Morning Report - News from July 9, 2002

TELEVISION

Money No Headache for ‘Malcolm’ Mom

“Malcolm In the Middle” star Jane Kaczmarek, who was absent from the set of the Fox comedy for several days last season in a reported salary dispute, has received a paycheck boost.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actress is finalizing a contract with Regency Television, the producers of “Malcolm,” that will bring her weekly salary to around $100,000 in the series’ upcoming fourth season and to around $150,000 for the next year.

The new agreement also gives her a retroactive raise to around $85,000 per episode for the just-concluded season.

A spokesperson for Kaczmarek said last season that doctors at Fox confirmed that the actress suffered from repeated and severe migraine headaches. But other sources said that salary was the true reason behind Kaczmarek’s absence.

Representatives for Regency and the actress declined comment.

Series to Run on Cable, Network at Same Time

Court TV’s unscripted series, “Forensic Files,” will begin airing on NBC next month, the first time a major broadcast network has licensed the rights to air a show from a cable network’s current programming slate.

The network will air “Forensic Files” at 8 p.m. on four consecutive Sundays starting Aug. 25. The series will continue its Monday to Saturday schedule on Court TV at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

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MOVIES

Ron Howard Rides Away from ‘Alamo’

Ron Howard has decided not to direct “The Alamo” as his follow-up to the Oscar-winning “A Beautiful Mind,” although he and partner Brian Grazer are still moving forward as producers of the film for the Walt Disney Co., a spokesperson for Imagine Films Entertainment said Monday. “Ron was anxious to get the film made, and it started taking too long to develop,” the spokesperson said.

No replacement director has been selected, and Howard has not decided what he will do instead.

The move stung Disney, which had counted on Howard for a rare directing stint away from Universal. Howard’s last film apart from Universal was “Ransom,” also for Disney.

Disney could not confirm whether Russell Crowe, who had rearranged a crowded schedule to team again with Howard after “A Beautiful Mind,” would stay with “The Alamo.”

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MUSIC

Philharmonia Orchestra Cancels Engagement

Facing an economic recession in the Bay Area, the prestigious San Francisco-based period instrument ensemble Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra has canceled its three-concert series in Orange County for 2002-03. Dates were Oct. 8, Dec. 5 and Feb. 6, 2003, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Led by music director Nicholas McGegan and other luminaries of the period instrument movement, the orchestra has performed annually in Orange County since 1998.

Orange County ticketholders may exchange their tickets for a package of other Philharmonic Society events, including harpsichordist Andreas Staier (Nov. 7), pianist Zoltan Kocsis with the Hungarian National Philharmonic (Jan. 24, 2003) and the Italian Baroque ensemble, Il Giardino Armonico (May 2).