Alec Baldwin passes Steve Martin as "SNL's" top host (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Alec Baldwin broke Steve Martin's record as the person who has hosted "Saturday Night Live" the most, but only after Martin turned up to make sure he did it "without the use of steroids or performance enhancing drugs."

To make sure Baldwin was completely clean, Martin also brought a medical team and an expert on drug use: Seth Rogen.

Baldwin -- who has hosted 16 episodes, beating out Martin's 15 -- started Saturday's show by turning in a performance as a befuddled Texas Gov. Rich Perry during last week's Republican presidential debate.

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Alec Baldwin back on 'Saturday Night Live' (AP)

NEW YORK – Alec Baldwin earns bragging rights as the most familiar "Saturday Night Live" host when he opens the NBC show's 37th season on Sept. 24.

It will be his 16th time as host. The "30 Rock" actor moves past Steve Martin, who has done it 15 times. Radiohead will be the musical guest, the network said Friday.

Melissa McCarthy of CBS' "Mike & Molly" and the movie "Bridesmaids" will be the host of the show's second week, her "SNL" debut. The country trio Lady Antebellum will be her musical guest.

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Online:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_en_tv/storytext/us_tv_snl_baldwin/42585808/SIG=10l1ab6et/*http://www.nbc.com/

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NBC is owned by NBC Universal.

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Daniel Baldwin, wife dropping divorce filings (AP)

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. – Daniel Baldwin's wife says the couple is attempting to reconcile and is dropping divorce filings.

Joanne Baldwin told The Oregonian (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_ce/storytext/us_people_daniel_baldwin/42592099/SIG=10mtlmua6/*http://bit.ly/r33bfx) on Friday that "we have a lot of work to do in our marriage." The actor filed for divorce last month and was granted a restraining order against his 41-year-old wife.

The newspaper reports a Clackamas County court has dismissed the restraining order. Baldwin's manager did not respond to a request for comment.

Joanne Baldwin says she is living separately from her husband but they have joint custody of their two daughters, ages 1 and 3.

She was jailed July 13 after her husband reported she became violent when she drank and threatened to kill him. A judge gave her a 10-day sentence for violating probation on a drunken driving conviction.

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_ce/storytext/us_people_daniel_baldwin/42592099/SIG=10r89nkr9/*http://www.oregonlive.com

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Alec Baldwin tweeting his love for newspapers (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Alec Baldwin's Twitter Q&A sessions with his followers have been funny, cordial and at times lurid, but Tuesday they turned nasty thanks to Baldwin's love of newspapers.

The "30 Rock" star tweeted on Monday night that everyone should "buy and read a newspaper every day. In print or online, there is information in newspapers you will never get from other media."

That drew some negative response from his followers, one of whom asked for an example. Baldwin provided the New York Times subscription plans.

The exchange escalated when one follower not only insulted newspapers, but Baldwin's family.

Psx120 tweeted "@AlecBaldwin Hey Alec, newspapers are more worthless than your brothers' career. Get a clue."

Baldwin responded by calling the person a "festering boil on the buttocks of a free society."

The user soon recanted the statement and apologized, but the invective directed toward newspapers continued "Newspapers are failing in their duties to be our free society's watchdog however. That was my main point," Psx120 tweeted.

Baldwin encountered another non-believer in happyub, who tweeted "@Alec Baldwin TOP HEADLINE !!! today another 72,000 acres of prime, beautiful forest was felled today in order that sheep can read the PAPER.

Baldwin's response "Then read online, you festering ... "

When word spread of the exchanges Tuesday morning, some members of the media stepped in on Baldwin's side -- no surprise there.

Aaron Blake, a political blogger at the Washington Post, tweeted: "If Alec Baldwin tells you to buy and read a newspaper every day, who are you to disobey him?"

Eric R. Danton, a music critic for the Hartford Courant, seconded that, retweeting Baldwin's initial comment and adding "DO WHAT HE SAYS."

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Daniel Baldwin says wife needs treatment (AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. – Actor Daniel Baldwin said Friday that his decision to file for divorce says nothing about how he feels about his wife, but it's an attempt to encourage her to get treatment for alcoholism.

Baldwin told Portland television station KOIN that his 41-year-old wife, Joanne, "ripped the house to shreds" Sunday morning as the children screamed and cried. He filed for divorce and was granted a restraining order this week.

The couple have lived in the affluent Portland suburb of Lake Oswego since last year.

Baldwin — brother of actors William, Stephen and Alec Baldwin — said he was torn about how to handle his wife's behavior, but it has to be her own decision to get sober. He said he's focused on keeping their children safe.

"I want nothing more than for her to get help, and I want nothing more than to go into those family programs and hold her hand during it, should she decide to do that," Baldwin said.

Joanne Baldwin is on probation for a drunken driving conviction and prohibited from drinking alcohol, her husband said. She has been accused of violating the terms of her probation and is jailed in Lake Oswego. A hearing is scheduled next week.

The Lake Oswego Municipal Court says she has no attorney listed.

Baldwin said he's open to dropping his divorce filing if his wife shows improvement.

"I wanted her to know how serious it was, and along with the order of protection I filed for divorce," Baldwin told the television station. "That can be changed, but it would require an immediate about-face and a plan of action."

Baldwin discussed his own struggles with addiction and said it's dangerous for him to be around his wife's alcohol abuse while he tries to maintain his own sobriety.

Baldwin acted in television series in the 1990s, including a leading role on the NBC series "Homicide: Life on the Street" and the movie "Car 54, Where Are You?"

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Information from: KOIN-TV, http://www.koin.com/

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Shift awaits Baldwin as his `30 Rock' days dwindle (AP)

NEW YORK – In a recent episode of "30 Rock," Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy, went through a kind of midlife crises, splitting into four alternate versions of his self.

One, "sideways Jack," chastised Donaghy for allowing an intended six-month stop in TV to turn into five years, leaving him stalled and no longer a "shark."

"You don't even know what a shark is anymore!" exclaimed the alternate Donaghy.

The episode played artfully with Baldwin's own career ambitions, which didn't include sitcom stardom until Tina Fey's "30 Rock" came along.

Now, though, Baldwin is contemplating his exit from "30 Rock." He has one season left on his contract with NBC and has said he will leave at that point.

"That's pretty much all I think about right now," said Baldwin in a recent interview. "To finish the show, I'm going to do this year then start thinking about what I want to do next. It's the big question. It's been a great experience, and I've loved doing the show. It changed my life. I'll never have it this good again, I know that. But I know that I've got to do something different, try something different. I don't know what that's going to be."

This summer, Baldwin will be shooting Woody Allen's next film, to be shot in Rome, as well as the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical "Rock of Ages" and the indie drama "Hick."

Though Baldwin, 53, worked primarily in movies before "30 Rock" and has since worked in such films as 2009's "It's Complicated," he says he won't necessarily return to that path.

"When I go back into the world to go to work, I don't know how likely I would be to (make movies). This is something I can't answer now," says Baldwin. "But if I want to do something after that, I don't know if that would be another series on television — I doubt I would do that. Just to go to work, maybe I would do films again. But it's difficult because films are hard.

"I look at romantic comedies and independent films, quirky comedies, and I think I don't really appreciate them that much. And all of this is as a result of doing `30 Rock,' because I've really been completely tainted by the people I work with because they're so funny. ... It's tough to find something that's really, really well written."

Baldwin has an interest in politics and regularly blogs for the Huffington Post. But because the top New York State offices are safe Democratic seats, he doesn't want to run for office in his home state.

"It would be easier for me to run if I moved — California or Connecticut or somewhere. And I'm not prepared to do that right now," he says.

In the meantime, he's happy to recover from another season of "30 Rock."

"I try to speak as slowly as possible," says Baldwin. "When we do the show, I actually talk as quickly as possible. Now I take my time talking to people."

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MSNBC Eyeing Alec Baldwin for Hosting Duties?

Now that MSNBC has said goodbye to its top draw, Keith Olbermann, the news network is looking to find a new marquee star for its growing brand, and sources tell me their ultimate wish list is topped by none other than '30 Rock' star Alec Baldwin.

"He's already part of the NBC family, has a huge fan base and is very respected for his long term passions for politics," a network source tells me, adding that Alec is very high, perhaps even No. 1, on the wish lists of MSNBC bigwigs.

"Yes, it's something that I'm very, very interested in," Alec, 52, answered when the governor-turned-host asked if politics was a "game" he wanted to enter. "To quit (acting) now when it really feels good and doing it feels good would be an enormously difficult thing to do. However, I do believe that people want to believe that someone who deeply cares about the middle class ... would like to seek public office."

A friend of Alec's tells me that if he opts out of politics (and acting, of course), a career as a cable news opinion host would suit him perfectly.

"He's brilliant on camera and honestly cares about news and fighting for the rights of everyday people," my source believes. "Don't count him out. There was a time when everyone said Alec would never do a sitcom, only movies. Those same people are saying he would never run for office or host a political show."

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