It's a song that has lived on for decades: “Jerry ri! Jerry ri! Jerry ri!“While some may find it nostalgic, others may not think much of the idea.
With the upcoming documentary “Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action” premiering next month, fans will get a fascinating look at what was really going on behind the scenes of one of pop culture's most controversial TV shows. date.
In the newly released trailer for Two-part documentary on Netflixviewers get a glimpse of the drama that unfolded on and off camera and some of the dark secrets embodied by crew members, producers, former guests, and even Jerry Springer himself.
“I don't think anyone knew how crazy this show was,” former producer Tobi Yoshimura admits in the trailer.
Jerry Springer ponders 'The Masked Singer' shares if he'll be in 'full retirement'
Netflix recently released a “stunning” trailer for the upcoming documentary “Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action.” (Everett Group)
“The Jerry Springer Show” It was launched on September 30, 1991 and ran for 27 seasons. The final episode aired on July 26, 2018.
“I want to take this opportunity to apologize for everything I've ever done,” Springer, who died in 2023 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, says in a clip emerging from the trailer. “The culture has been destroyed.”
Initially, the program started as a daytime talk show. However, due to poor ratings, the producers were quick to flip the script.
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“All I had to do was convince him, 'Let's make it wild,'” former executive producer Richard Dominick says in the trailer.
From onstage brawls to shocking revelations, the show quickly became “the modern version of the Roman Colosseum,” as one producer described it.
The Jerry Springer Show launched in 1991 and ran for 27 seasons until 2018. (Getty Images)
He added that Springer, who has been called the “king of marginalized TV shows,” was intent on “showing the awfulness.”
But behind this tremendous success there was a wave of… Dark secrets and controversies.
“The bigger this show gets, the more it raises questions about what really happened behind the scenes,” one voice can be heard saying in the trailer.
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“The producers were coaching us on what to say and how to act,” says a former guest on the show. “They didn't care what kind of impact it would have on you.”
“Some stories went further than that,” Yoshimura admits.
The controversial show was plagued by questionable subject lines which included incest, bestiality and adultery. (Everett Group)
The show also encouraged physical altercations, chair throwing, nudity, and lots of explicit behavior. (Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Image Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Longtime correspondent Robert Feder adds: “This was the most vulgar and outrageous program ever on television.”
Despite the negativity surrounding the show's content, Yoshimura says the producers are starting to push the boundaries even further.
“We're starting to push the needle toward red,” he says. “Let's see how far we can push it.”
Controversial subject lines included incest, bestiality, adultery, and more, while encouraging physical altercations, chair throwing, nudity and plenty of explicit behavior.
At some point during its 27-year run, Springer found himself in the middle of a murder trial involving former guests on the show.
The show's former producers admit they constantly pushed the boundaries when it came to what was appropriate for daytime television. (Julie Dennis/NBC Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection)
In 2000, the couple, Ralph and Eleanor Panitz, were guests on an episode of the show called “Confronting the Secret Mistresses.” The couple accused Ralph's ex-wife, Nancy Campbell Panitz, of stalking them.
Shortly after the episode aired, Campbell-Panitz was found dead. Ralph was charged with first-degree murder. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I hope you feel some sense of responsibility,” a city council member is heard saying in the trailer for the documentary. However, it is unclear what it refers to.
Jerry Springer died in 2023 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. (Getty Images)
Springer's publicist, Linda Shafran, confirmed his death to Fox News Digital in April 2023. The television personality died of pancreatic cancer, according to Springer's spiritual leader and friend, Rabbi Sandford Kopenick.
“Jerry's ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he attempted, whether it was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a picture or a word,” Gene Galvin, a family spokesman and friend of Springer since 1970, said. In a statement. “He is irreplaceable and his loss is extremely painful, but the memories of his intellect, heart and sense of humor will live on.”
“Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action” is scheduled to premiere on January 7 on Netflix.
