ITV Signs Oprah Winfrey To Boost ITV2

Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey will return to British television screens next year following a deal between CBS Paramount International Television and ITV.

The larger than life presenter will appear on ITV2 in the first quarter of 2006, with British viewers seeing the 2005-2006 season of the American show.

“Oprah Winfrey is an American icon and we are delighted to have the number one US talk show on ITV2 for the first time,” said Zai Bennett, channel editor for ITV2. “The Oprah Winfrey Show sets a high standard for daytime television and Oprah’s show is a welcome addition to ITV2’s already strong daytime schedule.”

“We’re delighted to be back on the air in the UK,” added Tim Bennett, president of the show’s production firm, Harpo Productions, Inc. “ITV2 will now have the chance to bring the magic of Oprah to millions of new viewers and loyal fans alike.”

The Oprah Winfrey Show is one of America’s hottest properties, having run for over 20 years, it is still watched by an estimated 49 million viewers in the US every week.

Announcing the acquisition, an ITV press statement gushed: “Oprah Winfrey has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world… she has entertained, enlightened and uplifted millions of viewers for the past two decades. Her accomplishments as a television pioneer, producer, publisher, educator and philanthropist have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today.”

The addition of the show to ITV’s schedules should give a boost in daytime, and is the second high-profile chat offering to be signed by ITV this year. March saw the broadcaster secure chat show icon Jerry Springer for his own British show on ITV1, filling a void left by daytime stalwart, Trisha Goddard (see ITV Signs Springer To Fill Trisha’s Daytime Slot).

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