From heart to heart, we are pulled this week with two very different shows in this BTS episode and in two completely different directions. First, we have Nadya Suleman and the Suze Orman…showing us that that we all human…and then, to our heartthrobs taking us back to a time when we thought everything was possible…when giddy was a way of life… All of this in 60 minutes or less….
Getting real with Nadya Suleman. Oprah is looking for what is the teaching lesson in everything…and with Nadya, we have a unique lesson…Katy Davis, Senior Supervising Producer is described by Oprah as “a devoted producer who is not afraid to take on the big projects.” And today’s big project is a show with Nadya Suleman, known by some as the Octomom.
Last summer, Nadya sent Oprah a letter last summer. Reading it, Oprah comments that she is really smart and has a great deal of awareness. “I just don’t know how you overcome it with 14 kids….I do not know how she’s doing it.” Katy has some reservations about booking Nadya…because of the controversy surrounding her… “How can you picture yourself addressing this?” Sheri Salata, our Executive Producer, asks Oprah. “It’ an interesting spiritual dilemma….all of these little soul bodies…” We all agree that the way to help Nadya is to put her in touch with Suze Orman. “With Suze, its all the things she does off camera that nobody sees,” Sheri tells us. “She digs in, she spends time with people, years later she still follows up with guests…she is the person we go to when we have somebody that needs financial help that is going to then become a lesson for all of us.” Honesty and compassion is what Sheri is hoping to bring to the show.
After Suze Orman puts in about 40 hours going through all of Nadya’s financial records, she tells Dana Brooks, another Producer on this show, “Here’s what’s so sad. She made enough money that she could have taken care of her kids for the rest of their lives.” Here’s the thing, if we get her to admit that she is addicted to babies and she made a mistake, it could be a very interesting moment.”
Scott Rondeau, Co-Producer, of the Nadya show is someone that has spent a little time with Nadya for last year’s show and Dana’s right hand man. Nadya talks fast…and Scott has to ask her to “back up the bus” during a pre-show phone call. I’m so going to use that one…except I think I will add, “WHOA…” and then say, “back up the bus…”
Get ready. Suze Orman and Nadya Suleman are in the house. Scott Rondeau reminds Nadya, “You really need to slow down and watch the laugh…We want people to hear what you are saying.” Sheri Salata tells us, “I like a Suze smackdown more than anyone….our intention is that Nadya can really take Suze’s information in and really make some changes.” They both join Oprah at the same time on stage…and Suze was really tough…right from the beginning. “Way too much,” Sheri says from the control booth. Suze was having a smackdown kinda day….
Our post-show meeting is moved upstairs…to Oprah’s office. While Oprah’s staff was uncomfortable, Oprah knew Suze was coming from the right place. “I did not think she was too hard…I don’t think anything is too hard if it’s the truth,” Oprah tells us. Suze being tough is really fine. Nadya said she wanted help…and this was her wakeup call. After in the green room, Suze talks with Nadya…”you are free….you are free…” and with that…I am hopeful for the Octomom and her kids….
Oprah reminds us…that there is a connection. That we may think we have nothing in common with Nadya, but we do. “You may use food…you use gambling…use shopping….use work…I do with potato chips what Nadya Suleman had done with babies. That’s the only difference.” Powerful. Think about it.
Here comes the Teen Heartthrobs Show and Oprah’s Surprise Secret Crush Date! Leslie Grisanti, is the Producer for the heartthrobs show and a first timer here on the BTS shows with Oprah. We like her instantly because she is giddy as she talks about all of the teen heartthrobs that the show will have – Shawn Cassidy, The Back Street Boys, Peter Frampton, Jackie Jackson…but really, she tells us, it’s all about Oprah’s teenage crush on Jackie Jackson…
Surprises galore with TBSB (The Back Street Boys). Gwen Martin, Senior Production Assistant, gets to help make a surprise happen with one of the Back Street Boys biggest fan…and gets to prove herselft a little too…as Leslie tells us that she is giving her a little more responsibility because Gwen would like a promotion…so, let’s get it going and give Gwen a chance to get promoted!
During the pre-show meeting, Leslie and Tara Montgomery, another Supervising Producer, are going to surprise Oprah… “I got talked into it if you want to know the truth…a lot of people here grew up with heartthrobs, and so I was trying to accommodate that,” Oprah tells us to confirm why they are having this kind of show. Everyone is afraid that Oprah knows they are up to something…because “she can smell a rat” and she is not easily fooled we are told. Brad Opperman, Senior Associate Producer, is literally the man in charge of making this surprise happen because his job is to get Jackie up to Oprah’s office to surprise her so Jackie can whisk her off on a dream date…all the way across the street. As they stall to make this happen, Oprah is clearly getting a little peeved. Does she knows something is coming…?
As Leslie keeps on talking and talking to Oprah, everyone is reminding themselves that Oprah does not like to be surprised. But when Jackie Jackson walks into Oprah’s office….we see her jump up with genuine surprise and well…we, ourselves, are a little surprised….and feeling her excitement! All the guys are high-fiving and all the women are behaving like little school girls…and Jackie tells her, “I’m taking you on a date across the street…” All of a sudden, Oprah is a schoolgirl too…and so cute…and Oprah knows now…she has to go be charming for the evening. “Stedman will be happy for me. Cuz that’s the kind of guy he is. He will literally say, “That is so nice that that happened to you,” Oprah tells us. We love you Stedman. “I really don’t like surprises, but eh…it was pretty fun,” she says. We get a little BTS look at her date….and are happy for her.
Meanwhile at the O’Hare Airport, Gwen Martin is there to handle the Back Street Boys surprising 2 of their super fans and giving them a surprise of their lifetime. It’s all in Gwen’s hands…and a lot of pressure on a pair of shaking hands I might add. So, as Gwen’s phone keeps dropping calls…we feel the tenseness of the situation. Can you hear me now?…I wonder if she’s changed her service provider. Meghan and Noelle are the super fans…and they ARE indeed surprised. And as the staff of many that was along with Gwen for this segment magically disappears, they leave Gwen running around getting bags, getting cars, getting it together….Oh…we feel for her!
The morning of the heartthrobs show Oprah tells us that “you are literally transported back to that part of yourself that was hopeful and believed that anything could happen…like I could be with Shawn Cassidy.” Oprah tells about all of the BTS moments…and how they pulled it off right under her nose. Leslie was singing and giddy through the whole show…”you get to live in the space of your young heart….” Oprah tells us. And all of our hearts can use some of that every once in awhile.
Thank you Oprah and Behind the Scenes….we love love love it!