MORNING REPORT - News from June 30, 2000

PEOPLE

Breaking Away: Actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan have announced their separation. Publicist Lisa Kasteler, who declined to say whether the two plan to divorce, said the duo has been separated for six weeks. “They hope that the press will respect their privacy during this difficult time,” Kasteler said. The two met in 1987 on the set of “Innerspace,” married in 1991 and have an 8-year-old son. . . . Meanwhile, actor Gary Busey and his wife are divorcing after nearly four years of marriage. According to court records filed Wednesday, Busey (who cited irreconcilable differences) and Tiani W. Busey separated June 18. This is the second time the couple was named in a divorce petition. Busey filed a similar one in June 1998, but it was later withdrawn.

The Singles Scene: Who says all the good ones are taken? Actor George Clooney (“The Perfect Storm”) heads People magazine’s list of “America’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors.” Rounding out the top five are New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter; actor Matt Damon; George Prescott Bush, a paralegal and grandson of former President George Bush, and chef Marcus Samuelsson of the Aquavit eateries in New York City and Minneapolis. Other famous faces include Ben Affleck, Ed Burns, Freddie Prinze Jr., Conan O’Brien and Joshua Jackson.

MOVIES

Let the War Begin: “The Patriot” took in a solid-but-no-fireworks $5 million in its debut at the box office Wednesday, which did little to clear up the question of who will win the Fourth of July holiday weekend: the Mel Gibson Revolutionary War film or the effects-laden “The Perfect Storm,” which debuts today. “Considering that it’s an R-rated film that appeals mainly to an older audience and has a long [almost three hours] running time, it’s a solid opening,” said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations, the industry box-office tracking company. The $5 million total likely came primarily from evening performances, Dergarabedian said, meaning that many theaters only had one nighttime showing. Still, “The Patriot’s” send-off didn’t compare with other R-rated debuts, including “Terminator 2” ($9.3 million) and “The Firm” ($7.2 million). Though Sony Pictures would not comment officially on the early numbers, one studio insider noted that the adult audience will not be truly available until the weekend, when the widespread appeal of “The Patriot” will be put to the true test.

TELEVISION

‘Survivor’ Slips: The “Survivor” phenomenon may be topping off, with ratings dropping for the first time compared with the previous week, after steadily building since its May 31 premiere. The CBS show was watched on average by an estimated 24 million viewers Wednesday, about 200,000 fewer than the week before. “Survivor” remains a major hit, beating the five other broadcast networks combined. Separately, CBS may introduce the program’s next edition (set in the Australian Outback) in January after its broadcast of the Super Bowl. A network spokesman said a final decision hasn’t been made.

Counting the ‘Ways’: In its latest example of cooperation with the Pax network, NBC will air several episodes of the new Pax series “Mysterious Ways” in advance of its debut on the little-seen network, which is part-owned by NBC. “Ways” stars Adrian Pasdar as an anthropologist investigating the unexplained and also features Rae Dawn Chong. The deal provides NBC with an original summer show and gives Pax extra promotion in getting people to sample it. The series will premiere July 24 on NBC, with Pax to start running it Aug. 22.

Getting the ‘Blues’: “Baby Blues,” a new animated series based on the syndicated comic strip about two suburban couples with children, will premiere July 28 on the WB. Two episodes will air each Friday from 8 to 9 p.m. If the show finds an audience, the network says it could return as a midseason series.

Reality Refugees: A trio of reality TV participants turns up on tonight’s edition of “Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” airing at 12:05 a.m. on ABC. The guests are instant bride-turned-centerfold Darva Conger, chemist Ramona Gray (“Survivor”) and Bryan Chan, who was bounced from “Making the Band.”

QUICK TAKES

Jon Cryer, who will star in the ABC fall comedy “People Who Fear People,” has a new person in his life. He and his wife, actress Sarah Trigger, welcomed the birth of their first child, a boy named Charlie Austin, on Tuesday at Good Samaritan Hospital. . . . Playwright Donald Margulies and actress Marian Seldes are recipients of the 2000 Evans-Kingsley Awards, given each year by the Dramatists Guild, an organization of some of the country’s best-known playwrights. The Evans-Kingsley Awards include stipends of $20,000 for each winner.