‘King Of Daytime Talk’ Phil Donahue Dead At 88
Phil Donahue, known as the “King of Daytime Talk,” has died at the age of 88. He passed away in his home surrounded by family on Sunday, August 18. To remember the daytime television legend, here is a look at the talk show host’s long, successful career.
A Look Back At Phil Donahue’s Career
The daytime talk show host kickstarted his career in the late 1950s. He got his start on radio and television before pitching his own talk show, The Phil Donahue Show. The show was created in 1967 in Dayton, Ohio. Over the years, he gained credibility for talking about controversial topics. He also took viewers behind bars at the Ohio State Penitentiary in 1971, which gained him a lot of recognition among journalists.
The show’s hour-long broadcast dedicated itself to single issues. Each episode would cover things like abuse in the Catholic Church, race relations, and feminism, all hot topics at the time. It was the first show of its kind to allow audience members to ask questions.
In 1974, the show’s name was changed to Donahue and moved to Chicago. “When Phil came to Chicago, he found his most important element — the Chicago studio audience,” said Ron Weiner, former director of Donahue. “From that point, the program really took off.”
Phil Donahue agreed. At one time, he said, “There would be no Donahue show if I hadn’t somehow accidentally brought in the audience.”
Nearly 10 years later in 1985, the show moved locations again. Donahue relocated to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. In his new studio, the “King of Daytime Talk” continued to change daytime television in a big way. He began to interview activists, politicians, athletes, actors, and musicians.
He taped five episodes of the talk show in the Soviet Union in January 1987. In 1990, Phil Donahue interviewed Nelson Mandela.
Then, in 1992, the show hosted a presidential debate between Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown Jr. There was no audience, moderator, or commercial break.
Over the years, Phil Donahue sat down with a number of big names. He interviewed people like Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Dolly Parton, Roseanne Barr, Ralph Nader, Elton John, Steve Martin, and Richard Pryor, among many others.
Donahue’s Awards & Influence
His hard work paid off. The talk show journalist won 20 Emmy Awards during his career. Ten of the awards were for outstanding host. The other 10 were awards for the show itself. Earlier this year, Phil Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.
He paved the way for other daytime talk show hosts such as Ricki Lake and Oprah Winfrey. “If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey Show,” Oprah wrote in the September 2002 issue of O.
She continued, “He was the first to acknowledge that women are interested in more than mascara tips and cake recipes — that we’re intelligent, we’re concerned about the world around us and we want the best possible lives for ourselves.”
After 29 years, Donahue aired its final show in September 1996. There was an attempt to make a return to television, but MSNBC canceled the show in February 2003 due to low ratings. However, Phil didn’t stop there. He went on to write, produce, and co-direct a documentary called Body of War in 2007.
The Famed Talk Show Host Had A Wonderful Life
Outside of the studio, Phil Donahue led a full life. He married his second wife Marlo Thomas in 1980. The pair first met in 1977 when she appeared as a guest on his talk show. They were married for 44 years.
In a post on Facebook, Marlo recalled the “instant chemistry” she had with her husband. The couple eventually went on to write a book together called What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share With Us the Secrets to a Happy Life. For Marlo, the three keys to a happy marriage with Phil were “love, listening, and lust.”
Today was the first to report that Phil Donahue passed away on Sunday, August 18, after a long illness. He was surrounded by family, including the love of his life, Marlo Thomas. His sister, children, and grandchildren were also present, along with Charlie, his golden retriever.
Rather than sending flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
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