Morning Briefing:
Britney on the verge of birth, somewhere: Could this be the week that brought the world both baby Suri pictures and a new members of the Spears family? Paparazzi are reportedly camped out at St. Johns Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Britney Spears has checked herself in in preparation to give birth. Or maybe she's at the UCLA medical center? Or maybe she's actually supposed to have a C-section next week, so that her new baby, whom she's decided to call Jailynn, will share little Sean Preston's birthday. (WWTDD, ContactMusic, Lowdown)
Hilton erases DUI from tiny brain: Blowing off the whole breathalyzer/arrest/bail thing as "nothing," Paris Hilton called in to Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show on Thursday to clear up the public's misunderstanding about her DUI. At first merely reiterating her publicist-scripted story of not having had any food all day and then drinking just one margarita, Hilton then went one better and denied she'd been arrested at all.
Seacrest: "So just to be clear, because a lot of people are going to see this story today, there is no DUI charge for Paris Hilton? I mean, that's the bottom line -- no charge."
Hilton: "Yeah. They were really nice and it was cool and they understood that I had been working all day."
Of course, her official arrest record tells a different story -- and, more important, reveals her middle name to be ... Lohitney? (Us Online, Faded Youth)
The path to "The Path to 9/11": Following Bill Clinton's lead yesterday, a number of high-ranking Democrats wrote to Robert Iger, CEO of ABC's owner, Disney, calling on him to cancel the beleaguered "Path to 9/11" miniseries. While Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called the show a "work of fiction," ABC defended itself by saying that the criticism is "premature and irresponsible" -- the network has announced it's making minor changes and that the editing process is still ongoing. The Washington Post reports that ABC is indeed making some changes, and has even reshot one scene, but a source tells Variety that the network is considering yanking the series entirely. (Washington Post, Variety)
Also:
Ellen DeGeneres has been tapped to host the next Oscars. (People) ... Lindsay Lohan's Hermès handbag was stolen at Heathrow Airport in London on Thursday, containing what was reportedly a quantity of jewelry -- sources tell TMZ the baubles were worth over $1 million. (TMZ) ... Rob Shuter, Jessica Simpson's publicist, has been canned -- apparently Simpson wasn't happy with his handling of her rumored romance with John Mayer. (TMZ) ... Fake memoirist James Frey and his publisher, Random House, have apparently settled a class action lawsuit against them for consumer fraud. Upset readers can receive a full refund if they submit a receipt, proof of purchase and a written statement swearing they bought the book believing it was nonfiction. (Associated Press) ... CBS is reported to be mulling a makeover of its "Early Show," with CNN's Anderson Cooper and NBC's Campbell Brown being floated as possible co-hosts. (Fox 411) ... Business Week has written an ode to Angelina Jolie's skills as a media manipulator: "Paris Hilton got famous by keenly understanding and playing to what tabloids want, but Jolie did something more rare by using them as a springboard to reshape an image." (Business Week) ... Why is Dustin Hoffman wearing a huge bag on his head? (X17 Online)
Money Quote:
Martha Stewart on Donald Trump's recent firing of "Apprentice" sidekick Carolyn Kepcher: "Donald is out of control. By the time he's finished, he will have fired everyone around him and there will be nobody left. And poor Donald will be sitting there on his little pedestal all by himself. He needs to be careful!" (Access Hollywood via Lowdown)
Turn On:
Four decades to the day from the first time Captain James Kirk took the bridge of the Enterprise, "Star Trek: 40th Anniversary" (TV Land, 8 p.m. EDT) takes a look back at the show, while Elton John kicks off New York fashion week in style with "Fashion Rocks" (CBS, 9 p.m. EDT). On Sunday, the first part of the contentious Sept. 11 telefilm "The Path to 9/11" (ABC, 8 p.m. EDT) airs, and it's the fourth season premiere of "The Wire" (HBO, 9 p.m. EDT).
On the Talk Shows:
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Jim Courier
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Samuel L. Jackson, Gnarls Barkley (repeat)
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT): Megan Mullally, Betty Horton, Sam Bush with Emmylou Harris
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Alan Alda, Citizen Cope
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Fred Willard, Rachel Blanchard, Stephen J. Cannell (repeat)
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT): Tyra Banks, Jason Statham, Papa Roach
-- Scott Lamb
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