Oprah gives Dr. Phil some tough love
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pusssyk ...@aol.com (Billie )
STAR MAGAZINE....
Dr. Phil is the one who soon may need psychological help. The shrink has sent his highly touted new talk show into chaos with just a month to go before it hits the air ??“ and his famous television mentor Oprah Winfrey is none too happy about it.
At the heart of the problem: Dr. Phil is described by his employees as a control freak with limited television experience who won't listen to seasoned pros working for him. And this has poisoned relations with some of the nearly 100 people preparing The Dr. Phil Show for a Sept. 16 premiere.
Oprah ??“ who's also the new show's co-producer with Paramount Television ??“ even had to fly to Los Angeles while her Chicago-based show was on hiatus to clean up the mess. She looked furious during a surprise visit to the set ??“ in casual clothes and without makeup ??“ July 25.
"Oprah got here in the nick of time," said one source close to the star. "She was seething. Everybody refocused when she showed up. But she still saw that the show just doesn't jell." Phil McGraw, Esq., was hired by Oprah in 1997 to help her beat a lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who said she had badmouthed their meat. The smooth-talking attorney parlayed that victory into a popular psychotherapy gig on Oprah's show. If it's Tuesday on Oprah, then it's Dr. McGruff's day!
What makes Dr. Phil entertaining at times is that he is as rough on those he counsels as a dog is on a bone. Unfortunately, that's just the way he has been with his new show's staff, according to sources. Already, several have been canned. And those left grumble that the boss is an egomaniac who can get nasty when he hears ideas he doesn't like.
"In one staff meeting, he went ballistic at some ideas," the source said. "He yelled: 'Didn't you people read my work? Didn't you see me on Oprah?'" Recently, a co-host was suggested, someone nice to soften up his tough-love stance. His reply: Buzz off! Even worse, he doesn't want to use any prepared scripts ??“ even though it is customary for such shows to use scripted lines.
Other complaints? One staffer recently whispered that she often has to pull all-nighters and that her co-workers are held accountable for things they have no power over. For example, McGraw hit the roof during a recent taping when a lightbulb on the set popped.
With problems swirling, the rookie show-host has been busy with puny details.
He obsessed over the type of wood used on the set. And he sat on each of its 240 chairs to make sure that his studio audience would have a good view.
Then, on July 23, he gathered the staff and complained bitterly about the current state of the show and told them to shape up and that Oprah was coming to visit.
One pro-Dr. Phil employee called the meeting "inspirational," and insisted Oprah is happy with her protege. The source also says the show is just experiencing some growing pains.
So, has Oprah's presence helped? Somewhat. She is pleased that Dr. Phil's 22-year-old son Jay, who pens books about the relationships between teens and their parents, will get on the show more than first planned.
He won't be a co-star, but producers hope he'll be the yin to his father's yang. And then, when Oprah is around, Dr. Phil is on his best behavior.
Everyone, meanwhile, ended up on the lawn of the sprawling mansion that Dr.
Phil rents in Beverly Hills on the evening of July 25.
A fancy alfresco dinner by caterer-to-the-stars Along Came Mary temporarily put a smile back on faces. Even Oprah's, but for how long?
"Oprah doesn't like losing money," the Oprah source added.
"And she stands to lose a lot if Dr. Phil fails. " "STUPIDITY IS NOT A HANDICAP. Park elsewhere!" AGC FAQ and FUN STUFF: http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/mainpages/agcfaq.html BLIND ITEM REHASH: http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/blinditems/mainpage.html
hudson ...@aol.com (HudsonGrl)
hmm.. if true this is interesting. some of his *egomaniacal* traits seemed to surface on his leno interview about 3 weeks ago. i thought he came off "rough" around the edges...loud-mouth... out of his oprah environment.
will be interesting to see if he can pull off his own show over the long haul.
"Beth" nos...@invalid.com
He's an *attorney*?? If so, then what qualifies him to do the "psychotherapy gig"??
hudson ...@aol.com (HudsonGrl)
i don't believe he is an attorney. a Phil Mcgraw website stated the following: "Dr. McGraw earned his doctorate degree in psychology from North Texas State University. In 1980 he founded Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a full-service trial sciences firm." i think it was McGraw's "Courtroom Sciences" firm that led him to help oprah when she was involved in the publicized beef lawsuit.
"mystique" incredi...@enchantment.com
This definitely confirms our guess for this BI!
30. STAR 08/06 #2 It's not even on the air yet, but this new television talk show is already in trouble -- and it's host is to blame. He comes across as a know-it-all control freak who fired three staffers who questioned his TV smarts. He is ignoring the advice of his mentor, a highly successful television mogul. And he is adding incompetent family members to the payroll. With chaos setting in, he is busy picking wood colors for his set.
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pusssyk ...@aol.com (Billie )
I'm sure he gives good advice, but I can't watch him...his ticks annoy me.
Billie "STUPIDITY IS NOT A HANDICAP. Park elsewhere!" AGC FAQ and FUN STUFF: http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/mainpages/agcfaq.html BLIND ITEM REHASH: http://www.dreamwater.net/agc/blinditems/mainpage.html
"KAR" fin...@earthlink.net
Doesn't this completely answer a recent BI about a new talk show host with a famous mentor and nepotism and even wood panelling?
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American Girl americang...@nospam.com
Oh, so he's a whore of the court.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060391979/
hudson ...@aol.com (HudsonGrl)
sounds like maybe so...huh?
"AKA" plane...@ix.netcom.com
(snipped for length) Can everyone say "Dr. Laura!" Paramount has a nack in getting involved with losers.
lisala ...@aol.comnospam (Tina)
<< STAR MAGAZINE....
Dr. Phil is the one who soon may need psychological help. The shrink has sent his highly touted new talk show into chaos with just a month to go before it hits the air and his famous television mentor Oprah Winfrey is none too happy about it.
At the heart of the problem: Dr. Phil is described by his employees as a control freak with limited television experience who won't listen to seasoned pros working for him. And this has poisoned relations with some of the nearly 100 people preparing The Dr. Phil Show for a Sept. 16 premiere. >> I guess this is the answer to the BI from last week about the egomaniac tv expert.
discussio ...@hotmail.com (Miftosyo)
Isn't it smart to fire people early?
And those left grumble that the boss is an egomaniac who can get I can't blame him for not wanting a co-host. He had to co-host with Oprah for 4 years, and now he's look forward to going solo.
Even worse, he doesn't want to use any That's because he was trained by Oprah who is the queen of spontaniety. Talk shows aren't supposed to be scripted. Dr Phil's a very intelligent man with the brains to improvise. Scripting him would ruin his appeal.
Well I agree he should controll his temper.
That's nie of him.
What moeny does she stand to lose? She's creating the show, not producing it.
lisala ...@aol.comnospam (Tina)
<< "And she stands to lose a lot if Dr. Phil fails. " <<What moeny does she stand to lose? She's creating the show, not producing it.
I'm curious - why do you keep saying she created the show and is not producing it when her people say she IS producing it?
<< Even worse, he doesn't want to use any <<That's because he was trained by Oprah who is the queen of spontaniety. Talk shows aren't supposed to be scripted. Dr Phil's a very intelligent man with the brains to improvise. Scripting him would ruin his appeal.>> And you know her show has never been scripted how? You can still have spontaneity and follow a script. Granted, the reactions of her audience (although in Jerry Springer's case it can) would be hard to script, but I think all shows of that kind have some kind of script to maintain a flow and give it structure. Otherwise, you'd have a free-for-all.
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