“Dr. Phil” is coming to an end this spring after 21 seasons, CBS Media Ventures announced Tuesday, emphasizing it was Dr. Phil McGraw’s decision to stop making new episodes.
The media company aims to repackage and rerun old episodes of the daytime show for the 2023-2024 season and beyond. The repurposed episodes would feature new content such as “wrap-arounds and intros by McGraw,” 72, as well as “guest updates,” per the announcement.
“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.”
McGraw said he will shift his focus to prime-time programming with new partnerships due to launch in early 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,” McGraw added.
The psychologist got his start as a frequent guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the late 1990s. He launched his own series in September 2002.
McGraw was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2015, and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2020. His show has netted 31 Daytime Emmy nominations, CBS Media Ventures noted, and provided over $35 million in resources for its guests off-camera.
But “Dr. Phil,” which explores controversial topics, has found itself mired in controversy as well. A year ago, nearly a dozen current and former employees of “Dr. Phil” spoke out to BuzzFeed, describing their workplace as “traumatizing” and a “war zone.” McGraw’s attorney, H. Patrick Morris, “categorically denie[d]” the allegations at the time.
Critics have also blasted McGraw for his “appallingly cruel” 2016 interview with actress Shelley Duvall; his post-show treatment of infamous guest Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli; and his “betrayal” of Britney Spears when she struggled with mental health issues in 2008.