Live Wire

The British historical drama,is the latest victim of a smear campaign.

The Kings Speech,

The British historical drama,is the latest victim of a smear campaign. It has become the subject of an email circulated a few weeks ago in which the writer claims the film is losing Academy voters because of its subjects apparent anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi proclivities. The email,from a person who claimed Academy membership,was sent last month to the blogger Scott Feinberg,who published it after checking its sources. The British press took hold of the story,drawing more attention to it. But when the director,Hooper was asked about the charges that King George (played by Colin Firth) and his brother Edward had Nazi sympathies,he said,i disagree that theyre Nazis,the source of that is inaccurate.

American Idol

Gained two new judges in the form of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez for the start of its 10th season on Wednesday night but it posted a 9.7 rating in the all-important audience segment of viewers between the ages of 18 and 49. That was an 18 per cent fall from the first night of last years edition of tvs longtime biggest show,an edition that still featured Simon Cowell as the hanging judge. The changed lineup of judgesJennifer Lopez,Steven Tyler and one holdover,Randy Jacksondid not offer nearly as much in the way of vituperative commentary,and the initial show seemed less populated with the outrageously bad singers who have been prominent in early editions of Idol in the past. The decline will most likely raise alarm bells about how the show will fare the rest of the season.

Sienna Miller

The British actress will star in World War Two stage drama Flare Path written by Terence Rattigan and based on his experiences as a gunner in Bomber Command. The plot of the stage version centers around a love triangle that develops between Teddy,a young bomber pilot,his actress wife Patricia and a heartthrob movie star,Peter. Miller,29,is the latest British film star to tread the boards in the West End. Keira Knightley opens in The Childrens Hour next month,and Jude Law,formerly Millers partner,played the title role in Hamlet in 2009.