Crime really does pay, according to the latest ratings for the world’s popular TV shows from Eurodata TV Worldwide. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” has again topped the list with the highest world ratings in 2007. “CSI,” which takes place in Las Vegas, drew 83.9 million viewers beating its sister show “CSI: Miami” and hospital drama “House” as the world’s most popular TV drama series.

(That’s Jerry Bruckheimer in the picture at left. His company produces the “CSI” shows.)

In the comedy category, “Desperate Housewives” attracted 61.5 million viewers, beating “Monk” and “Ugly Betty,” according to the ratings which take in viewers in 51 countries.

“The Bold and The Beautiful” with 26.2 million viewers worldwide in 2007 was the most popular soap, against two Mexican telenovelas “Destilando Amor” and “Marina.”

The same three programs came top of Eurodata’s list for the most popular TV shows in 2006.

Having a behind-the-scenes celebrity mom isn’t something Paris Hilton or her sister Nicky would know much about. Their mom, Kathy, seems to relish the  spotlight as much as her girls.

Having recently launched her own perfume and starred in a Web mini-series called “A Day With the Hiltons,” the 49-year-old Kathy Hilton has now nudged her way into Hollywood movies with a cameo appearance in Ben Stiller’s new summer comedy “Tropic Thunder,” playing Tom Cruise’s wife, according to In Touch Weekly.  

“She filmed last winter and didn’t even tell her kids because she wanted to surprise them,” a set insider told the celebrity magazine. “She raved about Tom,” said the insider. 

After filming “Tropic Thunder,” Kathy Hilton also shot a few episodes of daytime TV soap opera, “The Young and The Restless.” The older Hilton has been a sometime actress for years but not winning the same success as her girls. A reality TV show she hosted in 2005 called “I Want To Be A Hilton” flopped.

It’s become a tradition at the annual Webby Film and Video Awards, which honor the Web’s best videos, for winners to accept their prize with a speech of five words or less. At least it stops all that guff about mothers, mentors and meanings. So who said what at this year’s 12th annual awards and could you have done better?

- ”Five words is not enough,” said Lorne Michaels who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking work with SNL Digital Shorts.

- “Keyboards are full of germs,” said director Michel Gondry of “Be Kind Rewind” who was named Webby Film and Video Person of the Year

- “Contact me for voice work,” said Tay Zonday of the viral video “Chocolate Rain.”

- “Please don’t climb our building.” NYTimes.com, “Frugal Traveler: American Road Trip” (Travel)

“Together, we’ll make reading obsolete.” The Onion News Network (Best Writing)

- “The revolution will be webcast.” - Getty Images (Documentary: Individual Episode)

-”Well, well, well, well, well.” My Damn Channel, “Wainy Days” (Comedy: Series)

-”Thank you very much. Good bye,” said comedy heroes Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, who were named Best Actors for their cult hit timanderic.com.

A list of all speeches — it’s fairly brief – can be found at: http://www.webbyawards.com/press/speeche s.php.

Stephen Colbert, Arianna Huffington, David Byrne will tonight deliver their own five-word speeches at The Webby Awards, which honor the best Web sites.

Pierce Brosnan, who played the world’s best known spy James Bond in four movies, has taken on a new role — the narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine. Brosnan, 55, follows in the footsteps of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr and  U.S. actor Alec Baldwin who previously narrated the children’s TV show. The Irish star makes his debut in the movie “Thomas and Friends: The Great Discovery,” a DVD being released on Sept. 9 by HIT Entertainment Ltd. and Lionsgate.

The creation of Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, Thomas the Tank Engine made his first appearance in the 1945 children’s book “The Three Railway Engines”. The  TV series was first broadcast in 1984 and has since been seen in 140 countries and 25 languages.

Network Video, an Australian video retail company,  has come up with its list of the best and the worst move pick up lines.

Here’s the best…

1. ”We live in a cynical world. A cynical world. And we work in a business of tough competitors. I love you. You … complete me.”- Tom Cruise to Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire, 1996

2. ”Marry me, and I’ll never look at another horse.” - Groucho Marx to Margaret Dumont in A Day at the Races

3. ”I want to take care of you.” “Good … ’cause I really need to be taken care of.”
- Billy Bob Thornton to Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball

4. ”I want all of you. Forever. Every day.” - Ryan Gosling to Rachel McAdams in The Notebook

5. ”Mind if I get drunk with you?” - Clark Gable to Jean Harlow in Red Dust

6. ” I know what I want, because I have it in my hands right now. You.” - Gerard Butler to Hilary Swank in Ps I Love You

7. ”You came back to this bar to see me tonight, didn’t you?”"What if it wasn’t you I came here to see tonight?” “Well, ya’ got lucky.” - Paul Newman and Charlotte Rampling in The Verdict

And here’s the worst…                                                                               

1. ”You’re 38 and you look it” - Aaron Eckhart to Helena Bonham Carter in Conversations With Other Women

2. ”I appreciate this whole seduction thing you’ve got going on here, but let me give you a tip: I’m a sure thing.” - Julia Roberts to Richard Gere in Pretty Woman.

3.  “Are you stalking me? Because that would be super” - Ryan Reynolds to Tara Reid in Van Wilder.

4. ”I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes.”- Nathan Fillion to Kerri Russell in Waitress

5. “You think I’m gorgeous … you want to kiss me … you want to hug me … you want to love me … you want to smooch me … ” - Sandra Bullock to Benjamin Bratt in Miss Congeniality

6. “You were hoping for a goodnight kiss?”"No, you know. I’ll tell ya, I was hoping to get goodnight laid…” - Matt Damon and Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting

7. “Would you like to have breakfast with me?” “Sure, fine.” “Shall I phone you or nudge you?” - Mary Mcdonnell and Stephen Tobolowsky in Sneakers

What do you think was the best — or the worst — movie pickup?

Although the TV series “Sex and the City” was a fictional account of four women’s working and love lives in New York, a majority of singles told a survey that it had influenced their dating habits.

A survey by dating Web site Engage found that eight out of 10 singles believe the popular HBO series that has now been made into a movie had made it more acceptable for women to have fun dating and worry less about finding a committed relationship.

The poll found 43 percent of singles believe the series had made it more acceptable for women to be unfaithful in their relationships while 55 percent of single women said the show influenced them to “date like men”.

“”Sex and the City,” along with the introduction of dating reality shows like ABC’s The Bachelor, socialize dating,” said Trish McDermott, vice president of Love at Engage, in a statement.

“Suddenly, everyone was talking about the dating choices others make — like breaking up via Post-It notes — and learning vicariously through them.”

The survey of 250 singles found 36 percent of respondents borrowed ideas from “Sex and the City” and used them in their dating life. Do you?

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has a bit of advice for women whose partners refuse to do any cooking — abstain from sex until he gets into the kitchen.

“Men are driven by sex,” Oliver was reported as saying at the annual Hay-on-Wye book festival in Wales. ”So the best way for women to get their men into the kitchen would be to stop having sex with them until they start to cook,” he told the Sunday Times of London.

Oliver, who is best known for television programmes such as “The Naked Chef” and “Jamie’s School Dinners,” said he was appalled at how few British men have even lifted a pan, let alone cooked. But he said once men got over the first hurdle, there was “a pride on their faces” when they learnt to cook a few dishes.

Jessica Alba has laid down a challenge — can you outstare her? Millions have tried to beat the actress since she joined a competition on video sharing Web site iBeat You (www.ibeatyou.com) about two weeks ago.  She uploaded a video of herself staring into the camera without blinking for 1.5 minutes and submitted it to a “longest stare” competition. So far the video has received over 3.8 million views on YouTube. Why did she do it? Might have something to do with fact that the Web site was co-founded by her husband Cash Warren. The site is one of a number where people can compete against anyone in anything using photos, video and text.

As whip-wielding adventurer Indiana Jones  storms back into movie theaters after a 19-year hiatus in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, fans of the intrepid archaeologist played by Harrison Ford were asked in a survey by Blockbuster video to name their favorite scenes from his previous three movies. These came out tops:

1. Running from the Boulder (”Raiders of the Lost Ark”) — 75%.  An overwhelming three out of four surveyed chose this scene with Indiana Jones running from a boulder in a booby-trapped temple as essential Indy material.

2. ”Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?” (”Raiders of the Lost Ark”) — 61%.  This is Indiana’s first on-screen encounter with the snakes he dreads as he descends into the snake-infested Well of Souls.

3.  Shooting the Swordsman (”Raiders of the Lost Ark”) — 40%.  Indy surprises a sword-wielding enemy with his gun in this comic scene.

4. Mine Cart Chase Scene (”Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”) — 30%.  Indy and friends speed through a mine shaft to escape the Thugee cult  members.

5.  Monkey Brains and Eye Soup (”Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”) — 20%.  Willie and Short Round choose from a menu of floating eyeballs,   crunchy bugs, snake surprise and monkey brains at the Pankot Palace.

Reckon these are the best? Which would you nominate?

Singer Ashlee Simpson and rocker Pete Wentz’s wedding last weekend had all the usual Hollywood glitz and secrecy attached but it seems the couple were well prepared for an un-Hollywood happy ending — walking down the aisle with a pre-nuptial agreement signed and sealed.  On Ryan Seacrest’s morning KIIS-FM radio show, Wentz, the bassist from Fall Out Boy, ’fessed up that the happy couple had signed a prenup agreement. While happy to talk about finances, when it came to rumors that Simpson was pregnant, Wentz was not so open.  Asked by Seacrest if they had picked out baby names, Wentz said: ”Ryan, this baby has not been confirmed. “