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In the news
Compiled from Times wires 'The Simpson's' renewed through 16th seasonMmmmm ... renewal. Homer Simpson and the rest of America's favorite yellow family will stick around for at least two more seasons, reports People magazine. The Simpsons has been renewed through May 2005, which means that the animated Fox program will have 16 seasons and 360 episodes in the can. In other words, it will surpass The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet to claim the title of longest-running sitcom in the history of television. Still, Simpsons executive producer Al Jean has another vintage old show in his sights, saying, "Watch out, Gunsmoke -- you're next." (The CBS western ran for a record 20 years.) Despite its age, The Simpsons has thrived. It's currently Sunday night's highest-rated series among adults between 18 and 49. Brown gets jail timeBobby Brown was sentenced to eight days in jail and ordered not to drive for a year after pleading guilty Friday to a 1996 drunken driving charge in DeKalb County, Ga. State Court Judge Wayne M. Purdom also ordered Brown to perform 240 hours of community service, pay $2,000 in fines and $800 in court costs and get counseling. He will be on probation for two years. Brown, 33, is married to singer Whitney Houston, who was not in the courtroom Friday. The judge had issued a warrant for Brown's arrest this week because the singer left Georgia in violation of his bond to perform at the American Music Awards Monday in Los Angeles. Fans racing to preorder new Harry Potter bookAt a record pace, advance orders are piling up for the next Harry Potter book. Since Wednesday's long-awaited announcement that the fifth Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was coming out June 21, tens of thousands of readers have already preordered J.K. Rowling's latest adventure story. Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com both said Friday that advance orders were well ahead of those for the fourth Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, published in July 2000. Goblet of Fire had advance orders of 400,000, Amazon.com's largest ever preorder. Barnes & Noble.com also said Goblet of Fire was its largest preorder.
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From the wire |
