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NBC's Rosie O’Donnell variety show disappoints (Ratings Disaster Score For G/E!)
The Feed ^ | 11-27-2008

Posted on 11/27/2008 10:17:57 AM PST by My Favorite Headache

November 27, 2008 NBC's Rosie O’Donnell variety show disappoints Rosie O'Donnell gave NBC a real turkey.

The network's attempt to revive the primetime variety show failed to draw an audience Wednesday night, tying for the evening’s lowest-rated program.

A mere 5 million viewers tuned in for the 8 p.m. premiere of “Rosie Live,” with the program earning a 1.2 preliminary adults 18-49 rating. The telecast matched ABC’s recently canceled “Pushing Daisies” as the night's lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

NBC had high hopes for the special and planned to expand the program into a series should viewers re-embrace the decades-old variety format. Other networks, too, were watching closely since several are developing variety shows of their own.

“There’s a notion that the climate is right for the genre to make a comeback,” emailed one executive at a rival network. “I guess we now know what not to do, thanks to Rosie.”

Segments included Kathy Griffin impersonating Nancy Grace, Alec Baldwin hitting Conan O'Brian with a pie, O'Donnell singing "City Lights" with Liza Minnelli and Jane Krakowski doing a striptease while showing images of product placement.

Critics were not kind. The NY Times described it as "hokey comedy with an enemies list." TV Guide called it a "ghastly ego trip."

Networks have been chasing variety show programming as a low-cost option to revive the genre. But the idea has been sought by executives due the format’s rock-bottom low cost, cross-promotion possibilities and advertiser-friendly format rather than being a genre that's bursting from the creative community or demanded by viewers. In other words, the neo-variety show is a product designed to solve financial woes rather than an inspired act of programming creativity and therefore had the odds stacked against it drawing large numbers.

NBC’s variation in particular, starring O’Donnell with appearances by Alannis Morrisette, Ne Yo, Griffin, Rachael Ray, Harry Connick Jr., Clay Aiken and Gloria Estefan seemed pretty niche, skewing heavily female for a show broadcast the eve of a family holiday, and some observers thought the lineup was better suited for daytime than primetime.

Given the holiday week, programming was lower rated last night than average. One special that did perform well was Barbara Walters’ interview with president-elect Barack Obama (11.6 million, 3.0 rating), which nearly matched "CSI: NY" in the 10 p.m. hour and gave ABC its highest non-awards show rating in the time period in more than a year.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: rosie; rosieodonnell; trashtv
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To: Nathan Zachary

“Ellen is just as insane as Rosie”

Possibly. But Ellen isn’t nearly as toxic as Rosie and does have a decent show. I don’t watch it but once in a great while and for a talk show it’s pretty good.


101 posted on 11/27/2008 2:58:54 PM PST by swmobuffalo ("We didn't seek the approval of Code Pink and MoveOn.org before deciding what to do")
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To: My Favorite Headache

Pig Night.


102 posted on 11/27/2008 3:15:31 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Grampa Dave
Why would America tune out on an ugly no talent lesbo heirloom hog pretending to have talent and a sense of humor sprinkled with Hate America/Christians and married heterosexual hate talk? (Sarcasm off!)

Not only her, but Kathy Griffin (who recently made outrageous, blasphemous comments about Christ,) Clay Aiken, (who recently announced that he's gay and a father by sperm donation,) and Alec Baldwin! How could the network suits possibly be so stupid as to think that Mr. and Mrs. America would tune in to see these people?!

103 posted on 11/27/2008 3:18:36 PM PST by Nea Wood (Silly liberal . . . paychecks are for workers!)
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To: Keith in Iowa

It would have to include a sifting of the ashes however ~ just to make sure she was no longer with us.


104 posted on 11/27/2008 3:23:39 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: My Favorite Headache
Gee, a big part of this wouldn't have been because of the sheer number of people Rosie alienated since she became the "mean" Rosie that we remember from "The View."

Had she done the show while she was the "nice" Rosie, from her days as a talk show host and before the baseball movie, she was quite popular with just about everyone. Had the show aired back then, I'm sure that she would have done better.

Mark

105 posted on 11/27/2008 3:43:45 PM PST by MarkL
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To: MarkL
Just what I want to watch after a great TG dinner; a noxious, nasty-faced bulldyke.
106 posted on 11/27/2008 3:50:48 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: 9YearLurker
And the time is ripe for a variety comeback.

Yeah, they've run the reality shows, the "comedy" shows, the "don't you want to be a millionaire, really?" shows into the ground.

Rosie Gay O'Donut is about as far from a competent and acceptable variety show host as east is from west.

107 posted on 11/27/2008 3:58:40 PM PST by Ole Okie
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To: My Favorite Headache
Segments included Kathy Griffin impersonating Nancy Grace, Alec Baldwin hitting Conan O'Brian with a pie, O'Donnell singing "City Lights" with Liza Minnelli and Jane Krakowski doing a striptease while showing images of product placement.

Yep, sounds just like the old Carol Burnett/Jackie Gleason/Ed Sullivan shows. Real "A" listers, family oriented entertainment. /sarc

108 posted on 11/27/2008 4:11:46 PM PST by hattend (Sarah Palin has run a fishing business, a city, and a state. All Obama has done is run his mouth.)
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To: My Favorite Headache

Ellen is gay and does well on TV
Rosie is just a big fat turnoff plus has a rep for being unhinged


109 posted on 11/27/2008 4:32:20 PM PST by dennisw (Never bet on Islam! ::::: Never bet on a false prophet!)
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To: Mandingo Conservative

Who is Jane Krakowski anyway?


110 posted on 11/27/2008 6:38:20 PM PST by hattend (Sarah Palin has run a fishing business, a city, and a state. All Obama has done is run his mouth.)
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To: My Favorite Headache
Why would any network think that The Rosie O’Donnel Show would draw people in? She wasn't funny when she did stand up, I know because we watched her on the Comedy Channel. Then she went down hill from there.
111 posted on 11/27/2008 7:00:22 PM PST by Ditter
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To: savedbygrace
Cute; and a bit saucy in spots for 1961!

Yes, ABC destroyed most of Ernie's video tapes by taping over his shows.

112 posted on 11/27/2008 7:07:25 PM PST by 6323cd (Loyal Opposition My Ass)
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To: 9YearLurker
And the time is ripe for a variety comeback.

Variety worked great in the good old days when television was just for entertainment. Today, television takes itself much too seriously. It will be impossible to come up with a variety show that will not become preachy. Consider, this current attempt. Why would a network that wanted to focus on entertainment select a divisive personality like Rosie O for its M.C?

This is why Americans tune this stuff out. When they want to be preached to, they go to church.

113 posted on 11/27/2008 7:30:28 PM PST by CharacterCounts (1984 was supposed to be a work of fiction, not a how-to manual.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

LOL I just got home and read through about 100 of them...classic keepers for sure.


114 posted on 11/27/2008 7:58:13 PM PST by My Favorite Headache (Forget the 3AM phone call. Obama can not even answer the phone at 3PM.)
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To: pandoraou812
The only good thing about Rosie being on TV is that I get to turn her off. Happy Thanksgiving TE!

Happy Thanksgiving to you too, pandy. How did Rosie get on your TV in the first place and have you informed that family member that they will not be getting any dessert?

115 posted on 11/27/2008 8:12:44 PM PST by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason.)
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To: TigersEye

Shaking my head....Rosie is never on my tv...but if I see her I get to turn her off & that is a good thing IMO.


116 posted on 11/27/2008 8:56:30 PM PST by pandoraou812 (Don't play leapfrog with a unicorn! ...........^............)
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To: My Favorite Headache
Critics were not kind

Perhaps Rosie should have waited for the "Fairness Doctrine" to become adopted.

117 posted on 11/28/2008 9:51:02 AM PST by MosesKnows (Love many, Trust few, and always paddle your own canoe)
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To: My Favorite Headache
The telecast matched ABC’s recently canceled “Pushing Daisies” as the night's lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

Dang it...I like that show.

118 posted on 11/28/2008 1:11:40 PM PST by bigjoesaddle ("Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: My Favorite Headache
mere 5 million viewers tuned in

How do they know this??????????

119 posted on 11/28/2008 1:16:27 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson)
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