The TV show is similar in content The Jerry Springer Show without the violent confrontations but it still contains frequent strong language in topics like relationships, paternity tests, sexual infidelity and bootcamp for disobedient children. The most frequent segments are "Who's My Baby's Daddy?" (or a similar title), in which promiscuous men and women debate a child's paternity. Maury settles the debate, based on DNA testing, with the announcement of "You the father!" Other themes include people with an unusual illness, Jack Hanna's animals, and surprise makeovers are also relatively common. Less-frequently seen are episodes that revolve around the impressive achievements of little people. Also sometimes seen are episodes revolving around obese babies, which gained him notoriety. Another subject is when audience members guess the gender identity of a person who appears as a woman, but in reality may be a transgendered person.

Povich is the son of Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Povich. In 1966, Maury was a news reporter and sportscaster for WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C. In 1967, he became the original host of the station's popular midday talk show, Panorama, which brought the rising star widespread acclaim and national recognition. From 1977-1983, he anchored the news at stations including those in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia. When media mogul Rupert Murdoch acquired the Metromedia TV station group in 1986, one of his first moves was to bring Povich to New York to host A Current Affair. From 1986 to 1990, he hosted the tabloid "infotainment" TV show. He served two consecutive terms as president of the New York Chapter of the National Television Academy. He hosted a short-lived remake of the classic game show, Twenty One. He later left A Current Affair to host The Maury Povich Show as recorded and broadcast by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution in national syndication from 1991 to 1998. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani honored Povich at a special City Hall ceremony in 1995. NBC Universal then renamed the show Maury in 1998 which is currently in its eighth season as distributed by the NBC Universal Television Group. In November 2005, it was announced that Povich will co-host a weekend news program on MSNBC with his wife Connie Chung. The program debuted on January 7, 2006. Maury owns his own production company MoPo Productions Inc. March 8, 2006 Get Fuzzy comic topic: "The sign for the end of the world will be" Maury Povich was the winner of the topic.

Maury married Phyllis Minkoff in 1962 and divorced in 1979 and had 2 children together. Povich married broadcast journalist Connie Chung on December 2, 1984. They reside in Manhattan and have an adopted son Shirley Povich, who is also in the broadcast industry. He has two grown daughters who live in New York and Los Angeles with their families. Maury also raises awareness for National Adoption Month.