Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

I may have watched Jerry Springer from time to time, if nothing else was on, or simply because it was in the background. It seemed ridiculous, but Jerry always seemed likeable and endearing to me. People who want to blame this show for the breakdown of society surely realize that the show didn't create these disturbing situations and these outlandish individuals, right? Do you want the show to disappear? Then stop watching!

The sad reality is that the Jerry Springer show was probably the first to showcase all that is wrong with the "best country in the world". There is a huge divide between the learned and the ignorant, the refined and the base, the intelligent and the stupid.

Pretty good doc.

I should begin by disclosing that I worked as a production assistant for "The Jerry Springer Show", when it was still plain vanilla and before it moved from Cincinnati to Chicago, sometime between September 1991 and September 1992. By the late 90s, I'd tuned out as the show descended into its infamous chaos. This entertaining 2-episode docuseries pulls back the curtain on how the talk show spiraled into a cultural phenomenon. As sleazy as the show itself, it showcases an unapologetic executive producer and offers a fascinating, if completely cringeworthy, look at its rise. Viewed through today's fractured reality, though, the show almost feels quaint, and Jerry comes across as a decent guy (even with the bounced check to the prostitute). For anyone with ties to Jerry or memories of his WLWT Channel 5 news days in the '80s, this is a quick trip down nostalgia lane.

A fascinating look behind the scenes at The Jerry Springer show, a show that was pretty revolutionary, one that changed the genre forever.

This is a truly interesting watch, only two episodes long, so it's pacy, interesting and shocking, you'll want to watch it all in one go. It'll bring back memories, including the man and the Shetland pony, a reminder of just how far society has fallen (off a cliff.) Just remember the size of the audience the show got at its peak.

Most of us would have known that Jerry was just thr face of the show, this takes a look at the people behind the scenes, including the fascinating presenter Richard Dominick, who set the agenda, a man who clearly knew what he wanted, and achieved his aims.

I was surprised to see that the show ran until 2018, like many I lost interest some while back, initially it was edgy, it was risqué, it was something you'd not want to watch with your parents, after a while it became stale.

It's amazing to think it avoided cancellation, the infamous murder, can you imagine that in today's climate, a death did for The Jeremy Kyle show here in The UK, a show undoubtedly inspired by Jerry Springer.

It's very interesting, worth your time.

8/10.

It's common for modern documentary series to feel padded out, with content stretched to fill at least three episodes, leading to a sense of repetition. Curiously, the two-part documentary on Jerry Springer's talk show suffers from the opposite problem: it feels too short.

This is most evident when the executive producer, the puppet master behind all the controversy, is interviewed. Given the opportunity to delve deeper into the mind of this key figure in the show's drama, and considering his apparent lack of remorse for the practices he promoted, the filmmakers miss a significant opportunity. Why didn't they explore the broader implications of exploiting people for entertainment in today's media landscape?

The documentary starts promisingly, addressing a relevant contemporary topic, but ultimately fails to provide a meaningful conclusion. It perpetuates the very superficiality it seeks to expose. The overall impression is that, like the show itself, the documentary prioritizes entertainment over substance, leaving viewers wanting a deeper exploration of the issues at hand.

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action offers a look behind the scenes of the infamous talk show that once made a worldwide furore. Directed by Luke Sewell, the documentary focuses mainly on the intentions and methods behind the scenes, with ratings and sensations proving to be the leading drivers.

Although the documentary hits a critical note, the perspective remains strikingly one-sided. Most of the time is spent on the view of the old production team, without former participants being given an extensive platform. Something is missing: how would they, the people who actually experienced these explosive scenes, describe their experiences?

What is becoming clear is the dynamics between entertainment and ethics. The fights turn out to be nothing more than a deliberately chosen means of achieving high ratings, a strategy that undeniably made the talk show a phenomenon. Jerry Springer's role is discussed, and although some nuance is added, the question remains unanswered how much he really knew about the manipulations and provocations that took place behind the scenes.

The documentary largely confirms what many already suspected: selling sensation, and "The Jerry Springer Show" was a prime example of this. However, the limited angles make the film only superficially scratch a story that could have gone much deeper. For fans and critics it is an interesting look, but unfortunately the balance is missing to really surprise or make a broader impact.