After more than 5000 shows and a star-studded 2 day special that aired Monday and Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey will end her long running talk fest today.
With a cavalcade of surprise star appearances that included Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Maria Shriver and more, musical tributes from Usher, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and others, and even a special poem written and read by Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey celebrated her 25 years as an institution on television in style. Filmed at the 20,000 seat United Center in Chicago (home to the Chicago Bulls), it was a fitting farewell to the queen of daytime, who went from the ranks of obscurity to a billionaire, and became America’s most beloved and trusted friend.
Oprah’s very last show will air today, which has been personally created and produced by her. Not even her staff knows what will happen during today’s show. But it will be all Oprah. Reruns of the show will air this week and beyond, until a suitable replacement show is found to put in her slot.
Next up for the queen is some much needed attention to her new cable network, OWN. The struggling network is badly in need of a makeover to keep it viable and afloat. But for someone who has enjoyed the spotlight for more than 2 decades, it’s hard to see Oprah disappearing into the executive lifestyle and totally staying away from television.
Godspeed Oprah!
