‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is making the leap from television to podcast.
Winfrey’s company, OWN, has announced that the TV icon’s hit talk show will be released as a serialised podcast early next month, People reported Tuesday. Audible versions of more than 4,500 episodes spanning 25 years will launch weekly after the first 10 instalments debut March 3.
“As we head into a new decade, it’s a great time for fans of The Oprah Winfrey Show to revisit the joy, laughter and inspiration that kept us all tuning in daily for 25 years,” OWN President Tina Perry told People. “The Oprah Winfrey Show The Podcast is the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect, take stock of how we’ve grown and to be reminded that we’re all in this together.”
While the podcast will feature segments ranging from the show’s early days in September 1986 to its final bow in May 2011, episodes won’t arrive in chronological order. Next month’s flagship batch, for example, is a selection of the series’ most-watched telecasts, guest-starring Dr Oz, Dr Phil, Suze Orman and more.
In true Oprah fashion, the first 10 instalments will also address complex topics, including race relations, drug addiction, divorce and weight loss. Re-releasing already-beloved content in a different medium appears to be a safer departure from some of Winfrey’s other recent endeavours — such as her dropped Russell Simmons documentary and ‘American Dirt’ endorsement — that have ignited controversy.
‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ podcast will soon join a growing slate of OWN audio projects that includes ‘Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations’, ‘Oprah’s Master Class’, ‘Iyanla: Fix My Life’ and ‘A New Earth’.
Fans can subscribe now to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’, which will be available to stream on Apple podcasts and more platforms starting next month.
