If her first week's worth of guests is any indication, it looks like Caroline Rhea may be picking up where Broadway-loving Rosie O'Donnell left off.
The first airing of "The Caroline Rhea Show" is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 2. Rhea's Sept. 3 show will include chats with "Friends" star Matthew Perry and the Tony Award-winning star of Chicago, Bebe Neuwirth. "Sex and the City" star and theatre veteran Cynthia (Indiscretions) Nixon will guest on Wednesday, Sept. 4, and current Producers star Steven Weber joins Rhea on Sept. 5.
"The Caroline Rhea Show," which replaces "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in most markets, will air in the metropolitan area on WABC-TV at 12:35 AM ET. Check local listings.
The last live broadcast of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" aired May 22 after a six-year run that showcased Broadway and its stars. The Long Island native was particularly enthusiastic about three musicals: Titanic and The Lion King, which both went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical; and Seussical, the Stephen Flaherty-Lynn Ahrens musical in which she later starred for a limited engagement. Previously taped but unaired episodes of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" continued to air through June 27, and reruns of the acclaimed talkfest are still being shown. Actress Caroline Rhea, who has hosted O'Donnell's show numerous times, officially takes over as host in September.
—By Andrew Gans