By Rob N. LeDonne

Former “Seinfeld” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has spent the last few weeks on the talk show circuit, making appearances to plug her new sitcom “The New Adventures Of Old Christine.” In these appearances, she is always introduced as a “former ‘Seinfeld’ star.”

For better or worse, Louis-Dreyfus will forever be known as Elaine, and chances are “Christine” won’t last very long. This isn’t the first time Louis-Drefyus tried her hand at TV after “Seinfeld,” starring in “Watching Ellie,” which was cancelled after only one and a half seasons.

The list of stars that suffer this fate is endless. Take Louis-Dreyfus’ “Seinfeld” costar, Jason Alexander, who has tried to anchor two sitcoms “Bob Patterson” and “Listen Up”, both of which were short lived. Michael Richards, who played the bumbling Kramer, starred (briefly) in “The Michael Richards Show.”

But “Seinfeld” isn’t the only successful sitcom with this kind of legacy; countless other shows carry the same problem. Most recently, “Friends” spin-off “Joey” starring Matt LeBlanc, has faltered after only one and a half seasons and will most likely not be renewed for a third. Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe, recently starred in a short-lived HBO comedy, ironically titled “The Comeback.”

This failure, however, is far from new. Looking back through the TV archives, there are countless spin-offs from beloved shows that have had disastrous results. Red-headed comedienne Lucille Ball, star of the TV classic “I Love Lucy,” tried another sitcom in 1986 entitled “Life With Lucy” – it only lasted one season. “Happy Days” alum, Scott Baio, starred in the spin-off “Joanie Loves Chachi,” which ended after one and a half seasons. “Mayberry R.F.D,” spun off of the enormously popular “Andy Griffith Show” was cancelled within three seasons, and 1987 saw both the premiere and cancellation of “The Tortellism,” a “Cheers” spin-off.

So, what exactly is the reason why such shows don’t catch on? They make sense on paper, but in execution many fall flat because while the viewers expect the same type of humor, locations and characters, what they are getting is an entirely different show.

Networks may finally be wising up about these statistics. University alum Phil Rosenthal, creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond” has pulled the plug on a spin-off show starring Brad Garret, who played Raymond’s brother, Robert. When “Raymond” ended last spring, there was a solid deal between Garret and CBS to star in a spin-off the following year, centering on Garret’s character and his wife Amy.

As for Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her new show, it has so far been well received, with many publications giving it glowing reviews. But it’s the ratings that matter, not what the reviewers think, as we all learned from “Arrested Development.” Is this one of those rare spin-offs that may actually work, and more importantly, lasts? Only time will tell. Louis- Dreyfus, meanwhile, must be hoping that she’ll have many more “New Adventures” to come.