Oprah Winfrey’s production company is proposing a new daytime talk show featuring Chicago interior designer and decorator Nate Berkus, which means he’s poised to join Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, and Dr. Oz as the newest member of the ‘I was a regular Oprah guest and now I have my own show’ clique. The as-yet-titled show is slated for 2010 and would be the second collaboration between Harpo Productions and its distributor, Sony Pictures Television. Their first collaboration, "The Dr. Oz Show" premiered earlier this year and had the best first-run talk show debut in seven years, according to Broadcasting & Cable. more ›

Oprah kicked off the holiday season of giving on Monday with free home makeovers for viewers care of Thom Filicia of Queer Eye and Oprah Show live-in lover Nate Dreamboat Berkus. First Thom scrambled to complete a home renovation in 42 minutes while wearing a child-size plastic fireman’s hat. We thought we were in for a light-hearted show, but it took a tear-jerking turn with Nate’s assignment. Guests Joan and Ken had made an appearance on the show back in September and won the chance to take Nate home for a domestic upgrade. What we didn’t know then is that Joan had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and has little time left to live. She wanted to make sure her husband and sons had a “manly” place to hang out in their house, so Oprah charged Nate with the task of upgrading the family’s unfinished basement into a guy’s wonderland. Some wood paneling, a pool table and autographed photos of dirt bikers seemed to do the trick, and the joy and relief in Joan’s eyes Oprahfied us. more ›

It was all squeals right off the bat this Monday when Oprah brought out Nate “Dreamy Dreamhouse Maker” Berkus and announced someone in the audience would be taking him home for a free home makeover. Oprah followed this act of benevolence by doing the meanest thing ever: dragging an unsuspecting mother of 5 out of bed and throwing her on national television via Skype. Oprah had good reason, though, as Mom won a free home makeover too. Yippee! The show took a more sentimental turn with the return of Fannie Eugene, a guest Oprah once crowned “Princess for a Day” and showered with gifts back in 2003. Now a post-Katrina victim stuck in a FEMA trailer for the last 18 months, Fannie once again received the much-deserved royal treatment from Dreamboat Berkus. With a new house and new hope, tiara-sporting Princess Fannie’s spirit was renewed, as was ours. This is why we watch Oprah. more ›

... our find of the day at the Chicago Antique Market—which kicked off its summer schedule today, despite cloudy skies and spitting rain—was from an antique jewelry booth run by two friendly retired college professors. They had on display 1960s Lucite Cicada pins. “We had a bunch this morning,” Arlene Eskilson, proprietor of The Way We Were jewelry booth, “but they’ve all flown off.” Cicada jewelry wasn’t the only highlight of her collection, which was... more ›

The tsunamis that swept across the Indian Ocean from Thailand to Somalia and killed more than 44,000 people so far may seem like a world away, but they are affecting people around the Chicagoland area in many ways. A couple of stories we've read with local ties - Dipak Jain, the dean of Northwestern's business school, has been in Thailand since December 15 to teach at a school in Bangkok. Jain, his wife, and his... more ›