OWN'S "TIME OF ESSENCE" TRAILER DEBUT

Oprah Winfrey joins Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Beverly Johnson and many more culture-defining voices in OWN's new five-part documentary series premiering Friday, August 18 at 9 pm ET/PT

Today, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network debuted the official trailer for its highly anticipated original documentary series, "Time of Essence," which premieres on Friday, August, 18 at 9 pm ET/PT. The five-part, one-hour series is a celebration of the trailblazing magazine that reaches a global community of over 20 million Black women and has revealed some of the most captivating and influential covers of the past half-century.

Oprah Winfrey joins the names of thought leaders, celebrities and culture defining influencers featured in the series, which includes: Oscar(R)-winning actresses Halle Berry and Whoopi Goldberg; Emmy(R)-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, Regina Hall and Taye Diggs; Golden Globe(R)-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; actress Gabrielle Union-Wade; fashion model and icon Beverly Johnson and her daughter Anansa Sims; singer and actress Vanessa Williams; attorney and The View co-host Sunny Hostin; producer and former president of Motown Productions, Suzanne de Passe; iconic ESSENCE Magazine editor Mikki Taylor, long-time Editor-In-Chief Susan L. Taylor and current President and CEO Caroline Wanga, amongst others.

To further amplify and celebrate the series, OWN is launching a fan activation across its social platforms where fans are encouraged to use a 'Time of Essence Cover Creator,' allowing users to upload photos of themselves and design their very own customized Essence cover to share with friends and family. To get started, fans can visit own.tv/essencecover and tag @Essence and @owntv. #OWNTimeofEssence

About "Time of Essence"

"Time of Essence'' will tell the story of how ESSENCE has informed and reflected Black culture in America for over 50 years. Each episode explores a different decade - from the '70s to today - and features first-hand commentary on that era's biggest moments from the icons, trailblazers, staffers and leaders who lived and defined them. This candid commentary is coupled with never-before-seen footage and exclusive behind-the-scenes moments from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics, fashion and beauty. "Time of Essence '' is produced by 51 Minds and ESSENCE Studios LLC for OWN. Executive producers are Christian Sarabia and Nicole Elliott for 51 Minds, Raymond Garcia for Major TV, and Emmet Dennis, Sidra Smith, Stephanie "NöNe'' Dunivan and Barkue Tubman-Zawolo for ESSENCE Studios LLC.