O'Donnell's New Daytime Project

[Sylph]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6e499b206b4e48ab2db00dc8937364dd

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6e499b206b4e48ab2ea2dee0a17868e1

[DRW50]

Good luck with that! This woman had two amazing chances and pi$$ed both of them away. I would be surprised if anyone gives her a third.

[NYC123]

I liked the Rosie O'Donnell show but then hated it when she gave it to Charoline Rhea. I like Rhea but thought she sucked as a host.

[DaytimeFan]

Rosie resonated with daytime viewers twice. I have no doubt she can resonate with daytime viewers for a third time.

Good luck to her, I think she has *something* that makes her a hit. She's true to herself, whether people like her or not.

[DRW50]

She can't control herself. I think as long as that continues it will drag her shows down. On her first talk show, she was a lot of fun for the first year or two, and then she slowly became so involved in politicking, and in a generally obsessive nature, that all the fun went out of the show. The ratings went down and down. It was a lot like what happened to Kathie Lee, the main difference was that Regis was still there to balance her.

[Soapsuds]

Speaking of Kathie Lee...the woman who gave up Regis and Kathie Lee to do the same damn thing on the Today Show....LOL

[soapfan770]

Agreed, I enjoyed Rosie's stuff in the 90s but then everything well into a hand-basket. While I admire she's more than willing to stand up for what she believes in, she's just so abrasive and combative she's just seems extremely unpleasant these days.

[bellcurve]

Whatever happed to Rosie O's Ryan's Hope revival? I think that may be a project she's better suited for.

[Adam]

I'll definitely tune in if this comes to fruition. She can be controversial and certainly does not play the game, but I always have enjoyed Rosie.... I think cable would be the perfect venue for her though.

[bellcurve]

But Gelman's not producing The Today Show.

[DaytimeFan]

From everything I've heard and seen from Rosie in the last while she is done with aggressive political discourse on television. Her comments to Oprah and on her own blog reveal a change in how she views her role in the media landscape. In short, she has said that she's given up political talk on television because it's 'too exhausting' and that if she came back to television, it would be in a style similar to her first show, though she would place less emphasis on celebrities and more emphasis on regular people who have positive/fun/interesting stories.

And I don't see where people get the idea that her shows ratings went down. They didn't. The Rosie O'Donnell show was very much a hit when she left it, TelePictures offered her a two year deal for around $90 million, but she opted to walk. At The View the ratings surged with her presence, though they have also gone up with the arrival of Whoopi. Donald Trump has spun a lot of nonsense about how Rosie's shows have been a failure and it simply is not the case (aside from the dreadful variety show which was doomed to fail).

Rosie is a hit on Sirius as well. The issue with her is that she is at her best when she is alone without anyone to grab the spotlight. That's not good, bad or indifferent, but it certainly sheds light on what makes Rosie work in daytime. Whether she succeeds or fails is strictly on her. The same is true of Kathie Lee Gifford, she left Live! and then returned to the Today show, so regardless of how political a personality is, if they return less political, it seems that the audience has little problem embracing them again.

All that being said, I wonder how syndicated talk would work for Rosie, the landscape has changed so much since she left the air in 2002. Bonnie Hunt's show couldn't make it and it was very similar to The Rosie O'Donnell Show, but then Hunt is hardly of the same recognition as Rosie. Then you have The Wendy Williams Show which is an absolute party (I love it and Wendy herself) but it's very different than anything Rosie's done.

So we'll just have to see, Rosie only surrounds herself with the best in the business, so it will be interesting.

[bellcurve]

How utterly BORING.

As much as I HAAAAAAAAAAAATE(©DeeDeee) Rosie, she has set herself up as a political pundit. She cannot be ignored.

As much as I dislike the way she aggressively approaches people and how she accuses everyone including Miss Fire Island of being a homophobe, she was one of the first ones in mainstream media who was willing to say, "Hey, there's something not quite right about 9-11." If for any other reason other than to have a platform where she can mildly allude to govermnent conspiracy, then hell yeah.

AND THE ELECTION. Don't forget that, in many ways, The View was, oddly enough, as important to politics as any cable news outlet.

And Wendy's not doing so well either. Girlfriend barely got another pickup from Debmar-Mercury/Twentieth Television for next season.

She lost alot of her radio edge. I want her cancelled or on the verge of cancellation so she can have her Whitney Houston moment that will keep her on the air and make her more edgy.

[DaytimeFan]

I definitely see your points on Rosie as a political pundit and that going back to her old style would be boring. I agree with you, but I think it would still be entertaining and pleasant. Her Sirius show is something of a hybrid, if she went with that angle, it could work. The real question is if syndication on networks is the real answer for her. Cable would be much better suited to her.

You're totally right about the election, how could I forget?! The View was very influential...I'd argue Rosie started that trend. Prior to her it was a show about diets and makeup and celebrity interviews...though Lisa Ling and Star Jones (at times) brought some real stories to the table.

Wendy's picked up through 2012, so she's doing OK. Though she's lost much of her edge I sort of wonder if she did it because she had to or because she wanted to. Either way, it isn't there. I do love her show though, it can be such a hot mess at times, Wendy's interested in entertaining and having a good time and I think she's succeeding.

But overall, syndicated talk has changed dramatically from Rosie's first foray, expectations are lower but the rewards are as well.

[bellcurve]

Syndication, as a whole, has changed in the past 15-20 years. Who would have ever predicted, over 15 years later, Judge Judy would not only be one of the most top-rated shows, but that they'd do a double run with two new half-hours?

And CBS/Paramount is looking to duplicate that success with Nancy Grace(and let's face it, you know she WILL).

[DaytimeFan]

Absolutely, from Donahue and Merv and Oprah to Ellen and Maury and Judy.

Judge Judy is a guilty (hell, no guilt at all) pleasure of mine. I can't see CBS/Paramount planning to ditch JJ for Nancy Grace even if she's a big success, JJ is the Empress of courtroom programs, no one is her heir. But Nancy will be a success, of that we can be assured. Perhaps it will fill a spot of ATWT's timeslot?