In real life, Zac Efron is just as cute -- maybe cuter -- than he is dancing and singing as Troy Bolton in Disney's wildly popular "High School Musical" movies.

That's the assessment from 10-year-old Eden Withers, who got a close look at Efron during a news conference at East High School to mark the filming of "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."

Her seat among a bunch of reporters came courtesy of her dad, who runs the Salt Lake City School District.

"I just really, really like the show, and I think Zac is cute," Eden said with a blushing giggle and grin.

"HSM3" began filming in Salt Lake City Saturday and opens in movie theaters Oct. 24.

The third installment finds basketball star Troy and pals Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad and Taylor facing graduation and choices about their future.

Will it be basketball or the theater? Will Troy and Gabriella stay a couple or split to attend different colleges?

Efron and co-stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman weren't dishing any secrets Friday, the last day of rehearsals.

Cast members claim they're not feeling pressure to top the success of the two previous films.

The franchise debuted in 2006 as a Disney Channel original movie and quickly became an international hit seen by more than 250 million viewers in 100 countries and 20 languages.

The sequel's August 2007 premiere was seen by 18.6 million viewers, becoming the top basic cable telecast of all time. Disney says the DVD release topped all sales records for 2007, and the movie's soundtrack went triple platinum.

"I kind of think of it as the third act," said Efron, whose turn as Troy opened the door to roles in other films. "This is the third movie. We're not looking to top anything, just to do it justice."

The only pressure, said Hudgens, is making the movie for the big screen, not TV.

(Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press)

Showtime has reaffirmed its commitment to comedy with a British accent, renewing Tracey Ullman's new series and picking up a project from Marc Wootton.

The premium cable network announced Friday that "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" will return for a second seven-episode season premiering in 2009.

The first season of "State of the Union," in which Ullman plays her usual tapestry of real and fictional characters, premiered in late March and drew 776,000 viewers for its first two episodes.

The Marc Wootton Project will be a six-episode alternative comedy series driven by character-driven sketches and will also premiere in 2009. The exact format and concept of the series has yet to be determined, but British audiences know Wootton for his comedy specials and for his starring role in the series "High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman."

On the comedy front, Showtime has the fourth season of "Weeds" and the series premiere of the U.K. transplant "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" set for a June 16 launch. The Golden Globe-winning "Californication" returns in the fall and Showtime is waiting to weigh the fates of high profile pilots "The United States of Tara" and an untitled Edie Falco comedy.

(Zap2it.com)

Superman won't have Lex Luthor to kick around anymore.

Michael Rosenbaum, who has played Clark Kent's antagonist on "Smallville" for the past seven seasons, is leaving the show at the end of the season. In a statement, the actor says he wants to "start the next chapter of my life and career."

"I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years, and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying," the statement says.

Buzz about Rosenbaum's possible departure from The CW's show has been circulating for a while now. The parting appears to be amicable, however, and there's a chance he could return as a guest star next season.

"It has been an honor and pleasure to work with Michael," The CW and the show's producers say. "He is one of the best actors on television and has never failed to bring a new layer to the character of Lex Luthor. While Michael won't be a series regular and we won't have the pleasure of working with him on a weekly basis this fall, we like to think that we haven't seen the last of Lex Luthor."

In the wake of Rosenbaum's departure, "Smallville" will introduce a pair of new villains for Clark (Tom Welling) to battle next season. One will be Doomsday, who in the DC Comics universe (from which the show remains mostly separate) killed Superman. The other will be a "dangerously sinister" woman whom Clark finds irresistible.

(Zap2it.com)

CMT has ordered eight episodes of "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling," an entirely self-explanatory show combining celebrities, wrestling and, of course, Hulk Hogan.

Hogan will star in the series and also serve as executive producer, teaming with producers Eric Bischoff and "Wonder Years" sibling Jason Hervey.

On the series, 10 adventurous celebrities will be trained and coached in the performance and skills of professional wrestling. They'll face regular challenges as well as elimination matches leading up to a championship match crowning the Celebrity All-Star Wrestling Champion.

CMT will premiere "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling" in fall 2008. The celebrity contestants will be announced at a later date.

(Zap2it.com)

ABC has canceled "Men in Trees," according to TV Guide.

"Trees" was moved all around the schedule in its brief two-year existence and was most recently yanked out of its 10 p.m. Wednesday time slot. The last three episodes of the series will air in that time period beginning May 28.

(Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)

Sci Fi Channel will air reruns of CBS's "Ghost Whisperer" beginning in fall 2009. ... U.S. Sen. John McCain will appear on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (11 p.m. weeknights, Comedy Central) on Wednesday. ... Comcast has given the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation a space on demand (under "Your Town" and "Give Back") to showcase children experiencing their wishes coming true.

(R.O.)