'Oprah Winfrey Show' To Go Off The Air In 2011

Oprah Winfrey to quit daytime talk show in 2011 to focus on new cable network

Oprah Winfrey is taking her act to cable.

The talk show diva who has ruled daytime TV for almost a quarter of a century is pulling the plug when her current deal expires in the fall of 2011. She will likely resurface on OWN, the cable network she is starting with Discovery Communications.

The move was not entirely unexpected. Once Winfrey agreed to partner with Discovery on the Oprah Winfrey Network, there was a general assumption that she would ultimately focus all her creative efforts there. OWN, which was originally supposed to launch this year, is now looking to debut in January 2011.

Winfrey will have an on-air presence on OWN as well as behind the scenes. While OWN is keeping mum, Winfrey is expected to have a daily show, although the approach will probably be different than her current studio audience-and-guest format. OWN declined to comment.

Winfrey made her national debut in 1986 when Phil Donahue was still ruling talk. It didn't take her long to drive him off the airwaves. Over the course of her show's run it has veered from classy and educational to tabloid and sleazy. She spawned a host of imitators and clones ranging from Jerry Springer to Ellen DeGeneres. Daytime television was a sleepy business that Winfrey revolutionized. Her syndicated show generated hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue.

-- Joe Flint
Awesome news: 'Chuck' sets January return date, plus an update from co-creator Chris Fedak

On the day we got the "Lost" season premiere date, we also find out that "Chuck" is returning in January.

The spy dramedy returns 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 10, with two episodes. The show begins occupying its regular time slot, Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, on Jan. 11. (My previous stories on "Chuck" are here.)

This is great news, given that NBC had been thinking about keeping the show on hold until March. Knowing that "Chuck" returns in January and "Lost" returns Feb. 2 -- well, is it me or is this winter heating up quite a bit?

According to co-creator Chris Fedak, production is underway on the 10th episode of "Chuck's" third season. He also said that the first 13 episodes of Season 3 will function as one unit, and then the set of six additional episodes that NBC ordered will sort of be like another mini-season.

"We broke a very tight 13 episodes" after NBC ordered a third season, Fedak said. "But we had started production early, so [when NBC ordered six more episodes for a total of 19,] we had lead time to kind of sit back and think about what the next phase of the story would be. We're very excited about extending the season out and having more fun with our characters and deepening the world that is 'Chuck.'"

The first two episodes of Season 3, which air together Jan. 10, aren't necessarily a two-parter, Fedak said. "But this season we tell a very big, tight story and they're very much linked by being the first two chapters of that story," Fedak said.

In interviews conducted earlier this year (at Comic-Con and on the show's set in August), Schwartz and Fedak discussed the spy skills that Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) downladed in the show's Season 2 finale and how they would impact the Buy More clerk.

"Will part of Season 3 be Chuck attempting not to kill himself and everyone around him as he deploys these skills," I asked on Thursday.

"That's a good way to describe it," Fedak answered. Regarding Chuck's new skills, "we've added a new flavor to the show, but it's still very much the 'Chuck' show. It's always going to be a show with a sense of humor."

What's been satisfying to Fedak this season is the ability to flesh out the world of Chuck Bartowski, who works at the Buy More electronics store with a motley collection of co-workers when he's not out saving the world with his spy handlers, Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and John Casey (Adam Baldwin).

"With these [first] 13, we've spent more time not just with Chuck and Sarah and Casey but with Morgan and Ellie and Awesome. One of the places we surprise ourselves as writers is when we see how those people react to things and see what's happening in their worlds," Fedak said.

Levi just finished directing the ninth episode of the season, and I asked Fedak if entrusting the show to the actor made him nervous at all, especially given that Episode 9 is, in Fedak's own words, "hugely important to the mythology of the show."

"He did a wonderful job," Fedak said. "Directing 'Chuck' is really difficult -- the directors have to be proficient not only with the comedy but with the acting, and those are the two most time-consuming things. Our directors are really running a marathon for those seven or eight days that we're in production. So when the person who's at the center of the show on a regular basis -- Zachary -- is directing, it was, 'Can he physically do that without somehow splitting himself and genetically producing another Zachary Levi?' But he did it with such smarts and such energy."

One small thing that brought Fedak some satisfaction: After three seasons of trying, he finally got a "Planet of the Apes" reference into the show, in Episode 10 of Season 3.

A couple of last tidbits from Fedak: There will be Subway "product integration" in Season 3 but it won't necessarily be in every episode.

And this: "Jeffster! will return," he said.

Some news from NBC's press release: Guest stars in the new season include Angie Harmon, Brandon Routh, Robert Patrick, Kristin Kreuk, Armande Assante, Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones.

An NBC source says the show will keep airing during the Olympics and won't take a break in order to avoid airing during that time frame. And the good news is that NBC has ordered at total of 19 "Chuck" episodes at this point, so we may be hanging with the Buy More crew for quite some time come 2010. 

If you're not caught up on this show, there's still time. Episodes are available online, and the Season 2 box set comes out Jan. 5, according to TVShowsonDVD.com.

NBC's press release on this delightful show's return is below. 

'CHUCK' RETURNS TO NBC ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 10 WITH ALL-NEW MISSIONS AND ACTION-PACKED BACK-TO-BACK PREMIERE EPISODES BEFORE MOVING TO REGULAR DAY AND TIME (MONDAYS, 8-9 P.M. ET) BEGINNING JANUARY 11

'CHUCK' GUEST STARS INCLUDE ANGIE HARMON, BRANDON ROUTH, ROBERT PATRICK, KRISTIN KREUK, ARMAND ASSANTE, STEVE AUSTIN AND VINNIE JONES

In Addition, Special Two-hour Episode of "Heroes" to Be Broadcast on Monday, January 4 (8-10 p.m. ET) Before Series Moves to Its New Time Slot of Mondays (9-10 p.m. ET) Starting January 11  

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. â€" November 19, 2009 â€" NBC’s action-comedy series “Chuck” returns to the NBC lineup on Sunday, January 10 with all-new missions and two action-packed, back-to-back original episodes in its season premiere (9-11 p.m. ET) before the series -- starring Zachary Levi in the title role -- moves to its regular day and time (Mondays 8-9 p.m.  ET) beginning January 11. 

In addition, "Chuck" returns with guest stars galore in its third season.  These include: Angie Harmon (NBC’s “Law & Order”), who will play Sydney, an enemy operative; Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”), who is set to play CIA Agent Daniel Shaw; Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) will play Colonel Keller, a soldier and spy from Casey’s past; Kristin Kreuk (“Smallville”), who will portray Hannah -- a potential love interest for Chuck; Armand Assante (“Judge Dredd”) as dictator Premier Goya, who is the target of an assassin; Steve Austin (“WWE Smackdown!”) will portray Hugo Panzer, who becomes entangled in Chuck’s first solo mission; and Vinnie Jones (“Snatch”) will play Carl Stromberg, an arms dealer.

In other programming news, a special two-hour episode of "Heroes" will be broadcast on Monday, January 4 (8-10 p.m. ET) and then the series moves to its new time slot of Mondays (9-10 p.m. ET) starting January 11. 

“Josh (Schwartz) and Chris (Fedak) and the writing team are doing a great job this season, and we think the loyal fan base for this show will be happy to see it back on the NBC schedule,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. 

In “Chuck,” the world's nerdiest secret agent is back in the one-hour action-comedy series.  Chuck Bartowski (Levi, "Less Than Perfect") continues as the Buy More electronics store computer geek, who unwittingly becomes the government’s most vital secret agent.  Chuck is transformed into the Intersect 2.0 after another data download into his brain.  This time, he not only knows government secrets, but he is also well equipped with deadly fight skills.  Chuck has the potential to become a real agent, but he has one problem -- his emotions.  Now he faces the battle of keeping his emotions in check in order to protect himself and the people around him.  

The ever stoic Colonel John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard") returns with partner Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski, "Gone"), one of the CIA's top agents and Chuck's dream girl.  As Chuck assumes his new role as the Intersect 2.0, Casey and Sarah need to protect him but also help him become the agent he is destined to be. 

Also starring are: Joshua Gomez ("Without a Trace") as Morgan Grimes -- Chuck's best buddy; Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister Ellie; Ryan McPartlin ("Living with Fran") as Devon Woodcomb (also known as "Captain Awesome”), Ellie's husband.  Chuck's Buy More team consists of Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence, "The Pursuit of Happyness") and the Nerd Herd, which includes Lester (Vik Sahay, "Time Bomb") and Jeff (Scott Krinsky, "The O.C.").
 
Fans of "Chuck" can catch up on full episodes from the series' recent second season, watch original web series and share with fans on the official "Chuck" website on NBC.com.

“Chuck” is co-created and written by Josh Schwartz (“The O.C., “Gossip Girl”) and Chris Fedak, and is executive-produced by Schwartz, McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall"), Fedak, Allison Adler and Matthew Miller.  “Chuck” is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, in association with Warner Bros. Television.

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Oprah Winfrey to end show in 2011
CHICAGO — Oprah Winfrey's production company says Winfrey will announce Friday that her talk show will end in 2011 after its 25th season on the air.
'Oprah Winfrey Show' To Go Off The Air In 2011

The talk-show icon will call it a wrap after 25 seasons, her production company said. A formal announcement is expected on Friday's edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show.