For the beginning of the end – or, as Oprah Winfrey’s team has phrased it, the premiere of the farewell season – the Queen of Daytime TV rounded up 300 of her “ultimate” viewers to join her in the audience and reminisce about the days gone by, watch as she surprised some hard-core "Oprah" fans – and get free stuff, of course.

“I’m going to treasure for the rest of my life the emails and letters you’ve sent,” Winfrey told the audience at the start of the show, many of whom still had tears in their eyes from flipping out when the 56-year-old host first walked out onto the set. “Some of you I know have grown up with me, you’ve raised your children with me, and you all have been on this wild, wild ride with me and I have deep, deep heartfelt gratitude to you all.”

And what better way to show gratitude than with an 8-day all-expenses paid excursion to Australia? With John Travolta playing the part of the pilot, no less.

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Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for the Sunday, September 12 episode of AMC’s ‘Mad Men.'

After last night’s episode, it’s safe to say that the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce could use a "Respect in the Workplace" seminar. (That, and they’re desperately in need of a human resources department.)

We waded into the murky waters of gender roles in the 1960s workplace last night and boy, did it get uncomfortable. Has this show mastered the awkward moment or what? On the bright side, things seem to be looking up for Don, maybe. We’ll start there.

We opened with Don journaling through some rage and mulling cutting back on his drinking. He expressed the desire to gain control of his life and made a bucket list while he was on a roll. He even made an appearance at baby Gene’s birthday party, which was not the horrible disaster that it could have been.

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Two years ago, the hottest ticket at the Toronto International Film Festival was Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” - which broke in Toronto days after its buzz-building premiere at Telluride - and went on to take the world by storm.

And while there isn’t much outward similarity between “Slumdog” and Boyle's current offering, “127 Hours," who wouldn’t want to see the movie that had Telluride’s emergency services scrambling not once, but twice, as sensitive audience members fainted left, right and center?

This film – as you have probably already heard – is the true life tale of climber Aron Ralston, who sawed off his own arm with a multi-tool after a freak run-in with a boulder. The Toronto press was out in full force for this one.

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Sounds like someone heard Garth Brooks's "Unanswered Prayers" – the hit country song is being turned into a Lifetime TV movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The 1990 Billboard chart-topper tells the story of a happily married man who has a run-in with his high school sweetheart at a football game in their hometown. Though he reminisces about the days he prayed she'd be his forever, he realizes that his true destiny was to be with his wife.

Lifetime's film, which premieres in November, will star Eric Close ("Without a Trace") as the torn man with Samantha Mathis ("Grey's Anatomy") as his wife and Madchen Amick ("Damages") as his former crush.

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The "Showbiz Tonight" staff was surely on the lookout for part two of the big Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift showdown at MTV’s Video Music Awards last night and we weren’t disappointed!

It was this time last year when Kanye famously swiped the mic from the now 20-year-old when she was delivering her speech for her very first VMA win. Kanye was so berated by the public about the whole incident that he basically went into hiding - until now.

In our meeting this morning, we talked about the performance duel and how Taylor clearly forgave Kanye. She sang an emotional song, "Innocent," about forgiveness next to a TV showing the infamous incident between the two. Kanye, on the other hand, left us somewhat baffled.

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“Entourage” fans, it’s a bittersweet Monday.

The last time I blogged two Sundays ago, there were no NFL football games (that really counted), no Taylor Swift song about Kanye West, no Kanye West song about what he did to Taylor, and there certainly was no Justin Bieber performance on the MTV VMAs that made me openly admit, "Hey, I like this kid!"

(Wait, did I just type that?)

My, how the world has changed. While some of yesterday's gifts were more fun than others, it felt like Christmas all day long. A day full of NFL games was the best present I could wish for after a long summer, but at the end of it all, I got to watch an “Entourage” season finale that made me say "that was absolutely incredible." But, it’s the season finale. The season is now (gulp) over.

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Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for the Sunday, September 12 episode of HBO’s “True Blood.”

Well, that’s that. Was the finale everything you hoped it would be? Even though I felt the episode was clunky at times and really didn’t leave us with an "OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY TOOK IT THERE" cliffhanger, the writers brought Alcide back and that was good enough for me.

So, what happened? There were lots of little things that added up to a whole lot of awesome.

Sam plied Tara with a stack of hoecakes and broke the news that he was a shapeshifter. It went over like a lead balloon and, having had enough of Bon Temps and its propensity for supernatural happenings, Tara cut her hair and appeared to leave town. Not helping matters was finding her mother in a compromising position with the local (married) pastor.

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It didn't look like Cher needed to turn back time at the VMAs last night.

The 64-year-old singer proudly walked out onto the VMA stage Sunday wearing an outfit nearly identical to the iconic (and revealing) one she donned in her 1989 music video, “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Even her hair was reaching its former heights.

“I’m the oldest chick with the biggest hair and the littlest costume,” she told the audience. “I have shoes older than most of these nominees.”

Cher was on hand to announce the winner of the Video of the Year award, which went to Lady Gaga for “Bad Romance.” Gaga is known for making a statement or two with fashion as well, and accepted her award in a dress made of meat. No, really - Gaga's rep told CNN that the dress was made by House of Gaga out of actual meat.

Hopefully Chelsea Handler will have a sense of humor when she reads the reviews of her VMA hosting gig.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the comedian and E! talk show host was raked over the coals for her MTV stint, with the New York Times describing her as being "among the worst [hosts] in the show's history."

Though the Times called Handler's "Chelsea Lately" show "consistently hilarious," her VMA appearance was no laughing matter. "Here, she never looked comfortable, undone by nerves, brittle material, and the wattage of those around her," said the newspaper, which critiqued her as being "purposefully out-of-touch, with brief, alarming flashes of off-color racial humor."

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Lady Gaga had not one, but four dates on her arm as she strode into last night's MTV Video Music Awards at L.A.'s Nokia Theatre: gay and lesbian soldiers who were discharged or opted to leave over the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

"I'm here for a very, very important cause tonight," the eight-time Moonman winner, 24, told MTV. "These are all my friends and they are with SLDN.org, which is an organization that was founded in 1993 under the reaction to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policies. Their stories are very inspiring and there's so much we can do right now."

According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the soldiers are former West Point cadet Katie Miller, who resigned in August to protest the policy; and former U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. David Hall, former U.S. Air Force Major Mike Almy and former U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Stacy Vasquez, who were all discharged.

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