The show was syndicated in 1970 and ran on national television for 26 years, racking up 20 Emmy Awards.
FILE – Phil Donahue attends the 2019 American Icon Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on May 19, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, has died. He was 88.Dubbed “the king of daytime talk,” Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest.
Later renamed “Donahue,” the program launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967. Donahue’s willingness to explore the hot-button social issues of the day emerged immediately, when he featured atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair as his first guest. He would later air shows on feminism, homosexuality, consumer protection and civil rights, among hundreds of other topics.
The show’s last episode aired in 1996 in New York, where Donahue was living with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas. He met Thomas, the “That Girl” star of the 1960s who was a household name at the time and would later become a regular on “Friends,” when she appeared on his show in 1977.“You are really fascinating,” Donahue told Thomas, grasping her hand. “You are wonderful,” Thomas said back.
He was born Phillip John Donahue on Dec. 21, 1935, part of a middle-class Irish Catholic family in Cleveland. The show featured discussions with spiritual leaders, doctors, homemakers, activists and entertainers or politicians who might be passing through town. A frequent guest was his neighbor, Erma Bombeck, the humorist and syndicated columnist.“It may have been a full three years before any of us began to understand that our program was something special,” Donahue wrote. “The show’s style had developed not by genius but by necessity.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Phil Donahue, the legendary daytime talk show host behind The Phil Donahue Show, dies at 88Phil Donahue, the legendary daytime talk show host who pioneered the issue-based format by creating and hosting 'The Phil Donahue Show' from 1967 to 1996, has died at 88.
Read more »
Phil Donahue, pioneering daytime talk show host, has diedPhil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre has died. He was 88.
Read more »
Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue dead at 88 after long illnessRooted in fact-based, transparent reporting, Newsy is an award-winning opinion-free network owned by the E.W. Scripps Company that is relentlessly focused on “the why” of every story and seeks to enable a more intimate and immersive understanding of the issues that matter.
Read more »
Phil Donahue, Pioneering Talk Show Host Who Tackled Any Subject, Dead at 88Phil Donahue, the towering daytime TV talk show host who made audiences part of his program, has died at the age of 88.
Read more »
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has diedNBC's “Today” show, citing family members, said Donahue died Sunday after a long...
Read more »
Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue’s Former Connecticut Hideaway Lists for a Record $27.5 MillionA waterfront estate on Westport's Beachside Avenue with ties to the legendary TV host and 'That Girl' actress could set a record if it sells.
Read more »