Television - Page 7

AP - When Anna Nicole Smith died in February she left behind an infant daughter, a spurned ex-lover, an estranged mother and a financial legacy so complicated it could take a small army of lawyers years to unravel.

E! Online - Kristine Lefebvre is trading in business suits for her birthday suit. 

The former Apprentice:

AP - The longtime producer for Don Imus' syndicated radio show joined his boss on the unemployment line one week after the disgraced broadcaster was booted from the airwaves for racist and sexist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. More Info...  

E! Online - Don Imus' right-hand man is following his former boss into the radio ether.

Longtime Imus in the Morning executive producer Bernard McGuirk was fired Thursday for what theoretically could be characterized as conspiracy to emit racist and misogynistic remarks. 

McGuirk, the "bald-headed stooge" to Imus' "wrinkled-up old buzzard," was actually the first participant in the now-infamous Apr. 4 conversation about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship to utter the word "ho's," therefore prompting Imus' "nappy-headed ho's" remark about Rutgers University's team. 

But while Imus was fired by CBS Radio on Apr. 12, McGuirk was merely "absent" from the a.m. airwaves this week, during which fellow WFAN-AM personalities Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo filled in, accompanied by regular Imus contributors Charles McCord and sportscaster Chris Carlin.   

Known for his rightwing political leanings and exaggerated impressions of prominent figures such as poet Maya Angelou, New York Cardinal Archbishop Edward Egan and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, McGuirk joined WFAN in 1984 when it was still WNBC. Along with serving as Imus' on-air foil, McGuirk was also in charge of booking the wide variety of politicians, journalists and other notables that constituted the program's prominent guest list. 

But it was probably only a matter of time before McGuirk, who played a larger role in the offending chat than any civil rights group and media outlets calling for Imus' head gave him credit for, was sent packing. 

In addition to calling the Rutgers players "hardcore ho's," the producer also characterized the Scarlet Knights' losing match-up against the University of Tennessee's Lady Vols as "the jigaboos versus the wannabes."

Except for confirming that he had been let go, CBS Radio, which owns WFAN, had no further comment on the decision or on the status of McGuirk's contract. (Let's just say that, while McGuirk's headshot can still be found on the WFAN Website's list of personalities, clicking on his picture leads you nowhere; his bio is still listed at MSNBC, which simulcast Imus until the last week.)

Imus, meanwhile, had recently inked a new five-year, multimillion-dollar deal that now needs settling. 

The station hasn't yet chosen a permanent replacement for Imus, whose show was nationally syndicated on 60 stations and drew approximately 2.5 million listeners a week. Russo and Francesa are scheduled to spend at least one more week in that time slot.

AP - Anna Nicole Smith's mother and ex-boyfriend left a Bahamian court disappointed Friday as the latest closed hearing in the custody dispute over the late Playboy Playmate's infant daughter ended without resolution.

AP - Brandy is being replaced by Sharon Osbourne as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent."

E! Online - Isaiah Washington is in a no-win situation. At least when it comes to an Emmy. 

Coming off a season racked with enough off-screen drama to rival the busiest day at Seattle Grace, the Grey's Anatomy star did not submit his name for Best Supporting Actor consideration this year, according to Washington's publicist. 

"It's all about the acting, not the awards," rep Howard Bragman said Friday, the deadline for actors, producers and so on to throw their hats into the pool in time for the Sept. 16 ceremony. 

Despite having scored his second acting honor in a row at the NAACP Image Awards last month and sharing in the Grey's Anatomy cast's win for Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year, perhaps Washington figured it would be best to lie low in the interim.  

The 43-year-old actor nearly took a scalpel to his career in January when he told reporters backstage at the Golden Globes, where Grey's Anatomy had just been named Best Drama Series, that he never called costar T.R. Knight a "faggot" during an on-set dustup last October. "Never happened," Washington said. 

After much condemnation from ABC, civil rights groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and costar Katherine Heigl (who called Knight her best friend and declared that she was "not okay" with what Washington said), Washington slowly climbed his way out of the doghouse by apologizing profusely, seeking treatment for his behavioral issues and throwing himself back into work with a vengeance. 

Ironically, "Where the Boys Are," the male-bonding episode that supposedly left Washington in a huff regarding Knight's punctuality (the huff that purpotedly prompted the nasty slur), won for Outstanding Individual Episode at the 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards last weekend. 

If Washington had scored an Emmy nod, it would have been his first for the hit show, which lost out to 24 for Outstanding Drama Series last year.

But instead of passing the time this summer waiting for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to announce the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy nominations, Washington will be busy filming the indie thriller The Least of These, playing a Catholic priest who returns to teach at the high school where he was sexually abused as a teenager.

Presumably Washington will be prepping for the fourth season of Grey's Anatomy, as well, although his name was not listed among the list of players whose paychecks got bumped up last month, per trade reports. E! Online's Kristin Veitch reported Friday, however, that rumors suggesting he and Knight are leaving the show (to star in a redo of The Odd Couple, perhaps?) are "completely bunk."

E! Online - Oliver Stone's already done JFK. Now he's ready to tackle G.

Reuters - Filmmaker Oliver Stone will direct a TV commercial questioning the Bush administration's military strategy in Iraq.

Reuters - This inspiring BBC America film about child autism is often excruciatingly difficult to watch. More Info...  

Reuters - Bradley Whitford, Sharon Lawrence and Daryl Hannah are among the celebrities set to get some "green" counseling from Ed Begley Jr. in the second season of HGTV's "Living With Ed."

Reuters - Comedy Central has joined forces with comedian Brian Regan, a regular guest on CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman," for a stand-up tour, TV specials and DVD release. More Info...  

Reuters - In a surprising move, NBC is bringing back theatrical movies -- a genre largely written off by the broadcast networks -- to three high-profile Sunday nights during the May sweep. More Info...  

Reuters - After a month of speculation, NBC said Thursday that Sharon Osbourne will replace R&B singer Brandy as a judge on the network's summer reality series "America's Got Talent." More Info...  

Television News

AP - Sanjaya Malakar said Thursday he did it his way on "American Idol" and he'll take the same approach to a career that he hopes will encompass music, acting, modeling and whatever else comes his way.

Reuters - Broadcast of a video diatribe by the Virginia Tech gunman has reopened the debate over media use of vile or disturbing material that goes back decades to the likes of Son of Sam and the Zodiac killer.

Reuters - "American Idol" underdog Sanjaya Malakar has finally joined the ranks of losers but could end up parlaying his fame into a winning career.

Reuters - U.S. television networks limited broadcasts of a video manifesto by the Virginia Tech killer on Thursday after heavy coverage drew criticism from police and victims' families.

AP - A majority of Americans believe that Don Imus' firing over racist and sexist remarks was appropriate, but whites were twice as likely as blacks to think his punishment was too tough, according to a survey released Thursday. More Info...  

AP - Another day, another list. But what the heck, this one is a "What is Sexy?" rundown from Victoria's Secret.