Vicki Lawrence Was Offered Oprah's Job First

Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey let us in on the news that the more than 30-year connection she has had with Chicago would soon come to an end with the closing of Harpo Studios in December. But the legacy she leaves may never have materialized had another well-known personality taken a different path in her career.

Turn the clock back to 1983. Chicago’s long-struggling WLS-TV morning show AM Chicago was seeking yet another host, trying out different options on a week-to-week basis.

In comes Vicki Lawrence, famous for her portrayal of the “Mama” character on The Carol Burnett Show, to give it a shot.

She did such a good job, the network’s producers offered her the full-time gig on the spot.

“I remember being really surprised - but unsure if I could just get up and move to Chicago,” Lawrence said during a recent interview with Patch. “I decided not to do it.”

The very next week, Oprah - a young, talented radio co-host from Baltimore - took her turn. She also did well and was offered the position, with the first episode airing on Jan. 2, 1984. A year later, the show was fighting for the top spot in the ratings and soon after Oprah would find herself of the Mount Rushmore of Chicago’s influential people.

While Lawrence compared her decision to “turning down the role of Dorothy” in the Wizard of Oz, things worked out alright for her as well. She continued with her “Mama” character, this time in “Mama’s Family,” a show centered around her from 1983 to 1990. She continues to portray the character to this day in her comedic stage show “Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-Woman Show.”

Read more about Vicki Lawrence on Patch

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