New York City and Dr. Phil’s son resolve dispute over NYPD reality show
[March 28, 2026]
By MICHAEL R. SISAK
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has ended its legal fight with producer
Jordan McGraw, the son of TV’s “Dr. Phil” McGraw, reaching a settlement
Friday that clears the way for the release of a reality show he’s making
about the New York Police Department.
Under the agreement, the city will retain editorial control over the
show, titled “Behind the Badge," after accusing Jordan McGraw and his
production company, McGraw Media, of trying to wrest it away. McGraw
Media will provide “rough cuts” of episodes to the NYPD and will
incorporate its edits into the finished version for the show, hosted by
“Dr. Phil,” a clinical psychologist turned TV personality.
McGraw Media agreed to remove all content from the documentary-style
series that the department designates as inaccurate or confidential,
that the NYPD is legally prohibited from releasing, that reveals
investigatory techniques or that would otherwise compromise public
safety or the public trust.
It also agreed to remove any content that the NYPD flags as portraying
the city or the department in a negative light.
A message seeking comment was left for a lawyer for Jordan McGraw and
McGraw Media.
The lawyer, Chip Babcock, has previously said that the city's lawsuit
had come as a surprise “as publication of any programming was not
imminent” and that McGraw Media “had worked with the city to address the
edits requested” and was willing to continue to do so.
The city sued Jordan McGraw and McGraw Media in January, accusing them
of violating an agreement that had allowed them special
behind-the-scenes access to the nation’s largest police force and
“risking immediate and irreparable harm” to the city. The city obtained
a court order blocking them from selling or disseminating any footage
from "Behind the Badge.”
Episode “rough cuts” provided to the city by McGraw’s company, McGraw
Media, were mostly “unedited footage” dumps and included material not
allowed under McGraw’s production agreement with the city, such as
discussions of sensitive operations and the identities of undercover
officers, crime victims and witnesses, the lawsuit said.
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Dr. Phil McGraw, left, and his son, Jordan McGraw, arrive at the
premiere of 'The Simpsons Movie' in Los Angeles, July 24, 2007. (AP
Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
 Among other things, the lawsuit
said, the show contained footage of an officer inputting a security
code at a police station entrance, discussions of encrypted police
communications and the unblurred faces of people who were arrested
by police but who have not yet been tried or convicted of crimes.
New York City inked a three-year contract with McGraw Media on
“Behind the Badge” in April 2025. It called for McGraw Media to
produce up to 17 episodes per year, but gave the city the right to
opt out.
The city abandoned “Behind the Badge” late last year, hours before
Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office, after saying that it had expressed
concerns to McGraw about the show’s quality and content. According
to the lawsuit, McGraw Media indicated that it would not accept any
of the city’s edits and that it intended to distribute the flagged
material and was looking for a buyer to air the show.
Episodes were slated to air on Phil McGraw’s MeritTV cable and
streaming channels, where he’d previously done segments featuring
the police department.
A lawyer for the city had told a judge in a letter Thursday that the
city and McGraw Media had “agreed to a framework" to attempt to
resolve the matter "through a collaborative effort to review rough
cuts of nine episodes.”
According to the settlement agreement, McGraw Media has already
edited the first four episodes to the city's specifications. The
city expects to provide feedback on the fifth and sixth episodes by
next week and the last three episodes by April 16, the agreement
said.
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