Rosie's Return Means Round Two With Barbara Walters

By Ben Widdicombe Posted Mar 23rd 2010 02:00PM

Rosie O'Donnell's plan to return to daytime chat means that viewers will get to watch a fight for Oprah Winfrey's crown that once looked like it would pass smoothly to Barbara Walters and the ladies from 'The View.'

And it's a fight Rosie could win.

After Oprah announced that her 25 years on network television would end in September 2011, 'The View' beat out 'Ellen' in a battle for her coveted time slot. But after a brief peace, Rosie has already come out swinging against her former sparring partners.

"I [know] that 'The View' wants to be on in the Oprah spot," O'Donnell said yesterday on her Sirius Satellite radio program, adding that when Walters asked her when her new show would air, "I said, 'Oh yeah, the Oprah spot' -- to which Barbara's face goes slack-ish."

She was joking, but her glee at the exchange sets the tone for a pitched battle over who will be the new Diva of Daytime. So why will Rosie win?

"She can command an audience," says veteran TV executive Mark Finkelpearl. "Rosie has enormous brand equity and this is clearly a sign that people are ready, willing and able to invest in her again. She does belong in this space [of daytime TV] and she's proven time and again that she can do it."

And let's not forget the slew of Emmys she won during her six years at the helm of 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' including five consecutive awards for Best Talk Show. While O'Donnell is often portrayed as a "love her or hate her" figure, Finkelpearl believes that her essential popularity will win out. "When I think of Howard Stern or Bill O'Reilly, those are polarizing figures. With Rosie, she reaches much more of a mainstream audience than people give her credit for," he says.

And there's no question that Rosie is hungry for success. Another source, who has worked with O'Donnell in the past, told PopEater, "Rosie loves a fight, it energizes her. When she left 'The View' and clashed with Barbara, some people thought it was a put-on for the cameras, but she was really fired up. Rosie will relish a chance to go hand-to-hand with Barbara Walters on competing shows."

Rosie has already outined the plan for her new series. She told Entertainment Tonight that it will be "a single topic, hour-long show about life, love and laughter."

O'Donnell added that there won't be a desk or stars promoting their upcoming projects. "It's gonna be a lot different, because I'm a lot older, you know. It'll be a dozen years since leaving my own show when we go back on the air and I've grown a lot and I think that it's time," she said.

With Oprah leaving the stage and Ellen Degeneres diversifying into other formats, like 'American Idol,' the timing seems perfect for the one-time "Queen of Nice" to return to talk. Whether the "Nice"-ness will last in a battle with 'The View' remains to be seen.

Tags: barbara walters, rosie odonnell, the view

Comments

(455)

Wednesday 24 March

By bart

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i do not wish to see that big fat lesbo on tv ever again

By Anonymous

I guess you can't blame her for trying...afterall ever since her "spouse" dumped her she has alot of time on her hands & needs something to do to keep herself busy. Maybe she should go to Africa & try to stop all the fighting going on there.. or to Haiti & make herself useful.

Tuesday 23 March

By kay

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Stop bashing Rosie. She's just a sad lesbian whose Irish mammy died when she was young.

By Mike R

She is not the only one whos MAMMY dies when they were young. It's no excuse for being mean and hateful to everyone who does not agree with her. She is just a self centered Biatch.

By Jean

Are you sure she's Irish. I'm Irish and I don't want to claim her as any kin.

By flat top

I don't think Rosie's mom was even Irish - probably Italian, I dunno. Poor Rosie thought that being a liar made people like her mother get cancer. I liked RO better when she could behave herself & be grateful for her fame.

Rosie's former BFF Madonna lost her mother young, too. She also used that excuse to be a jerk.

Back to Rosie ... she doesn't make me ashamed to be Irish, but she also isn't helping. She should stay gone.

By linda lu

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yes Rosies mom died of breast cancer when she was young BUT she wrote a book that really helped me get throu my cancer treatments and I will always love her for that. as for her love life that is her business.

By InDisbelief

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You are almost too low to merit a response... How miserable your life must be to make vile references to Rosie's deceased MOTHER, may she rest in peace. Rosie is entitled to voice her opinions and I totally support her return to television. You people should lighten-up!

By valeskas

If there was nothing else on TV, I would not waste my time, with her. Even the View is better, I would like to laugh and Rosie O'Donnell has not been funny in a long time. Why waste the viewers time, with such a vicious person, go away, Rosie leave us alone.

Cry me a river, over Rosie. This has nothing to do with her sexual preference, its the meaness what gets me.

By deejay

Rosie was funny and nice til she got this attitude she has now all big and bad venting her frustrations on whatever happens to piss her off. So now she is a frustrated nearly has been who no one wants because she is a verbal liability. Could she and LL be related??

By TEVA

Rosie??? Think I will just throw out mt TV.

By Cappy Lills Kid

If it's a 32" or more flat screen
please throw it my way.

By gary steffe

rosie cshould stay off tv .i do not want my children to her. i sold all of the movies with her voice on it i think she stay on radio and i start a boy cott against her on tv

By N. Arnott

Good grief man . . . . learn to spell, learn to type . . . you are a cyberspace embarrasement!!

By Thom

Can we say HOMOPHOBIC? As if her television personnae or voice would be enough to harm your child. More than likely a restrictive, bigoted attitude will do more damage.

By LisaK

I will never watch Rosie. I used to watch her show but I will not now. She has turned bitter, mean and hateful. I will never watch her and I think some TV executives are out of touch if they think she has the power to maintain an audience. Those days are gone. She has burned those bridges.

By Judy

I quit watching Rosie in 2002,got so tired of her counting down the days to her show was through.I could care less about what ever she does.Go away and take the women from the view with you.Nobody wants you back.

By jaguar02

I'd rather watch Rosie talk about everyday life in average people's lives and the world then watch over paid over exposed celebrities parade on a talk show. And it will be a breath of fresh air to see her again as opposed to those dribs on The View. Poor old Barbara Walters struggles with memory and that loud mouth narrow minded Elizabeth H. are the reason why most stop watching the View. I say, more power to you, Rosie..

By shirl048

I agree with you..I only watch the View when Barbara is not on...View would be better if she prosmised to stay home

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