British replacing CBS?

Has it come down to this?

First, CBS does Rathergate/Memogate. Then we get Gannongate. Let's not forget Judgegate with Brian Williams and NBC. Now we get Bondgate! The British press has flipflopped on who gets the role as James Bond. It's Pierce Brosnan, it's Daniel Craig, no, we really don't know. Well, start doing your job by reporting correctly so I don't feel like Lewis Black when I blog for Pete's sake.

The entertainment columnists make my job harder when I do humor on this blog...but on the wrong headline because they couldn't WAIT to report the news. Oh, it's a false alarm but they reported it anyway. If you can't get the facts straight then WAIT!

A day after a British newspaper reported that British actor Daniel Craig had been chosen to take on 007's mantel from Pierce Brosnan, Hollywood media suggested that Brosnan may not be turning in his Walther PPK pistol after all.

Industry bible Daily variety quoted US sources as saying that the 37-year-old Craig was "no more of a certainty than other candidates" that reportedly include British actors Clive Owen and Dominic West.

The daily instead cited rumours that Bond producers had "patched things up with former 007 Pierce Brosnan and were negotiating a two-picture 40-million-dollar deal for him to reprise his role as the dapper spy."

But it also cited further speculation that Brosnan had only signed on to make one more Bond film to give producers a chance to find a new star.

Producers and distributors of the hugely-successful Bond franchise however declined to comment.

"Nothing official has been announced yet," said Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios spokesman Peter Peterson. "We are in the same position as you," he told AFP. But you do know, you work for the company that does the hiring! I feel like Lewis Black...

Brosnan's publicist Jennifer Allen also declined to confirm any of the conflicting stories surrounding her client.

No announcement of the next Bond is likely to be made until Sony Pictures completes its take-over of MGM later this month, industry sources said.

The 52-year-old Irish actor Brosnan announced last July that he would abandon his starring role as Bond after four smash hits as the suave spy.

Bond producers, Eon Productions, and distributors MGM launched a worldwide search for the next Bond.

The names of Oscar-nominated British actor Clive Owen, Britons Jude Law and Ewan McGregor and Australians Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana soon hit the headlines, but no star was announced.

But website Darkhorizons.com said Craig had denied being asked and that Brosnan was very likely to return as Bond. It said all the talk of him quitting was a negotiating ploy.

Why does the British press mimic the American press now? Get your facts straight, WAIT! If you want JImmy Fallon and all you get is Seth Meyers, WAIT! If you want Senator Zell Miller and all you get is Will Forte, WAIT! If you want to quote Jon Stewart and all you can get is me, WAIT! Jon will not answer as quickly as I do but WAIT! Now I feel like Chris Rock...