CBS Television Distribution is partnering with Dr. Phil McGraw and Jay McGraw to bring “The Doctors,” a dynamic new first-run hour into syndication for fall 2008, selling it in all of the top 10 markets and 18 of the top 20 markets, it was announced today by Roger King, CEO of CBS Television Distribution.

Covering 50% of U.S. households, this initial sale includes CBS Television Stations' WCBS New York, KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles, KYW Philadelphia, KTVT/KTXA Dallas and WFOR Miami; Gannett Broadcasting’s WUSA Washington, D.C., KARE Minneapolis, WKYC Cleveland, and KUSA Denver; Cox Television’s KTVU San Francisco, WSB Atlanta and WPXI Pittsburgh; Scripps' WXYZ Detroit,  WMAR Baltimore and KSHB Kansas City; Belo’s KHOU Houston and KTVK Phoenix; Post-Newsweek Stations’ WKMG Orlando and WJXT Jacksonville, Fla.; and LIN Television’s WISH Indianapolis, WOOD Grand Rapids, Mich., WAVY Norfolk, WDTN Dayton, Ohio and WTHI Terre Haute, Ind.

The Doctors (working title), under executive producer Jay McGraw, features a dream team of five practicing medical professionals, ranging from a plastic surgeon to an OB/GYN to a therapist, who each day will engage viewers by investigating and discussing hot-button medical topics such as painkillers, obesity, how to lose weight, what not to feed your child and why some vaccines can be dangerous.

They’ll bust medical myths and answer burning questions viewers are too embarrassed or afraid to ask their own doctors.

In making the announcement, King said, “This is one of the most exciting launches we’ve had since Dr. Phil. Every major broadcast group in the country has been talking about it. It’s really fun to introduce a whole new genre to first-run syndication, and it’ll take CBS Television Distribution to even greater heights.”

“Whenever people meet a doctor, nine times out of 10 they start asking questions about their own health,” said Dr. Phil McGraw. “That’s why Jay’s concept of bringing together a panel of experts is right on. We thought it would be valuable to provide a national forum to viewers to get their questions answered by accessible, practicing physicians.”

Added Jay McGraw: “We’re really creating a new daytime format here with a medical version of Dr. Phil. Over the past decade I’ve watched my dad perfect the formula for giving advice to America. It seems like a natural extension to apply that ‘gold standard’ formula to medical problems.”  

Hosted by ER doctor, Dr. Travis Stork (The Bachelor), other experts making the rounds include Dr. Lisa Masterson, an obstetrician/gynecologist; Dr. Andrew Ordon, a leading plastic surgeon; Dr. Tara Fields, a licensed marriage and family therapist; and Dr. Jim Sears, a renowned pediatrician. These doctors will make appearances on Dr. Phil throughout the 2007-08 season. At the same time, The Doctors producers will shadow the Emmy-nominated Dr. Phil production team.  

Distributed by CBS Television Distribution, The Doctors will be produced by Stage 29 Productions, in association with CTD.  Jay McGraw will serve as executive producer. He has served as co-executive producer or executive producer of seven Dr. Phil CBS primetime specials as well as executive producer of MyNetworkTV’s current series Decision House and the upcoming CBS series Moochers. He also served as the host of the FOX reality series, Renovate My Family.

In addition, Jay McGraw is a New York Times best-selling author of three books, The Ultimate Weight Solution for Teens: The 7 Keys to Weight Freedom, Life Strategies for Teens and Closing the Gap: A Strategy for Bringing Parents and Teens Together.