Oprah's finale draws highest ratings in 17 years

Oprah's finale draws highest ratings in 17 years

Oprah's fans were there for her to the very end.

The Oprah Winfrey Show finale on Wednesday drew the show's highest rating in more than 17 years, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen.

In 56 overnight metered markets - covering 70% of the TV households in the country, the finale drew a 13.3 household rating, reports The Wrap. That's the largest audience for her talk show since a Feb. 21, 1994 episode titled People Shed Their Disguises, which grabbed a 13.4 household rating in the overnight markets.

It appears that Wednesday's finale, featuring just Oprah being Oprah -- and giving us all her email address so we can keep in touch -- was up 129% from the show's season average in the overnights.

It has been a big final week for Oprah, according to Deadline.com. The show more than doubled its recent averages on Monday and Tuesday, too. More detailed national ratings for the finale will be available in about a week.

See photos of: Oprah Winfrey

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