A double tribute today to both The Phil Donahue talk show as well as a special birthday tribute to one of our favorites, Sela Ward.
This clip is from The Phil Donahue Show, first broadcast on November 2, 1992, as Phil had a special show to promote the new NBC Saturday night series 'Sisters.' On this Donahue show, each of the four actresses from Sisters: Swoosie Kurtz, Patricia Kalember, Sela Ward and Julianne Phillips brought along either their real life sister or their best friend to talk about their lives and the ups and downs of being sisters and best friends. The ultimate 'girl talk' that provides for a really fun and charming conversation with Donahue. Highlighted in this clip is conversation with sisters Julianne and Mary Phillips and Sela and Jenna Ward... as well as Sela's new (at the time) husband Howard Sherman in the audience.
Phil Donahue was truly one of the great talk show hosts, transitioning and bending the talk show format in new ways over the decades from home base Chicago. His show included audience participation, and steered away from pure entertainment focus and guests to a wide variety of formats and 'in the news' topics.
Although broadcast from Chicago for years, the Donahue show actually started in Dayton, Ohio, and ended in New York City in 1996. Donahue started his career in the late 1950s in the Ohio radio and television market, working his way up to anchor of the morning newscast, as well as an afternoon radio talk show by the mid 1960s.
On November 6, 1967, Donahue moved his radio talk show to television in the local Dayton market. In January 1970, The Phil Donahue Show entered nationwide syndication, and the show moved from Dayton to Chicago in 1974. The rest, as they say, is history, and a remarkable one at that.
Phil Donahue met wife Marlo Thomas as a guest on the show, and the two married and Donahue moved his show from Chicago to New York to be near his wife Marlo in 1984.
The Phil Donahue Show ran a remarkable 29 years, 26 of those on syndication television, and racked up nearly and incredible 7,000 hours of one-hour daily talk shows. The final episode, airing on September 13, 1996... it remains the longest continuous run of any syndicated talk show in U.S. television history.
Later this week, we'll pay tribute to the women of daytime talk shows, including Oprah Winfrey (and also Barbara Walters).
This clip is presented here on YouTube for the entertainment and informational value of the viewer, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Enjoy!... and ...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SELA!! :)
