VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Censors cool to Vegas Television debut

Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004 | 10:28 a.m.

Saturday's scheduled nationwide debut of VTV -- the Vegas Television channel -- was canceled when censors ruled that segments of its debut show were too racy for prime time.

According to channel spokesman Michael Paskevich, its refusal to cut a sexually suggestive performance by former Stardust headliner Anthony Cools was the sticking point.

Paskevich speculated that in the wake of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction -- the Super Bowl halftime show fiasco -- censors were wary of allowing anything too controversial.

Cools uses fully clothed volunteers in his act, but has them do things such as simulate sex acts with a chair while they are under his spell.

The VTV show featuring many Strip headliners -- the first piece of programming offered by the fledgling channel -- was taped last month at OPM, the Forum Shops at Caesars nightclub. The show is now slated to air at 11 p.m. Sunday on the Men's Channel (218 on the Dish Network). It was originally supposed to air at 8 p.m. Saturday.

The channel is nesting, or piggybacking, on the Men's Channel for a few hours each week as it continues to develop original programming. Its goal is to procure its own frequency.

"We've made a commitment to provide quality entertainment while maintaining a mission to target the same demographics of those who visit, and are old enough to enjoy the range of entertainment options Vegas has to offer," VTV founder Dr. Ivan Gulas said in a statement.

"We are striving to avoid becoming just another alternative in a sea of undifferentiated content available on scores of cable and satellite channels."

Rumor

It has been announced that Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential front-runner, will be in Las Vegas Friday and then on Saturday for the state party caucuses.

He has an 8 p.m. Friday rally scheduled at Valley High School. But if he can get to town early enough -- he is coming from Madison, Wis. -- we hear that the candidate might attend the red carpet portion of Elton John opening at Caesars Palace. Arrivals are slated to start at 6:30 p.m. The curtain for John's "Red Piano" concert is scheduled to go up at 7:30 p.m.

At first it seems a little bit far-fetched, but a political candidate is attracted to a media horde like moths to a light, and there will certainly be a large media presence on the red carpet that night.

Among those expected to traipse the red carpet before filing into The Colosseum include Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Pamela Anderson.

Tark alert

Danny Tarkanian, son of the beloved and controversial former UNLV head basketball coach, Jerry, is contemplating running for the U.S. Senate seat held by the formidable Harry Reid.

According to Jon Ralston's "Flash" e-mail political newsletter, Tark feels D.C. "is more his speed than the state Senate seat he was eyeing," and that he has been in the nation's capital, "sniffing around during the last fortnight."

Most recently, Tarkanian was an assistant basketball coach to his father at Fresno State.

Meet an 'Idol'

Las Vegas resident Erskine Walcott and his wife, Toni, are expected back home today after he failed to make the cut on Wednesday night's "American Idol."

But if Walcott -- or anyone else -- wants to sing in front of Simon Cowell again, they can do so starting today at Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Museum at The Venetian.

The attraction's newest interactive experience is an "Idol" set, where guests can belt out a song and have a faux Cowell criticize their performances. Scores of put-downs have been programmed into the wax judge.

There is a model Ryan Seacrest on set to ease Cowell's harsh comments with some snappy remarks of his own.

Also, the first 98 wannabe stars who go to Madame Tussauds today and take the "Idol" stage will be entered in a contest to go see a real "American Idol" performance.

VegasBits

Guests: Wayne Newton has been added to the guest lineup on "The View" when it is taped poolside at Caesars Palace next week. Producers also invited Gladys Knight and Danny Gans to appear on the show, but both declined, citing the show's early call time. Other scheduled guests include Elton John, Meg Ryan, Carmen Electra and Jerry Lewis, who will be making his first public appearance since his rehab stint, where he was weaned off steroids (which he was taking to combat a chronic back problem) and lost the weight caused by the medication ...

Celebrate: "Tony n' Tina's Wedding," the popular interactive dinner theater show at The Rio, celebrates its second anniversary on Saturday -- Valentine's Day ...

Elect: Karla Perez, chief executive of Spring Valley Hospital, has been elected president of the 2004-06 board for the Nevada Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation ...

Stella! UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre will host what it describes as "one of the most compelling plays of the 20th century and a neo-classical tour de force all in one evening." The Nevada Ballet Theatre's company-premiere productions of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" and George Balanchine's "Allegro Brilliante" will be performed on Feb. 20, Feb. 21 and Feb. 22. For tickets and more information, call the NBT at 243-2623.

From Sun wires

Garfunkel pleads: Art Garfunkel pleaded guilty to marijuana possession in New York and paid $200 in fines.

The singer's attorney was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday but instead entered a guilty plea Feb. 4, the Daily Freeman of Kingston, N.Y., reported.

No Love: Courtney Love failed to show for a court hearing on drug charges in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wednesday, and a judge issued a bench warrant but put it on hold after receiving an explanation from the rocker's lawyer.

Her attorney told the judge that Love couldn't make it because of a "security" issue.

Dustin' off old scene: Dustin Hoffman is dashing to church again.

The actor reprised his rush to the United Methodist Church in 1967's "The Graduate" for a car commercial in which he stops his daughter's wedding.

The ad being filmed in La Verne, Calif., is only the second commercial Hoffman has appeared in, the 66-year-old actor said Wednesday. It will air in Europe only.

Ballerina sues: Russian ballerina Anastasia Volochkova -- fired from the Bolshoi Theater and then rehired by court order -- sued the theater's director Wednesday, seeking about $1 million in damages, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The report said Volochkova filed a lawsuit against Anatoly Iksanov, who dismissed her from the famed company last September in a contract dispute and over allegations she was overweight.

In her suit, Volochkova asked the court to award her $1.05 million and to demand that Iksanov withdraw comments published in a weekly newspaper, ITAR-Tass reported.