Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

No bailouts are needed for mega TV producer Mark Burnett, who tells us he's having one of his best years despite the flagging economy.

"I'm the busiest I've ever been," reports the "Survivor" creator enthusiastically. "With the economy the way it is, television is a great medium because it's a less expensive form of entertainment."

We got tired just hearing what he has on his plate.

"We have 'Survivor 18,' 'Apprentice 8' is about to premiere, 'Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader' season three is coming back on in March, we just got picked up for 'Martha Stewart 5,' we have my boxing series, 'The Contender,' coming back, we have a new series, 'StarMaker,' on MTV with P. Diddy, we have 'How'd You Get So Rich?' with Joan Rivers on TV Land, the series 'Wedding Day' for TNT, 'Bully Beatdown' for MTV where we find bullies and put them in the ring to teach them a lesson, 'Expedition' for the History Channel, and I've also got three network pilots with ABC, CBS and Fox." Hey, way to set the bar low!

Despite such a crazy schedule, Burnett certainly has no intention of slowing down. "I think we've got a bunch more to do, and I'm having a good time. Balancing my family is my most important thing. I've got a good rhythm going. I know it sounds like a lot, but with my team, it's very manageable," claims Burnett, whose newest show, "Toughest Cowboy," premieres Jan. 29 on Spike TV. The show features 12 cowboys who must compete in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding every night.

"I've done a lot of shows with tough people, but these are probably the toughest people I've ever seen. In episode one, one of them got his leg stamped on by a bull, and it broke his leg in three places. He got up off the floor, climbed over the fence and then tried to get back on again to continue. It's pretty unbelievable when you see what they do."

SHADOW WORLD: Dougray Scott admits that his role in the Jan. 24 thriller "The Diplomat" took him to dark emotional depths, but the Scottish actor feels it was worth it. In the movie, inspired by real-life incidents, he plays a British diplomat so filled with grief after the loss of his son, he volunteers for a secret, possibly deadly, mission involving an arms trafficker believed to be involved in the theft of five Soviet-built nuclear "suitcase bombs."

"I thought it was a really great story.

This was an ordinary man who came through great trauma, a man in crisis, seeing the disintegration of his marriage after his son's death, though he loves his wife very much. He's filled with guilt. He becomes completely selfless and fearless, and gets into this extraordinary situation," relates the actor, who stars with his real-life wife, Claire Forlani, in the ION cable picture.

"Of course as an actor, if you don't have an actual experience to draw from, you try to explore being in a situation using your imagination and instinct, and you draw on your own life, reality and truth as much as possible." The character, he goes on, "stays with you the vast majority of the time until you finish production. I feel comfortable with it; I think it's beneficial."

As far as what feelings he was left with after the production: "I think we only know a tiny percent of what goes on in that world" of espionage and shadowy international dealings. "I think it would be terrifying if we knew more."

THE INDUSTRY EYE: Bradley Whitford's getting ready to work his comedic chops, as the former "West Wing" star is due to shoot the pilot for his own comedy series next month. Called "Off Duty," the buddy cop show, for NBC with Whitford producing as well as starring, also stars Romany Malco of "Weeds" and "The 40-Year-Old-Virgin" fame.

It'll be a whale of a tale, but that's about all we can guarantee for "Free Willy: South Africa" a soon-to-shoot movie that's planned for direct-to-DVD distribution.

TALENT IN THE GENES: A Feb. 29 production start has been set for "Up in the Air" with George Clooney and "Twilight's" Anna Kendrick, and "Juno" filmmaker Jason Reitman directing. Reitman, son of moviemaker Ivan Reitman, has an ever-lengthening credit sheet, including the big-screen "Thank You for Smoking" and NBC's "The Office." Walter Kirn's book "Up in the Air" has been described as a new age answer to "The Office."

And Joe Estevez — brother of Martin Sheen — is getting ready to direct a horror movie called "Socio."

With reports by 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.

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