Rosie is the Next Big Thing -- Again!
Published
Everyone, myself included, has been doubting Barbara Walter's brainstorm to hire Rosie O'Donnell to replace Star and/or Meredith on "The View." The arguments against Rosie -- not a team player, difficult to get along with, difficult to get along with, difficult to get along with.
Well doubters be damned -- Rosie seems to be connecting with the audience. The ratings for "The View" are up -- pretty significantly. Rosie has moved to Meredith's chair, which sorta makes her the leader of the pack. And my spies tells me that at least on stage, things are pretty copasetic.
There have been rumblings that Elizabeth doesn't get along with Rosie; that Joy is getting tired of playing second fiddle; that Rosie thinks the production of the show is bush league at times. There may be a little truth in some of this, but it wouldn't be the first time a show succeeded in spite of difficult stars; indeed, Exhibit A is Rosie's wildly successful talk show.
The fact is, Rosie is blending better than I ever expected. Besides, nothing succeeds like success. If the rating continue to climb, I doubt the other gals would try and sabotage her -- Rosie could end up being their annuity.
In my mind, the real test will be the relationship between Rosie and Barbara. These are both very strong, controlling individuals with strong points of view. Neither of them are known for compromise. Yet it's inevitable -- if "The View" is to survive with Rosie, compromise on both sides is essential. On that, the jury is out.