Let me begin by saying that I realize that I am now in the minority of people who like Rosie O'Donnell. I have loved her ever since the premiere episode so many years ago of her first talk show THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW. What she brought to daytime television back in the mid-90's was a return to the glory days of Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and Dinah Shore. Her love of all things Pop Culture combined with her genuine affection and respect for the Stars that she grew up idolizing was infectious and made her Show a delight to watch every day. Who can forget the first time she interviewed her idols Bette Midler, Mary Tyler Moore, Tom Cruise, and of course Barbra Streisand? THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW was a great comfort to me during the horror of the Columbine Massacre and 9/11. To see a Superstar be unafraid to show such emotion and fear on her own talk show was refreshing and let me know that I was not alone. When Rosie chose to end her popular talk show, I felt as though I had suffered a loss. That great friend who was there at the end of a work day would no longer be there. And although I was an admirer of Oprah's and still am, her show never had the impact on me that Rosie's did. So I still have Rosie's final show on videotape and watch it occasionally. It was a terrific Farewell to a woman who changed what daytime TV was, not by doing anything new, but by simply calling back to a bygone era of "friendly" talk variety shows. I began watching THE VIEW daily (and still do) when Rosie was added to the panel. That year showed Rosie's divisiveness and maturity. She was no longer the Queen of Nice. She was now a full fledged woman who had finally taken control of her own sexuality and her own political state of mind. Rosie quickly butt heads with the other Hosts and especially Elizabeth Hasslebeck. I was watching THE VIEW air "live" the day of the infamous "split-screen" argument between Rosie and Elizabeth that ended up being Rosie's final hour co-hosting THE VIEW. Rosie's absence led to Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd being added to the table and THE VIEW is still daily viewing for me. When it was announced that Rosie would be taking over Harpo Studios with a new talk show for the OWN network, it was like a Christmas gift for me. I would get Rosie back daily, in charge of her own Show, in a format that would harken back to the days of Rosie's old popular show. And yet....watching the first airing of THE ROSIE SHOW, I sensed trouble. Rosie didn't have her old energy and she didn't seem to have a great love for what made her a daytime star to begin with. As September bled into October, each show seemed to only attract B and C list celebrities as her Guest....sometimes even D list celebrities showed up. Where was her good friend Madonna to help her out? Where was Tom Cruise? Mary Tyler Moore? Barbra Streisand? In spite of a few terrific shows dedicated to Phyllis Diller, Jane Fonda, and Penny Marshall, it seemed as though Rosie had alienated herself from the heavy hitters in Show Business and she wasn't able to attract them to this new incarnation. Rosie took a few weeks off for Christmas and when THE ROSIE SHOW returned to OWN in January of 2012, suddenly everything changed. The Show no longer had a live audience. The Show no longer had a live band. The Show no longer had a game show segment on it. Suddenly it was called THE ROSIE SHOW: ONE ON ONE and the hour was spent with Rosie in "Charlie Rose" or "Larry King" mode sitting a modest table with one and only one Guest for the hour having an in depth conversation. The format premiered with a two day interview with Kathy Griffin. It was fantastic. It was a side to both of these women we hadn't seen before. Suddenly Rosie was comfortable. She stated on the air that at the age of 49, she no longer had the energy or the love for her old format. She wanted to have conversations with people without worrying about moving on to the next guest or segment. This format suddenly began attracting some worthwhile talent....Kristen Chenoweth, Chelsea Handler, Liza Minnelli, the cast of Broadway's ANYTHING GOES and PORGY & BESS. This format worked. But it was too late. THE ROSIE SHOW was simply not attracting viewers that had grown weary of what the previous 3 months had brought. I was pulling for Rosie as she truly came into her own as an interviewer and started making THE ROSIE SHOW something I could look forward to watching at the end of the day. So I was saddened to read one week ago today that Oprah Winfrey herself decided to cancel THE ROSIE SHOW. The cost of producing the show couldn't support the fact that there were only a few hundred thousand viewers. Rosie began her first show after the cancellation announcement with an incredibly classy opening telling Viewers that it's alright. She did her best and it was just simply not enough. She was incredibly generous towards Oprah for giving her another chance. I believe that THE ROSIE SHOW's failure can't be placed purely on the shoulders of Rosie. Let's face it, the OWN network is struggling. None of the programming is what one would call a "hit". So, I believe that Rosie O'Donnell will be heard from again in this kind of format. Perhaps an HLN or CNN will choose her to do the same sort of "conversation" show that she has now proven that she has the skills for. No matter where she is or what channel she's on, I will watch her. I respect her bravery to speak her mind and I love that she embraces her "crazy". I will be watching tonight's final airing of THE ROSIE SHOW with the hope that Rosie won't be away long.
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