When many at this time hear the title Maury Povich, it’s often related to shock tv and paternity check reveals. The icon constructed an enormous following by his trademark discuss present that ran from 1991 up till the final of the greater than 5,500 episodes on September 8, 2022. Since then the 86-year-old remained a fixture within the zeitgeist because of syndication and a surprisingly massive social media presence.
Nonetheless, he reached a degree the place he needed to return to his journalistic beginnings. A journey impressed by his dad Shirley, a longtime Corridor of Fame sports activities author for The Washington Publish. Povich himself would take pleasure in an extended profession that noticed him masking historical past in actual time together with the aftermath of the John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations, the riots in Washington and worldwide conflict battle.
He considered what can be the fitting platform for this. Enter On Par with Maury Povich, the avid golfer’s new podcast. The present, which premiered on March 31, sees the veteran newsman sit down for unfiltered, in-depth conversations with figures from the sports activities, media and popular culture worlds. Every episode that drops on Mondays additionally permits Maury followers to be taught concerning the legend on a deeper and extra private stage.
The primary visitor was none apart from Connie Chung, his quick-witted spouse of 40 years and a trailblazing reporter in her personal proper. Within the debut podcast episode the couple supplied a glimpse into what makes their connection so robust. Additionally they sparked headlines when Chung requested her hubby when he feels sexiest. He responded, “I really feel sexiest on Sundays” with amusing. She suggestively got here again with, “By no means on Sunday.” Povich defined additional that, “It’s all the time been. All people says, ‘Can we play golf on Sunday? Nope. Sunday is with Connie,”
Right here we put Povich within the scorching seat to talk about returning to his roots, bucket listing company and opinions on the way forward for daytime discuss.
Maury Povich, winner of the Lifetime Achievement award, and Connie Chung pose within the press room throughout the fiftieth Daytime Emmy Inventive Arts and Way of life Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Lodge & Suites, Los Angeles on December 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photograph by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Photographs)
Take me by your resolution to begin this podcast. Did you see it as a method to recapture part of your identification?
Maury Povich: I assume it’s the actual fact I’m the Maury no one knew during the last 30 to 35 years from A Present Affair and discuss present. I had 25, 30 years of this enterprise behind me. I form of discovered at my father’s knee by way of journalism as a result of he was a sports activities author for 75 years at The Washington Publish. It has all the time been in me. I labored in a number of markets each as a reporter and anchor. I coated some seminal occasions through the years and did native discuss reveals for a few years earlier than the Maury present. These discuss reveals have been extra like conventional, Right now kind reveals. So, I interviewed plenty of politicians, music stars, entertainers, cooks, authors. I simply wish to get again to these roots.
How a lot of it was additionally an element of desirous to really feel productive as a result of after your present ended that was the place a big chunk of your time went?
I’m uninterested in studying all these AARP Journal tales of what you must do to remain energetic as you grow old. I by no means put a worth on my age, however all people says, “You continue to bought your marbles at your age. “I assumed, “Nicely, I’d as effectively show it.”
I like how Connie was your first visitor. I believe that was the easiest way to set the tone to your present.
Yeah, I by no means knew Sundays would ever get the famous consideration it did the previous few days.
You introduced attractive again to Sundays.
No one ever considered that till the podcast.
Her Instagram submit with you went viral final yr. What’s it like at this stage of the sport to be half of popular culture by social media?
I can’t plead innocence with regards to social media as a result of the Maury present has an enormous social media presence, each on YouTube, Fb, Instagram, TikTok, you title it. We have now thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of followers. Even within the final two years, I’ve performed plenty of authentic content material for the Maury present on social media. I’m not naïve and know if we’re going to begin this enterprise On Par with Maury Povich, we higher have a social media presence. I’ve consulted with my present producers, and so they’ve given me plenty of recommendation on learn how to do it. We’re simply attempting to get on the market any approach we will.
Had been you shocked on the robust response to that submit specifically?
Oh yeah! It was an harmless repartee.
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Assortment through Getty Photographs
When was the second while you realized Connie was your without end individual?
It’s attention-grabbing. I labored together with her briefly in Los Angeles. In reality, I solely lasted six months. It was a change as a result of she had change into an enormous star, and he or she was anchoring the information on the CBS owned and operated station. She was an enormous star, and I used to be form of out of types as a result of I had a nasty expertise in Chicago. My agent bought me a job as Connie’s second banana. I solely lasted six months, and I used to be fired as a result of the final supervisor who employed me was fired. So, it grew to become the final employed, first fired. I moped round for some time. I all the time say the way in which to Connie Chung’s coronary heart is first she should pity you. I believe she felt unhealthy I used to be fired and moved on to San Francisco to begin working there. Due to this fact we began to this point. It was by no means unique. We dated for seven years. She dated different individuals. I dated different individuals.
Till you requested her to marry you?
Lastly, I requested her if she would marry me. She mentioned she was hesitant. Then she requested me, and I used to be hesitant. Then in October of 1984, we went away and I requested once more. She wasn’t all for it proper then. She referred to as me up a few week later and mentioned, “We are able to get married now.” I requested her why. She mentioned, “As a result of I discovered a gown.” Six weeks later we bought married. That was it. We began out as a commuter marriage for the primary year-and-a-half till I got here to New York to do A Present Affair. Even Rupert Murdoch informed me. He mentioned, “Not solely will we discover out if this present works, however you’ll discover out should you can reside along with your spouse in the identical city.” It was as a result of we by no means lived collectively, even in these seven years we weren’t unique and by no means lived collectively. I believe the year-and-a-half, two years we needed to reside collectively in New York, that’s when the worthwhile facet got here in.
How do you evaluate this podcast surroundings of interviewing to others you’ve been in over the a long time?
All people asks what’s the very best half. Nicely, the very best half for me is doing it. I’ve to organize the way in which I’ve all the time needed to put together. I’ve to return to getting ready by way of studying about individuals, studying their life tales, looking for out what nuggets are good. Looking for out what would encourage them to speak about themselves in a approach that could be distinctive. I’ve all the time prided myself on being interviewer.
Take into consideration the tens of 1000’s of company I’ve had through the years. I’ve all the time common myself as a storyteller. That is one other method to do it for me. I’m thrilled to open up individuals to the general public to possibly see a unique a part of them they might haven’t seen earlier than. That takes work. I’ve all the time mentioned the very best interviewers I do know are nice listeners. So due to this fact should you hearken to somebody, your responses needs to be based mostly on their reactions. So, due to this fact I’ve all the time relied on that as an interviewer. I believe it has performed me effectively.
Who’re a number of the company you’re excited for individuals to see and listen to?
I’m attempting to get company the place I may also reveal part of myself. After I did the discuss present or the information, you by no means talked about your self. Right here I’ve an opportunity to speak about myself, what I’ve discovered from my very own experiences and the way they play into our company. As an example, I’m interviewing a visitor named Jeff Pearlman, who most likely has written extra best-selling sports activities books than anyone but. He wrote the guide concerning the Los Angeles Lakers that was what the HBO collection Profitable Time was based mostly on. I talked to him about that. He talks to me about how so many younger sports activities writers revered my father. I inform him varied tales of my father and varied individuals we all know in widespread. It’s very revealing about this explicit creator.
I interviewed expensive pals of mine Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon from Pardon the Interruption. They labored on the newspaper with my father when he was at The Washington Publish. They’ve plenty of tales about him. I’m going to interview Gary Vee (Vaynerchuk), who has made an enormous social media presence. I’m coming again to New York to do one other seven or eight after doing about seven or eight. We’re going to launch them each Monday.
Do you’ve got any bucket listing company you wish to put on the market?
I’ve an important admiration for Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. I wish to attempt to get them collectively. Shaquille has all the time been a fan of mine, and I’ve identified Charles for a very long time. I’d wish to get them collectively. I am going approach again in my A Present Affair days to the author and director Ed Burns. I’m attempting to get Ed on the present together with his father, who was a longtime member of the New York Metropolis Police Division. I’d like to get Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. I’d wish to get the hip hop artists who’ve form of borrowed my title for lots of their lyrics through the years. I believe there may be sufficient there to maintain me busy.
That’s an eclectic combine. I find it irresistible. I additionally love the thought the company get to ask you one query.
I don’t suppose any would be capable to prime the query Connie requested. Jeez. When am I at my sexiest? Jeez
I spoke to Karamo some time again. He spoke about taking recommendation from you and being impressed by all you’ve performed. What do you suppose the way forward for the daytime discuss style shall be like?
I sadly suppose daytime reveals are in bother as a result of having an viewers out there may be so tough. It’s so tough to create an viewers. That’s why when individuals ask me, was I comfortable to finish the present? By the way in which, it’s not technically over as a result of it has been in repeats now for 3 years and doing very well in repeats. I simply suppose I grew up within the golden age of discuss within the Nineties. There have been a minimum of 10 or 11 reveals each single day in daytime throughout the Nineties. Again then, in fact, this was earlier than social media. It was earlier than all these different platforms. It was earlier than the place you may get your information on a cellphone. Due to this fact I grew up in an period when over-the-air tv was paramount to individuals. Now you’ve bought to essentially work arduous to get an viewers in daytime discuss. Those that have been capable of do it like Kelly Clarkson for example. My hats off to her as a result of it’s very robust at this time. She has been capable of grasp it.
What’s it like so that you can have this subsequent chapter? And even possibly be taught one thing about your self alongside the way in which once more.
I believe it’s good for me as a result of I can reminisce about what it was like in 65 years of tv. To have the ability to let individuals see one other aspect of me. I can deliver out some actually nice storytelling with my company. That’s the important thing. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t really feel I used to be as much as the duty. I believe I’m actually on my sport. I’m fairly sharp. I hold asking the producers after every episode. They are saying it was nice. Nicely, let me check out it. On the similar time, I don’t watch issues. If I watch, I take into consideration what I might have performed higher. My spouse is a type of who can watch herself over and over. I can’t try this. I simply need to have the ability to do it and be ok with it and go on to the subsequent one.
On Par with Maury Povich, Mondays, YouTube and wherever you hearken to podcasts