Red Hot Chili Peppers

As the band's name would imply, '06 looks to be a sweltering one for Flea and company. The anticipated follow-up to By the Way and Californication promises to bring the same quality sounds fans have come to know the group for. But a recent twist makes Stadium Arcadium, the upcoming album, sound that much better — it's going to be a double.

The California-bred quartet headed to the studio with long-time producer Rick Rubin in March 2005. After a presumably lengthy recording schedule, they've triumphantly announced an excess of quality material. And what is any band do when it has too many songs? Release them all, of course.

We can only hope the band avoids pitfalls of the dreaded double album (SOAD, anyone?) and has enough decent material to fill both discs. But with a resumé including RHCP's last two albums, it's hard to bet against red.

Kanye West

After a year like Mr. West had in 2005, it's pretty clear he's going to stay on top in '06. Late Registration was heralded as one of the best releases of the year, in many fans' minds outdoing even his ambitious debut album. Kanye was on everyone's lips, with "Gold Digger" being arguably the ubiquitous tune of yesteryear.

Away from the studio, Kanye not only managed to create still more controversy with his comments on President Bush's personal preferences, but continued stirring the pot when it came to his award-worthiness. The man has long been his own biggest fan — but that's not to say without good reason.

With the promise of yet another album, Graduation, in what he's unveiled as a four-release-spanning tale, he's almost guaranteed to be on fire for another year. His plans for '07? Kanye's said the final installment will be titled Good-Ass Job. You can't make up stuff like that.

Heath Ledger

With roles spanning the spectrum from gay cowboy to history's most suave lady's man, 2006 promises to be a bang-up year for heartthrob Heath Ledger. Coming off of a questionable last year (need we mention "Brothers Grimm"?), Ledger begins the new calendar with serious Oscar buzz for "Brokeback Mountain" and charms women both on- and off-screen in the newly released "Casanova."

Success on the big screen is only part of the actor's slated rise in popularity. Engaged to Michelle Williams of "Dawson's Creek" fame and the new father of Mathilda Rose, Heath straddles the line of leading man and family man with ease, making him a favorite in the realms of celebrity gossip.

Scheduled to work again with renowned skateboarder/ filmmaker Stacy Peralta later this year, expect big things from the Australian native. With high hopes for Academy Award recognition and a budding family life, 2006 promises to be a hot one for Ledger.

Justin Timberlake

Former boy-bander and Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake brings out the big guns in 2006. He received critical acclaim for his debut solo album four years ago and now, after an extended hiatus from the music scene, is returning with force. Slated for release sometime this year, the artist's latest effort boasts support from the likes of Snoop and Pharrell and is rumored to be in a direction different from his last record.

JT's forecasted musical success is accompanied by his presence in both the film and fashion worlds. 2006 presents the entertainer with roles in both "Black Snake Moan" with Samuel L. Jackson and Nick Cassavette's "Alpha Dogs." With a recently launched clothing line to boot, Timberlake's busy schedule translates to a powerful new year.

Moving far from his 'N Sync and Mickey Mouse Club days, Justin Timberlake shows a smarter, wiser and sleeker side, to the delight of fans and critics alike.

Jon Stewart

Taking the position previously filled by an amalgam of talent, including Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and, most recently, Chris Rock, funnyman Jon Stewart has been named the host of March's 78th Annual Academy Awards. Responsible for filling space between awards, lightening controversial acceptance speeches and entertaining a roomful of celebrities, Stewart is no stranger to awards shows, having served as host for both the 2001 and 2002 Grammys.

Of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" fame, Stewart is a favorite among the college-age demographic. His placement as host for this year's Oscars follows in the same vein as Chris Rock's last year — controversial comedians are suddenly the new black. There is no doubt his quick wit and sense of humor is a perfect match for the popular awards show, making Jon Stewart and the 2006 Oscars a hot item in the New Year.

Season 3 of Dave Chappelle

Whether he likes it or not, last year's king of comedy is coming back to Comedy Central — sort of. The cable channel announced late last year that it has plans to air the handful of sketches Chappelle filmed before going A.W.O.L. sometime this spring. Dubbing it the third season of the popular sketch-comedy show, nobody knows quite what to expect from this unseen material.

Chappelle still hasn't commented on the actions of the network, with speculation on his plans at an all-time high. It seems nobody is quite sure what the comedian has planned, but continuing with "Chappelle's Show" appears to be of little interest to him.

Still, Comedy Central will go though with airing the previously filmed segments. If they manage to continue the high level of comedy the show has long been known for, there's always a glimmer of hope that Dave will have a change of heart. So, while not in the prime position he was in a year ago, don't count Chappelle out.

Celebrity marriages

Brad and Jen. Nick and Jessica. Kevin and Britney. Brad and Angelina. More contagious than the common cold, celebrity marriages, costar hookups and the seemingly inevitable relationship demises characterized 2005. The breakup spree of '05 left celeb fans wondering, "Where's the love, and why isn't it in Hollywood?"

The upcoming year could go either way in the grand scheme of celebrity love. With the number of happy Tinseltown unions dwindling, where are gossip-obsessed Americans to look for their fix? To lukewarm Hilary Duff and Joel Madden, of course. The latest issue of Teen People features the loving couple dishing about their solid, albeit bland, relationship. Are people left with nothing more than to read about Madden encouraging Duff to buckle up for safety? Is there nothing exciting left to talk about? We're just hoping 2006 will end up providing some sort of entertainment by way of celebrity unions. Affleck and Garner just aren't cutting it.

Jamie Foxx

2005 was undoubtedly the biggest year in Jamie Foxx's career. Still riding the wave of success started by "Ray," Foxx collaborated with Kanye West, released his own debut CD, starred in a few blockbusters and tried to play activist in the Tookie Williams case. 2006, however, is less clear for Foxx.

The album is decent, but doesn't offer what many looked for from the young star. And, seriously, we all understand you look and sound like Ray Charles. Stop it, Jamie. Move on with your career.

With buzz turning away from Foxx and on to other promising entertainers, the man's stardom may be dimming, but all hope is not lost. Foxx is slated to star alongside Colin Farrell in a film version of "Miami Vice." With director Michael Mann ("Collateral") helming the project, Foxx just might shine again in '06.

The video-game movie

Video games haven't always made the best transitions to film. Movies like "Street Fighter" and "Super Mario Bros." certainly aren't the best examples of modern cinema, but not every game-to-movie conversion has had such disastrous results. Take "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," for one. It isn't a good movie by any means, but managed to entertain moviegoers despite its relatively horrible plot and acting.

2006 continues this increasing trend with "BloodRayne," coming out early this month, a "Halo" film in the works and German director Uwe Boll working on four movies based on video games. Boll has been under heavy scrutiny from a variety of gaming enthusiasts for quite some time — a site like www.uwebollisantichrist.com is a shining example.

So while Boll will probably never win over his critics, the recent signing of Peter Jackson to executive producer of the "Halo" movie should be enough to breathe some life into what many speculated would be another entry in a long line of terrible gaming movies. Will video games ever make good movies? Probably not. But '06 could see a few moderately palpable releases.

"Dancing with the Stars" & "Skating with Celebrities"

What do you get when you throw Jerry Rice, Master P and Drew Lachey together with professional dancers? Quality TV, that's what. Starting its second season, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is back and worse than ever. After last season's catastrophe of a reality show, ABC decided to beat a dead horse, pulling in C-list celebrities aplenty.

The genius mentality that crafted this horrid show is apparently spreading to competitor FOX with "Skating with Celebrities," an even unholier marriage of dimming stars and professional athletes. With the best team consisting of Nancy Kerrigan and Dave "Joey" Coulier of "Full House" fame, there's not a lot of potential in the show. Add in the fact that early previews featured clips of a female celebrity skater potentially breaking her face and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Lindsay Lohan

Maybe it's one of those "tell-them-yourself-before-someone-else-does" things, but a recent admittance of drug use and a battle with bulimia has left Lindsay Lohan fans scratching their heads. In the February issue of Vanity Fair, Lohan admits to dabbling in the drug scene but claims it is now out of her system. Now, we're all for being young, making mistakes and figuring things out for yourself, but is it really necessary to reveal your deepest and darkest secrets to the national public?

After mild rumblings following the release of her second album, things have sort of fizzled out for the starlet. In what looks like a desperate attempt to step back into the limelight, Lohan appears to be slipping. Although her music career is quickly souring, she is currently slated to appear in a handful of movies. Will that be enough to save her career? We're not sure, but we do know that her recent trend of TMI isn't winning anyone over.

Paris Hilton

It's fairly clear that 2003 was the year for Paris Hilton. She's been coasting off of the success of her debut movie (the lovely night-vision edition) since then, occasionally doing something stupid enough to draw press. Remember when she was engaged to another Paris? Yeah, pretty stupid. But it only gets better — she's now releasing an album. As in, someone gave her studio time and she decided to sing. Bad news.

In what will turn out to be one of the worst decisions of the New Year, Hilton's album is slated for release in April and features winners like "Screwed" and "That's Hot." Any glimmer of potential that listeners may be holding out for is nonexistent. We've heard "Screwed" and can solidly say that Hilton sounds like a bad Cher. If Paris plans to spend 2006 on the music scene, it's going to be a long, painful year.

Blink-182 uncertainty

When the members of Blink-182 broke news of the band's indefinite hiatus, fans were distraught. The aging punk rockers had just returned to the music scene with the most critically acclaimed album of their career and were riding high on its success. From the ashes of the band, however, come not one, but two, drastically different bands.

Plus-44 features bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker. Angels and Airwaves, guitarist Tom Delonge's new band, promises to change the face of music history.

Both albums are scheduled to drop in '06, with fans unsure which camp to fall into. Do they stay faithful to Delonge and enlist in his army of angels? Do they stand by their beloved Mark and Travis, especially with the excellent reality TV that is "Meet the Barkers?" What's a punk to do? Maybe Blink should've just stayed together … for the kids.