''Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star'' is a
reality competition show, created by
Oprah Winfrey. The show aired from January 7, 2011 to February 25, 2011 on the
Oprah Winfrey Network.
Hosted by
Nancy O'Dell
Nancy O'Dell (born Nancy Evelyn Humphries; 1966) is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show ''Entertainment Tonight'' from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019.
E ...
and
Carson Kressley
Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show ''How t ...
, it featured ten prospective television hosts competing to earn their own television show on the OWN network. Each week, the contestants competed in a themed-television show challenge, where they were watched and judged by O'Dell, Kressley, and a guest judge and mentor, whose expertise is in the theme that week. After the production and filming, one contestant was eliminated, until the best host remained. Zach Anner and Kristina Kuzmic-Crocco were both chosen as the winners. Besides winning their television show, the champions also received $100,000 and a 2011
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is a series of crossover SUVs from Chevrolet introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. It replaces the North American Chevrolet Tracker and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. The third-generation Equinox also replaced the first-g ...
.
The executive producer was
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a television producer who is the former Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. He is best known for creating and producing the reality shows ''The Apprentice'', '' Survivor'', ''The Voice'', and ''Sh ...
, who has produced many reality competitions, such as ''
The Apprentice
''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States.
Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'', ''
Survivor'', and ''
Design Star
''HGTV Star'', named ''HGTV Design Star'' for the first seven seasons, is an American reality competition show that premiered on July 23, 2006, on the cable television network HGTV. Clive Pearse served as host for Seasons 1-4, then judge Vern Yi ...
''.
Contestants
Out of the thousands who applied, ten contestants were chosen to compete.
Contestant Progress
: (WINNER) The host won the series and received their own show.
: (WIN) The host was the executive producer of the winning team.
: (HIGH) The host was on the winning team. (Episode 7 had individual interviews)
: (IN) The host was on the losing team, but was safe.
: (LOW) The host was mentioned as one of the worst, and was a candidate for elimination, while ultimately not being chosen.
: (LOW) The host was in the bottom two, took part in the elimination interview, and was saved.
: (OUT) The host was eliminated.
: (WD) The host voluntarily withdrew from the competition.
:: (*) The host was the losing team's executive producer.
Episodes
Episode 1: "It Takes A Village"
*First Aired: January 7, 2011
*Television show theme: Sex and relationships
*Guest mentor and judge:
Dr. Phil
*Summary: The ten contestants arrive at OWN studios, where they are greeted by O'Dell, Kressley, and Oprah herself. The hosts are split into two teams: a women's (Team Vision) and men's (Team Focus). As there are only four men, they choose Alicia to join their team, and even out the numbers. They are informed of their first challenge, to interview people on the street on the topic of sex and relationships, and then discuss the questions brought up with this week's guest mentor, Dr. Phil. As an added twist, the teams are required to interview the opposite sex. Alicia and Elizabeth step up to the challenge of being the executive producers for their teams' segments. When rehearsing with Dr. Phil, both teams have to readjust parts of their segments, but overall Team Focus shows more potential. This proves true when they produce a much better segment than Team Vision. At elimination, Team Focus is announced as the winning team, and Team Vision is asked who is responsible for their loss. All of the women say executive producer Elizabeth is, but Elizabeth chooses Aunt Flora, who she says did nothing. The judges deliberate, mentioning Elizabeth, Kristina, and Leigh as the most responsible for producing the terrible segment. In the end, they choose Elizabeth (who let her team down as executive producer) and Leigh (who was a rude host, cutting Dr. Phil off) as the bottom two. They both must do a short one-on-one interview with Dr. Phil to prove they should stay. Elizabeth delivers with an insightful topic she can relate to (family member with a disability). Leigh does not show improvement in her interview, and once again interrupts Dr. Phil. Leigh becomes the first host sent home.
* Host Eliminated: Leigh Koechner
Episode 2: "Let the Transformations Begin"
*First Aired: January 14, 2011
*Television show theme: Beauty makeovers
*Guest mentor and judge:
Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang (; born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer.
Early life
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese parents who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu ...
* Host Eliminated: Eric Warren
Episode 3: "Who Gets the Last Laugh?"
*First Aired: January 21, 2011
*Television show theme: Late-night comedy segment
*Guest mentor and judge:
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014.
He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Com ...
* Host Eliminated: Aunt Flora
Episode 4: "Get the Salmon in the Pan"
*First Aired: January 28, 2011
*Television show theme: Cooking show
*Guest mentor and judge:
Curtis Stone
Curtis Travis Stone (born 4 November 1975) is an Australian celebrity chef, author and television personality. Stone has been the fresh food and recipes ambassador for Coles Supermarkets in Australia since 2010.
Early life
Stone was born in ...
* Host Eliminated (withdrew): Tony Roach
Episode 5: "Do It With Style"
*First Aired: February 4, 2011
*Television show theme: Thirty second commercial for
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Haw ...
& a television interview (with Fuentes)
*Guest mentor and judge:
Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes (born November 17, 1966) is a Cuban-American actress, comedian, model, television host and former weather presenter. Fuentes broke barriers as MTV's first Latina VJ (signed to MTV and MTV Latin America simultaneously) and as Revlon ...
* Host Eliminated: Elizabeth Espinosa
Episode 6: "Dollars and Sense"
*First Aired: February 11, 2011
*Television show theme: Financial advice
*Guest mentor and judge:
Suze Orman
Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman ( ; born June 5, 1951) is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with ''The Suze Orman Show'', which ...
* Hosts Eliminated: Ryan O'Conner, Alicia Taylor
Episode 7: "I Have Some Questions for You"
*First Aired: February 18, 2011
*Television show theme:
Press junket
Film promotion is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry, and usually occurs in coordination with the process of film distribution. Sometimes called the press junket or film junket, film promotion generally includes press rele ...
(as applied to promoting their own TV show)
*Guest mentor and judge:
Gayle King
Gayle King (born December 28, 1954) is an American television personality, author and broadcast journalist for CBS News, co-hosting its flagship morning program, '' CBS Mornings'', and before that its predecessor ''CBS This Morning''. She is ...
*Summary: The episode opens with O'Dell and Kressley informing Zach, Kristina and Terey that Ryan and Alicia were both eliminated and that the remaining challenges would be individual. After the opening credits, O'Dell and Kressley brief the final three about the press junket at the Sheraton Universal hotel, and bring out guest mentor Gayle King to advise them before the interviews on how to handle the press and promote the network. The contestants interview with both
Craig Tomashoff of
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corpora ...
and
Kevin Frazier of
Entertainment Tonight. They are then told about a third interview to complete, and the guest interviewer is none other than
Oprah
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
herself. Zach is the only one who takes the initiative to ask Oprah insightful questions during what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Following the interviews, they return to OWN Studios and chat about their "Oprah moment" before they pose for publicity photographs. When they return to Stage 2, O'Dell and Kressley reveal that Gayle had been watching all the interviews, and they discuss how the junket went and that all three bring something unique to the table before adding that a final interview with Gayle could decide the finalists. In elimination, Zach is praised for being steady throughout the competition, and O'Dell announces he is the first finalist. While Kristina and Terey both did well, they felt Terey's direction for her show was not clear enough, and chose Kristina as the other finalist.
* Host Eliminated: Terey Summers
Episode 8: "And the Winner Is..."
*Television show theme: Producing a
pilot episode for their own TV show
*Guest mentor and judge:
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a television producer who is the former Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. He is best known for creating and producing the reality shows ''The Apprentice'', '' Survivor'', ''The Voice'', and ''Sh ...
* Host Eliminated: None
* Winner of their OWN show: Kristina Kuzmic-Crocco and Zach Anner
External links
*
*
{{Oprah Winfrey Network programs
Oprah Winfrey Network original programming
2011 American television series debuts
2011 American television series endings
2010s American reality television series
English-language television shows
Oprah Winfrey
Television series by MGM Television