phd dr phil

• Entertainment

Is Dr. Phil A Real Doctor?

If you're a longtime fan of Judge Judy , you'll know Judge Judy Sheindlin has no time for Dr. Phil McGraw, whom she's been beating in the daytime ratings game for several years now. In June 2019,  The New York Times noted that  Dr. Phil averages about 3.9 million daily viewers compared to Judge Judy 's all-conquering 10 million. Maybe because of her higher position in TV, whenever people get too dramatic or fame hungry on her show, the judge directs them to her competitor's series with more than a slight air of disapproval.

Her issue, as with many people watching around the world, may be that the supposed doctor only plays a medical professional on TV, rendering him completely unqualified to dole out advice and in a particularly bad position to be judging anybody. Sheindlin, on the other hand, has decades of experience in real-life courts to back her up.

Dr. Phil demands to be referred to as Dr. Phil

The short answer is no. Dr. Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, is not a licensed therapist. A damning 2008  New York Times piece noted that McGraw is exempt from state medical ethics rules, which prevent him from, for example, revealing the identities of his patients because he's not actually a practicing doctor. Though the reality star has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from North Texas State University and was licensed in the state for 20 years, he hasn't been licensed for quite some time. He's also not licensed in California, where he lives and where  Dr. Phil is filmed.

The question of McGraw's legitimacy came to light after he commented publicly on the tribulations of a then-obviously struggling Britney Spears, before walking back his comments under intense backlash in a blog post . In the midst of half-apologizing for his inappropriate behavior, the Dr. Phil star, who's made celebs cry over the years, argued that, because he doesn't intend on going back into private practice again, he doesn't actually need to be licensed. However, he argued, due to his many years of experience and his Ph.D, "You still have to call me Dr. Phil."

Dr. Phil's legitimacy has frequently been called into question

Vox raised further questions about McGraw's supposed qualifications in a report on his decision to act as a paid spokesperson for a diabetes drug, with physician-researcher Steven Woloshin suggesting the TV doctor was chosen because "people tend to view [campaigns] with less skepticism, particularly when there is a trusted celebrity spokesperson."

Woloshin pointed to how consumers might purchase the drug on the recommendation of someone they believe to be a real doctor, which a campaign spokesperson suggested wouldn't be an issue as an actual doctor (also paid by them) would accompany McGraw during all speaking events. The idea that the Dr. Phil star requires a legitimate medical practitioner to stand alongside him and field questions appears to confirm the exact opposite of the campaign's intentions and suggests that McGraw isn't professionally qualified in the first place.

Recommended

Dr. Phil McGraw

Mental health professional and life strategist Dr. Phil McGraw was a regular on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' before launching his own successful TV series, 'Dr. Phil.'

Who Is Dr. Phil McGraw?

Early years and career.

Life strategist and television host Dr. Phil was born Phillip Calvin McGraw on September 1, 1950, in Vinita, Oklahoma. Dr. Phil was raised in both Oklahoma and in Texas. He grew up to become a 6'4" linebacker and was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Tulsa, before finishing his undergraduate studies in 1975 at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Just four years later, McGraw picked up his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of North Texas. In 1979, Dr. Phil opened a practice with his father, who had earned his psychology degree following a career as an oil rig equipment supplier.

Realizing that one-on-one therapy wasn't for him, McGraw soon launched a popular self-motivation seminar called Pathways. In 1989, he founded a company called Courtroom Sciences. The venture helped trial lawyers build cases via mock trials, behavioral analysis, jury selection and mediation.

Meeting Oprah

It was through Courtroom Sciences that Dr. Phil met Oprah Winfrey. In 1996, she was being sued by cattlemen who claimed she defamed the beef industry on one of her shows, and the talk-show queen hired Dr. Phil to assist during the trial.

After helping her win the case in 1998, Dr. Phil became a regular expert on Oprah , dealing with life strategies and relationships. With his catchphrase, "Get real," the plain-spoken doctor served up common sense advice rather than self-help jargon, his demeanor making him someone even tough guys felt comfortable learning from.

In the fall of 2002, he launched his own nationally syndicated series, Dr. Phil . The one-hour talk show garnered the highest ratings of any new syndicated program since the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show 16 years earlier, and went on to pick up more than two dozen Emmy nominations.

In late 2017, the doctor found himself in the spotlight over accusations that the Dr. Phil production staff endangered the health of guests for the sake of boosting ratings. One such accusation came from former Survivor winner Todd Herzog: Battling alcohol addiction at the time, he was allegedly left alone with a bottle of vodka in his hotel room and subsequently given a Xanax to "calm his nerves," leading to his disastrous appearance on air.

A spokesman called called the allegations "absolutely, unequivocally untrue," adding that the sort of addicts who appear on the show are "notorious for lying, deflecting and trivializing."

In March 2020, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, Dr. Phil began hosting his show from his home studio.

Foundation, Books and Podcasts

In 2003, he launched the Dr. Phil Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to helping children deal with issues related to obesity, eating disorders and other "silent epidemics."

Dr. Phil also is the author of several New York Times best-sellers. His most recent book, The 20/20 Diet: Turn Your Weight Loss Vision Into Reality , was released in 2014.

In early 2019, Dr. Phil introduced a new interview podcast, Phil in the Blanks . He followed shortly afterward with a true crime podcast, Mystery and Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil .

Personal Life and TV Show

Dr. Phil has been married to his second wife, Robin, since 1976. They have two sons, Jay and Jordan. In 2015, the popular TV doctor was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

In the fall of 2016, CBS began airing a series based on Dr. Phil's years with Courtroom Sciences. Entitled Bull , the drama stars Michael Weatherly as the owner of a trial consulting firm who navigates the challenges of each unique case.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Phillip Calvin McGraw
• Birth Year: 1950
• Birth date: September 1, 1950
• Birth State: Oklahoma
• Birth City: Vinita
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Mental health professional and life strategist Dr. Phil McGraw was a regular on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' before launching his own successful TV series, 'Dr. Phil.'
• Science and Medicine
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Midwestern State University
• University of Tulsa
• University of North Texas

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Dr. Phil McGraw Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/dr-phil-mcgraw
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: September 9, 2022
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

Movies & TV

NBC Fought Pat Sajak’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Hiring

‘Baby Reindeer’: Richard Gadd's True Story

‘The Iron Claw:’ The Von Erich Family’s True Story

‘The Iron Claw’ Leaves Out a Von Erich Brother

Where Is Kevin Von Erich Today?

The True Story of Pop-Tarts and ‘Unfrosted’

Conan O'Brien

Harvey Weinstein

Quentin Tarantino’s Self-Imposed 10-Movie Limit

Reena Virk’s Murder Inspired ‘Under the Bridge’

Channel finder

• People of TBN

Dr. Phil McGraw: Trusted Mental Health Expert and Media Pioneer

Dr. Phil McGraw , renowned mental health expert and host of the top-rated daytime program Dr. Phil for 21 seasons, has been a trusted authority in the field.

Launching Merit Street Media with TBN

In early 2023, he announced his retirement from daytime TV and launched Merit Street Media alongside TBN , creating a premier multi-platform destination media brand anchored by his nightly program Dr. Phil Primetime .

Dr. McGraw's unique ability to make complex information accessible has distinguished him both among viewers and within his profession. He has received numerous accolades, including a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association, five PRISM Awards , and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Before his television career, Dr. McGraw founded Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a groundbreaking trial science firm that inspired the hit CBS series BULL . He is also the author of nine #1 New York Times best sellers and hosts two popular podcasts.

Dr. McGraw and his wife, Robin, are known for their philanthropic work , particularly in advocating for children and families. They established When Georgia Smiled , a foundation funding projects benefiting disadvantaged children and families and battling domestic violence.

Dr. McGraw earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas and a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology from the Wilmington Institute. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, and they are devoted to their family, including their children and grandchildren.   

Recent appearances

Related offers.

Related Links

Join our monthly newsletter.

Get TBN’s monthly newsletter delivered via mail. Stay up to date on all that's happening at TBN!

Prescription for ‘Star’-dom: Dr. Phil McGraw Reflects on His Journey to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

By Rob Owen

• No Trump, No Problem for Late-Night Talk Series Like ‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’ 3 years ago
• From ‘Drag Race’ to ‘The Masked Singer,’ Here’s How Unscripted Handled Production Pivots Amid the Pandemic 3 years ago
• FX’s ‘Mayans M.C.’ Finds Greatness in the Struggles of Those Left Unseen 3 years ago

The ubiquity of Dr. Phil McGraw is no accident.

Whether he’s playing himself on the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” raising eyebrows for his home décor in a real estate spread or appearing on a recent Fox primetime special about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal ruckus, McGraw is seemingly everywhere — including on a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as of Feb. 21.

“I was shocked he hadn’t gotten a star on the Walk of Fame sooner given his prominence in television. He pops up everywhere,” says Steve LoCascio, COO of CBS Television Distribution and CFO of ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group. “He’s in the lyrics of a Bon Jovi song. He’s been on countless episodes of TV shows playing himself.”

McGraw burst onto the national stage through appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show in the late 1990s, and by 2002 he had his own daytime show, “Dr. Phil,” the No. 1 daytime talk show in the Nielsen ratings, averaging more than 3 million viewers daily. In addition, McGraw is an executive producer on multiple other series in several dayparts, as well as primetime CBS drama “Bull,” which he co-created.

McGraw says from the beginning, his goal was not just to build a daytime talk show but an entertainment brand. Gaining notoriety was an integral part of that effort. “People see me engaged in very serious work, dealing with peoples’ lives and families and futures,” he says, “and while there’s a lot of humor on ‘Dr. Phil’ as well — we have fun and cut up a lot — I think it’s really important for people to see that I don’t take myself as seriously as everybody else does. I take the work I do seriously, but you need to laugh at yourself.”

Popular on Variety

Related stories, 2024 emmy nominations need to bless the creator economy’s best, dolly parton, retired from touring, announces a 'multimedia symphonic storytelling experience' that will hit the road in 2025.

That’s why he’ll put on a wig for James Corden on “The Late Late Show” or laugh along when David Letterman announced in 2002 that McGraw’s latest book was titled “More Advice I Pulled Out of My Ass.” Eighteen years later — an eternity in pop culture — McGraw still makes waves.

“He is one of the hardest working people I have ever met in my life,” says Carla Pennington, executive producer of “Dr. Phil” since its launch. “Even when he’s on a vacation, I don’t think he’s on vacation.”

Even before “Dr. Phil,” McGraw showed an entrepreneurial streak, founding Courtroom Sciences, a trial-science firm that inspired “Bull.” He had earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas and was a licensed psychologist in the state before his recurring spots on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“I often say I’m the first graduate from Oprah University, and that’s a pretty great place to learn how to do television,” McGraw says.

“He is one of the hardest working people I have ever met in my life. Even when he’s on vacation, I don’t think he’s on vacation.” Carla Pennington

There was high confidence in the success of “Dr. Phil” because of the success of McGraw’s “Oprah” appearances, which LoCascio says often rated as the most-watched “Oprah” episode each week. Still, McGraw wasn’t prepared for Hollywood.

“I had always been CEO of multiple companies, and I approach it that way, and when I came out here, I found out that talent is usually just that, they just show up and do what it is they’re supposed to do,” McGraw says, “whereas I approach it from the standpoint of it’s a business: Everything from what we’re doing in terms of space, what the occupancy cost is, what are we spending on this, that and the other, because I wanted to put everything on the screen.”

McGraw remembers arriving 10 minutes before the first day of taping “Dr. Phil,” and there was no audience in place. Crew members were strolling over to get coffee. After that first show he called a meeting and put the show’s staff on notice. “I said, ‘Guys, I come from litigation, and if the federal court tells you to start at 8:30 then at 8:29:59 you better be standing at attention, that’s what I’m used to,’” McGraw recalls. “The second day at 9:59:59, the first downbeat of the open music started and everything was in place. Everyone thought, ‘God, are we in the military?’ but by the end of the first week they see it’s 1 o’clock and we’re done. As a result, we have the same several cameramen, the same director, the same sound guy that were there the very first day. We get in there, we get it done. We’re very efficient. We stay on task.”

McGraw says he applied that same discipline when building his entertainment empire. He quotes Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” saying, “begin with the end in mind.”

McGraw was insistent that his talk show be called “Dr. Phil” not “The Dr. Phil Show,” in part to hone in on the “Dr. Phil” brand and because, he says, he doesn’t really think of it as a show. “I approach it from the standpoint of wanting to really provide common sense, useable information that’s delivered to people in their homes every day for free,” McGraw says, noting from the beginning he wanted to emphasize the “silent epidemics” in America, “those things that don’t get talked about in polite society. We want to move mental health, mental illness, to the forefront of the narrative in America and make it OK to talk about. We want to take the stigma away from mental illness.”

After recently passing the 3,000-episode mark, McGraw says “Dr. Phil” is doing exactly what he wanted from the start, with segments devoted to domestic violence within families, drug addiction, sexual molestation and fractured families. “I think we have moved the needle at least a little bit” in terms of what’s acceptable conversation in America, McGraw says.

Under contract to host “Dr. Phil” through 2023 (“I haven’t thought beyond that, but I don’t ever see myself retiring,” McGraw says) through his Stage 29 Prods., McGraw has branched out as an executive producer of the syndicated series “The Doctors” and “DailyMail TV.” His next program, an untitled docu-series about the world of animal rescue in Austin, Texas, from filmmaker Richard Linklater, will stream via CBS All Access. (McGraw has an overall deal with CBS Studios and a first-look deal with CBS Television Distribution for syndication.)

“If you take a status quo approach, you stagnate. … So we’ve always looked at how we can expand.” Dr. Phil McGraw

“If you take a status quo approach, you stagnate, you begin to decay,” McGraw says. “So we’ve always looked at how we can expand our footprint.”

That includes tele-medicine app Doctor on Demand, started with his son, Jay McGraw, who’s also a founder of Stage 29. But McGraw says he’s not in the business of launching TV shows — he’s more interested in getting shows renewed. “A new show costs a lot of time and money. Renewing it is where you get into success,” he explains. “We’re interested in doing things that have sustainability.”

To that end, he doesn’t expect to launch a new syndicated program in the fall of 2020, waiting to see how things shake out in the syndication market for 2021.

McGraw also expanded his brand into podcasting with two series, true crime show “Mystery and Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil,” and interview series “Phil in the (Blanks).” In addition, a Dr. Phil YouTube channel launched in 2018. The author of nine best-selling books, McGraw says there may be another someday but not anytime soon. “I have a hard time turning them loose. I keep editing and editing and I write all my own books — no ghost writer — and that’s just so much work,” he says.

With more than a dozen series in development and at least three more seasons of “Dr. Phil,” McGraw will remain in the public eye, drawing attention not only for the content of his programs but also his folksy presentation and sayings.

“The other day I said, ‘I think you better lick that calf over again,’” recalls McGraw, who grew up in Texas and Oklahoma. “[My wife] Robin said, ‘I never heard you say that, what the hell are you talking about?’ I said, when the mother cow has a calf the first thing she does is lick it from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, and if something’s wrong she just walks off. In Texas, if someone says ‘lick that calf over again’ it means I think you missed something and better do it over. I never thought about it, it just came out. I’ve probably been hearing it since I was 5 years old. [Those phrases] are just buried in my brain somewhere.”

More from Variety

Ian gelder, ‘game of thrones’ actor who played kevan lannister, dies at 74, take-two caps gaming earnings season with huge loss as publishers cement new strategies, ‘house of the dragon’ cast and showrunner tease ‘bigger, badder, dragon-ier’ season 2: like a ‘cold war in process’, ‘blue angels’ tests imax’s new ‘documentary blockbuster’ plan, more from our brands, ‘all things metal,’ doc about forging metal work with heavy metal, to premiere at 2024 tribeca film festival, can italy’s lake garda finally compete with como—or will it become a victim of its own success, premier league approves trial of new salary rules, keeping var, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, vanna white pays tearful tribute to pat sajak ahead of his wheel of fortune farewell — watch video, verify it's you, please log in.

Latest Episode

Thank you for checking out my pod! Please download for free, subscribe, rate, and share.  

Trump Verdict: A Judicial Travesty

Unmasked: Inside Antifa

The Aftermath: Ebrahim Raisi and Propaganda

The Facts: Dr. Phil's Hot Topics and Advice

Eric Lynn on the Missile Attack on Israel | Phil in the Blanks Podcast

Iron Dome Pt. 1 with Eric Lynn | Phil in the Blanks Podcast

Iron Dome Pt. 2 with Eric Lynn | Phil in the Blanks Podcast

Retaliation with Eric Lynn | Phil in the Blanks Podcast

Dr. Phil Exclusive | Analysis: Eric Lynn on Iron Dome and Iran's Attack on Israel | Ep 217 | PITB

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Phil McGraw, America's TV shrink, plans to end 'Dr. Phil' after 21 seasons

Emily Olson

Phil McGraw, pictured here at a 2016 premiere, plans to end his long-running daytime TV show to take on a new prime-time partnership. Jemal Countess/Getty Images hide caption

Phil McGraw, pictured here at a 2016 premiere, plans to end his long-running daytime TV show to take on a new prime-time partnership.

Phil McGraw, America's controversial TV therapist, is ending his reign as a king of daytime television.

After 21 years of dominating ratings, Dr. Phil will stop producing new shows following its 2023 season, CBS Media Ventures announced on Tuesday .

But McGraw himself won't be going too far. The 72-year-old plans to announce a "strategic, prime-time partnership [with CBS Media Ventures], scheduled for an early 2024 launch, which will expand his reach and increase his impact on television and viewers," according to the release.

McGraw noted that he's compelled to expand his audience because he has "grave concerns for the American family" and is "determined to help restore a clarity of purpose as well as our core values."

'Dr. Phil' has attracted criticism for exploiting mental illness

Since its premiere in September 2002, Dr. Phil has doled out snarky, straight-shooting advice to guests ranging from feuding couples and addicted adults to grieving celebrities and dangerous criminals.

The show's shock value has produced a steady drumbeat of controversies, often framed by the perception that Dr. Phil exploits mental illness for cheap TV thrills.

Dr. Phil: Oprah Is 'The Gold Standard In TV'

A Kinder, Gentler Wave Of Reality TV Tries A Little Tenderness, For A Change

McGraw has repeatedly interviewed a woman who said she was both the daughter of the rapper Eminem and pregnant with the baby Jesus. A meme-ified 2016 guest teen who tried to challenge the audience to a fight ("Catch me outside, how about that?") leveraged her virality to kickstart a successful rapping career.

The formula works for keeping television audiences intrigued. Roughly 2 million viewers tune in for the hour-long shows , which run mid-afternoons Monday through Friday, making Dr. Phil the second most-watched daytime show on air. The series and its host have been nominated for 31 Daytime Emmys.

McGraw holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, but he stopped maintaining an active license after he started appearing regularly on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the late 1990s.

His lack of current psychology credentials made headlines in 2016 after Dr. Phil aired an interview with The Shining 's Shelley Duvall as she appeared to be experiencing mental delusions.

My Letter to you @DrPhil Re: Your exploitive use of Shelly Duvall is a form of LURID ENTERTAINMENT and is shameful. pic.twitter.com/4f6MRTzr0A — Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) November 17, 2016

Multiple employees of Dr. Phil said guests are often manipulated into a vulnerable state to make for dramatic television, according to an investigation by Buzzfeed News. In one case, an employee was instructed to withhold a guest's prescribed medication to ensure she looked unstable in front of cameras.

McGraw's lack of medical expertise also surfaced in April 2020, after he appeared on Fox News to say, without evidence, that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns would be more fatal than the virus itself.

CBS says it will continue to air old episodes of 'Dr. Phil' with new wraparound content

Phil McGraw and his wife Robin attend a ceremony honoring the Dr. Phil host with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2020. Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption

Phil McGraw and his wife Robin attend a ceremony honoring the Dr. Phil host with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2020.

In its press release announcing the show's end, CBS Media Ventures said Dr. Phil provided more than $35 million in free health and wellness resources to guests off-camera.

The series has also won five PRISM awards for "accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction," and McGraw has been recognized by the American Psychological Association for raising awareness of mental health issues, CBS says.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The best movies and tv of 2022, picked for you by npr critics.

McGraw, a Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame inductee, has expanded his media brand by launching two podcasts and authoring nine books. He also executive produced a legal drama, So Help Me Todd , based on his early career as a forensic psychologist.

CBS Media Ventures says it will continue to offer its stations reruns of Dr. Phil with new content such as intros by McGraw and guest updates.

"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," said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures.

"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."

• daytime talk show
• Phil McGraw

Phil McGraw Reveals Why 'Dr. Phil' Is Ending -- and What's Next (Exclusive)

Dr. phil mcgraw explains why daytime talk show is ending and what's next for him (exclusive), dolly parton was surprised by miley cyrus and beyoncé's 'cowboy carter' collab (exclusive), khloé kardashian tells scott disick he needs to stop losing weight as he reveals shocking diet, 'piece by piece' trailer: pharrell williams tells his life story with legos, brittany mahomes preparing to welcome new addition to her family with patrick, glen powell breaks down his 'hit man' disguises and what he stole from set (exclusive), why west wilson feels 'awful' about the 'summer house' season 8 reunion (exclusive), hgtv's ray and eilyn jimenez on 'divided by design,' new home and starting a family (exclusive), 'property brothers' star drew scott and wife linda phan welcome baby no. 2, kelly ripa reacts to husband mark consuelos encouraging her to go fully gray, jelly roll's wife bunnie xo shares they're undergoing ivf, 'emily in paris' season 4: gabriel and alfie love triangle continues after explosive cliffhanger, taylor swift slams 'invasive and irresponsible' lady gaga pregnancy speculations, kim kardashian wears janet jackson’s $25k ‘if’ outfit to singer’s concert, watch whoopi goldberg cry after 'sister act 2' reunion performance on 'the view', how kane brown's daughters feel about baby no. 3 coming soon (exclusive), adam levine making surprise return to 'the voice' as coach, 'the traitors' season 3 cast revealed: sam asghari, tom sandoval, chrishell stause and more, kim kardashian facing backlash for ‘actors on actors’ appearance with chloë sevigny, how angelina jolie celebrated her 49th birthday with all of her kids, cyndi lauper gets emotional with older sister at ‘let the canary sing’ premiere (exclusive), the long-running daytime series will conclude with its 21st season..

Phil McGraw is saying goodbye to  Dr. Phil . ET's Kevin Frazier spoke with the 72-year-old TV personality on the heels of the announcement that his long-running daytime series will end at the conclusion of its 21st season later this year.

"I've been doing this for 21 years and I love it, I'm still very passionate about it, and make no mistake, I'm not moving on from television. I'm just moving on from daytime [TV]," McGraw told ET, before teasing what viewers can expect from his new primetime venture.

"I can't talk about it yet because I'm about to close all the details of this, but I wanted to partner with a network, so I can do some things in primetime that really have significance," he explained. [It's] not just a show, but a whole approach to what's going on in America right now because... I'm very concerned with what's going on in America right now. I'm concerned that the American family's under attack, that our values are under attack, that the very concept of truth is under attack. I wanted a bigger audience, a bigger play, a bigger platform than daytime can afford." 

McGraw added that he expects to "return to the air in January of '24 in a really big way." 

"My commitment to helping people do what they need to in their lives, learn what they need to use in their lives, and be of service to them, that's what I'm gonna focus [on]," he said. "I'm not getting ready to do a political show... It's gonna be Dr. Phil -- I think at my highest and best use of television -- dealing with couples, dealing with families, how everything going on is impacting them, and seeing things through their eyes."

McGraw noted that he feels "such a bond with the daytime viewers" and expressed his hope that they follow him "to the next platform."

"They've been so loyal, and so good, and so true," he said. "I'm gonna make 'em proud."

Though the show is ending, CBS Media Ventures has announced plans to offer stations library episodes of  Dr. Phil , which will include new content, much to McGraw's delight.

"I want to stay involved, so I'm gonna be putting new information in some of those shows, I'm going to be working with their anchors and stuff to keep people apprised with what's going on, updating guests, things like that," McGraw told ET. "It's not gonna be pure library [episodes], because I'm gonna be in there, freshening things up and going along every step of the way."

As  Dr. Phil  prepares to say goodbye, McGraw is looking forward to his new scripted and unscripted shows. Even so, ending something that's lasted more than two decades won't be easy for the TV personality.

"There's been a rhythm for 21 years of doing this... Everybody associated with the show... has been there for 21 years... People always say they've got the best team in television, I have the best family in television," he said. "I've watched them have children, grow up, go to college. It's been terrific and I think a lot of these folks are going to be part of the next chapter."

"When I came out here, I didn't know how long this was gonna last," McGraw added. "... 21 years is a whole career for a lot of people, and I've made some wonderful relationships there that go way beyond the work relationships... It's been a wonderful, wonderful experience... We're gonna miss it, I'll put it that way."

Updates on Celebrity News, TV, Fashion and More!

RELATED CONTENT:

'Dr. Phil' Ending After 21 Seasons

Dr. Phil Writes Oprah Winfrey Yearly Thank You Notes

Dr. Phil Once Accidentally Locked Wife Robin McGraw in His Car Trunk

• Sign up and get a free ebook!
• Don't miss our $0.99 ebook deals!

Phil McGraw

About the author, author alerts.

Get updates about Phil McGraw and recommended reads from Simon & Schuster . Plus, get a FREE ebook when you sign up!

Books by Phil McGraw

Tell us what you like and we'll recommend books you'll love.

Dr. Phil Made His Political Views Crystal Clear Ahead Of Donald Trump Interview

D r. Phil McGraw scored an interview with Donald Trump, so he had to agree to provide a safe space for the former president to spout off, right? After Trump became a convicted felon , his first stop was Fox News, where the network indulged him with a friendly interview. On X , formerly known as Twitter, journalist Aaron Rupar also observed that the pre-taped sit-down had been edited a great deal. It remains to be seen whether McGraw will lob a bunch of softballs at Trump when he speaks to him, but the ex-psychologist did throw "The Apprentice" host a pretty juicy bone to gnaw on ahead of their June 6 chat.

McGraw shared a video clip on X  in which he says a few things that Trump would likely nod along with. But the former trial consultant prefaced the footage from his show, "Dr. Phil Primetime," by writing in part, "I don't advocate voting for one candidate over another." What McGraw does advocate for is President Joe Biden intervening on his political opponent's behalf. McGraw also suggests that Trump's conviction was the fault of the Biden administration's machinations, not the reality show star's criminal activity. "The current administration could and should do the right thing. Dismiss now, even now, post-conviction of a political opponent," McGraw pleads. He believes this would help the country return to normalcy. McGraw has also revealed one of the issues he'll press Trump on during their interview.

Read more: What's Really Going On With Donald Trump's Marriage

Dr. Phil Will Ask Donald Trump Not To Be Vengeful

On his show, Dr. Phil McGraw suggested that prosecuting politicians puts America at risk of becoming a "banana republic," adding, "What are we going to do next? Have a Putin poisoning posse?" Of course, many would argue that putting politicians on trial when there's evidence that they committed a crime ensures that no one is above the law.

At least McGraw isn't suggesting that different rules should apply to Donald Trump if he's elected president again. Speaking to TMZ , the doc said that he plans on begging Trump not to abuse the legal system. "The last thing we need is retribution and revenge," he said, later adding, "That could be the absolute end of this country as we know it."

McGraw might not count himself among the celebs who can't stand Trump , but he has said some things about the real estate tycoon that he might not want a vengeful chief of state to remember. While speaking to top Trump foe Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2015, McGraw took a jab at Trump's troubling hair . "He's got a dead cat on his head," he quipped. He also said, "I think at some point, he's gonna have to replace some of his adjectives with verbs." McGraw will get to learn firsthand whether Trump took his advice during their interview, which will air June 6 at 8:00 PM ET on McGraw's broadcasting network, Merit Street Media.

Read the original article on Nicki Swift

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Talk show in which Dr. Phil McGraw invites guests to confront their problems. Talk show in which Dr. Phil McGraw invites guests to confront their problems. Talk show in which Dr. Phil McGraw invites guests to confront their problems.

• Phil McGraw
• Madison Graber
• Robin McGraw
• 74 User reviews
• 38 nominations

Episodes 4518

• Self - Host …

• Background …

• Self - Guest …

• Personal Trainer

• Self - Guest
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia "Dr. Phil" has a PhD in psychology but no license to practice psychology.
• Connections Featured in Penn & Teller: Bullshit!: Self-Helpless (2003)

User reviews 74

• renaldo and clara
• Apr 2, 2003
• How many seasons does Dr. Phil have? Powered by Alexa
• August 8, 2002 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official Google+
• Doctor Phil
• Los Angeles, California, USA
• Harpo Productions
• King World Productions
• Paramount Domestic Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My Portfolio
• Latest News
• Stock Market
• Biden Economy
• Stocks: Most Actives
• Stocks: Gainers
• Stocks: Losers
• Trending Tickers
• World Indices
• US Treasury Bonds
• Top Mutual Funds
• Highest Open Interest
• Highest Implied Volatility
• Stock Comparison
• Advanced Charts
• Currency Converter
• Basic Materials
• Communication Services
• Consumer Cyclical
• Consumer Defensive
• Financial Services
• Industrials
• Real Estate
• Mutual Funds
• Credit Cards
• Balance Transfer Cards
• Cash-back Cards
• Rewards Cards
• Travel Cards
• Student Loans
• Personal Loans
• Car Insurance
• Morning Brief
• Market Domination
• Market Domination Overtime
• Asking for a Trend
• Opening Bid
• Stocks in Translation
• Lead This Way
• Good Buy or Goodbye?
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Yahoo Finance

Dr. phil's exclusive interview with donald trump to air on merit street media™ thursday, june 6.

Special Two-Hour Programming of "Dr. Phil Primetime " Includes Live Town Hall from Dallas Studio

DALLAS , June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "Dr. Phil Primetime " will air a special two-hour event this Thursday, June 6th , as Dr. Phil McGraw interviews former President Donald Trump .

First Hour: One-on-One with Donald Trump

The evening kicks off at 8:00 PM ET with a candid interview at Mar-a-Lago featuring Donald Trump , who was recently convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Second Hour: America Reacts – Live Town Hall

Following the interview, Dr. Phil will host a live town hall event at 9:00 PM ET with his Dallas studio audience. Dr. Phil will dissect the interview and the trial itself and explore the broader implications for the future of American business practices.

Emmy-winning host Dr. Phil McGraw , known for his expertise in trial science and jury selection, has been providing insightful commentary on the Donald Trump case throughout recent episodes of "Dr. Phil Primetime ."

This two-hour special promises an in-depth exploration of a case that has captivated the nation.

Regarding the future of this country's leadership, McGraw has stated, "The last thing we need is retribution and revenge. What we need at this point is that this craziness has to stop."

Tune in to Dr. Phil Primetime on Merit Street Media™ this Thursday, June 6th at 8:00 PM ET for a night of exclusive interviews and insightful discussion.

Merit Street Media™ Merit Street Media™ is a premier multi-platform destination media brand spearheaded by Dr. Phil McGraw , the esteemed best-selling author and award-winning television host.

Launched in April 2024 , Merit Street creates and distributes compelling content across diverse platforms, reaching audiences nationwide. The backbone of Merit Street's media presence is its television network, established in partnership with Trinity Broadcasting Network. This fully distributed, cable, satellite, and free over-the-air broadcast media brand extends its reach to over 80 million homes.

The network boasts a rich tapestry of original and acquired programming, anchored by the nightly talk show, "Dr. Phil Primetime ." Situated in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the expansive Merit Street studios span 5 acres and serve as the dynamic hub for the brand. Here, multiple daily live news broadcasts will unfold, embodying Merit Street Media's commitment to delivering engaging and informative content.

Using zip codes, viewers can access the prominently featured channel-finder link entering zip codes at www.meritstreetmedia.com . The broad multiplatform scaled distribution partnerships – with a mix of broadcast, basic cable, national satellites, and FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) – also includes the free streaming app, Merit+, available to download via iPhone & Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku.

Media Inquiries: [email protected]

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-phils-exclusive-interview-with-donald-trump-to-air-on-merit-street-media-thursday-june-6-302163863.html

SOURCE Merit Street Media

Current Affairs

A Magazine of Politics and Culture

• Issues Archive
• News Briefing
• There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

‘Dr. Phil’ Will Not Be Missed

As the 20-year run of ‘Dr. Phil’ comes to an end, reflecting on how the show combined pop psychology, the sleaziness of ’90s talk shows, and misleading culture war debates.

• Liam Burton

January 2023 ended with shocking news : Dr. Phil, the long-running Emmy-nominated pop psychology talk show, would end in a matter of months. 

Where would we be without Dr. Phil host Phil McGraw, a man with so much self-proclaimed authority and attributed notoriety, we might as well call him “The People’s Doctor”? McGraw is the tall, bald, Southern-accented man who famously said:

• “I want you to get excited about your life.”
• “How’s that working for you?”
• “You’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!” 
• “No matter how flat you make a pancake, it’s got two sides!”

Rather than provide therapy, McGraw consistently subjected Dr. Phil guests to a blend of witty aphorisms, good humor, and “tough love” to solve their problems. As McGraw once told an audience at the American Psychological Association’s 2006 Annual Convention , “What if you could deliver common sense, understandable information about life and living and deliver it to the safety, security, and privacy of people’s homes every day for free?”

The success of Dr. Phil, the show and the man, wasn’t inevitable. McGraw, as he tells it, grew up very poor , even living penniless on the streets. Before working in behavioral medicine and forensic psychology, McGraw worked “hundreds of jobs” as he pushed himself through school to earn his degrees. By 1989, McGraw had left the mental health sphere. He co-founded Courtroom Sciences, Inc. (CSI) , which provided trial consulting, jury selection, and witness training to “dozens of Fortune 500 companies” (including Exxon during their legal battle over the infamous Valdez oil spill). McGraw may have permanently stayed out of the media limelight had a woman named Oprah Winfrey not hired him to fight a “beef libel” lawsuit.

Most know this story : In the mid-’90s, Texas cattle ranchers sued Oprah Winfrey for stating on her talk show that she would not eat hamburgers anymore for fear of “Mad Cow Disease” (a neurological disease of cattle that, rarely, can spread to humans ). To aid her in the ensuing lawsuit,  Winfrey hired McGraw and CSI . She emerged victorious . 

As Winfrey heavily credited him for her acquittal, McGraw became Winfrey’s recurring guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. McGraw’s popularity grew so much that Oprah ’s Tuesday show became “ Tuesday’s with Dr. Phil .” It was only a matter of time before McGraw got his own spin-off show ( similar to another Oprah-platformed charlatan ).

Dr. Phil launched in 2002 and, for a while, was a TV mainstay. Phil McGraw entertained audiences with his avuncular personality while simultaneously intimidating them with his “no-nonsense” attitude. Eric Rasmussen of Texas Tech University noted that while McGraw is not a licensed doctor (he previously practiced clinical psychology but let his license expire in 2006 “You still have to call me Dr. Phil” because he has always been eligible to be licensed to practice in California and has decades of experience and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology." rel="footnote">1 ), he still exudes the authority of one and creates a “parasocial bond” with his audience . 

Even though McGraw is not a licensed medical doctor, the “Dr.” title allows him to seem trustworthy on medical matters and to get away with questionable ethical behavior. For example, McGraw could freely exploit the privacy of his Dr. Phil guests because he was never bound by patient confidentiality regulations. His “doctor” status never applied to physiology or medicine, but that didn’t stop him from authoring a book in 2013 called The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom (previously, McGraw had to settle a multi-million dollar lawsuit over bogus diet pills he shilled).

Most horrifyingly, in the last few years, McGraw has used his widely viewed TV show to endorse the scam that is Medicare Advantage (a shady plot to replace Medicare with privatized, tax-payer-funded health insurance) . He did so by featuring an insurance agent and spokesperson from MedicareAdvantage.com on the show at least four times October 2020 , February 2022 , October 2022 , November 2022 ." rel="footnote">2 since 2020. This spokesperson replied to McGraw’s questions in scripted equivocations, transforming the usual advice talk show into an outright infomercial (a disclaimer at the beginning of one video notes that Phil McGraw is a “paid spokesperson” for MedicareAdvantage.com). McGraw engaged in similar behavior when he served as a spokesperson for AstraZeneca’s diabetes medication.

When pressed on why he actually left his original psychology practice in 1989, McGraw claimed that he found traditional patient work to be too boring . McGraw insisted that traditional psychology and patient work was something “he did not love.” His newfound TV career presumably was something he did .  Within four days of premiering , the daytime TV ratings of Dr. Phil exceeded that of any show since the debut of Oprah in 1986. The rest is history. 

Dr. Phil is a TV talk show, a medium historically known for milking “shock value” for ratings . Dr. Phil debuted in the early 2000s, following in the footsteps of ’90s tabloid shows like Jenny Jones, Maury, Ricki Lake, and Geraldo. Dr. Phil ’s “wacky” guests, manipulative tragedy stories, and tabloid-like obsession with current events and celebrity scandals served (essentially) as a slightly more dignified version of old-school Jerry Springer .

A compilation of Dr. Phil ’s  “craziest” guests includes the woman who claimed she was about to give birth to “baby Jesus” and that she was Eminem’s daughter. Other lists mention the man with “Sexy Vegan” tattooed on his forehead and the guy who claimed to be Taylor Swift’s song co-writer and “soul mate.” In the last few years, viewers also might have seen the 60-year-old woman engaged to a 22-year-old Nigerian man , who McGraw suspected was the victim of a cat-fishing scam, or even the 71-year-old unemployed Frank Sinatra impersonator who blamed his 90-year-old mother for his lifelong failure . We couldn’t forget the “ Catch Me Outside ” girl (aka Danielle Bregoli) who later became the rapper Bhad Bhabie .

However, a key thing had set McGraw apart from your Jerry Springers and Maury Poviches. McGraw understood that viewers get really bored seeing the same thing over and over again. You saw one bickering couple and a “dangerous” teen on Dr. Phil, you saw them all. That’s why McGraw always shook things up on Dr. Phil, inserting coverage of news stories, celebrity tragedies, and current events in between regular advice episodes. He explained in an interview that his team’s ethos essentially boiled down to “Don’t make anything boring!” If the team thinks the show is becoming formulaic, so will the viewer.

Additionally, McGraw proved himself to be an innovative, adaptive man in an ever-changing media landscape. McGraw and his son Jay created a medical talk show, The Doctors (the show lasted a nice 14 season s, despite a British Medical Journal review finding only 63 percent of the show’s recommendations to be credible). For a few years, McGraw also executive produced Daily Mail TV.   In an age of cord-cutting, Dr. Phil clips uploaded to YouTube have received millions of views. McGraw became one of the first daytime TV show hosts to simultaneously release a podcast when he launched Phil in the Blanks in 2019 . Few 70-something-year-olds are friends with Mr.Beast or have TikToks with 7.6 million followers .

Dr. Phil is over, but we apparently haven’t seen the last of McGraw. McGraw has promised something big for prime time . CBS Media Ventures also stated that new segments would be added to Dr. Phil reruns, such as updates on the show’s guests. 

Commendably, upon learning of his daytime TV exit, the media resisted giving McGraw a hagiography. The Hollywood Reporter subtly noted that McGraw, like Judge Judy , Ellen DeGeneres , and Dr. Oz , was yet another daytime TV show host exiting the stage with accusations of questionable ethics and/or toxic workplaces in tow. CNN, Newsweek , MSNBC , NPR , Rolling Stone , The Los Angeles Times , and Variety couldn’t help but list McGraw’s legacy of scandals. These ranged from McGraw sending Dr. Phil guests to abusive treatment centers , staging unsolicited and exploitative interventions, and allegedly making people struggling with addiction look more disheveled on TV , in addition to mocking those with mental health issues. Of course, no one article can truly document all the wrongs associated with Phil McGraw. Through the use of his Teflon-powers, McGraw remained successful. 

Perhaps these publications had finally had it with McGraw giving his  “ Shut Up and Get Your Life Together !” speech, for the umpteenth time, to those with serious mental health issues. Yet for all the criticism the press lobbed at McGraw, they voiced practically no criticism towards Dr. Phil ’s final season, which dabbled in far-right punditry. An article or two reminded people that McGraw appeared on The Ingraham Angle to denounce COVID lockdowns in 2020 (McGraw sheepishly apologized for that later but still pushed on with filming in 2021 when other studios had “pushed back filming schedules amid the virus surge”). Those pieces still missed the forest for the trees. 

In the last few years of Dr. Phil , McGraw has associated himself with far-right pundits like Matt Walsh, Andy Ngo, James Lindsay, Lila Rose, Will Witt, Asra Nomani, and the founders of Moms for Liberty. McGraw’s appearance on Laura Ingraham’s program makes a lot more sense when one realizes that he has also appeared on The Ben Shapiro Show , Hannity, and two episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience (first in 2019 and again in 2022 ) . As for his own show, there’s a reason Media Matters for America (the one publication apparently paying attention) released an article entitled “CBS’ Dr. Phil has Become a Safe Space for Right-Wing Personalities to Spread Hate and Misinformation.” 

This is an abrupt shift to anyone who skipped Dr. Phil for several years and assumed the show was mere pop psychology. Dr. Phil didn’t air on Fox News or Newsmax . The show competed with The View and Live with Kelly and Ryan. 

Previously, we might have assumed that McGraw had some conservative beliefs such as “ personal responsibility .” He’s a Texan from an older generation, after all. Yet, McGraw didn’t spend the bulk of his career demonizing “the left” or collaborating with PragerU. He’s not part of the “ Intellectual Dark Web ,” and his podcast doesn’t harbor anti-vaccine or anti-trans views. In fact, for the longest time, people of either conservative or liberal views could watch Dr. Phil without taking much offense. 

In 2018, Stephen Colbert asked McGraw, “I know you don’t talk about politics, but do you follow politics?” In response, McGraw told Colbert, 

I don’t talk politics because I don’t think I should use my platform to influence people on things I don’t know enough about. And I, frankly, don’t know enough about it, and most of the people that do talk about it don’t know enough about it to be talking about it.

Rest assured, it didn’t take too long for McGraw to reverse course.

McGraw has said that “socialism doesn’t work” because eventually “you run out of money.” This much remains a fact to him, even if high-GDP countries with socialist policies ( however flawed ) consistently spend more than “ five times what Americans do on unemployment insurance and other labor market programs.” He also doesn’t believe people deserve an “equal outcome.” McGraw believes “hard work” creates riches, ignoring the fact that tax evasion, worker exploitation , and consolidated political power actually create and perpetuate wealth.

McGraw once cited “the science” on the issue of COVID restrictions and mortality to claim that Florida, a state with fewer COVID restriction measures, ranked better (in terms of mortality) than California, a state with more restrictions. He joked that obstinate liberals would blame the study’s findings on “Republicans.” We can’t prove with certainty which study McGraw was referring to, but it’s quite possible he was referring to some part of an anti-COVID restriction study showing that red states “outperformed” blue states, which Media Matters says “engineered” its results by manipulating statistics and which originated from conservative think tank partisans who favor economic prosperity! Whoops!

McGraw is very vocal about cancel culture being “ out of control. ” On the show and podcast, he’d state that college students today are too soft . McGraw frames student protestors (such as the UNM students who protested Tomi Lahren’s Turning Point USA-sponsored speech) as “too afraid” of “words and ideas” rather than the white supremacist violence that conservative speakers historically incite . He also voiced no dissent when Dr. Phil guest, author Greg Lukianoff, implied that a horrific religious extremist attack on Salman Rushdie was another symptom of “cancel culture.”

Despite all of that, it’d be unfair for us to dismiss McGraw as a regressive right-winger. McGraw isn’t Tucker Carlson. McGraw is more like Joe Rogan: his “common sense” conservatism is shielded by a vague set of progressive views.

McGraw frequently criticizes “ victimhood culture ” (a dog-whistle often implying that systemic racism is not real) but concedes that carceral violence, housing discrimination , police brutality , and general racial inequality exist . McGraw even came around to understanding the causal link between racism and homelessness . McGraw said that anyone trying to outlaw transgender existence could “kiss my ass” and endorses many LGBTQ organizations . McGraw proved on Dr. Phil that Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill used sneaky wording to ban the teaching of LGBTQ topics for students of all grades (not just grades K-3, as the bill’s proponents deceptively claimed , though now they’re a lot more honest about their agenda.).

For the longest time, Dr. Phil avoided politics unless it was the kind that translated into sensationalist TV. The most controversial news item Dr. Phil ever addressed may have been the t w o episodes on Trayvon Martin’s death, but the rest of the show mostly consisted of conflict resolution episodes. 

That is, until we got the Dr. Phil episode abhorred by Native American activists: “Adoption Controversy: Battle Over Baby Veronica.”  The show concerned the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA ), a law prioritizing Native American guardians in Native adoptions. This episode is actually relevant over a decade after it aired, not just because the heavily-conservative Supreme Court will likely abolish ICWA in Brackeen v. Haaland . “Adoption Controversy” also gave us the earliest glimpse of a formula McGraw would use in the final seasons of Dr. Phil .

To start off the episode, McGraw interviewed Matt and Melanie Capobianco, who (at the time of airing) lost custody of their adopted Cherokee daughter, Veronica. The South Carolina Supreme Court awarded custody to Dusten Brown , Veronica’s biological Cherokee father, citing ICWA. McGraw asked the Capobiancos leading questions like, “Was this [court decision] made in the best interest of the child?” and implied that ICWA was outdated, despite the depressingly still-relevant problem of white people taking Native children from their families . One of the people McGraw brought on to support the Capobiancos was his friend Jay McCarthy of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. Within Native circles, McCarthy is known for using shady tactics to illegally defy ICWA . 

McGraw primed viewers to think that the Capobiancos suffered a grave injustice, but he ignored vital facts about their custody battle. Per ICWA, the courts broke the law by never informing Dusten Brown that his daughter was placed for adoption . The Capobiancos were fully aware that a Cherokee guardian had priority in Veronica’s adoption, but they pursued adoption anyway. The South Carolina Supreme Court sided with Dusten Brown for these reasons. Also, McGraw did not explain the broader context of Native cultural genocide or the history of greedy law firms using ICWA custody battles as a proxy for undoing tribal sovereignty laws . 

Dr. Phil ’s other guests, Chrissi Nimmo (then assistant attorney general for the Cherokee Nation) and Les Marston (a tribal judge), countered with all the facts above. They added that the custody dispute wasn’t about “race” but citizenship and tribal sovereignt y.

McGraw ignored such complicating points. McGraw exclaimed to Nimmo and Marston, “What I hear you saying, is what’s best for the tribe, and not what’s best for the child!”, even though the child’s trauma (of moving homes) could have been entirely avoided had everyone involved followed ICWA in the first place. Months after the show aired, Veronica’s custody case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled in the Capobiancos’ favor, using logic no less flawed than McGraw’s . 

Though we wouldn’t see it in action for several years, “Adoption Controversy” actually established a four-step formula McGraw would reuse when discussing politics.

• Introduce a topical issue that generates outrage.
• Platform speakers without disclosing their sordid reputations. Ignore any inconvenient facts.
• Create a debate by having token speakers of opposing views.
• McGraw gets the last word. He frames his incorrect and/or misleading views as “common sense.”

Generate Outrage

In the most recent seasons of Dr. Phil, the show introduced debates on political divisiveness, cancel culture, racial justice, cultural appropriation, abortion, transgender and nonbinary rights, inclusive learning practices, and harm reduction spaces, amongst other topics. A sample of flashy episode titles reveals the show’s implicit biases:

• “Carry to Bury—The Abortion Debate”
•   “Appropriation Nation: Has it Gone Too Far?”
•   “You Can’t Say That!”
• “ Parents Battle Over ‘Woke’ School Curriculum”
• “ Transgender Athletes ”
• “Inclusivity or Indoctrination?”  
• “Slut Shaming or Asking for Modesty? ” 

Platform Speakers and Ignore Inconvenient Facts

McGraw made his right-wing Dr. Phil guests look undeservedly credible, because he never told viewers their true origins. One of the first topical debates McGraw did post-“Adoption Controversy” was 2019’s “ Controversy Over Hate Crimes. ” After going “behind the headlines” of actor Jussie Smollett’s infamous staged hate crime attack , McGraw essentially asked: Are hate crimes as big of a deal as the media says? Should we be more skeptical of people who claim they were victims of such crimes? Does Jussie Smollett’s hoax ruin the cases of actual victims?

For this debate, McGraw’s guests, Clay Cane (a gay Black radio host, experienced with racialized violence) and activist Sally Kohn , affirmed the growing threat of hate crimes. McGraw’s other guests, Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro and then Quillette editor Andy Ngo, meanwhile, argued that the media dishonestly chases “white supremacist narratives” when covering hate crimes (whereas Shapiro’s The Daily Wire frequently, and dishonestly , molds stories to fit their right-wing grievance narratives). Ngo stated that hate crimes in America are actually uncommon.

It’s very interesting that McGraw thought Shaprio and Ngo were the world’s best experts on white supremacy and hate crimes. By 2019, Shapiro and his publication The Daily Wire had already amassed enough race-related controversies . Ngo’s statements about hate crimes not being real rings especially disturbing, considering that Ngo enabled a white supremacist attack just months after this episode aired and has been accused of targeting at least one journalist of color with a disinformation campaign that the journalist says led to death threats against him. 

All of this was just the beginning. In the ensuing seasons, particularly Dr. Phil ’s final season , viewers demanded McGraw cover more topical issues. To help him deliver on his viewers requests, McGraw solicited more conservative pundits.

During Season 19, McGraw casually spoke to Piers Morgan (a man linked to one of the worst tabloid privacy exploitation scandals ) and Bret Weinstein (a former biology professor and current Ivermectin grifter ) about their very narrow conception of cancel culture . McGraw helped Weinstein portray himself as a “canceled” free-speech martyr, rather than a guy who attracted alt-right figures to Evergreen State after needlessly intervening in a student protest against campus police brutality . 

Season 20’s “Gender Pronoun Debate” featured Daily Wire stochastic terrorist Matt Walsh . McGraw at least admitted upon introduction that Walsh was a controversial figure. McGraw needn’t have done so, though. Walsh proved himself to be very sensitive and kind-hearted … just kidding. Walsh couldn’t go five seconds without verbally attacking McGraw’s nonbinary guests for the crime of existing. He lied about a trans person being the perpetrator of a Virginia school’s sexual assault case for good measure, too. The same season featured a “Should Critical Race Theory be Taught in Schools?” debate where James Lindsay ranted about CRT being “ Marxism .” 

Negative platforming only continued during Dr. Phil ’s final season, which premiered with an abortion debate. McGraw is pro-choice but begged people to take seriously the opinions of his anti-abortion guest, Lila Rose. “No matter how flat you make a pancake, it’s got two sides,” right? That illusion might have been ruined had McGraw disclosed that Rose spent years producing Project Veritas hoax videos and bogus “sting” operations against Planned Parenthood. McGraw actually countered Rose’s lies about scientists agreeing that “life begins at fertilization,” but Rose kept interrupting with more lies.

During a cancel culture episode, McGraw fawned over a Young America’s Foundation student who faced censorship. Yet, he made no mention of YAF’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, LGBTQ book ban efforts, or their “Ban Transgenderism” events. In the same episode, McGraw framed Turning Point USA as an unfairly maligned organization—and not one whose speakers express similar sentiments while promoting election denial and keeping a professor “watchlist ” that targets professors too far on the “left.”

McGraw led viewers to think Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich were just very involved parents running a friendly organization called Moms for Liberty. Justice and Descovich themselves insisted their goals are pure: they advocate for bans on books and curricula that “sexualize” kids (i.e., that it’s OK not to be cis or straight) and that make them “feel bad” about their race (i.e., teach them honest history ). Would viewers have taken Justice and Descovich’s positions seriously if they knew about their ties to the Heritage Foundation and the Florida Republican Party ? If McGraw had detailed their smear campaigns against educators (one of which included a false child abuse allegation ) and their attacks against LGBTQ people and trans-affirming healthcare , might that explain their agenda better? 

Likewise, McGraw relied on Dr. Carole Hooven , a lecturer in evolutionary biology at Harvard, and NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines to advocate for trans exclusion in sports. He didn’t disclose either woman’s status as Fox News media darlings , something viewers might have benefited from knowing.

McGraw’s worst whitewashing came in his “Inclusivity or Indoctorination” episode. Up for debate was whether schools need to notify parents if their child comes out as trans. McGraw interviewed Asra Nomani and a parent only identified as “Jennifer,” both associated with the Independent Women’s Forum. McGraw made no mention of Nomani’s deranged articles from The Federalist , but amazingly, Nomani didn’t come off as terrible as Jennifer.

Jennifer openly stated that she pulled her child out of school because the school did not disclose that her child came out as trans (Jennifer claimed not to have been aware of this for months even though she admitted that the child had been “experimenting with these different identities” for some time). Jennifer explained to McGraw that, essentially, she forcibly socially detransitioned her child : “we removed her basically from all the influences that were affirming her [gender identity]” such as “devices” and LGBTQ-identifying friends, and “slowly she let go of it.”

Instead of pointing out to Jennifer that forcibly detransitioning a child is likened to abuse , McGraw nodded along. After all, if we’re too accepting of LGBTQ people, YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL might brainwash YOUR CHILD into being trans! If it happened to Jennifer, it could happen to you. Of course, McGraw forgot to mention that the Independent Women’s Forum (the organization that Jennifer and Asra Nomani are associated with) is Koch brother-funded and regularly produces anti-trans misinformation . Jennifer can be seen in such a misinformation video , perhaps suggesting she is more “demagogue” than “concerned parent.” 

Speakers Debate

McGraw admitted to Joe Rogan that he read the Media Matters piece calling him a “safe space” for “hate and misinformation,” stating:

I actually read an article by some site I’ve never even heard of that says, ‘ Dr. Phil has become a platform for right-wing … hatemongers.’ … They listed some shows where I had on people on the right, giving them a voice, … [but] not one time did they mention that sitting right across from them, was the other side!

McGraw is being completely truthful. He interviewed Lila Rose in the abortion episode, but he also interviewed National Organization for Women president Christian Nunes and pro-abortion civil rights lawyer Ben Crump. PragerU pundits Will Witt and Amala Ekpunobi defended cultural appropriation (and received free advertising for PragerU’s racist videos ). Yet, McGraw also talked to YouTuber Brittany Collins, Arizona State University professor Neal Lester, and journalist Angela Pagán , all of whom explained potential harmful impacts of cultural appropriation .

“The Gender Pronoun Debate” infamously featured Matt Walsh, but Walsh only came ten minutes after nonbinary influencer Addison Rose Vincent and their partner, Ethan , patiently explained gender pronouns and identities to McGraw and his audience. Walsh actually complained to Megyn Kelly that he didn’t get his own segment ! Moms for Liberty’s co-founders were recurring Dr. Phil guests, but so was Shaun Harper, the founder and executive director of USC’s Race and Equity Center. In one episode, Harper, who himself has taught CRT, said that CRT was being used as a “bogeyman,” and in another, Harper openly disagreed that colleges are hotbeds of liberalism after free speech activist Greg Lukianoff asserted that college professors have been fired at alarming rates in recent years due to cancel culture.

Because McGraw platformed both right-wing and left-wing pundits on Dr. Phil, he felt that anyone who criticized his choices of guests was too close-minded.

McGraw didn’t agree with California State Senator Scott Wiener and Dr. Maia Szalavitz on harm reduction spaces ( legally sanctioned locations for unhoused drug users to receive clean needles, fentanyl tests, and medical attention ), but he still had them on his show. McGraw may have instead sided with Michael Shellenberger (his climate change-denying guest who wrote San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities ), but he still later featured Shellenberger and Weiner on separate podcasts. Similarly, McGraw might not have agreed with everything his guest Eli Erlick said about trans rights. Yet, he still let Erlick shut down a transphobic audience member who repeated the lie that trans people “regret” doing “permanent harm” to their bodies. 

If McGraw can handle disagreement and differing voices on his show, why can’t we on the left do the same? Well, would it surprise anyone that McGraw is creating a false premise when he acts like his critics are just afraid of disagreement? The “both sides” approach makes sense when referring to a bickering couple with equally understandable arguments. But it’s invalid for debates between an informed activist with lived experience and a grifter trying to move the Overton Window.

McGraw’s insistence that every issue has two equally weighted sides creates its own type of harm. Platforming is never impartial. YouTuber Shaun astutely noted that if you platform a “flat-earther” in the name of impartiality ( as the BBC said it hypothetically might ), you’re treating an otherwise incorrect and inaccurate view as valid. More people will believe the incorrect views (or at least, be less inclined to disagree with them) if they’re falsely presented as “two sides to the same coin.” 

Shaun Harper and those who defend Critical Race Theory are not equivalent to the paid Republican activists who drummed up the CRT moral panic in the first place. Ben Crump and Christian Nunes, who provide, respectively, legal and healthcare resources for those affected by draconian abortion laws, are not equally weighted to Lila Rose’s anti-abortion propaganda and hoax operations . Guests like Addison Rose Vincent and Eli Erlick advocate for LGBTQ people to safely exist. People like Matt Walsh, on the other hand, disagree to the point of thinking LGBTQ people deserve violence directed at them. 

For McGraw though, these views are just the two extremes of the “culture war.” 

Columnist Adam Johnson observed that the media uses clichéd euphemisms like “issues” and “culture war” to mask grotesque, prejudiced attacks against marginalized groups that exclusively come from conservatives and the far right. “The Other Side” does nothing of equivalence, but the media, including Dr. Phil, ignores this so that everything can be put up for “debate.”

The Last Word: McGraw’s ‘Common Sense’

McGraw misleadingly convinced his audience that evil Native Americans kidnapped children from white parents in “Adoption Controversy.” He had more tricks up his sleeve in the ensuing seasons. McGraw believes that harm reduction spaces “enable” addiction and, as per B.F. Skinner and behaviorism, “You do not [should not] reward bad behavior !” Never mind that Noam Chomsky and other professionals have challenged “behaviorism” for decades. Portugal and the Netherlands have decriminalized some drugs , and the countries’ rehabilitation strategies suggest that harm reduction policies are better than carceral policies in addressing drug use and addiction. Still, McGraw “ respectfully disagree[s] .”

McGraw has questioned whether kids are too young to learn about pronouns and gender identities. He condescendingly suggested to psychiatrist Yalda Safai that she should break confidentiality if a child comes out to them. McGraw is technically correct about a child therapist not being legally bound by confidentiality with a patient who is a minor, but it would still be unethical for a therapist to out a trans kid to their potentially non-accepting parents. 

McGraw similarly felt that excluding trans women from sports was “common sense.” McGraw also neglected to mention that laws banning trans people from sports are made by organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom, who see this as a gateway to outlawing trans existence.

Ultimately, the most incorrect belief McGraw ever stated was that people he featured on his show had more to agree on than disagree. It’d be nice if this were true.

The controversial people McGraw was so intent on platforming never wanted to find common ground with their opponents . Andy Ngo and his allies literally want his enemies destroyed . Lila Rose evidently sinks to the lowest of the low to get abortion permanently outlawed. Matt Walsh outright said he has no interest in finding unity with non-cis/non-straight people—he prefers they not exist at all. Ben Shapiro laughably laments how divided Americans are in his book The Right Side of History , but Shapiro’s brand is “owning the left .” Young America’s Foundation constantly pushes videos of speakers “owning” “arrogant leftists” and “shutting down” trans people at colleges . Tomi Lahren and Turning Point USA will always liken antifascist and racial justice movements to “terrorism.” Amala Ekpunobi still ridicules “woke” protesters and students . Moms for Liberty wants Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill enacted in all 50 states and any teacher teaching inclusive education or anything honest about racism canned. The Independent Women’s Forum supports similar outcomes. 

By treating these people with kid gloves, McGraw advanced everyone’s goals. Matt Walsh wanted more airtime on his episode but being on a non-Fox News show sufficed (Walsh lists his heavily discussed Dr. Phil appearance as his first major achievement of 2022). Both Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson praised Lila Rose for “owning” Dr. Phil ’s pro-abortion audience. Amala Ekpunobi used her Dr. Phil appearance as mocking fodder for her podcast, Unapologetic . The guests from Moms for Liberty and the Independent Women’s Forum similarly gloated about Dr. Phil increasing their exposure and legitimacy. 

If the “Culture War” was an actual war, the early 2020s served as the left’s series of really tough losses. Dobbs overturned Roe v. Wade and the predominantly conservative U.S. Supreme Court has more terrible, life-altering decisions on the way. Police departments have received more funding and increased their shootings of civilians . Progressive prosecutors, when not being replaced with unelected, corrupt officials , had their legitimacy jeopardized by the people and the press. White supremacist violence is growing stronger, even in “blue states.” Elon reinstated the worst Twitter accounts while silencing progressive voices . Florida finalized its status as one of the worst states for LGBTQ people by having its “Don’t Say Gay” law criminalize inclusive education (something Gov. Ron DeSantis modeled after Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán) and by criminalizing trans-affirming healthcare ( the legislature relied on “gender conversion” advocates and those with no experience in trans healthcare to justify their views. Other states followed suit. ). Moral panic journalism is translating to Republican-led legislative victories.

Adding insult to injury, Phil McGraw flooded the political discourse with half-truths and misinformation. Journalists, media critics, psychology professionals, and even everyday people can mock McGraw all they want. He got away with all of it because he made for a compelling TV personality.

McGraw essentially told millions of people that it is OK to be a reactionary. “Soft on crime” lawmakers have ruined cities. Oversensitive “wokes” do “cancel” people for ridiculous reasons. LGBTQ people are going too far by “forcing” kids to be gay and trans. McGraw was one notch above Fox News by featuring credible guests who disagreed, but those guests likely only made viewers angrier and proved that the world really is depraved. Even the more centrist viewers likely appreciated McGraw’s right-wing guests (whose true backgrounds they didn’t actually know) for validating their honest thoughts. Subsequently, McGraw served as their gateway for accepting the worst of far-right rhetoric. 

Dr. Phil is gone now, but it will take a long time to undo the damage he left behind on all fronts. As McGraw continues to work in the media, we should keep everything analyzed here in mind. At the very least, we’ll make sure he doesn’t skate by on his reputation as “The People’s Doctor.”

 In response to potential critics who might accuse him of fraudulently calling himself a doctor, McGraw said “You still have to call me Dr. Phil” because he has always been eligible to be licensed to practice in California and has decades of experience and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.  ↩

Seen here: October 2020 , February 2022 , October 2022 , November 2022 .  ↩

More In: Entertainment

‘taxi’ and the workplace.

• Ciara Moloney

The Dystopias of Yesterday

• Richard Eskow

What is Civilization?

• Michael Thomas Carter

Why You Should be Watching Soviet Cinema

Announcing Our Newest Issue

A wonderful spring issue touching on important issues such as child liberation, whether humans really love animals, why Puerto Rico's political status remains a problem, what Islamic finance can teach us, and how 'terrorism' has become a shape-shifting word. Welcome to the Manos-Fair, and enjoy Luxury British Pants, among other delightful amusements!

The Latest From Current Affairs

Guantánamo Bay Has Shattered the Illusion of a 'Fair' Justice System

• Stephen Prager

The Possibilities for Child Liberation

• Lauren Fadiman

Is Jeff Landry the Worst Governor in America?

• Alex Skopic

Trump’s Worst Crimes Remain Unpunished

• Nathan J. Robinson

Dr. Phil Primetime and MERIT STREET MEDIA™ 

Dear Dr. Phil Viewers, Fans, and Followers,  I am thrilled to share exciting news about a significant project that my team and I have been diligently working on since our last live daytime taping this past spring. I can only hope that you share my enthusiasm as I am delighted to announce that I will soon be returning to the airwaves with an all-new series of original episodes, airing nightly in prime time on our very own network, MERIT STREET MEDIA . "Dr. Phil Primetime" is set to premiere on Monday, February 26th, 2024, and will air every evening at 8 PM Eastern Time. The name of our new network, Merit Street Media, holds a special significance. I chose "Merit" to honor the meritocracy upon which our amazing country was built, and "Street" to represent "Main Street" America. We are now headquartered in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where a brand-new, state-of-the-art broadcast center, spanning over 5 acres, is near completion. Many dedicated "Dr. Phil" team members have made the transition with me, relocating their families to Texas, so we can continue working together, alongside all of you at home.  "Dr. Phil Primetime" will maintain the format that I have always embraced. I will work to provide common-sense advice to our guests based on evidence-based research, science, tried and proven methods—you  know facts! Remember those things; practical information that you can use in your everyday life. Let me be clear; this is not just my show; it's our show. This is not just my network; it's our network. I renew my commitment to you that I am dedicating my platform to what you want and need to see and hear. Nothing is off limits. If it matters to you, it matters to us.  I am eager to address the issues that are important to you, from navigating the challenges of raising a family in a world that sometimes appears to have lost its way or at least be listening to people making things up as they go along! We will also be addressing the influence of toxic social media platforms on our children and tackling the epidemic of prescription drug addiction. We will also explore concerns about an education curriculum that, for too many, feels like it's failing and, for some, seems more like indoctrination, just to name a few.  If it's a social issue at the heart of our nation's most vital conversations, we will approach it from a psychological and social perspective. This is all about real people, not political rhetoric. You've told me that you get enough of that from others. Additionally, I will continue to conduct hard-hitting interviews with headline newsmakers. We will also have a news department that will present the facts and allow you to form your own opinions—a novel concept, indeed!  I want you to be part of the show, part of defining this network. I want you to join us in the studio audience and actively participate. Robin says, "Hey, everyone! Come see us! Texas is just a short flight away from anywhere in the country, and we're only 15 minutes from DFW Airport." Let's work together to make MERIT STREET MEDIA a game-changer. Together, we can shake things up! Stay tuned for more details in the near future. I love you all and can't wait to reconnect!

Sincerely, 

Be the first to hear about news.

SIGN UP WITH EMAIL