richard drew/associated press file photo
Book publisher Judith Regan.
SANITY PREVAILS: In an unexpected fit of common decency, Fox has cancelled its two-part O.J. Simpson interview special, a “discussion” of the 1994 murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson, Simpson’s ex-wife. If I Did It — the title of the provocatively-named special — was pulled after at least a dozen Fox affiliates said they wouldn’t run the shows, which were expected to pull astronomical ratings during late November’s sweeps week.
“I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project,” Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman, told the Associated Press. “We are sorry for any pain that his has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.”
In addition, Simpson’s book about the murders, due to be published on Nov. 30 by ReganBooks, an imprint owned by News Corp., has been pulled from publication.
Publisher Judith Regan had said she considered the book to be Simpson’s confession, and Borders, one of the largest U.S. booksellers, had said it would donate all profits from the book to charity.
“I have my own moral compass and this was easy,” said Bill Lamb, general manager of WDRB in Louisville, Ky., about his decision to pull the Simpson special from his station’s schedule.
For some reason, I’m overcome with an unaccustomed feeling of pride in being part of the human race today.
DON’T BE SO HASTY: VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club will be returning for a fifth season next spring, with a cast of b-, c- and z-list celebrities like Tiffany, Maureen “Marcia from the Brady Bunch” McCormick, country singer Cledus T. Judd, rapper Da Brat and Justin “Screech” Diamond on board to shed pounds and bond over the treadmill and step machine.
I have several compelling and terrifying visions of what hell would look like. This is one of them.
THE SMELL OF THE GREASE PAINT: U.S. Bravo’s Inside The Actor’s Studio returns next month with host James Lipton, his forehead and stack of index cards interviewing names like Matt Damon, Kyra Sedgwick and Eddie Murphy. Screech was apparently busy.
