The Year in Entertainment
— -- 2006 was a tumultuous year in entertainment, to say the least. From celebrity couples to celebrity babies, YouTube and Chuck Norris, "Nightline" revisits the biggest entertainment stories of the year.
The Screen
First, "Nightline" brings you the stars, the marquee names that have been in the spotlight this year.
The 78th annual Academy Awards marked first-time nominations for two actors; Terrence Howard, star of last year's critically acclaimed "Hustle and Flow," and actress Keira Knightly for her role in a new version of "Pride and Prejudice."
On television, "Grey's Anatomy" remained one of the top shows of the year, noted as much for its race-blind casting as its on-set antics.
And in the music world, Beyonce, former front girl for the group Destiny's Child, continued her climb to success, scoring a huge role as Deena in "Dreamgirls." She celebrated her 25th birthday while her famous boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, ended his brief retirement, to release his new CD, "Kingdom Come."
The Internet
2006 also witnessed the explosion of new media, most notably Internet video -- and a lot of the focus was on YouTube.com. Whether it was someone's dad singing Tango, or Keira Knightly playing "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" on her teeth, YouTube was everywhere. The buzz only got bigger when Internet giant Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion.
One of the biggest hits on YouTube turned into a sensation all its own. For months the sad stories of a quiet video blogger using the name 'lonelygirl15' captivated Internet audiences, who later learned that 16-year-old Bree was actually not a real person, but a character being played by 19-year-old Jessica Rose, an aspiring actress from New Zealand.
And, of course, 2006 brought us new ways to keep tabs on our favorite celebrities. TMZ.com became an online celebrity tabloid sensation with a number of scoops, including the police report of Mel Gibson's now notorious arrest and anti-Semitic rant.
The Comebacks
Finally, we recognize the comebacks, the characters and stories who found new life in 2006.
Chuck Norris enjoyed a resurgent cult following for his movies and hit 90s television series, "Walker: Texas Ranger," along with the proliferation of Chuck Norris "facts" on the Internet. His favorite? "When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn't push up, he pushes the earth down."
New York got a second look when a new production of "A Chorus Line" debuted. The original was the longest-running Broadway musical when it closed its doors in 1990. Across the pond, it was 80s phenomenon "Dirty Dancing" getting a second chance with a new London musical that had raked in $20 million in advance ticket sales before it opened.
And not to be forgotten, some old American idols proved they still had what it takes. Lionel Richie was as surprised as anyone that his 80s classics were still unbelievably popular in Iraq of all places. And Barry Manilow, oh Barry, hit the top of the charts again with an album of love songs.