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Jack Palance is one of those actors who has been around for so long and has been seen in so many varied projects, that when he dies, every type of entertainment publication feels compelled to run his obituary.

Palance died today of natural causes in his California home. He was 87. Palance is probably best known for his long career playing tough-guy roles in movies like Shane and City Slickers (for which he won an Oscar and did those one-handed pushups at the ceremony). On TV, played the lead role on Playhouse 90's landmark 1957 production of Requiem for a Heavyweight, which won a Peabody award. But younger TV fans will likely remember him as the host of the show Ripley's Believe It or Not, which ran from 1982-1986 on ABC.

God, was it creepy when he ended one of those segments about someone with two noses or some other equally freaky subject by slowly saying in his calm, low tone, "Believe it... (inhale) or not." Gave the teenaged me the willies. But I tuned in each and every week. Gonna miss the guy.

Movie critic Roger Ebert is still recovering from surgery he had in June to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland and then emergency surgery he had in July when a blood vessel burst. Ebert published a letter in Thursday's Chicago Sun-Times saying that he hopes to be back at work (at the paper and on television) in time for the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. He also said he plans to review The Queen, starring Helen Mirren, in this Friday's newspaper since a producer managed to get him a DVD copy of the film.

Since Ebert left his television show, Richard Roeper has hosted various guest film critics including Kevin Smith and Jay Leno. This week's co-host is A.O. Scott, a reviewer for the New York Times.

The Office webisodes begin on Thursday. The video shorts star Angela, Kevin and Oscar in a series of whodunit stories where the trio of accountants try to figure out why $3,000 is missing. There will be special appearances by Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute) and the actress who plays Phyllis.

The series of ten episodes begins tomorrow on NBC's The Office webpage.

One of these things is not like the other. I read this story and that's the song that got stuck in my head. The Hallmark Channel just bought the rights to air 29 feature films on its network. Soon, films like Miss Congeniality, Troy, The In-Laws, and New York Minute will pick up where Little House on the Prairie and Moment of Truth movies left off. The one movie that really stands out from the others is March of the Penguins. It actually makes a little bit of sense that it's on the Hallmark Channel, because the movie ends up being very emotional and about life's struggles and the saving grace of family. I just expected it to be on Discovery.

Caroll Spinney, the man who performs both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, will receive a lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmys in April. Spinney was with the series from the very beginning, appearing as Big Bird in the first scene of the first episode. Jim Henson and Sesame Street writer Jon Stone came up with the idea for Oscar after encountering a grumpy waiter at a restaurant in Manhattan called Oscar's Tavern. Spinney based Oscar's voice on a gravel-voiced cab driver who once picked him up to take him back to the Sesame Street set.

Two of the boys from 'N Sync have an idea for a television show. One of them is a slob, the other is a clean freak: and they're roommates! Sound familiar? Joey Fatone and Lance Bass are creating a reality-ish series based on their lives for UPN. See.. it's the funniest thing. Joey is a total slob. And Lance is a tight ass. Get it? Oh the comedy that will ensue. I don't know about Lance, but Joey actually seems like a fine actor. He had a memorable supporting role in My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding.

UPN says the show is a modernized version of The Odd Couple (but you already figured that out, didn't you?). Its working title is Out of Sync and UPN is planning for a launch this fall.