UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Heroes and villains from the worlds of horror, fantasy and sci-fi shared the stage at Spike TVs annual Scream Awards.

More television event than traditional awards ceremony, the Scream Awards were presented Saturday night in an amphitheater built on the Universal Studios backlot just for the occasion.

Additional Photos

“Darth Vader” accepts the Ultimate Villain award from George Lucas at the 2011 Scream Awards on Saturday. The Associated Press

George Lopez

Larry Hagman

The show was as much about how the awards were presented as who got them, but top honorees included Harry Potter, Darth Vader, Nicolas Cage, Pee Wee Herman and Robert Downey Jr.

One side of the stage was a life-sized dollhouse populated by costumed characters, the other a staircase topped by a giant keyhole, and in the middle was a lake that lit up with fire.

Fans picked the night’s winners and also filled the theater for the 2 1/2-hour presentation, which is set to air Tuesday as a two-hour special on Spike TV and VH1.

Potter took the night’s top prize. The eight-part film franchise was named the Ultimate Scream, which awards presenter Chloe Grace Moretz described as “the most rocking thing that the universe has ever seen.”

Audience members were given glow sticks before the winner was announced, and when “Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe accepted the prize by video from New York, fans there were waving the same lights. Co-star Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort, also appeared by video to accept an award for favorite villain.

Vader, though, won the Ultimate Villain award. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas presented the Sith Lord with his prize.

Vader, who accepted the award in person, said he’s found it hard to concentrate recently because he’s been “living in fear of how George Lucas is going to digitally enhance you for the next DVD.”

Herman, also known as actor-comedian Paul Reubens, rode his shiny red bicycle across the lake (on floaties) to accept the Visionary award. He thanked his fans and “the academy of Spike TV.”

When Cage received the Maverick award from Quentin Tarantino, a motorcycle appeared on stage and the lake blasted with fire.

Comedian Lopez plans return to TV as sitcom father

LAS VEGAS – Comedian George Lopez said he is creating a new family-oriented sitcom where he will play a father and husband, vowing to return to television less than two months after TBS canceled his late-night show “Lopez Tonight.”

Lopz said that his now-untitled show “will be the opposite” of “George Lopez,” the syndicated sitcom that aired on ABC from 2002 and 2007 and made him a household name.

He also plans to star in his third live HBO standup special next year, his first since 2009.

Viewership for his late-night show on TBS declined heavily in its second year

He says the show suffered after he lost his 11 p.m. time slot to Conan O’Brien. He said TBS’ plan was for Lopez to go on after O’Brien and win over O’Brien’s young viewers.

Instead, Lopez’s total viewership dropped 40 percent in its second year, from an average of 910,000 nightly viewers to 543,000. By August, the audience had dropped to 391,000.

The comedian said it is unfortunate his show was canceled because there are few minority hosts on late-night television.

“I was heartbroken. Late-night talk show needs diversity,” actress Eva Longoria said of the cancellation. She attended a charity gala with Lopez in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

‘J.R.’ won’t back down from cancer

NEW YORK – Larry Hagman has been diagnosed with cancer.

The actor, famous for playing J.R. Ewing on “Dallas,” said in a statement Friday: “As J.R. I could get away with anything — bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer.”

Hagman, 80, declined to specify what kind of cancer he has, but said it’s “a very common and treatable form.” He plans to keep working on a new reboot of “Dallas” for TNT.

The new “Dallas” focuses on the Ewing offspring’s clash over the family dynasty.

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