Oprah audience freebie extravaganza comes to an end as no "Favorite Things" airs this holiday season
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Huffington Post | Katherine Thomson
First Posted: 11-24-09 05:47 PM | Updated: 11-24-09 06:03 PM
Read More: Oprah, Oprah Cancels Favorite Things, Oprah Winfrey,
Oprah's Favorite Things, Oprah's Favorite Things 2009, Oprah's
Favorite Things Show For 2009, Television, Media News
After seven years, Oprah has zero plans to do a Favorite Things
episode in 2009, a Harpo employee told Huffington Post. Coupled with
her announcement that 2010's holiday season will be her last on the
air, the era of crying, screaming and hyperventilating audience
members may have come to an end.
The "Favorite Things" show has aired Thanksgiving week in years past,
but the "Favorite Things" show is not part of this week's lineup and a
Harpo employee told Huffington Post exclusively, "We have no plans
this season for a 'Favorite Things.'"
The holiday tradition started when Oprah surprised show audiences with
news that the episode was her "Favorite Things," and every audience
member went home with each item she touted. People lucky enough to be
at the show would haul home thousands of dollars of freebies, from
camcorders to refrigerators to pajamas.
The accompanying shrieks of joy became the stuff of legend and SNL
skits. The hour-long episodes would be edited down for air as it took
time to calm people down between freebies.
In recent years Oprah has filled the audience with teachers (2004),
Hurricane Katrina volunteers (2005) and done the show on location in
her most-watched area (Macon, GA in 2007) as a reward of sorts.
In the past being featured as a Favorite Thing, much like being an
Oprah Book Club pick, was a huge deal for brands and led to massive
bumps in sales. Companies happily donated a few hundred of their
product to be featured on the Oprah platform.
But in 2008, in response to the economic freefall, Oprah changed
course and did a pre-Thanksgiving Favorite Things with a thrifty
twist, and each item was very inexpensive or homemade.
Now it seems gift givers in 2009 may have to find inspiration
elsewhere.
2007 crowd reaction:
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A 2004 SNL skit:
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/24/oprahs-favorite-things-sh_n_369609.html