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Showbiz Tonight
NBC to Martha Stewart: You`re Fired; Wrestler Eddie Guerrero Found Dead; New Harry Potter Movie Premiers in New York; Lee Ann Womack Opens up About Her Music, Inspiration
Aired November 14, 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: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, hey Martha.
DONALD TRUMP, REAL ESTATE MOGUL: You`re fired.
HAMMER: Tonight, Martha Stewart`s show gets sacked. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why too much "Apprentice" apparently was not a good thing.
Also, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is your place for the latest on this week`s Country Music Awards. Tonight we speak with two of country music`s biggest stars: Lee Ann Womack and Glen Campbell. A behind the scenes preview of country music`s biggest night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And get ready, because it`s Harry Potter week. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there at the "Goblet of Fire" premier. But that`s just the beginning. We`ve got a magical special series. Join us all week as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets wild about Harry.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ACTOR: Hello, I`m Daniel Radcliffe, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer, in New York.
Tonight, Martha Stewart, fired. NBC handed her a pink slip and told her she wasn`t ready for prime time, not a good fit. Her first and only primetime show, a spin off of Donald Trump`s "The Apprentice," won`t see a second season. So the question is why didn`t her boardroom make it past NBC`s boardroom?
Our David Haffenreffer, live in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom with the story -- David.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. The domestic diva was dissed. She won`t be joining NBC for either season of "The Apprentice." It comes just three months into the season. And tonight, the spin cycle is on full tilt, with finger pointing and "told you so`s."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): A special message today for the diva of doilies.
TRUMP: You`re fired.
HAFFENREFFER: No, the Donald didn`t fire Martha, but NBC did. That`s right; it`s curtains for "Martha Stewart`s Apprentice."
JULIA BOORSTIN, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: NBC insists, and Martha insists, that they were only planning on doing one season.
HAFFENREFFER: But not many people are buying that spin.
DIANE BRADY, "BUSINESSWEEK": I don`t think anybody ever starts a show with the expectation that it`s only going to last for one year. It`s a lot of investment of time, a lot of investment of publicity. Their goal, obviously, is to put a show out there to build a franchise around.
HAFFENREFFER: But it didn`t work out, and it could be because of her ratings. "Martha`s Apprentice" averaged around 6.8 million viewers, decent but not great, especially considering the competition, up against ABC`s "Lost," even UPN`s "America`s Next Top Model." But that wasn`t her biggest rival. He was.
BOORSTIN: One of the big problems is that Martha was really up against Donald Trump. She originally had thought she was going to be replacing Trump, actually firing him at the beginning of the series, which I don`t think he ever knew about. And so she was pretty surprised to know that she was going to be competing against him.
HAFFENREFFER: And no one wants to compete against the Donald.
BRADY: I don`t think people come home on a Wednesday night saying they want to watch "The Apprentice" and then Thursday night they want to watch the same thing, only with a different person in the main chair.
HAFFENREFFER: Got to love Donald. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in a statement there`s only one Donald Trump, then went on to say he was disappointed in the ratings from Martha`s "Apprentice" but wishes her all the best in her future endeavors..
TRUMP: It`s going to be a great season, two amazing apprentices.
HAFFENREFFER: So many high hopes for Martha. In August, she announced her new shows, "The Apprentice" and her daytime show, "Martha." She was fresh out of the slammer, and she told me, ready to change her image.
MARTHA STEWART, FOUNDER, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: The last two years were a lot of difficult stuff. And it`s not nice to see the scowling Martha coming out of a courthouse every single day.
HAFFENREFFER (on camera): And that`s just it; you`re embracing your experience of your past couple of years.
STEWART: Yes. It`s part of my life now, part of my CD.
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): But the softer, sweeter Martha turned out to be a big let down for viewers, who loved the idea of the mean, gritty CEO portrayed in the movie "Martha Inc."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And cut.
CYBILL SHEPHERD, ACTRESS: Who opened three bottles of wine?
BOORSTIN: They wanted to see something more similar to that Cybill Shepherd character than they did this nice sweet woman who wanted to be very even-handed and fair, as she let people go.
STEWART: You just don`t fit in.
HAFFENREFFER: Turns out Martha didn`t fit into primetime. But don`t worry, these she`s still got a relatively successful daytime talk show, a radio show, and a "New York Times" best-selling book, a slew of DVDs and CDs just in time for the holiday season, not to mention, a multi-billion dollar corporation.
BRADY: I think Martha at her best is "how to."
HAFFENREFFER: Turns out the Martha America loves is the one before the image makeover.
BRADY: The beauty of Martha Stewart has always been showing Americans how to live the good life, how to basically, you know, pamper your turkey until you eat it, how to have these huge brunches and then selling them all the goods they need to do it, through Kmart and other places. I don`t think she works as a primetime celebrity. We probably won`t see her back in another venue.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Got to pamper that turkey. The end of her stint on primetime is fast approaching. The last episode airs December 21, a live two-hour special -- A.J.
HAMMER: More time for decoupage. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, thanks very much.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a stunning tragedy strikes the world of wrestling. WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room Sunday morning. At 38, he was a star of the wrestling world, one of the headliners of UPN`s "Friday Night Smackdown."
Police are still investigating, but they say there were no apparent signs of foul play or suicide. An autopsy will be conducted. This is shocking the wrestling world.
And joining us now live from Stanford, Connecticut, Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
Vince, thanks so much for joining us.
VINCE MCMAHON, CHAIRMAN, WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT: Thank you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Is there any new information on why Eddie died?
MCMAHON: No, unfortunately, not at this time. We`re still awaiting the results of the autopsy.
ANDERSON: And Eddie`s cousin said that -- that Guerrero recently celebrated his fourth year of sobriety. Was there any indication that something was wrong, that maybe Eddie had falling back on abusing drugs and alcohol? Did anyone know anything about that?
MCMAHON: Actually, no evidence of that at all. As a matter of fact, Eddie was one who was really at the pinnacle of his career. He had everything to live for. And there was no sign whatever of Eddie falling back at all.
Eddie had just moved out to Phoenix, Arizona, bought a new house, and was living the life. So Eddie loved what he did. He loved to perform. Eddie had so many things to live for. So I doubt very seriously there were ever any indications of Eddie falling back.
ANDERSON: Vince, what did Eddie mean to the world of wrestling entertainment, specifically to the WWE?
MCMAHON: Well, Eddie had a unique place in WWE and a unique place, I think, in the hearts of so many, many fans. His credo was lie, cheat, and steal. He had a mischievous way about him and a consummate professional in the ring. He was a great tactician and technician. At the same time, he was a great performer. And Eddie will always be remembered as one of the truly great performers in the history of this business.
ANDERSON: And what special plans do you have as far as tributes go to Eddie Guerrero?
MCMAHON: Well, tonight on USA at 9 p.m., you will see everyone sort of out of character, if you would, because the entire two hours is a tribute to Eddie Guerrero. Only his friends volunteered to compete in the ring. You`ll hear statements, personal ones about Eddie as the friend, Eddie as the dad, Eddie as the person that he really was. So we`re breaking character tonight on USA.
ANDERSON: Vince, our condolences go out to Eddie`s family, as well as those of you who worked with them. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. I know it`s a very difficult time. We appreciate it.
And you can see the WWE tributes to Eddie Guerrero on the USA Network tonight and on UPN Friday night.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, a very special Oprah milestone. Can you believe it now has been 20 years since her show went on the year? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a look at her famous moments and today`s special surprise. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, country music`s biggest night is tomorrow, the CMA Awards. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the biggest and best coverage. Tonight, a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with the singing sensation who`s got the most nominations. Lee Ann Womack, next.
HAMMER: And Harry Potter mania. All this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is wild about Harry. Tonight, we are there at the Harry Potter premier of "Goblet of Fire." That kicks off our special series, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets wild about Harry. All week, it`s Harry Potter mania. We`re bringing you the biggest stars and behind the scenes of the brand new Harry Potter movie, "The Goblet of Fire." It`s a special series, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here to kick it off with a look at the movie`s premier.
Hi, David.
HAFFENREFFER: Hi, Brooke.
Yes, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT had a prime position at the red carpet premier for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" over the weekend here in New York City. The movie, based on the fourth book of the blockbuster Harry Potter series, is rated PG-13. Along with some darker twisted and turns, Harry Potter and his friends are growing up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: A couple of marriage proposals, an invitation to a prom, and plenty of screaming muggles all made for a red carpet premier worthy of Harry Potter and his young wizard friends.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was front and center at New York`s Ziegfeld Theater this weekend, the site of the gala premier for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."
The wizard and his two friends, Hermione and Ron, return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year marks a first for the wizards. Their school is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, an exciting and dangerous competition.
As students from two competing wizard schools arrive, it`s pretty obvious that there`s much more going on than the competition. The girls and boys are noticing something else, each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that Hermione Granger with Viktor Krum?
RUPERT GRINT, ACTOR: You`re fraternizing with the enemy.
HAFFENREFFER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with the wizards and asked if art is imitating life.
Daniel Radcliffe -- he plays Harry Potter -- told us he could relate to Harry`s awkwardness around girls.
RADCLIFFE: Yes, absolutely. I think any guy can, pretty much. I`m sure you can, with the adolescence and awkwardness with girls. I certainly can. I think every male person in the world can relate to that. You know, I mean, it`s -- no, everyone`s had awkward moments with girls, I think.
HAFFENREFFER: And in "The Goblet of Fire," Harry experiences his own awkwardness with a girl.
RADCLIFFE: I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the ball with me.
HAFFENREFFER: Katie Leung -- she plays Cho Chang, who carries young Harry`s attention -- tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she can relate all too well to Harry`s uncomfortable moment.
KATIE LEUNG, ACTRESS: I mean, just you know, being really shy about asking your crush out to dance or dinner or whatever, and then not being able -- you know, you pluck up the courage and you`re like, "I`m going to do it. I`m going to do it." And then when the time comes, you`re like, "I can`t do it."
HAFFENREFFER: Striking up her own courage to get a date for the dance, Hermione, played by Emma Watson, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she loves that her character is interested in the opposite sex, and she also loves something else about the new film: its darker tone.
EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS: Yes, I definitely can. I can definitely relate to what Hermione`s going there. This is a much darker film. It`s much more of a thriller than it`s ever been before. And that kind of -- you`re starting to come into the age where you`re starting to notice the opposite sex and they`ve got to find partners for the ball. And that sort of creates a little humor in what is a much darker film.
HAFFENREFFER: A darker film, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" received a PG-13 rating. But according to director Mike Newell, it should be no surprise to the real Harry Potter fans.
MIKE NEWELL, DIRECTOR: I think -- simply think that what they`ll find is that it`s what they expect. Because they know. Most of these people will have read the book many times. And they will know that the biggest, baddest villain in the world is going to hit Harry in this. And if that doesn`t get a PG-13, then they`ll say there`s something wrong. And they`re right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: New to the Harry Potter series, English actor Ralph Fiennes. He plays the nasty Lord Voldemort, and he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that playing a dark character in this one was a lot of fun.
"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" hits theaters on Friday.
ANDERSON: And is highly anticipated, to say the least. David, thanks. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer.
And remember, it`s Harry Potter mania all this week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tomorrow, a look at the phenomenon behind the Potter empire, from books to movies and everything in between: Wednesday, co-star Emma Watson, Thursday Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe; and Friday, we`re live as "The Goblet of Fire" hits theaters.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the place for your complete coverage of this year`s Country Music Awards, taking place tomorrow night in New York City. And tonight in a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," the singer who has the most nominations going in, Lee Ann Womack. She leads the pack with six noms for her sixth album, "There`s More Where That Came From."
I spoke with Lee Ann about why she wanted to be a country star, picking songs and how she keeps her videos all in the family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What in the world ever made you want to be a country star and make your living that way?
LEE ANN WOMACK, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER: Well, I grew up in east Texas, and my dad was a disc jockey at a country station. I listened to nothing but country music. I think probably part of wanting to be a part of what he was doing, you know, was a little bit a part of the reason. I used to watch "Hee-Haw" and stuff on TV and think, "How do I get in that box with those guys and do that?"
HAMMER: Would you have been happy enough, though, if you just made a living playing at different venues as a country artist, as opposed to having a recording contract and becoming the superstar you are now?
WOMACK: Probably not. Just because I`m a goal setter. And once I set my mind to something, you know, I have trouble enjoying anything else until I achieve that goal.
So for so many years, I worked and worked and worked hard after I had No. 1 hits, after I had platinum records and stuff and woke up about a year ago and realized I hadn`t enjoyed anything, because I`ve been working so hard. So this year, my main goal is to have fun.
HAMMER: You found the balance.
WOMACK: Yes, finally.
HAMMER: Let`s talk about the CMAs. Big deal coming up November 15, and you are the most nominated female who`s going to be appearing November 15 in Madison Square Garden. Not only will you be there to perhaps accept some awards, but you`re going to be performing as well. Is this like New Year`s Eve to you? Is it just the biggest thing going?
WOMACK: It`s great. I mean, I feel great. I`m so -- the album is called "There`s More Where That Came From," and I`m just so proud of it and the music that`s on it, the songs, the songwriters that are represented, the musicians, and so to be recognized this way by your peers is wonderful.
HAMMER: "There`s More Where That Came From" has a dozen bone fide country songs, real honest to goodness country songs, on it. My guess is you had a few to pick and chose from before coming up with the dozen. I know you co-wrote one of them, but then basically you have other songwriters submitting to you. How many songs did you -- did you go through?
WOMACK: We listen to songs all day long every day.
HAMMER: Hundreds?
WOMACK: No, thousands.
HAMMER: Really?
WOMACK: I go through -- I go through, you know, 10 new songs a day just when I`m not looking for new material.
HAMMER: So you basically boil it down to probably more than a dozen, but then you pick the dozen that you`re going to record for the album. Do you actually call the writer yourself and say, "Guess what? I`m recording your song"?
WOMACK: Not usually.
HAMMER: They must be out of their minds when they find out that Lee Ann Womack`s going to record a song for her album.
WOMACK: Well, you know, some of them are friends of mine. So I see them out and I go, "Hey, I want to cut that song," you know? But no, I`m not usually the one. Usually the producer or the A&R person or my assistant or somebody calls them, or Frank, my husband.
HAMMER: Well, the video for the single, "20 Years and Two Husbands Ago" features a little bit of nepotism, Lee Ann, a little bit of a family affair going on there. You have your older daughter.
WOMACK: Yes, Aubrey is in the video with me. She wants to be an actress. So I give her every opportunity, you know, that I can to get in front of the camera.
But you know, the song is called, "That Was 20 years and Two Husbands Ago." And it`s sort of a true story. I mean, a little slice of my life. And she`s part of that, so she fit perfectly with the video.
HAMMER: So you`re not discouraging them from getting involved with what is, as you know, a pretty tough business?
WOMACK: You know, it was a tough business, but anything worth having is tough. And it`s been so good to me. And I think if you do it for the right reasons, you`ll be OK, no matter the level of your success.
HAMMER: That`s very true.
WOMACK: Yes. I -- I haven`t achieved the -- maybe the level of success that some other artists have, but I`m very happy with what I have.
HAMMER: I get the impression you didn`t get in the business so you could be recognized when you walk down the street. I don`t think that was your first priority. Those are the wrong reasons.
WOMACK: No. That definitely was not a priority. But I did want to be recognized for great music, you know, and I did want to make great music. And I have a passion for it. And all kinds of music, I love. But particularly, for country music. I mean, I just think it`s absolutely beautiful when it`s done well and done right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And we`re just getting started with our coverage of the CMA Awards. Coming up, legendary guitarist Glen Campbell is going to join us live right here in our studio. He`s going to talk about getting inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, among other things.
And remember, tomorrow SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be the only entertainment news show live on the red carpet from New York City at country music`s biggest night.
ANDERSON: New releases from Kenny Chesney and Madonna coming up next in the "SHOWBIZ Guide to New Music."
HAMMER: Plus, are Sienna Miller and Jude Law back together? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is at the premier of Sienna Miller`s new movie, "Casanova." Did she forgive and forget? We`re going to tell you whether this pretty pair is dating again, coming up.
ANDERSON: And 20 years of Oprah. The laughter, the tears, and the stars. And how did a thumbs up from film critic Roger Ebert change the course of daytime television? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT celebrates 20 years of Oprah next.
HAMMER: OK. So what do you think about Oprah? Should she, as some have suggested that she do, head from Chicago to Washington D.C.? It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oprah`s influence: should she run for political office? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can e- mail us as well. ShowbizTonight@CNN.com is the address. We`ll read some of what you had to say later in the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and a whole lot more. Tonight, in "People" magazine`s "Picks and Pans," what`s new in music from Madonna, Kenny Chesney and Ray Charles with a little help from his friends.
Live in New York is "People" magazine`s senior writer, Anne Marie Cruz.
Anne Marie, welcome.
ANNE MARIE CRUZ, SENIOR WRITER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hey, Brooke. How are you doing?
ANDERSON: I`m doing well, thank you.
Let`s kick it off with Madonna. Her new disc, "Confessions on the Dance Floor," it`s the critic`s pick this week. So let`s take a quick listen to the first single off the disc, "Hung Up."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sound very discotheque, almost like Madonna`s style from 20 years ago, Anne Marie. Is she going back to her roots for this one?
CRUZ: You know what? That`s why I`m so psyched about this CD, because she is returning to her dance floor roots. She`s made an unabashedly fun album all about booty shaking, and she samples Abba, Donna Summer, and even some R&B stars like SOS Band.
But you know what? She`s still bringing her electronic sensibility from "Ray of Light." So some of that stuff would still be at home with some of her later work. But yes, she is definitely returning to her roots.
ANDERSON: And looks great.
CRUZ: Yes, looks fantastic.
ANDERSON: Still in the leotard after two kids.
OK, country singer Kenny Chesney, his personal life, he`s had a bit of a bumpy road this year. Did that help or hurt his new CD? It`s called "The Road and the Radio."
CRUZ: You know what? It actually didn`t do help or hurt, because he finished this CD before Renee Zellweger filed for annulment on September 14. But even though you can`t really find any palpable heartbreak on the album, everything is very listenable. And of course, Kenny always has this very listenable, croony style.
The thing, thought, that he told us in our cover story this week was that he doesn`t have the luxury of being engulfed by all this emotion, which is too bad, because it would have been nice if some of it came out a little bit more on the album.
ANDERSON: Anne Marie, very quickly, Ray Charles, the follow up to "Genius Loves Company" is out. It`s called "Genius and Friends. Now, "Genius Loves Company" sold more than three million albums. Will this one follow up?
CRUZ: You know what? I hate to say it, but it`s a little bit like somebody shaking the piggy bank to get the last two rusty pennies out, because a lot of these tracks were done after Ray died. And the shiny production and the pop sensibilities that go with this doesn`t really fit with his gravelly gospel/blues vocals.
So I think, you know, there are a couple tracks that work really well. But it kind of left me wanting to hear his sample of "I Got a Woman" on Kanye West`s "Gold Digger." So...
ANDERSON: OK. Anne Marie Cruz, we`ve got to end it there. Thanks so much for joining us from "People" magazine.
And for more "Picks and Pans," you can pick up a copy of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: A very special day for Oprah. She`s been on the air 20 years surprising others. Who surprised her today? We`ve got that coming up.
Also, she`s starring in one of the hottest shows in TV, "My Name is Earl." Her name is Jaime. Jaime Pressly, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., if you can believe it, Oprah is celebrating 20 years on air. And coming up, we`re going to take you inside her very special anniversary show. We`re going to have her most nerve-wracking from over the years and also what she says is her worst interview ever. I didn`t know she had bad interviews, but that is coming up in just a moment.
HAMMER: And that surprise guest, too, who I don`t know who that is, so I`m eager to see who that is..
ANDERSON: It was a great one.
HAMMER: Now, Brooke, I want you to look at your monitor and see who I have seated on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set right now in pit position five (ph). Mr. Glen Campbell, country music legend, he is here in the house with us tonight. Of course, tomorrow night, he`s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at the CMA Awards taking place here in New York City.
So we`re going to Mr. Campbell. We`re going to find out what it`s like to be Glen Campbell and also what it`s like to be a Beach Boy. Believe it or not, he was a Beach Boy, kind of, and not for Halloween. I`ll explain in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: And the hall of fame, very well deserved. He`s a talented, talented guy, A.J.
But first, let`s get tonight`s hot headlines. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is joining us live from Hollywood.
Hey, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke.
Well, it looks like Sienna Miller and Jude Law may be patching things up. The couple showed up together at the premier of Miller`s new movie, "Casanova," in Los Angeles, though they walked the red carpet separately.
Earlier this year, Miller reportedly dumped Law after he confessed to cheating on her with his children`s nanny. Here`s what Sienna said to A.P. Television News: "We`re working things out. And he`s always and will remain my closest friend in the world. We`ve had a rough ride, so that is good. That`s very good."
And speaking of good, Mariah Carey has signed on to sing two songs at an NFL game on Thanksgiving. Carey will perform at the halftime of the Detroit Lions/Atlanta Falcons game.
Over the weekend, Carey cleaned up at the "Vibe" Awards, taking home four awards, including artist of the year and album of the year.
Soon, you`ll be able to watch your favorite old TV shows online, and for free. Today, Warner Brothers and AOL announced a deal to create a new broadband network that will be launched in early 2006.
At first, 30 series will be offered, including "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Growing Pains."
And those are tonight`s hot headlines. Brooke, back to you.
ANDERSON: Thanks, Sibila. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: It is time for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with legendary country music star Glen Campbell. He has released 70 albums. He`s sold more than 45 million of them, charted 75 times. Of course, you know the songs: "Rhinestone Cowboy," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Southern Nights" among them.
Well, tomorrow, Glen Campbell`s going to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at the CMA Country Awards. And Glen Campbell joins us live in New York City.
It`s a pleasure to meet you, have you on the program.
GLEN CAMPBELL, MUSICIAN: Nice to meet you.
HAMMER: And we have to bring up the fact that "Rhinestone Cowboy," one of your best-known songs, about a guy who`s kind of lost here in New York City. Country Music Awards taking place for the first time in the history of the CMAs here in New York City tomorrow night. A lot of people are walking around town saying, "What`s going on here?" What`s that about?
CAMPBELL: The country is in town. I`ll tell you, I kind of lost my accent since I`ve been in California and Arizona, but there`s some funny guys our there.
HAMMER: And the fact that the CMA Awards are here in New York City, not really known as a country town, what do you make of that?
CAMPBELL: I think it`s fabulous, you know? I think the more we integrate music, the better the music is going to be.
HAMMER: And a lot of people certainly are familiar with all of your hits and the songs that you have done but may not be aware of the fact that, before you made it on your own as a big-time solo artist, you were one of the best known session musicians out there, playing with big shots like...
CAMPBELL: Oh, yes.
HAMMER: ... Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley...
CAMPBELL: Right.
HAMMER: ... and the Beach Boys. And in fact, as I mentioned a moment ago, you had a chance to tour with the Beach Boys. You played on some of their albums. But Brian Wilson actually couldn`t be on tour for a couple of months, and you took his role over?
CAMPBELL: It was -- it was an on and off recurring thing. I`d go out and do two or three days with them, and they`re back in town. It wasn`t a long -- any long extended tours. It was just at different times when they`d go out, and we`d go out and do, like, five shows, come back for two or three months.
And I remember being in the studio and go in the studio. And I got to sing on the Beach Boys stuff. It was fun then.
HAMMER: When you were on stage playing with them, and in fact, in Brian`s role, this was during their early hype back in the early 60s when some of their biggest songs. Share a memory with me of being on stage in that role.
CAMPBELL: Well, the one thing -- the biggest thing was I didn`t realize you had to just take off and get the hell out of there before you got mobbed. And it was, and we had the Beach Boys shirts. Well, I lost that. Because -- and the girls were saying, "He touched Dennis," Dennis Wilson, the drummer. So they got my shirt, right? Of course, it was the Beach Boys shirt.
HAMMER: It was a connection proxy thing.
CAMPBELL: Connection proxy. Exactly. Dennis Wilson was -- he was -- he had magnetism like Marlon Brando, man, or somebody like that. He was a rugged kind of a kid anyway. But he was a great drummer and a dear friend.
HAMMER: And then, of course, as people got to know your name, you had your own TV show. So you had the big-time stars showing up to be on the "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour."
CAMPBELL: Right.
HAMMER: You had people from Lucille Ball to Eric Clapton to Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, of course, Ray Charles. Tell me one person who showed up on this program that we`re taking a look at right now, who showed up to be on the show with you, and you said to yourself, "Oh, my God. I can`t believe I`m sitting next to this individual."
CAMPBELL: Was it John Wayne?
HAMMER: Well, you tell me. How`d you feel when John Wayne showed up?
CAMPBELL: Knocked me out.
HAMMER: Have you not seen this in awhile?
CAMPBELL: No, I haven`t. I have no clue.
Hammer: But was there one person who just blew you away to have on the show with you?
CAMPBELL: Lucille Ball or somebody like that, you know? John Wayne. Who was it?
HAMMER: I was just asking you. Just trying to get a feel for who you loved being on there with.
I have to ask you, quick, because you`re such a legend in the country music world. Things are expanding. Things are growing in country music, a lot of experimentation and collaboration going on, from Tim McGraw with Nelly to things like Johnny Cash recording Nine Inch Nails a few years ago for that amazing album.
What`s your take on all the collaborations and things of that nature that are happening right now?
CAMPBELL: I think it`s -- I think it`s marvelous. I -- you know, the more -- it`s like coming to New York. I was on the -- if I had been on the board of the CMA, we`d have had that in New York sooner, because I always said it should be taken around. It`s been in Nashville, Tennessee, for all these years, and I think they shouldn`t just hold it in one -- in one city every year. Have it somewhere else, you know, for a change.
You can do it in Philadelphia. You can do it in Chicago. And I think it would be great to do that.
HAMMER: Well, we welcome you to town. It`s glad -- we`re glad to have your party here with us in the Big Apple.
CAMPBELL: Oh, it`s fun.
HAMMER: Appreciate that.
CAMPBELL: Thank you.
HAMMER: And congratulations on your honor tomorrow night. Glen Campbell.
CAMPBELL: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: CMA Country Music Awards happen tomorrow night. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, your place to turn for the CMAs. We`re going to be the only entertainment news show live on the red carpet from New York City at country music`s biggest night.
ANDERSON: Well, did you know that Oprah once went on a date with Roger Ebert? That`s one of the many secrets Oprah is revealing as she celebrates 20 years on the air, and we`re going to have more, next.
HAMMER: Plus, one of the stars of "My Name is Earl." Her name is Jaime. Jaime Pressly coming up live in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, Oprah Winfrey has certainly made a big impact. And today she marks a big milestone. It has been 20 years since "The Oprah Winfrey Show" first came into our living rooms. And today, they celebrate with a very special show.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is live in Hollywood.
What a show it was, Sibila.
VARGAS: It sure was. There were tears, and there was laughter. There were so many different things.
But Oprah Winfrey started in television when she was just 19 years old. When she was 22, she was making her age, $22,000. And she thought at that time that was hitting it big time.
Of course, today the billionaire has made a big-time impact, and on her show today, they celebrated the big of her moments over the years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I`ve been doing this show for 20 years.
VARGAS (voice-over): This was Oprah Winfrey opening her show today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is turning back the hands of time 20 years.
WINFREY: I`m Oprah Winfrey, and welcome to the very first session of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
VARGAS: She`s been an inspiration and a great influence. And in today`s anniversary show, she reveals a big secret, how the idea of her award-winning syndicated show first came up. This is a good one.
WINFREY: Roger Ebert and I went on a date. Roger Ebert told me that syndication would be a good thing.
VARGAS: The anniversary show was full of little known secrets and well-known highlights. Remember in 1988, when she rolled out the fat?
WINFREY: I have lost, as of this morning, as of this morning, 67 pounds. This is what 67 pounds of fat looks like.
WINFREY: It was my biggest, fattest mistake.
VARGAS: That mistake and her battle with weight made her a role model for women in America. Between the syndication rights to her show, the magazine and her influence in the book world, all have made her a multimedia billionaire.
She`s still easily humbled. Who could forget one of Oprah`s heroes, little Matty Stepanek, who suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy? Oprah brought his poems to the nation.
MATTY STEPANEK, CHILD POET: I came so close to death I saw angels coming to greet me into heaven.
WINFREY: And of course, there was Oprah`s most nerve-wracking moment.
WINFREY: Dancing with Tina Turner, it was the most nervous I have been.
VARGAS: And over the top moments.
And it`s hard to forget the big surprise last season, when the entire audience got brand new cars.
WINFREY: You get a car! You get a car!
VARGAS: Through Oprah`s Wildest Dream Network, she surprised and helped so many people. She said she hates to be surprised herself.
But after reenacting the sketch of her hero, Mary Tyler Moore, the actress surprised Oprah on set. Oprah highlighted some of her favorite interviews. Here she is with Lisa Marie Presley.
WINFREY: That marriage to Michael Jackson, that your marriage was for real. Was it is a consummated marriage?
LISA MARIE PRESLEY, SINGER: Yes, it was.
WINFREY: OK. That`s all.
VARGAS: And JFK Jr.
WINFREY: You remember the desk and the picture under the desk?
JOHN F. KENNEDY, JR., FOUNDER, "GEORGE" MAGAZINE: Honestly, you know, I believe President Clinton still has that desk.
VARGAS: With the thousands of interviews she`s done, her worst ever: Elizabeth Taylor.
WINFREY: George Hamilton, is that just a special friendship?
ELIZABETH TAYLOR, ACTRESS: Yes.
WINFREY: No kissy, kissy?
TAYLOR: Why, you cheeky bugger.
VARGAS: And she finally revealed this year`s biggest secret, what she was thinking after the headline making Tom Cruise interview.
WINFREY: Everybody`s always asking me if that was planned? Was it planned? Let me just say, I was just as surprised as the rest of you, because I`ve interviewed him many, many times, spent time with him, and I`ve never seen him that way. So I was like, "What has happened to you, boy?"
VARGAS: And she told the story of how stupid she felt after interviewing Sidney Poitier. Sorry, Oprah, another surprise. He came out and read her a poem.
SIDNEY POITIER, ACTOR: In these last 20 years, America`s media industry, as extraordinary as it was, would have been considerably less vibrant without the genius of Oprah Winfrey or something akin to it.
VARGAS: Lots of celebs taped surprise anniversary wishes.
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: And I think you are one of the most spectacular women that we have.
RAY ROMANO, COMEDIAN: Hi, I`m Ray Romano.
BRAD GARRETT, ACTOR: And I`m Steadman. I can do what I want to do. I am Steadman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve been an inspiration.
HILARY SWANK, ACTRESS: Thank you for 20 years of laughter, tears, inspiration.
VARGAS: But it was Oprah in the end who thanked her viewers.
WINFREY: I feel like a part of your lives. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Wow. Of course, 20 years of memories is too much for one hour. But tomorrow, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" 20th anniversary DVD collection releases. And get this: it`s 17 hours long. Lots of behind the scenes and never before seen moments.
And Harpo will donate all of their profits to Oprah`s Angel Network, supporting women, children and families around the globe. She keeps on giving. What an inspiration.
ANDERSON: Yes, she does. She has certainly made quite an impact. Sibila, thank you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood.
And that leads us again to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oprah`s influence: should she run for political office? Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Write us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: Tonight, in another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Jaime Pressly, co-star of the NBC sitcom, "My Name is Earl." The show, starring Jason Lee, chronicles Earl`s quest to right all the wrongs that he`s committed in his life in order to cleanse his karma, which is important, a little karma cleansing.
Pressly plays Joy, who`s Earl`s ex-wife. She joins me now live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A pleasure to have you here.
JAIME PRESSLY, ACTRESS: Thank you.
HAMMER: Karma cleansing is a good thing, isn`t it?
PRESSLY: Yes. I think most everybody is aware of it. So it was a good premise for a show.
HAMMER: And Jaime Pressly, you are on the hit sitcom of the season.
PRESSLY: Yes.
HAMMER: I feel like balloons should fall from the sky or something.
PRESSLY: I feel like they should, too. I got pretty lucky.
HAMMER: Jason Lee was here, who plays Earl. He was here when the show was first starting up, in fact, on his premier night. And he said, "You know what? I actually think we`ve got a good show here, and I think it`s going to do well."
And he was right, and NBC, obviously under all this pressure to have the big hit. Why do you think that the show has been such a hit across the board?
PRESSLY: I think part -- well, a big part of it is because our creator is so amazing, Greg Garcia. We have an amazing group of, I think it`s 14 writers who are some of the most clever people I`ve ever worked with, as far as writers are concerned.
And basically, when I read it, the very first show, I thought, `Wow, this is like a mini movie." And the fact that it`s a one camera show, half hour without a live studio audience is great, because then you don`t have a laugh track, and people can laugh where they want to. And it allows us to still keep the heart in the show.
HAMMER: It is nice to see them break the formula and think outside the box a little bit and have it work. That`s refreshing, because often -- often when they do that, it doesn`t work.
PRESSLY: Well, I think the formula has gotten a little old, which is why people are taking our show. And also because our show touches on real people, so everybody can relate to it.
HAMMER: Well, let`s take a look at a clip, shall we?
PRESSLY: Yes.
HAMMER: We may as well see what this formula looks like. And in this clip, I believe Earl is determined to give Joy, the character you play, the wedding of her dreams, because he kind of screwed things up to begin with.
PRESSLY: Yes.
HAMMER: Let`s take a look at Jaime Pressly in "My Name is Earl."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON LEE, ACTOR (voice-over): And over the next week, as we planned her perfect wedding, things just kept getting better. We picked out place settings.
(on camera) These plates are pretty. Oh, but look. These have matching napkins.
PRESSLY: Party your ass off. And look, the little horse has a top hat on. That`s cute. Let`s get these.
LEE (voice-over): I even found a wedding dress sale where irregular dresses were all under $50.
(on camera) This one`s guaranteed to have only been worn eight times.
PRESSLY: Yes, but I like this one, because it`s lined so I don`t have to wear panties. It`s perfect.
LEE: It`s got a stain on it.
PRESSLY: Yes, but that`s where I`m going to bedazzle my initials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Bedazzler. Did you break out the Bedazzler tonight?
PRESSLY: No, it looks like I did. I really didn`t though. I guess I`m going to try to bring -- bring back the Bedazzler.
HAMMER: It`s so nice to have somebody come in who has gotten on a show that`s a hit. You certainly, I`m sure, have gone through pilot seasons before.
PRESSLY: Absolutely.
HAMMER: And lots of people do. And your show, the pilot got a green light. The show went into production, and now it`s a bone fide hit. Do you actually believe it? Do you wake up in the morning and, "Gosh, did this happen?" Or did you really expect -- I mean, you said that you knew it was that good. But...
PRESSLY: I knew, with or without me, it was going to be a really amazing show. I was part -- happy that I got to be a part of it.
HAMMER: But you yourself, as an actress who has hit that thing that so few actors and actresses actually get to do.
PRESSLY: You know, I -- one of the really great things about this show is we all come from film backgrounds. I pretty much am the only one who had done any television.
And I think just the chemistry in general from the minute we stepped on set, everybody got along like an old school family, like we`d all known each other forever. And because everybody thoroughly really enjoys being at work, which is unusual, it really sets the tone.
And Greg Garcia and Marc Buckland, who is our other exec producer, just make the set calm. And if they`re calm, the director is calm, then we`re calm.
HAMMER: It`s your karma coming back. You must have done something good.
PRESSLY: I`ve got good karma.
HAMMER: Jaime Pressly, thank you for being here.
PRESSLY: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: You can catch "My Name is Earl" Tuesday nights on NBC.
ANDERSON: It`s time now for the best in late night laughs, in "Laughter Dark."
Eva Longoria was truly desperate to pick up a cab in Los Angeles. But when she ran into two New Yorkers, who also needed one, Longoria had to get down and dirty. She tells the story on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: And then these two New York women, they`re I guess they`re from out of town. And they`re like, "Why can`t you hail a damn cab in L.A." And "Can`t you just?"
And I said, "No, you have to call." And so now we`re both waiting there. And I go, "When my cab comes, they`re going to try to steal it."
JAY LENO, HOST, NBC`s "THE TONIGHT SHOW": They`re from New York.
LONGORIA: Yes.
LENO: That`s right, yes.
LONGORIA: And they were like so mad that they had to call for a cab. And so sure enough, the cab comes up. And we both go towards it. And walking and walking faster. And I was like, "This is my cab." And we were like fighting. And I got her hand off and I got in, and I close the door.
And he`s like, "Where to?"
And I said, "Universal Studios."
He`s like, "Are you Sally?"
I said, "Yes." It was her cab.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Pretty funny. The cab thing happens every day here in New York City. Just not always with Eva Longoria.
Well, there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oprah`s influence: should she run for political office? If you`d like to vote, go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or write to us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails live, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Another big weekend for "Chicken Little." The G-rated Disney film was No. 1 at the weekend box office in final numbers released today. It`s the second weekend in a row that "Chicken Little" has been perched in the No. 1 spot.
The sci-fi fantasy "Zathura: A Space Adventure" debuted at No. 2. Jennifer Aniston`s new movie, "Derailed," opened at No. 3, followed by 50 Cent`s "Get Rich or Die Tryin`." And the Gulf War drama "Jarhead," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, was in fifth place.
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oprah`s influence: should she run for political office? Pretty decided vote tonight. Here`s how it`s been going so far. Twenty-five percent of you say yes; 75 percent of you say no.
Here are some of the e-mails we received. One from Patrice in Tennessee, who writes, "Oprah running for office! That would be the best thing right now!"
We also heard from Sandee in New York City, who writes, "Leave Oprah where she is. She can make her own decisions and isn`t constrained by red tape."
You can keep voting by going to the web site: CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: Now it`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So let`s take a look at the "SHOWBIZ Marquee." I`m going to fill in for the Marquee Guy tonight.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is live on the red carpet at country music`s biggest night. We are live with all the stars at the CMA Awards.
Plus, Naomi Judd is country royalty. Now, she has a new TV show, and she`ll tell us all about it live, tomorrow.
Also, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Harry Potter week" continues. Tomorrow, we`re taking a look at the marketing wizardry that has made millions for the Potter franchise. The industry of "Harry Potter," tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A.J., that industry just keeps growing and growing and growing.
HAMMER: You think they`re going to have a big opening weekend, Brooke?
ANDERSON: I think they might have a big opening weekend, A.J.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Please stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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