The Jerry Springer Show was popular for buzzing with controversial issues that were not ideal for a regular talk program. The 27-season show featured profanity, physical fights, nudity, and more infamous themes, lasting from 1991 to 2018.
It all began as a political talk show after he served his term as the mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978; however, due to poor ratings and a desire to increase the show’s popularity, he had to do something unconventional.
Inside the new Jerry Springer documentary on Netflix
A recently released Netflix documentary about the talk show reveals the chaos that went into production. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action introduced viewers to the executive producer Richard Dominick, who was the brain behind the controversy that brought about high ratings.
Richard admitted that The Jerry Springer Show is responsible for the acceptance of violence and aggressive behavior in TV shows. The film exposed producers performing mock interviews with guests and using aggressive methods to get them riled up. The “Klanfrontation” episode was also highlighted, showing members of the Ku Klux Klan clashing with the founder of the Jewish Defense League, Irv Rubin.
Jerry Springer’s life after his show
After The Jerry Springer Show’s finale, Jerry had plans to retire until NBC executives convinced him to explore another venture. The TV personality became a legal adjudicator in a new program called Judge Jerry, where he examined small claims cases wearing his judge’s robes.
Unlike The Jerry Springer Show, Judge Jerry was short-lived and ended in 2022 due to low viewership. Springer finally retired after 40 years of hosting and a decade in politics. In April of the following year, he was confirmed dead at 79 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his daughter, Katie Springer, whom he shared with his ex-wife, Micki Velton.