‘Maury’ Will End After 30 Years On Television

This is a very sad day for fans of watching people receive the results of their paternity tests on live television.

That’s because Maury, a daytime television staple for over 30 years, is coming to an end with its current season. Its syndicator, NBCUniversal, announced that Maury will cease production later this summer, with the final new episodes airing in September.

Its longtime host, Maury Povich, said in a statement (via Deadline) that he has wanted to retire for several years. This time, though, the 83-year-old Povich says it is really happening:

Six years ago when I was ready to retire, my the NBCUniversal family asked me to continue the show. 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!’

The show premiered as The Maury Povich Show in the fall of 1991 and it’s remained in syndication ever since. (Povich is a former reporter who got his big break as the host of another syndicated series, A Current Affair.) Although Maury covered a wide range of topics and social issues, over the years, it’s become particularly famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) for its segments revealing the results of paternity tests to unhappy couples. In particular, Povich’s dramatic readings of “You are the father!” and “You are not the father!” have become the stuff of internet memes.

While new episodes will no longer be produced, stations will still be able to syndicate reruns of Maury; NBCUniversal is also planning a new talk show hosted by Karamo Brown that will effectively serve as its replacement on daytime schedules around the country. As to whether Maury is the official progenitor of this new show, I don’t know; that’s probably up for debate. Or maybe a paternity test.