ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

MOVIES

‘Dirty Dancing’ Again: Thirteen years after the original “Dirty Dancing” redefined steamy romance, Artisan Entertainment and Miramax Films announced Thursday that they will team to produce and distribute a sequel. But fans who hope to be transported back to the 1960s in the Catskills, where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey originally got rhythm, will be disappointed. At the Cannes Film Festival, the two companies said the story will be updated with a Latin twist and moved to Miami’s South Beach. Artisan has searched for years to find the right way to capitalize on the “Dirty Dancing” property, which has racked up more than $210 million in worldwide ticket sales since its 1987 release and is one of the company’ best-selling video titles. The 50-50 partnership--which gives Artisan domestic distribution rights and Miramax the international territories--is a first-ever alliance for the companies. Amir Malin, Artisan’s co-CEO, said it came together after he and Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein had lunch last winter. Malin said he was eager to benefit from Miramax’s developmental savvy and relationships with talent, which he said will help make the sequel “a potential blockbuster.”

TELEVISION

On to Camelot: On Thursday--actress Julianna Margulies’ farewell night as nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC’s “ER”--Turner Network Television announced that she, Anjelica Huston and Joan Allen are set to start production this summer in Prague on the cable channel’s miniseries “The Mists of Avalon.” Produced by the Wolper Organization and a co-production of TNT, Leaway Limited and Constantin Film AG, “Avalon” is the Camelot story as seen through the eyes of the women who wielded power behind King Arthur’s throne. Huston plays Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, who tries to preserve the pagan beliefs of Avalon, while Margulies is Morgaine, Arthur’s sister, who becomes Viviane’s pawn in the quest for control. Allen plays Morgause, Viviane’s sister. . . . Meanwhile, back at “ER,” George Clooney made a surprise appearance Thursday night. Even top NBC executives had been kept in the dark about it.

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‘Frasier’ Flip?: Two years after moving from Tuesdays into “Seinfeld’s” key 9 p.m. Thursday slot, “Frasier” will probably be sent packing back to its old stomping grounds. NBC won’t officially announce next season’s lineup until Monday, but sources say the Emmy-winning comedy will return to Tuesday nights as NBC seeks to fortify Thursdays by shifting newer sitcoms, “Will & Grace” and “Just Shoot Me,” into the 9-10 p.m. hour. The network’s revised lineup is expected to include at least seven new series, including a sitcom featuring “Seinfeld” alumnus Michael Richards.

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Shannen Blurred: Former cast member Shannen Doherty’s face was blurred out in a one-hour “Beverly Hills, 90210” retrospective that aired on Fox on Wednesday night. In the last scene of the special, which featured clips from old episodes and cast members reminiscing about their experiences, the “90210” gang was shown heading into a van, but Doherty’s face was noticeably obscured. Doherty, who ended her turbulent tenure on “90210” in 1994, had originally agreed to participate in the show but then changed her mind and refused to give Fox clearance to use her image in any part of the retrospective. Sources close to the show say Doherty wanted an exorbitant fee to participate; Doherty’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, says the actress, who currently co-stars in the WB’s “Charmed,” was unhappy with her marginal role in the series finale and ultimately decided to wash her hands--once again--of the show entirely.

FESTIVAL

East Meets West Jamfest: Asian American Media Development will present the East Meets West Jamfest 2000, a celebration of Asian American culture, from 1 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The outdoor festival, with a full spectrum of Asian talent from across the globe, will feature music, dance, comedy and food. Actors Garrett Wang (“Star Trek: Voyager”) and Dustin Nguyen (“VIP”) will host live performances by Chinese er-hu instrumentalists, hip-hop and Asian American R&B; groups. Tommy Chong, of the comic duo Cheech and Chong, and Grammy winners Hiroshima will be honored with Jamfest awards for outstanding achievements. Festival tickets are $15 and are available by calling (310) 289-4464. The event will also be shown live on the Web at https://www.HotPopTV.com.

QUICK TAKES

Singer Bobby Brown was back in a Florida jail Thursday after being arrested by customs agents in New Jersey on an outstanding warrant accusing him of violating probation in a drunk-driving case. The warrant was put out last June, when Brown’s probation officer reported that cocaine showed up in a urine test, that Brown refused to take another test and that he didn’t return from a trip to Beverly Hills on time. . . . KCRW-FM (89.9) has increased its signal strength in northern Los Angeles County and Kern County with a new 10,000-watt transmitter and antenna system in Mohave, heard on KCRY-FM (88.1). . . . “Politically Incorrect’s” week of shows from Maricopa County Jail averaged 3 million viewers a night, the ABC late-night series’ highest rating since December.