VIDEO! Watch video of Rosie Live, the new Rosie O’Donnell Variety Show. Rosie Live premieres as a variety show, one of several slated for 2008 to 2009 that include Steven Colbert and Ellen DeGeneres.

But will it work?

Every celebrity and their sister wants a variety show suddenly this year. But variety shows don’t work unless one thing is in place - excellent writers! And not just any writers - COMEDY writers, great sketch comedy writers.

Just because you are celebrity, or a hilarious comic, doesn’t guarantee the success of a show. In fact, a recent report in Reuters continues to proliferate the misconception of variety shows of the 1970s by mentioning the Carol Burnett Show and Sony and Cher Show in the same sentence.

Wrong.

It’s like comparing a Bentley to a Pinto. Sony and Cher was never a big hit, and never an awarded show. That’s like comparing All in the Family to Full House.

“Rosie Live” will be on NBC and feature hit music celebs like Gloria Estefan and Harry Connick Jr., great talents but not particularly funny people.

“The timing is right, I think the economy has made it so people are staying home more and sadly unable to go out,” said O’Donnell. “One hour to get around the TV with everyone in your family and laugh, that to me I think is needed now.”

Hopefully networks (never too keen on good writing) will understand - a musical review show is not a variety show. A variety show must be funny. If it’s just a bunch of performances, then it’s a musical review.

Watch video of Rosie Live below.