The Jerry Springer Show

The Jerry Springer Show (first aired September 30, 1991) is a television talk show videotaped in Chicago, Illinois that has aired during the morning hours of many syndicated TV stations since the late 1990s. It is ostensibly a show where troubled (or dysfunctional) families come to talk about their problems with a studio audience, presumably so that the audience or host can offer suggestions on what can be done to resolve their situations. The show is hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician. It is distributed by NBC Universal.

History

The Jerry Springer Show debuted on September 30, 1991, with journalist Sally Jessy Raphael as its first guest. It started as a politically-oriented talk show, a longer version of the commentary Springer had gained local fame for giving as reporter and anchor. Guests early on included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and the topics included homelessness and gun control. Low ratings led it to be picked up by a new producer. The search for higher ratings led Springer towards tawdry and provocative topics, becoming more and more successful as the show turned more and more lowbrow. It became, through Springer's own admittance, a "freak show" where guests seek their fifteen minutes of fame through discussion and demonstrations of deviant behavior. Its extraordinary success has led it to be broadcast in dozens of countries.

Related Topics:
September 30 - 1991 - Sally Jessy Raphael - Oliver North - Jesse Jackson - Homelessness - Gun control - Freak show - Fifteen minutes of fame - Deviant behavior

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In 1999, the Chicago City Council suggested that if the fist fights and chair-throwing were real, then the guests should be arrested for committing acts of violence in the city. When asked whether the fights were genuine, Springer said, "They look real to me." He then criticized council members for not distinguishing between "violence on the streets of their city" and "rough-housing in our studios." Ultimately, the city council chose not to pursue the matter.

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In its heyday (the late 1990s) the show was quite popular (and controversial), so much so that it caused contemporaries like Jenny Jones, Maury Povich, and Ricki Lake to "revamp" their own shows in order to improve ratings. Incidentally, the popularity of the "trash TV" talk shows led to a decline in the number of game shows that had traditionally been broadcast on weekday mornings.

Related Topics:
Jenny Jones - Maury Povich - Ricki Lake - Trash TV - Game show

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With the increasingly ridiculous nature of his guests' dilemmas (for example, stories such as 'Daddy, will you marry me'), the authenticity of Springer's guests has been brought into question. Nonetheless, Springer swears on his life that all his guests are real.

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