Return to Transcripts main page

Showbiz Tonight

ABC, WB Reveal Fall Line-Ups; `Newsweek` Retracts Story About Koran Desecration at Guantanamo Bay

Aired May 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.


KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: ABC spells out its fall schedule.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And "Idol" finalists are packing their bags. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, from Wisteria Lane to the White House, what you`ll see on ABC this fall. And we`ve got the inside story on how it`s decided what you`ll watch and when. "TV Secrets Exposed," a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special.

BRYANT: Media under fire. The world reacts, "Newsweek" retracts. Does the media need to clean up their act? We go in depth.

HAMMER: Also, "Idols" not idle. "American Idol" finalists are on the move. We`ll tell you where they`re headed and why.

BRYANT: "Tuesday In Style," at home with Tom Cruise`s new girlfriend, Katie Holmes. The "Batman Begins" star moves to Gotham City, and we find out who the people are in her neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE HOLMES, "BATMAN BEGINS": I already have some favorite spots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And in the "SHOWBIZ Guide," a sex survey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIAM NEESON, "KINSEY": That`s very sensible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And surveying the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TEAM AMERICA")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why can`t they ever do this the easy way?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Mr. Moviefone, Russ Leatherman, with the newest DVDs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTA FLACK: Hi. It`s Roberta Flack. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. You are watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

BRYANT: Well, tonight, more secrets of the new TV season exposed. This is the week the broadcast networks reveal what you`ll be seeing on TV this fall.

HAMMER: And of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there for you every day, every step of the way. And just a few hours ago, ABC revealed what it has up its sleeve. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Amy Kean is just back from the ABC presentation, and she`s here live with us to give us the scoop.

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J., Karyn, we`re two days into what`s known as "upfront market." It`s when the TV networks unveil their fall line-ups to advertisers. It`s a very big deal. Today, it was New York and it was ABC`s turn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It`s been a red hot year for the ABC network. After a stunning move out of a three-year ratings slump, the network is looking to hit it big again in the fall, and one way to do it: hang on to the female viewers that the smash hit "Desperate Housewives" drew in.

STEPHEN MCPHERSON, PRESIDENT, ABC ENTERTAINMENT: It certainly was a good year. It`s a rebuilding year. We feel like, you know, we`re a comeback in progress. We still look at ourselves as the underdog. The important thing is that you`re kind of doing the next thing. You`re not doing a rip-off of "Desperate."

KEAN: SHOWBIZ was there as ABC unveiled a slate of six new dramas and five new comedies for the beginning of the fall. Here`s your guide. Building on female viewers in the drama department, the big buzz is about "Commander-in-Chief" starring Geena Davis as the nation`s first female president.

GEENA DAVIS, "COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF": It`s so late in the game, you know, to be getting to this. We can`t, like, wait around for these things to sort of naturally happen.

KEAN: Heather Graham will front the romantic comedy "Emily`s Reasons Why Not."

HEATHER GRAHAM, "EMILY`S REASONS WHY NOT": It`s about being a girl and dating and being confused about what guy I go out with.

KEAN: And filling out the female-fueled programming, "Hot Properties," about four women who work in a Manhattan real estate office. Realtors and the city? Keep your eyes out for another comedy, "Crumbs." It stars Fred Savage from "The Wonder Years." Freddie Prinze, Jr., has signed on for "Freddie," a comedy about a bachelor who yearns for family.

(on camera): But you play a bachelor, but you haven`t been a bachelor for a really long time.

FREDDIE PRINZE, JR., "FREDDIE": (INAUDIBLE) for a long time. Been a long time.

KEAN (voice-over): ABC surprisingly renewed a handful of shows with so-so ratings. "Hope and Faith," "The Bachelor," "George Lopez" and "Jake in Progress" will all come back in new time slots.

JOHN STAMOS, `JAKE IN PROGRESS": I`m really glad that ABC stepped up to the plate and gave me another shot.

CHRIS HARRISON, "THE BACHELOR": We`re going to come back in January, which is awesome. The fact that we`re finally going to get a little time away, all the rip-off shows are gone -- let`s get away from it a while, come back in six months fresh and do something big and bold.

KEAN: While ABC makes some aggressive moves to its Monday-through- Friday line-ups, one night they`re absolutely not messing with is Sunday.

NICOLETTE SHERIDAN, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": It`s been such a huge success. And then walking down here a year later, there`s a sense of ease. We made it.

KEAN: Shows that won`t be back at all: the Damon Wayans comedy, "My Wife and Kids," and "8 Simple Rules," which struggled for two years after the death of star John Ritter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

"Blind Justice" and "Extreme Makeover" were also axed. Fans of "Lost" will also have to wait an extra hour to watch the show on Wednesday nights. "Lost" will now go up against "American Idol`s" live voting show in most of the country -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thank you, Amy Kean.

Well, the WB -- it`s not just for teens anymore. The network also unveiled its new schedule today. And while the WB is known for teen- oriented shows like "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville," a number of its new shows have established stars you may remember from the `80s and `90s.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TWINS")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to kick your ass!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, that is her fortune.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Movie star Melanie Griffith and Sara Gilbert from "Roseanne" play mother and daughter in "Twins." It`s a comedy about a family of underwear designers. The new show is from the producers of "Will & Grace."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you. Don`t hustle me.

DON JOHNSON, "JUST LEGAL": I`m making you a legitimate offer!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: That`s Don Johnson there. He is making his return to TV in "Just Legal." He plays a boozy, washed-up lawyer who takes an 18-year-old legal whiz kid under his wing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "PEPPER DENNIS")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Patty.

REBECCA ROMIJN, "PEPPER DENNIS": Who the (DELETED)...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

ROMIJN: ... told you my real name!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut to commercial! Cut! Cut! Cut to commercial!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: And it`s F-bombs away for supermodel Rebecca Romijn. On "Pepper Dennis," she stars as an ambitious TV reporter with a love-hate relationship with a news anchor. But Rebecca tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, don`t expect to get the two together right away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMIJN: And so now we`ve got all the sexual tension and the whole push-and-pull thing, and you know, the attitude is, the longer we don`t get together, the better the, you know, show is doing, is how it works out in the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: While Rebecca is in, several WB shows are out. Canceled are "Steve Harvey`s Big Time," "Grounded for Life" and "Jack and Bobby." Later in the hour, we`ll reveal how the networks decide what you`ll watch and when in our special series, "TV Secrets Exposed."

HAMMER: Tonight`s "SHOWBIZ In Depth," the news media under fire. Everybody`s buzzing about "Newsweek`s" retraction of its story that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay tried to rattle detainees by flushing a Koran down the toilet. Well, the original story set off deadly riots in the Islamic world.

"Newsweek" is just the latest news organization to admit it made a mistake. This week, "The Detroit Free Press" found that columnist Mitch Albom may have taken quotes from other news outlets without credit. And CBS News is still battered by its report on President Bush`s National Guard service that turned out to be based on some faked documents. Even "The New York Times" has had credibility issues of its own when it discovered reporter Jayson Blair was fabricating stories.

The credibility of the news media is the big buzz today on talk radio all across America. And joining us live here in New York City, Rachel Maddow. She is the host of her own show on the Air America radio network. Also live in New York, Curtis Sliwa. He`s the co-host of the WABC morning show "Curtis and Kuby." And joining us live from Washington D.C., Blanquita Cullum, who`s the host of a show for Radio America.

Blanquita, I want to start with you. What are your callers saying about this big "Newsweek" story?

BLANQUITA CULLUM, HOST, RADIO AMERICA: Disgraceful. They`re really upset about it because it`s not like the other stories that you mentioned. In the other stories you mentioned, there was a lot of problem with their credibility, but there were no lives lost. And there was an arrogance that came from "Newsweek." It was like they were doing us a favor by telling us -- they were telling us the truth, that they had no source that really was credible.

But actually, I`m telling you, people were furious with that because of the long-term residual after-effects that are going to last for many, many years because there are people in the Middle East that are not going to believe this is not true. And they`re going to think that the White House or the administration was trying to pressure "Newsweek." "Newsweek" played into that pretty well, as a matter of fact. And you know, they acted as if they were not going to fire Isikoff because of any pressure. But frankly, what they did was arrogant, disgraceful and a real harm to the credibility of the fourth estate, big time!

HAMMER: All right, well, let`s move on to you, Rachel. I imagine the callers to Air America are taking a slightly different slant on the story.

RACHEL MADDOW, HOST, AIR AMERICA NETWORK: That`s right. Our callers and our bloggers and the people who responding to this for us actually are seeing this as a case where "Newsweek" is really being scapegoated. The Bush administration has decided that they want to take on the mainstream media, just like they take on the judiciary, just like they take on the Senate, just like they take on all their other opponents...

CULLUM: Unbelievable!

MADDOW: ... in this scorched earth strategy. "Newsweek" did not retract the idea that the Koran was desecrated at Guantanamo. What they retracted was that their Pentagon source changed his mind on the story. And yes, maybe they should have had more than one source, but the Pentagon had this story in advance, let it sit there...

CULLUM: Oh!

MADDOW: ... until 11 days after it had been in print before they ever expressed any misgivings about it. The Pentagon has a lot to worry about here, too.

HAMMER: OK. Well, Curtis, let`s talk about what they`re saying on talk radio here in New York City. What`s the temperature there?

CURTIS SLIWA, CO-HOST, WABC MORNING SHOW: Well, they`re saying, Where is Isikoff? Isikoff is, like, lens (ph) lights (ph). He`s always getting face time on every talking head show.

CULLUM: Right!

SLIWA: He`s been on our radio show. And he`s always there to go on the attack against bureaucrats, elected officials, and he`s saying, Come clean. Remember, he was considered more friendly to conservatives than liberals. He went after Clinton on Lewinsky, went after Michael Moore. And now he`s missing in action! This guy has to come forward, reveal his source, and say why he jumped the queue, why he didn`t get two sources, why he didn`t verify and why he created such a hallstrom (ph) of activity that has led to 17 people dead! And yet "Newsweek" has basically given him absolution and has protected him. It`s Isikoff who has to answer the tough questions, and maybe it`s Isikoff who should be disciplined.

HAMMER: OK. And Rachel, let me jump first...

MADDOW: Sure.

HAMMER: ... and remind our viewers Isikoff, of course, is the writer of article in question. And I just need to remind the three of you we`re not debating...

MADDOW: Right.

HAMMER: We`re not debating what happened here. We`re really taking the temperature on what America is saying.

And Blanquita, I want to move it along to perhaps a larger issue that maybe you`re hearing from the callers to your radio show. Are they -- is there a backlash that you`re hearing from them...

CULLUM: Yes!

HAMMER: ... against the credibility of the media at large?

CULLUM: Oh, yes. I mean, the credibility of the media has completely gone in the toilet. The only flushing that`s going on right now are -- are networks like CBS, you know, magazines like "Newsweek," and of course, "The New York Times." People are saying, you know, when they can`t have a standard -- think about this. You know, we change the way that we watch television. We watch Janet Jackson expose her breast, but she didn`t cause a life to be lost. She didn`t cause, you know, any kind of long-term residual effect to national security or harm to the United States military or to an American that might be traveling. And frankly, in that case, you know, people have a choice when they own a remote. But they did a terrible thing here with "Newsweek." CBS, you know, attacked a president when the credibility of the source again was in the toilet.

HAMMER: Right.

CULLUM: And they -- they`re going to have -- there`s going to have to be a standard here, not so much even about obscenity, but when it comes to life and death, when it comes to a situation where "Newsweek" is screaming fire...

HAMMER: Right.

CULLUM: ... in a crowded theater, the standard has to be corrected.

HAMMER: OK. Well, let me move it on to you, Rachel. What do you think about that? What are your callers saying, as far as the credibility issue and should there be a standard? Are they talking about that?

MADDOW: Well, I think that Air America callers, what we`re hearing from our listeners and on the blogs and on the Web, is that, you know, there was one Reuters reporter who actually asked the Pentagon spokesperson, said, Can you definitively say that a Koran was not flushed down the toilet in Guantanamo? What was the Pentagon spokesman`s response? You didn`t read it anywhere other than Reuters. What he said was, I don`t like to be in the business of saying never. The substance of the allegations have not been disproven.

CULLUM: Wait a minute!

MADDOW: That is what has happened.

CULLUM: Wait a minute!

(CROSSTALK)

CULLUM: Does anybody have...

MADDOW: Blanquita? Blanquita?

CULLUM: ... a brain cell firing, Rachel? Wait a minute!

HAMMER: OK, hold...

(CROSSTALK)

CULLUM: Does anybody have a brain cell firing on...

HAMMER: Blanquita, I -- Blanquita, I got to cut you off.

CULLUM: ... the Koran?

HAMMER: Blanquita, I`m going to cut you off.

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: This is -- we`re not debating what actually happened here. We`re listening to...

CULLUM: No, but the fact of the matter is...

HAMMER: ... what your callers are saying.

CULLUM: Can you imagine how thick a Koran is to go down a toilet? Come on!

HAMMER: OK. Well, that`s not what we`re debating. And Curtis, tell me...

MADDOW: Wow.

HAMMER: Tell me about the credibility issue as far as the news media at large, as you hearing from the callers here in New York City.

SLIWA: Well, I`m a host of the number one news talk station in America. It`s generally conservative, WABC. So naturally, our listeners have found news from alternative measures long ago. They weren`t depending on "The New York Times," CBS or "Newsweek" or what we call the mainstream media for years.

HAMMER: Right.

SLIWA: So our listeners are used to getting their information from different sources. What I think this is going to do is take a lot of those people who had faith in the Walter Cronkites of the world, who had faith in "The Washington Post" and "the New York Times" of the world, and it`s going to prove to them they`ve got to start sourcing out their information from other sources, independent sources, and even one guy like a Matt Drudge sitting in a room in front of his computer, who may actually have more access to the truth than the big mainstream media that may be jumping the queue...

MADDOW: Right.

HAMMER: Right.

SLIWA: ... and actually giving information that`s detrimental to the country and to our men and women who are in the front lines.

HAMMER: On that thought, Curtis Sliwa, we`re going to wrap it up. Also thanks to you, Blanquita and Rachel. We appreciate you joining in and chiming in on the subject tonight.

And now we would like to know what your thoughts are on it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fall-out: Do you trust the news media? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you have more to tell us, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`re going to share some of your thoughts later in the show.

BRYANT: Well, the media is calling him "the piano man," but no one knows anything else about him. Is the key to solving this mystery in the keys? We`ll find out next.

HAMMER: Plus, "American Idol" finalists singing a traveling tune. Where are they going? They stop by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to let us know.

BRYANT: And we crack "The Da Vinci Code." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you a first look at the movie based on the best-selling book and starring Tom Hanks.

HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which movie gave Natalie Portman her first big break? Was it "The Professional," "Interview With the Vampire," "The Mask" or "Heavenly Creatures"? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which movie gave Natalie Portman her first big break, "The Professional," "Interview With the Vampire," "The Mask" or "Heavenly Creatures"? Well, you can see her in her "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" on Thursday, but it was "The Professional," A -- great movie -- that gave Natalie Portman her first big break.

BRYANT: It was a great movie. Well, tonight, Kylie Minogue says she has breast cancer. The Australian pop star, who turns 37 this month, revealed today that she will undergo immediate treatment and cancel her Australian "Showgirl" tour. She also said the cancer was in its early stages. Kylie Minogue won a Grammy in 2003 for the song "Come Into My World."

HAMMER: All right, tonight, we have a story that seems to be lifted from the Oscar-winning movie "Shine." It`s a story that`s almost hard to believe. See, a man was found wandering on a beach in Britain. Not so crazy, but this is the stunning part. The only way he can communicate is by playing the piano. It has everyone talking -- everyone but him. CNN`s Paula Hancocks has the story for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was here on the sea front of this small island just off the east coast of Britain that police found the man they now call "the piano man." He was wandering aimlessly along this road dressed in a tuxedo, a white shirt and tie, drenched to the skin. He hasn`t uttered a word, not even to give his name. The labels were cut out of his clothing and any identifying marks on his shoes had been erased. That was five weeks ago, and authorities are still no closer to finding out who the piano man is.

(voice-over): All they know is when they gave him a pencil and paper, he drew a picture of a grand piano. When they took him to the chapel in the local hospital, he walked straight to the piano and began to play beautifully. The man with no voice communicated through the language of music. The plight of the piano man draws parallels with David Helfgott, the pianist whose breakdown was documented in the 1996 film "Shine." The nameless man seems to find comfort only in his music.

MICHAEL CAMP, SOCIAL WORKER: He`s lost in his music, really. I mean, when he`s not in the piano, his eye contact is solid. He wouldn`t allow you within probably two or three yards of him. When he`s on the piano, you can stand as close as you like. You can -- you know, you can touch him. You can -- and he`s -- he`s extremely relaxed.

DR. ANDREW MCCULLOUGH, U.K. MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION: It`s the mind perhaps responding to a trauma by blotting out the events that have happened and the history that goes with it. But the normal functions of day-to-day living, like eating, sleeping and so on are, not blotted out. And clearly, in the case of this man, piano playing for him is like something basic.

HANCOCKS: Initial theories he`d been attending a funeral or a concert have been dismissed. So for now, the six-foot pianist with deep brown eyes will remain simply "the piano man." Paula Hancocks, CNN, on the isle of Sheppey, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: One of the pieces of music he keeps playing is from Tchaikovsky. You heard it in Paula`s story. So at least they have one clue.

BRYANT: Should you spend your C-notes on these DVDs? Mr. Moviefone himself reviews "Kinsey," "Team America" and more. That`s in the "SHOWBIZ Guide" to new Dads.

HAMMER: And timing is everything when it comes to airing your favorite TV shows. An inside look at making up a TV schedule. Our week- long series, "TV Secrets Exposed," still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. It is time now for "The SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, DVDs and more. Tonight, we are checking out what`s new on DVD. Joining us live to help us out is none other than Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman.

So Russ, thank you for joining us, and let`s get started. "Team America" -- this is from the creators of "South Park," and it`s now available on DVD?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: Yes, it`s now available on DVD. And thank God we have some good DVDs because if you`re not one of the few people going to see "Star Wars," this weekend, you got nothing in theaters. So let`s talk about "Team America: World Police." Now, this is a crazy movie. It`s by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It`s maybe the world`s first musical R-rated puppet movie. I`m not sure. Might be the last, too. They`re an international police force who have to save the world from power-hungry dictator Kim Jong Il, who`s brokering weapons of mass destruction, who also sings the song "I`m So Ronery," which steals the movie.

So here`s the deal. This movie is not for kids. It`s not a kiddie puppet movie. This movie is irreverent. It`s foul. I think it`s funny as hell. But you know, be careful when you rent it. Don`t leave it around for the kids. I liked it. I`m in. I`m in.

BRYANT: All right. Also not for the kids is "Kinsey." This stars Liam Neeson, and this is about the sex therapist who had written books and was hailed as a hero and then sort of turned into a scapegoat.

LEATHERMAN: That`s exactly right. And so we move from puppet sex to human sex. Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard -- they star in this movie, and it`s a biopic about the ground-breaking and still very controversial researcher who really rocked America in the 1950s with his studies about sex, sexual arousal and the range that constitutes normal sexuality. I liked this movie. I thought he was fantastic in it. The DVD has lots of deleted scenes. It has something called a "gag reel." I didn`t want to watch it.

BRYANT: Right. Right.

LEATHERMAN: I want nothing to do with that. But this is a really great movie. You should check it out.

BRYANT: OK. And last one, really quick, "The Sea Inside" with Javier Bardem.

LEATHERMAN: He`s fantastic in this movie. It`s about a man who`s really fighting for his right to die, who`s a paraplegic and stranded in his bed, really won the Academy Award for best foreign film. Fantastic movie. You got to check this one out. Really liked it.

BRYANT: All right. Well, there we have it. That is Russ Leatherman reporting from Hollywood. And remember, you can see Russ`s reviews and get the lowdown on all of the new DVDs by checking out moviefone.com.

HAMMER: Well, stay with us because we`ve got your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code." Now, I`m not talking about the book but the movie. It`s not going to be out for a while, but we`re going to show you a little bit of it coming up a little later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Plus: What will you be packing into your digital video recorder this fall has already been picked out. We`re going to tell you how it`s been picked out, if you stick around for more "TV Secrets Exposed." That`s coming up.

BRYANT: And there is something else that`s the apple of Katie Holmes`s eye, and we are not talking Tom Cruise here. We`ve got "Tuesday In Style" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: They may be out of the running, but they`re not sitting idly by. Three of the top 10 "American Idol" finalists join us in the "Showbiz Sitdown."

HAMMER: Our series, TV secrets exposed, tonight, what`s on when? Who decides and how? Secrets of scheduling the new shows coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMIJN: Hey, I`m Rebecca Romijn. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Pop star Kylie Minogue has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Today the singer`s management says she will start treatment immediately and an Australian tour has been postponed.

It`s official, everybody does indeed love Raymond. In numbers just out, nearly 33 million people watched the finale last night. That`s the biggest audience in the show`s nine years on the air.

"Desperate Housewives" fans, your Sunday night date is set. ABC announced its fall schedule today. "Desperate Housewives" is staying where it is, but "Lost" is moving back one hour to 9:00 eastern. It`s going to be followed by a new show about aliens called "Invasion."

HAMMER: This is the week that all of the big broadcast networks reveal what you`ll be watching this fall on television. It`s also the week that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you our very special series "TV secrets exposed." We`re looking at everything from star salaries to exactly how people get picked for reality shows, something we`ll be doing tomorrow. Well, tonight, the secrets of TV scheduling, how the networks decide what TV shows go where.

Joining us live in Los Angeles, Michael Schneider from the entertainment industry giant trade newspaper "Variety" and here with us live in New York, Jarrod Moses. He`s the president and CEO of Alliance, an entertainment marketing firm that works with the networks. Gentlemen, thank you both for being here. Last night on the program, we were talking about the secrets of the television pilots and the intense process that goes into actually getting samples of shows made to pick what shows get on the air. But then after spending all of that money, they have to decide where to put these shows. So -- and I`m going to start with you, Mike. Let`s talk about how the networks fill the grid, which is basically deciding what shows go on at what time and what day. What`s the big secret here?

MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, VARIETY: Well, you know, it`s amazing how quickly it actually happens. Just a couple of weeks ago, these network executives first actually saw the pilots and it`s an intense two weeks where they look at the pilots. They look at the shows that they already have on their schedule. They look at what problems they have, what nights need some improvement. They sit down. They sort of go into kind of a private bunker and they pick shows based on that and then bam, this week, they go to New York and, in front of the advertising community, actually unveil their schedules for the first time.

HAMMER: Because, you know, it`s so important that they make the absolute right decision. Obviously, the pressure was on them to choose the right pilots. But even after all that money is spent, if they don`t find the right time slot for it, it`s all for nothing.

JARROD MOSES, CEO, ALLIANCE: You`re right and nothing is carved into stone. They`ll present this week and they`ll lay out the landscape, but then they can go back, once they see what the other networks are doing and reshuffle those positions as much as they possibly can.

HAMMER: OK, well we had a chance exactly SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up earlier today with ABC President Stephen McPherson. He`s their entertainment president. And we asked him the big secret behind his scheduling decisions. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN McPHERSON, PRES., ABC ENTERTAINMENT: You just really for me try to look at all the work that you`ve done all year, look at the pieces that you have and really go with the best shows. Go with the stuff that you believe in from a creative standpoint. Put it on the air, give it a great marketing campaign. The rest of the strategy in the end I think is important but really not what drives it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Michael, is it that simple?

SCHNEIDER: This is a billion dollar industry and basically over the next couple of weeks, the sales executives from these networks are going to go out and market these schedules and hope that the advertisers respond. It`s pretty intense. And the fact that this happens over the course of just a couple of weeks every year, these multi-billion dollar decisions, it`s pretty amazing and sort of unique to this industry.

HAMMER: Jarrod, what do you think about what the president of ABC entertainment said? It seemed pretty easy, but I know it`s obviously not.

MOSES: It`s easier said than done. The upfront is a $9 billion business. And so they can take their best shot at putting the great shows on the air. But as you know, now there`s midseason replacements and there`s summer schedules and sometimes shows don`t last more than three episodes. So they`ll do the best shot up front, but there`s always going to be a change in the season.

HAMMER: Let`s talk about one show that we all know was really one of the biggest success shows of this season, "Desperate Housewives". Obviously they had a pretty intense set of discussions leading up to deciding Sunday nights 9:00, this is when we`re putting this show on. How did that come to be and why did it work so magically for them?

MOSES: What`s amazing is "Desperate Housewives" has been out there for a number of years and finally ABC said let`s put this on and take a crack at it and I think that desperate times call for desperate measures. And if you look at ABC a few years ago, they were just starting to create - - the business is cyclical and you`re just starting to create some of these new shows to get on air and bring a new audience in. And you got to give them credit. They went for non-reality, scripted drama, that really brought in the audience and they marketed it well and now the audience is glued to that show. And I think it`s got a long shot to be on there for a good five to seven years.

HAMMER: All right. Michael, I want to ask you, so what is the biggest secret, as you see it, into getting this schedule right?

SCHNEIDER: Well, the biggest secret is a couple of things. First of all, you got to look and see what your competition is doing and counter program. You got to do what`s not on the air right now. Talking about "Desperate Housewives", there weren`t really any shows targeting 18 to 49- year-old women. There weren`t any soap operas on the air. When you look at LOST, there weren`t any real spooky, supernatural shows on until last year. Now of course there are going to be a bunch this year. The secret to scheduling really is finding a niche that`s sort of not out there, finding an audience that`s not being targeted right now and go after them.

HAMMER: All right. Michael, thank you very much and Jarrod, thanks for joining us here in New York City. Some secrets revealed. We have a little more insight into how it`s all done and all this week of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going in depth to bring you our special series TV secrets exposed. Tomorrow we`re going to check out how those reality show contestants finally make it on the air.

BRYANT: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fallout, do you trust the news media? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of your thoughts at 54 past the hour.

HAMMER: 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. I`ve been looking forward to this clip all through the hour. Pop princess and mom-to-be Britney Spears and here hubby Kevin Federline visited the Ellen Degeneres show today. It was their very first TV interview together. They were promoting their new reality series, "Britney & Kevin Chaotic" which with debuts tonight on UPN. That gave Ellen a golden opportunity to shower the couple with some pretty lavish baby gifts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN DEGENERES: You`ll need diapers and we got you -- oops I did it again diapers. I`m not Britney Spears, I`m not Kevin Federline. And then the baby is "I`m not their baby." How cool this is! And there`s a Sony DVD player in there for the baby. So when the baby is, you know -- the baby can watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Everybody has got to start getting those spinning rims for the buggies. Tomorrow on the Ellen Degeneres show, comedian Wanda Sykes and a performance from Gwen Stefani.

BRYANT: They may be out but they`re not down. Some "American Idol" contestants didn`t make it to the final three. But they aren`t exactly sitting at home knitting either. They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about their plans for the near future. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, you read the book. Now see the movie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at "The Da Vinci Code." It`s coming up a little later in the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: "American Idol" is down to three contestants. And later this week, one more contestant will be gone. But as we all know, once you make it to the final 10, it is not over, which is why old fans and new ones will find the final top 10 contestants on a CD titled "Show Stoppers." The CD features songs by the contestants and they`re touring the country as well. Joining me now from Los Angeles are former contestants, Nadia Turner, Jessica Sierra and Constantine Maroulis. Hey guys, thanks for joining us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for having us.

BRYANT: I`m great. And I`ve been a fan. I`ve watched every season of this show and I think it`s a terrific show. Congratulations to all of you for the hard work you`ve been doing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

BRYANT: You`re welcome. Here`s the thing, though. Obviously, in light of everything that`s going on with Paula, I`m just curious how you`re feeling. Constantine, I`ll start with you. Do you feel at all that your season has been slightly tainted now by this scandal?

CONSTANTINE MAROULIS, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Not at all. Not at all. No one can take this experience away from me. It`s been just tremendous all the way around. I`ve learned so much from Paula and from all the judges. It`s amazing to have like such experts out there sort of critiquing you. Honestly, it`s just the greatest thing that`s ever happened to me. I never would have managed myself even getting this far on a competition like that. So I`m just blessed.

BRYANT: Nadia would you concur? Would you say the same thing?

NADIA TURNER, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Oh definitely. I agree with exactly what Constantine says. This whole experience has been incredible. As far as like Paula and that whole situation, I mean, we have been in just this "American Idol" world and it`s been incredible. We`ve met incredible people. We have an album that comes out today. We have a tour to look forward to, 40 million people, 50 million people have seen us. I mean you can`t beat that. Nothing can taint that. It`s just been incredible.

BRYANT: So, Jessica, tell us what the experience is like when you`re backstage before a performance night. How are you feeling? You know, I mean, is it just the nuttiest thing you`ve ever done?

JESSICA SIERRA, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Well, yeah. It was crazy. It`s been amazing. When you`re backstage right before a show, you know, you`re getting ready. You`re trying to make sure your hair is perfect. Your makeup is perfect and you`re thinking about your song and how exactly you`re going to start presenting your song, what you`re going to do on stage. So, I mean, it`s pretty crazy backstage. It is.

BRYANT: So, Nadia, you were known for your eclectic choices with music during the competition. Tell me about the record. What`s on the record?

TURNER: The record, honestly, is just as eclectic. I mean you have -- if you`re looking for country, you`ve got it. If you`re looking for rock, R&B, jazz, no matter what it is, it`s there. It`s the kind of record that anyone from any generation could pick up and say there`s something on this for me.

BRYANT: People sometimes do criticize "American Idol" saying they`re manufacturing stars. So what are you guys going to do on this tour to dispel that mythology?

SIERRA: None. I`ve noticed this year, this season with all the contestants is that every contestant can sing every genre of music. These contestants are just not limited to like one genre. You`ve got your rockers, but they can also sing ballads and they can sing everything. You`ve got your country singers. They can also sing rock music and R&B. I don`t think that - I just think it`s a very diverse group this season.

BRYANT: Obviously, something is going to change for one of the three remaining people. I want to ask you guys really quickly. I know you`re going to hem and haw and hedge your bets here, but who do you like, each of you, Vonzel, Carrie or Bo? Who are you rooting for?

MAROULIS: Love them all, honestly.

SIERRA: Vonzel, Carrie and Bo.

MAROULIS: You know what, I think they all have an equal shot at this thing.

BRYANT: Who would you vote for, Constantine? You`re not the politician here. Go for it. Give an answer.

MAROULI:S You know that I don`t vote. But I think I have an inkling as to who will probably take the whole thing but can`t share that with you.

BRYANT: All right. Well, congratulations to each and every one of you. From Los Angeles, thanks for joining us. It`s Nadia Turner, Jessica Sierra and Constantine Maroulis. Tickets for the "American Idol" tour go on sale this Saturday. The CD "American Idol" season four, the show stoppers, is in stores today.

HAMMER: It`s time now to get your laugh on in laughter dark, as we do every night, bringing you the late night laughs you just might have missed on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. Jay wondered whether "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest ever hangs out with those contestants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: You never socialize with any other contestants that are into grooming?

RYAN SEACREST, HOST, AMERICAN IDOL: No, I don`t socialize. I`m a very professional host. Get in, have fun with them, read the results and get out.

LENO: But you`ve never socialized? We have a piece of tape. This is why I.

SEACREST: No, I`ve never hung out.

LENO: I saw something on the show. It was disturbing to me. Here, take a look. This is very disturbing. You see, slips him his room key.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, you have probably heard Katie Holmes has a new boyfriend but that`s not the only major change in her life lately. We`ve got that coming up in Tuesday "In Style."

HAMMER: Plus Dan Brown`s best-selling novel is coming soonish to a theater near you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is where you`re going to get your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time now for Tuesday "In Style." Katie Holmes is on the cover of June`s "In Style" magazine. She`s been causing quite a stir because of her new romance with Tom Cruise and now it`s on to another meaningful relationship, this one with her new neighborhood in New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Katie Holmes has made a big move, which is that she`s moved to New York City, in Greenwich Village and she has a huge movie coming out this summer, which is "Batman Begins."

On the cover, Katie is wearing a blue chiffon Chloe dress which costs over $3,000 but is available at Saks and she`s also wearing gold, diamond and jeweled (INAUDIBLE) earrings, which are really up there. They`re up over $27,000.

But if you want to get the same look, we have a Jocelyn silk dress by Sue Wong, which is only $300. And there are also earrings that are blue topaz earrings for $70 that look very similar.

On her lips, she`s wearing Bobby Brown products. There`s a lip liner in rose and then there is a creamy lip gloss in petal. During the photo shoot for the cover, Katie Holmes had so much energy she requested prince`s "Raspberry Beret" so she could dance on the shoot.

Katie has moved to Greenwich Village in New York City. It`s very neighborhoody in that area.

KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: I already have some favorite spots that I love to go to with all my friends, just very exciting.

She has found her spots already. She knows where to go for Thai food. She knows where to go for sushi. She has a club called Ono at hotel (INAUDIBLE). There`s a bakery called Billy`s bakery. She gets cupcakes there. She has her book store, Left Bank Books. All that she has charted out her little neighborhood finds. For Katie, she really sees New York City as a place to reinvent herself in a way. And anybody can do that. She`s doing all sorts of things like taking salsa lessons. She`s painting. She really feels a new sense of freedom here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: For more on Katie`s move to the big apple, pick up a copy of "In Style`s" June issue. It hits newsstands Friday.

HAMMER: All right. Here we go. Time now for the showbiz showcase tonight, your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code," Ron Howard`s highly anticipated movie version of Dan Brown`s best selling book. Tom Hanks stars in the film. Let`s take a first look at the trailer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: It is so powerful that men have died to protect it. And there are those who would kill to expose it. It is a message that has been hidden for centuries right before our eyes. What if the world`s greatest works of art held the secret that could change the course of mankind forever? Next summer, no matter what you have read, no matter what you believe, the journey has just begun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Don`t buy your popcorn just yet. When the guy with the big voice said next summer, he meant it. The movie opens up one year and two days from today. That`s right. Save the date. "The Da Vinci Code" will be in the theaters on May 19th, 2006.

BRYANT: We`ve asked you to vote online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fallout. Do you trust the media? The vote so far, 11 percent of you say, yes, I trust the media, 89 percent of you say, no, you don`t. You`ve also been sending e-mails our way. From Bill in Boston, he says, I would still trust the news media. In fact, the media may even heighten their level of accuracy and honesty.

And Steve from Horseshow Bay, Texas adds, "Newsweek" should be ashamed and held liable. I would say that they got caught with their pants down.

You can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: Let`s go to another guy with a big voice as we find out what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Take it away, marquee guy.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow, which `70s show? Why, it`s that `70s show. It`s the season finale and we`ve got Fez, Wilmer Valderrama joins us live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, our series, TV secrets exposed takes a reality check. Reality show contestants, where do they find these people, anyway? And what does it take to make it onto a reality show? We`ll find out on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. This is the marquee guy letting you know that fear is not a factor for me. But, hey, AJ, Karyn, has anyone seen my apprentice?

HAMMER: Not me.

BRYANT: Not me. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

END


Aired May 17, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: ABC spells out its fall schedule.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And "Idol" finalists are packing their bags. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, from Wisteria Lane to the White House, what you`ll see on ABC this fall. And we`ve got the inside story on how it`s decided what you`ll watch and when. "TV Secrets Exposed," a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special.

BRYANT: Media under fire. The world reacts, "Newsweek" retracts. Does the media need to clean up their act? We go in depth.

HAMMER: Also, "Idols" not idle. "American Idol" finalists are on the move. We`ll tell you where they`re headed and why.

BRYANT: "Tuesday In Style," at home with Tom Cruise`s new girlfriend, Katie Holmes. The "Batman Begins" star moves to Gotham City, and we find out who the people are in her neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE HOLMES, "BATMAN BEGINS": I already have some favorite spots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And in the "SHOWBIZ Guide," a sex survey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIAM NEESON, "KINSEY": That`s very sensible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And surveying the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TEAM AMERICA")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why can`t they ever do this the easy way?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Mr. Moviefone, Russ Leatherman, with the newest DVDs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTA FLACK: Hi. It`s Roberta Flack. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. You are watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

BRYANT: Well, tonight, more secrets of the new TV season exposed. This is the week the broadcast networks reveal what you`ll be seeing on TV this fall.

HAMMER: And of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there for you every day, every step of the way. And just a few hours ago, ABC revealed what it has up its sleeve. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Amy Kean is just back from the ABC presentation, and she`s here live with us to give us the scoop.

AMY KEAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J., Karyn, we`re two days into what`s known as "upfront market." It`s when the TV networks unveil their fall line-ups to advertisers. It`s a very big deal. Today, it was New York and it was ABC`s turn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It`s been a red hot year for the ABC network. After a stunning move out of a three-year ratings slump, the network is looking to hit it big again in the fall, and one way to do it: hang on to the female viewers that the smash hit "Desperate Housewives" drew in.

STEPHEN MCPHERSON, PRESIDENT, ABC ENTERTAINMENT: It certainly was a good year. It`s a rebuilding year. We feel like, you know, we`re a comeback in progress. We still look at ourselves as the underdog. The important thing is that you`re kind of doing the next thing. You`re not doing a rip-off of "Desperate."

KEAN: SHOWBIZ was there as ABC unveiled a slate of six new dramas and five new comedies for the beginning of the fall. Here`s your guide. Building on female viewers in the drama department, the big buzz is about "Commander-in-Chief" starring Geena Davis as the nation`s first female president.

GEENA DAVIS, "COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF": It`s so late in the game, you know, to be getting to this. We can`t, like, wait around for these things to sort of naturally happen.

KEAN: Heather Graham will front the romantic comedy "Emily`s Reasons Why Not."

HEATHER GRAHAM, "EMILY`S REASONS WHY NOT": It`s about being a girl and dating and being confused about what guy I go out with.

KEAN: And filling out the female-fueled programming, "Hot Properties," about four women who work in a Manhattan real estate office. Realtors and the city? Keep your eyes out for another comedy, "Crumbs." It stars Fred Savage from "The Wonder Years." Freddie Prinze, Jr., has signed on for "Freddie," a comedy about a bachelor who yearns for family.

(on camera): But you play a bachelor, but you haven`t been a bachelor for a really long time.

FREDDIE PRINZE, JR., "FREDDIE": (INAUDIBLE) for a long time. Been a long time.

KEAN (voice-over): ABC surprisingly renewed a handful of shows with so-so ratings. "Hope and Faith," "The Bachelor," "George Lopez" and "Jake in Progress" will all come back in new time slots.

JOHN STAMOS, `JAKE IN PROGRESS": I`m really glad that ABC stepped up to the plate and gave me another shot.

CHRIS HARRISON, "THE BACHELOR": We`re going to come back in January, which is awesome. The fact that we`re finally going to get a little time away, all the rip-off shows are gone -- let`s get away from it a while, come back in six months fresh and do something big and bold.

KEAN: While ABC makes some aggressive moves to its Monday-through- Friday line-ups, one night they`re absolutely not messing with is Sunday.

NICOLETTE SHERIDAN, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": It`s been such a huge success. And then walking down here a year later, there`s a sense of ease. We made it.

KEAN: Shows that won`t be back at all: the Damon Wayans comedy, "My Wife and Kids," and "8 Simple Rules," which struggled for two years after the death of star John Ritter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

"Blind Justice" and "Extreme Makeover" were also axed. Fans of "Lost" will also have to wait an extra hour to watch the show on Wednesday nights. "Lost" will now go up against "American Idol`s" live voting show in most of the country -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right. Thank you, Amy Kean.

Well, the WB -- it`s not just for teens anymore. The network also unveiled its new schedule today. And while the WB is known for teen- oriented shows like "One Tree Hill" and "Smallville," a number of its new shows have established stars you may remember from the `80s and `90s.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TWINS")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to kick your ass!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, that is her fortune.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Movie star Melanie Griffith and Sara Gilbert from "Roseanne" play mother and daughter in "Twins." It`s a comedy about a family of underwear designers. The new show is from the producers of "Will & Grace."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you. Don`t hustle me.

DON JOHNSON, "JUST LEGAL": I`m making you a legitimate offer!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: That`s Don Johnson there. He is making his return to TV in "Just Legal." He plays a boozy, washed-up lawyer who takes an 18-year-old legal whiz kid under his wing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "PEPPER DENNIS")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, Patty.

REBECCA ROMIJN, "PEPPER DENNIS": Who the (DELETED)...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

ROMIJN: ... told you my real name!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cut to commercial! Cut! Cut! Cut to commercial!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: And it`s F-bombs away for supermodel Rebecca Romijn. On "Pepper Dennis," she stars as an ambitious TV reporter with a love-hate relationship with a news anchor. But Rebecca tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, don`t expect to get the two together right away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMIJN: And so now we`ve got all the sexual tension and the whole push-and-pull thing, and you know, the attitude is, the longer we don`t get together, the better the, you know, show is doing, is how it works out in the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: While Rebecca is in, several WB shows are out. Canceled are "Steve Harvey`s Big Time," "Grounded for Life" and "Jack and Bobby." Later in the hour, we`ll reveal how the networks decide what you`ll watch and when in our special series, "TV Secrets Exposed."

HAMMER: Tonight`s "SHOWBIZ In Depth," the news media under fire. Everybody`s buzzing about "Newsweek`s" retraction of its story that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay tried to rattle detainees by flushing a Koran down the toilet. Well, the original story set off deadly riots in the Islamic world.

"Newsweek" is just the latest news organization to admit it made a mistake. This week, "The Detroit Free Press" found that columnist Mitch Albom may have taken quotes from other news outlets without credit. And CBS News is still battered by its report on President Bush`s National Guard service that turned out to be based on some faked documents. Even "The New York Times" has had credibility issues of its own when it discovered reporter Jayson Blair was fabricating stories.

The credibility of the news media is the big buzz today on talk radio all across America. And joining us live here in New York City, Rachel Maddow. She is the host of her own show on the Air America radio network. Also live in New York, Curtis Sliwa. He`s the co-host of the WABC morning show "Curtis and Kuby." And joining us live from Washington D.C., Blanquita Cullum, who`s the host of a show for Radio America.

Blanquita, I want to start with you. What are your callers saying about this big "Newsweek" story?

BLANQUITA CULLUM, HOST, RADIO AMERICA: Disgraceful. They`re really upset about it because it`s not like the other stories that you mentioned. In the other stories you mentioned, there was a lot of problem with their credibility, but there were no lives lost. And there was an arrogance that came from "Newsweek." It was like they were doing us a favor by telling us -- they were telling us the truth, that they had no source that really was credible.

But actually, I`m telling you, people were furious with that because of the long-term residual after-effects that are going to last for many, many years because there are people in the Middle East that are not going to believe this is not true. And they`re going to think that the White House or the administration was trying to pressure "Newsweek." "Newsweek" played into that pretty well, as a matter of fact. And you know, they acted as if they were not going to fire Isikoff because of any pressure. But frankly, what they did was arrogant, disgraceful and a real harm to the credibility of the fourth estate, big time!

HAMMER: All right, well, let`s move on to you, Rachel. I imagine the callers to Air America are taking a slightly different slant on the story.

RACHEL MADDOW, HOST, AIR AMERICA NETWORK: That`s right. Our callers and our bloggers and the people who responding to this for us actually are seeing this as a case where "Newsweek" is really being scapegoated. The Bush administration has decided that they want to take on the mainstream media, just like they take on the judiciary, just like they take on the Senate, just like they take on all their other opponents...

CULLUM: Unbelievable!

MADDOW: ... in this scorched earth strategy. "Newsweek" did not retract the idea that the Koran was desecrated at Guantanamo. What they retracted was that their Pentagon source changed his mind on the story. And yes, maybe they should have had more than one source, but the Pentagon had this story in advance, let it sit there...

CULLUM: Oh!

MADDOW: ... until 11 days after it had been in print before they ever expressed any misgivings about it. The Pentagon has a lot to worry about here, too.

HAMMER: OK. Well, Curtis, let`s talk about what they`re saying on talk radio here in New York City. What`s the temperature there?

CURTIS SLIWA, CO-HOST, WABC MORNING SHOW: Well, they`re saying, Where is Isikoff? Isikoff is, like, lens (ph) lights (ph). He`s always getting face time on every talking head show.

CULLUM: Right!

SLIWA: He`s been on our radio show. And he`s always there to go on the attack against bureaucrats, elected officials, and he`s saying, Come clean. Remember, he was considered more friendly to conservatives than liberals. He went after Clinton on Lewinsky, went after Michael Moore. And now he`s missing in action! This guy has to come forward, reveal his source, and say why he jumped the queue, why he didn`t get two sources, why he didn`t verify and why he created such a hallstrom (ph) of activity that has led to 17 people dead! And yet "Newsweek" has basically given him absolution and has protected him. It`s Isikoff who has to answer the tough questions, and maybe it`s Isikoff who should be disciplined.

HAMMER: OK. And Rachel, let me jump first...

MADDOW: Sure.

HAMMER: ... and remind our viewers Isikoff, of course, is the writer of article in question. And I just need to remind the three of you we`re not debating...

MADDOW: Right.

HAMMER: We`re not debating what happened here. We`re really taking the temperature on what America is saying.

And Blanquita, I want to move it along to perhaps a larger issue that maybe you`re hearing from the callers to your radio show. Are they -- is there a backlash that you`re hearing from them...

CULLUM: Yes!

HAMMER: ... against the credibility of the media at large?

CULLUM: Oh, yes. I mean, the credibility of the media has completely gone in the toilet. The only flushing that`s going on right now are -- are networks like CBS, you know, magazines like "Newsweek," and of course, "The New York Times." People are saying, you know, when they can`t have a standard -- think about this. You know, we change the way that we watch television. We watch Janet Jackson expose her breast, but she didn`t cause a life to be lost. She didn`t cause, you know, any kind of long-term residual effect to national security or harm to the United States military or to an American that might be traveling. And frankly, in that case, you know, people have a choice when they own a remote. But they did a terrible thing here with "Newsweek." CBS, you know, attacked a president when the credibility of the source again was in the toilet.

HAMMER: Right.

CULLUM: And they -- they`re going to have -- there`s going to have to be a standard here, not so much even about obscenity, but when it comes to life and death, when it comes to a situation where "Newsweek" is screaming fire...

HAMMER: Right.

CULLUM: ... in a crowded theater, the standard has to be corrected.

HAMMER: OK. Well, let me move it on to you, Rachel. What do you think about that? What are your callers saying, as far as the credibility issue and should there be a standard? Are they talking about that?

MADDOW: Well, I think that Air America callers, what we`re hearing from our listeners and on the blogs and on the Web, is that, you know, there was one Reuters reporter who actually asked the Pentagon spokesperson, said, Can you definitively say that a Koran was not flushed down the toilet in Guantanamo? What was the Pentagon spokesman`s response? You didn`t read it anywhere other than Reuters. What he said was, I don`t like to be in the business of saying never. The substance of the allegations have not been disproven.

CULLUM: Wait a minute!

MADDOW: That is what has happened.

CULLUM: Wait a minute!

(CROSSTALK)

CULLUM: Does anybody have...

MADDOW: Blanquita? Blanquita?

CULLUM: ... a brain cell firing, Rachel? Wait a minute!

HAMMER: OK, hold...

(CROSSTALK)

CULLUM: Does anybody have a brain cell firing on...

HAMMER: Blanquita, I -- Blanquita, I got to cut you off.

CULLUM: ... the Koran?

HAMMER: Blanquita, I`m going to cut you off.

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: This is -- we`re not debating what actually happened here. We`re listening to...

CULLUM: No, but the fact of the matter is...

HAMMER: ... what your callers are saying.

CULLUM: Can you imagine how thick a Koran is to go down a toilet? Come on!

HAMMER: OK. Well, that`s not what we`re debating. And Curtis, tell me...

MADDOW: Wow.

HAMMER: Tell me about the credibility issue as far as the news media at large, as you hearing from the callers here in New York City.

SLIWA: Well, I`m a host of the number one news talk station in America. It`s generally conservative, WABC. So naturally, our listeners have found news from alternative measures long ago. They weren`t depending on "The New York Times," CBS or "Newsweek" or what we call the mainstream media for years.

HAMMER: Right.

SLIWA: So our listeners are used to getting their information from different sources. What I think this is going to do is take a lot of those people who had faith in the Walter Cronkites of the world, who had faith in "The Washington Post" and "the New York Times" of the world, and it`s going to prove to them they`ve got to start sourcing out their information from other sources, independent sources, and even one guy like a Matt Drudge sitting in a room in front of his computer, who may actually have more access to the truth than the big mainstream media that may be jumping the queue...

MADDOW: Right.

HAMMER: Right.

SLIWA: ... and actually giving information that`s detrimental to the country and to our men and women who are in the front lines.

HAMMER: On that thought, Curtis Sliwa, we`re going to wrap it up. Also thanks to you, Blanquita and Rachel. We appreciate you joining in and chiming in on the subject tonight.

And now we would like to know what your thoughts are on it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fall-out: Do you trust the news media? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you have more to tell us, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`re going to share some of your thoughts later in the show.

BRYANT: Well, the media is calling him "the piano man," but no one knows anything else about him. Is the key to solving this mystery in the keys? We`ll find out next.

HAMMER: Plus, "American Idol" finalists singing a traveling tune. Where are they going? They stop by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to let us know.

BRYANT: And we crack "The Da Vinci Code." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you a first look at the movie based on the best-selling book and starring Tom Hanks.

HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which movie gave Natalie Portman her first big break? Was it "The Professional," "Interview With the Vampire," "The Mask" or "Heavenly Creatures"? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which movie gave Natalie Portman her first big break, "The Professional," "Interview With the Vampire," "The Mask" or "Heavenly Creatures"? Well, you can see her in her "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" on Thursday, but it was "The Professional," A -- great movie -- that gave Natalie Portman her first big break.

BRYANT: It was a great movie. Well, tonight, Kylie Minogue says she has breast cancer. The Australian pop star, who turns 37 this month, revealed today that she will undergo immediate treatment and cancel her Australian "Showgirl" tour. She also said the cancer was in its early stages. Kylie Minogue won a Grammy in 2003 for the song "Come Into My World."

HAMMER: All right, tonight, we have a story that seems to be lifted from the Oscar-winning movie "Shine." It`s a story that`s almost hard to believe. See, a man was found wandering on a beach in Britain. Not so crazy, but this is the stunning part. The only way he can communicate is by playing the piano. It has everyone talking -- everyone but him. CNN`s Paula Hancocks has the story for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was here on the sea front of this small island just off the east coast of Britain that police found the man they now call "the piano man." He was wandering aimlessly along this road dressed in a tuxedo, a white shirt and tie, drenched to the skin. He hasn`t uttered a word, not even to give his name. The labels were cut out of his clothing and any identifying marks on his shoes had been erased. That was five weeks ago, and authorities are still no closer to finding out who the piano man is.

(voice-over): All they know is when they gave him a pencil and paper, he drew a picture of a grand piano. When they took him to the chapel in the local hospital, he walked straight to the piano and began to play beautifully. The man with no voice communicated through the language of music. The plight of the piano man draws parallels with David Helfgott, the pianist whose breakdown was documented in the 1996 film "Shine." The nameless man seems to find comfort only in his music.

MICHAEL CAMP, SOCIAL WORKER: He`s lost in his music, really. I mean, when he`s not in the piano, his eye contact is solid. He wouldn`t allow you within probably two or three yards of him. When he`s on the piano, you can stand as close as you like. You can -- you know, you can touch him. You can -- and he`s -- he`s extremely relaxed.

DR. ANDREW MCCULLOUGH, U.K. MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION: It`s the mind perhaps responding to a trauma by blotting out the events that have happened and the history that goes with it. But the normal functions of day-to-day living, like eating, sleeping and so on are, not blotted out. And clearly, in the case of this man, piano playing for him is like something basic.

HANCOCKS: Initial theories he`d been attending a funeral or a concert have been dismissed. So for now, the six-foot pianist with deep brown eyes will remain simply "the piano man." Paula Hancocks, CNN, on the isle of Sheppey, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: One of the pieces of music he keeps playing is from Tchaikovsky. You heard it in Paula`s story. So at least they have one clue.

BRYANT: Should you spend your C-notes on these DVDs? Mr. Moviefone himself reviews "Kinsey," "Team America" and more. That`s in the "SHOWBIZ Guide" to new Dads.

HAMMER: And timing is everything when it comes to airing your favorite TV shows. An inside look at making up a TV schedule. Our week- long series, "TV Secrets Exposed," still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. It is time now for "The SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, DVDs and more. Tonight, we are checking out what`s new on DVD. Joining us live to help us out is none other than Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman.

So Russ, thank you for joining us, and let`s get started. "Team America" -- this is from the creators of "South Park," and it`s now available on DVD?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, MR. MOVIEFONE: Yes, it`s now available on DVD. And thank God we have some good DVDs because if you`re not one of the few people going to see "Star Wars," this weekend, you got nothing in theaters. So let`s talk about "Team America: World Police." Now, this is a crazy movie. It`s by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It`s maybe the world`s first musical R-rated puppet movie. I`m not sure. Might be the last, too. They`re an international police force who have to save the world from power-hungry dictator Kim Jong Il, who`s brokering weapons of mass destruction, who also sings the song "I`m So Ronery," which steals the movie.

So here`s the deal. This movie is not for kids. It`s not a kiddie puppet movie. This movie is irreverent. It`s foul. I think it`s funny as hell. But you know, be careful when you rent it. Don`t leave it around for the kids. I liked it. I`m in. I`m in.

BRYANT: All right. Also not for the kids is "Kinsey." This stars Liam Neeson, and this is about the sex therapist who had written books and was hailed as a hero and then sort of turned into a scapegoat.

LEATHERMAN: That`s exactly right. And so we move from puppet sex to human sex. Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard -- they star in this movie, and it`s a biopic about the ground-breaking and still very controversial researcher who really rocked America in the 1950s with his studies about sex, sexual arousal and the range that constitutes normal sexuality. I liked this movie. I thought he was fantastic in it. The DVD has lots of deleted scenes. It has something called a "gag reel." I didn`t want to watch it.

BRYANT: Right. Right.

LEATHERMAN: I want nothing to do with that. But this is a really great movie. You should check it out.

BRYANT: OK. And last one, really quick, "The Sea Inside" with Javier Bardem.

LEATHERMAN: He`s fantastic in this movie. It`s about a man who`s really fighting for his right to die, who`s a paraplegic and stranded in his bed, really won the Academy Award for best foreign film. Fantastic movie. You got to check this one out. Really liked it.

BRYANT: All right. Well, there we have it. That is Russ Leatherman reporting from Hollywood. And remember, you can see Russ`s reviews and get the lowdown on all of the new DVDs by checking out moviefone.com.

HAMMER: Well, stay with us because we`ve got your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code." Now, I`m not talking about the book but the movie. It`s not going to be out for a while, but we`re going to show you a little bit of it coming up a little later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Plus: What will you be packing into your digital video recorder this fall has already been picked out. We`re going to tell you how it`s been picked out, if you stick around for more "TV Secrets Exposed." That`s coming up.

BRYANT: And there is something else that`s the apple of Katie Holmes`s eye, and we are not talking Tom Cruise here. We`ve got "Tuesday In Style" coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: They may be out of the running, but they`re not sitting idly by. Three of the top 10 "American Idol" finalists join us in the "Showbiz Sitdown."

HAMMER: Our series, TV secrets exposed, tonight, what`s on when? Who decides and how? Secrets of scheduling the new shows coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMIJN: Hey, I`m Rebecca Romijn. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Pop star Kylie Minogue has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Today the singer`s management says she will start treatment immediately and an Australian tour has been postponed.

It`s official, everybody does indeed love Raymond. In numbers just out, nearly 33 million people watched the finale last night. That`s the biggest audience in the show`s nine years on the air.

"Desperate Housewives" fans, your Sunday night date is set. ABC announced its fall schedule today. "Desperate Housewives" is staying where it is, but "Lost" is moving back one hour to 9:00 eastern. It`s going to be followed by a new show about aliens called "Invasion."

HAMMER: This is the week that all of the big broadcast networks reveal what you`ll be watching this fall on television. It`s also the week that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you our very special series "TV secrets exposed." We`re looking at everything from star salaries to exactly how people get picked for reality shows, something we`ll be doing tomorrow. Well, tonight, the secrets of TV scheduling, how the networks decide what TV shows go where.

Joining us live in Los Angeles, Michael Schneider from the entertainment industry giant trade newspaper "Variety" and here with us live in New York, Jarrod Moses. He`s the president and CEO of Alliance, an entertainment marketing firm that works with the networks. Gentlemen, thank you both for being here. Last night on the program, we were talking about the secrets of the television pilots and the intense process that goes into actually getting samples of shows made to pick what shows get on the air. But then after spending all of that money, they have to decide where to put these shows. So -- and I`m going to start with you, Mike. Let`s talk about how the networks fill the grid, which is basically deciding what shows go on at what time and what day. What`s the big secret here?

MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, VARIETY: Well, you know, it`s amazing how quickly it actually happens. Just a couple of weeks ago, these network executives first actually saw the pilots and it`s an intense two weeks where they look at the pilots. They look at the shows that they already have on their schedule. They look at what problems they have, what nights need some improvement. They sit down. They sort of go into kind of a private bunker and they pick shows based on that and then bam, this week, they go to New York and, in front of the advertising community, actually unveil their schedules for the first time.

HAMMER: Because, you know, it`s so important that they make the absolute right decision. Obviously, the pressure was on them to choose the right pilots. But even after all that money is spent, if they don`t find the right time slot for it, it`s all for nothing.

JARROD MOSES, CEO, ALLIANCE: You`re right and nothing is carved into stone. They`ll present this week and they`ll lay out the landscape, but then they can go back, once they see what the other networks are doing and reshuffle those positions as much as they possibly can.

HAMMER: OK, well we had a chance exactly SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up earlier today with ABC President Stephen McPherson. He`s their entertainment president. And we asked him the big secret behind his scheduling decisions. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN McPHERSON, PRES., ABC ENTERTAINMENT: You just really for me try to look at all the work that you`ve done all year, look at the pieces that you have and really go with the best shows. Go with the stuff that you believe in from a creative standpoint. Put it on the air, give it a great marketing campaign. The rest of the strategy in the end I think is important but really not what drives it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Michael, is it that simple?

SCHNEIDER: This is a billion dollar industry and basically over the next couple of weeks, the sales executives from these networks are going to go out and market these schedules and hope that the advertisers respond. It`s pretty intense. And the fact that this happens over the course of just a couple of weeks every year, these multi-billion dollar decisions, it`s pretty amazing and sort of unique to this industry.

HAMMER: Jarrod, what do you think about what the president of ABC entertainment said? It seemed pretty easy, but I know it`s obviously not.

MOSES: It`s easier said than done. The upfront is a $9 billion business. And so they can take their best shot at putting the great shows on the air. But as you know, now there`s midseason replacements and there`s summer schedules and sometimes shows don`t last more than three episodes. So they`ll do the best shot up front, but there`s always going to be a change in the season.

HAMMER: Let`s talk about one show that we all know was really one of the biggest success shows of this season, "Desperate Housewives". Obviously they had a pretty intense set of discussions leading up to deciding Sunday nights 9:00, this is when we`re putting this show on. How did that come to be and why did it work so magically for them?

MOSES: What`s amazing is "Desperate Housewives" has been out there for a number of years and finally ABC said let`s put this on and take a crack at it and I think that desperate times call for desperate measures. And if you look at ABC a few years ago, they were just starting to create - - the business is cyclical and you`re just starting to create some of these new shows to get on air and bring a new audience in. And you got to give them credit. They went for non-reality, scripted drama, that really brought in the audience and they marketed it well and now the audience is glued to that show. And I think it`s got a long shot to be on there for a good five to seven years.

HAMMER: All right. Michael, I want to ask you, so what is the biggest secret, as you see it, into getting this schedule right?

SCHNEIDER: Well, the biggest secret is a couple of things. First of all, you got to look and see what your competition is doing and counter program. You got to do what`s not on the air right now. Talking about "Desperate Housewives", there weren`t really any shows targeting 18 to 49- year-old women. There weren`t any soap operas on the air. When you look at LOST, there weren`t any real spooky, supernatural shows on until last year. Now of course there are going to be a bunch this year. The secret to scheduling really is finding a niche that`s sort of not out there, finding an audience that`s not being targeted right now and go after them.

HAMMER: All right. Michael, thank you very much and Jarrod, thanks for joining us here in New York City. Some secrets revealed. We have a little more insight into how it`s all done and all this week of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going in depth to bring you our special series TV secrets exposed. Tomorrow we`re going to check out how those reality show contestants finally make it on the air.

BRYANT: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fallout, do you trust the news media? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of your thoughts at 54 past the hour.

HAMMER: 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. I`ve been looking forward to this clip all through the hour. Pop princess and mom-to-be Britney Spears and here hubby Kevin Federline visited the Ellen Degeneres show today. It was their very first TV interview together. They were promoting their new reality series, "Britney & Kevin Chaotic" which with debuts tonight on UPN. That gave Ellen a golden opportunity to shower the couple with some pretty lavish baby gifts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN DEGENERES: You`ll need diapers and we got you -- oops I did it again diapers. I`m not Britney Spears, I`m not Kevin Federline. And then the baby is "I`m not their baby." How cool this is! And there`s a Sony DVD player in there for the baby. So when the baby is, you know -- the baby can watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Everybody has got to start getting those spinning rims for the buggies. Tomorrow on the Ellen Degeneres show, comedian Wanda Sykes and a performance from Gwen Stefani.

BRYANT: They may be out but they`re not down. Some "American Idol" contestants didn`t make it to the final three. But they aren`t exactly sitting at home knitting either. They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about their plans for the near future. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, you read the book. Now see the movie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at "The Da Vinci Code." It`s coming up a little later in the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: "American Idol" is down to three contestants. And later this week, one more contestant will be gone. But as we all know, once you make it to the final 10, it is not over, which is why old fans and new ones will find the final top 10 contestants on a CD titled "Show Stoppers." The CD features songs by the contestants and they`re touring the country as well. Joining me now from Los Angeles are former contestants, Nadia Turner, Jessica Sierra and Constantine Maroulis. Hey guys, thanks for joining us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for having us.

BRYANT: I`m great. And I`ve been a fan. I`ve watched every season of this show and I think it`s a terrific show. Congratulations to all of you for the hard work you`ve been doing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

BRYANT: You`re welcome. Here`s the thing, though. Obviously, in light of everything that`s going on with Paula, I`m just curious how you`re feeling. Constantine, I`ll start with you. Do you feel at all that your season has been slightly tainted now by this scandal?

CONSTANTINE MAROULIS, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Not at all. Not at all. No one can take this experience away from me. It`s been just tremendous all the way around. I`ve learned so much from Paula and from all the judges. It`s amazing to have like such experts out there sort of critiquing you. Honestly, it`s just the greatest thing that`s ever happened to me. I never would have managed myself even getting this far on a competition like that. So I`m just blessed.

BRYANT: Nadia would you concur? Would you say the same thing?

NADIA TURNER, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Oh definitely. I agree with exactly what Constantine says. This whole experience has been incredible. As far as like Paula and that whole situation, I mean, we have been in just this "American Idol" world and it`s been incredible. We`ve met incredible people. We have an album that comes out today. We have a tour to look forward to, 40 million people, 50 million people have seen us. I mean you can`t beat that. Nothing can taint that. It`s just been incredible.

BRYANT: So, Jessica, tell us what the experience is like when you`re backstage before a performance night. How are you feeling? You know, I mean, is it just the nuttiest thing you`ve ever done?

JESSICA SIERRA, FORMER IDOL CONTESTANT: Well, yeah. It was crazy. It`s been amazing. When you`re backstage right before a show, you know, you`re getting ready. You`re trying to make sure your hair is perfect. Your makeup is perfect and you`re thinking about your song and how exactly you`re going to start presenting your song, what you`re going to do on stage. So, I mean, it`s pretty crazy backstage. It is.

BRYANT: So, Nadia, you were known for your eclectic choices with music during the competition. Tell me about the record. What`s on the record?

TURNER: The record, honestly, is just as eclectic. I mean you have -- if you`re looking for country, you`ve got it. If you`re looking for rock, R&B, jazz, no matter what it is, it`s there. It`s the kind of record that anyone from any generation could pick up and say there`s something on this for me.

BRYANT: People sometimes do criticize "American Idol" saying they`re manufacturing stars. So what are you guys going to do on this tour to dispel that mythology?

SIERRA: None. I`ve noticed this year, this season with all the contestants is that every contestant can sing every genre of music. These contestants are just not limited to like one genre. You`ve got your rockers, but they can also sing ballads and they can sing everything. You`ve got your country singers. They can also sing rock music and R&B. I don`t think that - I just think it`s a very diverse group this season.

BRYANT: Obviously, something is going to change for one of the three remaining people. I want to ask you guys really quickly. I know you`re going to hem and haw and hedge your bets here, but who do you like, each of you, Vonzel, Carrie or Bo? Who are you rooting for?

MAROULIS: Love them all, honestly.

SIERRA: Vonzel, Carrie and Bo.

MAROULIS: You know what, I think they all have an equal shot at this thing.

BRYANT: Who would you vote for, Constantine? You`re not the politician here. Go for it. Give an answer.

MAROULI:S You know that I don`t vote. But I think I have an inkling as to who will probably take the whole thing but can`t share that with you.

BRYANT: All right. Well, congratulations to each and every one of you. From Los Angeles, thanks for joining us. It`s Nadia Turner, Jessica Sierra and Constantine Maroulis. Tickets for the "American Idol" tour go on sale this Saturday. The CD "American Idol" season four, the show stoppers, is in stores today.

HAMMER: It`s time now to get your laugh on in laughter dark, as we do every night, bringing you the late night laughs you just might have missed on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. Jay wondered whether "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest ever hangs out with those contestants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: You never socialize with any other contestants that are into grooming?

RYAN SEACREST, HOST, AMERICAN IDOL: No, I don`t socialize. I`m a very professional host. Get in, have fun with them, read the results and get out.

LENO: But you`ve never socialized? We have a piece of tape. This is why I.

SEACREST: No, I`ve never hung out.

LENO: I saw something on the show. It was disturbing to me. Here, take a look. This is very disturbing. You see, slips him his room key.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, you have probably heard Katie Holmes has a new boyfriend but that`s not the only major change in her life lately. We`ve got that coming up in Tuesday "In Style."

HAMMER: Plus Dan Brown`s best-selling novel is coming soonish to a theater near you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is where you`re going to get your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time now for Tuesday "In Style." Katie Holmes is on the cover of June`s "In Style" magazine. She`s been causing quite a stir because of her new romance with Tom Cruise and now it`s on to another meaningful relationship, this one with her new neighborhood in New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Katie Holmes has made a big move, which is that she`s moved to New York City, in Greenwich Village and she has a huge movie coming out this summer, which is "Batman Begins."

On the cover, Katie is wearing a blue chiffon Chloe dress which costs over $3,000 but is available at Saks and she`s also wearing gold, diamond and jeweled (INAUDIBLE) earrings, which are really up there. They`re up over $27,000.

But if you want to get the same look, we have a Jocelyn silk dress by Sue Wong, which is only $300. And there are also earrings that are blue topaz earrings for $70 that look very similar.

On her lips, she`s wearing Bobby Brown products. There`s a lip liner in rose and then there is a creamy lip gloss in petal. During the photo shoot for the cover, Katie Holmes had so much energy she requested prince`s "Raspberry Beret" so she could dance on the shoot.

Katie has moved to Greenwich Village in New York City. It`s very neighborhoody in that area.

KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: I already have some favorite spots that I love to go to with all my friends, just very exciting.

She has found her spots already. She knows where to go for Thai food. She knows where to go for sushi. She has a club called Ono at hotel (INAUDIBLE). There`s a bakery called Billy`s bakery. She gets cupcakes there. She has her book store, Left Bank Books. All that she has charted out her little neighborhood finds. For Katie, she really sees New York City as a place to reinvent herself in a way. And anybody can do that. She`s doing all sorts of things like taking salsa lessons. She`s painting. She really feels a new sense of freedom here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: For more on Katie`s move to the big apple, pick up a copy of "In Style`s" June issue. It hits newsstands Friday.

HAMMER: All right. Here we go. Time now for the showbiz showcase tonight, your very first look at "The Da Vinci Code," Ron Howard`s highly anticipated movie version of Dan Brown`s best selling book. Tom Hanks stars in the film. Let`s take a first look at the trailer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: It is so powerful that men have died to protect it. And there are those who would kill to expose it. It is a message that has been hidden for centuries right before our eyes. What if the world`s greatest works of art held the secret that could change the course of mankind forever? Next summer, no matter what you have read, no matter what you believe, the journey has just begun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Don`t buy your popcorn just yet. When the guy with the big voice said next summer, he meant it. The movie opens up one year and two days from today. That`s right. Save the date. "The Da Vinci Code" will be in the theaters on May 19th, 2006.

BRYANT: We`ve asked you to vote online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Newsweek" fallout. Do you trust the media? The vote so far, 11 percent of you say, yes, I trust the media, 89 percent of you say, no, you don`t. You`ve also been sending e-mails our way. From Bill in Boston, he says, I would still trust the news media. In fact, the media may even heighten their level of accuracy and honesty.

And Steve from Horseshow Bay, Texas adds, "Newsweek" should be ashamed and held liable. I would say that they got caught with their pants down.

You can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: Let`s go to another guy with a big voice as we find out what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Take it away, marquee guy.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow, which `70s show? Why, it`s that `70s show. It`s the season finale and we`ve got Fez, Wilmer Valderrama joins us live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, our series, TV secrets exposed takes a reality check. Reality show contestants, where do they find these people, anyway? And what does it take to make it onto a reality show? We`ll find out on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. This is the marquee guy letting you know that fear is not a factor for me. But, hey, AJ, Karyn, has anyone seen my apprentice?

HAMMER: Not me.

BRYANT: Not me. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

END