Let’s Hope It Won’t End In Domestic Violence

CBS agreed to creative changes in its new sitcom “Style & Substance,” starring Jean Smart as a Martha Stewart-like lifestyle maven, following complaints from Stewart herself.

Stewart, whose daytime show is syndicated through CBS, at first asked to be removed from promo ads that said: “First there was Julia Child, then there was Martha Stewart, and now there’s Chelsea Stevens (Smart’s character).”

Later, after previewing several episodes, she let it be known she “wasn’t crazy” about being parodied. Executive producer Peter Tolan decided to mention Stewart’s name in the show as Stevens’ biggest rival, to avoid any confusion.

“We’re flattered she would take an interest in our little skit. It shows a real attention to detail,” said Tolan, who still hopes to land Stewart as a guest star: “Just to have her walk in a scene would be gold.”

Loose talk

The New York Daily News, on Martha Stewart’s planned trip to Cuba: “Call it her Bay of Roast Pigs invasion. Homemakers will no doubt soon be learning how to roll their own cigars.”

She also once had a Bunker mentality

Jean Stapleton turns 75 today.

It took King to make her feel like a queen

“X-Files” co-star Gillian Anderson, who has griped about playing second fiddle to David Duchovny (less money, no office, etc.) is about to get her due. People magazine reports that horrormeister Stephen King has written an episode, scheduled to air Feb. 8, that will deal almost exclusively with Anderson’s character, Dana Scully.

And spelling will be her worst subject, too

Hunter Tylo, who won $4.9 million in court from “Melrose Place” producer Aaron Spelling after she was fired her for being pregnant, has given birth to her second daughter, Katya. Said Tylo’s attorney: “I’m sure she’ll be beautiful, bright and courageous like her mother.”

So, who was really trying to screw whom?

Two women who claimed they were fired from “Nash Bridges” after rejecting the sexual advances of series star Don Johnson have dropped their lawsuits against him. In return, Johnson dropped his countersuit claiming they had tried to extort $1.5 million from him.

Then everybody celebrated with screwdrivers

Failing to follow in the footsteps of Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen announced he’ll be back for an eighth season of the ABC hit “Home Improvement.” Said Allen: “The cast members, the crew and the staff of ‘Home Improvement’ are like a second family to me, and I’m not quite ready to break it up.”

At least he was willing to stretch as an actor

Eddie Mekka, who played the Big Ragu on “Laverne & Shirley,” almost choked to death during a taping of WB’s “The Jamie Foxx Show.” Mekka was portraying a gangster whose scarf gets caught in an elevator when it lifted him three feet off the ground, with Foxx racing to free him with a pair of scissors. Said Mekka’s spokesman: “We saw Eddie’s eyes water, and it didn’t look like he was acting.”

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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Rick Bonino