Dr. Phil is a
realityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
/
talkA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
television show hosted by
Phil McGrawPhillip Calvin McGraw best known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality, author, former psychologist, and the host of the television show Dr. Phil, which debuted in 2002...
. After McGraw's success with his segments on
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002. On both shows McGraw offers advice in the form of "life strategies" from his life experience as a clinical psychologist.
Dr. Phil is a
realityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
/
talkA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
television show hosted by
Phil McGrawPhillip Calvin McGraw best known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality, author, former psychologist, and the host of the television show Dr. Phil, which debuted in 2002...
. After McGraw's success with his segments on
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002. On both shows McGraw offers advice in the form of "life strategies" from his life experience as a clinical psychologist.
The show is in syndication throughout the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a number of other countries. Its ninth season premiered on September 13, 2010. The show is to be renewed through 2014, or twelve seasons. Occasional prime time specials have aired on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The program has been nominated for a
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
every year since 2004.
Since September 8, 2008, Dr. Phil has been broadcast in HDTV with a revamped look and a new theme written and performed by McGraw's son, Jordan.
Originally produced by Oprah Winfrey's
Harpo ProductionsHarpo Productions, Inc. is an incorporated US-based multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey . It also includes Harpo Films & Harpo Radio, Inc....
in association with
Paramount TelevisionParamount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
, since 2007 it is produced solely by PTV's successor,
CBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
with
dummy companyA dummy corporation or dummy company is an entity created to serve as a front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real but lacks the capacity to function independently. The goal of a dummy corporation can be to conceal true ownership and/or avoid taxes...
Peteski Productions, owned by Dr. Phil.
Reruns of the series began broadcast on the new OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network as of January 2011.
Format
The show covers a wide variety of topics, including
weight lossWeight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
, financial planning, errant children, gift suggestions, children who have been diagnosed with
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, unhappily married couples,
rebellious teenagersAs part of their development into young adults, humans must develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviours, and ideologies as part of their process of developing an identity...
, mothers who dress far from their age, mothers who refuse to attend weddings, children being stars in their parents' rights, dysfunctional families, mothers who refuse to give their married sons money and support for charitable causes. Radio personality and ex-child star
Danny BonaduceDante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
, came to the show twice in a year to discuss his failing marriage (and later
divorceDivorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
) with Gretchen. On several shows, children and/or adults have taken a
lie detector"Lie Detector" is a CD single by The Reverend Horton Heat. It was released in October 1998 on Sub Pop.-Personnel:*Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath - lead vocals, guitar*Jimbo Wallace - upright bass, vocals*Scott Churilla - drums, vocals...
exam. The show is generally serious in tone, leavened with humor from time to time. It has its occasional tense moments and often trashy scenes, like that of
The Montel Williams ShowThe Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
, but without melees or aggressive fights on stage, in contrast to
The Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
,
The Steve Wilkos ShowThe Steve Wilkos Show is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Steve Wilkos. The show debuted on September 10, 2007, two months after Wilkos' departure as director of security on The Jerry Springer Show.-History:...
or
MauryMaury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
. He is noted for often bringing back families for multiple shows for follow-up "therapy" sessions in his segment called "Dr. Phil Family." Generally, the program is filmed and guests appear in studio, but in 2006, the Dr. Phil House began as an occasional series. McGraw and his production staff invite guests to a special house wired with numerous cameras and microphones. There, his staff monitor the conversations of the guests he is trying to help, and intervene as necessary to prevent physical violence. McGraw also provides on-the-spot advice and counseling to the "house guests". Dr. Phil's wife Robin sits in the studio audience for almost every show and at its end he will walk out of the set with her.
Notable shows
- In a show that aired on May 2, 2005, twin sisters Jocelyn and Crystal Potter appeared. Crystal claimed to want to "work" in the adult industry together with Jocelyn, who rejected the idea as repulsive. Brothel owner Dennis Hof
Dennis Hof is an American pimp, entrepreneur, and restaurateur. He is best known as the former, owning two brothels in Nevada. His brothels are in Moundhouse, Nevada, a few minutes outside Carson City, less than an hour by car from Reno, Nevada...
was interviewed and stated that the two could make half a million dollars per year in his establishment. It turns out that the sisters' testimony was less than truthful: since 2002 they have appeared as the "Potter sisters" in numerous pornographic films together, and in 2003, they even appeared together with Hof in the porn film Goin' down at the Bunny Ranch. This show received much criticism due to hypocrisy. His son is married to a playboy play mate who was notable for performing with her two other, identical triplet sisters.
- The Dr. Phil House was set in an actual house within the Wilshire Park
Wilshire Park is a residential district in the Mid-Wilshire region of Los Angeles, California. Subdistricts include Longwood Highlands and the Park Mile.-Geography:...
neighborhood in Los Angeles. It received numerous complaints from neighbors about the disruption caused by filming crews, the guests, cables and production trucks clogging the neighborhood and the constant traffic caused by filming. After the Los Angeles City CouncilThe Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
revoked film permits, in September 2006, Dr. Phil stopped filming there. However, Peteski Productions, the show's production company, still owns the house. The Dr. Phil House has since moved to a studio back lot and the interior of the house shown in the program is that of a sound stage and not that of the actual house.
- There was a confidence scam involving a psychic shop that fraudulently represented Dr. Phil. The women set up a phone line that they claimed to be run by the director of Dr. Phil. By telling customers that they could have a phone conversation with McGraw for $750 an hour, they scammed Dr. Phils viewers out of thousands of dollars.
- On December 12, 2006, the show featured a segment on Bumfights
Bumfights is a film series produced by Indecline Films. The videos feature teenagers, homeless men in the San Diego, San Francisco and Las Vegas metropolitan areas fighting and attempting amateur stunts in exchange for money, alcohol, and other incentives...
and attacks on the homeless across America. McGraw discontinued an interview, before asking any questions, with the creator and distributor of the video series, who had styled himself in a manner similar to Dr. Phil. He was forced off the set by Paramount Studios security guards as the studio audience clapped and cheered.
Broadcasters
- In the Arab World
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
the show airs on MBC 4MBC 4 is the first free-to-air national television channel in the Middle East aired specifically for American programs. The downside of this all is that MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4, MBC Action, MBC Max,and MBC Drama all show movies and TV programs that are edited: taking out all drug use, sexual content,...
at 17:00KSA. However, the program's popularity waned after the episode of Katherine Lester and Abdullah, when an American girl left the states to meet a young man in Palestine. And MBC 4 cancelled the show later due to low ratings.
- In Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the show currently airs on the Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
at 12pm each weekday. Prior to 2006, it aired on the Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. The show is also aired on Bio.Bio. is an Australian general entertainment channel available on Australia's Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television pay television services.- Series Programming :*Airline*The Dog Whisperer*Fashion File*Inside Edition...
on cable television.
- In Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
the show airs on VijfTV at 03:45 PM. And repeats in the night at 01:15.
- In Belize, Great Belize Television airs it regularly at 5:30 PM Monday to Friday.
- In Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
the show airs on Fox Life every weekday at 20:00
- In Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the show airs on CTVCTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, at varying times depending on region.
- In Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
the show airs on TV3 at 14:20.
- In Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
the show airs on Neljas every day at 18:25 on weekdays and at 18:00 on weekends.
- In Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
the show airs on SkjárEinn at 17:45 every day of the week, and all the week's episodes shown again at the weekend.
- In Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
the show airs on NelonenNelonen is a Finnish commercial TV channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1989 on the HTV cable network, which name was changed first to PTV4 and then to Nelonen. It started on June 1, 1997. Nelonen, in Finnish, means the glyph of the number four. The channel is...
at 17:50.
- In Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
the show airs every weekday morning on RTE1.
- In Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
the show airs on yes stars Base and HOT Family at 14:30.
- In Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
the show airs on TV3TV3 Latvia is a television channel targeted at a Latvian language audience owned by Modern Times Group . It was launched in 1998, but did not receive a terrestrial license until 2001...
at 4.30 in the morning.
- In Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
the show airs by cable on American NetworkAmerican Network was a cable/satellite television network owned by Televisa. The channel broadcast throughout Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador featuring English language programs originating from the United States. Most of the shows were CBS Television Studios-owned or distributed programming....
during the week .
- In the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
the show airs on RTL5 at 16:40 and on RTL 8RTL 8 is a commercial television station which launched in the Netherlands on 18 August 2007. The channel apperead by the former Tien, previously known as Talpa, which was launched in August 2005, and other assets of John de Mol's Talpa Media were amalgamated with RTL Nederland...
at 18:40.
- In New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
the show airs on TV3 at 13:00.
- In Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
the show airs on TV3 at 11:35.
- In the Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
the show airs on QQTV of the Apollo Little Joe II rocket was the first test flight in 1963.-Objectives:The Little Joe II Qualification Test Vehicle was launched on its first flight from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Area # 3...
every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 6:10 to 7:15 pm
- In Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
the show airs on TV PulsTV Puls is a Polish commercial television channel, which was based on Telewizja Niepokalanów with the support of companies such as PKN Orlen, KGHM Polska Miedź, PZU Życie, Prokom and which started broadcasting in March 2001. Due to financial problems, ended broadcasting on April 1, 2003...
on weekdays at 13:00.
- In Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
the show airs on SIC MulherSIC Mulher is a Portuguese cable television channel owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação and launched on March 8, 2003...
at 4:15, 7:45 and 19:55.
- In South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
the show airs every weekday on SABC2 at 12:30.
- In Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
the show airs on Sjuan at 19:05.
- In the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the show airs on Living, throughout the week. Zone RomanticaZone Romantica is a European TV channel that launched in 1998. The channel broadcasts a mixture of telenovelas, music and entertainment from all over the world, but mainly from Latin America. The channel is available 24 hours a day, to 20 territories across Central and Eastern Europe as well as...
will air the show 12 noon and 5pm weekdays from September 2009.
- In Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
the show airs on Fox life, throughout the week.
Dr. Phil Now
This format of Dr. Phil is when McGraw sits down with people that are having big problems in the news the week the show airs. The "Now" episodes have a set with a desk like a news center, and open with another type of music ("breaking news" music). It has the same dynamic. Themes have included rapists, criminals, or Hollywood stars' issues. One episode included Britney Spears and her 2008 divorce and child custody battle. The show's slogan is
If it's happening now, we're going to deal with it now.
Further reading
External links