Are talk shows the new single-location reality show? With NBC spinning Leno in primetime as a low-cost alternative to shows involving bionic women, Tavis Smiley should soon get that bump to a real network.

The long-gestating Spidey!: The Spider-Man Broadway Musical—words and music by U2, puppet-villains by Julie Taymor, early closing date by completely disinterested fanboy base—has secured Evan Rachel Wood to play Mary Jane Watson, IESB.net reports:

We apologize for the interruption in your regularly scheduled Defaming-of-beloved-scifi-icon services. Apparently one of the rodents who powers our servers got a foot caught in his wheel, sending him flying into the circuitry.

The Black List is out today. It's an annual poll, begun by a plucky assistant at Leonardo DiCaprio's company, in which all of Hollywood's D-boys and girls nominate the strongest unproduced screenplays this year.

The British comic who vied with Rainn Wilson for August's Worst Flop honors today took Wilson's old job hosting the Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 21.

From the gun-happy exploiters of Jennifer Hudson's murdered family to our celebration of the Worst Publicist in the World, it's been a sterling couple of months for awkward PR.

"Happy 2009 — let's take the year off," will come the refrain from SAG HQ next month, as they today announced Jan. 2 as the date strike authorization ballots go out to its 120,000 members.

· Not all is bleak for female directors: Betty Thomas has landed a gig on Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel! [THR]

After the jump: What beloved Goonie is joining Matthew Perry at Showtime?

For those of you still kicking yourselves for sitting out last year's Michael Jackson Family Auction and Fedora Liquidation Sale, all hope is not lost:

... on her answering machine. As of Monday, the ousted Twilight director's outgoing message was still spoken by a man portending the grim news to come:

Shaha Mishaal Adham, the "Saudi princess" who had turned herself in in connection with the shooting of Mark Ruffalo's little brother Scott Ruffalo—who died yesterday—was released last night.

As Jeff Zucker foists his last hopes for NBC on Leno and his arsenal of funny newspaper-clipping typos, his arch nemesis—future galactic despot Les Moonves—couldn't help but engage in a favorite pastime:

For members of NY Film Critics Circle, an average morning before its awards vote goes like this: 1. Order breakfast. 2. Refresh memory on last month's releases. 3. Review LA Critics' awards the day before.

The fake-trailer aesthetic harnessed so exquisitely in Tropic Thunder has been revived for Terminator Salvation, whose new teaser isn't a preview of an action film as much as it's bombastic, uncanny self-parody.

With a brand new, Hitlerific project to promote, Hollywood's most-powerful-man-currently-on-the-cover-of-Details, Tom Cruise, has been offering the media unprecedented access.

Once and future late-night afterthought Jimmy Fallon hit his stride on his second day of videoblogging, treating viewers to an early glimpse of the set of his show and reacting gleefully about the Leno news—

All eyes were on Conan last night in anticipation of what, if anything, he'd say about NBC's surprise announcement that Jay Leno would upstage his long-planned ascension to The Tonight Show throne.

· We'd lay even odds that Will Smith reclaimed his going-away present to Jay Leno after reading the trades this morning.
· In related news, a noted Hollywood blogger today revealed the source of NBC's internal turmoil: Aliens.
· Film critic-turned-director Rod Lurie remembers the glory days when reviewers went on to helm Robert Redford movies instead of just getting unceremoniously discarded by their former publications.
· "You got no fuckin' idea what it's like to be number one. Every decision you make affects every facet of every other fucking thing." Who (allegedly) said it: Tony Soprano or disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich?
· Is Steve-O next year's Cloris Leachman?
· A court found that Tyler Perry is singly, solely responsible for the Madea franchise. We mean that as a good thing.

Hollywood PrivacyWatch: 12/5 — Ethan from Lost (WILLIAM MAPOTHER) at McCabe's this past Friday. He only stayed for a quick drink and left a good tip, but he kind of gave me a chill. That scene where Hurley realizes Ethan isn't on the ship's manifest totally gave me goosebumps. No thetans seemed to be left behind, but perhaps we should have sprayed some disinfectant just in case. [Hollywood PrivacyWatch is written by and for Defamer readers; send your sightings to tips@defamer.com.]

· Not only do you most likely know that Defamer Hall-of-Famer Kathy Griffin starts a four-night run at the Kodak Theater, you probably have tickets for all four nights. But, you know, just in case.
· Be the lucky fan whom Kanye West tells to "eat shit and die" tonight at Power 106's Cali Christmas Bash at the Gibson Amphitheater.
· Ex-Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has a boy band! They're called The Nightwatchman, and they bring their sweet, sexy sound to the El Rey for... oh, fuck it. It's just Morello and his guitar, and he's probably pissed off about something. For a more lilting pop escapade, Of Montreal is at the House of Blues.
· Novelist Michael Cunningham will read and discuss and read some more at the Hammer Museum's "Some Favorite Writers" series.