OWN Cancels “The Rosie Show” + Oprah and Rosie Respond
Oprah Winfrey‘s OWN Network decided to pull the plug and cancel Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show. Five months ago, in October of 2011, Rosie’s first episode of “The Rosie Show” aired on OWN. Initially the show got about 500,000 viewers. But about 2 months later, the executive producer had to be replaced and the location had to be downgraded to a smaller space, since the number of viewers slipped to a disappointing 190,000. Oprah issued a statement of release, saying,
“I thank Rosie from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey. She has been an incredible partner, working to deliver the best possible show every single day. As I have learned in the last 15 months, a new network launch is always a challenge and ratings grow over time as you continue to gather an audience. I’m grateful to Rosie and the dedicated Rosie Show team for giving it their all.”
Rosie put out a departure statement as well,
“I loved working with Oprah in the amazing city of Chicago. I was welcomed with open arms and will never forget the kindness of all I encountered. It was a great year for me — I wish the show was able to attract more viewers — but it did not. So I am headed back to my home in New York — with gratitude. On we go!”
So, tomorrow, the talk show will tape its final episode, which will air on March 30th, at 7pm. Meanwhile, Rosie has been telling her fans not to be disappointed about the news, via twitter. Peep some of her replies to fans:
[HollywoodReporter, ChicagoTribune]