Courtesy of Travolta Family

John Travolta and Kelly Preston have left the Bahamas and returned to the U.S. along with the cremated remains of their 16-year-old son, Jett.

The couple, along with 8-year-old daughter Ella Bleu, left the islands Monday night after the autopsy was complete and returned with their son's ashes to their home in Ocala, Fla.

Travolta's publicist has announced that a memorial service for Jett is being planned for Thursday, and the town is already preparing to help the family with whatever special arrangements they may need for the occasion.

"We're assuming they'll have a lot of friends and family coming in, we're not quite sure who, that will need help moving around town," Ocala Mayor Randy Ewers told E! News. "We have the police department available, and the sheriff's department is working with them."

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Stephen Colbert found himself a Robin to his Batman...at least for one day.

On Monday's episode of The Colbert Report—the first of the new year—the comic announced a new format, one that included former Fox Newser Alan Colmes, the liberal half of the recently separated Hannity & Colmes for 12 years. He called the experiment "Colbert & Colmes" and introduced a new animated set of credits that featured the host plucking Colmes from his front pocket.

The sidekick was invited to a seat behind the desk that kept him perched a good foot shorter than Colbert and received a list of approved responses, including "Boom goes the dynamite" and "Hamburger, you're good." To remind his pal who was boss, photo graphics regularly landed over Colmes' face.

Toward the end, the pairing went up in smoke, literally. An argument began after Colmes pointed out several mistakes in a metaphor the Emmy winner made. The newcomer then turned into a bat and flew away, shouting, "Boo-yah! Colmes away!"

20th Century Fox; Warner Bros. Entertainment

Indy, we hardly knew ya.

Comic book-based blockbusters The Dark Knight, Iron Man and Hellboy II: The Golden Army lead the list of seven semifinalists in the running for this year's Best Visual Effects Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

Also making the cut: Australia, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and two Brendan Fraser-powered flicks, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Journey to the Center of the Earth (which is gunning to be the first 3-D movie to be nominated in this category).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Cloverfield and two other superhero opuses—Hancock and The Incredible Hulk—were among the surprise snubs. The films were among 15 short-listed last month.

On Jan. 15, the Academy will screen 15-minute reels from the contenders, and then a panel of experts will whittle the field down to a final three. (The screenings at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater are open to the public).

Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards will be unveiled Jan. 22, with the ceremony taking place exactly one month later.

AP Photo / Tammie Arroyo

Ed McMahon has been dogged by legal hassles for months now. Now his dog's taking revenge.

An unnamed process server turned up at Chez McMahon on Saturday to deliver the financially challenged Ed a new batch of legal papers.

But when the man knocked on the door, the former Tonight Show sidekick's wife, Pamela, allegedly unleashed the family's bloodthirsty hound, er, poodle on him.

While the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control verified that the process server did suffer a bite on his right knee and that an investigation has been opened into the poodle attack, McMahon's rep appears unconcerned.

"Dog bites man is not news," quips über-publicist Howard Bragman. "Call me back when it's man bites dog."

Or better yet, McMahon.

Amazon.com

Here's some news that may make your ponyhawk hair stand even more on end.

After nearly two years away from the inexplicable spotlight he and his flowing locks once inhabited, former American Idol punch line contestant Sanjaya Malakar is seeking out those last few minutes of fame left over from the 15 he managed to acquire by unleashing a new EP on the world titled Dancing to the Music in My Head.

The five tracks that comprise this little gem won't be available for download until Jan. 20 via Amazon, but feel free to go there now for a preview if your morbid curiosity absolutely needs satisfying.

Lisa O'Connor/ZUMAPress.com, Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Alyssa Milano isn't the Boss. She's the bride!

The Charmed actress and CAA talent agent David Bugliari became engaged Dec. 18 after dating for more than a year, her rep tells E! News.

Milano, who recently was featured in a nine-episode arc on My Name Is Earl, was once engaged to Party of Five star Scott Wolf and had an 11-month marriage to singer-songwriter Cinjun Tate in 1999.

No word yet on a wedding date...or an appearance by Tony Danza.

Shreveport Police Department

Looks like there'll be no need for a presidential pardon for this W. crew.

Prosecutors in Shreveport, La., have reached a deal with attorneys for Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, agreeing to drop all charges stemming from their highly publicized July bar brawl.

Cindy Kemp, spokeswoman for the Shreveport City Court, tells E! News that as long as the actors and five others accept "district attorney's probation" and stay out of further trouble, all misdemeanor counts against the group will be dismissed at their next court date, scheduled for March 11.

The W. gang was out celebrating the wrap of the Oliver Stone biopic at the Stray Cats bar when cops were called to break up a disturbance in the early hours of July 12, 2008. Brolin, the celluloid commander in chief, tried to talk cops out of arresting a drunk crew member, but he and Wright, who plays Colin Powell in the movie, wound up getting pepper sprayed and arrested for interfering with an officer.

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