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Wednesday November 27 10:09 PM EST

Reuters/Variety Entertainment Summary

Kirstie Alley to Divorce - Kirstie Alley -- who won an Emmy for her role in the popular "Cheers" television show -- and her husband have decided to divorce after 13 years of marriage, a syndicated columnist reported Wednesday. Liz Smith, whose gossip columns are published in the New York Post and other U.S. newspapers, quotes Alley and actor Parker Stevenson as saying "We intend to remain the best of friends and devoted parents to our two children." Alley won an Emmy award in 1991 for her performances as Rebecca Howe, manager of the Boston bar celebrated in the long-running and successful "Cheers" sitcom.

Fergie May Host TV Talk Show - Britain's duchess of York, in debt and hounded by the media at home, is trying to carve a deal to become an American TV talk show host, according to the Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety. The former Sarah Ferguson, divorced last May from Queen Elizabeth's second son Prince Andrew, plans to meet with several Hollywood studios to discuss the possibility of her hosting a daily talk show next year, the paper said. "She's been getting a great many offers" but has made no firm commitments, her spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.

Thursday Changes for NBC - Look for changes in NBC's Thursday-night powerhouse lineup in January as the network looks to try out new series. NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield said the network will try out a midseason show in one of its "satellite" time periods, which means either 8:30-9 p.m. where "The Single Guy" airs, or 9:30-10 p.m. where "Suddenly Susan" is slotted. There is speculation that "The Naked Truth," which was plucked from ABC last May, will end up in one of those slots. There is also speculation that the police drama "Prince Street" will get a run in the "ER" slot to get a sampling as well as to give a rest to the top-rated drama.

NBC Claims Sweeps Crown - With the November sweeps approaching the finish line, NBC is declaring victory in all the key battlegrounds, but there are races going on for second place in several categories that won't be determined until next week. While NBC has reason to cheer its eighth straight sweeps win, the Big 3 once again are facing declines in households against basic cable. Nielsen has ABC, CBS and NBC averaging a 31.6 rating and 50 share in households the November 1996 sweeps through this Monday, off from a 33.2 rating and 53 share for the comparable period in the November 1995 sweeps.

Award-Winning Duo Have New Deal - The Grammy award-winning producing and songwriting team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have agreed to create a new record label with Universal Records. The pair, known for their chart-topping hits with acts including Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Prince and New Edition, will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the label, which has yet to be named, as well as finding new talent for the enterprise. Jam and Lewis, among the more sought-after producers in the business, also have agreed to be available to work with other artists signed to record labels owned by MCA.

More Detours for 'Crash' - An Argentine group representing victims of auto accidents is taking legal action to ban the controversial sex-and-wrecks picture "Crash." Familiares y Victimas del Transito filed a civil lawsuit petitioning a ban of the David Cronenberg-directed film, which opened in Argentina Nov. 21. Gregorio Dalbon, head of the group, said he intended to halt the exhibition of "this ominous film," which depicts people who find automobile crashes erotic. He said the film would only serve to increase the collective violence of drivers.

Disney's Lama Trauma - The Walt Disney Co. is forging ahead with its plans to distribute Martin Scorsese's "Kundun" domestically, despite potential problems with the government in China, where Disney has been focusing its expansion plans. Disney has domestic and United Kingdom rights and will likely distribute the epic through its Miramax Films label. "Kundun" is the story of the Dalai Lama. The film covers the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and his subsequent expulsion into exile nine years later.

Shakespearean Musical Pondered - Kenneth Branagh says he'll watch how "Evita" does to decide whether to tackle another Shakespearean epic film -- as a musical. Which one? "Love's Labour's Lost." Variety's Army Archerd quotes Branagh as saying Love's not often done because of its large cast. He says it would be wonderful for actresses because, "There are about a half-dozen good roles for women." In Branagh's "Hamlet," he has a large cast of Shakespearean actors. But he's concerned about its four-hour length, with an intermission. He said it was decided to make "Hamlet" that long because "it's actually easier to follow in the long version."

Goons Founder Dies - A founding member of the anarchic Goons team that transformed British comedy, Michael Bentine, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 74. The Peruvian comic died in a London hospital Tuesday night. Bentine was reared in England and conquered a chronic stammer to become a physicist, Shakespearean actor, journalist and author. But he achieved lasting fame as founder of the Goons radio show with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. Contemporary comics, such as the Monty Python Circus team, say the zany Goons, with their crazy non-sequiturs and surreal characters, heavily influenced their technique.

Bardot Busts Barred - Busts of Marianne, the woman symbolizing the 1789 French Revolution, are being removed from the town of Quimper because their model, film star Brigitte Bardot, has joined the far right. Bernard Poignant, mayor of the French Brittany town, says Bardot had gone from embodying freedom, beauty and talent to becoming a symbol of rejection. Now 62, Bardot has come under attack for outbursts at Arab immigrants and for praising National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in embittered memoirs published last month.

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