Plot Synopsis

In this two part special, Oprah Winfrey reveals her innermost thoughts about some of the opportunities and obstacles she faced, and continues to encounter, as she works to create, develop and grow her cable network. The first episode features the network creation and launch, as well as the first year of programming, while the second installment highlights the state of the network today and Oprah's plan for the future. First announced in January 2008, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a venture 50/50 owned by Discovery and Harpo, was originally slated to debut in 2009. When OWN finally launched on New Year's Day 2011, the network's mission was "to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives" with a mix of original programs, acquisitions and fan favorites from Discovery Health, the channel which OWN replaced. During the first year, OWN struggled to find an audience, despite its slate of weekly series, originals, documentaries and movies. The network has drawn an average of only 250,000 viewers during primetime, but recently Oprah's interview with Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, drew an OWN record 3.5 million viewers, and recent interviews with the Kardashians each drew more than one million viewers.