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Showbiz Tonight

British Newspaper Publishes Photos of Saddam Hussein in Underwear; Stars Assemble in New York City For Awarding of Daytime Emmys; Electronic Entertainment Expo Introduces Many Movie Based Video Games

Aired May 20, 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: We`re live at the daytime Emmys.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And Tom Cruise talks about Katie Holmes. I`m Karyn Bryant.

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

BRYANT: Tonight, the Saddam shocker. Saddam Hussein in his underwear on TV and in newspapers around the world. Should the media have kept those private moments private?

BRYANT: Plus, she`s Trump`s top pick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You`re hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And for the first time, "The Apprentice" is a woman. But as a woman, what will she face climbing the corporate ladder? Tonight, the challenges all women are up against. It`s "SHOWBIZ In Depth."

BRYANT: And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISS PIGGY, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": (INAUDIBLE) wonderful Wizard of Oz!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Yes, it`s an over-the-rainbow connection. Lions, tigers, Muppets, oh, my! Ashanti, Kermit and Miss Piggy stop by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHANTI, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": Hey, I`m Ashanti.

KERMIT THE FROG, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": I`m Kermit.

MISS PIGGY, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": And I`m Miss Piggy.

ASHANTI, KERMIT, MISS PIGGY: 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 shop.

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

BRYANT: Well, they are the embarrassing and startling photos that have the whole world talking, Saddam Hussein in his underwear and more.

HAMMER: Newspapers showed them first, and today you just couldn`t miss them on TV. But should they have been shown in the first place? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGIS PHILBIN, "REGIS AND KELLY": There he is, thinking about things. "London Sun," I guess, got them, and "The Post" got ahold of them, and so that`s where...

KELLY RIPA, "REGIS AND KELLY": I can`t. There`s so much I want to say, but I just can`t.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): Well, Kelly may not be talking, but a lot of people can`t control their reaction to the front pages of today`s "London Sun" and "New York Post," a picture of Saddam Hussein in his underwear, "The Sun" claiming a military source gave it to them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Breaking news this morning...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And as Americans turned on their TVs this morning, there was no escaping the pictures. It was on all the morning shows and more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the U.S. military says it is aggressively investigating who took embarrassing photos of a captive Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hit the streets to find out what people are thinking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s sensationalism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ethically, morally, it`s going to turn a lot of people off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it newsworthy? Not a bit.

HAMMER: The photos also caused outrage halfway around the world on the streets in Iraq, raising questions about whether the media should have run them.

KHALIL ISMAEL, IRAQI CITIZEN (through translator): The picture of Saddam Hussein we saw on TV is not befitting for him as an Iraqi. We are a country of civilizations. We are masters of the world. We taught the world to read and write. It is not proper to show a president this way.

HAMMER: Even Kuwait`s foreign minister has a bone to pick with the press.

MOHAMMED AL SABAH, KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER: I was a little bit disappointed that the press is picking up on issue of not really major relevance.

HAMMER: It`s a burning question: Are these photos relevant to the war in Iraq or to America?

MATTHEW T. FELLING, CENTER FOR MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: From a journalistic standpoint, it`s 100 percent unacceptable because these photos do not advance a story. The photos themselves are the story and the controversy is the story. And the unfortunate fact is that from a global standpoint, according to the Geneva Convention, they could very well be illegal. So it`s two strikes against us with regards to this photo, and we don`t have any greater understanding of the world around us.

HAMMER: But "The New York Post" stands by its decision, saying in a statement today, quote, "Saddam Hussein is a genocidal maniac who tortured, gassed and killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. The photographs published today by the `New York Post` show the U.S. military is treating him with a regard he never showed his own people."

FELLING: Any time you have to put a paragraph of reasoning into running a photo, it shows that you might have an agenda. My advice for all the news outlets in America would be just to weigh the relevance, the global relevance of these photos, against the weight that they might have in terms of inflaming a region of the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here at the Pentagon, officials are not happy at all about all of this, those photographs...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s a new kind of responsibility for media organizations as images from the war in Iraq are a daily part of coverage.

FELLING: In these 21st century wars, photos and images are a form of visual warfare. They are photos that inform the people as to what`s going on in a foreign land, like the photos from Falluja, when there was the uprising. There`s also a motivational technique because we had President Bush with the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, President Bush on the carrier a few years ago. But motivational photos work both ways. We can be reassured that Saddam is behind bars by showing him in his underwear, but at the same time, that embarrasses a certain constituency around the world. When we`re just trying to fight one war, we don`t have to fight an information war that we might be losing, as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: And while "The London Sun" claims a military source gave them the photos, senior military sources tell CNN they did not, no matter what the newspaper claims. They`re launching a full investigation to see exactly where those photos came from.

BRYANT: Daytime in primetime. TV`s favorite stars are out tonight in New York City. It`s the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live on the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall. David, what is going on?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn, this is daytime television`s biggest night tonight, and fans, soap opera fans, many of them, lining 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues this evening as we gear up for the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards, many soap opera stars just now hitting the red carpet as we speak just to the west of us, down the red carpet.

Among the soap operas up for awards this evening include, of course, "All My Children," which holds the record with 18 Emmy nominations for this evening. It is the soap opera that garnered the most Emmy nominations. Susan Lucci not among them, though, of course, this year, in particular, although she did win that Emmy just recently. So we`ll see her here tonight, as well, certainly.

Ellen DeGeneres here among them in the talk show host category. She won last year for Best Talk Show in general. Just wrapping up her second season on the air with her talk show. She`s got 11 Emmy nominations. Others in that category nominated include "Dr. Phil," "Live With Regis and Kelly," "The View" and "Soap Talk," as well, nominated for their best talk show awards also.

Also, those are the other players in the best talk show arena, and we`re certainly going to be expecting to speak with some of them on the red carpet this evening, and we`ll bring you those interviews live when they happen. Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, David Haffenreffer at the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards.

HAMMER: Well, in "The Show`s Biz" tonight, the biggest event in one of the biggest entertainment industries around. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, wraps up tonight in Los Angeles. Celebrities and video gamers alike spent all week checking out all the hot games that you`re going to be seeing this year, and of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Celebrities from Keaton to Keanu, from Drew to Dupri (ph) came to Sony`s celebrity bash to kick off E3. But some celebrities did more than just play new games. Sean and Marlon Wayans announced one of their own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your mama`s feet so stink, her shoes committed suicide.

HAMMER: In the new game, "The Dozen," you use cards and your mobile phone to come up with the best "yo mama" joke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ll be in the middle of a meeting, and the CEO will probably be boring you, and (INAUDIBLE) the employee will be just snapping (ph) on...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sending "yo mama" jokes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... each other`s mama, or maybe even his mama.

HAMMER: We also got up-close looks at the X-Box 360, which comes out later this year, and the Playstation 3, which comes out in 2006. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT previewed a game based on the classic James Bond film "From Russia With Love." Sean Connery himself is reprising his role for the game.

GLEN SCHOFIELD: He`s been great to work with. He wanted to find out about video games, what it`s like. He`s got grandkids and kids who play them.

HAMMER: Current movies are also getting the video game treatment. We saw games based on the upcoming "Fantastic Four" and "Harry Potter" movies. At just under $10 billion in sales last year, the video game industry actually made more money than movies. And based on what we saw at E3, the fiery video game industry has no plans to surrender its crown.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And Of course, there were many more games previewed at E3, including video game versions of the gangster movies "Scarface" and "The Godfather" and "Bulletproof," which features 50 Cent, Eminem and Dr. Dre.

BRYANT: Kendra rises to the challenge, and Donald Trump picks her as the new "Apprentice." But as a woman, what challenges will she face in today`s workplace? A "SHOWBIZ In Depth" look at women in the workforce.

Plus, Miss Piggy is one lady you can`t push around. Before she goes which way tonight, she comes our way. It`s "The Muppets Wizard of Oz," a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Miss Piggy, Kermit and R&B sensation Ashanti.

HAMMER: And Tom talks. He sets the record straight. A first look of what he tells Oprah about new girlfriend Katie Holmes.

BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these actors did not appear in 1992`s "School Ties"? Was it Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O`Donnell or Ethan Hawke? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these actors did not appear in 1992`s "School Ties"? Was it Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O`Donnell or Ethan Hawke? The answer is D, Ethan Hawke.

HAMMER: Well, for the very first time, a woman has heard the two words that mean you are going to work for Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Kendra, you`re hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Twenty-six-year-old Kendra Todd trumped them all and is Donald Trump`s newest "Apprentice" now. The real estate marketing executive from Florida was on the Book Smarts team, winning Trump over with her leadership and her loyalty during the last of her tasks. Kendra and runner-up Tana were given their final task. And at that time, Kendra was shaky at first but finally pulled through. And of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the post-finale party in New York, where Kendra told us she wasn`t nervous at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDRA TODD, NEW "APPRENTICE": I went in there very prepared for any question that they were going to ask because I`m not perfect. You know, I have my strengths, I have my weaknesses, and I knew, you know, what they might come at me with. And so I was myself. I went in there very pleased with my performance over the 16 weeks. I put my heart and soul into it, and I wouldn`t have changed one thing. However, you know, it`s not over until the fat lady sings. Actually, you know, it`s not over until the fat lady walks off the stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Kendra starts her new job in just a couple of weeks. She`s going to supervise the remodeling of one of Trump`s multi-million-dollar mansions. He`s paying her a quarter million dollars. But first, she`s going to get some training with trusty Trump aide Caroline at Trump`s golf course in suburban New York.

And now we want to know what your thoughts are on all of this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Donald Trump: Would you want to work for him? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, the e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to share some of what you have to say later on in the show.

BRYANT: Tonight in "SHOWBIZ In Depth," women climbing the corporate ladder. As Kendra goes to work for Donald Trump, she will face many challenges, and it`s no secret that women often have a bigger hill to climb than men. So joining us live tonight are some very powerful women in their own right. In Atlanta, Cynthia Good, CEO and editor of "Pink." It`s a national business magazine for women. And live here in New York, Ann Shoket, executive editor of "Cosmogirl" magazine, and Chana Schoenberger, staff writer for "Forbes" magazine. Thanks for joining me, ladies.

Now, I want to ask, first and foremost -- Kendra faces some challenges that her prior winners, Bill and Kelly (ph), are not facing, as a woman. Can you speak to that for a bit, Ann?

ANN SHOKET, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "COSMOGIRL": I think that the biggest challenge she will face is to forget that she`s a woman. You know, we interviewed Donald Trump last year at "Cosmogirl," and he said the secret to success is determination and drive and never say never and never give up. And he didn`t distinguish between men or women. He said that`s the secret to success, regardless of your gender.

BRYANT: Cynthia, what do you think?

CYNTHIA GOOD, CEO AND EDITOR, "PINK" MAGAZINE: I think she`s right, but I do want to jump in there and say that one of the reasons that she has been successful and chosen for this is because she is her authentic self. And really, that`s the reasoning why we launched "Pink" magazine. It is the only national magazine just for women in business. And part of this is a redefinition of what it means to be a successful woman in the 21st century. A big part of that is being who you are. I mean, she cried. It`s OK to be a woman in every sense of the word and to succeed because you are doing what you need to do.

BRYANT: OK. Well, she may have cried. We never see Caroline cry. You see Caroline next to Donald Trump. She`s a very tough woman. Is there a possibility that she could be too tough or perhaps she could be setting an example that women have to be too tough?

CHANA SCHOENBERGER, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Well, Caroline is one of the stereotypes of women in power. She`s the ice sculpture. And you see her often wearing very severe suits. She`s not a funky dresser at all. And there`s really two types of women that you see. One is the kind that says, Treat me like everybody else. I`m just as good as the men, and I`m going to show you with my performance. And the other kind, perhaps, is this Kendra, who cries, the idea that you are a woman and you bring different strengths and you complement the men. So no, it`s not negative to do what Caroline does. Obviously, she`s a very successful woman in business. But certainly, it`s not the model for all women.

GOOD: And really, what is happening across the country today is, historically, women have had to be like one of the guys in order to succeed. I know my first job in TV, every day, I wore the navy blue suit and the bow tie to work and even lowered my voice in order to sound more credible and more masculine. And what we`re finding is the problem with that, and hence "Pink" magazine, is if you play that game, no matter how big your title is, no matter how big your salary is, at the end of the day, it`s sort of a hollow victory unless you can, you know, be yourself on the job and use your strengths.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, unless that is really you.

(CROSSTALK)

GOOD: ... and that`s good, too.

BRYANT: Well, this is the truth. I`ve -- I`ve actually worked with women who, you know, get that one slot in the boys` club, and then they seem to abandon the women who are working with them and underneath them. Ann, what are your thoughts on that? Why does that happen?

SHOKET: I think that the fact of the matter is there are plenty of women who are interested in helping other women come up through the ranks. One of the very special programs that we have at "Cosmogirl" is called Project 2024, and that`s the year in which our youngest reader will be eligible to be president of the United States of America. We have had some of the most powerful, the most influential women in the country offering their advice to these young women. And they say, Come on, there`s room up at the top for everybody.

BRYANT: Chana, you want to pipe in?

SCHOENBERGER: I was just going to say we had Marie Wilson from the White House Project spoke at our Executive Women`s Forum last month. And of course, her whole life`s work has been getting a woman in the White House and also getting women in positions of power everywhere. And what she said was we have to validate other women. We have to go up to a woman and say, Hey, you should run for the PTA president. You should run for city council. You should be CEO of this company. Why aren`t you doing that?

GOOD: Absolutely. It`s really great to see. I, you know, just want to mention, too, that, I mean, one reason we`re able to do this, finally, you know, there`s a national magazine for women in business, and that is because there are so many high-level businesswomen who are decision makers now, and you know, they want to be part of this. They want to help other women, women like Jan Hall (ph) at Neutrogena, Sheila Weideman (ph) at Georgia Pacific. These are women who care about seeing women succeed, and they want to give them the tools that they need to find more success in work and in life.

BRYANT: Right. Now -- now, obviously, we`ve been talking -- Martha Stewart is going to be the next "Apprentice." I`m going to go down the lines, you guys. What`s the biggest lesson we could learn from Martha`s whole recent, you know, escapade in and out of jail?

SHOKET: Martha has an unbelievable message that there`s always a second act.

BRYANT: OK. Chana?

SCHOENBERGER: Martha made being a housewife sexy. She said, This is the stereotype of what men want women to do, and I`m going to do it and I`m going to make a billion dollars.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thanks for joining us. Caroline, I`m sorry. I`ve got to go, but thank you for joining us. Cynthia and -- I`m sorry, not Caroline, Cynthia, and Chana and Ann, thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Well, "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" is breaking records. Tonight, snippets of "The Sith" for you. Fox said today that the movie made more than $50 million on its first day out. That`s the biggest day ever for a single movie in history, and it breaks the record that "Shrek 2" set just last year. "Sith" cost $113 million to make. So at this rate, it`ll make all that back by the end of tonight.

With blockbusters, of course, come bootlegs, and the movie has already been pirated. Today "Revenge of the Sith" was showing up on the Internet and on the streets of New York. It looks like the movie was actually lifted from some editing reels. And imagine what the fans in a New Jersey theater were thinking when Anakin Sykwalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi started speaking Japanese. Scenes from the Japanese version somehow got spliced into the English version.

Well, still ahead, we have more "Star Wars" for you. Samuel L. Jackson`s going to tell us how he landed his part in the record-breaking movie. A "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" is coming up next.

BRYANT: And it`s our destiny to show you Destiny Child`s new music video. It`s your first look right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up.

HAMMER: And it`s Friday night, so as you plan your weekend and all the summer vacations that are still to come, well, this Saturday, Karyn, Sibila Vargas and I are going to be hosting something called "Hot Ticket to Summer Fun," your place to tune in to find out everything you need to know about the summer movies, the concert tours, even the theme parks. CNN has your complete guide on hot ticket fun. It airs Saturday at 6:00 PM Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Samuel L. Jackson. He plays Mace Windu in "Revenge of the Sith," and he told me that starring in the "Star Wars" prequels was a long-standing dream of his.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON, "MACE WINDU": Very dangerous putting them together. I don`t think the boy can handle it. I don`t trust it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: So Sam, how badly did you want to be a part of "Star Wars"?

JACKSON: I guess it was a burning kind of desire since I saw, you know, the first one, trying to figure out how you get them, who`s casting them, why do I never know when they`re holding auditions, and I guess being fortunate enough to be in a particular place at a particular time and saying the right thing and somebody hearing it. And it happened.

BRYANT: Because I would feel the same way. I mean, I`m not in it, and I would have killed to be in it.

JACKSON: I just told George, you know, all I want to do is, you know, be in it. I can be a storm trooper. I can put on, you know, the white armor with the helmet. Nobody has to know it`s me, you know, but me. I`ll know it`s me, and I`ll run across the screen and do all that stuff. And he was, like, Come on, you know, we`ll find something else.

BRYANT: So why was it so important to you? I mean, was this a big, you know, favorite movie to you? Were you really down with this whole story line?

JACKSON: I totally dug it. It`s the kind of thing that you watch on screen, and it`s the kind of world that we don`t see every day, that we had never seen before, you know, the first one of, you know, guys with tentacles and different colored skin and spots and people flying in spaceships and going to different planets where they`ve got clubs and bad guys that, you know, don`t look like bad guys, that might be bad guys, and good guys that got hair all over them. And it looked like this is really cool.

This is something that you imagine and you never thought you would see on screen, and all of a sudden, it`s there. It was a comic book world that was put on screen, and I was a comic book fan. And I always saw myself in those particular situations, and I wanted to, you know, be in it.

BRYANT: Were you there the first day that Hayden put on the Darth Vader suit?

JACKSON: No.

BRYANT: What did you think, though, when you saw him in it?

JACKSON: I never saw him in it.

BRYANT: Oh, you never saw him in it?

JACKSON: No.

BRYANT: Well, gee, even though in the film, though, you know, the whole idea of coming full circle and seeing this thing completed now -- what was that like to you the first time you saw the film?

JACKSON: Well, seeing the film was, you know -- it was like -- it was crazy, mad, you know, kind of awesome feeling when that helmet goes into place, you know? There are only about, I think, I guess, nine or ten of us watching the film that day, and the helmet goes into place, we all went crazy. Yes! Ah! You know, and he took that first breath, it was kind of, like, yes! It was just -- OK, it was perfect. You know, the film could have ended for us right there, you know, because we were all just, like, Aah!

BRYANT: What was it like the last day on the set for you? I mean, I know you guys probably finished at different times, but how did that feel to know that your part was done now in this great, you know...

JACKSON: You know, George just kind of shoots stuff, and he goes, Oh, we`ll fix it. And you never know when that is, so you never have a sense of, Oh, it`s over. I guess I sort of had a sense of it when they gave me my light saber, but they did that in Australia, and then I had to go back and they used another one.

BRYANT: So where do you keep it?

JACKSON: It`s in a bookcase at home.

BRYANT: That`s got to be so cool!

JACKSON: I pass by sometimes and look at it (INAUDIBLE) yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: It`s no secret that Sam`s character dies in "Revenge of the Sith." Sam told me that his death scene was mapped out to the last detail, 109 moves in all, and he loved every minute of it.

HAMMER: Well, coming up -- marriage, divorce, back-stabbing, births. There`s only one place other than life where you can get all that, the daytime Emmys. We`re going to head back to the red carpet with your favorite soap stars.

And Holmes, sweet Holmes. Tom Cruise opens up big time and talks about his latest romance, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s the Muppet show on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Ashanti are hitting the yellow brick road. But first, they are hitting our studio.

BRYANT: And daytime in the nighttime. We are back at the red carpet at the daytime Emmys live.

TYRA BANKS, MODEL: Hey, what`s up? I`m Tyra Banks. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. For your Friday night, here are the hot headlines. Photo furor, pictures of Saddam Hussein that showed up on the front pages of newspapers around the world are causing some to question whether the media went too far. We just got word into CNN that the "Sun" will publish more photos of Saddam behind barbed wire in Muslim prayer tomorrow.

BRYANT: Box office bonanza. "Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith" has made more than $50 million on its first day out. That is the biggest day ever for a single movie in history. The movie has already been pirated showing up on the Internet and on the streets of New York City.

HAMMER: Tonight we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. On the heels of last night`s APPRENTICE finale, Donald trump, would you want to work for him? Keep voting by going to the Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also send us your e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll run down some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.

BRYANT: You have seen the wonderful "Wizard of Oz" done so many ways ever since Frank Baum (ph) wrote it. There of course is the 1939 classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" and the 1978 musical "The Wiz," but Baum probably never thought his book would be interpreted by a singer, a frog and a pig. But that`s exactly what has happened in the latest version of the classic story in "The Muppets Wizard of Oz." Joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are the Grammy award winning Ashanti. We`ve got Kermit the frog and of course, the porcine queen of the entertainment world, Miss Piggy. Now, Miss Piggy, you know, we`ve got the other two guests going by one name. Can I call you simply Piggy or is it Miss Piggy?

MISS PIGGY: Miss Piggy. Please, use formalities, please.

BRYANT: Absolutely. That`s fine. That`s wonderful. Now Ashanti, I want to ask you, a lot of people obviously are familiar with "The Wizard of Oz" movie. But yet, your version is based on the book. How is this going to be different?

ASHANTI: It`s slightly different. I mean, obviously, Dorothy kind of wants to get out of Kansas. She wants to follow her dreams and become a famous singer. She wants the Muppets to hear her demo. So we have a little bit of spice in our version.

KERMIT: Spice. It`s very spicy. Yes. That`s important.

BRYANT: I would imagine there`s definitely going to be some singing. Kermit, Miss Piggy. How did Ashanti`s presence help you with the singing in the film?

KERMIT: Oh well, obviously, Ashanti is an extremely talented and accomplished singer.

MISS PIGGY: Well, I taught her a few things myself, actually.

BRYANT: Did you?

MISS PIGGY: Yes.

BRYANT: Such as?

MISS PIGGY: Well, I mean, how to hit those high notes. Yes. She wasn`t quite hitting all the notes at first.

KERMIT: Don`t believe it.

MISS PIGGY: But we worked it out in the studio, and I think she did a very OK job. Yes.

KERMIT: She was great. She was great.

ASHANTI: Her mic was turned off the entire time.

KERMIT: Yeah, oddly enough.

BRYANT: Ashanti, I want to ask you about the soundtrack. You provided it through the film?

ASHANTI: Yes. I did about three or four songs, original songs, and they were really, really cute. We had a lot of fun. I actually collaborated.

KERMIT: We did. We did.

ASHANTI: We had several microphones in the studio.

KERMIT: Yes. Yes.

ASHANTI: And we had a lot of fun.

BRYANT: Miss Piggy, you definitely had to face some challenges. In this film, you play four different witches. Let`s talk about the stretch here, the acting that you had to do in this film.

MISS PIGGY: It was no real challenge for an actress of my caliber. No, no, no. I do play four roles in this film. And I am brilliant in all of them, actually.

BRYANT: Ashanti, she`s won Grammys, Miss Piggy, on the way to winning Emmys. Which one of these ladies is the bigger diva?

KERMIT: Oh my Lord, I`m sitting between them. How can you ask me that?

MISS PIGGY: Watch yourself, frog.

KERMIT: That`s scary. I think there`s plenty of room here for any size diva. How is that?

BRYANT: That`s good.

KERMIT: Just call me the United Nations.

BRYANT: Ashanti, what was it like on the set work with Miss Piggy and Kermit?

ASHANTI: It was absolutely amazing. I had a really really good time. We had a lot of laughs, right guys?

KERMIT: We laughed all the time.

ASHANTI: A lot of long hours.

KERMIT: Lots of long hours. I play the scarecrow. Ashanti and I had to work very closely together. We`d work all day and then we`d go out to dinner and rehearse.

ASHANTI: Exactly.

BRYANT: A little one on one.

KERMIT: Yeah.

MISS PIGGY: Wait a minute. Now, what are you talking about? You told me that you were in the make up chair for like 12 hours a day.

KERMIT: Well, not the other 12. I had to rehearse with Ashanti. We had a lot of stuff to do. I`m sorry about this Karyn. I`m giving you a scoop I guess, but it`s sort of embarrassing.

BRYANT: No, I was wondering, too. A big movie opened the other day "Star Wars." I was wondering, if you guys know Yoda. Have you spoken to Yoda? Have you guys touched base at all since the...

MISS PIGGY: Yoda is a fictional character.

KERMIT: Yeah.

MISS PIGGY: He is a puppet.

BRYANT: OK.

MISS PIGGY: Whatever he is, he only appears in the movies. He is not real, dear. You cannot have a conversation with somebody who is not real.

BRYANT: OK.

KERMIT: That`s right.

BRYANT: No, that`s my mistake then. Thank you for clearing that up. Anything else you need to get off your chest, Miss Piggy because you`ve got your forum right in here.

MISS PIGGY: No, actually my cell phone is buzzing, so if we could just wrap this up, that would be really good.

BRYANT: Well done. Thank you Ashanti, Kermit and Miss Piggy for joining us. You can catch "The Muppets Wizard of Oz" tonight on ABC.

HAMMER: Well, we`re going to keep on cruising down the show biz brick road. Tom Cruise is talking about his new leading lady. We`re going to tell you what he has to say about Katie Holmes coming up next.

BRYANT: and TV trends. All this week the networks played their hand for the fall. But how do they decide what will work? TV secrets exposed. We wrap up our series.

MISS PIGGY: Hello. I`m miss piggy and I`m wearing Jeremy Scott. At least I think so. I can`t really see the label.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tom Cruise is jumping for joy over his new girlfriend, literally. The 42-year-old Hollywood megastar is completely smitten by 26-year-old girlfriend Katie Holmes. So much so, he gushed about her in an upcoming episode of Oprah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRUISE: Do you have to get into details?

OPRAH WINFREY: Yes. Yes. Because, you know --

CRUISE: You all really want to know this? OK. I have to tell you.

WINFREY: OK, tell me.

CRUISE: Kate, sorry.

WINFREY: What happened to you? What has happened to you?

CRUISE: That`s how I feel about her.

WINFREY: Really?

CRUISE: Really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Looks like Tom Cruise is in love. Katie is a huge Oprah fan and was really nervous about meeting Oprah, but eventually Tom did drag Katie out from backstage to introduce the two. You can see this full interview on this Monday on "Oprah Winfrey Show."

BRYANT: The 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards are being given out tonight in New York City and the stars are already showing up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer has been catching up with them and he joins us live once again on the red carpet from Radio City music hall. David?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Karyn, the daytime Emmy awards are sort of like the Oscars, but for daytime television programming. So the stars are just now beginning to stream in, lots of soap opera fans here tonight. Soap opera stars here as well. We`re pleased to be joined now by Jennifer Ferrin from "As The World Turns." You were nominated, along with Quincy as well. Welcome to you both. You were nominated in what category?

JENNIFER FERRIN, AS THE WORLD TURNS: Outstanding younger actress.

HAFFENREFFER: What would it mean to you to win this award tonight?

FERRIN: I`m nominated with some wonderful girls and it`s just really nice to be recognized by your peers because the peers do the judging. So it would be a great honor.

HAFFENREFFER: There are lots of celebs here tonight from all different parts of the television universe. Are you looking forward to seeing somebody in particular?

FERRIN: I saw Ellen Degeneres last year, and I think I scared her because she walked by and I said, you are Ellen Degeneres and I think I shouldn`t do that this year. But I really like her.

HAFFENREFFER: She says, I absolutely am.

FERRIN: Yes I am.

HAFFENREFFER: She`s back here as well. Have you been -- where`s the soap opera business today as an actress involved in it. Does winning an Emmy benefit you in the business?

FERRIN: I think any time you are recognized for the work you do that it -- any little bit of recognition can help and people see that you have worked very hard and that other people, you know, recognize you for it. So I definitely think, you know, it can`t hurt you, that`s for sure.

HAFFENREFFER: Best of luck in there tonight. Thanks for speaking with us as well. Earlier we had the pleasure of speaking with Jeannie Cooper, who`s the longest standing actress in "Young And The Restless" earlier. She`s with her son Corbin Bernsen (ph). Let`s have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: So "Young And The Restless," "General Hospital," it`s all in the family now, isn`t it?

JEANNIE COOPER, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Sort of, although we have a better rating than you do.

CORBIN BERNSEN: We have better acting.

COOPER: You are mean.

HAFFENREFFER: Jeannie, you are the only original cast member from "Young And The Restless" still on the air with the show.

COOPER: That`s right. I stayed alive long enough to claim that to fame.

BERNSEN: And there have a couple of dinosaurs at the L.A. zoo that are really fascinating to go visit.

HAFFENREFFER: What are you looking forward to seeing tonight?

COOPER: To see somebody slap him sideways. Why am I looking forward to it? I would like to win tonight. I really would.

BERNSEN: She`s already crying.

BERNSEN: That`s supporting.

COOPER: That may sound selfish, but I would like to win after eight times.

HAFFENREFFER: And wouldn`t it be nice if she did win. Other categories here tonight include best talk show as well. Among the names up for those awards, "Dr. Phil," "Ellen Degeneres Show," "Live With Regis & Kelly," "The View," as well as "Soap Talk." Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. David, that last one a tough category. Nice job out there at radio city music hall. AJ.>

HAMMER: All right Karyn and all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been covering the network up fronts where the fall TV schedules have been announced. Tonight we`re going to conclude our special series, TV secrets exposed by taking a look at the secrets behind the trends going on in television. Throughout the years, you may have noticed that when one network has success with a specific type of a TV show, such as a courtroom or medical drama, the other networks quickly follow suit with their own versions, creating, thus, a trend.

Joining us again -- joining us now is Chris Lisotta, who is the senior reporter for "Television Week" and also live from Hollywood, Charles Flemming, professor of journalism at the University of Southern California as well as columnist and author of "High Concept." And Charles, I`m going to begin with you. Thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. What were some of the trends that you were seeing coming out of this week`s up fronts?

CHARLES FLEMMING, AUTHOR, HIGH CONCEPT: The principle trend is that the networks are absolutely terrified of the graying of their audience and they are panicking over the fact that the numbers show that some of the weaker rated shows on television but some of the ones that have been popular with critics are drawing in audiences of people who are averaging 54, 55, 58, 60 years of age, and it`s got them really panicking. So they are beginning to dump shows that attract older audiences and roll the dice on shows that they think might attract younger audiences.

HAMMER: What type of genres have been coming out of all those numbers?

FLEMMING: The reality shows seem to be more attractive for younger viewers, but they`ve run out of ideas for reality shows it appears. So they are heading back more towards the usual kinds of things that seem to attract people when they are young, i.e., shows about young people.

So you`re going to see, for example, you`re going to see the end of a show like Amy Brenneman`s show and you`re going to see new shows that have legal people that are younger people. You`re going to see shows like "Friends," but now young men and four kings and they`re in an apartment together and they`re having young men type adventures.

HAMMER: All right. Well, I want to get back to reality shows and talk about the sitcoms in just a moment. Chris, any other trends that you are seeing coming out of this week`s up fronts while the shows were announced that you`d like to chime in on?

CHRIS LISOTTA, SR REPORTER, TELEVISION WEEK: Well, I think it`s actually been a good year for television, particularly broadcast television. The 18 to 49 demo, which is the most important demo for advertisers is way up. I`d disagree with the other guest to a certain extent. That may be true for CBS that they are aging down.

But if you look at the WB, they have specifically said they are not looking for shows with characters who are in high school. They are looking to age up their demo slightly to -- they`re still younger adults, but they`re not focusing on teen audiences so I think that really depends on the network. It really depends what their target is and then which way they are trending.

CBS is definitely trending now because they are number one. They think they can now win 18 to 49. They are winning 18 to 49. They`re tied with FOX for the year and they say, when it comes to programming that`s not sports, they are the dominant winner. So I think it really depends on the network and what their particular focus is.

HAMMER: OK. Well now we have sort of a sense of what`s going to be happening for the next season on television. Charles, fill us in a little bit. We`ve been talking about secrets all week. Tell us exactly how these trends develop. What`s the secret behind why you`ll see a show on one network and then you`ll see similar shows on other networks as they follow suit?

FLEMMING: Well, the very dramatic version of that story would be that there are Watergate style break-ins of the NBC idea vault by black bag operators from UPN. But naturally enough that`s not true.

I think the real secret is that most television is created by a group of men and women who all live in Los Angeles. They are all of a certain age. Their kids all go to some of the certain schools. They`re all reading the same newspapers, looking at the same magazines, talking to each other and out of that zeitgeist come naturally enough, a lot of the same ideas. And they are pitching to network executives who come from largely the same world and they`re all kind of speaking the same language. So what really gets one of them excited is likely to get somebody else of the same background excited.

HAMMER: Not just a bunch of ripping off, like a lot of people may imagine. And let`s talk real quickly about reality shows Chris, which you know, on FOX for example, most of their programming came from reality shows last year. This year they have no new reality shows on the docket. Tell me quickly what`s happening with the reality trend.

LISOTTA: I think what you are seeing is that for a lot of the networks, they are moving away from the competition based reality to feel- good. I think "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has really been the model. There`s three wishes on NBC where Amy Grant is hosting and she`s going to go around and give a town three wishes. The feel good aspirational community based, very happy, you know, with really a tear jerking end is the way that reality is going. It looks very very similar, whether it`s on ABC, which has really defined its brand that way and it`s spreading to the other networks, specifically NBC and CBS.

HAMMER: OK, well, Chris, thank you very much. We`ll have to watch how this all unfolds when next season begins. Chris Lisotta and Charles Flemming, thank you both for joining us tonight. From TV secrets to Seacrest, Karyn Bryant with a look at some laughter dark, at least a talk about some laughter dark.

BRYANT: That`s right. Well, Jay Leno has a touching look at the AMERICAN IDOL host. That is coming up in laughter dark.

And we`re going to fulfill your destiny with a new Destiny`s Child video. We`ve got a first look.

But first, the must list. This is five things "Entertainment Weekly" says you`ve just got to check out this week. TV season finales, EW says the last "Lost" should be found. Another must, the independent movie "Poster Book." Post this indy film book on your coffee table. Also check out "Scrubs." I love this show, the complete first season is on DVD. The hospital based comedy is infectious according to "Entertainment Weekly."

Next, get a close-up of our earthly neighbor, the planet Mars in the breathtaking photo book "Visions of Mars." And finally, catch Lena Ollen (ph) as Irena Derevko (ph) back as Sidney`s mom on ABC`s "Alias."

By the way, Ron Rifkin, who plays Arvin Sloan on the show, will be live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday. For more of the must list, pick up "Entertainment Weekly" on news stands now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The daytime Emmy awards are about to go down in New York City at radio city music hall. That`s where our own David Haffenreffer is live with a big-time soap star.

HAFFENREFFER: AJ, they are about to go down and we are joined by a big-time soap star with us here today. Deidre hall from "Days Of Our Lives."

DEIRDRE HALL, DAYS OF OUR LIVES: David, nice to be here and thank you.

HAFFENREFFER: What are you looking forward to seeing tonight?

HALL: The clothes. Don`t the daytime women really turn themselves out? I think it`s fabulous.

HAFFENREFFER: They turn themselves out despite the fact that it`s a rather frigid temperature here in New York City at this hour.

HALL: Can they see that at home? It`s so cold out here.

HAFFENREFFER: If they could only feel it. You have been with this program for a while.

HALL: Almost 30 years.

HAFFENREFFER: And tell me how you`ve seen it change.

HALL: You know what? We`ve always been a family show. And we`ve always been a super couples show. So that`s never changed. But we`ve grown with the times.

HAFFENREFFER: Now standing right behind you is Alex Trebek of course from JEOPARDY. Are there other people who you are looking forward to seeing here tonight?

HALL: I love our NBC people. Juliet (INAUDIBLE) is here and Ellen Degeneres and just lots of great people that make up the daytime experts.

HAFFENREFFER: Well, have fun inside. We`ll let you go inside and get warm. It is terribly cold and windy down here in midtown Manhattan. OK. We`re going to keep talking for a moment. Look at the fans. Speak a little bit about the relationship that soap actors and actresses have with their fans today.

HALL: We have the most passionate audience in the entire world. They stay with us year after year. Come to us five days a week and they invest in our characters and our story lines.

HAFFENREFFER: And listen to the enthusiasm.

HALL: Isn`t it great? They are miles down the road. This isn`t just right here. It goes for miles down there.

HAFFENREFFER: Are they getting more involved and maybe is your role with your fans more involved than other aspects of television today?

HALL: I think the daytime actors are very involved with their fans. We answer fan mail. We have luncheon events with the fans. We respond to them and we understand their passion for us. We`re in their living room every day you know.

HAFFENREFFER: Well, listen, we do appreciate you talking with us. Thank you very much.

HALL: Thanks for coming out.

HAFFENREFFER: Again, have fun. It`s been enjoyable. We are just getting to crunch time here on the red carpet. And they are all over the place. So we`re going to keep catching up with them. Back to you in the studio.

HAMMER We want to see who else is there. Can we take a look back at the crowd David? We would love to see who else is walking down that red carpet. I know it`s really noisy.

HAFFENREFFER: Can you pan down the carpet?

BRYANT: Ellen. Ellen and Portia.

HAFFENREFFER: Step right up here. Hi, David Haffenreffer with CNN. We`re live on the air.

PORTIA: Yes I understand that. This is Portia.

HAFFENREFFER: Hi, Portia How are you?

PORTIA: Good.

HAFFENREFFER: Congratulations on all the nominations.

PORTIA: Thank you very much.

HAFFENREFFER: I was hearing that you bought a book on how to be a better talk show host. I was watching your David Letterman interview last night. Are you going in there thinking you`re going to take it tonight?

PORTIA: No. But I did take hosting lessons this summer, so I hope it works. Sure, I want to win. It`s nice to be nominated. I want to win, but either way, this is fun. The whole experience is fun.

HAFFENREFFER: Best of luck to you. Thank you for speaking with us so quickly. Ellen Degeneres, ladies and gentlemen, back to you in the studio.

HAMMER: All right. Thanks very much.

BRYANT: I wanted to see the big purse. I love that.

HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.

END


Aired May 20, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: We`re live at the daytime Emmys.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And Tom Cruise talks about Katie Holmes. I`m Karyn Bryant.

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

BRYANT: Tonight, the Saddam shocker. Saddam Hussein in his underwear on TV and in newspapers around the world. Should the media have kept those private moments private?

BRYANT: Plus, she`s Trump`s top pick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You`re hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And for the first time, "The Apprentice" is a woman. But as a woman, what will she face climbing the corporate ladder? Tonight, the challenges all women are up against. It`s "SHOWBIZ In Depth."

BRYANT: And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISS PIGGY, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": (INAUDIBLE) wonderful Wizard of Oz!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Yes, it`s an over-the-rainbow connection. Lions, tigers, Muppets, oh, my! Ashanti, Kermit and Miss Piggy stop by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHANTI, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": Hey, I`m Ashanti.

KERMIT THE FROG, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": I`m Kermit.

MISS PIGGY, "THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ": And I`m Miss Piggy.

ASHANTI, KERMIT, MISS PIGGY: 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 shop.

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

BRYANT: Well, they are the embarrassing and startling photos that have the whole world talking, Saddam Hussein in his underwear and more.

HAMMER: Newspapers showed them first, and today you just couldn`t miss them on TV. But should they have been shown in the first place? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGIS PHILBIN, "REGIS AND KELLY": There he is, thinking about things. "London Sun," I guess, got them, and "The Post" got ahold of them, and so that`s where...

KELLY RIPA, "REGIS AND KELLY": I can`t. There`s so much I want to say, but I just can`t.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): Well, Kelly may not be talking, but a lot of people can`t control their reaction to the front pages of today`s "London Sun" and "New York Post," a picture of Saddam Hussein in his underwear, "The Sun" claiming a military source gave it to them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Breaking news this morning...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And as Americans turned on their TVs this morning, there was no escaping the pictures. It was on all the morning shows and more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the U.S. military says it is aggressively investigating who took embarrassing photos of a captive Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hit the streets to find out what people are thinking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s sensationalism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ethically, morally, it`s going to turn a lot of people off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it newsworthy? Not a bit.

HAMMER: The photos also caused outrage halfway around the world on the streets in Iraq, raising questions about whether the media should have run them.

KHALIL ISMAEL, IRAQI CITIZEN (through translator): The picture of Saddam Hussein we saw on TV is not befitting for him as an Iraqi. We are a country of civilizations. We are masters of the world. We taught the world to read and write. It is not proper to show a president this way.

HAMMER: Even Kuwait`s foreign minister has a bone to pick with the press.

MOHAMMED AL SABAH, KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER: I was a little bit disappointed that the press is picking up on issue of not really major relevance.

HAMMER: It`s a burning question: Are these photos relevant to the war in Iraq or to America?

MATTHEW T. FELLING, CENTER FOR MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: From a journalistic standpoint, it`s 100 percent unacceptable because these photos do not advance a story. The photos themselves are the story and the controversy is the story. And the unfortunate fact is that from a global standpoint, according to the Geneva Convention, they could very well be illegal. So it`s two strikes against us with regards to this photo, and we don`t have any greater understanding of the world around us.

HAMMER: But "The New York Post" stands by its decision, saying in a statement today, quote, "Saddam Hussein is a genocidal maniac who tortured, gassed and killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. The photographs published today by the `New York Post` show the U.S. military is treating him with a regard he never showed his own people."

FELLING: Any time you have to put a paragraph of reasoning into running a photo, it shows that you might have an agenda. My advice for all the news outlets in America would be just to weigh the relevance, the global relevance of these photos, against the weight that they might have in terms of inflaming a region of the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here at the Pentagon, officials are not happy at all about all of this, those photographs...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s a new kind of responsibility for media organizations as images from the war in Iraq are a daily part of coverage.

FELLING: In these 21st century wars, photos and images are a form of visual warfare. They are photos that inform the people as to what`s going on in a foreign land, like the photos from Falluja, when there was the uprising. There`s also a motivational technique because we had President Bush with the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, President Bush on the carrier a few years ago. But motivational photos work both ways. We can be reassured that Saddam is behind bars by showing him in his underwear, but at the same time, that embarrasses a certain constituency around the world. When we`re just trying to fight one war, we don`t have to fight an information war that we might be losing, as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: And while "The London Sun" claims a military source gave them the photos, senior military sources tell CNN they did not, no matter what the newspaper claims. They`re launching a full investigation to see exactly where those photos came from.

BRYANT: Daytime in primetime. TV`s favorite stars are out tonight in New York City. It`s the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live on the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall. David, what is going on?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn, this is daytime television`s biggest night tonight, and fans, soap opera fans, many of them, lining 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues this evening as we gear up for the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards, many soap opera stars just now hitting the red carpet as we speak just to the west of us, down the red carpet.

Among the soap operas up for awards this evening include, of course, "All My Children," which holds the record with 18 Emmy nominations for this evening. It is the soap opera that garnered the most Emmy nominations. Susan Lucci not among them, though, of course, this year, in particular, although she did win that Emmy just recently. So we`ll see her here tonight, as well, certainly.

Ellen DeGeneres here among them in the talk show host category. She won last year for Best Talk Show in general. Just wrapping up her second season on the air with her talk show. She`s got 11 Emmy nominations. Others in that category nominated include "Dr. Phil," "Live With Regis and Kelly," "The View" and "Soap Talk," as well, nominated for their best talk show awards also.

Also, those are the other players in the best talk show arena, and we`re certainly going to be expecting to speak with some of them on the red carpet this evening, and we`ll bring you those interviews live when they happen. Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Thanks, David Haffenreffer at the 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards.

HAMMER: Well, in "The Show`s Biz" tonight, the biggest event in one of the biggest entertainment industries around. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, wraps up tonight in Los Angeles. Celebrities and video gamers alike spent all week checking out all the hot games that you`re going to be seeing this year, and of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, too.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Celebrities from Keaton to Keanu, from Drew to Dupri (ph) came to Sony`s celebrity bash to kick off E3. But some celebrities did more than just play new games. Sean and Marlon Wayans announced one of their own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your mama`s feet so stink, her shoes committed suicide.

HAMMER: In the new game, "The Dozen," you use cards and your mobile phone to come up with the best "yo mama" joke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ll be in the middle of a meeting, and the CEO will probably be boring you, and (INAUDIBLE) the employee will be just snapping (ph) on...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sending "yo mama" jokes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... each other`s mama, or maybe even his mama.

HAMMER: We also got up-close looks at the X-Box 360, which comes out later this year, and the Playstation 3, which comes out in 2006. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT previewed a game based on the classic James Bond film "From Russia With Love." Sean Connery himself is reprising his role for the game.

GLEN SCHOFIELD: He`s been great to work with. He wanted to find out about video games, what it`s like. He`s got grandkids and kids who play them.

HAMMER: Current movies are also getting the video game treatment. We saw games based on the upcoming "Fantastic Four" and "Harry Potter" movies. At just under $10 billion in sales last year, the video game industry actually made more money than movies. And based on what we saw at E3, the fiery video game industry has no plans to surrender its crown.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And Of course, there were many more games previewed at E3, including video game versions of the gangster movies "Scarface" and "The Godfather" and "Bulletproof," which features 50 Cent, Eminem and Dr. Dre.

BRYANT: Kendra rises to the challenge, and Donald Trump picks her as the new "Apprentice." But as a woman, what challenges will she face in today`s workplace? A "SHOWBIZ In Depth" look at women in the workforce.

Plus, Miss Piggy is one lady you can`t push around. Before she goes which way tonight, she comes our way. It`s "The Muppets Wizard of Oz," a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Miss Piggy, Kermit and R&B sensation Ashanti.

HAMMER: And Tom talks. He sets the record straight. A first look of what he tells Oprah about new girlfriend Katie Holmes.

BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these actors did not appear in 1992`s "School Ties"? Was it Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O`Donnell or Ethan Hawke? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these actors did not appear in 1992`s "School Ties"? Was it Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O`Donnell or Ethan Hawke? The answer is D, Ethan Hawke.

HAMMER: Well, for the very first time, a woman has heard the two words that mean you are going to work for Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Kendra, you`re hired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Twenty-six-year-old Kendra Todd trumped them all and is Donald Trump`s newest "Apprentice" now. The real estate marketing executive from Florida was on the Book Smarts team, winning Trump over with her leadership and her loyalty during the last of her tasks. Kendra and runner-up Tana were given their final task. And at that time, Kendra was shaky at first but finally pulled through. And of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was at the post-finale party in New York, where Kendra told us she wasn`t nervous at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDRA TODD, NEW "APPRENTICE": I went in there very prepared for any question that they were going to ask because I`m not perfect. You know, I have my strengths, I have my weaknesses, and I knew, you know, what they might come at me with. And so I was myself. I went in there very pleased with my performance over the 16 weeks. I put my heart and soul into it, and I wouldn`t have changed one thing. However, you know, it`s not over until the fat lady sings. Actually, you know, it`s not over until the fat lady walks off the stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Kendra starts her new job in just a couple of weeks. She`s going to supervise the remodeling of one of Trump`s multi-million-dollar mansions. He`s paying her a quarter million dollars. But first, she`s going to get some training with trusty Trump aide Caroline at Trump`s golf course in suburban New York.

And now we want to know what your thoughts are on all of this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Donald Trump: Would you want to work for him? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, the e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to share some of what you have to say later on in the show.

BRYANT: Tonight in "SHOWBIZ In Depth," women climbing the corporate ladder. As Kendra goes to work for Donald Trump, she will face many challenges, and it`s no secret that women often have a bigger hill to climb than men. So joining us live tonight are some very powerful women in their own right. In Atlanta, Cynthia Good, CEO and editor of "Pink." It`s a national business magazine for women. And live here in New York, Ann Shoket, executive editor of "Cosmogirl" magazine, and Chana Schoenberger, staff writer for "Forbes" magazine. Thanks for joining me, ladies.

Now, I want to ask, first and foremost -- Kendra faces some challenges that her prior winners, Bill and Kelly (ph), are not facing, as a woman. Can you speak to that for a bit, Ann?

ANN SHOKET, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "COSMOGIRL": I think that the biggest challenge she will face is to forget that she`s a woman. You know, we interviewed Donald Trump last year at "Cosmogirl," and he said the secret to success is determination and drive and never say never and never give up. And he didn`t distinguish between men or women. He said that`s the secret to success, regardless of your gender.

BRYANT: Cynthia, what do you think?

CYNTHIA GOOD, CEO AND EDITOR, "PINK" MAGAZINE: I think she`s right, but I do want to jump in there and say that one of the reasons that she has been successful and chosen for this is because she is her authentic self. And really, that`s the reasoning why we launched "Pink" magazine. It is the only national magazine just for women in business. And part of this is a redefinition of what it means to be a successful woman in the 21st century. A big part of that is being who you are. I mean, she cried. It`s OK to be a woman in every sense of the word and to succeed because you are doing what you need to do.

BRYANT: OK. Well, she may have cried. We never see Caroline cry. You see Caroline next to Donald Trump. She`s a very tough woman. Is there a possibility that she could be too tough or perhaps she could be setting an example that women have to be too tough?

CHANA SCHOENBERGER, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Well, Caroline is one of the stereotypes of women in power. She`s the ice sculpture. And you see her often wearing very severe suits. She`s not a funky dresser at all. And there`s really two types of women that you see. One is the kind that says, Treat me like everybody else. I`m just as good as the men, and I`m going to show you with my performance. And the other kind, perhaps, is this Kendra, who cries, the idea that you are a woman and you bring different strengths and you complement the men. So no, it`s not negative to do what Caroline does. Obviously, she`s a very successful woman in business. But certainly, it`s not the model for all women.

GOOD: And really, what is happening across the country today is, historically, women have had to be like one of the guys in order to succeed. I know my first job in TV, every day, I wore the navy blue suit and the bow tie to work and even lowered my voice in order to sound more credible and more masculine. And what we`re finding is the problem with that, and hence "Pink" magazine, is if you play that game, no matter how big your title is, no matter how big your salary is, at the end of the day, it`s sort of a hollow victory unless you can, you know, be yourself on the job and use your strengths.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, unless that is really you.

(CROSSTALK)

GOOD: ... and that`s good, too.

BRYANT: Well, this is the truth. I`ve -- I`ve actually worked with women who, you know, get that one slot in the boys` club, and then they seem to abandon the women who are working with them and underneath them. Ann, what are your thoughts on that? Why does that happen?

SHOKET: I think that the fact of the matter is there are plenty of women who are interested in helping other women come up through the ranks. One of the very special programs that we have at "Cosmogirl" is called Project 2024, and that`s the year in which our youngest reader will be eligible to be president of the United States of America. We have had some of the most powerful, the most influential women in the country offering their advice to these young women. And they say, Come on, there`s room up at the top for everybody.

BRYANT: Chana, you want to pipe in?

SCHOENBERGER: I was just going to say we had Marie Wilson from the White House Project spoke at our Executive Women`s Forum last month. And of course, her whole life`s work has been getting a woman in the White House and also getting women in positions of power everywhere. And what she said was we have to validate other women. We have to go up to a woman and say, Hey, you should run for the PTA president. You should run for city council. You should be CEO of this company. Why aren`t you doing that?

GOOD: Absolutely. It`s really great to see. I, you know, just want to mention, too, that, I mean, one reason we`re able to do this, finally, you know, there`s a national magazine for women in business, and that is because there are so many high-level businesswomen who are decision makers now, and you know, they want to be part of this. They want to help other women, women like Jan Hall (ph) at Neutrogena, Sheila Weideman (ph) at Georgia Pacific. These are women who care about seeing women succeed, and they want to give them the tools that they need to find more success in work and in life.

BRYANT: Right. Now -- now, obviously, we`ve been talking -- Martha Stewart is going to be the next "Apprentice." I`m going to go down the lines, you guys. What`s the biggest lesson we could learn from Martha`s whole recent, you know, escapade in and out of jail?

SHOKET: Martha has an unbelievable message that there`s always a second act.

BRYANT: OK. Chana?

SCHOENBERGER: Martha made being a housewife sexy. She said, This is the stereotype of what men want women to do, and I`m going to do it and I`m going to make a billion dollars.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thanks for joining us. Caroline, I`m sorry. I`ve got to go, but thank you for joining us. Cynthia and -- I`m sorry, not Caroline, Cynthia, and Chana and Ann, thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Well, "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" is breaking records. Tonight, snippets of "The Sith" for you. Fox said today that the movie made more than $50 million on its first day out. That`s the biggest day ever for a single movie in history, and it breaks the record that "Shrek 2" set just last year. "Sith" cost $113 million to make. So at this rate, it`ll make all that back by the end of tonight.

With blockbusters, of course, come bootlegs, and the movie has already been pirated. Today "Revenge of the Sith" was showing up on the Internet and on the streets of New York. It looks like the movie was actually lifted from some editing reels. And imagine what the fans in a New Jersey theater were thinking when Anakin Sykwalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi started speaking Japanese. Scenes from the Japanese version somehow got spliced into the English version.

Well, still ahead, we have more "Star Wars" for you. Samuel L. Jackson`s going to tell us how he landed his part in the record-breaking movie. A "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" is coming up next.

BRYANT: And it`s our destiny to show you Destiny Child`s new music video. It`s your first look right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up.

HAMMER: And it`s Friday night, so as you plan your weekend and all the summer vacations that are still to come, well, this Saturday, Karyn, Sibila Vargas and I are going to be hosting something called "Hot Ticket to Summer Fun," your place to tune in to find out everything you need to know about the summer movies, the concert tours, even the theme parks. CNN has your complete guide on hot ticket fun. It airs Saturday at 6:00 PM Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Samuel L. Jackson. He plays Mace Windu in "Revenge of the Sith," and he told me that starring in the "Star Wars" prequels was a long-standing dream of his.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON, "MACE WINDU": Very dangerous putting them together. I don`t think the boy can handle it. I don`t trust it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: So Sam, how badly did you want to be a part of "Star Wars"?

JACKSON: I guess it was a burning kind of desire since I saw, you know, the first one, trying to figure out how you get them, who`s casting them, why do I never know when they`re holding auditions, and I guess being fortunate enough to be in a particular place at a particular time and saying the right thing and somebody hearing it. And it happened.

BRYANT: Because I would feel the same way. I mean, I`m not in it, and I would have killed to be in it.

JACKSON: I just told George, you know, all I want to do is, you know, be in it. I can be a storm trooper. I can put on, you know, the white armor with the helmet. Nobody has to know it`s me, you know, but me. I`ll know it`s me, and I`ll run across the screen and do all that stuff. And he was, like, Come on, you know, we`ll find something else.

BRYANT: So why was it so important to you? I mean, was this a big, you know, favorite movie to you? Were you really down with this whole story line?

JACKSON: I totally dug it. It`s the kind of thing that you watch on screen, and it`s the kind of world that we don`t see every day, that we had never seen before, you know, the first one of, you know, guys with tentacles and different colored skin and spots and people flying in spaceships and going to different planets where they`ve got clubs and bad guys that, you know, don`t look like bad guys, that might be bad guys, and good guys that got hair all over them. And it looked like this is really cool.

This is something that you imagine and you never thought you would see on screen, and all of a sudden, it`s there. It was a comic book world that was put on screen, and I was a comic book fan. And I always saw myself in those particular situations, and I wanted to, you know, be in it.

BRYANT: Were you there the first day that Hayden put on the Darth Vader suit?

JACKSON: No.

BRYANT: What did you think, though, when you saw him in it?

JACKSON: I never saw him in it.

BRYANT: Oh, you never saw him in it?

JACKSON: No.

BRYANT: Well, gee, even though in the film, though, you know, the whole idea of coming full circle and seeing this thing completed now -- what was that like to you the first time you saw the film?

JACKSON: Well, seeing the film was, you know -- it was like -- it was crazy, mad, you know, kind of awesome feeling when that helmet goes into place, you know? There are only about, I think, I guess, nine or ten of us watching the film that day, and the helmet goes into place, we all went crazy. Yes! Ah! You know, and he took that first breath, it was kind of, like, yes! It was just -- OK, it was perfect. You know, the film could have ended for us right there, you know, because we were all just, like, Aah!

BRYANT: What was it like the last day on the set for you? I mean, I know you guys probably finished at different times, but how did that feel to know that your part was done now in this great, you know...

JACKSON: You know, George just kind of shoots stuff, and he goes, Oh, we`ll fix it. And you never know when that is, so you never have a sense of, Oh, it`s over. I guess I sort of had a sense of it when they gave me my light saber, but they did that in Australia, and then I had to go back and they used another one.

BRYANT: So where do you keep it?

JACKSON: It`s in a bookcase at home.

BRYANT: That`s got to be so cool!

JACKSON: I pass by sometimes and look at it (INAUDIBLE) yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: It`s no secret that Sam`s character dies in "Revenge of the Sith." Sam told me that his death scene was mapped out to the last detail, 109 moves in all, and he loved every minute of it.

HAMMER: Well, coming up -- marriage, divorce, back-stabbing, births. There`s only one place other than life where you can get all that, the daytime Emmys. We`re going to head back to the red carpet with your favorite soap stars.

And Holmes, sweet Holmes. Tom Cruise opens up big time and talks about his latest romance, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s the Muppet show on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Ashanti are hitting the yellow brick road. But first, they are hitting our studio.

BRYANT: And daytime in the nighttime. We are back at the red carpet at the daytime Emmys live.

TYRA BANKS, MODEL: Hey, what`s up? I`m Tyra Banks. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. For your Friday night, here are the hot headlines. Photo furor, pictures of Saddam Hussein that showed up on the front pages of newspapers around the world are causing some to question whether the media went too far. We just got word into CNN that the "Sun" will publish more photos of Saddam behind barbed wire in Muslim prayer tomorrow.

BRYANT: Box office bonanza. "Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith" has made more than $50 million on its first day out. That is the biggest day ever for a single movie in history. The movie has already been pirated showing up on the Internet and on the streets of New York City.

HAMMER: Tonight we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. On the heels of last night`s APPRENTICE finale, Donald trump, would you want to work for him? Keep voting by going to the Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also send us your e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll run down some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.

BRYANT: You have seen the wonderful "Wizard of Oz" done so many ways ever since Frank Baum (ph) wrote it. There of course is the 1939 classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" and the 1978 musical "The Wiz," but Baum probably never thought his book would be interpreted by a singer, a frog and a pig. But that`s exactly what has happened in the latest version of the classic story in "The Muppets Wizard of Oz." Joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are the Grammy award winning Ashanti. We`ve got Kermit the frog and of course, the porcine queen of the entertainment world, Miss Piggy. Now, Miss Piggy, you know, we`ve got the other two guests going by one name. Can I call you simply Piggy or is it Miss Piggy?

MISS PIGGY: Miss Piggy. Please, use formalities, please.

BRYANT: Absolutely. That`s fine. That`s wonderful. Now Ashanti, I want to ask you, a lot of people obviously are familiar with "The Wizard of Oz" movie. But yet, your version is based on the book. How is this going to be different?

ASHANTI: It`s slightly different. I mean, obviously, Dorothy kind of wants to get out of Kansas. She wants to follow her dreams and become a famous singer. She wants the Muppets to hear her demo. So we have a little bit of spice in our version.

KERMIT: Spice. It`s very spicy. Yes. That`s important.

BRYANT: I would imagine there`s definitely going to be some singing. Kermit, Miss Piggy. How did Ashanti`s presence help you with the singing in the film?

KERMIT: Oh well, obviously, Ashanti is an extremely talented and accomplished singer.

MISS PIGGY: Well, I taught her a few things myself, actually.

BRYANT: Did you?

MISS PIGGY: Yes.

BRYANT: Such as?

MISS PIGGY: Well, I mean, how to hit those high notes. Yes. She wasn`t quite hitting all the notes at first.

KERMIT: Don`t believe it.

MISS PIGGY: But we worked it out in the studio, and I think she did a very OK job. Yes.

KERMIT: She was great. She was great.

ASHANTI: Her mic was turned off the entire time.

KERMIT: Yeah, oddly enough.

BRYANT: Ashanti, I want to ask you about the soundtrack. You provided it through the film?

ASHANTI: Yes. I did about three or four songs, original songs, and they were really, really cute. We had a lot of fun. I actually collaborated.

KERMIT: We did. We did.

ASHANTI: We had several microphones in the studio.

KERMIT: Yes. Yes.

ASHANTI: And we had a lot of fun.

BRYANT: Miss Piggy, you definitely had to face some challenges. In this film, you play four different witches. Let`s talk about the stretch here, the acting that you had to do in this film.

MISS PIGGY: It was no real challenge for an actress of my caliber. No, no, no. I do play four roles in this film. And I am brilliant in all of them, actually.

BRYANT: Ashanti, she`s won Grammys, Miss Piggy, on the way to winning Emmys. Which one of these ladies is the bigger diva?

KERMIT: Oh my Lord, I`m sitting between them. How can you ask me that?

MISS PIGGY: Watch yourself, frog.

KERMIT: That`s scary. I think there`s plenty of room here for any size diva. How is that?

BRYANT: That`s good.

KERMIT: Just call me the United Nations.

BRYANT: Ashanti, what was it like on the set work with Miss Piggy and Kermit?

ASHANTI: It was absolutely amazing. I had a really really good time. We had a lot of laughs, right guys?

KERMIT: We laughed all the time.

ASHANTI: A lot of long hours.

KERMIT: Lots of long hours. I play the scarecrow. Ashanti and I had to work very closely together. We`d work all day and then we`d go out to dinner and rehearse.

ASHANTI: Exactly.

BRYANT: A little one on one.

KERMIT: Yeah.

MISS PIGGY: Wait a minute. Now, what are you talking about? You told me that you were in the make up chair for like 12 hours a day.

KERMIT: Well, not the other 12. I had to rehearse with Ashanti. We had a lot of stuff to do. I`m sorry about this Karyn. I`m giving you a scoop I guess, but it`s sort of embarrassing.

BRYANT: No, I was wondering, too. A big movie opened the other day "Star Wars." I was wondering, if you guys know Yoda. Have you spoken to Yoda? Have you guys touched base at all since the...

MISS PIGGY: Yoda is a fictional character.

KERMIT: Yeah.

MISS PIGGY: He is a puppet.

BRYANT: OK.

MISS PIGGY: Whatever he is, he only appears in the movies. He is not real, dear. You cannot have a conversation with somebody who is not real.

BRYANT: OK.

KERMIT: That`s right.

BRYANT: No, that`s my mistake then. Thank you for clearing that up. Anything else you need to get off your chest, Miss Piggy because you`ve got your forum right in here.

MISS PIGGY: No, actually my cell phone is buzzing, so if we could just wrap this up, that would be really good.

BRYANT: Well done. Thank you Ashanti, Kermit and Miss Piggy for joining us. You can catch "The Muppets Wizard of Oz" tonight on ABC.

HAMMER: Well, we`re going to keep on cruising down the show biz brick road. Tom Cruise is talking about his new leading lady. We`re going to tell you what he has to say about Katie Holmes coming up next.

BRYANT: and TV trends. All this week the networks played their hand for the fall. But how do they decide what will work? TV secrets exposed. We wrap up our series.

MISS PIGGY: Hello. I`m miss piggy and I`m wearing Jeremy Scott. At least I think so. I can`t really see the label.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tom Cruise is jumping for joy over his new girlfriend, literally. The 42-year-old Hollywood megastar is completely smitten by 26-year-old girlfriend Katie Holmes. So much so, he gushed about her in an upcoming episode of Oprah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRUISE: Do you have to get into details?

OPRAH WINFREY: Yes. Yes. Because, you know --

CRUISE: You all really want to know this? OK. I have to tell you.

WINFREY: OK, tell me.

CRUISE: Kate, sorry.

WINFREY: What happened to you? What has happened to you?

CRUISE: That`s how I feel about her.

WINFREY: Really?

CRUISE: Really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Looks like Tom Cruise is in love. Katie is a huge Oprah fan and was really nervous about meeting Oprah, but eventually Tom did drag Katie out from backstage to introduce the two. You can see this full interview on this Monday on "Oprah Winfrey Show."

BRYANT: The 32nd annual daytime Emmy awards are being given out tonight in New York City and the stars are already showing up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer has been catching up with them and he joins us live once again on the red carpet from Radio City music hall. David?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Karyn, the daytime Emmy awards are sort of like the Oscars, but for daytime television programming. So the stars are just now beginning to stream in, lots of soap opera fans here tonight. Soap opera stars here as well. We`re pleased to be joined now by Jennifer Ferrin from "As The World Turns." You were nominated, along with Quincy as well. Welcome to you both. You were nominated in what category?

JENNIFER FERRIN, AS THE WORLD TURNS: Outstanding younger actress.

HAFFENREFFER: What would it mean to you to win this award tonight?

FERRIN: I`m nominated with some wonderful girls and it`s just really nice to be recognized by your peers because the peers do the judging. So it would be a great honor.

HAFFENREFFER: There are lots of celebs here tonight from all different parts of the television universe. Are you looking forward to seeing somebody in particular?

FERRIN: I saw Ellen Degeneres last year, and I think I scared her because she walked by and I said, you are Ellen Degeneres and I think I shouldn`t do that this year. But I really like her.

HAFFENREFFER: She says, I absolutely am.

FERRIN: Yes I am.

HAFFENREFFER: She`s back here as well. Have you been -- where`s the soap opera business today as an actress involved in it. Does winning an Emmy benefit you in the business?

FERRIN: I think any time you are recognized for the work you do that it -- any little bit of recognition can help and people see that you have worked very hard and that other people, you know, recognize you for it. So I definitely think, you know, it can`t hurt you, that`s for sure.

HAFFENREFFER: Best of luck in there tonight. Thanks for speaking with us as well. Earlier we had the pleasure of speaking with Jeannie Cooper, who`s the longest standing actress in "Young And The Restless" earlier. She`s with her son Corbin Bernsen (ph). Let`s have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: So "Young And The Restless," "General Hospital," it`s all in the family now, isn`t it?

JEANNIE COOPER, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Sort of, although we have a better rating than you do.

CORBIN BERNSEN: We have better acting.

COOPER: You are mean.

HAFFENREFFER: Jeannie, you are the only original cast member from "Young And The Restless" still on the air with the show.

COOPER: That`s right. I stayed alive long enough to claim that to fame.

BERNSEN: And there have a couple of dinosaurs at the L.A. zoo that are really fascinating to go visit.

HAFFENREFFER: What are you looking forward to seeing tonight?

COOPER: To see somebody slap him sideways. Why am I looking forward to it? I would like to win tonight. I really would.

BERNSEN: She`s already crying.

BERNSEN: That`s supporting.

COOPER: That may sound selfish, but I would like to win after eight times.

HAFFENREFFER: And wouldn`t it be nice if she did win. Other categories here tonight include best talk show as well. Among the names up for those awards, "Dr. Phil," "Ellen Degeneres Show," "Live With Regis & Kelly," "The View," as well as "Soap Talk." Karyn, back to you.

BRYANT: All right. David, that last one a tough category. Nice job out there at radio city music hall. AJ.>

HAMMER: All right Karyn and all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been covering the network up fronts where the fall TV schedules have been announced. Tonight we`re going to conclude our special series, TV secrets exposed by taking a look at the secrets behind the trends going on in television. Throughout the years, you may have noticed that when one network has success with a specific type of a TV show, such as a courtroom or medical drama, the other networks quickly follow suit with their own versions, creating, thus, a trend.

Joining us again -- joining us now is Chris Lisotta, who is the senior reporter for "Television Week" and also live from Hollywood, Charles Flemming, professor of journalism at the University of Southern California as well as columnist and author of "High Concept." And Charles, I`m going to begin with you. Thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. What were some of the trends that you were seeing coming out of this week`s up fronts?

CHARLES FLEMMING, AUTHOR, HIGH CONCEPT: The principle trend is that the networks are absolutely terrified of the graying of their audience and they are panicking over the fact that the numbers show that some of the weaker rated shows on television but some of the ones that have been popular with critics are drawing in audiences of people who are averaging 54, 55, 58, 60 years of age, and it`s got them really panicking. So they are beginning to dump shows that attract older audiences and roll the dice on shows that they think might attract younger audiences.

HAMMER: What type of genres have been coming out of all those numbers?

FLEMMING: The reality shows seem to be more attractive for younger viewers, but they`ve run out of ideas for reality shows it appears. So they are heading back more towards the usual kinds of things that seem to attract people when they are young, i.e., shows about young people.

So you`re going to see, for example, you`re going to see the end of a show like Amy Brenneman`s show and you`re going to see new shows that have legal people that are younger people. You`re going to see shows like "Friends," but now young men and four kings and they`re in an apartment together and they`re having young men type adventures.

HAMMER: All right. Well, I want to get back to reality shows and talk about the sitcoms in just a moment. Chris, any other trends that you are seeing coming out of this week`s up fronts while the shows were announced that you`d like to chime in on?

CHRIS LISOTTA, SR REPORTER, TELEVISION WEEK: Well, I think it`s actually been a good year for television, particularly broadcast television. The 18 to 49 demo, which is the most important demo for advertisers is way up. I`d disagree with the other guest to a certain extent. That may be true for CBS that they are aging down.

But if you look at the WB, they have specifically said they are not looking for shows with characters who are in high school. They are looking to age up their demo slightly to -- they`re still younger adults, but they`re not focusing on teen audiences so I think that really depends on the network. It really depends what their target is and then which way they are trending.

CBS is definitely trending now because they are number one. They think they can now win 18 to 49. They are winning 18 to 49. They`re tied with FOX for the year and they say, when it comes to programming that`s not sports, they are the dominant winner. So I think it really depends on the network and what their particular focus is.

HAMMER: OK. Well now we have sort of a sense of what`s going to be happening for the next season on television. Charles, fill us in a little bit. We`ve been talking about secrets all week. Tell us exactly how these trends develop. What`s the secret behind why you`ll see a show on one network and then you`ll see similar shows on other networks as they follow suit?

FLEMMING: Well, the very dramatic version of that story would be that there are Watergate style break-ins of the NBC idea vault by black bag operators from UPN. But naturally enough that`s not true.

I think the real secret is that most television is created by a group of men and women who all live in Los Angeles. They are all of a certain age. Their kids all go to some of the certain schools. They`re all reading the same newspapers, looking at the same magazines, talking to each other and out of that zeitgeist come naturally enough, a lot of the same ideas. And they are pitching to network executives who come from largely the same world and they`re all kind of speaking the same language. So what really gets one of them excited is likely to get somebody else of the same background excited.

HAMMER: Not just a bunch of ripping off, like a lot of people may imagine. And let`s talk real quickly about reality shows Chris, which you know, on FOX for example, most of their programming came from reality shows last year. This year they have no new reality shows on the docket. Tell me quickly what`s happening with the reality trend.

LISOTTA: I think what you are seeing is that for a lot of the networks, they are moving away from the competition based reality to feel- good. I think "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has really been the model. There`s three wishes on NBC where Amy Grant is hosting and she`s going to go around and give a town three wishes. The feel good aspirational community based, very happy, you know, with really a tear jerking end is the way that reality is going. It looks very very similar, whether it`s on ABC, which has really defined its brand that way and it`s spreading to the other networks, specifically NBC and CBS.

HAMMER: OK, well, Chris, thank you very much. We`ll have to watch how this all unfolds when next season begins. Chris Lisotta and Charles Flemming, thank you both for joining us tonight. From TV secrets to Seacrest, Karyn Bryant with a look at some laughter dark, at least a talk about some laughter dark.

BRYANT: That`s right. Well, Jay Leno has a touching look at the AMERICAN IDOL host. That is coming up in laughter dark.

And we`re going to fulfill your destiny with a new Destiny`s Child video. We`ve got a first look.

But first, the must list. This is five things "Entertainment Weekly" says you`ve just got to check out this week. TV season finales, EW says the last "Lost" should be found. Another must, the independent movie "Poster Book." Post this indy film book on your coffee table. Also check out "Scrubs." I love this show, the complete first season is on DVD. The hospital based comedy is infectious according to "Entertainment Weekly."

Next, get a close-up of our earthly neighbor, the planet Mars in the breathtaking photo book "Visions of Mars." And finally, catch Lena Ollen (ph) as Irena Derevko (ph) back as Sidney`s mom on ABC`s "Alias."

By the way, Ron Rifkin, who plays Arvin Sloan on the show, will be live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday. For more of the must list, pick up "Entertainment Weekly" on news stands now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The daytime Emmy awards are about to go down in New York City at radio city music hall. That`s where our own David Haffenreffer is live with a big-time soap star.

HAFFENREFFER: AJ, they are about to go down and we are joined by a big-time soap star with us here today. Deidre hall from "Days Of Our Lives."

DEIRDRE HALL, DAYS OF OUR LIVES: David, nice to be here and thank you.

HAFFENREFFER: What are you looking forward to seeing tonight?

HALL: The clothes. Don`t the daytime women really turn themselves out? I think it`s fabulous.

HAFFENREFFER: They turn themselves out despite the fact that it`s a rather frigid temperature here in New York City at this hour.

HALL: Can they see that at home? It`s so cold out here.

HAFFENREFFER: If they could only feel it. You have been with this program for a while.

HALL: Almost 30 years.

HAFFENREFFER: And tell me how you`ve seen it change.

HALL: You know what? We`ve always been a family show. And we`ve always been a super couples show. So that`s never changed. But we`ve grown with the times.

HAFFENREFFER: Now standing right behind you is Alex Trebek of course from JEOPARDY. Are there other people who you are looking forward to seeing here tonight?

HALL: I love our NBC people. Juliet (INAUDIBLE) is here and Ellen Degeneres and just lots of great people that make up the daytime experts.

HAFFENREFFER: Well, have fun inside. We`ll let you go inside and get warm. It is terribly cold and windy down here in midtown Manhattan. OK. We`re going to keep talking for a moment. Look at the fans. Speak a little bit about the relationship that soap actors and actresses have with their fans today.

HALL: We have the most passionate audience in the entire world. They stay with us year after year. Come to us five days a week and they invest in our characters and our story lines.

HAFFENREFFER: And listen to the enthusiasm.

HALL: Isn`t it great? They are miles down the road. This isn`t just right here. It goes for miles down there.

HAFFENREFFER: Are they getting more involved and maybe is your role with your fans more involved than other aspects of television today?

HALL: I think the daytime actors are very involved with their fans. We answer fan mail. We have luncheon events with the fans. We respond to them and we understand their passion for us. We`re in their living room every day you know.

HAFFENREFFER: Well, listen, we do appreciate you talking with us. Thank you very much.

HALL: Thanks for coming out.

HAFFENREFFER: Again, have fun. It`s been enjoyable. We are just getting to crunch time here on the red carpet. And they are all over the place. So we`re going to keep catching up with them. Back to you in the studio.

HAMMER We want to see who else is there. Can we take a look back at the crowd David? We would love to see who else is walking down that red carpet. I know it`s really noisy.

HAFFENREFFER: Can you pan down the carpet?

BRYANT: Ellen. Ellen and Portia.

HAFFENREFFER: Step right up here. Hi, David Haffenreffer with CNN. We`re live on the air.

PORTIA: Yes I understand that. This is Portia.

HAFFENREFFER: Hi, Portia How are you?

PORTIA: Good.

HAFFENREFFER: Congratulations on all the nominations.

PORTIA: Thank you very much.

HAFFENREFFER: I was hearing that you bought a book on how to be a better talk show host. I was watching your David Letterman interview last night. Are you going in there thinking you`re going to take it tonight?

PORTIA: No. But I did take hosting lessons this summer, so I hope it works. Sure, I want to win. It`s nice to be nominated. I want to win, but either way, this is fun. The whole experience is fun.

HAFFENREFFER: Best of luck to you. Thank you for speaking with us so quickly. Ellen Degeneres, ladies and gentlemen, back to you in the studio.

HAMMER: All right. Thanks very much.

BRYANT: I wanted to see the big purse. I love that.

HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.

END