The Fix

George Michael arrested for possession. Anna Nicole not married after all. Plus: New Bond laments smoking ban.

Published October 2, 2006 1:30PM (EDT)

Morning Briefing:
George asleep at the wheel, again: Early Sunday morning, George Michael was found in London passed out over the steering wheel of his car, and was arrested by police and cited for possession of marijuana. It's Michael's fourth traffic-related incident this year -- and the third one involving him sleeping at the wheel. His longtime partner, Kenny Goss, told British tabloids, "He's fine and I've got him a McDonald's." (The Sun)

Katie's crash wedding diet? Katie Holmes' quick return to Hollywood notions of appropriate body size may have been motivated by the distant sound of wedding bells. "Katie has lost a lot of weight. A lot," a source tells the Scoop. "I've heard that Tom was eager to get her back in shape. Looks like she made him happy. And then some." The couple's rep maintains that they are to be married sometime this fall. (The Scoop)

Anna Nicole in love, not married (yet): Despite Friday's wedding rumors, Anna Nicole Smith is still single, legally speaking. The 38-year-old reality-TV star and diet-supplement spokeswoman held a commitment ceremony on Thursday in the Bahamas with her baby daddy/lawyer, Howard K. Stern, which involved making a commitment "before God to be there for one another, to be each other's strength during this difficult time," but no vows or rings were exchanged. The ceremony, which took place at sea, was crashed by paparazzi in speedboats, helicopters and scuba-diving equipment. (E Online)

Also:
Amanda Peet, 34, married her boyfriend of four years, screenwriter David Benioff, 36 -- he wrote "Troy" and "25th Hour" -- at a ceremony in New York over the weekend. (E Online) ... Life & Style reports that "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria and NBA player Tony Parker have split. (Life & Style) ... "Ugly Betty," ABC's version of the Spanish-language telenovela, is the most popular debut series so far this season, with 16.1 million viewers watching its debut last Thursday. (Associated Press) ... It was a very Ashton Kutcher weekend at the movies: Sony Animation Studio's first animated feature, "Open Season" -- with Kutcher as the voice of a mule deer -- opened at No. 1 at the box office with $23 million, while "The Guardian," co-starring Kevin Costner, brought in $17.7 million. (Los Angeles Times) ... Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the lead character in an upcoming film adaptation of "Iron Man." (TMZ)

Money Quote:
New James Bond Daniel Craig on how all the smoking scenes were cut from the upcoming "Casino Royale," reportedly to avoid the appearance of endorsing tobacco use: "I can blow off someone's head at close range and splatter blood, but I can't light a good Cuban cigar." (MI6 News)

Turn On:
It's the season premiere of British crime show "Wire in the Blood (BBC America, 9 p.m. EDT), and Al Pacino appears on "Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo, 7 p.m. EDT). Snoop Dogg makes a fitting cameo on "Weeds" (Showtime, 10 p.m. EDT) and Bravo debuts "Six Feet Under" (9 p.m. EDT) in syndication, starting with the show's first-ever episode.

On the Talk Shows:
Larry King (CNN, 9 p.m. EDT): Bob Woodward
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Helen Mirren, Elizabeth Edwards
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Pete Rose, Roy Wood Jr., "Survivor" castaway Cecilia Mansilla
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT): Wanda Sykes, Chris Matthews, John Mayer
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Dennis Miller, Rachael Ray, Evanescence
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Amos Lee
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT): Johnny Knoxville, Kim Raver, Patrizio
Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT): Sen. Trent Lott
Stephen Colbert (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Michael Lewis

-- Scott Lamb

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By Salon Staff

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