Starz renews 'Boss' before Season 1 airs
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Starz Entertainment says it has ordered a 10-episode second season of "Boss," its new drama starring Kelsey Grammer as a fictional Chicago mayor.
The first season of the series is to premiere Oct. 21. Production on the second season of "Boss" is expected to begin in early 2012.
Produced by Lionsgate Television and created by Farhad Safinia, the show is Grammer's first dramatic series and the premiere episode is the television directorial debut of acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant.
"The first time we read Farhad's script, we knew we had to make 'Boss,'" Starz President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Albrecht said in a statement Tuesday. "With each episode, the story grew richer, and the cast continued to turn in breakthrough performances. Led by Kelsey and Farhad, this creative team is giving us dramatic storytelling at its very best.
For our viewers, we felt it important to start working on the next season as soon as possible."
"This early vote of confidence from our partners at Starz is extremely gratifying and reflects the tremendous work of all those involved with 'Boss' on both sides of the camera," said Kevin Beggs, president of Lionsgate Television Group. "Kelsey's dramatic turn in this series is a powerful and radical departure from his previous television roles and we can't wait for viewers to be drawn into his fascinating world."
Grammer is best known for his portrayal of snobbish psychiatrist Frasier Crane on TV's "Cheers" and "Frasier."
Shakira named Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year
MIAMI, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- The Latin Recording Academy says it will honor Colombian pop star Shakira as its 2011 Person of the Year at a ceremony in Las Vegas.
Shakira is up for three Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
She is to be honored for her artistic and philanthropic contributions at a tribute dinner and concert Nov. 9 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center as part of this year's Latin Grammy week celebration.
Songs from Shakira's catalog will be performed by her fellow artists and friends. A portion of the net proceeds from the gala will benefit Shakira's Pies Descalzos Foundation, as well as the academy's Latin Grammy in the Schools educational efforts, organizers of the event said.
The celebration will precede the 12th annual Latin Grammy Awards to be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The prize presentation will be broadcast live on the Univision Network Nov. 10.
Gabriel Abaroa Jr., the academy's president and chief executive officer, said he was "elated" Shakira had been picked for the award.
"We are honored to pay homage to this dynamic, socially conscious woman whose illustrious career has touched so many people around the world, both musically and personally," Abaroa said in a statement Monday.
Shakira, 34, said she considered it "truly an honor to be in the company of some of the greatest artists and legends of Latin Music."
'Duets II' tops U.S. album chart
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Tony Bennett's "Duets II" is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 is Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night," followed by Adele's "21" at No. 3, Demi Lovato's "Unbroken" at No. 4 and Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV" at No. 5.
Rounding out the top tier are NeedToBreathe's "The Reckoning" at No. 6, Mindless Behavior's "#1 Girl" at No. 7, Gavin DeGraw's "Sweeter" at No. 8, Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Watch the Throne" at No. 9 and Pearl Jam's "Pearl Jam Twenty" at No. 10.
Schwarzenegger statue headed for Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- An Oregon foundry that is casting self-commissioned bronze statues of Arnold Schwarzenegger said one of the works may be headed for Columbus, Ohio.
Timothy Parks, owner of TW Bronze of Enterprise, said he is casting at least two of the 9-foot statues, which depict the film star in the prime of his bodybuilding career and are based on a 22-inch sculpture created by Ralph Crawford of Iowa in 1980, The Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.
"One of them is for Columbus, and I think the plan is to have it there for the next Arnold [Sports Festival]," Parks said.
One of the statues has already been shipped to Schwarzenegger's native Austria for display in a museum set up in the actor and former California governor's childhood home.
Parks said the second statue will be finished in time for the March 1-4 festival at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
However, festival organizers said they were unaware of the statue.
"We have no direct knowledge of this coming here," said Brent LaLonde, a spokesman for organizer Jim Lorimer and the festival. "But if it were coming ... we would use it in the promotion of our event, for sure."
