Dr. Phil lands primetime show 'Dr. Phil Primetime' after talk show exit

Publish date: 2024-08-08

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That was brief! Dr. Phil McGraw is already returning to TV — with his own cable network this time — less than one year after ending his daytime talk show.

The TV personality, who ended his long-running show after 21 seasons in May, will now be on primetime. He announced the news via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday.

“I’m coming back in primetime on a whole new network that’s called Merit Street Media,” McGraw, 73, said in a video announcement. “It’s my new network, but I’ve got some news that I want to share with you about that. This is actually not my network, this is our network.”

He added: “This is something that’s going to be focused entirely on what’s important to you. What you want to talk about, what you want to do and ‘Dr. Phil’ is going to be on in primetime.”

Dr. Phil McGraw at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2020. FilmMagic
Phil McGraw and his wife, Robin McGraw, in June 2022. Getty Images
McGraw, onstage at the O You! event, presented by O, The Oprah Magazine, in LA in October 2012. WireImage

Viewers will have to wait a bit for its debut, as “Dr. Phil Primetime” will premiere on Feb. 26. It will be filmed in front of a live audience in a new studio located in the Dallas-Forth Worth area in Texas. McGraw’s new show will follow the same format as his previous show, “Dr. Phil,” and air at 8 p.m. ET.

Merit Street Media is described as “a new cable TV network dedicated to bringing viewers essential news and entertainment,” per a press release.

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewer’s help in building Merit Street. I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome,” McGraw said in a statement.

McGraw on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in April 2019. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via
 “Dr. Phil” on a CBS promotion in NYC in September 2009. WireImage

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” the psychologist continued.

“It all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results.”

When McGraw revealed in January that his daytime talk show would be ending, he said he was going to shift his focus to primetime programming with new partnerships due to launch in early 2024.

“I am compelled to engage with a broader audience because I have grave concerns for the American family, and I am determined to help restore a clarity of purpose as well as our core values,” he said at the time.

McGraw got his start in entertainment as a frequent guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the late 1990s.

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