Media Life Magazine - Nut job: Roseanne Barr's back (again)

Homepage

Alternative media

Cable

Classifieds

Magazines

Media economy

New media

Newspapers

Out of Home

People

Rachel speaks

Radio

Research

Television

TV Reviews

Webinars

Media Economy Newsletter

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Last week

Yearly Archives

About us

Subscribe

Advertise

Contact us

Write to the editor

Press releases

Post a classified

Nut job: Roseanne
Barr's back (again)

This time she starring in a Lifetime series 'Roseanne's Nuts'

By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Jul 13, 2011

Share |

There are two separate meanings behind the title of Lifetime's new reality show, "Roseanne's Nuts," which premieres tonight at 9 p.m.

One is that Roseanne Barr, the comedienne and former hit TV show star, has purchased a nut farm in Hawaii. The other is that a former star who moves to Hawaii to farm nuts must be one herself.

Barr good-humoredly goes along with the latter premise in this weird but entertaining new show, which should fare better than her most recent ill-fated TV run.

The last time Roseanne Barr attempted to mount a comeback she had not one but two shows canceled within days of each other. It was the summer of 2003, and she agreed to star in a cooking show on ABC Family as well as a reality show about the filming of the cooking show for ABC.

Things unraveled quickly.

Barr was displeased with the quality of "Domestic Goddess," the cooking show, but refused to reshoot the pilot. ABC Family chucked it, and ABC was left with a reality show about the making of a canceled show. No surprise, the ABC show bombed in the ratings and was axed after just a few episodes.

It was just the latest episode in a long string of disappointments for the star, who got a reputation as difficult while working on her hit self-titled ABC TV show in the 1980s and '90s. Barr has always insisted that the reputation was because she was a woman, and she wrote a convincing essay to that effect for New York Magazine earlier this year.

Deservedly or not, Barr is pretty much written off as a nut these days anyway, and it's refreshing to see her tongue-in-cheekedly embrace that rep.

Whether "Nuts" can become a hit may depend on how many viewers Barr can lure away from "America's Got Talent," NBC's smash reality show that airs in the opposite timeslot. The viewers 25-54 who once loved "Roseanne" may already be committed to "Talent," the summer's top show in that demo.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
Time	Network	Program	Description
Noon	ESPN	"Women's World Cup" (S)	The U.S. plays France, followed by Sweden versus Japan.
8 p.m.	CBS	"Big Brother" (R)	The season's first Power of Veto competition is held.
8 p.m.	Fox	"So You Think You Can Dance" (R)	The final dozen dancers perform.
9 p.m.	NBC	"America's Got Talent" (R)	Four acts make it to the final 24.
9 p.m.	ESPN	"ESPY Awards" (A)	The 19th annual event (yes, really), this year hosted by Seth Meyers.
10 p.m.	Lifetime	"Dance Moms" (R)	Series premiere. Following Abby Lee Miller, a competitive-dance teacher in Pittsburgh.
10 p.m.	Showtime	"The Franchise" (R)	Series premiere. Following baseball's San Francisco Giants.
THURSDAY, JULY 14
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	Fox	"So You Think You Can Dance" (R)	Two more dancers are eliminated, bringing the field to 10.
9 p.m.	CBS	"Big Brother" (R)	The season's first houseguest is evicted.
9 p.m.	CMT	"Sweet Home Alabama" (R)	Series premiere. A "Bachelorette"-style dating competition starring a woman from Alabama.
9 p.m.	USA	"Burn Notice" (D)	Barry's mother is framed for hacking a computer server.
10 p.m.	Bio	"Creating the World of Harry Potter: Magical Effects" (A)	A behind-the-scenes look and the effects from the "Harry Potter" movies.
10 p.m.	Comedy Central	"Futurama" (C)	Bender testifies against the robot mafia, then enters a witness-protection program.
10 p.m.	MTV	"True Life" (R)	Two gay teens try to turn themselves straight.
FRIDAY, JULY 15
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	"Today" (N)	Ryan Seacrest guests and Chris Brown performs.
8 p.m.	CBS	"Flashpoint" (D)	The crew tries to tame a riot.
8:05 p.m.	Disney Channel	"PrankStars" (R)	Series premiere. A "Candid Camera"- and "Punk'd"-style prank show.
9 p.m.	Animal Planet	"Whale Wars" (R)	The Shepherds are asked to help find a missing Norwegian sailboat.
10 p.m.	Food Network	"Outrageous Food" (R)	Among tonight's ridiculous eats is a 7.5-pound steak.
10 p.m.	Syfy	"Haven" (D)	Season premiere. A copycat version of Audrey Parker shows up in Haven.
SATURDAY, JULY 16
Time	Network	Program	Description
9 a.m.	ESPN	"Golf" (S)	Coverage of the third round of the British Open from Royal St. George's Golf Club in England.
8 p.m.	CBS	"CHAOS" (D)	Series finale. A team goes to Panama to rescue a former team member being held hostage.
9 p.m.	Hallmark Channel	"Keeping Up with the Randalls" (M)	An L.A. woman competes in a sports contest with her boyfriend's family, whom she's meeting for the first time.
9 p.m.	Syfy	"Super Eruption" (M)	Yellowstone National Park is the site of a, well, super eruption.
10 p.m.	Animal Planet	"Pit Boss" (R)	Season premiere. Homeless people with pit bulls get free lessons in training them.
10 p.m.	ESPN2	"Soccer" (S)	The Los Angeles Galaxy versus Real Madrid in the World Football Challenge.
SUNDAY, JULY 17
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 a.m.	ESPN	"Golf" (S)	Final round of the British Open, won last year by Louis Oosthuizen.
2 p.m.	ESPN	"Women's World Cup" (S)	The final game.
8 p.m.	ABC Family	"Cyber Bully" (M)	A high school girl is traumatized by online bullying.
9 p.m.	Style	"Big Rich Texas" (R)	Series premiere. Following five Dallas socialites and their daughters.
10 p.m.	AMC	"Breaking Bad" (D)	Season premiere. Gus tries to make sure the product he receives is pure.
10 p.m.	Spike TV	"Bar Rescue" (R)	Series premiere. A restaurant consultant gives makeovers to trouble bars.
10 p.m.	TLC	"My Strange Addiction" (R)	Season premiere. A woman has 60 pet rats in her studio apartment.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.