VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Wayward Robin flutters to ‘Penthouse’

Tuesday, April 22, 2003 | 10:23 a.m.

There is no denying Robin Leach has an innovative television mind, whether you swear at him, or swear by him.

In 1983 Leach came up with the idea for "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

It was a pretty good idea. The show ran for 14 years and Leach is credited/blamed with spawning an entire genre of voyeuristic celebrity media.

In 1993 he started a show on the Food Network; he was also a part owner of the then-fledgling cable network. Another good idea. It led to an explosion in niche cable networks specializing in everything from tennis to science fiction.

Now Leach is at it again.

A deal has been inked for "Penthouse F," a live, once-a-week Friday-at-midnight celebration of all things naughty in Vegas, to be hosted by Leach.

"Las Vegas has become the world's party playground headquarters and America wants to join in the fun every week. We have to give America what it wants: Las Vegas," Leach, who lives in Spanish Trail, told VegasBeat.

"Permission to misbehave is granted!"

News of "Penthouse F" was first reported in VegasBeat back on Feb. 27.

The show will be produced in part by the Meredith Corporation, which owns Fox affiliates across the country, and it will be syndicated by Leach Entertaiment Enterprises. Locally, it will air on Fox's KVVU Channel 5.

Leach said that shooting will start in about two months.

"It will be fabulous, fascinating, foxy, ferocious, frenzied and most of all -- fun, just like Vegas itself," Leach boomed. "Unpredictable, unscripted and unrehearsed.

"This isn't just another talk show, because for the first time anywhere viewers will see their favorite celebrities like they've never been seen. They'll let their hair down, or maybe even try on each other's hair."

The show's venue will change weekly, Leach said, depending on what events are taking place in Las Vegas.

"The talent that is based here, and the individuals that visit here and perform here, are extraordinary," Leach said.

Cross dressers

Tiger Woods and his Swedish girlfriend, Erin Nordegren, don't look much alke.

But that doesn't stop them from dressing alike.

"They were in here and had matching tennis sneakers, khakis and polo shirts," said a casino floor boss who saw Woods at Mandalay Bay gaming tables on Saturday. "It was like when a mom dresses twins in the same little outfits."

Woods was in Las Vegas over the weekend for his foundation's annual children's charity event.

Celine ink

See, it is not just VegasBeat that writes about Celine 24/7. People magazine includes her again this week.

The magazine has a funny feature on what else you can get in Vegas for the price of Celine tickets.

Instead of spending $200 to see Celine, Scoop section editor Larry Sutton came up with these alternatives: "40 rides on the Stratosphere's 1,149-ft.-tall High Roller coaster ... Two ceramic roosters ($89.95), a bulletproof vest ($89.95) and some change at the Pawn Palace ... and 114 shrimp cocktails ($1.75) at Jackie Gaughan's Plaza Hotel."

Also on People's alternative to Celine list: five $35 tickets to Engelbert Humperdinck, 10 visits to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum to see the Liberace display, a collection of Siegfried & Roy's stuffed white tiger dolls and a full marriage package at Cupid's Wedding Chapel.

Radio public

That was a very upscale look at Las Vegas offered by KNPR 89.5-FM program director Flo Rogers on Public Radio International's Studio 360 with host Kurt Anderson Sunday.

The public radio universe heard Penn Jillette as he experienced the wine tower at Aureole for the first time with the restaurant's grape guru, Andrew Bradbury. Then Rogers coaxed some entertaining stories from Picasso's Julian Serrano.

Finally, Broadway producer and film director Baz Luhrmann spoke for a while about his rumored plans to bring a theatrical production of "Moulin Rouge" to Las Vegas. It is apparently no longer a rumor.

Luhrmann also waxed poetic about "O" and the Bellagio's elaborate water show.

Made man

Bobby "The Owl" Baldwin was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame last week during the 2003 World Series of Poker, which is taking place through mid-May at Binion's Horseshoe.

Despite his day job as president and chief executive of Mirage Resorts, Baldwin still finds time for a friendly, high-stakes poker game from time to time.

He is a former World Series of Poker champion.

VegasBits

Look sharp: A clean-faced Paul Stanley from Kiss was at the 10 p.m. David Copperfield show Saturday at MGM Grand. "La Femme" magician Stefan Vanel was in to see Copperfield earlier in the week ...

Double take: Twin football stars Ronde Barber and Tiki Barber skipped "Tiger Jam VI" and instead dined at Lupo inside Mandalay Bay Saturday night ...

Do-gooder: Entertainer Steve Sorrentino headlines at the St. Jude's Ranch for Children "Night of Nostalgia" benefit in Boulder City Thursday night. The facility is a nonprofit, nonsectarian home for abused, abandoned and neglected children for all backgrounds ...

Do-gooder II: The Las Vegas International Hotel and Restaurant Show, which hits town June 18, is looking for nominations for its Hospitality Hero Awards. Deadline for submissions is May 1. Log on to lvihrs.com for details ...

New gig: Howard Stutz, a one-time Vegas newspaperman and the former spokesman for Bally's Las Vegas, just opened his own agency, Howard Stutz Public Relations. He has also been a spokesman for Sheriff Jerry Keller and District Attorney Stewart Bell.

From Sun wires

It's a girl for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas.

The Oscar-winning actress gave birth to Carys (pronounced KEHR'-is) Zeta Douglas on Sunday morning in Ridgewood, N.J., near the couple's Manhattan home. The baby weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces.

"They're all doing fantastic," Cece Yorke, the actress' Los Angeles publicist, said Monday.

The couple also has a 2 1/2-year-old son, Dylan Michael. It's the second child for Zeta-Jones and third for Douglas, who has 24-year-old son, Cameron, from a previous marriage.

Zeta-Jones, 33, won this year's best supporting actress Oscar for "Chicago" and sang a duet with Queen Latifah during last month's ceremony.