NBC's plans to bring back the variety show format failed dismally. Rosie O'Donnell drew less than the expected number of viewers with her Thanksgiving eve show called Rosie Live. The reviews were terrible, as well. So NBC canceled it, pretty much immediately.
Preliminary Nielsen estimates show that the Rosie O' Donnell-hosted spec, featuring celebrity guests, musical acts and comedy skits involving the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harry Connick Jr. and Liza Minnelli, settled for about 5 million viewers. In the 18-49 demo, it matched ABC's Pushing Daisies as the night's lowest-rated program on the major nets (1.2 rating/4 share), coming in below what the struggling Knight Rider has been averaging in recent weeks.
NBC can't be pleased with the performance even on the night before Thanksgiving, when many auds are distracted and viewing levels are lower than usual. The net was going to gauge viewer interest before ordering more segs.
For her part, O'Donnell seems resigned to the fact that the experiment ended last week. "There will be no more," she wrote on her blog. "No ratings. Bad reviews."
We don't think audiences are in the mood for a variety show revival. It's all reality, drama and science fiction such as Heroes, Fringe and Lost. Five million viewers would be a huge hit on cable. But for NBC during primetime it was considered a flop.
