MORNING REPORT - News from Oct. 13, 2000

TELEVISION

‘Bette’ Beginning: “Bette” made its debut to impressive if not quite divine ratings Wednesday, with an estimated 15.7 million people watching the first episode, about 1.6 million viewers behind ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in its half-hour. However, the heavily promoted new CBS sitcom starring Bette Midler drew a younger audience than the network normally attracts, beating “Millionaire” among adults age 18 to 49, the most-used demographic in selling ad time. Ratings then dropped almost 20%, to 12.7 million viewers, for CBS’ other new comedy--”Welcome to New York,” starring Christine Baranski--while “Millionaire” gained 4 million viewers in that half-hour.

Programming Notes: NBC will air the broadcast network premiere of Oscar winner “Titanic” on Nov. 26, from 7 to 11 p.m. . . . “King of Queens” star Kevin James will host the 27th annual People’s Choice Awards, airing Jan. 7 on CBS. . . . Francis Fisher will join Fox’s comedy “Titus” in a recurring role beginning Nov. 14. She’ll play Christopher Titus’ “manic-depressive schizophrenic” mother. . . . NBC plans to add another game show to TV’s prime-time mix next summer. “On the Cover,” a pop-culture trivia game, will focus on what’s appeared on the covers of magazines, books, CDs and movie posters. . . . The WB network has picked up 13 episodes of the animated kids’ show “Jackie Chan Adventures” for next season. . . . Cable’s TNT has ordered 11 episodes of a live-action series version of “Witchblade,” the comic book that recently was adapted into a well-rated TV movie for the network. A summer 2001 premiere is set.

POP/ROCK

Combs Sued by Nightclub Owner: The owner of the Manhattan nightclub that Sean “Puffy” Combs fled after a shooting there has filed a $1.8-million suit against Combs and three of his associates, claiming attendance at the club dropped following the December 1999 fracas. Michael Bergos, owner of Club New York, claims the club also sustained physical damage and that publicity about the incident damaged his reputation. A Combs protege, Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, has been indicted on attempted murder charges in the nightclub shooting, in which three people were hit. Combs fled with girlfriend Jennifer Lopez in an SUV that was eventually stopped by police after allegedly running several red lights. Combs was not charged in connection with the shooting, but faces a weapons charge related to a gun that police allegedly found in the vehicle. Of the nightclub owner’s suit, Combs’ lawyer said: “It never ceases to amaze me how many people are seeking to financially capitalize on Mr. Combs’ wealth and celebrity status, despite knowing beyond question that he had nothing whatsoever to do with the shooting in Club New York.”

Boy Band Battle: A management company has filed a $25-million lawsuit against 98 Degrees, saying the pop group terminated its contract with the company, Top 40 Entertainment, nearly two years before the deal expired. The band’s lawyer, meanwhile, said group members will file a counterclaim showing that they had “more than ample grounds to terminate” Top 40.

COMEDY

Uncabaret Run Ending: November will mark the final month for Uncabaret, the Sunday night comedy show that has run for seven years at the West Hollywood nightclub LunaPark. The club is being sold, and Uncabaret, which is hosted by Beth Lapides and has featured such regulars as Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney and Taylor Negron, will look for a new location and “probably reemerge somewhere next year,” said Greg Miller, the show’s producer.

QUICK TAKES

Harrison Ford will play a Russian submarine captain in “K-19: The Widowmaker,” a Cold War thriller based on a real-life Russian nuclear submarine accident in 1961. He’ll reportedly receive $25 million to star in the Kathryn Bigelow-directed movie, which is being produced by National Geographic Features. . . . Placido Domingo will sing with the six winners of Operalia 2000 on Dec. 15 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. All six winners--Isabel Bayrakdarian of Canada, Virginia Tola of Argentina, He Hui of China, Daniil Shtoda of Russia, Konstyantyn Andreyev of the Ukraine, and Robert Pomakov of Canada--will sing with Domingo. . . . Photographer Tony Gleaton, multimedia artist Harry Gamboa Jr., choreographer Parijat Desai, poet and jazz collaborator Kamau Daaood, filmmaker William Jones and poet and filmmaker Ruth Forman have been named recipients of the 2000/2001 Durfee Artist Awards. The $25,000 awards are “intended to nurture creativity and support the generation of new artwork” by L.A. artists. . . . Universal Studios Hollywood will honor actors Gloria Stuart and Karen Black, World Wrestling Federation star the Undertaker and the casts and crews of TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” with “Eyegore” awards for “achievements in horror” during ceremonies at the park tonight. . . . Oprah Winfrey has taped two public-service announcements, to begin airing later this month, about measures parents can take to reduce the risk of their babies dying from sudden infant death syndrome. . . . A tribute to actress Beah Richards, who died Sept. 14 just days after winning an Emmy for a guest-starring role on “The Practice,” is being planned for Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Speakers have not yet been announced.