CHANNEL SURFING Sarah Michelle Gellar is no longer a WB girl. The hit show ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is leaving the WB for rival network UPN. ''Buffy'' producer Twentieth Century Fox Television's new deal with UPN could cost the netlet $150 million, according to Variety, and marks the first time in TV history that a series has switched networks so its producer could make more per episode
UPN, which ordered 44 episodes of ''Buffy'' at approximately $2.33 million per show, is now the home of the WB's third highest rated program. The deal with ''Buffy,'' which starts airing on UPN this fall, suggests that its spinoff, ''Angel,'' will also switch networks. The WB is expected to cancel the series now that ''Buffy'' has jumped ship, and UPN has already agreed to pickup two seasons of that vampire show, at slightly more than $1 million per episode.
ODDS MAN IN The Vegas oddsmakers have spoken: Colby Donaldson is the favorite to win he $1 million prize on CBS' ''Survivor.'' Donaldson is a 3 - 2 favorite at the Stardust casino, and a 2 - 1 at the Bally's and Paris casinos. The odds are hypothetical of course, since the law prohibits betting on events with a known outcome, but according to AP's three oddsmakers, Colby is the shoo in, with either Tina Wesson or Elisabeth Filarski as second favorites.
LEGAL BRIEF R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck apologized outside a London court on Monday after being charged with air rage during a weekend British Airways flight from Seattle. According to Reuters, Buck was released on bail until June 18, when he must reappear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court. The scheduled court date will allow Buck to appear with R.E.M. at South Africa's Freedom Day concert in Trafalgar Square this Sunday. A planned tour of Europe and Asia and North America will also be unaffected.
Buck thanked the court for taking the events into consideration: ''I am grateful to the court for allowing me to undertake our promotional tour,'' he said in a statement read by his lawyer, Bertis Downs. ''I am very sorry for the incident and, of course, very embarrassed about the whole thing.'' Buck faces charges of being drunk on an aircraft, disobeying an aircraft commander, two counts of assault on air crew, threatening behavior, and criminal damage including breaking airline crockery, Reuters reports. Arrested at London's Heathrow airport on Saturday, Buck was released on bail of approximately $43,000. Sounds like he was having his own ''Carnival of Sorts.''
HONORED Actor John Turturro, best known for his collaborations with filmmakers Spike Lee and Joel and Ethan Coen, will be feted at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual gala for Young Friends of Film. The June 7 event will feature film clips and speeches from the 44 year old actor - writer - director's industry friends, including Lee, Tim Robbins, John Goodman, and Illeana Douglas. Turturro's feature credits include ''Do The Right Thing,'' ''Jungle Fever,'' ''Mo' Better Blues,'' ''Miller's Crossing,'' ''Barton Fink,'' and ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?''
CONGRATS Grammy winner Toni Braxton married musician Kari Lewis Saturday in a private ceremony in Atlanta officiated by former Mayor Andrew Young. The nuptials were attended by 250 guests, including Monica, Usher Raymond, and TLC's Tionne ''T-Boz'' Watkins and Rozonda ''Chilli'' Thomas. Braxton met Lewis, a keyboardist for the group Mint Condition, four years ago, when the Minneapolis based band accompanied Braxton on a national tour.
OBIT Hollywood renaissance man Jack Haley Jr. , who directed the 1974 movie retrospective ''That's Entertainment!'', died Saturday at UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital. He was 67. The son of actor Jack Haley (the Tin Man in ''The Wizard of Oz'') and former Ziegfeld girl Florence McFadden, Haley studied filmmaking at USC and UCLA. Among his other credits are ''Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter'', ''Minnelli on Minnelli'' (Haley and Liza were married from 1974 - 1979), and ''Happy Birthday Hollywood!'', which celebrated 100 years of movies. Haley also produced three Academy Award ceremonies. Minnelli told Variety: ''Jack was the first one to remind the general public of our heritage. America's royalty is our entertainers, who have given so much to the world. I fell in love with him the first time I met him, and I have loved him with all of my heart ever since.''
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