FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, September 15, 2003

ON AGAIN-OFF AGAIN: Sources close to J.Lo denying a People magazine report that claims Ben Affleck dumped his potential missus on the weekend they were to be wed.

GOOD GET: ABC News' Diane Sawyer landing the first TV news interview with former POW Jessica Lynch, which will air on November 11, Veteran's Day. The pursuit of Lynch's story sparked intense rivalry between the networks' news shows.

LAID TO REST: Family and close friends gathering for a private funeral service for John Ritter on Monday, further details were not released. A memorial service is in the works.

REMEMBERING RITTER: Diane Sawyer hosting a one-hour tribute to star John Ritter, who died on Friday of a heart ailment, airing Tuesday night on ABC at 8 p.m.

NOT SO SIMPLE: Meanwhile, Alphabet network executives mulling the fate of Ritter's 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, considering if and how to continue the show. One suggestion could be to restructure the show around co-star Katey Sagal.

REST IN PEACE: Johnny Cash's funeral service will be a private affair held Monday at the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at noon. Artists set to perform during the service include Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Emmylou Harris.

HASTA LA VISTA: A federal appeals court blocking California's gubernatorial recall election on Monday, leaving Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show and talk about a campaign that might already be terminated. His appearance, however, was taped before today's ruling.

THE HORROR! Master storyteller Stephen King selected to pick up in November a National Book Award for lifetime achievement, a $10,000 prize sponsored by the National Book Foundation. The ecstatic author said he'll give the money to charity and happily keep the medal.

EXPRESSING HERSELF: Madonna launching her first-ever children's book The English Roses simultaneously in 100 countries and 30 languages on Monday. The pop superstar plans to donate all her profits from the sale of the books to childrens' charities.

NOTHING WRONG: The New York Post reporting that a senior Vatican official who saw clips from Mel Gibson's The Passion, about the last days of Christ, offered praise for the controversial film despite protests from some Jewish groups that it will promote anti-semitism.

EMMY PREVIEW: Actress Alfre Woodard and actor Charles S. Dutton named best guest actor and actress in a drama series at the creative arts Emmy Awards, a warm-up to the main event airing on Fox on September 21. Gene Wilder and Christina Applegate won best guest actor and actress in a comedy series for their appearances on Will & Grace and Friends respectively.

DIAPER DUTY: Actor Greg Kinnear is a dad after his wife, Helen, gave birth to a baby girl, whom they've named Lily, Entertainment Tonight reports.

PREGO! Actress Denise Richards and hubby Charlie Sheen announcing they're expecting their first child next spring.

RE-ELECTION: Director Thomas Schlamme revamping his future-president drama project, Everwood, and calling it Jack and Bobby, about two teenage brothers, one of whom will one day become president of the United States. The show will now air in fall, 2004.

PASSING: Jules Engel, an innovative animator who's best remembered for choreographing dance numbers in Disney's 1940 classic, Fantasia, died on September 6 in Simi Valley, California. He was 94.

TICKET TO LEGAL FIGHT: The Beatles management company, Apple Corps., seeking a court injunction against Apple Computer Inc. on Friday, claiming the computer company breached the band's trademark by using the Apple name in the moniker for its Apple iTunes online music store.

IMAGINE: John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono may go naked on a Paris stage Monday while performing her one-woman art show Cut Piece, as part of a protest for peace.

BIG SELLER: The custom-made Fender guitar played by George Harrison at the Beatles' last concert in 1969 and in the movie Let It Be fetching $434,750 in a Hollywood auction conducted live and online on Saturday.

ON THE BALLOT: Meanwhile, Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp, and Jackson Browne among the nominees on the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot.

LAST HURRAH: Face to Face, the album blues great John Lee Hooker was recording at the time of his death scheduled for released October 28.

POSTPONED: Britney Spears' new album will not be released on November 25 as previously announced by her record label, Jive Records, a statement on the singer's official website confirmed. No word when it will hit stores.

WRAPPING UP: Takeshi "Beat" Kitano's Samurai flick, Zatoichi, winning the People's Choice Award Saturday to conclude the 28th Toronto International Film Festival.

COACH DOGG: Rapper Snoop Dogg taking up football as he's the coach of his young son's Rowland Heights Raiders at the Orange County Junior All America Football League.

LOOK OUT HOMER: Fox greenlighting American Dad, a new toon from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane about an All in the Family type clan led by a CIA-employed right-leaning dad.

MORE TOON TALK: 20th Century Fox in talks to adapt the children's tale, The Iguana Brothers: A Tale of Two Lizards to the big screen as an animated feature. Actor John Leguizamo will lend his voice and also co-produce.

TO THE BOARDS! Eartha Kitt replacing Chita Rivera in Broadway's Nine when actor John Stamos takes over for Antonio Banderas in the Tony-winning revival on October 7.

AMATEUR HOUR: Web browsers getting to vote on the five finalists in Pilot Project's online contest, www.pilotproject.tv, which gave wannabe producers the chance to put up or shut up by submitting ideas for a TV show. The winner gets their TV show produced plus a cash prize.