dr Phil, the US talk show where Dr. Phil McGraw, which passed life advice to individuals and became a staple on daytime television around the world, is scheduled to end later this year after 21 seasons.
The show, which McGraw has hosted since 2002, saw him counsel guests plagued by issues often to do with their finances, weight, family, addiction and marriage.
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw said in a statement. “Through this show, we’ve helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellbeing and parenting. This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career but as I get away from the day there is so much more I want to do.”
CBS sources told Variety that McGraw should end production on the show, which airs five days a week in the United States.
McGraw, 72, first rose to prominence after appearing as a guest speaker on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in the 1990s, and soon became famous for his folksy, direct advice. dr Phil was originally produced by Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.
In 2006, while McGraw was pursuing his doctorate in clinical psychology, he discontinued the renewal of his license to practice medicine.
The show’s use of psychology as entertainment has often been controversial, with some criticizing its treatment of mentally ill and vulnerable guests. When McGraw compared a nine-year-old boy to a serial killer in 2004, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill wrote to CBS: “Dr. Phil’s behavior is serious enough to warrant an investigation by a relevant regulatory agency.” A McGraw spokesman said the letter was “based on a lack of information and inaccurate, unreasonable assumptions.”
In 2008, McGraw was criticized by Britney Spears’ family and mental health professionals for visiting the singer while she was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown while attempting to film an episode about the state of her mental health . The special was eventually shelved.
In 2016, McGraw was criticized for his behavior in an interview with former actress Shelley Duvall, who previously starred in Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian Kubrick, described McGraw’s behavior towards Duvall as “exploitative” and “appallingly cruel”. A spokesman for the show declined to comment.
In 2022, a group of current and former employees of Dr. Phil said they had “experienced verbal abuse in a workplace that promotes fear, intimidation and racism” and that the show’s guests were often manipulated and treated unethically. Lawyers for McGraw, who has not been accused of abusing the show’s employees, and his co-producer Carla Pennington have denied all allegations, while other employees said the work culture was positive.
dr Phil continues to rank among the top-rated daytime shows in the US, attracting 2 million viewers daily.
CBS will continue to benefit from the show by syndicating old episodes.
“Phil changed the daytime landscape as the driving force behind one of the most popular talk shows of all time on daytime television,” CBS Media Ventures President Steve LoCascio said Tuesday night.
“In the coming years, we plan to use the Dr. Phil business with the library and look forward to opportunities to work together in the future.”