“Maury” Is Coming To An End After 31 Seasons

I regret to inform you that Maury, arbiter of paternity test results, has been canceled (and no, not in that cool new way). Our favorite way to find out whether or not certain men were fathers is over! First Judge Judy, now this? What am I supposed to watch now when I’m pretending to be sick from school?!

Pour out a glass for Maury. The Hollywood Reporter  brings the news:

The NBCUniversal series that features Maury Povich as host will stop original productions this year, with Povich planning to retire, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. New episodes will continue to be broadcast through September, at which point reruns will air in syndication.

A representative for Povich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The program has made a significant impact on pop culture, with the star, 83, having played himself on How I Met Your Mother and in the film Madea’s Big Happy Family. Povich previously hosted the entertainment newsmagazine A Current Affair.

“They touch so many classic themes, whether it’s love, distrust, conflict, drama,” Povich told the Chicago Tribune in 2012 about the appeal of Maury’s episodes. “And the paternity shows in particular, you’ve got he-said, she-said, is-he-the-father, isn’t-he. While soap operas play those themes out over six months, we play them out over 12 minutes.”

For the uninitiated, The Maury Povich Show (later known as Maury) began in 1991 during the TV talk show craze of the 80s and 90s (remember Donahue?!). Maury covered loads of topics throughout the years from gang violence to makeovers. However, in the mid-90s, TV talk shows took a bizarre turn when Jerry Springer introduced a new format: interviewing shocking and outrageous guests. The landscape went from deep, hard-hitting topics like the consequences of nuclear war to “I married a horse.” Although it had already featured crazy topics in the past, Maury ramped up the paternity test episodes and thus began our national obsession with the phrase “You are NOT the father!” So, after 31 years (!) of baby daddies and baby mamas feuding over adorable kids that don’t deserve this, the show has reached its end.

I guess Maury can finally kick back and relax with his wife Connie Chung. He’s 83 years old, after all. There are only so many times you can read out “You are NOT the father” and see someone burst into tears or break out into a ridiculous dance! And if Maury‘s departure has left a paternity test-shaped hole in your heart, don’t worry. You can always rewatch compilations on the Maury YouTube channel!

Pic: INSTAR