With syndicated giant "The Oprah Winfrey Show" entering its final season, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will air "Behind the Scenes: Oprah’s 25th Season" starting with its launch in January 2011. The hourlong primetime docu-series will offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the top-rated talk show.
According to the press release from OWN: The show "offer viewers unprecedented access to Harpo, capturing the anticipation and excitement of the beloved show in its last season. Viewers will be given a unique glimpse into the lives of the staff and the happenings between a special group of people who over decades have truly become a family. From the edit rooms to the green rooms, both onstage and off, they all agree that there is no place like Harpo. This series will explore this rare collection of people by following a core cast of regulars from various departments as they work and navigate the last days of the show. Oprah announced that Season 25 would ‘knock your socks off,’ and with ‘Behind the Scenes: Oprah’s 25th Season’ viewers will see television history being made. Throughout the series, Oprah will share her perspective and personal reflections on what has become a cultural phenomenon."
OWN also said it’s adding four one-hour primetime series to its development slate of "stories showing growth, connection and inspiration."
They are (from OWN’s release):
KID-NAPPED (working title)
This series will let kids turn the tables on their workaholic parent, allowing them the chance to “kidnap” the offending parent and officially ban them from work, even confiscating their BlackBerries and cell phones. By forcing some quality time together, the kidnapped parent is under the kids’ control until deemed properly cured. This one-hour program is a U.K. format produced by Love Productions.
MIRACLE DETECTIVES (working title)
Two investigators, one a believer and the other a skeptical scientist, travel the earth to uncover answers to mysterious incidents that transcend logic. In each episode of this series, the investigators will delve deeply into two different miracles. In their quest to find conclusive answers and support their case, they will visit the site of the incident and any other locations that are vital to collecting data about the event. Speaking to witnesses, authorities and experts, these investigators will do what it takes to explain what just may be a miracle. This one-hour program is produced by Pilgrim TV & Film.
SEARCH (working title)
Using the expertise of renowned search specialist and New Jersey housewife Pam Slaton, this series features three people from diverse backgrounds who are looking to find someone they love. Some individuals may be looking for a lost love, others may be trying to find a missing family member, while others may be looking to make amends with someone from their past. Whether separated by adoption, tragedy, or simply by chance, this program will follow each person as they embark on an emotional journey. This one-hour show is produced by Stuart Krasnow Productions.
SENTENCED (working title)
Set at Rockville Correctional Facility, a maximum-security women’s prison in Rockville, Indiana, this series will track the personal journeys of real-life “women behind bars,” including their ties to family and the lives they try to sustain on the outside. Whether they are in for the short term or in for life, this program will explore the ways in which this particular prison can be a source of rehabilitation and hope. This one-hour show is produced by 44 Blue. Rasha Drachkovitch is executive producer.
Titles previously announced as part of OWN’s development roster include "Dr. Laura Berman" (working title); "Master Class" (working title); "Inside: Lisa Ling Investigates" (working title); "Open Road" (working title, formerly "Excellent Adventure"); "Peter Walsh" (working title); and "The Swell Life" (formerly "Surfer’s Healing").
