The TV Zone

Shocking...shocked...shockeroo? Nah...

This would seem to be weird'n last night's "Lost" capper: No major nomination for "Oprah" in the daytime Emmys, just announced.

[OK, perhaps nuking the Swan site, killing Jacob and discovering the body double for Locke is in fact weirder, but we're just splitting hairs at this point, aren't we?]

No "Oprah?!"

Oh, sure there are a handful of technical awards, but nothing in the key categories - like, "Greatest Talk Show Host Ever" Award, or stuff like that.

In fact...the dear girl hasn't entered the show for years and years because it would WIN and no one else would get a CHANCE. So, she keeps the show out...

>> Photos: Daytime Emmy nominees

Just in case you were wondering.

The list on the jump (abbreviated):

Continue reading "Daytime Emmys: What?! No Oprah?!" »

(Getty)

That Simon! Where WILL he show up next? "Oprah," that's where, this Monday.

Per the release: "Megaproducer and "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell is setting the record straight, addressing rumors about his possible departure from "American Idol.."

Plus, Susan Boyle: She'll apparently turn up via tape remote from her home in Scotland; but, for a "tour" of her home. I'm guessing this exchange with O will involve questions about her future as well, so, worth checking out.

SiCo, as you know, has been pretty upfront - or as upfront as he's going to be - about his plans for the future. To summarize, he'll be on the show next season, and then... (He did "Ellen" Tuesday.)

He seems to be setting the stage for an "X Factor" debut this side of the pond.

More from the release: "In an episode packed with incredible talent from around the world, Cowell will also debut the artists he calls "the next big thing."

(Brian Snyder / Reuters Photo)

Interesting high-profile interview on "Oprah" this Thursday: Elizabeth Edwards. This is, the show informs, a TV first.

Here's one take-away quote, or two:

Winfrey: Is it a day by day thing?
Edwards: Neither one of us is out the door so I guess it's day by day, but
maybe it's month by month.
Winfrey: So you are still living together?
Edwards: Still living together.
Winfrey: Are you still in love with him?
Edwards: You know, that's a complicated question.

Continue reading "Oprah: Elizabeth Edwards, Thursday" »

This is interesting: Oprah yanked today's pre-taped show on Columbine. It was to have been about the tenth anniversary BUT Ms. O said this, on Oprah.com:

"I decided to pull the Columbine show today. After reviewing it, I thought it focused too much on the killers. Today, hold a thought for the Columbine community. This is a hard day for them."

I can't recall the last time O pulled a show and certainly can't recall over a reason like this, and begs the really truly OBVIOUS question: Why not just re-edit it, or pull-back on certain elements? My guess - the guests on hand (per AP, they were Columbine Task Force lead investigator Kate Battan, FBI special agent Dwayne Fuselier, author Dave Cullen and Columbine High School principal Frank DeAngelis) wanted to talk about the killers. Hard to edit THAT out.

You can imagine how Cullen - and his publisher - feel about this last-minute cancellation. His book on Columbine - well-reviewed in yesterday's Times - is out today...

An edition about a woman out of prison will air instead...

(Pix: O by Getty)

Ted Haggard? You remember: deposed head of the National Association of Evangelicals, and head-founder of a church in Colorado called New Life Church. He was pushed out of the church (and even the state of Colorado, as part of an agreement with the church) after admissions of a sexual relationship with a male prostitute.

He will be on "Oprah" tomorrow, and HBO Thursday - at 8, in that Alexandra Pelosi doc that's received quite a bit o' buzz in recent days.

First the news on that one: HBO today said it'll add a "card," or elaboration, at the end of the the Thursday program to acknowledge the most recent scandal to envelop "Pastor Ted" - he reportedly had a "non-physical" (he says) relationship with a man who was a member of the church, and who was paid money over the last couple of years; implication is that it was "hush money" but the man claims that was not the case.

I've reviewed the doc for Thursday's paper - it's good, as in "fascinating" but incomplete as far as it goes. Still, the portrait that emerges is a tragic one ...

Now, O. Here's stuff from the press release, in the jump...

Continue reading "Oprah, HBO have Haggard " »

Naturally, the big story in Chicago has to do with this clown, Blago. The guy is absolutely hi-LAR-ious! Have you see his act? It's been everywhere today.

But Oprah finally caught up with it and tells Gayle King - via GK's Sirius XM radio show - that she was merely "amused" by the fact that he considered offering her the gig.

(The ever-vigilant TVTattle picked up the story from a Tribune Web site,Chicagobreakingnews.com.)

"If I had been watching as I normally watch from the treadmill, I probably would have fallen off the treadmill," she said.

Gayle asked - as you probably would have: Well, O, if you had taken this, when would you do it?

"Where would I fit it in with my day job, my midday job, my night job, my radio job ...?"

O might have added ... her "Color Purple" job, her Youtube job, her blogging job, her my favorite things job (that IS a job you know - all those choices), her acting job, her producing job, her job launching a new network job, her weight-losing job, her magazine publishing job, her column writing job, her job batting-away-rumors-about-her-next-job job ...

Honestly, Blago. O would not have had time for this job anyway.

Or would she?

Said O:

"I think I could be senator, too."

(O Photo by Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images; Blago Photo by Mad Magazine)

Good heavens, have you watched that round of interviews with Blago this morning?

The guy is everywhere. But out of all this ("...I'm innoncent, I tell ya...") the huge news is that he considered Oprah for the vacated Senate seat. That was the big revelation on the "GMA" interview.

Now this Blago business is getting interesting.

I suspect he considered Oprah because he knew she could easily meet the pricetag. But let's not get prejudicial here - the trial hasn't even started, although he will get impeached this week.

But what if he hadn't gotten snagged in all this senate-seat-for-sale business? What if he had offered it to O? What if she had accepted...? (Extremely unlikely...why slum it in the Senate when she already controls the world?)

The intrigue continues.

Senator Winfrey? Sounds good.

Again, I'm into redundancy today - maybe it's all the excitement about the inauguration or something - but if you haven't seen the "slip-up" on Oprah, it's worth seeing. Been everywhere, on every news show...when Jill Biden tells O that her husband was offered Secretary of State.

Funny, nice clip. But I hope someone is asking this question:

If Joe had taken State, does this mean Hill would be our Vice President?

And another question: Does anyone really believe this was a "slip?" Come on! She knew exactly what she was saying, and so did Joe. This was no "slip." It was information, carefully conveyed.

I wonder why?

I'm certain everyone's asking this...which is why this is such an amazing clip,

Do not, repeat, do not waste your time trying to get tickets for either of the two "Oprah" shows that'll originate from Washington on Monday and Wednesday; those suckers were gone within minutes of the ticket offer going up on the website a few weeks ago.

And how many of those tix went to stars, dignitaries, advertisers, and other assorted FOO's - "Friends of Oprah?" Wild guess? Most of 'em - a total of over 2,300, at the Kennedy Center Opera House alone.

Yes, the Monday gig is one of the hotter tickets next week, and just last night, details of the shows finally emerged. The big draw on Monday is the world premiere performance of a new inaugural-themed song produced/written by David Foster and Will. i. am. Stars singing it: Bono, Will.i.am, Faith Hill, Seal, David Foster and Mary J. Blige

Also this, per press release: "Stars Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher will stop by, and stars including Scarlett Johansson and more will share special messages about what this inauguration means to them. "

Oh woop-de-do.

The Wednesday show originates from restaurant Art and Soul; Forest Whitaker and Jon Bon Jovi will be there...

Should she? (Or shouldn't she?)

Ladies, ladies, ladies.

Why, why, why?

Can't you both just get together? Have a nice chat? Get some of that Oprah lovin'? Let a sense of well-being and goodwill flow over the land?

Let the HEALING BEGIN!

And all you have to do, Sarah, is sit down with O.

Anyway, as readers of this blog well know, I'm big on lists. I like lists. They're easy to write. Hopefully easy to read. And I have to bang this out before the weekend. The clock is ticking. Sarah Palin must sit down with Oprah! (Or at least when the show's back in originals!)

Here are my reasons:

1.) Sarah, this is your way to look bigger than O. The queen may have spurned you two months ago - "no, no, no," sayeth she."I don't interview ANY candidates on this show (I just go out and get the one of my choice elected)" - but now you can come on and prove to the world just how small-minded O was in the first place. Revenge isn't best served cold - it's best served on national TV, in front of ten million viewers. (Quick advice: Don't be smug, but smile a great deal AND wear clothes that make you look thinner than Oprah.)

2.) You can prove that all those meanies who said you didn't have a clue after the Katie Couric interview were wrong. You can PROVE that you know all about Supreme Court decisions; you can PROVE that you're smart and well-versed; you can EVEN bring along a map of Africa, and point to all the countries and tell O what the capital of each is (Quick advice: Definitely study the map before coming on the show.)

3.) You can help heal some of the animosity that's still out there. In fact, there's plenty of animosity out there - that recent election didn't do much to disperse it. Sure, well more than half the electorate is happy Obama won. The other half is not happy. This is a chance to speak to them - to tell 'em to get over it, give the new prez a chance, and (by the way) another Republican candidate will be along in '12. (Quick advice: Don't tell 'em it may be you.)

4.) Get pointers on launching your own talk show. Better yet, get O to bankroll your own talk show. These are hard times in TV land. The only one with any money is O. Sell her your idea - but do it in the green room. The audience might be put off if you do it from the couch. (Quick advice: Tell O that your new show WON'T air opposite her's...oh, and promise that you'll actually be eternally grateful for the new show, unlike Dr. Phil. Also, don't jump on the couch. O paid a fortune to get a new one after Cruise destroyed the last one.)

5.) Sell the book! That's right. With the horrific condition the publishing industry is in at the moment, those mega-million advances may well be a thing of the past. But nothing like a little "Oprah" to get publishers in line. (Quick advice: Make sure you actually have a book, and not just a bunch of lists, like "Five Reasons Why I Should Be President," and so on. Lists! They're such a lazy form of writing.)

No go, O.

A feud! A feud! Goody, goody. It looks like we've got a brand new feud.

Here's the latest: Oprah was in NYC at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre last night, where she hosted the 50th anniversary gala. "Extra" caught up with her and here's what the grandee of the daytime tube told 'em:

"I said I would be happy to talk to Sarah Palin when the election was over... I went and tried to talk to Sarah Palin and instead she talked to Greta [Van Susteren]. She talked to Matt [Lauer]. She talked to Larry [King]. But she didn't talk to me. But maybe she'll talk to me now that she has a [multi-million dollar] book deal."

Well, that might be counterproductive for both since "O's" in re-runs now, but...

We all know the genesis of this feud - if that is what we've got here. O refused to have Sarah on the show until after the election. Blah, blah. There was a huge national uproar. The entire election hung in balance. And...then everyone went on their merry way.

But clearly, Sixpack was miffed, as seems evident now.

Meanwhile, does she actually have a "multimillion dollar book deal?" It was certainly rumored three or four weeks ago, but nothing official yet - as far as I can tell.

Okay kids, we have an update on this big story concerning Oprah ending her show in 2011, and taking it to OWN, as Discovery boss, David Zaslov, said would happen.

Here's the statement from Harpo:

"While David Zaslav's comments are true that Oprah's current contract to produce 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' will expire in 2011, she has not made a final decision as to whether she will continue her show in syndication beyond that."

Allow me, if you will, to parse this: Oprah NEVER announces anything, ever, about her show's future. I do believe she's allergic to the word "announce." She instead: "Implies," "suggests," "hems" and sometimes "haws." But a flat-out declarative announcement on whether it will or will not continue. Never. In fact, I believe that someday - let's say a Monday, in 2011 - you'll turn on Ch. 7, and there will be O chatting with Oz or whomever, and then the next day, at 4 p.m., you'll turn on Ch. 7 at 4 p.m., and it WON'T be there.

O and her "partners" - notably King World and, as mentioned, Disney - are hugely sensitive about this subject, and I think what we saw with Zaslav this morning was one of those unbridled moments of pure candor.

Her show WILL go to OWN; everyone knows it will; and I'm certain that O and Discovery have tightly written within their contract that this is the way it will be.

(Pix: Evan Agostini / Getty)

...And show goes to the new Oprah Winfrey Network, bowing either '10 or '11.

So don't worry.

Yes, Discovery boss David Zaslav confirmed this in an earnings call with analysts this morning.

And yes, someone must have read my post which stated this yesterday, and which also said that Oprah has no intention of joining the Obama administration because she's got her hands full with this new network gig. (Or maybe no one did read it, but a fella can hope...) I said that "O's" over-the-air run would almost certainly end because the show will be the key stone for this new network. It'll likely air at night, and likely be the core show around which other programs - including, yes, sitcoms and dramas - will be placed.

This is a huge deal from an industry perspective BUT from a viewer perspective, not such a biggie. After all, it'll still be on the air, and all those favorite things will still be favored, etc. But, I imagine Disney stock will drop today when the Street learns the full extent of this - ABC stations literally depend on "O," which is by far the most successful show in syndication history. Local news on ABC affils across the country have been propelled by "O's" tailwinds for so long that some will drop outta the sky when she moves on...

“The expectation is that after that, her show will go off of ABC in syndication and she will come to OWN," Discovery CEO David Zaslav said on the company’s first earnings call as a public company, as reported in TV Week. “We’re talking now about what the presence will be and what kind of programming she would be involved in directly. But this is her Chapter 2, and building the OWN brand online and on air is . . . A core mission for her.”

He added, she is “very involved with us and focusing on what the channel is going to be, as well as developing Oprah.com.”

Yeah, OWN's a joint venture with Discovery.

Photo: Getty

Well, we've certainly had fun speculating about this Ambassador Oprah business, haven't we?

But there comes a point - even a point in a blog that often relies on nothing but the sweet, heady, thin air of pure speculation - where we actually have to do a little reporting. (Very little, mind you - I'm not into heavy lifting here.)

I've spoken to someone who's reasonably familiar with the "Oprah situation" (let's call it) and I'm not at liberty to say who this person is, or why he - or she - is in a position to know what's going on. But he/she tells me that it's not going to happen.

I repeat: No way. Oh sure, he/she says: Oprah would like to be asked but she won't take it and she can't, and that includes any ambassadorship, including the one in the Court of St. James.

First, let's begin with the most obvious reason, and the one that everyone seems to have conveniently overlooked: She has a contract! Yes, one of those silly little things that bind you to something, and which you are not able to break, under any circumstances. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is tied to her stations - many of them ABC affils and owned-and-operated - through 2011. That's about a year before the first Obama administration comes to an end.

Let me restate this: She cannot walk away from her contract. She will NOT walk away from her contract.

But let's say that something like this is still meaningless to the army of web speculators out there who really don't care about facts. Here's something that will absolutely, or should absolutely end any speculation:

She's launching a network. Launchdate is now sometime in the '09 (but more likely '10) window. I'm also told that there's widespread belief in the TV industry right now that O will take her daily syndicated show to air as the lynch pin of this new network, possibly in the primetime hours, when the '11 station deal lapses.

In any event, my source tells me, "there's no way she's going to do" the ambassadorship "because she's got her own network [via Discovery] and that's a huge undertaking. I know she's very involved in it and she's really put herself into it; she'll have her own show [on the new web] and she's developing a whole slate of new shows. This is her dream. I can't imagine her" walking away from it.

This person adds that "I don't see her doing anything else [in the Obama administration]. She doesn't have the skill set to do a cabinet post though I think she could clearly be an outreach person for the administration or a liaison person for anything from education to [health] to a million other things, including culture and the arts. But she's not at that point in her life" where she's ready to walk away. "Maybe in twenty years, but right now she's in the center of the storm."

This source adds, "She's one hundred percent involved in every aspect of this thing [the new network]. This is her dream come true. This is her chance to create her lasting legacy and this is really an on-going network that will survive her."

Check out this nice little scoop that CNN's Alina Cho got last night at the mega-rally in Chicago - a chat with Oprah.

What's great about this is that Cho had the smarts and skill to hold off her best question till last - Would you consider an ambassadorship?

And what's even better is Oprah's reaction. She didn't deny it, which in my book is just about as good as a confirmation. "I have no agenda," says Oprah.

Well, to which I'd say, you don't NEED one. The new president will have an agenda, and let's see if you are on it. I believe, believe, believe that Oprah WILL in fact serve the new administration, and WILL in fact serve in a manner that's far beyond just being some sort of meaningless "goodwill ambassador." I imagine Prez-elect Obama has big plans for her; how could he not?

Oprah was a huge reason he was elected last night, and not just because she stumped for him during a perilous time of the campaign. She is Oprah. Enough said.

"Of COURSE I'll take the job, Barack...whatever you say..."

Let's let this roll around on our tongues - "Oprah Winfrey, Ambassador to the Court of St. James..."

I do like the sound of it. (Don't you?)

Can you get some sort of honorary knighthood or ladyhood if you take this gig? "Lady Oprah?" or "Dame Winfrey..."

Once again, I'm letting my imagination run away from me, or just maybe Financial Times columnist columnist Gideon Rachman is. He's citing "well-placed sources" that suggest Oprah might get the nod for the most prestigious ambassadorship of them all.

I'm serious.

HE'S serious.

THIS is serious.

I think it could happen. Maybe it could happen. Who knows...?

Reason: Oprah has talked for so long about abandoning the show that one of these days it'll actually happen. What would it take for her to leave? The Court of St. James?

Here's what Joshua Keating is saying in his "FT" blog:

"Rachman acknowledges the idea sounds ridiculous, but there is a tradition of major campaign donors being rewarded with ambassadorships. I have to say, though, this would probably be a worse career move for Oprah than for Obama. If the world's most-powerful celebrity really wants to get involved in international diplomacy, there are probably more effective and enjoyable ways she can go about it on her own."

That's true! Just look what happened in South Africa, and that principal!

On second thought, don't look at what happened with the principal.

Oprah has been trekking the "international diplomacy" route for so long that maybe even SHE'S getting a little bored of the whole thing.

How nice to visit the Queen every so often, or maybe drop in at 10 Downing Street?

The more I think upon this idea, the more I'm intrigued...

Veeeeery intrigued.

(Photo: Reuters)

We here at TV Zone have an old saying - when you get four hundred and eighty four comments on a single post (when we usually average around zero) it's time to do another post on the same subject. And so here I go again. Of course, last Friday I chided the Drudge Report for milking the Oprah/Palin controversy for all it was worth, and I stand here now accused of the same.

And guilty as charged.

But clearly this has "hit a nerve," to use the old cliche, and I'm left wondering: Why? Many of the comments on Friday's post seem to get close to the answer (and when I gotta minute, will address some in the jump, below): That this is about OPRAH, and a newcomer to our national political stage, and the power of media, and the resonance of long-standing and long-rancorous debates over women in the workplace, and the balancing act of motherhood, and race.

Of the latter I was particularity struck by some commentators who averred that Oprah's refusal to have Sarah Palin on her show was in fact "racist," and that the talk host was herself racist. It's almost beneath my dignity or anyone else's to address those, but I will try. I've written about Oprah Winfrey for twenty years, at least. I've known dozens - dozens - of people who know her, worked with her, and even one or two who once hired her. I've watched her show hundreds of times - hundreds - and sometimes, oftentimes, liked what I've seen, and occasionally think it can be silly twaddle too. I - and so have you - have seen her change her look, her style, her weight, her hair and her entire life in the process. I've read the wit and wisdom of Oprah (one of Bill Adler's many books.) I've seen many of her movies and TV productions. I've written about and reviewed some of them, too.

I think I know Oprah, and Oprah is no racist. She has her faults - who doesn't? - but she also has a superhuman empathy and a fundamental decency that has never, not once, cracked over all these years or made me regret my support. She is the antithesis of a racist, which is: A decent, good person with an open heart, who welcomes anyone of any race or creed on her show, and always has. She's a credit to American television and in fact American culture. We're lucky to have her.

I thought it important to say this just so you know exactly where I stand.

But I also think she's being foolish with her No Palin stand. Now to my ten reasons. You may see repeats here, or variations on the original five, but frankly my dears, I don't give a damn. I'm exploiting this topic for all it's worth, and if I have to repeat myself in the process, than so be it.

I stand by my original premise: Oprah should have Gov. Sarah Palin on her show, and the sooner the better.

Ten more reasons why:

1.) This could help Obama win. That's right, O. Since you've become the fifth wheel of the Obama campaign, this is something to consider. How? Simply because many long-time O supporters - including Hillary fans - have decided you're in the bag for him, and will therefore censor contrarian viewpoints on your show. By having Palin on demonstrates you're above this criticism - that you have nothing to hide, and that your show is indeed a big tent for many viewpoints. That only helps Obama.

2.) You're bigger than mere politics! You're Oprah! Not Judge Judy. You're bigger than the small and grubby concerns of everyday life of a TV show, which is a perishable commodity anyway. Rise above it. Lead your viewers to the promised land, if you really believe you know the way. Debriefing Palin reveals not only your inherent fairness, but inherent decency as well.

3.) This is the show to set the record straight. Yeah sure, Charlie Gibson will interview her later this week, but a news interview with Gibson is ultimately one dimensional (he'll ask the questions, with his glasses tipped on the bridge of his nose, and peer avuncularly at her), but the combination of Oprah, and the Tom-Cruise-damaged couch and a studio audience is intoxicating; it adds another dimension, a more human one.

4.) You won't feel like an ass when Barbara interviews her, and gets her to tear up when she's talking about Trigg or Bristol. Whether you realize it or not, O, or chose not to realize it, you're in direct competition with Babs for agenda-setting interviews like this.

5.) This is woman to woman, as only O can do it. Oprah at her best gets into the head of the interviewee - that's her empathy at work. O and the rest of the audience will go places that Gibson or Brian Williams could never possibly go. You, O, can talk about children and one of the most incendiary topics in American life - pro-life or pro-choice - because these are issues YOU'RE intimately familiar with; the big anchordudes are not.

6.) This is about your legacy, to some small degree - to establish that you're a serious person, and not just the lady who gives away her favorite things every Christmas. You're a world-beater, the woman who knows Nelson Mandela, the woman who HAS interviewed presidents, the woman who HAS had a massive and indelible impact on race relations in the United States.

7.) I mentioned that O had disenfranchised McCain supporters with her Obamapalooza tour. What about Hill supporters? I suspect THEY want to see you have the moxie and honesty to interview this lady, and maybe ask about Hill. Many of them may not vote for McCain, but they do vote with their remotes, and this may be a way to get them to watch your show again.

8.) No worries about equal time. You have, O, a cake-and-eat-it-too gig; you're not a news program that has to worry about the provision of equal time; you won't HAVE to get on crackpot candidates afterward just because they insist they deserve equal time. This is an entertainment enterprise, not a news one.

9.) Palin represents what so many of your viewers are interested in - women in charge, the compromises they make or fear they have to make to get power, motherhood, and (of course) she has a special needs child too.

10.) You're a newswoman at heart, O, and people really do need to know more about this woman - what DOES she think about the bailout of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae? What ARE her feelings about race and gender equality? Sure, she could answer these questions in a news interview, but in a good Oprah interview, Palin'd also have to offer an emotional dimension to her answers, not just the rote answer that the McCain campaign has taught her to answer.

OK, those are my fifteen reasons. I believe this is an open-and-shut case. O, it's your move now.

Chicago Tribune photo by José M. Osorio

Well, I suppose the big flap of the moment has to do with Oprah and Drudge; she claims some report he filed today is bogus, and even went so far as to issue a denial; it's no big deal, really, though Drudge (as usual) is pumping this for all it's worth. The post claim: that Oprah's staff is divided on whether she should have Sarah Palin as a guest, with Oprah insisting that she shouldn't come on.

Plus, if you're coming to this post for the first time, I've now got ten more reasons for why this interview should take place - for a total of fifteen. Click this link to see what they are.

O went so far as to issue a denial, and she does that very very rarely - in fact, I can't even remember an instance when she has. "The item in today's Drudge Report is categorically untrue. There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of this Presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."

Now, let me just give you the benefit of my expertise on Oprah: There's no such thing as a "divided" staff out there in Chicago. She is the Queen. They are her subjects. There are no disputes with the Queen, and that is that.

But Oprah's also in the bag for Obama and has made no secret of that either; said she, for example of his recent speech, "What I saw with Barack Obama was something that was transcendent and I felt transformational for me as a human being and for this country. And I only pray in the deepest part of my being that America will rise to this moment. And I feel that what he was able to offer us as individual citizens and as a united country was something that we have never seen before. I really, I think it's the most powerful thing I've ever experienced."

Fine, now, here are five reasons why O should have Palin on:

1.) To talk about motherhood, her family and Bristol; if you're really hung up on politics, O, then this doesn't have to be a "political" debriefing at all, per se, but a larger look at even more important issues, which your show claims to care about.

2.) It'd get a huge number. Hell yeah! Perhaps one of the biggest numbers in "O" history. This is a mercenary business, O, in case you've forgotten.

3.) It'd get the show back to that sweet spot of "relevance" and "news-worthiness." Wonderful to have all 150-or-so Olympians on Monday's season premiere, but the Olympics are old news; Palin is fresh news.

4.) Of course, it's O's right to support Obama in whatever forum she chooses, but she's simply too transcendent - her word - a cultural figure to pretend she's lil' ol' objective and non-political Oprah on her show, and yet Obama's most important supporter in the WORLD when she's not on screen. That's a silly artifice, transparent to all. Why not get Palin on and say, "OK, lady, I happen to think this guy walks on water. Now you tell me why he doesn't, and let's go at this." That would be great TV, and far better than a dreary debate between Palin and Joe Biden.

5.) O helped secure at least a million additional votes for Obama but probably lost hundreds of thousands of McCain supporter-viewers - if not more - to her show in the process. Here's her chance to say to everyone, "I have a right to support whomever I choose, and now to prove to you just how open-minded I am, here's the gun-toting mama from Alaska on the show."

(Photo: Associated Press)

Yes, it's now official: Yesterday's interview between Barbara Walters and Oprah is the Gift that Keeps On Giving.

As soon as I find the video of that unintentionally hilarious exchange between the two over who was a mistress and who wasn't, I will post (if you can't wait, go to Huffpo right now, which has it up.)

Meanwhile, as you see a couple posts below, I charted all the fibs, white lies, stretches, malefactions and other assorted whoppers that Babs dished on "O" yesterday, and I'm certain there were many more (which just calls into question, what can we actually believe in her just released memoir? Just asking.)

Anyway, she has now been caught red-handed -- by ME! Yesterday, she told Oprah how she knew Ro was trouble from the git-go, and how Ro never wanted to "ride the bus but drive the bus ..." Of course, everyone knew that -- but then why did Babs say right after Ro was reprimanded for saying Trumpster had gone bankrupt (he hadn't) that the hiring of Ro was such a great success?

Just to show you how Babs has been shifting her story on this subject. (You can argue, perhaps, that I'm just being mean here, and that Babs was being protective to the still employed Ro, but I'm still intrigued about just how "protean" her recollections on this subject have been.) I've posted this on-air correction that aired on "The View" in early January '07. Now, excuse me while I head over to Rosie's Web site to see what she's got to say about all this ...

Fascinating interview -- just concluded -- with Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, and I was left to wonder: How much of this is the truth? Really, I'm fairly certain I caught some major whoppers here, but with Babs, you can never tell for certain. If these are fibs, they are very good fibs, and she's kept her story straight over the past couple of years. (Oh, she's a clever one, that Barbara.)

So let's just go through some statements, one by one:

"She [Star] wanted to promote those things so she could get them for free [for her wedding]. We drew the line. She started to do it on other TV programs .... audiences began to see her as this greedy bride."


But Barbara, she did it on YOUR show! She turned "The View" into an infomercial for every unity candle, ring pillow, flower-girl accessory and bridal garter under the sun. You drew the line?! Oh please -- you, the boss, did nothing, as long as the ratings held up.

"I don't hire and fire on 'The View' ... the network came to us [and said] you have to tell her we're not going to pick up her [Star's] contract."

GAG ... SPLAT ... GASP ... Sorry, I just spit out my coffee. You don't hire and fire!? Oh, that is delicious, rich -- a malefaction of glorious proportions. Barbara Walters is the most powerful woman on TV (besides the woman sitting across from her), but she doesn't "hire and fire"? (although 20 seconds later she said she hired Rosie.) The network "told her...?" The network has never told Barbara to do anything. She tells them what do, including what hoop to jump through, and when, and how high and how often. She fired Star. Period.

"She [Star] does People Magazine and says, 'Barbara's lying [about firing her] ... ' I had such affection for her, and I was furious with her ... yes, I was lying to protect her, and now this happened [and] the network decided she shouldn't come back the next day."

For the first time in my life, I feel sympathy for Star Jones.

"She [Rosie] began to think of me as her mother. That was both good and bad."

No -- she began to think of Barbara as the boss -- a tough, hard-hitting boss who's demanding behind the scenes but sweet as pie when she's on camera.

"From day one, she took over the show ... it was very difficult ...Things were OK until she got into a feud with Donald Trump."

Wait! You just told 10 million "Oprah" viewers that it was always very difficult. Fact is, Babs wanted Ro to boost ratings, but she wanted her to keep her mouth shut when Babs was talking. That wasn't gonna happen -- ever.

"I never said I'd fire her" as Donald Trump said she had promised in a phone call.

I believe Trump -- 100 percent. She told him Rosie was out.

"Bill's feeling is if they went to commercial, she'd walk off-stage."

This whopper refers to Bill Geddie, who set up the famous shot of the screaming match between Ro and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. He went to a split screen while the spittle was flying -- that hardly seems like a directorial flourish by someone who expects the star to walk off-stage. No -- he and Babs were exploiting this blood feud for all it was worth. (Ratings, baby, ratings ...)

"I will always have the greatest affection for her,"

No comment.

Tom and Oprah, together again. Nice view. Nice house, too. Plus that couch -- also a beautiful thing, unsullied by feet. A happy couch.

Actually, today's encounter, ending just a little while ago, was fascinating -- seriously. Strange fascinating, but that's OK, too.

This was an air-clearing, let-it-all-hang-out (and please, keep both feet off the couch) affair.

The Queen came to Cruise and Cruise came to talk -- about, really EVERYTHING, and in fact so much of everything that after a bit, the head started to spin. The stuff about Suri. The pregnancy. The couch. Brooke Shields. It was enough grist to satisfy a platoon of paparazzi -- assuming they believed any of it.

Plus, the interview -- eventually -- turned into a string of denials. "Never happened ... not true ... all bogus ... lies, lies and damn lies." He didn't exactly say those words but you know the kind of interview: O fishes stuff out books and National Enquirer articles, and Tom says the stuff is bogus.

But it was better than that.

The couch, of course, came up immediately: "I'm on your couch," Oprah says. "I'm sitting." Tom says of the couch jump -- jokingly -- "you were egging me on. You were egging me on." And one wonders -- did he really believe that? Given the chance to do it all over again, he'd probably still do it all over again: the jump, the inane, hyped nuttiness of that encounter three years ago. Said O, "I had no idea it was going to turn into an international brouhaha." (It was bigger than even that, O -- it was the beginning of Cruise's box-office decline, and the beginning of the end of his long relationship with Paramount, and the beginning of a long, pitiless slide into ridicule; the interview that he would rue.)

O wouldn't give up on the couch: Was he angered, sad, hurt by the jokes? "Those are things you just have to take in stride ... it became sort of a confluence ..."

Yes, a confluence.

Like, the comments about Brooke Shields' postpartum depression, and the Matt Lauer death match. Said Tom, "It came out wrong. Brooke and I have always been friends." He still doesn't believe in meds, "but I was feeling pressed in the interview with him." So he came out sounding like a nut. "Obviously I could have handled it better." Obviously.

Scientology? Much on that, too, with Cruise insisting that he "believes in God," but declining to explain what Scientology -- what he called a "religion" -- is about. People should just "read about it." Read about it?! Ha! The unintentionally funniest line of the chat. Right: go out and buy "The Invaders Plan: Mission Earth." Nice bedside reading.

Then, the second funniest line, from O: "I gotta take a break. I gotta pee so bad."

Ah, daytime TV. Where it all hangs out.

Bottom line: Chastened and bowed, Cruise will soon have another movie to sell and a reputation to salvage. (This is all tied to the 25th anniversary of "Risky Business," and O's 25th year in the biz.) This was a first step, a big one. Calm, cool, collected, feet on floor and head together, Cruise did a good job of actually looking sane.

Just after Oprah's finished paying for a new couch but who should come back on the show? Tom Cruise. MSNBC's Courtney Hazlett is reporting this as we speak, and it's big news to furniture lovers all over the planet.

MSNBC says there are "big plans" for the 25th anniversary of "Risky Business" this May so - sure - what's one more couch? Tom, as you'll recall, last appeared on June 23, 2005, when he started telling O how much he loved Katie, and just to prove it, decided to use her couch as a trampoline. O watched in horror as the stuffing started to come out, and then security was summoned. A week later, Cruise was fired by Viacom...

That's all an exaggeration - I tend to get carried away on the subject of O and Tom and couches - but I do think it noteworthy that Cruise hasn't been back on the show since the trampoline incident. O - you gotta understand - is a lady who likes her furniture.

Here's the classic clip - one of the great moments in TV (and upholstery) history:

If you happen to have a minute this afternoon at around four, it's probably a reasonably good idea to check out "Oprah," because Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee plan to give "their first ever" joint interview with anyone anywhere. It's one of those "at home" encounters that O does with celebs - you know, she walks through their house and goes on about how "spectacular" the place is, etc. etc. In fact, she will use the "s" word, because here's the announcement: "Follow our cameras inside their spectacular New York City brownstone, which was decorated by 'Oprah's Big Give' host and design expert Nate Berkus. Plus, Katie Lee Joel cooks up the family's favorite recipe, and Billy Joel performs 'Only the Good Die Young' live from the 'Oprah' stage."

That massively gaseous windbag "Doctor" Phil was featured in heftily-promoted "exclusive" interviews on "Today" and "GMA" this morning - so what snake oil was he peddling THIS time?

At first it appeared that he was there to talk about more Britney Spears stuff - more nuggets from that memorable moment when he stole into her hospital room (all in the service of helping an old "friend" and goosing ratings on his daytime gabfest. Remember? He later issued some statement, saying “My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention.” Hundreds of REAL doctors whacked him for making that declaration; he backed down and called off a special "Britney" show - doubtless because he didn't actually HAVE anything.)

Instead, he peddled the same old bull to Di Saywer and Matt Lauer: How he'd made the situation worse by saying what he said about Brit after he was kicked out of her room..."Make no mistake - I regret making the statement," he told Diane Sawyer. "This wasn't a publicity play for me," he said without conviction.

Of course, he's already said this before - on his own show, no less - so a disappointed Di started to fish for something fresh. No luck. She asked about the fact that he obviously didn't have a license when he went in the room to bug the desperate Spears; nah, that didn't phase him either.

Desperate herself, Di then went the route that all anchors go when they've either run out of stuff or don't wanna dignify "rumors" by asking about them straight out - what about all those "tabloid" stories, she wondered?.Phil pretended he was happy to clear the air: They're all "absolutely untrue." No, his wife has not left him; no, Oprah did not give him "a pink slip...absolutely untrue." No, he never "planned a [Britney] intervention..absolutely untrue."

Of those widespread reports of a rift with O? "In fact, Oprah is an absolutely wonderful guest on our 1000th show [Friday]...we talk about that. We talk about everything."

Finally, the reason for these "exclusive"interviews - to promote the Friday show.

Ah, TV - what a game.

O and Friends

OK, so what happens if O doesn't go? O, meaning the other O - Barack Obama, who is currently enjoying the endorsement of someone whose endorsement makes a real difference

That was the interesting question out of this morning's encounter between Diane Sawyer and Oprah on "Good Morning America." Here's what Di asked: Might you "show up for" Hillary Clinton if she secures the nomination - in other words, might you stump for Clinton if Barack doesn't get the brass ring?

Said O: "I'm in this race because the person I'm speaking up for will take it all the way [but] if that doesn't happen, I might readjust my thinking."

After twenty years of watching Oprah, I think I'm in a good position to translate: The answer is yes. That should make Hill breath a little easier (but Hill might also care to look at last week's CBS News poll in Iowa which found that only one percent of respondents said they'd change their vote based on an Oprah endorsement.)

Why was O on "GMA?" To push her new Denzel Washington-starrer, "The Great Debaters" (out Christmas). But she had a whole lot to say about the other O: She's not supporting him because of "the color of his skin but for what he represents, and I do think he represents a sense of cohesion. [But] he is a black man and I'm very happy about that...

Also this: "I did this [the O stumping] because this is what I'm supposed to be doing with [my] time..."

And this: Voters are worried about the economy (OK, thanks...) "People don't want to have to work so hard and still be poor - work so hard and struggle so much. That is the basic concern of everybody - spending more and more money and feeling like you're further and further behind."

And finally, this: No, she wants no position in government. "I like my job..."

Roger King - longtime syndicator of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" - has died. In a statement, CBS said he passed away this morning, after suffering a stroke at his home in Boca Raton on Friday.

Who was Roger King? For a good part of the '80s and '90s, arguably the most powerful man in television because he (and his brother, Michael) were the guys who sold "Oprah" to hundreds of TV stations around the country. He was a tough, hard-knuckled, hard-drinking, and very hard-charging salesman - a big, burly Irishman from New Jersey who understood power and knew how to use it, often ruthlessly. He was feared and also respected: No one crossed Roger and lived to talk about it(ahem - professionally speaking, of course.) Did I mention: He also sold "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," too.

There are many many stories about Roger - many that will probably never be told. Frankly, some of them a little scary. Some of them a little surprising, too, because for every story about how blood-curdling Roger could be, there were three others about his generosity. Let's just say he changed the business and the shows he sold were pretty much the best the syndication business had to offer.

Here's the CBS statement (CBS bought King World some years ago): "Mr. King was one of the most successful executives in the history of television, transforming his family business, King World, into a production and syndication empire with unmatched impact and influence in the broadcasting business over the past 30 years. He leaves behind a legacy of high-quality, high-rated programming that still dominates the airwaves today, as well as a larger-than-life personality that will never be forgotten.

Said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation: “Television has lost a legend -- a truly original executive with an unparalleled combination of business acumen, passion and personality. CBS has lost a colleague and a good friend. It's a very sad day for CBS and for all of broadcasting.”

Our deepest sympathies are extended to his wife, Raemali, his three daughters; Kellie, Anna Rose and Lucinda; and to the entire King family."

(Picture: Courtesy CNN.)

That paroxysm of consumer hysteria, fantasy and very high-decibel audience noise levels - otherwise known as Oprah's fantasy show, where everyone in the audience gets a lot of stuff - is going on as we speak. But why watch and ruin your ear-drums? Here's a list of her favorite things right now, including the most expensive giveaway in "O" Show history - some sort of refrigerator that's as big as a Hummer - standing on end.

Why Macon? The show was shot there yesterday because the "O" Show gets its highest rating in the US here. So, rewards are due.

Here's the list: camcorder; Ugg boots; cupcakes; Melamine bowls; stand mixer; Planet Earth DVDs; Toywatch watches; Kai body butter; "Pillars of the Earth," by Ken Follett; fancy soaps; a panini press; the super duper frig that has a built-in TV set, tells you the weather outside, has Internet access, can float on water, and drive down the road (wheels are optional), and even fly (that's the deluxe edition) and...apparently keeps food cold as well (value? Something like $5,000); orange sorbet; turtlenecks; Scrabble; 90 DVD's from UA; "O's Guide to Life;" some Shaklee stuff; and a Josh Groban CD.

Phew.

Now the bad news: Everyone in the audience has to pay taxes on the gifts.

For someone who almost completely dumped her book club after snooty writer Jonathan Franzen had the temerity to rebuff her largess a few years ago, Oprah is sure doing a lot of reading lately. For the second time in as many months, she's anointed yet another book. Only problem - if that's the right word - for the publishing industry is that this book is already a huge best-seller which begs the question that has intrigued publishers for generations: How much more best-selling can a best-seller be? It's Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth," a medieval epic about a cathedral and (as mentioned) hugely popular - selling about 100,000 paperback copies a year in the U.S. alone. One imagines, though, that Follett is still keenly disappointed the Queen didn't pick the sequel, published just last month. When Oprah told her audience that her pick was 973 pages long, there was an audible groan.
Big reader.