Oprah Snags Development Deal with HBO

From EW.com:

Oprah to develop programs for HBO
Dec 16, 2008, 06:16 PM by Lynette Rice

Oprah Winfrey has a new home. The TV mogul announced today that she has entered into a multi-year deal to develop and produce scripted series, movies, and documentaries for HBO.

The deal signals the end of her long-term pact with ABC, which produced telepics like Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day and the reality show Oprah's Big Give.

"HBO and Harpo Films are both committed to the highest standards in the entertainment industry, making this a great match," said Kate Forte, Harpo Films' president. "The format and creativity offered by HBO are unique in television, and the quality and range of their subjects are extraordinary. There is simply no other place like it. We look forward to doing great things together."

Winfrey's Harpo Inc. is also on schedule to kick off OWN, a new basic cable network that'll air unscripted programming coproduced with Discovery Communications. Harpo Prods also produces The Oprah Winfrey Show.

"The secret to my success is that I bit off more than I could chew and chewed as fast as I could."
- Paul Hogan