VH1 is keeping it ‘Surreal’

Wed., Feb. 15, 2006

The Spokesman-Review

Love “The Surreal Life”? Get ready for “The Surreal Life Fame Games.”

The show will pit 10 “Surreal Life” alumni in a series of challenges, all designed to test how famous they really are.

For example, an A-list celebrity knows how to hide from the paparazzi. So the players will be chased by a photographer, and the one who gets caught the most loses.

“And if you’re truly an A-lister, we’ll see who you could get on the phone,” says “Surreal Life” executive producer Cris Abrego.

The players will include Brigitte Nielsen, Ron Jeremy, Chyna Doll, Vanilla Ice, Traci Bingham, Jordan Knight, Sandy (Pepa) Denton, Emanuel Lewis, Andrea Lowell and C.C. Deville. Robin Leach will host.

Idle no more

Brian Dunkleman is returning to “American Idol” – sort of.

Dunkleman, who co-hosted “Idol” with Ryan Seacrest in season one, won’t actually be returning to Fox’s megahit.

Instead he’s hosting a free online fantasy game called Idol Go Home, which launches today at www.idolgohome.com, and will offer his “own insider’s backstage view” in a blog.

Visitors to the site can blog their own “Idol” thoughts as well as try to pick who’ll get voted off each week for a shot at prizes including a trip to Hollywood, video iPods and computers.

Men in green

The Incredible Hulk is now a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reserve deputy.

Lou Ferrigno, who played the green-skinned monster on the CBS series, was sworn in Monday night.

“I want to give back to the community, and I want to work with young kids, help them get off drugs,” says Ferrigno, 53, whose dad was a New York cop.

Meeting his match

“Late Night” host Conan O’Brien, who ran a mock ad campaign endorsing the re-election of Finnish President Tarja Halonen – because of her strong resemblance to him, red hair and all – finally met her face-to-face on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Helsinki.

O’Brien handed the Nordic country’s first female president a box of chocolates in the shape of a red heart as they posed for photographers before the 15-minute meeting, while Halonen gave him Finnish troll dolls to take home.

He added that his wife was none too happy about the Valentine’s Day rendezvous: “She was so jealous, she said she would spend her Valentine’s Day with President Bush.”

The birthday bunch

Actor Allan Arbus (“M*A*S*H”) is 88. Comedian Harvey Korman is 79. Actress Claire Bloom is 75. Actress Jane Seymour is 55. Cartoonist Matt Groening (“The Simpsons”) is 52. Actress Renee O’Connor (“Xena: Warrior Princess”) is 35. Actress Sarah Wynter (“24”) is 33. Singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus) is 30.

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