Television news briefs from Zap2it.com

OPRAH FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN THREATENED

Fans of Oprah Winfrey hoping that she’ll run for president have experienced the first hiccup in their campaign.

The talk show host is trying to put a stop to a Web site, book and toll free phone number that support the proposed 2008 Winfrey presidential bid.

According to a letter found on TheSmokingGun.com, retired Kansas City teacher Patrick Crowe is comitting copyright and trademark infringement by using Oprah’s image as well as her name and the name Harpo, Inc. on his Web site oprah08.net, in his book “Oprah for President” and for the phone number 1-866-OPRAH08.

The Aug. 22 letter from The Entertainment & Intellectual Property Group, LLC attorney Jerry Glover states that the unauthorized use of Winfrey’s name and likeness “fairly implies” that she and her company endorse or sponsor the campaign. The letter points to links to the sale of the book, buttons, bumper stickers and T-shirts as evidence of the site’s commercial use. The law firm requested that Crowe to remove any images from the book and site, change the site’s domain name and stop the use of the phone number and future numbers that would contain the name “OPRAH” or else legal action would be pursued.

Evidently, the threat has been ignored. The Web site, which automatically redirects the reader to the campaign site www.dreamagic.com/oprah that is not owned or operated by Crowe, posted a reaction to the letter.

“It is our right, if not our duty as citizens of the U.S.A., to do what we are doing,” reads the posting. “We will ignore Harpo’s lawyers and defy any court order they might obtain ... after all they DO have a great deal of money and influence ... to attempt to get us to do otherwise. In fact, WE demand an aplogy for the insult and possible injury that their accusations have caused US! If Oprah is behind it, she should apologize herself. However, we will be satisfied for an apology from Jerry Glover, the gentleman who signed his name to the document.”

The campaigners believe that the law firm has no case against them.

“Apparently, these lawyers have never heard of the First Amendment to the U.S. constitution and the `fair use’ exception in copyright law,” reads the site. “Also, concerning their trademark, they must be unaware of the lawsuit brought by Fox News against Al Franken. Al used Fox’s trademarked term `Fair and Balanced’ in the title of a book ("Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right"), which was, of course, a political parody of that very term and Fox’s use of it. Fox’s lawyers were literally laughed out of court, the proceedings taking on the overtones of a comedy routine on `Saturday Night Live.’

“In addition, courts have extensively ruled that using copyrighted material for political purposes is `fair use.’”

The site also states that it has never claimed to be endorsed by Winfrey, since much of their efforts are spent trying to convince her to run in the first place.

The front page of the site features a picture of the smiling talk show host next to the words: “Oprah for President - 2008/Someone we can both love and trust!” It also includes the official theme song, “If Oprah Was President.”

___

`ENTOURAGE’ KEEPS ROLLING

The Hollywood adventures of Vincent Chase will continue into 2007 and beyond.

HBO has picked up a fourth season of its comedy “Entourage,” which scored its first Emmy win (for supporting actor Jeremy Piven) this year and also enjoyed its best ratings in three seasons over the summer. The network has ordered 12 new episodes of the show.

“‘Entourage’ is a standout hit for HBO,” HBO Entertainment President Carolyn Strauss says. “Thanks to a terrific cast and razor-sharp writing and directing, this smart, funny show has become a genuine phenomenon.”

The show’s third season, which focused on Vince’s (Adrian Grenier) career following the blockbuster success of his movie “Aquaman,” averaged about 2.5 million viewers for first-run airings (not counting repeats or on-demand viewing), easily the best of its run so far. The 12-episode run conclude with Vince, who had self-sabotaged his career several times post-"Aquaman," firing long-time agent Ari Gold (Piven).

The series also stars Kevin Connolly as Eric, Vince’s long-time friend and manager; Kevin Dillon as Vince’s older brother Johnny Drama; and Jerry Ferrara as Turtle, Vince’s friend, driver and wannabe music manager.

Season three will resume in early 2007 with eight more shows that will likely be paired with the final episodes of “The Sopranos.” HBO hasn’t set a firm timetable for the fourth season.

___

`SNL’ CUTS BACK FOR 32ND SEASON

Some of the rumors surrounding comings and goings on “Saturday Night Live” have turned out to be true.

The cast of the venerable NBC late-night show will feature only 11 regulars for 2006-07, down from 16 last season. In addition to the previously announced departures of Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch - who are working on NBC’s prime-time comedy “30 Rock” - eight-year veterans Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz have been let go, as has Finesse Mitchell, who’s been with “SNL” since 2003.

The cast for the coming season will be made up of Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson and Kristen Wiig. Meyers will also serve as head writer, along with Andrew Steele and Paula Pell.

About a month ago, a spate of rumors about who might be leaving the show swirled through the media. Sanz and Parnell were mentioned in several stories; others had Rudolph, Forte and Thompson on their way out. Neither NBC nor “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels made any comment at the time.

Poehler, who has co-anchored “Weekend Update” with Fey for the past two seasons, will remain at the fake-news desk this season with a partner to be announced later.

The 32nd season of “Saturday Night Live” debuts Sept. 30, with comedian Dane Cook hosting and The Killers as the musical guest.

___

WILLIAMS-PAISLEY, GISH BOTH PREGNANT

“According to Jim” actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley and “Brotherhood” actress Annabeth Gish are both expecting little bundles of joy.

Williams-Paisley and husband, country star Brad Paisley, are expecting their baby in February, while Gish and hubby Wade Allen will precede the other couple by a month, reports People. It will be the first child for each of the couples.

Paisley announced the news during a Tuesday phone call with Country Music Television.

He married Williams, 35, in March 2003 and was inspired to write the song “Little Moments” about their relationship. Paisley is currently touring the U.S. after having released his latest album, “Time Well Wasted,” last year.

Williams-Paisley stars as Dana on ABC’s “According to Jim.” Her breakout role was as the blushing daughter in the 1991 big-screen remake of “Father of the Bride.” Her other films include “Father of the Bride II” and “How to Eat Fried Worms.”

Gish, 35, met Allen, a martial arts expert, while she played Special Agent Monica Reyes opposite Robert Patrick on “The X-Files.”

She’s also known for portraying President Bartlet’s eldest daughter on “The West Wing.” On Showtime’s “Brotherhood,” she plays fictional Rhode Island State Representative Tommy Caffee’s wife Eileen, who struggles with her weakness for drugs and infidelity.

Her film credits include “Mystic Pizza,” “Beautiful Girls,” “Double Jeopardy” and “The Celestine Prophecy.”

___

`SPACEBALLS’ SERIES ENTERS G4’S ORBIT

The Schwartz will be with G4.

The cable network, which skews heavily towards young male viewers, has acquired the distribution rights to an animated series based on the popular Mel Brooks film “Spaceballs.”

Production on “Spaceballs: The Animated Series” began in early 2005 with the participation of Brooksfilms Limited, MGM and Berliner Film Compane GmbH. Brooks and “Spaceballs” co-writer Thomas Meehan co-wrote the pilot and Meehan will either writer of oversee the writing on all 13 episodes which will premiere on G4 in the fall of 2007.

“As the go-to network for men 18-34, irreverent humor is one of the benchmarks of our programming philosophy, as is animation,” raves G4 President Neal Tiles. “Mel Brooks’ classic movies `Young Frankenstein’ and `Blazing Saddles’ are just as relevant to our young male audience today as they were when they were first released. His brand of humor will resonate well with our viewers.”

In addition to writing duties, Brooks will also voice the characters of President Skroob and Yogurt.

“Spaceballs,” a parody of the “Star Wars” films (among other sci-fi targets), opened in 1987 and starred Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga. Brooks has periodically discussed the possibility of a live-action sequel.

___

`BIGGEST LOSER’ SWEETHEARTS TIE THE KNOT

“The Biggest Loser” winner Matt Hoover and second runner-up Suzy Preston may have lost 252 pounds combined, but they’ve gained a life partner.

The reality show sweethearts were married in a beach ceremony in Jamaica on Tuesday, reports People.

Although the way they met and how they got engaged were both televised, the couple kept the wedding a private affair with only immediate family members in attendance.

Preston wore a Renee Strauss white beach wedding gown, while Hoover wore khaki linen pants and a white buttoned-up shirt. Both bride and groom were barefoot.

The couple plans to stay in Jamaica for their honeymoon.

Hoover and Preston, both 30, met on the second season of NBC’s popular reality show that push overweight people to lose weight and gain self esteem. Behind the scenes, their secret romance blossomed during the eighth week of the show. After the finale, in which Preston was the second runner-up, they had their first date and have been inseparable since, even making an appearance together on NBC’s campy soap opera “Passions.”

In March, Preston accepted Hoover’s live proposal on “The Today Show.”

“I have gone through a lot of changes in the past year,” he said at the time. “I want to keep changing, but I want you to be by my side.”

Preston cites their shared experience as the key to their chemistry.

“I saw him at his worst, absolutely. And he saw me at my worst,” she says. “We have a lot in common. Going through something like we went through is life-changing. We are not the same people we were before all this and we are both at a point in our lives where we know what it’s like to be fat and miserable_and what it’s like to be happy and healthy.”

Past reality shows have spawned other couples, with “Survivor” having a decent success rate considering the unsavory conditions. Sparks flew when Rob Mariano started admiring Amber Brkich’s “slammin’ body and smokin’ ass” during “Survivor: All Stars” and proposed just before she won the $1 million during the show’s finale. Their romance continued through a stint on “The Amazing Race” and a televised wedding special.

Other “Survivor” hookups that have yet to end in matrimony (that we know of) include: “Survivor: Africa” winner Ethan Zohn dating “Survivor: The Amazon” winner Jenna Morasca after they appeared “All Stars” and host Jeff Probst dating “Survivor: Vanuatu” castaway Julie Berry.

Oddly enough, the ultimate dating show, “The Bachelor” and its spin-off “The Bachelorette,” have a spotty track record for lovebirds. In the eleven seasons combined, only two couples remain together: “Bachelorette” Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, who tied the knot on national TV; and Bachelor No. 6 Byron Velvick and Mary Delgado.

The latest “Survivor” currently airs on CBS Thursdays, while “The Bachelor: Rome” premieres on ABC on Oct. 2. The latest season of “The Biggest Loser” premieres Sept. 20.

___

`EXORCIST’ STAR POSSESSED BY `SUPERNATURAL’

Linda Blair, best known as the little girl in “The Exorcist,” will once again delve into dark, unearthly forces.

The actress will make a special guest appearance on The CW’s “Supernatural” opposite Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, reports “Extra.”

In the episode, which airs Nov. 9, Blair plays Diana Ballard, a “sharp and sexy” Baltimore detective who arrests Dean and Sam Winchester on suspicion of murder.

The guest appearance is part of Blair’s career resurgence, which “Extra” profiles in a series of segments entitled “A Star Is Reborn” which began Tuesday.

Blair, 47, is best known as the head-spinning, vomit/expletive-spewing Regan MacNeil in the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist.” The chilling role changed her life: she received an Oscar nomination and death threats; studios typecast her in troubled/abused teen roles; and the scrutiny and pressure led her to life in the fast lane and the eventual self-destruction of her career.

The roles she received after that time had degenerated into mainly exploitative fare. In 2000, Blair joined the cast of the teen pop show “S Club 7 in L.A.” to balance her resume of heavily paranormal/mystery projects. Blair is also well known for her support of animal rights.

“Supernatural” returns for its second season on Sept. 28.

___

© 2006, Zap2it.com. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.