WE WEREN'T KIDDING: This is, indeed, a bad week to be the head of a tiny European principality.

In case you're keeping track, as Mark Wade reminds us, still among the living (but checking on their life insurance policies) are Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, Andorran co-princes Bishop Joan Enric Vives Sicília and French president Jacques Chirac, and, finally, in Cymru, better known as the Principality of Wales, we've got the Prince of Wales, a gentleman named Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor, who, having been stripped of his National Hockey League duties in 1993, generally stays out of the headlines.

YOU ALWAYS SAID THEY'D MEET AGAIN SOME DAY: Coming to movie theaters in 2006: Pretty in Pink II, as John Hughes reunites with Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy to see what happens twenty years later, to see if Blaine -- who always believed in Andie -- still believes in himself. Or something.

This is an awful, awful idea, and all I can do is imagine the voiceovers during the trailer . . .

• She's back, and she's prettier. But is she still pink?
• She touched you once. Now, in 2006, Molly Ringwald will touch you a second time.
• He's tired of trying a little tenderness. In 2006, Duckie wants revenge. This time, we won't screw up the ending . . .
• In a world (blah blah blah) . . . one man
  

No word on Spader. But do you think Annie Potts might be available?

edited to add: nevermind. April Fools joke. As another blogger noted, "Just a thought: If ComingSoon.net had actually run it’s fake story on April Fool’s Day (as I believe is the custom for April Fool’s Day gags), maybe more people would’ve gotten the joke."

CARL LEWIS, YOU NOW HAVE A RIVAL: Video now available -- and, worse, audio, of Gov. Ed Rendell singing the National Anthem at a Sixers-Celtics game.

Say, who's normally #21 on that Patriots jersey Ed is wearing?

$50 ON "HOLY GRAIL" TO THE ELITE 8: In case our NCAA tourney pool didn't spark enough bracket-related program activities, it's time for the comedy tournament over at MSNBC. I end up with a final four of "Some Like It Hot," "Princess Bride," "South Park," and "Groundhog Day," with "Groundhog Day" and "Princess Bride" squaring off in a final, won by "Groundhog Day" because it's funnier. Particularly nasty matches in my bracket pitted "Rushmore" against "Groundhog Day" for the championship in the "SNL Alumni" region, "Some Like It Hot" edging "The Producers" for the "classic" championship, as well as "Some Like It Hot" having a squeaker victory in the Sweet Sixteen against "Annie Hall," and a number of nasty and close first round matches, including "Big Lebowski" vs. "Meet The Parents," "Spaceballs" vs. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Broadcast News" vs. "When Harry Met Sally," "Election" vs. "Office Space," and "High Fidelity" vs. "A Christmas Story." (FWIW, I picked the first in ech of those battles.) In the words of Tony Kornheiser, who ya got?

Hat tip to Daniel Radosh for the link.

FEAR LEADS TO ANGER, ANGER LEADS TO HATE, HATE LEADS TO LINING UP IN THE WRONG PLACE: Y'know the line to see Star Wars Episode III that's in L.A.? The one in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre? There's just one little problem with it--barring a major change in plans from theatre management and from Fox, the movie won't be showing there. Yep, a bunch of folks, all of whom can likely tell you the life story of Boba Fett and explain the lengthy digestive processes of the dreaded Sarlacc, have proven unable to line up in the right place.

LET'S GO CRAZY, BROADWAY STYLE! There's no need for my own analysis of last night's Idol when Ann Althouse covered it so well:

Constantine Maroulis totally comes out as an actor who's studied Broadway -- and loves Frank Sinatra. It's 'My Funny Valentine.' He's shackled by a crazy, busy arrangement that fights against him. But he's just darling. Paula standing Os. Randy loves him: 'This is what you should be doing, dude.' Get in that box, Con! Paula: 'I admit I'm falling in love with you.' Simon: 'The best pouting performance I have ever seen on 'American Idol.'' Translation: they know they've found a sexy, sensitive-yet-masculine guy.

I missed Mikalah this week. "Adelaide's Lament"? "Mama I'm A Big Girl Now"?

STILL COOCOO FOR COCOA PUFFS: In happy news, this report indicates that "Boston Legal" will return for a second season in the fall (alongside renewals of "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," and "Alias"). Interestingly, another report (from a less reliable source) confirms the return of some cast members, it makes no mention of whether Candice Bergen, Mark Valley, and Rene Auberjonois will return for a second season. If I were a betting man, Valley and Monica Potter may be on the chopping block, given that they've recently had difficulty finding storylines for them, a problem that may be heightened by the need to write into or around Potter's pregnancy. That takes one show off the bubble, but leaves a number of shows I watch, including "AD," "Jack & Bobby," and "Joan of Arcadia" stedfastly on the bubble, with the ax likely to swing for at least one of them.