Mary Alice Williams is joining the NBC News Baby Brigade. The co-host of "Sunday Today" recently announced that she's expecting twins this fall.
Maybe there's something in the water. Or maybe it has something to do with working the early morning shifts at NBC.The new weekday news anchor on "Today," Margaret Larson, is expecting her first child in August. Ann Curry, an anchor of "NBC News at Sunrise," is expecting her first in November.
Katie Couric returned to work not too terribly long ago after having a baby of her own. And Couric moved into the co-host role on "Today" while her predecessor, Deborah Norville, took time off to have her little boy.
Looking back a bit further, Williams was named co-host of "Sunday Today" when her predecessor, Maria Shriver, quit to stay home with her little Schwarzenegger.
And don't forget Jane Pauley, who gave birth to three kids - including her own set of twins - while working on "Today." (Well, she didn't actually give birth on the air.)
Just remember - Willard Scott only looks pregnant.IT FIGURES: Filmmaker Roger Corman is already negotiating with two networks for a made-for-TV movie based on last week's riots in Los Angeles. He had camera crews out last week shooting footage of the violence.
And, undoubtedly, there are other producers attempting to put together similar projects.
Talk about your video vultures.BIG CHALLENGE: Forrest Sawyer, after briefly flirting with his former employer, CBS, has signed to host ABC's new news magazine, which will debut this summer - opposite "60 Minutes."
(Sounds like a rather quixotic effort, doesn't it?)
The untitled show will bring the total of network news magazines to seven. And expect to see more in the next few months, including one on Fox.FUN 'N' GAMES: Game shows have largely fallen out of favor on the broadcast networks, but evangelist Pat Robertson apparently believes there's a big audience for the genre out there.
Robertson, who founded the Family Channel (formerly CBN) and his son, Tim, plan a 24-hour, all-game-show cable network with the inspired name of "The Game Channel."
In addition to traditional game-show fare, Robertson promises interactive technology that will allow viewers to become contestants.
And you were worried about the cultural future of America.A DIFFERENT THREAT: Arsenio Hall has been mouthing off about how he'll beat Jay Leno, but perhaps he ought to be a bit more concerned about the forthcoming challenge from Chevy Chase.
Chase's talk show is set to premiere next year on Fox, which will knock out - or at least bump back to a less desirable time slot - the syndicated fare Fox affiliates have been running in late night.
And on 71 Fox stations, including KSTU-Ch. 13, that late-night fare is "Arsenio." That's 40 percent of the stations that carry Hall's show.
Paramount, which syndicates "Arsenio Hall," is reportedly already looking to place the show on other stations, including ABC or CBS affiliates. But don't count on that happening here.