She’s baaaack!
Apparently Rosie O’Donnell, of whom I’m a big fan, is coming back to daytime TV. She’s reportedly on board to host a talk show on Oprah’s new television network, OWN. I was pulling for her to fill one of the vacant American Idol judging spots, but instead it looks like she’ll be pitted against Ellen for the title of reigning daytime talk show queen (once her new boss Oprah hangs up her crown, of course).
In honor of Rosie’s re-emergence on the scene, I’ve put together a list of former talk show hosts I’d like to see join her in come-back land:
Arsenio Hall: The Obama of late night TV, Hall broke the color barrier back in 1989, employing a more laid-back formula that kept him on the air for five years. The show had its ups and downs, critically and ratings-wise, but it certainly broke the mold and offered something new to the staid late night talk show landscape. I recently caught Arsenio on Chelsea Lately, and to be honest, he’s pretty damn funny. What is more shocking is that the the 54 year-old comedian looked about 32. I think this dude’s been living in a cryogenic chamber for the past 15 years. Even if he doesn’t get a new talk show, he’s a prime candidate for those DirecTV ads. They wouldn’t even need to use CGI.
Chevy Chase: Okay, so the original Chevy Chase show didn’t work so well. Turns out that reading deadpan fake news lines into a camera requires a different skill set from interacting with other human beings one-on-one in an engaging way. That being said, the Chevy Chase of 1993 seems like a different animal from the one today. The slightly more robust, mellowed, almost avuncular Chevy–who’s carving out a bit of a comeback with solid work on the sitcom Community–would be a more welcome presence in America’s late night living rooms. He kind of has that Al Gore thing going on–a few extra pounds, a little less hair, and a dose of humility can go a long way.
Roseanne Barr: If the networks want to fight fire with fire, Roseanne is the way to go. Rosie certainly turns her filter off from time to time, but Roseanne will speak the truth (or her truth) without exception. Sure she was somewhat of an uncontrollable mess on her short-lived daytime gig, but that’s nothing that today’s Snookie-obsessed, RHWONJ-watching public can’t handle (as long as the producers don’t decide to start each show with the Star Spangled Banner).
