Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Al Roker is taking the high road in the matter of Spencer Pratt, who's had it in for the popular TV weatherman since June, when Roker had the nerve to mention to the "The Hills" celebrity that he is considered "a jerk" during a "Today" show interview — while wife Heidi Montag claimed Roker's grilling made her cry.

The thing took off again last week when the Pratts got bumped from a planned "Today" guesting and Heidi and Spencer slammed Roker with a slew of derogatory personal remarks on Twitter.

Not only that, but it appears someone has tampered with Roker's Wikipedia page, listing, for instance, an erotic DVD with a title we won't repeat here amid his projects for January. Pratt again?

"I have no idea. I don't even look at Wikipedia so I don't know. I guess we'll get somebody to take a look at it," says Roker — whose real projects include his just-released "Morning Show Murders" novel.

"We're really excited about this book, which I wrote with Dick Lochte, a veteran mystery writer," notes the morning mainstay, speaking of his tale of a TV chef accused of killing a morning show producer via poisoned coq au vin. "It's got a great mix of mystery, suspense and humor."

As far as the so-called "Internet feud" with the Pratts? "You know what, I wish him well," says Roker. "It's the holidays and hopefully, he and his wife are filled with the spirit."

They're certainly filled with something.

BODY BEAUTIFUL: Hunky actor Josh Hopkins, who stars in "Cougar Town" alongside Courteney Cox, recently branched out and bared a little more than he bargained for in the Lifetime movie "12 Men of Christmas" premiering Saturday (12/5).

"It's based on a true story of a search and rescue team that was running out of funds and they came up with a calendar they sold that kept them afloat and kept them saving people's lives," explains Hopkins of the movie also starring Kristin Chenoweth.

The Kentucky native admits his friends have teased him mercilessly about showing some skin.

"Taking the pictures was absolutely humiliating. I have a newfound respect for women who can do that. I hated it," recalls Hopkins. "All I could think was, 'My buddies are going to see this and I'm going to get murdered.' They've already found pictures of the calendar online. It's rough. I'm shirtless with a horse near me. They're all sending me the picture saying, 'It's a really great shot.' I'm sure I'll be receiving like 40 of those calendars for Christmas. I'll never live that one down," he says with a laugh. "But it was great. Kristin is such a cool chick and very much not a diva. She takes her time and does it right, but she doesn't take herself too seriously."

Hopkins certainly has a lot to look forward to as his ABC sitcom got a full season pickup. "I've been doing this for over 15 years and I've done I don't know how many pilots. Only a handful have actually gotten on the air, and this is the first time I've gotten a back-nine pickup. When we got it, I was more ecstatic than anyone. I was ready to have a parade," says Hopkins. "Most of the stuff I've done up to now has been drama so to go to work with the intention of making people laugh is so much more fun."

IMPORTED FROM LONDON: MTV has reached the casting stage for its U.S. version of the hit U.K. series "Skins." This is the envelope-pushing teen drama — "Slumdog Millionaire's" Dev Patel is in the British version — that employs teens to help with the writing. MTV is using teen writers as well, and only unknown, age-appropriate actors (16- to 18-year-olds) for the show that will be set in Baltimore. Right now, they're looking for the right youth to play lead character Tony, described as "a tall, beautiful, alpha male who is good at everything and manipulative." Sounds like a potential career-igniting role.

And David Tennant, aka Britain's immensely popular "Dr. Who" is getting ready to shoot a pilot for his NBC "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer" comedy/drama about an attorney who's left his career due to anxiety problems. Jeffrey Tambor and Abigail Spencer are aboard as well. They're currently rounding out the pilot cast with subsidiary characters including the headmaster of a private school and assorted courtroom roles.

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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