Oprah Winfrey is expected to make a trip north of the border when she begins work on her upcoming show, Oprah’s Next Chapter, expected to be a marquee series for her new TV channel.
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) hits Canadian airwaves today, three months after debuting in the United States and Corus Entertainment says the talk show queen is keen to shoot an episode of her upcoming fall show in Canada.
“We are making plans and hoping to get her up here sometime in the near future,” said Susan Schaefer, head of networks and marketing at Corus Entertainment.
“She’s very supportive of the Canadian launch and we look forward to getting her here.”
Schaefer said nothing has been confirmed, but the visit would coincide with shooting for Winfrey’s new show, which will send the talk show maven on the road.
“One of the destinations is going to be Canada so we’re figuring out when that will be,” she said, noting the series is not slated to air until the fall.
Oprah’s Next Chapter is expected to be a flagship series for OWN, which appeared to flounder in the ratings just weeks after rebranding the Discovery Health network in the U.S. In Canada, it takes over the female-focused channel, Viva.
Viewership dropped dramatically in the weeks that followed the U.S. January debut. By early February, ratings were well below what Discovery Health was previously drawing among women 25 to 54.
Schaefer said there have been similar dips in the nested blocks of OWN programming that have aired on W Network and Viva since January, but that those growing pains will ease Corus’s formal launch of OWN.
“It’s been a great learning exercise for us and we now know what shows have performed really well in the States,” said Schaefer, noting that Oprah Behind the Scenes, Enough Already with Peter Walsh and In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman have been high points.
“We don’t expect [Canadian audiences] to be exactly the same as the U.S. so we’ll need to launch our schedule and continue to adapt it as we move forward.”
There are still big, star-powered shows that have yet to debut, Schaefer noted.
Upcoming OWN series include those helmed by country superstar Shania Twain, comedian Rosie O’Donnell, mother-and-daughter singers Naomi and Wynonna Judd, and father-and-daughter tabloid fodder Ryan and Tatum O’Neal.
The first show slated for the Canadian is the introductory special, Oprah’s Guide to OWN, while the afternoon lineup includes The Gayle King Show and Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love.
Canadian series will comprise 60% of programming, including Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag (which also airs on OWN in the U.S.) and Fearless In the Kitchen. More is in development but Schaefer did not reveal details.
