The Caroline Rhea Show
Encyclopedia
The Caroline Rhea Show is an American syndicated variety/talk show that was regarded as the successor to The Rosie O'Donnell Show
. It premiered in September 2002 and ran until June 2003 and was hosted by actress and comedienne Caroline Rhea
, who was hand-picked by Rosie O'Donnell
as her replacement and who had hosted the last few weeks of Rosie prior to her show launching. Like its predecessor, The Caroline Rhea Show was taped in Studio 8-G at NBC's Rockefeller Center Studios in New York City.
In many ways, The Caroline Rhea Show was similar to the more-successful Ellen DeGeneres Show
; both programs were daytime talk shows that were run like nighttime talk shows, with monologue
s and house bands and celebrity (and sometimes non-celebrity) guests. Unlike with Rosie's daytime show where an audience member opened the show, by announcing the day's guests, Chip Zion was the announcer of the show announcing "Live from New York it's the Caroline Rhea Show! On Today's Show... Here's Caroline!" The first five words, "Live from New York, it's," mimicked the opening tagline to Saturday Night Live
, produced in the neighboring Studio 8-H. The show's intro song was Neil Diamond
's "Sweet Caroline
", which the audience often sang along to, particularly in vocalising the three beats after the song's eponymous line and chanting "so good, so good" in response to "good times never seemed so good".
Most television markets which had aired the show replaced it with The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, which was offered by the syndicator of both Rhea's and O'Donnell's show, Warner Bros. Television
's Telepictures
division. Some stations that aired Rosie also aired Caroline Rhea, but some (like WABC-TV
in New York, which gave the former Rosie spot to The Wayne Brady Show
) aired the show at an undesirable late-night time slot.
The show's house band was led by trumpeter Chris Botti
. Former David Bowie
guitarist and musical collaborator Carlos Alomar
was the musical director for this program.
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
. It premiered in September 2002 and ran until June 2003 and was hosted by actress and comedienne Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season...
, who was hand-picked by Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
as her replacement and who had hosted the last few weeks of Rosie prior to her show launching. Like its predecessor, The Caroline Rhea Show was taped in Studio 8-G at NBC's Rockefeller Center Studios in New York City.
In many ways, The Caroline Rhea Show was similar to the more-successful Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
; both programs were daytime talk shows that were run like nighttime talk shows, with monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
s and house bands and celebrity (and sometimes non-celebrity) guests. Unlike with Rosie's daytime show where an audience member opened the show, by announcing the day's guests, Chip Zion was the announcer of the show announcing "Live from New York it's the Caroline Rhea Show! On Today's Show... Here's Caroline!" The first five words, "Live from New York, it's," mimicked the opening tagline to Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, produced in the neighboring Studio 8-H. The show's intro song was Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
's "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
", which the audience often sang along to, particularly in vocalising the three beats after the song's eponymous line and chanting "so good, so good" in response to "good times never seemed so good".
Most television markets which had aired the show replaced it with The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, which was offered by the syndicator of both Rhea's and O'Donnell's show, Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
's Telepictures
Telepictures
Telepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
division. Some stations that aired Rosie also aired Caroline Rhea, but some (like WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
in New York, which gave the former Rosie spot to The Wayne Brady Show
The Wayne Brady Show
The Wayne Brady Show was a variety show hosted by Wayne Brady that originally ran from August 8, 2001 to March 11, 2002 on ABC. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled by ABC and reformatted into a daytime variety talk show for syndication...
) aired the show at an undesirable late-night time slot.
The show's house band was led by trumpeter Chris Botti
Chris Botti
Christopher Stephen "Chris" Botti , is an American trumpeter and composer. In 2007, Botti was nominated for two Grammy Awards including Best Pop Instrumental Album. On December 4, 2009, he was nominated for three more Grammy Awards including Best Pop Instrumental Album and Best Long Form Music Video...
. Former David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
guitarist and musical collaborator Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
was the musical director for this program.