‘Star Wars’ spinoff coming to small screen

‘Star Wars’ spinoff
coming to small screen

LOS ANGELES — The Force may soon be coming to a television near you. George Lucas is planning a live-action television series spinoff of the “Star Wars” film franchise. Lucas told The Los Angeles Times he has “just begun work” on the series, which will not include the films’ major characters Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. “The Skywalkers aren’t in it, and it’s about minor characters,” Lucas told the Times. Lucas wouldn’t reveal details, but joked that the series would be about “the life of robots.” Lucas, 63, already has another television series in the works. Lucasfilm Animation has been working for months on the computer-animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”

Pamela Anderson goes
all in after poker game

NEW YORK — Pamela Anderson says she and Rick Salomon took their 17-year friendship to the next level during a poker game. “I left the table and Errol (Lyon, Anderson’s driver) played in my place,” the 40-year-old ex-“Baywatch” star tells OK! magazine. “I came back to find myself $250,000 in the hole to Rick!” So Salomon — best known for making a sex tape with ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton — struck a flirty deal. “Rick, being the gentleman, said he would wipe my debt if I gave him a kiss, so I have to thank Vegas for our relationship switching gears!” Anderson says in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands today. “It evolved into spending every day — and then nights — together.” Salomon weighs in, telling OK!: “I’ve been plotting and scheming for the past 15 years, and I finally got the girl.” The couple tied the knot Oct. 6 in a villa at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, squeezing in their vows between Anderson’s performances as an assistant in Hans Klok’s magic show at a nearby casino. It was the third marriage for both Anderson and Salomon. The couple met when she was dating one of Salomon’s friends. Anderson was previously wed to Kid Rock and Tommy Lee. Salomon’s ex-wives are actresses Shannen Doherty and E.G. Daily.

Today’s birthdays

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., is 86. Rock-and-roll performer Chuck Berry is 81. Sportscaster Keith Jackson is 79. Football Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka is 68. Actor Joe Morton is 60. Actress Pam Dawber is 56. Author Terry McMillan is 56. Gospel singer Vickie Winans is 54. Tennis player Martina Navratilova is 51. Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 47. Actress Erin Moran is 47. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is 46. Actor Vincent Spano is 45. Rock musician Tim Cross (Sponge) is 41. Tennis player Michael Stich is 39. Singer Nonchalant is 34. Rock musician Peter Svensson (The Cardigans) is 33. Actor Wesley Jonathan is 29. Country singer Josh Gracin is 27. Country musician Jesse Littleton (Marshall Dyllon) is 26. Actor Zac Efron is 20. Actress Joy Lauren is 18. Actor Tyler Posey is 16.