Making Oprah Explained

Making Oprah
Host:Jenn White
Genre:bio-podcast
Began:November 10
Ended:November 22, 2016
Provider:WBEZ
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:3

Making Oprah is an American bio-podcast produced by WBEZ and hosted by journalist Jenn White. The three-part series tells the history and development of Oprah Winfrey's professional career.[1] It premiered on November 10, 2016. The podcast was recommended by Wired,[2] Time,[3] and The New York Times.[4]

Synopsis

The podcast tells the story of how Oprah Winfrey became one of the best known talk show hosts and moguls in American pop culture.[5] It follows her career from her first broadcasting job as a local TV host for a Baltimore show called People Are Talking, up to present day.[6] [7] The show's topics include reasons behind why audiences connected to Winfrey the way they did, the development of Harpo Studios, and how Winfrey turned to spirituality, all contextualized in terms of the American TV landscape. It discusses some controversial episodes, such as her interview with skinheads, when Tom Cruise jumped on her couch, and the "you get a car" episode.

Host Jenn White interviews several of Winfrey's associates including Phil Donahue.[8] Winfrey appears for an interview in the last episode of the podcast. White shares the significance of the project as a Black woman in media in her forties.[9]

Production

The show was produced by WBEZ anchor and host Jenn White, Colin McNulty, Joel Meyer, Ben Calhoun, and Tricia Bobeda.[10] It was released as a 3-episode series. The podcast debuted on November 10, 2016, with one episode released online each week.[11]

WBEZ succeeded with series with Making Obama (2018) and Making Beyoncé (2019).[12]

Episodes

Episode #Date airedTitle
1November 10, 2016No Strategy, No Plan, No Formula
2November 17, 2016Skinheads And Scented Candles
3November 22, 2016YOU GET A CAR!

Critical reception

The podcast was called "excellent" by Sarah Larson of The New Yorker. The show was recommended by outlets including Wired, Time, The New York Times, USA Today, Marie Claire, and Vulture.[13]

Making Oprah was the most successful podcast by WBEZ after its release.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Making Oprah: the best podcast of 2016. Marie Claire. December 28, 2016 . en-us. February 15, 2020. February 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215055809/https://www.marieclaire.com.au/everyone-s-listening-to-to-the-new-oprah-winfrey-podcast. live.
  2. Locke. Charley. November 21, 2016. Want a Respite From Listening to Politics? Oprah, Disco, and Audio Fiction Can Help.. en-US. Wired. June 27, 2020. 1059-1028. June 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629013357/https://www.wired.com/2016/11/this-week-in-podcasts-november-21/. live.
  3. The Best History Podcasts to Listen to Right Now. June 27, 2020. Time. September 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924020716/https://time.com/5622795/best-history-podcasts/. live.
  4. News: Bromwich. Jonah Engel. May 26, 2017. Stuck in Memorial Day Traffic? Here Are 15 Podcasts to Distract You. en-US. The New York Times. June 27, 2020. 0362-4331. June 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200630053912/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/arts/best-podcasts-summer.html. live.
  5. News: Verdier. Hannah. November 17, 2016. Making Oprah: how one woman changed the face of daytime TV. en-GB. The Guardian. June 27, 2020. 0261-3077. February 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215024240/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/nov/17/making-oprah-winfrey-the-woman-who-changed-the-face-of-daytime. live.
  6. Larson. Sarah. "Making Oprah" Illuminates the Oprah Phenomenon, and More. June 27, 2020. The New Yorker. en-us. May 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200509081147/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/podcast-dept/making-oprah-illuminates-the-oprah-phenomenon-and-more. live.
  7. Web site: Mallenbaum. Carly. Podcast pick of the week: 'Making Oprah'. June 27, 2020. USA TODAY. en-US. February 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215025743/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/12/10/podcast-making-oprah/95119586/. live.
  8. Desta. Yohana. Oprah's Staff Was Once Threatened by the K.K.K.. June 27, 2020. Vanity Fair. en-us. August 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200814015145/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/oprah-show-kkk-threat. live.
  9. Web site: 'There's Something About Her': Podcast Explores How Oprah Became Oprah. June 27, 2020. NPR.org. en. June 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628235306/https://www.npr.org/2016/12/08/504864947/-there-s-something-about-her-podcast-explores-how-oprah-became-oprah. live.
  10. Web site: How I Make It: Making Oprah Werk It: The Podcast. June 27, 2020. WNYC Studios. en. June 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629194005/https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/werkit/articles/how-i-make-it-making-oprah. live.
  11. Web site: Making Beyoncé. June 27, 2020. NPR.org. en. June 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629173015/https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-beyonc. live.
  12. Web site: WAMU And NPR Announce Jenn White As New Host Of 1A. June 27, 2020. NPR.org. May 7, 2020 . en. June 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200627002252/https://www.npr.org/about-npr/851318290/wamu-and-npr-announce-jenn-white-as-new-host-of-1a. live.
  13. Web site: Quah. Nicholas. October 3, 2018. The Best Podcasts of 2018 (So Far). June 27, 2020. Vulture. en-us. January 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220107152339/https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/best-podcasts-2018-so-far.html. live.
  14. Web site: The making of binge-worthy serial narratives, from "S-Town" to "Framed". June 27, 2020. Nieman Foundation. June 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629233240/https://nieman.harvard.edu/stories/the-making-of-binge-worthy-serial-narratives-from-s-town-to-framed/. live.

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