The Deal Report: December 8, 2006

MUSIC
+ VH1 can stop looking: Jennifer Hudson is having the best year ever. As her Oprah-lauded film debut in Dreamgirls nears theaters, the American Idol castoff signed with Arista Records to work with the golden-eared Clive Davis next year on a new album. ''I'd love to create blended music,'' says Hudson, ''something that is both old soul and new grooves.'' And, we hope, divatastic!

TELEVISION
+ After seven seasons (and one truly dubious marital decision) on Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham will move behind the scenes to exec-produce Objects of Desire at The CW. ''It's a drama that takes place in the art-auction world,'' she says, ''sort of marrying my love of Antiques Roadshow and The O.C.'' (Finally!) She's also developing a comedy pilot ''like My Name Is Earl at a Baptist church,'' says Graham, who then jokes, ''Actually, don't say that, because my grandmother, if she sees the word Baptist, will have a complete meltdown.'' Now that would be some good TV.