Image Credit: George Burns/Harpo ProductionsTomorrow on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah will talk shop with some of the biggest names from daytime’s past, including Ricki Lake, Phil Donahue, Geraldo Rivera, Montel Williams, and Sally Jessy Raphael. I have to admit, this excellent preview photo actually made me a little misty-eyed thinking of all those afternoons spent chewing over divisive, informative, or otherwise wacky topics with this particular crew of hosts. My first question though: Considering her one-time Oprah-esque mogul aspirations, how is Tyra Banks not in this picture? Here’s a poll for you this afternoon: Who’s the most glaring omission (of talk show past and present) from this collection of TV superstars?
Maury, I have the results right here…you are NOT invited!
Awesome…
Rolanda? Was that her name? The african american lady?
I think Jenny Jones should have been included and you dont even have her on your own poll. She was on air over 13 seasons and she was Oprah’s neighbor, taping in Chicago all that time at NBC. Now with Oprah leaving and Springer having moved to CT, Chicago is left with no daytime talk shows – Just some judge shows.
Jenny Jones was on from 1991 to 2003. I thought that she should have been invited to Oprah because she also tackled some dense topics similar to Oprah and won awards for them. It wasn’t just her famous infidelity shows. Her shows were very convenient for me to watch and I liked her stage sets of various phases of her talk show run. Loved the hummable catchy theme song!
You are right–Chicago was on a roll with 3 talk shows at one time–Oprah Winfrey at Harpo Studios and Jenny Jones and Jerry Springer in the same WMAQ-TV studios in Chicago. Now that era will end in 2011. I thought that most talk shows were taped in New York or LA, but Chicago had its own thing with those 3 shows. I’m sure that the hotels were booked for years, even on Adams Street and Michigan Avenue for the thousands of people flying in or driving to Chicago to be in those studio audiences!
Funny take of his famous You are NOT the father lines of his numerous paternity test shows to show his not being invited to Oprah’s all star talk show event.
I don’t think anyone is missing…maybe Jenny Jones…
Jenny Jones was the first one I thought of, as well.
Ricki looks great!
Richard Bey.
I couldn’t imagine Richard Bey being on there! His show was AWFUL, even in 1995 and 1996!
ROSIE O’DONNELL
- Her show was most like Oprah’s, a mix of feel-good self-help, and celebrity talk show: remember she was “The Queen of Nice”?
- Geraldo does not belong there.
I absolutely, 100% second Rosie O’Donnell!!!!
Rosie’s show is to classy for this group. Plus she is big enough to be a solo guest on Oprah several times. The same with Ellen.
WHERE IS JENNY JONES???
I was thinking the same thing. She was my favorite. Her staple episodes were “I was ugly then, look at me now”.
DUGH! Sally!
sally’s right there!
Ricki and Montel look amazing!
These are Legends…Tyra’s not a talk show legend
Where’s Springer???
Tyra was on for only 5 years. She wasn’t on quite as long as the hosts that have done it for a decade or more. But she made some good shows, mostly women related.
Okay Ricki Lake is on there? The woman who had the confessional booth on her show is on there. I though Oprah looked down on that kind of stuff on talk shows. Tyra doesn’t belong on there. That’s why her talk show was canceled. That woman made EVERYTHING about her.
No, you are clearly from the new generation of Oprah fans. We who lived in the 80′s recall when Oprah – pre Sally Jessy and Maury – had show’s about “my husband is cheating on me with my best friend’s dog” (okay maybe not that extreme). Of course, with more viewers came more money, prestige, and fame, and thus the “trash” topics were put to rest. But lest we forget, Oprah used to do that.
Funny how people forget that Oprah was just as trashy as the rest…
Totally. I love how with the last 10 years she’s become more known for giving away cars than the Maury-esque material her show was 15 years ago. Thqt said, it’s not surprising Maury and Springer weren’t invited. I’m sure she wants to distance herself from that stuff.
I think Oprah did respect some of those hosts and their runs, even if she didn’t want to do those controversial topics in later years. I’m sure she’s good friends with those talk show hosts, especially Ricki Lake. Don’t know about Jerry or Maury–I’m sure she despises the shows that they’re doing now or doesn’t even watch them and doesn’t want NOTHING of it!
What about rosie?
Morton Downey!
Didn’t he die?
Phil Donahue
Oops, duh. I didn’t recognize him in the photo and didn’t read. Ignore me
I thought of Jenny Jones and Rosie too. Maury’s show “Current Affair” was not anything like “Maury” is now. He was a proper journalist type with real interviews.