Oprah wished for snow…and she’s going to get it. “The biggest snowstorm in the history of snowstorms is about to hit Chicago,” Oprah tells us.  This should be interesting since they are filming six shows this week.  The blizzard is coming!  The blizzard is coming! I think Sheri called it a “mama gamma” blizzard….and it’s going to cause some drama for the team at Harpo. 

So, we are told that the only time the Oprah show has ever been canceled was on 9/11…so, the team is confident that a little snow is not going to derail them…not even a lot of snow.  The audiences are being thought of.  The teams are contacting the guests on the shows.  It’s all under control…but we are just 5 minutes into this weeks episode…and we know something about to freeze over…is it Chicago or no…wait….or is it about one of the guests?

Producer, Lesli Grisanti has this show with Jennifer Hudson.  JHud is coming on the show to talk about her weight loss.  She looks fabulous.  She’s going to sing too.  How great is this….right?   Then the other segement this week is on the legendary Soap Stars.  So surpises and reunions…right on the Oprah Show.  This was Producer, Dana Brooks brain child…and she and &  Scott Rondeau, co-producer, tells us it’s a huge deal for him…it’s the first show he’s ever produced at Harpo.  Go Scott!  Oprah remindes us how devoted fans are and how soaps “used to dominate the daytime experience.”  Oprah’s getting excited about doing this show and it’s bringing up memories.  You can tell, she is a big soap fan!  She’s one of us.

So, as the week progresses and Wednesday approches, Susan Lucci calls and isn’t feeling the vibe of flying in the blizzard. I can’t say I blame her.  “Can we push it to Friday?” Dana is asked.  So, after a lot of juggling of schedules for everyone…the Harpo team exhaustidly makes it work.  Sheri tells us, “Friday is going to be a marathon day…with 3 shows.”  WOW.  And as it turned out, it was a good thing that they changed the taping…because Wednesday the crazy blizzard came and Harpo took a snow day.

By Thursday, people were digging out and back to work.  Everything was going as planned.  Jennifer Hudson came in for rehearsal on Thursday afternoon and then, the taping of the show was on Friday.  In the pre-show meeting, Lesli goes over what JHud would prefer not to talk about.  Jennifer doesn’t want to tell anyone the exact number of how much weight that she has lost…Oh, Oprah does not like to be told that she can’t ask the question.  “What I don’t like is when I am told you can’t ask the question…oh no no no….you are coming to my house. I can ask the question and you can choose to answer it any way you want but you can’t tell me what I can and can’t ask.  That’s just the deal here.”  Jhud also doesn’t want to say that there is any ‘emotional component’ to weight gain.  It’s just because she’s from a ‘big family’…it’s part of her culture…  What a bunch of BS.  JHud, you are sounding CRAZIER by the moment.  Oprah’s is clearly frustrated by all of these issues…but wait, you haven’t seen frustrated yet. 

So Lesli G. fills us in.  Here’s how it normally works at the Oprah Show -If you need it, rehearsal is the night before, then you go back to the hotel…and you come back in the morning for a sound check, and then, tape the show.  At the end of rehearsal, JHud even says as she waves, “Be back in the morning…EARLY in the morning…” she stresses.  Oh, the lies we are about to find out. 

At 6am, we see Gwen Martin, Senior Production Assistant, alone in a sea of cubicles.  She tells us, “So last night I slept here. I got up, went down to the gym, cleaned up and came back to my desk to find out that Jennifer Hudson is in Dallas.”  Here’s the back story.  Lesli got a call at 4:45am from JHud’s publicist to say she went to a party in Dallas…and won’t be making it back to the show in time…she’s going to be late…It’s a 2 1/2 to 3 hour flight people…and its 6:35am…and they still haven’t left Dallas.  OH, JHud!  Lesli tells us, “This has never happened in the history of the Oprah Show…” and she is rightfully ticked off.  So…it’s 7am…time to find Oprah.

When Oprah is told…this is her reaction. “Excuse me…excuse me….what the hell is going on.” EXACTLY JHUD.  What the hell is going on?  Unbelievable.  Weather has been an issue all week…and Jennifer Hudson leaves Chicago’s blizzard and fly’s into a Dallas ice storm.  Where is the logic?  So, now the taping schedule of 9am, 1pm and 4pm for Friday is completely screwed.  Oh…and BTW, she’s on a commercial flight.  SAY WHAT?

So, Oprah is concerned about the audience…it’s 7:40am…and THEY are there.  Shame on you JHud.  So, Oprah talks to the audience and takes care of them…and makes sure that they are having the Oprah Show experience.  “They took it better than we did,” Oprah says. 

At 10am, Jennifer arrives, entourage in tow. No apologies. Nothing to the Harponians. What the hell? So Oprah asked her without cameras, “What happened?”  “She was in Dallas at a gig.”  Sheri tells us they tweeted about it this morning, “They were at Jerry Johnson’s Dallas Cowboy Party with Jamie Foxx.”  Oh, lordy…this is getting worse by the minute.  JHud – SO STUPID.  Back to Oprah who says of their conversation, “I just said, there’s been lots of drama around here this morning and nobody knew what was going on. We’re told one thing, and told another thing and told another thing.  She’s very sorry, very apologetic…once I had the conversation with her, for me it was done. It was over. I don’t appreciate it. I think that was not a good decision on your part. So learn from it.”  

Oprah goes out to the audience and settles in and says, “Well, Jennifer’s here.  I tell you, if she was my daughter, I’d put her on curfew right now…leaving my house, didn’t tell nobody…out partying in Dallas and done missed her class this morning.”   JHud tells the camera just before she goes out in one last attempt for understanding, “I had a contractual engagement I had to do…the plane wouldn’t take off….I feel like I’m in a disaster of a nightmare of a dream…we went from a private plane to a helicopter to a commercial plane just to get here.”  Save it.  Not really caring…still can’t believe you left Oprah for Jimmy Johnson.  The new JHUD move… 

Finally, almost 2 hours behind schedule….they start.  So one of the first questions out of Oprah’s mouth is, “so, how much weight have you lost?”   Let’s let JHud figure out how to answer..because THIS is stupid.  She says the number – 80. 80. 80. EIGHTY.  JHud thanks Oprah for being so patient…but does she thank EVERYONE else…?   I sure hope so…because you just don’t do that to people… Oprah says, “Jennifer being late backed up the whole day and put a lot of pressure unnecessarily on a lot of people….that’s just a fact.  That’s the truth.”  Yeah…thanks again JHud.

So, it’s 3pm….get me out of this drama and bring me to the legendary Soap stars!  And Dana is excited for Scott…because he’s so excited, being his first show!  The show went great!  And the big Susan Lucci surprise was  fantastic!  “Nice job crew,” is this weeks sign off from Sheri Salata. 

Nice job, Harponians…for surviving the blizzard…and not just the one in big sunglasses that blew through Chicago and the Harpo studios and left choas in it’s wake.