Mirren basks in spotlight during honor-filled weekend

Los Angeles – Oh, to be Helen Mirren this weekend.

It started Friday morning, when Mirren got word that her film “The Queen” topped the list of nominees for the British Academy Film Awards, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards.

On Friday afternoon, the American Film Institute honored another Mirren movie, “Elizabeth I,” as one of the year’s 10 best television productions.

Then Friday night, the Broadcast Film Critics Association named that film the best picture made for television, and Mirren herself was honored as best actress for “The Queen.”

Her golden weekend continued Saturday night, when American Cinematheque threw a sold-out tribute to her at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Mirren was set to collect a statuette Sunday night from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, which named her best actress for “The Queen.”

And she’s a triple nominee at tonight’s Golden Globe Awards for “The Queen” and “Elizabeth I,” as well as the television film “Prime Suspect: The Final Act.”

“Oh my goodness,” Mirren said before entering the American Cinematheque tribute Saturday night. “There seems to be nonstop fittings for clothes. It’s like playing a role, actually.”

Moyers returns to PBS with new weekly series

Pasadena, Calif. – Bill Moyers is returning to PBS in April with a weekly public affairs series, “Bill Moyers Journal,” that resurrects the name of his first public television series for a new century.

Moyers, 72, did two specials for PBS last year, said both the work and response “whetted my appetite for more.”

“People keep writing or stopping me on the street to suggest stories that are not being reported and voices that are not being heard,” said the former press secretary for President Lyndon Johnson. “A lot of Americans long for more than conventional wisdom, celebrity pundits, predictable opinions and safe analysis of the obvious.”

The first episode on April 25 discusses the role of the press before the invasion of Iraq.

Moyers left his previous weekly series, “Now with Bill Moyers,” in 2004. It became a center of controversy when it was revealed that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was monitoring the show for the political leanings of its guests.

Sting sends reunion SOS

Pasadena, Calif. – Chatter about a Police reunion gained new urgency this weekend when Sting told TV critics at their winter gathering, “It would be nice to do something” with his old bandmates. This is the 30th anniversary of the formation of the band, whose hits include “Roxanne,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “Message in a Bottle.”

Until recently, Sting had seemed reluctant to reunite with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. “I’m deeply, deeply fond of both of them,” he told the critics after a private performance.

“I’m very proud of the band that we were in. : We’re still great friends. : We are discussing something. Don’t know what, but definitely something,” said Sting, repeating his latest coy come-on.

The busy bee dedicated his final encore Saturday – a lute version of “Message in a Bottle” – to Copeland and Summers: “I’m sending out an SOS.”