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Showbiz Tonight
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, May 2, 2005 , CNNHN
Aired May 02, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: First lady, funny girl.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Paris in hot wax. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: It`s become a big, big story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone makes mistakes, but that`s a pretty big one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All of America`s talking about it. Hollywood becomes reality, and the stars react. The runaway bride.
BRYANT: Running gag. Stealing the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I`m watching "Desperate Housewives."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: The first lady turns first comedienne. Will she be popping up on Wisteria Lane?
HAMMER: Plus, the lip-lock of Wisteria Lane. They`ll kiss, we`ll tell.
BRYANT: Feeling green. Justin Timber lake, Cameron Diaz and a fairy- tale announcement.
HAMMER: And what really happens? We know it. We`ll tell you the secrets of the Sith.
BRYANT: Which is the real one? Ask Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant. You are at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: It is the story everyone is buzzing about today, and it has everything you could ever want in a made-for-TV movie.
HAMMER: One problem, though. It`s already a movie called "Runaway Bride." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here live with more on this case of life imitating art.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: You ain`t kidding, Karyn and A.J. In Hollywood, this might look like a great film, but in the real world, it`s a story of an alleged kidnapping and a massive manhunt that all ended up being a hoax.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): In the movie "Runaway Bride," Julia Roberts ran away from her wedding on a horse. In the real story of the runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks chose a Greyhound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just heard something about that today.
HAFFENREFFER: She`s the bride-to-be who`s got the whole country talking about her cold feet. Thirty-two-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks vanished from her home in Georgia on after saying she was going out jogging. She lied to authorities, saying she was kidnapped, but later admitted she hopped a Greyhound bus to avoid saying "I do" in what was supposed to be a lavish wedding. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she could have survived this whole ordeal without running away.
JEFF PROBST, HOST, "SURVIVOR": That`s a lot of work to go to, when you could have just said, Honey, I don`t know. And what is he thinking? Is that wedding going to happen now? Odds are not good.
HAFFENREFFER: Wilbanks returned home Saturday, the same day 600 guests were supposed to show up to see her get married. But instead of wearing a veil, she threw a towel over her head to hide her face. Today, she was the talk of TV.
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": ... so hard to do.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": You don`t stage a kidnapping.
And then she blamed it on the Hispanic guy. My husband goes, why does it always got to be a Hispanic guy? Mark and I totally fit the profile! We were like -- I swear to God, it wasn`t us!
STAR JONES, "THE VIEW": ... under a lot of pressure from planning a big, over-the-top wedding.
(LAUGHTER)
JONES: She don`t know from pressure, OK?
HAFFENREFFER: OK, that`s what one star had to say. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT worked the red carpet and caught up with a lot of others.
LORENZO LAMAS, LOS ANGELES: Well, wouldn`t it be easier just to tell the groom-to-be that -- you know, that it might not be the right time, rather than, you know, create a whole manhunt?
BARBARA MOORE, LOS ANGELES: That`ll probably give that man a lot of good publicity, and he`ll be able to find a really good girl now.
LAMAS: Maybe "The Bachelor," the next bachelor. How about that?
ALISON SWEENEY, LOS ANGELES: My first question is who`s going to play her in the movie of the week?
HAFFENREFFER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s been thinking about that, too. We did our own casting call to see who should star in the TV movie of the week. To play the role of runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks, Phoebe Cates seems to have a close enough look. And what about the jilted fiance, John Mason? Seems like Jerry O`Connell might just fit the bill. While, of course, we don`t know who will get the parts, this has "must see TV" sweeps week written all over it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Break out the popcorn. And John Mason, the jilted groom, says he still wants to marry his bride, Jennifer Wilbanks, saying, quote, "Haven`t we all made mistakes?" A.J.
HAMMER: David. Fascinating. We`ll be buzzing about that a bit later.
Well, if it were a scene in "Desperate Housewives," it would have had everybody talking for weeks. Take a look what happened when a couple of "Desperate Housewives" stars were really glad to see each other.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We -- I`m sorry, just a second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, locking lips there, yes, that`s Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross. They were presenting at this weekend`s GLAAD media awards in Los Angeles. Winners at the awards included "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," "Six Feet Under" and Liza Minnelli. The annual event honors fair and accurate representation of gays and lesbians in media. "Desperate Housewives," by the way, was not up for any awards.
BRYANT: The first lady has a confession. She, too, is a "Desperate Housewife." Laura Bush made her desperate admission at the weekend White House correspondents dinner as she stole the show, cracked them up and left everyone desperate for more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I am married to the president of the United States, and here`s our typical evening. At 9:00 o`clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: And I`m watching "Desperate Housewives."
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: With Lynne Cheney.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: I mean, if those women on that show think they`re desperate, they ought to be with George.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Also at the annual event, where politicians, journalists and stars come together -- that`s a pretty good mix for a good time, right, I would say -- Cedric the Entertainer was there. He was the headliner. Jane Fonda was there, and also Richard Gere. Now, it wasn`t just Mrs. Bush`s "Desperate" jokes that left them laughing. Coming up a little later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, what the first lady does after dark in our "Laughter Dark."
HAMMER: Well, tonight, get ready for another possible huge star wedding. Maybe. There have been these reports flying around today that pop star Justin Timberlake and girlfriend Cameron Diaz will get married this coming weekend. They will supposedly tie the knot in the south of France. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT worked the telephone today, and Cameron`s people were pretty emphatic, telling us the rumor about Cameron getting married in France this weekend is totally false. She is not engaged. That`s a quote from Cameron`s publicist. Justin`s publicist added, quote, "We never comment on his personal life."
BRYANT: However, We do know of one thing Justin and Cameron are doing together. Cameron is going to be in a third "Shrek" movie, and we just learned today that Justin is in it, too. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there in New York City when Dreamworks made the surprise announcement and when some other big stars talked about their upcoming adventures in animation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Justin Timberlake`s appearance wasn`t the only surprise at Dreamworks`s star-studded Animation Now event in New York City. Justin and Mike Myers announced that Justin has joined the cast of "Shrek 3." The two performed a quick scene for the delighted crowd.
MIKE MYERS, "SHREK 3": Well, why don`t you make this easier on both of us and do what I tell you.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, "SHREK 3": Do what -- who are you?
BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Mike and Justin and asked what`s on deck for "Shrek."
TIMBERLAKE: I play Artie, Artie, the young King Arthur.
BRYANT: It`s good to be the king. His new gig gives him the chance to work with his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, who`s the voice of Shrek`s wife, Princess Fiona.
TIMBERLAKE: It`s great. We`ll never see each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Separate recording sessions?
MYERS: Oh, yes. You`re never in the same room.
BRYANT: Other big stars were in the same room. Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock talked about their new animated roles. Rock is starring in this spring`s "Madagascar."
CHRIS ROCK, "MADAGASCAR": "Madagascar" was done by me, all of it, every voice, everything. I was drawing. I had my little sketch pad. And I knocked it out in about four weeks.
BRYANT: It`s about a group of pampered zoo animals who are sent into the wild jungles of Africa.
ROCK: You don`t see that on Animal Planet. It`s like "Lost" with animals. It`s a bit of a stretch. But you know, no one questions Daniel Day-Lewis when he stretches.
JERRY SEINFELD, "BEE MOVIE": He never stretches that far, though.
ROCK: Hey!
SEINFELD: Not to a zebra.
BRYANT: Seinfeld is doing some stretching for his movie, too. In the "Bee Movie," he plays a bee who sues mankind for royalties on honey.
SEINFELD: I put Sting on the stand, and I go, Tell me a little bit about this name of yours. How did you get this name? Have you ever stung anyone, Sting?
BRYANT: Seinfeld`s bee character would hate for us to say it, but the three legendary comedians and one music superstar had everyone buzzing about their upcoming movies.
MYERS: It`s a lot of silly fun-ness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Well, as you know, animation does take a while. "Madagascar" opens this month, but don`t expect "Shrek 3" and "Bee Movie" until 2007.
HAMMER: Well, Paris Hilton revealed her inanimate side today. She was in New York City at Madame Tussaud`s museum, unveiling her wax look- alike. The life-size figure of Paris Hilton as seen in her new movie, "House of Wax," is part of this new live-action experience they have called Chamber Live. At first, she had a little bit of trouble posing with herself, but warmed up to her wax twin in no time at all. "House of Wax" will open up on Friday.
Well, the Paris Hilton empire is what we`re looking into tonight in "The Show`s Biz." She may be most famous for being an heir to the Hilton riches, but Paris doesn`t plan on living the simple life any more. And "New York Times" -- Lola Ogunnaike, correspondent for "The Times," had a chance to spend some time with Paris and wrote about her in today`s "New York Times," "The business of Paris Hilton."
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "NEW YORK TIMES": Exactly.
HAMMER: So Lola, I figure if you`re spending all this time, if Paris Hilton is a major article in "The New York times," something`s got to be changing in her life.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, I think now more than ever, Paris wants to be taken seriously as a businesswoman. She`s flirted with the idea before, but now I think 2005 is going to be a big year for her. She`s got a number of ventures that she`s launching. She`s got a make-up line that she`s going to launch, another book, a fragrance for men...
HAMMER: Wow.
OGUNNAIKE: ... Paris Hilton for men. Check it out.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Get right on that.
OGUNNAIKE: A dog collar line, an energy drink.
HAMMER: Wow.
OGUNNAIKE: She`s got an album launching in August.
HAMMER: So truly, she is an entrepreneur and has a lot on her plate. Tell me, though, you spent a fair amount of time with her. I know you followed her at the Letterman show and then went out to a late lunch with her and...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... spent some more time with her. What was the most shocking thing you learned in the course of the day?
OGUNNAIKE: I think there were two shocking things. One, that she earns six figures to appear at parties for 20 minutes.
HAMMER: Like how much?
OGUNNAIKE: Anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 to appear at a party for 20 minutes. And if she appears in Japan, she gets more. That`s not even including travel or accommodations.
HAMMER: Well, actually, we crunched some of these numbers, and if we could throw this graphic up here -- we broke this all down. Paris is paid, you say, $200,000 for a party. She earns $10,000 in one minute. That`s about $5,000 for the 30 seconds we just spent talking about all of this.
OGUNNAIKE: A significant amount of money, more than I`ve earned in my entire life.
HAMMER: What was the second shocking thing that you learned?
OGUNNAIKE: The paparazzi just love her. They tailed us from the Letterman show, which is in mid-town, all the way downtown to Trippiani (ph), which is in Soho...
HAMMER: Right.
OGUNNAIKE: ... downtown, followed us into Patricia Field`s (ph). They could not get enough of her.
HAMMER: Does she have a decent relationship with them? They seem to get along?
OGUNNAIKE: You know, I was expecting her to be a bit of a snob, but she`s so gracious. It was actually very shocking. She signed every autograph, spoke to everyone.
HAMMER: Right.
OGUNNAIKE: This Texas woman gave her a phone to talk to her husband. She`s, like, Can you talk to my husband...
HAMMER: And she just plays along.
OGUNNAIKE: ... and she did it.
HAMMER: So she really doesn`t have to work another day in her life because of the Hilton money that she comes from, but she really wants to set herself apart and be her own woman, it seems like.
OGUNNAIKE: One more interesting thing that she said to me. She`s, like, Look, my great-grandfather started as a bellhop at a Texas hotel and built this entire empire. Ambition runs in my family. I want to carve out my own niche. I want to be...
HAMMER: Do her own thing.
OGUNNAIKE: ... my own self-made woman.
HAMMER: Wow. That`s great. Well, I got to run. But you have to tell me, what`d she have for lunch?
OGUNNAIKE: She had the Chilean sea bass...
HAMMER: She had a whole...
OGUNNAIKE: ... as did I.
HAMMER: ... a whole full dish?
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, a full dish.
(CROSSTALK)
OGUNNAIKE: And she had a turkey sandwich before that. She eats.
BRYANT: Thanks for joining us, Lola Ogunnaike from "The New York Times." Karyn, over to you.
BRYANT: Another hot item, "American Idol." And there`s a Web site that could change the outcome of the whole darn thing. We are going "In Depth."
HAMMER: Plus, Sith`s secrets. We found out -- we found someone who has seen the last "Star Wars," and we brought him here for a first look. That`s on the way.
BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What instrument does singer Don Henley play as a member of the Eagles? Is it the guitar, the piano, the bass or the drums? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back. So once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What instrument does singer Don Henley play as a member of the Eagles? Is it the guitar, the piano, the bass or the drums? The answer is D, drums.
HAMMER: PETA protesting Jennifer Lopez again. The animal rights group showed up with "Monster in Fur" signs for the premier of J.Lo`s "Monster-in-Law" this weekend. PETA`s been following her around a lot recently. The group`s not happy about her use of fur in her Sweetface fashion line, but J.Lo hasn`t backed down.
That is the focus of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight: Should PETA leave J.Lo alone? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll check out the voting and some of your thoughts later in the show.
BRYANT: It is 16 minutes past the hour. Time now for "SHOWBIZ In Depth," a look at the Web site promoting the worst to win it all on "American Idol." It`s called www.votefortheworst.com. It began during season three of "American Idol," and its current candidate of choice, Scott Savol, who recently shocked the "Idol" world by upsetting rocker Constantine Maroulis. Now, ever since Scott`s surprising rise to the final round, the site estimates some 400,000 people have checked it out.
So can this Web site have an effect on the competition? Well, joining us live here in New York City, Patrick Wells, who helps run votefortheworst.com. And also joining us, Marc Peyser, TV critic for "Newsweek."
So I`m going to start with you, Patrick. Would you say that votefortheworst.com it is responsible for Scott`s presence on the show at this point?
PATRICK WELLS, VOTEFORTHEWORST.COM: Well, we wouldn`t say that we`re solely responsible for Scott`s presence, but especially in the past week, when we`ve gotten so many hits on our site, we would like to think that we have made an impact because Scott has gone from the bottom three consistently to this week being one of the top vote getters.
BRYANT: OK, Patrick, do -- I mean, Mark, do you think, though, that "American Idol" can be rigged? Because, obviously, this points to, you know, ideas that the show is fixed, and you know, you can change the vote, or maybe the producers have a set person they already want to win. What are your thoughts on the rigging of "American Idol"?
MARC PEYSER, "NEWSWEEK": I don`t think this means that the show is rigged at all. They`re telling people to call in and vote for the person who they want them to vote for. Just because that person may be the least talented doesn`t mean the show is rigged. I`m sure that the show is very much on the up-and-up. You can call in and vote for anybody you want to, and I think it`s kind of an interesting spin on the whole take of a talent show.
BRYANT: Here`s the thing. We all know it. Scott`s not real good.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: I`m not breaking any news right here. He is really not very good, and every week that he`s still there, I mean, my jaw`s on the ground, and as well as, you know, many people around the country, obviously. You know, Patrick, you say on your Web site, Are you in on the joke that is "American Idol"? Are -- are you -- what is the joke? Tell me the joke of the show.
WELLS: OK, the joke is that the producers, they have certain people that they quote, unquote, "pimp," that they want to win the competition. And by -- they say good things about these people consistently week after week after week, like Carrie Underwood, even if she gives a lackluster performance. So by voting for Scott, that completely upsets their -- what they want to happen. We want to see them have to promote a Scott Savol CD, a guy who`s not that good-looking, who`s not that talented and has a criminal record in his past.
HAMMER: So you`re just looking for, then, to give them a hard time, basically, to promote a loser, sort of, as the winner.
WELLS: It`s not just a hard time. They`ve create a monster by putting him through. They said good things about him at the beginning of the competition. They put him through to this point. So you put him through, if he wins, it`s your fault.
BRYANT: OK.
WELLS: You got to deal with the consequences of putting him through.
BRYANT: OK. Well, Marc, one of the other things that they say on votefortheworst.com is that by making these efforts to keep bad people on the program, they`re creating better television. Would you agree with that?
PEYSER: Oh, absolutely. I mean, look, this show is all about rooting for your favorite and wondering who`s going to pull off an upset. If Scott Savol wins this show, 30 million people are going to be furious. He`s clearly not the most talented person, but we love to watch these numbskulls and untalented folks get further than you think they would. It happens season after season. Jasmine Trias -- remember, Nikki McKibbin? She couldn`t sing her way out of her trailer park. She made it to the final round -- I mean, like, the third to the final round. I mean, it`s great. I think people love this stuff. It`s a love `em and hate `em kind of show. Look, we`re talking about "American Idol" even more. I`m sure Fox is thrilled.
BRYANT: OK, so Patrick, let`s say Scott Savol gets eliminated this week. Who is the next candidate for votefortheworst.com?
WELLS: I think the consensus is our next candidate -- we would either stop and wait until next season, or we would go to Anthony.
BRYANT: OK. And Mark seems to agree with you on that one. Well, Patrick Wells from votefortheworst.com, thank you. And Marc Peyser from "Newsweek," thank you, as well.
PEYSER: Yes. Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, we are bringing a galaxy far, far away close to you. We know secrets of the Sith, and we will share them with you, coming up next.
BRYANT: And sending out an SOS, Save Our Shows. Your favorite TV show may be clicked off. Which ones will get another season? Find out, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Bruce is back, and so is New Order, and they have a connection to Gwen Stefani`s album, too. That and more coming up in "People" magazine`s music "Picks and Pans" a little bit later.
HAMMER: Well, whether the new "Star Wars" movie gets picked or panned, you know that the fans are just going to show up. In fact, they already have started showing up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was out there today, right outside of New York`s famed Ziegfeld Theatre, where storm troopers and some less dressed-up types are already lining up. The stand-a-thon benefits the Starlight Starbright Children`s Foundation. Of course, "Revenge of the Sith" doesn`t open until May 19.
BRYANT: Well, if you just can`t wait until the opening of the movie to find out how good it is, we`ve got you covered tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a little inside information. We`ve got "Time" magazine" contributor Richard Schickel. He is one of the lucky few to have seen the film, and he joins us live to give us the goods on what we can expect from "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." Richard, I`m foaming at the mouth. Was it good? Tell me. Come on, baby!
RICHARD SCHICKEL, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Take it easy.
BRYANT: Come on!
SCHICKEL: No, it`s very good.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHICKEL: Yes. Within the parameters of the "Star Wars" shows. It`s very exciting. It takes some time to do its emotional business.
BRYANT: OK.
SCHICKEL: You know, it wraps up all those themes and stories that we`ve been living with for something like 30 years.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHICKEL: And in the end, it`s kind of touching and moving, you know? It`s a good picture. I mean...
BRYANT: What about -- so is it going to appeal more to the fans of the really old -- the original "Star Wars," or to the prequel fans that we -- you know, have come on board in the last six years?
SCHICKEL: I think it might just possibly appeal more to the old- timers among us.
BRYANT: That`s good.
SCHICKEL: You know, I mean, in the sense that all the business that it was doing back then is now finally wrapped up. I mean, you finally know exactly how Darth Vader became Darth Vader. You know, and this was always, like, something we`ve all been wondering about a little bit for some years, you know?
BRYANT: Well, yes. For some time now. Absolutely.
SCHICKEL: Yes. Right. Yes.
BRYANT: Well, what about the idea -- and I know, crazily enough, there are some people out there that are not "Star Wars" fans.
SCHICKEL: Imagine that.
BRYANT: I can`t, really, truly.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: But what if -- what if I dragged somebody along who wasn`t a fan. Would they be able to enjoy this movie as a stand-alone feature?
SCHICKEL: Yes, I think they would. It really has a beginning, a middle and an end. You need -- you will have heard enough, even if you haven`t seen the previous...
BRYANT: Right.
SCHICKEL: ... two in this particular trilogy, to follow it and track it. Yes. I mean -- but of course, if you`ve seen the previews, too, I will say, you know, it pays those off pretty nicely, too. I mean, I thought those were a little duller...
BRYANT: With the love story.
SCHICKEL: Yes.
BRYANT: Because some people got upset about the love story.
SCHICKEL: Why did they get upset about the love story?
BRYANT: Well, they thought it was boring, but...
SCHICKEL: Oh, well, you got to have a love story.
BRYANT: ... it was sweet. Exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: So was there one moment, though, Richard, for you, where you just went, Oh, my gosh! this just made the movie.
SCHICKEL: Well, I`m a movie critic, so I don`t go, Oh, my God.
BRYANT: Oh! There`s no inner child in you any more, Richard? Are you that far gone?
SCHICKEL: No, I`m told old. There`s hardly an inner old man in my anymore.
BRYANT: Oh! Well, next time, come with me, and I`ll find that moment for you!
SCHICKEL: But seriously, the end, where, you know, Darth Vader and...
BRYANT: Oh! Maybe you shouldn`t tell me! Never mind.
SCHICKEL: OK.
BRYANT: There is a moment, though, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
SCHICKEL: It`s pretty good.
BRYANT: That`s great. Thanks, Richard Schickel, for the complete scoop on "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." You can pick up your own copy of "Time" magazine on newsstands today.
HAMMER: Well, the stars hit the runway for a good cause. That`s coming up. And from the runway to the runaway bride and the kiss that caught everyone off guard, our "Buzz Bench" is going to pucker up. That`s on the way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Save our shows. Tonight in the shows biz, a campaign by fans designed to keep their favorite shows on the air.
BRYANT: One way for life, the stars hit the catwalk for a cause. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT: Hi, I`m Jennifer Love Hewitt and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Justin Timberlake is getting animated. At a Dreamworks event in New York, Timberlake announced he is joining the cast of "Shrek 3." Timberlake will play a young king.
BRYANT: First Lady Laura Bush brought down the house at the annual correspondents dinner over the weekend. She stole the show when she said the president, quote, Mr. Excitement was in bed by 9:00 and that she just doesn`t watch DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES A.J., she is one!
HAMMER: Well, can the real Desperate Housewives in a desperate lip lock. Watch closely now, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross caused quite a stir with that moment. This past weekend kissing on stage at the GLADD media awards.
BRYANT: Well, Felicity Huffman made out pretty well this weekend. She was also honored for playing a transsexual in a new independent film "TransAmerica." Huffman won the best actress award at the Tribeca film festival in New York on Saturday. Huffman told George Whipple of cable news station New York 1 what it was like working with her husband William H. Macy, who was the producer on this film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FELICITY HUFFMAN: I`ve always loved it. We sort of grew up working together because we`re both members of the Atlantic theater company. So from the time I was 21 I`ve been working with Bill and he just always -- he`s such an artist and a craftsman that he just raises the level of my game. So I love it. I like it whether he`s directing me, which we`ve done or acting with him, which is fantastic. Like a little wonderful dance or when he producing it. It`s all good. I married a wonderful man. I think that`s the answer. Everyone has to marry Bill Macy, but you can`t because I already did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: In "TransAmerica," Huffman plays a preoperative transsexual woman on a cross country road trip. The film does not yet have a distributor but the production company told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they hope to have one by the end of the week.
HAMMER: Tonight in the show`s biz, network suits are pouring over the fall TV schedule kind of like a chess game. Some shows are going to be like pawns, knocked off. There is a campaign, however, to save some of them. Thousands of people and readers voted as part of the "U.S.A. Today" save our shows campaign and joining us live from McLean, Virginia is Dennis Moore, who is the entertainment editor of "USA Today." Thanks for being with us, Dennis.
DENNIS MOORE, USA TODAY: Thanks for inviting me.
HAMMER: So tell me, why do so many shows this season have an uncertain future or as industry speak goes, why are on the bubble?
MOORE: There`s been such a shake up in the networks this year. You have ABC, which used to be at the bottom, now at the top. NBC in reverse order. So the network programmers are desperate to get their feet on the ground to come up with big hits. So they`re playing it close to the vest, not making choices until the very last minute. They`ll decide in two weeks exactly which shows go on and which we say good-bye to.
HAMMER: Well, let`s take a look at what your readers thought should be happening when next season finally comes around. On the saving side of the list, "Arrested Development," which is on Fox with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. "Joan of Arcadia," which is on CBS, starring Amber Tamblyn, about a woman who experiences God in all sorts of different people that she meets and "The Office" on NBC starring Steve Carell. It`s the Americanized version of the BBC hit about the craziness of an office in Scranton. And let`s start from the top of that list. These are shows that your readers say they want to see stick around. "Arrested Development" a long-time critical favorite. What`s the story there?
MOORE: It won an Emmy last year, its first year on the air, but it didn`t get the ratings bump that you would think that would come from such wide exposure. So, the network is uncertain whether there are enough people out there who really want to see it come back. Although you would think since Fox has already renewed such old tired shows, as "That `70S Show" and "Malcolm In the Middle," that they would want to keep such a wild and wicked comedy as "Arrested Development" around for at least one more season.
HAMMER: What about "Joan of Arcadia," which clearly has a large fan base?
MOORE: It does. If "Arrested Development" is totally irreverent, Joan is completely reverent. In fact, we had Catholic schools from a couple of places around the country who sent in impassioned letters begging for God`s grace that Joan would come back. Again, it has not had any ratings climb this year. In fact it`s had some decline and at the very end, they brought in a dark angel to sort of shake things up which we saw as a real desperate move on their part for salvation. Don`t think it is going to work.
HAMMER: Let`s see real quickly what your readers put on the ditch `em list. "Quintuplets" which is on Fox with Andy Richter, about a father raising teenage quintuplets. "Life on a Stick" about a recent high school graduates working in a food court at a mall and "Yes Dear" over on CBS, Anthony Clark and Mike O`Malley in that one. Tell me just about "Quintuplets." Why is this on the ditch `em list do you think?
MOORE: Well, again it was never caught on in the ratings. It`s one of those cheap tawdry, some would say typical Fox sitcoms which really goes to the lowest common denominator of laughs, never got much traction. The same can be said for "Life on a Stick."
HAMMER: OK, well, thank you very much for your insight on this Dennis and of course you said, two weeks from now, we`ll see what actual decisions are made when they unveil the new fall TV schedule (INAUDIBLE).
BRYANT: Jennifer Lopez`s use of fur in her fashions has drawn the ire of PETA and it`s the subject of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight, should PETA leave J.Lo alone? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send your e-mails to showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of your thoughts at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: It was fashion for a cause in Beverly Hills last night. Cindy Crawford, Ashton Kutcher and Ray Romano all walked the runway at a charity fashion show and of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there. Brooke Anderson is live with us in Hollywood with the details. Brooke?
BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, A.J.. It was an event for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital which was founded by Hollywood legend Danny Thomas. Now his daughter Marlo Thomas and her siblings are taking over the fund-raising and they got an all-star crowd to walk the runway. Of course A.J., on the catwalk some looked better than others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) Anne Heche, Daisy Fuentes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Venus and Serena and many other Hollywood hitters all joined honorary chair Cindy Crawford on the catwalk at the runway for life event in Beverly Hills. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as the stars raised funds for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital which treats pediatric cancer and childhood diseases. Marlo Thomas and her family co-hosted the night.
MARLO THOMAS, EVENT CO-CHAIR: My parents started this event over 30 years ago and in those days, Bob Hope and George Burns and Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra all performed at this event and now we`re bringing the young Hollywood to the event.
ANDERSON: Ashton Kutcher and his girlfriend Demi Moore were on board. So were tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
SERENA WILLIAMS, MODEL AT THE EVENT: As far as great causes, St. Jude`s hospitals are amazing and they supply help for all kids around the world and they`re actually finding cures for different diseases. So it`s an important cause.
ANDERSON: Jennifer Love Hewitt joined the cause.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, MODEL AT THE EVENT: I love getting to do the fashion show because every girl secretly wants to be a model. It`s just most of us without our tall shoes don`t stand a chance.
ANDERSON: What would new models Jane Kazmerek (ph) and Bradley Whitford (ph) wear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Simple Speedo. A simple red Speedo and some pumps.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ll be wearing a turtleneck bathing outfit from the neck to the floor.
ANDERSON: Cybil Shepherd said she was a bit rusty.
CYBILL SHEPHERD, MODEL AT THE EVENT: I`ll be back on the runway. I do it once a year for St. Jude and I am just going to dance. I figure that will be OK.
ANDERSON: She wasn`t joking. But Jason Ritter, son of the late John Ritter was the biggest joker of the night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The runway for life event is expected to raise more than $1 million for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital. A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: A good cause, indeed. Brooke Anderson live in LA. Thanks very much.
We told you about the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES lip lock at the GLADD awards this past weekend. The buzz bench is all puckered up and ready to go on that one. That`s coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, new order, new album. This may be part of a bizarre love triangle but suddenly I`m feeling very blue Monday. We`ll check out the band`s ninth record coming up in "People" magazinee`s picks and pans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON: Hi. I`m Paris Hilton and I`m watching "The Simpsons" because I loved it for years and Homer is hysterical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Martha Stewart says you`re going to see a whole new side of her personality.
HAMMER: Well, in New York today, she and executive producer Mark Burnett laid out some of the details of her brand new nationally syndicated daytime show which is called simply "Martha." It is be a how-to show taped in front of a studio audience with celebrity guests and Stewart says she hopes that viewers will see her in a whole new way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART: There`s a hope on the part of my executive producer and partner in the show Mark Burnett that I will be, my sense of humor will come out a little bit more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Martha debuts September 12th. Stewart and Burnett are also working together on a new version of THE APPRENTICE.
BRYANT: It is time for the buzz bench and here`s what we are buzzing about tonight, the real-life runaway bride, the desperate housewife in the White House and kisses at the GLADD awards.
HAMMER: And joining us on the buzz bench tonight, "New York" magazine`s Sarah Bernard, "Newsweek`s" Devin Gordon and comedian and television personality, Chuck Nice. And Chuck, I want to start with you. Let`s talk about the runaway bride because everybody`s talking about the runaway bride. Of course, she may be facing charges now because her story of being kidnapped later turned out to be a case of just cold feet and it was blowing my mind how everybody was into the story. I had family in from out of town this weekend, everybody`s eyes glued on the TV to find out what was happening.
CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN/TV PERSONALITY: Yeah, it`s one of those things where it`s an instant soap opera. Bride disappears, husband-to-be becomes an automatic suspect. Then we find out she faked the whole thing and blamed it on two Spanish-speaking people. Honestly, I just want to hear that 911 call. I`ve been kidnapped by two Spanish-speaking people. You can`t talk to them, they don`t speak English.
SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I think this was her way of auditioning for the "Amazing Race" and now, the bachelor for her husband. I mean, he should be bachelor number four. That`s exactly what they should do. They should not get married. Obviously, this is going to be a tumultuous relationship but I think they have a big future in the reality show genre.
DEVIN GORDON, "NEWSWEEK": I think that the next turn of the story and there`s going to be more and more and more of the story until the TV movie comes out. But one thing I think we`re going to find out is something is obviously not right with this marriage, with this relationship. Correct me if I`m wrong Sarah, but you don`t flee all the way across the country for a dream man, do you?
BERNARD: If I had a 600 person wedding, I might because that is a lot of stress.
NICE: A lot of stress, but come on. What happened to Calgon take me away. Take a hot bath.
GORDON: It`s not the husband`s fault. Take him to Vegas and elope, bring the guy with you. If it`s the pressure from the wedding, that`s one thing.
BERNARD: (INAUDIBLE) and talking about her wedding... two people forever and ever.
BRYANT: Well, we want to talk about a wife right now. She says she`s a desperate housewife. We`re talking, of course, about Laura Bush at the correspondents dinner, the White House correspondents dinner. She got a standing ovation with her comic relief for referring to the president as Mr. Excitement, saying he`s asleep by 9:00. He can`t end the world of tyranny in the world if you`re asleep at 9:00. She said she`s a desperate housewife. She`s cracking jokes, Devin, what is the deal?
GORDON: See, I`m going to be the cynical one on this. First of all, folks, she didn`t write it herself. So let`s not over praise President Bush`s wife as some new found comedian.
BERNARD: The president doesn`t write what he says either.
GORDON: (INAUDIBLE) I think one of the things that we got to claim here is the fact that, you know, she`s -- she is getting credit for her timing, basically. I thought the material was kind of like sub "Everybody Loves Raymond." My husband going to sleep too early.
NICE: I disagree. I am going to give her credit. I do this on stage quite a bit and even if it`s written for you, it can be difficult. She did have good timing and you know what, she looked a little blue. She worked a little blue. There were references to some sexual -- (INAUDIBLE) she made a little joke about -- It was all kinds of things going on. So I mean honestly, any time you can do a joke where Lynn Cheney is slipping dollar bills down some hunk`s g-string, I`m all about it.
BERNARD: She didn`t actually ever see "Desperate Housewives." That`s the sad part about it.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to topic number three, the GLADD media awards handed out over the weekends and "Desperate Housewives" Felicity Huffman laid a huge smooch on Marcia Cross.
BERNARD: That`s right. I am actually surprised that they did this. A couple months ago there was a rumor that Marsha Cross was gay. She never addressed it. In fact I guess she sort of denied it. But really it just kind of melted away and I can`t believe that they did this because it`s kind of...
HAMMER: That was a stage kiss.
BERNARD: No. That was the little Halle Berry (INAUDIBLE) like from the Oscars. I think it was kind of surprising because it sort of brings the whole issue up again. But if you notice, Felicity really kissed her. It was very important it was that way.
NICE: If you can`t kiss a woman at the GLADD awards, where can you?
BRYANT: With that, Chuck, we`ve got to end it. Chuck Nice, thank you for joining us. Devin and Sarah as well, Happy to have you here on the buzz bench.
Bruce Springsteen is in Hollywood tonight. He`s touring solo to promote his new album. We`ll get a review of "Devils and Dust" coming up in "People" magazine`s music picks and pans.
HAMMER: Plus, the first lady has the last laugh, as we mentioned. We`ll have more from the White House correspondents dinner coming up in laughter dark.
BRYANT: But, first, "The Hitchhiker`s Guide to the Galaxy" thumbed its way to the top of the weekend box office. In numbers out this afternoon, the film won the top spot in its debut weekend taking in more than $21 million. "The Interpreter" slipped one spot to number two, while (INAUDIBLE) debut of XXX, State of the Union," "The Amityville Horror" is scaring up ticket sales. It came in fourth and "Sahara" was in fifth place.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time for "People" magazine`s music picks and pans, three new CDs to talk about tonight from Bruce Springsteen, New Order and Ann Marie and joining us here in New York, "People" magazine senior editor Julie Dam. Nice to see you Julie.
JULIE DAM, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good it be here.
HAMMER: Let`s get right into Bruce Springsteen, "Devils and Dust." I know you liked this because it is your critic`s pick this week.
DAM: This is a total 180 from his last album "The Rising" which was perfect for arenas. This is very intimate. It`s stripped down. It`s basically your acoustic guitar, harmonica and Bruce`s lyrics.
HAMMER: More like the sound of "Nebraska" was.
DAM: Right, it sounds like, because (INAUDIBLE) for every "Born to Run" there`s been a "Tunnel of Love." This is his more stripped down sound.
HAMMER: And he didn`t bring the E Street band along to make all the noise.
DAM: There`s barely an E Street band person there other than his wife Patty Scialfa.
HAMMER: Right. OK, well, it`s definitely one to have in the collection. What about New Order? Do you know New Order has now been around for 25 years?
DAM: Unbelievable.
HAMMER: And they`ve been busy working one. In addition to working on this new album, they were working on some tracks for (INAUDIBLE) Gwen Stefani.
DAM: (INAUDIBLE) did a cover of New Order and they even inspired the killers name.
HAMMER: They inspired every current band of this type. How is the CD?
DAM: The album`s really good. I meant there`s nothing on there that compares to the (INAUDIBLE) love triangle or blue Monday and their classics, but it definitely will get you out on the dance floor.
HAMMER: It holds up. Let`s talk about Ann Marie. This is her sophomore effort. A couple of years ago, she released her solo debut and they expected huge things from her. Then it was kind of quiet, but she`s got a big hit right now with this song.
DAM: She`s got the song "One Thing" where she out Beyonce`s Beyonce. I mean it sounds like a follow-up to "Crazy in Love." But she is kind of like all your other one named R&B divas, but she has a little (INAUDIBLE) working on her album (INAUDIBLE) But it`s a really good album that`s, you know, good dance music and R&B.
HAMMER: Sounds like three for three this week.
DAM: Yes.
HAMMER: Julie Dam from "People" magazine. Thanks for dropping by and of course for more picks and pans, you can check out a copy of "People" magazine which of course is on news stands everywhere.
BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. Every night we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. As promised tonight, we have more of first lady Laura Bush`s stand up routine at the White House correspondents dinner. That happened over the weekend. Here she`s talking about the administration`s version of girls` night out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH: One night after George went to bed Lynn Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendale. I wouldn`t even mention it, except Ruth Ginsburg and Sanda Day O`Connor saw us there. I won`t tell you what happened. But Lynn`s Secret Service code name is now dollar bill. But George and I complete opposites. I am quiet, he`s talkative. I`m introverted, he`s extroverted. I can pronounce nuclear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m glad she pointed that out. That`s a huge pet peeve of mine.
BRYANT: Man that makes me nuts.
HAMMER: Among other things. Well, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight, should PETA just leave J.Lo alone? Well, here`s hot the vote`s going so far. It is actually almost split down the middle with 51 percent of you saying, yes, PETA should leave J.Lo should leave the heck alone, 49 percent of you say no they shouldn`t. We`ve gotten a couple e-mails on it too including one from Evan, who`s in Troy, Michigan saying, fur is fashion. J.Lo does not sport the hides of endangered species. PETA should back off.
But Beth from New Jersey writes, "I have always liked J.Lo, but I have decided that she is no longer going to be receiving any of my hard-earned dollars. Please continue to vote by going to the Web Site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Marquee guy, you`re on.
ANNOUNCER: Chevy Chase chasing the good life. Chevy`s on a mission and he has the house to prove it. Chevy Chase invites us to his eco crib. We`re cribbing with Chevy, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow love and marriage, hope and faith. Kelly Ripa`s real- life husband is keeping the faith away from Regis. Mark Consuelos joins us live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy on the mark. Crazy about Kelly and loving life, baby.
HAMMER: Now, Kelly was kissing on everybody on Regis and Kelly last week. Do you think Mark Consuelos...
BRYANT: I don`t know.
HAMMER: Your husband (INAUDIBLE)
BRYANT: He will. (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: By the way, we`re talking about the New Order record? Do you have that?
BRYANT: I love New Order. Absolutely.
HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tonight. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.
(NEWS BREAK)
END
Aired May 2, 2005 - 19:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: First lady, funny girl.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Paris in hot wax. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: It`s become a big, big story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone makes mistakes, but that`s a pretty big one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All of America`s talking about it. Hollywood becomes reality, and the stars react. The runaway bride.
BRYANT: Running gag. Stealing the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I`m watching "Desperate Housewives."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: The first lady turns first comedienne. Will she be popping up on Wisteria Lane?
HAMMER: Plus, the lip-lock of Wisteria Lane. They`ll kiss, we`ll tell.
BRYANT: Feeling green. Justin Timber lake, Cameron Diaz and a fairy- tale announcement.
HAMMER: And what really happens? We know it. We`ll tell you the secrets of the Sith.
BRYANT: Which is the real one? Ask Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant. You are at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: It is the story everyone is buzzing about today, and it has everything you could ever want in a made-for-TV movie.
HAMMER: One problem, though. It`s already a movie called "Runaway Bride." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here live with more on this case of life imitating art.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: You ain`t kidding, Karyn and A.J. In Hollywood, this might look like a great film, but in the real world, it`s a story of an alleged kidnapping and a massive manhunt that all ended up being a hoax.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): In the movie "Runaway Bride," Julia Roberts ran away from her wedding on a horse. In the real story of the runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks chose a Greyhound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just heard something about that today.
HAFFENREFFER: She`s the bride-to-be who`s got the whole country talking about her cold feet. Thirty-two-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks vanished from her home in Georgia on after saying she was going out jogging. She lied to authorities, saying she was kidnapped, but later admitted she hopped a Greyhound bus to avoid saying "I do" in what was supposed to be a lavish wedding. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she could have survived this whole ordeal without running away.
JEFF PROBST, HOST, "SURVIVOR": That`s a lot of work to go to, when you could have just said, Honey, I don`t know. And what is he thinking? Is that wedding going to happen now? Odds are not good.
HAFFENREFFER: Wilbanks returned home Saturday, the same day 600 guests were supposed to show up to see her get married. But instead of wearing a veil, she threw a towel over her head to hide her face. Today, she was the talk of TV.
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": ... so hard to do.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": You don`t stage a kidnapping.
And then she blamed it on the Hispanic guy. My husband goes, why does it always got to be a Hispanic guy? Mark and I totally fit the profile! We were like -- I swear to God, it wasn`t us!
STAR JONES, "THE VIEW": ... under a lot of pressure from planning a big, over-the-top wedding.
(LAUGHTER)
JONES: She don`t know from pressure, OK?
HAFFENREFFER: OK, that`s what one star had to say. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT worked the red carpet and caught up with a lot of others.
LORENZO LAMAS, LOS ANGELES: Well, wouldn`t it be easier just to tell the groom-to-be that -- you know, that it might not be the right time, rather than, you know, create a whole manhunt?
BARBARA MOORE, LOS ANGELES: That`ll probably give that man a lot of good publicity, and he`ll be able to find a really good girl now.
LAMAS: Maybe "The Bachelor," the next bachelor. How about that?
ALISON SWEENEY, LOS ANGELES: My first question is who`s going to play her in the movie of the week?
HAFFENREFFER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s been thinking about that, too. We did our own casting call to see who should star in the TV movie of the week. To play the role of runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks, Phoebe Cates seems to have a close enough look. And what about the jilted fiance, John Mason? Seems like Jerry O`Connell might just fit the bill. While, of course, we don`t know who will get the parts, this has "must see TV" sweeps week written all over it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Break out the popcorn. And John Mason, the jilted groom, says he still wants to marry his bride, Jennifer Wilbanks, saying, quote, "Haven`t we all made mistakes?" A.J.
HAMMER: David. Fascinating. We`ll be buzzing about that a bit later.
Well, if it were a scene in "Desperate Housewives," it would have had everybody talking for weeks. Take a look what happened when a couple of "Desperate Housewives" stars were really glad to see each other.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We -- I`m sorry, just a second.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, locking lips there, yes, that`s Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross. They were presenting at this weekend`s GLAAD media awards in Los Angeles. Winners at the awards included "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," "Six Feet Under" and Liza Minnelli. The annual event honors fair and accurate representation of gays and lesbians in media. "Desperate Housewives," by the way, was not up for any awards.
BRYANT: The first lady has a confession. She, too, is a "Desperate Housewife." Laura Bush made her desperate admission at the weekend White House correspondents dinner as she stole the show, cracked them up and left everyone desperate for more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: I am married to the president of the United States, and here`s our typical evening. At 9:00 o`clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: And I`m watching "Desperate Housewives."
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: With Lynne Cheney.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: I mean, if those women on that show think they`re desperate, they ought to be with George.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Also at the annual event, where politicians, journalists and stars come together -- that`s a pretty good mix for a good time, right, I would say -- Cedric the Entertainer was there. He was the headliner. Jane Fonda was there, and also Richard Gere. Now, it wasn`t just Mrs. Bush`s "Desperate" jokes that left them laughing. Coming up a little later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, what the first lady does after dark in our "Laughter Dark."
HAMMER: Well, tonight, get ready for another possible huge star wedding. Maybe. There have been these reports flying around today that pop star Justin Timberlake and girlfriend Cameron Diaz will get married this coming weekend. They will supposedly tie the knot in the south of France. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT worked the telephone today, and Cameron`s people were pretty emphatic, telling us the rumor about Cameron getting married in France this weekend is totally false. She is not engaged. That`s a quote from Cameron`s publicist. Justin`s publicist added, quote, "We never comment on his personal life."
BRYANT: However, We do know of one thing Justin and Cameron are doing together. Cameron is going to be in a third "Shrek" movie, and we just learned today that Justin is in it, too. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there in New York City when Dreamworks made the surprise announcement and when some other big stars talked about their upcoming adventures in animation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Justin Timberlake`s appearance wasn`t the only surprise at Dreamworks`s star-studded Animation Now event in New York City. Justin and Mike Myers announced that Justin has joined the cast of "Shrek 3." The two performed a quick scene for the delighted crowd.
MIKE MYERS, "SHREK 3": Well, why don`t you make this easier on both of us and do what I tell you.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, "SHREK 3": Do what -- who are you?
BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Mike and Justin and asked what`s on deck for "Shrek."
TIMBERLAKE: I play Artie, Artie, the young King Arthur.
BRYANT: It`s good to be the king. His new gig gives him the chance to work with his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, who`s the voice of Shrek`s wife, Princess Fiona.
TIMBERLAKE: It`s great. We`ll never see each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Separate recording sessions?
MYERS: Oh, yes. You`re never in the same room.
BRYANT: Other big stars were in the same room. Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock talked about their new animated roles. Rock is starring in this spring`s "Madagascar."
CHRIS ROCK, "MADAGASCAR": "Madagascar" was done by me, all of it, every voice, everything. I was drawing. I had my little sketch pad. And I knocked it out in about four weeks.
BRYANT: It`s about a group of pampered zoo animals who are sent into the wild jungles of Africa.
ROCK: You don`t see that on Animal Planet. It`s like "Lost" with animals. It`s a bit of a stretch. But you know, no one questions Daniel Day-Lewis when he stretches.
JERRY SEINFELD, "BEE MOVIE": He never stretches that far, though.
ROCK: Hey!
SEINFELD: Not to a zebra.
BRYANT: Seinfeld is doing some stretching for his movie, too. In the "Bee Movie," he plays a bee who sues mankind for royalties on honey.
SEINFELD: I put Sting on the stand, and I go, Tell me a little bit about this name of yours. How did you get this name? Have you ever stung anyone, Sting?
BRYANT: Seinfeld`s bee character would hate for us to say it, but the three legendary comedians and one music superstar had everyone buzzing about their upcoming movies.
MYERS: It`s a lot of silly fun-ness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Well, as you know, animation does take a while. "Madagascar" opens this month, but don`t expect "Shrek 3" and "Bee Movie" until 2007.
HAMMER: Well, Paris Hilton revealed her inanimate side today. She was in New York City at Madame Tussaud`s museum, unveiling her wax look- alike. The life-size figure of Paris Hilton as seen in her new movie, "House of Wax," is part of this new live-action experience they have called Chamber Live. At first, she had a little bit of trouble posing with herself, but warmed up to her wax twin in no time at all. "House of Wax" will open up on Friday.
Well, the Paris Hilton empire is what we`re looking into tonight in "The Show`s Biz." She may be most famous for being an heir to the Hilton riches, but Paris doesn`t plan on living the simple life any more. And "New York Times" -- Lola Ogunnaike, correspondent for "The Times," had a chance to spend some time with Paris and wrote about her in today`s "New York Times," "The business of Paris Hilton."
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "NEW YORK TIMES": Exactly.
HAMMER: So Lola, I figure if you`re spending all this time, if Paris Hilton is a major article in "The New York times," something`s got to be changing in her life.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, I think now more than ever, Paris wants to be taken seriously as a businesswoman. She`s flirted with the idea before, but now I think 2005 is going to be a big year for her. She`s got a number of ventures that she`s launching. She`s got a make-up line that she`s going to launch, another book, a fragrance for men...
HAMMER: Wow.
OGUNNAIKE: ... Paris Hilton for men. Check it out.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Get right on that.
OGUNNAIKE: A dog collar line, an energy drink.
HAMMER: Wow.
OGUNNAIKE: She`s got an album launching in August.
HAMMER: So truly, she is an entrepreneur and has a lot on her plate. Tell me, though, you spent a fair amount of time with her. I know you followed her at the Letterman show and then went out to a late lunch with her and...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... spent some more time with her. What was the most shocking thing you learned in the course of the day?
OGUNNAIKE: I think there were two shocking things. One, that she earns six figures to appear at parties for 20 minutes.
HAMMER: Like how much?
OGUNNAIKE: Anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 to appear at a party for 20 minutes. And if she appears in Japan, she gets more. That`s not even including travel or accommodations.
HAMMER: Well, actually, we crunched some of these numbers, and if we could throw this graphic up here -- we broke this all down. Paris is paid, you say, $200,000 for a party. She earns $10,000 in one minute. That`s about $5,000 for the 30 seconds we just spent talking about all of this.
OGUNNAIKE: A significant amount of money, more than I`ve earned in my entire life.
HAMMER: What was the second shocking thing that you learned?
OGUNNAIKE: The paparazzi just love her. They tailed us from the Letterman show, which is in mid-town, all the way downtown to Trippiani (ph), which is in Soho...
HAMMER: Right.
OGUNNAIKE: ... downtown, followed us into Patricia Field`s (ph). They could not get enough of her.
HAMMER: Does she have a decent relationship with them? They seem to get along?
OGUNNAIKE: You know, I was expecting her to be a bit of a snob, but she`s so gracious. It was actually very shocking. She signed every autograph, spoke to everyone.
HAMMER: Right.
OGUNNAIKE: This Texas woman gave her a phone to talk to her husband. She`s, like, Can you talk to my husband...
HAMMER: And she just plays along.
OGUNNAIKE: ... and she did it.
HAMMER: So she really doesn`t have to work another day in her life because of the Hilton money that she comes from, but she really wants to set herself apart and be her own woman, it seems like.
OGUNNAIKE: One more interesting thing that she said to me. She`s, like, Look, my great-grandfather started as a bellhop at a Texas hotel and built this entire empire. Ambition runs in my family. I want to carve out my own niche. I want to be...
HAMMER: Do her own thing.
OGUNNAIKE: ... my own self-made woman.
HAMMER: Wow. That`s great. Well, I got to run. But you have to tell me, what`d she have for lunch?
OGUNNAIKE: She had the Chilean sea bass...
HAMMER: She had a whole...
OGUNNAIKE: ... as did I.
HAMMER: ... a whole full dish?
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, a full dish.
(CROSSTALK)
OGUNNAIKE: And she had a turkey sandwich before that. She eats.
BRYANT: Thanks for joining us, Lola Ogunnaike from "The New York Times." Karyn, over to you.
BRYANT: Another hot item, "American Idol." And there`s a Web site that could change the outcome of the whole darn thing. We are going "In Depth."
HAMMER: Plus, Sith`s secrets. We found out -- we found someone who has seen the last "Star Wars," and we brought him here for a first look. That`s on the way.
BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What instrument does singer Don Henley play as a member of the Eagles? Is it the guitar, the piano, the bass or the drums? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back. So once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What instrument does singer Don Henley play as a member of the Eagles? Is it the guitar, the piano, the bass or the drums? The answer is D, drums.
HAMMER: PETA protesting Jennifer Lopez again. The animal rights group showed up with "Monster in Fur" signs for the premier of J.Lo`s "Monster-in-Law" this weekend. PETA`s been following her around a lot recently. The group`s not happy about her use of fur in her Sweetface fashion line, but J.Lo hasn`t backed down.
That is the focus of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight: Should PETA leave J.Lo alone? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll check out the voting and some of your thoughts later in the show.
BRYANT: It is 16 minutes past the hour. Time now for "SHOWBIZ In Depth," a look at the Web site promoting the worst to win it all on "American Idol." It`s called www.votefortheworst.com. It began during season three of "American Idol," and its current candidate of choice, Scott Savol, who recently shocked the "Idol" world by upsetting rocker Constantine Maroulis. Now, ever since Scott`s surprising rise to the final round, the site estimates some 400,000 people have checked it out.
So can this Web site have an effect on the competition? Well, joining us live here in New York City, Patrick Wells, who helps run votefortheworst.com. And also joining us, Marc Peyser, TV critic for "Newsweek."
So I`m going to start with you, Patrick. Would you say that votefortheworst.com it is responsible for Scott`s presence on the show at this point?
PATRICK WELLS, VOTEFORTHEWORST.COM: Well, we wouldn`t say that we`re solely responsible for Scott`s presence, but especially in the past week, when we`ve gotten so many hits on our site, we would like to think that we have made an impact because Scott has gone from the bottom three consistently to this week being one of the top vote getters.
BRYANT: OK, Patrick, do -- I mean, Mark, do you think, though, that "American Idol" can be rigged? Because, obviously, this points to, you know, ideas that the show is fixed, and you know, you can change the vote, or maybe the producers have a set person they already want to win. What are your thoughts on the rigging of "American Idol"?
MARC PEYSER, "NEWSWEEK": I don`t think this means that the show is rigged at all. They`re telling people to call in and vote for the person who they want them to vote for. Just because that person may be the least talented doesn`t mean the show is rigged. I`m sure that the show is very much on the up-and-up. You can call in and vote for anybody you want to, and I think it`s kind of an interesting spin on the whole take of a talent show.
BRYANT: Here`s the thing. We all know it. Scott`s not real good.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: I`m not breaking any news right here. He is really not very good, and every week that he`s still there, I mean, my jaw`s on the ground, and as well as, you know, many people around the country, obviously. You know, Patrick, you say on your Web site, Are you in on the joke that is "American Idol"? Are -- are you -- what is the joke? Tell me the joke of the show.
WELLS: OK, the joke is that the producers, they have certain people that they quote, unquote, "pimp," that they want to win the competition. And by -- they say good things about these people consistently week after week after week, like Carrie Underwood, even if she gives a lackluster performance. So by voting for Scott, that completely upsets their -- what they want to happen. We want to see them have to promote a Scott Savol CD, a guy who`s not that good-looking, who`s not that talented and has a criminal record in his past.
HAMMER: So you`re just looking for, then, to give them a hard time, basically, to promote a loser, sort of, as the winner.
WELLS: It`s not just a hard time. They`ve create a monster by putting him through. They said good things about him at the beginning of the competition. They put him through to this point. So you put him through, if he wins, it`s your fault.
BRYANT: OK.
WELLS: You got to deal with the consequences of putting him through.
BRYANT: OK. Well, Marc, one of the other things that they say on votefortheworst.com is that by making these efforts to keep bad people on the program, they`re creating better television. Would you agree with that?
PEYSER: Oh, absolutely. I mean, look, this show is all about rooting for your favorite and wondering who`s going to pull off an upset. If Scott Savol wins this show, 30 million people are going to be furious. He`s clearly not the most talented person, but we love to watch these numbskulls and untalented folks get further than you think they would. It happens season after season. Jasmine Trias -- remember, Nikki McKibbin? She couldn`t sing her way out of her trailer park. She made it to the final round -- I mean, like, the third to the final round. I mean, it`s great. I think people love this stuff. It`s a love `em and hate `em kind of show. Look, we`re talking about "American Idol" even more. I`m sure Fox is thrilled.
BRYANT: OK, so Patrick, let`s say Scott Savol gets eliminated this week. Who is the next candidate for votefortheworst.com?
WELLS: I think the consensus is our next candidate -- we would either stop and wait until next season, or we would go to Anthony.
BRYANT: OK. And Mark seems to agree with you on that one. Well, Patrick Wells from votefortheworst.com, thank you. And Marc Peyser from "Newsweek," thank you, as well.
PEYSER: Yes. Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, we are bringing a galaxy far, far away close to you. We know secrets of the Sith, and we will share them with you, coming up next.
BRYANT: And sending out an SOS, Save Our Shows. Your favorite TV show may be clicked off. Which ones will get another season? Find out, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Bruce is back, and so is New Order, and they have a connection to Gwen Stefani`s album, too. That and more coming up in "People" magazine`s music "Picks and Pans" a little bit later.
HAMMER: Well, whether the new "Star Wars" movie gets picked or panned, you know that the fans are just going to show up. In fact, they already have started showing up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was out there today, right outside of New York`s famed Ziegfeld Theatre, where storm troopers and some less dressed-up types are already lining up. The stand-a-thon benefits the Starlight Starbright Children`s Foundation. Of course, "Revenge of the Sith" doesn`t open until May 19.
BRYANT: Well, if you just can`t wait until the opening of the movie to find out how good it is, we`ve got you covered tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a little inside information. We`ve got "Time" magazine" contributor Richard Schickel. He is one of the lucky few to have seen the film, and he joins us live to give us the goods on what we can expect from "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." Richard, I`m foaming at the mouth. Was it good? Tell me. Come on, baby!
RICHARD SCHICKEL, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Take it easy.
BRYANT: Come on!
SCHICKEL: No, it`s very good.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHICKEL: Yes. Within the parameters of the "Star Wars" shows. It`s very exciting. It takes some time to do its emotional business.
BRYANT: OK.
SCHICKEL: You know, it wraps up all those themes and stories that we`ve been living with for something like 30 years.
BRYANT: Yes.
SCHICKEL: And in the end, it`s kind of touching and moving, you know? It`s a good picture. I mean...
BRYANT: What about -- so is it going to appeal more to the fans of the really old -- the original "Star Wars," or to the prequel fans that we -- you know, have come on board in the last six years?
SCHICKEL: I think it might just possibly appeal more to the old- timers among us.
BRYANT: That`s good.
SCHICKEL: You know, I mean, in the sense that all the business that it was doing back then is now finally wrapped up. I mean, you finally know exactly how Darth Vader became Darth Vader. You know, and this was always, like, something we`ve all been wondering about a little bit for some years, you know?
BRYANT: Well, yes. For some time now. Absolutely.
SCHICKEL: Yes. Right. Yes.
BRYANT: Well, what about the idea -- and I know, crazily enough, there are some people out there that are not "Star Wars" fans.
SCHICKEL: Imagine that.
BRYANT: I can`t, really, truly.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: But what if -- what if I dragged somebody along who wasn`t a fan. Would they be able to enjoy this movie as a stand-alone feature?
SCHICKEL: Yes, I think they would. It really has a beginning, a middle and an end. You need -- you will have heard enough, even if you haven`t seen the previous...
BRYANT: Right.
SCHICKEL: ... two in this particular trilogy, to follow it and track it. Yes. I mean -- but of course, if you`ve seen the previews, too, I will say, you know, it pays those off pretty nicely, too. I mean, I thought those were a little duller...
BRYANT: With the love story.
SCHICKEL: Yes.
BRYANT: Because some people got upset about the love story.
SCHICKEL: Why did they get upset about the love story?
BRYANT: Well, they thought it was boring, but...
SCHICKEL: Oh, well, you got to have a love story.
BRYANT: ... it was sweet. Exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT: So was there one moment, though, Richard, for you, where you just went, Oh, my gosh! this just made the movie.
SCHICKEL: Well, I`m a movie critic, so I don`t go, Oh, my God.
BRYANT: Oh! There`s no inner child in you any more, Richard? Are you that far gone?
SCHICKEL: No, I`m told old. There`s hardly an inner old man in my anymore.
BRYANT: Oh! Well, next time, come with me, and I`ll find that moment for you!
SCHICKEL: But seriously, the end, where, you know, Darth Vader and...
BRYANT: Oh! Maybe you shouldn`t tell me! Never mind.
SCHICKEL: OK.
BRYANT: There is a moment, though, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
SCHICKEL: It`s pretty good.
BRYANT: That`s great. Thanks, Richard Schickel, for the complete scoop on "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." You can pick up your own copy of "Time" magazine on newsstands today.
HAMMER: Well, the stars hit the runway for a good cause. That`s coming up. And from the runway to the runaway bride and the kiss that caught everyone off guard, our "Buzz Bench" is going to pucker up. That`s on the way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Save our shows. Tonight in the shows biz, a campaign by fans designed to keep their favorite shows on the air.
BRYANT: One way for life, the stars hit the catwalk for a cause. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT: Hi, I`m Jennifer Love Hewitt and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Justin Timberlake is getting animated. At a Dreamworks event in New York, Timberlake announced he is joining the cast of "Shrek 3." Timberlake will play a young king.
BRYANT: First Lady Laura Bush brought down the house at the annual correspondents dinner over the weekend. She stole the show when she said the president, quote, Mr. Excitement was in bed by 9:00 and that she just doesn`t watch DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES A.J., she is one!
HAMMER: Well, can the real Desperate Housewives in a desperate lip lock. Watch closely now, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross caused quite a stir with that moment. This past weekend kissing on stage at the GLADD media awards.
BRYANT: Well, Felicity Huffman made out pretty well this weekend. She was also honored for playing a transsexual in a new independent film "TransAmerica." Huffman won the best actress award at the Tribeca film festival in New York on Saturday. Huffman told George Whipple of cable news station New York 1 what it was like working with her husband William H. Macy, who was the producer on this film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FELICITY HUFFMAN: I`ve always loved it. We sort of grew up working together because we`re both members of the Atlantic theater company. So from the time I was 21 I`ve been working with Bill and he just always -- he`s such an artist and a craftsman that he just raises the level of my game. So I love it. I like it whether he`s directing me, which we`ve done or acting with him, which is fantastic. Like a little wonderful dance or when he producing it. It`s all good. I married a wonderful man. I think that`s the answer. Everyone has to marry Bill Macy, but you can`t because I already did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: In "TransAmerica," Huffman plays a preoperative transsexual woman on a cross country road trip. The film does not yet have a distributor but the production company told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they hope to have one by the end of the week.
HAMMER: Tonight in the show`s biz, network suits are pouring over the fall TV schedule kind of like a chess game. Some shows are going to be like pawns, knocked off. There is a campaign, however, to save some of them. Thousands of people and readers voted as part of the "U.S.A. Today" save our shows campaign and joining us live from McLean, Virginia is Dennis Moore, who is the entertainment editor of "USA Today." Thanks for being with us, Dennis.
DENNIS MOORE, USA TODAY: Thanks for inviting me.
HAMMER: So tell me, why do so many shows this season have an uncertain future or as industry speak goes, why are on the bubble?
MOORE: There`s been such a shake up in the networks this year. You have ABC, which used to be at the bottom, now at the top. NBC in reverse order. So the network programmers are desperate to get their feet on the ground to come up with big hits. So they`re playing it close to the vest, not making choices until the very last minute. They`ll decide in two weeks exactly which shows go on and which we say good-bye to.
HAMMER: Well, let`s take a look at what your readers thought should be happening when next season finally comes around. On the saving side of the list, "Arrested Development," which is on Fox with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. "Joan of Arcadia," which is on CBS, starring Amber Tamblyn, about a woman who experiences God in all sorts of different people that she meets and "The Office" on NBC starring Steve Carell. It`s the Americanized version of the BBC hit about the craziness of an office in Scranton. And let`s start from the top of that list. These are shows that your readers say they want to see stick around. "Arrested Development" a long-time critical favorite. What`s the story there?
MOORE: It won an Emmy last year, its first year on the air, but it didn`t get the ratings bump that you would think that would come from such wide exposure. So, the network is uncertain whether there are enough people out there who really want to see it come back. Although you would think since Fox has already renewed such old tired shows, as "That `70S Show" and "Malcolm In the Middle," that they would want to keep such a wild and wicked comedy as "Arrested Development" around for at least one more season.
HAMMER: What about "Joan of Arcadia," which clearly has a large fan base?
MOORE: It does. If "Arrested Development" is totally irreverent, Joan is completely reverent. In fact, we had Catholic schools from a couple of places around the country who sent in impassioned letters begging for God`s grace that Joan would come back. Again, it has not had any ratings climb this year. In fact it`s had some decline and at the very end, they brought in a dark angel to sort of shake things up which we saw as a real desperate move on their part for salvation. Don`t think it is going to work.
HAMMER: Let`s see real quickly what your readers put on the ditch `em list. "Quintuplets" which is on Fox with Andy Richter, about a father raising teenage quintuplets. "Life on a Stick" about a recent high school graduates working in a food court at a mall and "Yes Dear" over on CBS, Anthony Clark and Mike O`Malley in that one. Tell me just about "Quintuplets." Why is this on the ditch `em list do you think?
MOORE: Well, again it was never caught on in the ratings. It`s one of those cheap tawdry, some would say typical Fox sitcoms which really goes to the lowest common denominator of laughs, never got much traction. The same can be said for "Life on a Stick."
HAMMER: OK, well, thank you very much for your insight on this Dennis and of course you said, two weeks from now, we`ll see what actual decisions are made when they unveil the new fall TV schedule (INAUDIBLE).
BRYANT: Jennifer Lopez`s use of fur in her fashions has drawn the ire of PETA and it`s the subject of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight, should PETA leave J.Lo alone? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send your e-mails to showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of your thoughts at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: It was fashion for a cause in Beverly Hills last night. Cindy Crawford, Ashton Kutcher and Ray Romano all walked the runway at a charity fashion show and of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there. Brooke Anderson is live with us in Hollywood with the details. Brooke?
BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, A.J.. It was an event for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital which was founded by Hollywood legend Danny Thomas. Now his daughter Marlo Thomas and her siblings are taking over the fund-raising and they got an all-star crowd to walk the runway. Of course A.J., on the catwalk some looked better than others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) Anne Heche, Daisy Fuentes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Venus and Serena and many other Hollywood hitters all joined honorary chair Cindy Crawford on the catwalk at the runway for life event in Beverly Hills. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as the stars raised funds for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital which treats pediatric cancer and childhood diseases. Marlo Thomas and her family co-hosted the night.
MARLO THOMAS, EVENT CO-CHAIR: My parents started this event over 30 years ago and in those days, Bob Hope and George Burns and Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra all performed at this event and now we`re bringing the young Hollywood to the event.
ANDERSON: Ashton Kutcher and his girlfriend Demi Moore were on board. So were tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
SERENA WILLIAMS, MODEL AT THE EVENT: As far as great causes, St. Jude`s hospitals are amazing and they supply help for all kids around the world and they`re actually finding cures for different diseases. So it`s an important cause.
ANDERSON: Jennifer Love Hewitt joined the cause.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, MODEL AT THE EVENT: I love getting to do the fashion show because every girl secretly wants to be a model. It`s just most of us without our tall shoes don`t stand a chance.
ANDERSON: What would new models Jane Kazmerek (ph) and Bradley Whitford (ph) wear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Simple Speedo. A simple red Speedo and some pumps.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ll be wearing a turtleneck bathing outfit from the neck to the floor.
ANDERSON: Cybil Shepherd said she was a bit rusty.
CYBILL SHEPHERD, MODEL AT THE EVENT: I`ll be back on the runway. I do it once a year for St. Jude and I am just going to dance. I figure that will be OK.
ANDERSON: She wasn`t joking. But Jason Ritter, son of the late John Ritter was the biggest joker of the night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The runway for life event is expected to raise more than $1 million for St. Jude`s children`s research hospital. A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: A good cause, indeed. Brooke Anderson live in LA. Thanks very much.
We told you about the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES lip lock at the GLADD awards this past weekend. The buzz bench is all puckered up and ready to go on that one. That`s coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, new order, new album. This may be part of a bizarre love triangle but suddenly I`m feeling very blue Monday. We`ll check out the band`s ninth record coming up in "People" magazinee`s picks and pans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON: Hi. I`m Paris Hilton and I`m watching "The Simpsons" because I loved it for years and Homer is hysterical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Martha Stewart says you`re going to see a whole new side of her personality.
HAMMER: Well, in New York today, she and executive producer Mark Burnett laid out some of the details of her brand new nationally syndicated daytime show which is called simply "Martha." It is be a how-to show taped in front of a studio audience with celebrity guests and Stewart says she hopes that viewers will see her in a whole new way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA STEWART: There`s a hope on the part of my executive producer and partner in the show Mark Burnett that I will be, my sense of humor will come out a little bit more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Martha debuts September 12th. Stewart and Burnett are also working together on a new version of THE APPRENTICE.
BRYANT: It is time for the buzz bench and here`s what we are buzzing about tonight, the real-life runaway bride, the desperate housewife in the White House and kisses at the GLADD awards.
HAMMER: And joining us on the buzz bench tonight, "New York" magazine`s Sarah Bernard, "Newsweek`s" Devin Gordon and comedian and television personality, Chuck Nice. And Chuck, I want to start with you. Let`s talk about the runaway bride because everybody`s talking about the runaway bride. Of course, she may be facing charges now because her story of being kidnapped later turned out to be a case of just cold feet and it was blowing my mind how everybody was into the story. I had family in from out of town this weekend, everybody`s eyes glued on the TV to find out what was happening.
CHUCK NICE, COMEDIAN/TV PERSONALITY: Yeah, it`s one of those things where it`s an instant soap opera. Bride disappears, husband-to-be becomes an automatic suspect. Then we find out she faked the whole thing and blamed it on two Spanish-speaking people. Honestly, I just want to hear that 911 call. I`ve been kidnapped by two Spanish-speaking people. You can`t talk to them, they don`t speak English.
SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I think this was her way of auditioning for the "Amazing Race" and now, the bachelor for her husband. I mean, he should be bachelor number four. That`s exactly what they should do. They should not get married. Obviously, this is going to be a tumultuous relationship but I think they have a big future in the reality show genre.
DEVIN GORDON, "NEWSWEEK": I think that the next turn of the story and there`s going to be more and more and more of the story until the TV movie comes out. But one thing I think we`re going to find out is something is obviously not right with this marriage, with this relationship. Correct me if I`m wrong Sarah, but you don`t flee all the way across the country for a dream man, do you?
BERNARD: If I had a 600 person wedding, I might because that is a lot of stress.
NICE: A lot of stress, but come on. What happened to Calgon take me away. Take a hot bath.
GORDON: It`s not the husband`s fault. Take him to Vegas and elope, bring the guy with you. If it`s the pressure from the wedding, that`s one thing.
BERNARD: (INAUDIBLE) and talking about her wedding... two people forever and ever.
BRYANT: Well, we want to talk about a wife right now. She says she`s a desperate housewife. We`re talking, of course, about Laura Bush at the correspondents dinner, the White House correspondents dinner. She got a standing ovation with her comic relief for referring to the president as Mr. Excitement, saying he`s asleep by 9:00. He can`t end the world of tyranny in the world if you`re asleep at 9:00. She said she`s a desperate housewife. She`s cracking jokes, Devin, what is the deal?
GORDON: See, I`m going to be the cynical one on this. First of all, folks, she didn`t write it herself. So let`s not over praise President Bush`s wife as some new found comedian.
BERNARD: The president doesn`t write what he says either.
GORDON: (INAUDIBLE) I think one of the things that we got to claim here is the fact that, you know, she`s -- she is getting credit for her timing, basically. I thought the material was kind of like sub "Everybody Loves Raymond." My husband going to sleep too early.
NICE: I disagree. I am going to give her credit. I do this on stage quite a bit and even if it`s written for you, it can be difficult. She did have good timing and you know what, she looked a little blue. She worked a little blue. There were references to some sexual -- (INAUDIBLE) she made a little joke about -- It was all kinds of things going on. So I mean honestly, any time you can do a joke where Lynn Cheney is slipping dollar bills down some hunk`s g-string, I`m all about it.
BERNARD: She didn`t actually ever see "Desperate Housewives." That`s the sad part about it.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to topic number three, the GLADD media awards handed out over the weekends and "Desperate Housewives" Felicity Huffman laid a huge smooch on Marcia Cross.
BERNARD: That`s right. I am actually surprised that they did this. A couple months ago there was a rumor that Marsha Cross was gay. She never addressed it. In fact I guess she sort of denied it. But really it just kind of melted away and I can`t believe that they did this because it`s kind of...
HAMMER: That was a stage kiss.
BERNARD: No. That was the little Halle Berry (INAUDIBLE) like from the Oscars. I think it was kind of surprising because it sort of brings the whole issue up again. But if you notice, Felicity really kissed her. It was very important it was that way.
NICE: If you can`t kiss a woman at the GLADD awards, where can you?
BRYANT: With that, Chuck, we`ve got to end it. Chuck Nice, thank you for joining us. Devin and Sarah as well, Happy to have you here on the buzz bench.
Bruce Springsteen is in Hollywood tonight. He`s touring solo to promote his new album. We`ll get a review of "Devils and Dust" coming up in "People" magazine`s music picks and pans.
HAMMER: Plus, the first lady has the last laugh, as we mentioned. We`ll have more from the White House correspondents dinner coming up in laughter dark.
BRYANT: But, first, "The Hitchhiker`s Guide to the Galaxy" thumbed its way to the top of the weekend box office. In numbers out this afternoon, the film won the top spot in its debut weekend taking in more than $21 million. "The Interpreter" slipped one spot to number two, while (INAUDIBLE) debut of XXX, State of the Union," "The Amityville Horror" is scaring up ticket sales. It came in fourth and "Sahara" was in fifth place.
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HAMMER: It is time for "People" magazine`s music picks and pans, three new CDs to talk about tonight from Bruce Springsteen, New Order and Ann Marie and joining us here in New York, "People" magazine senior editor Julie Dam. Nice to see you Julie.
JULIE DAM, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good it be here.
HAMMER: Let`s get right into Bruce Springsteen, "Devils and Dust." I know you liked this because it is your critic`s pick this week.
DAM: This is a total 180 from his last album "The Rising" which was perfect for arenas. This is very intimate. It`s stripped down. It`s basically your acoustic guitar, harmonica and Bruce`s lyrics.
HAMMER: More like the sound of "Nebraska" was.
DAM: Right, it sounds like, because (INAUDIBLE) for every "Born to Run" there`s been a "Tunnel of Love." This is his more stripped down sound.
HAMMER: And he didn`t bring the E Street band along to make all the noise.
DAM: There`s barely an E Street band person there other than his wife Patty Scialfa.
HAMMER: Right. OK, well, it`s definitely one to have in the collection. What about New Order? Do you know New Order has now been around for 25 years?
DAM: Unbelievable.
HAMMER: And they`ve been busy working one. In addition to working on this new album, they were working on some tracks for (INAUDIBLE) Gwen Stefani.
DAM: (INAUDIBLE) did a cover of New Order and they even inspired the killers name.
HAMMER: They inspired every current band of this type. How is the CD?
DAM: The album`s really good. I meant there`s nothing on there that compares to the (INAUDIBLE) love triangle or blue Monday and their classics, but it definitely will get you out on the dance floor.
HAMMER: It holds up. Let`s talk about Ann Marie. This is her sophomore effort. A couple of years ago, she released her solo debut and they expected huge things from her. Then it was kind of quiet, but she`s got a big hit right now with this song.
DAM: She`s got the song "One Thing" where she out Beyonce`s Beyonce. I mean it sounds like a follow-up to "Crazy in Love." But she is kind of like all your other one named R&B divas, but she has a little (INAUDIBLE) working on her album (INAUDIBLE) But it`s a really good album that`s, you know, good dance music and R&B.
HAMMER: Sounds like three for three this week.
DAM: Yes.
HAMMER: Julie Dam from "People" magazine. Thanks for dropping by and of course for more picks and pans, you can check out a copy of "People" magazine which of course is on news stands everywhere.
BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. Every night we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. As promised tonight, we have more of first lady Laura Bush`s stand up routine at the White House correspondents dinner. That happened over the weekend. Here she`s talking about the administration`s version of girls` night out.
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LAURA BUSH: One night after George went to bed Lynn Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendale. I wouldn`t even mention it, except Ruth Ginsburg and Sanda Day O`Connor saw us there. I won`t tell you what happened. But Lynn`s Secret Service code name is now dollar bill. But George and I complete opposites. I am quiet, he`s talkative. I`m introverted, he`s extroverted. I can pronounce nuclear.
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HAMMER: I`m glad she pointed that out. That`s a huge pet peeve of mine.
BRYANT: Man that makes me nuts.
HAMMER: Among other things. Well, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The fur fight, should PETA just leave J.Lo alone? Well, here`s hot the vote`s going so far. It is actually almost split down the middle with 51 percent of you saying, yes, PETA should leave J.Lo should leave the heck alone, 49 percent of you say no they shouldn`t. We`ve gotten a couple e-mails on it too including one from Evan, who`s in Troy, Michigan saying, fur is fashion. J.Lo does not sport the hides of endangered species. PETA should back off.
But Beth from New Jersey writes, "I have always liked J.Lo, but I have decided that she is no longer going to be receiving any of my hard-earned dollars. Please continue to vote by going to the Web Site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: It is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Marquee guy, you`re on.
ANNOUNCER: Chevy Chase chasing the good life. Chevy`s on a mission and he has the house to prove it. Chevy Chase invites us to his eco crib. We`re cribbing with Chevy, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow love and marriage, hope and faith. Kelly Ripa`s real- life husband is keeping the faith away from Regis. Mark Consuelos joins us live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy on the mark. Crazy about Kelly and loving life, baby.
HAMMER: Now, Kelly was kissing on everybody on Regis and Kelly last week. Do you think Mark Consuelos...
BRYANT: I don`t know.
HAMMER: Your husband (INAUDIBLE)
BRYANT: He will. (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: By the way, we`re talking about the New Order record? Do you have that?
BRYANT: I love New Order. Absolutely.
HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tonight. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.
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