In the news
Illness, dispute delay 'Raymond'
By Times Wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 14, 2003
Laughter and two co-stars were missing from the set of Everybody Loves Raymond.
While Brad Garrett held out for more money, Patricia Heaton's illness delayed the start of production on the CBS sitcom's season premiere.
Work on the first episode was pushed back a week to Monday, network spokesman Chris Ender said Wednesday. The series' eighth season will begin airing as scheduled on Sept. 22, he said.
Heaton, who plays the wife of series star Ray Romano, was absent from the set Monday because she was "under the weather," Ender said. He did not specify her illness.
Garrett, who told CBS he wouldn't work until negotiations opened on a new contract, was written out of the first episode. He plays Romano's brother.
In a statement, CBS praised Garrett's talent and said it has negotiated new contracts twice with him in the past four years.
Garrett's representatives at Raw Talent criticized the network's refusal to discuss a new deal, comparing his salary to Romano's - reportedly about $1.8-million an episode.
Franken responds to lawsuit
Political satirist Al Franken responded Tuesday to the lawsuit by Fox News charging him with trademark infringement over the use of the words "fair and balanced" in the title of his upcoming book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.
"I normally prefer not to be out of the country on vacation when I'm sued. However, from everything I know about law regarding satire, I'm not worried," Franken said in a statement. "But I'd like to thank Fox for all the publicity," he added.
New Miss Teen USA from Oregon
A self-described tomboy from Oregon was crowned Miss Teen USA 2003 Tuesday night in Palm Springs, Calif.
Tami Nichole Farrell of Phoenix, Ore., who said her proudest moment was hitting a game-winning grand-slam while playing on her town's formerly all-boy baseball team, defeated 50 other contestants.
Farrell, 18, won a year of rent-free living in New York City, a tiara valued at $17,500, and cash and other prizes.
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In the newsIllness, dispute delay 'Raymond'
