Bye, Oprah - don't forget Chicago

She made it official Friday. Oprah Winfrey is shutting down her Chicago-based show in 2011 after 25 years as the queen of daytime talk.

Certainly, it will be a sad day for the estimated 42 million viewers who watch her show each week in the U.S. alone. It also airs in 145 countries.

It's that kind of global pull that Chicago-area residents will miss the most. Yes, we know Oprah isn't everyone's cup of tea. All you have to do is read some of the snarky comments on dailyherald.com to realize that. But across the country and the world, when people think of Chicago, they think of Oprah. When they come to visit Chicago, they want to see Oprah's show.

And isn't that better than remembering Al Capone or Rod Blagojevich? Isn't it better that she is the one who lasted 25 years as a Chicago-based syndicated talk show host rather than Morton Downey Jr. or Jerry Springer?

Isn't it telling that when Chicago's other current best-known name - President Barack Obama - was celebrating his historic election in Grant Park on election night in 2008, cameras were focused on Oprah, taking it all in among the crowd. Or when Chicago made its last ditch pitch to host the 2016 Olympics it was Oprah - along with the Obamas - in Denmark schmoozing the IOC?

Yes, Oprah's views and reactions to so many things serves as a barometer for millions. She has a special connection, it seems, with suburban moms. Want a recommendation for a book? Find out what Oprah's reading. Want to know where to donate your money? Oprah's philanthropic efforts are a big part of her appeal. Want to know the latest in weight control, Oprah's lifelong battle of the bulge has helped many to eat right. We took note of her exercise regimen and even watched her train for and run a marathon.

She brought in the experts and made them household names as well.

So we look forward to what she will do before her show ends. And we wish her well in her new endeavors, which likely means she will set up shop in Southern California as she launches a new cable network.

She's had a great run. Not many in TV can say they've been on the same show for 25 years. Heck, that's rare in any industry. She said it "feels right in my bones and right in my spirit" to end the show. Good for her to go out on her own terms.

All we ask, Oprah, is that you remember your Chicago roots. We're used to adapting to change. Marshall Field's is now Macy's. The Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower. The Olympics will be in Rio. But we are most loyal to those who are loyal back to us. So, keep Harpo studios open and operating in the west Loop, for example.

Plenty of celebrities move on, but the ones who are the most beloved are the ones who come back regularly filled with pride for the Chicago area and its residents.

"I never could have imagined the yellow brick road of blessings that would have led me to this moment," she said Friday.

Chicago has been her Land of Oz. Remember, Oprah, there's no place like home.