Dr. Phil McGraw announced on Tuesday that his syndicated talk show “Dr. Phil” will end with its current 21st season.
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw said in a statement. “With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellness and raising children. This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime, there is so much more I wish to do.”
The talk show laid off 25 staffers in August ahead of what would be its final season. “Going into Season 21, we streamlined production to ensure longevity,” a series spokesperson told TheWrap at the time.
McGraw plans to launch primetime programming sometime in 2024. “I am compelled to engage with a broader audience because I have grave concerns for the American family, and I am determined to help restore a clarity of purpose as well as our core values,” he said.
“Phil is a valued partner and member of the CBS/King World family, and while his show may be ending after 21 years, I’m happy to say our relationship is not,” said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures in a statement.
He added, “Phil changed the daytime landscape as the force behind one of the most popular talk shows ever on daytime TV — We plan to be in the ‘Dr. Phil’ business with the library for years to come and welcome opportunities to work together in the future.”
In Feb. 2022, BuzzFeed ran an article that described the talk show as a “toxic workplace,” which included alleged abusive behavior, racism and “manipulating guests.”
Phil McGraw denied the accusations through his attorney, H. Patrick Morris, who dismissed the article as
“a clickbait story because Dr. Phil sells tickets.”
McGraw began his TV career on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the ’90s before being handed his own spinoff, produced by Winfrey, in 2002.
