The Phil Donahue Show
However, he found he didn't like sales and took an on-air news position at another Dayton TV station, WLWD, which later became WDTN.
When WLWD named Phil Donahue to replace Johnny Gilbert as the host of a daytime talk show, they kept the live format and studio audience.
Donahue interviewed guests on a variety of topics, including politics, religion, and social issues.
The Phil Donahue Show debuted as a local program in Dayton, Ohio, on November 6, 1967, and ran until September 11, 1970.
[3][4] Though he would later call her message of atheism "very important", he also stated she was rather unpleasant and that, off-camera, she mocked him for being Roman Catholic.
[5] On September 14, 1970, The Phil Donahue Show expanded from a local program to national syndication.
It visited locations including Russia, Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Detroit, Michigan; Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and the Ohio State Penitentiary in 1972.
Late-night talk show host David Letterman even devoted a portion of his national program to counting down the days to Donahue's move, using a huge calendar in his studio.
To commemorate the occasion, Marlo Thomas, who had appeared on the show three previous times, presented Donahue with a plaque.
However, the fainting "spell" was actually a media hoax perpetrated by Alan Abel, who claimed it was a protest against poor-quality television.
The show was hosted by Phil Donahue and featured a special appearance by Marlo Thomas.
Donahue was also lauded by his peers, but was seen as having been surpassed by Oprah Winfrey and Sally Jessy Raphael.
On December 6, 1992, Donahue hosted his 6,000th episode of the show, marking a major milestone in daytime television history.
In January 1995, KGO-TV in San Francisco, California, stopped airing Donahue after carrying it for several years.
Many other stations either began dropping Donahue entirely or moving it to overnight or graveyard time slots.
On January 5, 1996, Phil Donahue announced that he would be retiring from broadcasting to spend more time with his wife Marlo Thomas, his five children from his first marriage, as well as his grandchildren.
The show ended its 29-season run with a series finale that featured a celebration with Donahue and the entire staff.
The celebration included a party with confetti cannons and champagne being poured over Donahue's head.
[11] In 2002, Donahue was ranked 29th on TV Guide magazine's list of the 50 greatest television shows of all-time.
