Editing Montel Williams (section)

=== ''The Montel Williams Show'' ===
Williams began ''[[The Montel Williams Show]]'' (syndicated by [[CBS Paramount Television]]) in 1991.<ref>{{cite news|title=The New Host on the Talk-Show Block : Television: Montel Williams, a former Navy man and lecturer to teens, wants to dethrone Oprah and Phil. His 13-week trial run begins today.|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 8, 1991|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-08-ca-1484-story.html|access-date=December 7, 2010|first=Carolyn|last=Ramsay|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713152609/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-07-08/entertainment/ca-1484_1_talk-show-host|archive-date=July 13, 2011}}</ref> In 1996, Williams received a [[Daytime Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Ratings for the show peaked during the 1996–97 season, with a 4.4 average rating. He was again nominated for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2002, and the ''Montel Williams Show'' was nominated for Outstanding Talk Show in 2001 and 2002.

On January 30, 2008, ''Variety'' reported that CBS TV Distribution had terminated ''The Montel Williams Show'' when key Fox-owned stations chose not to renew it for the 2008–09 season.<ref>Littleton, Cynthia. (January 30, 2008) [https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/montel-williams-calls-it-quits-1117979859/ Variety&nbsp;– Montel Williams calls it quits] . Variety.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-07.</ref> On May 16, 2008, the last episode of ''The Montel Williams Show'' aired.<ref>[http://montelshow.com/media/podcast/bonus/ Montel Williams&nbsp;– Bonus Videos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511151812/http://montelshow.com/media/podcast/bonus/ |date=May 11, 2008 }}. Montelshow.com. Retrieved on January 7, 2013.</ref> Speculation followed the end of ''The Montel Williams Show'', which was canceled immediately after Williams criticized mainstream news media's preference for stories about Hollywood stars over those about military personnel and events. Commentators felt his statements may have alienated the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox TV Network]].<ref name="dailykos">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/01/31/446791/-Montel-Williams-Loses-Job-after-Defending-Troops-on-Fox-News|title=Montel Williams Loses Job after Defending Troops on Fox News|date=January 30, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105120621/http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/01/31/446791/-Montel-Williams-Loses-Job-after-Defending-Troops-on-Fox-News|archive-date=November 5, 2014}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=September 2020}}

On November 10, 2010, [[Oprah Winfrey]] invited Williams, along with former talk show hosts [[Phil Donahue]], [[Geraldo Rivera]], [[Ricki Lake]], and [[Sally Jessy Raphael]], as guests on her show. This was the first time that the fellow talkers had appeared together since their programs left the air.<ref>[http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Talk-Show-Hosts-Together-for-the-First-Time_1 from Donahue, Sally Jessy, Geraldo, Montel, Ricki: Talk show hosts—where are they now?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617090045/http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Talk-Show-Hosts-Together-for-the-First-Time_1 |date=June 17, 2011 }}. Oprah.com (November 10, 2010). Retrieved on 2013-01-07.</ref>

Williams' work has been criticized by the [[Independent Investigations Group]], which declared ''The Montel Williams Show'' to be noteworthy ''Truly Terrible Television'' with its satirical TTTV award (for similar reasons, awarded to "every episode featuring Sylvia Browne").<ref name="tttv">{{cite web | url = http://www.iigwest.com/iigawards/2006/index.html | title = IIG &#124; The IIG Awards | publisher = Iigwest.com | date = August 21, 2010 | access-date = July 1, 2011 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144538/http://www.iigwest.com/iigawards/2006/index.html | archive-date = July 18, 2011 }}</ref>

Controversial self-declared psychic [[Sylvia Browne]] featured frequently on ''The Montel Williams Show'' from 1991 until its finale in 2008. Williams described Browne as "the most-appearing guest on a talk show in the history of television" and "the longest-running guest in daytime television",<ref name="finale">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8YNQlkdY0M|title=Montel's final show with Sylvia Browne|date=2008|publisher=Youtube|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519072616/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8YNQlkdY0M|archive-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="huffpost">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/sylvia-browne_n_4317470.html|title=Sylvia Browne: Dead Psychic's Legacy Riddled With Failed Predictions, Fraud|publisher=Huffington Post|author=David Moye|date=November 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105123405/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/sylvia-browne_n_4317470.html|archive-date=November 5, 2014}}</ref> and her appearances included particularly controversial incidents relating to kidnap victims [[Shawn Hornbeck]] and [[Kidnappings of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight|Amanda Berry]]. Williams was criticized for allowing his high-profile show to serve as a channel for Browne, notably by fellow retired military officer [[Hal Bidlack]], with Bidlack publicly asking, "Commander Williams, have you lost your honor?"<ref name="openletter">{{cite web|url=http://www.stopsylvia.com/articles/openlettertomontel.shtml |title=An Open Letter to Lt. Commander Montel Williams, USN (Ret). A fellow retired military officer asks Montel Williams a very serious question. |first=Hal |last=Bidlack | author-link=Hal Bidlack |publisher=[[Robert S. Lancaster]] |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323075337/http://www.stopsylvia.com/articles/openlettertomontel.shtml |archive-date=March 23, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="response">{{cite web|url=http://www.stopsylvia.com/articles/montelresponsetoopenletter.shtml |title=Open Letter to Montel Williams: An Answer? |publisher=Robert Lancaster |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706152732/http://www.stopsylvia.com/articles/montelresponsetoopenletter.shtml |archive-date=July 6, 2015 }}</ref> In February 2019, an episode of ''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]'' featured a segment on television psychics and Williams' association with Browne was criticized.<ref>IMDb, Last Week Tonight, {{Citation|title=Episode #6.2|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt9578522/|access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref>