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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 6774
Released: November 15, 2005 |
| Our Price: $15.00 |
| Used Price: $8.00 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The Stars. The Stories. The Moments. An unprecedented six-disc collection celebrating the 20th Anniversary of THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, one-on-one with Oprah Winfrey herself. See exclusive never-before-seen footage, never-before-heard thoughts and personal revelations, as Oprah takes a candid, open and look back at all the most memorable moments of 20 years of history-making television. Get the inside story on Oprah's all-time favorite guests, surprises, celebrities and the people that have touched Oprah's heart forever. Share Oprah's personal perspective on the stories that made headlines, the interviews she'll never forget and more! Plus, go on a personal tour of Oprah's home, watch never-before-seen footage from the beginning years of THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW and take an exclusive look behind the scenes of A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW! Twenty extraordinary years...from Oprah to you. Oprah Winfrey will donate 100% of Harpo's profits from the sale of this DVD Collection to Oprah's Angel Network.
Description of The Oprah Winfrey Show: 20th Anniversary Collection:
Behold the power of Oprah. Whether you hate her, worship her, or liked her better when she was overweight, no one can deny the influence Oprah Winfrey has had on television and pop culture at large. Now the two decades of moments have been condensed into a six-disc collection, to benefit her Oprah's Angel Network®. The set kicks off with Oprah's humble beginnings, her most tear-jerking guests, and episodes to equip others, such as defense strategies against attackers, sex offenders, and kidnappers. Each disc has a different set of montages: following her weight gain/loss/gain/loss; her Book Club® ; her serious interviews (Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy Jr.); home makeovers; and some of her now-regrettable "firsts" attempts, such as filming a music video and wearing a Tina Turner wig. Each disc also contains highlights of Oprah's celebrity interviews, from "friends" like John Travolta, Maria Shriver, and Julia Roberts, to a couch-jumping Tom Cruise (yes, it’s on there), and the interview with Elizabeth Taylor she calls her all-time worst. She's also very candid about her changing looks and how she handles the tears that flow during taping.
Twenty years have wrought many changes in Oprah's connection with her audience. She started as an effervescent reporter struggling to prove there was room on the talk-show circuit for a black Everywoman (incidentally, it was Roger Ebert who, during a dinner date, suggested she go for syndication). You can see over time how that dynamic changed: Oprah, who claims to shun fame (she always puts quotes around "celebrity" like she doesn't get it), starts wearing it like a badge when she's rolling with the A-listers, as if to let the audience know she can sit at the cool kids' table, but will also bend down to grace you from her pedestal. As a one-woman empire, she knows all too well that she's worshiped by many women in America, and often her guru ways can come off as self-congratulatory. Yet you can't deny her later-years role of fairy godmother has been the most fascinating. One of the only two full-length episodes in the collection involves her journey to South Africa, where she gave gifts to some 50,000 children. (Though oddly, this was paired with the other full-length episode, her opulent 50th birthday party.) She describes how she surprised each member of her studio audience with a brand-new car not because she wanted to shock some people, but because each audience member was selected specifically because they needed one. She rewards hardworking, giving people with lavish gifts they deserve--a home, a Porsche, a college scholarship. Even if you don't watch the show regularly, that aspect alone will pique your admiration. It's almost scary how much power Oprah has, but it's nice to see her using that power for good. --Ellen A. Kim
The Oprah Winfrey Show: 20th Anniversary Collection Reviews:
Question... 
2009-11-06 - I just purchased the set today, but was curious if anyone could tell me if any of the Diane Downs interview is included in this set??? I can't wait to see the entire set!!
Makes a great gift
2009-09-05 - I purchased this collection as a gift to myself when it first came out. I have now purchased it several other times as gifts for my friends who are Oprah fans.
My friends have all said "I've been wanting this collection, just hadn't spent the money on myself" Give it to a Oprah fan in your circle of friends and family!
like watching a train wreck 
2009-05-10 - I've personally hated Oprah for many years now and I purchased this box set in order to study her. While I continually have the taste of vomit in my mouth, I find myself strangely unable to turn off the videos...
Flucuating dress sizes, a dozen hairstyles, and 20 years worth of guests equals Oprah 
2008-12-02 - Let me make something clear. I think that Oprah is a prime example of the American Dream. She was born a poor black girl in the South and survived the odds including rape/sexual abuse, poverty, and a miscarriage when she was a teen. She is perhaps one of the richest black women in the world. Here's the bad part. I think that her ego has blown out of proportion in the last couple years. She acts like she's an expert on everything and she's not as gracious as she used to be. Luckily, old and new O can be found on this 6 disc, 20 year retrospect dvd set. Yep, it's a mouthful. Present day Oprah guides us through the clips, sharing her thoughts during the interviews and even her regrets. This is a good and not so good thing. I was very interested to hear what she thought about particular shows, but not all of them. Her commentary is sometimes lengthier than the actual set of clips and there's only so much of "expert" O I can take. Her 40th and 50th birthdays are also here and are complete opposites of each other. Oprah seems genuinely surprised when she discovers that Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and the audience are throwing her a party. She's even affectionate with Stedman and is nicer to Gayle. Her 50th is another story. Over the top doesn't even describe it. The most annoying part is when tapes from celebs pals extolling O's greatness are played and Oprah isn't even paying attention. Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, and Josh Groban stop by to perform, but it all seems so forced. Thanks, but no thanks. Oprah seemed alot more humble and likeable circa 1986 to the mid 1990s. She seemed genuinely invested in what her guests had to say and she actually let them finish their sentences. She was funny and didn't mind letting herself be silly. Just more real. The most real moment is her 1990 interview with Truddi Chase, a woman who experienced a childhood of horrific physical and sexual abuse and dealt with her pain by splitting into a number of distinct personalities. While reading the teleprompter, Oprah breaks down and faces her own painful childhood. No wonder people really liked her back then. Anyway, all of O's most memorable moments are here, from her 1988 fat in the wagon show to her 2004 "you get a car!" surprise. There are no extras here since this entire set is a huge extra in itself. Pick it up.
wendy on oprah
2008-10-17 - This set is highly recommended. Aside from being one third the price it is here in Perth, it is put together so well, clearly and concisely and a wonderful stroll down memory lane of the best selections of Oprah. We have not had the show in Australia for the whole time, so many of the interviews and early segments I have never seen. The selection is the best of the best and although this has been out a couple of years now, I am glad I waited to purchase mine at such a great price. Wendy Sullivan, Perth Western Australia.
