In a new interview Oprah Winfrey talks about her plans with Apple, departure from 60 Minutes, and more (via Hollywood Reporter).
[Prince Harry, Oprah to Make Mental Health Docu-Series for Apple TV+]
Apple and Oprah
When Apple introduced its new services last month, it revealed that Oprah Winfrey has plans for the Apple TV+ service. Ms. Winfrey explains that a big audience was a factor:
Apple exposes you to a whole lot more people. The thing that I’m really, really excited about — as I said that day — is creating the world’s largest book club. And if I want to do a film or a doc series … The best place for [my docuseries on mental health] is not on OWN. Because you don’t have the bandwidth and you have to create a completely different audience and then you have to have marketing.
It also sounds like a big reason why Ms. Winfrey left 60 Minutes was her collaboration with Apple:
I’d actually gone to [former 60 Minutes executive producer] Jeff Fager prior to the whole CBS (pantomimes an explosion) and said I was going to be working with Apple and that it didn’t mean I would never do something [with 60 Minutes] but I would probably be taking all of my energies and putting them into whatever I wanted to do at Apple. It was an interesting experience for me. I enjoyed working with the teams, and I’m probably going to work with some of the freelance people on my Apple stuff, but it was not the best format for me.
So far, Ms. Winrey’s plans with Apple include bringing her book club to Apple TV+, a docu-series with Prince William on mental health, and more in the future.
[Apple TV+ Announced in Star-Studded, Lengthy Media Event]