Wicked fun

By Mark Shanahan & Paysha Rhone  |  October 9, 2008

We're not big on webisodes, but "High Drama: Against All Oz" is worth a look. The documentary-style show on TheWB.com is a compelling behind-the-scenes look at the Barnstable High School student production of "The Wizard of Oz." The cast, and their teacher John Sullivan, have gone from the stage to the small screen.

Hollywood sure finds Boston's Irish mob fascinating. Spike TV announced yesterday it's ordered up an untitled two-hour pilot about Whitey Bulger's bunch from MGM Television Entertainment, and it'll go into production soon with the goal of becoming a series. Walter Hill, whose credits include "48 Hrs.," "The Warriors," and, more recently, the award-winning western "Broken Trail," will direct the pilot, while Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White is producing. (White, familiar with Boston from his days at UMass, is also host of Spike TV's popular series "The Ultimate Fighter.") Scheduled to shoot in Boston this fall, the story centers on the explosive fallout that occurs when a Boston mob boss abruptly vacates his post and rival factions face off to fill the void. Casting the show is Sheila Jaffe, who's won numerous awards for her work on "Entourage."

Not to worry: Pats QB Tom Brady is not all by his lonesome as he recovers from surgery. Word is Gisele Bundchen flew to LA to tend to her boyfriend, whose left knee was surgically repaired Monday by orthopedist Neal ElAttrache. The good doctor's other patients include members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Sox's prospective World Series opponent.

OK, we admit it. We're just a little peeved that our invitation to hear rock star John Mayer speak at Berklee yesterday was rescinded at the last minute. (Turns out Mayer balked after the college invited the local media to sit in.) Is this not the guy who made out with Jennifer Aniston in a hotel swimming pool while the paparazzi snapped away? And now he doesn't want any love for spending a week helping students at his alma mater write and record their own music? We're baffled.

Looks like Juliana Hatfield and Ryan Adams are still going strong. Hatfield, who's been seeing the alt-country crooner for awhile, collaborated with Adams on the video for her new tune "I Picked You Up." (Adams, interestingly, has a tune called "Come Pick Me Up.") The grainy video, which you can see on MySpace and YouTube, is directed by Ryan's alter ego R2-D-Tune, and he even makes an appearance. We tried to reach Hatfield yesterday, but the former Blake Baby was bound for the UK, where she'll play Queen Elizabeth Hall Friday. Her publicist said it's premature to call Adams her boyfriend. What did she suggest instead? "Kindred soul." Adams's former girlfriends include Jessica Joffe and Mandy Moore.

In 'toon with bike safety
Lance Armstrong will pedal onto WGBH's "Arthur" Monday, playing a biker shorts-wearing bunny who gives Binky a lesson on bike safety and the power of voting. Boston's "bike czar," former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman, also pitched in behind the scenes to create the episode.

He hopes he'll always have Paris
With the back stabbing and raunchy insults, DUIs and calls from jail, who would want to be Paris Hilton's new best friend? Holden's Bryan Gallagher, that's who, and he's not alone. The criminal justice student at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester has joined a gaggle of sidekick hopefuls on the heiress's new reality show, "Paris Hilton's My New BFF." So far, he's escaped elimination and Hilton's "TTYN." (That's "talk to you never" in text speak.) But Gallagher (inset) did create some drama when he refused to get a makeover last week. Of course, he can't reveal what really happened out there in LA. But he did say Hilton was much nicer and more down-to-earth than he expected. "I just like how, even though everyone thinks she's an idiot, this dumb blond girl, she has an empire. She isn't even living off her parents, she has millions of her own," he said. "And," he added, "we still talk."

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