Host Maury Povich will be ending his decades-long talk show “Maury.”
Tracie Wilson, EVP, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios made a statement to Deadline, saying, “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.”
She added, “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.”
Maury Povich Will End ‘Maury’ After 31 Years On Air
You Were A One-Night Stand… DNA Will Prove That’s Not My Baby! #Friday #MaurysOn #Maury24 pic.twitter.com/5ZvF5YDCFT
— The Maury Show (@TheMAURYShow) March 18, 2022
In the statement, Maury revealed that he had actually planned to retire six years ago, but NBCUniversal convinced him to postpone his retirement for a few more years.
“Six years ago when I was ready to retire, my NBCUniversal family asked me to continue the show,” he said. “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, Tracie Wilson and I agreed to one more deal. 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!’”
15 Years After The DNA Results… How Did These Children Turn Out? #Friday #MaurysOn #Maury24 pic.twitter.com/03MUQcHWQv
— The Maury Show (@TheMAURYShow) March 11, 2022
New episodes of “Maury” will continue to air until September 2022. In October, old episodes of Maury will continue to air. “The Maury Povich Show” made its debut in 1991 and shortened its name to “Maury” in the mid-1990s.
This is the second long-running daytime show to leave NBCUniversal. Earlier this month, they decided not to renew season 4 of “Judge Jerry,” which was a courtroom show presided over by Jerry Springer.
Why Is Jerry Springer’s ‘Judge Jerry’ Coming To An End?
This week on #JudgeJerry! pic.twitter.com/5QvTgyUZhD
— Judge Jerry (@JudgeJerryTV) March 6, 2022
Earlier this month, Deadline reported that the show will end after its third season wraps up in September. The show first debuted on September 9, 2019, and featured Jerry Springer serving as the judge of a small claims court that often featured family or friends suing each other for small sums of money.
In 2019, NBCU said that “Judge Jerry” was the highest-rated syndicated court show premiere in five years. However, the show, which is executively produced by Kerry Shannon, eventually lost viewership and now sits at the bottom of syndication ratings.
Several fans offered commentary as to why they felt Jerry was being pulled off the air.
— The Jerry Springer Show (@SpringerTV) March 3, 2022
“I actually enjoyed Judge Jerry, came on at 7:00 am and watched it while drinking my coffee,” another wrote. “Don’t understand why they are taking him off the air. 😕🥲🥲”
“I guess Jerry Springer isn’t seen as outrageous like in the past,” one fan commented. “There are many others who are crazier than he is. His judge show probably didn’t attract the crazed fans like his old show did.”
“The Jerry Springer Show” ran for 27 seasons and produced more than 5,000 episodes.
Fans Are Still Watching ‘The Jerry Springer Show’
Some fans might be surprised to learn that “The Jerry Springer Show” – which is known for its outrageous guests pulling hair and throwing chairs – first started out as a political talk show which covered topics ranging from homelessness to gun control when it debuted on September 30, 1991.
In 1994, Springer and producer Richard Dominick tried to find a way to build ratings to avoid cancelation. Viewership skyrocketed after the show became less political and more sensational. Guests started confronting their family members about controversial topics, such as cheating, homosexuality, prostitution, or other polarizing situations.
you just had to be there #JerrySpringer pic.twitter.com/Q7iqI7zjIY
— Judge Jerry (@JudgeJerryTV) March 1, 2021
Some encounters on stage turned violent and featured guests pulling each other’s hair or hitting each other with chairs. By 1998, it was even more popular than “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in many cities.
Unfortunately, the show wrapped up its 27 season run on July 26, 2018, although The CW continues to air old episodes, which still prove popular with audiences today.
With both Maury and Jerry hitting retirement, many wonder if this will mark an end to daytime television programs.
