# Oprah's Master Class

Oprah's Master Class (or Oprah Presents: Master Class, as it was titled in the first season) is a primetime television program that airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The series premiered on the network's first day, January 1, 2011.

## Concept

According to OWN, Master Class "tells the stories you've never heard from the people you thought you knew best. Hand-picked by Oprah Winfrey for their unique impact on the world, true modern masters from Academy Award-winning actors, to Grammy-winning musicians, to ground-breaking athletes, share the greatest lessons they've learned along the way. In an intimate setting, they share their successes, failures, triumphs, disappointments and heartbreaks."
Each episode features an in-depth conversation with the subject, as they explore their story with viewers. The conversation is split up into numerous lessons that each master teaches, using personal anecdotes from their life to illustrate the point. Video clips, photographs, and re-enactments illustrate a visual representation of the stories being told. The biographical sketch is interspersed with personal insights and reflections from Oprah Winfrey on each master's life lessons.

## Overview

| Season | Episodes | Timeslot (EST) | Original airing | Original airing |
| Season | Episodes | Timeslot (EST) | Season premiere | Season finale |
| 1 | 8 | Sunday 10:00 PM | January 1, 2011 (2011-01-01) | April 3, 2011 |
| 2 | 10 | Sunday 10:00 PM | January 8, 2012 | April 29, 2012 |
| 3 | 8 | Sunday 10:00 PM | March 3, 2013 | June 16, 2013 |
| 4 | 10 | Sunday 10:00 PM | May 11, 2014 | August 3, 2014 |
| 5 | 7 | Sunday 8:00 PM | October 25, 2015 | December 6, 2015 |
| 6 | 9 | Saturday 10:00 PM | June 10, 2017 | January 15, 2018 |

## Episodes
### Season One (2011)

The first season of Oprah Presents: Master Class premiered on Saturday January 1, 2011 on the first day of the launch of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, with rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur Jay-Z. The first season aired weekly on Sundays at 10/9c and consists of eight hour-long episodes.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation |
| 1 | 1.1 | January 1, 2011 | Jay-Z | Rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets |
| 2 | 1.2 | January 2, 2011 | Diane Sawyer | Television journalist |
| 3 | 1.3 | January 16, 2011 | Maya Angelou | Poet, civil rights activist, dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress, professor |
| 4 | 1.4 | January 23, 2011 | Simon Cowell | A&R executive, television producer, television personality, entrepreneur |
| 5 | 1.5 | January 30, 2011 | Lorne Michaels | Canadian television producer, creator of Saturday Night Live |
| 6 | 1.6 | February 13, 2011 | Condoleezza Rice | Former United States Secretary of State |
| 7 | 1.7 | March 27, 2011 | Oprah Winfrey (Part 1) | Talk show host, media proprietor, actress |
| 8 | 1.8 | April 3, 2011 | Oprah Winfrey (Part 2) | Talk show host, media proprietor, actress |

### Season Two (2012)

The second season of Oprah's Master Class premiered on Sunday January 8, 2012 at 10/9c on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with actress, writer, and activist Jane Fonda. The second season premiered to record-high numbers for the series, with 930,000 viewers tuning into Fonda's Master Class. The second season aired weekly on Sundays at 10/9c and consists of ten hour-long episodes.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 9 | 2.1 | January 8, 2012 | Jane Fonda | Actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, fitness guru | 0.93 |
| 10 | 2.2 | January 15, 2012 | Goldie Hawn | Actress, film director, producer, author, singer | 0.47 |
| 11 | 2.3 | January 22, 2012 | Morgan Freeman | Actor, film director, aviator, narrator | 0.50 |
| 12 | 2.4 | January 29, 2012 | Ted Turner | Media mogul, philanthropist, chairman of United Nations Foundation board of directors | 0.49 |
| 13 | 2.5 | February 12, 2012 | Laird Hamilton | American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, model | 0.17 |
| 14 | 2.6 | March 4, 2012 | Reba McEntire | American country music artist, actress | 0.60 |
| 15 | 2.7 | March 25, 2012 | Jon Bon Jovi | Musician, singer, songwriter, actor | 0.43 |
| 16 | 2.8 | April 1, 2012 | Grant Hill | Professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, philanthropist | 0.34 |
| 17 | 2.9 | April 22, 2012 | Sidney Poitier (Part 1) | Actor, film director, author, diplomat | 0.40 |
| 18 | 2.10 | April 29, 2012 | Sidney Poitier (Part 2) | Actor, film director, author, diplomat | 0.32 |

### Season Three (2013)

The third season of Oprah's Master Class premiered on March 3, 2013, at 10/9c with an episode featuring singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. The third season aired weekly on Sundays at 10/9c and consists of eight hour-long episodes.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 19 | 3.1 | March 3, 2013 | Alicia Keys | Singer-songwriter, actress | 0.45 |
| 20 | 3.2 | March 10, 2013 | Cindy Crawford | Model, social activist, designer | 0.44 |
| 21 | 3.3 | March 17, 2013 | Tom Brokaw | Television journalist, author | 0.33 |
| 22 | 3.4 | March 24, 2013 | Stevie Nicks | Singer-songwriter, musician | 0.38 |
| 23 | 3.5 | June 2, 2013 | Lenny Kravitz | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actor and arranger | 0.76 |
| 24 | 3.6 | June 9, 2013 | Susan Sarandon | Actress, political and social activist | 0.36 |
| 25 | 3.7 | June 16, 2013 | Berry Gordy | Record producer, founder of Motown record label, songwriter, film producer, television producer | 0.32 |
| 26 | 3.8 | June 16, 2013 | Diahann Carroll | Television and stage actress, singer | 0.31 |

### Season Four (2014)

Oprah's Master Class returned to OWN on May 11, 2014, with an episode featuring Justin Timberlake. The fourth season aired weekly on Sundays at 10/9c and consists of ten hour-long episodes.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 27 | 4.1 | May 11, 2014 | Justin Timberlake | Singer-songwriter, actor, record producer, philanthropist | N/A |
| 28 | 4.2 | June 1, 2014 | Whoopi Goldberg | Actress, comedian, producer, author, singer, activist, talk show host | N/A |
| 29 | 4.3 | June 8, 2014 | Tim McGraw | Singer-songwriter, actor | N/A |
| 30 | 4.4 | June 15, 2014 | Robin Roberts | Newscaster | N/A |
| 31 | 4.5 | June 22, 2014 | Lionel Richie | Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actor | N/A |
| 32 | 4.6 | June 29, 2014 | Barbara Walters | Journalist, newscaster, producer, author, talk show host | N/A |
| 33 | 4.7 | July 13, 2014 | Vanessa L. Williams | Singer, actress, producer | N/A |
| 34 | 4.8 | July 20, 2014 | Billy Bob Thornton | Actor, director, screenwriter, musician | N/A |
| 35 | 4.9 | July 27, 2014 | Sharon Stone | Actress, producer, model | N/A |
| 36 | 4.10 | August 3, 2014 | Cicely Tyson | Actress | N/A |

### Season Five (2015)

Oprah's Master Class returned to OWN on Sunday October 25, 2015 with an episode featuring Ellen DeGeneres. The fifth season aired weekly on Sundays at 8/7c and consists of seven hour-long episodes.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 37 | 5.1 | October 25, 2015 | Ellen DeGeneres | Comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer, designer | 0.56 |
| 38 | 5.2 | November 1, 2015 | Smokey Robinson | Singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive | 0.47 |
| 39 | 5.3 | November 8, 2015 | Robert Duvall | Actor, director | 0.19 |
| 40 | 5.4 | November 15, 2015 | Dwayne Johnson | Actor, producer, professional wrestler | 0.40 |
| 41 | 5.5 | November 22, 2015 | Patti LaBelle | Singer-songwriter, actress | 0.52 |
| 42 | 5.6 | November 26, 2015 | James Taylor | Singer-songwriter, musician | 0.17 |
| 43 | 5.7 | December 6, 2015 | Jeff Bridges | Actor, singer, producer | 0.17 |

### Season Six (2017-18)

Oprah's Master Class returned to OWN on Saturday June 10, 2017 with a sneak-preview episode featuring Kevin Hart.
| No. | Ep. | Original airdate | Modern master | Occupation | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 44 | 6.1 | June 10, 2017 | Kevin Hart | Actor, comedian, writer, producer | 0.39 |
| 45 | 6.2 | August 22, 2017 | Tyler Perry | Actor, comedian, filmmaker, producer, writer, songwriter | 1.13 |
| 46 | 6.3 | August 23, 2017 | Lynn Whitfield | Actress, producer | 0.66 |
| 47 | 6.4 | September 2, 2017 | Steve Harvey | Standup comic, television host, radio host, author | 0.47 |
| 48 | 6.5 | September 9, 2017 | LL Cool J | Rapper, actor, author, entrepreneur | N/A |
| 49 | 6.6 | September 16, 2017 | Shaquille O'Neal | Professional basketball player, sports analyst, rapper, author | 0.34 |
| 50 | 6.7 | September 23, 2017 | Usher | Singer, songwriter, dancer, actor | 0.32 |
| 51 | 6.8 | September 23, 2017 | Gladys Knight | Singer, songwriter, actress, author | 0.39 |
| 52 | 6.9 | January 15, 2018 | John Lewis | Politician, civil rights leader | N/A |

## Specials

| No. | Title | Original air date |
| SP1 | "Special Edition" | May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06) |
| SP2 | "Civil Rights Special" | January 4, 2015 (2015-01-04) |
| SP3 | "Belief Special" | October 11, 2015 (2015-10-11) |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2012 | 43rd NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Variety Series or Special | Won |
| 2012 | 18th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | News/ Informational Show | Won |
| 2012 | Gracie Awards | Outstanding Portrait/Biography | Won |
| 2013 | 44th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Variety Series or Special | Nominated |
| 2013 | 19th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | News/ Informational Show | Won |
| 2013 | 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Informational Series or Special | Nominated |
| 2014 | 45th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Variety Series or Special | Nominated |
| 2015 | 46th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Variety Series or Special | Won |
| 2015 | 21st Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | News/ Informational Show ("Cicely Tyson") | Won |
| 2015 | Gracie Awards | Outstanding Portrait/Biography | Won |
| 2016 | 47th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Variety Series or Special | Nominated |
| 2016 | 22nd Annual NAMIC Vision Awards | News/ Informational Show | Nominated |
| 2016 | Gracie Awards | Outstanding Portrait/Biography | Won |
| 2018 | 49th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding News / Information – (Series or Special) | Nominated |

## International broadcast

* Australia — The series premiered on Discovery Home & Health from October 27, 2013.