Reality TV sets in for Holly Madison

Holly Madison's set-in-Las Vegas reality show "Planet Holly" has been picked up by E! Entertainment and will debut as a special Dec. 6.

A sort-of spinoff from E1's "The Girls Next Door," the show will feature "great characters," she said, some from her "Peepshow" cast and others in her social orbit.

The premiere, which starts at 11 p.m., will follow the finale of "The Girls Next Door," which Madison helped turn into a ratings success during her stay at the Playboy Mansion as Hugh Hefner's No. 1 girlfriend.

Her roommate, Playboy Playmate Laura Croft, and galpal/assistant Angel Porrino, will be prominently featured. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is "awesome" in the opening episode, Madison said.

"I can't wait for the rest of the country to see him."

The episode opens with her stint as celebrity ring girl at UFC 100 at Mandalay Bay.

Filming of the rest of the episodes will resume in February and air in the spring, she said.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

Radio sports-talk host Pauly Howard has talked himself into a "Battle of the Sexes" match with former UNLV women's basketball star Sequoia Holmes.

It's put up or shut up for Howard, who recently returned to the airwaves on KWNN-AM, 1100 and KBAD-AM, 920. He has been bashing the quality of play of the Women's National Basketball Association.

The 6-foot Howard will go one-on-one with Holmes, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward with the WNBA's Detroit Shock, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Club Sport, 2100 Olympic Ave., in Henderson.

They'll play a half-court game of 21, regular rules.

Holmes, who played at Mojave High School, was the Mountain West Conference's defensive player of the year in 2007.

TV personality John Barr, the general sales manager at Findlay Toyota, will be referee.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will host the third annual "Stewie Awards" on Dec. 3 at the Rio. They highlight the most memorable moments of the NASCAR season. The "Stewies," which debuted in 2007, will be awarded during a live broadcast on Sirius XM Radio. The Stewies, which first debuted in 2007, honor the most memorable moments of the 2009 season. Fans determine the winners by casting votes online at Sirius.com/stewieawards. ...

A rep for David Burke Restaurant at The Venetian says the rumors are off-base. There are no plans to leave. ...

DEAL OF THE DAY

The Flame restaurant at the El Cortez is offering a Friday-Saturday stone crab special for $28 a pound. It includes sweet potato fries, slaw marinated in pineapple, orange and lemon juice and a mayonaisse-based dipping sauce.

SIGHTINGS

Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" fame and Carrot Top, seated in separate groups, pulled up on the "Peepshow" (Planet Hollywood) stage Friday with Aubrey O'Day and Holly Madison during the "Trick or Two" number. ... Comedian George Lopez at the Santana show Friday night at the Joint (Hard Rock).

THE PUNCH LINE

"Solve the Eggo Waffle crisis." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Ways President Barack Obama Can Increase His Popularity.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.