Back to basics: the ongoing pursuit of 'it' finds common ground.

Out: Reality Dating Shows

In: Matchmakers 

It's over between us and the reality dating drivel. So what if Trista and Ryan made a go of it? After ABC's hideous three-week, six-hour, pathetic-in-pink nuptial nightmare, we're more than ready to move on. It's time to get back to the old school of DIY dating. Granted, the Sky Bar's meat market scene ain't much better, so a little help might be necessary. E-harmony, a matchmaking Web site, puts such matters in the hands of professionals. Clients fill out lengthy personality profiles before letting a third party match them. Meanwhile, Samantha Daniels, the inspiration behind NBC's dramedy "Miss Match," recently set up a Beverly Hills outpost of her hip New York-based matchmaking outfit, Samantha's Table. Unlike her NYC business, Daniels says men have been her most active callers out here. She's on the hunt for worthy single women. Ladies?

Out: Shaq

In: Karl Malone

Money doesn't matter. He's playing for the veteran's minimum salary. Records don't matter. If he hadn't come to L.A., he might already be the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He went from being a Utah star to third, maybe fourth fiddle. Karl Malone brought his broad shoulders and silky jump shot to the Lakers for one reason: After almost two decades of sustained excellence, the man wants to win a title. Hopefully Shaq will take some lessons from the Mailman. in grace and character.

Out: Mercedes Benz 6500 SUV

In: Well-Designed Hybrids

The ridiculously oversized Mercedes Benz SUV populating the streets of Beverly Hills just might have been the impetus for widening Santa Monica Boulevard. Dubbed the "Beverly Hills Mobile" by The New York Times, the dreary armored-car-meets-shoe-box design is finding its gas-guzzling days are numbered. Thanks to sleek new looks and more luxurious features. the gas/electric hybrids are hitting their stride on the 405. Toyota's Prius has been completely re-designed for 2004, sporting lower emissions, increased fuel efficiency and, as a result, a lengthy wait-list. Toyota's upscale cousin, Lexus, is launching the first-ever luxury hybrid SUV, designed to satisfy both conservation and image conscious drivers.

Out: Velvet Ropes

In: Public Spaces

So much for burly bouncers and VIP lounges. Oprah's discovered Costco. Paris is down on the farm and Isaac Mizrahi is doing the Target thing. Accessibility is back en vogue and hot new spots are cropping up all over town that even nobodies can enjoy. Even the blue-bloods are getting into the act. With its 38,000-square-foot public garden, glass-walled lobby and outdoor amphitheaters, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was built on an easy-access, everyone's welcome foundation.

Out: HBO Mobsters 

In: Computer-Generated Mobsters

It was bad enough when "Sopranos" got all sappy with dream sequences and heavy emotional arcs. It got worse when we had to wait more than a year for a few new episodes. But last season, when Tony and the crew committed the inexcusable sin of becoming, well, boring, we knew it was the beginning of the end. This season, count on more brooding Tony and less hot-blooded action. On the other side of the ocean, however, a new gang is gearing Lip to make a killing. One of four CGI movies scheduled for release in 2004 is DreamWorks" "Shark Tales," an underwater mafia flick (think "'Finding Nemo" with gangstas) and poised for a box-office bliss in the fall. DreamWorks has assembled an all-star cast that includes Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Will Smith, Renee Zellweger and Angelina Jolie.

Out: Spanish Kitchen

In: Venice Cantina

Trendy young Westsiders desperately needed a classy, laidback place to sip high-octane margaritas by the beach, so the restaurant gums behind Paladar, Tengu and Nacional went to work. Set to open in the old Drake's space this February, the colorful Venice Cantina promises a daintier alternative to cheese-and-bean-loaded Mexican fare with a menu of rotisserie-style chicken dishes and plenty of vegetarian options. Even better, the atlas-sized tequila list (the bar stocks more than 300 varieties) comes with its own tequila sommelier and the promise of heavy-duty cocktails. Sure, the tub-sized margaritas at the Spanish Kitchen are also generous and potent, but the food has gone downhill, the scene has grown stale and, in the end, the spiffed-up sequel never quite managed to live up to the storied history of the original.

Out: Paris Hilton

In: Beverly Hilton

Whether she's getting down and dirty on the farm or in the bedroom, one thing's for certain--Paris Hilton is down and out. Meanwhile, an older, classier Hilton is prepping for her close tip. After 16 years, Merv Griffin has sold his glamour girl, the Beverly Hilton Hotel, for a reported $130 million. The 48-year-old dame, with its posh ballrooms and grand marble lobby, has held up well, even under the onslaught of tourists and techie conventioneers, but a sexy facelift with new shops, restaurants and even some residential space is definitely in the cards

Out: Leather

In: Jelly

One word: Plastics. The "Jelly Kelly," a plastic, neon-hued rendition of Hermes' impossible-to-get-your-hands-on Kelly bag, is flying out of stylish stores all over town, and high-end designers like Michael Kors and Pucci are whipping up their own jelly accessories for spring--everything from bags and bangles to day-timers and I-pod cases. Leather, on the other hand, seems to be losing its luster as animal-loving locals are steering clear of stuffy hide-derived accessories.

Out: Diptyque Candles

In: Soy Candles

We expected the candle craze to bum out sometime last millennium. But now that it's reached addiction levels, Crate & Barrel couples are debating their favorite brand of votive with the same intensity they used to discuss a particularly noteworthy Chardonnay. The $45 Diptyque candle populating the shelves of every slightly trendy boutique in town has given way' to two small L.A.-based companies peddling an environmentally correct alternative. Jenni Originals and Madisyn Taylor both make longer-lasting candles of wax with soy rather than the petroleum-based paraffin found in most upscale brands. The benefits? No black jars. No stained walls. And no toxins contaminating our already iffy air.

Out: Low Carb Beers

In: Low Carb Cocktails

Let's face it, low carb suds are about as appealing as fat-free nachos. If you want to drink healthily, skip the watered-down lagers and opt for one of the new diet-conscious cocktails that have even the most resolute Atkins addicts tying one on. Lot 1224 at the Loews Beverly Hills just introduced a crop of low-carb martinis using a vodka derived from soybeans. Try the Green TeaNO, and you'll only be consuming a ketosis-friendly 2.5 grams of carbs (roughly the equivalent of an apple slice). Up the street at Oliver, the chic new caf6 in the new Sports Club LA, bartenders are shaking tip more carb-free wheat grass martinis than rum and diet cokes.

Out: Julia Roberts

In: Keira Knightley

Sharing the screen with hot young starlets like Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles only further emphasizes Julia Roberts waning wattage. She's laying low for 2004. appearing briefly in "'Ocean's 12" with co-stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney (who. some meanies would argue, are prettier than she is). So who's the next "it" girl? We're banking on Keira Knightley. "Bend It Like Beckham'" gave her street cred. "Pirates of the Caribbean" showed she could handle the mainstream. And "Love Actually" proved that Hollywood is ready for another wide-smiling sweetheart. Stay tuned for this summer's epic Bruckheimer extravaganza "King Arthur," where we'll finally get to see Keira take the lead as Guinevere. Better get used to it.