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Showbiz Tonight
Country Music Awards Held in New York; A Tale of Japanese Princesses; Jon Favreau Dishes on Hollywood Scene, New Film; New Web Site to Show Classic TV Programs
Aired November 15, 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 in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, country comes to the city. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show live at the CMA Awards in New York City.
Plus, country royalty, Naomi Judd, live in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
The princess brides. One woman marries into Japan`s royal family. Now, one is marrying out of it, giving up everything for love. But wait, there`s more! Tonight, how the littlest princess, a 3-year-old girl, is also causing a royal ruckus.
The TV revolution will be shown on the Internet. Your favorite old TV shows online. Your favorite new TV shows on your iPod. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, Web TV.
EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS: My name`s Emma Watson, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there, I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer, live in New York.
This is country music`s biggest night, the County Music Association Awards. And it`s all happening in New York City for the very first time, actually. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news program to take you there live.
So let`s go straight to David Haffenreffer, who`s live at Madison Square Garden.
David, I was hoping to see you in a 10-gallon hat tonight.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, not tonight, A.J., but certainly Nashville has landed here. Behind us at Madison Square Garden, fans are gathering and country music`s best and brightest are gathering for the 39th annual County Music Association Awards to be held live here at Madison Square Garden this evening.
We`re going to have more and talk to Martina McBride coming in just a short while on this program, but first a look at what happens when country comes to the big city.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): Country music is going to town. This town, New York City. Nashville`s biggest names are hitting the Big Apple for two very big events, the Country Music Awards and the Grand Old Opry`s all-star 80th anniversary concert special.
(MUSIC)
HAFFENREFFER: The Country Music Association went out on a limb this year, bringing the annual award show to New York City. The show has been in Nashville for the last 38 years.
One of country music`s biggest starts, Vince Gill, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at first he wasn`t crazy about the move up to the Big Apple.
VINCE GILL, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: I have so much love for Nashville and the history, those kinds of things that, you know, at some point we`ll never be able to say it was always in Nashville, you know.
But the way New York City has embraced it, and it`s going to be a great week and a fun week. I`ve been seeing all the stuff on TV, and all the attention. And it`s great to see for country music.
HAFFENREFFER: Vince Gill was just one of the 10-gallon names at the Grand Old Opry`s 80th anniversary special. It was held last night at Carnegie Hall. The last time the Opry went to Carnegie Hall, 1961.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: I put on this hat.
HAFFENREFFER: Michael Bloomberg threw on a cowboy hat and welcomed LeAnn Rimes and the mayor of Nashville to the Big Apple, and reminded them of all the fans country music has here.
BLOOMBERG: New York City is country music`s second-largest sales market. This really is the media capital of the world.
HAFFENREFFER: Bloomberg also joined CMA hosts Brooks and Dunn in kicking off stock market trading today at the New York Stock Exchange.
It`s not just the mayor. Many in the music business say it`s about time country made a splash here in the Big Apple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a lot about laying seeds for trying to draw something in the future.
HAFFENREFFER: There`s certainly no shortage of country music fans in the New York City. More country CDs are sold here than any place else except Los Angeles.
Yet the irony is that New York is the only major city in America other than San Francisco that doesn`t have a country radio station.
ALAN LIGHT, MUSIC JOURNALIST: Country music fans in New York City really have to work harder to even find stuff, because there isn`t a consistent outlet for them.
HAFFENREFFER: Country music is going strong. Nielsen Sound Scans says 82 million albums were sold in the U.S. last year, the same amount as rap.
LIGHT: This is a week where Kenny Chesney`s album is going to out- sell 50 Cent`s album. Those came out the same day.
HAFFENREFFER: The Country Music Awards also does well on TV. The same number of people watched last years CMAs as the Grammys, more than 18 million, but some big-name country artists say there`s still a stigma attached to the genre.
MARTINA MCBRIDE, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: I think that country music has a stigma, you know, or a little bit of a stereotype of being backward and not -- not cool, but it`s just great music. And once people give it a chance and really listen to the songs and lyrics, and start getting into the artists, then they really discover they do love country music. They just didn`t know it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And the CMAs are fortunate to be here in New York City as the host city this particular year. We understand there`s a line of very severe weather going through the city of Nashville as we speak, something in the order of 20 tornadoes have touched down in the city. Certainly, the people attending this event here tonight very much have Nashville on the mind.
Coming up in just a short while, our conversation with Martina McBride, who just arrived here at the CMAs a short time ago.
A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: All right, David. Looking forward to seeing you hanging with Martina. We`ll check in with you in just a little bit.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live at Madison Square Garden.
And now we want to hear from you. Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day is as follows. Country Music Awards: do they belong in New York? What do you think? Let us know. CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you go on the Web to vote. You can also e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Jennifer Aniston is the man. No, don`t adjust your set. You heard right. "GQ" named Aniston as its first ever "Woman of the Year" in the tenth-anniversary "Man of the Year" issue. The men`s magazine says Aniston showed a lot of warmth, and grace and good humor during her breakup with Brad Pitt.
Coincidentally -- or maybe not -- Vince Vaughn, Aniston`s rumored new boyfriend, was also picked as a "Man of the Year." his role in "Wedding Crashers" made him, quote, "the funniest, most appealing man in Hollywood." and rapper 50 Cent also got top billing. "GQ" says the hip-hop icon is now a "Leading Man." 50 says he`s working on some serious change, though; he wants to be a billionaire within the next six years.
HAMMER: Tonight, a royal ruckus. Imagine having to go out to learn how to go grocery shopping and use money for the very first time at age 36. Well, that`s the situation a Japanese princess found herself in when she abandoned her royal status to marry a commoner, and that`s just the first chapter in the royal fairytale that may have an unusual sending.
CNN`s Atika Shubert records for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is perhaps a fairy tale in reverse. Japan`s Princess Sayako is marrying out of the imperial family to become a commoner. She`s marrying Yoshiki Kuroda, an urban planner for Tokyo`s metropolitan government. He is not royalty, and imperial law is clear. Any woman who marries outside of royalty leaves the royal family.
It`s a low-key affair in a hotel ballroom, stripped of the grandeur that usually marks an imperial wedding. For the first time, Sayako will now have a surname. She will pay for her own purchases, and she will have the right to vote.
It is the complete opposite of Japan`s other famed royal, Princess Masako. She married into the imperial family by wedding Crown Prince Naruhito, next in line for Japan`s Chrysanthemum Throne.
By comparison, Masako`s wedding was a grand display of imperial tradition, her new role to bear a male heir to the throne. That, however, has not happened. Since her wedding, Princess Masako has faded from public view, suffering from what doctors say is a failure to adjust to the demands of imperial life.
The tale of these two princesses has sparked controversy over a third, 3-year-old Crown Princess Aiko, the only child of Princess Masako and Crown Prince Naruhito. Imperial law states that no woman shall inherit the throne, but without any siblings forthcoming, Aiko is the only heir.
(on camera) So how to resolve the succession crisis? Well, a government panel recommends that imperial law be changed to allow a woman to inherit the throne. That, of course, would mean an entirely new role for women in the imperial family, one that would reflect the broader changes in Japanese society.
(voice-over) "I think Japanese society accepts the idea," this woman says. "Our society is not only for men anymore. I want Japanese women to have more power and make decisions that affect the international community."
Not everyone agrees. Distant royal relatives have even suggested that royal concubines might be the solution, not a popular idea on the streets of Tokyo.
"I think both concubine and wife would suffer," this woman says. "They have enough grief and strain already. I would feel sorry for them to have any more."
Japan`s imperial family may soon bend to public will, but Princess Sayako won`t have to worry. She may live happily ever after outside the palace walls.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Atika Shubert, reporting for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, former "Baywatch" star Brooke Burns is in the hospital after an accident that put her in surgery. We`re going to tell you what happened just ahead.
ANDERSON: Plus, one of the original swingers has a new hit on his hands. He is so money. Jon Favreau is here live in the interview you`ll only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And never mind the remote. Soon your mouse may be the way to navigate to your favorite television shows. Our special report on Web TV coming up.
ANDERSON: But first tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" Great American Pop Culture Quiz. What does the "J" stand for in Homer J. Simpson? John, Jonas, Joshua or Jay? Think about it, and we`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So again tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" Great American Pop Culture Quiz. What does the "J" stand for in Homer J. Simpson? John, Jonas, Joshua or Jay? The answer is "D," Jay.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight in a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Jon Favreau, who burst onto the movie scene back in 1996 with the sleeper hit "Swingers." That is a cult classic now. The movie depicted the L.A. hipster scene, and it really launched Favreau`s career.
He went on to direct "Made," a movie about two wannabe mobsters, and of course, "Elf," the Will Ferrell holiday comedy. Favreau is back in the director`s chair once again. This time it`s a space adventure, "Zathura". Jon Favreau joining us live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Nice to see you. How are you doing?
JON FAVREAU, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: I like your new digs.
HAMMER: I`m happy to have you here.
FAVREAU: Pretty cool.
HAMMER: It`s your first time on the program.
FAVREAU: It is.
HAMMER: We welcome you with open arms.
FAVREAU: Thank you.
HAMMER: Of course, I mentioned "Swingers," the cult classic now, but it really is what put you on the map for most people.
FAVREAU: That`s right.
HAMMER: Depicting that hipster scene that you were a part of back, what, nine, 10 years ago in Hollywood.
FAVREAU: Yes, it`s about 10 years old now.
HAMMER: Things have changed a little bit since then in terms of that Hollywood scene. We think of, you know, the paparazzi bursts with Tara Reid and Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, of course. If that were the scene, if you were just getting into Hollywood now and that`s the scene, is that something you`d be a part of?
FAVREAU: Oh, I don`t think -- it was going on then. They just didn`t care about us. But you know, ironically, now when I go out with Vince, it couldn`t be more paparazzi laden. And you know, we used to just go out and hit the local bars. It was a lot of fun, you know. And now with all the attention on him and on Aniston and on, you know, and his movies are, you know, doing a lot of business. Now he`s a big star. I just say he was "GQ" man of the year.
HAMMER: Yes, of course, you`re talking about Vince Vaughn, to be sure, who you did "Swingers" with and were friends with back then. And you guys were living very much in the background of the Hollywood scene.
FAVREAU: Yes. It was weird. I just worked with him on "The Breakup" with him, which started out in Chicago. And it was -- you know, it was Aniston and Vince together. So that was -- it was starting to percolate, like the paparazzi, and it started to get a lot of attention, but it wasn`t until we came back to L.A. that it was like we can`t even hang out and go out when everybody wants to get together. We have to sort of hide.
HAMMER: What`s it like for you, though. As a guy who knows him from back then and when you guys were just trying to make your way in Hollywood and now, you know, "GQ" magazine. And everybody wants to know are he and Jennifer Aniston together or are they not? He`s your best friend. You`re seeing him all over the place on these magazines. Is that -- how weird is that?
FAVREAU: It`s weird, because I know what a toll it`s taking on the guy. I mean, you couldn`t get a more down-to-earth guy, a guy who never wants people around him, never has a bodyguard or driver or any of that. He`ll just go out and handle his own business, and he`s very gracious.
And now, you know, from you know, anytime that -- you know, we all worked on a movie together, so if Aniston comes out with us, it turns into a whole different thing, because she`s had all of these people following her around for years.
HAMMER: So now he does have to take those precautions and have bodyguards and things like that?
FAVREAU: No, he doesn`t do it, but you can`t -- he still handles himself, as he always has, but you know...
HAMMER: You say...
FAVREAU: ... you find yourself not going out to go to drink at the Dresden where we might have gone or go out to a bar. You end up hanging out at somebody`s place.
HAMMER: I love the Dresden.
FAVREAU: To be with my best friend.
HAMMER: We`ll talk about that later. But you say it`s taking a toll on him, other than not being able to go out how you might have once.
FAVREAU: Actually, it`s just frustrating.
HAMMER: Is it beating him down?
FAVREAU: It`s just frustrating; it`s draining. Because you know, here -- he came to the premiere of "Zathura," and he comes down the line. He wants to see his friends, Peter Billingsley, and myself, who worked on this movie. He wanted to check it out.
And all of a sudden, everybody`s asking him all these questions, and not for nothing. I mean, I can tell you just categorically everything I`ve heard in the tabloids has either been exaggerated or made up. So it becomes -- I think it becomes -- it wears him down.
I know that Jennifer was working on her "Derailed" junket. And everybody`s asking her questions about everything.
HAMMER: That`s the way everything is.
FAVREAU: That`s the way everything is. You know, people are rooting for them, I think, to be together and for all those things to be true. So I can`t blame, you know, people for liking the two -- the idea that the two of them might be together, but I know it just is very tough for both of them. Because they`re, you know, they`re very down-to-earth people, and they don`t want to be bothered with all this craziness.
HAMMER: Well, you mentioned being at the big premiere for "Zathura." And we had Tim Robbins here on the program the other day. Quite a path you`ve had from, you know, those indie flicks like "Swingers" to the big, big blockbuster kids movies like "Elf" and now "Zathura."
Is this a path -- you hear a lot of directors say, well, "Now that I have kids, I want to make a movie that my kids will be able to watch." Is that the deal? Are you going off in this direction, or it`s just what you`re doing at the moment?
FAVREAU: Well, I learned with "Elf" that you can really make a movie that makes everybody laugh and entertains everybody and have it be a PG movie where it`s appropriate for kids. You don`t have to make a dumb movie, just because it`s PG.
My 4-year-old could follow the plot of most PG-13 movies. It`s just that there are things that aren`t appropriate.
So I say make the best movie you can. When I was watching family movies growing up, and I was watching Spielberg stuff like "E.T." and "Close Encounters," those weren`t kids` movies just because they were PG. They were -- they were family movies, for everybody.
And I think that if you`re going to go into the movie theater and pay that kind of money it should be an experience that everybody can enjoy together and discuss and laugh at. And if you like my sensibility from my other movies, here`s a movie that just sort of breaks into another genre, has a very nostalgia sensibility, and kids really go crazy for it. And the reviews have been very good.
HAMMER: Congratulations on it, Jon.
FAVREAU: We`re very happy with it.
HAMMER: We`re really happy to see you doing so well, Jon Favreau, a New York boy especially.
FAVREAU: Thank you.
HAMMER: A home towner.
FAVREAU: Yes.
HAMMER: Nice to have you on the program.
FAVREAU: Thanks a lot.
HAMMER: "Zathura" is, as we mentioned, is in theaters now.
HAMMER: Time now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report. Tonight Web TV. A dramatic announcement from Warner Brothers and AOL could make TV history, literally.
Soon Warner Brothers will launch an Internet site that will let you watch hundreds of episodes from classic TV shows on the Internet for free. Shows like "Welcome Back Kotter" and "Growing Pains." But that`s just the beginning.
So what`s next? Will the TV revolution be on the Internet? Live tonight in Chicago is Jon Lafayette, senior editor of "Television Weekly," and live in New York, Johnnie L. Roberts. He`s the senior media writer for "Newsweek."
Johnnie, Jon, welcome to both of you.
JOHNNIE L. ROBERTS, SENIOR MEDIA WRITER, "NEWSWEEK": Thank you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Johnnie, I`m going to begin with you. This is absolutely huge. Full episodes of TV shows available for free on the Internet. I want to mention that this is legal. But realistically do you think people will be going in droves to their PCs to watch these shows?
ROBERTS: I think certainly early on because of the curiosity factor, they`ll go in droves. And perhaps over time it`s right there. It`s convenient. And I think -- I think it will be appealing.
ANDERSON: Jon, as Johnnie said, it`s convenient. These fans of these old shows can watch their favorite episodes any time they want on their own calendar, on their own time schedule. But it`s not about just sitting in front of your computer screen and watching these shows. There`s more to it than that. You can do other things, too, right?
JON LAFAYETTE, SENIOR EDITOR, "TELEVISION WEEKLY": That`s right. Well, for a long time we`ve been talking about interactive TV. And now that they`re putting shows on the computer, they`re able to actually do some interactive activities, and these activities will help make these older programs appear new to viewers who have seen them or even to those who haven`t seen them.
Among the activities that AOL has planned to accompany the shows are things like karaoke games, where you can sing along to the theme songs for the programs, like the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter" that everybody knows, and you`re able to e-mail those lyrics to friends of yours or instant message them. You can sort of share the experience.
There`s also games and puzzles. And they`re going to be giving out prizes from sponsors, just other ways of making people interested in these programs.
ANDERSON: It sounds like a lot of fun. Karaoke of the theme songs, love that.
Now, Johnnie, putting video on the Internet is nothing new. All the networks seem to be jumping on board, Comedy Central, the Food Network for example. And a prime example, after "Everybody Hates Chris" debuted on UPN, Google offered the episode on the Web. Why do you think everyone is this jumping on board? Why is this taking off now?
ROBERTS: It`s taking off now because of broadband. It`s a rich experience. You don`t have to sit there and wait forever and forever as you used to with dial up. You have the interactive features. It`s convenient. You`re in control. And oh, by the way, advertisers are now jumping on board.
So it`s gathering momentum, a critical mass, and there`s an audience out there, obviously, for television.
ANDERSON: And Jon, Web TV is about getting your entertainment, your TV shows on the Web. And there`s several ways to do this. For example, you can pay for "Lost" or "Desperate Housewives" on Apple. New ways to get your entertainment. Do you think traditional TV is threatened by this all?
LAFAYETTE: That`s a big argument about that. Some people think that advertisers and viewers want to see the -- want to know when viewers are going to be tuning in. But other people think that every opportunity that you give someone to see a show is just additive, that more people will be able to enjoy the shows and that the people who produced the shows will have more opportunities to get paid for making them.
ANDERSON: All right. The medium is constantly changing, that`s for sure. Johnnie Roberts, John Lafayette, thank you both.
HAMMER: Well, we all know that Kelly Ripa has an early wake-up call every single morning, but she was out pretty late last night for a good cause. We`re going to hear what Kelly told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, the business of Harry Potter. We`ll take a look at how a series of books turned into magic at the movies and beyond, coming up.
HAMMER: And we`re a little bit country here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Coming up we`re back live outside the CMA Awards, plus Naomi Judd is here live, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It was angels of the evening last night in New York City. The stars came out in full force for the G&P 2005 Angel Ball, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there. The black tie charity fund-raiser for cancer research brought out bold-faced names like Russell Simmons, Natalie -- and Patti LaBelle.
Natalie Cole and Kelly Ripa talked about how important it is to lend their celebrity to an important cause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATALIE COLE, SINGER: I`m involved in a lot of cancer-raising events, fund-raising events, because it`s probably one of the most rampant diseases that`s been going around for so long. We still haven`t quite found, you know, all the answers. It takes a lot of money.
KELLY RIPA, TALK SHOW HOST: I think that anyone that devotes their celebrity or their connections to sort of making people aware, raising funds to end all cancers should be commended.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the strong showing meant big bucks indeed; more than $3 million was raised last night. The G&P Foundation for Cancer Research was established by Grammy Award winning songwriter Denise Rich in memory of her daughter, who lied from leukemia at the age of 27.
ANDERSON: Well, the biggest names in country music are filing into Madison Square Garden right now for the CMA Awards. And we will go live to speak to the stars next.
HAMMER: Plus, no one will argue her name is synonymous with country music. Naomi Judd is here live for the interview you`ll only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And it`s Harry Potter week here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll take a look at the marketing wizardry that has turned a book into billions of dollars. The business of Harry Potter, coming up.
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(NEWSBREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood, and you are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer live in New York, which seems a bit more like Nashville than New York tonight, because this is country music`s biggest night, with the CMA Awards happening at Madison Square Garden.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the only entertainment news program to take you there live. So let`s not waste any time and get straight to David Haffenreffer, who`s down at the scene of where it`s all happening.
And judging by the crowds, David, I take it no one can say country music fans aren`t alive and well here in New York City.
HAFFENREFFER: Oh, no. It`s all Nashville descending on New York City, A.J. And the fans are still receiving country music`s biggest and brightest stars, who continue to arrive here at Madison Square Garden, where the Country Music Association`s 39th annual awards ceremony will be taking place live in just a short while.
In fact, this is the first time in the organization`s 39-year history that the award show has been held anywhere other than Nashville, Tennessee.
Earlier on the red carpet we had a chance to speak to Martina McBride about whether or not she`s nervous about her nominations and performance coming up tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCBRIDE: About the performance, you know, I -- performing on live TV is always a little bit nerve-wracking. So once that`s over, it`s going to be a big sigh of relief and then I can just enjoy the night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it more exciting now that it`s in New York City for the first time in the CMA`s history?
MCBRIDE: Well, it`s always exciting. The CMA is always -- it`s our biggest night. We get to wear pretty dresses and fabulous shoes and hear great music all night long. So -- but I think, you know, being in New York is obviously, it`s something new. It`s something fresh, different, so we are excited to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So let`s do some predictions here. Brad Paisley`s six nominations, Lee Ann Womack`s six nominations. You`ve got Toby Keith, and other nominations. Who do you think the big winner is going to be tonight?
MCBRIDE: Gosh, I don`t know. I hope Lee Ann wins for, you know, she`s just had such a great year. So I`m kind of rooting for her, for her nomination.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And you know, it`s not just country music celebrities over here tonight. We`ve got Elton John performing with Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson is performing with Paul Simon.
And it`s a good thing that the CMAs are being held in New York City this year, because at least one tornado has touched down in the Nashville area, we understand. So country music in New York City tonight -- A.J.
HAMMER: And David, we should also point out, we saw right in the beginning of your report there, Jon Bon Jovi walking by, who is performing tonight, as well, from what I understand. He`s got some big-time country stars appearing on his newest album.
HAFFENREFFER: Yes, everybody loves country tonight.
HAMMER: All right, David. We appreciate you checking in once again. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live in New York City at the CMA Awards.
And tonight`s CMA Awards are the focus of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Country Music Awards: do they belong in New York? Let us know what you think. Continue to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also write to us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails on the way at 55 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Tonight it is a very close call for actress Brooke Burns. The former "Baywatch" star is in the hospital after a swimming accident. Her agent said burns dove into her pool and hit her head, breaking a bone in her neck. The agent said she had minor surgery but that there`s no permanent damage and that she`ll start work, as scheduled, in January on a new WB TV series called "Pepper Dennis."
World Wrestling Entertainment is paying tribute to champion Eddie Guerrero, who was found dead in a hotel room in Minneapolis hours before a WWE show.
On "WWE Monday Night Raw," there was a moment of silence and a video montage honoring Guerrero.
The medical examiner`s office in Minneapolis says the cause of death may not be known for several weeks, but there were no apparent signs of foul play. His nephew said Guerrero was open about past drug and alcohol abuse but had been sober for four years.
Last night, WWE chairman Vince McMahon spoke about his legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCE MCMAHON, WWE CHAIRMAN: Eddie`s goal every night was to steal the show, so tonight there`s no doubt in anyone`s mind that Eddie would want the show to go on, and so it shall. Tonight as we pay tribute to the memory of Eddie Guerrero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Eddie Guerrero was 38 years old.
HAMMER: Coming up, Beyonce`s secret, just revealed. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the Destiny`s Child star point-blank about pregnancy and marriage rumors that has been floating around, and she talks. That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, why is country superstar Naomi Judd in Los Angeles, when most of her country men and women are 3,000 miles away at the CMAs? Trust us; she`s got a good explanation. Naomi Judd, live, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Also, Harry Potter week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues. Tonight, breaking records at the box office and some big numbers. How Harry Potter has become a business franchise to be reckoned with, next.
But first, what you`ve been watching. Final Nielsen ratings just out today for last week`s shows. Here`s your first look at the networks` top five. CBS`s "CSI" in the No. 1 sport, with nearly 30 million viewers. ABC in second and third, first with the "Desperate Housewives" and then "Monday Night Football." Indianapolis beat New England in that game. CBS`s "Without a Trace" in fourth place, and ABC`s "Lost" finds itself rounding out the top five.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Time now for a look at what`s new in music today, and there is something for everyone this week, including Madonna`s "Confessions on a Dance Floor." It`s in stores today.
If Jimmy Buffett is more your cup of tea, he is out with "Live at Fenway Park," two CDs with a bonus DVD from concerts in 2004.
Rod Stewart`s "The Great American Songbook" box set new in stores today, as well. So is "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood`s album, "Some Hearts."
And, Mariah Carey is out with "The Emancipation of Mimi Platinum Deluxe Edition." It`s a CD/DVD combo of her hit album.
ANDERSON: Tonight, as Destiny`s Child gets set to split up, Beyonce sets the record straight up.
Just a short time ago, as the musical trio was getting ready for their final performance together as a group, I asked Beyonce Knowles to clear up rumors about her pregnancy and possible marriage to hip-hop star Jay-Z and maybe an engagement to Def Jam Records president Jay-Z.
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ANDERSON: I want to set the record straight for a couple rumors that are floating out there right now, Beyonce. Are you expecting a baby?
BEYONCE KNOWLES, SINGER: No.
ANDERSON: Are you married?
KNOWLES: No.
ANDERSON: Are you engaged?
KNOWLES: No.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s great. That`s all I needed.
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ANDERSON: As they got ready for their farewell show, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was with the ladies all today, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Beyonce, all day.
Along with Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and "American Idol`s" Randy Jackson, the trio stopped by the Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles to raise awareness for World Children`s Day, a charity for kids` causes.
Destiny`s Child will go their separate ways after Tonight`s concert on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Tonight, on country music`s biggest night, the CMA Awards, another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Naomi Judd.
Hers is a story of courage, as the Grammy Award winning country star was stricken with a potentially fatal disease at the height of her career. Naomi stopped performing when she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1991. She`s cured now and she`s taking her career in a whole new direction, including a new talk show and a new children`s book.
And joining us tonight, live in Hollywood, Naomi Judd.
Naomi, welcome.
NAOMI JUDD, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: Hey there, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hey there. You have had to overcome a number of significance obstacles in your life, Naomi. What have these challenges taught you about yourself and about the person that you want to be?
JUDD: Well, there`s absolutely nothing different or special about me, really. We all have challenges.
The reason I wanted to do this new show that debuts Thanksgiving weekend on the Hallmark Channel is because I think it`s our stories that shows others ways of being. It`s our stories that connect us. And I felt like if we show ideas, maybe folks will realize that one idea can change their life.
The show, called "Naomi`s New Morning," is really about how to have a breakthrough instead of a breakdown, but the show is not about me. I want to be real clear about that. The show is really about showing other folks, ordinary folks who have done extraordinary things that allowed them to have a breakthrough in their life.
ANDERSON: And there`s so many other talk shows out there right now, from Oprah, to "The View," to Regis and Kelly, Maury Povich. Do you think what you just said is why your show, do you feel that`s why it will set itself apart?
JUDD: I`m hearing from the critics and from folks that have seen the show already that there`s nothing else like it out there, because this really deals with the whole new science of positive psychology.
And I think the bottom line of what that means is that it shows you that everything is about your choices. And I can show you, through these other folks, their stories, or experts, that when you understand that, when you can`t change the way things are, if you can change your perception, it changes your world.
I like to say "shift happens." I feel like I`m getting away with something, but the show is -- the show is totally unique.
I actually just flew in from Honolulu, from Hawaii. I wanted to go over and interview the dog bounty hunter and his wife Beth.
ANDERSON: Well, it sounds like an interesting show, Naomi. Congratulation on it.
And I want to ask you, as we`ve been reporting tonight, the CMA Awards are being held in the Big Apple, the first time in the history of the Country Music Awards, they`ve been held in New York.
JUDD: Yes.
ANDERSON: Do you think it`s an appropriate place to hold the Oscars of country music in New York?
JUDD: I love New York. It`s a fascinating place. It`s actually where I do my TV show. But I think home is where our story begins, and I think Nashville is home for country music.
I`m just hoping that something good comes from this. For instance, I hope other folks discover country music, because it is American music. Everybody needs to enjoy it.
Wynonna is here, so I`ll be watching her tonight, because she`s a singer`s singer. She`s going to be doing the artist big party afterwards.
ANDERSON: Well, good for her.
And Naomi, a lot of singers and actors have crossed over into becoming authors, as well, specifically authors of children`s books. You have just released "Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise."
JUDD: Yes.
ANDERSON: Why did you want to write a children`s book?
JUDD: Brooke, basically everything comes out of my own life. The fact that I get to travel in all 50 states and kind of look in the nooks and crannies.
And I was sitting in my own kitchen and saw my Gertie Goldfish in her goldfish bowl. And I realized Wy and Ashley and I feel like we live in a goldfish bowl sometimes. And I mean, the bottom line is we`re just normal folks. We just happen to be communicators in a public arena.
But having said that, I thought, I feel so strongly that we`ve got to get to kids. If we pay more attention to kids who are in the high chair, we`ll have less problems later on with the electric chair. And I thought if I wrote a children`s book, maybe I could get parents to understand how critical it is, that exquisite one-on-one with their kids.
So this morning when I got back to -- to the mainland here from Hawaii, I called my editor. I bought 25,000 copies to send down to the schools in Katrina.
And this weekend I`m going to do a very cool thing in Appalachia, where I`m from, called the Santa Train. And we go through pockets of depressed cities throughout Appalachia.
ANDERSON: Oh, wow.
JUDD: And Santa and I will give out...
ANDERSON: You and Santa.
JUDD: "Gertie" -- yes, "Gertie the Goldfish" from the caboose.
ANDERSON: Teaming up.
JUDD: But I also have a new book that comes out this week called "The Transparent Life."
ANDERSON: OK.
JUDD: I feel kind of convicted that people don`t know who they are in this culture.
ANDERSON: Wow. Naomi, you are quite the busy lady. And we wish you continued success. Thanks for joining us tonight.
And "Naomi`s New Morning" debuts on the Hallmark Channel, Sunday November 27. Check your local listings. And her children`s book, "Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise," is in bookstores now.
HAMMER: All week long, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is wild about Harry Potter. It is our special series on Harry Potter, as the fourth movie in the series, "The Goblet of Fire," will be opening up on Friday. And tonight, we`re getting down to business about the business of "Harry Potter." And quite frankly, it`s big business, as you might well know.
The first three movies combined took in over $2.6 billion worldwide in ticket sales. "The Sorcerer`s Stone" accounted for almost $1 billion of that, "The Chamber of Secrets" nearly $900 million and "The Prisoner of Azkaban" almost $800 million.
Joining us live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, senior editor for "Forbes" magazine, Brett Pulley. Brett, thanks for being here with us.
BRETT PULLEY, SENIOR EDITOR, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Thank you.
HAMMER: And we`re talking huge box office takes. These numbers are just staggering. But if you notice with each of the movies there has been a downward trend. Would you expect that to continue with the release of "The Goblet of Fire" and what that takes in?
PULLEY: It might continue a bit. There has indeed been a downward trend, slightly, each time one of these movies has come out, but I`m not really sure to what extent that is an indication of people losing interest in the movie or it`s just really a reflection of what`s happening across the board in the film industry. Box office receipts are down in general.
And also, if you take a look at the numbers, they`ve sort of made that up with the revenue from the VHS and the DVD sales, so it`s -- it`s all evening out.
HAMMER: It`s a matter of economics.
PULLEY: It`s a tremendous franchise.
HAMMER: It certainly is.
Well, let`s look at some more of these huge numbers here. In the U.S. alone, "The Half Blood Prince" sold 6.9 million copies in 24 hours. That made it the fastest selling book in history. It even outpaced the combined take of the top movies at the box office.
Globally, book sales surpassed 300 million copies. This is wild: the books have been translated into over 63 languages.
So the question is, and it`s kind of a loaded question, but when the last book is written, when the last "Harry Potter" movie is made, is the franchise dead?
PULLEY: Well, I don`t think it is. J.K. Rowling says that the seventh book will be the last book in the series.
But you know, if you look, in addition to over $2 billion in box office receipts, some 300 million books sold, some $350 to $500 million a year in merchandise sold. What the world has as a result of that is a bunch of people who call themselves Potter-heads.
HAMMER: Right.
PULLEY: And the Potter-heads are not going to go anywhere, very much like Trekkies, the people who are fans of "Star Trek." So I don`t think that the franchise disappears at all after the seventh book comes out.
HAMMER: I like that. The "Star Trek" fans, you know, the original "Star Trek" was off the air decades ago, and it`s still hanging around.
Well, finally a big part of the equation is merchandising. Anything and everything connected to Potter sells, sells, sells.
PULLEY: It sells like crazy, and it especially sells during years when new books come out and/or new films come out. So you can expect `05 to be a big year for J.K. Rowling and also for Warner Brothers, who holds the copyrights, the rights to all the merchandising.
HAMMER: So when they`re selling billions of dollars in merchandise, J.K. Rowling gets a little piece of all of that, doesn`t she?
PULLEY: Absolutely.
HAMMER: I don`t know that she needs the money. And I`ve seen some of the prices, by the way, in the catalogues, because I have a niece and a nephew who are wild about Harry, too, and the things aren`t necessarily cheap.
Brett Pulley, thank you very much for joining us from "Forbes" magazine.
PULLEY: Thank you.
HAMMER: Remember, it`s "Harry Potter" mania all week long on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tomorrow, I`ll be speaking with co-star Emma Watson. Thursday I`ll be speaking with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. And Friday, we`ll be live as "The Goblet of Fire" hits theaters.
ANDERSON: We all know Gwyneth Paltrow is a marvelous-looking mom. Coming up, how she goes from simple to smashing and how you can, too, for less than you think. Get Gwyneth Paltrow`s look in Tuesday "InStyle," next.
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ANDERSON: It`s time now for "Tuesday InStyle." Tonight, on the cover with Gwyneth Paltrow. She`s a celebrated actress, mother of one and married to Coldplay`s frontman, Chris Martin. And in December`s "InStyle" issue, Polly Blitzer tells us she`s a laid-back fashionista.
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POLLY BLITZER, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: On the cover of our December issue, Gwyneth Paltrow is wearing a beautiful satin/silk, bugle beaded Ralph Lauren collection gown. If might be thousands and thousands of dollars, but you can actually get the same look with a $325 ABS by Allen Schwartz satin gown.
Most people know Gwyneth as sort of a red carpet starlet, but since she`s had her baby, she`s let us into her softer side, which is shown in the outfits and the clothes that she chose to wear in our cover story.
In the opening spread of our story, Gwyneth is wearing a striped Shag Downtown cotton T-shirt with some cropped jeans. And it really works, because she`s on the beach in Malibu. She told us that it`s one of her favorite spots on earth. It reminds her of her childhood.
Even though Gwyneth is a mom these days, she can still sport her short-shorts. And she sported a pair of white Jill Sander cotton shorts on the beach and an acrylic and cotton blend Calvin Klein sweater along with some Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers.
Gwyneth also wore a Jean-Paul Gauthier cotton jacket and cropped pants, and it just is a perfect combination of what Gwyneth Paltrow embodies these days.
She`s so glamorous, but at the same time she`s super-grounded and can sport, you know, a pair of kicks, some sneakers, with the best of them.
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ANDERSON: She has such a classic look, doesn`t she? And if you want to read more about Gwyneth Paltrow, pick up a copy of December`s "InStyle" magazine, on newsstands Friday.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The CMA Country Music Awards happening tonight in New York City. Do they belong in New York? Well, let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far.
It seems many of you don`t love New York. Only 18 percent of you say yes, they should be here. Eighty-two percent of you say no.
Among the e-mails, one from Michelle in New York. She writes, "As a college student in NYC and a country music fan, I am glad to see the CMAs being held in the Big Apple this year."
But Kayetlan from Ohio disagrees, saying, "No, because country music has a long history in Nashville and it looks as if it is all a publicity stunt."
Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: Time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So let`s take a look at the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Marquee Guy, take it away.
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ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow, we`re still wild about Harry. Harry Potter, that is. Our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series continues with the effervescent Emma Watson. She plays Hermione. And I`m filled with glee, `cause she`s going to be on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. When? Tomorrow.
Also Jude Law was "People`s" sexiest man alive last year. So who will it be this year? Find out tomorrow, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals "People`s" 2005 sexiest man alive. Will it be James Denton, Tommy Lee, Tyson Bedford? Man, are these men sexy! On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, find out tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy, asking do ya think I`m sexy?
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HAMMER: Let`s just move along, shall we?
ANDERSON: A.J., I`ll let you answer that one.
HAMMER: No. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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