Yeah, SURE you don’t watch . . .
The family of the late J. Howard Marshall II, the oil millionaire otherwise known as Anna Nicole Smith’s late husband, has a message for fans of E!’s “Anna Nicole Show,” which kicks off its second season Sunday (10 p.m.). “This is just a friendly reminder that despite many media reports to the contrary, Anna Nicole Smith has yet to receive a dollar, farthing, schilling, doubloon or penny from the estate of her late husband,” the family said in a statement released yesterday. Smith and the Marshall family have been battling in court over his vast fortune.
“Despite our differences, we wish Anna the best in her program’s second season. No. The Marshall family doesn’t watch the show.”
E! said yesterday Sunday’s live season opener will be hosted by “Joe Millionaire” butler Paul Hogan.
Please don’t give this man his own show!
Has cocky “Bachelorette” loser Charlie, who lost Trista Rehn to good-guy fireman Ryan Sutter, already developed a star attitude – without actually being a star? Hey, it happens when you try stretching your 15 minutes of fame.
Word from Suede nightclub is that Charlie was there last Saturday night, surrounded by a bevy of beauties for whom he bought drinks and acted the playboy role. Staffers say Charlie ordered two bottles of Ketel One vodka and Bombay Sapphire – then argued with the staff and managers when it came time to pay the bill (reciting the old “Don’t you know who I am?” routine). In the end, Charlie paid for one bottle while the club comped the other.
‘Curb’ appeal could net Susie a sitcom
There could be a sitcom in Susie Essman’s future. Essman, who plays Susie, the foul-mouthed wife of Larry David’s agent, Jeff (Jeff Garlin), on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” leaves today for the Comedy Fest in Aspen. She’ll head to L.A. shortly thereafter to shoot the new “Curb” season. There’s a lot of buzz that Essman is in line to snag a sitcom deal, though nothing is definite yet (she’ll be meetings in L.A.).
And plus-size booted “American Idol 2” contestant Frenchie Davis is rumored to be getting lots of show-biz offers – including a role in a Broadway show. She’s been having her makeup done by Malika Borghese.
This just in . . .
DDH Aviation has dropped its lawsuit against “Dr. Phil” McGraw for unpaid corporate jet rental bills, calling it a “simple misunderstanding among staff members.”
CBS chief Les Moonves to reporters yesterday about ABC’s reality-show trainwreck, “I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!”: “It’s hard to call those people celebrities. If we ever did [that kind of show], it would have to have a higher celebrity [element] than being married to J.Lo or Rod Stewart.”
Ch. 4’s Otis Livingston will be among the panelists at Gallagher’s Steak House today for the Black History Month symposium, “Breaking Down Bar riers.”
Tonight: New York City comptroller Bill Thompson honors Ch. 9’s Brenda Blackmon, Barbara Smith (“B. Smith”) and Inner City Broadcasting chairman Hal Jackson at his African- American History Month awards ceremony.
The Princess Grace Awards were feted with a Telly Award for the video retrospective, “20 Years of Artistic ExcelLence” (Stuart MacLelland/Media Resources).
Last Friday’s “John Walsh Show” (Brandon Vedas’ online drug OD) has been rescheduled for tomorrow (11 a.m./ Ch. 4).