Torchwood, the hit spin-off of the everlasting British sci-fi series Doctor Who, has a very special episode this week. This Saturday, Torchwood team member, computer whiz and occasional odd-girl out Toshiko Sato has a close encounter of the lesbian kind. Set your DVRs, girls.

Feeling a little lonely and underappreciated, Tosh meets a sassy blond named Mary in, where else? A bar. Mary has a gift and a secret for Tosh, played with consistent awesomeness by Naoko Mori, whom you might not recognize as the actress who played Sarah, Saffy's friend on Absolutely Fabulous.

Sci-fi fans probably already know a little BBC hit called Torchwood, a spin-off of the series Doctor Who. Torchwood (an anagram for Doctor Who, because yeah, they are that geeky), follows the adventures of an elite special ops team as they investigate alien phenomenon in the city of Cardiff, Wales — which, as any intergalatic tourist book will tell you, is the place to be if you're an alien looking for a time-space rift.

Now available on BBC America, the same broadcaster that brings shows from across the pond with names like Drunk on the Job and Love Me, Love My Doll (don't you just love the programming people at the BBC?), Torchwood doesn't offer just fast-paced stories, alien gadgetry and quippy dialogue delivered with neat-o accents.

Because the show features a multi-omni-pan-whatever-sexual leader named Captain Jack, played by an openly out actor (John Barrowman), it's being recapped over on our brother site, AfterElton.com. But the story lines delve into very fluid ideas of sexuality for all the Torchwoodies. Take Episode 2, "Day One," for example.

Last week, it was announced that Oscar-winning actress, human rights activist and AfterEllen.com Hot 100 lister Susan Sarandon will play the role of Grandma Lynn in the film adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones. And what lovely bones they are.

The Lovely Bones tells the story of 14-year-old Susie, who, after being murdered by her neighbor, watches from heaven as her family deals with her death. Newcomer Saoirse Ronan will play Susie, with Ryan Gosling and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz as Susie's grief-stricken parents. Sarandon will play Susie's grandmother, who moves in with the family after the murder.

The Lovely Bones will be directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy), who also directed Heavenly Creatures, the creepy 1994 film based on a notorious 1954 New Zealand murder committed by two teenage girls. The girls, Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet (a young Kate Winslet), kill Pauline's mother when they learn she intends to separate them because their friendship seems just a tad obsessive. Guess she was right.

Pop diva Annie Lennox announced recently that her fourth solo album, Songs of Mass Destruction, which drops October 2, will include one track featuring vocal contributions from 23 other female singers. Perhaps you've heard of some of them: Melissa Etheridge, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Celine Dion, Stacy Ferguson, Faith Hill, Pink, Dido, Gladys Knight, kd lang, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Joss Stone and KT Tunstall.

It's Lilith Fair compressed into four minutes and without the messy sunscreen.

With 23 other stars, the song, a feminist anthem entitled, "Sing," could possibly be a truncated version of the title, "Sing, or Just Mouth the Words — No One's Gonna Know the Difference."

Although it remains to be heard whether any one artist gets a line or two of her own, the cause is definitely worthwhile. "Sing" will benefit Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a movement fighting for human rights, education and health care for those affected by and living with AIDS/HIV.

There's another album already called Songs of Mass Destruction — a 1993 release by a Swedish duo called Devoid. But with songs like "Drug Womb" and "Go to Hell" on the Devoid album, I doubt there will be much confusion as to which one is Annie's.

Michelle Rodriguez says she's normal — not normal as it's defined in the real world, mind you. She's Hollywood-normal.

The Lost star was recently captured on video by paparazzi as she was leaving the L.A. celebspot Teddy's. The "reporters" followed her and her silent, butchy sidekick to their car, asking burning questions such as what she was drinking that night. Answer: "Water, tonic water, orange juice, ya know, all that good stuff that comes naturally out of the ground." So that's where orange juice comes from.

One of the most common traits people list in the "about me" section of their online profiles is "I like to laugh." Really? Gee, you're special!

Well, if you like to laugh, you'll want to catch Oxygen's 50 Funniest Women Alive countdown show, which premieres this Saturday night. The special will feature never-before-seen interviews and clips of hilarity from sitcom players, stand-ups, movie stars and sketch comedians such as Ellen Degeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Mo'nique and Teri Hatcher.

Teri Hatcher? Uh, what? Was Kathy Lee Gifford not available?

Okay, Teri Hatcher is a fine actress - Desperate Housewives fans please stand down. But if we're talking about the top, the best of the best, I have to object. Other "funniest women" on the show (according to the website): Amanda Bynes, Regina King, Chelsea Handler. What? No Carol Burnett, Roseanne Barr, Kathy Najimy or Wanda Sykes?

Comedy has historically been the playground of men- any list of top comics (usually compiled by a man) is usually so bereft of women, you can count their names on one hand. I'd expect a better list from a women's network.

It's not clear whether Carol and Wanda made the cut-all 50 names aren't shown on the website. We can only hope.

Meanwhile, here are some of my picks, were it up to me.

Can I just say that actress Paz Vega is hotter than Madrid in August?

Although she's co-starred in numerous films in her native Spain, it wasn't until she landed the role of Flor in the James L. Brook's film, Spanglish, that American audiences got a proper introduction to Paz

Speaking of hot, here's a print ad she did for Magnum ice cream bars that had Spanish conservatives hot under the collar.

Foro Español de la Familia, Spain's Catholic watchdog group, found the lesbian undertones of the ad campaign offense, which only makes me love it more.

If you remember Members Only jackets, big hair and the musical stylings of the Cars, A Flock of Seagulls, and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, you'll appreciate this. Drew Barrymore threw friend and production partner Nancy Juvonen an '80s-themed birthday party at her house last week.

Sounds like it was more fun than a can of Diet Coke and a mouthful of Pop Rocks.

Guests were treated to prom-style photos upon their arrival. Here, Courtney Love shows off her prom finery, complete with the most important accessory: a date in a powder-blue tux and white bucks.

They say everyone has a twin. Maybe every time you're out at a particular bar or restaurant, someone mistakes you for some other girl? I used to go to a club and every now and then, random women would come up to me and say, "Hi, Kim!" Who the hell was Kim? I never did find out.

My current twin doesn't so much look like me as think like me. Exactly like me. You know who you are. When you and your twin are both famous, we end up with this: a list of celebrities who were separated at birth.

Evangeline Lilly and Jessica Biel
They can star in a new series called Lost in 7th Heaven

Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz
Am I the only one who was confused which one was which all the way through Bandidas?

Alicia Silverstone's new favorite hobby is opening her fridge. No, she hasn't become a binge eater — she's just gone a little loopy since becoming (ugh) a housewife. Marriage to a man will do that to you, I guess.

In a recent interview with Britain's OK! magazine, the star of Clueless gushed, "One of my favorite things to do with my husband is open up the refrigerator ... I'll take everything out of the refrigerator while he turns on the basketball game or the football game or whatever game is on. And I start organizing what needs to be eaten first."

Stars live very different lives from you and me.

With no big hit since forever and looks that don't last indefinitely, you'd think Alicia's time would be better spent pursuing acting jobs, not cataloging her crisper. Call me crazy.

If that title doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will.

In a recent interview with pr.com, adult film star, best-selling author and self-made millionaire Jenna Jameson threw her, uh, support behind Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Just what every politician covets: an endorsement from a porn star.

"I love Hillary ... I think that it would be a step in the right direction for our country, and there would be less focus on war and more focus on bettering society," Jameson said, without a shred of irony.

About a month ago, Dorothy Snarker gave you the news about Amber Benson's new film, Race You to the Bottom. Well, the reviews are in, and it should be no surprise to Benson fans that she's pretty much the only good thing about the movie.

The New York Times said, "Ms. Benson is a lovely actress with a vulnerability that can be extremely touching, but she enjoyed more chemistry with Alyson Hannigan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer than she does with Mr. [Cole] Williams."

Duh. And that's why the Times is my favorite newspaper.

Summer is almost upon us, and you know what that means. Well, if you're me, it means a jacked electric bill because of my incessant need for air conditioning.

But summer also means summer concerts. In the coming months, you can catch Queen Latifah, Nelly Furtado, Norah Jones, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour, Bjork, India.Arie, and, of course, the Indigo Girls.

Every time a performer hits the road, a contract is written between the artist and the venue. The best parts of these contracts are the riders: the list of performers' demands to make the road seem less hellish. Whether it be fresh flowers, obscure beer or clean socks, you'd better believe they get what they want.

Courtesy of the Smoking Gun, here are a few highlights from some female artists' tour riders. (For clearer images and full riders, click the artist's name or the rider excerpt to go to the Smoking Gun site.)

Back in December, we brought you the news that the classic comic Archie would be getting a makeover. The plan was to update everything from the gang's hair to their wardrobe — everything, that is, except their Goody Two-shoes. Archie Comics' publisher Michael Silberkleit said last year: "The characters will still wear seat belts. There'll be no smoking. Nobody is going to break the law. It's going to be the same thing from dear old Riverdale that we know and love."

Oh, really?

"Bad Boy Trouble" is the newest story line for BFFs, sometime rivals and newly fashionable Betty and Veronica. When rebel Nick St. Clair roars into Riverdale on his cartoon Harley, Veronica is all over that boymeat. And true to teen drama form, the (surely platonic) hookup quickly alienates the gang, especially Betty. Can Betty and Veronica's friendship withstand this new interloper? Is Nick the hottie of Veronica's dreams or just another player with a bad soul patch and too much hair product? You're on the edge of your seat, aren't you?

I don't know where I've been, but I just read that one of my favorite lesbian films, Desert Hearts, is coming out with a "Two-Disc Vintage Collection" on June 5, 2007.

The new release will contain never-before-seen footage of one of the best love scenes ever captured on film, new commentary by lesbian director Donna Deitch, and new interviews with Deitch and stars Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau.