I'm not a fan of the "Maury" and "Jerry Springer"-type of talk shows and never gave them a second of my attention. But it's almost impossible not to know who they are and what they did. 

The one thing I will always watch is when TV turns the camera on itself. Which is what happens in a new three-part ABC documentary called "Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV." The show examines how trash-talk programs like Springer, Geraldo, Sally, Montel and Rikki Lake took over the tube for several years, taking down both morals and I.Q. points with them. 

Here are the ABC loglines about the trio of shows:

EPISODE 101 – "Part 1: Origin of the Species" (Wednesday, Jan. 14)

Soap operas and game shows set the stage for the rise of the explosive daytime format of the '90s: the talk show. What starts as an earnest, audience-driven forum quickly devolves into a full-blown spectacle of provocative topics and salacious guests. With shows raking in profits, the competition to out-shock rivals increases — as does the audience's appetite for unchecked sex and conflict. But despite blurring moral boundaries, "Trash TV" hasn't reached its limits … yet.

EPISODE 102 – "Part 2: Talked to Death" (Wednesday, Jan. 21)

By the mid-'90s, daytime talk shows had earned the name "Trash TV." Why were so many viewers tuning in? And why were so many guests willing to air their dirty laundry on national television? With ratings spiking, the shows began pushing the envelope — and its guests — to extremes. But the dark side of Talk TV gets exposed when a guest murders another after being ambushed at a taping. The shocking incident puts the entire industry on trial. Will talk shows finally be forced to clean up their act?

EPISODE 103 – "Part 3: Adapt or Die" (Wednesday, Jan. 28)

By the late 1990s, Talk TV had not only survived a murder trial but was now reaching new levels of sensationalism. Driven by viewers' insatiable appetite for sex, violence and conflict, many shows lowered the bar, with "The Jerry Springer Show" leading the race to the bottom. The show's snowballing popularity sends shockwaves through the entire genre, forcing producers to escalate even further to keep audiences hooked. How will rival programs adapt to survive in this unprecedented new landscape?

The three part special debuts Jan. 14th on ABC.