Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Mel B. — a.k.a. Melanie Brown a.k.a. Scary Spice — is busy laying tracks for a new album she expects to have ready for release late this year. "It's an R&B-pop kind of thing, a cross between Pink and Destiny's Child. Urban pop. That's what I do best, where I come from, what people know me for," reports Mel.

"I've recorded four songs so far with some really great people," she says. She'll begin work with super producer Rodney Jerkins next week.

She's also busy with her "Access Hollywood" gig — reporting on "Dancing With the Stars" and chatting up contestants on the program on which she wowed viewers as the perfect-score-getting runner up of Season 5.

And she has her own soon-to-be-announced reality show with Joey Fatone already in production for TLC. "The Singing Office," premiering in June, has Mel and Joey pitted against each other to find the best singers out there working in typical American offices. She and her producer husband, Stephen Belafonte, are also exec-producers.

And she's launching her own Catty Couture clothing line — heavy on her beloved animal prints — with a fashion show for buyers set to take place in downtown L.A. Monday (4/7).

All in all, it's a very good period for Mel, who's certainly had her share of lows — including the failures of past solo music ventures and the relationship with Eddie Murphy that begat daughter Angel Iris and ended bitterly, with Murphy refusing to acknowledge paternity 'til DNA test results came in. Angel turned 1 year old yesterday (4/3), and Mel, who also has 9-year-old daughter Phoenix, planned a baby party.

"Life's all ups and downs," she muses. "It's all relative."

LEAN, CLEAN FUNNY MACHINE: Comedian Dave Coulier reports his plan is to establish a brand for the upcoming CleanGuys(cq) of Comedy Tour with Ryan Hamilton, Kivi Rogers, Heath Hyche and Bob Oschak (cq all).

"We're already a multimedia company, and we want to expand CleanGuys, do a national tour, TV, movies, a Clean comedy special … We're talking to a couple of production companies now," says the former "Full House" regular. "I looked at the Blue Collar Guys (Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, et al) and what they did. They carved out an audience with that Good Old Boy crowd, but this is a wider demographic than all of them. Anybody can come and watch this and laugh." Coulier says, "It's really about creating a brand that's clean and wholesome. I've been reading articles, and there's a real backlash now (to negative, profane comedy).

Millions of people are fed up and frustrated, so what we're offering is an alternative to everything that's out there right now. Look at the landscape of media now — so many of your heroes are going to jail or getting convicted. Who do you look up to now? It's tough to look up to your leaders, at things on TV with your family anymore ... I'm not a prude, but there's a time and place for everything."

The CleanGuys of Comedy kick things off Sunday (4/6) with an afternoon concert at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, Calif., to benefit The Nicole Parker Foundation for Children and the Audrey Hepburn CARES Team at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. For more info, go to http://www.cleanguys.tv.

METHOD TO THEIR MAGIC: "The Wizards of Waverly Place" takes its central magical family out of New York City for a spell on this Sunday's (4/6) two-part "Wizard School" installment — and gives viewers a look at the magical place where Wiz kids go to learn their craft. "It was an impressive set, with catwalks and all kinds of things," says the show's David DeLuise. "David Henrie, who plays Justin, gets involved in a Twelve Ball Tournament, which is kind of a crazy ping-pong type thing, and we go as a family to support him." There's also an homage to that other teenaged wizard, DeLuise reports. At one point, "everyone is wearing Harry Potter glasses. It's fun."

Being a Disney Channel sitcom set in contemporary New York — and touching on typical American kid interests — "Waverly Place" is obviously in a different universe from "Harry Potter." "It's utilizing magic in its own way. We have an episode with a Pocket Elf, for instance, which is an elf with a plethora of information on a particular subject, and the kids wonder, 'Why can't we just use the computer?' And I say, 'No, this is what we do in the magic world,'" says DeLuise, who plays the father of three on the show. In this weekend's episodes, Henrie and series sister Selena Gomez find, says DeLuise, "If you lay down the sibling sword and are friends with your sister or brother, you can accomplish amazing things."

ENTHUSIASTIC: Larry David hasn't formally committed to a seventh season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," but many are the fans and friends who can't imagine him leaving the show's storyline as-is, with him and series wife Cheryl Hines estranged and interested in others. Hines herself lets us know she definitely wants her job to continue. "It is so much fun working with Larry," she says. "He makes me laugh every day, so I really have the best job in the world." She adds, "Don't get me wrong, he's neurotic, but you know that going in." Indeed.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily 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.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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