Dr. Phil on SABC2 renewed for a further 5 seasons through to 2020 in a new talk show deal with CBS TV Distribution.

Dr. Phil seen in South Africa on SABC2 has been renewed for a further 5 seasons which will see the weekday talk show remain on the air until at least 2020.

While SABC2 is behind with Dr. Phil, it's currently in its 14th season in the United States and will go until at least its 18th season in 2020 according to a new deal with CBS TV Distribution with Dr. Phil McGraw who is both the host and co-executive producer, as well as the executive producer of The Doctors on M-Net City (DStv 115) along with his son Jay McGraw.

In America Dr. Phil is the highest rated TV talk show, trouncing Ellen, seen in South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101), but was embroiled earlier this month in massive staff firings and facing personnel revolt.

"All of us in the Dr. Phil family are extremely excited to extend the show through 2020," says Dr. Phil McGraw.

"Extending this dynamic partnership with CBS affords us the chance to continue our important work with individuals and families across America and around the world."

"Personally I am so proud to continue with the best team in television. Most of my television family, from Carla Pennington the executive producer, to the same 7 cameramen I had when we started over 13 years ago, are still here making a difference everyday."

"Dr. Phil is the leading voice in daytime television and he's made his show an important platform to discuss issues our viewers are struggling with every day," says Armando Nunez, the president and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group in announcing the 5 season renewal. 

"He truly is one of a kind. We're so thrilled to have Phil as part of the CBS family and look forward to continuing our long, productive and extremely successful relationship with him."

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 5 October 2015

■ SABC's matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng tells Sunday Times the journalist is asking the wrong question.
SABC suddenly dumped planned cricket commentary for the first T20 international cricket match between South Africa and India on Friday, but it will now return after Diane Reimer, SABC head of sport told SABC staff that "we will not cover the India tour" because there is apparently "no return on investment".

■ The SABC "concerned" and regrets comments made by Leanne Manas
after SABC2's Morning Live anchor spoke about the alleged arrival of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in South Africa. SABC management "views this matter in a serious light and is in the process of engaging Leanne Manas and will communicate accordingly once all the internal processes have been finalized".

■ The Commission for Gender Equality clears the SABC's matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng
after he was allegedly given a wife as a present by rural leaders in Limpopo in 2014. "We always said as the SABC that we believe that was a symbolic gesture," says SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

■ Dr. Phil crisis behind the scenes.
The new 14th season of Dr. Phil seen in South Africa on SABC2 is mired in chaos behind the scenes, with brutal firings, staff unrest, PR head fired, and there's "about to be a mutiny".

■ Better executives could help improve the struggling SABC.
Suddenly removing SABC board members for political reasons has made the SABC board dysfunctional says the Centre for Corporate Governance.

■ The ANC political party is worried about negative things at the SABC.
And the hate from the South African media for president Jacob Zuma. ANC says the crisis at the SABC reflects badly on the ANC-led government.

■ Meanwhile the South African Communist Party (SACP) blasts the ANC over matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng saying its"a stark example of what happens when we leave the media in the hands of those only interested in personal self-accumulation, including obscene increases in salaries for incompetent and unqualified individuals".
- Also says the SABC is an example of "growing shame and embarrassment":
It has indisputably been hijacked by a tiny cabal of self-promoting individuals, abusing political access to materially advance themselves, at the expense of the SABC itself, and of the millions of people it should serve".

■ Lifetime's (DStv 131) new "Unauthorized Story of" movies explained.
The biographical movies about the life behind popular 90s TV shows, from Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Full House are because those teen viewers are now the grown target market as nostalgia hits a resurgence together with the remake of TV shows.
And the biggest revelations from The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story.

■ Why American broadcasters are waiting longer to cancel low-rated shows.
Executives wait longer to see how shows add viewers in repeated viewing and later,time-shifted viewing on PVR.

■ H . A . M . S . T. E. R. S.
The opening title sequence of FRIENDS - done by hamsters.

■ Lame, boring Homeland remains
The new 5th season of Homeland on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) was supposed to mark a fresh start. But the tired drama is now a frustrating failure.

■ Laurence Fishburne will play Nelson Mandela in BET (DStv 129) miniseries.
Will play the hero in the 6-part miniseries with Nelson Mandela's grandson Kweku Mandela as the executive producer.

■ David Boreanaz: Bones should end after the 11th season.
Says forensic drama series has gone on long enough.

■ MultiChoice says its investing $3 million in East Africa.
Pay-TV platform is growing an East African content hub to churn out films and shows from Kenya.

■  New Quantico, Minority Report draw most diverse viewers.
Quantico on Vuzu AMP (DStv 114) and Minority Report on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) are the new TV dramas drawing the most diverse audiences in America - in part thanks to the diverse casting choices.

SABC2 abruptly interrupts and ends today's Dr. Phil episode; suddenly switches to president Jacob Zuma speech.

Both have bald heads! Furious SABC2 were still watching the American talk show Dr. Phil today (Tuesday) when SABC2 suddenly, without prior warning, notification or any on-air apology or announcement, suddenly switched to South African president Jacob Zuma talking.

While SABC2 viewers were watching and expecting a new episode of Dr. Phil, SABC2 suddenly switched to the same live news feed as SABC News (DStv 404), the public broadcaster's 24-hour TV news channel on MultiChoice's DStv covering president Jacob Zuma's speech in Pretoria.

President Jacob Zuma decided to inform South Africa on what progress the government has made since his State of the Nation address in February.

SABC1 and SABC3 remained with its scheduled programming, while SABC2 suddenly switched without telling its viewers.

SABC2 gave no advance warning about schedule changes to the media for Tuesday or bothered to update the SABC2 schedule on the SABC's own website,or to tell MultiChoice to amend the DStv electronic programme guide (EPG) still showing Dr. Phil as supposed to be on.

Besides SABC News and SABC2, eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405) as South African TV news channels also carried president Jacob Zuma's speech live.

"I'm extremely frustrated to have president Jacob Zuma jabbing halfway through a Dr. Phil programme," furious SABC2 viewer Maureen told TV with Thinus.

Maureen says she will not "bother with SABC2 again" and that "there was no notice given".

"Now, I am interested in the economy - don't get me wrong, but not from president Jacob Zuma, thank you!"

Dr. Phil renewed for another three years; will take it to the talk show's 15th season.

Dr. Phil currently in its 10th season on SABC2 has been renewed for another three years, which means that the weekday talk show will continue until at least its 15th season with Dr. Phil McGraw.

"My staff and I have never been more passionate about the work that we are doing at the Dr. Phil show, and we take very seriously the faith and confidence that our viewers continue to show by bringing us into their homes each day," says Phil McGraw in a press statement.

"This renewal gives us the endorsement to continue to do the work we do, telling compelling stories for years to come."