Will the Real Dr. Phil Please Stand Up?

I've been an avid fan of the Dr. Phil Show since its inception. Originally the three o'clock hour was one of substance and solutions. People with real problems sat on stage and bared their souls in the hopes of Dr. Phil giving them the advice and help they needed to turn their lives around. Both he and I and the millions who've watched him over the years didn't expect miracles, but we believed these courageous sufferers left the show with at least a pocketful of promise.

Fast forward twelve years or so and now all you see is bad-tempered, arrogant lowlifes who see themselves as entitled and unjustly accused. After endless squabbling is allowed to go on, Dr. Phil shakes his head, reminds the participants that it is his show, and then takes a commercial break. When the show resumes, much of the same drivel continues up until the remaining ten minutes. It is then that the good doctor tells his audience he'll 'put some verbs in his sentences' right after the break.

Most of the advise he doles out in today's shows is tied to the Doctors On Demand App he and his son, Jay developed two years ago. He also plugs his new book on weight loss that took ten years to publish, The 20/20 Diet, over and over again to the point of ad nauseum.

Oftentimes during the week, Dr. Phil's wife, Robin, joins him on stage to talk about her When Georgia Smiled campaign, designed to assist battered women and children, and the Aspire App she developed to provide education, vital information, and a speed dial connection at the ready when a women decides to flee. Her efforts in the fight against abuse are commendable, even life-saving, but perhaps Robin could be a guest on the show, giving her message the full hour it deserves, instead of the piece meal appearances that are not nearly as effective.

If it sounds like I'm just trying to tear down the reputation of a celebrity icon respected the world over, I'm sorry because that is not my intention. I would love nothing more that to turn on my T.V. and watch the Dr. Phil Show of yore. I can honestly say that I couldn't wait for three o'clock to come around because I learned so much about how to deal with my own problems and be able to offer a little advice to others in need.

I miss the real Dr. Phil. Will the real Dr. Phil please stand up and do the kind of television we have come to expect of him.  Please.