JACKIE Collins is in the country, you'd realise that, being the television addicts you clearly are.
She's been on everything ndash; she's got a new book, Drop Dead Beautiful, and she's been working the room selling that. Books, schmooks .

. . Isn't it time for something fabulous from Miss Collins that we can all watch on television?

Such as Hollywood Wives? Do we all remember Hollywood Wives? Anthony Hopkins having a heart attack on top of Suzanne Somers?

Fantastic. That'd be the scene that got him his knighthood. So anyway, she's working on a series for Fremantle Media, the people behind, well, everything, she's signed the deal and she's got the title ndash; Rich Girls.

Two heiresses in Hollywood ndash; this is Collins' description, by the way ndash; they go to all the hot spots, get photographed all the time, have their porno tapes stolen, and then their father gets murdered and suddenly they're no longer rich girls, they're poor girls ndash; dad spent all the money, including their trust fund, before he died.
Hollywood heiresses? Stolen porno tapes?

Wherever does she come up with her material? The plan is it'll be 22 episodes and end at that point, not go on and on like Home and Away or something. Not that it will be anything like Home and Away, you wouldn't think.

So there's that, plus maybe adaptations of her books American Star and Hollywood Divorces, though that's not solid yet. She sounds quite busy really, for someone who could just have manicures all day and think about how she'll ever get through all that money she's made.
Who would we cast in Rich Girls?

I'd have Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rachael Carpani from McLeod's Daughters as the sisters, Naomi Robson as the mother, Gary Sweet as the dead father. Unless they're after a big pre-sale, in which case you'd have to go with Toni Collette as the mother, to get that big fat international market, and perhaps Abbie Cornish as one of the sisters, she'd still be reasonably affordable. There.

Channel 10, do you think?
The other very important thing to tell you is, Grumpy Old Men repeats on UKTV tonight. Eight o'clock.

Maybe go to the Grumpy Old Women matinee at QPAC, come home for a lie down and a few wines, or maybe the other way round, and watch this over a nice plate of cheese on toast eaten off your lap.
What is Di Butler s email address? I want to write thank her for being so wonderfully ascerbic in her pieces.

I espeically enjoy the videos. You rock, Di!
Posted by: Sandy Smith of Chicago 6:46am May 04, 2007 We welcome your comments on this story.

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