Apparently coming to the conclusion that middle-America will not "get" Borat (official title: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan), 20th Century Fox has cut in half the number of theaters that had been booked to show it, the studio confirmed Tuesday. Fox distribution chief Bruce Snyder told today's (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times that despite enormous pre-release publicity and marketing, the studio's research had concluded that the movie was "soft in awareness." The Times noted that industry analysts could not recall a similar action by a studio taking place just two weeks before a film's opening. Fox indicated that it hopes that by opening Borat in 800 theaters, the resulting word of mouth will propel it into a stronger position the following week when it will be expanded to 2,200 screens.

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research have quickly enlisted the aid of James Caviezel, who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, and Patricia Heaton, who co-starred in Everybody Loves Raymond, to counter ads featuring Michael J. Fox, who is supporting Congressional candidates favoring expanded federal funding for such research. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, was also criticized by conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, who suggested that Fox was "either off his medication or acting" before filming the spots. On the other hand, New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley wrote today (Wednesday): "These are times in which most actors seem prepared to do anything, and pay any price, to disguise flaws that could harm their careers. So when a famous one exposes the full, frightening extent of his infirmity in the name of saving lives, it tends to get noticed."

The producers of the upcoming Blood Diamond have denied reports that they had reneged on an agreement to provide prosthetic limbs to amputees used as extras in the film. The New York Post quoted one amputee, Nkululo Mnisi, as saying that Warner Bros. had promised to buy him and 27 other extras the prosthetic devices. But producer Ed Zwick, in an interview with L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke, said that such reports are "the work of someone who clearly bears the film ill will." Zwick claimed that those involved in making the movie set up a fund to aid the villagers who appeared in it. He said that the fund is being used for everything from classroom repair to road repair to prosthetics. Zwick added, "People are still continuing contributing to the fund months since production ended. They were really trying to affect positive change. The fund has gotten to a number of things on the list, but there's more to go. And in the list of things to do, prosthetics are part of that list."

The Weinstein Co. will become the first studio to add anti-smoking messages to DVDs of movies in which people smoke, beginning with Clerks II, to be released in December. Company founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein were responding to appeals from 41 states, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C. and two U.S. territories, which sent anti-smoking ads to 13 studios, asking that they be included in DVD releases. In a statement, Harvey Weinstein said, "As a former smoker, I feel like it's my responsibility to do everything I can to educate young people about the dangers of smoking."

Sony said Tuesday that it's ready to begin installing its SXRD high-definition digital projectors in theaters across the country. The system boasts 8.8 million pixels, or four times the resolution of systems already in place in U.S. theaters. The 4K systems have recently been tested in 12 Landmark Theater screens. Now, Sony says, it is ready to begin turning out 100 projectors a month beginning in December. Sony said it had received commitments from four major studios to release films on digital files in the 4K format.

ESPN's Monday Night Football telecast registered the largest audience in the history of cable TV and beat nearly every program carried by the broadcast networks with the exception of CBS's CSI: Miami. According to the cable sports network, the game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys averaged 11.8 million households, beating the previous record of 11.2 million held by the 1993 NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot carried on CNN's Larry King Live.In total households, CSI: Miami attracted 12.6 million, but the ESPN telecast led among the key demographic group of adults 18-49 (tying for first place with NBC's Heroes). The figure is particularly striking inasmuch as ESPN can be seen in only 86 percent of TV households. Meanwhile NBC and the NFL announced that the first game to air under the new "flex" schedule for NBC Sunday Night Football will be the Chicago Bears-New York Giants contest on Nov. 12. The flex schedule is designed to assure the network that it will be able to televise important games as the season comes to an end.

ABC's Grey's Anatomy has widened the distance between itself and CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, both of which share the same 9:00 p.m. time period on Thursday nights. According to Nielsen Research Grey's drew 22 million viewers to CSI's 20.5 million. CSI, in fact, dropped to third place among the top ten for the week as ABC's Dancing With the Stars moved into second place with 21.2 million viewers for its Tuesday-night telecast. For the week, CBS remained ahead in overall household ratings with an 8.0 rating and a 13 share. Fox, thanks to post-season baseball, was close behind with a 7.8/13, just ahead of ABC, which recorded a 7.3/12. NBC trailed with a 5.7/9.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 14.4/21; 2. Dancing With the Stars, ABC, 13.6/21; 3. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 12.7/19; 4. Dancing With the Stars (Results), ABC, 12.5/20; 5. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 12.4/18; 6. CSI: Miami, CBS, 11.6/18; 6. World Series Game 2, Fox, 11.6/18; 8. MLB National League Championship Game 7, Fox, 10.8/18; 9. Criminal Minds, CBS, 10.6/16; 9. Deal or No Deal (Monday), NBC, 10.6/16.

Most of the major cable networks said Tuesday that they won't participate in a plan by Nielsen Research to track the number of people watching national commercials. The cable companies maintained that the preliminary tests of the system were seriously flawed. Nielsen has said that the cable networks should regard the initial results as what it called evaluative. But Turner Broadcasting released a copy of a letter that its chief research officer, Jack Wakshlag, wrote to Nielsen saying, "You know the data is not ready. I am distressed that you will be releasing it anyway, even as 'evaluative, ' and strongly urge you to reconsider."

E! Entertainment channel said Tuesday that it had fired a producer and a cameraman who allegedly trespassed onto property owned by Brad Pitt and began filming construction workers building a mansion on the site. According to the TMZ website, the construction crew attempted to confiscate the E! cameraman's equipment but he ran into a nearby van and drove off with the producer. In a statement to TMZ, E! said, "E! Networks did not instruct or authorize anyone working on its program to improperly intrude onto private property, and the individuals involved have been terminated. While neither Mr. Pitt nor his family were at the property when the incident took place, the network in no way condones or encourages such behavior and would like to offer its most sincere apologies to Mr. Pitt and his family."

NBC Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly has backed off further from NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker's announcement that the network intends to fill the 8:00 p.m. hour with low-cost reality shows. In an interview with today's (Wednesday) Philadelphia Inquirer, Zucker said, "It's not a light-switch thing or absolute thing." He said he considers Zucker's scheme "a target" that the network will aim for between now and next May when network schedules are presented to advertisers. "Ultimately," he added, "it's formalizing something that essentially is going on now, anyway. Nonscripted shows pretty much dominate that hour."

Indicating that TV news audiences have a greater interest in overseas news than is generally believed, ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, which last week featured reports by Diane Sawyer from North Korea, beat NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams among adults 25-54. Although the NBC telecast was No. 1 in overall households, with 8.7 million viewers, ABC was close behind with 8.5 million. The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric remained well behind in third place for the fourth straight week with 7.6 million viewers.