It’s no secret that we all love the big “O.”
With the premiere of its 25th and final season, Monday, Sept. 13 marked the beginning of the end for “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
After nearly three decades of riveting interviews, helpful advice, and giveaways, the reigning daytime TV queen announced the show’s retirement in November 2009.
“We are going to knock your socks off,” Winfrey said of her final season.
Don’t worry, Oprah isn’t checking into a retirement home any time soon. She has several other business deals in the works, including the premiere of OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network, on Jan. 1, 2011.
“This year you will see lots of surprises for other people, dreams coming true for other people, really honoring the essence of what has made this show work for the past 25 years and that’s the viewer,” Winfrey said in an interview with The Associated Press.
In days leading up to the shows iconic season premiere, Harpo Productions made sure to keep debut details under wraps. However, the production company did release a schedule confirming Oprah’s interview with country music stars, The Judds. Oprah is also scheduled to announce her first book club selection in about a year.
Approximately 7.4 million people watch Oprah daily, according to an msnbc.com article. Oprah secured the number 1 spot on the Forbes list of the world’s most powerful celebrities this year. Oprah knocked Angelina Jolie out of the top spot when she made an estimated $315 million within the last year. That figure puts Oprah’s daily earnings at $900,000.
Past seasons have featured high profile interviews with celebrities such as Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson, Michelle Obama, The Dalai Lama, Barbara Walters, and dozens more.
“I feel like Oprah brings up topics that need to be discussed, real life topics that other talk shows don’t touch upon,” said QU junior Jessica Prior. “I think there are many good talk shows out there, but I don’t think any show will be able to replace or surpass ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’”
Once Oprah officially announced her daytime TV resignation, speculations quickly spread about who would be dubbed the new queen of daytime TV. Rumors swirled that Ellen DeGeneres, Rachael Ray, and Rosie O’Donnell were all in the running to take over the coveted 4 p.m. slot.
Oprah’s successor still remains to be decided, but Oprah fanatics can be sure to expect a thrilling season with endless surprises.
