Britney Battles to Preserve Her Image

By Stephen M. Silverman

11/12/2003 at 10:00 AM EST

Britney Spears and her mother, Lynne Spears, are executive-producing the ABC Family cable TV movie "A Mother's Gift," which is due to air next April and will be based on the 2001 semi-autobiographical novel they co-wrote, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, the pop princess, 21, is steamed at NBC because of an unauthorized "Dateline" profile of her that she didn't find particularly flattering. Spears has now reneged on her scheduled Nov. 21 concert appearance on NBC's "Today" show, reports New York's Daily News.

Spears's new CD, "In the Zone," is due in stores Nov. 18. The Daily News says NBC was prepared to put Spears not only on "Today," but on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the network's cable arm, MSNBC.

Spears's rep says, however, "There were early discussions with several networks, including NBC, but there was no final deal with NBC."

A network rep said, "We are disappointed the concert didn't work out." Spears is still welcome on the "Today" show, the spokesperson added.

The "Dateline" piece suggested that Spears is no longer the virginal Mouseketeer she once was, but is now a shrewd marketer who locks lips with Madonna.

Perhaps she can revise that image with her TV movie. "Gift" tells the story of an aspiring teenage singer from the South who travels with her mother to an East Coast music conservatory.