‘Gimme a Break!’ star dies at 54
Broadway and television actress Nell Carter, star of the 1980s sitcom “Gimme a Break!” died last Thursday at 54. She was found by one of her 13-year-old sons after collapsing in her Beverly Hills home.
The actress had a history of diabetes, and underwent brain surgery in 1992 to have an aneurysm removed.
Chicago’ wins with Screen Actors Guild
Chicago” has made the headlines yet again, this time for sweeping the ninth annual Screen 
Actor’s Guild Awards. Announced Tuesday morning at a Los Angeles press conference, the Guild’s nominations graced the film with five nods in various categories. Having been released only five weeks ago, the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical has already raked in $40.5 million at the box office.
Chicago” was closely followed by “The Hours” with four nominations and “Adaptation” with three. TV nominations included “The Sopranos,” “The West Wing” and “Friends.”
The awards will be distributed March 9 in Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.
American Idol’ hits 26.5 million viewers
Fox’s TV hit “American Idol” broke records last week, boasting 26.5 million viewers the first night of its second season. Wednesday, the second night, drew 25 million viewers.
The show went head to head with ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” another reality series. “The Bachelorette” managed to attract only 13.4 million viewers, 4 million less than last week.
Billy Joel and Elton John team up again
Piano-driven rock icons Billy Joel and Elton John have scheduled dates for yet another joint tour.
Kicking off Feb. 21 in Birmingham, Ala., and ending May 2 in Auburn Hills, Mich., the pair is set to play 21 dates throughout the United States. There are currently no concerts scheduled for Cali.
Last year’s Joel/John endeavor grossed $66 million in 34 U.S. arena dates, making them one of America’s most successful touring groups 
last year. The pair originally toured Australia, Japan and North America together in 1994, and they’ve played shows together regularly ever since.
John is scheduled to perform a few times prior to the start of the tour, including a fundraiser for London’s Old Vic Theatre. John, the chairman of the Old Vic Theatre Trust, and Kevin Spacey, a member of the board, will sing a duet at the event.
Rob Lowe scheduled to star in new show
Shortly after exiting “West Wing,” actor Rob Lowe is set to produce and star in a new show.
“Lyon’s Den,” a legal drama, is currently scheduled to air on NBC next fall. The show was described by “Variety” as “an ensemble legal drama set in a mid-sized, century-old law firm.”
Lowe, 38, is rumored to have left “West Wing” over salary disputes after comparing his pay to those of other cast members who received raises. He is expected to earn a weekly six-figure paycheck for “Lyon’s Den.”
—Complied from news sources
January 30, 2003