Scene One: Take One...........Greetings and happy holidays to everyone, I'm still waiting for my first snow here in Los Angeles, so while I'm waiting, lets get to the news.....……

And Now On With The Show...............James Cromwell ("Babe") has signed to do a four-episode guest-star stint on NBC's "ER." He will play a revered bishop who, after taking a nasty fall, is admitted to the hospital, where he is treated by Dr. Kovac (Goran Visnjic). The first of the four episodes is set to air at the beginning of next year. Cromwell received a 1995 Oscar nomination for supporting actor for his role as Farmer Hoggett in "Babe." His feature credits also include "The Green Mile," "L.A. Confidential" and "Space Cowboys." He recently completed the remake of the Orson Welles classic "The Magnificent Ambersons" for RKO. On the television side, he received an Emmy nomination this year for his portrayal of William Randolph Hearst in "RKO 281," the HBO telefilm about the making of "Citizen Kane," and co-starred in CBS' live production of "Fail Safe." During the 1970s and '80s, he was a regular on several series, incl! uding "Hot L Baltimore" and "Easy Street." ..................

Pax-TV has picked up a full, 13-week order of the new series "Doc," starring Billy Ray Cyrus. The one-hour weekly drama, which kicks off with a two-hour movie premiere in March 2001, begins filming this month. Cyrus plays Clint Cassidy, a country doctor from Montana who moves to New York. Songs from Cyrus' "Southern Rain" album will be featured in various episodes, either as performances or as background music.............

The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (Elektra) became the best-selling album of all time by reaching sales of 27 million copies, according to the November certifications issued by the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA). The album had been tied with Michael Jackson's "Thriller," which stands at 26 million units. The Eagles' cumulative album sales now total 66 million, which places the group seventh, behind the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Garth Brooks, Elvis Presley, Billy Joel, and Pink Floyd.................

Rocker and soap opera star Rick Springfield will take the stage as the lead in MGM Grand's production show "EFX" next month, company officials announced Tuesday. Springfield will make his debut Jan. 30, the same day his new album, "Rick Springfield Alive - Greatest Hits Live," will be released. The performer replaces Broadway star Tommy Tune, whose last performance in the $75 million stage production will be Jan. 13, said Richard Sturm, president of MGM Mirage Entertainment and Sports. Springfield and the creators of "EFX" plan to infuse added elements of rock 'n' roll into the show to capitalize on the success of the rocker's 30-year career. "EFX" opened in March 1995 with "Phantom of the Opera" star Michael Crawford in the lead followed by former teen idol David Cassidy. "The vibe in the city is so much different and healthier than before," Springfield said. "I am really looking forward to performing live in Las Vegas"..................

Dudley Moore, battling a rare, incurable brain disorder similar to Parkinson's disease, is outraged over media reports that he's on his deathbed. "I suppose my imminent death will sell papers, while my positive and life-affirming work is of no interest to anyone," Moore said in an e-mail "Open Letter to the International Press" relayed by his publicist Michelle Bega. "I am hurt and discouraged by your cruelty, and I challenge you to set the record straight by printing this statement," said the "Arthur" star, who has been undergoing treatment for progressive supra-nuclear palsy. "He is continuing to make excellent progress in his treatment and recovery," Bega said. It was a Monday night BBC interview with Moore that led to reports he was near death. The 65-year-old entertainer said the ailment has left him with a "short and uncertain future" and "I know I am going to die from it." Moore wrote Tuesday in his missive to the media: "At the risk of sounding repetitive, I should like to emphasize that rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He said he was surprised to hear press reports that he has "only weeks to live"................

The motorist who struck Stephen King with his van died of an accidental overdose of a painkiller, state medical examiners said. Bryan Smith, 43, of Fryeburg, died of an overdose of fentanyl, according to toxicology reports. He was found dead in his home Sept. 22. Smith, who suffered from a back injury unrelated to the accident, had been prescribed the painkiller not long before his death. His family also said he suffered bouts of depression. In 1999, Smith struck and nearly killed King as the author was walking along a road. Smith was trying to control his dog in the back seat.............

Madonna and British film director Guy Ritchie plan to marry in the Scottish highlands three days before Christmas. The Registrar's Office in Dornoch, northern Scotland, published an official proclamation Thursday of the intended marriage, as required for all Scottish weddings. The notice read that Guy Stuart Ritchie will marry Madonna Louise Ciccone on Dec. 22. No further details were available, but the marriage was expected to be at the Dornoch Cathedral, according to the British media. The 42-year-old pop star and Ritchie, 32, have a 3-month-old son, Rocco. They live in London's fashionable Notting Hill neighborhood..........

Elton John, one of pop music's most flamboyant dressers, raised more than $615,000 for his AIDS foundation with the sale of thousands of items from his closet. Fans lined up for hours outside a London shop where 15,000 items of clothing from John and his partner David Furnish were on sale last week. It was the third time he had organized such a sale, but this one was the most successful, breaking the previous record of $480,000. The most expensive item sold was the suit John wore in the video of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." It went for $5,000...............

Mary Tyler Moore is being sued by a landscaper who was fired from her estate. Anibal Garcia, 38, claims he was fired from Moore's 123-acre estate in upstate New York because he is Hispanic and because he complained about a co-worker's racist remarks. Although Moore and her husband, Robert Levine, were not the ones who fired Garcia, he said they failed to take any action on his complaints or his dismissal. Moore's lawyer, Lance Valdez, called the lawsuit "an absolutely frivolous claim."

A Fond Farewell.......Werner Klemperer, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who went on to play the monocled German prison-camp commandant Col. Klink on TV's "Hogan's Heroes," has died. He was 80. Klemperer died of cancer Wednesday at his home in New York, said his publicist, Bernie Ilson. Klemperer, who fled Germany in the 1930s with his father, Otto, a distinguished conductor and composer, won two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Klink on the 1960s sitcom about World War II Allied prisoners of war. He also received a Tony nomination in 1988 as a feature actor in a musical for his role in Hal Prince's revival of "Cabaret." Klemperer's film credits included "Death of a Scoundrel," "The Goddess," "Judgment at Nuremberg," and "Ship of Fools." Klemperer also appeared as a narrator with nearly every major symphony orchestra in the United States. Klemperer's other Broadway roles included starring opposite Jose Ferrer in "The Insect Comedy," and with Tallulah Bankhead in the 1955 production of "Dear Charles." Most recently, he co-starred in Circle in the Square's production of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya." Funeral services will be private.........….

Scene One: Take Two......got a who, what and where question? Do you have a bet with someone and need an answer to settle it? Can't remember the name of that song that's driving you crazy? Send your questions to me using this form ...and That's A WRAP!

Tim Neeley is a Los Angeles based reporter syndicated across the nation with his weekly radio entertainment report. Tim's in-depth reports cover developments in film, music, literature, television and theater.

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