Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Even though the "Today" show is happily going strong with Meredith Vieira, Al Roker doesn't mind admitting that the "Today" team still misses Katie Couric's presence a year and a half after her departure for CBS's Evening News anchor chair.

"I was one of those people that hoped at the 11th hour she'd change her mind and stay," he admits. "That said, I understand why she wanted to do what she wanted to do. She wanted a new challenge, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Couric's continual last-place status among network newscasts has been well chronicled, but Roker gives her performance a positive spin. "I think if you watch her newscast, she's settled in and she's comfortable and is doing a great job," he says. As far as her acceptance, or lack of same, on gender grounds, he's quick to point out that "it shouldn't matter if she's a woman or African American or Asian. She's got the qualifications just as much, if not more, than anybody."

As for Roker's own branching out, he's been busy producing the new Spike TV series "DEA," which premieres April 2. "I never planned to be on TV to begin with. This is in a sense getting back to what I was planning to do," says Roker about working behind the scenes on the series, which gives viewers a never-before-seen look at the inner workings of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "I think what people need to come away from watching this is, 'Don't assume it's not happening where you live.' We like to live in our own little bubble and think everything is great, but there's a lot going on. You've got a lot of people working together to fight this drug war."

WE'VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU: "The Hannah Montana Movie" has been pushed back again. Exec producer Billy Ray Cyrus told this column he hoped to start principal photography by April, but that's now up in the air.

"We don't have a definitive start date on the feature," reports Jason Earles, who plays Miley Cyrus's older brother Jackson on the hit Disney Channel show. "With the strike, I think the start date has been pushed a little bit into May. There are a couple of versions of the script floating around so it'll be exciting to see where we land on that."

Meanwhile, Earles does a send-up of rocker Ozzy Osbourne in tomorrow's (March 21) episode.

"With Ozzy, you don't understand a single word that he says," notes Earles. "So I listened to a bunch of Ozzy stuff on YouTube, then I tried to make it as shaky and incomprehensible as possible." He adds this Friday's segment is "also the episode where fans finally get to see Uncle Earl. We referenced Uncle Earl for about 50 episodes. David Koechner, who is one of the funniest guys I've ever seen, is playing him."

GARY FOR MAYOR: We can't think of a better choice than nice-guy Gary Owens to become the next honorary mayor of Hollywood. News broke this week that the National Broadcasters Hall of Famer/voice actor/author/one-time "Laugh-In" funny man is among those being considered for the job. A walking wealth of Hollywood history and lore, he seemingly knows or is known by everyone in town and has worked with countless stars of yesteryear and today. Gary was actually suggested last fall by the late Johnny Grant when Johnny was musing on his own retirement from the post. Gary even has experience with the PR demands of honorary mayorship, having taken over as honorary mayor of Woodland Hills, Calif., from Buster Keaton decades ago, and as honorary mayor of Encino, Calif., from Tim Conway.

CELEBRITY SCENE: Kim Kardashian partied in the Presidential Suite at Roomservice in New York City the other night with "Rock of Love" contestant Destiny Moore and Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. This past Monday, Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous and Ne-Yo also hit up Roomservice — to support Atlanta rapper Rocko at his Def Jam album release party.

And, proving that you're never too old to make a fool of yourself, Micky Dolenz and a few friends Monkee'd around at Scores East recently — and we hear from a source on the scene that at one point, Micky took a twirl on the strippers' pole himself, humming, "Hey hey, we're the Monkees." Guess he deserves some props for being limber enough to do that at 63.

TWIN PERKS: It's hard to imagine just how many companies and designers are bestowing baby gear to dream of upon little Emme and Max Anthony — a..k.a. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's 3-week-old twins. For instance, DwellStudio designer Christiane Lemieux gifted the twins with matching diaper bags decorated with bunnies and kangaroos and pillows shaped like giraffes and elephants.

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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