FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, February 19, 2003

THE CAT'S MEOW! Ashley Judd making her Broadway debut this fall as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, though she forgoes a chance to play Batman's femme-feline nemesis, the Catwoman, in a Warner Bros. movie slated to start shooting around the same time.

SWEET PICKINGS: Who will Trista choose? Ryan or Charlie? ABC set to air The Bachelorette finale Wednesday night at 8 p.m.

REALITY ADD: Meanwhile, ABC also planning to show off ten forgotten celebrities in its latest reality series, I'm a Celebrity--Get Me Out of Here!, also airing tonight at 10 p.m.

STAR OF HER OWN WEDDING: Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart revealing to the Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn that ABC camera crews will tag along with her for the next few months as she prepares for her summer wedding to musician Mark Wilkerson. The results will then be edited into an unscripted special or series that will air on ABC.

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS: Kate Hudson has been tapped to host the Sci-Tech portion of the Academy Awards at the Regent Beverly Wilshire on March 1. The early awards honor "devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures."

PEACE ON EARTH: U2 frontman Bono placed on the short list of possible winners for this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts on behalf of AIDS-stricken Africa and other charitable causes.

SPOOKY MUSIC: Jonathan Davis, leading singer of Korn, re-recording the theme song for UPN's new version of The Twilight Zone, set to debut on an original episode set for February 26.

SCUFFLE? R. Kelly denying rumors that Chicago police are investigating him for allegedly roughing up a woman yesterday on the day his new album Chocolate Factory hit record stores. The singer called the charges "outrageous" and "character assassination."

MAKING CENTS: Eminem's protege, rapper 50 Cent claiming the top spot for the second week in a row, as his Get Rich or Die Trying sold a record 872,000 copies. The Dixie Chicks' Home snagged second place with 170,000 copies sold while Nora Jones' Come Away With Me landed in number three.

ENCORE: A clip from the upcoming movie, Justin to Kelly, featuring American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, set to screen on tonight's Idol. The movie's due out April 25.

IDOL ADD: Meanwhile Frenchie Davis, who was axed from the show after it was discovered she once worked for an adult Web site, hired to be a special correspondent at Sunday's Grammy Awards for Entertainment Tonight.

REMEMBER THE ALAMO! Ozzy Osbourne once again headlining his annual Ozzfest tour this summer along with Korn, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed and Chevelle. The trek kicks off on June 28 in San Antonio where Osbourne was arrested years ago for infamously peeing on the Alamo.

JUST BEING A MOM: Kelly Osbourne saying she was forced to miss the NME Awards last week in London when mom Sharon Osbourne banned her from flying to the UK after seeing soldiers patrolling Heathrow Airport. "She didn't want a war to start and me to be on the other side of the world," an annoyed Kelly told NME.com.

JUST BEING A MOM TOO: Eminem's mom, Debbie Nelson, telling Celebrity Justice that the music industry is "scary" and "violent" and she's worried that someone might take her son too seriously that they might want to take him out.

JOE RULES! More than 40 million viewers tuning in to watch Fox's Joe Millionaire, Evan Marriott, choose Zora, besting a repeat of Living with Michael Jackson on ABC. All told, Joe averaged 34.6 million viewers overall.

HEATING UP: Self-help guru Dr. Phil giving a much needed kick in the World Wide Pants to David Letterman as his appearance on The Late Show Monday helped the CBS program to its highest rating in 17 months as well as besting rival NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for the first time in three years.

COME TOGETHER? The New York Post reporting that a secret 1994 reunion of the then-three surviving Beatles performing their greatest hits will be released on DVD next month. The hour-long footage was said to have been shot when at George Harrison's country estate in England and is the only time the three ever played together after the band broke up.

TAKING THEIR TIME: Phil Spector's March 3 arraignment on murder charges may be postponed after investigators say they need more time to ready their case.

ENOUGH BOOZIN': Former Eight is Enough star Adam Rich slapped with a misdemeanor drunk driving charge stemming from his December 18 arrest on a closed-off section of the Pamona freeway. He's due to be arraigned on Thursday.

ANGRY LOOK: Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson angrily threatening to sue a Swedish tabloid after publishing an article alleging she could be suffering from a second tumor. Fredriksson is recuperating after having had a brain tumor removed last fall.

PICKING UP: The film industry in neighboring British Columbia showing signs of recovery from its 20-month slump, with more than 30 Hollywood features, made-for-TV movies and television series ramping up production there.

CODA: Country singer Johnny PayCheck, noted for his 1977 working man's anthem "Take This Job and Shove It," died Tuesday of emphysema and asthma. He was 64.

REMEMBERED: Producer Jack Brodsky, who served as head of 20th Century Fox marketing and publicity and produced or co-produced such films as Romancing the Stone, The Jewel of the Nile, King Ralph and Black Knight, died in his sleep at his Sherman Oaks home late Monday. He was 69.