Phil Donahue, an innovative TV host who rose to fame in the late 1960s after being the first person to interact with a studio audience and bring new ideas into American living rooms, died Sunday, his family said. He was 88. At his peak, his nationally syndicated "The Phil Donahue Show" — later renamed "Donahue" — was a ratings hit. The show ran from November 6, 1967 to September 13, 1996. Have you ever watched an episode of The Phil Donahue Show/Donahue?

Donahue was a precursor to similar shows by hosts Montel Williams and Jerry Springer. Oprah Winfrey described Donahue as a trailblazer who invented smart talk in the afternoon and brought startling new ideas into the living rooms and laundry rooms of American women. Are you someone who enjoys talk shows?