Entertainment Today: Show-biz news

EMMY AWARDS

The NBC White House drama "The West Wing" was re-elected as outstanding TV drama series by voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Sunday, but fell short of the landslide it achieved last year when it won a record nine Emmy Awards.

Writer-producer Aaron Sorkin's creation won eight Emmys -- including a second straight award for best drama, and for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for Allison Janney for her performance as press secretary C.J. Cregg. Bradley Whitford won for supporting actor in a drama for his performance as Josh Lyman on the series, and Thomas Schlamme won a directing Emmy for a two-part "West Wing" episode "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen."

The HBO hit "Sex and the City" won for outstanding comedy series -- its only award this year, despite acting nominations for series stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Catrall.

James Gandolfini and Edie Falco won for outstanding lead actor and actress in a drama series for "The Sopranos."

Patricia Heaton won her second straight Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for the CBS hit, "Everybody Loves Raymond." Eric McCormick won for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for NBC's "Will & Grace."

The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were presented at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles on the third attempt by the Academy and CBS to stage the event. The show was postponed twice because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent air strikes against targets in Afghanistan.

Host Ellen DeGeneres got some mileage out of the double postponement in her opening remarks.

"Welcome to the 53rd, 54th and 55th Emmy Awards," said DeGeneres to appreciative laughter from the audience, which was mostly made up of TV professionals, but also included a larger-than-usual number of security professionals.

The winners:

Drama Series: "The West Wing" (NBC)

Comedy Series: "Sex and the City" (HBO)

Miniseries: "Anne Frank" (ABC)

Made for Television Movie: "Wit" (HBO)

Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS)

Variety, Music or Comedy Special: "Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion" (Bravo)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series: James Gandolfini, "The Sopranos" (HBO)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Eric McCormack, "Will & Grace" (NBC)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Patricia Heaton, "Everybody Loves Raymond" (HBO)

Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Kenneth Branagh, "Conspiracy" (HBO)

Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Judy Davis, "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows" (ABC)

Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: Barbra Streisand, "Barbra Streisand: Timeless" (Fox)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Bradley Whitford, "The West Wing"

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Allison Janney, "The West Wing"

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Peter MacNicol, "Ally McBeal" (FOX)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Doris Roberts, "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie: Brian Cox, "Nuremberg" (TNT)

Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie: Tammy Blanchard, "Life With Judy Garland: Me And My Shadows"

Directing for a Drama Series: Thomas Schlamme, "The West Wing, In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part 1 & 2"

Directing for a Comedy Series: Todd Holland, "Malcolm in the Middle, Bowling" (Fox)

Directing for a Variety or Music Program: David Mallet, "Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion"

Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Wit" (HBO)

Writing for a Comedy Series: Alex Reid, "Malcolm In The Middle, Bowling"

Writing for a Drama Series: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, "The Sopranos, Employee Of The Month"

Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central)

Writing for a Miniseries or Movie: "Conspiracy"

Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Michael Emerson, "The Practice" (ABC)

Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sally Field, "ER" (NBC)

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Sir Derek Jacobi, "Frasier" (NBC)

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart, "Frasier"

Classical Music, Dance Program: "La Traviata From Paris (Great Performances)" (PBS); "The Three Tenors Christmas" (PBS)

Children's Program: "The Teen Files: Surviving High School" (UPN)

Non-Fiction Special (Area Award: Possibility of one, more than one or, if none has a majority approval, no award): "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (American Experience)" (PBS)

Non-Fiction Series (Area Award: Possibility of one, more than one or, if none has a majority approval, no award): "American Masters, American Masters Finding Lucy" (PBS)

Non-fiction Program (Reality): "American High" (Fox)

Non-fiction Program (Special Class) (Area Award: Possibility of one, more than one or, if none has a majority approval, no award) : "Survivor" (CBS)

Animated Program (For Programming of One Hour or Less): "The Simpsons" (Fox)

Animated Program (For Programming of More Than One Hour) (Area Award: Possibility of one or no award): "Allosaurus: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special" (Discovery)

Art Direction for a Multi-camera Series: "Will & Grace"

Art Direction for a Single Camera Series: "Boston Public" (Fox)

Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Anne Frank, Part 2"

Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program: "Peter Pan Starring Cathy Rigby" (A&E)

Casting for a Comedy Series: "Ally McBeal"

Casting for a Drama Series: "The West Wing"

Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "61*" (HBO)

Choreography (Area Award: Possibility of one, more than one or no award): "Blast" (PBS)

Cinematography for a Multi-camera Series: "Will & Grace"

Cinematography for a Single-camera Series: "The West Wing"

Cinematography for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Frank Herbert's Dune, Part 2" (Sci-Fi)

Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming: "Land of the Mammoth" (Discovery)

Commercial: "Photo Booth" (PBS)

Costumes for a Series: "The Lot" (AMC)

Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"

Costumes for a Variety or Music Program: "Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion"

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series: "The West Wing"

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Wit"

Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Series: "Frasier"

Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band" (HBO)

Picture Editing for Non-Fiction Programming: "Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen" (HBO)

Hairstyling for a Series: "MADtv" (Fox)

Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"

Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multicamera): "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band"

Main Title Design: "Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection" (PBS)

Makeup for a Series: "The Sopranos"

Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"

Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore): "Star Trek: Voyager, End Game" (UPN)

Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story" (HBO)

Music direction: "Barbra Streisand: Timeless," Marvin Hamlisch, music director (Fox)

Music and Lyrics: "Yesterday's Children," Song Title, "A Dream That Only I Can Know," Patrick Williams, composer and lyricist (CBS)

Main Title Theme Music: "Gideon's Crossing" (ABC)

Sound Editing for a Series: "ER"

Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "61*"

Sound Editing for a Non-fiction Program: "Allosaurus: A Walking With Dinosaurs Special" (Discovery Channel)

Single-camera Sound Mixing for a Series: "The West Wing"

Single-camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie: "Nuremberg"

Multi-camera Sound Mixing for a Series or a Special: "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Sound Mixing for a Variety or Musical Series or Special (tie): "73rd Annual Academy Awards" (ABC); "Barbra Streisand: Timeless"

Sound Mixing for a Non-fiction Program: "Survivor"

Special Visual Effects for a Series: "Star Trek: Voyager, Endgame"

Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Frank Herbert's Dune, Part 1" (Sci Fi)

Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Series: "Late Show With David Letterman"

Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special: "Barbra Streisand: Timeless"

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

JANE SEYMOUR

Jane Seymour has teamed up with catalog and direct marketer Blair Corporation to launch a line of women's apparel. The "Jane Seymour Signature Collection" will be inspired by the actress and sold exclusively through Blair's Crossing Pointe catalog and its Web site (crossingpointe.com).

"I have long enjoyed painting in both watercolors and oils," said Seymour. "Through Crossing Pointe I can transform my artwork and my creative energy into fashion designs and offer an affordable line of women's apparel that embodies my art and my lifestyle."

The first "Jane Seymour Signature Collection" fashions will preview in early January on the Crossing Pointe Web site and will debut in the Crossing Pointe Spring 2002 catalog at the end of January.

STEPHEN FURST

Stephen Furst -- possibly best known for his role as Flounder in "National Lampoon's Animal House" -- said he has learned a great deal about diabetes and foot care during the past five years.

The actor, who was diagnosed with diabetes at age 17, nearly lost his left foot in 1996 due to a blister that had gone unnoticed.

"I never felt my shoe rubbing against my foot because I have very little feeling in my feet. I have neuropathy, which is caused by my diabetes," said Furst. "I took my shoe off and saw blood on my sock. When the blister didn't heal for a few weeks, I realized it might be a little more serious than I thought."

The problem was serious. Doctors told Furst they would have to amputate part of his leg. This amputation scare gave him the wake up call he needed to make a drastic change in his lifestyle, not only with regard to his foot care but also with his weight.

"I was overweight and I didn't believe there was anything I could do to change it," said the actor, who co-starred in the 1980s medical drama "St. Elsewhere." "I was lying in my hospital bed that night trying to joke with the doctors about my condition when I realized this wasn't a joke, it was real life. And I only came to that realization after I called for Chinese take-out and got caught. I finally bottomed out."

In December 1999, Furst said he learned another lesion when he unknowingly stepped on a piece of glass while walking barefoot in his house. Again, the only indication he had that he was injured was the blood he saw.

"Now I never walk barefoot -- no matter what the circumstances," he said. "I keep house shoes by my bed and slip them on as soon as I get up. I don't walk barefoot on pool decks because I can't even feel the heat from the concrete and I want to make sure I don't burn the bottoms of my feet."

BOX OFFICE

The opening of computer-animated comedy "Monsters Inc." easily led the nation's box office with an estimated $63.5 million at 3,237 theaters during the Friday-Sunday period.

The heavily promoted Disney/Pixar comedy posted the eighth largest weekend opening of all time. Monsters" also ranks as the largest Disney three-day opening by topping the $59 million record by "Pearl Harbor."

And "Monsters" became the fourth film of the year to crack the $60 million mark in its first three days -- following "The Mummy Returns," "Planet of the Apes" and "Rush Hour 2."

Two other films came in second and third on their opening weekend --- Sony's "The One," starring martial arts expert Jet Li, and Paramount's "Domestic Disturbance," starring John Travolta.

Universal's second weekend of "K-Pax" came in fourth, followed by Warner's second weekend of "Thirteen Ghosts."

Rounding out the top 10 were "Riding in Cars With Boys," "From Hell," "Training Day," "Bandits," and "Serendipity."