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Rosie O’Donnell’s new daily talk show on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is looking to shake off lackluster ratings with a new executive producer and a new set. Shane Farley, who worked with O’Donnell on her previous Emmy-winning syndicated talker The Rosie O’Donnell Show has come on as executive producer. He replaces Page Hurwitz, who as executive producer oversaw The Rosie Show‘s launch and first three months on the air. Farley has more than 15 years of experience producing talk shows, most recently Rachael Ray. The Rosie Show kicked off 2012 with a new smaller and brightly colored set. It fits about 70 audience members, about a fifth of the original set, and is inspired by Rosie’s art studio at her home in New York. The radical downsizing does not allow for a band setup, though OWN said that “musical director Katreese Barnes will continue to be fully engaged behind the scenes, creating original music for the show, including digital shorts and musical parodies.” “Having worked with Shane for a number of years, I knew he’d be a great addition to the team as we continue to develop the vision for the show,” O’Donnell said.
The changes to the set were in part inspired by O’Donnell’s recent stint as a guest on Andy Cohen’s Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live. “I loved the homey feel of his set and the intimacy of his smaller audience,” O’Donnell said. “I wanted to re-create that laid-back feeling, less about performing for a huge audience and more about having a one-on-one conversation.” The Rosie Show got off to a decent ratings start with 500,000 viewers tuning in to its its debut. But its audience has shrunk and now averages about 200,000 viewers. The set overhaul follows a series of smaller tweaks over the past couple of months, including the elimination of the mic stand and the Johnny Carson-style curtain for O’Donnell’s monologues, the phasing out of the game show element and the changing of the blue interview chairs. Also enlisted to help boost the show’s fortunes is one of Oprah’s top proteges, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who will be a guest on January 27-28.
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I’m quite a Rosie fan, but I don’t think any EP is or will be the problem here; I think it’s Rosie. Just my opinion, but I get the impression that Rosie’s doing the show she wants to do this time around, and is toying around with things on a whim, as suits her desires.
As long as she stays away from hour-long episodes with the casts of various shows, things will probably go better. I didn’t even bother watching her episode with the cast of “iCarly”. I DID watch her episode with the cast of “Shameless” (because I love the show), but the whole hour, I was thinking how boring it must be for anyone who doesn’t watch the show.
Then again, despite wanting to work with/for Oprah, going back to syndication (which she was going to do before the O deal came through) was probably the move that should’ve made for long-term success and eyeballs, anyway.
I was actually surprised that I really enjoyed the iCARLY episode. I thought it was terrific and Rosie was at the top of her game. To be honest, what I feel is really missing from this new show is New York City (which feels like a big part of Rosie). Her love of theater, the access to better talent, to the Broadway musicals and daily musical performances — all of that gave her original TV show and even her year on The View a sizzle and fun that I feel is lacking in this new show. I miss that energy and fun — and even the comedic banter with her old band leader (who had a personality — this new one seems lacking). And I’m a big fan of Rosie — I even thought her recent appearance on Piers Morgan was terrific. But I think she needs to re-capture more of the showbiz “fun.”
Good points. NYC is a huge part of her.
Same thing that killed Conan – no NYC.
It was an odd choice from the start. If OWN wanted a polarizing talk show host – they got one. Ever since her stint on the VIEW the public perception of Roise changed. Perhaps one final last attempt to breath life into this thing will be moving it to NYC in order to book better guests. Those ratings aren’t going to make many celebs jump on a plane for Chicago. Loser in all this: Chicago.
I’m sure the problem was the chair color and has nothing to due with the fact that no one can stand Rosie O’Donnell…
Did they ever think that it was Rosie that nobody likes???
Oprah and Rosie need to learn that their popularity was due more to their being in syndication/off cable, and the fact that there were less compelling choices back when they hit it big.
I think the show is moving in the right direction. The last couple shows with Kathy Griffin were some of the best television I have ever seen.
I love the new one on one shows so insightful and she feels natural and not forced and you learn more of guest and of her! Stay with this format and just dump the audience period or make it contractual that this happens at least once or twice a week and is advertised as such heavily!!!
I concur with David Sask comments. I love the format of the show and Rosie is so natural…conversing with her guest in a very calm and normal tone…just like when a good friend next door drops by. I love to listen to her and her guests. How wonderful to hear such unrehearsed open conversations. Rosie is able to draw from her guests interesting happenings in their lives without being intrusive. I just love
watching her show as I quietly knit in my favorite chair. My only comment is a wish that the setting is designed better. It looks kind of cold with a rather stiff effect…can someone do something about it?
How about a place with a little more pizzazz to soften the set and a really homey atmosphere.
Anyways, my whole family loves Rosie…Good Luck Rosie on your new format.
Get a new Rosie.
The show is awful. She’s not funny, and the entire set and production looks cheap. And this is coming from someone who really likes her. I just can’t watch it or her. All these resources and it’s amazing how hard the show and the network are falling…
I get the feeling that Rosie went ballistic on someone about 5 seconds after taking that cheesy glam shot with Oz. No, she is not a nice person. No amount of koosh ball tossing will fix this version of her show.
Bigger problem… it is on OWN and most of us forget where that is…
Still love Rosie but her new show does not work for me, new changes in 2012 don’t help the situation, the new set is awful to look at, looks like a preschool, FYI your viewers (those of us who are still hanging in there) are adults.
Oh sure, that will fix it. They should be fine now.
Every time I watched before I was always thinking that the set is too dark, boring, drab, etc. So glad they changed that; miles better. An entire show with NeNe Leakes also was a red flag that they are having trouble booking guests because they are not in NYC. Celebs would go to Chicago for Oprah, not for Rosie. (Not yet.) I think that with bigger bookings she could have a nice little niche on OWN.
I know some of the people who were fired.
They are overjoyed to be done with that mess.
I don’t know about the rest of the country, but on DirecTV in LA I’m pretty sure OWN broadcasts only in standard def – and when I’ve tuned in to Rosie or any other programming, it’s unwatchable picture quality. Is it possible not broadcasting in HD could also have an effect on their ratings?
I totally agree. The picture quality on Oprah’s network is awful. Is anyone running this network watching these shows from their home and can see how awfulthe quality of the picture is to the tv audience? When I tune into Rosie, I feel like I’m watching a show on my tv from 1982. The picture quality is terrible. I turn the channel. I can’t believe they are not broadcasting in HD. I’ve had Direct TV for 15 years and you get use to the crystal clear picture. OWN picture quality is the lowest quality possible. I can’t believe Oprah would allow this on her network???
Here’s the thing , she’s competing against Ellen Degeneres , and against the top male rivals as well . Rosie is obviously a smart girl , but she tends to put a negative spin with middle class rudeness on show topics , but Ellen is all sugar and spice with nice presents too . It’s not totally that , but treating everything with a little more warmth may improve her ratings !
But we now know that the “little more warmth” would be phony, and most of us aren’t buying that anymore.
The Rosie Show is a total bore. I watch it like I would watch the aftermath of a car accident wondering if the people would live or die. The Rosie Show is a serious accident with no chance to live. In addition to be boring, she is just not likable. How many times will she remind us she is a “celebrity” and has “famous friends.” YAWN
Having watched each show from the premiere and being a producer, I’m going to stick my two cents in… problems are in my opinion format & guests booked. The show started out as trying to be a hybrid of at least $ different shows & it saddened me because I thought it might flounder too long trying to find it’s best identity. Watching the one on one with Kathy Griffin parts 1&2… I have toy say I think this is what the show needs. I was not around enough (busy working) to have seen much of her 1st show. She won me over with the radio show. I “saw” her intelligence, wit, compassion,serious, well-read & well-informed sides. I liked that she interviewed serious people she was the polar opposite of, I enjoyedw Rosie the iconoclast. The woman who was still a work in progress. The direct interviewed who asked question that she’d fact checked & didn’t sit still for publicist parrots. Rosie, that’s when you weren’t courting ratings, you were being you. Trust it. Get talent Booker’s who
cont’d.
Get talent booker’s who will bring you Larry King type if one on one’s. Then the ratings will follow.
Sadly…Rosie has too much baggage to even try and enjoy her…Too big a mouth…too intent on putting her personal,political and social issues in everyone’s face…I just want to enjoy a show…
I liked the show and then the new changes launched and I immediately disliked it. I don’t know what it was. I guess I liked the stupid games, the opening monologue with Q&A, the confetti and Holly.
eric, I am with you 100%! The new “old” format were fun and exciting, this new “new” format turned me off instantly. I find the one on one interviews boring and no longer watch at all. So sorry as I love Rosie but not anymore.
So she just completely relaunched her show, is what you’re saying? I think we’ve all highlighted the problem; Rosie O’Donnell is simply not a nice person, and people are over her.
Come on, 2 hours with Kathy Griffin and Dr Oz ?? These 2 are not legends that have anything really interesting to say. It is called desperate for guests and ratings … Next she will have 3 hours with Kim Kardasian and 4 hours with Glee’s assistant producer. It will be just as riveting.
Bring in a legend for a full hour or 2 full hours, not the what’s his/her names.
Johnny Carson said it best long ago, “You can put a tuxedo on a chimp but that won’t make it a gentleman.”
i love the 2 minute catheter “infomercials”. maybe they can bring in elder celebs and do a “funniest catheter moments” series sponsored by…
Maybe it’s time to get a new host and to stop spending money frivolously on this network, unless it is Oprah’s money. This network won’t last by the year’s end by the way they’re operating.
It’s 2012. America is not infatuated with this unfunny, crass, overbearing, egotistical, selfish person any more. She had her day and duped the public for years, but ask ANYONE who has ever spent time with Rosie, and you’ll hear nothing but horror stories (same with Ellen Degeneres). If Oprah wants to get viewers, she needs to find new stars whom people actually like and are sincere. Between Rosie and Jay Leno, the old phony “nice person” routine is now clearly a sham to observant viewers. These crust buckets will soon be irrelevant to even the most die-hard daytime/late night viewers.
Crust bucket…..that is fantastic. I will be borrowing that one!
Only way Ill watch is if The Donald is a guest.