Headlines News Hub (HNH) — For nearly 20 years, Phil Donahue was the trailblazing TV talk show host who revolutionized daytime television by actively engaging his audience, making them an integral part of his show.
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His profound cultural impact, particularly among women who dominated daytime viewership, eventually inspired a wave of imitators in the 1980s, including one who would ultimately surpass him in popularity.
"For a long time, I wondered why it took so long for someone to emulate us," Donahue remarked in a 2001 interview with the Archive of American Television. "Then Oprah Winfrey came along. It's impossible to overstate the magnitude of her influence on daytime television."
Donahue passed away on Sunday at the age of 88 after battling a long illness.
"I lost my sweetheart last night," wrote Donahue's wife, actress Marlo Thomas, on Instagram Monday. She announced that she would be stepping back from social media to "take care of myself and the many people who took care of Phil, and held him close to their hearts."
Oprah Winfrey, among many others paying tribute to Donahue after his passing, always acknowledged his significance.
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"There wouldn’t have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously," she shared on Instagram on Monday, alongside a photo of them embracing. "He was a pioneer. I’m glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace, Phil."
By the time "Donahue" ended its run in 1996, after nearly 7,000 episodes and 20 Emmy Awards over 29 years, the daytime television landscape was filled with shows that had followed his lead.
Winfrey, who launched her show in Chicago in 1985, surpassed Donahue in the ratings by the 1986-87 season, though he often pointed out that she "raised all boats," boosting his ratings even as she eclipsed him.
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In the years that followed, many imitators emerged, most of them adopting a much trashier approach, including "The Jerry Springer Show," "Geraldo," and "Jenny Jones."
This shift in the daytime arena left Donahue feeling out of place.
"The daytime arena changed, the ground moved under my feet," Donahue told The Associated Press in 2002. "And I was glad to leave."
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Both before and after Oprah's rise, Donahue, with his prematurely gray hair and animated demeanor (famously parodied by Phil Hartman on "Saturday Night Live"), wielded significant influence. He made daytime television more serious, news-oriented, and at times, more sensational. Debuting in the late 1960s amidst a sea of game shows, soap operas, and lightweight talk shows, Donahue showed that daytime viewers were eager to engage with world leaders, cultural figures, and the pressing debates of the time. He was among the first to introduce audiences to issues like sexual harassment, gay marriage, and AIDS.
"We’re very, very proud of how our program has reflected our culture since 1967," Donahue said during the taping of his final show in 1996. "In 1967, we never thought we would lose a war. In 1967, AIDS was a verb, or a plural noun. In 1967, you could harass your secretary and there was nothing she could do about it."
When "The Phil Donahue Show" first aired on WLWD-TV in Dayton, Ohio, it wasn't even supposed to have a live audience. However, when a crowd showed up expecting to see the variety show he was replacing, the producers decided to let them stay. During commercial breaks, Donahue opened the floor to questions for his first guest, atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, and quickly realized that the audience's questions were often better than his own.
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"Somewhere during that first week, I jumped off my chair and ran into the audience," he told The AP in 1996.
The show moved to Chicago in 1974, shortened its name to "Donahue," and was soon syndicated nationwide.
Donahue was never afraid to take risks or court controversy. In his first week, he aired a live birth. In later episodes, he tackled subjects like abortion and sexual abuse by Catholic priests—decades before these issues would dominate headlines. He even broadcast an episode from inside New York's Attica State Prison and later fought in court to air an execution, though the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately denied his request.
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Notable "Donahue" guests included feminist activist Gloria Steinem, leftist provocateur Jerry Rubin of the Chicago Seven, Muhammad Ali, and Ryan White—the boy who contracted AIDS at age 13 in 1984 and became a public face of the disease largely due to his appearances on Donahue's show.
While the show often delved into serious topics, it also featured lighter fare. Episodes on male strippers and female wrestlers were rare at the time but demonstrated Donahue's versatility.
Phillip John Donahue was born on Dec. 21, 1935, in Cleveland, the son of an Irish Catholic furniture seller. He enjoyed a classic Norman Rockwell-style upbringing, filled with front lawns, baseball, and church dances.
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He received a Catholic education throughout his life, culminating in his graduation from the University of Notre Dame in 1957.
In 1958, he married Margaret Cooney, with whom he had five children—Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose, and James—before their divorce in 1975. He met actress Marlo Thomas, star of the 1960s TV show "That Girl," when she appeared on his show in 1977.
It was love at first sight, and they made little effort to conceal their feelings on the air.
"You are really fascinating," Donahue told Thomas, grasping her hand. "You are wonderful," Thomas replied. "You are loving and generous, and you like women, and it’s a pleasure. Whoever the woman in your life is, is very lucky."
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They married in 1980.
After years of relative quiet, Donahue returned to television as one of the first hosts on MSNBC, which heavily promoted his name in its early days. His show premiered in July 2002 but lasted only seven months.
At that time, MSNBC had yet to fully establish itself as the liberal counterpart to Fox News, and Donahue, with his left-leaning views, never felt fully supported.
"It took almost three years for Fox to overtake CNN," Donahue said in a statement after the show was canceled. "We had six months."
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After leaving MSNBC, he mostly stayed out of the spotlight, making occasional appearances on talk shows and in TV documentaries. His voice even made a cameo as a caller seeking psychological help on "Frasier" three times in 1999.
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