Ed Asner returning to primetime TV in CMT sitcom - Comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Can Ed Asner do for CMT what Betty White did for TV Land?
A seven-time Emmy winner, Asner is returning to primetime television in CMT's first scripted sitcom, "Working Class."
The "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Lou Grant" star is joining previously announced lead Melissa Peterman in the series about a blue-collar single mom who moves her family to a well-to-do suburb. Asner plays her misanthropic neighbor. The show will premiere in January.
The move marks the 80-year-old actor's first regular series commitment since NBC's short-lived "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" in 2006. He also was recently cast as Warren Buffett in HBO's TV movie "Too Big to Fail."
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Young voters pose skeptical questions to Obama - Magic

* Obama on end of skeptical questions
* Hopes for greater cooperation with Republicans
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama
faced some skeptical questions from young people and defended
his policies, from job creation to immigration, on Thursday in
an effort to rev up Democratic voter enthusiasm for the Nov. 2
midterm elections.
Obama appeared at a live television event in his latest
attempt to reach young people and recapture some of the magic
from his 2008 presidential victory as polls show the Democrats
trailing in the congressional vote.
One man peppered Obama with questions about his economic
policies and asked whether he would deserve re-election in
2012. "Why should we still support you going forward with your
monetary economic policies, and if the economy doesn't improve
over the next two years why should we put you back in?" he
asked.
Obama said he took office when the country was in the
throes of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression
and the $814 billion economic stimulus he pushed through
Congress "no doubt" saved or created 3 million jobs.
"While the economy was contracting when I came into office,
it's now growing," he said. "With respect to the private
sector, we've seen job growth nine consecutive months."

� Continued...
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Film simulates Afghan capture of Prince Harry - Documentary

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A documentary film to be aired on British television this month will examine what might happen if Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, were kidnapped while on military duty in Afghanistan.
"The Taking of Prince Harry," on public broadcaster Channel 4 on October 21, recreates a helicopter crash in the south of Afghanistan and the subsequent capture of the royal, who is third in line to the throne.
Harry served with British forces in Afghanistan in 2008, becoming the first member of the royal family to see action since his uncle Prince Andrew flew helicopters in the Falklands War in 1982.
Harry, 26, has spoken of his desire to return to Afghanistan, which he was forced to leave prematurely after news of his presence there was leaked.
"The Taking of Prince Harry raises questions about the far-reaching ramifications for Britain should Prince Harry be granted his wish to return to Afghanistan and be captured -- and asks if Britain is prepared for this potential ransom note," Channel 4 said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for the broadcaster added that Channel 4 had contacted the royal family about the film, but had received no response.
The concept of the feature-length documentary has already come in for criticism.
"What these people forget is there is still a war going on," said tabloid newspaper The Sun's in-house security expert Andy McNab. "This comes at a bad time and is in bad taste.
"It's highly likely Harry will be going back to Afghanistan now they have spent so much money on his Apache (helicopter) training. But it's not just insensitive to Harry, it's insensitive to all the troops and the mums, dads, wives and kids with lads out there."
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TV script puts gender spin on Three's Company - Comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox has picked up a script for a comedy series whose rather provocative name won't last beyond the development phase.
Now dubbed the untitled Liz Meriwether project, or "Chicks and Dicks," the script is described as a "reverse 'Three's Company,'"
The show is an ensemble comedy centering on an optimistic Midwestern woman who moves into a New York apartment with three juvenile guys.
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Lebanese fashion designers reign supreme despite crisis - Fashion

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The top Western fashion designers suffered massively when purses around the globe snapped resoundingly shut during the financial crisis.
But Lebanese designers, who hail from a land where Fashion TV is the channel of choice at the swankiest bars, say they have managed to escape the brunt of the crisis because of two things -- affordable haute couture and rich Arab clients.
It's fair to say that Lebanon just doesn't do casual. High heels, form-fitting dresses and salon-styled hair are part of many Lebanese women's daily routine.
Renting a designer dress to wear at a wedding is far more acceptable, than, horror of horrors, opting to purchase a generic high-street gown.
So it's no surprise that the country's top designers became more famous for their elaborate, long, sequined and chiffoned collections than classical ready-to-wear lines. And their clientele keep coming back for more.
In fact Elie Saab, whose slinky, decidedly feminine dresses are a red-carpet favorite for many Hollywood A-listers, said his pret-a-porter lines suffered for a few months in the United States due to the crisis, and not his haute-couture lines.
"Lebanese designers have always been distinctive with their haute-couture, not pret-a-porter. What they present to the world is distinctive," Saab told Reuters.
Saab was speaking just before his first fashion show in Beirut in 18 years, where he showed his Autumn-Winter 2010/2011 ready-to-wear collection to mark the official opening of the opulent Beirut Souks shopping district in the city center.
But even that collection, already shown in Paris, was full of evening dresses frilled with lace, tulle and sequins in deep colours that he said were reminiscent of being in a "night-time forest."
Scarlett Johansson, Carey Mulligan and Emily Blunt have already been spotted wearing some of the collection's designs on the red carpet.
"If you go to a French fashion house, (for haute couture), the price is unnatural, it's as if they're saying 'we don't want to sell'. That's why haute couture is successful in Lebanon."
"It's the beauty of the piece ... and the prices are appropriate for women of the world," Saab said.
HAUTE COUTURE LUXE
Abed Mahfouz, whose dresses have been worn by Beyonce and Victoria Beckham, agrees.
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Avatar special edition set for November release - Sci Fi

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Avatar" fans will get new glimpses of Pandora next month, when special-edition discs of the sci-fi film hit store shelves.
The home-video sets arrive November 16 domestically and November 15 abroad, Fox Home Entertainment said Tuesday.
The DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions of the James Cameron film will include 45 minutes of footage that wasn't in the original theatrical version and 36 minutes more than included in an August re-release of the winter blockbuster. The special-edition discs also are the first to include bonus special features on the film.
But the movie is presented in 2D on the discs. "Avatar" won't be released in 3D Blu-ray until 2011.
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UPDATE 2-MGM Resorts, Tracinda sell shares, price falls - Casino

* Offering priced at $12.65 per share
* MGM could raise close to $600 million
* Shares down 11.1 percent
(Adds stock downgrade, updates share price)
LOS ANGELES, Oct 13 (Reuters) - MGM Resorts International
(MGM.N) shares fell more than 11 percent on Wednesday as both
the largest casino operator on the Las Vegas Strip and its
biggest shareholder sell stock in the company.
MGM and Tracinda Corp, the investment vehicle of
billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, said late on Tuesday they would
sell up to 47 million and 32 million shares, respectively. The
offer price was set at $12.65 -- 7 percent below Tuesday's
close.
The new shares could raise close to $600 million for MGM --
which is focused on paying down $12.9 billion in debt -- but
will also dilute the holdings of current shareholders by around
10 percent.
The sale will also cut Tracinda's stake to about 30 percent
from the current 37 percent. Kerkorian once owned more than
half of MGM, but the holdings fell after a May 2009 stock
offering.
"This was unexpected, timing is curious, and reason(s)
unclear," Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Woronka said in a
research note, referring to the Tracinda sale. "MGM's offering
should bolster liquidity, but we believe some investors would
prefer to see a $1.5 to $2 billion-plus deal that more fully
addresses debt maturities through 2013."
MGM also reported on Wednesday that preliminary
third-quarter results were lackluster, but largely in line with
Wall Street expectations.
Soleil Securities downgraded MGM to "hold" from "buy,"
citing operating results that do not support the notion of an
accelerating recovery on the Las Vegas Strip, where yet another
new resort, the Cosmopolitan, is slated to open in December.
The casino industry has been hit hard by the recession and
global financial crisis, which led to a sharp drop in gambling
revenue and hotel room rates.
Investors in MGM, and other Vegas casino operators
including Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O) and Las Vegas Sands Corp
(LVS.N), were buoyed by Nevada's report last week that Strip
casinos won 21 percent more money in August than a year
earlier.
But MGM's write-offs for the quarter -- another $182
million for impairment to the CityCenter, the $8.5 billion
project that opened on the Las Vegas Strip in December, and $46
million for CityCenter condominiums -- were worse than
expected, according to Janet Brashear at Sanford Bernstein.
"Continued write-offs make the financial picture more
uncertain, especially as it relates to CityCenter liability;
however, the pending Borgata sales represents progress in
resolving loose ends," she said in a research note.
MGM said it found a buyer for its 50 percent stake in the
Borgata resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at a price that
would generate around $250 million.
MGM has been looking to sell its stake after New Jersey
regulators questioned the suitability of Pansy Ho, the
company's joint venture partner in China's Macau.
Barclays Capital, the investment banking subsidiary of
Barclays Plc (BARC.L), is the sole underwriter for MGM's stock
offering.
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Analysis: Crackdown on dissent risks stoking Thai crisis - Radio Stations

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Months after the Thai army forced an end to weeks of anti-government protests, the government says widespread restrictions on dissent are still essential for peace. But the risk is that they end up sparking more unrest.
From high-profile arrests to the shutting down and censoring of thousands of websites, the measures used by authorities to keep a lid on simmering tensions are threatening to worsen the conflict, alienate rivals and discredit the administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
"Thailand is in uncharted territory and the government's response to dissent could lead to a bolder display of resistance," Jacob Ramsay, senior Southeast Asia analyst at Control Risks, a strategic consulting firm based in Britain.
"Once authorities start to react to that it has no choice but to do so with more force. It's a vicious cycle."
The tough line on dissent is also a public relations gamble for Abhisit, the seemingly progressive Oxford-educated premier who has to call an election by the end of 2011.
While the curbs will please his backers, they make it harder to convince voters he is serious about national reconciliation and close a social and political divide at the heart of five years of mass anti-government protests and civil unrest.
In the latest case, a director of prominent online newspaper Prachatai was arrested in September after arriving on an overseas flight at Bangkok's main airport over a comment posted two years ago deemed a breach of lese majeste and computer crime laws.
Lese majeste, or insults to the monarchy, are punishable by up to 15 years in prison in largely Buddhist Thailand where many regard King Bhumibol Adulyadej as almost divine. Critics say the military-backed government is using the law to silence opponents.
"It isn't clear where the line is. The law does not guarantee freedom of speech or give us protection," Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the director of the Prachatai website, told Reuters after she was released on bail.
Since a spasm of political violence killed 91 people in April and May, Bangkok and six province remain under emergency rule, which bans political gatherings and gives the government power to impose curfews, censor media and detain suspects without charge.
At least 185 protesters remain in detention and thousands of web-pages have been shut since April on top of over 100,000 blocked since 2007. Dozens of community radio stations and a cable television channel run by the "red shirt" movement were forced off air.
'DEMOCRATIC FACADE'
Recent action against dissidents also raised questions over who is calling the shots -- Abhisit, who has voiced concerns about the use of anti-crown law, for political purposes or the army and its establishment allies.
Political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak said the recent arrest "exposes Thailand's solidifying soft civil-military authoritarianism."
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UBS starts U.S. entertainment sector with neutral bias - Entertainment News

* Sees cable network assets as organic growth opportunity
* Starts Time Warner, Discovery Comm, Viacom with "buy"
* Starts Scripps Networks, Walt Disney with "neutral"
Sept 21 (Reuters) - UBS began coverage of the U.S.
entertainment sector with a neutral bias and said it considers
cable network assets as one of the few organic growth
opportunities in media.
The brokerage started coverage of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N),
Discovery Communications Inc (DISCA.O) and Viacom Inc (VIAb.N)
with "buy" ratings.
"Investment in programming has been a driver of growth in
audience share over the past few years, with cable ad growth
significantly outperforming the TV networks," analyst John
Janedis said in a note to clients.
The analyst, who started Scripps Networks Interactive Inc
(SNI.N) and Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) with "neutral" ratings,
said technology is making the film business model more
challenging.
"Properly responding to these changes will be a key factor
in maintaining the health of the business model," Janedis
said.
Last week, Credit Suisse said streaming video offerings
from Netflix (NFLX.O), Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Google TV will
catch on with consumers eager to cut the cable cord and
downgraded the U.S. entertainment sector to "underweight."
(Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed in Bangalore; Editing by Anne
Pallivathuckal)
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UK Lib Dem leader calls for patience on coalition - Celebrities

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg urged party members on Sunday not to panic about a slide in poll ratings after he led them into Britain's first coalition government since World War Two.
Clegg's Lib Dems have seen their support slump since they became junior partners in a Conservative-led administration following the general election in May.
The government will next month announce spending cuts of up to 25 percent in many departments as it seeks to erase a budget deficit running at 11 percent of national output.
Those measures are likely to prove deeply unpopular and some critics say the fresh-faced Clegg, 43, who is deputy prime minister, risks leading the Lib Dems into oblivion.
"This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are condemned to take as a government some very, very difficult decisions on sorting out the public finances," Clegg told BBC television in an interview at the start of his party's annual conference in Liverpool, northwest England.
"You have to hold your nerve and play it long and see the benefits of what we're doing over a period of time," he added.
No one expects the Liberal Democrats to quit the coalition immediately, but the partnership could be jeopardised if they fail to secure cherished electoral reform in a referendum next year or perform poorly in local elections.

TRIDENT TENSIONS
The left-leaning Lib Dems and the centre-right Conservatives were not regarded as natural partners before the general election in May which ended 13 years of Labour rule.
However, they reached a coalition agreement within five days after the Lib Dems signed up to swift spending cuts because of the financial crisis in the neighbouring euro zone.
Tension remains. The Lib Dems argued for alternatives to a planned multi-billion-pound renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent, and are also uneasy with planned school reforms and the construction of new nuclear power plants.
Clegg said the government had to examine Trident in the same way as it assessed other expensive government schemes.
"The two coalition parties don't see entirely eye-to-eye on this," he said. "I don't think people would understand why we would exempt Trident from the same financial pressures when people are having some of their benefits qualified."
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Delhi Games vie with Mohali cricket test for eyeballs - Board Games

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Marksmen Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang will have to jostle for Wednesday's headlines with cricketer Vangipurappu Laxman despite winning India's first gold medal in the Delhi Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
While the 10m air rifle pair were shooting down the gold at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range, Laxman was leading India to a thrilling one-wicket test victory over Australia some 265 kilometers away in Mohali.
In a country where industrial productivity takes a beating every time the cricket team walks out to play, the shooters will have to share the column space with the cricketer from Hyderabad.
The clash between cricket and Commonwealth Games was avoidable but Indian cricket bosses rejected the worried organizers' request to reschedule the two-test series.
Olympic champion Bindra was optimistic that his feat would not go unsung and cricket, for once, would take a back seat.
"The Commonwealth Games will definitely dominate coverage," said the babyfaced shooter. "I would like to live under the illusion that this gold will be on the front pages tomorrow."
He could not have asked for tougher competition in attracting Wednesday's headlines than Laxman's heroics.
The stylish cricketer braved back pain to guide India to a dramatic victory in the test which rival captains Ricky Ponting and Mahendra Singh Dhoni rated as one of the best they have played in.
Cricket chiefs also turned down the cash-strapped organizers' request to stump up $22 million and come on board as a lead partner of the Games.
With disappointing turnouts at the Games venues so far, former test cricket Maninder Singh does not see it as a direct clash between cricket and Commonwealth Games.
"I don't think scheduling of the cricket series actually matters," he told Reuters. "I'm not sure how many people would go to the stadium in the next three-four days when there is no cricket match. Let's be honest, cricket will rule the roost.
"I have been swapping channels all day to catch both the Commonwealth Games and the Mohali test and I know there are many who did the same," said the former left-arm spinner.
"The Mohali test was one of the best I have seen and Laxman? ... What a player!"
The second test starts on October 9 in Bangalore, while the Commonwealth Games close on October 14.
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Modern voting, 19th century campaigns in Venezuela - Radio Stations

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's voting system is world class, but campaign excesses by President Hugo Chavez, government and opposition officials are reminiscent of elections in the 19th century, a top electoral official said.
Venezuelans choose a new parliament on Sunday after a tight race that will return the opposition to the National Assembly after they boycotted the last elections in 2005, and could even give them a majority of votes, if not seats.
Vicente Diaz, the most critical voice among the leadership of the National Electoral Council, said participation by all political parties showed a growing confidence among politicians and voters in the reliability of the system on election day.
But he said Chavez had repeatedly crossed the line during the campaign by appearing alongside candidates at presidential events and using speeches broadcast on all television and radio stations to attack opponents.
Some Venezuelans fear delays or confusion over tallying the results from Sunday's elections, given a complicated two-sheet ballot paper and the fact that some candidates will be elected directly while others will be chosen by parties.
But most observers say the final results will be reliable.
"We have an electoral system, from the point of view of procedure, technology, guarantees and audits that is worthy of the 21st century, and we have the campaign control of the 19th century," Diaz told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday.
"In the 19th century, candidates competed against the state," Diaz said, sitting below a portrait of Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar riding through a stormy night.
During nearly 12 years in office, Chavez has amassed far-reaching powers, and most branches of the state are openly politicized and appear to work in favor of the president.
Diaz said Chavez had also overused a law under which he can force all broadcasters to transmit his speeches, which are often several hours long. He uses the tool, known as a "cadena," extensively during campaigns.
"The cadenas promote government works and impede the opposition from transmitting its message," Diaz said in his office, where two flatscreen TVs showed the main government and main opposition news channels.
Diaz said he had made six requests for investigations into the president's campaign behavior, and that all of them had been rejected by his peers in the council.
NO THREAT OF BOYCOTT
By ignoring the abuses, Diaz said, the council effectively allowed public figures from both ends of the political spectrum to mix campaigning and official events.
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UBS starts U.S. entertainment sector with neutral bias - Entertainment News

* Sees cable network assets as organic growth opportunity
* Starts Time Warner, Discovery Comm, Viacom with "buy"
* Starts Scripps Networks, Walt Disney with "neutral"
Sept 21 (Reuters) - UBS began coverage of the U.S.
entertainment sector with a neutral bias and said it considers
cable network assets as one of the few organic growth
opportunities in media.
The brokerage started coverage of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N),
Discovery Communications Inc (DISCA.O) and Viacom Inc (VIAb.N)
with "buy" ratings.
"Investment in programming has been a driver of growth in
audience share over the past few years, with cable ad growth
significantly outperforming the TV networks," analyst John
Janedis said in a note to clients.
The analyst, who started Scripps Networks Interactive Inc
(SNI.N) and Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) with "neutral" ratings,
said technology is making the film business model more
challenging.
"Properly responding to these changes will be a key factor
in maintaining the health of the business model," Janedis
said.
Last week, Credit Suisse said streaming video offerings
from Netflix (NFLX.O), Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Google TV will
catch on with consumers eager to cut the cable cord and
downgraded the U.S. entertainment sector to "underweight."
(Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed in Bangalore; Editing by Anne
Pallivathuckal)
Watch Entertainment News Online

Book Talk: Derek Landy lauds the skeleton who stormed his life - Movies

CANBERRA (Reuters) - As a fan of horror movies, martial arts and detective stories, Derek Landy thought he was set for a career writing screenplays until a skeleton detective stormed his imagination -- and children's bookshelves.
The snappily dressed Skulduggery Pleasant popped into Landy's mind while he was traveling, and within months was down on paper in the first of the Irish writer's best-selling fantasy novels, "Skulduggery Pleasant," that was published in 2007 and was this year voted Irish Book of The Decade.
Landy, from County Dublin, has just released the fifth book in the series, "Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil," which follows Pleasant and his teenage sidekick Valkyrie Cain as they try to protect a known killer from an unstoppable assassin.
Turning his hand to children's books was quite a shift for Landy, who had written two films since being thrown out of art college, one about zombies called "Boy Eat Girls" and the other a thriller in which everyone dies called "Dead Bodies."
Landy spoke to Reuters about his life with a skeleton:
Q: You released both the fourth and fifth books in the series this year. How did you fit it all in?
A: "I stopped having a life. I had been promising myself a break for about a year or two, a break between Skulduggery books when I could do something different, but it hasn't worked out according to plan. But as it is, it is still fantastic and I am really enjoying it and nowhere near the start of burn-out."
Q: You have said this will be a nine-book series.
A: "Absolutely. I don't know what will happen afterwards. If I get to the end of the nine books and the characters are still alive then they may come back in two years' time but I don't know how the last book ends yet. They could be dead."
Q: So you aren't fed up with Skulduggery yet?
A: "I am kind of wary of it and I expected it to hit me certainly by now but it hasn't and I am hugely thankful for that. But it is important for me to do something completely different in between the Skulduggery books while still sticking to the Skulduggery schedule."
Q: You say he just arrived in your head one day?
A: "It was kind of weird. Ideas don't really come like that. Writers might get a hint of an idea that you expand but with Skulduggery, his name came to me and it told me who he was and what he was and what he was like. I don't know why his name popped into my head but it told me everything I needed to know and suddenly I was writing a book."
Q: Is it true that a Skulduggery film is under development?
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UPDATE 2-Citi ordered to pay actor Larry Hagman $11.5 mln - Movies

* Citi ordered to pay $1.35 mln compensatory damages
* Also to pay $10 mln punitive damages for serious conduct
* Citigroup says disagrees with filing, reviewing options
(Adds Hagman's age, background)
By Joseph A. Giannone
NEW YORK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Larry Hagman, the actor who
played the villainous J.R. Ewing in the 1980s TV show "Dallas,"
has won his case that he was victimized by Citigroup Inc (C.N),
and the bank was ordered to pay over $11 million in damages.
The total award includes $10 million in punitive damages
that Citi must pay to charities selected by Hagman, $1.1
million in compensatory damages and nearly $440,000 in legal
fees.
Hagman, who also played astronaut Anthony Nelson in "I
Dream of Jeannie" in the 1960s TV show, had requested $1.35
million in damages. He could not be reached for comment.
Hagman accused Citi in May 2009 of a breach of fiduciary
duty and breach of contract, fraud by misrepresentation and
omission, failure to supervise and violation of federal and
state law, according to the ruling by an arbitration panel of
FINRA, a self-regulatory body of the U.S. financial industry.
The allegations stemmed from unspecified securities held in
Citi accounts, as well as the purchase of a life insurance
policy.
Hagman received the unusually large award after the
arbitrators found Citigroup Global Markets "engaged in serious
misconduct," meeting FINRA's standards for punitive damages,
the ruling said.
"We are disappointed and disagree with the panel's finding
and we are reviewing our options," said Citigroup spokesman
Alex Samuelson.
Hagman, who turned 79 last month, continues to appear on TV
and in movies, including the 1998 political spoof "Primary
Colors." More recently he has played off his role as a Texas
oilman to become a spokesman for a solar energy company.
According to Solar World, Hagman's California home was the
largest residential producer of solar power in the United
States.
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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a hockey superhero! - Entertainment News

DETROIT (Reuters) - Pow! Wap! Goal!
The National Hockey League is teaming up with Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and other iconic comic book heroes, to create a new series of superheroes representing each of the 30 league cities and incorporating hockey elements as a way to market the sport.
Under the deal, the NHL and SLG Entertainment, led by Lee's Pow! Entertainment, will form Guardian Media Entertainment LLC (GME) to create 30 "Guardian" superheroes. Starting in January, the new heroes will be used on the Internet, mobile phones, novels and comic books, gaming, in arenas, broadcast, merchandise, and promotional and sponsorship materials.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the characters will be co-owned by the NHL and SLG Entertainment.
"It really is important for us primarily for the cultivation of the next generation of fans," Brian Jennings, NHL executive vice president for marketing, said in a telephone interview. "You want to be relevant as a brand and GME is part of our overall marketing mix."
Each "Guardian" has been derived from its corresponding hockey team, complete with special powers representative of each team and city, but the heroes are not set in the world of hockey, Jennings said. They will be introduced during the 2011 NHL All-Star Game on January 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
No word on whether NHL superstars Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals or Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins are being fitted for black spandex, but the idea will be billed at the New York Comic Con on Friday as Lee's new superhero franchise.
"I've always believed that every great plan starts with a great story," Lee said. "In the creation of GME and its unique and unprecedented relationship with the NHL, I truly believe we have the perfect combination."

� Continued...
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U.S. court keeps spying claims against Mattel alive - Entertainment News

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Mattel Inc will answer accusations it spied on rival toymakers by infiltrating their private showrooms around the globe, after a U.S. court denied its motion to dismiss claims filed by rival MGA.
In an escalation of a long-running battle over MGA's popular "Bratz" dolls, MGA Entertainment Inc accused Mattel of gaining entry to toy fairs with false credentials to steal trade secrets. It says Mattel then concealed evidence about these activities, according to court filings.
MGA has accused Mattel employees of gaining access to private showrooms of toy makers -- including Hasbro Inc, Lego and Sony Corp -- armed with fake business cards and spy cameras, to steal price lists and other sensitive information.
It made the accusations in August, four weeks after the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said a lower court judge had wrongly granted Mattel ownership of the $1 billion franchise of multi-ethnic, fashionable Bratz dolls.
Mattel sought to have MGA's most recent trade secret allegations dismissed. But U.S. District Judge David Carter, based in Southern California, ruled the allegations can survive because Mattel has also accused MGA of destroying evidence.
The two sets of allegations "share a logical relationship," Carter ruled.
However, he denied MGA's attempt to recover damages resulting from court injunctions that had once been imposed on MGA, only to be overturned.
MGA Chief Executive Isaac Larian called Mattel's conduct "shameful" on Wednesday. Representatives for Mattel were not immediately available for comment.
Trial is currently scheduled for Jan. 11, though further pretrial motions will be decided before then.
The case in U.S. District Court, Central District of California is Bryant v. Mattel Inc, 04-9049.
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Problem gamblers may recover without quitting - Casino

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pathological gamblers may often be able to recover from their destructive habits without giving up gambling altogether, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among nearly 4,800 Australian adults they surveyed, the 44 men and women who appeared to be recovering pathological gamblers had largely beat their problems without completely giving up the habit.
Ninety percent were still sometimes playing the lottery, hitting the casino or betting on sports -- despite no longer screening positive for problem gambling.
The findings, reported in the journal Addiction, are in line with what has been seen in the treatment of alcohol abuse. That is, some people in recovery can successfully cut back on drinking, rather than abstaining completely. This approach is sometimes referred to as "harm reduction."
And the results suggest that problem gamblers, too, can recover even if they do not quit altogether, lead researcher Dr. Wendy S. Slutske, of the University of Missouri in Columbia, told Reuters Health by email.
Traditionally, abstinence has been the cornerstone of treatment for pathological gambling, being strongly espoused, for example, by the support group Gamblers Anonymous. But recent research has suggested that therapy aimed at "controlled gambling" can be effective.
This is important, Slutske's team notes in the report, because if controlled gambling, rather than complete abstinence, is a treatment goal, it's possible that more pathological gamblers will seek help.
The current findings are based on phone interviews with 4,764 Australian twins who were part of a national registry used for health-related research. All completed a standard questionnaire that screens people for lifetime and more-recent gambling problems.
Some signs of pathological gambling include a preoccupation with gambling, feeling the need to take increasingly bigger risks, taking time from work or family life to gamble, and hiding the habit from others.
In this study, 104 participants, or about 2 percent, screened positive for a lifetime history of pathological gambling. Of those men and women, 28 screened positive for the problem in the past year, while 32 met only some of the criteria for pathological gambling in the past year, and were considered problem gamblers.
Another 44 men and women did not report any symptoms in the past year; they were considered the "recovery" group.
Of that recovery group, 90 percent said they still gambled at times -- though considerably less often than their counterparts who did report symptoms in the past year. For example, people in the recovery group gambled on an average of 54 days in the past year, versus 176 days among those who screened positive for pathological gambling in the past year.
The study has its limitations, including the fact that it assessed participants at one time point. A study that follows people over time, Slutske and her colleagues note, could help uncover the factors that allow some gamblers to recover "in the absence of abstinence." It could also show whether their recoveries last for the long haul.
"I don't think that we know yet how people (in recovery) are able to continue to gamble without problems," Slutske said, "and more research might be needed to answer this question."
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Christina Hendricks joins Superman cartoon - Arts

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - James Denton, Christina Hendricks and Anthony LaPaglia are lending their pipes to "All-Star Superman," the animated adaptation of one of the most acclaimed comics of the past decade.
The story begins with the Man of Steel (Denton) oversaturated by radiation during a rescue mission near the sun, accelerating the degeneration of his cells. Knowing that he has a limited time before he dies, Superman sets out on a journey that sees him revealing his secret to Lois Lane (Hendricks), giving Lex Luthor (LaPaglia) an epiphany on humanity and ensuring the safety of Earth for when he is gone.
Also in the cast are Ed Asner as Perry White and Frances Conroy as Ma Kent along with Linda Cardellini, Arnold Vosloo and Matthew Gray Gubler.
The Warner Bros. film is due to be released in the spring.
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League reaches tentative agreement with match officials - Board Games

The deal is still subject to ratification between the league's board of governors and the union representing its officials, the NHL said on its website. Both sides will have no comment until the new deal is ratified.
The previous contract expired on August 31 and the league's officials and linesmen had been working through the pre-season games without a deal in place.
The regular season opens October 7 with five games, including one in Helsinki, Finland, between the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ian Ransom)
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