"The Rosie Show" – An Early Appraisal

Rosie's first guest, Russell Brand.

If it was a ride at Disneyland, I’d use a Fast Pass to get into The Rosie Show. It’s that fun.

Rosie O'Donnell has battled her demons, from bad hair to Hasselbeck, and, slathered with a protective layer of hormone creams, is in the process of making a comeback in the talk show format she excelled at for so many years. Rosie was, you’ll remember, the only serious competition Oprah ever had. Perhaps it’s the alpha-lioness’ recognition of this that motivated network mogul Winfrey to make the call. We can be glad she did.

Since notoriously fumbling the landing and falling on her butt during the split-screen argument on her final View, Rosie has played it quiet, spending time with her kids, practicing the art of conversation on a Sirius radio show, and showing up, however briefly, on TV from time to time. By moving her family to Chicago and taking over the old Oprah stage, The Rosie Show is clearly a major investment of her time and effort, one she clearly wants to see succeed.

This is a freshened Rosie, luxurious black hair layered over dark tops and tight-legged jeans. With exquisite makeup, Rosie has always looked fabulous, but now she looks like a plus-size supermodel, and why not? This is the stage where a generation of lighting technicians perfected the art of photographing the most iconic American woman.

This is also a wiser, more tentative Rosie. It looks like she has surrounded herself with a production staff that is planning for the long term. She frequently says “They wanted me to do this” or “They thought this would be a good idea” and “They finally let me wear jeans.” She’s letting us know that she’s not an unreasonable star, she’s willing to listen to others, and try things out. Rosie’s new attitude often makes the show feel less than slick.

This is also Rosie in the evening, not quite ready for prime time (evidenced by that one-hour variety special she tried a couple years ago). Most viewers have finished dinner, put the kids in front of the computer, and are settling in for a night with the tube. Rosie stands out from the competition at this hour: news, game shows and sitcom reruns.

It all starts in front of a huge red curtain, which is where Rosie started as a kid performer, on stage at school, graduating to red brick comedy club facades that marked her original stand-up years. Now she opens The Rosie Show by striding out to a standing ovation, clutching the mic stand, looking completely comfortable, and cracking a few non-topical and non-political jokes.

I was in that cavernous studio a few years ago, in the audience to see Oprah and Bette Midler. I was struck by the great distance between the center of the universe – where Oprah, and now Rosie – sits, and the nearest producer or staff. On most shows, a producer stands just off camera (Letterman’s producer is less than 10 feet away). From where Rosie is sitting, she could throw a baseball and not hit a producer. While there were times the first week seemed a bit adrift out there, it’s amazing how much confidence she has to be there at all.

Like Carol Burnett, Rosie has decided to answer a few questions from the audience. A few times, the questions have prompted her to open up a bit, to tell a story, or make a reference to being a lesbian. Her conversations with audience members are familiar and friendly; she knows how to talk with just about anybody, and they all love to be able to talk with her.

The guests I saw this first week included Russell Brand, Wanda Sykes, Gloria Estefan, and Roseanne. Rosie’s conversations prove that she is one of the better interviewers on TV. You feel like you’re listing in to a couple of show business folks catching up between flights in an airport VIP lounge. What’s missing from the guest appearances this week is gladly gone: so far, no guest has plugged a project.

After the interviews and musical performances, The Rosie Show takes its only slip and falls into filler that, in time, has got to get better. So far this week, each show has ended with a game show spoof, where Rosie, with questions on cards, provides two audience members with the opportunity to win a trip or a gift certificate. The moments of conversation with the audience members are fun; the game show questions are terrible. I’ve always felt that Rosie can do just about anything, but I hope she doesn’t add “game show host” to her accomplishments – maybe this segment can be seen as a cautionary tale.

All things considered, The Rosie Show is light, breezy fun with the potential to be much more. At the center of it all is a “Sun Queen” radiating humor and genuine compassion. In the past, one reason to watch Rosie was her “niceness.” For a while after that, you watched to see when Rosie would go off the rails. Now, an older, wiser, stronger Rosie invites us to join her on the Oprah train to enlightenment. I hope it’s a long journey.