Maury Povich talk show to end in September

Maury Povich's daytime talk show, for more than three decades home to cheating couples, feuding neighbors and paternity tests that gave rise to the catchphrase "You are not the father," is coming to an end in September. 

"Six years ago when I was ready to retire, my the [sic] NBCUniversal family asked me to continue the show," Povich, 83, said in a statement Sunday, referring to the media conglomerate that for the past 24 seasons has syndicated the show, seen locally weekdays at noon and 4 p.m. on WWOR/9. "Even though I told them I was ready for assisted living, out of loyalty to NBCUniversal and my more than 100 staff and crew members, [NBCUniversal syndication executive] Tracie Wilson and I agreed to one more deal."

He added, "I'm so proud of my relationship with NBCUniversal and all those who worked on the 'Maury' show but as I occasionally tell my guests on 'Maury,' 'Enough, already!' "

Povich has no evident social-media accounts, and the show's accounts did not mention the announcement.

The series, which began in 1991 as the Paramount-distributed "The Maury Povich Show," has been a daytime staple for roughly 5,000 episodes with such titles as "Your Mom Is Lying … My Husband Is Not Your Dad!" and "Is My Fiancée Sleeping with My Own Mother? Give Them the Test!" It received 11 Daytime Emmy Award nominations for technical craft, winning its sole statuette in 1995 for Outstanding Hairstyling. Povich himself additionally was nominated for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host in 2020.

"Maury and I decided two years ago that this season would be the farewell season for the show, and while his retirement is bittersweet, we are so happy for him to be able to spend more time on the golf course," said Wilson in a statement. "Maury is a television icon, a pop culture legend and we couldn't be more proud to have been a part of his incredible career."

Povich, a native of Washington, D.C., and son of the late Washington Post sports writer Shirley Povich, is the husband of broadcast journalist and former network news anchor Connie Chung, with whom he adopted son Matthew. He previously was married to public relations professional Phyllis Baskin, with whom he has daughters Susan and Amy.