Kiss bassist Gene Simmons will lend his animated likeness to a new stop-motion comedy series that will debut next summer as part of Nickelodeon's 'Nick at Nite' programming. The show will follow a dentist and his family as they hit the open road in a toothbrush-topped "dental mobile."

"Michael Eisner is producing. I was asked to play me," Simmons writes of the series -- which will also star 'Weeds' veteran Kevin Nealon -- on Kissonline. The show is about a family whose house burned down, so they get into their motor home and travel the country. The script is very funny."

In related news, Simmons' bandmate Paul Stanley will put his artwork on display in two New Jersey galleries in late February. Stanley will participate in VIP receptions at Wentworth Gallery's Hackensack and Short Hills locations on February 27 and 28, respectively.

Although personal computers were still a few years off at the time of his death 28 years ago, John Lennon can now be seen in a new television campaign that supports "One Laptop per Child." Through the use of digital technology, Lennon posthumously supports an initiative to deliver tough, solar-powered XO laptop computers to the world's poorest children.

"Imagine every child, no matter where in the world they were, could access a universe of knowledge," says a voice and video image of Lennon. "They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want." In a variation on the lyrics to his 1971 classic 'Imagine,' the digitized Lennon continues: "I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop, and more than imagine, you can change the world."

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, approved the public-service announcement, which began airing on Christmas Day. The commercial will be shown on donated broadcast and cable television time. The One Laptop per Child Foundation was founded in 2005 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It started producing the XO laptop in late 2007 at a manufacturing cost of less than $200 per machine.

Franz Ferdinand just wrapped up a brief string of U.S. dates in support of their third album, 'What She Came For,' due in January, but the Scottish four-piece will be back soon.

While the band will likely be doing promo spots on late night television upon their return this Spring, one place you probably won't catch them is on 'Dancing With the Stars,' even if the program borrowed their 2004 hit single 'Take Me Out' for a celebrity rumba earlier this fall.

"Really?" guitarist Nick McCarthy guffawed when Spinner clued him in. "I think it's absolutely hilarious. We still see ourselves as left of center and it's always quite funny to be on like ultra mainstream TV. I like it!"

The Foo Fighters will be featured on a special Thanksgiving-themed edition of the Bravo hit TV show 'Top Chef.' Frontman Dave Grohl serves as a guest judge on the episode, titled 'Foo Fighters' Thanksgiving,' which airs Nov. 26. Grohl and his bandmates shot their appearance with star chef Grant Achatz during a Rochester, N.Y. tour stop this past summer.

In advance of the appearance, the band will release their 18-song DVD 'Live at Wembley Stadium' on Nov. 18. The project -- which boasts guest appearances by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page -- was shot on June 6 and 7 in London .

As for Thanksgiving with the Foos, we're picturing a lot of snickers and innuendos with any mention to stuffing the turkey.

Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is developing a series for HBO, tentatively titled 'Scar Tissue,' which will be based on his unconventional, rock 'n' roll childhood.

The series will focus on Kiedis' relationship with his father who sold drugs to the likes of the Who and Led Zeppelin. "[My father] introduced me to the arts, to a more culturally magnificent life," Kiedis told Daily Variety. "But some of it was this heavy, adult matter that I wasn't quite capable of digesting."

"It was a very rich but kind of challenging period of my life. I was thrust into this adult mentality by age 11," Kiedis added. Hollywood veterans Marc Abrams and Michael Benson ('Entourage') approached Kiedis for the project after Benson read the singer's autobiography.

As the voice of Mr. Burns on 'The Simpsons,' Harry Shearer kind of owns the Republican Party. At least, in the cartoon he does. Speaking in character, Mr. Burns (err, Shearer), tells Spinner that Bush "is one of mine." Shearer also plays Ned Flanders, Smithers, Rev. Lovejoy and Scratchy, all of whom have varying political views. But Shearer isn't just a bag of cartoon voices -- he's also a Grammy nominated musician. His first band, heavy metal wash-ups Spinal Tap, were well-documented in a 1984 mockumentary (Shearer went by the stage name Derek Smalls), and his folk alter-ego Mark Shubb starred in the 2003 mockumentary 'A Mighty Wind.'

His wife, singer-songwriter Judith Owen, told him that if he was going to play "funny music," it would have to still hold its own musically. Shearer's latest release, 'Songs of the Bushmen,' is a collection of songs written from the perspective of various members of Bush's posse -- Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzalez, etc. "The poignancy comes from the fact that I'm not just standing there throwing rocks at these people," says Shearer, who advertised the album on 'The Drudge Report.' "I'm trying to write from inside their character about how I imagine they feel now. These are people who had a lot of pride, some would say hubris, and who are seeing the whole project end in shambles."

So, any chance we'll ever see Spinal Tap cover these songs? "No," says Shearer. "Too many chords."

Wilco have added some headlining dates to their jaunt as Neil Young's support act, and this Thursday will test their wits on Comedy Central as musical guests on 'The Colbert Report.' Wilco, of course, are no strangers to the small screen: they named their 2005 double-live CD 'Kicking Television.'

Wilco are also no strangers to the democratic process. The band continues to offer a free MP3 download of Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' -- performed live with the Fleet Foxes -- to anybody who pledges to vote in next week's election. "Tweedy" write-ins are legally allowed ... but probably not encouraged.

Meanwhile, Wilco will perform at a special 'Concert for Change' in Madison, Wisconsin, this Saturday before heading up to Canada with Neil Young and Everest. Here's hoping they remembered to mail in their absentee ballots.

Ozzy Osbourne's clan will return to TV on Fox this January for what's being billed as a variety series. But Ozzy's not a fan of the "V" word. "The word variety sticks in my throat," he tells Spinner. "It's not like we're Sonny and Cher or something."

Details on the show have been tight-lipped, but Kelly Osbourne says that viewers shouldn't expect a lot of big-name guests. "It's not so much a celebrity-based show -- it's more audience participation," she says. "We can call up anyone in my mom's phone book and you would have a great show. But we wanted it to be more than that."

While Jack Osbourne has said in the past that the family's hit MTV series "tarnished the public perception of my dad," Ozzy isn't worried about this venture. "It's work," he says. "I'm hoping for success, but it's good to have the family back again, working together."

Ozzy's Outrageous Rider

Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson isn't wasting any time going to the big leagues for her first foray into acting, playing Terminator Catherine Weaver on the Fox series 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.'

"It's very, very surreal," Manson, who is friends with the wife of series creator Josh Friedman, tells Spinner. In fact, Manson thought it was a joke when Friedman's wife initially approached her about a part. "Then later on it turned out that he was interested in me playing a Terminator, at which point I got very excited and jumped at the opportunity."

Manson, who made her debut this past Monday on the season premiere, also doubled as vocalist, contributing the a cover of 'Samson and Deliah.' But she admitted she was very hesitant to sing on the show. "I didn't want to remind the audience I was a singer," she says. "I knew that would create difficulties for me."

'Pot Kettle Black,' Tilly & the Wall

Last night's highly anticipated, two-hour premiere of the new '90210' was punctuated by many a musical moment. But the most significant one arrived when Omaha indie poppers Tilly & the Wall performed 'Pot Kettle Black,' the first single off this year's 'o,' at Naomi's (AnnaLyne McCord) sweet sixteen party. So we hooked up with the group's resident tapdancer (yes!), Jamie Pressnal, to talk about the unlikely collaboration and hear about her favorite 'Beverly Hills, 90210' episode ever.

How did this whole thing come about?
The producers contacted our label and wanted to fly us in for a performance. We were already on tour and about to be in L.A., so we ended up filming just a few days later. It was complete crazy scheduling for a few days, but so awesome and totally worth it.

Are you/were you a fan of the show?
Umm, funny you should ask. Yes! I would have '90210' parties at my house every week. It was honestly a dream of mine to play the Peach Pit, so when we got the call I could not believe it -- I feel like my life has come full circle. [Laughs]