>>> MAURY POVICH IS AN
INSTITUTION IN DAYTIME
TELEVISION.
FROM THE TIME HE WAS 16 YEARS
OLD, HE NEVER SAW ANY OTHER
CAREER FOR HIMSELF.
WHILE HE HAS SPENT FOUR
DECADES-PLUS, IN BROADCASTING
OVERALL, HE IS NOW CELEBRATING
20 SEASONS ALONE OF HIS HIT SHOW
"MAURY."
>> WHEN IT COMES TO 1-MONTH-OLD
TAGEN, CHAD, YOU ARE THE FATHER.
>> YEAH.
>> Reporter: VETERAN BROADCASTER
MAURY POVICH --
>> AND WHEN IT COMES TO
1-MONTH-OLD PAYTON, CHAD, YOU
ARE NOT THE FATHER.
>> Reporter: -- HAS BUILT A FAN
BASE ON THOSE WORDS.
>> YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER.
YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER.
>> MAURY.
MAURY.
>> Reporter: FOR 20 SEASONS,
NATIONALLY SYNDICATED DAYTIME
SHOW "MAURY" HAS COVERED THE
TALK SHOW GAMUT.
THOSE RUNNING SCARED OF PHOBIAS.
>> DEATHLY AFRAID OF PICKLES.
PEACHES.
JELL-O.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
>> Reporter: TO UNCONTROLLABLE
TEENS.
>> DON'T CALL ME [ BLEEP ].
>> YOU YOURSELF SAW YOUR
DAUGHTER IN A COMPROMISING
SITUATION.
>> I CAUGHT HER UNDER THOSE
STAIRS.
>> THAT IS LIKE THE MOST
EMBARRASSING THING EVER.
>> Reporter: AND WILD ANIMALS.
>> THAT'S SO CUTE.
OH, MY GOD, HE'S LOOKING AT ME.
>> POOP EVERYWHERE.
POOP EVERYWHERE.
>> NO, NO.
I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU.
>> YOU CAN SEE WHY IT'S SO
POPULAR.
PLEASE WELCOME MAURY POVICH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
HI.
THAT'S FUN TO WATCH.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> THAT'S FUN.
DO YOU HAVE JUST SO MUCH FUN?
>> YEAH.
>> WITH THE ANIMALS -- WE WOULD
BE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY.
>> AT TIMES IT'S VERY SERIOUS.
BUT YOU GOT TO.
>> THOSE WORDS, YOU ARE NOT THE
FATHER.
>> YEAH.
>> DO PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY
THAT TO YOU ON THE STREET?
>> THEY DO.
IN FACT, I HAVE FELLOWS THAT
COME UP AND SAY, CAN YOU GIVE ME
YOUR AUTOGRAPH AND SAY, TO BILL,
YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER?
>> WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?
YOU HAVE A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL
SHOW.
20 YEARS IS UNBELIEVABLE.
>> WELL, YEAH.
>> AND YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN
JOURNALISM.
YOU WERE LIKE A REPORTER ON THE
BEAT.
NOW, YOU'RE DOING THIS.
HOW HAS THAT TRANSITION BEEN?
>> WELL, IT'S INTERESTING.
I ALWAYS WAS VERY FRUSTRATED
WHEN I DID NEWS AND WHEN I
ANCHORED NEWSES AROUND THE
COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU HAD 20
SECONDS TO INTRODUCE A PIECE OR
IF YOU WERE OUT ON THE STREET,
IT WAS 1:30.
AND NOW, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, 10,
15 MINUTES TO ACTUALLY TELL A
STORY.
>> YEAH.
MORE STORY TELLING.
>> IT FREED ME UP.
>> NOW, HOW DO YOU GET THE
PEOPLE?
HOW DO YOU GET THESE PEOPLE WHO
ARE WILLING TO COME ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION?
>> THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT HERE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> AND HAVE MAURY POVICH TELL
THEM IF THEY'RE THE FATHER.
>> LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, WE
HAVE NO PROBLEM, NONE
WHATSOEVER.
>> REALLY?
>> ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TEAMS, THE
WAY YOU ALL DO, IN NEWS SHOWS
AND TALK SHOWS.
WE HAVE A THREE-PERSON TEAM.
AND THESE PEOPLE WANT TO COME ON
THE SHOW.
AND THEY CHECK IT OUT AND MAKE
SURE IT'S ALL VERY REAL AND
TRUTHFUL.
AND SO, ONCE WE PROVE THAT, WE
BRING THEM ON THE SHOW.
>> IT'S NOT ALL -- THERE'S
OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE SALACIOUSNESS
GOING ON THERE.
BUT YOU TRY TO ROUND BACK.
AND I KNOW RECENTLY YOU HAD --
WE DID A HIGHLIGHT OF THE
TROUBLED TEENS.
AND RECENTLY, DID YOU HAVE THEM
ALL GROWN UP BACK ON THE SHOW?
>> THE OUT-OF-CONTROL TEENAGERS,
WHO WANT TO RUN THE STREETS WHEN
THEY'RE 13, 14 YEARS OLD, FIND
THEY ARE UNLOVED AND THEY THINK
IF THEY HAVE A BABY AS A
TEENAGER, THEY'LL HAVE
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
WE TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF IT.
AND THEY COME ON THE SHOW AND
SHOW HOW RIDICULOUS THEY ARE.
AND THEN, WHAT HAPPENS IS, THEY
GO HOME, THEY SEE THEMSELVES ON
TELEVISION AND THEY'RE
EMBARRASSED.
THEY'RE EMBARRASSED ABOUT HOW
THEY ACTED IN PUBLIC.
AND THEY START TO CHANGE THEIR
LIVES.
AND SO, WE BRING THEM BACK 10
YEARS AND 15 YEARS LATER.
THEY'VE COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY WENT TO COLLEGE.
THEY HAVE A JOB.
THEY GOT MARRIED.
THEY HAD KIDS.
AND SO, THAT'S, TO ME, THE
JUSTIFICATION OF DOING THOSE
SHOWS.
>> MAURY IS SUCCESSFUL
FINANCIALLY AND IN OUR INDUSTRY.
BUT IT'S THE TRUTH.
BUT HE'S VERY PHILANTHROPIC.
YOU'VE GIVEN TO SO MANY CAUSES
AND HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BUT YOU
DON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT.
WHEN YOU THINK BACK 20 YEARS ON
THIS SHOW, IS THERE ANYTHING
THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU?
THERE'S SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM.
>> YOU SAW A SHORT CLIP OF IT.
WE HAD A WOMAN TWICE ON OUR
SHOW, WHO ACCUSED A GUY OF BEING
THE FATHER OF THEIR TWINS.
AND I DON'T OPEN -- I DON'T KNOW
THE RESULT UNTIL I OPEN UP THE
ENVELOPE.
>> YOU DON'T?
>> I SAID EARLY ON, I DON'T WANT
TO KNOW.
I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING
MORE THAN MY GUESTS KNOW OR MY
LIVE AUDIENCE OR THE AUDIENCE AT
HOME.
I DON'T WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS
BECAUSE I KNOW AN ANSWER.
I OPEN UP THE ENVELOPE AND THIS
GUY IS THE WEATHER OF ONE BUT
NOT THE OTHER.
>> HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
>> THAT'S WHAT I ASKED.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT INTO THAT.
YOU KNOW?
AND SO, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IT WAS
FRATERNAL TWINS.
AND IF THE WOMAN WAS FAIRLY
ACTIVE IN A PARTICULAR PERIOD OF
THE MONTH, FATHER ONE BUT NOT
THE OTHER.
>> ONCE THE EGG IS FERTILIZED
THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO SHUT
DOWN TO ALL OTHER COMERS.
>> THE SCIENTISTS TOLD ME IT WAS
A MILLION TO ONE AND CAME IN
TWICE ON MY SHOW.
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
THAT'S ALL REAL.
THAT'S LEGIT?
>> MEGYN.
>> ASKING FOR A FRIEND.
>> MEGYN.
MEGYN.
YOU'RE NOT GOING BACK TO FOX ARE
YOU?
[ APPLAUSE ]
I'M SORRY.
I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THERE.
IN FACT, I USED TO WORK FOR THE
OWNER.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
I STARTED NATIONWIDE ON "A
CURRENT AFFAIR," WHICH WAS A
BIG-TIME SHOW.
>> THE OTHER THING ABOUT MAURY,
HE HAD PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS.
HE'S HAD SOMETHING THAT IS
REMARKABLE WHICH IS SUCCESS IN
LOVE.
>> WELL, THAT'S A WORK IN
PROGRESS.
>> THIS IS WHY BECAUSE THEY HAVE
AMAZING SENSES OF HUMOR.
WHEN HE COMES BACK,
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH MAURY
POVICH, THE HOST OF THE
DAYTIME'S 20 SEASONS AND
COUNTING "MAURY."
HIS WIFE, ALSO A VETERAN
JOURNALIST, CONNIE CHUNG, IS
WITH US.
AND THEY BROUGHT THEIR DOG,
BIRDY.
YOU USE BIRDY TO WARM UP THE
AUDIENCE AT THE "MAURY" SHOW.
AND HE CAN DO SOME TRICKS.
>> WELL -- YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER
BRING A DOG ON TV, RIGHT?
COME ON.
OKAY.
>> MAKE HIM SEE.
>> BIRDY HAS THE RIGHT CAMERA
ANGLE.
>> BIRDY.
DO ONE THING FOR ME AND YOU'RE
GETTING OFF THE STAGE.
READY?
GET.
GET OUT OF HERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD BOY.
>> BIRDY DOESN'T GET TO STAY?
>> BIRDY DOES NOT STAY.
THAT MEANS BIRDY'S THE SHOW.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE DON'T WANT.
THESE TWO ARE LIKE A STANDUP
COMEDY ROUTINE.
MAURY IS A BIG GOLFER.
HE WENT TO A CELEBRITY GOLF
TOURNAMENT WHERE IT'S A REGULAR
PERSON AND A CELEBRITY GOLFING
TOGETHER.
HE SAID, WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY?
>> I AM THE CELEBRITY, HE SAYS.
>> DID YOU TWO MEET WHEN
ANCHORING THE NEWS?
>> YEAH.
WELL.
>> WE ALSO MET BEFORE.
HE WAS A BIG STAR IN WASHINGTON,
D.C. AND I WAS JUST A COPY
PERSON.
I WOULD COME IN TWO NIGHTS A
WEEK, YOU KNOW?
I WAS STILL IN COLLEGE.
AND THEN, I GOT A JOB AS
NEWSROOM SECRETARY.
>> LET ME TELL YOU THE DOGGED,
AGGRESSIVE APPROACH THAT CONNIE
CHUNG HAD TO NEWS.
SHE'S THE SECRETARY TO THE NEWS
DIRECTOR.
AND A JOB OPENS UP IN A
NEWSROOM, IS ONE OF THE FIRST
JOBS IS A WEEKEND WRITING JOB.
SHE WANTS THAT JOB.
AND THE NEWS DIRECTOR SAYS, NO,
YOU'RE MY ASSISTANT.
AND CONNIE SAYS, I WANT THAT
JOB.
AND HE SAID, YOU HAVE TO REPLACE
YOURSELF.
SHE WALKS INTO THE BANK AND
LOOKS AT THE FIRST WOMAN TELLER
AND SAYS, YOU WANT TO BE IN TV?
COME WITH ME.
AND THAT'S HOW CONNIE CHUNG GOT
HER FIRST JOB.
>> YES.
>> AND THEN, I GOT THE JOB.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU GET ENOUGH
CREDIT FOR YOUR TRAIL BLAZING
ROLE IN NEWS.
IT WAS YOU, BARBARA WALTERS,
JESSICA SAVAGE, IT WAS HER LIFE
LIFETIME TELEVISION STORY THAT
MADE ME THINK I COULD BE IN
NEWS, MINUS THE DRUG ADDICTION
AND EARLY DEATH.
YOU WERE A TRAIL BLAZER IN NEWS
WHEN ALMOST NO OTHER WOMEN WERE
DOING IT.
>> THERE WAS A REAL DIRTH OF
WOMEN.
IT WAS A YOUNG BUSINESS.
THERE WEREN'T MANY WOMEN ON THE
AIR.
I THOUGHT, MAYBE THERE'S A
CHANCE FOR ME.
ONCE I GOT THERE, THERE WAS A
HEAVY-DUTY HAZING PERIOD.
>> I'LL BET.
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING THE #METOO
MOVEMENT.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, I STARTED IN THE LATE
'60s, EARLY '70s, AND THAT WAS
THE CLIMATE.
THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS.
IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, CAME AT
ME, I HAD ATTITUDE, WHICH WAS,
YOU KNOW --
>> CONNIE WAS GREAT BECAUSE WHEN
ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS
THEN USED TO HIT ON HER, SHE
WOULD SAY, YOU'RE NOT
GOOD-LOOKING ENOUGH.
>> WHATEVER.
I MEAN, IT WOULD BE LIKE, YOU?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
YOU KNOW, YOUR PRODUCER --
>> DESPITE YOUR --
>> YOU KNOW, YOUR PRODUCER SAID
TO ME, THAT'S WHAT WE CALL A
CLAPBACK.
OH, YEAH.
>> A CONNIE CLAPBACK.
>> YEAH.
CONNIE CLAPBACK.
>> YOU HAVE WON ALL THESE EMMYS,
YOU HAVE WON A PEABODY, YOU
DON'T TAKE YOURSELF SERIOUSLY.
YOU POPPED OUT OF A CAKE, WHAT
WAS THAT FOR?
>> LIKE MY 3,000th SHOW OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA SHE WAS
IN THERE, MAURY?
>> NO.
AND I WAS PRAYING THAT IT MIGHT
BE SOMEBODY ELSE.
>> SO, YOU TELL ME.
YOU'RE GOING ON 33 YEARS OF
MARRIAGE NOW, MAURY.
WHAT'S THE SECRET?
>> CONNIE AS HER REASONS AND I
HAVE MINE.
>> WE NEVER DO ANYTHING
TOGETHER.
>> RIGHT.
AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT WHATEVER
DISCUSSIONS/ARGUMENTS YOU HAVE
DURING THE DAY, ONCE YOUR HEAD
HITS THE PILLOW, IT'S OVER.
>> BUT I HOLD GRUDGES.
THE NEXT MORNING, I REALLY WANT
TO FIGHT MORE.
I WANT TO FIGHT.
I WANT TO GET THIS -- I WANT TO
TALK IT THROUGH.
AND HE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH
IT.
>> YOU WANT TO TALK IT THROUGH
UNTIL YOU WIN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> YOU KNOW, I WISH I WERE
MARRIED TO THE GUY THAT'S ON TV.
HE'S SO EMPATHETIC.
HE IS SO SWEET.
YOU CAN SCREAM, YOU CAN CRY, YOU
CAN DO ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW?
BUT WHEN HE GETS HOME, HE
DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW?
HE'S LIKE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.
>> WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S WORKING
IN BOTH DEPARTMENTS.
AND WE'RE THE BENEFICIARIES OF
IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, AS WELL.