Oprah: New Series on OWN

[Sylph]

It's 50–50 (Discovery–Harpo).

BTW, what happened with that woman with intimacy problems?

[Sylph]

No one's mentioning what will happen to Rosie O'Donnell daytime talk show and Shania Twain. I guess they're still in play.

[Toups]

Ah okay. I'm sure that Harpo can take some of the loss, not sure about Discovery. As for how long, I think they will give it more time, like years.

The problems stemmed from her parents divorce when she was kid. Whenever her mom brought over someone, and kissing in front of her, it made her feel real unconfortable. She already had a kid from a previous marriage, and these problems started to occur after she had a kid with her current husband.

Last I heard about Rosie is that they're preparing the show from September 2011.

[Sylph]

I'm thinking definitely a year. But then they won't pull out of it, maybe it'll have some sort of substantial restructuring or something. Until then, it needs to get things right. The period until the fall seems critical to me, hopefully then the influx of Rosie and other content will make a difference. Though I'm not all that optimistic.

I must start watching that show, it sounds fascinating.

[bellcurve]

OWN needs scripted programming. Something that Harpo and Discovery can sell DVDs on, etc. and profit from residuals.

Not saying it has to be a soap opera or a soap opera-like series. But that's the only thing that is gonna pull OWN out of its rut.

[DaytimeFan]

They simply launched OWN way too early without the stable of programming necessary to sustain itself. I don't understand why Oprah hasn't run vintage Oprah episodes, started her "Oprah: After the Show" again and/or reran this season's episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She owns her shows, it's bizarre she hasn't used them as filler.

Rosie's show is very important for the network, it's 5 hours of programming a week settled. Apparently Oprah and Rosie haven't even had formal planning meetings about the show. The only salvation is that it's Rosie's production company making the show and she's got a well oiled machine ready to go.

You are absolutely right. Scripted programming is so necessary for this network. A few light sitcoms and one marquee drama would work wonders. It's selfish, but the Joan Collins/Robert Wagner pilot Chateau, Chateau would be a brilliant fit for OWN.

But so far as I've heard, Oprah is against scripted programming. Again. Bizarre.

[All My Shadows]

I think it's silly for her to be against scripted programming. The book club has been such a huge success, so it's clear that many of her fans crave a good story, and nine times out of ten, the only place they're getting that type of story now is from Hallmark and sometimes Lifetime. Harpo should start making some TV movies and gradually go into original scripted shows.

[Sylph]

Too much what? for me in this affair. She should've started her own channel in the '90s, not now. You are absolutely right: all of a sudden Discovery said Hey, start your channel now or we're off!, she went I'm ending my show, started airing stuff on OWN in January and that was that. WTH?! That's the most bizarre way to do it I've ever seen. So unprepared, so hazardous. I don't even find her all that interested in it, you know, Hey, this is my new project and I want it to succeed so much! It wasn't even all that hard to fill it up with content at first: as you mention her own show and some other stuff that only she remembered to show again which isn't expensive.

She can then do a series of Jackie Collins' MOW.

[DaytimeFan]

http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/rosie-odonnells-new-own-talk-show-to-film-on-oprah-winfrey-shows-soundstage/

Rosie O'Donnell will be filming her talk show in CHICAGO on Oprah's soon to be former soundstage.

I am stunned, shocked, cannot believe it. Rosie in CHICAGO. I wonder how that's going to work for her?!