MANILA, Philippines?While we urge stars to keep surprising their fans in order to stay at the top, we must also note that some celebrities short-circuit their career by effecting changes when none are needed. The supplementary show biz rule is: If it ain?t broke, don?t fix it.

The first object lesson in this regard is provided by Katie Couric, the popular cohost of NBC?s hit ?Today? morning show. For years and years, she delighted the program?s regular viewers with her unique combination of intelligence, down-home likability and ability to handle many different topics in the course of one telecast.

Coveted position

A few years ago, however, Couric felt like she needed to do something else. But, what job could be better than the coveted position of cohosting a popular morning TV show? Well, what about being the first female solo anchor of a network?s evening newscast?

That?s exactly what rival network CBS offered Couric, and it proved tempting enough for her to leave the ?Today? show and transform herself into a news anchor.

When she resurfaced in her new persona, Couric did well enough. Unfortunately, the news program failed to gain the top spot on its time slot, and eventually settled for third place. That?s not bad, but not as good as the top slot that the ?Today? show has dominated for years.

After Couric left the ?Today? show, she was replaced by Meredith Vieira, who used to host ?The View? and ?Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?? After only a few months, Vieira made ?Today? her own, making it easier for the show?s fans to forget Couric and get on with their televiewing lives.

Consequences

Does Couric regret giving up the ?Today? show for her new career as broadcast journalist? Could be. But, the die has been cast and she has to deal with the consequences of her decision. On the plus side, she?s won prestigious awards for broadcast journalism, so perhaps it all evens out.

More recently, actor Joaquin Phoenix also experienced the negative effects of a rash career shot. After winning both plaudits and awards as a dramatic actor of exceptional intensity and texture, he announced that he was giving up acting in favor of a new career as a rap artist.

Well, when he made his first bid in his new show biz persona, like his avian namesake, Phoenix burst into flames and bombed in a big way, eliciting heckles instead of huzzahs. Oops, wrong move. He shouldn?t have quit his day job!

Controversial

Locally, quite a number of luminaries have made similarly ill-advised career shifts: The pint-sized comedienne who became so darkly controversial that her fans no longer found her cute, and dropped her forthwith. The popular action star whose bid to ?go dramatic? flopped big-time. The drama queen who tried to ?go sexy? and ended up with egg on her face.

The popular singer who opted to live abroad at the height of her career, then changed her mind and tried to make it here again?to no avail?etc.!

Lessons learned: Know what you do best, and stick to it. Love your career, and it will love you back. Learn to look back before looking forward. And, count your blessings?as often as you can!