VARINA — Country music legend Jimmy Dean has never once considered leaving his Virginia home — not even after a fire in April caused extensive damage to the property.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Seeger has never paid attention to demographics or audience segments. His message has always been about inconclusiveness as a performer.

Tony Shalhoub says that his eccentric character on “Monk” has “infected” his real-life personality.

NEW YORK (AP) — Judd Apatow’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” spawned one of the most vibrant and successful runs in American comedy — a frantic, four-year era capped by and summed up in the writer/director/producer’s latest film, “Funny People.“

In its third annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that of HBO’s 14 original prime-time series, 10 included content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people.

In the early 1950s the pounding, driving wheels of a new kind of music came highballing up out of the South like a past-due locomotive.

NEW YORK - Paula Abdul’s new manager says she may not be returning to “American Idol.“

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Tina Fey’s satire-rich sitcom, “30 Rock,“ has a leading 22 Emmy nominations, while the ‘60s retro series, “Mad Men,“ leads the drama pack with 16 bids.

Tom Kenny, voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, is to be among the guests at Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum in New York on Wednesday when SpongeBob becomes the first animated “personality” to be immortalized in wax.

HOLLYWOOD—“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is being described as an excursion into the dark side for this venerable series, but don’t let the chatter fool you. Now in its sixth episode shot over an eight-year span, with two more features still to come, this one-of-a-kind film cycle has become as comfortable and reliable as an old shoe, providing a degree of dependability that’s becoming increasingly rare.

NEW YORK (AP) — While Jon and Kate Gosselin begin to sort out the pieces of their broken marriage, “Jon & Kate Plus 8” is merely taking a break.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Humorist Garrison Keillor is returning to Lake Wobegon (WOH’-beh-gon) to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his popular “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show.

VIRGINIA BEACH — Behind a wooden fence at a historical attraction on Fort Story, a young man in a leather loincloth twisted around to see his back in a mirror as he powdered the pale spots with “Plains dust.”

Dolley Madison is often considered the first first lady.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sarah Palin says David Letterman owes an apology to young women across the country for his joke about her daughter.

Charlie Poole would’ve been proud of the innovative performers at this year’s Charlie Poole Music Festival in Eden, according to Louise Price, president of the festival’s advisory board.

It’s summertime and the viewing is easy. Couch potatoes don’t have to settle for reruns in the coming weeks. With more than 50 new and returning series, this could be the biggest summer in TV history.

LONDON (AP) — Now that it’s over, it’s fair to ask: Was “Britain’s Got Talent” worth it?

LOS ANGELES — “Up.” The title is deceptively simple, which is fitting, because the latest achievement from Pixar Animation is deeper and more complex on every level than it would initially appear

Comedian Andy Samberg is going back to his roots.

It’s tempting to look upon Conan O’Brien’s ascent to “The Tonight Show” as a new chapter in the saga “Conan Grows Up.“ If Conan grew up, however, he wouldn’t be Conan. And he probably wouldn’t be ascending to “The Tonight Show,“ taking over Monday from Jay Leno, who will move to prime time in the fall.

Couch Potato Casey Gillis says goodbye to “Pushing Daisies” and looks ahead to the summer TV season. Also, check out previews of “Drag Me to Hell,“ and Disney’s “Up,“ two new movies playing locally this weekend. Get your copy of The Lynchburg News & Advance today.

Will a midday shower at work result in more creative, productive (and fresher smelling) employees?

CANNES, France (AP) — Heath Ledger’s final performance has been presented at the Cannes Film Festival.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not much has changed about Kris Allen since his mostly forgettable “American Idol” audition.

Fox plans to move some series around to make room for newcomers in the fall and is keeping the sci-fi thriller “Dollhouse” despite low ratings.

LOS ANGELES — Blessedly, “Angels & Demons” is more entertaining and less self-serious than its predecessor, the dense and dreary yet enormously successful “The Da Vinci Code.”

LOS ANGELES — With his 2006 debut “Brick,” writer-director Rian Johnson had the vision and ambition to make a film noir set at a California high school.

And now there are two. In one of the toughest “American Idol” seasons, it’s down to the glam rocker and the choirboy.

With his “Star Trek” heating up theaters and “Lost” and “Fringe” winding down their respective seasons, producer J.J. Abrams says he is still looking for the next wild idea.