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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

TV Stars` Salaries Exposed; Interview With Donald Trump

Aired May 19, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: TV stars` salaries exposed.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Donald Trump live. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, "TV Secrets Exposed," star salaries. We`ll tell you what your favorite TV celebrities make. Our special series continues.

BRYANT: Jedis and your job. Why your boss may not be too happy with Star Wars. We`ll explain.

HAMMER: Plus, another boss, Trump, talks. It`s "The Apprentice" finale, and before he heads into the last boardroom, the Donald dishes only to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY O`CONNELL, "CROSSING JORDAN": Hey, what`s up? I`m Jerry O`Connell. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you are at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. You are watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

BRYANT: Tonight, the world has been overcome by the force.

HAMMER: Unbelievable. "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith" has finally opened around the world, and already box office records are being smashed.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT scanned the satellites as midnight came around the world.

HAMMER: Video from Sydney, Australia, the first to come in, where these fans showed up as storm troopers down under. They were the first to see the blockbuster.

BRYANT: Moving west, in Beijing, China, security was extra tight as people were let into the theaters. Now, that is because they`re trying to prevent people from pirating the movie.

HAMMER: In New York, fans dressed in all kinds of costumes and stood on line. Yes, New Yorkers do say "on line."

BRYANT: Well, in Hollywood, storm troopers, led by Darth Vader himself, marched on Hollywood Boulevard. Fanatics who waited in line, some of them for weeks, at the wrong theater, raced into the right theaters at the stroke of midnight.

HAMMER: Ready for a few facts and figures? Listen to this. 20th Century Fox told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that just last night`s midnight showing alone took in nearly $17 million. That is more than most films will make in their opening weekend. We`re watching the Web, as well. Not only is traffic up at all the "Star Wars" sites, but Moviefone.com tells us that an unbelievable, unprecedented 98 percent of all tickets sold on the site since Monday have been for "Star Wars."

BRYANT: Well, the die-hard fans of "Revenge of the Sith" say it`s the final piece of the puzzle, tying up all the lose ends and answering all the burning questions about that galaxy far, far away. Now, what if you don`t get the whole thing? What if you don`t know what all the fuss is about with "Star Wars"? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got you covered. We did the homework for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT (voice-over): Perhaps there is no better person to describe what Star Wars is all about than the master of the plan. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked George Lucas to sum it up in a nutshell.

GEORGE LUCAS, "STAR WARS" CREATOR: It`s a story of how one can fall to the depths of depravity and then be redeemed by your children.

BRYANT: Lucas is talking about the darkest character in the story, Darth Vader. In 1977, "Star Wars" fans were introduced to the villain in the first "Star Wars" movie. Episode 4, "A New Hope." He`s gone to the dark side, but no one knows why. In the movie, Darth Vader commandeers the Death Star, a gigantic space station. And a young farm boy from the planet Tatooine, Luke Skywalker, leads a fleet of rebel X-wing fighters into the heard of the Death Star to destroy it and to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy.

Little does Luke know that the man he defeats is actually his father, Anakin Skywalker. Young Luke overcomes Darth Vader and his minions with the help of Jedi knight Obi Wan-Kenobi, whom Darth Vader eventually kills.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: In "Revenge of the Sith," we see Obi-Wan as a younger Jedi knight in an intense battle scene on the lava planet Mustafar. It`s not until 19 years later that he will be killed by Vader. In "Revenge of the Sith," fans will also see young Anakin leading a dual life. He`s a Jedi knight but is secretly married to the beautiful Senator Padme Amidala, which is a Jedi code no-no. Amidala is carrying his twins, who grow up to be Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.

Amidala sees Anakin struggle with his double life, and so does the Chancellor Palpatine, the creator of the galactic empire. Palpatine lures Anakin to the dark side of the force, promising him power that he had never before imagined. Anakin`s mentor, Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, recognizes Anakin`s inner conflict and worries that his student may turn to the dark side. Reluctantly, Obi-Wan is forced to battle Anakin in a light-saber duel to protect the universe from the dark side of the force.

And to fit right in with the die-hard fan sitting next to you, make sure you cheer for the little green guy, better known as Yoda. He`s the Jedi master who possesses expert light-saber skills. And also root for the big hairy guy, Chewbacca, who joins forces with Yoda to fight the evil of Darth Vader`s world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Got that? Well, here is a little "Star Wars" trivia for you. The budget for the first "Star Wars" was $13 million. The budget for "Revenge of the Sith," $113 million.

HAMMER: Well, as long as we`re talking about numbers, in "The Show`s Biz" tonight, "Revenge of the Sith" is actually causing a great disturbance in the force, the economic force. The new "Star Wars" movie is already having a huge impact on the economy in good ways, and believe it or not, bad.

Randee Dawn of "The Hollywood Reporter" joins us now live in New York to talk about the economic force that is "Star Wars." And Randee, I want to start off with a rather unbelievable figure. There`s a firm called Challenger, Gray and Christmas. They`re estimating that the U.S. economy will lose $627 million in worker productivity because of the release of this movie.

Can you explain where the heck that number comes from and how they came up with that?

RANDEE DAWN, "HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Yes, it`s quite a number, isn`t it. I think that what they ended up doing was they looked at how many people went to the first few days of the last picture, which was "Attack of the Clones." And then they estimated how many of these people who are likely to go this time around are actually employed. And then they looked at how much a person makes on average per day in the U.S., and they came up with all -- you know, they added apples and oranges and bananas, and this is what they came up with.

HAMMER: So basically, they`re saying these people phoned in sick to work so they could go see the "Star Wars" movie, and $627 million is the outfall of that.

DAWN: Well, you know, that`s probably a conservative number, if that -- if you`re going to believe in numbers like that. Some people have been sitting in line, laying on couches, taking time off work for weeks now.

HAMMER: Well, obviously, there`s a huge up side, economically speaking, and the film industry really could use it right now. Is this going to give a boost to the movie business?

DAWN: Definitely. I mean, the last 12 weeks, the film industry or the box office receipts have been down about 7 percent compared to this exact same time last year. So I think the industry is sort of really hanging a lot on the force, as it were, to bring everything back up to normal, if not above normal. The last few films for "Star Wars" have grossed really nice sums. They`ve done pretty good in their first weekend. What`ll be interesting to see is if this final installment can break the all-time first weekend record, which is held by "Spider-man."

HAMMER: And real quickly -- merchandising is something like $9 billion to the economy at large, isn`t it.

DAWN: Absolutely. I mean, look, you can`t merchandise any better than this film does. We`ve got Darth Spud, you know, the Mr. Potatohead character. You`ve got slurpies. You`ve got anything you can possibly want. I think they`re even revisiting some of the things that they did last -- the first time around, for the very first film, when they didn`t have the cast -- the little -- the figures...

HAMMER: Right.

DAWN: ... available in time for Christmas. They just sold empty boxes.

HAMMER: Right.

DAWN: So they`re going to have these again this time.

HAMMER: All right, Randee. Well, thanks a lot for your insight on that. And don`t phone in sick to work to go see the movie. See it over the weekend.

Now we would like you at home to `fess up. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Blockbuster movies: You ever called in sick to see one? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to run down some of your feedback later in the show.

BRYANT: Tonight, more secrets of the new TV season exposed. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been there for you this week, taking you along the way as the broadcast networks reveal what you`ll be seeing this fall. Today, UPN was the last of the major networks to unveil what it has in the pipeline. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer has more from downtown New York City. David, please give us the scoop.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn, UPN is currently ranked number five in the ratings, and there are some big changes coming to its fall line-up. With its hit "Star Trek" franchise now off the air, executives are making a female-friendly push with a big focus on comedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): UPN is going for serious star power this fall. The network, which has been battling the WB for fifth place in the ratings, has enlisted several big names to pump up its line-up. One of those names, Chris Rock. He`s producing the comedy "Everybody Hates Chris"...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, "EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS": My father always knew what everything cost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s $1.09 in the trash!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: ... telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it`s based on his experience as a teenager in the early `80s.

ROCK: It`s going to be a little glimpse, a little slice of Chris Rock`s life. Some of them are real stories. Some of the things I made up in the car.

HAFFENREFFER: UPN is shifting its WWE "Smackdown" wrestling block to Fridays to make room for comedies on Thursdays, anchored by Rock`s new series. Season three of "Eve" will follow, followed by the sophomore comedy "Cuts," starring Shannon Elizabeth.

SHANNON ELIZABETH, "CUTS": Yes, it`s poor little rich girl who`s never, like, worked a day in our life, and now she`s thrown in the middle of Baltimore and turns this barbershop into a salon and day spa and has to learn what it means to work.

HAFFENREFFER: Another Shannon will finish up the night with a new show, "Love, Inc." Shannon Doherty tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, get ready to laugh.

SHANNON DOHERTY, "LOVE, INC.": The script was hysterical. They also (INAUDIBLE) sat me down and said that, you know, We`re going to tailor it to you and your style a little bit. And it`s a sitcom, and I`ve never done a sitcom. So it was a challenge.

HAMMER: One big challenge for UPN this fall: attract more female viewers. "Sex, Lies and Secrets" might help with that. Denise Richards stars in the drama about six 20-something friends. Another show aimed at women, a Jennifer Lopez-produced sitcom with Vanessa Williams. It won`t premiere until mid-season, and J.Lo tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she and her production company are still working on a name for it.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "SOUTH BEACH": This is our -- like I said, our first pilot that got picked up. It`s called -- it`s not called "South Beach," but it takes place in South Beach. We don`t know what it`s going to be called, although I have an idea which I`m going to pitch as soon as I get in there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And one show you`re not going to see on UPN this fall is "Kevin Hill" starring Taye Diggs.

Coming up later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, our live exclusive interview with Donald Trump just moments before he decides which contestant is his new apprentice. Back to you in the studio.

BRYANT: All right. Thank you, David Haffenreffer, reporting.

Well, Donald Trump`s a big name, and TV networks hope more big names will bring in big bucks in advertising revenue. But how do they decide what to pay TV stars? We`ll expose that secret a bit later.

HAMMER: Plus, we`ve got the very first pictures of Sharon Stone and her new baby. That`s coming up, as well.

BRYANT: Plus, the Donald is about to christen a new apprentice. Who will he pick? Well, we`ve got Donald Trump live, before he does his hiring.

HAMMER: Time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Luther Vandross`s big break came in 1975 when he sang back-up vocals for which pop legend, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, David Bowie or Eric Clapton? The answer, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Luther Vandross`s big break came back in 1975. That`s when he sang back-up vocals for which pop legend, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, David Bowie or Eric Clapton? The answer, C, David Bowie.

BRYANT: And then there were two. On the other night`s "American Idol," the finalists performed three songs each, including a judge`s choice. But last night, in the end, it was the viewers` choice to send Vonzell Solomon packing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: One of you has to leave us tonight. And that person is Vonzell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice will face off in the finale, but who will be the last "Idol" standing? It`s time to judge "American Idol" on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Second season "Idol" finalist and TV Guide channel host Kimberly Caldwell joins us live from Hollywood.

Hey, there, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY CALDWELL, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: Hey. How are you? You`re looking very pretty today. I just had to tell you that.

BRYANT: Well, thank you. Thank you for saying so. I want to know how you feel about Vonzell`s exit.

CALDWELL: OK, well, personally, I really was hoping that she would actually be in the top two, and I think she deserves to be. But I truly think, no matter what, she`s going to get a record deal. She`s going to be very successful. I know I`m going to buy her album. And this is what I think happened, is that Carrie has had such a huge following, you know, from her very first audition, and she has hard-core fans that have stuck through -- you know, with her throughout the entire competition.

I think Vonzell has really grown into, you know, as amazing as she is today, and so she`s has really gained her fans along the way. So it`s been amazing to see her grow to become so phenomenal, you know? And I`m sure that -- I`m sure that she`s going to be fine after "American Idol".

BRYANT: And certainly, Vonzell has a lot of personality, and I think that`s going to go far.

CALDWELL: Yes. Yes.

BRYANT: Bo pulled something out of his hat. He did an a cappella song. This seems to have really sealed the deal for him, wouldn`t you say?

CALDWELL: I don`t know about sealed the deal, but I know that it did seal the deal for him to go into the finals, at least, you know? I definitely thought, and I think all of America knew there`s no way possible that Bo is getting voted off. But I think "American Idol" is about setting a standard and raising the bar, and I think that he did that by taking that big risk and nailing it.

BRYANT: Well, certainly, he proved, I can sing.

CALDWELL: Right.

BRYANT: I mean, really, I think that`s what he...

CALDWELL: Exactly.

BRYANT: ... went out there to do.

CALDWELL: Exactly.

BRYANT: Now...

CALDWELL: You strip down the band, you strip down the lights, you strip down the back-up vocals, and he`s still phenomenal, almost better, you know?

BRYANT: Exactly. Now, what was interesting, the judges got to pick a song. For Bo, they picked the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction," which I thought was a little iffy. I didn`t love that pick. But they seem to...

CALDWELL: I loved it.

BRYANT: They seem to have softballed Carrie with the Shania Twain song. What do you think about that?

CALDWELL: I really think Carry -- and Randy (ph) is a phenomenal producer, phenomenal. And I think that you think Carrie Underwood -- you think, you know, pop country, and that is what Shania Twain is. So I would have automatically thought, you know, maybe a Shania Twain song, as well. I think where Carrie maybe messed up here is picking the wrong key. And I still think she did, actually, a really great job that night, but I really think that she needed to choose a higher key because she has an amazing higher register, and that`s where she sounds the best. So I just don`t think she was -- I don`t think she was at her full potential.

BRYANT: OK, so it`s down to two. You have to give us an answer, Kimberly. Who do you think is going to win?

CALDWELL: Bo Bice all the way. I think that Carrie is phenomenal. I think she has a huge, huge fan base, and I`m just personally on the Bo side.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you, Kimberly. We`ll see what happens next week. And of course, you at home can catch Kimberly in "Idol Chat" Thursday nights on the TV Guide channel.

HAMMER: Well, it`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to best spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs, and more. And tonight, we`ve got your guide to on-line music. Chris Farley, who`s the senior editor at "Time" magazine, is here to take us through it. And some good news now for big fans of downloading music, particularly fans of Johnny Cash.

CHRIS FARLEY, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Yes. If you love the whole Sun Records period, the golden age of Sun Records, when they had Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, superstars like that, on the label, you want to check out E-music. For the first time, they`re offering some of these golden periods of Sun Records artists on line. So you can download them. It costs $9.99 per month for 40 downloads. So you can get "Whole Lot of Shaking Going on." You can get "Blue Suede Shoes." You can`t get Elvis`s stuff because they sold that back in the `50s to another company, but you can get Johnny Cash and some of his great Sun Records period music.

HAMMER: And again, a lot of this stuff is previously unavailable elsewhere.

FARLEY: Right. But it turns out that Apple has done a deal also with Sun Records. They`re going to be offering this at some point in the future through I-tunes. But for right now, E-music is the place.

HAMMER: OK. So I-tunes will have it, E-music right now.

FARLEY: Right. Exactly.

HAMMER: OK. Talk about fans now who love video games, people who are really into the video games, not only love them for the graphics and fun game playing, but they love them for the scores, for the musical soundtrack. And now there`s a place where those fans actually can go and listen to that?

FARLEY: Yes. For some time now, video games have been about much more than, like, beeps and whistles for the soundtrack. There`s some really good music going on, some very serious, almost film-quality scoring going on. And now, if you go to the AOL radio network, and you can get a channel list devoted completely to video game scores. Final Fantasy II, Metal Gear, Solid III, all these games that you know and love, they`ve very popular, `Legend of Zelda, now there is music for those can stream into your home all day long. You can pretend you`re playing a video game even when you`re not.

HAMMER: So again, this is on AOL radio, the same as if I were going to listen to any of their other channels?

FARLEY: Exactly. But this is the video games scores channel.

HAMMER: Video games scores channel.

FARLEY: I was checking it out today. You know, it really -- it really adds sort of an amusing -- and amusing sort of background when you`re -- when you`re -- you know, you`re studying or you`re hanging out.

HAMMER: OK. So you have to be an AOL subscriber for that.

FARLEY: Exactly.

HAMMER: It`s available on PC, not on Apple yet, by the way, I should point out for Apple users. Other download news, Coldplay actually making X and Y available a little early, at least for people to get a sneak preview, right?

FARLEY: Yes. Everybody`s waiting for the new Coldplay album to come out. I mean, they`re kind of like the kinder, gentler Radiohead. And now they`re making available on their -- for people who want to register to the Coldplay site, which costs no money, it`s free of charge -- you can check out a sneak peek of their new video, "Speed of Sound," and you can check out the whole video next Monday, but only if you register to their site. And you can get a little sneak preview of the music they have coming up.

HAMMER: And this album is unbelievable. Karyn and I got a sneak peek a little earlier this week, when they did their one-off show at the Beacon Theater in New York. So I have a lot of feeling a lot of fans going to be lining up at the Coldplay site.

FARLEY: Great video, great band, so you want to check it out early, go to Coldplay.com site.

HAMMER: All right. As always, thanks very much, Chris Farley -- Karyn.

BRYANT: A "Basic Instinct" star has some new maternal instincts. Your very first look at Sharon Stone`s baby on the way.

HAMMER: Plus, primetime paychecks. How much do your favorite TV stars make? How do they figure out how much they should make? Our series, "TV Secrets Exposed," continues.

BRYANT: And this guy takes home a big paycheck, and he`s about to start sharing it again. Tonight, "The Apprentice" finale. But before Donald Trump makes his choice, he`s with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live. We`ve got the Donald coming up.

HAMMER: And as you plan your weekend and your summer vacations, well, this Saturday, Karyn, Sibila Vargas and I are going to be hosting "Hot Ticket to Summer Fun." Make sure you tune in. It`s your place to find out everything you need to know about summer movies, all the concert tours, even what`s going on in the theme parks. CNN has your complete guide to hot fun in the summertime. Once again, the name of the show is "Hot Ticket to Fun." It`s Saturday at 6:00 PM Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Tonight, it`s a bundle of joy for Sharon Stone, and we are getting our first look. "People" magazine got the first pictures of Stone`s little one, Laird Vonn. After trying for years to have another child, the 47-year-old actress adopted the baby boy. Laird is a Celtic name. It`s the middle name of her acting coach, Roy London. And Vonn is Stone`s middle name. The actress tells "People" that motherhood is a basic instinct for her, but she has no interest in dating. She has a 5-year-old son with ex-husband Phil Bronstein. Stone is now in London filming "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction." You can see more from Sharon Stone in this week`s "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands tomorrow.

HAMMER: Well, while we`re talking babies, the ladies on "The View" can`t stop gushing about co-host Elisabeth`s Hasselbeck`s, shall we say, new assets. As we do every night, the best from today`s daytime talk shows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyway, it was a lovely group. And I look at the TV, and I see you there. And I said, That girl, Elisabeth Hassel- rack...

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s nursing. She could nurse New Delhi!

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Check it out, baby! This is what you need!

(CROSSTALK)

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST: That`s my size! It`s perfect!

(CROSSTALK)

HASSELBECK: She`s always thinking of me!

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Oh, I just got nothing to say on that, so I`ll tell you who`s on "The View" tomorrow. It`s going to be Patricia Arquette.

BRYANT: Well, from talk of the day to TV at night, "TV Secrets Exposed." What are your favorite TV stars making? We`ll let you in on what the networks are willing to shell out, coming up.

HAMMER: And one of these "Apprentice" wannabes are about to be out, and the other will come into a lot of cash. The Donald makes his pick. Which woman will it be? Donald Trump is going to tell us all about it, coming up live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Donald`s doing it again. It is apprentice picking night, but before he heads into the boardroom, Donald Trump joins us live.

HAMMER: We`ve got secrets to share, TV secrets exposed. Tonight, we tell you how the stars get what they want from the ones that make the deals.

EVE: Hey, what`s up, I`m Eve and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. 31 minutes past the hour, I`m AJ Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: No King in court. The judge in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial ruled that the testimony of Larry King is not relevant to the trial. Told him, go home, Larry. The CNN host was to testify for the defense about a meeting with a prosecution witness, but with the jury out of the room, the judge determined King`s testimony would not impeach that witness.

BRYANT: UPN star power. The network has enlisted several big names to pump up its fall line-up. Chris Rock, J.Lo, Denise Richards, Shannon Doherty and Shannon Elizabeth are just some of the names. UPN has been battling the WB for fifth place in the race.

HAMMER: And the force is with you and with them and with the millions of other theater goers. "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" opened up at midnight and it`s already brought in $117 million at the box office. That just from the midnight showing alone.

BRYANT: Although they`re the network that started the reality show craze, we learned today that the Fox fall line-up doesn`t have any of them on the boards. You`ll see a whopping 12 comedies on the Fox schedule including Pamela Anderson`s STACKED which got renewed. Joining "Stacked" is "The War at Home," starring Michael Rappaport. It`s about a family fighting with each other and that`s going to run after "The Simpsons." And there`s buzz on "Prison Break." It`s about two imprisoned brothers who plan an elaborate escape. In "Reunion," six high school friends investigate a buddy`s death. Now every episode is going to look at each year since their 1986 graduation and that show is going to follow the "OC," which is also coming back.

HAMMER: Well, certainly, one of the biggest shows on television right now is "The Apprentice". Tonight, Donald Trump is getting ready to tell one lucky woman she`s hired. Season three of "The Apprentice" wraps up tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live in downtown New York City with the Donald himself.

HAFFENREFFER: AJ, it wraps up in some big-name style here tonight certainly. This is a major event down at NYU tonight and we`re are certainly very pleased to welcome Donald Trump with us here live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s good to see you.

DONALD TRUMP, HOST, THE APPRENTICE: Well, thank you very much. It`s nice to be here.

HAFFENREFFER: Congratulations on another season coming to a close. This year, no matter what, it`s going to be a woman winning this.

TRUMP: It is, indeed, going to be a woman and there are lots of women all over the world that are very happy about it. I`m very happy about it.

HAFFENREFFER: Now clearly, you`ve got to hire one and fire the other. What are some of the things that you have to factor in about Kendra and Tana as you go about deciding which one to bring on board?

TRUMP: It`s going to be tough because Kendra was really spectacular the last two weeks but if you look at really, Tana was fantastic over a long period of time, over a longer period of time. So it`s going to be a very tough call. It`s going to be very close. I still don`t know who I`m choosing and we`re going into a live audience in a couple of hours. So it`s going to be very interesting.

HAFFENREFFER: You still don`t know.

TRUMP: I actually don`t know. I have an idea, now, last year I didn`t have an idea. I went in and I had no idea. This time I have an idea, but it can change instantaneously. It`s very close.

HAFFENREFFER: They are very different people in various different parts of their lives. One went to college, one didn`t, one has kids, one doesn`t. Does any of that factor into your decision making?

TRUMP: Well, I think the big thing is they`re both very, very smart or they wouldn`t have gotten here. We had over a million people apply for the job and a million people is a lot of people and these are the final two. So they`re both winners in the truest sense of the word. But they`re very smart. They`re very tough and they really want to do this. So, we`re going to see what happens.

HAFFENREFFER: What happened to the guys this season?

TRUMP: The guys were beaten by the women handily. They were handily beaten by the women and frankly, I`m not that disappointed. A lot of people thought it was sort of -- the women were due and maybe I worked it out that way. The truth is, they just won pure and simple. I go for business first. I go for entertainment a far second later and really, the two women just did a great job.

HAFFENREFFER: Yesterday you unveiled your vision for what should replace the World Trade Centers in downtown New York City, criticizing the Freedom Tower that has been designed for that particular space. You also thought that you would feature your design in tonight`s show. How are you going to do that?

TRUMP: Well, I don`t want what I did yesterday to be considered like a publicity stunt. And so I have the building in Trump Tower, in the lobby of Trump Tower. It`s a fantastic model. Thousands of people are going to see it every day and we`re just going to leave it there.

HAFFENREFFER: We saw each other just a couple of days ago at the NBC up fronts where we talked a little bit about the Martha Stewart version of "The Apprentice" which is coming to NBC this coming fall. In what way is that show going to be different from this "Apprentice"?

TRUMP: Well, I think it`s going to be very different. Number one, we`re different and you`re going to have different casts. But Martha is going to have a great - I think she`s going to have a really great apprentice. Mark Burnett and I got together. We said if we want to expand this great franchise which has been so successful, who would we like to do it? And as you know, Mark Cuban bombed, totally bombed and Richard Branson totally bombed and their little imitations of Trump and now I said, let`s go with Martha. And I think we`re going to see something that is going to be great. She`s a great woman. She`s a wonderful woman and I think she`s going to do a good job. But it`s going to be very, very different.

HAFFENREFFER: In the back of your head, are there other business- oriented celebrities out there that you think might fit well into the "Apprentice" formula?

TRUMP: We know Mark Cuban doesn`t work and we know Branson doesn`t work. Others we`ll have to think about.

HAFFENREFFER: Sean P. Diddy Combs?

TRUMP: Maybe. Maybe that would be a good one.

HAFFENREFFER: I was wondering because I read somewhere about how you hadn`t factored in all the time that this show would take out of your very busy schedule. How much time, let say per week, do you devote to "The Apprentice"?

TRUMP: When Mark Burnett and NBC approached me with it, they said the maximum we`re going to need you is three hours a week. Trust me, they were kidding. It takes more time than that. It has been such a success. It went to number one. It came out. It started at number 10. It became the number one show in television. This season has been phenomenal. The second season was phenomenal in the ratings, so it`s just been a lot of fun. And frankly, if did it didn`t do well, like if your show didn`t do well, you don`t want to do it. If it didn`t do so well, I wouldn`t be doing it. But it just continues to do well and we`re getting close to finishing number four. We`re actually shooting it now and it`s close and, in my opinion, we have the best cast of all. Number four in the fall. And I picked that cast. I`m very proud of it. They are brutal.

HAFFENREFFER: Does the show change? Does it evolve with season four that`s upcoming?

TRUMP: It evolves, it changes, but the cast beyond anything else, I think is fantastic. I flew to California, first time I`ve done this because I just -- I`m too busy. I`m the largest developer in New York, I don`t have time for this. I said, you know what? I want a great cast for number four. I flew to California with Mark Burnett. We took 2,000 people out of over a million applicants. We took 2,000 people and I picked 18 people out of the 2,000 people and they are really fantastic.

HAFFENREFFER: And I have to ask because you have become now the best-known boss it feels like in the world out there because of your trademark catch phrase. Do you spend any time practicing the various ways that you have to say it on the show.

TRUMP: No but usually I`m much nicer. In other words when I fire somebody who works for me at my office or wherever it might be, I usually tell them how fantastic they are, how I`m holding them back, to have a great future, because I want to be nice. But on THE "Apprentice" we say, you`re fired.

HAFFENREFFER: OK. So the festivities get under way tonight, NBC, 9:00 and you can`t give us any hints as to who might win this.

TRUMP: No, it`s going to be very close and I really don`t know myself. It`s going to be close and we`ll see how people react under pressure of millions of people watching in a live audience.

HAFFENREFFER: Thank you very much for speaking with us. And this is a show that, by the way, pulls in about nine million to 10 million people per week. It is a big ratings getter for the network, NBC network that is and that`s why it`s playing such a significant role in the network`s fall schedule, as well. AJ back to you. (INAUDIBLE)

HAMMER: Donald wanted to point out, 17 million. He says he doesn`t know who`s going to be fired tonight. Well I`ll be tuning in. Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer live in New York City. Karyn.

BRYANT: We told you earlier about the millions of dollars that "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" has already raked in and with the thousands of theaters filled to the rafters all day, we want you to fes up in our showbiz question of the day. Blockbuster movies, have you ever called in sick to see a movie? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. There`s no shame in this answer, people. You can also send your e-mails to showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of your thoughts at 55 past, 54 past the hour.

HAMMER: It`s very hard for us to phone in sick.

Still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, they`re in the money, but how much? TV secrets exposed. What your favorite stars are paid.

BRYANT: And living it up at the hotels in California and elsewhere. Singing stars sing the praises of their favorite places to hit the sack. That`s in our Thursday in style next.

HAMMER: As you plan your weekend and all your summer vacations, this Saturday, Karyn, Sibila and I are going to host a show called "Hot Ticket to Summer Fun." This is your one-stop shopping place to find out everything that you want to know all about all the summer movies, the concert tours, even the theme parks. CNN has your complete guide to hot summer fun and it`s again called "Hot Ticket to Fun." Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and it`s going to be fun. That`s here on -- that will be on CNN.

BRYANT: That`s right.

HAMMER: We`re coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Tonight our special series "TV Secrets Exposed" continues with a look at star salaries. The cast of "Will & Grace" will reportedly pocket about $600,000 an episode each next season. Over on Wisteria Lane, the housewives aren`t quite so desperate any more. Teri Hatcher reportedly went from making $38,000 an episode to $285,000 an episode. And Ray Romano netted $2 million bucks an episode on "Everybody Loves Raymond," making him the highest paid actor in television until the series finale this past Monday. So, what is the secret behind how it`s all decided how much these TV stars are paid? Joining us live from Hollywood right now, manager and producer Paul Young of Principato-Young Entertainment and live with me right here in New York City Joanne Nici, talent agent for Don Buchwald and Associates and Joanne, I want to start with you. Basically, what is the secret to deciding how much a star is going to make, particularly when they`re starting a brand new show?

JOANNE NICI, AGENT, DON BUCHWALD & ASSOCIATES: It`s not a big secret. It`s surprisingly similar to how civilians ask for salary, your pay history. It is known in your business as your quote. And what an actor made a last time will probably reflect a jumping off point as to what he`s going to et this time. On the other hand, you can ask for anything you want.

HAMMER: I guess it is all going to be based on what the assumed worth is of that star. Paul, let me and you, how do you determine what a star is worth?

PAUL YOUNG, PRINCIPATO-YOUNG ENTERTAINMENT: I think it really comes down to leverage and it depends on what the network believes is going to make their show a success and it`s so competitive now that if they think a certain star is going to make people watch the show, you can drive a great deal for that star.

HAFFENREFFER: OK, Joanne, I want to ask you about a secret of negotiating the salaries because, obviously, you`ve done it. It`s what you do for a living. What is one secret, something that might surprise people about what takes place and what goes on in the negotiation process?

NICI: I think what might be surprising to people who sit out there and just dream of the salaries that some of the stars are making is that many times they have to work for less than what they worked for last time because they`re competing from people who are coming out of the movies, from people who are young and more beautiful than them. Some of your biggest stars from the `80s and `90s, beloved TV icons are being asked to test, that is audition for the role. And rejection can be devastating if you`re a celebrity.

HAMMER: And obviously, something like reality TV where they`re getting paid very little. That`s another element of competition.

NICI: Absolutely. Those shows are very cheap to produce, as opposed to scripted, dramatic shows. So budgets are being slashed and stars are taking less salaries for the exposure, which is worth everything.

HAMMER: Sometimes budgets are inflated. Paul, let me ask you about this. I just mentioned a moment ago what is happening with Teri Hatcher among other stars, started out with a relatively low salary and was able to renegotiate that salary within the first season. I know it`s a wildly successful show, but isn`t the contract a contract if the producers just hold her to that original number?

YOUNG: I think there is a written understanding because networks are so anxious that a show won`t be successful right away, that`s it`s hard to make a great deal. But if it becomes a hit, they know that we`re going to come and ask for more money because a lot of that money should go to the star. And also, I think what is happening in cable is very interesting. We represent an actor named Anthony Anderson who is working on "The Shield" and he is working for literally one-tenth of what he would make on a network show because it`s a great show.

HAMMER: OK and Joanne, I`m curious if stars can actually make bonuses. We in the rest of the workforce people can make bonuses for job performance. Does that apply here at all?

NICI: Absolutely it does. What a network collects is a licensing fee or the producers collect from the network, rather. Stars can often participate in the wealth, if the show is successful. Fancy cars are given, all kinds of star amenities if a show is successful.

HAMMER: Paul, tell me the biggest perk you were ever able to negotiate for a star?

YOUNG: I wish I had a great example because my wife is on a show called "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And I can tell you that I -- she hasn`t had a big perk and I want her to have a lot more money. That would be nice for me.

HAMMER: That would be nice for you and your wife`s show as well and we thank you very much for chiming in and helping us out, learning some of the secrets behind how all these deals are put together. Paul Young and Joanne Nici, thank you very much for joining us.

Now, tomorrow, we`re going to wrap up our special series, TV secrets exposed by taking a look at secret stories behind the trends that lead to exactly what you`re going to be watching on television in the fall.

BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. We do it every night. We bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. Jay Leno made a new friend last night on "The Tonight Show" with an Asian antelope who couldn`t seem to get enough of Jay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we give it all to him, we won`t have any left. This is a great antelope. There`s antelope all over the world, obviously.

JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: All right. He really, he seems it enjoy it. I don`t have it. There`s no more. There`s no more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Look at that tail. That`s a happy animal. Tonight, Jay welcomes actress Lisa Kudrow and tonight`s winner of "The Apprentice".

HAMMER: Well, everybody needs a vacation, so where do Grammy winners go to chill? Coming up, we`re going to check out where the stars check in. That`s our Thursday in style coming up.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Blockbuster movies. Have you ever called in sick to see a movie? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s time for Thursday in style. Tonight, a music portfolio. We`ve got the inside scoop on where some of American`s top artists love to stay when they`re out on the road.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLLY BLITZER, INSTYLE MAGAZINE: For in-style`s June issue, we decided to ask some of our favorite Grammy-award winning musicians what their favorite hotels were. Destiny Child loves the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan.

KELLY ROWLAND: It`s very comfortable here at the Four Seasons. That`s one of the things I know, I love (INAUDIBLE) It always makes us feel so at home especially when you get inside the room.

It always feel good when we can relax and not work and we can enjoy each other`s friendship and company and after all the performances and photo shoots, when we can get together, have our girl`s night, have our champagne, our chocolate covered strawberry, have our girl talk, watch television, catch up on things that we don`t get to do, normal things.

BLITZER: Kanye West`s favorite hotel is the Doublewood in Westwood, California and one of the reasons I think why he feels so passionate about this hotel is that after he was in a car accident he recuperated for three months with his jaw wired shut at that hotel. During that stay, his friends would all come to visit him from (INAUDIBLE).

KANYE WEST, MUSICIAN: Everyone here just treated me really nicely and everybody was just so laid back and they were all real people.

BLITZER: Rod Stewart`s favorite hotel is the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

ROD STEWART, MUSICIAN: What I love about the Beverly Hills hotel, it`s wonderfully expensive. It`s top class. They really do look after you. Of course, they didn`t used to in the old days. I was actually kicked out of this hotel in 1973. I was with a group called the Faces and one of the band members by the name of Ian McClagin (ph) decided to dive off of the high board with no clothes on. So we were immediately asked to leave this facility.

BLITZER: But he`s since reconciled his relationship with the hotel and when he goes there, he loves to just order a proper cup of tea in China (INAUDIBLE).

HAMMER: If you want to read more about musician`s favorite homes away from home, just pick up a copy of June`s "InStyle" magazine with this cover. It is on news stands tomorrow.

BRYANT: Throughout the show we have been asking you to fess up and vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Blockbuster movies. Have you ever called in sick to see a movie? Let`s take a look at how the vote is going so far. Looks like most of you don`t play hooky. Only 11 percent of you admitted that, yes, you have called in sick to see a movie, 89 percent of you say, no, you have not done that. You have also been sending your e-mails our way on this question.

Derek from Los Angeles says, sure, why not, a special blockbuster movie holiday? Some people consider the day of a new "Star Wars" movie more important than a traditional holiday. Now remember you can continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: It is costing our economy $630 million. Somebody`s phoning in sick.

BRYANT: It`s a really good movie, though.

HAMMER: It is time now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Take it away marquee guy.

ANNOUNCER: Well, it may be nighttime now but we`re psyched, psyched, I say, for the daytime Emmys. Drama, talk and game shows. Lather up, get all soapy with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, live at the daytime Emmys tomorrow.

It`s time to get things started. It`s time to dress up right. It`s time to raise the curtain. The Muppets are on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Ashante. Well, she`s a singer, not a Muppet. But nonetheless, it`s the Muppet`s wizard of oz. Follow the yellow brick road to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. This is the marquee guy and I`m off to see the wizard. Yo wiz, I`ll be right there.

HAMMER: All right.

BRYANT: OK.

HAMMER: You`re going to hang with Miss Piggy tomorrow.

BRYANT: I`m so thrilled. I`m such a Muppet fan. This is going to be great. This is going to be great.

HAMMER: Does she come and go to the makeup room?

BRYANT: I hear she`s got quite a entourage.

HAMMER: Miss piggy and security will be here tomorrow.

BRYANT: Exactly. Well, that does it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

END