Celebrity hijinks highlight wacky show-biz year

Where does the time go? Here it is, already the end of 2007, with 2008 — 2008?!? — right around the corner.

As we reflect on yet another strange show-biz year, we can only hope that the next 12 months won't be quite as weird.

Or maybe we hope they will be.

Train wrecks are so much more entertaining than exemplary behavior.

• CELEBS GONE WILD. It was yet another year of nutty celebrity hijinks, led once again by the queen of bad behavior, Britney Spears. (Be very afraid for her children.)

During a short-lived stint on "The View," Rosie O'Donnell feuded with The Donald (as in The Trump), and then with Barbara Walters.

Alec Baldwin and David Hasselhoff had embarrassing moments with their respective daughters during custody battles.

Radio icon Don Imus, kicked off the air for making racist/sexist comments, was back on way too soon.

And I know way more about all of these people than I want to.

• CELEB MAKEOVERS. Lindsay Lohan went into rehab (right here in the Beehive State), leaving behind what are arguably her worst-ever movies, "I Know Who Killed Me" and "Georgia Rule."

Paris Hilton vowed not to "act dumb" anymore now that she's reached the ripe old age of 26.

And Brad Pitt's humanitarian efforts began to eclipse his movie stardom.

• BEEHIVE CELEBS. A number of people with Utah ties took the spotlight on national television:

— Todd Herzog (described by producers as one of the best players ever) won the latest "Survivor."

— Julianne Hough and her brother, Derek, established themselves as performing and choreographing phenoms on "Dancing With the Stars."

— Marie Osmond proved to be a class act — not on "Dancing," but on "Larry King Live" (with brother Donny), when King blindsided her with a personal family question.

— BYU graduate Jon Heder continued to offer variations on "Napoleon Dynamite" for Hollywood features ("Blades of Glory," "Surf's Up") and with cameos in indie clunkers ("Moving McAllister," "The Sasquatch Gang").