Saturday

Will CBS or NBC Win the Battle for Thursday Night? Donna De Lory Steps Into the Spotlight Singing; "Valentine" Puts Bloody Spin on Holiday

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL TUSH, HOST: On SHOWBIZ THIS WEEK, what does NBC plan to do to survive the competition? Madonna's backup singer Donna De Lory steps into the spotlight. And on the big screen, this "Valentine" isn't about candy and flowers.

Hello, I'm Bill Tush, and this week we're at "Cosmopolitan" magazine's Fun, Fearless Female 2001 Awards. We were here last year when some of the most beautiful women in the world and, I should say, some of the most powerful women in the world received those awards, and we had a grand time.

So we're back again to take a look at Debra Messing, who's on the cover of "Cosmo" this month -- yes, Debra Messing, the Emmy Award winner from "Will and Grace," also a spokesperson for a major haircare product; recently married. She's got a lot going on. So much going on, in fact, that she's not here today.

But we will be talking, in just a couple minutes, to some of the other winners -- stick with us. But before we do that -- all right, Debra Messing's show, "Will and Grace" on NBC 9:00 at night.

Before that, on CBS is "Survivor II," and NBC is so concerned about that they've taken "Friends," that's on at 8:00 and extended it by 10 minutes, and then they're going to put on 20 minutes of "Saturday Night Live" and then go into "Will and Grace." Hopefully that'll beat out "Survivor II."

Will it? Well, we sent Lauren Hunter to find out. Stay with us, because when we come back in just a minute of two we'll be talking to one of the original survivors who is also one of the, let's say it together, fun, fearless females of 2001.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forty-five million viewers tuned in to see Debb Eaton become the first outback outcast on the new "Survivor."

DEBB EATON, "SURVIVOR: OUTCAST: We are real people playing a live game of Monopoly. It's just -- we're the pieces of the game.

HUNTER: Now TV networks are moving their primetime pieces to counter "Survivor"'s move to its permanent Thursday time slot. The WB is saving original episodes of "Gilmore Girls" -- instead, they're airing "Charmed" for a couple of weeks, while ABC and UPN stay with their regular shows.

The most creative kind of programming comes from NBC. The peacock network is battling the expected "Survivor" steamroller with super-sized, 40-minute sweeps editions of "Friends" and 20-minute primetime specials of "Saturday Night Live."

Who'll survive that competition is up for grabs.

JEFF ZUCKER, PRESIDENT, NBC ENTERTAINMENT: We clearly think that "Survivor" is going to do huge numbers there and, you know, probably take that hour, and we're OK with that. You know, we have no expectations for "Friends" and "Saturday Night Live" other than, these are great shows and we love them no matter what; and we will be there supporting them no matter what.

MARK BURNETT, CREATOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "SURVIVOR": Even if "Friends" beat us, we'll meet our promise to advertisers and erode some of NBC's Thursday night advertising, which is clearly one of the most important advertising nights of the television week.

LYNETTE RICE, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": It's a brilliant idea on CBS' part, even if they come in second place in the time slot, which they likely will, they're still going to better in that hour than they have done it seems like, probably, in decades. So it was a no-brainer for them.

HUNTER: The question is: What will viewers do?

RICE: Chances are, myself and probably millions of others included will watch "Friends" and then will immediately change the channel and watch the final half hour of "Survivor," which is when it got really good, anyway, because that's when we find out who's getting kicked off.

HUNTER: That's the same theory from someone who's been kicked off.

EATON: We have our fans, and we're going to attract a lot more. And "Friends" is a great show; I think ours is better.

HUNTER: And in this primetime competition, only the strong will survive.

Lauren Hunter, CNN entertainment news, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUSH: One of the original survivors: Kelly Wiglesworth; good to see you again.

KELLY WIGLESWORTH, "SURVIVOR: CAST MEMBER: Good to see you, too.

TUSH: We met last spring -- no, fall, on the beach in Long, you were doing pro-mos for "Nick at Nite," milking this "Survivor" thing.

WIGLESWORTH: Trying to.

TUSH: Here's your picture in "Cosmo"; look at that, with the infamous rat. Are you getting tired of that guy?

WIGLESWORTH: No; he's at home, he's chilling.

TUSH: Let me ask you about this year: pretty wild?

WIGLESWORTH: Getting wilder.

TUSH: What do you think of the new "Survivor"? How's it going to do?

WIGLESWORTH: You know, I don't know; it's too early to tell. I watched the first episode last night, and so far, no surprises. So far it seems mirror-image of our experience; so we'll see.

TUSH: Any predictions on winners?

WIGLESWORTH: Not yet; I have a gut feeling that it's going to be a man. As much as I would love for it to be a female -- I hope I'm wrong; I hope I'm wrong.

TUSH: Well, OK; congratulations on the fun, fearless female award.

WIGLESWORTH: Thank you, thank you.

TUSH: We're going to take a break and come back; stay with us,

ANNOUNCER: Coming up: This big-screen "Valentine" is no love story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BO DEREK, ACTRESS: This is really wonderful, and I appreciate this so much. I don't know if it really applies to me: "fun and fearless." I know that 2000 was a scary year for me and -- but at the same time I did conquer a lot of fears and I did a lot of scary things -- got involved with a lot of scary projects that I never thought I would do, and it was a lot of fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUSH: If anybody deserves to be a fun, fearless female, it's Bo Derek, right?

DEREK: You think? Well, I figure in a couple hours I will be validated as a fun, fearless female.

TUSH: Validated.

DEREK: I will be validated; I'll have my award, whatever it is.

TUSH: Some big trophy to carry home.

DEREK: That's right.

TUSH: God, you are gorgeous.

DEREK: Well, thank you.

TUSH: Do you get tired of hearing people say that?

DEREK: No.

TUSH: Oh, OK. What are the secrets? You're keeping them a secret?

DEREK: Yes, that was good.

TUSH: OK; let me ask you about what you've got going on besides this; I mean, we know you live on a ranch somewhere...

DEREK: I do; in Santee (ph), California.

TUSH: Yes; and that's home. But you're still busy. I was just reading in here, you have movies coming out, you have...

DEREK: I have films, I've been doing television, i have my own company now, that really is my own company.

TUSH: Tell me about that; the pet food company?

DEREK: It's -- pet care products. It's called Bless the Beasts and it's in all pet care stores across the country.

TUSH: I say that because I'm an animal lover, so anything that helps the bets out, I want to mention.

DEREK: Absolutely; and, actually, a portion of the profits goes to Canine Companions for Independence, which trains these great dogs for handicapped people.

TUSH: Terrific. You're a busy lady; anyway, I'll let you go in a second. But you've been on a million covers -- what's it like when you walk into a store -- I've always wondered that -- you walk into a grocery store or whatever -- if you do that sort of thing -- and see yourself on covers?

DEREK: Well, first you sweat out whether it's going to be attractive or not -- the cover -- because you never know. And then, when it is, it's just a little embarrassing, I'd say. That's how it affects me.

TUSH: You try, like, not to look, so somebody doesn't say, hey, there you are!

DEREK: Yes, that pretty much happens with or without the magazine. But it's just initial -- it's just kind of embarrassing.

TUSH: Well it was a real pleasure to meet you, and happy Valentine's Day. And the reason why I say that is because there's a new movie out called "Valentine."

DEREK: Yes; I've heard about it.

TUSH: You have? They've taken another nice holiday and turned it into a horror movie.

DEREK: It looks frightening; it looks like something I'm not going to see.

TUSH: Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE BLACKMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Red roses, candy hearts, chocolate kisses -- it can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day.

But for Jeremy Milton (ph), it means memories of rejection.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: God, we were so horrible to that kid.

BLACKMAN: Years later, he turns the most romantic day of the year into a deadly one.

DAVID BOREANAZ, ACTOR: The whole nature of love and Valentine's and romance and sex and horror and pain and torture is really the basis of this whole movie and what's going on to all these characters.

DENISE RICHARDS, ACTRESS: I think love and hate go hand-in-hand, but this is, you know, it's edgy, it is sexy, there's a lot of humor in it -- Valentine's Day is supposed to be this sweet holiday, and here it is, the Valentine's Day from hell, and people are getting killed and weird Valentine's Day cards.

BLACKMAN: Denise Richards gets some weird cards herself. And David Boreanaz, star of the WB's hit show "Angel" is a friend to the damsels in distress.

The killer himself? Well, his identity is hidden behind a cherub mask, highlighting the duality of the holiday that can bring out the best and the worst in people.

BOREANAZ: Of course, Valentine's, you have the expectations, and it can become very sad or it can become great. You know, it's all what you make of it.

RICHARDS: Does someone want to be my Valentine?

I like Valentine's Day; I think it's a sweet holiday.

BLACKMAN (on camera): What are you doing this year for Valentine's Day? RICHARDS: I don't know; I don't have a Valentine this year, so I'm not sure.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Come on, you don't want to go to a Valentine's party alone, huh?

BOREANAZ: Well, my father was born on Valentine's Day, so that's been the best, for me, is having my father born on Valentine's Day. That's how I remember Valentine's.

BLACKMAN: Takes the pressure off making any good romantic plans, doesn't it?

BOREANAZ: In that way it does, yes, I don't have to get romance planned on Valentine's, no.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Who's Jeremy Milton?

RICHARDS: This loser from sixth grade.

BLACKMAN (voice-over): The engine that drives the story is the concept that our identities are shaped during our adolescence, which could tell you a thing or two about the stars themselves.

RICHARDS: People used to call me fish lips. I had braces, I was really awkward and gangly; so now -- I'm not lying, I really did have an awful junior high.

BOREANAZ: You know, I think I had just -- my hair was up to -- the hair, you know -- wore a dorky jacket, you always got picked on on the playground. Those experiences happen, you know, and you remember those things.

BLACKWELL: If there's any message to this movie, it's: beware of who you tease. That and there are fates much worse than just spending Valentine's Day alone.

Laurie Blackman (ph), CNN entertainment news, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUSH: We are going to have to take a break from the Fun, Fearless Female Awards but, as you can see behind me, the excitement, the anticipation, the crowd in a great state of expectancy. You don't want to miss it; don't go away.

ANNOUNCER: Up next: Does Willem Dafoe really sink his teeth into his role in "Shadow of the Vampire"? Our "He Said, She Said" critics will tell us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUSH: Some days I get up and just say, you know, how do I get to do this for a job. I just talked to Bo Derek, now I talk Molly Sims; beautiful women everywhere.

Congratulations on that "House of Style" thing on MTV.

MOLLY SIMS, MODEL: Thank you; it's going great.

TUSH: Good for you; how did you get that job?

SIMS: Many sleepless nights and a lot of interviews. But, yes, it's going great.

TUSH: You mean interviews, like audition interviews?

SIMS: Auditions, yes. I had to interview Kurt Loder, believe it or not -- that guy's a king on MTV; and -- but it's great. You know, it's an opportunity that I was really nervous -- when I finally got it, I was like oh, my gosh, I don't know if I can do it! But they've been so amazing and they've kind of changed my life in a way.

TUSH: Like I said, some days it's real tough to realize I do this job.

SIMS: He has a hard job.

TUSH: Oh, boy is it rough. Anyway; Molly, thank you.

SIMS: Thank you so much.

TUSH: We're going to go see our "He Said, She Said." We have a couple of movie critics that yell and scream at each other.

SIMS: "He Said, She Said"?

TUSH: Yes; and they're going to talk about this movie "Shadow of the Vampire"; have you heard of that?

SIMS: I have heard of it; it's with Willem Dafoe -- there you go. I love Willem Dafoe and I love, also the other...

TUSH: John Malkovich.

SIMS: John Malkovich.

TUSH: We've got it covered. We should do our own "He Said, She Said," you and me.

SIMS: There you go; what do you think it's going to be like?

TUSH: I want to see it.

SIMS: Me too.

TUSH: Yes, I love those horror movies. Let's go, I'll buy the popcorn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's been a fitful night, but you wake refreshed. What is that beside you? JOHN MALKOVICH, ACTOR: It's a book about Vampires; Nosferatu.

LISA SCHWARZBAUM, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Peter, we are here at Abracadabra and I'm feeling blood in the air. I'm feeling like there is a kind of vampire vibe around here because we're talking about "Shadow of the Vampire."

But if you think that this is one of these "Dracula 2000" movies, you are in the wrong movie theater.

We are talking about a really interesting story that is based on "Nosferatu," the famous 1921 silent Dracula story; and the idea is this: What if F.W. Murnau, who was the real director of "Nosferatu" and Max Schreck, who was the actor starring in "Nosferatu" -- what if Murnau hired a real vampire to play the role of the vampire?

PETER TRAVERS, "ROLLING STONE": Oh, come on, how can that be?

SCHWARZBAUM: Well, it can be because we have John Malkovich, who plays Murnau, and we have Willem Dafoe, who plays Schreck -- fantastic performance...

TRAVERS: Oscar stuff, huh?

SCHWARZBAUM: Oscar stuff, I think. This is a meditation on filmmaking as bloodsucking. I think that's what it comes down to.

TRAVERS: Well, it comes down you more than that, because when you're watching this movie, you see Murnau, the Malkovich character making a deal with this real vampire to shoot all the scenes at night -- he says, it's OK, we'll shoot at night; and he says, the leading lady, played by Catherine McCormack: you can have her. That's what keeps the vampire going -- at the end of shooting, take the leading lady.

I'm going to tell you, Lisa, I know if you take out a pencil you can write at least five current Hollywood directors that would do all of this: sacrifice the leading lady, everything else.

SCHWARZBAUM: Not only that, he says, you want the writer? Go ahead and have him, because the writers are the first to go.

WILLEM DAFOE, ACTOR: I don't think we need the writer any longer.

SCHWARZBAUM: There are very funny things in here. It's funny, when I saw this I saw a bunch of dads taking their kids to this because they saw the word "vampire" in the title and they thought they were going to get, you know, they were going to get the fake blood stuff.

In fact, you're getting this beautifully made movie about moviemaking. I think that it all works, and I love the ensemble performances.

TRAVERS: And it laughs at moviemaking, it takes it seriously; it's what's in the frame, it doesn't exist to Murnau if it's not in the frame. So you're seeing serious, you're seeing fun, you're seeing somebody take a chance in a movie, even though it's silly to believe in vampires -- we know that we don't do that.

SCHWARZBAUM: Well, I don't know, I feel something around -- you know, whatever it is, I'm saying, I stick my neck out for this one.

I'm Lisa Schwarzbaum.

TRAVERS: And I say believe schmelieve, I don't care; this is a good movie.

And I'm Peter Travers.

MALKOVICH: You will have no close ups -- none.

Blood! Blood! I will finish my picture!

DAFOE: This is hardly your picture any longer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUSH: Still to come: what does "Cosmo"'s fun, fearless female Vitamin C have in common with back-up singer Donna Delory?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLEEN FITZPATRICK, "VITAMIN C": Wow, what fun; this is really great. I was telling everyone before that when I was a little girl I would, you know, read "Cosmo" all the time and just wonder, like, how do you become one of those women, you know? How does it happen? Because I didn't know anyone like that. And so I'm quite honored to be in the company of all of you guys, and thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUSH: Vitamin C, one of the fun, fearless females of 2001; and it's good to see you.

And your real name's Colleen Fitzpatrick.

FITZPATRICK: Yes.

TUSH: Very nice Irish name, and you came up with -- where in the heck did Vitamin C come from?

FITZPATRICK: "C," obviously the first initial, you know. It seemed like a good idea at the time -- it was one of those...

TUSH: So I'm reading all about you in here -- there's your picture. It talks about the movie you did, you had to do a topless scene, you didn't like that.

FITZPATRICK: It took -- it was a little hard. TUSH: That was Wes Craven's "Dracula 2000"? First movie?

FITZPATRICK: No, no; not my first movie. My first nude scene.

TUSH: Oh, OK.

FITZPATRICK: But not scary.

TUSH: No big deal. You did it and you're over with it.

OK, well you're going to get a big trophy today to take home, I guess -- so I'm told -- as one of these fearless females.

And while we do that -- or you do that, we're going to go meet a lady that sings backup for Madonna. Who are we talking about?

FITZPATRICK: Donna De Lory.

TUSH: Right; and Donna did one of your songs, you told me.

FITZPATRICK: She sang on a song called "The Itch" -- great singer, great performer.

TUSH: See that? Did we pick the right person to talk to? We're telepathic over here, I'm telling you.

Thanks so much Colleen; thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JODI ROSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For more than 10 years, she's been voguing and vamping behind the material girl. Donna De Lory is 1/2 of the backup act for Madonna. Now she's going solo with an album called "Bliss."

(MUSIC)

DONNA DE LORY, SINGER: Touring with Madonna and being a part of that -- I got to go to the Middle East and I was exposed to different kinds of music, and I really got into those Middle Eastern rhythms.

I feel like I'm a pop songwriter, but I do the songs in a different way with different instrumentation.

ROSS: Thirty-something De Lory did this once before.

(MUSIC)

ROSS: In 1992, she signed with MCA Records and released a self- titled debut album. She was an international hit, but unhappy with the direction the record company was heading. So De Lory turned around and went back to her mentor, Madonna.

(MUSIC)

ROSS (on camera): Is she difficult? DE LORY: I would just say demanding. She really was challenging and demanding, and she's been a great teacher to me. I've never seen her get so swayed by people's opinions. There's so many other people that listen to everyone and they go back and forth and they're not sure what to do. She kind of listens to everyone, and she still just -- she knows what she wants.

ROSS (voice-over): And De Lory knows what she wants, too.

(MUSIC)

DE LORY: Right now I have this label called Secret Road Records, and we've just -- it's just from the ground and working up. And I've already sold more records than I did on MCA. And I really feel like this is the right path for me right now, you know, and I can totally handle this.

ROSS: This could be called "Bliss."

(MUSIC)

ROSS: Jodi Ross, CNN entertainment news, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUSH: This is Daniel Zelman, who's married to this beautiful lady, who looks like this all of the time, right?

DANIEL ZELMAN: Absolutely.

TUSH: OK, you're not giving away any secrets.

ZELMAN: No, no; she look -- I've seen her look better than that, even, actually.

TUSH: Really?

ZELMAN: Oh, yes.

TUSH: Well, you are a lucky man. Let me ask you quickly: Where is she? That's why I brought you here; where is she?

ZELMAN: She's in bed; she has the flu, and so she's sick in bed in Pittsburgh. She was shooting a movie in Pittsburgh, and a lot of people on the set there have this flu, and she picked it up and the doctor ordered her to stay in bed for three days; and so she desperately wanted to here, but she really can't get out of bed.

TUSH: OK Daniel, you go pick up her trophy, right?

ZELMAN: Yes.

TUSH: All right; and that's our show for this weekend. We'll be watching her on "Will and Grace." OK, thanks Daniel; OK.

See you next time. (MUSIC)

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