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Marie Osmond, You Go, Girl, Tonight On Finale Of Unlikely Road Back To Fame

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Jonathan Roberts and Marie Osmond perform on "Dancing with the Stars," Monday Nov. 12, 2007 in Los Angeles.

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By WALT BELCHER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

Admit it. You sort of chuckled when you first heard that Marie Osmond was going to be on "Dancing With the Stars."

Right, Marie. Sister of Donny. She used to be a little bit country, a little bit sexy and a little bit wholesome with a whole lot of white teeth.

But that was in the 1970s or '80s.

Of late, most of us had a vague image of her as a kindly, slightly matronly, middle-aged former Osmond star who sold dolls on QVC and co-hosted the annual Children's Miracle Network Telethon.

Who would have guessed that she would become the hottest star of the highest-rated show on television?

Oh, sure, British pop singer-actress Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown and Brazilian race car driver Helio Castroneves are still in the running on "Dancing With the Stars."

But it is Marie, a 48-year-old, twice-divorced mother of eight, who has stolen the spotlight.

Marie, the perky, self-deprecating, ever-cheerful member of the Osmond clan, has given us drama, tears, laughter and a chance to root for someone seeking a second chance.

Part of the appeal of "Dancing" comes in watching the formerly famous or nearly famous clunk their way around the dance floor.

We sort of expect them to fall and fail. But Marie is the comeback kid. You know she's hot again because she has been mentioned on just about every episode of "Entertainment Tonight" this fall.

It has been nearly 35 years since she dazzled America as a teen sensation. The little sister to Donny Osmond scored her biggest hit in 1973, covering a sentimental country ballad, "Paper Roses."

She and her brother performed on the "Donny & Marie" variety show from January 1976 to May 1979 on ABC. But her solo series quickly bombed.

She and Donny co-hosted a talk show, "The Donny & Marie Hour," that ran for only two seasons in the late 1990s.

On "Dancing," Marie has generated drama on and off camera, from her fainting spell after dancing the samba to tearful moments as she faced the death of her father, George, on Nov. 6 and the revelation that her 16-year-old son, Michael, was in rehab.

She has lost 30 pounds over the course of the show and won viewers over with her optimism. For example, following the death of her father, she said she found solace when she randomly opened the Bible to a passage from Ecclesiastes that says, "There's a time to mourn and a time to dance," and she felt it was like a father saying, "This is your time to dance."

She dances again on the finale tonight, and America will learn the winner on Tuesday night's results show.

No matter what happens, her career has been revived. For starters, she will team with Donny to perform July 17 to 23 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The producers of "Dancing" are trying to get Donny to take the floor for the next round (which means Marie will be there providing commentary). And reportedly, there is a Donny and Marie bio-film in the works.

DEAD END: Now that "The Bachelor" has finally ended, ABC will try a few episodes of "October Road" in the 10 p.m. Monday slot beginning tonight.

The only thing going for this lame romantic drama is the appeal of actress Laura Prepon, who spent most of her career as the girl next door on "That '70s Show."

On "October Road," she plays Hannah, the girl next door who was left behind by novelist Nick (Bryan Greenberg).

Nick, a one-hit wonder, has returned to his hometown after 10 years. He wants to rekindle their romance because she is still hot and he has apparently run out of prospects.

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