NBC's Talking to Rosie...About A Variety Show?

NBC's Talking to Rosie...About A Variety Show?

By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
July 28, 2008 - 09:58 ET

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reported Friday that NBC is talking to Rosie O'Donnell again, but this time about putting her in prime time with a variety show, as if she was Carol Burnett:

Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that Hasselbeck's former View nemesis, Rosie O'Donnell, is in active talks with NBC to return to television with her own weekly primetime variety show....

The possible NBC-O'Donnell hook-up is particularly ironic in light of the fact that less than a year ago the network's cable news arm, MSNBC, was close to giving the Koosh Ball-lovin' funny lady her own one-hour showcase. But when word of the discussions leaked out before the ink was dry, O'Donnell claimed the network "panicked" and the deal went south.

O'Donnell's rep declined to comment, but an insider with knowledge of the Peacock negotiations tells me that NBC isn't the only major network making a play for the ex-View moderator. CBS is (or was) also said to be interested in giving the ratings magnet her own series, but at this point, NBC is said to have the upper hand.

Roger Friedman at Foxnews.com (a Rosie fan) offered more scuttlebutt:

What I’m told is that Ben Silverman and Jeff Zucker like the idea — and it’s a great one that Rosie’s had for a long time. The new show could turn out to be a 2009 version of Carol Burnett or even "The Ed Sullivan Show.’

...Sources tell me that O’Donnell has been kicking this idea around since 2002. No one does live TV better than this comedienne, and with the potential for some kind of controversy every Sunday — something outrageous or cutting-edge — NBC would be certain to grab big numbers.

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.

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Rose and the Networks

July 28, 2008 - 10:03 ET by Poker Player

The only people dumber than anyone who would hire Rosie is anyone who would watch Rosie.

They can't do any worse...

July 28, 2008 - 10:21 ET by mikefisk

...what passes for programming at NBC is execrable at best anymore. Heck, at this point, Rosie might be a step up.

Assuming she can keep her politics at bay (huge if), it has the potential to at least be vaguely interesting. If there's one thing she can do besides shoot her mouth off, it's goof off on camera, and that might make for slightly better TV than what passes for NBC prime-time programming.

Poison

July 28, 2008 - 10:46 ET by Texndoc

What entertainment venture has this woman ever been involved with that didn't turn into a flop? She can't handle a magazine; she couldn't even handle a Broadway musical she was producing (and if anybody is in her corner, it's the Broadway musical types). She's no Carol Burnett because Rosie isn't satisfied unless someone is offended.

Oh my merciful heavens. Two

July 28, 2008 - 10:49 ET by suzycreamcheese

Oh my merciful heavens. Two networks fighting over Rosie? She has bombed at everything she has done. Yes, she's been popular and miraculously makes money hand over fist, but something in her psyche can't allow herself to be a continuing success. She's fine for a short while and then she just goes psycho.

"...as if she was Carol

July 28, 2008 - 10:51 ET by Chris Norman

"...as if she was Carol Burnett"

"I'm so glad we had this time together, just to be whacked out and be so wrong. Seems we just get started and before you know it, the men in the white coats come along. Goodnight everybody!"

McNotObama '08

Lesbian led variety show?

July 28, 2008 - 10:59 ET by Red Jeep

Rosie’s first try as the white Oprah with her own talk show and magazine worked so well that Zucker wants to try to make her Carol Burnett 2. Give that man a raise…he’ll run NBC into the ground with ideas like this. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving network.

Be still my heart.

July 28, 2008 - 11:02 ET by Thalpy

Be still my heart. Does anyone know how to contact Chris Matthews? I've been having this intermittent tingling just thinking about Rosie's return to tv.

What's Elisabeth Got To Do With This?

July 28, 2008 - 11:16 ET by Gothampc

"If you really want to see Elisabeth Hasselbeck cry, try uttering the R-word — especially in this next context.

Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that Hasselbeck's former View nemesis, Rosie O'Donnell, is in active talks with NBC to return to television with her own weekly primetime variety show."

Isn't it interesting that Ausiello frames this article by putting Elisabeth down in order to build up Rosie. It's stupid to even bring Elisabeth into it.

Puh-leeze!

July 28, 2008 - 11:41 ET by Artiste

I would rather watch reruns of ANYTHING than spend one minute on Rosie. What a joke! She actually makes my skin crawl.

"...and with the potential

July 28, 2008 - 11:43 ET by Killgrave

"...and with the potential for some kind of controversy every Sunday — something outrageous or cutting-edge — NBC would be certain to grab big numbers."

This should be awesome. There's no way this loony broad will settle for a second-rate contract and less than total creative control. She will be high on the hog for a few weeks, and be halfway pleasant. But inevitably the moonbat will take over, and she will derail the show with her far-left rants.

The show will tank, and the sucker network will be out tens of millions of dollars. And, if we're lucky, they will fight it out in court.