(CNN) — Ringo Starr walks into the hotel suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel carrying a brown paper bag.

It’s his sack lunch, and he’s packed it himself. He’s also driven himself to the hotel and arrived alone — no entourage, no bodyguard, no assistant, no fuss.

It’s fitting that CNN’s interview with the iconic music star is taking place at an iconic hotel, which is like a second home to the former Beatle. This is where the Fab Four stayed when they first came to Hollywood in 1964, no doubt trailed by dozens of screaming girls and photographers as they ushered in the British Invasion.

James Farentino, a prolific character actor who in later years played George Clooney’s estranged father on “ER,” was originally said to have died last week following a long illness.

But that’s not the whole story, according to the death certificate released today by the L.A. County Department of Public Health and obtained by E! News.

What did the document reveal?

Another American is setting up residence at “Downton Abbey.”

ITV and Carnival films announced Monday that Shirley MacLaine is joining the U.K. series for its upcoming third season. The Oscar winner’s addition makes her the second American cast member (and character) on the British period drama.

She’s set to play Martha Levinson, the American mother of Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), and joins the cast as they begin shooting the new season next month.

Ryan Seacrest is getting his own TV network after all.

The multi-hyphenate, along with partners AEG and talent agency CAA, have struck a deal with billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban to rebrand his HDNET as AXS TV (pronounced Access) beginning this summer.

The channel’s programming lineup will rely heavily on live lifestyle and live entertainment fare, leveraging the music assets of AEG, a top venue owner and and tour promoter, and the A-list connections and production capabilities of Seacrest. As part of the rebrand, the network will cater to pop culture and entertainment enthusiasts rather than the younger, heavily-male demographic that HDNet historically has targeted. Cuban will continue to lead the channel on behalf of the venture, with Denver, Co.-based Philip Garvin still involved as general manager of network operations.

Jamie Lee Curtis is gearing up to shake things up both romantically and professionally for Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs on “NCIS” later this season.

“We haven’t touched on his personal life in awhile and we’re about to introduce a woman that’s going to get people going,” show boss Gary Glasberg told AccessHollywood.com on Wednesday at the Television Critics Association Winter Session 2012, when asked about future plans for the popular character. “Just look for Jamie Lee Curtis.”

Sick of watching that “Smurfs” DVD over and over again? Fear not, parents — 2012 offers a toybox full of animated and other movies for kids.

3-D is a controversial topic. The extra dimension jacks up ticket prices, some kids refuse to wear the special glasses, and often it doesn’t do much for a film but make it murkier. But we have high hopes for the 3-D conversion of two beloved movies this year. “Beauty and the Beast 3-D” comes out Jan. 13 and “Finding Nemo 3-D” swims into theaters Sept. 14. (3-D versions of “Monsters Inc” and “The Little Mermaid” are coming in 2013.)

She may be 89, but that doesn’t mean Betty White has stopped making new fans. To the likely surprise of TV Land network executives and Betty herself, her show “Hot in Cleveland” apparently has a strong adolescent following.

“Twelve-year-old boys!” White told Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford Tuesday on TODAY as she shared an interview with co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick. “It’s not a joke.”

White referred to getting fan mail that read, “I’m so-and-so and I’m 12, and my grandmother and I watch this show.”

CNN) — Remember the Muppets? Silly question — you’re old enough to read, so they probably helped teach you.

Back when I was kid, they were huge. “The Muppet Show” ran five seasons, 1976-1981, and spawned half a dozen film spin-offs.

The first Muppet movie (“More entertaining than humanly possible!”) boasted cameos by Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, Edgar Bergen, Milton Berle, Steve Martin and Richard Pryor — not to mention Orson Welles — a bill that positioned Kermit and company as the natural heirs to a half-century or more of prime-time vaudeville shtick.

But the brand has fallen into neglect, and it’s entirely possible that an otherwise pop savvy 10-year-old wouldn’t know his Scooter from his Waldorf. (“Fred the frog?” my son guessed, when I asked him to name one. “And isn’t there a pig?”)

It’s official!

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner have officially cemented their place in Hollywood.

We were there to watch the “Twilight” trio get their hands — and feet — dirty today at their Walk of Fame hand and footprint ceremony outside Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and boy, do we have plenty of Twi-scoop for you.

Why Kristen Stewart almost didn’t celebrate turning 21

So did cute couple Rob and Kristen show any signs of PDA during the momentous event?

After a 12-year sitcom absence, actor Tim Allen returned to primetime TV Tuesday night with his latest offering, “Last Man Standing” on ABC.

The role of Mike Baxter isn’t exactly a stretch for the actor. While he’s not playing a man’s man with a tool-related TV show, the former “Home Improvement” star is playing a man’s man with a video blog and a sporting-goods store.

See Allen in action in this clip from the first episode: