BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ We’ve got to admit, we cringed when we first heard that a re-boot of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was underway, but now that we’ve seen who’s the star, it might not be so bad after all. Enter Laverne Cox as the infamous ‘Dr Frank-N-Furter’. Cox, of course, plays ‘Sophia Burset’ in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black”. It’s difficult to tell how audiences will react to a transgender woman playing the part of a transvestite man, but there’s no doubt she’ll do the role justice if her other screen roles are anything to go by. This new adaptation of the iconic 1975 movie is set to premiere in 2016 on FOX-TV.
– ContactMusic.com
★ A TV sequel to the movie “Cruel Intentions” is in the pipeline. NBC-TV has reportedly picked up a follow-up series to the classic 1990s movie which will focus on ‘Bash Casey’, the child of ‘Annette Hargrove’ and ‘Sebastian Valmont’ (originally played by Reese Witherspoon & Ryan Phillippe). The storyline will pick up on the life of the now-16-year-old boy. The 1999 original film which co-starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair had 2 follow-ups: “Cruel Intentions 2” (2000) and the straight-to-video “Cruel Intentions 3” (2004). Neither was particularly well-received.
– Deadline.com
★ And there’s a newcomer on the “Sesame Street” block, a preschooler with autism named ‘Julia’. The Sesame Workshop says the character is being introduced as part of an initiative to take the stigma out of autism. She will be portrayed as a girl who “does things a little differently” while playing with her “Muppet” friends, according to a workshop spokesperson. The new initiative, called “See Amazing in All Children”, will also  provide educational resources about autism to teachers and offer tools for handling everyday activities to families touched by it.
– AP

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Aftershock Festival (Sacramento CA) – Saturday this Monster Energy event features Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Slipknot, Seether, Marilyn Manson and more.
• Bridge School Benefit (Mountain View CA) – Saturday-Sunday Neil Young’s annual benefit concert for special education includes his latest collaborators Promise Of the Real, plus St Vincent, Ryan Adams, Spoon, the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr and others.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Aussie band 5 Seconds of Summer (2nd studio album, “Sounds Good Feels Good”, out today).
• “Hemlock Grove” (Netflix) – Famke Janssen & Bill Skarsgard return as the 3rd and final season is released in its entirety today.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Public Enemy (“Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Swingin’ Utters (“Fistful of Hollow”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Tonight drummer Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction). Rerun.
• MTV EMAs (Milan, Italy) – Sunday Ed Sheeran co-hosts the 2015 European Music Awards alongside actress/model Ruby Rose. Performers include Justin Bieber, Pharrell Williams, Ellie Goulding, Jason Derulo, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
• “Marilyn Denis Show” (CTV/CTV2) – Today Carrie Underwood (“Storyteller”).
• “Meredith Vieira” (syndicated) – Today Nicole Scherzinger (“Big Fat Lie”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Pharrell Williams (“G I R L”); Terrence Howard (“Empire”). Rerun.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Today Tony Bennett (w/Lady Gaga-“Cheek to Cheek”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé – Her father and former manager Mathew Knowles is alleging that Bey is actually 36-years-old, not 34 as she claims. She’s long listed her birthday as September 4, 1981 but Mathew says she was actually born in 1979. Beyoncé has yet to comment.
• Blake Shelton – Today he releases the compilation album “Reloaded: 20 #1 Hits”.
• Carrie Underwood – Her 5th studio album, “Storyteller”, arrives today. It features the lead single “Smoke Break”.
• DJ Khaled – Today his 8th studio album, “I Changed a Lot”, is out. Future and Chris Brown are featured on multiple tracks; other guests include Jay Z, Rick Ross, and Fetty Wap.
• Elvis Costello – Today his 38-track, 2-CD compilation, “Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack”, is out, the companion to his previously released memoir, “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink”.
• Jason Aldean – Saturday his 10th annual Concert For the Cure is staged in West Palm Beach FL as part of his “2015 Burn It Down Tour”. Proceeds go to the Susan G Komen breast cancer foundation in South Florida.
• Jennifer Nettles – Tonight she kicks off her “Playing With Fire Tour” in Atlanta GA. Opening acts are Brandy Clark and Ryan Kinder.
• Janelle Monáe – She’s set to make her bigscreen debut in a movie adapted from Tarell McCraney’s play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue”. It’s the coming-of-age story of a young man during the 1980s war on drugs-era in Miami FL.
• Maroon 5 – There are rumors afloat that they’re in talks to perform at the “Super Bowl 50” halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara CA in February. “Billboard” previously reported that Bruno Mars was being signed to curate the show, which would see him perform as well as line up other artists. Reps for the NFL have yet to comment on either report.
• Rod Stewart – The pop-rock veteran’s latest album “Another Country” is released today, on which he says he experimented with different sounds like reggae, ska, and Celtic melodies.
• The Weeknd – He’s revealed that he declined all interviews when his career took off in 2011 because he feared he’d look stupid. A high school drop-out, he admits he didn’t think he was well-spoken enough and says he started studying crossword puzzles to improve his vocabulary.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Jem & The Holograms” ( PG Musical Adventure ): As a small-town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her 3 sisters begin to discover that some talents are too special to keep hidden. Stars Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Aurora Perrineau, Hayley Kiyoko. A live-action remake of the 1985-88 animated TV series.
NET: http://www.jemthemovie.com
• “The Last Witch Hunter” ( PG-13 Action Adventure ): If you believe the studio hype, this is designed to become a new franchise for star Vin Diesel. He plays ‘Kaulder’, who has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, thereby becoming the only thing that stands between humanity and their combined forces. Co-stars Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood.
NET: http://www.thelastwitchhunter.movie
• “Rock the Kasbah” ( R-Rated Musical Comedy ): Bill Murray stars as a down-on-his-luck music manager who discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan. He ends up taking her to Kabul to compete on the popular TV show “Afghan Star”. Co-stars Leem Lubany, Zooey Deschanel, Bruce Willis.
NET: http://rockthekasbahmovie.com
• “Steve Jobs” ( R-Rated Biographical Drama Expands Wide ):  Michael Fassbender stars as the late CEO of Apple. Director Danny Boyle’s film is set backstage at 3 iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac. Co-stars Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels. Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.
NET: http://www.stevejobsthefilm.com
• Opening in limited release: “Burnt” (Dramedy opens in LA/NYC); “I Smile Back” (Drama); “Nasty Baby” (Drama); “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” (Horror); and “Suffragette” (Historical Drama).

THE ORDER OF THINGS:
This may come as a surprise to many … birth order has minimal effects on personality. The findings of a new joint German study from the universities of Mainz and Leipzig contradict long-held beliefs about firstborns becoming perfectionists, middle children being peace-makers, and youngest siblings becoming rebels. In fact, the new research has found no correlation between birth order and personality traits like extroversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The results not only contradict prominent psychological theories, but also goes against the intuition of many people. (Just in case they’re right, give your older brother a sharp punch on the arm.)
– UPI.com

FATHER FIGURES:
Research suggests there are 4 main types of fathers. So which are you?
• Fully Involved Dad – He’s equally involved with running the home and family, at least some of the time. The mother and father roles are virtually interchangeable in this family.
• Enforcer Dad – Not involved with the day-to-day care of children. He sees the most important aspects of being a father as providing a role model and clear rules for his children.
• Entertainer Dad – Often entertains the children while the mother does things like cooking and cleaning.
• Useful Dad – Helps out with day-to-day childcare and household tasks but still tends to take the lead from the mother about what needs doing.
– Condensed from BBC News

HIGHEST-EARNING COMEDIANS:
According to a new ranking based on estimated earnings from all sources over the past year …
5. Aziz Ansari … $9.5 million (Author of “Modern Romance”, ex-“Parks & Recreation”).
4. [tie] Jeff Dunham (ventriloquist) / Russell Peters (“Last Comic Standing” judge) … $19 million.
3. Terry Fator …  $21.5 million (Las Vegas ventriloquist, winner of “America’s Got Talent”).
2. Kevin Hart … $28.5 million (Thanks to movie roles and a sold out arena tour.)
1. Jerry Seinfeld … $36 million (Even though “Seinfeld” ended 17 years ago, he’s still making money off it and now has an estimated net worth over $800 million).
– Forbes.com

DID YOU KNOW?
1-in-5 people (20%) surveyed believe they benefit from avoiding bread. 5% claim to be gluten intolerant, even though that condition affects only about 0.5% of the general population. (Thanks Gwyneth.)
– @MailOnline

BS CHRONOMETER 10.23.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1954 [61] Ang Lee, Chaochou, Taiwan, movie director-producer (“Life of Pi”, “Brokeback Mountain”)

1956 [59] Dwight Yoakam, Pikeville KY, country singer (“Fast As You”, “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere”)/movie actor (“Crank” films, “Sling Blade”)

1959 [56] Sam Raimi, Royal Oak MI, movie director-producer (“Poltergeist”, “Spider-Man” movies)

1959 [56] (Alfred) ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Lynwood CA, parody singer (“White & Nerdy”, “Eat It”)

1964 [51] Robert Trujillo (Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Perez de la Santa Concepcion Trujillo Veracruz Batista), Santa Monica CA, rock bassist (Metallica-“Death Magnetic”, “St Anger”)

1974 [41] Eric Bass, Jacksonville FL, rock bassist (Shinedown-“Bully”, “Second Chance”)

1976 [39] Ryan Reynolds, Vancouver BC, movie actor (“Green Lantern”, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”)/wed to Blake Lively since 2012/wed to Scarlett Johansson 2008-11

1976 [39] Cat Deeley, Birmingham UK, TV host (“So You Think You Can Dance” since 2006)

1983 [32] Matthew Shultz, Bowling Green KY, indie rock singer (Cage the Elephant-“Shake Me Down”, “In One Ear”)

1985 [30] Miguel (Pimentel), LA CA, pop/R&B singer-songwriter (“Adorn”, “Sure Thing”)

SATURDAY –
Movie actor Kevin Kline (“Ricki & The Flash”) is 68; Canadian politician Thomas Mulcair (NDP) is 61; Soccer star Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) is 30; Rapper Drake (“Started From the Bottom”) is 29; Movie-TV actress Shenae Grimes (“Empire State”) is 26; TV actor Hudson Yang (“Fresh Off the Boat”) is 12.

SUNDAY –
Voice actress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 58; Rock drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 54; Pop-rock guitarist Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 45; Movie-TV actor Craig Robinson (“Hot Tub Time Machine”) is 44; Pop singer Katy Perry (“Roar”) is 31; Rock singer Austin Winkler (Hinder) is 31; Pop singer Ciara (“Goodies”) is 30.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Canning Day”, honoring the 1752 birth of French chef/chemist Nicolas Appert, who came up with the concept of sealing perishable food in jars. For this, he is known as ‘the father of canning’, but he also came up with many other inventions … including the bouillon cube.
• “Do-It-Yourself Day”, celebrating all the handy folks who spend time, money, and sweat on home repairs … just before calling in someone who knows what they’re doing.
• “Pharmacy Technician Day”, saluting the drugstore support personnel who take and fill your order.
• “TV Talk Show Host Day”, to celebrate those ‘gifted with the personality and intellect to enable them to bring out the best in their guests’. It’s an annual observance on the birth anniversary of iconic talk show host Johnny Carson in 1925. Who’s today’s best?

SATURDAY –
• “Bologna Day”, a good day to fry up a slice to add to your peanut butter sandwich. Yummers!
• “Pit Bull Awareness Day”, begun in 2007 as a day of appreciation and education designed to change perceptions and stereotypes about pit bulls and their responsible owners.
NET: http://www.nationalpitbullawarenessday.org
• “United Nations Day”, honoring the 70th anniversary of the day in 1945 that the majority of the world’s countries adopted the charter that formed the UN.

SUNDAY –
• “International Artist Day”, an annual event saluting artists, their work, and contributions to our cities.
• “International Greasy Foods Day”, a celebration of our love of fatty foods, foods cooked in oil, foods smothered in butter, etc.
• “Mother-In-Law Day”, the 13th annual salute to the old battle ax that’s celebrated on the 4th Sunday in October. This is one of two such days in the year … best remember them both!
• “Visit a Cemetery Day”, encouraging us to take in a local graveyard, not just to commemorate the deceased, but to celebrate and learn about the people who’ve shaped our communities.
• “World Pasta Day”, honoring one of Italy’s greatest gifts to the world. This year’s ‘International Pasta Organization Annual General Assembly’ is being held in Milan, Italy.
NET: http://www.pasta-unafpa.org/pasta-day.htm

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [04] Comedian/actor Robin Williams marries Susan Schneider (now his widow)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2004 [11] Pop singer Ashlee Simpson is caught lip-synching during an appearance on NBC-TV’s “Saturday Night Live” (pretty much a career killer)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2001 [14] 1st Apple ‘iPod’ is unveiled, which goes on sale on November 10th for $399

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] “Spectre” opens in UK movie theaters
[Mon] Howl At the Moon Night
[Tues] Full ‘Hunters’ Moon
[Tues] Cranky Co-Workers Day
[Wed] Plush Animal Lovers Day
[Wed] Bring Your Jack-O-Lantern to Work Day
This Week Is … Freedom From Bullies Week
This Month Is … International Doll Collectors Month

BULL’S BITS

BS BASEBALL EUPHEMISMS FOR SCRATCHING YOUR CROTCH:
• Having a staff meeting.
• Reallocating your assets.
• Gland-handing.
• Adjusting your accoutrements.
• Nudging the nuggets.
• Pulling a Harry Styles.
• Scrotching.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Which of your 5 senses is the most erotic?” (Interestingly, most men select ‘sight’ in a poll, while most women pick ‘touch’.)

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Hey, I got a new tattoo on my tush. It says, “Objects Are Larger than They Appear.”

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Men do THIS 6 times-a-year on average, while women do it 30-to-64 times.
Answer: Cry.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never test the depth of the water with both feet.