THR's Top 50 Power Showrunners; Universal Backs Off 'Tower Heist' VOD Test; CW Goes on Pickup Spree; CBS Winning Season So Far; 'Big Year' Review

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TOP STORIES Top 50 Power Showrunners 2011 THR's fourth annual list shines a spotlight on the 50 most influential -- and valuable -- creative chiefs writing, producing and redefining television. Seth MacFarlane Secretly Wants 'Family Guy' to End; Relaunch 'Star Trek' for TV In the new Showrunners issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the man behind Fox’s multi-billion dollar animated empire reveals ambivalence about his flagship series’ future, likens Disney to a concentration camp, talks "Simpsons" salary woes. 'Secret Circle,' 'Hart of Dixie' Picked Up for Full Seasons on the CW The news comes after the network picks up "Ringer"; the full orders solidify the network's Kevin Williamson and Josh Schwartz lineups. Universal Backs Off 'Tower Heist' Premium VOD Test Facing the threat of boycotts, the studio delays the experiment, which would have made Brett Ratner's Ben Stiller-Eddie Murphy action comedy available in homes for $59.99 three weeks after the movie opens. TV Ratings: CBS Is No. 1 Network for First Three Weeks of Season ABC sinks to a third-place tie with NBC, while Fox registers the biggest year-over-year increase. FILM REVIEW: 'The Big Year' This film, starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, may not do for birds what director David Frankel's last film, "Marley & Me," did for dogs, but there's a similar current of warmth and appreciation for the effect of animals on people to be felt, writes Todd McCarthy. MOVIES FILM REVIEW: 'The Thing' Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton, this reboot of two famous sci-fi thrillers falls short of its predecessors, writes THR's Todd McCarthy.  'Avatar' Is The Most Pirated Movie of All Time The 20th Century Fox film has been downloaded 21 million times since its 2009 release, according to a new study. Here's a full list of the top 10 most pirated films. EXCLUSIVE: Participant Media Boarding Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' The company will co-finance the DreamWorks movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field. Fox Moves Ahead With New 'Die Hard' and 'Percy Jackson' Films "A Good Day to Die Hard" opens on Valentine's Day in 2013; "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" launches over the Easter holiday in 2013. VIDEO: Pedro Almodovar on 'The Skin I Live In' The Spanish two-time Oscar winner has been one of the most internationally famous non-American filmmakers in the world for the past quarter-century.  TV Renee Zellweger, Lifetime Team for Hollywood Period Drama Network topper Nancy Dubuc calls the project a "game changer" for the female-skewing cabler.   Jennifer Granholm's Current Program Will be 'Entertaining' But 'Thoughtful' Current co-founder and former Vice President Al Gore also will contribute to key election coverage for the network.  EXCLUSIVE: 'Castle' Producer, ABC Developing David Blaine Thriller Alexi Hawley will pen the project with "My Generation's" Warren Littlefield attached as an executive producer. HBO Renews 'Boardwalk Empire' The drama starring Steve Buscemi gets a third season from the premium cable network.  NBC's 'Prime Suspect' Gets Order for Six More Scripts The news comes one day after the network does the same for David E. Kelley's legal drama, "Harry's Law."  'Law & Order: SVU' Producer Developing 'Serial Killer Whisperer' at NBC The network has given a script order to the drama project based on the upcoming book about traumatic brain injury survivor Tony Ciaglia.

THE BUSINESS Occupy Wall Street Protests Pose Unique Risk for Stars Who Get Involved Liberal celebrities are lining up to support Occupy Wall Street but face backlash from both the left and right. Seal's Chechen Leader Birthday Bash Performance Questioned By Human Rights Group Human Rights Watch has sent an inquiry to the singer after he performed two songs at a party for Ramzan Kadyrov. REPORT: AOL CEO Pitches Yahoo Deal to Investors Tim Armstrong has in meetings highlighted that a combination could yield up to $1.5 billion in cost savings. 2011 National Book Award Finalists Announced John Lithgow to announce winners at Nov. 16 ceremony. Wall Street Journal Europe’s Publisher Resigns After Scandal The revelation that the News Corp. owned paper cut a deal with a Netherlands company that resulted in news coverage leads to the executive’s departure. Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith Holding Obama Fundraiser at Their Home Eva Longoria will co-host the Oct. 24 event aimed at the President's Latino supporters. Rick Perry: The Strange Reason Hollywood Is Disappointed in Him Industry activists have been quietly rooting for the Texas governor for weeks.

STYLE The Hollywood Reporter Launches 'Fash Track' Blog Led By Merle Ginsberg Elizabeth Snead joins as awards fashion contributing editor; Carol McColgin to edit "Fash Track" news page in magazine. Legendary Costume Designer Ray Aghayan, Longtime Partner of Bob Mackie, Dies The Iran native -- who dressed Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross and did the costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics -- won the first Emmy Award in his field in 1967. Chloe Moretz, Keanu Reeves reprise 'Taxi Driver' for Harper's Bazaar The actress wears Louis Vuitton for a "Taxi Driver"-themed fashion spread in Harper's Bazaar.

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