FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, May 15, 2001

POINTING FINGERS: Robert Blake's lawyer, Harland Braun, suggesting a hit man killed the actor's wife. The lawyer also has released tapes of Bonny Lee Bakley talking about whether to pursue Blake or Christian Brando.

BLAKE ADD: Attorney Barry Levin touring the crime scene after being added to Blake's defense team at the behest of Braun, who has admitted the actor has come under suspicion. Police say they have no suspects and are asking journalists not to print rumors.

VIVA LAS VEGAS: With Survivor reduced to a "Back from the Outback" special, CBS still topped the ratings race last week thanks to Vegas crime drama C.S.I., according to Nielsen Media Research. NBC, boosted by ER and Friends, placed first among adults 18-49, the demographic prized by advertisers.

IF NOT SPACE, THAN OCEAN: James Cameron is teaming with ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau to produce a series of undersea exploration specials for ABC. The project aims to use the latest photographic technology and oceanography studies to send a high-tech exploration vessel into areas of the deep sea that have never been photographed.

PLAYING NICE: The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists releasing a statement Monday outlining the negotiating points for their upcoming contract talks. "We believe there is a deal to be made without a strike," the unions say. Talks begin this morning.

SO TALENTED: Singer Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit will direct the film Life Without Joe, about a group of teen football players accused of running over a cat. Durst has directed music videos for his band and others, but this will be his movie debut.

COLLECTOR'S ITEM: New posters advertising Pearl Harbor are disappearing faster than they can be replaced at bus shelters and kiosks. The "vintage" posters, which mimic the artwork of World War II propaganda posters, are going for more than $250 on eBay, but are not currently being sold by the studio.

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS: Jill Scott, who missed nearly two weeks as the opening act on Sting's tour because of a lung infection, is scheduled to join the tour tonight in Madison, Wisconsin.

PARKING IT: The Sundance Film Festival will remain in Park City, Utah, at least through 2005. Festival officials have agreed to a four-year contract with the city, which the city council is expected to ratify on Thursday, ending worries that the 10-day January showcase for independent filmmakers might move elsewhere, possibly Salt Lake City.

SPEAKING OF SUNDANCE: The Sundance Channel is teaming with home video specialists the Criterion Collection for a special 13-week series showcasing classics of world cinema. The Thursday night series begins June 7 and includes The Seven Samurai, Wages of Fear and Wild Strawberries.

CRUISING TO HOME VIDEO: USA Home Entertainment has announced it's releasing the Oscar-winning drug saga Traffic on DVD May 29. The disc includes a making-of special and behind-the-scenes footage.

LINING UP: CBS has given the nod to five new dramas and two new comedies for its fall 2001 lineup. The biggest surprise for CBS, which unveils its schedule to advertisers on Wednesday, was the Lou Diamond Phillips starrer Wolf Lake, an X-Files-esque drama about investigators who probe mysterious activities among wolves in the Pacific Northwest.

GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH: Oscar winners live nearly four years longer than nominees, according to a study published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. "Once you get the Oscar, it gives you an inner sense of peace and accomplishment that can last for your entire life, and that alters the way your body copes with stress," the study says.