Opry’s making an announcement today: She’ll be hosting a nighttime show on her cable network, Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN. The new show will be called “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” Pop the hood.
Ms. Winfrey’s new show, which could air as many as two or three times a week, will take Ms. Winfrey out of the studio setting that has been her home for nearly 25 years and follow her around the globe for conversations in places such as Egypt and China. “I’m going to take viewers with me, going to take celebrities I want to interview with me” around the world, Ms. Winfrey said in an interview.
In addition to her prime time show, the OWN network has several other series in the works that has Oprah calling in favors from her famous friends:
The network is using Ms. Winfrey’s ability to attract high-profile talent. One OWN series, “Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind,” will highlight pop musician Lady Gaga and movie director James Cameron, among others. Another show, “Master Class,” will feature people like former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and musician Jay-Z relaying life stories and lessons directly into the camera.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said Ms. Winfrey asked him to participate during a phone call. “I didn’t even think about it,” Mr. Carter said last month. “I just said ‘yes.’”
This is a huge risk for Oprah and partner in the joint venture Discovery Communications — she’ll be competing against networks who have a head start on her that, in some cases, stretches back decades. We all know how hard BET and TVOne struggle to put together audience worthy programming — is Oprah and her team up to the task? We’re just sayin’! How many specials on Jay-Z can they really do???
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