If you’ve spent any time in front of a television in the last 30 years, you’re likely already aware of The Jerry Springer Show. The reality talk series, known for its exploration of trashy individuals facing an array of personal problems for the viewing pleasure of the public, became mandatory viewing for housewives, homebodies and kids staying home sick from school in the 1990s and early 2000s. Over the years, The Jerry Springer Show examined outrageous human interest stories, including those from men who intended to marry wild animals, women questioning the paternity of their children and tons of physical altercations between various romantic partners. Needless to say, the series experienced a great deal of vitriol from the viewing public, and was frequently likened to that of a train crash… people didn’t really want to get invested in the carnage, but they just simply couldn’t look away.
Since The Jerry Springer Show concluded its historic 28-season run in 2018 (totaling nearly 5,000 hour-long episodes), many fans have been curious about how genuine the interactions on the stage were. The answer, as explored in the new Netflix documentary Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, is a bit more complicated than you may expect. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a comprehensive look into the truth behind the series’ episode structure and production style. The documentary exposes several shocking never-before-heard stories about the show’s production, so there’s plenty for us to unpack.
How Real Was ‘The Jerry Springer’ Show?
The guests and situations explored on The Jerry Springer Show notably became more and more absurd with each passing year, especially when compared to the earliest episodes of the program, which intended to discuss heady political topics. During the height of the show’s popularity, thousands of requests would pour in daily from viewers who wished to have their own lives and relationships displayed in all their naked glory for a viewing public of millions. As Springer would note multiple times throughout his career, these stories were “98 percent real.” Truthfully, it’s difficult – if not nearly impossible – to determine how much of the show was truthful and how much was orchestrated. In Fights, Camera, Action, producers spoke openly about their role in heightening the insanity by specifically encouraging their guests to act up, get violent and throw tantrums.
Likewise, there were a good number of guests who were just using the show to have their own 15 minutes of fame, embellishing their circumstances and behaviors to capture a viral moment. The only concrete thing we can say to confirm that The Jerry Springer Show was real, is that the producers never put out a casting call for actors to perform written material on the stage. In a nutshell, this means that the series was arguably more genuine than just about any modern reality television program, even if it’s theoretically impossible to capture objective reality when your subjects know that they’ll be bearing their soul to the world.
Springer’s Life Before the Show
Though it may come as a shock to think about today, Jerry Springer was once a respected lawyer turned public official and even briefly served as the Mayor of Cincinnati. Springer got his start in politics shortly after graduating with a doctorate from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 1968. He served as an advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Sr. before the latter’s assassination and went on to become a partner at a prominent Ohio law firm decades before his television career. Springer’s most notable pre-television role saw him heading the Cincinnati City Council from 1971 to 1981. Though his political career was fraught with extracurricular antics, including paying off a prostitute with a personal check, Springer managed to make a lot of progress during his tenure with the City Council, including the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18.
Based on various comments Springer made to the public regarding his television series, he has held many different personal views of his impact on society throughout the years. In the trailer for Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, the host can be seen both advocating for the frivolity of his show and apologizing for his effect on culture. “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize for everything I’ve ever done,” Springer says in the trailer. He continues “I have ruined the culture.” It’s impossible to deny the ripple effect that his unconventional programming had on the television landscape, as well as the pervasive media environment, though it seems that the least truthful portrayal seen in the entire show is from the host himself.
Why Did the Controversial Show End?
Depending on who you ask, there are numerous reasons why The Jerry Springer Show finally came to a close in 2018. For starters, the series had more than run its course, having aired nearly 5,000 episodes each containing a myriad of fist fights, paternity tests gone awry and hate crimes toward transgender people and drag queens. Though Jerry Springer had served as a launchpad for numerous copycat shows like The Steve Wilkos Show and Maury, ratings had been on a steady decline throughout the 2010s. This can likely be attributed to the rise of chaotic content on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and of course, TikTok, which provide an endless stream of insanity uploaded directly from the source. By the time the 28th season had aired its final episode, both Jerry and the network had agreed to end the show.
Afterward, Springer considered returning to his roots in law or launching a new show that focused on more serious topics as he initially intended with The Jerry Springer Show. Instead, he led Judge Jerry, which essentially turned out to be a reskinned iteration of his original series with a courtroom backdrop instead of an audience of women flashing their nude bodies for beads. Springer led this show until he died in 2023, solidifying himself as a notable figure in the pop culture zeitgeist – if not a positive one overall.
Jerry Springer’s Net Worth at the Time of His Death
As you can imagine, Springer’s decades dominating the daytime television space came with a hefty price tag, allowing him to create generational wealth that likely could never have been earned from his City Council position. The TV host even holds the distinct honor of having dethroned Oprah Winfrey from her position as the top earner in daytime TV. According to Netflix’s Fights, Camera, Action, Springer’s net worth at the time of his death was over $60 million and counting. This includes money made from the show, as well as a wide array of personal investments in things like real estate and stock portfolios. Notably, Springer remained the largest contributor to the Democratic Party of his home district in Hamilton County long after he left politics behind, donating millions to his constituents from 1993 to 2018, according to an obituary in Cincinnati.com.
Those interested in learning more about Jerry Springer’s life and legacy, or those simply interested in hearing more bizarre behind-the-scenes tales of the trashiest show on television, should be sure to check out Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action on Netflix. The documentary specifically details the experiences of several producers, including those who quit the show after suffering traumatic experiences. Just be forewarned, the documentary explores themes of sexual assault, incest and even a murder plot which may or may not have been stoked by the infamous Jerry Springer Show.
