OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF OPRAH'S NEW ORIGINAL PRIMETIME SERIES "OPRAH'S NEXT CHAPTER"

Series Debuts January 1, 2012 with a Special Two-Hour Premiere Event Featuring Aerosmith's Frontman and "American Idol" Judge Steven Tyler

Los Angeles, CA - OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today the premiere of Oprah Winfrey's anticipated original primetime series "Oprah's Next Chapter." The debut episode will feature Aerosmith's Steven Tyler from his home in New Hampshire as a two-hour premiere event Sunday, January 1, 2012 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). The series continues in its regular time period beginning Sunday, January 8 (9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT).

"After 25 years I got myself out of the studio chairs. I moved into the next chapter, and I am having more fun than ever - moving around the country and the world talking to people I'm really interested in getting to know and I think viewers will be, too," said Winfrey. "It is so energizing to be out and about in the world exploring new people, new places and new ideas."

"I sat at the dinner table with a Hasidic Jewish family and tried to explain to the children who have never seen a television what TV is...can you imagine? I fire-walked with Tony Robbins - never pictured myself doing that! I celebrated the power of God and community with Joel Osteen and I'm planning a trip with Deepak Chopra to India where I've never been," Winfrey added.

In this new, weekly, primetime series, Oprah steps outside of the studio for some riveting, enlightening in-depth conversations with newsmakers, celebrities, thought leaders and real-life families.

During the first season, Oprah also journeys to Haiti with Sean Penn nearly two years after the devastating earthquake that took the lives of more than 300,000 people, tours Skywalker Ranch with George Lucas as her personal guide, has a slumber party at Southern chef Paula Deen's Georgia estate and travels to a small town in Iowa devoted to the practice of Transcendental Meditation.

In the two-hour premiere episode, Oprah and Steven Tyler, the frontman of Aerosmith, meet at his private family home in New Hampshire on Lake Sunapee. In a very personal conversation, Steven shares everything from his years of battling drug addiction and betrayal of his wives, to his newfound fame and popularity on "American Idol."

About OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN debuted on January 1, 2011, in approximately 77 million homes on what was the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com.