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.
“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.
Pig Night.
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?!
It would have to include a sifting of the ashes however ~ just to make sure she was no longer with us.
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
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.
Yep, sounds just like the old Carol Burnett/Jackie Gleason/Ed Sullivan shows. Real "A" listers, family oriented entertainment. /sarc
Ellen is gay and does well on TV
Rosie is just a big fat turnoff plus has a rep for being unhinged
Who is Jane Krakowski anyway?
Yes, ABC destroyed most of Ernie's video tapes by taping over his shows.
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.
LOL I just got home and read through about 100 of them...classic keepers for sure.
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?
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.
Perhaps Rosie should have waited for the "Fairness Doctrine" to become adopted.
Dang it...I like that show.
How do they know this??????????
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