NEWSMAKERS | Cowboys, Globetrotters on ‘Amazing Race’
NEWSMAKERS
Cowboys, Globetrotters on ‘Amazing Race’
LOS ANGELES
Cord and Jet McCoy are saddling up for another season of “The Amazing Race.” The bull-riding brothers are among the 11 veteran teams competing on the 18th edition of CBS’ around-the-world competition (premiering Feb. 20 at 8 p.m.), the network announced Wednesday. Other returning duos include goth dating couple Kent Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala, and Harlem Globetrotters teammates Nathaniel “Big Easy” Lofton and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang.
The McCoy brothers from Tupelo, Okla., came in second place on the 16th season show, narrowly losing to Daniel and Jordan Pious after the distinctly different siblings skipped the McCoys in line at an airport and slipped to the front of the plane. Cord warned that he isn’t going to let other teams sneak by him on the “Unfinished Business” edition.
Sting, dolphin advocate hope to start debate
TOKYO
Sting wants to help save dolphins still being brutally slaughtered in Japan but says the best way is by starting a debate, not by forcing foreign opinion.
The British music star met backstage at a Tokyo concert hall Wednesday with Ric O’Barry, the star of the “The Cove,” the Academy Award-winning documentary that depicts the dolphin hunt in the town of Taiji in southwestern Japan.
The two have been friends since the Sundance Film Festival two years ago, where “The Cove” had its first major showing.
Streep visits London to prepare for role
LONDON
Meryl Streep has visited London’s House of Commons before her next role as Margaret Thatcher in the Hollywood movie “The Iron Lady.”
The Oscar-winning actress turned up Wednesday at a visitor’s gallery to watch the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions, where David Cameron takes questions from lawmakers. A few lawmakers wrote on Twitter to announce that they had spotted the actress.
“The Iron Lady” is in preproduction.
Jim Broadbent is due to play Thatcher’s husband, Denis, and Richard E. Grant will play former Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine.
‘Piers Morgan’ draws about 1.3M viewers
NEW YORK
CNN says “Piers Morgan Tonight” drew nearly 1.3 million viewers for its second airing.
It dropped sharply from Monday’s premiere, when nearly 2.1 million viewers saw Morgan sitting down with Oprah Winfrey.
CNN said Wednesday that Tuesday’s program built on the premiere’s 25-to-54 demographic and led among cable-news talk shows at that hour. It featured an interview with radio jock Howard Stern.
In total viewers, the program ranked second, behind Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” and slightly ahead of MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.”
“Piers Morgan Tonight” airs weeknights on CNN at 9 p.m.