Recently in Rosie O'Donnell Category

Rosie O'Donnell had a busy time on her Rosie.com blog responding to questions about her NBC variety show which drew low ratings Wednesday and many critical pans.

Rosie answered the most pressing question: will there be more of the "Rosie Live!" hours as had been planned: "there will b no more. no ratings. bad reviews. yet still - a thrill 4 me," she wrote.

Other exchanges from her blog:

HQP Writes: So sorry Ro about no more shows - I love you to pieces, but it was too much Ed Sulivan and not enough Carol Burnett - seemed a little over produced - Hugs and yellow kisses
Rosie: we were going for ed sullivan and theres only one carol b and hey i gave it my best shot

Gloria Writes::rosie, i love you but did you have any idea, after you were done taping, just what a dud the show was?
Rosie: not til i got home and read the blog; if the bloggers didnt like it, i knew it didnt work

Christopher Writes: They're too quick to cancel shows. Glad we got to see one anyway. Why do you think it didn't work? Was it too ambitious?
Rosie: not enough rehearsal; the live part wasnt a plus; the in theater experience didnt transfer to tv; it was a pilot, meaning u try it see if it works then if they pick it up u fix it

Linda LaFrance Writes: RO I'm bummed about *Rosie Live* so 5 or 6 million peeps aren't enough 4 another shot? Loved it! What new show doesn't need tweaking???
Rosie: many people r gonna try a variety show, one will work. ellen tonight, the osbornes have one, john mayer. check them out

Mike Writes: there will b no more? u r giving up that easily? it might not have been a home run right out of the gate, but c'mon. i'm sure bloggers are giving advice on improvement. take the advice and do another!
Rosie: its up to nbc. but bad ratings and reviews usually mean no more.

Brendan Writes: i'm sorry
Rosie: it's ok

You expect a variety hour to be hit and miss. But "Rosie Live!" was such a disappointment. It started off so-so with Rosie's little monologue which just wasn't funny enough then things hit their peak when she and Liza Minnelli did a fun duet of "City Lights." From there on, the only bright spots were a too-short visit from Harry Connick Jr. (why not let him sing and ENTIRE song?) and the end with Gloria Estefan. Also nice was a performance by Alannis Morrisette.

Otherwise it was odd and mostly unfunny cameos from the likes of Alec Baldwin (talking into Rosie's cleavage), Conan O'Brien, Rachael Ray and Clay Aiken. Kathy Griffin played Nancy Grace in a skit and would have been far funnier as Kathy Griffin. Then there was the talented Jane Krakowski doing a nice number except that it was built around the products audience members would be getting. Tacky.

Here is a sample:

The reviews have not been kind: The New York 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?"

We know Rosie has all kinds of charm and hunor when she wants to and we saw that side of her in this show. But it just seemed like chaos going on around her most of the time. I doubt there will be another variety hour for her but if there is, why make it live? Just put together a good show - taped as live - and let us watch it.

Rosie's show drew around 5 million viewers while her former boss on "The View," Barbara Walters had news special (an interview with Barack and Michelle Obama) airing two hours later that drew more than twice that with 11 million viewers, according to preliminary viewers released Thursday.

I swear I am not on NBC's payroll! I'm just really excited about Rosie O'Donnell's variety special, "Rosie Live!" airing tonight. It feels like, from the promos at least, a throwback to her old talk show which had all these great guests who would chat and sing etc. It reminded me of coming home from school and watching "The Mike Douglas Show" or "Dinah!" (for those of you too young to remember, check Wikipedia!)

This special is being touted as being more in the tradition of the prime-time variety shows of the 60s and 70s like Ed Sullivan and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In" and, of course, "The Carol Burnett Show."

"I'm excited," Rosie tells ET about her new show. "I've been rehearsing for about three weeks. Today we did a whole rehearsal with Liza Minnelli for the opening number, which was beyond words."

Here's the most complete guest list to date: Alec Baldwin, Alanis Morrissette, Jane Krakowski, Ne-Yo, Liza Minnelli, Rachael Ray, Harry Connick Jr., Clay Aiken, Gloria Estefan, and Kathy Griffin.

Rosie's pal Clay expressed his support for Rosie's show.

"I think that really we're in a place in our country now where people need some excitement and some family fun and something to watch together to cheer them up," Clay tells ET.. "And I think there's no better person to do that than Rosie."

Rosie will kick off the hour sounding off about current events, pop culture and whatever is on her mind but told Meredith Viera on "The Today Show" Monday morning that she doesn't plan to be controversial.

I enjoyed this promo below:

I cannot believe "The Today Show" split-screened Rosie O'Donnell! Rosie famously quit "The View" three weeks early last year after producers went to a split screen during a ferocious verbal battle between Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Now, Rosie is involved in another squirmish - this time with Barbara Walters - who took to the airwaves last week to tell Rosie to "get on with your life" after Rosie said in an interview that the ladies on "The View" are not the best of friends off-screen.

So Meredith Viera (herself a "View" alum) asks Rosie about it and forces her to sit through a replay of Barbara's split-screen and the show runs a split-screen as Rosie watches! So uncool.

Rosie, whose "Rosie Live!" variety hour airs Wednesday night, went on to say to Viera of Walters: "The fact that I hurt her hurts me because you know I was 14 years old and watched the first woman to ever moderate a presidential debate - she was the moderator between Carter and Ford. I remember it vividly. I was 15 when she talked to Sadat and Begin. She is one of the women who paved the way for every other woman in broadcasting and I love her regardless of the fact that to her I'm the rowdy teenaged daughter she can't control."

"I think there comes a time when she's just had enough and I'm hard to take for some people," Rosie added. "I do love her and that's the bottom line. Love is complicated."

Rosie O'Donnell's variety special - airing Wednesday night on NBC - just became must-see TV for me: Harry Connick Jr. - the real sexiest man alive - is now one of her guests. Clay Aiken has also been added. I like him more now that he's come out I reckon.

The special will broadcast live from New York's Little Shubert Theatre and Connick and Aiken join previously announced guest stars including legendary performer Liza Minnelli, recording artist's Ne-Yo and Alanis Morissette, actress and comedienne Kathy Griffin and "30 Rock" stars Jane Krakowski and Alec Baldwin.

I've decided that Barbara Walters completely overreacted to some of Rosie O'Donnell's remarks in an interview this week. I think the truth might've gotten under her skin a bit quite frankly.
Anyway, I posted Rosie's hilarious Vblog reply. She talked about it more in-depth on Conan O'Brien's show the other night when she stopped by to promote her NBC variety special which airs on Wednesday.

"It's a little emotional, I have a little Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when I watch it," Rosie said of her year on "The View." "I get a little bit of flashbacks, like Vietnam vets. But it was a good experience, it wasn't something I regret doing by any stretch of the imagination. But it didn't end well, and people seem to remember that part."

Walters was irked when Rosie said claims that the co-hosts of "The View" are friends off camera are untrue, and responded on the program Thursday telling Rosie to move on with her life.

"Everyone's real good friends," a defiant Rosie said to Conan. "And they hang out together pretty much every day after the show. Barbara, Joy, Elisabeth, they all go to Friday's and have potato skins. They throw back a few beers on a Saturday, you know how it is. They're very chummy."

"She's a little angry," Rosie added. "In spite of the fact that she now loathes me, I still do enjoy her. I'm not sure I'm going to be a guest on that show again. But I tried my best... I told them when they hired me that I had never worked on a show before where I wasn't the boss, and that there was a chance that might cause some problems...[but] I don't wanna dump on the show in order to benefit my own career, to use it for publicity, because I didn't have a career before that show so I'm very thankful to 'The View' for the help that it's given me in my life."

Rosie said of Walters: "I never meant to hurt a journalist of her stature, in all honesty."

anyway, here is a clip of Rosie's appearance on Conan:

Good one Rosie!

During a conference call to promote her upcoming NBC variety special, Rosie O'Donnell addressed the criticism that she had been surprisingly mum on Prop. 8 before the election: Not only is the the former talk show host not planning to speak out on politics on her show, she says people have been surprised she hasn't more loudly condemned Proposition 8, She said her February 2004 marriage to Kelli Carpenter in San Francisco speaks for itself: "I realized when Kelly and I were married it was in some ways an act of civil disobediance as much as it was a love story," she said. "I kind of found it surprising that people say you're not vocal enough. I'm not vocal enough? ... I've lived my opposition to Proposition 8 and have for... years."

Well, we still needed ya Rosie.

I'm missing Rosie O'Donnell the gay activist right now. She waged a brave battle against the ban on gay adoption in Florida, started the gay family cruises, dramatically traveled across the country to get married in San Francisco in 2004, and during her year as co-host of "The View," she talked about partner Kelli and their four children on the show all the time and I think opened some people's minds.

But as people are marching for equal rights in dozens of states this weekend, Rosie has come off as indifferent. At Friday night's Broadway opening of "Billy Elliot," Rosie spoke to "Extra" and was asked to react to the passing of Proposition 8: "I was married four years and I was annulled three years ago, so for me this fight is not new. Prop 8 is nothing new for me. This has been a long journey...and eventually the world will catch up."

Been there, done that I guess.

She's glad Sarah Palin was not elected veep but said: "I'd like to have a beer with her. I'd like to meet her kids. She seems like a pretty nice woman. Although I have to say, I am thrilled her party did not win. [But] you got to give it to her for spunk."

What has happened to our Rosie?

Yeah, I took Rosie O'Donnell to task in recent weeks for not speaking out more against Prop. 8. But ya know, even in my funk today over the passage of this anti-gay marriage measure by California voters, I still love Rosie.
On her Rosie.com blog today, she wrote of spending election day on the movie set with her co-star Ruby Dee, a remarkable woman who I am so glad was still alive to see Barack Obama elected president of the United States. Ruby Dee and her late husband Ossie Davis were active in the civil rights movement and personal friends of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Here is what Rosie wrote:

ruby dee
civil right activist - leader inspiration
what a privilege to spend this election day
in her presence

we spoke of martin and malcolm
their words and spirits felt this november day
as the nation once again rides together toward the truth
amen amen

she walked onto the set
opened her heart
like watching picasso paint
baryshnikov fly

the crew applauded after each take
amazed - captivated
as she wiped the tears
from her ethereal brown face

such grace
such beauty
such a gift
for us all

peace be with u

I've been a fan of Rosie O'Donnell's for a very long time. But her virtual silence of Prop. 8 has been a real slap in the face. I would never tell people how to spend their money so I'm not talking about asking Rosie to write a check. I just expected her to use her voice - her blog at the very least or a PSA - to speak out against the measure. She does not live in California, but this amendment have national implications and she should well know that.

Her clipped responses to readers of her blog Rosie.com are also disappointing although some of the questions are a bit rude.

Asked what she thought of the negative things being said written about her for not donating money to No on Prop. 8, she simply wrote: "Vote No."

When asked why she hasn't been more vocal, Rosie writes: "I do not live in California."

When asked by one reader why she did not contribute to the No on Prop. 8 campaign, Roisie writes: "I am quite comfortable with my choice of charitable and political donations."

Earlier post:
-- Rosie blogs about Jennifer Hudson tragedy; no word on Prop. 8...
-- Rosie O'Donnell signs to produce and star in Lifetime movie...

Just finished checking Rosie O'Donnell's Rosie.com blog and find it kind of mind-boggling that she is writing about "Real Housewives of Atlanta" and old Reese Witherspoon movies and not a word about Proposition 8. I am curious about why Rosie, always so outspoken, has been so out of the picture.

But one important thing that her blog post does include is this: "The family tragedy of Jennifer Hudson -- no words will do -- a grief 2 hard 2 comprehend," Rosie writes.

She then goes on to write about gun violence ending with a bunch of statistics that you will have to go to her site to see. Here is an excerpt:

"Guns and domestic violence are a lethal combination -- injuring and killing women every day in the United States," she continues. "A gun is the weapon most commonly used in domestic homicides. In fact, more than three times as many women are murdered by guns used by their husbands or intimate acquaintances than are killed by strangers' guns, knives or other weapons combined. Contrary to many public perceptions, many women who are murdered are killed not by strangers but by men they know."

Now what about the fight for equal rights in California Rosie? Any thoughts? Maybe we'll hear from her after the election because, as she writes, "i am trying to stay away from the news as we near the finish line ... the noise distracts me i believe."

Oh, brother.

We are so used to Rosie O'Donnell having her own talk show then being on "The View" that it's easy to forget that she was once kind of a big movie star with roles in "Sleepless in Seattle," "A League of Their Own," and "The Flintstones." But making movies took her away from her family so the daytime format worked for a time.

Now Rosie seems more open to movies again. It's being reported everywhere today that she has signed to star in and executive produce "America," a movie for Lifetime Television about a 16-year-old boy's struggles within the foster care system. The movie is set to air in February and is based by the book of the same name written by E.R. Frank. Rosie will portray a therapist to the central character. Also in the film is the legendary Ruby Dee.

Rosie's most recent TV film was 2005's "Riding the Bus With My Sister."

Related posts:
-- A Conversation With Ruby Dee...
-- Rosie's shares thoughts on Sarah Palin, not on Prop. 8...
-- Rosie O'Donnell set to return to TV in variety special...

There are many people - myself included - who are disappointed that Rosie O'Donnell has not done more to support the defeat of Proposition 8. Rosie very dramatically made the trip to San Francisco with wife Kelli Carpenter four years ago when that city was briefly issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Years earlier, she had very publicly spoken out against Florida's ban on gay couple's adopting children.

So why no Rosie now? Just wondering.

On her Rosie.com blog, the actress-talk show host-author did write about GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin's appearance last weekend on "Saturday Night Live."

Got home in time to watch sarah p on SNL...she'd make a great cast member 4 real...funny calm in her element...she is a good celebrity...i think she has a future just not in politics.

Cool Rosie, Now what about Propsition 8? My friend Karen Ocamb, never one to not hold anyone's feet to the fire on an issue, writes in an article:

"...Where is she on Prop 8? Silence. Invisible. Nada since her famous walk down the long marble stairs of San Francisco's City Hall after getting married in February 2004 to her wife Kelly."

"What's everybody afraid of? Doesn't anybody worry that Prop 8 might be the harbinger of something more sinister: the advance of theocracy in a democratic society - where the Religious Right is determined to buy an election.". Here is LINK to Karen's article posted on The Bilerico Project which touches on many other topics.

How cool is this?

Rosie O'Donnell is returning to television with "Rosie's Variety Show," an hour-long special that will air LIVE on NBC the night before Thanksgiving. The special will feature celebrity guests, musical acts, comedy skits and a prize give-away for the show's in-studio and home audiences.

If the ratings are strong, it could lead to a series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"There's very few performers willing to put th"This is a genre that everybody is anticipating is going to come back," said David Friedman, who will executive produce the show along with O'Donnell. "Rosie sort of invented the daytime variety show. Without question, Rosie is the right person to bring this back."

Rosie can certainly draw viewers. Her "Rosie O'Donnell Show" was a daytime syndicated hit for five years until it left the air in 2001 and ratings surged when she co-hosted the 10th season of ABC's "The View."

Since leaving "The View" last year, Rosie used her blog to express the opinions she used to share during the show's "Hot Topics" segment. This week, she had some thoughts on Sara Palin:

the woman who would lead us ...
like a kid who crammed for an oral exam
robotic replies
"my understanding is..."

sick - the whole thing is sick

I still want Rosie to do a multi-disc set of her talk show's six seasons like Oprah did a few years back of her show. But until then, there's this 90-minute DVD that looks back at the highlights of the first season of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

Rosie will be appearing on the Home Shopping Network at 12PM, 6PM and 11PM to promote the newly released DVD set.

I loved that show because Rosie had on all the people who I loved and asked them the questions I wanted to have answered. This was not "The View" and there was none of that Elisabeth Hasselbeck spewing her nonsense. This was pure entertainment.

Rosie's Premiere on HSN

I haven't been checking in on Rosie O'Donnell's blog for awhile because she had announced she was gonna take some time away from it. Well, her hiatus ended and as I was reading a lengthy post from a few days ago, I noticed a dig at her former "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck who appeared at the the Republican National Convention and thinks Sarah Palin can walk on water.

Here's what Rosie wrote in her semi-poetic way:

so thrilled the conventions r done
more addicting than survivor
almost real reality

enough

sarah p - elisabeth h
identical cousins
women who hunt in high heels
gives one pause

The top video is a Broadway tribute to Rosie as part of her final episode of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." Below is a video montage of her guests through the years... I really wish Rosie would put together a DVD boxed set of the show's great moments. Oprah Winfrey did it, Merv Griffin did it, Johnny Carson made an industry out of it. C'mon Rosie!

Bonus: Rosie and Bette Midler on the show...

Even while on vacation - like this week - I still wanna blog a little bit.

Not so for Rosie O'Donnell, whose Rosie.com has become a must-read. Rosie told readers this week that she is taking a blogging break. Here is what she wrote:

i am taking off august
in blog-ville
2 c if i can
rosie unplugged

happy summer peeps

peace in
peace out

This would be so absolutely cool: EW.com is reporting exclusively that Rosie O'Donnell is in talks with NBC to return to television with her own weekly primetime variety show.

Let's hope these talks don't blow up the way Rosie's talks with MSNBC did last year when she was oh-so-close to signing a deal for a nightly show. This sounds like a better fit anyway for Rosie.

NBC, which seems really bone-headed for pushing Jay Leno out of the nightly 11:35 p.m. slot next year, is said to be courting Leno for a similar gig but there is a strong possiblity that Jay will defect to ABC.

EW adds that CBS is also interested in Rosie. However this shakes out, it would be great to have Rosie back on TV without having to share a screen with the insufferable, untalented and not-very-interesting Elisabeth Hasslebeck with whom she so memorably clashed on "The View.:

Are gay people the best Password players? It would seem so after Neil Patrick Harris' stellar performance last weekend was followed tonight byRosie O'Donnell. She sure can play! On the second episode of "Million Dollar Password," Rosie was so focused and just awesome at giving clues and guessing words. She told host Regis Philbin that she had been a huge fan of the original show hosted by Allen Ludden, Me too! Tood bad Rosie and I didn't live near each other as kids. We coulda watched so much TV together and never fought about changing the channel.

"I'm trying not to think of the money, just the words!" she said at one point and at another, she went around the stage and kissed all the men including Reege and fellow celeb Tony Hawk. She also plugged her family crafting book.

"Don't you know how crafty I am Regis?" Rosie said. "Give me a crayon and a wire and I'm like MacGyver,"

I most enjoyed Rosie's chemistry with Dante Bergadante, a limo driver from Yonkers who also does a terrific Elvis impersonation. He and Rosie were a formidable team and typically got all their words successfully with plenty of time left on the clock.

"You guys are really in sync here," Regis said once they won $50,000. Then Dante shocked me by declining to play for $100,000 (If he had lost that round, his winnings would have been reduced to $25,000. He shoulda gone for the bigger bucks! Rosie wouida come through for ya Dante.