“Dr. Phil” is coming to an end after 21 seasons, Variety announced Tuesday.
The show’s title host, Dr. Phil McGraw, 72, ultimately made the decision to stop creating and producing new episodes of his iconic show after the 21st season, which will run through 2022 to 2023, Variety reported. CBS Media, who distribute the show, hope to keep airing reruns until 2024.
The hour-long talk show runs Monday through Friday, with McGraw also hosting two podcasts and producing for scripted series, Variety noted. CBS sources emphasized that McGraw made the call to end his series, despite maintaining a huge average audience of some 2 million viewers per episode at a time where all traditional television shows are seeing steep declines in viewership.
McGraw has been a staple of daytime television since joining “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the late 1990s, before launching his show in 2022. At the time of writing, “Dr. Phil” is the second highest-rated daytime talk show, coming in behind “Live With Ryan and Kelly,” Variety continued.
Dr. Phil Admits He Once Locked His Wife In The Trunk Of A Car https://t.co/7Kc4t97uXq via @DailyCaller
— Chris 🇺🇸 (@Chris_1791) November 23, 2020
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw wrote in a statement following the decision. “With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellness and raising children. This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime, there is so much more I wish to do.”
He’s already hinted that there may be a new “strategic primetime partnership” he’s working on, which will allow him to apparently “increase his impact on television and viewers,” Variety reported. Details are not really available regarding these hints, but whatever it is may land as early as 2024.
McGraw is best known for bringing guests onto his show that need significant help in their personal lives. He’s been accused of exploiting these guests, but CBS noted that his show has provided more than $35 million in resources for guests post-show. (RELATED: Dr. Phil Gave A Brutal Diagnosis When He Was Asked What’s Wrong With Kanye West)
One of his most notable guests include rapper Bhad Bhabie, also known as the “Catch Me Outside” girl, who went viral after her appearance on the show. He also once asked Burke Ramsey if his mother killed JonBenet Ramsey as part of a three-part interview on the 20th anniversary of the child’s death.