Here comes the long goodbye, with a twist: At the end, Oprah Winfrey won’t go away. This is the last season for her life-changing talk show, but her new channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, premieres Jan. 1 on cable.
Last season, according to Nielsen Co., Oprah’s show averaged about 6.5 million viewers daily. That’s less than the 10 million she could count on in the ’90s, but still there's considerable excitement over her final season.
Where will Monday’s show kick off? In Soldier Field? On top of the Bean? At City Hall, to confirm her run for the mayor’s office?
Forget that last possibility, says Sheri Salata, executive producer of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and co-president of Harpo. “Oprah loves the City of Chicago,” she says, “but honestly, I think she’s going to be far too busy running a cable network.”
The most immediate concern is Monday’s 25th-season premiere, which is top secret. A press release from Harpo promises, “Dreams will come true for some lucky ‘Oprah’ show viewers.” This could mean anything from a hair makeover to the cloning of a beloved pet.
Full story: Oprah, now and forever :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Paige Wiser