BRBTV birthdays this week ...

- Jenilee Harrison, the slightly ditzy Jamie Ewing on "Dallas," turned 46 yesterday, June 12.
- Waylon Jennings, our "Dukes of Hazzard" balladeer, was born on June 15, 1937 and died on February 13, 2002.
- Eileen Davidson, the last Kelly Capwell on "Santa Barbara," turns 47 on Thursday, June 15.
- Joan Van Ark, Lucy's mom Valene Ewing on "Dallas" and its spinoff "Knots Landing," turns 63 on Friday, June 16.
- Nedra Volz, our bright and feisty Miz Tisdale on "Dukes," was born on June 18, 1908 and died on January 20, 2003.

Lou Beatty Jr. appears in two 2006 films

Lou Beatty Jr. is known to us "Dynasty" fans as Rudy Richards in the 1988-89 episodes. That was one of his first roles, and he's kept up pretty solid work since then. The latest are the movies "Driftwood" and "Welcome to Paradise," scheduled for release this year.

"Driftwood," where Beatty plays a character named Doc Roberts, is written and directed by horror maven Tim Sullivan. The plot line from the IMDb: "Riddled with guilt over the loss of his rock star older brother, 16-year-old David Forrester (Ricky Ullman) becomes obsessed with death, leading his misguided parents to send him to Driftwood, an 'Attitude Adjustment Camp for Troubled Youths' run by the sadistic Captain Doug Kennedy (Diamond Dallas Page) and his brutal young henchman, Yates (Talan Torriero). Once there, David becomes haunted by the spirit of Jonathan (Connor Ross), a former inmate who met a mysterious end; a mystery whose resolution could very well be David's only way out." You can learn more about the film at http://www.horrorchannel.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4399.

Beatty's other current project is "Welcome to Paradise," written and directed by Brent Huff. BRBTV was delighted to see William Shockley sharing the writing credits -- he was the amazing, can't-help-but-be-hunky Hank Lawson on CBS' "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." Shockley even posted his own official plot line for the film to the IMDb message board: "'Welcome to Paradise' is a family film about a female minister (Crystal Bernard) whose faith and conviction in God leads her to the small town of Paradise, Texas, where she finds a community in need of direction, a church congregation searching for inspiration, and the one man (William Shockley) who just might be the love of her life." Sounds cool. Beatty plays Trevor Goodman in the film.

DukesFest: And the award for the nicest celebrity goes to ...

... Ms. Stella Parton, proving that you can have fame and still be a kind, down-to-earth person. Stella, a country-music star (and sister of Dolly) who played an officer of the law with ulterior motives in the first-season episode "Deputy Dukes," joked, "I grew up singing in church! I'm not really so bad as that officer." Indeed, she took special care and attention of fans around her autograph table near the Music City stage inside the Motorplex's Annex Building. And, even as she performed on this away-from-a-lot-of-the-action stage, she was gracious every moment. She had no problem stopping her performance to speak to someone who walked up to the stage, and she pulled a young boy from the audience, then later a young girl who was obviously a very smitten fan, to join her on-stage. She gave a good-ole down-home country cooing to "Dukes of Hazzard" inspiration and former moonshiner Jerry Rushing, who was taking a pause from his table to watch her perform. For all of this and more, BRBTV hereby bestows on Stella Parton the award of Most Congenial in Show for DukesFest.

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

That rounds out our week of special CMT DukesFest 2006 coverage. We want to send warm wishes and thanks to the folks we saw there at the event, including all the folks we profiled here in the blog, plus "Dukes" fan Tony, who caught BRB in the stands for a second, Jon and Amber and Paul and Cheryl. Thanks to Lee owner Mike for talking with us after the show for a story for the Covington (Ga.) News. It's always so much fun to share the love of a show like this!

BRBTV News Blog Blip: Next up for BRB is Braselton, Georgia. If you're anywhere near it, or you can be, don't miss the "Dukes of Hazzard" Night at the Lanier National Speedway. James Best, fresh off this DukesFest gig, will be there, and they'll have a special cop chase of a Lee around the track and other fun stuff. BRB will be signing copies of "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" Check their website, LanierSpeedway.com, for details. See ya there!

DukesFest: They sure came from far and wide!

They're calling it a crowd of 100,000 at this year's CMT DukesFest at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville. They're also calling it the largest crowd ever at these Tennessee state fairgrounds. Well, we already know it's the largest crowd ever for DukesFest, which has its roots in Sperryville, Va., with the first event in 2001. Each of the first three yearly gatherings had a few thousand people attending, and the event just grew and grew until last year's DukesFest, sponsored by CMT like this year's, drew between 30,000 and 40,000 at the Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.

In these couple-a shots, you can see the Sea of Lees lined up along the raceway. Another Lee was charging around the track, offering rides to attendees. At the bottom, Ben Jones does his hostly duties -- and a whole lot of performin' -- from the trackside stage.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

BRBTV birthdays this week:
- Gary Graham, who made a couple appearances on "The Dukes of Hazzard" and whom BRBTV just likes anyway, turned 46 on Monday, June 6.
- Colleen Camp, one of the Jenna Wades on "Dallas," turned 53 yesterday, June 7.
- Andrew Stevens, who was the slightly weasely Casey Denault on "Dallas," turns 51 this Saturday, June 10.

DukesFest: See My Lee!

This special DukesFest edition of our occasional "See My Lee!" feature is a nice one. It's not every day you get to meet a Lee that was actually used in the filming of "The Dukes of Hazzard."

John and Jaci Jablonski and Rick and Paula Jablonski, two brothers and their wives, all of Ohio, jointly own this lovely Lee. BRBTV got a chance to chat with Paula Jablonski about the car, which is one of the treasured 17 Lees recovered from Warner Bros. by Wayne Wooten and his Dodge Charger Registry of Grafton, Va., a few years after the show left the airwaves. Only the transmission has been replaced on this car; everything else is original, Jablonski said, even the tires.

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

And this Lee makes the rounds, for sure.

“We’re here every year,” Jablonski said, “and then usually every weekend we’re somewhere with it.”

This Lee, a stunt car, was used in the episode “Goodbye, General Lee” (and possibly others, though "Goodbye, General Lee" is the one that's documented for it). It's done jumps and wheel stands and the like for Bo and Luke. Jablonski tastefully declines revealing the price she paid for it – or what it’s worth. But hey, in Hazzard County, everything's priceless ...

DukesFest: Autographs, autographs ...

... It was just autograph mania at the 2006 CMT DukesFest, for sure. The stars were moved inside this year to air-conditioned comfort for signing autographs. That was good for them, because it sure was nice and hot outside! The fire marshall had something to say about it, though, when so many "Dukes" fans packed into the lines that the buildings had to be closed off. Yikes.

At any rate, all of the "Dukes" stars -- the whole surviving cast assembling for this special year of the event -- were real troopers, signing as fast as they could to accommodate the most number of people. Here's a glimpse at Catherine Bach (who reapplied her lipstick to rousing cheers and wolf whistles from the male attendees nearby), James Best and Rick Hurst.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

DukesFest: Jerry Rushing

It seems only appropriate to begin the BRBTV News Blog's special weeklong coverage of the 2006 DukesFest with the man who started it all, Mr. Jerry Rushing of Monroe, North Carolina.

You see, when Waylon Jennings explained in those first few episodes of "The Dukes of Hazzard" in 1979 that the Dukes "had the whiskey craft," he really meant the Rushings. Following in the legacy of his father and grandfather, Jerry Elijah Rushing ran two million gallons of bootleg moonshine whiskey through the beautiful hills of North Carolina in his 1958 Chrysler 300-D, which he dubbed "Traveler," after General Robert E. Lee's horse.

BRBTV had the pleasure of chatting with Mr. Rushing at DukesFest this past weekend, where he was set up with his lovely wife Dean, Larry Wolfel of TravelerMovie.com, and the bold, white Traveler itself.

As Rushing signed our copy of his autobiography "The Real Duke of Hazzard," we asked what stands out in his mind about those early days of filming the show in Georgia, when he even guest-starred as used-car dealer Ace Parker in the episode, "Repo Men":

"I just thought it was kinda exciting, that they were making a TV show about my life." He added with a smile, "I was a bit of an outlaw back then."

Since then, of course, Rushing has known the redeeming love of Jesus Christ in his life, and his autobiography shares a lot about that. (You can find Rushing's book, by the way, at Amazon.com.)

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Next for Lane Davies: "Midsummer Night's Dream"

Lane Davies, our own original Mason Capwell of "Santa Barbara" and the brief Craig Gurney on "Dallas," will next take on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival in Thosand Oaks, Calif.

The show, set in 1930s Athens, Ga., debuts on June 30 and continues on July 1-2, 7-9 and 14-16. All performances begin at 8 p.m. It's on the campus of California Lutheran University. Tickets, at $50-65, can be ordered by phone at (805) 493-3455. For more information, visit http://www.kingsmenshakespeare.org/festival/tickets.php. You can also learn more about the show, and all of Davies' activities, in the forum at his official website, www.lane-davies.com.

Learn a little more about "Legends"

Linda Evans and Joan Collins, together again ... in a manner of speaking! Ooooh, we like the sound of that, don't we, "Dynasty" fans? Well, thanks to fellow author Judith Moose for posting the word on "Dynasty" fan forums on the newly launched website for Evans' and Collins' live show "Legends," which begins in Toronto this September:
http://www.legendsthecomedy.com/

Click over and you'll hear the fun sound bytes and see the lovely images of these two fine actresses, who are playing a couple feuding characters reminiscent of their "Dynasty" days. The site also features some nice write-ups from national publications.

"Legends," which will also hit Philly, San Diego, Chicago and other U.S. spots, is a revival of the 1986 stage comedy that originally starred Carol Channing and Mary Martin (the mom of our "Dallas" icon Larry Hagman). The show "centers on two somewhat desperate and waning movie stars named Sylvia (played by Collins) and Leatrice (played by Evans)," according to the site. "Both actresses are courted by an unscrupulous young producer to star together in a Broadway show, despite the fact that they have hated each other for decades." Yummy!

Kerry Armstrong takes "A Journey Into Dance"

Kerry Armstrong, known to us as the not-so-likable Princess Elena on "Dynasty," has a project on the rosters for this year. It's called "Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance," and it also stars Helmut Bakaitis and Roy Billing ("Aquamarine").

ScreenHub.com says, "Razzle Dazzle is a fly-on-the-wall film about the tears, tantrums and tiaras in the world of competitive dance eistedfods." Ummm ... OK! (Perhaps they meant "eisteddfods," which, according to Dictionary.com, is "an annual competitive festival of Welsh poets and musicians.")

Directed by Darren Ashton and written by Robin Ince and Carolyn Wilson, the comedy was listed as in postproduction this past December.

For more information, check out: http://www.screenhub.com.au/index/production_detail.asp?productionID=646. There also was evidently an official website for the movie, http://razzledazzlethemovie.com, though it was inactive at post-time.

Update on Audrey Landers' movie

On April 28, we reported on the new made-for-TV movie project coming from Audrey Landers, our own Afton Cooper of "Dallas" as well as two guest characters on "The Dukes of Hazzard," and her family. It's called "Circus Island," and it will feature Audrey's sister Judy Landers, their children and their mom Ruth Landers.

Well, now, Audrey Landers has passed along to BRBTV a little bit more info about the film. "We do not yet have an airdate for 'Circus Island,'" she said to answer our initial question, "but we are recording more songs to add to the soundtrack album -- songs performed and written by myself, Daniel, my 12-year-old son, who already has hits in Europe, and Lindsey and Kristy, Judy Landers' beautiful and talented daughters."

We'll keep you posted on anything else we learn about "Circus Island" and other projects the Landers have going. You can also visit their production company website, http://www.landersproductionz.com.

BRBTV birthdays this week

Whew ... BRB is back in Georgia after a wonderful time in the Motor City and a week at Bro's place in mid-Michigan, geering up for the big DukesFest this weekend (and it's going to be a biggie -- all surviving cast members! Check out www.cootersplace.com for details) ... and we're starting the week with the BRBTV birthdays ...

- Adrian Paul, who was Kolya (Nikolai) Rostov on "The Colbys," turns 47 today, May 29.
- Ted McGinley, the handsome Clay Fallmont on "Dynasty," turns 48 tomorrow, May 30.
- Omri Katz, the bright John Ross Ewing III on "Dallas," turns a young 3-0 tomorrow, May 30.
- Robin Mattson, the second and perhaps liveliest Gina DeMott-Capwell-And-On-And-On on "Santa Barbara," turns the big 5-0 on Thursday, June 1.
- David Haskell, the long-suffering Nick Hartley on "SB," was born on June 4, 1948 and died on August 30, 2000.

Motor City Mania: And the award for the nicest celebrity goes to ...

... Ms. Lydia Cornell, who also happened to star in an episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard," as Mary Beth Carver, a pretty NASCAR owner and daughter of a mobster, in "Undercover Dukes." Cornell was by far the most friendly, engaging and smiling celebrity in attendance at last weekend's Motor City Comic Con, hopping here and there to pose for photos (even posing with the General Lee across the hall), signing autographs in a snap, complimenting attendees and hugging their children (just ask BRB's niece Veronica) as she talked about how much she was missing her own kids during the show. Cornell is perhaps best known for her role as Sara Rush on the 1980s sitcom "Too Close for Comfort," though she's done a lot of other TV work. BRBTV hereby bestows on Lydia Cornell the honorary title of Most Congenial in Show.

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

BRBTV asked Cornell if she ever keeps up with her "Too Close for Comfort" costar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh (who was the less-beautiful brunette sister and foil to Cornell's buxom blond character). Cornell said the two have filmed a movie together called "Venus Conspiracy," in which they once again play sisters, only this time their relationship is a mite bit more sinister! She said they're hoping to get it released in the next year.

Motor City Mania: John Wesley Shipp

Today, in our special weeklong highlight series from last weekend's Motor City Comic Con, we touch on our fourth BRBTV series, "Santa Barbara" ...

John Wesley Shipp may be the 1990s "Flash" to the rest of the TV viewing world, but in the BRBTV realm, he's Martin Ellis from the 1987 slice of "Santa Barbara." Shipp, who's no stranger to daytime TV, anyway, with earlier roles on CBS' "The Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" and later spins on ABC's "One Life to Live" and "All My Children," was recognized by the Daytime Emmys for his guest stint on "SB." He was named the Outstanding Guest Performer in the 1987 awards.

At the Comic Con, this 6'4" star of the WB's "Dawson's Creek" and "JAG" was tanned, nicely cut, still so handsome and wonderfully friendly as he signed autographs and chatted with fans ...

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

We're also hittin' the BRBTV birthdays today:

- Al Corley, the original (and hunkiest) Steven Carrington on "Dynasty," turned the big 5-0 on Sunday, May 22.
- We had three BRBTV birthdays on this past Tuesday, May 23: Mark Arnold, the second and final Joe Perkins on "Santa Barbara," turned 49; Joan Collins, the unforgettable Alexis on "Dynasty," made the 73 mark; and her sometimes-rival Tracy Kendall on "Dynasty," Deborah Adair, turned 54.
- Priscilla Presley, the third and final Jenna Wade on "Dallas," turned 61 yesterday, May 24.
- Eric Close, who was Sawyer Walker on "SB," turned a so-young 39 yesterday.
- Barbara Stock, Liz Adams on "Dallas," will be the big 5-0 tomorrow, May 26.

Happy birthday to all!

Motor City Mania: The "Dukes" do Detroit!

A TV show that's near and dear to her heart, paired with a town that's near and dear to her heart -- it was like a little slice of Heaven this past weekend for BRB ...

Paul and Cheryl Harrington of the Canadian Dukes of Hazzard Fan Club once again brought a wonderful cacophony of "Dukes" memorabilia to the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Mich. Besides the General Lee, which was a required guest, of course, they displayed a Hazzard County Sheriff's boat, two Hazzard County Sheriff's cars (one from the TV series and one from last year's motion picture) and their traveling "Dukes" museum trailer. Step inside, and you see all kinds of cool props from the TV series as well as a wealth of signed photos and other great stuff. On the outside, he has all sorts of fun "Dukes" collectibles for sale, including the more-obscure stuff like a Mego Boss Hogg and a UK-released paperback novel from the series. It's a smorgasbord for the "Dukes" nut!

Paul has every "Dukes" star he meets sign the trunk of his General, as you can see here.

BRB, of course, signed copies of the newly released "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" fun-fact guide to the show. Along the way, BRB had fun chattin' with hard-core "Dukes" fans Jason and Don, who came along with Paul and Cheryl on this trip, and Mike, who brought a fabbo KITT ("Knight Rider") car. Thanks, guys, for making this "Dukes" display a great one for the fans!

This photo by Scott Bates;
other photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Motor City Mania: Charlene Tilton

Yesterday was "Dynasty"; today we travel to "Dallas" ...

Our own little Lucy, Charlene Tilton, also made the trip to Metro Detroit for the Motor City Comic Con. Under a bright banner calling "Dallas" the "highest-rated TV series of all time," Tilton was set up in the TV and film star area with a full array of photos to autograph, some Lucy Ewing shots, some magazine covers, etc. When BRBTV asked Tilton what she's got going on for projects right now, she said, "I'm producing 'The Tammy Faye Bakker Story.'" Ah ... a TV movie, then? "It's a feature."

Asked about her favorite Lucy Ewing storyline, Tilton laughed, threw her hands up in the air and said, "Who knows! There are so many!"

Nestled right next to the table of longtime Detroit TV legend The Ghoul, Tilton was autographing "Dallas" DVD sets for $50, as well as the typical 8-by-10 glossies for $25, and items that attendees brought with them for $15.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Motor City Mania: John Saxon

Whew ... what a weekend. It was a fabbo time at the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Mich., this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday: wonderful and exhausting, and a great chance to see and talk with a lot of folks out there in the geeky world of pop culture. BRBTV hereby declares this coming week Motor City Mania -- all week long, mind you -- here at the BRBTV News Blog! We're going to be hitting all four shows of BRBTV with this bag of goodies.

First up, the gracious and personable Mr. John Saxon, who played Rashid Ahmed on "Dynasty" ...

Now, this guy, you know as soon as you see him in person, has one of those "I've seen him in something! I just know it!" faces. He's familiar, that's for sure. Could be those hundreds of TV and film roles listed on his IMDb page! "Bonanza," "Night Gallery," "Gunsmoke," "The Rockford Files," "Wonder Woman," all of our favorites and more, spanning five decades. Of course, for us "Dynasty" fans, this familiar face takes us back to the mid-'80s and a certain storyline involving Middle Eastern intrigue and oil leases and the lovely, vixenish Joan Collins.

What was it like to work with Joan Collins? BRBTV had to ask.

"I remember we were having lunch," he said, "and I wasn't really good friends with her at the time. We sat at lunch and talked, and she was just getting started in her career. She was very concerned about getting jobs and asking me all these questions about jobs."

Saxon also reminisced about the AIDS scare of the 1980s, which haunted the "Dynasty" set with the shocking revelation about Rock Hudson, who played a love interest to Linda Evans' character Krystle. In the midst of the AIDS hysteria in Hollywood, Saxon said, Collins was skittish about their romantic scenes. "She didn't want to kiss anyone."

Saxon, who also starred on primetime soap "Falcon Crest" as the father of Lorenzo Lamas' character (now there was some informed casting! Meow!), told BRBTV that of all the wealth of acting he's done, the role that stands out for him is his spin as Chuy Medina in 1966's "The Appaloosa," alongside Marlon Brando.

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Be sure to check out the Motor City Comic Con

BRB has been having a blast after Day 1 of the Motor City Comic Con. From Brent Spiner to David Faustino to Lydia Cornell and the Ghoul and lots of other pop-culture points between, this show is jam-packed. Today was pretty hoppin', so we're expecting tomorrow to be even better.

If you're in Metro Detroit or can make it to Metro Detroit, come check it out, and be sure to visit the giant "Dukes of Hazzard" display, where BRB is, of course, signing copies of "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" We'll be posting some photos from the show next week. Charlene Tilton of "Dallas" is there, along with John Saxon, who played Rashid Ahmed on "Dynasty." Definitely something for everyone. Oh, and there's a few assorted comic books, too! See our May 2 post for a little more ...

Kevin Bernhardt writes next "Rambo" movie

Kevin Bernhardt, known to us as Father Tanner McBride in the later years of "Dynasty," is writing the next "Rambo" flick, the fourth installment in the franchise. Currently in preproduction and scheduled for 2007, the film will once again feature Sly Stallone in the starring role, with James Brolin.

The plotline from the IMDb: "Vietnam vet John Rambo is forced to emerge from his reclusive lifestyle and take justice into his own hands after a girl goes missing." The film's script has recently been the topic of discussion in the forum on its IMDb page.

Besides that whole acting thing, over the years, Bernhardt's other writing credits have included "Fear of Flying" in 2000 and "Five Aces" in 1999. He's also been working on the movie adaptation of Billy Tucci's popular comic-book chick action hero "Shi."

Interesting trivia tidbit: Bernhardt was once married to the former Prince's "Purple Rain" star Apollonia Kotero.

It's a summer of love in "Santa Barbara"

If you're a fan of "Santa Barbara" and you aren't tuned in to BarbarianTV.com, then you really need to be. It's a comprehensive web homage to the daytime soap, and it's also a great place to rewatch clips of those episodes you've missed since the show went off the air.

On May 27, BarbarianTV is beginning a new Saturday-night clip series, "Santa Barbara After Dark: Summer Nights." Each week, they'll post for your downloading pleasure "a particularly scintillating montage or clip" celebrating the more passionate moments of the show. Click to it at http://www.barbariantv.com/summerpassion.html.

Then, beginning in June, the site will present the love story of Kelly Capwell and Joe Perkins, circa summer 1984: http://www.barbariantv.com/kellyandjoe.html

At the same time, "SB" fans can show their support for the campaign to get the show back on the air on a channel such as SoapNet: The leader of the Get_SB_on_TV Yahoo group, Lisa, has wristbands / bracelets available for sale to help awareness. The bracelets sell for $3 each (includes first-class U.S. shipping) or two for $5. Some of them have already been sent to the folks at SoapNet!

BRBTV birthdays this week ...

We're hitting Denver and Santa Barbara in the BRBTV birthdays this week ...

- Nina Arvesen, "Santa Barbara"'s long-suffering Angela Raymond whom you kinda had to keep your eye on, turns 45 today, May 16.
- Richard Hatch, who put temptation in the face of Claudia Blaisdel as Dean Caldwell on "Dynasty," and also was a brief original Stephen Slade on "Santa Barbara," turns 61 on Sunday, May 21.

Happy birthday to both!

Stephanie Beacham takes on "Love and Other Disasters"

Debuting in France this fall, then moving on to the U.K. and, in theory, the U.S. after that, the film "Love and Other Disasters" will star none other than our own Sable Colby, aka Stephanie Beacham, who stomped her spiked heels all over both "Dynasty" and "The Colbys." Beacham will share the scenes with heartthrob Orlando Bloom and his big sister, Samantha Bloom, in the romantic comedy.

The plot line from the IMDb: "An American intern at U.K. Vogue helps her friends find love." Beacham plays Felicity Wentworth in the movie. Gwyneth Paltrow and Brittany Murphy also star. The film is written and directed by Alek Keshishian.

One of the film's crew members has posted a few photos:
http://www.bysshe.com/lodpics.htm

"Dallas" movie gets a new director

Kenyan-born and London-bred filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has signed on to direct the new "Dallas" movie, set to begin filiming this year, the BBC reports. Chadha told the BBC that this incarnation of the popular CBS 1980s TV show will reflect our more contemporary world, though it will be true to the original characters.

"But it's set today and all the characters are much more extreme versions of how we remember them," she said.

Chadha replaces director Robert Luketic, who left the project last month. To read the BBC's whole story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4931704.stm

Chadha is also attached to direct a movie version of Larry Hagman's other big show, "I Dream of Jeannie," ironically. Longtime novelist and prolific TV writer Sidney Sheldon, originator of the 1960s TV series, is involved in the writing of the project, as well.

Michael Brainard's got a couple on deck

Michael Brainard, who took over the role of Ted Capwell in the latter years of "Santa Barbara," has a couple movie projects scheduled for 2006 release. One is a horror flick called "Killing Ariel," written and directed by Fred Calvert. Brainard plays a leading character named Rick in this evidently low-budget thriller. To see some photos and learn more, check out the film's website: http://killingariel.com.

The other project has some bigger names attached to it, namely Marky-Mark Wahlberg (one of BRB's faves, if she does say so herself). In "Invincible," a Disney flick due in theaters August 25, Wahlberg plays a Philadelphia Eagles fan who, when he loses his wife and his job, decides to show up for an open tryout for the team. Brainard plays an Eagles coach in the film, directed by Ericson Core (who's done work on "The Fast and the Furious") and written by Brad Gann. Greg Kinnear makes an appearance in the film. To see the trailer, visit: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/index.html?dlink=invincible

Also check out http://www.vincepapale.com/movie.html. And Brainard keeps you apprised of the stuff he's got going on, at his own website: http://www.michaelbrainard.com

BRBTV birthdays this week ...

There were no BRBTV birthdays last week, but this week we've got a couple ...

- Denver Pyle, the venerable Uncle Jesse of "The Dukes of Hazzard," was born on May 11, 1920, and died on December 25, 1997.
- Karen Cellini, who took over the role of Amanda Carrington on "Dynasty," celebrates her 48th birthday on Saturday, May 13.