Dame Judi returns to BBC

Dame Judi Dench is to star in the ninth series of BBC One comedy As Time Goes By.

The Academy Award winning actress has agreed, along with co-star Geoffrey Palmer, to continue the story of a middle-aged couple rekindling their love for each other.

Dame Judi won the best comedy performance BAFTA award for her portrayal of Jean Hardcastle in 1998.

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Rings stays top of movie chart

The Lord of the Rings has held on the number one spot at the US box office for a second weekend with takings of $37.4m (£25.7m).

The figure brought the movie's 12-day total in the US to $154.5m (£106.4m) and its makers, Entertainment Films, said they expected the film to make $300m (£206.7m) worldwide by Wednesday.

At number two for a third week was the all-star crime caper Ocean's Eleven with $17.4m (£11.9m) while Ali, starring Will Smith, made $15.3m (£10.5m) , taking its six-day total to $35.5m (£24.4m).

New entries in the top 10 included A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe, at number eight and the Meg Ryan romantic comedy Kate & Leopold at number seven.

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Marilyn Manson escapes jail term

A US judge has dropped charges of sexual misconduct against shock rocker Marilyn Manson that could have sent him to prison for two years.

On Friday, Clarkston District Court Judge Gerald McNally reduced the sexual misconduct charge to one of disorderly conduct and let the assault and battery charge stand.

Manson now faces fines of $2,000 (£1,378) but remains free on a $25,000 (£17,229) personal bond.

The singer - whose real name is Brian Warner - pleaded innocent to all charges.

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World's oldest conductor dies

Japan's Takashi Asahina - musical director of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and the world's oldest active conductor - has died, aged 93.

A spokesman said the conductor died of natural causes on Friday in Kobe hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for fatigue since 25 October.

Asahina was best known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Bruckner and Tchaikovsky and for working with some of the world's leading musicians, including Andres Segovia and Yehudi Menuhin.

The conductor is survived by his wife and two sons who are organising a private funeral while the Osaka Philharmonic is planning a memorial concert.

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Queen's piper to serenade Collins

Actress Joan Collins has recruited the Queen's Pipe Major to play at her wedding to Percy Gibson.

Jim Motherwell is the Queen's personal piper and, most mornings, plays beneath her bedroom window.

In February he will play his bagpipes when Collins, 68, marries theatre company manager Gibson, 36, in London.

Miss Collins asked Motherwell to play at her wedding after presenting him with a Gold Disc for his best-selling CD, entitled The Queen's Piper, which has raised funds for cancer charities.

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Perlman becomes Star Trek baddie

Actor Ron Perlman has signed up to play the villain's role in the latest Star Trek movie, due out in November 2002.

Perlman - who most recently featured in the movie Enemy at the Gates - will play the Romulan Viceroy in Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th Star Trek film.

He will star alongside the cast of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation, including Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes, in what will be their fourth Star Trek film.

In the film, the crew of the Enterprise are diverted to the planet Romulus to begin peace negotiations with the Federation but, once there, they uncover a threat to Earth.

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Williams wins again

Robbie Williams ends 2001 dominating the music scene - with both his single and album staying at the top of the charts.

His duet with Nicole Kidman, Somethin' Stupid, is number one for the third week running, while his album Swing When You're Winning is also at the summit.

Pub crooner Gordon Haskell slipped to three with How Wonderful You Are while newcomer Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This rose back up the chart to two.

Kate Winslet made a return to the top 10, as her What If crept up two places from 11 to nine.