Countdown begins on New Year’s productions

New Year's Eve may be a week away, but the countdown clock's already running for two cable networks with production plans for the last night of 2007 -- and the first night of 2008.

Starting Wednesday in a side parking lot at the Rio, construction begins on a 5,000-seat stadium for ESPN's "The Red Bull Experiment," a live, three-hour special featuring two world-record stunt attempts -- one at midnight East Coast time (9 p.m. for us), the other at midnight local time.

Freestyle motocross star Robbie Maddison, for example, will try to jump the length of a football field, while stunt driver Rhys Millen will attempt a back flip of an off-road racing truck.

Music from Angels & Airwaves also will be featured during the event, which "reinvents New Year's Eve," promises Joan Lynch, executive producer and vice president of content development for ESPN.

"There's a need for programming on New Year's Eve," she argues, particularly "a show families could watch together" providing "edge-of-your-seat TV that gets your heart racing."

As for the setting, Las Vegas proved a no-brainer.

"We were looking for a location where, in terms of the climate and in terms of the atmosphere, we could support a program three hours in length."

Tickets, priced at $12, are available at the Rio box office or online at www.newyearnolimits.com.

"Party" town: Lifetime's "Top This Party: Las Vegas" takes a break this week to edit footage in anticipation of the show's Jan. 4 debut, following "Top This Party: Orange County," which focuses on -- you guessed it -- Southern California parties.

But "there's no bigger party town than Las Vegas," notes Mechelle Collins, who executive produces the reality series with her Intuitive Entertainment partner, Kevin Dill.

"We've been shooting for about six weeks" in Las Vegas, Collins notes. "We don't have another party 'til New Year's Eve."

So far, the Glitter City revels captured on camera range from a Marie Antoinette-themed party to a Garden of Eden benefit bash.

All of the Las Vegas parties showcase local Brian "Breakfast" Rice, whose nickname was inspired by his penchant for cooking breakfast for guests following his all-night parties.

CineVegas countdown: It's still 2007, but 2008 already has begun for the folks at the CineVegas film festival; the 10th annual CineVegas will take place June 12-21 at the Palms. Submissions to the festival will be accepted through March 15.

Cash prizes will be awarded for best feature, short and Nevada filmmaking short. More information is available online at www.cinevegas.com/submissions.

Carol Cling's Shooting Stars column appears Mondays. Contact her at (702) 383-0272 or e-mail her at ccling@reviewjournal.com.