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Phil Donahue, Pioneering Talk Show Host Who Tackled Any Subject, Dead at 88

Phil Donahue, the towering daytime TV talk show host who made audiences part of his program, has died at the age of 88.

Phil Donahue, the pioneering daytime TV talk show host who welcomed audience participation and was willing to engage in any topic — from economic theory to adult diaper babies — has died, The New York Times reports. The Phil Donahue Show enjoyed a remarkable 29-year run between 1967 and 1996, jumping quickly from a local production in Dayton, Ohio to a nationally syndicated smash. But early in his run, Donahue decided to welcome the crowd into his show after chatting with audience members during commercial breaks and realizing they had astute questions of their own.

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