Who did Oprah knock out of the number-one daytime talk show slot?

Last updated: March 7, 2024

Who did Oprah knock out of the number-one daytime talk show slot?
Tenor

In 1984, following relative success in Nashville and Baltimore, Oprah Winfrey moved to Chicago to become the co-host of AM Chicago. Within a few months, it became the highest-rated talk show in the city.

Which is how, of all people, Roger Ebert came to play at least a small part (or a pretty big one according to him) in the rise of Oprah. The fellow Chicagoan recognized her talent and pushed for her to sign a syndication deal with King World Productions, which put the pieces in place for her new hour-long talk show, aptly titled The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The first episode aired nationwide in the fall of 1986, and unless you are secretly an alien living among humans who's just arrived a few minutes ago, you know the story of Oprah from there.

But before Oprah dominated the daytime talk show landscape, there was a different numero uno. And hey, on your way to the top, there are bound to be some casualties. Who did she knock out of the top spot back in the '80s?

Click START to answer.

 

Check out more...