According to Donald Trump, NBC and reality honcho Mark Burnett want "very badly" to sign him on for two more seasons of The Apprentice (Season 3 starts tonight at 8:30 pm/ET). But what of reports we've heard that Burnett may hire Martha Stewart to replace him next fall?

"No, [those reports] are not accurate," the Donald tells TV Guide Online. "Mark is talking about doing another type of reality show with Martha. I don't think she'd want to do that. And to be honest with you, it's not gonna be so easy to replace me. I wouldn't want to replace me!

"We were the number one show on TV. We're always in the top three. Who wants to replace that?" Trump adds with his characteristic humility. "I wouldn't mind replacing people on shows that didn't do as well, but you wouldn't want to replace the New York Yankees."

Is he saying Stewart — a scrappy billionaire mogul in her own right — hasn't got what it takes to rule his boardroom? "Just so you understand, Martha is a great friend of mine," Trump responds. "I think she's terrific. I think she wouldn't want to do it because I don't think it would be her kind of show. We're not talking to Martha."

He does concede, however, that "at some point we'll have to talk to somebody" about filling his shoes. But not quite yet. "I'll probably agree to do [more Apprentice]," Trump says. "It takes time, but I also get a great kick out of doing it. As long as the ratings continue to be through the roof, there's something very seductive about being a television star."

Having conquered TV, Trump now has his eye on Broadway. As previously reported, he and Burnett are developing The Apprentice: The Musical. Burnett, who is currently writing the book for the musical, has vaguely described it as "a love story."

Trump says it's "too early" to disclose further details, "but I can tell you there's tremendous buzz about it on the Broadway circuit. Because of the great success of The Apprentice, every producer on Broadway wants to get involved with this. I think it will be very successful. I just want the reincarnation of Cary Grant to play me. I don't care if he can act. I just want him to be great-looking, OK?"

If Joey is to get by, he's gonna need a little help from his Friends. Almost six months after Matt LeBlanc's NBC sitcom premiered to good reviews and great ratings, viewers are vanishing, and they're taking the critics with them. In other words, the show had better get a lot better — fast — or it'll quickly join AfterM*A*S*H in spin-off heaven.

"It's not about anything more than Joey moving to Los Angeles, living in an apartment and interacting with his sister and nephew," groans Ed Martin, editor of the TV-biz newsletter "Jack Myers Report." Adds an industry insider: "If it's not sinking, it's certainly floundering."

Although NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly notes that Joey is the season's No. 1 new comedy, he concedes, "There's work to be done." Efforts are under way to surround Chandler's former roommate with more interesting, er, pals. "The show is being opened up," Reilly says, citing Lucy Liu's recent guest stint as the producer of "Deep Powder," the prime-time soap Joey stars on. "There will also be a cast member or two added," and story lines will span multiple episodes.

Executive producer Kevin Bright says the series will refocus on "Joey being a fish out of water in L.A." An upcoming episode finds the lovable dimwit stuck in traffic en route to his first Tonight Show appearance. Backstage drama at "Deep Powder" will also come to the fore.

And if all else fails, Joey's old buddies may — all together now — be there for him. A cameo by, say, Courteney Cox or Matthew Perry "isn't out of the question," Reilly teases. But Bright wants to get Joey in fighting shape first. "I don't see how [a guest spot] would be helpful," he says, "except to get people to tune in for one week." At this point, that might not be such a bad idea.

Smallville once again pays tribute to DC Comics mythology next month when a superpowered pooch finds his way into Clark Kent's life. Arf!

But unlike Krypto, Superman's comic-book canine companion, Smallville's pup will not arrive in a rocket ship wearing a red cape. Instead, when he shows up in the Feb. 16 episode, his strength is the result of nefarious experiments at Luthor Corp. Might these experiments involve meteor rocks?

"Hi, it's Smallville," laughs executive producer Al Gough. "Of course they do!"

Fine, but why give the role to a golden retriever — who bears no resemblance to Superman's short-haired white pet? "We had another dog that looked more like the Krypto you know," Gough says. "But he lied on his résumé and couldn't do the stunts."

By the way, although the dog will appear regularly as Clark's furry friend, he won't be named Krypto. "This is interesting," Gough notes. "Ironically, DC Comics said, 'You can't name him Krypto because Krypto is the dog that Clark has when he's an adult.' So at the end of the episode, they end up calling him Shelby, which is actually Clark's dog in the Smallville comic books."