FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, April 14, 2003

ON THE MEND: Rodney Dangerfield, who underwent 12-hour brain surgery last week, is breathing on his own and could be moved out of intensive care later this week. The 81-year-old comic needed the surgery to increase his blood flow in preparation for an upcoming heart-valve replacement.

GONNA LIVE FOREVER? NBC announcing open casting calls for a reality TV version of Fame. Debbie Allen will be on hand to recruit talented performers starting in Miami on April 24, followed by New York April 26, Chicago April 29 and Los Angeles May 2 and May 3.

FASHIONABLE LADY: Nicole Kidman set to pick up the 2003 CFDA Fashion Icon Award in New York on June 2. The prize is voted on by over 450 fashion designers, retailers and press.

A BEAUTIFUL HONEYMOON: Russell Crowe and his new wife, Danielle Spencer, on a "self-drive honeymoon" around Australia. The two reportedly stayed in a motel in the city of Rockhampton on Australia's east coast last week.

FUTURE CAREER: Freddie Prinze Jr. telling TV Guide he plans to stop acting eventually to pursue a writing career. He recently penned an episode of the TV series Mutant X, set to air later this month.

FINAL BOW: Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin announcing that she will retire from the road following her current tour, which kicked off Friday and goes through the fall.

TRUCKIN': Bob Dylan joining the Dead for the second leg of their hotly anticipated summer tour, the first since Jerry Garcia's death. Steve Winwood, Willie Nelson, Joan Osborne and Robert Hunter will also sit in at various shows.

THE WHEELS ARE TURNING: Daily Variety reporting that Revolution Studios has hired the writing team of David Elliot and Paul Lovett to write the script for the big-screen version of Knight Rider. David Hasselhoff will executive produce the flick, which is being readied as an action-comedy.

ANGER RAGES: Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler's Anger Management dominated the weekend box office, grossing $42.2 million--the biggest April debut ever.

GOOD DEEDS: Adam Sandler picking up two orange Blimp Awards, one for favorite movie actor for his role in Mr. Deeds and the other for his voice work in Eight Crazy Nights, at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards this weekend.

NICE REBOUND: Cross-dressing former basketball star Dennis Rodman planning to wed Michelle Moyer on May 13, his birthday, in Newport Beach, California. The Worm was previously married for nine days to Carmen Electra.

INTO THE LION'S DEN: NBC ordering 13 episodes of Father of the Pride, a CG-animated series from DreamWorks about the lives of a family of lions who perform in Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas magic show.

LAST STAND? The New York Post reporting that producer David E. Kelley visited the set of The Practice recently to explain to the cast and crew that a script titled "Goodbye" might be the show's series finale. Ratings have plunged this season since ABC moved the drama from Sunday to Monday night.

LOST AND FOUND: Police recovering Sean Penn's stolen car in Richmond, California--nine miles from where it was swiped last week. However, two guns that were inside the car are still missing.

RIOT ACT ONLINE: Pearl Jam making Saturday's rare club show at the House of Blues in Orlando available for cybercasting from RealNetworks for a 24-hour window beginning at 3 p.m. PT Monday.

GONGED: Comic Jeffrey Ross tapped to pick up where Chuck Barris left off by hosting the WB's forthcoming revival of The Gong Show.

DANGEROUS JOB: A CNN crew led by correspondent Brent Sadler coming under fire from Iraqi forces while speeding through a checkpoint near Tikrit on Sunday. Two people in the CNN convoy were slightly injured.

PAYING TRIBUTE: David, Keith and Robert Carradine, remembering their late father, John Carradine, by serenading the audience at his induction into the Hall of Great Western Performers on Saturday.

SICK SUIT: The mother whose daughter was murdered by an aspiring rap star from Death Row Records filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the rapper and the label, accusing him of killing her and eating part of her lung as part of his record label's plan to cultivate a "gangsta" image for him.