TVSquad

I'll give Leno credit for getting creative in the ways he's starting to incorporate celebrities into bits and segments. It fills time for him and gives them their plug opportunities. Tonight, he trotted out three of The Real Housewives of Orange County for a "Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars Challenge." And ... wow.

I don't watch The Real Houswives of anywhere, but if this is the intellectual capacity of their "stars," then I'm glad I don't. I couldn't tell if they were putting on an act or if they were being themselves. Either way, it was obnoxious and I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle each of them. The blondes were enforcing stereotypes left and right!

If it was all an act, then that's even more unfortunate, because it means they're playing characters rather than being themselves. What? A reality show that's less than real? It was funny that their first reaction to seeing a picture of Nancy Pelosi was that she needed botox. And of course, they had no idea who she was, or anyone else.

It's been a good long while since Michael Richards has been on television. If you don't know the reason why, then you either don't watch TV or you've been frozen since 1952 and had your body reanimated to combat the deadly disease for which you've found a secret cure.

If it's the second option, then stop being so selfish and share your cure with the world. Stop being so cold, no pun intended.

2009 could mark the beginning of Richards' comeback, as he and the rest of his Seinfeld pals will make an appearance during the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Now that the fall shows are drying up, those midseason replacements are becoming more and more essential. Zap2It tells us CBS has shifted the premieres of The Captain and The New Adventures of Old Christine from January 28 to February 4 (so as to not compete with the State of the Union Address). And furthermore, The Captain has been redubbed Welcome to the Captain.

In this new series, Fran Kranz plays a young man who moves into a legendary Hollywood apartment complex. His new neighbors are played by the likes of Raquel Welch, Jeffrey Tambor, Chris Klein and more. Which I guess means it's a show about a bunch of wacky neighbors, as opposed to the requisite one.

Bob Patterson, The Michael Richards Show, Watching Ellie, Watching Ellie (c'mon, it was two entirely different shows after its "retooling"), Listen Up-- All examples and victims of "The Seinfeld Curse," the made-up phenomenon that's been used to explain why former stars of Jerry Seinfeld's sitcom can't hold a show on their own and make it successful. In my opinion, that was just a saying that helped everyone sleep at night; those shows were all garbage. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' latest foray into the half hour stage, The New Adventures of Old Christine, is fantastic, though -- at least according to this reporter, that is.

Over here at the TV Squad studios, this show has caused a little dissention among the ranks. Some of us fear the "Curse" is just waiting in the wings, while others like myself enjoyed it thoroughly. Regardless of what the majority of America thought of the show, they sure tuned into watch it. Although she didn't beat Deal or No Deal in her first showing at 8:30pm, she did trump the Donald at 9:30pm. Next week is going to remain the true test of her show though to see if she can retain that viewership. Will she sink or swim as she in her new permanent slot next week? Tune in to find out.