Stewart Speaks Logan's Words Again

Patrick Stewart has returned to his roots on the British stage, but he's letting the same scribe who last put words in his mouth as "Captain Picard" do it again. "Star Trek Nemesis" writer John Logan adapted Henrik Ibsen's "The Master Builder" for a production of the haunting play starring Stewart, and it opened in London last night to huge applause.

"The Master Builder" tells the story of Halvard Solness (Stewart), an aging architect who fears being usurped by youth and falls victim to a vivacious young woman coming to collect on a decade-old promise. Ibsen's tale of betrayal, pride and sexual passion was first written in 1892, and Logan's version is being billed as "a new translation."

Preview performances began last night at the Albery Theatre in London's West End. The play officially opens Wednesday, June 18, for a nine-week run. More information can be found at the official "Master Builder" site, the London Theatre Guide and at this Patrick Stewart Network page.

"Spike TV" Put on Hold

The cable TV home of Star Trek: The Next Generation, TNN, was set to officially rebrand itself "Spike TV" starting Monday, but legal wrangling has put the kibosh on that, at least for now. Filmmaker Spike Lee has won a preliminary injunction against Viacom, the corporate parent of TNN (as well as Paramount Pictures), temporarily preventing the channel from using what he claims is his own namesake, according to industry news reports this morning. At a hearing earlier this week, Lee — represented by lawyer Johnnie Cochran Jr. — testified that he believed Viacom derived the name for the male-targeted network from his own and did not wish to be associated with its programming. Viacom countered that Lee's claim "is not supported by the law or the evidence," and is seeking an immediate stay of the injunction. Both parties will return to court June 23 to discuss scheduling in the case.

Kirstie Alley as Crime Family Matriarch

Emmy-winner Kirstie Alley ("Saavik" in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan") is set to play real-life baddie Francis Burt in "A Matter of Family," a two-hour made-for-TV movie, according to Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The true story centers on a churchgoing suburban couple who are found by a newsman to be secretly using their foster children as slave labor. Production begins next month in Canada. The movie will air on CBS sometime next season.

Kelsey in for Dave Next Friday

The host of CBS' Late Night with David Letterman is taking a few Fridays off this summer, and he's scheduling a slate of celebrities to fill in for him those nights. On June 20, be sure to catch Kelsey Grammer ("Captain Morgan Bateson" in "Cause and Effect") behind the desk in front of Letterman's New York City backdrop. Previous guest hosts for the late-night talk show have included Whoopi Goldberg ("Guinan").

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