Phew. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox have settled their lawsuit over the hotly anticipated movie adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary graphic novel "Watchmen." Fox will reportedly get a payout from WB, but, and this is key, the March 6 release date won't be affected. That's good. However, the movie's still directed by Zack Snyder, helmer of the execrable, plotless "300." That's bad. And yet … the trailers appear to hew quite closely to the look of the original, enough so that even skeptical fans will certainly head into theaters to see for themselves. But wait. Has there ever been a good adaptation of a Moore opus? (Short answer: no. Sorry, "From Hell" and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" *shudder*.) And the rumors that the ending of "Watchmen" has been changed don't inspire confidence.

(MTVNews)

In even better graphic novel news, Steven Spielberg's animated "Tintin" movie starts production in a couple of weeks. Spielberg and "Lord of the Rings" genius Peter Jackson are swapping producing and directing duties on the first and second movies about the young reporter and his curmudgeonly, alcoholic sailor pal, Captain Haddock--Spielberg will reportedly be directing the first, with Jackson producing, and Jackson will direct the sequel while Spielberg produces. The story of the first will combine two of the classic comic books, "The Secret of the Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure." Andy Serkis, who "played" Gollum in the "LotR" movies, will again be sporting that oh-so-fashionable motion-capture suit, with Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead") reportedly also co-starring. No word yet on who will be portraying fluffy white terrier Snowy.

(ComingSoon)

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• Don Cheadle Must've Thought He Signed On for a 'Hotel Rwanda' Sequel. Instead he's opening today in kiddie flick "Hotel for Dogs" -- joined at the theaters by "My Bloody Valentine 3D," an in-your-face horror experience; "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," in which Kevin James manuevers a Segway in the suburbs; and "Notorious," the B.I.G. biopic. Also going wide after limited runs are Daniel Craig's "Defiance," a Holocaust film, and romantic comedy "Last Chance Harvey," co-starring Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman.  A big slate for a January weekend -- even a long weekend -- as the month is usually very quiet for film. [Variety]
  

• One Step Closer to Seeing Amy Poehler in Khaki Uniform?  NBC announced late yesterday that they'll renew "The Office," "30 Rock," and a struggling "Heroes" -- duh -- but they also revealed an April 9 premiere date for the as-yet-untitled Poehler project, originally slated as an "Office" spinoff before apparently becoming an un-spinoff.  The plot revolves around Poehler as an awkwardly overbearing parks/recreational services employee.  Can't.  Wait. [Hollywood Reporter]

• Casey Affleck Asks Joaquin Phoenix If He Can Film Him.  The younger Affleck will train a lens on Phoenix ("Gladiator," "Walk the Line") for an upcoming documentary about Phoenix's career -- in music.  Phoenix, whose first album will be produced by Diddy, has recently said that he may not return to acting so that he can focus on his rap.  We're envisioning Ross, holding the two-octave keyboard -- only a lot better. [Hollywood Reporter]
  

Kick back with Friday Night Lights, starting Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. Photo courtesy of NBC.

Last week was a major sweep for football: 26.8 million viewers tuned in for the BCS National Championship game between Florida and Oklahoma.  And the Fiesta Bowl (Texas vs. Ohio State) and the NFL playoff game between the Cardinals and the Panthers rounded out a bigtime ratings rally.  Super Bowl buzz is already underway -- in spite of sluggish predictions, NBC has sold more than 90 percent of the 67 ad spots and expects to break FOX's $186.3 million ad haul from last year.

So in theory, timing couldn't be better for football-centric, Emmy-winning drama "Friday Night Lights" to tackle the airwaves with its third season, debuting tomorrow at 9 p.m.  Mega-fan Bill Simmons continues to beat the drum via podcast over at ESPN.com, basically begging people to watch "the best sports TV show since 'White Shadow.'"  But "Lights" is about so much more than the gridiron. Showrunner Jason Katims tell us what to expect from Season 3 -- and why we should tune in now -- on the heels of the show's third straight Best Dramatic Series nomination from the Writers' Guild Assocation:

You've just wrapped Season 3 on DirecTV, and are re-showing the whole thing on NBC -- can we expect differences or added content?

I think that the versions on air between DirecTV and NBC are going to be very, very similar -- there are a few slight changes.  There is going to be a lot of extra content on NBC.com that we have -- specifically, deleted scenes for most of the episodes, never before available, which is something we've done before in the previous seasons and people really respond to them.  It tends to be on the show that we have a lot of really good scenes that unfortunately get cut because of time.  So we're able to sort of supply that to our fans -- who tend to be the kind of fans would seek out that kind of content.

How do you benefit from this kind of dual roll-out model?

Having it on DirecTV first... has kept it in the air – even if you haven't seen it, it's been on people's minds to some degree.  So fans are eager and anticipating Friday’s premiere because of that buzz factor.  They show hasn't been seen on NBC for over a year, or about a year, so we're hoping our fans have stayed reminded of the show -- and that new viewers are anticipating it, as well.  

[CLICK 'MORE' FOR FULL INTERVIEW]

• The Eighties Get Some Love from the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame.  Run DMC and Metallica are up for induction in April, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday, along with a handful of others.  And for the first time ever, you can watch them accept honors live: a limited number of tickets will be sold to watch the induction.  Through the Cleveland-based foundation's box office, Jan. 24, and via Ticketmaster on Jan. 26. [New York Times]

• Josh Schwartz Has Plumbed the Depths of Manhattan-Boarding-School Plotlines.  The "OC" and "Gossip Girl" creator will take his next CW project -- a spinoff of "Gossip Girl" centering around mom Lily van der Woodsen's teenage years -- back to the West Coast, specifically 1980s Los Angeles.  In the show, Lily (then Lily Rhodes) moves in with her sister in the San Fernando Valley at the peak of Valley-girl-dom and attends (gasp!) public school.  Pilot to air May 11 [Variety] 

• Eighth Season of "Idol" Debuts to Fewer Viewers.  Despite changes to the program, designed to entice new viewers and make the whole program a smidge more family-friendly, overall "American Idol" viewership was down 9 percent, with viewers in the 18 to 49 age bracket down 15 percent.  But the show still netted 30.1 million viewers -- it's the biggest show on television. [Variety]
  

Opposite William Shatner for the much-satirized "KAAAAHN!" moment of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn."

Tuxedoed in the opening credits of the 1978 season of "Fantasy Island." 

Montalban admiring the "rich, Corinthian leather" in a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba ad.

Remember Angie Martinez, the Brooklynite radio host and aspiring hip-hop artist who became American Idol's original fourth judge back in 2002?

Yeah, neither did we. Martinez departed after only five days on the job, issuing a statement claiming she "decided to leave the show because it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream."

Meanwhile, after watching Kara DioGuardi slam the girl in the bikini, we suspect she has no problem playing judge.

Last week in our Newsmakers section of the magazine, we ran an item about buzz surrounding Nicole Kidman's down-under press tour for "Australia" -- specifically, about quotes of hers from an Australian radio interview that subsequently ran in the Sydney Morning Herald, in which she claims she was "not proud" of her performance.

But New York Times blogger Michael Cieply came to Nicole's defense with a post on Carpetbagger about how Kidman meant that she squirms while watching all her performances -- not just this performance. He posted a link to the original radio interview, in which Kidman simply says "No, no, no," in response to the question, "Are you proud of your performance?" -- as opposed to point-blank saying she wasn't proud of the film.  Kidman's publicists are asking for a slew of pubs, NEWSWEEK among them, to amend the "nasty and very erroneous item[s]" that addressed the hubbub.

• Sundance to Be Sleepy This Year.  The first film festival to hit since the recession started will be low-key, with fewer splashy parties and a more subdued theme in its 25th anniversary year (it opens tomorrow).  The festival's famous "gifting suites," with the free, high-end swag that usually includes designer clothing, jewelry and electronics, will be filled with less expensive wares; as was the case with awards show swag, there will be an opportunity to re-gift the haul to charity. [Variety]

• Robert Redford Remembers the Good Old Days.  A long Q&A with the actor-director about starting the festival, how there are too many gosh-darn film festivals these days, and what he'll do if there are Prop 8 protests. [Hollywood Reporter]
  

• Most Anticipated Sundance Films: "Black Dynamite," in which Michael Jai White parodies the 1970s African American action hero; "It Might Get Loud," a guitar doc by David Guggeinheim featuring Jack White, Jimmy Page, the Edge and more; "I Love You Philip Morris," starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as prison lovers; "Paper Heart," in which Michael Cera makes a movie with his real-life girlfriend Charlyne about... themselves; "Good Hair," an HBO doc in which Chris Rock unpacks the culture of African American hair; "Adventureland," from "Superbad" helmer Greg Motolla, about kids an at amusement park in the '80s; and more. [Variety slideshow]
  

The show's expanded panel of judges. Courtesy of Fox.

Television years are much like dog years. With each year that passes, television shows age exponentially. Their narratives peter out and their production staffs try everything in the book--stunt casting, shocking deaths, changes of locale--to energize them. This law of diminishing returns extends beyond scripted television, though. Unscripted shows also have to constantly find new ways to shake up the formula in order to stay relevant.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the producers of "American Idol" are unveiling in tonight's season premiere--the show's eighth--a new, fourth, judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi . She'll join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, the judges who have lorded over the singing competition since it began in 2002. The caustic Cowell will have a tiebreaking vote during the audition rounds.

As cast shakeups go, it's not a bad choice. "Pop Idol," the British show on which the American version is based, has always had four judges. In its second season, the producers of the U.S. show tried to add radio personality Angie Martinez, but she quit early on. DioGuardi, meanwhile, is a respected songwriter, and at 37 she brings a fresh approach to the judging of a show that frequently uses the youth and youthfulness of its contestants as a basis of criticism (average age of the other three current judges: 49).

But if the intent is to stop the show's audience attrition--it dropped 7% in total viewership last season over the year before--DioGuardi's addition isn't going to cut it. In order for "Idol" to survive, it'll have to stop thinking of itself as a talent competition and start thinking of itself as what it has always been: a reality competition show.

• Obama, Coming to Theaters Near You.  The president-elect will take to the widescreen, sooner than we all thought.  MSNBC.com will distribute free tickets to see the inauguration and parade in 27 theaters nationwide.  Here's hoping it can revive a stale January B.O. slate. [Hollywood Reporter]

• Globe Take a Downward Spin.  Nielson reports that NBC failed to fully recapture the Golden Globes audience that defected after the 2007 ceremonies—this year lured 14.5 million viewers, but pre-strike Globes ceremonies routinely hooked numbers in the low 20-millions.  One speculated cause is the "obscure" nominees—if nobody watches "30 Rock" and "Mad Men" on TV in first-run, they're not going to watch them get an award. [Variety]

• TV Guide Runs Out of Space.  The magazine axed all mention of both CW and MTV shows in their guidebook—and CEO Scott Crystal says it's because they're out of room in print.  The claim would make more sense if this week's issue didn't include a feature on CW's "Smallville"—or if channels like Planet Green and QVC weren't still listed.  More like they finally admitted to themselves that no one watching "The Hills" needs to check TV Guide to find out when it's on.  [Variety]

• And in Celebrity News: Howie Mandel is hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat; Matilda Ledger will inherit Heath's Globe; Kelly Clarkson's new single just dropped online; and more [People]
  

The day is over, and the judgmental blogosphere that Tina Fey so roundly (and hilariously) critiqued last night has spoken.  Here, the PopVox judgment on which of those next-day fashion critiques are worth reading, and why:

• Judgiest Judge(s): But of course. The Fug Girls continue to do what made them famous -- namely, trouncing Renee Zellweger for the whole Civil War-era-funerary-costume fiasco.

• Most(ly) Even-Handed Assessment: EW gives a comprehensive, if really restrained, look at the highs, lows and mehs.  Though a slide of Anne Hathaway's serene sequined navy ballgown comes with an uncharacteristically snarky caption about how she didn't dress like a winner -- not sure that Ernst & Young factor that in, guys.

• Most Totally Oblivious to the Runway-Reality Divide: Vogue continues their contrarian death spiral by naming Zellweger's Laura Ingalls Wilder homage the best dress of the night.  Please.  Say what you will about the fashion quotient, Vogue, but the thing was downright unflattering. Worse: Marisa Tomei's "Pirates of the Caribbean" get-up took the silver medal; Blake Lively's pewter sausage casing came in fifth (guess they can't trash their latest cover girl), and Cameron Diaz's way-too-young Barbie pink column dress was ranked ninth.  Saving grace: Maggie Gylenhaal finally got some love.

• Most Middle School: Fashionista's notebook scribblings are quirky and cute -- even though, in this case, I can't read exactly what they liked about Elizabeth Banks' peaches-and-cream ensemble.  Oh well, on to seventh period!

• Best Attention to Detail: People.com's gallery has insets of the accessories each star wore -- a nice touch, since the jewels trumped the gowns this year.
  

Of course, doesn't the best commentary always come from the people around you?  Five favorite couch comments:

• Evan Rachel Wood. "Out of Marilyn Manson's death grips and showing off her amazing skin." (S)
• Beyonce. "She always tries to be so bootylicious. Sometimes it's okay to chill out." (R)
• Angelina Jolie. "Something we've already seen on her before (I'm talking about both her dress and her 'I'm way better than you' sneer)." (R)
• Renee Zellweger. "I cannot even believe that's Carolina Herrera." (S) and "Morticia Adams had a sample sale." (R)
• Rumer Willis. "...Oooooooh."  (A)

(Thank you, Remy, fashion merchandiser; Amanda, fashion-mag designer; and Saidi, fashionable law student!). What do you think?