Phil Donahue, whose “The Phil Donahue Show” laid the foundation for highly caffeinated, issue-based daytime talk shows on television during its nearly 30-year syndicated run, has died, his family confirmed to “The Today Show” on Monday. He was 88.

The groundbreaking “Phil Donahue Show” first aired in 1969, was renamed “Donahue” five years later and ran for 29 years. The host’s penchant for moving energetically through the studio audience, soliciting opinions with a microphone in hand, inspired even wilder formats from more tabloid-focused imitators like Sally Jesse Raphael, Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and, yes, Oprah Winfrey, who cites Donahue as her inspiration.

As his acolytes fueled the circus atmosphere, Donahue’s frenetic, audience-engaging style began to seem downright civilized by comparison, and the show ended in 1996. But Donahue was much more than just a talk show host, and stayed busy after his syndicated life; he was also an author, film producer, frequent television guest, and political activist, campaigning for Ralph Nader in 2000.

Donahue made a TV comeback in 2002 when MSNBC brought him out of retirement for a show called “Donahue” — but it was canceled seven months later, with a leaked network memo saying his opposition to the invasion of Iraq would make a “difficult public face … in wartime.” Years later, Donahue said the network, then owned by defense contractor General Electric, required two conservative guests for every liberal guest, and “I was counted as two liberals.”

His political leanings were well known, but he carefully walked the partisan line in “Donahue,” not afraid to address divisive, controversial issues that were years ahead of their time. Playing devil’s advocate from a position of earnest inquisition, Donahue pushed for progress on issues like gay marriage and abortion rights without coming across as a whiner.

Donahue won 20 Emmy Awards, including 10 for outstanding talk show host and another 10 for “Donahue.” He also won a Peabody in 1980, was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year.

He married Margaret Cooney in 1958 and they had five children: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose and James. They divorced in 1975 and he remarried to “That Girl” actress Marlo Thomas in 1980; the couple had no children.

Donahue died Sunday evening in his home on New York’s Upper East Side. Thomas, his children, his sister and his golden retriever were at his side, the family said.