Today's Buzz stories
From staff and wire reports |
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Matthew Perry dons 'Scrubs'
NEW YORK (AP) -- Matthew Perry is sweeping back to NBC, but he won't be visiting his friend "Joey."
Instead, Perry will be sitting in the director's chair and standing in front of the lens as a guest star for the November 23 episode of "Scrubs," NBC announced recently. The episode will air during "sweeps." ("Sweeps" is a period four months a year when television ratings are monitored closely to set local advertising rates.)
In the Perry-directed episode, the former "Friends" star will play a man willing to donate one of his kidneys to his sick father -- played by Perry's real-life dad, John Bennett Perry -- until complications arise.
The appearance will mark the first time, other than Matt LeBlanc on his spinoff, "Joey," that a "Friends" principal has returned to NBC. Perry played sarcastic "Friend" Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on the hit sitcom.
Perry's not the only former NBC star suiting up for "Scrubs." Julianna Margulies, who was featured on the medical drama "ER" for six seasons, will guest star in two "sweeps" episodes on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16. She'll play a malpractice lawyer.
"Scrubs" stars Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, Judy Reyes and John C. McGinley as the wacky resident staff of Sacred Heart Hospital.
Queen talks weather
LONDON, England (AP) -- Take it from the weatherman -- Queen Elizabeth II worries about global warming.
Michael Fish, who recently retired as the British Broadcasting Corp.'s chief weather forecaster, said after receiving an award from the monarch that she had expressed concern.
"We talked about climate change," Fish said after the ceremony Tuesday at Buckingham Palace, where the queen made him a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE.
"She is clearly concerned about it -- and rightly so," he said.
Fish, Britain's longest serving TV forecaster, will be remembered for his on-air promise in the winter of 1987 that a hurricane that was menacing France wouldn't reach Britain.
The following day, Britain suffered widespread damage in its worst storm in 300 years.
D&D turns 30
(CNN) -- Roll that die and get out the graph paper.
Dungeons & Dragons, the role-playing game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. In conjunction with the birthday, a new book -- "30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons" -- is being released.
The coffee-table work includes contributions from actor Vin Diesel, "The Daily Show's" Stephen Colbert, musician Ben Kweller and others.
Game fans from around the world will be gathering Saturday to mark the anniversary by trying to set a record for the largest gathering of game players ever. More information can be found at www.dndgameday.com.
And make sure to watch out for the orcs.
Maxim names top movie prez
(CNN) -- "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" may have won Turner Classic Movies' poll of top political movie ever, but James Stewart's character would likely fold if he met President James Marshall in a dark alley.
President Marshall, the Harrison Ford-portrayed hero of "Air Force One," was selected by Maxim magazine as the greatest movie president of all time.
The survey is featured in Maxim's November issue.
Marshall defeated such chief executives as Thomas Whitmore ("Independence Day"), Mays Gilliam ("Head of State") and Dave Kovic ("Dave"). Indeed, the final battle was between Marshall and the Adlai Stevenson-inspired president in "Dr. Strangelove," Merkin Muffley.
However, Muffley has funnier phone calls.
Savannah stars
SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) -- Peter O'Toole, Kathleen Turner and critic Roger Ebert will provide the star power at the Savannah Film Festival, which runs Oct. 23-30.
O'Toole will screen the movie version of the stage play "Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell," a film he co-directed. Turner will be on hand as two of her movies -- "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Romancing the Stone" -- are shown. And Ebert will offer a frame-by-frame discussion of the classic "Citizen Kane."
The festival, sponsored by the Savannah College of Art and Design, is in its seventh year and has a growing reputation with movie buffs and industry insiders for screening upcoming independent and Hollywood releases without the hype and crowds of larger festivals.
This year's slate of new films includes Alexander Payne's "Sideways," starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, and "Finding Neverland," a biopic about "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie.
Copyright 2004 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
