Roseanne Eyes Rosie's View

Tue., May. 1, 2007 5:22 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

A room with The View is looking pretty good to Roseanne Barr these days.

Rosie O'Donnell's announcement that she's leaving the ayem chatfest in June isn't even cold yet, and already Barr—along with several others—is being touted as a possible replacement for the show's most outspoken (and ratings-friendly) cohost.

While names such as Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Kathie Lee Gifford, Connie Chung and Joy Behar look-alike Bette Midler are also being bandied about, Barr's has risen to the top o' the morning list, according to the New York Post.

And, despite the fact that ABC hasn't extended a formal offer (or even a casual offer) yet to come on board, Barr can't help but hear the hype.

"I would love the chance to do that," the Emmy-winning actress told Las Vegas' KVVU-TV Monday when asked whether she'd consider taking the position, if it arises. "I'd love it. Yeah, definitely. I think I would do a real good job."

"I'd stir up some real good controversy," Barr added, in a nod to where O'Donnell has been excelling these days.

Barr, 54, made a name for herself as a housewife turned blue-collar comedian who used the pitfalls of marriage and family-rearing to cultivate both a standup career and her critically acclaimed sitcom Roseanne. Then there was that whole "Star Spangled Banner" thing...

Although she's generally known as a loudmouth and, sometimes, as an annoying loudmouth, the credits Barr has been compiling since Roseanne wrapped in 1997 have shown she can still command a room—at least for an hour a day.

In addition to guest starring on sitcoms such as 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Nanny and, most recently, My Name Is Earl, she returned to the standup scene in 2005, helming the HBO comedy special Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin' last year, and she was tapped to host the third season of Nick at Nite's The Search for the Funniest Mom in America, which premiered in April.

And now Barr is right in the thick of things as The View enters yet another new era.

"It's going to be hard for them to follow Rosie," one industry source told the Post. "Roseanne could be the only one capable of pulling it off."

O'Donnell announced Wednesday that she and ABC hadn't been able to agree on a contract extension (they wanted three years, she wanted less; they wanted to pay a few million, she wanted many; etc.) and that she would be exiting The View come June.

Though The View won't be the same, O'Donnell is already spying options on her horizon.

When questioned by reporters Tuesday about her future plans as a TV personality, she replied, "You'll hear very soon."

We don't doubt it.