Dr. Phil Finally Pulls The Plug On His Talk Show After '25 Wonderful Years' On Daytime TV

"Dr. Phil" is finally going off-air with his talk show, after '25 wonderful years' on daytime TV, as per media reports and a comment by the host, Dr. Phil McGraw.

The audience first met McGraw on TV on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in the late '90s before he got his own spinoff, produced by Winfrey’s Harpo Studios. "Dr. Phil" debuted in 2002 to an instant TRP high, second in ratings only to Oprah, and then rising to number one. Now, it's the end of another era.

After Winfrey exited daytime in 2011, the "Dr. Phil" show rose to the top and became the most-watched daytime syndicated talk show, retaining the crown for nearly a decade before slipping behind to second position, ceding its position to "Live with Kelly & Ryan", co-hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.

Despite a dip in ratings across-the-board, "Dr. Phil" draws around 2 million viewers and it seems the plug has been pulled on a high after hosting nearly 4,000 episodes, featuring 20,000 guests. "Dr. Phil" has also received letters from 5 million viewers and the popularity of the show has not waned. "Dr. Phil" is exiting daytime TV after the 2022-23 season, which will be its 21st first and final one.

As per a statement, Dr. Phil McGraw doesn't feel this is the end, but just another beginning as he said, "I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television. 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 "Dr. Phil" show basically featured McGraw tackling different topics in each show, often inviting real-life people with real-life problems, before offering advice on how to resolve the issues. In fact, an appearance on his show has often propelled many to social media stardom, including Bhad Bhabie, as in Danielle Bregoni, known as the "Cash me outside" girl.

The show received a total of 31 Emmy nominations and also won five PRISM Awards for the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse and addiction. It also received a MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) Media Award.

McGraw's most recently signed contract extending the longevity of the show was in 2018, letting it run for another five years with CBS Media Ventures.  Now, the syndication company is likely to give networks the option to run previously-taped episodes for the forthcoming 2023-24 season.

"Dr. Phil" is hardly the only show to call its quits recently, given the fast-changing landscape of talk shows and podcasts made stalwarts like "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Wendy Williams Show", "Judge Judy", "Maury", "Dr. Oz" and many more end in the past year.

In fact, while it's on another network, "Jay Leno's Garage" is also coming to an end, although fans are relieved that the accident-prone Jay Leno might just get some rest because of this.

Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures has great things to say about McGraw, stating, "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. 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."

McGraw's other two daytime syndicated shows, "The Doctors" and "Daily Mail TV" were also canceled last year, and with the exit of "Dr. Phil", it's his final bow from daytime TV.

For now, it seems McGraw is focusing on making scripted projects as well as his two podcasts, "Phil in the Blanks" and "Mystery & Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil." He also plans to focus on primetime TV with a new partner, to be launched sometime early in 2024. Said Dr. Phil, "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."