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Stars 'Stand Up To Cancer' On Special

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The Associated Press

Published: August 28, 2008

LOS ANGELES - The competition among TV networks, movie studios and A-list stars can be fierce, but the fight against cancer will unite them on Sept. 5.

More than 60 celebrities will participate in "Stand Up to Cancer," a live fund- and awareness-raising television special that will air simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS.

Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Garner, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Sharon Osbourne, Keanu Reeves and Carrie Underwood are among the stars set to appear, it was announced Wednesday.

They'll join previously announced participants including Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Lance Armstrong, America Ferrera, Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron and Forest Whitaker.

The celebrities, along with network news anchors Katie Couric, Charles Gibson and Brian Williams, will deliver an evening of "edutainment," said executive producer Laura Ziskin, a cancer survivor who helped establish the event and the nonprofit group behind it.

"There will be laughter. There will be tears. And you'll learn something about how we can turn the outcome of this disease if we just set our minds to it," Ziskin said.

Ziskin described the special as "a phone-in, a sit-in, a love-in."

"People can call in and talk to their favorite celebrity" when making donations, she said.

Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna are among a group of singers who will debut their single, "Just Stand Up," which will benefit cancer research.

The aim of the event is to encourage scientists to work together to improve overall cancer care and prognoses, Ziskin said.

"This is what we're asking the whole cancer community to do," she said. "Put aside your competitive issues and come together for the greater good."

COLLEGE TRY: Exploring new ways of reaching young viewers, Fox will simul-stream the premieres of "Fringe" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" exclusively for college students.

Fox announced this week that students accessing the network's main Web site through a ".edu" domain will be able to watch a streaming feed of the two highly anticipated premieres as they air on the regular network.

The special college feeds for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Fringe" will be complemented with pre- and post-shows featuring behind-the-scenes footage and music videos, as well as cast and producer interviews.

For many Internet-savvy college students, the Sept. 9 two-hour premiere of "Fringe" may already be mighty familiar.

Well before screeners were sent to critics a not-quite-complete cut of the J.J. Abrams-produced pilot was already available through a number of popular BitTorrent sites.

Presumably Fox's decision to stream "Fringe" for college students is a way to tap into an audience accustomed to watching television on their computers, while also providing that audience with incentive to watch episodes through legitimate means.

The second season premiere of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," only a one-hour episode, will air on Sept. 8.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

Democratic National

Convention, 7 p.m., various cable news channels

Sen. Barack Obama accepts the nomination of his party on the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Ace of Cakes, 10 p.m.,

Food Network

The Stanley Cup is brought to the bakery as a model for a wedding cake.

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