Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Even as reports swirl of Britney Spears prancing around in her underwear in an L.A. club the other night — songwriter/record producer Sean Garrett insists the tempest-tossed singer is on track and in good spirits about the comeback album she's been recording for release late this year.

"It's been very uplifting to see her courage and strength through these times," says the music man, one of the principle producers who's been working with Spears in the studio. "She comes in ready to go. It's been fun and interesting to work with her. There's been no negative feeling, really."

Reports are that the album will be an upbeat, "feel good" kind of record, not a confessional or angry one, and Garrett reaffirms that, adding that Spears' songs will cover a range of topics — some of a more personal nature. He says he's created "a few packages for her, presents to open up."

So — she'll come back stronger than ever?

He smiles and answers: "What's my name?"

Names on Garrett's resume read like a who's who of A-list divas and dudes — Kanye West, Destiny's Child, Madonna, Fergie, Bon Jovi, Ciara, Fantasia, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige …

Garrett's "Run It!" Chris Brown hit, his "Check On It" for Beyonce, and his "Grillz" Nelly song won the busy music man Songwriter of the Year honors at this week's 55th Annual BMI Pop Awards. That's inarguable recognition for the year's most-played songs, per the Broadcast Music Inc. organization. Garrett tied with Kara DioGuardi for that top award at the gala, which took place at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

MEANWHILE: Bee Gee Barry Gibb tells us that even among all the accolades he and his brothers have received through the years (the Grammys, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, etc.) the lifetime achievement recognition that he and Robin and the late Maurice received as 2007's BMI Icons is especially gratifying to him. "It's the songwriters, and that means so much," he says.

There is another generation of song-writing Gibb brothers coming along. Barry tells us he's been writing with his sons for the past two years, and they expect to put together an album "within the next 12 months." He notes that they give him "a shot of youthful vigor." And as for how they manage to all get along while creating together, he shrugs and says with a smile, "It's in the blood."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter has always been known for her work on film and in made-for-television movies — but she finally has a TV series ahead.

In July, fans will get a chance to see her co-starring alongside "The Shield's" Kenneth Johnson in the TNT crime drama-with-a-difference, "Saving Grace." She plays a jaded Oklahoma City police detective who is given a second chance to redeem her life when she encounters an unconventional angel.

"Holly said when she read the script that she didn't want anyone else to play this character. She wanted to be this character," Johnson tells us of his co-star. "She's just unbelievable in the part. She gets completely deep in her character when she shows up and throughout the day."

Hunter's decision to cross over to the small screen is "like Glenn Close," he notes of his former "Shield" colleague. "They don't look at it like, 'OK, this is TV and this is movies.' If it's great writing, it doesn't matter. When I read the script, it didn't seem like a one-hour drama. It had a feel of a very offbeat, yet very deep project. It reminded me of a Coen brothers movie like 'Raising Arizona.'" Aha, so Hunter is coming full circle after all!

DANCING WITH WORDS: Former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Paulina Porizkova, is now concentrating on drumming up attention for her new Hyperion book, "Model Summer." The former international supermodel makes it clear it's not a tell-all tome about her years in the industry. "It's about a 15-year-old Swedish girl who goes to Paris to model," says the Swedish native, "but it's not autobiographical. Of course, it's written by me, and all of it is filtered through my head, my emotions and my thoughts, but it's not a thinly veiled story, and it's not a 'Devil Wears Prada.'" The still-beautiful Porizkova adds, with her typical self-deprecating humor, "being able to sit down and write for the first time ever I did feel good about myself. I'm too old and too fat to be a model, and too old and too foreign to be an actress, but for a writer, I'm pretty hot and young."

(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 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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