well there you go. "Sahara." he is in that picture. It opens tomorrow. So please do check it out. Thanks for joining us, Steve Zahn.

ZAHN: Thank you.

HAMMER: It is time now for more show biz shorts. The Duff sisters will soon be living in a material world. According to today`s "Variety" magazine, Hillary and Haley will soon begin production on the film "Material Girls." Yes it is named after Madonna`s 1980s classic pop tune. In fact, Madonna is the co-chair of Maverick films which is behind the project. Hillary Duff will re-record the "Material Girl" song for the movie.

He sings "Danke Schoen." But tonight he sang auf wiedersehen (ph). Wayne Newton is saying good-bye to the Stardust Hotel on April 20th. He`s been performing at that theater since 1999 and there is talk that he could end up at the Hilton which is just down the block. But big Barry Manilow is scheduled there through 2006. More show biz shorts coming up throughout the show.

50 Cent and the Fab Four share not one, but four things in common. And who will be the next Bond, James Bond? Our buzz bench has the golden eye for 007.

HAMMER: And his sound is influenced by the old school crooners but he`s got a new school appeal, a showbiz sit down with Michael Buble. That`s coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time for "The Buzz Bench," where today`s entertainment chatter takes center stage.

HAMMER: Tonight, it`s the search for the next James Bond.

BRYANT: 50 Cent shares something with the Beatles, and the Duff sisters share something with Madonna.

HAMMER: Joining us on "The Buzz Bench" tonight is "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe, comedian and television personality Leigh Kessler and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Amy Kean. So, according to reports, Pierce Brosnan is in talks to reprise his role as spymaster James Bond. He`s played 007 for 10 years now. That goes against rumors that actor Daniel Craig would become the new Bond. Craig`s people have denied it. Among the reasons for that may be Brosnan wanted too much money. MGM is the studio that does the Bond films and maybe they wanted someone younger. Amy Kean, what`s your take?

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CONTRIBUTOR: I have to say I`m really sick of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I don`t know what you guys think. But I always thought he was a little too wimpy for the part. I think they`re ready for a change.

BRYANT: Who do you want to see?

KEAN: Of the people that they are mentioning, they have Daniel Craig, who is this basically three people kind of unknowns except for Clive Owen. So the three people are Daniel Craig, Clive Owen, and Dominic West. None of them are huge names. Clive Owen you may know because he was in "Closer" and he actually won a Golden Globe this year, won an Oscar. But I think Dominic West is the sexiest, most suave.

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, TIME MAGAZINE: But you don`t want a sexy Bond. I know you want him a bit rough. You want the Sean Connery and the ultimate Bond and the early Bond. Not so much a looker really.

KEAN: Daniel Craig in Sylvia is the only movie from his list I`ve actually seen.

HAMMER: Keep in mind he`s huge in Europe.

KEAN: I know.

HAMMER: He`s an enormous star.

LEIGH KESSLER, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: He comes across as a little bit too creepy to be Bond.

KEAN: Yeah, yeah.

KESSLER: You know, he can pull it off. But you talk about Pierce Brosnan speaking as a completely heterosexual male, I don`t know if I could turn him down. I mean, he`s so perfect as Bond.

KEAN: I would love it if my job was to find a new James Bond. But I`ll tell you, I would not be very good because I really like Timothy Dalton. Who everybody thinks was the worst.

(CROSSTALK)

KEAN: I`m the only one who liked him.

HAMMER: What about the money issue though? Pierce Brosnan does get $20 million a picture. He doesn`t get points for these films. But he probably asks for them.

KEAN: The problem is on one hand he complained because he only makes about $20 million a movie. On the other hand, the movie makes hundreds of millions. So they really do have to get some sort of back end percentage.

BRYANT: I tell you what, we`re going to move on to music right now, Leigh. 50 Cent is the first artist since the Beatles to have four songs in the top ten. They did it back in `64 with actually "Can`t Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand and "Please Please Me." They actually had five. 50 Cent in line with the Beatles?

KESSLER: Yeah. It`s fitting by the way. We don`t have time for the final. I`m not going to put him up with the Beatles. He`s certainly not there. But he`s so great because he`s got this gangsta innocence about him. Here`s a guy whose album is called "The Massacre." Yet he sings about candy shops and birthdays.

BRYANT: It`s all double entendre.

KESSLER: But it still makes him likable. The guy`s been shot nine times but you still want to be his friend.

KEAN: You have to remember, when I was actually looking at the two of them, there are some things in common actually believe it or not with the Beatles and 50 Cent. For example when they came out, the Beatles were considered really shocking and controversial also. People were burning their records. So it`s like they were considered edgy and crazy for their time.

HAMMER: But this is really about the number of hits they have in the top 10. And back then, they would release single after single after single. The fact is, 50 has the staying power to remain in the top 10 for 10 weeks at a time.

BRYANT: And two of those songs, I should say are done with Game as two of them (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LUSCOMBE: None of the top four songs, do we have to start calling him two dollars?

KESSLER: I`m amazed Michael Jackson was never there.

HAMMER: Let`s move on to two Duffs then shall we? That`s our next subject on the buzz bench tonight. According to today`s "Variety," the Duff sisters are going to be starring in "Material Girls," directed by Martha Coolidge. It`s a comedy. It`s going to follow a pair of celebutante cosmetics heiresses who lose their fortune in a corporate scandal, launch an investigation to expose the culprit. Hillary is going to rerecord the Madonna song for the soundtrack.

LUSCOMBE: This, of course, is an enormous stretch for these two girls. Having to play very rich sisters and maybe they should go and do some research to find out actually what it`s like to lose all that money and live with the journalists for a little while. Madonna obviously giving her sanction to this. She`s one of the producers. Let`s hope Maverick has more success in this movie than it`s had with some of its.

KESSLER: I`m tired of the whole siblings thing. I`m tired of Jessica and Ashley. I`m tired of Jerry and Charlie O`Connell.

KEAN: And the Hiltons.

KESSLER: Yeah and the Hiltons, I just want one kid to make it.

KEAN: Also when I was a kid, these teenage movies when I was a kid we watched things like Molly Ringwald and they had more emotion. These movies.

BRYANT: . formulas.

HAMMER: They`re tired of it, so let`s wrap it up then. Thanks a lot, Belinda, Leigh and Amy appreciate you stopping by.

BRYANT: Two rappers tell us to go west. Why two of hip-hop`s hottest -- Snoop and the Game -- got together today.

HAMMER: And Michael Buble doesn`t do hip-hop, but he is hip. He shows us his rat pack sounds and how they`re drawing packs of audiences. That`s coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNOOP DOGG: We just want to go out and have a good time and represent the west coast and give the people what they want. They want a good show to bring back the west and that`s what we`re here to do, talk about it and let everybody know it`s official and we`ll be in your town real soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The Game also presented a $200,000 check to the Compton Unified School District where he grew up and this comes after he and rapper 50 Cent made similar donations to the Harlem boys` choir, squashing a beef the two had back in March. Snoop and the Game`s "How the West Was Won" tour is going to kick off April 15th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BRYANT: Now time for our other showbiz sit down tonight. It is with an international super crooner with a velvety smooth voice. He`s sold more than 3 million albums since his first disc hit stores in 2003. Now Michael Buble has just released his sophomore album, "It`s Time," which is in stores now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson had a little coffee and cake with him recently at Fabiola`s Caf' in Los Angeles and had a chance to talk with Buble about writing some of the songs on his new album.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUBLE: I got to make a record that was a lot more my style. It was a lot closer to my kind of personality. It was a little edgier, not as polished.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There`s an original song here. Is it personal? Is it close to your heart?

BUBLE: I had been on the road for months. I think there was 12 days off in two and a half years and so I missed my family, my mom and my dad and my sisters and so I wrote the song "Home."

ANDERSON: Do you ever let success go to your head?

BUBLE: Yes.

ANDERSON: Always, right?

BUBLE: No, you do.

ANDERSON: Or do you try and keep yourself grounded? Is it hard?

BUBLE: I struggled for so long, 10 or 11 years with playing not the greatest places in the world and not making any money. I think it makes you more appreciative when you get the chance to do it. My job is very simple. For an hour and a half a night, two hours, whatever it is, I help people forget about what`s happening in your life and I try to give you an escape a And thank you so much.

ANDERSON: Thank you so much. This is delicious.

BUBLE: This has been my favorite interview ever by the way.

ANDERSON: I`m so glad to hear that.

BUBLE: You and the cake.

ANDERSON: Great combination, right?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Oh, Buble`s got a little crush. His new album "It`s Time" is in record stores now. And his North American tour launches in May. And Brooke told us something kind of funny. In that interview, Michael told her that when he was 10 years into trying to make it as a singer, he actually considered hanging it all up to become an entertainment reporter.

HAMMER: Don`t do it. Some monkey business for David Letterman. That`s coming up in "laughter dark."

BRYANT: and there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. James Bond - it`s time for a new 007? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or email us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. It is time to get your laugh on in "laughter dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.

HAMMER: The late show with David Letterman regularly monitors the soap opera world, of course. And last night Dave was very passionate about his soap pick of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": So once again it`s made our soap opera clip of the night. Here we go, ladies and gentlemen from a recent episode of "Passions," take a look. That is brilliant. I want to tell you something, ladies and gentlemen, if there is more than one person watching that show, we are very near the end of civilization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: You can`t go wrong when you use an orangutan and use a word like whackado.

BRYANT: Yeah, yeah, nice.

HAMMER: It is time now for more showbiz shorts and tonight there are more statues for Jon Stewart`s mantelpiece. His "daily show" won its second Peabody Award today. It`s the 64th annual Peabody awards which are often considered the most prestigious honor in TV.

BRYANT: C is for cart. Cookie monster is going to be scarfing fewer cookies. "Sesame Street," the kid`s show that kicks off its 36th season this week says that it`s going to focus on physical health issues this year and that means fewer cookies for the blue, fuzzy guy. "Sesame Street" said it would introduce talking vegetables as well on the show.

HAMMER: What are you going to have for a talking vegetable?

BRYANT: I don`t know. But I love cookies.

HAMMER: Throughout the show we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It`s our showbiz tonight question of the day. That`s what it says. James Bond, time for a new 007? Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far. 46 percent of you said yes and it is time for a new 007, so 54 percent of you say no. I call it pretty much split down the middle. You shouldn`t replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond is what those voters said.

Got some e-mail on the topic, too. Cass from West Lafayette, Indiana says, Pierce Brosnan is the best actor for the James Bond role and some more I`m sure.

But Ruby from Hawaii disagrees. It`s time for a new 007, but Bond is such an international icon, that the person chosen needs to meet certain criteria.

Please remember, you can continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight.

BRYANT: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: Let`s take a look at what`s happening on the "showbiz marquee." All right, marquee guy, you`re on.

ANNOUNCER: Fran, Fran, she`s our woman. The nanny -- the flashy girl from Flushing, Fran Drescher, is now one foxy named, uh, Fran. It`s her new show, "Living with Fran." Fran comes to live with us tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

What`s that smell? I can`t place it. It`s eau du celebrity. A bit of Britney, a pinch of Paris, a grain of Jessica and a sprinkle of Sarah. Making sense of celebrity scents, tomorrow, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is your odor-free marquee guy, saying, smell ya tomorrow!

HAMMER: Odor free I`m sure. Can we get the marquee guy to do the Fran Drescher laugh one more time? Tomorrow also on the program I`m going to be speaking with Clay Aiken who`s just done some wonderful charity work over in Indonesia for UNICEF and going to find out if he`s going to appear on AMERICAN IDOL before the season is out. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see you back here tomorrow.

BRYANT: Yes she is, Nancy Grace, she is up next, right after the very latest from HEADLINE NEWS.

END


Aired April 7, 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: Anna Nicole wordsmith.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And taking notes on "American Idol." I`m Karyn Bryant.

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

BRYANT: Anna Nicole in the tabloids. But this time, she`s holding the pen and talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Inquiring minds want to know.

HAMMER: Judging "American Idol." It`s down to the final eight. Former contestant Kimberly Caldwell joins us live with the play-by-play.

BRYANT: Steve Zahn live. Life`s a desert in his new movie. And you`ve seen him in tons of others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE ZAHN, "SAHARA": I know. I get it all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: The "Sahara" star jumps on board SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Cameron Diaz, head-banger? We`ll tell you the heavy metal secret in Cameron`s fashion past.

BRYANT: Michael Buble in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." We`re bubbling over with enthusiasm for his Sinatraesque sound. But can he beat the sophomore slumps?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BUBLE: This is Michael Buble. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, and you are at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: Well, it sure won`t win her a Pulitzer Prize, but tonight, Anna Nicole Smith can add columnist to her credits. The blond-haired supermodel-turned-reality-TV-star-turned -- well, you know -- today revealed that she`s picking up a pen and pounding the typewriter. Well, almost.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here to explain -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Oh, boy, A.J. and Karyn. Yes, indeed, we just couldn`t resist this event today, as the former Guess jeans model, and so much more, for that matter, announced that she`s a new writer for "The National Enquirer."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Anna Nicole Smith turning heads today at Grand Central terminal in New York City, triggering an Anna Nicole frenzy. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, too, as the blond bombshell showed off her brand- new column in "The National Enquirer." Anna`s the new celebrity writer for the tabloid, a job that even she admits is going to be challenging.

ANNA NICOLE SMITH: I know I`m not a writer. I don`t even know how to spell. You know, what better way to get my words out there. And you know, another way to look at it is what better way to get an education, right?

HAFFENREFFER: Anna originally turned down the writing gig but reconsidered after learning that some people had the wrong impression of her.

SMITH: They did a poll on me, and I found out that there`s a lot of people that don`t like me. And I thought, well, maybe if I have my own column, you know, and people know me, then maybe they`ll change their opinion.

HAFFENREFFER: So what does Anna write about? Well, she picked eight items this week. She tells readers that she`s behind Ashton and Demi, writing, "Go, Demi! Go, Ashton! Go, age difference!" She also offers up some sympathy for celebrity journalist Pat O`Brien, who recently checked himself into rehab for an alcohol problem. "Rehab sucks," she writes. "There`s no special treatment." She`d know. Anna did a stint at Betty Ford back in 1995.

The former "Playboy" playmate may be writing the headlines now, but recently, she`s only been making them. She surprised the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards in Australia when she pulled down her top. Back in November, producers at the American Music Awards had to cut short her introduction to rapper Kanye West after slurring her words on stage. Anna says she`s going to work very hard at her new gig.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to be nice? What are you going to do? Are you going to stay away from certain things?

SMITH: Well, you`ll just have to read my column and find out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: Anna had her own reality show on E!, and she reveals in her column that she may be back on television soon. She`s been pitching a brand-new show -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks a lot, David Haffenreffer.

Well, tonight, a tribute from Bono. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as U2`s Bono paid tribute to the pope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONO, U2: I said, Holy Father, do you want a pair of fly-shades? Maybe it was the fly-shades, but he said, yes. And then he handed me these.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Bono was referring to a closed-door meeting in which the pope tried on the singer`s trademark sunglasses and then presented a rosary to the U2 frontman. Bono then dedicated a song about love -- it`s a terrific song called "Miracle Drug" -- and dedicated that one to the pontiff.

Bono spent time with the pope discussing AIDS, debt relief for third world countries and peace. And while Bono admits he and John Paul II didn`t always see eye to eye, he said the pope was the best leader the Catholic Church has ever had.

Well, you can watch coverage of the pope`s funeral in its entirety on CNN starting at 3:00 AM Eastern.

HAMMER: Jane Fonda is now talking about another war mistake. Fonda, who has just admitted she made a terrible mistake during her `70s trip to Vietnam, says the war in Iraq is also a mistake. On "The Late Show With David Letterman" last night, Fonda again repeated she regretted posing for photos on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft missile. She was also very frank when Letterman asked her what she thought of the war in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: How do you now, with this background and the kind of person you are, how do you view the activity in Iraq?

JANE FONDA: I think the war is wrong I think it`s a mistake, and I think that we should get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Back in 1972, Fonda thought the U.S. should get out of Vietnam, too. Fonda calls herself a lightning rod for the Vietnam war and told Letterman her image as Hanoi Jane was created by the right wing. Fonda`s been making the rounds to talk about her just-published autobiography, "My Life So Far."

BRYANT: Tonight, the "American Idol" contestant who got a second chance after being voted off the show is gone for good. The people have spoken, and last night, Nikko smith got the axe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go, America. Your results. Scott, you are safe. Which means, Nikko, you are leaving us tonight on "American Idol."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Nikko had been called back to replace Mario Vasquez, after Mario quit for what he said were personal reasons. The voting this week broke non-finale records, and past winners Ruben Studdard and Fantasia made appearances. Fantasia absolutely rocked the house with her single, "Truth Is." And she also had a little advice for this year`s contestants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FANTASIA BARRINO, SEASON 3 WINNER: My advice is to just come out here and act ugly. Have a good time. Have a good time. Just have a good time, y`all. You know, if you don`t make it, this is not the end. It`s just a door open for you. Everybody on our season has a record deal. Everybody took it and ran with it. All of y`all are awesome. Take it and run with it. Get out here and act ugly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: All right, Fantasia.

Well, as we do here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT every Thursday, we judge "American Idol" with former contestant Kimberly Caldwell, who is a TV Guide Channel host. Kimberly joins us live from Los Angeles.

Good to see you again. And I noticed you were at the show last night, right?

KIMBERLY CALDWELL, TV GUIDE CHANNEL HOST: Yes, I was, actually. You didn`t get to see me. I think you saw my arm...

BRYANT: Right...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: ... right next to Ruben. Yes, exactly. Well, so what do you think about Nikko last night? Should he have gone?

CALDWELL: Well, I know it was really hard for everybody to sing show tunes, and I`m glad that our season lucked out and didn`t have to do that. But I think I would have chose something more upbeat, like a number from "Grease" or something. So I know that that was really difficult for everybody. I do not think that Nikko should have gone home last night. I don`t think that it was his time.

But at the same time, he`d been through an emotional roller-coaster. He`s been on the show, then kicked off the show, then brought back to the show. But I think that he has been at his best for the last couple weeks. And the only thing you can do, if you leave "American Idol," is go out with a bang, and I think that he definitely, definitely did that.

BRYANT: OK, well, who should have gone instead, then?

CALDWELL: I don`t know who should have gone. I think that Scot`s performances have not been as good as his previous ones -- you know, when he, like, was ripping off his glasses and ripping off his hat and everything like that. But at the same time, you know, it has to be really hard because he`s been having accusations towards him, and he knows that the audience is taking that into perspective. And it still -- at the same time, he went first. And if you look at the past "Idol" performances, the people that go first really have it a little harder than the people that go further down the line because people kind of forget who they are by the end of the show.

BRYANT: Right.

CALDWELL: So I think that it really hurts somebody to go first.

BRYANT: OK, now, last quick question. Fantasia likes Carrie. Who do you still like in the competition?

CALDWELL: I`m a huge fan of Vonzell. I think she`s got the triple threat, which means she can sing -- you know that...

BRYANT: Right...

(CROSSTALK)

CALDWELL: She`s got an amazing personality. She has amazing stage presence. And you know, she`s got the look.

BRYANT: OK.

CALDWELL: And I`m a huge fan of Bo, but I hope that he strips off the silky satin little shirt...

BRYANT: Yes, the look...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: Exactly. Exactly. All right, well, Kimberly Caldwell, thanks for joining us again here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

CALDWELL: Thanks. See you next week.

BRYANT: See you.

HAMMER: It is time now for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories that are making news tonight. American drama versus "American Idol." Numbers out today show "The West Wing" had its highest rating since January in last night`s amazing season finale. But still, it came in fourth in the time slot. As Karyn mentioned, "American Idol" easily won the night.

Catching "Fever" -- the Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon movie "Fever Pitch" premiered at Boston`s Fenway Park last night. Fallon stars as an obsessive Red Sox fan, and part of the film was shot at the park. "Fever Pitch" opens tomorrow.

Well, we`re all rushing out to see "Fever Pitch" in theaters this weekend, but lately, it`s the DVDs that are making more money than the ticket sales, "Ray" being a prime example. We`re going to dive into that coming up in "SHOWBIZ In Depth."

BRYANT: Plus: She`s a little bit rock chick, a little bit red carpet glam. Cameron Diaz, fashion chameleon That`s coming up in "Thursday In Style."

HAMMER: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actress caused a stir for embarking on a lengthy tirade while naked from the waist down in the 1993 Robert Altman film "Short Cuts`? Was it Glenn Close, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore or Susan Sarandon? Hang out because we`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actress caused a stir for embarking on a lengthy tirade while naked from the waist down in the 1993 Robert Altman film "Short Cuts"? Was it Glenn Close, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore or Susan Sarandon? The answer is C, Julianne Moore.

HAMMER: It is 14 minutes past the hour and time for "SHOWBIZ In Depth." The DVD craze. DVD scales are scorching hot right now and really giving the box office a run for the money. One example, "The Incredibles." the Oscar-winning animated film was released on DVD three weeks ago. In its first day of release, it sold five million copies. That`s more than $100 million worth. And it surpassed the $70 million that it made in its first weekend at theaters.

So we are looking into the DVD phenomenon with Michael Isbell. He`s a film critic for the popular movie site Aintitcoolnews.com. And also joining us live here in New York, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Julia Boorstin, who covers the entertainment industry for "Fortune" magazine.

Michael, I want to start with you. Did anybody see this coming, this big craze with the DVDs?

MICHAEL ISBELL, AINTITCOOLNEWS.COM: Well, last year, we had Ben Affleck`s movie, "Surviving Christmas," fail at theater, and we had a DVD release 30 days later. That`s certainly gone on. Also, the...

HAMMER: Another movie?

ISBELL: Yes the -- well, I`m sorry...

HAMMER: Well, "Ray" was another example...

ISBELL: "Ray" was another example.

HAMMER: ... of a movie that did big office, as well as huge DVD sales.

ISBELL: That`s right. What happened also is that movies have changed from not being just a theater release to a cultural event.

HAMMER: Right.

ISBELL: What happened with DVDs is that back in the old days, in 1989, you had "Batman" released. And it would be six months down the road, and the DVD would be released, and all your friends would have seen the movie, and suddenly, you don`t know -- you know, there`s nothing to talk about.

HAMMER: Exactly.

ISBELL: And with the DVD being released right on top of the theater, you`re able to stay on top of the same event that the moviegoers participated in.

HAMMER: And Julie, I`m the kind of a guy, you know, a movie comes out in the theaters, and I`ll say to myself, You know what? I`m just going to wait for that to come out on DVD. And the fact is, that`s happening three months, in many cases, after a movie`s been released. That has to be cannibalizing some of the profits at the box office.

JULIA BOORSTIN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Well, it is taking away from the box office, but it`s actually making the movie companies themselves more money because the truth is, is that when you see all those ads for a theatrical release, and even if you go see the movie itself, it`s all functioning as advertising for the DVD.

And the reason why the window between the DVD release and the theatrical -- movie theater release has gotten so short is because the movie studios are actually making the most of their advertising bucks. They spend so much promoting these movie releases.

HAMMER: Right.

BOORSTIN: They want to also be advertising the DVD down the road. So it`s very smart. And the truth is, is that they actually get a bigger portion of your money when you`re buying a DVD than when you have to -- when you go buy a movie tickets because you buy a movie ticket, they have to split it with the movie theater company.

HAMMER: And you get a little more bang for the buck with the DVD. You know, you get the extra features on there.

ISBELL: That`s right.

HAMMER: You get the behind-the-scenes. You get some games occasionally. But how important is that to DVD sales? Is that something consumers really look for? Because I personally do not, but maybe many people do.

ISBELL: Right. Well, I think it affects more the way directors make the movie and choose which scenes to put into the DVD than it does affect the sales. I think mostly film geeks and people who are really interested in the background information -- it`s always interesting to hear Marty Scorsese talk about what he did to make "The Aviator," if you`re really interested in film.

BOORSTIN: But also, for certain movies, like "Star Wars," people are going to want to see a lot of the special effects or a lot of the, you know, things that make that movie particularly unique. And often, with a movie like "Star Wars," they`ll break it down and they`ll explain it to the viewer.

HAMMER: But real quickly, Julia, it`s so much easier to watch a DVD now. Anybody can have a home theater or take a DVD with you on a plane or even in the car. That must have something to do with the boom.

BOORSTIN: Absolutely. DVDs are so easy to use. I mean, people still don`t know how to work their VCRs, and people certainly don`t know how to record things on them. But DVDs are so easy. You can fast-forward through it. You could find your favorite scene. People love the fact that they`re small, they`re portable. Bring -- you know, I can watch DVDs on my laptop, and many laptops today, you can watch a DVD on, and people have portable DVD players. It`s so easy and accessible, it really raises the appeal of the DVD.

HAMMER: And our collections will grow. Michael Isbell and Julia Boorstin, thanks very much for stopping by tonight and giving us your insight.

BOORSTIN: Thanks.

BRYANT: Tonight, Hollywood is buzzing about Bonds. We are hearing all kinds of speculation about who might be the next actor to play suave secret agent James Bond. Papers in the U.K. say that British actor Daniel Craig has been offered the part for a three-picture deal. Now, you may remember Craig as Paul Newman`s son in "Road to Perdition." There are other rumored candidates -- Oscar-nominated actor Clive Owen and Dominic West, star of the HBO cop show "The Wire," who is, in fact, English, even though he`s playing Baltimore.

But don`t count out the last Bond. "Daily Variety" reports today Pierce Brosnan is rumored to be negotiating a deal to play 007 for a fifth time. Just a few months ago, Brosnan was saying he`s done with the Bond franchise, but this afternoon, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT placed a call across the pond to Ion (ph) Productions, which makes the Bond movies. They told us that despite the rumors and reports, the next Bond has not yet been chosen.

But it still begs the question: Should Pierce Brosnan stay on? So that`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. James Bond: Is it time for a new 007? 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: The many looks of Cameron Diaz, sometimes rockin`, sometimes California cool, but of course, always in style. We`ll check out Cameron`s closet coming up in "Thursday In Style."

BRYANT: Plus: It`s a girl. Elisabeth Hasselbeck announces her baby`s name on "The View."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where we`re giving you a sneak peek at tomorrow`s "Oprah." Maria Shriver and her mom, Eunice. -- I kept thinking I was going to say that wrong -- it`s Eunice Kennedy Shriver -- they`re sitting down for their first TV interview together. Maria, of course, is the niece of the late President John F. Kennedy and is married to actor and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. And as she tells Oprah, "The Governator" not only runs a tight ship at the office but with his kids at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA SHRIVER: He`s serious about, you know, the girls being able to do their laundry, being able to sew, clean their room, iron their clothes and take care of themselves and...

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: Being able to sew?

SHRIVER: Yes. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my mother does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: You can catch the rest of the Shriver and Shriver interview tomorrow on "Oprah."

HAMMER: Well, it`s time now for "Thursday In Style." Tonight we take you on a visual style biography of Hollywood A-lister Cameron Diaz. She is one woman who`s not afraid to push the limits of fashion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "IN STYLE" MAGAZINE: Cameron`s style is really an eclectic mix of many different things. She can go from cheeky rock star with sort of a Bohemian edge to a very, very sophisticated elegance on the red carpet.

I think what a lot of people don`t know about Cameron Diaz is that as a teenager, she was an admitted heavy metal head-banger. And a lot of that sort of fearlessness and punk rock edge were carried over into her modern, contemporary style.

What makes Cameron Diaz such a unique style icon is the fact that she really mixes high and low fashion with amazing results. She was at the premiere of "Shrek 2" in Los Angeles, and she wore this very beautiful gilded camisole by Alexander McQueen (ph), paired it with a flouncy, boho (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and stripey tie-dye skirt. And in the end, you know, she paired it with was a pair of flip-flops, proving that she`s ultimately a California girl who can create a unique style all her own.

Cameron Diaz`s red carpet style is definitely multi-faceted. She`ll wear everything from the basic black dress that always has a couture edge. One year, I believe at the Golden Globes, she wore a Chanel Couture mini- dress that caused a gigantic stir because it`s this little black dress, and yet she was just so amazingly sexy and beautiful in it. Another year, she was the first presenter to open the Oscar ceremony in this amazingly beautiful tailor-made-for-her Grecian Prada gown.

Bobby Farrelly, who directed Cameron Diaz in "There`s Something About Mary," has said many, many great things about her. He called her as close to the ideal woman as one can get. He famously once said that Cameron Diaz is like Grace Kelly but with gas (ph).

A lot of women should follow her example. She`s unafraid of aging. She has a great sense of self-esteem and believes in herself. She is strong. She`s empowered. She knows who she is, and she`s loving life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All that, and one of the best smiles on the planet. For more on Cameron Diaz and her fashion savvy, just pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine. It is on newsstands now.

BRYANT: It`s a girl. Today, Elisabeth Hasselbeck called in to her co-hosts on "The View" only a day after delivering a new baby girl. Baby Grace Elisabeth weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and groggy Mommy Hasselbeck gushed to the girls over her new little one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST: First of all, how are you feeling?

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST: Oh, I`m a little -- I`m a little beat up.

VIEIRA: Yes.

HASSELBECK: But it`s all worth it because she`s just awesome. She is just the cutest thing. I`m a little biased.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s the baby`s name?

HASSELBECK: The baby`s name is Grace Elisabeth.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that`s beautiful!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very nice!

(APPLAUSE)

VIEIRA: And your mom -- your mom is Elisabeth, right? So it`s Elisabeth, Elisabeth and then Elisabeth.

HASSELBECK: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that`s very cute.

HASSELBECK: She has hair.

VIEIRA: And what color is her hair?

HASSELBECK: You know, her hair is, like, a lightish brown.

VIEIRA: Uh-huh.

HASSELBECK: I think it gets darker in the back. Tim said it looks like his hairline.

VIEIRA: And was it really Tim`s birthday yesterday, as well?

HASSELBECK: Yes. Yes, it was.

VIEIRA: Oh, that`s so cute!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: With Hasselbeck on maternity leave, this week`s guest host is Hilary Duff.

HAMMER: "Lost" finds a way to shake things up. It`s a milestone for the castaways on the hit TV drama, and we`ll have that story coming up.

BRYANT: Plus 50 Cent and the "Fab Four"? Yes, 50 shares something with the Beatles. We`ll take that to the "Buzz Bench" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Zahn is on. Steve Zahn is on a treasure hunt. But first he stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The "Sahara" star joins us live.

BRYANT: And smooth sounds. He`s got a touch of yesteryear in him. But he`s touching today`s audiences with his music. A show biz sit down with Michael Buble.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour and I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Anna Nicole, columnist. Today Anna Nicole Smith, former "Playboy" playmate and reality show star showed off her brand-new column in the newly relaunched "National Enquirer." She`ll pick eight items per week to write about. Anna Nicole also says she is pitching a new reality show.

BRYANT: Sent home again. Nikko Smith, who was brought back to AMERICAN IDOL after Mario Vasquez quit, he was voted of the show last night. The voting, by the way, broke a non-finale record. Last season`s winner Fantasia also made an appearance.

HAMMER: Macaulay Culkin was difficult to deal with. That`s what a former maid at Michael Jackson`s Neverland ranch says about the child star. In testimony at the pop star`s trial today, she also added that she saw Jackson kiss Culkin on the cheek and put his hand on Culkin`s leg and buttocks. She also says Culkin was quote destructive during his visits to the ranch back in the early 1990s, including one time when he dumped a bowl of popcorn on Jackson`s head.

BRYANT: It came in first in the 8:00 time slot and ABC`s drama LOST also had a first casualty last night. In case you haven`t seen it yet, here`s a spoiler alert. Are you ready? Well, Boone is the first major castaway to die on the island. The guy known for being in love with his step sister died from injuries he sustained while investigating a plane tangled in a tree. Now Boone, played by 26-year-old model turned actor Ian Somerhalder told Regis and Kelly how he found out about his alter ego`s demise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN SOMERHALDER, ACTOR: I didn`t find out just by reading the script. They called me and told me. They were very nice about it. You know, it`s always interesting when someone tells you that your life is being ripped away from you.

REGIS PHILBIN, HOST, "REGIS & KELLY": Yeah, exactly. How`d you feel about that?

SOMERHALDER: It stung for that second.

PHILBIN: Yeah.

SOMERHALDER: And then I guess you realize --

KELLY RIPA, HOST, "REGIS & KELLY": No, you could come back in a flash. Back?

PHILBIN: Well, maybe he would.

RIPA: I`m not giving scoop. I don`t know.

PHILBIN: He`s just guessing.

RIPA: I`m saying he could come back as a ghost. He could come back as a, you know, listen.

SOMERHALDER: I hope so.

RIPA: Soap opera mentality. You`re never dead, even when you`re dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, maybe he`s not really dead. Anything is possible. I suppose. "Lost" creators JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof explain this week`s issue of -- or explain in this week`s issue of "Entertainment Weekly" -- easy for me to say -- that Boone`s death was necessary to set off the chain of events that will lead to the much-hyped season finale on May 25th.

HAMMER: Now another chance for you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. With all the speculation now going on over whether Pierce Brosnan will play James Bond again, here`s what we`re asking you to vote on tonight. James Bond, is it time for a new 007? We`d like you to keep voting by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you have something additional you`d like to tell us, send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. We`re going to share some of what you have to say at 55 past the hour.

BRYANT: Tonight in our showbiz sit down, Steve Zahn. He`s starring with Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz in the new movie "Sahara" which opens tomorrow. The movie is an action adventure set in Africa and Zahn is the trusty side kick who can catch the bad guys and crack a joke at the same time. He`s kicking it to my left right now for showbiz sit down, the wise cracker himself Steve Zahn. Thanks for joining us.

STEVE ZAHN, ACTOR: Thank you.

BRYANT: I`m a big fan. I think you`re great.

ZAHN: Thanks. Wow.

BRYANT: Give us a little background info on "Sahara."

ZAHN: Well, it`s this epic movie, this action adventure, old school, not a lot of CGI. It`s the stories from a Clive Cussler novel, "Sahara."

BRYANT: It`s kind of a treasure sort of mixed with a.

ZAHN: Yeah. It`s kind of hard to in a couple minutes to explain.

BRYANT: OK.

ZAHN: But it really has a -- it embodies that old Indiana Jones. You see 20 horses. We had 20 horses. You see tanks, we had tanks. It`s not a lot of computer generated stuff. It`s a --

BRYANT: It`s a real live action movie. We`re going to take a clip, look at a clip. Let`s check it out, "Sahara."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Panama? Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody pick up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re ignoring me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to Panama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s in Panama?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t know you were in Panama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worse, you`re in Nicaragua.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we were in Panama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: OK, it gives you a feeling of the action in there. You just mention the budget. I heard this had a huge budget. But you`re on camels. You`re wearing the same ratty t-shirt. Was craft service like caviar? Where do they spend the money in this picture?

ZAHN: On the explosions.

BRYANT: Yeah.

ZAHN: That`s about it.

BRYANT: Really? It`s not in your trailer or anything like that?

ZAHN: No. I had to fly in like power bars for like months. But, it was a -- I`ve never been involved with anything close to this. I mean it was -- it was enormous. We had I think more helicopter -- helicopters.

BRYANT: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZAHN: More hours than "Black Hawk Down" which was pretty incredible. I mean, it -- it was every day was what are we doing? Riding camels. You`re going to get blown up and then there`s, yeah, it was nuts.

BRYANT: Not for nothing, but how does it feel? Because this happens to you in a lot of your movies. The other guy gets the girl. How do you take that? And did you see them falling in love on the set?

ZAHN: No. Look I got a bigger -- look at my gun though. Look at that. I don`t get the girl but look at the gun.

BRYANT: Nice.

ZAHN: That was in my contract. No girls but I get to drive the tank.

BRYANT: Why does that always happen to you though that you don`t get the girl? I mean it doesn`t always.

ZAHN: Because I don`t have the six-pack abs like Matthew does.

BRYANT: No? That`s too bad.

ZAHN: I mean kind of, but not the same. Because his is like crazy good.

BRYANT: Right. Right. Well, I tell you what, you`re great with animals. You`re great with kids. I know there`s another daddy daycare on the way. We`re happy to see that, right daddy camp?

ZAHN: I don`t think so. Breaking news here. Breaking news.

BRYANT: Really?

ZAHN: I don`t know. I don`t think so. I`m not there. I`m here.

BRYANT: OK. Well there you go. "Sahara." he is in that picture. It opens tomorrow. So please do check it out. Thanks for joining us, Steve Zahn.

ZAHN: Thank you.

HAMMER: It is time now for more show biz shorts. The Duff sisters will soon be living in a material world. According to today`s "Variety" magazine, Hillary and Haley will soon begin production on the film "Material Girls." Yes it is named after Madonna`s 1980s classic pop tune. In fact, Madonna is the co-chair of Maverick films which is behind the project. Hillary Duff will re-record the "Material Girl" song for the movie.

He sings "Danke Schoen." But tonight he sang auf wiedersehen (ph). Wayne Newton is saying good-bye to the Stardust Hotel on April 20th. He`s been performing at that theater since 1999 and there is talk that he could end up at the Hilton which is just down the block. But big Barry Manilow is scheduled there through 2006. More show biz shorts coming up throughout the show.

50 Cent and the Fab Four share not one, but four things in common. And who will be the next Bond, James Bond? Our buzz bench has the golden eye for 007.

HAMMER: And his sound is influenced by the old school crooners but he`s got a new school appeal, a showbiz sit down with Michael Buble. That`s coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time for "The Buzz Bench," where today`s entertainment chatter takes center stage.

HAMMER: Tonight, it`s the search for the next James Bond.

BRYANT: 50 Cent shares something with the Beatles, and the Duff sisters share something with Madonna.

HAMMER: Joining us on "The Buzz Bench" tonight is "Time" magazine`s Belinda Luscombe, comedian and television personality Leigh Kessler and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contributor Amy Kean. So, according to reports, Pierce Brosnan is in talks to reprise his role as spymaster James Bond. He`s played 007 for 10 years now. That goes against rumors that actor Daniel Craig would become the new Bond. Craig`s people have denied it. Among the reasons for that may be Brosnan wanted too much money. MGM is the studio that does the Bond films and maybe they wanted someone younger. Amy Kean, what`s your take?

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CONTRIBUTOR: I have to say I`m really sick of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I don`t know what you guys think. But I always thought he was a little too wimpy for the part. I think they`re ready for a change.

BRYANT: Who do you want to see?

KEAN: Of the people that they are mentioning, they have Daniel Craig, who is this basically three people kind of unknowns except for Clive Owen. So the three people are Daniel Craig, Clive Owen, and Dominic West. None of them are huge names. Clive Owen you may know because he was in "Closer" and he actually won a Golden Globe this year, won an Oscar. But I think Dominic West is the sexiest, most suave.

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, TIME MAGAZINE: But you don`t want a sexy Bond. I know you want him a bit rough. You want the Sean Connery and the ultimate Bond and the early Bond. Not so much a looker really.

KEAN: Daniel Craig in Sylvia is the only movie from his list I`ve actually seen.

HAMMER: Keep in mind he`s huge in Europe.

KEAN: I know.

HAMMER: He`s an enormous star.

LEIGH KESSLER, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: He comes across as a little bit too creepy to be Bond.

KEAN: Yeah, yeah.

KESSLER: You know, he can pull it off. But you talk about Pierce Brosnan speaking as a completely heterosexual male, I don`t know if I could turn him down. I mean, he`s so perfect as Bond.

KEAN: I would love it if my job was to find a new James Bond. But I`ll tell you, I would not be very good because I really like Timothy Dalton. Who everybody thinks was the worst.

(CROSSTALK)

KEAN: I`m the only one who liked him.

HAMMER: What about the money issue though? Pierce Brosnan does get $20 million a picture. He doesn`t get points for these films. But he probably asks for them.

KEAN: The problem is on one hand he complained because he only makes about $20 million a movie. On the other hand, the movie makes hundreds of millions. So they really do have to get some sort of back end percentage.

BRYANT: I tell you what, we`re going to move on to music right now, Leigh. 50 Cent is the first artist since the Beatles to have four songs in the top ten. They did it back in `64 with actually "Can`t Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand and "Please Please Me." They actually had five. 50 Cent in line with the Beatles?

KESSLER: Yeah. It`s fitting by the way. We don`t have time for the final. I`m not going to put him up with the Beatles. He`s certainly not there. But he`s so great because he`s got this gangsta innocence about him. Here`s a guy whose album is called "The Massacre." Yet he sings about candy shops and birthdays.

BRYANT: It`s all double entendre.

KESSLER: But it still makes him likable. The guy`s been shot nine times but you still want to be his friend.

KEAN: You have to remember, when I was actually looking at the two of them, there are some things in common actually believe it or not with the Beatles and 50 Cent. For example when they came out, the Beatles were considered really shocking and controversial also. People were burning their records. So it`s like they were considered edgy and crazy for their time.

HAMMER: But this is really about the number of hits they have in the top 10. And back then, they would release single after single after single. The fact is, 50 has the staying power to remain in the top 10 for 10 weeks at a time.

BRYANT: And two of those songs, I should say are done with Game as two of them (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LUSCOMBE: None of the top four songs, do we have to start calling him two dollars?

KESSLER: I`m amazed Michael Jackson was never there.

HAMMER: Let`s move on to two Duffs then shall we? That`s our next subject on the buzz bench tonight. According to today`s "Variety," the Duff sisters are going to be starring in "Material Girls," directed by Martha Coolidge. It`s a comedy. It`s going to follow a pair of celebutante cosmetics heiresses who lose their fortune in a corporate scandal, launch an investigation to expose the culprit. Hillary is going to rerecord the Madonna song for the soundtrack.

LUSCOMBE: This, of course, is an enormous stretch for these two girls. Having to play very rich sisters and maybe they should go and do some research to find out actually what it`s like to lose all that money and live with the journalists for a little while. Madonna obviously giving her sanction to this. She`s one of the producers. Let`s hope Maverick has more success in this movie than it`s had with some of its.

KESSLER: I`m tired of the whole siblings thing. I`m tired of Jessica and Ashley. I`m tired of Jerry and Charlie O`Connell.

KEAN: And the Hiltons.

KESSLER: Yeah and the Hiltons, I just want one kid to make it.

KEAN: Also when I was a kid, these teenage movies when I was a kid we watched things like Molly Ringwald and they had more emotion. These movies.

BRYANT: . formulas.

HAMMER: They`re tired of it, so let`s wrap it up then. Thanks a lot, Belinda, Leigh and Amy appreciate you stopping by.

BRYANT: Two rappers tell us to go west. Why two of hip-hop`s hottest -- Snoop and the Game -- got together today.

HAMMER: And Michael Buble doesn`t do hip-hop, but he is hip. He shows us his rat pack sounds and how they`re drawing packs of audiences. That`s coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SNOOP DOGG: We just want to go out and have a good time and represent the west coast and give the people what they want. They want a good show to bring back the west and that`s what we`re here to do, talk about it and let everybody know it`s official and we`ll be in your town real soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The Game also presented a $200,000 check to the Compton Unified School District where he grew up and this comes after he and rapper 50 Cent made similar donations to the Harlem boys` choir, squashing a beef the two had back in March. Snoop and the Game`s "How the West Was Won" tour is going to kick off April 15th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BRYANT: Now time for our other showbiz sit down tonight. It is with an international super crooner with a velvety smooth voice. He`s sold more than 3 million albums since his first disc hit stores in 2003. Now Michael Buble has just released his sophomore album, "It`s Time," which is in stores now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson had a little coffee and cake with him recently at Fabiola`s Caf' in Los Angeles and had a chance to talk with Buble about writing some of the songs on his new album.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUBLE: I got to make a record that was a lot more my style. It was a lot closer to my kind of personality. It was a little edgier, not as polished.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There`s an original song here. Is it personal? Is it close to your heart?

BUBLE: I had been on the road for months. I think there was 12 days off in two and a half years and so I missed my family, my mom and my dad and my sisters and so I wrote the song "Home."

ANDERSON: Do you ever let success go to your head?

BUBLE: Yes.

ANDERSON: Always, right?

BUBLE: No, you do.

ANDERSON: Or do you try and keep yourself grounded? Is it hard?

BUBLE: I struggled for so long, 10 or 11 years with playing not the greatest places in the world and not making any money. I think it makes you more appreciative when you get the chance to do it. My job is very simple. For an hour and a half a night, two hours, whatever it is, I help people forget about what`s happening in your life and I try to give you an escape a And thank you so much.

ANDERSON: Thank you so much. This is delicious.

BUBLE: This has been my favorite interview ever by the way.

ANDERSON: I`m so glad to hear that.

BUBLE: You and the cake.

ANDERSON: Great combination, right?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Oh, Buble`s got a little crush. His new album "It`s Time" is in record stores now. And his North American tour launches in May. And Brooke told us something kind of funny. In that interview, Michael told her that when he was 10 years into trying to make it as a singer, he actually considered hanging it all up to become an entertainment reporter.

HAMMER: Don`t do it. Some monkey business for David Letterman. That`s coming up in "laughter dark."

BRYANT: and there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. James Bond - it`s time for a new 007? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or email us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. It is time to get your laugh on in "laughter dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.

HAMMER: The late show with David Letterman regularly monitors the soap opera world, of course. And last night Dave was very passionate about his soap pick of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": So once again it`s made our soap opera clip of the night. Here we go, ladies and gentlemen from a recent episode of "Passions," take a look. That is brilliant. I want to tell you something, ladies and gentlemen, if there is more than one person watching that show, we are very near the end of civilization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: You can`t go wrong when you use an orangutan and use a word like whackado.

BRYANT: Yeah, yeah, nice.

HAMMER: It is time now for more showbiz shorts and tonight there are more statues for Jon Stewart`s mantelpiece. His "daily show" won its second Peabody Award today. It`s the 64th annual Peabody awards which are often considered the most prestigious honor in TV.

BRYANT: C is for cart. Cookie monster is going to be scarfing fewer cookies. "Sesame Street," the kid`s show that kicks off its 36th season this week says that it`s going to focus on physical health issues this year and that means fewer cookies for the blue, fuzzy guy. "Sesame Street" said it would introduce talking vegetables as well on the show.

HAMMER: What are you going to have for a talking vegetable?

BRYANT: I don`t know. But I love cookies.

HAMMER: Throughout the show we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It`s our showbiz tonight question of the day. That`s what it says. James Bond, time for a new 007? Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far. 46 percent of you said yes and it is time for a new 007, so 54 percent of you say no. I call it pretty much split down the middle. You shouldn`t replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond is what those voters said.

Got some e-mail on the topic, too. Cass from West Lafayette, Indiana says, Pierce Brosnan is the best actor for the James Bond role and some more I`m sure.

But Ruby from Hawaii disagrees. It`s time for a new 007, but Bond is such an international icon, that the person chosen needs to meet certain criteria.

Please remember, you can continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight.

BRYANT: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

HAMMER: Let`s take a look at what`s happening on the "showbiz marquee." All right, marquee guy, you`re on.

ANNOUNCER: Fran, Fran, she`s our woman. The nanny -- the flashy girl from Flushing, Fran Drescher, is now one foxy named, uh, Fran. It`s her new show, "Living with Fran." Fran comes to live with us tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

What`s that smell? I can`t place it. It`s eau du celebrity. A bit of Britney, a pinch of Paris, a grain of Jessica and a sprinkle of Sarah. Making sense of celebrity scents, tomorrow, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is your odor-free marquee guy, saying, smell ya tomorrow!

HAMMER: Odor free I`m sure. Can we get the marquee guy to do the Fran Drescher laugh one more time? Tomorrow also on the program I`m going to be speaking with Clay Aiken who`s just done some wonderful charity work over in Indonesia for UNICEF and going to find out if he`s going to appear on AMERICAN IDOL before the season is out. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see you back here tomorrow.

BRYANT: Yes she is, Nancy Grace, she is up next, right after the very latest from HEADLINE NEWS.

END