The Rosie Show
Encyclopedia
The Rosie Show is an American
evening television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell
, airing on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The first episode premiered on October 10, 2011, on the stage that was formerly home to The Oprah Winfrey Show
at Harpo Studios in Chicago.
It was announced on September 29, 2011 that Russell Brand
would be the show's first guest.
Other guests during Rosie's premiere week include: Wanda Sykes
, Gloria Estefan
, Roseanne Barr
, Lisa Kudrow
, Valerie Harper
, and Kevin Bacon
.
On Wednesday, October 26, audience member Hollee Chanel was chosen by Rosie to be the new announcer for the show, replacing actress Michelle Blakely. O'Donnell has expressed that there will be further changes to the set and format over the next few months, as the program finds its vibe during the first season.
with a conversation with John McDaniel).
musical director). Sometimes special musical guests will sit in and accompany the band.
. The show presents a backstage look at how Rosie and her crew at Harpo Studios produce episodes of the talk show.
Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times compared the show to the rest of the OWN programming and remarked that unlike "the solemn, mostly repurposed fare that clutters the rest of OWN, The Rosie Show is colorful and spontaneous: the funny cousin who shows up for a family ceremony late and lets suitcases of clothes, shoes and presents spill out all across the living room floor." Further, the review comments on O'Donnell's "friendly rapport" with guests and compares her fun, easygoing style to Carol Burnett and Merv Griffin. In addition, the reviewer comments on her ability to maintain a fine balance of intimacy and fun when she interviews guests, demonstrated when she "discussed rehab with Mr. Brand, a former drug addict, and breast cancer with Ms. Sykes, who caught hers early and is in full recovery. But serious issues don’t get in the way of what Ms. O’Donnell does best: amiable, free-floating conversation that seems unscripted and unpretentious."
On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter said the show was ”ramshackle“ and ”a little crazy“ but called it interesting to watch. Variety called it ”curiously flat and understated“, while the Los Angeles Times said The Rosie Show had a ”not-bad, pretty good, kinda funny, sort of smart debut.“
Overall, an average 388,000 nightly viewers watched The Rosie Show on OWN during the week of its Oct. 10th debut. O'Donnell, Winfrey, and OWN execs have stated that they are happy with the show's premiere week ratings. Further, The Rosie Show posted double digit growth for the month of October across the key demos versus year ago numbers averaging 258,000 total viewers per night (up 81% compared with Discovery Healths ratings in October 2010).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
evening television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
, airing on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The first episode premiered on October 10, 2011, on the stage that was formerly home to The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
at Harpo Studios in Chicago.
Season One (2011–2012)
Season one of The Rosie Show debuted on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The show leads into Oprah's Lifeclass and the pair was considered a reboot for the struggling network to increase viewership during its fall launch of shows.It was announced on September 29, 2011 that Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
would be the show's first guest.
Other guests during Rosie's premiere week include: Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes is an American writer, stand-up comedian, actress, and voice artist. She earned the 1999 Emmy Award for her writing on The Chris Rock Show. In 2004 Entertainment Weekly named Sykes as one of the 25 funniest people in America...
, Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
, Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Cherrie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, television producer and director. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy at clubs before gaining fame for her role in the sitcom Roseanne. The show was a hit and lasted nine seasons, from 1988 to 1997...
, Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
, Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
, and Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
.
On Wednesday, October 26, audience member Hollee Chanel was chosen by Rosie to be the new announcer for the show, replacing actress Michelle Blakely. O'Donnell has expressed that there will be further changes to the set and format over the next few months, as the program finds its vibe during the first season.
Show Concept and Format
The show covers current events, highlights hometown heroes and newsmakers, showcases art, discusses important issues and celebrates children. The daily show also features comedy and game segments (a staple of her first talk show) as well as celebrity guests and performances by recording artists, both well-known and up-and-coming performers.Opening
Each show opens with Rosie emerging from backstage and welcoming her audience. During the first segment, she combines a free-flow of stand-up comedy, questions from the audience, and a recap of the daily news headlines. Rosie often also uses this time to chat with her show announcer, Hollee, and the leader of her house band, Katreese Barnes (similar to how she would open The Rosie O'Donnell ShowThe Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
with a conversation with John McDaniel).
Music
The Rosie Show infuses music into every episode- whether it be performances by musical guests, Rosie's spontaneous musical numbers (sometimes accompanied by her "Broadway Boys"), or the soundtrack provided by her house band, led by Katreese Barnes (a former Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
musical director). Sometimes special musical guests will sit in and accompany the band.
Game show segments
Most shows close with a game segment, where audience members face off against each other to win a prize. Game segments have included: The Ro Game, Build That Tune, and Odd Man Out. At the end of the game, the loser is forced to take the "Walk of Shame," while the winner is showered with confetti.Behind the Scenes: The Rosie Reality Show
Some Friday episodes of The Rosie Show are a Behind the Scenes reality show, similar to The Oprah Winfrey Shows Season 25: Oprah Behind The ScenesSeason 25: Oprah Behind The Scenes
Season 25: Oprah Behind The Scenes is an American television series documenting the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Each episode follows production for one or two episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, featuring interview segments with Oprah Winfrey and the production...
. The show presents a backstage look at how Rosie and her crew at Harpo Studios produce episodes of the talk show.
Critical Reception
The Rosie Show debuted to mixed but generally positive reviews. Time Magazine stated that the show "found a happy medium between Serious-Adult Rosie and Showbiz-Kid Rosie, giving her a medium to talk with people she likes about things that matter to her, while keeping positive and showing the live audience a good time."Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times compared the show to the rest of the OWN programming and remarked that unlike "the solemn, mostly repurposed fare that clutters the rest of OWN, The Rosie Show is colorful and spontaneous: the funny cousin who shows up for a family ceremony late and lets suitcases of clothes, shoes and presents spill out all across the living room floor." Further, the review comments on O'Donnell's "friendly rapport" with guests and compares her fun, easygoing style to Carol Burnett and Merv Griffin. In addition, the reviewer comments on her ability to maintain a fine balance of intimacy and fun when she interviews guests, demonstrated when she "discussed rehab with Mr. Brand, a former drug addict, and breast cancer with Ms. Sykes, who caught hers early and is in full recovery. But serious issues don’t get in the way of what Ms. O’Donnell does best: amiable, free-floating conversation that seems unscripted and unpretentious."
On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter said the show was ”ramshackle“ and ”a little crazy“ but called it interesting to watch. Variety called it ”curiously flat and understated“, while the Los Angeles Times said The Rosie Show had a ”not-bad, pretty good, kinda funny, sort of smart debut.“
Ratings
The debut of The Rosie Show was seen by 497,000 viewers on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series was also aired across five other cable channels operated by OWN's partner, Discovery Communications Inc., reaching a combined total audience of 1.5 million.Overall, an average 388,000 nightly viewers watched The Rosie Show on OWN during the week of its Oct. 10th debut. O'Donnell, Winfrey, and OWN execs have stated that they are happy with the show's premiere week ratings. Further, The Rosie Show posted double digit growth for the month of October across the key demos versus year ago numbers averaging 258,000 total viewers per night (up 81% compared with Discovery Healths ratings in October 2010).