Bibbity bobbity boo to Jason Alexander's Bob Patterson and Listen Up, Michael Richards as a bumbling private eye in The Michael Richards Show and two failed versions of Watching Ellie with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

That cleans the slate for The New Adventures of Old Christine, a new CBS comedy starring JL-D as a divorced mom whose ex is still very much in her mix. By George - no offense to the Costanzas - she just might have something here.

Old Christine gets off to a fine if not flying start tonight with two episodes book-ending Two and a Half Men. Also a good sign: The second half-hour is funnier than the first.

Ms. Louis-Dreyfus plays Christine Campbell, who lives with her 8-year-old son, Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon), and her twentysomething brother, Matthew (Hamish Linklater), latest in an overlong line of TV slackers.

Matthew wonders why big sis didn't just stay married to him. After all, they see each other all the time and still seem to get along exceedingly well.

This sets the stage for sweet-natured, same-named "New Christine" (Emily Rutherford), whom the old one doesn't know about until their chance meeting outside Ritchie's new school.

Old Christine lies about seeing a lumberjack before confessing, "I haven't even considered dating yet. I'm still wearing my maternity underwear."

Tonight's second episode initially finds her in a pink "People for Peace" T-shirt. She quickly deduces that a happily singing Richard lately has been making love not war. This opens the door for her awkward efforts to land a suitably strapping bed mate at a whole-foods market that's supposed to be a hot spot.

Instead she ultimately meets likewise sex-starved Stan (guest star Andy Richter). Ms. Louis-Dreyfus excels as a physical comedian, making this segment a deft blend of sight gags and well-timed one-liners. Mr. Richter and his laugh-starting doughboy body are icing on the cake.

"You gotta put yourself out there," Barb says of finding a man. Some of her more pointed advice and suggestions won't be printed here. Not that Barb is much of a matchmaker. She first sets up old Christine on a dinner date with a nebbish who announces, "I have this thing where I can't eat food that's been touched by another person." He brought his own chicken, though.

This is a smart, well-crafted sitcom for Ms. Louis-Dreyfus, who knows how to play a winning hand. A solid supporting cast, with Mr. Gregg particularly appealing as the ex factor, makes New Adventures of Old Christine the best bet yet to succeed where those others have flopped.

This is cache, read story here