Rage, chair-throwing and sleepless nights: behind the scenes of The Jerry Springer Show
In the late 90s, Springer’s talkshow dominated the ratings with some of the most controversial stories ever told. It certainly wasn’t easy to make – but what do its producers think of it now?
Is there anything The Jerry Springer Show wouldn’t do? The shock talkshow, an arena for people in love triangles to come to blows, also featured incest, white supremacists and a man who married his horse. “I did pitch a guy having an affair,” says Tobias Yoshimura, one of the show’s producers. “He was a necrophiliac. That one got shot down pretty quickly.” Perhaps not so much for matters of taste, as for the practicalities of television and any hopes of a good fight scene. The third guest – the shock reveal of the affair partner – says Yoshimura with a wry smile, “would have to be a cadaver. So that was the step too far.”
The Jerry Springer Show, which ran from 1991 before finally fizzling out in 2018, started as a mundane daytime talkshow, fronted by Springer, a mild-mannered news anchor and former mayor of Cincinnati. Threatened with cancellation because of its terrible ratings, its new executive producer, Richard Dominick, took it in a sensationalist direction. It became a phenomenon and at its height in the late 90s, its ratings were bigger than Oprah Winfrey’s. Morality campaigners held protests outside the studios; many others claimed it had corroded American society. Take it further and you could argue that it is (partly) responsible for everything from the worst of reality TV to the way people behave on social media and even the rise of Donald Trump. “He took my show and brought it to the White House,” Springer said in 2019.
Continue reading...-
Rage, race and good looks: the forces behind the lionization of a murder suspect
Reaction to Brian Thompson’s killing shocked pundits but a polarized US is united in contempt for health system. Just over a week ago no one knew who Luigi Mangione was. After he was revealed as ...The Guardian - 3d -
A behind-the-scenes look at how shippers handle the holiday season
Nancy Chen went behind-the-scenes with one of the largest shipping companies in the U.S. for a look at how they tackle the busy holiday season.CBS News - 5d -
BuzzFeed Sells Brand Behind 'Hot Ones' Talk Show for $82.5 Million
BuzzFeed is selling First We Feast, the studio behind its popular YouTube talk show “Hot Ones,” for $82.5 million. The buyer is an affiliate of Soros Fund Management.The Wall Street Journal - 5d -
Behind the scenes look with UPS as holiday shipping deadlines near
The clock is ticking to meet the deadlines to send holiday packages in time. An estimated 2.2 billion packages will be shipped this holiday season. CBS News' Nancy Chen has a behind the scenes look ...CBS News - 5d -
‘Can we show someone being shot?’: the tense true story behind September 5
The Oscar-tipped drama follows the ABC crew of journalists who had to cover the unfolding violence as terrorism overtook the the Munich Olympics in 1972. Geoffrey Mason had begun the day ...The Guardian - 6d -
Allen throws long TD passes to Shakir, Johnson as Bills try to battle from behind
The Bills' defense is having issues with the Rams, but Josh Allen is doing his part.ESPN - Dec. 8 -
Drone video shows scenes of war after rebels take control of Hama in Syria
Drone footage showed the situation in Hama after Syrian rebels captured the city, striking a devastating blow to President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian rebels have made their swiftest battlefield gains ...NBC News - Dec. 6 -
Behind the scenes of the Baltimore bridge collapse
A new BBC documentary reveals new details of the probe into the Dali's collision with the Key Bridge.BBC News - Dec. 5 -
Cramer throws support behind Hegseth 'barring surprises'
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said Wednesday that he is supportive of Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon as long as no more “surprises” emerge during his confirmation process, which has ...The Hill - Dec. 5
More from The Guardian
-
Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow says Uzbek suspect arrested over killing of general
The Guardian - 29m -
Kenyan single mothers ‘trapped’ in Saudi Arabia as exit visas denied to children born outside marriage
The Guardian - 7h -
Middle East crisis live: hopes for Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal rise as officials express cautious optimism
The Guardian - 27m -
Andrew and Tristan Tate lose £2m court case over unpaid tax
The Guardian - 2h -
Injured Italian caver lifted to safety after four-day rescue operation
The Guardian - 54m