People

CONTROVERSIAL FORMER BUTLER'S SHOP TORCHED

The former aide to Lady Diana who was at the center of that much-publicized London trial has been put under protective custody. British authorities took the action in the wake of an attack on Paul Burrell's flower shop. Police in North Wales tell Britain's ITV television network that Burrell -- exonerated after the intervention of the queen during a case in which he was charged with royal pilfering -- has been put under protection after a fire in his shop. He also reportedly received a series of threatening phone calls. The blaze, according to reports, is being treated as an arson fire. The shop suffered severe smoke and water damage. According to ITV it's been covered with heavy black plastic to keep it from the gaze of the media. Some in Britain say that the former butler has a huge story to tell about the private lives of members of the royal family and are angry that his trial was stopped "early" by the statement from the queen.

PIONEERING CBS REPORTER-PRODUCER DIES

Ernest Leiser has to be called a pioneer in TV news. He worked for CBS during his career, first under the tutelage of Edward R. Murrow and later in dealing with some of the big events of the mid 20th century. The network says that Leiser first was hired by Columbia in 1953 in New York working on the Columbia network's science series "Adventure." He would later join the ranks of CBS European correspondents, working with Eric Sevareid and Charles Collingwood. He later co-produced the award-winning "Eyewitness to History" series and was involved in the coverage of the Kennedy-Nixon election. He was, at one time, director of news at CBS and was a driving force behind the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite." Ernest Leiser was 81 and died of an apparent heart attack.

LEASE RENEWED ON MARTHA'S SHOW

Amid a firestorm of personal controversy and charges of fiscal impropriety, kitchen and household maven Martha Stewart's TV show has been renewed for another season. King World, in a release to national media, says that the show has been re-upped for an 11th go-'round. There had been rumors that Stewart's well-publicized personal problems might preclude her staying on the air. The distributor, in the official release, noted that King World was happy to have the show returning and felt that acceptance by stations would remain strong. The daily series, "Martha Stewart Living," has won numerous awards. There are some reports, though, that a new King World daytime show, "Living it Up! With Ali and Jack" may move into Stewart's time slot in some cities, with her show moving to another hour.

ALAN JACKSON ... TV HOST

Country star Alan Jackson has a lot going for him. He's photogenic, melodious, smooth and has a great personal manner. Although he may not be ready to become a full-time TV host in the vein of David Letterman or Jay Leno, CMT says that he stepped into the role of master of ceremonies on his just-aired Christmas program with a great deal of authority and calmness and seemed to be "born to be there." The network says that the show, "Alan Jackson: Let It Be Christmas," got its first airing over this past weekend. Members of his family played an important part in the special, reminiscent of the old Bing Crosby Christmastime shows. One highlight of the show was the appearance of Jackson's 12-year-old daughter Mattie. She recited the Christmas story from the family Bible. There was even a big-band version of the popular song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Much of Jackson's latest holiday album was also featured. "Let It Be Christmas" is now in the top ten on the country CD charts.

'PRODUCERS' A HIT ... EVEN BEFORE CURTAIN

Theater managers in Seattle report that the musical "The Producers" has sold over $2 million in advance tickets and the play doesn't even open until the first week of February. The Mel Brooks' musical, first a major motion picture, hit Broadway like a tornado, taking the Great White Way by storm. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says that ClearChanel Entertainment and Seattle Theatre Group -- which are co-producing the "Broadway in Seattle at the Paramount series" -- report that 74 percent of the run's capacity has been sold in just the first few days that tickets have been offered. The total sales take is now set at $2,016,672. Prices for the Seattle event are set at between $26 and $67. Ticketmaster and the Paramount are handing sales.

SEXY CHESNEY SET TO LAUNCH NEW TOUR

When Kenny Chesney was told that People magazine had put him on its "sexiest men" list he thought someone was playing a practical joke on him. The angel-faced singer, who usually has a black hat pulled down nearly over his eyes, was wrong. His friends were right. He is on the list. Now, fresh from that honor, Chesney, according to his Web site, is about to launch a brand new tour. It will kick off in Tupelo, Miss., on the 16th of next month. He will be joined by Montgomery Gentry and Kellie Coffey. The soiree is being called the "Senoritas and Margaritas" tour. Chesney tells country.com that as the tour progresses he will start adding material that comes in in the form of requests from the audience. The show will expand as it continues. He's also incorporating a multi-media presentation into the staging, as many stars of all musical genres have been doing lately.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 472

As Christmas and the other gift-giving holidays approach, here's another question about presents: "What Christmas gift will you end up giving yourself because you don't think anyone else will give it to you?" Put PRESENT in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 467 (FOOD)

Last week we asked if any of you had ever helped out at a soup kitchen or food-serving charity. From a random sampling of the inbox here are the answers, by percentages:

Has helped out at least once ... 30 percent

Has helped out nearly every year ... 15 percent

Has never helped at a soup kitchen ... 55 percent.

TOMORROW: A favorite holiday dish. GBA.

REPEATING OUR PROJECT ...

This is the time of year when we see so many ordinary people doing some extraordinary things. So, during the upcoming Twelve Days of Christmas we're going to honor "local heroes." We'll pick eight of your honorees and mention them in this column. There will be eight people honored, since only eight of the 12 days fall on days in which this column is printed. So, think of someone in your community who is an unsung hero. Tell us about that person. We'll only use the name of the person with their approval, so you should add a contact number for them. If none is provided, we'll simply tell the story of the person. Put HONOR in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet. GBA.