Last year’s ranking: 2
Dr. Phil, who’s set to launch his own spinoff this fall in “The Doctors,” continues to build a worldwide brand based on the power of his show.
“As Oprah begat Dr. Phil, he has spawned ‘The Doctors’ for next fall, while still remaining the success story year after year with his down-home and folksy look at human foibles,” one voter stated of his choice.
With season-to-date ratings only a point behind Oprah’s, from whom his show was spun off, 2008 will mark the 10th anniversary of his first appearance on her daytime strip. Now another branch from that tree, “The Doctors,” has been cleared in most of the country, hosted by emergency room physician Dr. Travis Stork (“The Bachelor”). The spinoff’s executive producer is Jay McGraw, Phil McGraw’s son, who has co-executive produced or executive produced seven “Dr. Phil” prime-time specials on CBS. “The Doctors” is the first series to come out of a production deal he has with the studio through Stage 29 Productions.
“He’s the tough and sensitive man who enjoys confrontation … and he’s milked it all the way to the bank,” said another panelist of Dr. Phil. “He’s a nonstop powerhouse who looks like the guy next door from whom you’d borrow a hammer, and now he’s turning his son into a mini-me with no choice but to succeed. We should all have a father whose coattails we could ride.”
However, not all the participants were confident about the new series.
“Definitely bankable, but I think he has to be careful what he puts his brand on. Right now, ‘The Doctors’ feels like lots of smoke and mirrors … but if anyone can pull off the concept, it’s the Dr. Phil team.”