Oprah Winfrey is busy filming episodes for the new OWN network primetime series Oprah’s Next Chapter, set to debut on January 1, 2012.
Her new evening show has been in the works since the talk show host announced her plan to end her daytime gig. Intent on devoting herself fully to the future success of the OWN, Winfrey realized that she would need to be a key part of drawing people to the network that has been on shaky ground since its start up nearly a year ago.
Next Chapter will feature O interviewing public figures outside of the studio. She’ll be moving around the country and the world talking to interesting people on a more personal level.
She has filmed segments from Steven Tyler‘s home in New Hampshire, traveled to Haiti with actor Sean Penn, and enjoyed a slumber party at the Georgia estate of Food Network maven Paula Deen.
Not everything is progressing as planned for the network. Rosie O’Donnell‘s nightly show debuted in mid-October with 497,000 viewers. A little more than a month later the ratings have slipped below 200,000.
BFF Gayle King bailed on OWN when the job of a lifetime presented itself to her. She has headed to CBS where she will share co-hosting duties with Charlie Rose on The Early Show.
Oprah fans are anxiously awaiting her primetime debut, but many can’t help but wonder if it is too little, too late to shore up the struggling network.
Check out a video clip for the new show below:
Photo Credit: WENN