Rosie O'Donnell’s recent appearance in LA at the Television Critics Association U.S. TV networks' fall presentations was a big win for the comedian, and for OWN founder Oprah Winfrey.

"It's a huge, huge stamp of approval. It's almost like being knighted, to have her say she wanted me to do this for her," said O’Donnell in reference to her new boss. "I still get nervous when I get her phone calls." It’s a mutual admiration society, said Winfrey, who commented, "She could have gone to any of the big broadcast networks. But she chose to take her talent to OWN."

The Rosie Show, O'Donnell's new talk show on OWN, will revamp her old talk show for the average woman entering her fifties, inviting one guest per show to address news-driven subjects. What it will not be: a vehicle for stars to promote a project.Continue reading...

After 54 years on the air, America's long-running CBS soap opera As The World Turns will bow out on Sept. 17th. Its replacement? Not another sudser, but yet another daytime chat show, this one featuring a format that’s already being compared to ABC's popular roundtable, The View.

Host Julie Chen will be joined by six celebrity moms including Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini, and Marissa Jaret Winokur. Gilbert, who developed the concept, will also serve as executive producer.

The yet-to-be-titled talk show will focus on “topical events and contemporary issues through the eyes of parents. It also marks the passing of an era.Continue reading...

Love her or hate her, Rosie O’Donnell just will not go away. The former daytime talk star is preparing a return to television, and her brand of outspokenness will once again be on display.
 
O’Donnell has formed a company with two former Warner Brothers executives who intend to independently distribute a show next year, a source told the New York Times. There is speculation that it will be a daytime TV show to air in the fall of 2011, when Oprah plans to leave her show.Continue reading...