Whew, that was nerve-wracking, right? All those kids and staircases, pillow fights, candles and dancing. But somehow the cast and crew of NBC's three-hour live telecast of "The Sound of Music" pulled it off Thursday night with only a trodden-on dress, some inconsistent sound levels and a flubbed few words.

This was the first time in more than a half-century since a broadcast network dared to mount a full-scale musical for live TV and there seemed to be danger everywhere, making it impossible to stop watching in case one of the von Trapp kids tumbled into a fountain or a camera accidentally exploded. But it was all whiskers on kittens and warm woolen mittens, for the most part.

The "X-Men" franchise will get another boost in 2016 with the release of "X-Men: Apocalypse."

Director and producer Bryan Singer hinted at the next installment via Twitter on Thursday when he wrote, "#Xmen #Apocalypse 2016!"

Written by Anthony Sargon

Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) has accomplished something truly wonderful with “Her”. The film, which touches on many themes such as loneliness, love, and technology, deftly blends emotion, humor, and reflection to deliver a truly original experience. The film also features superb performances from a dedicated cast, and it’s hands-down one of the best films of the year, and Jonze’s most complete film to date.

Elton John is to play a concert in Moscow on Friday during which he has vowed to raise the issue of Russia's legal crackdown on gay rights.

The British singer told CNN last month that he was "going to say something from the stage that's... going to be meaningful" when he plays two dates in Russia, in Moscow on Friday and the Volga city of Kazan on Saturday.

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson admitted in court Wednesday that she had taken cocaine, but denied being a habitual user. She accused her ex-husband of trying to "destroy" her, during a lacerating day of testimony that laid bare a materially affluent but deeply troubled marriage.

Lawson said her former husband Charles Saatchi, a millionaire art collector, spread drug rumors about her after he was photographed gripping her throat outside Scott's restaurant in London. The widely published image ignited harsh criticism of Saatchi and was soon followed by their divorce in July.

A rare collection of Bruce Lee memorabilia will go on sale in Hong Kong on Thursday, 40 years after the kung fu icon's death, including the famous yellow-and-black tracksuit from his final movie.

Auction house Spink China estimated the 14-lot Bruce Lee 40th anniversary collection will fetch "more than HK$1 million" ($130,000) in total, when it goes on sale at 1000 GMT.

She's showing far more leg than would be appropriate for a monarch, but Queen Elizabeth II was still a teenage princess when she was photographed in fancy dress during private royal pantomimes in the 1940s.

The pictures of the young royal and her little sister Margaret dressed up in wigs and costumes for performances of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin have been made public ahead of their auction in Britain on December 11.

Orchid is growing on us: A version of the purple hue is Pantone Inc.'s color of the year for 2014.

It follows this year's pick of emerald green.

British journalist Martin Bashir announced Wednesday he was quitting US news broadcaster MSNBC after he made crude on-air remarks about former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Bashir, who took time off from the cable news channel after his comments last month, said in a statement that he had given his resignation after reflection.

"Fast and Furious" star Paul Walker died of "traumatic and thermal injuries" in a fiery car crash, coroners said Wednesday, as the franchise's makers said they were shutting down production at least temporarily.

Walker, 40, was killed Saturday when he was in the passenger seat of a red Porsche sports car driven by his friend Roger Rodas in the Californian city of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles.