My prediction is unless it is NBC's goal to steal the 55+ viewers away from CBS...no, they can't. From the TV Week story:
Having already revolutionized daytime talk and reinvigorated "The View," Rosie O'Donnell is now hoping to resurrect one of television's storied genres: the variety show.
It's a tall order-which may be one reason Ms. O'Donnell has enlisted some serious showbiz firepower for her Nov. 26 NBC special, dubbed "Rosie Live."
"Liza Minnelli will be on the show," Ms. O'Donnell revealed last week in an exclusive interview with TelevisionWeek. "It's showbiz royalty. I couldn't do it without her."
Will Ms. O'Donnell perform a duet with Ms. Minnelli, whose 1972 variety/concert special "Liza With a Z" won multiple Emmy Awards?
"Of course! What, are you kidding me?" Ms. O'Donnell laughed. "This is the dream for every girl from Long Island who ever sang in the mirror to ‘Cabaret.' This is as good as it gets for me."
Sure, every girl over 45. No offense, but if 18-49 really fuel the ratings, Rosie needs to grab Britney, Lindsay (ok, so she's hard to work with according to the Ugly Betty people) and Jessica Simpson. Liza is not serious showbiz firepower anymore. This isn't 1978, it's 2008. Others planned to appear are Kathy Griffin, Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock, hip-hop artist Ne-Yo and singer Alanis Morissette.
I will be happy to eat crow if I'm wrong, but it just seems like NBC is flailing around now. This idea just seems dumb to me as a means of reaching 18-49 year olds. I predict bad ratings for what right now appears to be a futile attempt at throwing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks. Not spectacularly bad Quarterlife style ratings, mind you, but it won't surprise me if Knight Rider (which I believe it is airing instead of) pulls better 18-49 ratings.
Bite your tongue! I’m 33 and I wouldn’t walk across the hallway to see Britney, Lindsay, Jessica, or all three together. I may be wrong, but I don’t think I’m alone in that.
However, I’m totally with you on the last paragraph.
This show will get great ratings. I don’t know what people see in Rosie, but even I can see that people will tune in.
GRD, I agree. But they certainly would pull in the teens!
But on that subject, Hillary Duff will probably show up, since she just signed a development deal with NBC which includes guest appearances on various shows.
This show will get great ratings. I don’t know what people see in Rosie, but even I can see that people will tune in.
A train wreck!
Julia, nah — if you want teens it’s all about Miley Cyrus, and apparently, whoever is starring in the Twilight movie.
This may air instead of Knight Rider? Maybe that’s part of the greater plan. When trying to save Knight Rider, the NBC folks can say “well, it does better than Rosie…”
Yes, but which one costs more, clutz?
that could be a toss up! i’d love to know the answer, while I suppose it is KR I imagine KR is pretty cheap to make, and Ford is kicking in something for KR. I don’t know what Rosie’s product placement opportunities are. I guess they could do live commercial jingles and make it a part of the “content”, but I don’t think you’re going to get Liza to sing “McDonalds is your kind of place…”
I’d bet the cost to put an identifiable can of diet soda on Rosie’s desk would be quite steep!
I like how TVWeek has Rosie responsible for The View being “reinvigorated”. She’s been gone quite a while and The View’s best results have been quite recent, I’d attribute it almost 100% to the election the the aftermath.
I don’t think they are wrong about that, Bill. It may have grown even more since she left, but the growth began with her and the drama she always seemed to cause.
Oh…I was waiting for the punchline…
The only thing I would have Rosie on my TV for is target practice.
I think what Bill means is that that statement would have a whole lot more truth if The View’s ratings were down any substantial margin without Rosie, and to my knowledge, they aren’t.
Also Robert, that first sentence doesn’t make any sense, unless NBC can manage to steal viewers away from itself. Imagine the possible press releases you could run if that happened.
Bill,
The View was doing fine before Rosie, but its ratings– and buzz– began to build during her tenure. What’s more, the show seemed to really find its voice as a home to political debate vs. celeb guests and fashion shows. The fact that the show has continued to grow this year, during the election season, doesn’t mean Rosie didn’t help begin the show’s ratings resurgence. But I’m glad you like what I wrote.
Haha, Vader — indeed, *that* would be newsworthy. I meant CBS. Fixed!
Joe, I have to confess, Bill stepping in to even opine on The View is a shock for me. I may have completely dreamed it up, but I seem to remember asking Bill a couple of years back if his wife watched The View, and his response was along the lines of “All the time, but I’ve made her swear a blood oath to never EVER discuss anything that happens on that show with me.”
i’d only watch this if i was in the mood to shoot myself
I don’t watch The View, and the rule in my house still is that I never want to even hear about a word uttered on the show because my life is too short to waste the time, but like many shows I don’t watch (although none that I loathe like it), I’m happy to opine on the ratings!
I’m over 55 – they both suck-who gives a damn and I’m being nice.