The Rosie O'Donnell Show - The Show

The Show

On June 10, 1996, The Rosie O'Donnell Show premiered, and proved successful; early on O'Donnell was dubbed "The Queen of Nice" by Newsweek magazine for her sweet personality, which was in stark contrast to many other talk shows of the era. The show was a replacement for Carnie!, which aired from September 6, 1995 until February 23, 1996, with reruns airing until June 7.

The program was also known for featuring extended production numbers from Broadway shows which were often seen as too time consuming on other shows. O'Donnell was known for keeping a light-hearted nature during the show as she playfully interviewed her guests and interacted with her audience. Commonly, O'Donnell would throw koosh balls into the audience throughout the show; this gag expanded through the years to include automated koosh-projecting devices in the ceiling, as well as O'Donnell firing at a moving target.

The house band was led by pianist John McDaniel, and was dubbed "The McDLTs".

Unique introductions by a member of the audience were made at the beginning of each episode. (Hi! I'm, from and this is The Rosie O'Donnell Show. On today's show: . Hit it, John!) O'Donnell commented on the DVD release of first season highlights that producers weren't keen on this opening but Rosie insisted upon it as she enjoyed being able to talk to a "real person" every show.

O'Donnell's endorsement of the Tickle Me Elmo played a large part in the huge popularity of the toy. In 2006, O'Donnell showed Tickle Me Elmo Extreme (TMX) on The View. Likewise when she served Drake's snack cakes to audience members on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which helped contribute to increased sales of Drake's cakes.

After a 6-year run, the show ended in 2002 when Rosie chose to leave to spend more time with her children and spouse at the time, Kelly. The show won multiple Emmys during its run. It was replaced by The Caroline Rhea Show, which aired for one season.