Dr. Phil (talk show)

This article is about the TV series. For its host, see Phil McGraw.

Dr. Phil
File:Dr.phil.jpg Titlecard
Starring	Phil McGraw
Opening theme	Shine by Meredith Brooks
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	1011 (as of February 13, 2008)
Production
Production locations	Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California
Camera setup	Multiple-camera setup
Running time	60 minutes with commercials
Original release
Network	First-run syndication
Release	September 16, 2002 – present

Dr. Phil is an American talk show hosted by Phil McGraw. It debuted on September 16, 2002, after McGraw had success with the "Tuesdays With Dr. Phil" segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show. On both shows McGraw offers advice in the form of "life strategies" from his experience as a clinical psychologist.

The show is in syndication throughout the United States and Canada, as well as a number of other countries. Also, the show's syndication contracts specifically state that if Dr. Phil is on another station, it cannot air at the same time as Oprah.

The sixth season premiered on September 10, 2007.

It was announced on August 3, 2005 that Dr. Phil had been renewed through at least 2012-2013, lasting through the 11th season.

In 2007, Dr. Phil was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Talk Show Host". He won a Grammy for his appearance on "Flavor of Love."

Synopsis

The show covers a wide variety of human issue topics, including weight loss, financial planning, errant children, gift suggestions, children who have been diagnosed with autism, unhappily married couples, rebellious teenagers, mothers who dress far from their age, mothers who refuse to attend weddings, children being stars in their parents' rights, dysfunctional families and support for charitable causes, also current radio personality and ex-child star Danny Bonaduce, came to the show, twice in a year, to discuss about his failing marriage (and later divorce) with Gretchen. On several shows, the program delivers spouses and/or children, after taking a lie detector test, claimed that they haven't touched one's child's intimate parts, unaware that the answers were either deceptive and/or truthful. 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 Show, but without melees or aggressive fights on stage, in contrast to The Jerry Springer Show, The Steve Wilkos Show or Maury. 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. Dr. Phil 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. Dr. Phil also provides on-the-spot advice and counseling to the "houseguests".

Incidents

• In a show that aired on May 2, 2005 the twin sisters Crystal and Jocelyn 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 was interviewed and stated that the two could make half a million dollars per year in his establishment. It turns out that the sister's testimony was less than truthful: since 2002 they have appeared as the "Potter sisters" in numerous porn movies together, and in 2003 they even appeared together with Hof in the porn movie "Goin' down at the Bunny Ranch".

• The Dr. Phil House was set in an actual house within the Wilshire Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. It received numerous complaints from neighbors about the disruption caused by filming crews and the mentally unstable guests, unsightly cables and production trucks clogging the neighborhood, and the constant traffic caused by filming. After the Los Angeles City Council revoked film permits, in September 2006, the Dr. Phil show stopped filming there. However, Peteski Productions, Dr. Phil's production company, still owns the house. The Dr. Phil House has since moved to a studio back lot, and the exterior of the house shown in the program is that of a sound stage and not that of the actual house.
• There was a scam involving woman who lied saying that they knew Dr. Phil. The woman went by the name of Ms. Cleo. She was initially shut down for her fradulent "psychic" ability hotline. The woman set up a phone line that they claimed to be run by the director of the Dr. Phil show. By telling customers that they could have a phone conversation with Dr. Phil for $750 an hour, they scammed Dr. Phil's viewers out of thousands of dollars.
• On December 12, 2006, the show featured a segment on Bumfights and attacks on the homeless across America. Dr. Phil discontinued an interview with the creator/distributor of the video series in disgust and forced him off the set after already inviting him.
• Dr. Phil has said some contradictory statements: On one show he will say that the man is the leader of the family, while on another he will say that "we are all equal" and that man and woman should both lead the family.
• There have been several complaints of Dr. Phil blindsighting guests. His producers will tell a guest that they would like to promote the ideas and values the guest have to offer. But once the guest is on stage, Dr. Phil will have a line of questioning that embarrasses the guest and puts them in a negative light. Examples of this happening include a Dr. Phil show on breastfeeding and one on homeschooling. There are other complaints of the Dr. Phil show eliminating guests and experts from appearing on the show if they do not favor his line of thinking (strictly Christian thinking), and prove hard to discredit.
• In a show that aired on January 28, 2008 regarding youth wearing baggy pants (Baggy Pants Debate), Dr. Phil censored the word "Nigger" from the show when it was used in the song of a rapper trying to get black youths to stop wearing baggy pants. Yet in the episode prior, which aired on January 24, 2008 titled "I want out," Dr Phil, not only allowed the word "Chink" to be aired, he actually said it twice. On his website, the word "Chink" is represented as "c***k." Dr. Phil show archives[3] [4](lasted viewed 20Feb08) An inquiry to Dr. Phil was made and has not been answered and three attempts to post this on his message boards have failed after the vetting of the message.

Spoofs

• Sesame Street shows a segment from time to time which stars a Muppet called Dr. Feel which hosts a talk show and asks guests about their feelings. Dr. Phil has even appeared as a guest on one episode.

• In the Nickelodeon teen comedy Drake and Josh, one episode spoofed Dr. Phil as Dr. Phyllis, which was in the same style as Dr. Phil, and the host was a woman. In that episode, Drake and Josh get chosen to feature in Dr. Phyllis and talk about all their problems as brothers.

• The same "Dr. Phyllis" spoof was also used in the Brandy & Mr. Whiskers episode "Freaky Tuesday".

• Dr. Phil starred on Frasier, season 10 episode 21 entitled 'The Devil & Dr. Phil', where he has Bebe as his agent.

• The show was spoofed a few times on MADtv with Michael McDonald playing Dr. Phil. Often, Debra Wilson will appear on these spoofs as well, playing the character of Oprah.

• YTV's The Zone formerly did spoofs of Dr. Phil that were also called Dr. Phyllis.

• Cyberchase had a spoof of Dr. Phil called Dr. Bill

• On SNL, Dr. Phil was the subject of a few sketches, one where he was portrayed by Will Ferrell.

• Ex-MADtv regular Frank Caliendo also plays Dr. Phil on his own show, Frank TV.

• On Hannah Montana, Robby Ray portrays Dr. Phil as Dr. Philbilly to teach his children to get along.

Phil-isms

• What in the hell were you thinking?
• I've been doing this over 30 years.
• Are you nuts?
• You choose the behavior, you choose the consequences.
• How's it working for ya'?
• This is going to be a changing day in your life.
• You cannot change what you don't acknowledge.
• Are you kidding me?
• I want you to get excited about your life.
• Children are very perceptive.
• Get Real
• What I do!?
• If it's happening now, we're gonna deal with it now!
• I want you to start living as a gay woman
• Get a life
• We're gonna start putting some verbs in our sentences.
• This relationship needs a hero.
• Im Not Trying To Break Ya, Im Trying To Wake Ya!
• If You Dont Like It, Then Hit The Door... ...Lady!
• Just shut up!
• Respect my audience.

Broadcasters

• In Arab World the show airs on MBC 4 at 19:00KSA.
• In Australia the show currently airs on the Network Ten at 12pm each weekday. Prior to 2006, it aired on the Nine Network. The show is also aired on the W. Channel on cable television.
• In Belgium the show airs on VijfTV at 23:00.
• In Canada the show airs on CTV, at varying times depending on region.
• In Denmark the show airs on TV3 at 14:20.
• In Iceland the show airs on SkjárEinn at 17:45 every day of the week, and all the weeks's episodes shown again at the weekend.
• In Finland the show airs on Nelonen at 17:00.
• In Ireland the show airs every weekday morning on RTE1.
• In Israel the show airs every weekday on Yes Stars3 at 13:15.
• In New Zealand the show airs on TV3 at 13:00.
• In Norway the show airs on TV3 at 11:35, and 19:00 (re-run of 11:35)
• In Portugal the show airs on SIC Mulher at 4:15, 7:45 and 16:15.
• In South Africa the show airs every weekday on SABC2 at 12:00.
• In Sweden the show airs on TV4 Plus at 19:05.
• In The Netherlands the show airs on RTL5 at 16:40 and on RTL 8 at 18:20.
• In the United Kingdom the show airs on Living, throughout the week.
• In South Africa the show airs on SABC, through out the week.
• On Mars the show airs on MARS-Network during daylight hours.

Further reading

Sophia Dembling, Lisa Gutierrez (2005). The Making of Dr. Phil: The Straight-Talking True Story of Everyone's Favorite Therapist. Wiley. ISBN 0471696595.

External links

• Official Dr. Phil
• Dr. Phil at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show