TV giant Dr. Phil to air final episode this spring

Dr. Phil is calling it quits for his famed daytime TV career.

Phil McGraw, the host of “Dr. Phil,” will end the iconic talk show’s 21-year run when the last original episode airs this spring, Deadline reported Tuesday. It comes as his most recent contract is expiring.

“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” Mr. McGraw said, according to a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

Mr. McGraw started out as a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the 1990s, and Ms. Winfrey helped launch the TV doctor’s own show in 2002. 

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Dr. Phil” dominated ratings during their shared run through 2011, when Ms. Winfrey’s show ended. Mr. McGraw’s show continued to be a powerhouse in the daytime space. 

“Phil changed the daytime landscape as the force behind one of the most popular talk shows ever on daytime TV,” CBS Media Ventures President Steve LoCascio told The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

Mr. McGraw‘s departure comes as many daytime mainstays have exited stage left. Ellen DeGeneres and Dr. Mehmet Oz both ended their shows in 2022. “Judge Judy” with Judge Judy Sheindlin ended her run in 2021 but is in a spinoff show called “Judy Justice” found on Amazon Freevee, a streaming format.

CBS plans to keep reruns of “Dr. Phil” on the air through the 2023-24 season. 

As for Mr. McGraw’s plans, Deadline reported that he has a new primetime partnership in the works that’s set to be released early next year.

“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,” Mr. McGraw said in his statement.