The announcement was made Aug. 5 by OWN's chief executive officer, Christina Norman. The new show will be a daytime one-hour daily show based in New York. "Fans can anticipate a fun, uplifting show with Ms. O'Donnell's playful and energetic style," according to a statement.

"Rosie is an undeniable talent who has captivated TV audiences for nearly 20 years," Oprah Winfrey stated. "She's a true original, who brings her authentic voice, dynamic energy and pure passion to everything she does."

"It's an honor and a privilege to work with Oprah Winfrey on her network," added O'Donnell. "I'm excited to be back on daytime television."

The program, produced by O'Donnell, was brought to OWN by Warner Bros. syndication veterans Dick Robertson and Scott Carlin, now of SantaBu LLC Inc.

OWN will debut Jan. 1, 2011, in approximately 80 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. Rosie O'Donnell made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in the 1994 revival of Grease!, played a limited engagement as the Cat in the Hat in the Ahrens-Flaherty musical Seussical, and portrayed Golde in the recent revival of Fiddler on the Roof. The performer also spent some time on the other side of the footlights as producer of the Broadway version of Boy George's Taboo.

O'Donnell rose to fame as a stand-up comic before landing roles in such films as "A League of Their Own," "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Flintsones" and "Exit to Eden." Her Emmy-winning talk show, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," ran from 1996 to 2001, and her more recent TV credits include appearances on "Will & Grace" and "Queer as Folk" as well as the made-for-television movie "Riding the Bus with My Sister" and the cable series "Nip/Tuck." She also spent a year as co-host of ABC-TV's "The View."