Phil Donahue, whose influential TV talk show aired for nearly 30 years, has died at age 88, according to a statement provided by Donahue's wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas.
His talk show launched a television genre that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others.
Dubbed "the king of daytime talk," Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest. The format set "The Phil Donahue Show" apart from other interview shows of the 1960s and made it a trendsetter in daytime television, where it was particularly popular with female audiences.
Also, I remember watching Marlo Thomas in That Girl, and she was a real hottie then! Can't believe she's 86 now. Time flies.
