Rosie O'Donnell can still be a force, but a talk comeback is not without challenges

Will Rosie O'Donnell play Jay Leno to Ellen DeGeneres' Conan O'Brien?

That analogy may be a little over the top, but not by too much. Just when DeGeneres was positioning herself as the heir apparent to Oprah Winfrey's audience, out of nowhere comes O'Donnell looking to return to daytime talk when Winfrey hits the road in September 2011. 

O'Donnell is certainly a big name who had a huge following with her first talk show, which ran from 1996 to 2002. However, toward the end of the run of that show and through her controversial stint on ABC's "The View," O'Donnell became something of a lightning rod. Her outspoken personality and political stances on "The View" overwhelmed the image she'd cultivated as "the queen of nice" on her old talk show.

The folks backing O'Donnell -- former Warner Bros. syndication executives Dick Robertson and Scott Carlin -- are betting that she can reclaim her old audience. Both Robertson and Carlin helped launch her first show, which was produced by Warner Bros.' Telepictures Productions. When Winfrey leaves, television stations across the country -- including the ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago -- will have big holes to fill.

O'Donnell is not planning a political show, says a person familiar with her plans. Instead she wants to do a show that can cover issues and entertainment much the way Winfrey does. According to someone close to O'Donnell, her first choice for a producer is Rory Kennedy, the documentary filmmaker who is the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy. However, no executive producer has been named yet. Just the idea that Kennedy is being considered certainly signals that soft talk may not be on O'Donnell's agenda.

Furthermore, even if O'Donnell is planning on lightening her personality, that does not guarantee that the middle America viewers who made her a hit the first time around will come back. 

On the business side, there is still a lot of bad blood at ABC over how she left "The View," and while this new show will be syndicated, Robertson and Carlin are likely going to need the ABC-owned stations if they are to have a chance at succeeding. It is not a given that the ABC-owned stations are going to be looking for another talk show to replace Winfrey. Some of the stations may opt for more local news because they can make more money there.

With her quick wit, comedic timing and proven track record, O'Donnell certainly will make the next year interesting. DeGeneres too had to do a little image rehab after her ABC sitcom ended, but she was never as polarizing as O'Donnell has become.

People close to O'Donnell say it'd be foolish to bet against her. And it's true that she is a smart performer who has succeeded in the past. She could recapture her old magic. However, it would also be foolish to deny that she will need to resell herself to the public if in fact she wants to do a broad daytime talk show.

One thing O'Donnell's reentry into talk will do is make it all the harder for any newcomers to get off the ground.

As for the whole Leno-O'Brien comparison, it's true that analogy would work better if it was Winfrey deciding not to retire after all. But it is worth noting that O'Donnell was very critical of Leno's decision to come back to late-night television. Guess it is a case of do as I say, not as I do.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Rosie O'Donnell. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

Comments

[Joe B.]

Your analogy at the top of this post isn't over the top, it's just not appropriate. Syndication is a whole other ballgame, no one had anything staked out and there were no commitments made of or to anyone.

Please don't pit two open lesbians against each other because it's convenient. It's disingenuous.

[XY]

You've set up a false comparison.

Rosie has never worked for the same company or network as Oprah.

Oprah was not forced into retirement because of bad ratings and told to hand over the show to an heir apparent.

Both Oprah and Rosie were instrumental in creating and producing their own VERY successful programs, something that neither Jay Leno or Conan O'Brien did. (Jay inherited his show and its audience from Johnny Carson and Conan inherited his from David Letterman.)

Plus, Rosie retired from her own show YEARS before Ellen got a talk show.

[Paul C]

I'm not a big fan of Rosie's but your snide comparison to Leno and the "do as I say" comment at the end are beyond ridiculous. The situations are not even comparable. Rosie stepped away from her show 8 years ago. She did not come back a few months later to push Caroline Rhea (her actual replacement)out of the seat. Her show and Ellen's have nothing do do with one another. Your premise seems to be that Ellen is now "owed" Oprah's audience on a silver platter. Why? No one should even try to launch a new show in the wake of this huge void? Like I said, beyond ridiculous.

[Joe Flint]

To commenters.

My Rosie - Ellen vs. Conan - Jay observation is meant to be taken tongue in cheek.

Yes, syndication is different business, but overall the issues are the same.

[Gina Marie]

I find it interesting people that claim to hate Rosie take the time to know so much about her as person/celebrity. Why would any one take the time or care about an individual they claim to hate?

The highest ratings on both Oprah and Ellen were when they tackled politically or culturally taboo topics. When they brought those conversations into our homes, the ratings soared. Why is that? Because that is what the public wants to hear, learn and talk about. They just need permission to……and talk shows like Oprah and Ellen provide a reason to talk about controversial topics lingering in the shadows.

Rosie offers the public a fresh view on the issues at hand. And even if you are not in agreement with her view, she still motivates people to converse about important issues. Much like other shows, the hope is to begin the dialog and Rosie is unabashed in starting difficult conversations. Thank God she is brave, bold and yes, unapologetic for being loud. The silence and apathy in this country is a malignant cancer devouring our souls. If it wasn’t for individuals like Rosie, we would wallow in our silent abyss indefinitely.

I for one hope her show is a great success and gets us talking about important issues. Moreover, I hope it encourages us to find positive solutions for our country's problems. And if she can make us laugh at ourselves in the process, all the better!

[XY]

No, Joe, they are not the same.

These issues are not the same in any way.

Conan O'Brien was given the Tonight Show (the actual show!) when NBC forced Jay Leno to retire from it. Jay Leno's new show failed. The Network then decided to effectively give back the 1st half-hour of the Tonight Show to him.

Ellen is not now, nor has she ever had, Oprah's job. Rosie has never had, nor has she ever had, Ellen's job. All 3 women have their own shows, not shows owned by a network who selected them to host the show.

The fact that you fail to see this difference really brings home the fact that you are unqualified to be writing about this issue.

Just another case in point where journalism has gone down a blind alley with the blogging fad.

[Neil]

300 million people in America and this is the best they can come up with. I find O'Donnell uncouth. Quite flogging a dead horse and give new talent a chance.

[KarenJ]

This was meant to be 'toungue-in-cheek'? I'm usually pretty good at picking up on sarcasm/tongue-in-cheek... didn't get it here. Read more like provocation to me.

[22Tango]

The analogy doesn't work. Sorry. Rosie is not taking Ellen's show away like Leno did with O'Brien. She's been semi-retired for years. I think Rosie will do great in daytime again. We may not want politics 24/7 but she will have us thinking and laughing.

Glad Rosie will come back next year!

[candy]

Yuk, she is a vile, angry woman who spews hatred and insults like an active volcano. She is just a bitter mouthpiece that most women do not respect or like, so why bother with even trying to do this???

[andy]

What's wrong with this paper. No one is buying your fox-like propaganda. Rosie was awesome and original. I can't wait to see her again on TV. As far as this paper goes, I don't buy it anymore. There is better news and commentary on NYT.com.

[Patrick]

Do people not remember Rosie Live? There is no way this succeeds.

[Andrea]

Many years ago I loved Rosie but, I have heard enough of her opinion to last a life time. She just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When people don't behave or believe they way she wants them to she lambast them and we have enough talking head pundits that do the same thing.

[Joe]

This person is not and never has been funny or the type of personality that anyone I know would ever want to watch. She is a self serving activest who trys to push her personal beliefs and agenda onto others. She is pathetic!

[Chuck]

Any way you look at it, Rosie can stay in "retirement" for all I care. Far, Far, Far away in retirement. She was an ok comedian, a decent actress in League, but past that she just grated on my nerves.

[Dillberg]

This is one of the most biased articles I have ever read . . . and hardly newsworthy.