FROM THE TV CRITICS PRESS TOUR.

Byline: -- David Kronke

FEELING THE HEAT: Just when it seemed that celebrity feuding had exhausted every possible manifestation, a new one has popped up: Courteney Cox vs. the San Francisco Chronicle TV critic's notion of male fantasy partners.

It began last week when Chronicle TV critic Tim Goodman wrote disparagingly of Cox's sexuality in his review of ``Dirt.''

Cox then appeared on ``The Jimmy Kimmel'' show, where the host brought up the review. Cox whimsically fumed that Goodman's words were ``brutal.''

On his blog, Goodman retracted his original stand, admitting that Cox emanated ``good old-fashioned smokin' hotness'' on Kimmel's show.

On Tuesday, Defamer.com picked up the war of words and Goodman's subsequent retreat. And Cox appeared Tuesday afternoon as part of the Television Critics Association's semiannual press tour, where she was able to respond to the retraction.

``That actually made me feel good,'' Cox confessed. ``There's nothing better than someone saying, `I'm sorry.' ''

A REALLY BIG ... IDEA: Sick of reality shows starring C-list celebrities? You're in luck -- A&E has cooked up a reality show starring the mere progeny of celebrities who themselves aren't famous at all!

David Weintraub, their childhood chum and manager, as they, per A&E's publicity, ``attempt to conquer the entertainment business by day and the Hollywood scene by night.'' The series, debuting in April, follows the three as they move in together for a summer. Spelling admits living together was merely a conceit for the show: In real life, he says, ``After a week, it would've fell through.''

Spelling's father, prolific TV producer Aaron, died during production (``It was not a planned thing,'' Randy allowed). In one scene, Weintraub is telling Stewart that their pal will be in a very emotional state when they see him next. ``I'll be there for him,'' Stewart replies, then, without so much as a pause, asks, ``are we going to Roosevelt Thursday night?''

So, yeah, they're real sincere guys.

Even though home-movie reality series have been done to death, Weintraub, when not busy smirking, was assiduously trying to explain that this venture was somehow unique.

``You're going to see something you've never seen before.''

The three say they opted to do the show not to lure young women enticed by reality-TV cameras at trendy nightclubs -- ``Girls have never really been an issue for us,'' Weintraub said so casually that it wasn't even boasting, just cluelessness about his own life of privilege.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) COURTENEY COX

(2) Celebrity offspring Randy Spelling, left, and Sean Stewart, right, with childhood pal and manager David Weintraub, center, promote their new A&E show, ``Sons of Hollywood.''

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images