FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, February 4, 2003

BACK OFF: Madonna plans to file a complaint with a press watchdog group in Britain over reportedly inaccurate accounts in Heat magazine that the superstar is preggers, reports Reuters.

NEVER GO AGAINST THE FAMILY: Sopranos' stars James Gandolfini & Co. suing electronics retailer Best Buy for unauthorized use of their likeness in advertising circulars to push DVDs and other merchandise.

BAILED OUT: Legendary record producer Phil Spector, 62, was arrested Monday for allegedly shooting to death a woman at his home in Alhambra, California, at about 5 a.m. Spector was later released on $1 million bail and hired O.J. Simpson Dream Teamer Robert Shapiro to defend him.

ON TOP: Fox was a ratings winner last week, attracting an average 12.8 million viewers and besting the Big Three networks with its airings of American Idol and Joe Millionaire--a first during the regular TV season for the typically fourth-ranked net.

AIR RAGE? Courtney Love was arrested upon arrival at London's Heathrow airport today. The actress-singer was yanked from her Virgin Atlantic flight for fighting with a flight attendant.

PRICE OF FAME: British magazine Hello! told London's High Court it was well within its rights to publish wedding snapshots of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas since the duo actively pursued publicity for the event. The couple are suing the magazine for publishing the pics.

SO SOON? Rob Lowe's last appearance on the West Wing will air February 26, about a month sooner than first thought, TV Guide Online reports. Lowe has already been signed to an NBC legal drama.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger have recruited Ian Astbury of the Cult on vocals and Stewart Copeland of the Police on drums for their updated group, the Doors 21st Century. The band's first show is in Los Angeles on Friday.

MORE DOORS: Meanwhile, original Doors drummer John Densmore filing suit against his former bandmates, claiming they aren't allowed to use the band's name without his permission. He also wants any profits the group makes off Doors 21st Century concerts and recordings.

IN MEMORIAM: Peter Shaw, producer, agent and husband of Angela Lansbury, died January 29 of congestive heart failure. He was 84.

NOT AMUSED: Latino advocacy groups are objecting to NBC's new drama Kingpin, about a drug cartel run by a Mexican family, for its stereotypical portrayal of Hispanics.

SEE YA: Tawdry talk-show host Jenny Jones will be calling it quits after 12 seasons, Variety reports. Warner Bros. isn't confirming the cancellation, but staffers were told on Friday that this would be their last season.

CLASSIC TV AWARDS: TV Land is honoring legendary series, including The Dick Van Dyke Show and All in the Family, in its all new awards show A Celebration of Classic TV on March 12. John Ritter has been tapped to host.

YUKS AWARD: Mike Myers to be honored with the 23rd Annual Jack Benny Comedy Award February 12 at the UCLA campus.

DELAYED: ABC yanked the telepic N.T.S.B.: The Crash of Flight 323 from its Thursday night lineup after the Colombia space shuttle disaster. The TV movie, starring Mandy Patinkin, was originally slated to air in September 2001 but was pushed back because of the events of September 11.

FURTHER IMPACT: TV networks and advertisers pulling what could be deemed as insensitive programming and commercials from air, including an Hewlett-Packard spot boasting about its ability to get astronauts home safely.

OSCAR CAMPAIGN: Meryl Streep, who could garner a double nomination next week, criticizing the Oscar race as a "political campaign" in an interview with London's Daily Telegraph newspaper today.

FAMILY TIES: ABC has picked up a pilot from former Spin City star Michael J. Fox, who will write and produce. Hench at Home features a retired hockey player who's forced to spend more time with his family.

MORE BAD BLOOD: David Kelley reportedly furious that Dragnet executive producer Dick Wolf got a freeze frame credit at the end of the show's first episode on Sunday. ABC has consistently denied Kelley the credit, reports Variety.

ME, TARZAN: Calvin Klein model Travis Fimmel has been tapped to star as Tarzan in a new WB series that follows the jungle kid after he's brought back to civilization.

IT'S NOT TV. IT'S HBO: Steven Soderbergh in talks with cable net HBO to develop a series revolving around political consultants.

RELEASED: Former money manager to the stars Dana Giacchetto is out of prison and on parole. Giacchetto bilked his Hollywood clients for millions of dollars before being busted two years ago.

PASSING: Whitney Houston's 82-year-old dad, John Houston, died on Sunday after a long battle with diabetes and heart disease. The elder Houston, a longtime theatrical manager, was in the middle of a $100 million breach-of-contract legal battle with his daughter.

IN STORES EARLY: To combat pirated versions already on the streets, rapper 50 Cent's new album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', will record stores on February 6, five days earlier than its original release date.

MAGNIFICENT SUIT: Beatrice Welles, the daughter of Orson Welles, filing a lawsuit against RKO Pictures and Turner Entertainment, claiming a 1944 agreement between Welles and RKO gives her control of the rights to film classics Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons.