Oprah Tosses Dr. Phil Overboard In Favor Of Dr. Oz

Yesterday's news that Oprah is developing a talk show featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz — who's been a regular on her show for some time now — comes as a slap in the face to that other guy who used to be known as "Oprah's Doctor": Dr. Phil McGraw.

The New York Post's Don Kaplan reports that the Dr. Oz show will be in direct competition to a show Dr. Phil is currently developing:

But the new show - slated to debut in the fall of 2009 - appears to be a direct rival to "The Doctors," a new syndicated show slated for next fall that will be produced by the McGraws.

McGraw, was, of course, discovered and groomed by Oprah in 2002 for his own show in exactly the same fashion as Oz is being prepped this year for daytime TV stardom.

Further, Kaplan reports that even though it appears that Oprah has been grooming Dr. Oz for a show of his own (especially given that she recently purchased the Discovery Health Network), TV industry professional were surprised by the aggressiveness of the move:

"It's mystifying," said MediaWeek's Marc Berman yesterday. "This certainly can be seen as diluting the audience for 'The Doctors.'

"But Oprah has clout," he said. "If she wants to put a show on TV, she will."

Dr. Phil's afternoon show is part-owned by Oprah - but "The Doctors" is being made totally by McGraw's own production company without the help or profit participation of Harpo.

Comments

[CrabbyGolightly]

Can We Finally Take His License To Practice Faux Medicine Away?
WHILE MANY AMERICANS WHO SNACK ON REALITY TV have only come to know the offering since being added to the prime time menu, savvy couch potatoes recognize that the form has long been a daytime staple.

Crabby had her own foray in talk TV, and toward the end of my stint, I worried that we'd soon be recording murder. That's because every "next show" had to evoke more shock, awe, sorrow, shame, joy or delight than the last one. The environment was 24/7 of fever-pitch for more, better, faster. And if you didn't deliver, well then, you failed. Because the viewers -- and the staff -- had already heard the one about the dog who saved his master from the fire, or about the grandfather who took snapshots of his grandkid naked, or the couples' swapping partners, or mothers who trashed their newborns. And so you better have something even more incredulous today than you did yesterday.

Check out CrabbyGolightly.com for the full story.

[ENK727]

I don't see how these two are really in competition with each other. Dr. Phil deals more with family problems and mental issues. Dr. Oz is a medical doctor that deals with health issues. This article is misleading.

[MACinCHI]

For all you morons who have to bash Oprah just because she came out strongly for Obama, this is a story about the business of television, not election politics.

Oprah is a very successful businesswoman (she could buy and sell your collective asses many times over) and operates a production company. Like any other production company, it tries to develop programs to be broadcast on television. Some succeed (the Oprah Show), other fail (Gayle's short-lived talk show).

The Dr. Phil Show (like it or not -- I'm in the latter category) made money. It was no different from alot of the other daytime trash (how many frickin' Judge shows do we need?). There are a lot of brain dead television viewers out there who need their lives filled with the stories of other lifetime losers.

[StrayTalk]

Dr. Oz is the real deal. He's helping to educate a lot of folks about health and medicine. Dr Phil...wel­l you can't pick 'em all correctly! Oprah is backing the right candidate for President, though. And Oprah, just in case you're reading this....I could use a new car. Give me a call.

[danceswithyids]

Isn't this the normal course on the Oprah track.
She uses you and then when she has gotten all that she can out of the relationship, see ya.
Like the whole James Fry thing, ummm Oprah do a little research before making your recommendations to your masses, and then you might not come off so bad and then have to berate others to deflect any blame of your own.

[klondiker]

I guess she needed another doctor, after Dr. Phil turned out to be a flaming right-winger.

[frost12]

HOW TRUE!
HOW TRUE!!!

[Bluesage]

She gave us Dr. Phil (ugh) and now she is going to give us Obama. Americans have to be the most stupid people on the planet. She was promoting this man and people were falling for it like she was going to give them all a new car if they just voted for her pick. I'm convinced me that Obama is just another Dr. Phil that we will all regret.

[frost12]

BLUESAGE,
YOUR SLIP IS SHOWING:
FREUDIAN SLIP!

[drblack]

Dr Oz was fined by the US government for cruelty to dogs he was experimenting on. You can find more info on the web.
Why would someone like Oprah, who is supposedly against animal cruelty promote someone who did thousands of cruel experiments on dogs. He couldn't even follow the unrestrictive guidelines that the government requires to minimize cruelty to animals being experimented on.
If you think it is wrong to torture animals you should steer clear of Oz and Oprah.

[Alvin4NY]

Oprah is only as informed as her producers make her.

[NoSillyName]

Oohh, drb, that is a huge red flag! Animal cruelty is unconscionable. I'll have to check into this situation, as should have TheBigO.

[MyThought]

Dr. Phil is a Republican - he donated to the Republican party.

[MrRex]

And Oprah smiled....­...and we all dutifully chuckled. I would'nt watch her cross the street let alone watch anyone she "groomed". I mean does she raise dogs or something?

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

She grooms talentless yapping attention seeking hacks like herself. Packaging and imaging are paramount.

[jukesgrrl]

I'd say that shrieking Rachel Ray person is a good example of that. We have Oprah to thank for that awful show, too.

[elr50]

Dr. Phil is a stupid Texan and knows very little.

[realitycheck7]

does that mean he could be prez?

HEEEEYYYYOOOOO!

[Melissa]

I always thought that Dr. Phil was Oprah's biggest professional mistake. I don't think Dr. Oz will be far behind. I don't know why people watch shows like this.

[RobertAndropolis]

Dr. McGraw, last week on "Larry King Live", stated that at the beginning of this campaign Obama "looked like a twelve-year old." (Admittedly, he then stated the senator had become more presidential, after the twelve-year old imagery had been established in his audience's mind's eye, thereby advancing the "experience" question). He labeled Senator Clinton's Tuzla lie "much ado about nothing." Then he waxed glowingly on how Chelsea Clinton is become more and more impressive every day, and how she's got a great future, which was not a question nor a topic under discussion. (I forgot what he remarked regarding Senator McCain).

He used the King platform to offer thinly veiled support for his candidate of choice, Senator Clinton, by egregiously and unprofessionally discounting her lie. Apparently, this doctor of psychology is immune to the established Hippocratic oath and skates over the line of respectable behavior as, for instance, he did by intruding himself upon the hospitalized and vulnerable Ms. Spears. This has roundly been criticized as a media stunt designed to advance his ratings. As do all responsible therapists, he needs to professionally employ an outside therapist to look into his own behavior.

As an aside to Larry King's producers: You have a real therapist, Gail Saltz, M.D., who makes regular appearances on your cable news programs. If you want to present an intelligent, professional discourse on the important topic of the psychology of the three candidates, then hire an unbiased, intelligent professional.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

I don't know which Dr. Phil you've been watching, but it has been clear to me, for the longest time, that he is a die hard conservative. He has been very pro-Bush and very pro-Iraq was. And he IS from Chimpy's state. There is no way in hell he would support Senator Clinton, or Obama for that matter.

[cyndeewi]

When Dr. Phil was on Oprah, he was great. When his show started, he was great for awhile.

After reading these posts so much, I have come to realized that people have their own minds and they are going to believe what they want to. It use to bother me, and I would leave a note on all the comments that bothered me. Now I could care less, I figure as long as I know what is right, to heck with what anyone else believes.

[NoSillyName]

Robert, Phil is NOT a "doctor of psychology"(PhD). He was some kind of licensed therapist, requiring much less education. However, his license is no longer valid. It was either revoked or he let it lapse. He's nothing but a big, arrogant, BLOWHARD who was given a venue to spew by TheBigO.

Thankfully I've only rarely seen him and heard his "advice", with which he clobbers his "guests" over the head. When I heard he'd started packing groups of people who hate each other into his "Dr. Phil House", I rolled my eyes and hoped for a lawsuit.

So glad I didn't see/hear the King interview; my blood pressure reading is important to me.

[dontcaremuch]

I'm pleased that she's choosing quality over decibel level. I'm tired of loud mouths with strong opinions bullying people on television. Give me substance like you used to Oprah and I'll come back.

[AnninCA]

Oprah Winfrey has no business picking anyone, to be honest. She was wowed by James Frey, who totally BS'd his "biography­."

The good news is that her history is now catching up. She loved Dr. Phil. Bomb. She loved Rachel Ray. Bomb.

Soon, she'll be the kiss of death!

Anyway, who cares. She's a talk show host, and that's all.

The "picker" of the next president?

Oy vey!

[julescator]

When you have a billion and a half bucks - it doesn't matter. this is like playing monopoly for her. Don't worry about Oprah - she has the bucks to do exactly what she wants.

[Trittydi]

I don't know anything about Oz - but Dr. Phil didn't know up from down. He's an opinionated idiot - which made him a risky bit on-air.
*

[smzzzz]

Oz doesn't know any more than Dr. Phil, but they both know how to make money selling pop psychology and pop remedies to gullible housewives through "lectures" and now TV shows. He will do well with the oprahphiles.

[Sylmason]

A-MEN>>>>>>>>>>>> Dr. Phill is an idiot. Isn't he the same guy who went to the hospital with Britney Spears? What a fool