NBC's Rosie O’Donnell variety show disappoints

Rosie O'Donnell gave NBC a real turkey.

The network's attempt to revive the primetime variety show failed to draw an audience Wednesday night, tying for the evening's lowest-rated program.

A mere 5 million viewers tuned in for the 8 p.m. premiere of "Rosie Live," with the program earning a 1.2 preliminary adults 18-49 rating. The telecast matched ABC's recently canceled "Pushing Daisies" as the night's lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

NBC had high hopes for the special and planned to expand the program into a series should viewers re-embrace the decades-old variety format. Other networks, too, were watching closely since several are developing variety shows of their own.

"There's a notion that the climate is right for the genre to make a comeback," emailed one executive at a rival network. "I guess we now know what not to do, thanks to Rosie."

Segments included Kathy Griffin impersonating Nancy Grace, Alec Baldwin hitting Conan O'Brian with a pie, O'Donnell singing "City Lights" with Liza Minnelli and Jane Krakowski doing a product-placement-themed striptease for White Castle burgers and Crest Whitestrips.

Critics were not kind. The NY Times described it as "hokey comedy with an enemies list." TV Guide called it a "ghastly ego trip." And the LA Times asked, "Rosie, what on earth were you thinking?"

Networks have been looking for variety show programming as a cheap option to fill their schedules. But the idea has been sought by executives due the format's rock-bottom cost, cross-promotion possibilities and advertiser-friendly format. In other words, the neo-variety show is a retread designed to solve financial woes rather than an act of programming inspiration -- a bean-counting origin story that makes it tough to imagine an exciting final product.

NBC's variation, in particular, seemed unlikely to attract a broad audience given O'Donnell's divisive personality. Stocked with appearances by Alannis Morrisette, Ne Yo, Rachael Ray, Harry Connick Jr., Clay Aiken and Gloria Estefan, along with Minnelli, Baldwin, Griffin and Krakowski, the lineup's appeal also skewed heavily female for a primetime show airing on the eve of a family holiday.

One special that did perform well last night was Barbara Walters' interview with Barack and Michelle Obama (11.6 million, 3.0 rating). The interview nearly matched "CSI: NY" in the 10 p.m. hour and gave ABC its highest non-awards show rating in the time period in more than a year.

UPDATE: Rosie O'Donnell says NBC won't order more variety show episodes and responds to critics

Comments

[Steve]

Rosie
Do yourself a favor and us too. Leave, retire and do not come back. Enjoy the millions you have made at the lower tax rates the past few years and invest in muni bonds to avoid the coming tax hike. Enjoy the rest of your life, but please just leave the public arena. You do us no favors with your low ratings.

[Rosies a Red]

Air America variety? Variety shows are suposed to be fun not political left wing hate shows! Goodbye Rosie !

[Al]

Don't go away mad. Just go away. Forever....

[Rob]

Rosie the un-riveting host:
That was the worst 32 seconds I spent last night trying to figure out what on earth allowed you, dopy Baldwin and poor Conan on the same screen at the same time. Go get a real job as you will starve trying to entertain and be funny, because you are not.
Yuck!!!

[Havva]

A no talent has been. Never had talent in the first place. Evil, Vile, Ugly.

Goodbye you disgusting B***h.

[Classicfit]

Rosie is a bitter, left-wing, carpet-munching cow. Maybe that had something to do with it. Duh.

[Kevin B.]

You mean they weren't expecting it to flop?

When I saw the commercial I thought it was a joke. I guess it was...on NBC.

[Rich]

Sorry Rosie....nobody wants to hear your bitter whiney voice anymore!

Good bye!

[TexGEOas]

Well... well... well...

What does (hate media) NBC expect? They put on the poster girl (?) for hate and expect people to watch? NBC is in a death spiral. Good riddance.

[Greggo]

Bring back Whose Line is it Anyway!!!! (that's a low-budget show that was entertaining).

[Dennis]

The reason I didn't watch it had nothing to do with the format of the show. It had everything to do with the fact that I find Rosie to be a mean-spirited, vindictive person I have NO interest in supporting in any way.

[MRS MILBURN DRYSDALE]

I actually liked the special!

[Deserttrek]

I do not watch any programing on nbc due the corrupt and biased news division. putting that woman on makes me dislike nbc that muc more. a variety show would be great, but no politics. kaythy griffin and alec baldwin? what do they have to offer? nothing.

[Rob]

You were funny and then got political, showing your true ignorance. You should've stuck with the less cerebral comedy. You're a disgusting human and no one seems to like you anymore.

[steve]

time for rosie to retire. no talent and too negative nobody wants to hear her rant rant goodbye rosie

[chris]

loser please leave 4oooooooorrrrrrrrrrr ever worst show i seen this year

[Hno Lobo]

Why must NBC isolate it's programming to the FAR LEFT, when the country is striving for national unity and change ?

Rosie O'donnell is very depressive and mean spirited, and has no redeeming value for family entertainment.. So why can't NBC be more Fair and Balanced in AMERICANA instead of drifting further to the "fellow travelers" day by day ?

Just an observation...

[LeRoy]

Yuck!!!!! Rosie...nasty vile pig cow.GO AWAY!!!!forever, forever, forever!

[robert bluejacket]

Rosie is proof positive as to why women of this nation deserve the right of choice.

[Art]

Honey, the election is over. The gays lost.

[uglybarnacle]

I'm not a Rosie fan, but always liked a good variety show. I remember the days of my family gathering around the tv to watch Carol Burnette. I gave it a chance. I gathered my little family with high hopes of an evening of song and comedy. I turned it off when in the first minutes Rosie grabbed her breasts to tell us about her undergarment. Not the family friendly variety show I was hoping for.

[Curt]

The only reason this show failed is because America is a backwards homophobic country still living in the dark ages. At least Barack Obama will lead us to future days. Out with Bush the Dictator.

[halavah]

Amateurish. Not prepared. Have seen better high school productions. Baldwin talking into her breast mike?? Pie in Conans face. Her singing without a voice. All of this is what she considers talent or funny?? Jane Krakowski very talented, but having to sing the prizes that were being given away?? NBC, wake up and get rid of this show. I could have done many other things last nite instead of watching this albatross.

[ems mike]

I didn't see the show. I'm not a real big fan of Rosie. HOWEVER .....

All the commnetary about left wing hate filled carpet munching cows leads me to believe that the hate is from the right wing of the country.

[Ryan]

The real blame goes to the idiot execs who approved this angry no talent cow to have a show. What were they thinking?

[Jeff]

It helps a lot to have a host that people actually like. The answer is right under NBC's nose. Nobody is more well liked then Leno and his tonight show run is coming to an end.

[Ryan]

The real blame goes to the idiot execs who approved this angry no talent cow to have a show. What were they thinking?

[nohokev]

The key to Variety shows of the past was the likeablity of the host. The format might work great if you don't use such a polarizing figure. Ms. O'Donnell is hated viciously by too many people. I suspect Rush Limbaugh, with a loyal following of 20 million Americans, would be a more popular host than Rosie ever would. Nice try, NBC. We'll be seeing a few new faces at the unemployment office...

[R.J. Johnson]

Say goodnight Rosie...

[MCS]

Variety shows would be a welcome relief to some of the dribble on TV. However, Rosie as a host was sure to kill any variety show. Come on NBC, you can do better ... much better!

[Dave]

Yet another example that proves: LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER.

[Astralis]

Here's the solution: Give us shows that focus on stories and not gimmicks. The loss of story cannot be substituted with variety shows. The only networks who seem to have realized that programming success is based around the story, not the stars or gimmicks, are on cable (A&E, HBO, Showtime, SciFi). Networks sometimes discover this rule but have a short memory and continue to order programming no one wants to watch.

[Rita]

I have never seen such junk as what they put on T V today. It is not worth watching for an older person, and the young ones are stupid kids who think it is fine, it has been bad for so many years they know of nothing else. Money is the key and I for one will not buy from sponsors who advertise on these programs. Get wise, tone it down, enough reality crap. Rosie is an idiot!

[Audrey]

Wow, I cannot believe some of the comments on here. I am not a supporter of Rosie's views. But this is America and everyone has the freedom to express what it is they feel. Rosie is a human like the rest of us. She's not perfect, no one is. This is the season when we should all embrace the spirit of kindness. Spouting hate does nothing but make the world a bitter place. Try saying something nice and positive. You'll be a better person for it.

[sue]

I watched this special with an open mind and all I saw was Rosie using this as another way to make poorly disguised shots at the same old people she's always taken shots.

This showcased her mean spirited attitude.

I enjoyed the Variety part of it but it should've been hosted by someone else.

[Rosie-pig]

What a disaster!! What the hell was NBC thinking. The executives in charge should be fired immediately. They thought people would watch that shit? To quote Trump: Rosie is a fat, disgusting pig.

[sue]

I watched this special with an open mind and all I saw was Rosie using this as another way to make poorly disguised shots at the same old people she's always taken shots.

This showcased her mean spirited attitude.

I enjoyed the Variety part of it but it should've been hosted by someone else.

[Rioman]

Why don't they pipe this show down into Gitmo? Being forced to watch this fat dyke would be better than water-boarding.

[circle8]

I can not believe the vile comments left by people. All true and from the heart. This is a woman ??? who has made a fortune without talent. She is a bitter old hag much like her former co-hosts, whoopie and joy, on the view. May the three of them get on a sinking boat together. Oh I like the one about a bullet in her fat head.

[deRuiter]

What a crashing bore! Another NBC Left Wing hate show featuring Rosie, the fat, rich Leftist spewing whiny hate speech. This woman's time has come and, THANKFULLY, gone. NBC actually thought this vile, hatred spewing old sow would get ratings? Guess the NPR crowd watched, the Center and the Right spent the time more productively: grocery shopping, napping, walking the dog, internet, reading.