"Rosie Live" has its Aiken (eats it, too)

I don't know why I watched this, and I really don't know why I didn't change the channel - it was like watching a slow motion car wreck.  The dialog was stilted, the jokes unfunny.  She played the 'gay' card too often and too forced (hey, sometimes it's just painful).  The "talent" was, to me, too New York/Broadway - esoteric to say the least. Conan Obrien appears to have a pie hit him in the face?  Baldwin shouting into Rosie's breasts?  The product placement striptease?  Awful, forced, awkward.

I had hoped for the magic of Carol Burnette, or even The Muppet Show - I got something that just made me feel sorry for the participants. 

that Rosie was going for a recreation of the variety shows of old, mashing together the Ed Sullivan format with the celebrity comedy banter and wacky musical numbers of the Sonny & Cher and Carol Burnett shows. Unfortunately, what she ended up with had more in common with tragic misfires like The Captain And Tennille Show, The Brady Bunch Musical Hour, and Pink Lady And Jeff. Over the next 20 or 30 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see this earn the same cult-like fascination as the Paul Lynde Halloweeen Special from the 70s, which was recently put out on DVD.

I was hoping that this show would be golden as Rosie recently executive produced "The Big Gay Show" which had some awesome skits (along with bad ones, too). I missed my chance to watch it on TV, too! But maybe that's a good thing (as everyone is moaning about it)!?

I LOVE those old variety hour shows, and had my fingers crossed that this would be a winner. Somehow there needs to be another "Laugh-In" type show... right? Common Rosie! Give it another try!!

I don't think the problem was that it was esoteric or Broadway, though. I think the problem was that it had no point at all. If Rosie had just done the introduction, maybe done some comedy and then introduced the acts that would have been fine--but she was on stage with the people. Why not just let Jane Krakowski, Harry Connick Jr., Clay Aiken, Gloria Estafan perform? And the writing was dreadful.