Rosie O’Donnell’s show will get a brand new set at Harpo.  Some of Oprah’s studio set will go to the Smithsonian, while the rest will head for storage after the final show on May 25th.  At least some of the Oprah Winfrey Show’s 355 Chicago employee’s will transition to O’Donnell’s show.

The new show will start filming in the fall.  The show will focus on a single, relatable topic each hour and be less celebrity driven than other talk shows.  ”I envision the show being full of love and laughter,” O’Donnell said.

Rosie O’Donnell is talk show veteran, having hosted The Rosie O’Donnell Show from 1996 to 2002.  She won six successive Emmys as host of that program.  After the recent losses of programs such as NBC Universal’s Jerry Springer Show and Steve Wilkos Show (which used to film at the NBC building on the 400 block of North Columbus), the Chicago production community is glad that the void of Oprah’s show will be filled by the new talk show.  Hopefully Rosie O’Donnell’s new show will be a ratings success and an economic boon to Chicago.

For further information, read the more in-depth Chicago Tribune andChicago Sun Times articles.