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Behind The Scenes with Rosie O’Donnell
Photo By: Dan Barbossa
On Windy City LIVE today, we were very lucky to have Rosie O’Donnell as our special guest for the hour. But it didn’t start off so smoothly. 
Rosie was caught in traffic. Chicago traffic is a nightmare and Rosie learned that the hard way this morning. As show time approached, Rosie was no where in sight. Thankfully, she is a prolific Twitterer. She started tweeting us updates. “Oy in traffic – 6 mins says opera rap star driver Khary Laurent.” Followed by, “cutting it close -fear not I am camera ready in an odd orange frock…”
So we had to formulate a back-up plan. We had this elaborate open planned. We put together a great skit on tape that culminated in Mark DeCarlo running into the studio and cue-ing a singer to begin. The singer joins the chorus (The Chicago Red Line) and the song ends with Rosie walking on stage. Well, no Rosie, no song, so we had the hosts vamp a little. The show begins and I’m waiting in the lobby for Rosie. Producer David Plummer is waiting outside. News crews are gathered hoping to get a sound bite with Rosie (who just landed an exclusive sit down with Patty Blagojevitch). There was no way that was happening. We had to get her in studio. We had a microphone waiting. All we needed was Rosie…
Wanna Email Oprah? Now You Can…
As Oprah Winfrey tweaks her new network, OWN, she wants to know what her fans think, so the billionaire talk-show queen has opened a new email account to read what viewers have to say. Now you can email Winfrey at oprah@oprah.com.
I’m sure Oprah has her minions reading each and every email, so don’t expect Oprah to be on her iPad all day replying to everyone, but I truly believe Oprah will listen to her viewers and you never know, you just might get an email reply one day signed by the big O.
Why You Should Be Watching OWN!
I admit it. I love Oprah! I watch her every day and have for years. I know she’s uber-powerful and a billionaire, but she doesn’t come across that way. She always comes across as the best friend who only wants the best for you and who wants you to succeed no matter what. To me, that’s what OWN, Oprah’s new cable network, is all about: succeeding and living the life you want to live.
Season 25: Oprah Behind The Scenes is about the phenominal success of her daytime talk show and the powerful machine it takes to make it happen. As a TV Producer, I find it fascinating to watch. As a lover of Oprah, it’s another extension of her brand.
In The Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman. Sex doc Laura Berman is one of the nicest people you could ever meet or work with. I’ve done both. She’s a class act and she treats the sensitive subject of sexual issues in the bedroom with ease and grace. It’s fascinating to watch people open up about their sex lives. I know she is helping a ton of people who are too shy to discuss their own sexual problems.
Then there is Miracle Detectives which I haven’t watched yet, but it’s on the DVR. Science and spiritual meet to discuss miracles. Looks like a fascinating show. And OWN just announced that Suze Orman will host “Money Class” come this fall to help people with their money issues.
And that just scratches the surface. In a TV world where housewives are bitchy and backstabbing and people are out to outwit their peers in some insane bullshit competition, it’s nice to just turn on the TV and watch ordinary people trying to make their lives better. Don’t just watch it. OWN it!
