Phil McGraw

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Phil McGraw : biography

September 1, 1950 –

The Making of Dr. Phil unauthorized biography (2003)

The Making of Dr. Phil is a biography by Sophia Dembling, a reporter from the Dallas Morning News, and Lisa Gutierrez, a reporter from The Kansas City Star. The book probes McGraw’s history, with interviews of his childhood friends and former classmates. The book reports that McGraw allegedly used unethical business practices in a gym business early in his career, that he was allegedly abusive to his first wife and to his staff, while noting that he overcame adversity through setting goals and was persistent in achieving success. The book received no promotional help from McGraw or his associates.

In 2005, McGraw published another best-selling book, Family First, along with a workbook. He also signed a five-year extension of his syndication deal with his show’s distributors, King World Productions, Inc. The deal will pay McGraw $15 million a year and keep the show in production through the 2013–2014 television season.

Spin-off shows

Also in 2005, McGraw’s son Jay’s television show Renovate My Family (a clone of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) was canceled at the start of its second season following a renovated family’s lawsuit. Jay McGraw and Phil McGraw then formed Stage 29 Productions. A week later, McGraw and son announced a new show called Moochers (a clone of ABC’s Kicked Out); however, the show was canceled before any episodes aired. McGraw also released another book, Love Smart, which did not achieve the success of his previous bestsellers.

In 2006, the Dr. Phil House (a clone of CBS’s Big Brother) began airing as part of the Dr. Phil television show. Following a protest by neighbors, the house in Los Angeles was shut down, and production resumed on a sound stage in a studio back lot. McGraw reached the number 22 spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, with income of $45 million.

Another Stage 29 show, Decision House (a remix of the Dr. Phil House) aired from September through November 2007 but was canceled due to poor reviews and dismal ratings. Ratings for the Dr. Phil show in 2007 began to slide. In May, viewership was close to 7 million people. However, by year’s end, viewership was about 5.5 million people (#10 for syndicated TV shows, and just under Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy and CSI: Miami). By August 2008, viewership slipped to just over 4 million people. Two weeks later, the show slipped beneath the Nielsen top 12 syndicated TV shows, and has yet to resurface. McGraw’s income fell by 1/3 to $30 million, and he dropped to the number 30 spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list.

Late in 2007, McGraw began promoting his 2008 Dr. Phil Show extension, The Doctors. The show is hosted by television personality and ER physician Dr. Travis Stork (The Bachelor). Other experts scheduled to appear include various personalities who have appeared on the Dr. Phil show over the years, such as Dr. Lisa Masterson, an obstetrician/gynecologist; Dr. Andrew Ordon, a plastic surgeon; and Dr. Jim Sears, a pediatrician. Masterson, Ordon, and Sears appeared on the Dr. Phil show during the 2007–08 season so that McGraw could instruct them on "how to give articulate medical advice while being scrutinized by a studio audience in Los Angeles." Jay McGraw (Dr. Phil’s eldest son) is executive producer of the show. The Doctors debuted on September 8, 2008, and as of November 10, 2008, had a 2.0 rating.

Kalpoe lawsuit (2006)

McGraw was named a co-defendant, along with CBS Television, in a 2006 lawsuit filed in relation to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The lawsuit was filed by Deepak Kalpoe and his brother Satish Kalpoe, who claimed that an interview they did with McGraw, aired in September 2005, was "manipulated and later broadcast as being accurate, and which portrays Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe ‘as engaging in criminal activity against Natalee Holloway and constitutes defamation.’" The Kalpoe brothers claimed invasion of privacy, fraud, deceit, defamation, emotional distress, and civil conspiracy in the suit, which was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court.