People talk

Jon Stewart adds NBC show to his roster

NEW YORK -- Jon Stewart is going from late night to prime time.

The host of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central has signed a development deal with NBC for a sitcom that will begin in fall 2003.

Stewart will be the executive producer and co-writer of the series, which will star Stephen Colbert, a writer and correspondent on "The Daily Show."

"This is a coup for NBC to be in partnership with such clever and creative writer-performers as Jon and Stephen," Jeff Zucker, NBC entertainment president, said Monday. "I can't wait to see the finished product."

Stewart joked that the show will incorporate everything that's been successful for the network in the past.

"We were just thinking about what would happen if a gay man and a straight woman lived together in a bar in Boston and ate spiders for $50,000 every episode," the 40-year-old comedian told Daily Variety. "Before it's over, Stephen could end up helming a genial black family. He could be the next Cosby."

Stewart will continue to host "The Daily Show," the satirical news program that won a Peabody Award and an Emmy last year.

Copperfield halts show to go to hospital

LOS ANGELES -- Magician David Copperfield was taken to a Canadian hospital after stopping midway through a performance, his tour spokesman said.

Copperfield, 46, was doing the second of three scheduled shows Sunday at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta, when he decided he couldn't continue. The 4:30 p.m. show and an evening performance were canceled to allow doctors at the University of Alberta Hospital to perform medical tests.

"He was up until 4:40 a.m. rehearsing on Saturday after doing three shows," said agent Phil Lobel, who's based in Los Angeles. "Copperfield maintains a physically demanding schedule of more than 500 shows, which clearly took its toll today."

Copperfield, who began performing at 12 and was the youngest magician admitted to the Society of American Magicians, planned to resume his Canadian tour Monday "barring any further complications," Lobel said.

The Boss help cheers storm-stricken Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An appearance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band warmed thousands of Charlotte residents, who've spent four days without heat and light after an ice storm.

Springsteen, touring for his album "The Rising," brought his show to the Charlotte Coliseum Sunday night, telling a near-sellout crowd he was glad they'd made it despite the recent woes from the storm.

"Thanks for being here with us," he said. "I know most of you want heat and electricity. We appreciate you being here."

As fans cheered for a third encore, Springsteen teased them, joking with guitarist Steve Van Zandt he thought they should send fans home to their cold, dark houses while he and the band returned to their luxury hotel.

Springsteen eventually relented, and he and the band played another two songs, closing with "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."

The singer is nearing the end of a 46-city tour.

Hogan hurt from wresting furniture, not crocs

SYDNEY, Australia -- "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan, known for his roles wrestling crocs, was recovering in a hospital Monday after suffering a slipped disc while wrestling with furniture.

The 63-year-old Australian actor was admitted recently to St. Vincents Private Hospital in Sydney for treatment of the back injury he sustained while moving furniture.

The hospital issued a brief statement saying the actor would be back on his feet within a few weeks and asking that his privacy be respected.

Hogan rose to global fame in the '80s with the "Crocodile Dundee" movies as Mick Dundee, the tough but good-natured crocodile hunter who becomes a heroic fish out of water when he leaves the Outback for the United States.

He'd made a living as a scaffolder on Sydney Harbor Bridge before launching a lucrative television career in Australia. He's also pitched products from cigarettes in Australia to Japanese cars in the United States.

Hogan is married to Linda Kozlowski, his "Crocodile Dundee" co-star.-- From wire reports

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LOS ANGELES -- Zsa Zsa Gabor remained hospitalized in fair condition as she continued to recover from injuries she suffered in a car crash, hospital officials said.

Gabor, 85, suffered broken bones in the Nov. 27 crash and received stitches to close wounds to her head, hands, arms and legs, according to her husband, Frederic von Anhalt.

Although von Anhalt had hoped his wife would be released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center within a week, hospital officials said Sunday her condition was unchanged from when it was upgraded to fair on Dec. 2.

The film and television actress was a passenger in the front seat of a car that struck a light pole in West Hollywood. The car was driven by her hairdresser, who suffered minor injuries, police said.

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NEW YORK-- Chris Noth can't get too far on the streets of Manhattan without someone calling him "Mr. Big."

Noth played the character on HBO's "Sex in the City," but he wishes people would realize it's not his only acting role.

"Mr. Big has been sticking to me, and that makes me uncomfortable," Noth told Newsday in Sunday's editions. "I know it's meant well when people stop me in the street and say, 'Hey, Mr. Big!' But I don't ever want to be identified by any part I've played once it's over."

Noth currently stars in "What Didn't Happen," a new play that opens this week. He was on NBC's "Law and Order" for five years before "Sex in the City."

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LONDON -- David Beckham has the names of both his sons tattooed on his back -- and promises there's room for more.

The English soccer star said Sunday he had added the name of his second son, Romeo, to go with the tattooed name of first son Brooklyn.

"I've got my other son on my back, so I had to have this one," Beckham told BBC television.

Beckham hinted he and his pop-singer wife, Victoria -- "Posh Spice" of the Spice Girls -- were considering expanding their family.

"Three or four, maybe four, maybe five, but we'll see," the Manchester United midfielder said.

Beckham did not show off the tattoos but did comment on his constantly changing hairstyles. He said his mother, Sandra, a hairstylist, was often critical of his new look.

"She tells me if I look silly at times," he said. "But thankfully it's not that often. Well, in my eyes it's not that often."

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NEW YORK -- Lance Armstrong was chosen Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2002 after becoming the first American to win a fourth Tour de France.

The 31-year-old Armstrong has dominated cycling's most prestigious race since 1999 -- three years after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Armstrong claimed his fourth straight Tour this year, winning by 7 minutes, 17 seconds. He'll go for a record-tying fifth victory at the 100th Tour next year. Four riders have won the race five times.

Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, co-MVPs for the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks, shared last year's Sports Illustrated honor.

The issue featuring Armstrong hits newsstands Wednesday.

-- From wire reports