TVSquad

When we're in grade school, or even high school, and we walk into class and we see that our regular teacher isn't there, we're happy. We like to see a substitute, so we can either toy with them or be more casual with them, or maybe they'll just tell us to put our heads on our desks because they don't want to do any work either. But it's different with television. We don't want to see substitutes. But TV hosts are busy people and often have to do something else and can't be on their own show. Here are the five TV personalities that bum me out whenever I see they're filling in for the regular person:

1. Ann Curry (The Today Show). Why does she get on my nerves so much? She seems nice enough (as if we can tell exactly from a TV box several hundred miles away), but there's something abou ther personality. Is it the stumbling over her words? Is it the fact that when she fills in for Meredith Vieira (and before that, Katie Couric) it seems like she really tries to take over, trying to be the serious one to get things back on track when Matt and Al are having fun? She just always seems to be auditioning for some better gig, which isn't a bad thing I guess, but it's just so obvious and grating. I don't even like the way she stands.

2. Whoever fills in for Keith Olbermann (Countdown). Sometimes it's Alison Stewart, sometimes it's...that other woman, can't remember her name. And it's nothing against Stewart or any other fill-in on Countdown, it's just that Olbermann has a certain way of speaking and a certain tone and rhythm to his show and how he reports, and whoever fills-in always tries to copy it. It's often bizarre. Shouldn't a fill-in host just be themselves completely? I don't tune in to see Olbermann lite.

3. Rita Cosby (MSNBC). I mentioned this before. Not sure if she's just filling in during the day now or is taking over one of the afternoon shifts, but her voice is simply unbearable.

4. Rick Sanchez (CNN). At least I think he's on CNN, or is it MSNBC, or is it both? Haven't seen him that much lately, but when he's on...wow. It's like he went to PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCER SCHOOL, but was absent the day they taught everyone how to tone it down and be natural. And if he is being natural...again, wow. I'm also not thrilled about his "reporting."

5. Whoever fills in for Paul Schaffer (The Late Show With David Letterman). Now, the people that they get to fill in when Paul is out (Warren Zevon, Anton Fig, etc) have all been fine musicians, and it's nothing against them personally, it's just that the whole Late Show vibe is thrown off when Paul isn't there to lead the band and bounce stuff off of Dave. It just doesn't feel right.