The Scandalist Scoop: Friday, Sept. 19

AP

Seinfeld, Gates yield stage to real Windows users

SEATTLE - TV viewers can return to their favorite programs without fear of seeing Bill Gates shaking his tushie now that Microsoft Corp. has retired a bizarre two-week-old ad campaign featuring the software giant’s chairman with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Trial likely in Spears driving case

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears’ trial for driving without a valid California license is all set for next month - and the attorney representing her in the criminal matter isn’t happy about it.

Live Earth climate change concert heads to India

MUMBAI, India - Jon Bon Jovi and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan will perform at this year’s Live Earth concert, when the music extravaganza aimed at raising awareness of climate change heads to India.
Gary Coleman sued over Utah bowling alley ruckus

PROVO, Utah - Gary Coleman has been sued by a man who claims the actor punched him and ran into him with his truck in a Payson bowling alley parking lot, causing knee, back and neck injuries.

Members of the Dead to play fundraiser for Obama

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Barack Obama has the Dead on his side again. A Pennsylvania spokeswoman for the campaign says the trio will be joined by a fourth surviving member, Bill Kreutzmann, at the Oct. 13 show in State College. Other rockers expected to attend include members of the Allman Brothers Band.

Billy Joe Shaver indicted in 2007 Texas shooting

WACO, Texas - A McLennan County grand jury has indicted country singer Billy Joe Shaver on felony charges for his alleged role in an April 2007 shooting at a Lorena bar.

Farm Aid to help farmers hurt by Ike, Gustav

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson says the organization will give $30,000 to groups that help family farmers in areas of Texas and Louisiana hit hardest by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Swank recovering after procedure to remove growth

NEW YORK - Hilary Swank is recovering after a hospital procedure to remove a small, benign growth, a representative for the Oscar-winning actress said Thursday.

www.tmz.com

Joan Prather - Janet McArthur Bradford on “Eight Is Enough” - was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges over the weekend, after she allegedly dragged an L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy down PCH with her car. The deputy attempted to stop Joan after she drove past barricades and road cones during the Malibu Triathlon. According to the Malibu Surfside News, when Raines extended his arm — motioning for Joan to stop — his watch became entangled in her car. She didn’t stop and Michael had to run alongside the car for 20 feet until other deputies intervened. The cop was treated at a local hospital for a sprained arm. Joan was booked on a felony hit-and-run and released on $50,000 bail. A rep for Prather was not available for comment.

Linda and Hulk Hogan have been battling over a Vegas condo she wants and he doesn’t. Now, they both lose. Before Linda filed for divorce, they plunked down $840,000 as a downpayment on a $4.2 million condo. When she filed, Hulk wanted out of the deal but Linda wanted to seal it. The divorce judge sided with Hulk, but we’re told the seller will only return around $200,000. The rest is being kept as a penalty for not closing — it’s called liquidated damages. We’re not sure if the Hogans will fight to get some of the forfeited money back. We’re hearing Linda and Hulk each wants the other to absorb any loss. Bottom line — the lawyer’s, as always, are gonna win.

Daily News

The ugly divorce battle that painted Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez as a serial adulterer and “brainwashed” beau of pop icon Madonna is over. Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia, announced Thursday night they have peacefully settled their multimillion-dollar divorce case.

Gwyneth Paltrow kicked her post-partum depression with the help of exercise - and Madonna. The actress appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Wednesday, along with a clip of her sweating her way through weight lifting, band pulling and butt-toning leg lifts. Paltrow, 35, told the talk show host that she was surprised to suffer from depression after the birth of her of second child, Moses, now 2, since there wasn’t a problem after her first child was born.

Keanu Reeves and girlfriend Parker Posey are talking babies. Shopping at Petit Tresor in West Hollywood, they spent more than $1,000 on Babycottons gear and two Plainmary.com play mats. But it seems they were outfitting other people’s babies, since neither of their last names corresponded to the monogram order.

Rocker Dave Stewart caused a buzz backstage after playing “The View” Thursday. The Eurythmics icon surprised co-hosts Whoopi, Joy, Sherri and Elisabeth with 14-karat gold vibrators from his Coco De Mer erotic boutique. Pleasure-giving Dave then moved on to the opening of his photo show at the Morrison Hotel Gallery.

YouTube just got a lot more divine. Bette Midler has gone viral, posting a sidesplitting parody of a recent Madonna clip. In the original, Her Madgesty promoted her single “4 Minutes” while vacuuming backstage. And Ms. Midler? She’s hawking her new album, “Jackpot: The Best Bette” (out Wednesday), while wielding an Oreck vac - faux British accent and all.

Rachel Yamagata sings in a broken whisper on her new CD. For three quarters of the disk, she keeps her vocals confined to short exhales and measured breaths, as hushed as speech in a confessional. “I wanted people to feel like they were in the room with me,” says Yamagata. “I had to be totally vulnerable. It’s me spilling my guts.”

The new songs of James gather steam as they go. Starting with just a flutter of guitar or a tentative keyboard, they pick up whiffs of strings, gain greater heft from thicker guitar riffs, take on speed from an advancing beat, only to finally fly on a blast of a trumpet valiant enough to announce the arrival of a king.

New York Post

SERIAL THRILLER

MADISON Ave. can now measure how addicted you are to your favorite shows. Turns out that “Survivor,” the long-running reality show heading into its 17th edition, has the highest loyalty rating, according to a new measure called the Emotional Attachment Index (EAI) - indicates the passion viewers have for the shows they watch. It is done, in part, by determining a viewer’s commitment to watch a particular show in the future.

ONCE A BRADY… TV FAMILY STILL INTACT

JAN Brady didn’t approve of brother Peter doing reality TV, mom Carol criticized his marriage, sister Marcia has only recently become more “Brady-accepting,” and older brother Greg is the family “proselytizer” for all things Brady. Hey, these Bradys weren’t even a real family, but they sure act like one, according to Christopher Knight, the former child actor who played Peter Brady nearly 40 years ago on “The Brady Bunch.” Knight, 50, is a living, breathing answer to a trivia question, which makes him an appropriate choice to host the new daytime quiz show “Trivial Pursuit: America Plays,” based on the wildly popular board game (and airing weekdays at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on WWOR/Ch. 9 starting Monday).

USA Today

Ice pops. “Sugar-free ice pops are an invention of God,” Gene Simmons says in the Celeb Fridge feature in the October issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. “They hardly have any calories since they’re mostly water. I eat about 15 pops every two days. Instead of smoking or drinking, you should just eat an ice pop.” Frozen dinners take up a lot of space in his freezer. “Shannon [Tweed] and I don’t diet because the tendency is to cheat. I keep Lean Cuisines in the house because I don’t cook very often. Instead, I just pop a meal in the microwave whenever I get hungry.” And his favorite foods? “I worship scones and danishes. If I never had another meal, I wouldn’t care as long as I could eat pastries and jelly doughnuts. Shannon’s the opposite-she likes her food sour. She puts vinegar on everything: french fries, popcorn and even cereal.”

New York Times

No Need to Sound So New When You’re Already Hip

The Dandy Warhols riffled through their entire catalog of songs inspired by 1960s rock, folk-rock jangle and psychedelic haze at Terminal 5 on Wednesday.

Presswire

Ashanti: The Vault - Unreleased Recordings Featuring All New Music

ENGLEWOOD, N.J., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Ring the alarm. The Vault is being opened. It holds 12 never-before-released recordings from Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling R&B songstress Ashanti. The Vault will be released October 14th by AJM Records.

Billboard

Pink Notches First Solo Hot 100 No. 1

Pink scores her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with “So What,” thanks to digital sales of 253,000 units. The artist previously topped the chart via a 2001 remake of Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, Mya and Lil’ Kim.

Eminem ‘Banging Out Tracks’ For New Album

After years away from the limelight, Eminem may be releasing a new album this year. The MC admitted he’s been producing for his Shady Records artists and himself during a recent appearance on his Sirius satellite radio station, Shade 45, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Delicious Vinyl Records. Eminem also interviewed MC Masta Ace, who he’s long noted as an influence.

Wilco Hitting The Studio Next Month

Wilco will begin recording its next album in October, Billboard has learned. The follow-up to 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky” is expected for a spring release via Nonesuch.

All-American Rejects Take On The ‘World’

The All-American Rejects have wrapped their third album, “When the World Comes Down,” and will release it Nov. 18 via Interscope. First single “Gives You Hell” will debut via a mobile campaign where fans text a special code to obtain it.

Radio Plays Ball With Vedder’s Cubs Song

Chicago radio stations and sports bars have begun spinning “All the Way,” a Chicago Cubs-themed ditty written by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder at the request of Cubs legend Ernie Banks.

Beatles Cirque du Soliel Doc Coming In October

“All Together Now,” the documentary chronicling the Beatles-based Cirque du Soliel production “Love,” has been set for near-simultaneous release on Oct. 20 and 21 in theaters and on DVD.

TV Lineups

Friday, September 19

David Letterman: Robin Williams, Shannen Doherty, Duffy (R 9/4/08)

Jay Leno: Brooke Shields, Dolly Parton

Late Late Show: Kristen Bell, Josh Radnor

Conan O’Brien: Ice-T, Dwayne Wade, Shane Mauss

Last Call: TBA

Jimmy Kimmel: Danny Devito, Michelle Monaghan, Cold War Kids

The View: Josh Lucas, David Schwimmer, Leighton Meester

Regis and Kelly: Michael Chiklis, Kristy Lee Cook, guest co-host Kyle MacLachlan

Ellen DeGeneres: Neil Patrick Harris, Betty White, 7-year-old boxer Wayne Lawrence

Tavis Smiley: Neil LaBute, Joseph Stiglitz

Chelsea Lately: Bill Engvall, Brody Stevens, Kim Coles, Heather McDonald

George Stroumboulopoulos: Tim Robbins, Ricky Gervais (R 9/15/08)

Bonnie Hunt: Alyson Hannigan, 11-year-old skateboard designer Jacob Brockhoff, Richard King, Elmo

Saturday, September 20

Saturday Night Live JAMES FRANCO /KINGS OF LEON All New

Monday, September 22

David Letterman: Chris Rock, Bob Woodward, TV on the Radio

Jay Leno: Charlize Theron, Little Britain, My Morning Jacket

Late Late Show: Denis Leary, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Conan O’Brien: Diane Lane, Patton Oswalt, Little Feat

Last Call: Madeline Zima, Bo Burnham

Daily Show: Rerun TBA

Colbert Report: Rerun TBA

Jimmy Kimmel: Shia LaBeouf, January Jones, Nelly

The View: Former President Bill Clinton

Regis and Kelly: Kevin Dillon, David Blaine, Natasha Bedingfield

Ellen DeGeneres: Dolly Parton

Tavis Smiley: Adm. Michael Mullen, David Zirin

Chelsea Lately: Sanaa Lathan, Brad Wollack, Josh Wolf, Hyla Matthews (R)

George Stroumboulopoulos: Craig Glenday, Spike Lee

Bonnie Hunt: Mark Harmon, Deana Martin, 11-year-old skateboard designer Jacob Brockhoff

Tuesday, September 23

David Letterman: Julianne Moore, Tom Dreesen, Tim Reid, Kings of Leon

Jay Leno: Wanda Sykes, Zach Levi, Glen Campbell

Late Late Show: John Krasinski, Dr. Lisa Masterson

Conan O’Brien: Billy Bob Thornton, Aasif Mandvi

Daily Show: TBA

Colbert Report: Jackson Browne

Jimmy Kimmel: Dane Cook, Dylan & Cole Sprouse, Atmosphere

The View: Robert Wagner, Aaron Eckhart

Regis and Kelly: Diane Lane, Poppy Montgomery

Ellen DeGeneres: Allison Janney, Simon Baker, the Pussycat Dolls

Tavis Smiley: Thomas Frank, Ed Harris

Chelsea Lately: Sugarland, Loni Love, James Aguiar, Shayma Tash

George Stroumboulopoulos: Pink, Declan Hill

Bonnie Hunt: Benjamin Bratt, Mekhi Phifer

Wednesday, September 24

David Letterman: Sen. John McCain, Usain Bolt

Jay Leno: Dr. Phil McGraw, Kevin Farley, Plain White T’s

Late Late Show: Michael Clarke Duncan, Shirley Manson, Jamie Lidell

Conan O’Brien: Jamie Pressly, Little Britain, Lenka

Daily Show: Aaron Eckhart

Colbert Report: Dr. Cornel West

Jimmy Kimmel: Sandra Oh, the first “Dancing with the Stars” castoff, Foals

The View: Alec Baldwin

Regis and Kelly: Richard Gere, America Ferrera

Ellen DeGeneres: Sharon Osbourne, Michelle Monaghan, Wolfgang Puck

Tavis Smiley: Helene Cooper, Charlize Theron, Martin Henderson

Chelsea Lately: Alan Silva, Chris Franjola, Natasha Leggero, Guy Branum

George Stroumboulopoulos: Buzz Hargrove, Greg Kinnear

Bonnie Hunt: Jamie Lee Curtis, 8-year-old golf phenom Elizabeth Wang, Dave Annable

Thursday, September 25

David Letterman: Paris Hilton, Guy Ritchie, Morningwood

Jay Leno: Lisa Lampanelli, the Hives

Late Late Show: Tim Gunn, Elizabeth Reaser

Conan O’Brien: Julianne Moore, Zachary Levi, Jakob Dylan

Daily Show: Bob Schieffer

Colbert Report: Nick Carr

Jimmy Kimmel: Rob Lowe, Chris Bianco

The View: Chandra Wilson

Regis and Kelly: Chris Rock, Vanessa Williams

Ellen DeGeneres: Eric Dane, Kid Rock

Tavis Smiley: Dionne Warwick

Chelsea Lately: Emily Procter, Alex Reymundo, Ben Gleib, Ken Baker

George Stroumboulopoulos: Howard Zinn, Damon Albarn

Bonnie Hunt: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Ingrid Hoffman, Matt Grant

Friday, September 26

David Letterman: Kristen Wiig

Jay Leno: Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Hudson

Late Late Show: Drew Carey, Tony Parker, Lady Antebellum

Conan O’Brien: Brooke Shields, Amos Lee

Jimmy Kimmel: Martin Short, Solange Knowles (R 9/10/08)

The View: Julianne Moore, Candace Bushnell

Regis and Kelly: Victoria Beckham, Usain Bolt, guest co-host Nick Lachey

Ellen DeGeneres: Shia LaBeouf

Tavis Smiley: Geoff Canada, Paul Tough

Chelsea Lately: Finesse Mitchell, Gary Valentine, Erin Foley

George Stroumboulopoulos: Russell Peters, Spike Lee

Bonnie Hunt: Allison Janney, Thom Beers, Michael Clarke Duncan

— Chriss Coats