(Image source: Oprah.com)

BY BRICE SANDER

You're watching multisource entertainment video news analysis from Newsy. 

Rosie to the rescue? That’s the plan over at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Rosie re-launches her late-‘90s talk show this week on OWN. The show takes over Harpo’s Chicago studio, and borrows Oprah’s brand of hour-long, guest-focused interviews. (OWN)

And the network might have a lot riding on Rosie. USA Today suggests if The Rosie Show doesn’t work, it might be the end of OWN.

“O'Donnell says today is the ‘real launch’ of the Oprah Winfrey Network, even though it officially began airing shows in January … O'Donnell may also be calling it the official launch because thus far OWN programming has not performed particularly well.”

The Root argues that Discovery- the brand behind OWN- is desperate for a Rosie rescue.

“Discovery is expected to spend $15 million on an ad push -- 50% more than it spent on the Jan. 1 launch of the network ... [Rosie’s show] will also be simulcast on four other Discovery channels … [and] ads will appear in print, across Discovery properties and on competitor networks.”

A writer at the Salt Lake Tribune puts faith in O’Donnell saying, just look at her past performance.

“O’Donnell’s run on ‘The View’ boosted that show’s ratings; her exit had the opposite effect. And, with Winfrey ending her syndicated show, any number of production companies wanted O’Donnell to return in a new weekday talk show, following up on the successful 1996-2002 run of ‘The Rosie O’Donnell Show.’”

So is this the return of the Queen of Nice? The anchors at The Daily Buzz aren’t convinced.

ROSIE O’DONNEL: “How are ya? Good to see ya- I haven’t seen you in like a decade. Where ya been?”
KIA MALONE: “Hiding from you, that’s where! That’s where, Rosie! That’s where we’ve been. Rosie O’Donnell returns to TV tonight with her very own talk show.”
ANDREA JACKSON: “Uh!”
MITCH ENGLISH: “Is she nice- I, I can’t remember. Is she nice or mean now? ‘Cuz I notice with the haircut and her own personal office, she’s mean.”

And- quoting a media critic, The St. Petersburg Times hints there’s only one person who can really save OWN.

“Broadcasting and Cable's [Ben] Grossman was … blunt: ‘The viewers don't want Oprah's network, they want Oprah,’ he said. ‘She needs to roll up her sleeves and get herself back on the air.’”

Rosie’s new show airs weeknights at 7/6 central. It’s joined by repackaged versions of Oprah’s daytime talker.  


 

Transcript by Newsy.