HBO and Harpo Films Enter Multi-Year Relationship

• Dec 16, 2008 04:51 PM ET
• by Adam Bryant

Oprah Winfrey

HBO announced Tuesday that the cable network had signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films to develop and produce scripted television programming.

Though there was no acknowledgment of any projects in the works, future endeavors will potentially include miniseries, movies, documentaries and series. Kate Forte, Harpo Films' president, said the companies' focus on quality make this partnership a natural fit.

"The format and creativity offered by HBO are unique in television, and the quality and range of their subjects are extraordinary," she said. "There is simply no other place like it. We look forward to doing great things together."

Winfrey agreed, calling the arrangement a "perfect partnership."

There is no word when the first collaborative project can be expected. Harpo Films' credits include Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters and the TV movies Their Eyes Were Watching God and the multiple Emmy-winning Tuesdays with Morrie.