Pete's Hit and Run Notes

1st May.....Happy May Day !  Say a little prayer for the rain to come this month ONLY when you're working ! 

One of the stunts you'll be seeing this month during May sweeps is that of David Blaine holding his breath underwater for a record 17 minutes and 4 seconds on the Oprah Winfrey show. That puts him in the Guinness book of records after beating the old record of 16 minutes 32 seconds.  Network executives hold their breath like that all the time though waiting to see how the overnight Neilsens turn out for their new shows.

Sir Ian McKellen has confirmed he'll be reprising his role as Gandalf the wizard in the prequel to Lord of the Rings, scheduled to start filming next year in New Zealand.  The Hobbit will be shot as a two film epic, this time with Guillermo del Toro as Director and Peter Jackson as Executive Producer.  It would be pretty hard to shoot the film with anyone else as Gandalf since McKellen was the perfect choice in the Rings Trilogy.

Now a second nanny has come forward to press a lawsuit against Rob Lowe and his wife. Laura Boyce has filed a sexual harassment accusations against the couple. She and Jessica Gibson are both represented by the same lawyer and are being countersued by the Lowes for breach of trust and confidentiality.  This will probably turn into one dirty mud-fight when it hits the judge's bench.

Tomorrow is part one of the two part Tom Cruise interview on Oprah.  It was filmed at Tom and Katie's place in Telluride and he talks about his childhood, life with Katie, daughter Suri, Scientology and more.  Then on Monday, part two of the interview was done in front of a studio audience with appearances by other celebrities patting Tom on the back for having such a great career.

Contract talks between the actors guild in Hollywood and the major studios aren't going well. Significant gaps remain between the two sides after 13 days of talks.  The guild wants a doubling of DVD fees to the actors, and increases in compensation and benefits.  Guess Hollywood has to decide which is cheaper in the long run, settle with the guild or risk another disastrous strike, the second in less than a year during a recessionary economy.

People magazine has named Kate Hudson their most beautiful cover girl.  She's 29 and mommy to a 4 year old. If she's missing any beauty sleep due to being a mother you'd never know it.  

Ministry of Transportation says the Martindale bridge in St Kitts is safe despite a big hunk of concrete falling from it this week.  Turns out a construction excavator drove over and damaged part of the median up above causing it to fall.  Fortunately no one was injured .  Still a real good idea to keep one eye up when approaching bridges and overpasses I suspect.