Dr Phil: CBS show to end after 21-year run as daytime TV staple

US daytime television show Dr. Phil is to come to an end this year.

Psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw says he plans to finish his talk show in the coming months, after 21 years on screen.

The hit CBS series was the most prominent spinoff from Oprah Winfrey's show, and previously dominated daytime TV.

The Texan's programme debuted in September 2002, after he was a regular guest on Winfrey's.

Dr. Phil said: “With this show, we have helped thousands of guest 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.”

While there was no date given for the final show, the broadcast TV season usually ends in spring.

The 72-year-old said he wants to focus on prime-time programming and is planning a new project for early next year, the details of which are not yet known.

While new “Dr. Phil” episodes won't be made, the show won't disappear from TV.

CBS Media Ventures, which syndicates his programme, said it will offer stations a package of reruns with occasional new wraparound content for future seasons.

It follows the cost-saving route taken by “Judge Judy,” which aired its last original show in June 2021 but reruns continue to be popular.

President of CBS Media Ventures, Steve LoCascio said: “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.”

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