NEW YORK — Long before audiences were captivated by the Real Housewives, the Kardashians, or the Nader sisters, reality television had already cemented its place on afternoon TV.

Now, a fresh docuseries titled “Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV” takes viewers behind the curtain of the sensational shows that once dominated pop culture.

This series uncovers candid and untold stories from hosts, producers, and insiders who were at the forefront of the ’90s and early 2000s television landscape, including the iconic Maury Povich.

Joelle Garguilo expressed her excitement, saying, “This is such a treat. First of all, I watched you for years and years!”

The show serves as a television time capsule, perfectly capturing an era that remains unmatched in its influence and impact.

Maury Povich: “All these shows triggered the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, all of those shows now were triggered by what we did in the ’90s and early 2000s. It was a dog-eat-dog world, pushing the envelope. I mean, one person would get a good rating, so we had to come back and do something
even riskier. That’s the way it was. There were 20 daytime talk shows between maybe the mid-’80s to the 2000s. And there were 50 others that failed.”

Joelle Garguilo: “What did a great day on the morning show look like?”

Maury Povich: “More than anything else, if you could make a difference. When I went into the paternity tests and the lie detector tests and the out-of-control teenagers, if I could find a way when this guy was denying being the father of this child, if I could get that fellow into this child’s life, I know that child had a better chance. I feel like that’s the part that people didn’t really see all the time, you know?”

Joelle Garguilo: “What do you want everyone to know about ‘Dirty Talk?’”

Maury Povich: “It’s a moment in time, well, more than a moment. It was about a decade and a half where it set the stage for everything that everybody watches now. It was a time when daytime talk shows ruled TV.”

The new three-part docuseries premieres Wednesday, Jan. 14 (9:02-10:02 p.m. EST), on ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.