On June 10, 2008 KOMO-TV announced that "Northwest Afternoon" was cancelled because of increased competition against first-run syndicated fare from "Dr. Phil" on KING-TV, "Rachael Ray" on KIRO-TV, and "Maury" on KCPQ. These shows had made inroads into Northwest Afternoon's once-comfortable ratings, making it difficult for station management to continue producing the show. The stunning announcement came after the series won a local Emmy. A 24-year retrospective send-off was aired on September 4, 2008, with the last show airing on September 5. The show was replaced by "The Doctors", a syndicated show that premiered on September 8, 2008.