The news I broke RIGHT HERE just before Christmas just became official with SABC3 announcing/admitting that the 25th season of The Oprah Winfrey Show will no longer start early in January and that the sought-after timeslot will temporarily be filled with third-rate reality fare in the form of the 1st and 2nd seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Besides SABC3 not wanting to ''spoil'' the debut of Oprah (although SABC3 does want to try and catch up quickly with the 25th season currently on in America) by starting the final buzz-worthy ''farewell season'' and then having to temporarily end it because of the Cricket World Cup, I can reveal that SABC3 at this very moment does not have a signed-off contract to show the final season of Oprah . . . a mere 17 days before it was supposed to start on 10 January 2011.
Therefore - waiting for the broadcasting licensing rights to be finalized as well as not wanting to give Oprah bat - The Real Housewives of Orange County will be used as filler-fodder from 10 January at 17:35 on SABC3. There's 18 episodes.
ALSO READ: Oprah's out! SABC3 expected to delay and push out the start of the final season of the Oprah Show set to start on SABC3 in January.
ALSO READ: SABC3 trying to speed up the start of the broadcast of Oprah's final season . . . but I can tell you there's problems.
