Favorite TV Show

NEW YORK — Katie Couric is leaving her anchor post at “CBS Evening News” less than five years after becoming the first woman to solely helm a network TV evening newscast.

A network executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Couric has not officially announced her plans, reported the move to the Associated Press on Sunday night. The 54-year-old anchor is expected to launch a syndicated talk show in 2012 and several companies are vying for her services.

Couric’s move from NBC’s “Today” show was big news in 2006, and she began in the anchor chair with a flourish that September. She tried to incorporate her strengths as an interviewer into a standard evening news format and millions of people who normally didn’t watch the news at night checked it out. B

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A star of one of television’s top sitcoms, Kaley Cuoco is hoping to make a big bang in the movies, too.

The young actress’ career has been centered on the home screen, thanks to regular roles on “8 Simple Rules” (still seen in repeats on ABC Family), “Charmed” (now rerun weekdays by TNT) and her biggest hit to date: CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” which is holding its own admirably at 8 p. m. Thursdays against Fox’s ratings juggernaut “American Idol.”

As Easter approaches, though, Cuoco is making a timely leap to the big screen. She’s in the cast of “Hop,” a fantasy-comedy arriving in theaters April 1. Courtesy of computer animatio

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On a rainy October day at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif., entrepreneurs hope to get funding to put their businesses on the fast track to success. But first, they must convince at least one of a panel of investors that they’re good bets.

On Friday, ABC premieres the second season of “Shark Tank,” adapted by reality mogul Mark Burnett from the British series “Dragons’ Den.” In both, investors consider whether to put their own money into businesses based on concepts ranging from brilliant to dubious.

For Burnett, who immigrated to Los Angeles as a young British military vet, this day has a personal connection.

“Around 2 p. m. today,” he sa

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American Idol may be having its best season … ever. Ratings are solid, contestants are terrific, and even Ryan Seacrest seems less annoying. How did this happen? Naturally, I have theories.

CONTESTANTS

This is a superlative group. The final 12 are all good, while the best of them -Pia Toscano, Casey Abrams and Jacob Lusk -are outstanding. The march to the finale has often revealed a contestant’s soft spots, lack of charisma or borderline talent, while Idol dressed up their failings and smothered them in production values. Not necessary so far.

JUDGES

Serious without the snark, lively without the silly and intelligent without the swagger.

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So Charlie Sheen says he is on a drug called Charlie Sheen. Can you imagine how long the commercial would have to be to list all the side effects of that?

One of them, apparently, is that those who talk to the “Two and a Half Men” star, whose hit CBS sitcom has shut down production for at least the rest of this season, seem to think they are the only ones doing it. It’s like some kind of Jedi mind trick. But maybe “exclusive” means something different when it concerns a guy with two live-in girlfriends.

“He’s on the air quite a bit these days,” CBS Corp. President and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves, one of the people with whom Sheen is publicly at odds, said Tuesday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and

Telecom Conference in San Francisco. “I wish he woul

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