People: Decades-old ‘Lucy’ show tops Nielsens
Nearly six decades after it first aired, an “I Love Lucy” Christmas special was last week’s most-watched holiday program, according to ratings released Tuesday.
There was a gimmick involved: The episode of the 1950s Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz sitcom was colorized, as was a companion episode that featured Lucy as a grape-stomper in Italy.
The “I Love Lucy” special on CBS drew 8.7 million viewers to rank as last Friday night’s most-watched program and No. 16 for the week overall, according to Nielsen figures.
Holiday runner-up “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – a relative newcomer that debuted in 1965 – settled for 6.4 million the previous night on ABC.
Drugs, alcohol not part of Hall crash
Los Angeles police said Tuesday that drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors in a minor crash that occurred after talk show host Arsenio Hall drove off the side of the road in West Hills.
Hall was not injured in the incident about 7:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Sherman Way and Medical Center Drive, police said.
“He was just off the side road there,” said LAPD Sgt. Emalee Baptiste.
There was no arrest and no collision report, she added. It was unclear what caused Hall to drive off the road or how much damage was done to the vehicle, Baptiste said.
Allen honored for ‘Nutcracker’ version
Debbie Allen has got a nice Christmas present: the Goldstar National Nutcracker Award.
The ticket discounter has declared the award-winning director and choreographer’s school the winner of the 7th annual contest that crowns the best version of “The Nutcracker” in the land.
The Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s show, “The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” that was mounted earlier this month in Los Angeles, beat out nearly 60 other productions of “The Nutcracker.” It’s Allen’s second time winning the award.
The birthday bunch
Actor Gary Sandy is 68. Singer Jimmy Buffett is 67. Country singer Barbara Mandrell is 65. Actress Sissy Spacek is 64. Singer Annie Lennox is 59. Singer Dido is 42. Rock singer Mac Powell (Third Day) is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ryan Shaw is 33.