While Roger Ebert recovers, Jay Leno and Kevin Smith will be populating the balcony on Ebert & Roeper in his absence. I’m not sure what credibility Leno has for film reviews, but I bet Kevin Smith will have a thing or two to say about the films being reviewed. Leno, of course, is the host of NBC’s Tonight Show and will serve as the first guest co-host for the review show while Ebert continues recovery after cancer surgery last month. Tune in on the August 5-6 episode to see Leno review Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Miami Vice, Little Miss Sunshine, The Night Listener and Shadowboxer. Says Roeper of Leno’s guest stint, “America knows Jay as the country’s most popular late-night talk show host, but I know him as a guy who loves movies and loves to debate movies with Roger and me—both on camera and backstage at The Tonight Show.”

Kevin Smith takes on the challenge for the August 12-13 episode, but there’s no confirmation of the films he’ll be reviewing yet. I’m just wondering if there’ll be any digs against Joel Siegel, the film critic who recently walked out on Smith’s new feature, Clerks II.