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Oprah Winfrey’s Final Shows Will Not Be The End

Mike Vulpo |
May 25, 2011 | 7:36 a.m. PDT

Associate Entertainment Editor

Oprah says farewell (courtesy of Harpo)
Oprah says farewell (courtesy of Harpo)
On November 20, 2009, Oprah Winfrey stood tall and proud in front of the cameras during another “Live from Chicago” edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” In a tearful speech, she told her audience season 25 would be her final season. “I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye.”

18 months later, the week has finally come where millions of viewers across the world will say farewell to the queen of daytime TV.

Oprah and her team promised a final season viewers will never forget. From exclusive interviews with Michael Jackson’s children, a one-on-one conversation with President Barack Obama, and a star-studded trip to Australia, Oprah and staff have not disappointed.

As Americans look back on a show that started in September of 1986, with an episode titled “How to Marry the Man/Woman of Your Choice," it really won’t be the A-list celebrity or the successful politician that will be remembered. It will be the stories of struggle, the stories of overcoming adversity, and the lessons each and every viewer walked away from regardless of age, gender, or race.

16-year-old Jessica Ramchandani, a high school junior in Orange County, California, has grown up with Oprah. Over the years, “Oprah has taught me to be a more understanding friend because everyone has a troubled story behind them.” Whether it was the overweight teenager who felt uncomfortable every day at school or the student who had a courageous mother battling cancer at home, there is so much more to every individual.

Gentry Brown, a sophomore Communications, Journalism, & New Media student at New York University, has watched Oprah since the young age of 12. After school, she would sit with her mom and siblings to get her daily dose. "For me, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is different than any other daytime talk-show because it’s always been consistent, and at the same time diverse,” Brown said.  “It always exposes me to something I've never seen or thought about before."

The most impact Oprah has had on viewers is perhaps with mothers, many who have watched since day one. For Cheri Naudin, mother of three in Princeton, Texas, Oprah has given her hope for a better world every afternoon. “She inspired me to be a better person, and a better woman,” Naudin said. “I also love how Oprah sought out common everyday people and brought experts in to help them like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.” Upset marriages, financial difficulties, weight battles, trouble with intimacy? Oprah had the influential professionals that viewers would trust and learn from to live their best life.
 
When Oprah announced the end of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” viewers feared for the worse. Will she be gone forever? Is this a transition or goodbye for good? With the premiere of the Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah will continue to entertain, inform, and inspire viewers.

She already has for Ashley Almquist, a high school junior hoping to major in broadcast journalism. In particular, “Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes” has had an impact on the student. “I think the channel is inspiring because it shows you how if you put in the hard work, you can pursue anything, just like Oprah,” Almquist said. In fact, “I think many people will look to the shows on OWN for more inspiration and advice.”

The talk-show host, who overcame so much to be where she is today, will carry on and still impact millions of viewers’ lives.

“I intend to suck up every meaningful, joyful moment with you,” Winfrey told the audience on the day she announced her show would end. For her final episodes, we will join her and continue to follow a woman who still has so much to give.

Reach Mike Vulpo here or follow him on Twitter here



 

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