Why Montel Williams Doesn’t Regret His Talk Show amid Criticism of ’90s ‘Trash’ Daytime TV

Montel Williams isn’t ashamed of his hit talk show. 

The former talk show host defended his legacy in the final installment of Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV, the three-part ABC News Studios’ documentary on the ’90s daytime hits that dominated the airways. 

“I look back at those shows and think to myself there were several of them that were impactful for their time and made a difference in people’s lives and I don’t feel bad about that. Matter of fact I feel pretty good about it,” said Williams in the episode, that aired on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

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In the documentary, Williams, 69, makes no bones about his show being controversial, but explained he was in line with shows from competitors Oprah Winfrey, Sally Jessy Raphael and Phil Donahue. “Early on, I did as many strippers as Oprah did, I did as many strippers as Sally did, I did as many strippers as Phil did,” Williams said.

Williams also acknowledge the fierce competition between shows to host controversial guests. “Everybody was trying to figure out how they can put the biggest breasts on air.”

Williams also said he doesn’t think daytime TV is to blame for the wild reality shows that followed.

“It was an evolution. It would’ve happened anyway,” said Williams. “We would be where we are today whether there were Giraldo or Jerry Springer, we would be where we are today, just because of the voracious appetite our viewers had to see it all.”

Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV details the rise of 90s “Trash TV” talk shows, where hosts competed for the most ridiculous guests and storylines, sometimes resulting in violence. 

Along with Williams and Raphael, fellow hosts Maury Povich and Leeza Gibbons also appear in the documentary, reflecting on the cultural impact and legacy of their popular TV shows.

The first episode dove into how the daytime format exploded in the ‘90s, with sex and conflict becoming key to the shows’ appeal. The second episode explores why viewers watched and why guests agreed to bare it all on air. It also told the story of the shocking incident where one guest murdered another after a taping. And the third and final episode detailed how The Jerry Springer Show brought the genre to “new levels of sensationalism”.

All episodes of Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV are now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.