Cricketers Reveal their Favourite Books

In an effort to promote literacy and reading during theWorld Cup, the ICC has entered into a partnership with Room to Read, an organisation that promotes education in developing countries. As part of the efforts to underline the important of reading, a player from each of the fourteen teams competing in the tournament were asked to name their favourite book, and the exercise threw up some interesting surprises.

Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
"I was actually imagining myself as Harry Potter. That's the power of the writer. I thought I could do anything. It was such an engaging tale that I was reading it day and night, at every break."

Shane Watson (Australia)
Open by Andre Aggasi
"I have read many books but my favourite out of all of these is Andre Agassi's autobiography, Open. Throughout the whole book he describes the thoughts and feelings going through his mind so unbelievably well. It is like you, as the reader, are in the moment with him. An amazing man with an amazing story."

Zubin Surkari (Canada)
Life by Keith Richards
"Being a closet rocker, this book was a great look into the life of someone society has labelled a rebel or trouble-maker. On the contrary, his life, although extreme and at times dangerous, started in humble beginnings in what seemed a normal family upbringing with a massive passion for all varieties of music. The book however quickly reassures you about the myth that is Keith Richards and delivers full value on his many years of experience and that of the Rolling Stones. A great read and a window into the life of a real music entertainer.

Luke Wright (England)
Goosebump series by R L Stine
"They were my absolute favourite books growing up and they were the first books I really enjoyed reading when I was about 10. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny and always exciting, the books follow kids dealing with monsters, ghosts and strange goings on. A brilliant read."

Virat Kohli (India)
Open by Andre Agassi
"I like Andre Agassi's autobiography. The author tells the story of his remarkable career, which featured many ups and downs. The best part about the book is that at no point does the author try to project himself as a superhuman. He is as human as you and me, but a champion and an inspiration."

Ed Joyce (Ireland)
1984 by George Orwell
"I first read 1984 when I was about 14 and I can't remember loving reading something as much as I did this book. It was scary and clever in equal measure and I think I finished it in a couple of sittings. I love being able to go back to a book and discover it anew and I must have read it 10 times since. Concepts such as 'doublethink' and 'big brother' were of course introduced in this book and it is interesting to see how these ideas have played out in the years since the book was first published in 1949. Definitely a must-read!"

Steve Tikolo (Kenya)
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
"Nelson Mandela is a legend and an icon who is admired all over the world. When I heard that his biography was out on sale, I told myself this was a book I must read. I have always admired him for his humility and the sacrifices he made in life for the people of South Africa so they could have a free country where everyone lives freely as brothers and sisters. When I read the book I was deeply moved and learned a lot of lessons that have helped me in life."

Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Fazail-E-Amaal by Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi
"This book did affect me as a human being, as well as a Muslim, since the first time I read it in 2003. This book is about the simple life of our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and his sayings. He spent his whole life as a role model for humanity, showing them the right pathway to help and care about others."

Wayne Parnell (South Africa)
The Stand by Stephen King
"I love the thrill and the suspense in his novels. His style of writing has a way of involving the reader, so you can kind of feel like you are in the novel, and there is nothing better than a book that you just can't put down. The reason I fell in love with his books is because when I was younger, my mother and I would spent a lot of time watching movies that recreated his books. As I got older and started reading at school, I chased after his books and became very fond of them."

Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
Talent Is Never Enough by John Maxwell.
"Maxwell has identified 13 choices that we need to make so as to maximise our talent which I found to be very enlightening. This includes teamwork, which divides the effort and multiplies the effect. So, I find the book thought-provoking considering its relevancy in helping me to be the very best that I can be as a cricketer and human being."

Sulieman Benn (West Indies)
Supercat: The authorised biography of Clive Lloyd
"Clive Lloyd is one of the greatest West Indian cricketers of all time and his book gave me a good idea of the challenges he faced and how he overcame them. Reading about his performances and the thinking that went into his game provided me with a good idea of what it means to represent the West Indies and what playing for the West Indies means to the people.

Peter Borren (Netherlands)
Night train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
"I loved this book because it was so thought-provoking. While reading it, one cannot help but question one's own life and the reasons for and the consequences of the decisions we make."

Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child
"The books I'm reading at the moment are my favourite - the Jack Reacher series. I enjoy biographies and autobiographies but I like the action and crime of the Jack Reacher books and they are a great read. I used to read a little bit at school and neglected it through college but have recently got right back into it and am glued to these books."

Graeme Cremer (Zimbabwe)
It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong
"I like this book because I found it inspirational. I read it about a year ago. It is a sports autobiography so I found it particularly relevant to me and my career to see how another sportsman overcame the difficulties he faced in the sporting arena. I found his attitude of resilience in the face of illness and extreme challenges to be particularly motivating."

Kenya, Zimbabwe Continue to Impress

Kenya won their second successive warm-up game, chasing down Ireland's 176 despite losing seven wickets in the end at the ICC Global Cricket Academy. Maurice Ouma led the chase with a patient half-century after Seren Waters and David Obuya had given Kenya a quick start, putting on 46 inside nine overs. Andre Botha, who was the pick of the Irish bowlers, dismissed the openers but Ouma found enough support in Collins Obuya and Rakep Patel to take Kenya closer. A clutch of wickets fell towards the end, but Kenya finally closed out the game in the 46th over.

The fact that Ireland managed what they did was largely due to Ed Joyce. He rebuilt the innings in the company of the tail after Kenya's seam attack had run through seven Irish batsmen for 63 runs. Nehemiah Odhiambo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno and Thomas Odoyo were more than a handful, and despite a steady start at 52 for 2, Ireland lost the next five wickets for 11. But Joyce and Andrew White dug in to take them past 100, and the tail managed to play out all but one of the 50 overs to guide them to 176, which proved too little in the end.

After the win against Afghanistan two days ago, this victory will further boost Kenya's confidence that would have been dented heavily after they lost all five games to sides comprising mostly of age-group players on their recent tour of Indian state Gujarat.

Zimbabwe made short work of Netherlands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, rustling up 249 and then blowing Netherlands away for 134. Brendan Taylor made another half-century at the top of the order, and there were also useful contributions from Tatenda Taibu and Regis Chakabva. But Mudassar Bukhari and Bernard Loots took some quick wickets as Zimbabwe slipped to 158 for 7 at one stage. Graeme Cremer responded with a run-a-ball 42, and together with Prosper Utseya and Shingirai Masakadza took Zimbabwe to the brink of 250.

Chris Mpofu and Elton Chigumbura tore through Netherlands after Ed Rainsford had provided an early breakthrough, taking six wickets between them. Netherlands lost regular wickets and were never in the game, getting bowled out for 134 in the 34th over. Opener Alexei Kervezee's 33 was the highest score for them. Bukhari hammered two sixes in his 28 and Bradley Kruger three fours in his 22, but there was not much else to cheer about.

Afghanistan shot out Canada for 105, and then chased down the target with more than 26 overs to spare in Dubai. Hamid Hassan, the Afghanistan captain, and Shapoor Zadran almost ended the match as a contest soon after Canada chose to bat, sending back half the side with eight runs on the board. But Khurram Chohan and Jimmy Hansra stuck in to make twenties, and Balaji Rao and Harvir Baidwan took Canada just past 100. Mirwais Ashraf ensured Canada didn't have too much of a recovery, taking 4 for 39.

Canada's bowlers tried gamely, but there weren't enough runs to defend. Asghar Stanikzai made a quick 27, and the others chipped in as Afghanistan won comfortably with five wickets remaining.

Hussey Disappointed at World Cup Scratching

A disappointed Michael Hussey has said he felt he deserved a chance to prove his fitness at the World Cup instead of being left out of the squad altogether. Hussey and Nathan Hauritz were told on Tuesday they would not be flying to India with the World Cup touring party due to their ongoing injuries, and would be replaced by Callum Ferguson and Jason Krejza.

However, Hussey believed the selectors could have taken him despite his serious hamstring injury, in a similar move to the handling of Andrew Symonds in the 2007 World Cup. Symonds tore his biceps off the bone a month before the tournament in the Caribbean but remained with the squad, and regained his place in the side during the later stages of the triumph.

"The precedent has sort of been set from the last time with Andrew Symonds," Hussey told reporters. "He came in about the third or the fourth game in the previous World Cup and played a really big part in our team, he was an important part of the team.

"I was hoping that would be the same sort of thing for me really - that they'd give me every chance to have a crack at it at least. I thought I could push for the second game and definitely be right for the third game."

The only way that Hussey will now be any part of the World Cup is if another player is ruled out due to injury once the tournament is under way. Hussey said he wished the selectors had given him some more leeway to recover.

"I feel like I maybe deserved that chance to have a bit of a go at it, but they obviously saw differently so it's disappointing," he said. "It probably just shows that you can't look too far ahead. You've just got to try and enjoy every opportunity you get to play for Australia - every tournament, every World Cup, every game that you get. You've got to enjoy every one because it can sort of all end pretty quickly."

The Australians fly out on Wednesday for their title defence, aiming for a fourth consecutive World Cup triumph. Hussey played all 11 games in Australia's 2007 campaign but didn't have much impact, batting only six times for 87 runs at 17.40, as the top order did most of the damage.

Seymour: 'Wrinkles have boosted career'

Jane Seymour credits her wrinkles with winning her more roles than ever because she's convinced she's the last actress of her age who still has "her own face."

The former Bond girl, who turns 60 next week, refuses to smooth out her fine lines with facial-freezing injections and insists her natural appearance appeals to directors looking to cast older women.

She tells Good Housekeeping magazine, "Recently I've been hired a lot because I'm able to play women who are normal. I think a certain amount of wrinkles show who I am.

"I don't do Botox or any of that kind of thing. And I don't obsess over the odd wrinkled brow or laughter line because as an actress it's incredibly important to have all the pieces moving!"

"I think I'm the only woman of my age in the business who has her own face. I take care of my skin and I'm pretty religious about that. I don't use anything expensive and I know I'm lucky to have good skin."

And the "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" star hopes the Hollywood trend for cosmetic surgery will one day die out.

She adds, "I'm astounded when I watch TV shows and nobody's face moves, or a newscaster is reading about desperate things happening in the world and her face is completely emotionless."

Julianne Hough: I Look Better Blonde

She's rocked every hue from red to brunette, but Julianne Hough told UsMagazine.com she'll always be loyal to her naturally blonde locks.

"I was a towhead until I was probably 17 when I started dying my hair. Now I don't even know what I am," she told Us Thursday at a Proactiv event in NYC.

Clad in a David Meister dress and Ferragamo platforms, the dancer/singer/actress said she often fantasizes about what she'd look like if she'd never switched up her 'do.

"I would never do this, but I would love to shave my head and start over and have my own naturally-colored, healthy, beautiful hair," she laughed. "But in the meantime, I'll just try to take care of it."

The 22-year-old "Burlesque" beauty -- who's currently dating Ryan Seacrest -- admitted that maintaining her mane is one of her biggest beauty splurges.

"It costs a lot of money to get your hair done -- it's not cheap -- but you don't want to ruin it, and you want you go to the best person and the person who's going to keep it healthy," Hough said.

Who's the woman behind the starlet's ever-evolving look? Colorist Tracey Cunningham, who Hough boasts is "actually a really good price considering how many people she does and how great she is. She's amazing."

When she isn't tending to her tresses or prepping for a red carpet event, Hough said her beauty routine is fairly simple.

"The Proactiv refining mask is probably my favorite thing. I have it everywhere -- t always works!" she told Us. "When I'm not working, I never blow-dry my hair. I go to sleep with my hair wet so that there's no heat or anything on my hair. I never wear makeup, and if I do it's just concealer for my eyes and that's it."

Pals: Why Olivia Wilde, Italian Prince Husband Called It Quits

"It was Olivia's decision...for the typical Hollywood reasons," another source close to Wilde tells Us. "Her career has exploded and she saw being married is not as much fun."

PHOTOS: Can you believe these couples' age differences?

Indeed, six months after meeting, the couple eloped (marrying in a school bus in rural Virginia) when Wilde was just 18. The son of late Italian Prince Dado Ruspoli, filmmaker/musician Tao lives in California and, at 35, is nine years older than the sexy House M.D. star.

Continues the pal of Wilde, who has about half a dozen film roles on her plate (including this year's Cowboys and Aliens with Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Sam Rockwell): "She is a hot property now ... it was weighing her down being married."

Her estranged husband, meanwhile, "is heartbroken and really wanted to stay together."

PHOTOS: Olivia's stunning Golden Globes look

Adds a third source: "Olivia got married really young. She's done a lot of growing since then, just like anyone would...they've just grown in different directions."

5 Most Inappropriate Valentine's Day Movies

Anyone can run out and rent a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts for Valentine's Day. Anyone can stream the latest innocuous offering from Drew Barrymore — or Jennifer Aniston, or Kate Hudson.

But it requires real guts to sit down with that special fellow or lady in your life and take in one of these massively uncomfortable choices. So here, without any needless flowery language, are the five most inappropriate movies to watch with someone you love on Valentine's Day:

— "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966): Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor chew up the scenery and tear each other apart as the boozy and bickering husband and wife George and Martha. In adapting Edward Albee's painfully honest play, director Mike Nichols burst onto the scene with this, his first feature ("The Graduate" came the following year). He gets up close and personal to provide an intimate view of the carnage. Burton and Taylor start out slyly needling each other in front of their poor, unsuspecting guests, then humiliating each other, and by the end, they're threatening all-out war. That they were married to each other in real life — for the first time — only added to the intrigue. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards, it won five, including best actress for Taylor's scathing performance.

— "Closer" (2004): Another from Nichols, this time adapting a London stage production by playwright-screenwri ter Patrick Marber. But it's reminiscent of "Virginia Woolf" for its intense performances and raw emotions. Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen and, yes, Julia Roberts fall giddily in love with each other, but don't be fooled: This is the furthest thing possible from a date movie. These inordinately beautiful people do extraordinarily ugly things to one another — Portman, playing a stripper in her first truly grown-up role, commits some of her offenses in little more than a G-string — and the way they destroy each other and themselves is both brutal and breathtaking to watch.

— "Blue Velvet" (1986): Nothing is ever what it seems in a David Lynch movie, and that certainly applies to love, as well. So a severed ear found lying in a field is so much more than just a severed ear — it's the key to a disturbing, underground world of twisted romance. Beneath a veneer of genteel suburbia, Kyle MacLachlan gets sucked into the bizarre lives of Dennis Hopper as a nitrous oxide-addicted criminal, and Isabella Rossellini as his masochistic sexual slave. Voyeurism and depravity, Roy Orbison and Pabst Blue Ribbon all collide hypnotically here. Lynch alternates between glib satire and a much darker, starker exploration of secret fears and desires.

— "Natural Born Killers" (1994): Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis fall in love and kill people, and fall deeper in love and kill more people, and become media darlings in the process. It's sort of romantic ... in its own way. Oliver Stone isn't exactly subtle in his satirical exploration of underserved fame and all its trappings; as is his tendency, he throws everything at us, from various film stocks and frenetic camera angles to an editing style that suggests he cut the film in a Cuisinart. But he was onto something back then, and the thirst for juicy scandal continues to go unquenched, no matter how questionable a person's actions are.

— "Fatal Attraction" (1987): It's long since become a shorthand for stalking — for crazy, clingy women who are too delusional to take "no" for an answer. All you have to do is mention boiling a bunny and everyone knows what you're talking about. But back in its day, believe it or not, people actually took this movie seriously as a suspenseful thriller. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture and best actress for Glenn Close's indelible performance as a spurned, vengeful mistress. If director Adrian Lyne's sleek, steamy film has taught us anything, it's that it is so much easier to stick with your husband or wife than indulge in an afternoon tryst. So maybe this is a good movie to see with the one you love after all.

Mr. Sunshine Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot

Preview of 'Mr. Sunshine':

Ben spends his 40th birthday trying to get rid of a hockey rink that won't melt, looking for an elephant lost in the building, and trying to fix a PR nightmare; Alice ends her casual relationship with Ben.

Airing Details: 9:31 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ABC Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 1

Episode Name: Pilot

Being Erica Season 3 Episode 3 Two Wrongs

Preview of 'Being Erica':

When the future of Erica and Julianne’s new company is threatened, Erica is faced with a choice: “Kill, or be killed”. Erica returns to the site of Leo’s fraternity pledge, where she learns that taking the low road often leads to a dark place.

Airing Details: 11:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: SOAPNET Channel

Episode Details: Season 3 Episode 3

Episode Name: Two Wrongs

Storage Wars Season 1 Episode 12 Auction Royale

Preview of 'Storage Wars ':

They say Las Vegas can make or break you overnight. But when the sun comes up, the real gamblers go to work. The Storage Warriors press their luck at a marathon of auctions. When Darrell Sheets gambles on a locker completely covered with blankets, Brandon questions his father's judgment. Barry Weiss makes a surprising new friend, when appraising a sign from the forties. And in a strange reversal of fortunes, Brandi rolls the dice on a "feeling" while Jarrod tries to hold her back. If Lady Luck doesn't greet the buyers, Dangerous Dave will!

Airing Details: 10:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: A&E Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 12

Episode Name: Auction Royale

Retired at 35 Season 1 Episode 10 David's Room

Preview of 'Retired at 35':

Elaine and Alan battle for David's affections by buying him fancy gifts.You're retired! A hot shot young businessman decides to leave the rat race behind and move into his parents' Florida home. Starring: George Segal, Jessica Walter, Johnathan McClain

Airing Details: 10:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TV LAND Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 10

Episode Name: David's Room

Are We There Yet? Season 2 Episode 12 The Parent Teacher Trap Episode

Preview of 'Are We There Yet?':

When Suzanne gets roped into a committee at Kevin's school where the other moms are mean to her, Nick volunteers to fill in, making things awkward when the ladies love him.

Airing Details: 10:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 12

Episode Name: The Parent Teacher Trap Episode

Top Chef Season 8 Episode 9 Feeding Fallon

Preview of 'Top Chef':

A new spin on fondue; chefs cater Jimmy Fallon's birthday party.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: BRAVO Channel

Episode Details: Season 8 Episode 9

Episode Name: Feeding Fallon

Toddlers & Tiaras Season 3 Episode 16 Southern Celebrity Ohio

Preview of 'Toddlers & Tiaras':

Trophies, crowns, and sashes are all at stake at this year?s Southern Celebrity pageant in Athens, Ohio. The competition is fierce as Isabella, 7, Mercedes, 3, and Tiffany, 8, all vie for the top title and the prize money that goes with it.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TLC Channel

Episode Details: Season 3 Episode 16

Episode Name: Southern Celebrity Ohio

Kevin Smith Lost 65 Pounds After Being Kicked Off Airplane for Being Too Fat

Forget hitting the gym to shed those extra pounds. Just get kicked off a plane for being "too fat" and you'll be so traumatized you'll have to lose the weight!

At least that was the case for Kevin Smith. The director and 'Jay and Silent Bob' star told Joy Behar about his 65-pound weight loss in a high-energy interview that led her to ask, "Are you on Amphetamines?"

Last February, Smith was furious when Southwest airlines threw him off a flight from Oakland to Burbank because they deemed him too fat to fly. He took to his Twitter page to express his rage towards the airline. In one Tweet he wrote: "The @SouthwestAir Diet. How it works: you're publicly shamed into a slimmer figure. Crying the weight right off has never been easier!"

Smith told Behar he "spent most of my life yo-yoing in terms of weight" and likes to wear loose-fitting hockey jerseys that no matter what his weight is. "I call up Omar the tent maker," he joked. "Get me a hockey jersey, and he takes all the rayon, all this material... and makes my jersey. It's a whole team I'm wearing! I'm wearing twelve kids on my chest."

He got serious though, admitting to having mixed feelings about losing the weight. "I sympathize far more with heavier people than I ever will with thin-- I'll never be thin," he told the host. "Let's be honest, I've lost 65 pounds, but nobody's going 'I wanna sleep with you!' They're just like, 'Keep going, you look better.'"

He's still furious about being thrown off the flight last year, and "felt at that moment 'I'll lose the weight, but I'm not putting on thinner clothes.' I'm still the same person I was when I was 65 pounds heavier." He added that "sometimes a fat dude has a lot to offer, if [you] can just get past the blubber."

Best of Pride Fighting Championships Spike Tv Special

Preview of 'Best of Pride Fighting Championships':

It's strictly heavyweights on this episode of the Best of Pride Fighting Championships. Mirko Cro Cop faces Heath Herring and Minotauro Nogueira makes his first title defense against Enson...

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: SPIKE TV Channel

Episode Details: Spike Tv Special

Episode Name:

Restaurant: Impossible Season 1 Episode 3 Salt Works II

Preview of 'Restaurant: Impossible':

A new restaurant with young owners keeps Robert on his toes in this mission. Salt Works II in Wilmington, N.C., prides itself on serving down home cooking, but when Robert steps into the kitchen he finds that they only cook canned food. He immediately jumps into action modernizing the interior and changing the menu while urging the staff to work as a team. In hopes of attracting a new client base to go with the younger feel of the restaurant, Robert hits the streets to bring in the nearby college students. With time running out, he needs to confirm that the staff can execute the new menu so this restaurant can stay afloat.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: FOOD Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 3

Episode Name: Salt Works II

Off The Map Season 1 Episode 5 I'm Here

Preview of 'Off The Map':

Ryan, Ben, Tommy and Mina must save a patient underwater when a scuba trip goes awry; Zee's old flame shows up seeking an unconventional treatment.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ABC Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 5

Episode Name: I'm Here

NOVA Season 38 Episode 6 Smartest Machine on Earth

Preview of 'NOVA':

Jeopardy! challenges even the best human minds. Can a computer win the game?

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: PBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 38 Episode 6

Episode Name: Smartest Machine on Earth

Allison Janney: 'I'll Do This for the Rest of My Life'

If you're searching for the moment when all will be right with the world, it's going to be around 9:30 on Wednesday night, when dynamo actress Allison Janney returns triumphantly to network TV in ABC's 'Mr. Sunshine.' The wonderful 'West Wing' alum and four-time Emmy winner plays a sports arena owner in the goofy comedy, which co-stars another 'Wing'-er, Matthew Perry.

Aside from being a top actress, Janney's also a great interview and tells PopEater what it's like to be discovered by Paul Newman, how 'Juno' is not the film teens recognize her for most, why Meryl Streep gives a mean facelift and how she utilized her considerable height to create a unique and lasting Hollywood career.

"I missed out on being the ingénue, the love interest," Janney, 51, admits. "And I think because of that it's given me a longer shelf life, and I'm happier for that. I want to do this for the rest of my life."

I remember first noticing you in 'Primary Colors.' You had a bit part, and you were hilarious.
Thank you. That's how I got 'West Wing.' Aaron Sorkin saw me in that and thought who's that? Well that's what he told me anyway. I love that story.

In 'Mr. Sunshine' you play the owner of a sports arena.
You never know what happens in these arenas after, like, the Lakers play. The owners have to ring in other acts like rock stars or a circus. It's just a great backdrop for lots of different acts to come in, and it's a great backdrop for our show.

Are you happy to be back on TV?
I just like to shake it up. I'm always "the grass is greener." If I'm doing Broadway I think I want to go back to a movie. If I'm doing a movie I think I want to go back to TV because if I'm doing a movie I'm in a hotel somewhere, and I've got three dogs, and I miss them. I like to do everything. I'm just going to keep doing different things in my career. Also I like the steady paycheck of TV, plus I love Matthew, and it's a comedy, and I get to be as silly as I can be, which is pretty silly. I enjoy being encouraged to be as big as I can be because I usually do go big.

Speaking of, you're pretty tall (6 ft.). Has that ever been a hindrance in your career?
I think the thing it did for me is that when I was younger I was always playing 40-year-old women when I was 28. I had to grow into my height in terms of my age. I missed out on being the ingénue, the love interest, and I think because of that it's given me a longer shelf life, and I'm happier for that. I want to do this for the rest of my life.

You were discovered by Paul Newman?
When I was in college he directed me in a play. He and his wife Joanne Woodward encouraged me to go study in New York. She's always been there for me, a mentor of sorts, and helped me get started because I was timid and not sure of my talents. I wasn't sure I could call myself an actor for a very long time. I finally started getting breaks when I was in my late 30s.

Did you ever feel like giving up?
All the time, all the time. If there was anything else I could do I probably would have done it. I went and did an aptitude test, and they said I'd make an excellent systems analyst, and since I didn't know what the hell that was I stuck with acting.

Does every teenage girl love you because of 'Juno'?
Gosh, I don't know. I do get recognized for it, but I get recognized for 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' more. That's an underground cult film. So many teens come up to me from that.

How cool that you got to play Meryl Streep's lover in 'The Hours.'
I was terrified, and then I met her and got to hang out with her and found her to be so open and easy to be around.

Did she slip you the tongue?
(Laughs) No! But she gave me a nice facelift while she held my face. She was so cute. She was like, "The lighting's not so great, and I'm going to do you a favor." She held my face in a certain way that made me look younger.

Ever worked with any huge a-holes?
Um, oh God, I don't think I've ever had. Actually there is a couple, but I don't feel comfortable talking about it.

Really? And I was just about to ask you for names!
I couldn't, I wouldn't! There are two people in mind. Two people who I would never work with again.

You know I'd give you my first born to get their names.
(Laughs). I couldn't do it. I'm scared I even said that.

Don't worry. You didn't even say if they were male or female.
Oh, that's right.

And besides I don't think Aaron Sorkin ('West Wing' creator) would mind if you said his name.
(Laughs) He is definitely not one!

Boy, he's on a roll right now.
Oh my God. I'm so excited for him right now. It's truly so well deserved. I just wish I was in everything he wrote.

Didn't you say to him, 'Hey I could have played one of those college students!'?
I know! I can do anything! Doesn't everybody know that?

Justified Season 2 Episode 1 The Moonshine War

Preview of 'Justified':

Raylan tangles with a ruthless Harlan County crime family while hunting for a fugitive sex offender.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: FX Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 1

Episode Name: The Moonshine War

Miracle Detectives Season 1 Episode 6 Past Life/Modern Day Mystic

Preview of 'Miracle Detectives':

The Miracle Detectives investigate claims that a boy is the reincarnated soul of a WWII pilot and that a woman experienced stigmata -- the wounds of Christ.OWN

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: OWN Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 6

Episode Name: Past Life/Modern Day Mystic

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 12 Episode 16 Spectacle

Preview of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit':

Detective Stabler investigates a rape that was broadcast across a college campus on videotape

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: NBC Channel

Episode Details: Season 12 Episode 16

Episode Name: Spectacle

Bristol Palin Calls Out Her Hollywood Bullies and Their 'Botched Lipo Procedures'

Who would've guessed Sarah Palin's spawn would be armed with some mighty strong opinions?! E! News host Giuliana Rancic discovered that 20-year-old Bristol Palin might be thrilled with her new life in Arizona, but the 'Dancing with the Stars' alum still holds a serious grudge against a few "bullies" in Hollywood.

"I feel like I'm being pushed around, but I'm strong enough to handle it," Bristol told Giuliana during an exclusive tour of her Arizona home. "It's really strange. There's so many celebs these days who are anti-bullying, but there's an exclusion to that. We have these actors like (Kate Walsh) and Kathy Griffin who are like bullies."

Bristol is referring, of course, to actress Kate Walsh's Twitter remarks against the abstinence advocate giving a college sex talk and Kathy Griffin's infamous remarks about her weight to US troops.

Giuliana asked the young mom and soon-to-be-author if the comedienne's remarks about her being the only contestant on 'Dancing with the Stars' to ever gain weight hurt her feelings. "It didn't just because it was coming from Kathy Griffin of all people," Bristol answered candidly. "I think it just shows her immaturity. I don't think that stuff's funny at all. She just has a weird hate for our family, just like her coming to Alaska and knocking on our front door."

The red-headed funny lady has admitted to having some serious animosity towards the Palin family. She even joked early this year that "in 2011, I want to offend a new Palin" and said she thought it was Bristol's 16-year-old sister Willow's "year to go down."

"It's weird that she'd also pick on my weight when she's had botched lipo procedures andd stuff like that," Bristol said, referring to Kathy's history with bad plastic surgery. "It's just weird that she would pick on something like that with another woman."

Kathy has defended her jokes about Bristol's weight in the past, telling Chelsea Handler, "There's a big difference between being a comedian and bullying. It's our job. It's what we do."

Fantasia Barrino Lands Lead Role in Mahalia Jackson Biopic

Fantasia Barrino, the former 'American Idol' winner and VH1 reality star, is preparing for her return to the silver screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the multitalented performer will be playing the role of Mahalia Jackson, a late American gospel singer, in a feature-film adaption of a book about her life.

Fantasia will portray the singer and civil rights advocate's journey from poverty in New Orleans to a gospel superstar and ardent supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mahalia, an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, passed away in 1982 at the age of 60.

Fantasia's personal life has been tumultuous to say the least. The 26-year-old star overdosed in the fall of 2010, and admitted it was no accident. "I didn't have any fight in me," the singer said in a VH1 'Behind the Music' interview. "I didn't care about anything. I just wanted out. The single mother was accused of stealing another woman's husband and found herself in the middle of a love triangle leading up to her attempted suicide.

Since 'Idol,' the star has written an autobiography titled 'My Life is Not a Fairy Tale,' which was then made into a Lifetime movie in which she played herself. She also starred in a highly-rated VH1 reality show about her life called ' Fantasia for Real.'

This role will be Fantasia's biggest to date since 2006 when she starred in Oprah Winfrey's Broadway revival of 'The Color Purple.'

James Ellroy's LA: City Of Demons Season 1 Episode 4 Dames and Delinquents

Preview of 'James Ellroy's LA: City Of Demons':

After World War II, Los Angeles was marred by an ongoing feud between the LAPD and organized crime. Ellroy explores the Brenda Allen scandal that brought down the entire police department and the unsolved murder of mob princess Susan Berman, who's unsolved, execution-style death in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, 2000, still continues to generate conspiracy theories.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ID Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 4

Episode Name: Dames and Delinquents

I Used To Be Fat Season 1 Episode 7 Kirsten

Preview of 'I Used To Be Fat':

When Daria moved to Atlanta, she went from being a popular dancer to invisible.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: MTV Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 7

Episode Name: Kirsten

Hot In Cleveland Season 2 Episode 3 Sisterhood of the Traveling Spanx

Preview of 'I Used To Be Fat':

This hit sitcom features three glamorous L.A. ladies who find Cleveland is a great place to be, well, hot. Starring Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Betty White.

Aired on: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: MTV Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 7

Episode Name: Kirsten

Greatest Tank Battles Season 1 Episode 6 The Battle of the Bulge: SS Panzers Attack!

Preview of 'Greatest Tank Battles':

In December 1944, an infamous SS tank force leads Hitler's final offensive in the west. This is the story of the Sixth Panzer Army's incredible breakthrough of the American line and subsequent encirclement and defeat.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: MILITARY Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 6

Episode Name: The Battle of the Bulge: SS Panzers Attack!

Tom Cruise, Scientology Under Investigation for Human Trafficking, Free Labor

Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology are reportedly under federal investigation for human trafficking and using unpaid labor, according to the New Yorker (via Huffington Post). The charges surfaced in a profile of Oscar-winning writer-director Paul Haggis ('Crash'), who left Scientology in 2009 after 34 years following a disagreement with church officials.

For the New Yorker profile, entitled "Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology," writer Lawrence Wright spoke to the filmmaker, several former church members and two FBI investigators, who allegedly "assured me [Wright] that the case remains open," referring to a 2009 investigation into abuse claims against the church. Reports indicate the abuse charges relate to, in part, paying church members just $50 per week to meet Cruise's demands, which allegedly included customizing a building and repairing boats and motorcycles.

In a statement, the church and Cruise denied the allegations and any knowledge of the investigation, and said the New Yorker "irresponsibly" used "discredited" sources to write a misleading article in an effort to attract attention.

The New Yorker article is peppered with claims of physical and mental abuse as well as accusations of financial impropriety against David Miscavige, a close personal friend of Cruise and the head of the church. For his part, Haggis told Wright that he resigned from the church because he disagreed with its stance on same-sex marriage (he believes banning it is discriminatory) and caught church spokesman Tommy Davis lying in a 2008 CNN interview by denying the church had a "disconnection" policy that encourages members to disassociate themselves from friends or family who do not support the church.

According to a former Scientologist interviewed by Wright, members who fail the church in some way are often sent against their will to Rehabilitation Project Force camps, described in the article as "punitive re-education camps." One former member, Bruce Hines, claims to have been confined to the camps, where he was forced to do manual labor and spiritual therapy, for over six years.

A spokesman for the church told the New Yorker that members entered the camps voluntarily and were free to leave at any time, and AOL News reports that, according to a federal law enforcement source, investigation into the charges had "fallen short" and charges were not expected to be filed.

The claims against Miscavige allege he lives a lavish lifestyle -- including employing two private chefs, flying on chartered jets and owning a collection of expensive cars and custom made shoes -- as the leader of the church, despite federal laws that forbid the heads of tax exempt groups to profit from their organizations.

The New Yorker notes that it was Miscavige, and not Cruise directly, who ordered the workers to perform manual labor for the actor.

This is not the first time Cruise has faced criticism over his involvement with the Church of Scientology. The once-untouchable star endured a major backlash -- one that has haunted his career since -- from the medical community when he defended the church's stance on mental illness and psychiatry during a heated exchange with Matt Lauer on 'Today' in 2005.

Face Off Season 1 Episode 3 Out of This World

Preview of 'Face Off':

Who can create the most extraordinary extraterrestrial?

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: SYFY Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 3

Episode Name: Out of This World

Desert Car Kings Season 1 Episode 3 Hitchhiker?s Guide to Galaxie

Preview of 'Desert Car Kings':

The Desert Valley crew races to find a higher horsepower engine for a 1962 Ford Galaxie, one of the precursors to the muscle car era. A break-in has the McClure?s worried about securing their treasure trove of classic cars.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: DISCOVERY Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 3

Episode Name: Hitchhiker?s Guide to Galaxie

Clean House Season 10 Episode 3 The Bui Family

Preview of 'Clean House':

Two daughters have become victims of their parent's bad habits. Can Tempestt and her clean dream team save them?

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: STYLE Channel

Episode Details: Season 10 Episode 3

Episode Name: The Bui Family

Spend a Minute in Alex Pettyfer's Hotel Room

Alex Pettyfer might not be a household name yet, but that's sure to change during the next two months. The 20-year-old English hunk stars in 'I Am Number Four' opposite rumored girlfriend Dianna Agron, and next month in 'Beastly' with Vanessa Hudgens.

Pettyfer, who has cheekbones that could cut salami, has modeled for Gap, Ralph Lauren and Burberry. (G'head, Google his name, and you'll come across some bare-chested pics.)

Agron isn't the first co-star that he has been linked to, and last week the two denied that they were engaged. He reportedly dated Emma Roberts, his co-star in 'Wild Child,' and one of his many tattoos are the initials ER. We wonder if he's going to be sporting a DA anytime soon.

The up-and-comer invited PopEater up to his hotel suite to talk shop, plus dish on his previous career and his unconventional breakfast choices. Watch:

Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 14 My Funny Valentine

Preview of 'Blue Bloods':

When a young girl is kidnapped and held for ransom, Danny and Jackie place her drug-addicted boyfriend at the top of their suspect list on the next episode of Blue Bloods.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: CBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 14

Episode Name: My Funny Valentine

Jesse Csincsak Gushes About Fatherhood, Baby Noah

'Bachelorette' and 'Bachelor' stars Jesse Csincsak and his wife, Ann Lueders, welcomed son Noah Theodore into the world last week, and the first-time parents are ecstatic about their new bundle of joy.

"Fatherhood is a blast. It's like hanging out with a mini version of yourself," Csincsak tells PopEater, adding that he and Ann have been working in shifts to get some much needed shut eye.

"She goes to bed at 8PM, and then I take the 8PM to 2AM shift. Then go to sleep at 2AM, when she picks back up from 2AM to 8AM. Then we get up and have breakfast together as a family," he says.

Taking an active role in his son's life, Csincsak isn't scared of a lot of dirty diapers, helping Ann as much as possible as she continues to heal from her emergency C-section. "I think Noah is doing better than all of us," Csincsak jokes. "Ann is good but still slow moving because of the surgery, but she is always smiling. That's one thing I love about her."

Although Noah is only a few days old, Csincsak is a proud papa and excited to teach his son all the joys of living in Colorado.

"I cant wait to show my son all the fun stuff we do on a daily basis that other people pay to come on vacation and do like snowboarding, snowmobiling, camping, jeeping and rafting," he adds.

Are We There Yet? Season 2 Episode 11 The Valentine's Day Episode

Preview of 'Are We There Yet?':

Nick tries to help Kevin with his Valentine's Day at school, but his advice backfires when Kevin gets sent home.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 11

Episode Name: The Valentine's Day Episode

Sons of Guns Season 1 Episode 6 AK-47 Silencer

Preview of 'Sons of Guns':

Will, owner of Red Jacket Firearms, is asked to do something that's never been done - build an internal silencer for an AK-47. The AK is put through sand and ballistics tests. Also, Will builds an 18th century swivel gun replica and fires it from a boat.

Airing Details: 9:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: DISCOVERY Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 6

Episode Name: AK-47 Silencer

My Strange Addiction Season 1 Episode 11 Make-up Addict/Obsessed With Death

Preview of 'My Strange Addiction':

Maureen is obsessed with her make up, wearing 24/7 and disregards the damaging effects it's having on her skin. Meanwhile, Barbara is facinated with the "other side", perferring the company of those who have passed on.

Airing Details: 9:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TLC Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 11

Episode Name: Make-up Addict/Obsessed With Death

Chasing Justice with Dan Abrams Season 2 Episode 2 The House on Murder Mountain

Preview of 'Chasing Justice with Dan Abrams ':

A triple homicide brings police to a house perched high in the California hills. Police track down a suspect, who is convicted. But then, another tragedy occurs in the house and new suspects emerge. Would the trail of clues lead to a new killer?

Airing Details: 9:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ID Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 2

Episode Name: The House on Murder Mountain

Sons of Guns Season 1 Episode 5 Coffee Grinder Gun/Katana

Preview of 'Sons of Guns':

Firearms expert Tiger McKee asks Will, owner of Red Jacket Firearms, to build a gun that Tiger calls the samurai sword for today's warrior -the lightweight AR-15 Katana rifle. Also, Historian Glen finds a rare Civil War Coffee Grinder gun, but is it real?

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: DISCOVERY Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 5

Episode Name: Coffee Grinder Gun/Katana

Operation Repo Season 8 Episode 3

Preview of 'Operation Repo':

First, it's payback time when Lou, Matt, and Froy stake out the baseball bus that got away - and this time, they've got a foolproof plan. Then, Lou, Matt, and Froy head to a late-night construction site to repossess an enormous crane. And, Sonia and Froy face their worst nightmare when a gang of bikers follows them back to the office.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TRUTV Channel

Episode Details: Season 8 Episode 3

Episode Name: EPISODE: 3

Is America Ready for a Black Regis? 'ET' Star Kevin Frazier Has Doubts

'Entertainment Tonight' lead correspondent Kevin Frazier laughed off reports that he should be in the hunt to take over for the great Regis Philbin when he retires, telling me he thinks America may not ready for a black Regis.

"I don't think a black man's getting that gig," Kevin told me this weekend as we hit up GQ's stellar Super Bowl party.

But didn't America just elect its first African-American president, I asked. "Exactly, and they might have drawn the line at one!"

Kevin may have been having a laugh with me on the red carpet, but he actually has a point: There aren't very many persons of color being mentioned to replace Regis on 'Live.' (Anderson Cooper, Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Rinna have been named.)

"'Live with Regis and Kelly' has always been a very white show. It's fill-in anchors couldn't get any whiter than Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris," laughed one TV executive. "We still have a long way to go when it comes to seeing people of color on TV and magazine covers."

For more scenes from Super Bowl weekend, tune in to 'Naughty But Nice With Rob' on Saturday at 1PM or 7PM, exclusively on HDNet.

NOVA Season 38 Episode 5 Making Stuff: Smarter

Preview of 'NOVA':

Explore a new generation of ingenious materials, from clothes that monitor your mood to real-life invisibility cloaks.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: PBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 38 Episode 5

Episode Name: Making Stuff: Smarter

Vanished from Alcatraz National Geographic Special

Preview of 'Vanished from Alcatraz':

NGC investigates one of the most intricate prison escapes in history three tireless inmates break from the fortresslike Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary and brave the frigid waters in a handmade raft. For nearly 50 years, it was assumed that these men drowned, but what if they didn't? NGC goes inside the U.S. marshals' investigation following the complex and tantalizing leads they've tracked to close this case.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: NGC Channel

Episode Details: National Geographic Special

Episode Name:

My Strange Addiction Season 1 Episode 10 Eats Glass/Bleaches Skin

Preview of 'My Strange Addiction':

Josh enjoys a glass of champagne, not for the bubbly, but for the crunch of the glass as he bites into it. He eats glass, light bulbs and bullets for attention. Meanwhile, college student Candice, believes bleaching her skin will make her more accepted.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TLC Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 10

Episode Name: Eats Glass/Bleaches Skin

Modern Family Season 2 Episode 14 Bixby's Back

Preview of 'Modern Family':

Claire and Phil decide to reprise their role-playing adventure from the previous year; Jay's elaborate Valentine's surprise for Gloria keeps

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ABC Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 14

Episode Name: Bixby's Back

Cynthia Nixon and Partner Christine Marinoni Welcome Baby

Cynthia Nixon and her partner of seven years, Christine Marinoni, have welcomed a baby boy, PEOPLE reports.

Marinoni, an education activist who began dating the 'Sex and the City' actress in 2004, gave birth to son Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni on Monday. The couple announced their engagement in 2009.

Marinoni's rep says of the new mom, "Christine and baby are doing great."

Nixon, who has two children with former partner Danny Mozes, told The Advocate of her bride-to-be, "I feel like Christine is so amazing with our kids -- because they're our kids. I feel like falling in love with her is part of being amazed at how she makes our family so much better."

Max is the first child for Nixon and Marinoni, who intend to tie the knot when gay marriage becomes legal in New York.

Minute to Win It Season 2 Episode 11B There's No Place Like Home

Preview of 'Minute to Win It':

Two Kansas natives put on their sparkly red shoes and compete in the 60 Second Circle!

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: NBC Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 11B

Episode Name: There's No Place Like Home

Man v. Food Season 3 Episode 38 The Meat Shall Inherit the Earth

Preview of 'Man v. Food':

Man v Food: The Carnivore Chronicles takes a look back at meaty memories gone by, with special behind-the-scenes commentary and brand new footage from some of Adam's top carnivorous haunts. In episode 16, Adam goes to Phoenix to rock a giant hot dog made famous

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: TRAVEL Channel

Episode Details: Season 3 Episode 38

Episode Name: The Meat Shall Inherit the Earth

Biographer: Kerouac Would Be 'Very Pleased' With Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund in 'On the Road'

Don't look now, but Beat novelist Jack Kerouac's seminal masterpiece 'On the Road' is about to get the tween treatment. The film adaptation draws on a fresh-faced cast, including 'Tron: Legacy' star Garrett Hedlund, newcomer Sam Riley and Bella Swan herself, Kristen Stewart, a teeny-bopper trifecta sure to draw hordes of 'Twilight' fans. The first production still (above) from the hotly anticipated film was recently released and has Kerouac fans around the world talking.

While some have questioned the casting choices, others think director Walter Salles was spot-on in picking Stewart, Hedlund and Riley to play Kerouac's iconic characters. "Well, the irony of it all is that Marylou [Stewart's character] was about 17 in 'On the Road,' and Kristen Stewart kind of looks like what I imagine she looked like," says Dennis McNally, Grateful Dead historian and author of 'Desolation Angel,' the definitive Kerouac biography. "I met Salles, the filmmaker. He was doing a lot of advance research. And while 'On the Road' as a film project always seemed jinxed to me -- ['Godfather' director Francis Ford] Coppola's been trying to make it since the 1970s -- I wish him well."

At first glimpse, it certainly seems a poor fit to cast baby-faced Riley as Kerouac's alter ego and innocent-seeming, blue-eyed Hedlund as Kerouac's stand-in for Neal Cassady, a charismatic speed-gobbling chatterbox. Thankfully, 'On the Road' is also backed by veteran talent such as Viggo Mortensen, Terrence Howard, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi and Elisabeth Moss. And then there's Kirsten Dunst.

McNally is certain the Beat novelist would approve. "Kerouac wanted to see his movie made," he says. "He was hoping for Brando at the time. But I suspect he'd be very pleased."

Salles' project, which was filmed around the world, from Arizona, California and Louisiana to Argentina, Canada and Mexico, has yet to secure a U.S. distributor but is expected to be released later this year.

The film has been stuck in preproduction hell for decades. Coppola bought the film rights in the 1970s, and Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell have both been lined up for lead roles at different points in the book's journey to the big screen. Marlon Brando was at one time slated to play Dean Moriarty opposite Kerouac himself as Sal Paradise. In a 1957 letter from Kerouac to Brando, discovered while Salles' film was in production, Kerouac assigned the roles himself:

"I'm praying that you'll buy 'On the Road' and make a movie of it. Don't worry about the structure, I know to compress and re-arrange the plot a bit to give a perfectly acceptable movie-type structure: making it into one all-inclusive trip instead of the several voyages coast-to-coast in the book, one vast round trip from New York to Denver to Frisco to Mexico to New Orleans to New York again. I visualize the beautiful shots could be made with the camera on the front seat of the car showing the road (day and night) unwinding into the windshield, as Sal and Dean yak."

Kerouac continued to give Brando the hard pitch:

"I wanted you to play the part because Dean (as you know) is no dopey hotrodder but a real intelligent (in fact Jesuit) Irishman. You play Dean and I'll play Sal (Warner Bros. mentioned I play Sal) and I'll show you how."

Will the film version jolt a new generation like the book did, sending countless wide-eyed seekers on the road searching for kicks armed with hip flasks and cranked on jazz? It's anyone's guess.

Minute to Win It Season 2 Episode 11A There's No Place Like Home

Preview of 'Minute to Win It':

Two Kansas natives put on their sparkly red shoes and compete in the 60 Second Circle!

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: NBC Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 11A

Episode Name: There's No Place Like Home

Human Target Season 2 Episode 13 Marshall Pucci

Preview of 'Human Target ':

Chance's investigation into Ilsa's late husband's past uncovers a web of deception and lies that may tear the team apart forever.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: FOX Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 13

Episode Name: Marshall Pucci

Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher Transformation Revealed

Meryl Streep is set to play Margaret Thatcher in the biopic 'The Iron Lady,' now filming in London. A convincing photo released today shows just how real the transformation will be for Streep, 61.

"The prospect of exploring the swathe cut through history by this remarkable woman is a daunting and exciting challenge," Streep said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervor and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses -- I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own."

Thatcher, England's first female prime minister, is now 85; she served in office from 1979 to 1990. Our gut reaction -- seriously, look at that photo! -- says this portrayal of the British icon will rank alongside Helen Mirren's take on Queen Elizabeth II in 2006's 'The Queen.'

Entertainment Weekly is equally wowed, writing: "Pearl necklaces and button earrings will make anyone look like a politician -- see: every impression of Hillary Clinton, ever -- but it takes a special kind of talent to hold one's face in a stress position for an entire movie. Meryl Streep! She can do everything."

'The Iron Lady' centers around the build-up to the 1982 Falklands War, between the U.K. and Argentina. The film will mark the second theatrical release for female director Phyllida Lloyd, who worked with Streep on 'Mamma Mia!'

Reagan HISTORY Special

Preview of 'Reagan':

When Ronald Reagan left office in January 1988, journalist Bob Schieffer reflected that even after eight years in office, there still remained "an air of mystery" about the 40th President--just who was Ronald Reagan and what made him tick? While no historian would be so bold as to say he or she can define Ronald Reagan the man, this two-hour special constructs a portrait using the defining moments of his 93 years. From his impoverished and nomadic childhood to his arrival as a Hollywood star; his ascent as a union president to a voice for the conservative movement; his position as Governor of California to his ultimate role as Commander in Chief, the special provides insight as to how each moment informed the man and shaped a President. Interviewees include Former White House Correspondent Sam Donaldson, CNN Political Analyst David Gergen and Former Secretary of State George Shultz.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: HISTORY Channel

Episode Details: HISTORY Special

Episode Name:

Ghost Hunters International Season 2 Episode 25 Shadows In The Dark: Scotland

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: SYFY Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 25

Episode Name: Shadows In The Dark: Scotland

Friday Night Lights Season 5 Episode 13 Always

Preview of 'Friday Night Lights':

The Taylors face several decisions that could change their lives forever.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: DIRECTV Channel

Episode Details: Season 5 Episode 13

Episode Name: Always

Criminal Minds Season 6 Episode 14 Sense Memory

Preview of 'Criminal Minds':

The BAU is summoned to Los Angeles to investigate a series of unusual murders, and Emily sheds some light on her past before she joined the BAU.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: CBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 6 Episode 14

Episode Name: Sense Memory

Teasing From Brothers, Michael Included, Still Pains Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson reveals that she "never, ever felt attractive" and that she is still grappling with the untimely death of her brother, Michael, in an exclusive interview with Meredith Vieira on the 'Today' show and Dateline NBC.

While discussing her new book, 'True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself,' Jackson talks about her troubled childhood, her relationship with her famous family and her lifelong struggle with her self-esteem and her weight.

In the book, which debuts Feb. 15, Jackson writes that even while her hit album, 'Rhythm Nation,' was topping the charts, "I hated what I saw in the mirror. I would literally bang my head against the wall because I felt so ugly."

That self-loathing, she tells Vieira, stems from her childhood, when she would compare herself to her sister, Rebbie. "I never, ever felt attractive," she says. "And I still have issues with it. I don't bang my head up against the wall, but I still have those moments. And I think it'll probably continue, but at least I know how to deal with it now. And I'm in a much better space."


Part of her insecurity stems from being teased as a child by her brothers, who called her everything from a horse and a pig to a cow and a slaughter hog, she says. Her brother, Michael, she says, would tease her about her butt. "He never meant for it to be cruel," she says. "He didn't realize what the effect that it was having on me ... And it really affected me."

Still, she never told Michael that his verbal jabs hurt her because that was "just the kind of kid that I was. I never did. Never, ever did. Never said, 'You know, that really hurts me when you say that.' I got called a lot of names, a lot of names. I would laugh about it."

"I guess some people could say, 'Oh that's, you know, brothers and sisters joking, it's all affection, it's all, you know, it's in a loving way.' But not everybody can brush it off, and I was one of those."

During the interview, Jackson opens up about her father, Joseph, saying that she feared him as a child. She talks about how her father hit her with a belt when she got out of the bath as a young child. "That was the only time my father ever whupped me," she says.

"And I can't even remember what I did, but I remember it happening. And I don't think I deserved it. I don't think it should have ever happened. A lot of times I felt that my father would take things out on us because of ... I don't know, issues outside of the home. But we were, we were afraid of my father, growing up."

She says she wished he could be like other fathers. But clearly he wasn't. "My father and I, we've gone through our moments, we've had a different kind of relationship ... My father was never there the way I really wanted a father to be ... I would see my friends interact with their dad, and I would say to myself, "That's what I want to do. I want to be able to sit on his lap. I want to be able to call him, 'Dad.'"

"He said, 'I'm Joseph to you. You do not call me Dad.' See, you're gonna start me to going here. That affects you as a kid ... I know my father loves me. He just has a very, very different way of showing it."

Jackson also opens up about losing her brother, "Mike," to whom she dedicated the book. She writes about how close they were growing up. "Mike named me Dunk, and we shared every dream, every confidence. I was his little sister."

She tells Vieira, "We had each other's back. But, later on in life, certain things that he was going through ... I tried to be there for him as much as I could."

Jackson last saw her brother two days before her birthday and says that she told him that she loved him. It was "the last thing we said to one another. I said, 'I love you.' He says, 'I love you, too, Dunk.'"

She says it took her a long time to be able to watch his videos and listen to his music because the pain was too great. "I was in Paris," says Jackson. "At some point you have to move on."

"There's still not a day that goes by where I don't think about him. Not one day. And -- kind of pushing myself, forcing myself, to a certain degree, to get over this because it's -- it's not the healthiest."

"I just spent the night just watching all his videos, listening to his music. And there was moments when I -- I felt the cry, and moments that made me laugh. And, it was good for me. I needed it. Out of everyone in my family, I never had that moment to cry about his death.

"I don't know if it was trying to shield the pain, or just trying to hold it all together because I saw that everyone else around me was falling apart. And never, never taking that moment to really grieve. Really grieve, even at the service."

When Vieira asked her if she really did grieve that night in Paris, Jackson replied, "There's more to come. I know there's more to come."

The interview airs Feb. 11 and Feb. 14 on Today and Feb. 13 on Dateline NBC.

Better With You Season 1 Episode 13 Better with Valentine's Day

Preview of 'Better With You':

Casey's Valentine's Day plans for Mia inspire Ben and Joel to break their rule of never buying expensive gifts for their ladies.

Airing Details: 8:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ABC Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 13

Episode Name: Better with Valentine's Day

Camille Grammer Not Joining New York 'Housewives,' Despite Rumors

Could the 'Real Housewives of New York City' handle another dramatic addition to the cast? For a moment it seemed like a possibility, but Bravo has shot down reports that Beverly Hills housewife Camille Grammer would join the East Coast cast, according to E! News.

Grammer, who Bravo host Andy Cohen once remarked was "one of the most hated 'Housewives' ever," appeared on the debut season of the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.'

After a tumultuous season and countless spats with castmates, rumors started swirling that the blond bombshell might switch coasts to join the New York cast.

Not so fast, according to Cohen.

"Not true by a mile," he tweeted this week when asked about Grammer's rumored move.

He also debunked reports last week, tweeting, "Where do they come up w/ some of it -Camille on RHNYC?? THAT might make my head explode!"

Why all the rumors? Perhaps it's because Bravo has delayed the next season of the NYC 'Housewives,' opting instead to air a brand new set of housewives in Miami. The move had people speculating that the New York cast didn't bring enough drama this season without former cast member Bethenny Frankel.

But for now, maybe it's best for Grammer to stay on the West Coast, especially since she just reached a divorce agreement with ex-husband Kelsey Grammer, who is set to marry Kayte Walsh later this month in New York.

Tina Fey Swears She's Not a 'Crazy' Working Mom

Tina Fey certainly knows a thing or two about juggling a successful career and being a mom. She opens up about the demands of working mothers in her article in The New Yorker, aptly titled 'Confessions of a Juggler,' according to Us Weekly.

Fey is mom to 5-year-old Alice, with husband Jeff Richmond, and writes that people often look at her with "accusatory eyes" when trying to figuring out how she does it all.

"Sometimes I just hand them a juicy red apple I've poisoned in my working-mother witch cauldron and fly away," she jokes in the article.

Perhaps her "working mom" struggles can be turned into a script?

"There's another great movie idea! Baby Versus Work: A hard-working baby looking for love (Kate Hudson) falls for a handsome pile of papers (Hugh Grant)," she writes. "I would play the ghost of a Victorian poetess who anachronistically tells Kate to 'go for it.'"

She continues, explaining the "dangers" of being a working mother.

"It is less dangerous to draw a cartoon of Allah French-kissing Uncle Sam ... than it is to speak honestly about [working moms]," writes the '30 Rock' star.

And what about the stigma attached to "older" women working in Hollywood?

"I know older men in comedy who can barely feed and clean themselves, and they still work," she writes. "The women, though, they're all 'crazy.' I have a suspicion that the definition of 'crazy' in show business is a woman who keeps talking even after no one wants to f**k her anymore."

American Idol Season 10 Episode 9 Auditions 7: San Francisco, California

Preview of 'American Idol':

Aspiring singers try to impress judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler in the final set of auditions, held in San Francisco. Ryan Seacrest presents

Airing Details: 8:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: FOX Channel

Episode Details: Season 10 Episode 9

Episode Name: Auditions 7: San Francisco, California

Sym-Bionic Titan Season 1 Episode 13 The Demon Within

Preview of 'Sym-Bionic Titan':

Lance turns into a creature at night after being bitten by a Mutraddi beast.

Airing Details: 7:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: CARTOON Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 13

Episode Name: The Demon Within

Chasing Justice with Dan Abrams Season 2 Episode 1 When the Smoke Clears

Preview of 'Chasing Justice with Dan Abrams ':

A cold case involving a young woman, Christie Fleming, who has been murdered in her own home. Clues are scarce until detectives profile the victm and reconstruct the murder. They close in by getting helpful clues... from the victim herself.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ID Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 1

Episode Name: When the Smoke Clears

Throwdown with Bobby Flay Season 9 Episode 5 Mini Cupcakes

Preview of 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay':

What happens when a 6 foot 5 inch guy decides to open up a bakery that makes the best cupcakes around? You get 'Big Man Bakes" of course! Cupcakes are the hottest food trend, but William "Chip" Brown was ahead of the curve when he opened "Big Man Bakes" now LA's biggest little bakery in town. What will happen when chef Bobby Flay brings his best mini's west to put them to the test against LA's sweetest tastemaker. It's a mini cupcake Tinseltown Throwdown!

Airing Details: 8:30 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: FOOD Channel

Episode Details: Season 9 Episode 5

Episode Name: Mini Cupcakes

NOVA scienceNOW Season 5 Episode 4 How Smart are Animals?

Preview of 'NOVA scienceNOW':

Dogs, dolphins, parrots, and even octopuses (mere mollusks!) may be smarter than you think.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: PBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 5 Episode 4

Episode Name: How Smart are Animals?

The Middle Season 2 Episode 14 Valentine's Day II

Preview of 'The Middle':

Frankie is happy when Axl asks her to help him choose a present for his mysterious new girlfriend; Mike accidentally embarrasses Brick; Sue

Airing Details: 8:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: ABC Channel

Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 14

Episode Name: Valentine's Day II

Kim Kardashian Takes the Stage at Prince Concert

It was a surprise appearance no one saw coming. Kim Kardashian was pulled on stage at Madison Square Garden Monday night by the headlining act: Prince.

According to RadarOnline, the reality star attended the concert with boyfriend Kris Humphries and was shocked when the music legend brought her out on stage.

"OMG Prince just pulled me up on stage!!! I'm shaking!!!!" Kardashian tweeted from the concert, posting a picture of herself on stage. "I was so nervous I froze when Prince touched me!!!!"

Perhaps Prince wasn't pleased with her lack of dancing skills, booting her from the stage when she got a little nervous, according to E! News.

Even Humphries admitted his girlfriend had a bit of stagefright.

"Kim got shy on stage," he tweeted. "She looked gorgeous though!"

But it wasn't the last time the crowd would see Kardashian. The singer brought her back up two hours later for an encore.

"Went up on stage AGAIN! This time I redeemed myself!" she tweeted. "We all danced while Prince played the piano! Wow! What a night!"

Kardashian isn't the first celebrity Prince has brought on stage recently. He serenaded 'Gossip Girl' star Leighton Meester at his Jan. 20 concert and even brought late night host Jimmy Fallon up to play the drums.

Live to Dance Season 1 Episode 7 Finale

Preview of 'Live to Dance':

Don't miss the finale of Live to Dance! See who will be crowned the winner.

Airing Details: 8:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: CBS Channel

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 7

Episode Name: Finale

Is Blake Lively Taking Over as Carrie Bradshaw?

For fashionistas and television fans alike, there is nothing more sacred than 'Sex and the City.' Now, new rumors are swirling that the smash HBO show and movie franchise could be hitting the big screen again -- as a prequel starring Blake Lively.

Grazia magazine reports that 'SATC' creator Michael Patrick King has expressed interest in bringing Candace Bushnell's Carrie Bradshaw-centered prequels to life. The books focus on Carrie's teenage years in 'The Carrie Diaries' and her move from Connecticut to NYC in 'Summer and the City.'

Though images of Sarah Jessica Parker & Co. gallavanting around Manhattan may be ingrained in our minds, studio execs are eyeing 'Gossip Girl' star Lively to fill a younger Carrie's Manolos. No word yet on who they are looking at for the rest of the gang.

"There are no plans to bring SJP and the other girls back together in the old format," said an insider close to the project. "The prequel is about breathing new life into the story and exploring Carrie's first few months in NYC and the beginning of her relationship with an older man."

However, the project and casting are just rumors -- for now.

What do you think? Would Lively make a good Carrie Bradshaw? Or should Hollywood leave the 'Sex and the City' franchise alone?

Grey's Anatomy Season 7 Episode 6 These Arms of Mine

Preview of 'Grey's Anatomy':

A documentary film crew visits the hospital six months after the shooting to document the road to recovery for doctors and patients.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: LIVING Channel

Episode Details: Season 7 Episode 6

Episode Name: These Arms of Mine

Simon Cowell Dishes on Upcoming 'X Factor'

After yesterday's $5 million announcement, Simon Cowell took to the phone to talk to reporters about 'The X Factor.' Anticipation is high for the fall premiere of the American incarnation of a show that rivals the Parliament as a British national institution.

Asked about the unprecedented prize the winner will take away, along with a recording contract with Sony, Cowell admitted to being just a little bit nervous about the seven-figure stakes but believes he can find a deserving star. "The money rightly puts an enormous amount of pressure on people," said the reality TV mogul.

The winner will receive a $1 million check once a year for five years, from which recording and marketing expenses will not be deducted. "This is not a dressed-up $5 million," said Cowell in the media conference call.

And those concerned that an inexperienced nobody thrust into the limelight might blow the money on hookers and drugs, need not worry. The winner will receive financial advice on how best to manage their winnings. Whew!

That's all well and good, but what we're really clamoring for is any word on who Simon deems worthy enough to sit next to him on the judges' panel. We should expect an announcement regarding 'The X Factor's' judges' roster "in three or four weeks," Cowell said.

Will Paula Abdul be one of them? "I'm a massive fan of Paula's. When you work with somebody as long as I did with Paula ... we were friends 80 percent of the time and interestingly, we've been in contact (after 'Idol'). I'm not going to say on this call who we are going to confirm or not confirm, but we're talking to a number of people."

On that note, expect the phones of only those sitting atop the music industry to ring with calls from 'X Factor' producers. With pressure on the judges to not only critique the contestants but also mentor them, the live portion of the show will be ultra-competitive and Simon is looking for some true music heavyweights who can back up their criticism as well as coach the contestants.

"I got bored of just judging," said Cowell. "I wanted to make a show where I, along with my fellow judges, help competitors on a regular basis." Cowell, whose music industry experience is mostly on the record label end, wants to replicate that experience on 'The X Factor.' "It's more interesting to me because I have a lot more to do with that. When you lose an artist, part of you has lost as well. You win when they win."

While we have no idea who Simon has his eye on for the panel, he did emphasize the level of commitment the judges will need to make to not just the show, but the contestants. Once the live show is underway, the panelists will need to be available five to six days a week to work with the contestants. Which means the judges will be just as competitive as their charges.

With that level of personal investment in the contestants, Simon acknowledged the effect it will have on the panel's judgment. "It makes it amusing to judge other judges' contestants," said Cowell.

A few other interesting 'X Factoids' from the call:

• No specific Sony label has been secured yet. The winner will be assigned to the in-house label that best fits their style

• The judges won't be the only ones critiquing the auditions. Contestants will audition in front of 4,000 to 5,000 fans, which Simon likened to a concert performance.

• There's no age limit on 'X Factor' contestants, unlike 'American Idol,' which cuts off at 28. After happening upon Susan Boyle via 'Britain's Got Talent,' Cowell believes a star can be found at any age. Which means we can look forward to seasoned 40-year-olds duking it out with 12-year-olds.

'The X Factor' premieres this fall on Fox. See more at TV Squad.

The Joy of Teen Sex Season 1 Episode 4

Preview of 'The Joy of Teen Sex':

Eighteen-year-old Sammy comes to see Dr Rachael because she is worried she may be allergic to sperm. And 19-year-old Josh is desperate to lose his virginity.

Airing Details: 10:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: Channel 4

Episode Details: Season 1 Episode 4

Episode Name: EPISODE: 4

Panorama Season 59 Episode 6 Forgotten Heroes

Preview of 'Panorama':

Colonel Tim Collins, whose eve of battle speech before the invasion of Iraq brought him international fame, meets the soldiers who return home only to find that their service for Queen and country counts for little on civvy street.

In a Panorama Special, Collins meets veterans who struggle to find work and housing. He sleeps rough on the streets of Brighton with a former soldier who's spent much of the past six years either on the streets or in jail.

Airing Details: 9:00 PM on February 9th, 2011 - Wednesday

Channel: BBC One Channel

Episode Details: Season 59 Episode 6

Episode Name: Forgotten Heroes