Oprah audience freebie extravaganza comes to an end as no "Favorite Things" airs this holiday season
Taylor
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:
{{{skulduggerypleasant.org video goes here}}}
A 2004 SNL skit:
{{{skulduggerypleasant.org video goes here}}}
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/24/oprahs-favorite-things-sh_n_369609.html
Ian J. Ball
<73913478-ade5-4f87...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
Taylor <lukeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oprah's Favorite Things Show: CANCELED?
>
> 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.
Bitch!!
--
"There's no business, like Cho business."
- Patrick Jane, "The Mentalist", 02/11/09
Michael Black
> In article
> <73913478-ade5-4f87...@m26g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
> Taylor <lukeb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Oprah's Favorite Things Show: CANCELED?
>>
>> 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.
>
> Bitch!!
>
It's not really top-notch reporting. I already mentioned that last
year she didn't do the show, so at the very most the news is that
it's the same as last year. I also mentioned that Dr. Phil had a giveaway
despite the repression/recession, so it would seem they merely shifted
the giveaway.
A little deeper research would have pointed them to "The View" that
regularly gives things away, and does occasionally do segments where
the Latest Whatever is touted, complete with the audience getting all
the items. They had a gadget segment along those lines on Whoopi's
birthday, and they had one about toys a week ago. I expect more to
come. Not as orgasmic as Oprah's giveaway, but it's along the same
lines (in terms of audience reaction, and seeing the latest gizmos
and whatever).
Since "The Doctors" and "Dr. Oz" are spinoffs from Oprah's show,
either directly or indirectly, so maybe they'll do giveaways. All
the latest home medical gadgetry, or the latest in hearing aids, or
"a new breast implant!!!".
I haven't seen "Ellen" in some years, so I don't know if they do
giveaways. One might remember that it seemed like when Rosie had
her talk show, she ramped up the notion of giveaways, not so much
extravagance but a regular plugging of items and the audience would
get the day's item. So maybe Ellen keeps up that sort of thing.
Michael