From Rags To Riches: The Life And Times Of Oprah

The Oprah Winfrey Show

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Working off the success of The Color Purple, Oprah caught the eye of famous film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert, who briefly had a relationship with Oprah, believed she had something special and should sign a syndication deal and create her own talk show. They renamed AM Chicago into The Oprah Winfrey Show, extended it to an hour, and on September 8, 1986, American’s began to tune in.

The Oprah Winfrey Show found huge success, but not without its hurdles. Oprah admitted it was exhausting, but she knew she had a responsibility as a black female in a position of power. She wasn’t stopping anytime soon.