Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

The installation ceremony for Suzanne Pleshette's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is tomorrow (Jan. 31), and the late actress's former TV mate, Bob Newhart, will be leading the proceedings. "I understand these are normally postponed if given posthumously, but in this case, they're going through with it. They were hoping she'd be able to enjoy knowing it was happening, but she wouldn't have been there anyway, given her health condition," he says of Pleshette, who died of lung cancer Jan. 17.

The ceremony will be a chance for fans to pay their respects, points out Bob. "A lot of people feel that way, that she was a part of their lives," he says. "I hope I get through it."

Newhart did the eulogy at Pleshette's funeral last week, along with one-time "Bob Newhart Show" series cast mate Marcia Wallace — "those were the two Suzie requested," he says. Now, "I'm sure we'll all be up there on the stage when she gets her star — Peter Bonerz, Jack Riley … It will be a very touching moment. She was so good."

MEANWHILE: These are busy days for Newhart, who has the first season of his second hit sitcom, "Newhart," arriving on DVD Feb. 26. "I think the plan was to release the six seasons of 'The Bob Newhart Show' first, and then release 'Newhart,' but Fox, in their research, found through Amazon that there was a big pent-up demand," explains Newhart, who provides commentary for the collection.

The beloved comedy icon also has a slate of stand-up dates ahead but says he may do fewer than last year because he has two Hallmark Channel movies on the way to production, in addition to the third installment of TNT's "The Librarian" fantasy adventure franchise with Noah Wyle — "The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice." It shoots in March in New Orleans. "I just got the script, and it's wonderful. It looks like a lot of fun to do," he says. "Then, the Hallmarks will keep me home, which is what I'm looking for right now."

HEALING: Rocker Meat Loaf happily reports he won't have to undergo surgery for the inter-vocal-cord cyst that forced him to cancel his Three Bats tour last year. "When Steven Tyler and Rod Stewart had it, they had to go in and have a little surgery done, but my cyst popped after four weeks, so that was good. They're just worried about a little white scar, but they've released me to start doing vocal warm-ups."

On another front, Meat Loaf says an additional 15 episodes have already been ordered of "Rock & A Hard Place," the new game show he's hosting on DIRECTV's entertainment channel 101.

The show features music stars — such as Sheila E., Warrant, The Pointer Sisters and The Pussycat Dolls — in a battle of wits to win big cash prizes for their favorite charities

"I have an improv background, and Don Rickles is one of my favorite comedians, so I have that real sarcastic wit. If somebody was stupid, I'd just tell them, but usually with humor." When former "American Idol" contestants were shown a picture of Dwight Eisenhower during an installment of the game, he says, "one of them said it was Bob Dylan. I was fairly brutal."

HELLO, AGAIN: Singer Taylor Dayne is about to release her first studio album in almost 10 years, and she says it's been an adjustment getting used to a new kind of music business. "This industry has changed dramatically. We're in a download revolution. There are two major labels left," notes Dayne, whose new album, "Satisfied," hits stores Feb. 5. "It doesn't matter how great you are at what you do. In this business, it's a lot of luck and perseverance. None of it is easy. I've wanted to quit many times, saying, 'Is it worth this?' But what else would I do? I was born to do this. It's what I've wanted to do since I was 5."

While Dayne hasn't been at the forefront of the music scene since her breakout hits like "Tell It To My Heart" and "Love Will Lead You Back," she says music has not been far from her mind. "It's not like I stopped writing music over these years or stopped recording. This wasn't like a self-imposed exile. You take breaks because you're living, but at the same time, you don't stop creating. … I started working on this in 2003. I'm really proud of how things turned out. Finally, the release! It's like a pregnancy!"

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Sure, pilot season isn't much this year due to the WGA strike, but there are a few things going on — such as a pilot for a VH1 reality show called "Perfect." Casting forces on the show have been talking to folks who've already put themselves through their own extreme makeovers in hopes of finding "a perfect swan." He or she must look nearly unrecognizable from his or her "before" pictures, and have to have had, to be specific, "at least two major procedures." And what's more, the ideal candidate must have blossomed into a winning personality thanks to the change.

TALK ABOUT FLUFF ON TV: It had to happen. Animal Planet is readying its first reality show — "Project Pooch." It'll be 12 episodes set in the bitchy world of dog grooming.

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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