A Second Look at OWN- the Oprah Winfrey Network

Now that Oprah's daily show is off the air, she is supposed to be focusing more on her new network.  I blogged a bit about her new network when it first debuted.  I was not all that impressed with what she was showing.  Mostly I was not too impressed because she had done interviews talking about how she was going to "change television."  So I guess I was expecting great things from her.  I was willing to give her some time to see how she would "change" television. 

But it's been awhile since she left the demands of doing her daily talk show.  I have been waiting to see the big changes in her programming that would come.  I was waiting for the great Oprah to transform television.  I was waiting for her to show other network programmers what should be done.  I was waiting for her to offer television like we had never seen before.  I was really having high hopes for the Oprah Winfrey Network.

So how long will I have to wait?  What I know now - and that seems to be the big catch phrase of her Lifeclass  show - is that there is nothing groundbreaking about any of the shows on OWN.  Does hosting a talk show for as long as she did automatically make you a therapist?  I feel like she is trying to be everyone's therapist in her Lifeclass program.  I have not logged on to become an official "student."  I have DVR'd a few of the shows.  So here is my opinion of it.  It's just an easy no cost way for her to fill an hour of air time on her network.  It is a rehash of her old shows with new "insight" from her about these shows.  She sits on camera and talks about the shows and how she was feeling during thes shows.   She tells us "what she knows now."  But it's not anything new.  She sits in her studio and uses big words like "transcendental" and throws "authentic self" into every other sentence.  Does it bug anyone else that they show so many shots where she is not really looking into the camera?  It's a two camera shoot with one that she looks into and one that shows her staring off into the other camera.  I find that second shot annoying.  

You can tell I am not a big fan of Oprah's Lifeclasse.  It is a waste of time to watch especially if you have been a regular viewer over the years. You've already seen the shows she is talking about and she doesn't really add anything new to the show except banal comments.  I hate the billboards they put up during the show with what I suppose is supposed to be life lessons--but in reality are just things we all know.  I mean- really- one stated - The truth shall set you free.  Another one - when you let go of the secret, you let go of the shame.  I just feel like this show is trying to be some grandiose brilliant ah-ha program and it comes off being annoying.  I am annoyed that I feel like Oprah is giving us something new when we all know this is nothing more than rehashing your old shows and give me a break there are not any new ah ha moments to be had from them.  We watched them the first time.  We heard your comments during these shows the first time.  We just don't need these rehashed hours with you.  And must you say ' what I know now" in every show?  

Another new show on OWN is the Rosie Show.  It's just another talk show.  I suppose if you love Rosie O'Donnell you will like this show.  Though I have to say I like Rosie O'Donnell--but I don't like this new show.  The first week, her female announcer annoyed the hell out of me.   But I saw that in the second week, they adjusted how she was doing the opening announcing of who was on the show and introducing Rosie.  I still find her a bit annoying, but less annoying than she was in week one.  

I am not impressed with her open mic comedy at the opening of the show.  I used to enjoy her dialogue when she had her talk show way back when.  I am not sure if it is that she is less funny than she used to be or perhaps her being a gay mom with children and commenting so much on gay topics just doesn't seem funny to me.  I used to be able to relate to her humor.  I can't relate to her attempt at humor now.  And I don't think I am the only one.  There does not seem to be a lot of laughter coming from her audience during the opening monologues either.  I am not a big fan of the audience questions.  I know Carol Burnett did this with great skill.  Rosie, you are no Carol Burnett.  You just are not pulling this off and it should stop.

I don't really know what it would take to make her new talk show a success.  I would have to watch more shows to really take a closer look at what could be done.  I am not a fan of her female band leader and some of the songs she comes up with.  The only part of the show I do enjoy is the game show portions that they do.  So my advice would be devote more time to those segments.  They are often the funniest parts of the program.  

There is a new season of Ask Oprah's All Stars beginning.  I did like that show in its debut.  I liked that I did not have to sit through an entire hour of one of those experts.  I could get a bit of information from them all without having to endure Dr Oz, Dr Phil or Suzie Orman for a full hour.  So I may tune in to this show occasionally.  

The nauseating Gayle King show is still on.  And as I said before, this show is not going away anytime soon.  It's cheap to produce and Gayle King is Oprah's best friend.  It's not like Oprah's gonna fire Gayle.  But I have never been a fan of Gayle and this show is nothing more than videotaping her radio show which airs on Sirius radio on the Oprah network.  So I am sure this show will never end, unfortunately.

Hours are still filled with Dr Phil reruns.  She is still showing some old movies.  Lisa Ling coninues to produce some documentaries which depending on the topic may be of interest.   She is airing some new reality shows.  I have to say I have not tuned in to any of them.  I am tired of reality shows and am already watching too many of them.  

I am still waiting for Oprah to "transform" television.  I guess I will check back in six months to see what she may be offering then.  So far the high hopes for a high brow network that is supposed to offer us television we can't get anywhere else has not yet happened.