Penelope Cruz has son with Javier Bardem

MADRID | Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:17pm EST

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish film star Penelope Cruz has given birth to a baby boy after marrying Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem last summer, Cruz's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

"Penelope and Javier welcomed their first son into their family last week. Both parents and baby are doing great," Cruz's New York publicist spokeswoman said in a statement.

The boy is Cruz's first child. Her spokeswoman did not say where the birth took place, but Spanish media said earlier that he was born in a Los Angeles hospital.

No other details were available.

Bardem, 41, won his third Oscar nomination on Tuesday for his role in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film "Biutiful". The actor took home an Academy Award for his best supporting actor role in the Coen brother's 2007 movie "No Country for Old Men,".

Cruz, 36, won an Oscar herself for her role in Woody Allen's 2008 movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

The couple has known each other for 20 years but rumors of a romance arose during the filming of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," in which Bardem also performed.

(Reporting by Teresa Larraz in Madrid and Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles,)

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MTV stands by racy teen drama "Skins"

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:42pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Viacom's MTV said on Wednesday it was standing by its controversial teen series "Skins" despite an exit of advertisers, a 50 percent slump in audience its and calls for a government pornography probe.

"Skins," an edgy new drama based on a British TV series of the same name, features a group of teens who dabble in drink, drugs and underage sex. Some of the largely unknown actors are as young as 15.

"The show is not canceled. The next episode is going ahead on Monday," an MTV spokeswoman told Reuters, responding to a media report the show was about to be axed.

Taco Bell, Subway, General Motors, Wrigley, Schick, H&R Block, Footlocker and L'Oreal have either pulled commercials from "Skins" or placed the series on a "do not buy" list in the last week.

Red Bull and skin care marketer Zeno Hot Spot ran ads in the latest episode on Monday, along with movie promotions from several Hollywood studios.

The move followed calls by a parents watchdog for a U.S. government investigation into possible violations of laws on the sexual exploitation of minors. U.S. laws ban the visual depiction of children or teens under 18 years of age involved in sexually explicit conduct.

Audiences for Monday's second episode dropped by half to 1.6 million U.S. viewers from the 3.3 million who watched the heavily promoted January 17 debut.

MTV said a fall-off in audiences for the second episode of a series are common and noted that the "Skins" audience was in line with that of other popular teen TV dramas "Gossip Girl" and "Vampire Diaries."

"'Skins' has earned the loyalty of fans across the globe for its thoughtful and honest portrayal of teen life today. An internationally acclaimed scripted drama, the show has been honored with a long list of prestigious awards. MTV stands by the U.S. adaptation of 'Skins' and the vision of its creator Bryan Elsley," MTV said in a statement.

MTV has declined to comment specifically on advertisers pulling out of the show but has said it has an "ongoing dialogue" with companies about the best fit for the various shows on the cable network.

The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday cited an industry source as estimating that the loss of advertising could cost MTV $2 million an episode.

Elsley, meanwhile, said the show was a "very serious attempt to get to the root of young people's lives" and that the truth of how teens sometimes behave "can be a little painful to adults and parents."

Writing in the Huffington Post earlier this week, Elsley added: "Our approach is not careless. We've created a supportive and protective environment for everyone working on the show."

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

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"King's Speech" gets royal treatment at Oscars

By Dean Goodman

BEVERLY HILLS, California | Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:55pm EST

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) - "The King's Speech" reigned supreme in Hollywood on Tuesday as Oscar voters bestowed 12 nominations on the British drama, including best picture, actor and director.

The film, revolving around wartime monarch King George VI's struggle to overcome a crippling stammer, led a field packed with commercial and critical hits.

"True Grit," a Western remake about a young girl's brave quest to track down her father's killer, received 10 nominations despite performing poorly in key critics awards. The film's writers/directors/producers, Joel and Ethan Coen, accounted for three of those nominations.

The Facebook drama, "The Social Network," the early favorite during awards season, received eight nominations, tying with the groundbreaking sci-fi thriller "Inception," one of 2010's biggest movies.

All will vie for best picture, a 10-film field rounded out by "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "127 Hours," "Toy Story 3" and "Winter's Bone."

Initial consensus among critics indicated a tight race for the top prize between Columbia's "Social Network" and Weinstein Co's "King's Speech," with Paramount's "True Grit" a possible spoiler.

The films' respective studios will ramp up their campaigning in the lead-up to the 83rd annual awards show on February 27. Actor Kevin Spacey, a "Social Network" executive producer, said talk of a bitter contest was "a silly conversation."

"You guys like the horse race. I enjoy the work," he told Reuters.

INDIE DRAMA 'WINTER'S BONE' SURPRISES

As in recent years there was little surprise or controversy among the leading contenders.

Perhaps the most notable omission was that of "Inception" director Christopher Nolan, despite universal acclaim for his bold vision setting a heist thriller in the subconscious.

"As any of the other people on 'Inception' will tell you, our job would not have been possible without Chris' amazing vision," said Guy Hendrix Dyas, the film's Oscar-nominated production designer.

Observers were pleasantly surprised by the four nominations for the indie film "Winter's Bone," a gritty murder-mystery that earned just $6 million during its limited release at the North American box office and is out on DVD.

Awards season favorite Colin Firth was nominated for his lead role in "The King's Speech" as the father of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

His co-stars were also nominated for their supporting roles in the Weinstein Co. release: Helena Bonham Carter, as George's wife, the future Queen Mother; and Australian actor Geoffrey Rush as the king's unorthodox speech therapist.

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UK university awards first Beatles studies degree

LONDON | Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:58pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - A Canadian woman has become the first person in the world to graduate with a masters degree in Beatles studies.

Former Miss Canada finalist, Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy was one of the first 12 students to sign up for the Liverpool Hope University course on the Fab Four when it began in 2009 and was the first to graduate, the university said on Wednesday.

"I am so proud of my achievement," Zahalan-Kennedy said. "The course was challenging, enjoyable and it provided a great insight into the impact the Beatles had and still have to this day across all aspects of life."

The launch of the unique masters degree in Beatles, Popular Music and Society was a world first when it took its first class. Zahalan-Kennedy was the first to accept her degree in person from the university.

The course looks at the studio sound and composition of the Beatles and how Liverpool helped to shape their music. Students also examine the significance of their music and how it helped to define identities, culture and society.

Mike Brocken, founder and leader of the Beatles Master of Arts course at Liverpool Hope University, said the postgraduate degree makes Zahalan-Kennedy a member of a select group of popular music experts.

"Mary-Lu now joins an internationally recognized group of scholars of popular music studies who are able to offer fresh and thought-provoking insights into the discipline of musicology," he said.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato, editing by Steve Addison)

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