What happened to Dr. Phil on WBAY?

WBAY-TV has new programming at 3 p.m. for the first time in 21 years
“Dr. Phil” ended its run of original episodes after 21 seasons.
“Dr. Phil” ended its run of original episodes after 21 seasons.(Angela George/CC BY-SA 3.0 via MGN)
Published: Sep. 11, 2023 at 7:18 AM CDT|Updated: Sep. 13, 2023 at 5:15 AM CDT
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correction: Corrects information about the "25 Words or Less" schedule

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - After 21 years on WBAY-TV, Dr. Phil is shaking up our viewers’ afternoon routines.

WBAY-TV 2 is adding “25 Words or Less” with host Meredith Vieira at 3 p.m. in addition to its 9:30 a.m. slot. At 11 in the morning we’re adding “Storage Wars.”

At 3:30, WBAY debuts the all-new “InvestigateTV+,” which showcases groundbreaking investigations, plus consumer, health, in-depth and inspiring stories from Gray Media’s award-winning InvestigateTV team.

As you probably heard back in January, Phil McGraw chose to end his syndicated daytime TV talk show. WBAY-TV carried “Dr. Phil” at 3 p.m. since September 2002 -- all 21 seasons!

The show was spun off of his popular appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the late 1990s and received 31 Emmy nominations.

“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” said McGraw in the announcement early this year. “We have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellness and raising children.... This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime there is so much more I wish to do.”

The distributor of “Dr. Phil” offered stations a 22nd season of past episodes, but WBAY already made plans for new programming and opted out of carrying the reruns.