The Rosie Show

'The Rosie Show'Produced by Harpo Galleries in colaboration with KidRo Prods. and SantaBu Prods. Executive producers, Rosie O'Donnell, Page Hurwitz, Jenna Kostelnik-Utley senior supervisory producer, Karen Kilgariff director, Frederick Terry mind author, Kilgariff authors, O'Donnell, Tom Agna, Danny Ceballos, Laura House, Hurwitz. 60 MIN. Host: Rosie O'DonnellThe number of individuals who've effectively located a talkshow is sufficiently small whenever one will get in the saddle, it's worth attention. That Rosie O'Donnell brings her act to The famous host oprah Winfrey's battling OWN trying to produce a little showbiz style from the daytime variety, although in early evening boosts the stakes for those involved. Airing live produces a feeling of unpredictability, but unlike most frontloaded premieres, "The Rosie Show's" bow demonstrated strangely enough flat and understated, whose success will relaxation heavily around the host's residual group of followers. Combined with "Oprah's Lifeclass," that also opened Monday, "Rosie" forms probably the most formidable block OWN has yet put together, marshaling enough star energy to eclipse the majority of what's formerly broadcast around the renamed funnel. Still, O'Donnell's program did not exhibit the fireworks one may have expected, allocating the majority of the hour to guest Russell Brand, within an interview which was relaxed, charitably, but almost wholly unexciting. O'Donnell opened up by doing standup before a curtain that made the area look especially small, as an after-hrs comedy club before giving method to a more sophisticated song-and-dance number. If perhaps the jokes had just as much start working them. Apart from a couple of references to as being a lesbian, O'Donnell who adopted her syndicated show having a rankings-improving stint on "The Vista,Inch by which she displayed her liberal sights left politics around the sidelines. Furthermore, she closed the hour having a gameshow segment (offering a Jamaica vacation), which only given the idea "Rosie's" menu is a little of all things, as well as the drain. Yet for those Winfrey's famous showmanship, so far OWN keeps searching just like a second-rate operation. Her cameo on "Rosie's" premiere, for instance, only made you question why she had not been her first guest, developing a logical crossover with "Lifeclass." And Winfrey's program involved as low-octane like a series will get featuring, apart from old clips, Winfrey looking at the couch basically delivering an immediate-to-camera lecture. Yes, we all know she's become something of the prophet, but this appeared as if a recorded Learning Annex session only a cheap method to repackage library video, while Winfrey made good around the "class" title by saying such things as, "The ego is really a disassociation out of your true feeling of self-worth." Please say this is not likely to be around the final. Winfrey has directly taken the reins of OWN, placing her status at risk. Even though this Monday one-two punch must improve rankings, using the bar so low it would be tough to limbo under it that's a lesser concern than creating whether her version of "broccoli TV" can actually truly sustain a whole funnel. Based on O'Donnell, when told "Rosie" would contain the host speaking, her kids responded, "You believe individuals are gonna watch that?" Many people, certainly individuals already converted and hooked. But enough to create OWN on the road to being a lot more than The famous host oprah and Discovery's folly? If this sounds like just like it will get, there ought to be much more Jamaica outings to dangle being an incentive. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com