[Whitfield:] A 61-year-old one-time superstar with a trademark laugh could be making a comeback. A.J. Hammer joins us now to tell us about the possible return of Woody Woodpecker. And I will not laugh again. A little out of practice.
[A.j. Hammer, Hln Host, "showbiz Tonight":] OK. All right. We got it that one time. And it's going to go right up on YouTube after the show here. Woody reportedly bringing his iconic laugh back to the big screen. The "Hollywood Reporter" is saying that Universal's animation house Illumination Entertainment is working on a feature project for the classic animated character. Woody Woodpecker's film career, it's hard to imagine, but it started over 70 years ago. He was a huge hit in theaters throughout the 1940s. He became a TV staple in the '50s. Those reruns, that's how most of us know Woody. Although a lot of us know him also as a balloon at the Thanksgiving parade. The "Hollywood Reporter" is saying that Universal bought the rights to Woody all the way back in 1985. They're just now trying to use this movie to launch a whole film franchise. So Fred, the good news for Woody Woodpecker fans, he may not only be back, but he may be sticking around for an entire new generation.
[Whitfield:] That's fun. I think they'll get a big kick out of that. So the next story has former Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss, people haven't heard that name in quite a while, but she's back with some career advice for a troubled actress. Do tell.
[Hammer:] Let's call it a very special kind of career advice. Heidi thinks that Lindsay's decision to pose for "Playboy" is brilliant. Heidi offered her a somewhat back-handed compliment. Watch what she just told "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
[Heidi Fleiss, Former Hollywood Madam:] She's beautiful. I think it's brilliant. Who knows, when you need money, you need money. Maybe she needs this money to get on the right track. She's hot. She would have made a great hooker. I could have made millions off her.
[Hammer:] Yes, there you go. Listen, Fleiss knows a thing or two about career changes. She's now starring, Fred, in an Animal Planet special with perhaps what I find to be the most unique show name of the year. It is called "Heidi Fleiss' Prostitutes to Parrots." Let that sink in for a moment.
[Whitfield:] Yes. I know. It will take a while. A very interesting love story between she and these birds. Also news about next year's Golden Globes. Kind of deja vu, right?
[Hammer:] Yes, a lot of people probably found this to be a bit surprising based on what happened last year. Ricky Gervais is slated to come back as the host of the Golden Globes. This is going to be his third time doing it. We've been hearing buzz for a while that this might happen. But if you remember, after last year's show, it was almost unimaginable that Ricky would be asked back. He got a lot of grief for last year's performance. That's not lost on the people behind the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Here's what they said in their announcement that Ricky was coming back. "While many may welcome Gervais' return, not everyone is happy with the decision because last year his blunt one-liners caused anger and resentment in some quarters." Remember, Ricky was going after everybody. Angelina Jolie, all kinds of Hollywood royalty. Johnny Depp, Scientology, Robert Downey Jr. One of my favorite moments was when Robert Downey Jr. got on the stage and he said, "The vibe of the night was mean-spirited with mildly sinister overtones." But Ricky is back and it will get an awful lot of buzz Fred.
[Whitfield:] Yes, I just remember all those nervous laughs, you know, nervous smiles. They were kind of like, "Ok." And then the cameras on me, I should just smile. But I don't believe what he just said." Yes, remember that? We'll see that again. All right, A.J. Appreciate that. All right. You want more information? Of course you do on everything breaking in the entertainment world. A.J.'s got it this evening on "
[Showbiz Tonight", 11:] 00 p.m. on HLN. A heated debate on Capitol Hill pits Congress against President Obama. This time over school lunches. Currently, schools can serve pizza as long as each slice has at least two tablespoons of tomato sauce on it. That some say makes it a vegetable. The President wanted to change that and other standards he called unhealthy. Obama wants more fresh fruits, fresh milk, and other items, but the new standards could cost billions of dollars. Coming up, with just days until their deadline, members of the super committee still can't reach a deal. And a bipartisan group of lawmakers is taking them to task. We'll talk to one of them next.