BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Actor Jon Hamm’s publicist has revealed that the “Mad Men” star has recently completed a 30-day rehabilitation program for alcoholism. With the support of his longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt, Hamm checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan CT at the end of February when the final season of “Mad Men” was already in the can. Hamm was released just a couple of days ago, ahead of the premiere of the final batch of episodes of AMC’s signature drama series. ‘Don Draper’ returns to TV screens on April 5th.
– TMZ.com
★ 13 years after leaving the airwaves, it has been confirmed “The X-Files” will return for a 6-episode FOX-TV series. Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny will reprise their iconic roles as FBI duo ‘Dana Scully’ & ‘Fox Mulder’, with production set to begin this Summer. The pair previously reprised their roles in the 2008 movie “The X-Files: I Want to Believe”. The broadcast date for the new 6-episode arc is yet to be revealed. “X-Files” creator Chris Carter says: ”I think of it as a 13-year commercial break.”
– BangShowbiz.com
★ “Star Trek” icon George Takei (‘Sulu’) is set to make his Broadway debut in a new production of his musical “Allegiance”. The veteran actor will return to the stage as World War II veteran ‘Sam Otsuka’, a role he originated in the play’s 2012 premiere in San Diego CA. Takei drew inspiration from his own family’s painful experiences in a US internment camp during WW2, when he and his Japanese relatives were forced out of their LA residence in 1942 and ordered to a series of relocation camps. Opening night on the Great White Way is November 8th.
– “New York Times”
★ Robert De Niro has signed on to co-direct a musical adaptation of “A Bronx Tale”, more than 20 years after he helmed the film version. The Oscar-winner and theater veteran Jerry Zaks are teaming to co-direct the production, which will premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. De Niro directed and starred in the 1993 movie version of Chazz Palminteri’s play about a young boy from a working class family who becomes involved in organized crime. Palminteri adapted his script for the upcoming musical, which is scheduled to open November 25th.
– ContactMusic.com
★ And the hit TV drama “Empire” is at the center of a legal battle amid allegations its title tarnishes the brand of real-life record label Empire Distribution. Label bosses, who’ve worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Sean Paul in the past, have taken issue with the name of the show which documents the drama surrounding the fictional Empire Records. It’s asking FOX-TV for $8 million to compensate for any fallout, plus it’s seeking to have its artists featured on the show in exchange for letting the network keep the “Empire” name. FOX is saying uh-uh.
– WENN.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Breakfast Club” – It’s been 30 years since John Hughes’ 1985 film hit theaters and changed the teen movie landscape. The remastered and restored classic is again screening in select theaters (last night in Canada, tonight & Tuesday in America). Which were you in high school: rebel, princess, outcast, brain, or jock?
NET: http://www.breakfastclub30.com
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Mark Ronson f/Bruno Mars (“Uptown Funk”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Charlie Wilson (“Forever Charlie”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Gap Dream (“Gap Dream”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Airborne Toxic Event (“Dope Machines”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Echosmith (“Talking Dreams”).
• “Meredith Vieira Show” (syndicated) – Mary Mary (“Go Get It”).
• “Queen Latifah” (syndicated) – Big & Rich (“Gravity”). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Ludacris (“Ludaversal”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Chic – The disco-funk act will release its 1st album in 23 years, “It’s About Time”, this June. Chic’s Nile Rodgers writes, “Four years ago I was stricken with very aggressive cancer and I wasn’t sure how much time I had left. I decided the album’s concept would be about time.”
• Ed Sheeran – He’s now started his own record label, called ‘Gingerbread’. British singer-songwriter Jamie Lawson is his first signing. The label came about as part of a deal struck with Warner Bros in which Sheeran retains control of its roster.
• Elvis Costello – Coming this October, he will release a memoir entitled “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink”. Written himself, it’s said to be “rich with anecdotes about family and fellow musicians, introspective about the creation of his famous songs.”
• Iggy Azalea – In an interview for the April edition of “Vogue” magazine, she reveals she has undergone cosmetic surgery to get breast implants. She made the revelation after being asked if she’d ever change anything about her body.
• Lady Gaga – In a pair of posts on her Instagram account she’s hinted she is working on a sequel to her 2010 hit “Telephone”.
• Muse – Frontman Matt Bellamy tells BBC Radio 1 their new album “Drones” is: “A modern metaphor for lost empathy inspired by the horrific actions of warfare that technology has enabled.” Huh? The follow-up to 2012’s “The 2nd Law” is due in June.
• Spice Girls – Emma Bunton has suggested the iconic girl-group could reunite for the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough hit “Wannabe” in 2016. Emma says scheduling would be the only thing to stop it. Well that, and Victoria Beckham’s firm “no”.
• Taylor Swift – She’s struck a deal with Jay Z’s recently acquired music service Tidal, which will allow it to stream her back catalogue. Last November she took a stand against streaming service Spotify, removing all her tracks from the site. Tidal is set for a March 30th relaunch.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Beauty & The Beast” – It was previously announced the upcoming live-action remake will star Emma Watson as ‘Belle’. Now we know it will also star Dan Stevens (‘Beast’), Emma Thompson (‘Mrs Potts’), Josh Gad (‘Lefou’), Kevin Kline (‘Maurice’), and Luke Evans (‘Gaston’). Shooting begins in London this May, with an eye to a March 17th, 2017 opening.
• Richard Pryor Biopic – Eddie Murphy is reportedly in talks to join the cast of this as-yet-untitled biographical drama, in the role of the legendary comedian’s abusive father LeRoy. Pryor himself will be played by Mike Epps (“Next Friday”). The film is being produced by the Weinstein Co, with award-winning director Lee Daniels behind the camera directing.
• “A Star Is Born” – Actor Bradley Cooper is in negotiations with Warner Bros about directing a remake of this Hollywood classic. The hope is to have Cooper behind the camera and Beyoncé playing the lead role of a young woman whose dreams of stardom are helped by a self-destructive, washed-up icon. The project was originally to be helmed by Clint Eastwood.
• “Star Wars: Rogue One” – The series’ first spin-off non-trilogy film will star Felicity Jones (“The Theory of Everything”). Director Gareth Edwards has recruited Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) to pen the music, making it the 1st movie in the franchise without a John Williams soundtrack. The much-anticipated film’s due out in 2016.
• “Zoolander 2” – The sequel to the hit 2001 comedy was announced with a runway stunt at the Valentino show during Paris Fashion Week, when Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson hit the catwalk as their “Zoolander” characters ‘Derek’ & ‘Hansel’. Also appearing in the followup film: Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Penélope Cruz, and Will Ferrell. The sequel arrives February 12, 2016.

MORE WORDS & PHRASES COINED 100 YEARS AGO:
A few terms that first came into common usage in 1915 …
✓ ‘Blood Cholesterol’ – According to a 1915 edition of “The Journal of Biological Chemistry”, the principle that you are what you eat when it comes to cholesterol was already well established.
✓ ‘Bomber’ – Although WW1 included air raids, in 1915 this new word referred to a person previously called a ‘bomb thrower’. The use of the word for an aircraft didn’t come until 1917.
✓ ‘Camouflage’ – First used in the 19th century to refer to any kind of disguise. In 1915, it took on the specific military meaning of disguising vehicles, weapons, installations, or personnel.
✓ ‘Futuristic’ – Willard Huntington Wright was first to use the word in print in his 1915 book about cubist painters, “Modern Painting, Its Tendency and Meaning”.
✓ ‘Schlock’ – Used to mean cheap, shoddy, or defective goods, it first appeared in the “New York Tribune” in 1915.
✓ ‘Take No Prisoners’ – Used literally since the late 16th century to mean killing all enemy combatants. In the figurative sense, it first appeared in a “New York Times” baseball story.
– Adapted from “Mental Floss”

BABY NAMES ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION:
You won’t be hearing these baby names much. Once popular, with centuries-deep roots, they’re about to become extinct after being given to only 5 babies apiece, according to 2013 records.
GIRLS …
• ‘Barbra’ – Singer Barbra Streisand made her unusually-spelled shortened name famous in the 1960s. That’s when its popularity peaked. The unique version is about to vanish.
• ‘Claudine’ – This feminization of the old Roman name Claudius was popular in the first half of the 20th century but it, along with most other –ine and –een girls’ names are now passé.
• ‘Nanette’ – Nanette ranked among the top 1,000 until 1977, peaking in 1956. But today, most parents say ‘no, no to Nanette’.
• ‘Sondra’ – Sandra’s exotic sister-name ranked in the top 1,000 from the 1920s through the ’80s, peaking in 1939. It’s no longer in favor, a result of the devastating Hurricane Sandy?
• ‘Zelma’ – Selma, Thelma, and even Velma might be hanging on by the tips of their antiquated fingernails, but Zelma is about to lose her grip on modern usage.
BOYS …
• ‘Elmo’ – Just over a century ago, this short form of Guglielmo, the Italian form of William, was quite prevalent. Any hope of revival was shattered by the ticklish toy from “Sesame Street”.
• ‘Llewellyn’ – A common name in Wales, with the distinctive Welsh double-L beginning, it’s become steadily less popular since the early 1940s.
• ‘Remus’ – With his twin brother Romulus, he was a legendary founder of Rome. But the stereotypical image of ‘Uncle Remus’, plus the unpleasant first syllable have led to its demise.
• ‘Sherwood’ – This stiff-sounding name managed to make it onto the popularity list from 1897 to 1963, peaking in 1938. Unfortunately, it’s rarely been heard from since.
• ‘Waldo’ — Where’s Waldo? He’s nowhere to be found as a baby name nowadays. It was relatively common from 1881 until 1941, when it became a victim of anti-German sentiment.
– Condensed from NameBerry.com

BS AMAZING HAPPY FACTS:
• Simply seeing the color yellow actually makes you happier.
• Happiness peaks when the outdoor temperature is around 57.02° F (13.9° C). Rain, wind, and humidity don’t have a significant impact.
• If you force yourself to laugh (a fake laugh) for long enough, at some point you will genuinely start laughing.
– List25.com

BS CHRONOMETER 03.26.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1934 [81] Alan Arkin, NYC, movie actor (“Argo”, “Little Miss Sunshine”)  COMING UP: “Let It Snow”, opening November 13th.

1948 [67] Steve Tyler (Tallarico), Yonkers NY, classic rock singer (Aerosmith-“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, “Dream On”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2001)  BS FACTOID: He’s now reportedly recording what will be his first country album.

1950 [65] Martin Short, Hamilton ON, movie actor (“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”, “Father Of the Bride”)/TV comedian (“Saturday Night Live” 1984-85, “SCTV” 1982-84)

1968 [47] Kenny Chesney, Knoxville TN, country singer (“American Kids”, “When the Sun Goes Down”)/22 #1 singles

1973 [42] Larry Page, East Lansing MI, co-founder & CEO of Google/estimated personal wealth of $30.1 billion (2015)

1985 [30] Keira Knightley, London UK, movie actress (“The Imitation Game”, “Pirates Of the Caribbean” movies)  UP NEXT: “Everest”, opening September 18th.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Sister Cities Day”, initiated by Sister Cities International to promote the idea of a broad-based, officially-approved, long-term partnership between 2 communities, counties, or states in 2 countries. Montréal, Québec has certainly bought into the idea, with no less than 5 sister cities. Find your city’s sis’ here …
NET: http://www.sister-cities.org

• “Legal Assistants Day”, honoring all those who help lawyers with their briefs.

• “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day”. What ingredients make for a good holiday? Special foods? Parades? Costumes? Fireworks? Religious obligations? A day off from the sweatbox?

• “Purple Day”, an event begun in 2008 to raise awareness of epilepsy by wearing purple or lavender. The idea is to dispel myths about the condition by getting people talking, and to reassure those with seizures that they are not alone.
NET: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [08] Broward County, Florida Medical Examiner’s Office reveals that reality TV starlet Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental overdose of at least 9 prescription medications

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1990 [25] “Under the Sea” from the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid” is named ‘Best Song’ at the 62nd Academy Awards

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2000 [15] Vladimir Putin 1st elected president of Russia

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1996 [19] Orlando Magic’s NBA-record 40-game ‘home win streak’ finally ends vs LA Lakers

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] “Get Hard”; “Home” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Celebrate Exchange Day
[Sat] “Kids Choice Awards” (Nickelodeon)
[Sat] Weed Appreciation Day
[Sat] Earth Hour
[Sun] iHeartRadio Music Awards (Los Angeles)
This Week Is … Cleaning Week
This Month Is … Colic Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

LAMEST NEW HEADLINES ABOUT THE KARDASHIAN TRIBE:
Further proof that this untalented family is holding back the advancement of our species …
✗ “Kim Kardashian Yells at Kourtney”
✗ “Kim Kardashian Listens to Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble Sex Noises”
✗ “Rob Kardashian Believes ‘Puppet Master’ Kim Controls The Entire Family – Secrets Behind The Feud Exposed”
✗ “See Kim, Kanye, and North West’s Epic Photobomb”
✗ “How to Get 28 Million Instagram Followers, According to Kim Kardashian”
✗ “Kourtney Kardashian Shares Sexy Throwback Bikini Photo”
✗ “Kylie Jenner Hasn’t Worked Out in Two Years”
✗ “Kardashians Brush Off Rob’s Instagram Diss, Blame His Weight-Gain”
✗ “Did Madonna Just Throw Shade at Kim Kardashian?!”
✗ “Kylie Jenner Spends Two Hours In the Shower”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What was the last new city that you visited that you loved?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Marriage still confers one very special privilege … only a married person can get divorced.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Although THIS annual activity likely dates back thousands of years, the 1st recorded mention of it wasn’t until 1857.
Answer: Spring Cleaning.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never argue with an idiot; folks might not be able to tell the difference.