Oprah's 'Season 25' Preview

Wednesday's episode of "The Oprah Show" was an hour-long sneak peek at her reality show, "Season 25," which premieres Saturday night at 8 ET on OWN. Many of Oprah's 464 employees filled the studio audience, sharing their experiences and behind the scenes secrets.

Ultimate Roadtrippers
A group of Oprah's ultimate fans traveled from Boston to Chicago and got an amazing surprise. A driver navigated their vehicle through a faux parking garage and drove right on to the stage where Oprah and a studio audience awaited their arrival. It turns out, this elaborate rouse surprised Oprah as well. She did not think her team could pull it off, but a dedicated group of producers spent weeks planning the details. The "Season 25" preview reveals the roadtrippers were 45 minutes late and almost ruined the stunt.

Sedation Vacation
This reality show does not hold back and viewers get to see a loopy Oprah attend a staff meeting. Post-colonoscopy, she is under the influence of Percoset and Valium. Dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, she meanders to her seat and struggles to sip her protein drink. Later, Oprah's staff asks her about the process of getting a colonoscopy. She provides ample detail and says Dr. Oz's polyp scare prompted her to get a colonoscopy.

Exclusive Interviews
Oprah promised her final season would be the best ever and her staff worked to fulfill that promise. This year brought many exclusive interviews. Marie Osmond spoke, in depth, about her son's suicide. Ricky Martin came out to the world. Joe and Katherine Jackson provided an interesting interview and allowed Michael Jackson's children to speak out as well. The preview shows the elaborate back and forth discussions as booking agents get high-profile people to appear on the talk show.

Yosemite Trip
Oprah and Gayle's camping trip took two months of planning. Although the gals roughed it by making the long drive, setting camp, cooking and sleeping in a modest trailer, they had help from staff members working behind the scenes. A producer traveled to a grocery store in the wee hours so Gayle could awaken to a box of Cocoa Puffs.

The Judds
Wynona and Naomi Judd star in a reality TV show for OWN. While the duo has a tedious relationship, an Oprah producer aptly describes it as typical of a mother and adult daughter.

OWN Network Premiere on January 1, 2011
The new cable network officially goes on the air at noon on Saturday. Oprah says her network has a lineup of uplifting, meaningful television shows. If "Season 25" is any indication, OWN will also have plenty of humor.

Following the premiere, "Season 25" airs Fridays at 8 ET.

Sources:
"OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Announces Premiere Week Launch Schedule", Oprah.com