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2007 Best & Worst: Comebacks

By Deborah Netburn and Lora Victorio, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers As the year rushes to a close, it's time to sift through the mountainous kilobytes of pop culture detritus that have piled up on our computers and in our brains over the last 12 months. Let's try to figure out what worked, what didn't and what's best forgotten by New Year's Day. Today we examine the best and worst comebacks of 2007. Which of our cultural icons were we glad to see back in the Google search zeitgeist, and which of them do we think were best left … unsearched.

By Deborah Netburn and Lora Victorio, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

As the year rushes to a close, it’s time to sift through the mountainous kilobytes of pop culture detritus that have piled up on our computers and in our brains over the last 12 months. Let’s try to figure out what worked, what didn’t and what’s best forgotten by New Year’s Day.

Today we examine the best and worst comebacks of 2007. Which of our cultural icons were we glad to see back in the Google search zeitgeist, and which of them do we think were best left … unsearched.  (Los Angeles Times / Getty Images / ABC / WireImage / AP)

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Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Comeback vehicle: “Hairspray” (July), “Stardust” (August)

When we saw her last: For most of her career Pfeiffer kept up a busy work schedule, filming at least a movie a year since the late ‘70s (Jobina in “CHiPs” and Athena in “Fantasy Island” ring any bells?). But the last time we saw her on the big screen, she was starring as murder mom Ingrid Magnussen in 2002’s “White Oleander.”

Are we glad she’s back: Oh, yeah. While her performances as Velma von Tussle (“Hairspray”) and the evil witch Lamia (“Stardust”) were more solid than scene-stealing, nobody illuminates a red carpet like Pfeiffer. On the verge of 50 (she hits the half-century mark in April), she looks better than ever, and her back-to-back turns as evil wenches reminded us of just how great she was in George Miller’s “The Witches of Eastwick.”

Comeback rating: 8

FOR THE RECORD: A previous version of this caption misidentified Michelle Pfeiffer’s “White Oleander” character as frigid foster mom Ingrid Magnussen. Pfeiffer played Ingrid Magnussen, the birth mother of protagonist Astrid.
  (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

Britney Spears

Britney Spears

Comeback vehicle: The MTV Video Music Awards, “Blackout,” the tabloids

When we saw her last: America hadn’t heard new Britney Spears material since 2003, when her album “In the Zone” hit record stores. In 2005, her record company Jive put out a remix album called “B in the Mix,” but Spears was apparently too busy slowly unraveling (and, let’s be fair, getting married, having children) to put out any music.

Are we glad she’s back: She’s entertained us with her daily paparazzi baiting, she’s raised the traffic on gossip websites around the Web, she’s kept a lot of photographers in business, and she’s sold lots of records. But no way, we’re not glad she’s back. In fact, we’d like her to go somewhere far, far away and get better before she permanently injures herself or someone else.

Comeback rating: 2  (Dan Steinberg / AP)

Keri Russell

Keri Russell

Comeback vehicle: “Waitress” (May), “August Rush” (November)

When we saw her last: Sure, she was featured in movies such as “Mission: Impossible III” and “The Upside of Anger,” but she hasn’t been the subject of watercooler conversation since her title role in “Felicity.”

Are we glad she’s back: Yes! Her performance in “Waitress” made us want to dig out our “Felicity” DVD to rewatch the Golden-Globe winning actress at work. Russell is back in a big way, taking meatier roles than ever, and we like it.

Comeback rating: 7  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Smashing Pumpkins

Billy Corgan has announced he’ll be releasing a new double LP, “AEGEA.”   (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

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