The James gang

Fox Sports personality James Brown is teaming with “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer and comic legend Bob Newhart for a sports-oriented series on Showtime.

“The Sports Pages” will feature Brown, Grammer and Newhart discussing sports anecdotes and will premiere later this year.

Brown, meanwhile, shared a funny story with Showtime Chairman/CEO Matt Blank. Seems that back in 1972 – when he started for Harvard University’s basketball team – Brown sported a bushy Afro.

When Brown’s mom read of James and his daring ‘do, she immediately ordered him home for a haircut.

Nobody cared

Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Planet Earth 2000” Earth Day interview with President Clinton last Saturday night bombed on ABC, finishing fourth in its timeslot and snagging only 6 percent of the country’s TV viewers, according to fast-track national Nielsen numbers.

Al’s touch of ‘Grace’

Acclaimed artist Al Hirschfeld has taken the cast of NBC’s “Will & Grace” to pencil and paper.

Hirschfeld, now 94, drew a caricature of series stars Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, who in turn sent out about 200 copies of the Hirschfeld drawing to supporters of the show, recently renewed for another season.

Rudy’s crew

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani can count on Donald Trump’s vote inhis Senate race against Hillary Clinton.

Giuliani “is the nicest mayor New York City has ever had,” Trump tells tonight’s “Extra” (7 p.m. on Ch. 4). “I think somebody who does a very, very good job should be rewarded.”

And Trump on marriage: “I am going to get it right,” he says.

This just in . . .

Dr. Steven Clark became the first black contestant to appear opposite Regis Philbin in the hot seat on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” Sunday night. He won $32,000.

Carly Simon scheduled to sing on “GMA” on May 16.

MSNBC’s Laurie Dhue is the “Best Newsmagazine Anchor of the Year,” says The National Foundation for Women Legislators.

Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) propositions Bob Simon on tonight’s “60 Minutes II” (9 p.m.).

“The Starr Report” can be reachedvia e-mail at mstarr@nypost.com.