‘The Doctors' Take A Trip To The Lone Star State

Texas-themed episode to air Wednesday, March 10 only in Texas markets

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/9/2010 4:13:28 PM

CBS Television Distribution's The Doctors has produced a Texas-centric episode that will air only in Texas markets on Wednesday, March 10.

Texas boasts some of the country's biggest TV markets, including fifth-largest Dallas, and tenth-largest Houston. Producing a show specifically for Texas is an effort by Jay McGraw and The Doctors' producers to give back to the show's TV affiliates in that state.

"This is one of the things that we are doing to connect with viewers on a local level," says McGraw, who hails from Dallas. (McGraw is the son of Dr. Phil McGraw, host and producer of CTD's Dr. Phil). "What syndication calls for is to give viewers something that they can relate to on a very person level and that they can then find value in. The more relatable a story can be, the more it's going to impact the viewer."

Texas-specific elements will include segments on an anti-smoking video game created by Dr. Alexander Prokorhov at Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; on warm, windy weather in central Texas that contributes to allergy problems across the state; and on a five-year-old girl from Odessa, Texas, who received a second kidney transplant from a donor in her own town.

On that day, The Doctors also will welcome local doctors and experts from Texas, including Dr. Stephanie Coulter from Houston's Texas Heart Institute and Dr. Craig Schwimmer, an ENT doctor from Dallas.

The Doctors will tie in local affiliates when WOAI San Antonio anchor Elsa Roman asks the show's four doctors a question via video.

Finally, Dallas-based syndicated radio talk-show host Kidd Kraddick will discuss his non-profit organization Kidd's Kids, and the show will present Kraddick with a commendation on behalf of Texas Governor Rick Perry and his wife, Anita.

TV stations in Texas have been promoting the show on their air, and the show's hosts have been appearing on local radio stations. If McGraw and CTD feel that the Texas experiment is successful, the show will do similar episodes focusing on other states and regions, such as California and New York City.

 "I'm from Texas so I love it," says McGraw. "People from Texas have been great to our show, so it's the first place we are trying."