Here are some of the entertainment stories that dominated 2005:
1. Celebrity romance. Whether it was TomKat, Brangelina, Jessica and Nick or some other pairing, celebrities' love affairs kept the business busy and in many cases, inspired talk of how business (such as films and TV shows made by the involved parties) would be affected.
2. Box office. Yes, it was down. Yes, the movies — especially the spring and summer films — weren't very good. But the decline says more about the theater business than the movie business.
3. Brokeback Mountain. The gay cowboy movie has already won raves and a slew of awards, but it's also added fire to the culture wars.
4. Bye-bye, anchormen. Tom Brokaw left last year. Dan Rather signed off in March. Peter Jennings passed away in August. Ted Koppel finished his Nightline run in November. And the broadcast networks are trying to figure out the next step (though NBC, with Brian Williams, is probably feeling pretty good).
5. Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith. The final chapter was both the year's top-grossing film and surprise, a pretty good film (at least compared with the last two).
6. Michael Jackson. The self-proclaimed King of Pop was found not guilty, but his crown has become severely tarnished. Indeed, his problems go beyond declining record sales and he may lose his share of the Beatles catalog to pay off debt.
7. March of the Penguins. The cold birds from the bottom of the world found themselves hot and on top of the year's documentaries.
8. Harry Potter. The sixth volume in the book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, set a new record for a first printing. The fourth movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is the second-highest grossing movie of the year. The magic continues.
9. Johnny Carson and Richard Pryor. Two very different comedians, two towering influences the impish Carson and the caustic Pryor, passed away in 2005.
10. George Clooney. Directing kudos for Good Night, and Good Luck. Acting plaudits for Syriana. ER is now a long, long time ago.
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