``The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' Daytime Talk/Variety Franchise to Continue With Caroline Rhea as Host Beginning in 2002-03 Season.

Entertainment Editors

BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 27, 2001

O'Donnell to Serve as Executive Consultant on Rhea-Hosted Series

In her final season as host of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," Rosie O'Donnell will groom actress and comedian Caroline Rhea to take over the franchise's hosting duties for the 2002-03 season and beyond.

O'Donnell will segue into an executive consultant position on the series, which will continue to be produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. The announcement was made today by Dick Robertson, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, and Jim Paratore, President, Telepictures Productions.

In June 1996, O'Donnell successfully brought the talk/variety show back to daytime television with "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," and after five successful seasons, she has decided next season will be her last, in order to spend more time with her children and pursue other professional opportunities.

Although Rhea won't officially take the helm of the show until the 2002-03 season, she will appear throughout the final season of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" as guest host, co-host and in recurring segments, becoming fully integrated into production and making a seamless transition between hosts for viewers.

The show will maintain its current format, while tailoring certain elements and segments to fit Rhea's accessible comedic style. Entirely new components, designed specifically for Rhea, will also be introduced. The series will continue to originate from New York, utilizing a number of key staff members that have contributed to the success of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

"I'm unbelievably grateful for the years of doing the show," said O'Donnell. "Now it's time to pass the baton, as I think all good artists should. Caroline is very funny -- she's self deprecating, she's intelligent, she's smart, she's sensitive, and she cares about people in a way that's very relatable and accessible. Viewers feel comfortable with Caroline because they know her from sitcoms and they know her from `Hollywood Squares.' They know her as Whoopi's friend and my friend. I think this familiarity is really important in reaching the daytime audience."

"I'm thrilled to be working with Rosie and Telepictures," said Rhea. "As a kid, I always wanted to be Carol Burnett or Johnny Carson. I love to chat and entertain. I'm probably the only celebrity where fans say to me `I've got to go.'"

"`The Rosie O'Donnell Show' literally revived the talk/variety genre when it debuted. It is the kind of advertiser-friendly programming that brings stations very high CPMs, which is especially important in today's environment," said Robertson. "No one knows the daytime audience better than Rosie and having her on board as we make this transition is a win/win for everyone. When you see Caroline in this format, it is obvious she's the right person to carry on this franchise in daytime."

"The daytime audience is unique," said Paratore. "Telepictures has produced successful shows for daytime for some 15 years. We know the audience and have a proven track record in the daypart. We have also enjoyed great success with `The Rosie O'Donnell Show' and have a team in place and a show that's up and running. Add to this Rosie's understanding of the sensibility of the daytime audience and her assistance in front of and behind the camera, and we have the best opportunity to keep this advertiser-friendly talk/variety franchise successful for years to come."

Rhea, who currently stars as Aunt Hilda on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," filled in for Rosie as guest host of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" several times last season. She continues to perform to sold-out audiences in top comedy clubs across the country and is a regular on the syndicated game show "Hollywood Squares." She recently starred in the telefilm "Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire." Her other television credits include a guest-starring stint as Drew's girlfriend on "The Drew Carey Show," and she regularly appears on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." She has also starred in Comedy Central's "Pulp Comics," HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the Ms. Foundation's "Women of Comedy from Caroline's" "Comic Relief 8," and "The Chris Isaak Show" and "The Edge" on Showtime. She has hosted her own VH-1 series, "Fool for Love," Lifetime's "The Great Lifetime Makeover" and both the Writers' Guild and Directors' Guilds Award ceremonies. Her feature film credits include "Man on the Moon" and "Ready to Rumble." Rhea got her start on the New York City comedy club circuit where she quickly went from a newcomer to one of its most sought-after stars.

Telepictures Productions is currently responsible for six strip shows representing 23.5 hours of programming per week for the syndication marketplace: "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "Jenny Jones," and, through Time Telepictures Television, "Extra," "Change of Heart," "Judge Mathis" and "Street Smarts." In the fall, the company will add the syndicated "ElimiDate" and network "ElimiDate Deluxe" representing three more hours of programming per week.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution handles the domestic television syndication for Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions, Time Telepictures Television, Warner Bros. Animation, selected Quincy Jones, HBO Independent and Tollin/Robbins Productions and the impressive Lorimar Television library, as well as feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures and the Turner Entertainment library (which includes classic MGM and RKO films). Among the first-run series currently distributed by WBDTD are "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," "Jenny Jones," "Extra," "The People's Court" and "Judge Mathis."