Hollywood of 2008

Former Hollywood pariahs Britney Spears, Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr. managed to turn it around this (2008) year. tHE file under TV turnaround: NBC's "Saturday Night Live".
BRITNEY Spears snagged three MTV Video Music Awards, including video of the year, she looked like a million bucks while doing this. The pop star (sporting a glittering silver dress) pulled a remarkable 180-degree turn from last year's fiasco at the VMAs. It was a striking example of how far the 27-year-old girl has risen since her father, Jamie, took control of her financial and private affairs in February. Spears continues to gain career momentum and stability in her personal life.

•Mickey Rourke, the 52-year-old actor more or less peaced out from Hollywood after squandering his early potential with bad-boy behavior. But Rourke is reliving the critical acclaim of his work in films "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "Diner" and "Rumble Fish." Director Darren Aronofsky fought to cast Rourke against the concerns of financial backers. Aronofsky forged a comprise by settling on a lower budget of $6 million. Rourke is getting strong Oscar buzz. As he told: "There were some broken pieces I didn't know how to fix that made me behave a certain way. ... I wish I knew differently, because I put myself and a lot of other people through a lot of hell that I regret."

Robert Downey Jr, the charismatic actor went from cautionary tale to bankable movie star last summer for his performance in the Marvel Studios blockbuster "Iron Man," which grossed $318.3 million. He got raves for his role as an actor in blackface in "Tropic Thunder." Downey had trouble finding plum roles that exploited the depth of his talent after some personal trouble. Downey's dark path included a crippling battle with addiction that led to stints in jail and rehab. Now, Downey proved he could draw millions to the multiplex last summer as billionaire genius-superhero Tony Stark. He previously acted in smaller-scale movies, he'll do it again. Marvel has tapped him to star in "Iron Man 2" and "The Avengers" (2010 and 2011.)

"Saturday Night Live": the NBC sketch-comedy show returned to sharp political satire in 2008. The payoff was big. ."SNL" experienced a much-needed boost, finding inspiration in the presidential campaign and a savior in the Tina Fey. Fey's spot-on impression of Sarah Palin helped resurrect the show as appointment television for viewers who couldn't get enough of her winking send-up of Sarah. Don't forget Amy Poehler's brilliant Hillary Rodham Clinton or Jason Sudeikis' teeth-baring Joe Biden. Who knows if "SNL" can continue its winning streak. If the sketches are able to the laughs from an Obama administration.

Cloris Leachman: the funny actress gained a new generation of fans with her run on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." At 82, she sat in judges laps and cussed during the live television broadcast, displaying million times more personality than beauty queen Brooke Burke. Leachman declared: "I'm not leaving."