''Celebrity Deathmatch'' makes its debut

More fallout from Jerry Springer. MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch, the ultimate fighting show that achieved ratings nirvana when it aired on the channel during the Super Bowl halftime, will make its debut as a regular series May 14. Featuring Claymation celebs — such as Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler — locking horns, the show harks back ”to the gladiators,” says Abby Terkuhle, president of MTV Animation. The first matches, airing both before and after NBC’s Seinfeld finale, will feature television’s highest-paid comedians, Jerry Seinfeld and Tim Allen, slugging it out in the ”sitcom heavyweight championship.” Also on the card is a tussle between Jim Carrey and Mariah Carey because, explains Terkuhle, ”they arrive to the event, and there’s only one parking space with [their] name.” Future fights include the beast-themed Loch Ness monster vs. Bigfoot (timed to the release of TriStar’s Godzilla), Emmy competitors Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell, and Oasis’ bratty brothers, Noel and Liam Gallagher, settling their sibling rivalry in the ring. Look forward to the series’ having a long run. Says Terkuhle, ”There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of matches.”