MORNING REPORT - News from Aug. 25, 2000

TELEVISION

‘Survivor’: The Book: You watched the TV show. Now read all about it. “Survivor: The Ultimate Game” will be on bookstands Sept. 12. Written by the show’s executive producer, Mark Burnett, with adventure writer Martin Dugard, it will recount the story of this group of contestants and offer advice to would-be competitors on future installments. Those who can’t wait for the TV Books publication date can read the first few chapters at Contentville.com.

Dynamic Duo: Actress-supermodel Elizabeth Hurley will appear with John Cleese in a new four-part TV series, “The Human Face With John Cleese,” which will premiere on the BBC in early 2001 and on the Learning Channel during the summer of 2001. The shows, written and presented by the actor, will explore the face through time, examining how faces evolved, what they tell about a person and what makes a beautiful face. The four episodes will focus on identity, beauty, facial expressions and fame. “I am delighted Elizabeth is taking part in the series,” Cleese said. “Several old friends are appearing, but it’s nice to have someone under 50.” Hurley professed to be equally pleased: “John is round the bend and insists I call him Daddy; otherwise, he’s heavenly to work with.”

Lauding Latinos: Matt Casado’s dark comedy “Honest Injun,” has been selected as the winner of Showtime’s annual “Latino Filmmaker Showcase”--a project designed to support up-and-coming Latino filmmakers. Casado receives $30,000 toward the production of a new short film, which will premiere on the pay cable channel. Written and directed by Casado, “Honest Injun” will be Showtime’s featured film on Sept. 18, along with the three competition finalists: “New Suits,” “The Hot Room” and “Taino.” Among the “Showcase” judges were director Gregory Nava, actors Edward James Olmos, Nestor Carbonell and Georg Stanford Brown, and producers David Valdes and Moctesuma Esparza. “Showcase,” executive produced by Jeff Valdez, is part of Showtime’s Hispanic Heritage Month tribute.

Lauding Latinos II: The casts of two new Latino-themed TV series--Showtime’s “Resurrection Blvd.” and Nickelodeon’s “The Brothers Garcia”--will be honored at the fourth annual Latino Book & Family Festival this weekend. “It is important that we celebrate the success stories of the Latinos who are in front and behind the camera,” said festival producer Edward James Olmos. The festival is being held 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The “Resurrection Blvd.” cast will be appearing to answer questions and sign autographs at 3 p.m. Sunday, followed by the “Brothers Garcia” cast at 3:45 p.m.

THE ARTS

Musical Chairs: Welz Kauffmann, who was named director of artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic just five months ago, is changing jobs. As of Oct. 1, he takes charge of the Chicago-area Ravinia Festival, as president and CEO. Kauffmann, 39, came to the Philharmonic with Deborah Borda, the orchestra’s managing director, to coordinate programming for the regular season and the Hollywood Bowl. He held a similar position with the New York Philharmonic while Borda was executive director there, and was responsible for creating several major festivals, including events dedicated to Brahms, Copland, Gershwin and Weill. He has also served as general manager of the L.A. Chamber Orchestra. The Philharmonic has not yet announced how it will fill his position.

MOVIES

Mob Scene: Brad Pitt, star of “Snatch,” was mobbed by screaming fans when he arrived for the film’s London premiere. As the crowd of 4,000 outside Leicester Square’s Odeon Cinema surged forward Wednesday night, police told Pitt to move back to prevent fans from being pushed against the barricades. No one was seriously injured, but the episode put an end to some autograph-signing on the part of the actor. “There were kids getting crushed at the front,” said chief inspector John Moore. “I told Mr. Pitt, ‘You owe it to [your fans] not to put them in danger.’ ” Pitt, who had stepped out of a chauffeur-driven car alongside the movie’s director, Guy Ritchie, plays an Irish bare-knuckle boxer in the gangster film. “Snatch,” which was made by Columbia Pictures, will be released in the United States early next year.

DESIGN

Warring Factions: The final stand-off between supporters and opponents of the controversial World War II Memorial proposed for the grounds of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial has been set for Sept. 21, when the Capital Planning Commission has scheduled a special design review for the 7.4-acre monument. Although the commission approved the site in 1995, opponents of the project plan to object to the location, as well as to the design, which New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger recently described as “an aesthetic disaster.” Members of the public can express their opinion in person or in writing (a letter and 20 copies should be sent to Deborah Young, NCPC, 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20576). Images and descriptions of the project can be found at the sponsoring American Battle Monument Commission’s Web site (https://www.abmc.gov) or the National Coalition to Save Our Mall’s Web site (https://www.savethemall.org).

PEOPLE

Pleading Guilty: William A. Cox, a former researcher at a Nashville hospital, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of wire fraud for accessing confidential medical files of the late country music star Tammy Wynette. Court documents indicate that he sold the material to supermarket tabloids--netting $1,760. Wynette, who died of heart failure in April 1998 at the age of 55, checked into the hospital under an assumed name. According to Asst. U.S. Atty. Paul Hull, Cox retrieved her medical information by logging on to the hospital’s computer system with a former physician’s password. Cox, whose attorney declined comment, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

QUICK TAKES

Ricki Lake, the actress who found success as a TV talk-show host (“Ricki”), will return to the emoting profession as an occasional guest on the CBS sitcom “The King of Queens” this season, playing the sister of Doug (Kevin James). . . . “Hollywood Squares” will feature contestants from “Survivor” on a week of shows set to air the week of Sept. 25. Making the jump from one sort of game show to another will be “Survivor’s” Richard Hatch, Susan Hawk, Jenna Lewis and Gervase Peterson.