NBC announced a primetime special to air the night before Thanksgiving – “Rosie’s Variety Show,” bringing Rosie O’Donnell back to television. The live special will also feature prize giveaways for both the studio audience and viewers at home.
“This is a dream come true for any performer. Old time variety, live from New York with a nod to Ed Sullivan, Carol Burnett and memories of Sonny and Cher,” said O’Donnell, who left ABC’s “The View” in June.
O’Donnell will bring back the grand tradition of the variety show format to television, said NBC, much like such iconic series as "The Carol Burnett Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show," while including brand-new elements for a new generation of fans.
“The special will feature a topical monologue, musical production numbers and hilarious comedy sketches from Rosie and her in-house acting company, as well as performances from today’s hottest artists. In addition, the special will showcase a spectacular array of guest celebrities and many surprises…and it’s all live!” the network gushed in its announcement.
The special is produced by Universal Media Studios in association with KidRo Productions. O’Donnell and David Friedman are the executive producers.
Is this a one-shot? There are rumors that the Peacock Network is working on other projects with O’Donnell.
RBR/TVBR observation: Are we showing our age to say how much we miss watching Ed Sullivan and Carol Burnett? If the networks are giving up on spending any money on scripted shows for Friday nights, how about bringing back the variety show genre?
