NEW YORK – “Dr. Phil” McGraw, the daytime television psychologist, says he plans to end his talk show after 21 years in the coming months, but viewers haven’t seen the last of him.
“Dr. Phil” was the most famous spinoff of Oprah Winfrey’s show, which used to be the most popular show on daytime TV. The Texan’s show started in September 2002. Before that, he was a regular guest on Winfrey’s show.
“With this show, we’ve helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers deal with issues ranging from addiction and marriage to mental health and raising children,” McGraw said in a statement. “This has been an incredible chapter in my life and career, but as I transition from daytime to nighttime, there is so much more I want to do.”
The traditional broadcast television season concludes in the spring; no date was given for Phil’s final show.
More Projects Coming Soon For Dr. Phil
McGraw, 72, said he wants to focus on prime-time programming and has an unnamed project planned for early next year.
Meanwhile, while new “Dr. Phil” episodes will not be produced, the show will remain on the air. CBS Media Ventures, which distributes his show, has said that for future seasons, it will offer stations a package of reruns with some new content to wrap around them.
That is the path taken by “Judge Judy,” which aired its final original show in June 2021 but remains popular in reruns.
“We intend to be in the ‘Dr. Phil’s business with the library for many years to come and welcome future opportunities to collaborate,” said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures.
SOURCE – (AP)
