Entertainment News: Odds and Ends

From time to time my collection of entertainment news falling into the category of Odds and Ends, tends to build up.

Today is such a day. It’s not that the stories are bad, it’s just that by themselves, they really don’t fill enough space for total coverage in one entry.

As I scanned my stack of papers this morning, I came across four such stories.

1. No More Neverland
2. Space The Final Frontier…The Search For Spock’s Home Planet
3. TV’s Toughest Action Heroes
4. Top 10 TV Dogs

For your entertainment today, the above list represents some interesting stories that might come in handy for any water cooler discussions you might find yourself in. It’s always nice to wow your friends with little tidbits of entertainment information no one else knows about.

No More Neverland

It’s official, Michael Jackson has handed over the deed to his Neverland Ranch. But, even though he’s handed over the deed, it doesn’t mean he’s completely separated from his personal amusement park. The ranch is now owned by Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. The company was established earlier this year and reportedly is a joint venture between Jackson and an affiliate of Colony Capital LLC. According to the Santa Maria Times, Jackson sold the 2,800 acre ranch for approximately $35 million.

Colony Capital is the real estate investment company that helped Jackson avoid foreclosure by buying his $24.5 million dollar loan on the ranch. Jackson bought the property 20 years ago. At that time it was known as Sycamore Valley Ranch. The property now features dwellings, a zoo and a theme park.

Space The Final Frontier…The Search For Spock’s Home Planet

Scientists, aiming a powerful telescope at the distant star Epsilon Eridani, may have found evidence of what Star Trek fans have probably believed since day one — Mr. Spock’s home planet of Vulcan could be real!

Epsilon Eridani is a real star and is the one mentioned in Star Trek as the sun that the plant Vulcan orbits. Now Britain’s Sun newspaper is reporting that scientists have recently discovered two bands of rocky fragments similar to our own solar system’s asteroid belt orbiting Epsilon Eridani. Marc Kuchner, a NASA expert said he wouldn’t be surprised if seven or eight planets orbit Epsilon Eridani. He went on to say one of those planets could be habitable.

When asked to comment Spock had just one thing to say…

“It’s a fair assumption one of those planets is habitable…
…Anything else would be illogical.”

TV’s Toughest Action Heroes

Jack Bauer has gotten out of some tight squeezes on the series 24. But, when it comes to the top of the list of TV’s toughest action heroes, he’s not the top. According to TV Guide magazine’s list of Television’s Toughest Action Heroes, Richard Dean Anderson’s MacGyver tops the list. According to the TV Guide article, “There’s nobody better at saving the day than the mulleted Mr. Wizard of explosive household items.” It’s an impressive list, but there is one very odd entry – Brandon Walsh, Jason Priestley’s character on Beverly Hills, 90210 ranks eighth.

Here’s the complete list of TV’s Toughest Action Heroes…

1. MacGyver
2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
3. Jack Bauer – 24
4. Sydney Bristow – Alias
5. Magnum P.I.
6. La Femme Nikita
7. Walker Texas Ranger
8. Brandon Walsh – Beverly Hills 90210
9. Xena: Warrior Princess
10. Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man

Top 10 TV Dogs

It must be top 10 time for TV Guide as they also recently released their list of TV’s Top Dogs. It must be the year of the beagle too as the same breed took the top prize at the 2008 Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show.

Here’s the list of the top 10 TV puppy dogs;

1. Snoopy – Peanuts
2. Lassie
3. Eddie – Frasier
4. Triumph the insult comic dog – Late Night with Conan O’Brien
5. Doc – Grey’s Anatomy
6. Vincent – Lost
7. Elizabeth Taylor – Sex and the City
8. Tinkerbell Hilton
9. Scooby-Doo
10. Paul Anka – Gilmore Girls

Yours in entertainment news!
Dr. Rus