Will Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey team for a reality show? - Los Angeles Times
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Will Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey team for a reality show?

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OK, so disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has spilled his guts to Oprah Winfrey about doping and cheating.

Now what?

Don’t be surprised if Armstrong pursues getting a reality show. And an Armstrong reality show would most likely air on Winfrey’s struggling OWN network.

It could be a win-win for both Armstrong and Winfrey.

Think about it. Armstrong could be the latest in a line of former sports stars such as Michael Vick, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose and other troubled athletes who have used the arena of reality TV as a way to rehabilitate their images and show they are just like ordinary people with kids and pets.

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The photogenic Armstrong already looks like a reality show hero. His fall from grace -- stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after years of denying he ever used performance-enhancing drugs -- is tailor-made for the genre. He’s a cancer survivor and founded the cancer-fighting Livestrong Foundation (he recently stepped down and apologized to his staff).

Then there’s the whole family element -- he has three kids with his ex-wife, and two children with his girlfriend.

There’s even a show-biz component -- Armstrong was once engaged to singer Sheryl Crow.

People who hate Lance Armstrong would watch. People who admire Lance Armstrong would watch.

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As for Winfrey, OWN could use a hit. Other celebrities such as Shania Twain and the father-daughter combo of Ryan & Tatum O’Neal have had shows on OWN, though they’ve been far from blockbusters. Winfrey has increasingly been flirting with reality stars in order to boost ratings -- she did a highly watched special with Kim Kardashian and her family.

Though ratings have improved, the network still lacks a signature hit.

Producing and airing a reality show with Armstrong would fit in perfectly with Winfrey’s often-stated philosophy of redemption, which she has promoted in her syndicated talk show.

What do you think? Should Lance Armstrong do a reality show? And should he team up with Oprah Winfrey?

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