Events in Film & Television in 2001

Jan 7 27th People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson & Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Drew Carey & Jennifer Aniston win (TV)

Jan 12 Disney Channel series "Lizzie McGuire" premieres starring Hilary Duff

Jan 14 Jennifer Lopez scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Love Don't Cost A Thing'

Jan 19 Cult film "Donnie Darko" written and directed by Richard Kelly, starring Jake Gyllenhaal premieres at the Sundance Film Festival

Jan 21 58th Golden Globes: "Gladiator", Tom Hanks, & Julia Roberts win

Mar 25 73rd Academy Awards: "Gladiator", Russell Crowe & Julia Roberts win

Apr 1 WrestleMania XVII, Astrodome, Houston, TX: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin beats The Rock in a no disqualification match for the WWF Championship

Apr 23 Fatboy Slim releases single "Weapon of Choice", music video directed by Spike Jonze starring Christopher Walken dancing

May 18 DreamWorks Pictures "Shrek", starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz in voice-over roles, debuts

Jun 3 55th Tony Awards: "The Producers" and "Proof" win

Jun 3 TV drama "Six Feet Under" created by Alan Ball, starring Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall and Frances Conroy premieres on HBO

Jun 15 Indian epic "Laagan" directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, starring Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh premieres

Jun 18 "The Fast and the Furious" film directed by Rob Cohen starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez premieres

Jun 29 "A.I. Artificial Intelligence", directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law and Frances O'Connor, is released

Jul 9 "The Office" mockumentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, starring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman premieres on BBC Two in the UK

Jul 16 "Jurassic Park III", starring Sam Neill and William H Macy, premieres in the US

Jul 20 "Spirited Away " written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki is released in Japan (Academy Award Best Animated Feature 2003)

Aug 3 The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway in her film debut, is released

Aug 27 Angelina Jolie is named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva

Sep 9 "Band of Brothers" based on book by Stephen E. Ambrose, created by Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks premieres, then most expensive miniseries ever made

Sep 10 Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan is awarded Actor of the Century at the Alexandria Film Festival

Oct 2 "Scrubs", starring Zach Braff as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, premieres on NBC

Nov 4 53rd Emmy Awards: The West Wing, Sex and the City, James Gandolfini & Edie Falco win

Nov 4 "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" 1st film adaptation of the books by J. K. Rowling, premieres starring Daniel Radcliffe

Dec 5 "Ocean's Eleven" directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts premieres in Westwood, California

Dec 10 "The Fellowship of the Ring" Lord of the Rings film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen premieres in London

Dec 12 Winona Ryder is arrested on shoplifting charges in Beverly Hills, California

Dec 19 "The Fellowship of the Ring", 1st Lord of the Rings film is released. Makes US$47 million US opening weekend, $871 million total worldwide.