Please wait while we load your article...

Home > Maury Povich

Learn more about "Maury Povich"

Maury Povich

Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an United States|American television|TV talk show personality, who currently hosts his self-titled talk show ''Maury (TV series)|Maury''. He is married to journalist Connie Chung.

Personal background

Povich is the son of ''Washington Post'' sportswriting|sportswriter Shirley Povich and Ethyl Povich and was the second of three Povich children, with older brother David and a younger sister Lynn. He graduated from The Landon School in 1958 and later moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in television journalism. From 1962 to 1979, Povich was married to Phyllis Minkoff but later married news anchor Connie Chung in 1984, whom he met while working in the news department at WTTG-TV in Washington.Connie Chung Offers Personal View of Maury Povic With Minkoff, Povich had two daughters, Susan and Amy; in 1995, Povich and Chung adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich.

Television news anchor duties (1962-1983)

Not long after graduation, Povich got his first job on Washington, D.C. radio station WWDC (FM)|WWDC, where he did publicity and worked as a reporter.Gildea, William. "Povich Off to Chicago." ''Washington Post'', 8 December 1976, p. B1. By 1966, Povich became a news reporter and sportscaster for DC television station WTTG-TV. In 1967, he became the original co-host of the station's popular midday talk show, ''Panorama'', which brought the rising star widespread acclaim and national recognition.Jo Ann Harris. "Channel 5's Panorama Team." Washington Post, 23 March 1969, p. TV3. From 1977 to 1983, he worked as a news anchor at stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, San Francisco, California|San Francisco and Philadelphia. He finally returned to Washington, D.C., in June 1983.

A Current Affair (1986-1990)

When media mogul Rupert Murdoch acquired the Metromedia television station|TV station group in 1986, one of his first moves was to bring Povich to New York City|New York to host ''A Current Affair (U.S. TV series)|A Current Affair''. The show began in late July 1986, and while it was considered a tabloid infotainment show that often focused on celebrity gossip, it also made time for compelling human interest stories. Critics praised the show for trying to be both informative and entertaining, much like "a good afternoon newspaper."Corry, John. "A Current Affair: Tabloid Journalism". ''The New York Times'', 20 August 1986, p. C22. Povich hosted ''Affair'' until 1990. He also anchored newscasts at WNYW.

''The Maury Povich Show'' (1991-1997), ''Maury'' (1998-Present)

Povich served two consecutive terms as president of the New York Chapter of the National Television Academy. In September 1991, he left ''A Current Affair'' to host ''Maury (TV series)|The Maury Povich Show'', which was nationally syndicated and distributed by CBS Television Distribution|Paramount Television in partnership with Povich's production company "MoPo Productions" and in national syndication from 1991 to 1998. For raising awareness of National Adoption Month, Povich was honored by New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995. In 1998, the show was taken over by Studios USA (then a division of USA Networks, later renamed Universal Television after being sold to Vivendi Universal; and NBC Universal Television after VU Entertainment was sold to NBC owner General Electric). When they took over the show's production, they renamed it ''Maury''. The program is dramatized and often scripted to aid entertainment. The show often veered into what critics called trash TV, and in 1998, it became known for a segment called "Who's the Daddy?" during which men who were denying paternity (or who wanted to know if they really were the father) were given DNA tests and the results were revealed on the air.

''Twenty One'', MSNBC program with wife Connie Chung

On January 9, 2000, Povich hosted the short-lived primetime revival of the classic game show, ''Twenty One (game show)|Twenty One'' on NBC. Reruns of the show have been seen on Game Show Network|GSN. In November 2005, MSNBC announced Povich would co-host a weekend news program with his wife, Connie Chung. The program—entitled ''Weekends with Maury and Connie'' -- debuted on January 7, 2006, but was cancelled due to low ratings. ("MSNBC Canceling Connie Chung, Maury Povich Talk Show," Associated Press, 15 June 2006) The final episode aired on June 17, 2006.

Personal life

Povich and his first wife Phyllis were divorced in 1979; they have two daughtersWaldman, 2007. Povich married anchorwoman Connie Chung in 1984. They adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich, on June 20, 1995. In May 2007, Povich launched the Flathead Beacon, a weekly print newspaper and online news source in Montana's Flathead County, where Povich has a home.

Povich in popular culture

- Povich was satirized in the ''South Park'' episode "Freak Strike".
- In the comic strip ''Get Fuzzy'', Bucky Katt thinks the sign of the end of the world is Maury Povich (to which Satchel Pooch said to Rob, "Hold Me").
- In 1996 Povich appeared in the music video for "Stakes Is High (song)|Stakes Is High" by the hip hop music|hip hop group De La Soul which they played guests on his talk show during the video.
- In the song "Just One Step" by Jason Robert Brown from his revue, "Songs for a New World", the lady who is about to jump off a building notices Maury Povich and Connie Chung in the crowd below.
- There is also a song by Shawty Putt and Lil Jon called "Dat Baby (Don't Look Like Me)" that parodies the paternity tests on ''Maury''.
- Povich is listed at number thirty-one in Bernard Goldberg's 2005 book ''100 People Who Are Screwing Up America''.
- Povich briefly appeared in a segment on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' in which Letterman stated that a group of Egyptology|Egyptologists discovered several fetuses in King Tut's tomb. The Egyptologists were unsure, however, if Tut was the father of the fetuses. Povich appeared to be giving the results of a DNA paternity test to discover if Tut was indeed the father.
- Povich appeared in the NBC sitcom ''Wings (TV series)|Wings'' as a TV show host for people who are convicted of murders.
- Popular contemporary R&B|R&B-soul music|soul artist Syleena Johnson has a baby-mama drama song called "Maury Povich" on her 2009 album ''Chapter 4: Labor Pains''; where a certain woman takes her lover to Povich's show to confront him, telling him to own up and be a father.
- On the American sketch comedy series ''MADtv'', Povich and his wife Connie Chung have been parodied in several skits titled "The Crazy Life of Maury and Connie".
- On ''Norbit'' Rasputia was watching the Maury Show
- On the TV Series Boondocks,episode Shinin' Riley's archenemy Butch Magnus appears on Maury where they send their kids to Boot Camp.
- American R&B singer Mariah Carey mention Povich in a song called "It's A Wrap" in her album ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', with a line "Don't make me go call Maury Povich"
- Australian satire team The Chaser parodied the Maury Show in their television series The Chaser's War on Everything. It featured The Maury Show in a segment titled "What You Missed on Cable" in which clips were shown from the Maury show. At the end of the segment the Maury Show was parodied by having the Virgin Mary be tested to see if Joseph was the father of Jesus