How Roger Ebert Inspired Oprah Winfrey’s Partnership with King World

Oprah Winfrey’s partnership with King World for ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was significantly influenced by film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert was confident that Oprah’s show could achieve a financial success, far surpassing his own program, At The Movies, by fortyfold.

Ebert’s prediction about ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ turning into a monumental success was spot-on. Despite the industry’s gender biases, Oprah managed to captivate audiences, effectively drawing in double the viewership of her competitor, Donahue, and redefining television.