Phil McGraw made a lot of hay with the bizarre Manti Te’o saga.
McGraw’s Feb. 3 show, in which he interviewed Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, snared big numbers for “Dr. Phil.” That show, in which Tuiasosopo claimed that he fabricated a fake online girlfriend for the unwitting Te’o, snared a whopping 4.8 million viewers — the show’s biggest numbers thus far this season. That was up 17 percent from “Phil’s” season average, so it goes to show how much interest there was in that particular story, which managed to eclipse Lance Armstrong’s interview on OWN.
In other daytime news, The Online Network says it will begin production on the Web versions of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” Feb. 25 in Stamford, Ct. Both are scheduled to premiere this spring on hulu.com, Hulu Plus and iTunes (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, etc.).
ABC and Prospect Park, which now owns “OLTL,” are still in talks to “share” several “OLTL” characters who’ve appeared on “General Hospital” since “OLTL” was canceled by ABC in January 2012. Follow the slippery soap dish . . .
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Last, but not least:
* FX has given a series order (13 episodes) for “The Bridge,” a drama series starring Demian Bichir, Diane Kruger, Ted Levine, Annabeth Gish and Thomas M. Wright. Production begins in April for a July premiere . . . Israel-based Magisto has recruited Reid Genauer to run its newly established New York City (midtown Manhattan) office as chief marketing officer (he’ll oversee the company’s US operations). Magisto helps Smartphone users create and share professional quality personal movies . . . Veteran Wall Street lawyer Bill Singer is hosting “Side Bar with Bill Singer,” which streams on Reuters Insider (reuters.com) and focuses on Wall Street regulatory issues (three episodes thus far) . . . The “CBS Evening News” (Scott Pelley) posted its best household and total-viewer numbers since 2009 for the week ending Feb. 8 — averaging a 5.0 in households and nearly 7.5 million viewers . . . Dina Manzo, formerly of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” has inked a deal with Al Roker Entertainment for a series “which will document Dina’s next chapter,” according to the company. Tens of people rejoice at this news.