The Rosie Show: Cancelled

The Rosie Show: Debuted in October 2011--lasted for five months.Yep, five months.That's how the dictionary books are going to remember Rosie O' Donnell's now defunct OWN talker The Rosie Show. Despite the best efforts and on the spot retooling, it seems that this endeavor couldn't outrun one thing: Reality.

It seemed to start off innocuously enough. By the mid summer, the OWN network did a lot of promotion for Rosie's return to television. From the outset, it seemed to be disconcerting hybrid of mid-afternoon and late night fare that didn't serve either entity well. When the show finally debuted on October 14, 2011 that's actually when the viewer got. The first guest? The way creepy Russell Brand. This show was doomed!

In all honesty, the show never seem to improve during this incarnation. Everything was a struggle and a bit annoying. From the dancing boys, game show segments and confetti, the whole thing was an unwieldy, often unwatchable mess. To be nitpicky, even the set itself was ugly and in some light, it looked like the crazy makeshift talk show of a demented captors. That set does have history though. It was Oprah's old studio. And despite a parade of new "innovative" segment and guests, the ghost of better times seemed to just be in the eye line of TV fans. In that way, it was interesting to see a proven though mercurial entity like Rosie fail on the set/studio that was the home of most successful talk show host.

As time went on, the things that didn't work seemed to disappear. The musical director, the dancing boys and the game shows all went bye-bye. In January of 2012, the Rosie Show seemed to solve one big problem by changing sets, losing the audience and having a one on one interview setting. Oddly enough, it became a lot like what the Gayle King show was. The circle of life... O'Donnell seemed to be more comfortable like this she did get incisive interviews from everyone from Dr. Oz to Kathy Griffin. It wasn't enough.


  On March 6 with the ratings still tanking, she stated she was moving the show to New York. Apparently she complained about the lack of guests, etc. On March 16th (or 16rd) the world was rocked to the core as the Rosie Show was cancelled with little fanfare, sparklers or black market explosives. Rosie and Oprah exchanged public statements and I cried a river of tears at my desk.

Show Grade **


Update: Not surprisingly reports have surfaced that crazy old Rosie surfaced behind the scenes of OWN with tirades and abuse and stuff...