George Clooney For ER Return ?

The producers of ER are "optimistic" about persuading George Clooney to appear in the hospital drama's final season, according to reports. "We have a really good storyline for every character from the past," said executive producer David Zabel in an interview with US magazine TV Guide. Former cast members Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle have agreed to return for the long-running show's last series. Clooney's spokesman, though, reiterated earlier denials of an ER comeback. "He is on record as saying he is not coming back," said Stan Rosenfield. "It is something he has already done."

Set in the emergency room of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital, ER was the top-rated drama on US television for several years. The series will end with a two-hour finale in May 2009, preceded by a one-hour retrospective. Edwards - whose character, Dr Mark Greene, died in 2002 - will appear in flashback form in an episode called Heal Thyself. Wyle, meanwhile, is due to appear in four episodes as Dr John Carter. Clooney, who shot to fame as Dr Doug Ross, left the show in 1999 but made a surprise cameo the following year. According to his publicist, however, the 47-year-old actor is now "busy making movies".

Britney Spears dominates MTV Awards

Troubled singer Britney Spears swept the board at the MTV Video Music Awards show in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old, whose performance at last year's show was widely panned, won best video, best pop video and best female video for Piece Of Me.

Full list of winners:
Best video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best pop video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best female video: Britney Spears, Piece of Me
Best male video: Chris Brown, With You
Best rock video: Linkin Park, Shadow of the Day
Best hip-hop video: Lil Wayne, Lollipop
Best dancing: Pussycat Dolls (pictured), When I Grow Up
Best new artist: Tokio Hotel

Spears, who did not sing at the event, thanked "God first and foremost for just blessing me like this". The show was hosted by British comic Russell Brand and featured performances by Kanye West and Christina Aguilera. Rihanna, Kid Rock and the Jonas Brothers also performed at the event, which took place on Sunday evening at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood.

Spears has suffered a year of health problems and legal difficulties which saw her lose custody of her children, while her father James has taken legal control of her affairs. Brand, who has appeared with Spears in advertisements for the show - along with an elephant in the room - praised his co-star in an interview with the BBC's Peter Bowes. "She seems ever so sweet, but some people have been ever so battered by fame," the 33-year-old said.

"She's been kicked in all directions by the media. She's a little bruised, but she's a very sweet, lovely person." Spears' video for Piece of Me beat Chris Brown's Forever, Burnin' Up by the Jonas Brothers, When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls and The Ting Tings' Shut Up And Let Me Go to the coveted prize. She had been nominated 16 times before but never won. Brand said the night marked the "launch of a very new Britney Spears era".

"Consider this the resurrection of Britney Spears," he said. "If there was a female Christ, it's Britney." During his innuendo-laden opening monologue, Brand discussed the upcoming US presidential election.

"Some people, I think they're called racists, say America is not ready for a black president," he said. "But I know America to be a forward-thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retarded cowboy fella be president for eight years. We were very impressed. we thought it was nice of you to let him have a go, because, in England, he wouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors."

Kanye West closed the show with a performance, after having fallen out with MTV following last year's ceremony. He had threatened to boycott the awards after losing out in all five categories he was nominated for, while in 2006 he publicly complained about not winning best video at the MTV Europe awards. Last year's big winners were Justin Timberlake with four awards, including top male artist, and R&B star Rihanna, who won video of the year for Umbrella.

Ghostbusters 3 on the way ?

Two writers from the US version of The Office have been recruited to write a third instalment of Ghostbusters, according to trade newspaper Variety. Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky's hiring is seen as a sure sign the long-mooted comedy will finally be made. Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as bumbling scientists who rid New York of paranormal threats. It is hoped the new film will reunite the original cast.

Columbia Pictures has declined to comment on whether a third Ghostbusters was in development, Variety reported. But director John Landis, who worked with Aykroyd on The Blues Brothers and Trading Places, has said the film would definitely be made.

"I'm not involved but I know it's happening," he told the BBC News website at the Venice Film Festival. Eisenberg and Stupnitsky recently collaborated with Ramis on the script for his new film Year One. Last year the original Ghostbusters cast signed up to lend their faces and voices to a computer game based on the hit film series.

The game's storyline was being written by stars Aykroyd (Ray Stanz) and Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler), who also scripted the first two films. But the game's future was thrown into doubt when publisher Activision announced it would not be releasing the finished product. Developers Vivendi insisted the game had not been cancelled, and that it would be published by another company.