Television

Will Ferrell is a regular cast member of Saturday Night Live. Last weekend the show began the new season in a somber tone, opening the show with Mayor Giuliani surrounded by a group of New York fire fighters, police and EMT workers. Ferrell has portrayed President George Bush on the show as well as Janet Reno, Alex Trebek and Robert Goulet; his other send-ups include musical middle school teacher Marty Culp, and Spartan cheerleader Craig.

John Lithgow is one of the stars of the animated hit movie, Shrek. His comedy TV series Third Rock From the Sun just finished its run on NBC. Lithgow also writes children's books. He's just published the book Marsupial Sue (Simon and Schuster), and he has released a new CD of music for children called Farkle and Friends (Watershed Records). Lithgow is currently performing his children's material live in concert.

Animation director J.J. Sedelmaier is the animator of the TV Funhouse skits which run on Saturday Night Live. They include The Ambiguously Gay Duo, Fun with Real Audio, and The X-Presidents. Sedelmaier and his animation company work on many other projects for TV and commercials. They have worked for MTV and Nickelodeon. He also has his own Cartoon Network series, Capt. Linger.

Alan Ball is the creator of the new HBO series Six Feet Under. Ball won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for American Beauty. He also has production credits on the TV shows Cybill and Oh Grow Up. Ball has served as producer, writer and director on Six Feet Under. Ball is a return guest on the show. His first visit was in December of 1999.

Journalist James Fallows is National Correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, a regular commentator on NPR, and a licensed pilot. In his new book Free Flight: From Airline Hell to a New Age of Travel he looks into the technological innovations which will change airline travel. For instance, smaller jet planes will ferry passengers from local airports, bypassing the crowded international airports. Fallows is also the author of Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy.

Darren Star is the creator and executive producer of the HBO series, Sex and the City which begins its fourth season on June 3rd. The series stars Sarah Jessica Parker as a columnist in New York City who chronicles the mating habits of single New Yorkers. Much of her material comes from her life and that of her three closest friends. STAR is also the creator of Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place.

Veteran broadcaster and executive producer of 60 Minutes, DON HEWITT. Hes been with CBS News since 1948 and was producer-director of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite before creating 60 Minutes in 1968. Hes written a new memoir, –Tell Me a Story: Fifty Years and 60 Minutes in Television

Carter is the creator of the popular FOX TV series, The X-Files. The series, about a team of FBI agents investigating paranormal activity like alien abductions, telepathy, and the occult, has a cult following. This is its eighth and possibly final season. Carters newest series –The Lone Gunman— is a spin off of –The X-Files— and features three computer-savvy conspiracy geeks. It premiers this Sunday, March 4th at 9 PM on FOX.

Mike Judge, the creator of, and voice behind, MTVs phenomena Beavis and Butthead. His current creation is the Fox series King of the Hill, where he provides the voice for main character, Hank. Hes also the writer, director and producer of the cult movie Office Space. A self-taught animator with a physics degree, Kraft talks about animation and comedy. King of the Hill is an Emmy nominated series nearing its 100th episode next week.

Parsons invented the reality format show Survive, but couldn't get any interest for it in Britain. In 1996 Strix Television in Sweden bought the format rights for Survive, and went on to produce Expedition Robinson. It has become the most successful and controversial TV series in Scandinavia.