CBS
NOS News•
Phil McGraw is retiring after 21 years of advising rebellious teens, dysfunctional families and down-and-out celebrities. His daily TV talk show, which was broadcast worldwide, will end later this year.
The program was first shown in 2002. McGraw mainly counseled people who had problems, often in areas such as finances, weight, family situations, addictions and marital problems.
“With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers with all kinds of problems,” the 72-year-old presenter writes in a statement. He calls the program “an incredible chapter” in his life and career. “But there’s so much more I want to do.”
‘Dr. Phil’ became known in the late 1990s as a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show and was widely appreciated for his folksy, straightforward advice. He has a PhD in clinical psychology, but dropped out in 2006 when his license was renewed.
Not psychology, but entertainment
Developmental psychologist Steven Pont has in it NOS Radio 1 Journal substantive criticism of Dr. Phil. “It’s real entertainment. Not a very good psychotherapist has been lost in him – he thinks so himself.”
He sees that the program has made viewers think about behavior and feelings. “As a viewer, you could have benefited from that.” But for guests it was different. “For example, the life of a guy who was abused had to turn around in a 50-minute program. It doesn’t work that way. I think sometimes he did more damage than he really helped.”
A well-known fragment is a 13-year-old girl who confronts the audience and shouts “Catch me outside, how about that”. That statement took on a life of its own on the internet:
One of the things Pont likes about McGraw is that he made it clear to his guests that they had to set their boundaries. “He is good with language and could say it in a very pointed way.”
Criticism over the years
Over the years, the program has often faced strong criticism. So would Dr. Phil exploit guests; their problems would be used to achieve high ratings. Broadcaster CBS responds indirectly to this in a press release: the TV channel says that the program has made $ 35 million available for aftercare to guests.
In 2016, there was criticism after an interview with actress Shelley Duvall, known for the thriller The Shining from 1980. The broadcast clearly showed that she was not doing well. She said she struggled with mental problems. Celebrities said she was used for ratings.
Viewing cannon
The program airs five days a week in the US, and is still very well viewed. Although linear television has lost its audience in recent years, Dr. Phil in America still averages 2 million viewers per episode. When he leaves, it is hinted that he will present a new program in the evening from next year.
