'The Jerry Springer Show' may be canceled after 26 seasons and 4,000 episodes as production stops
After 26 seasons and close to 4,000 episodes, it is looking increasingly likely that 'The Jerry Springer Show' has finally run its course and will wrap up once and for all. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast and crew of the show were informed this past April of their fate after it failed to be picked up by a network for another season.
The outlet reported that The CW Television Network has struck a deal wherein it will be airing the controversial series, but that the deal is just for repeats. CW is also said to be considering the possibility of ordering a new season and new episodes but that any such idea is currently on the backburner. As such, the staff is said to be on the lookout for new jobs.
Since its premiere in 1991, 'The Jerry Springer Show' has been hosted by Jerry Springer, a former lawyer and politician — he served one term as the mayor of Cincinnati — who has practically made his name through his close to three decades on the show.
The show was established with the intent of addressing some of the more serious issues that plagued the country at the time; its pilot episode in 1991 revolved around a family reunion, and, at the time, it was more a political talk show than the absurd, salacious one that we see today. Because it was only seen in the four markets where distributor Multimedia owned TV stations, the exposure was far lesser as well.
It was from its second season and its purchase by NBC owned-and-operated stations that allowed it to reach the infamy it has today and see Springer become a sort of cult of personality. He began entering the stage down a stripper pole, greeted by a cheering audience pumping the air with their right hand and chanting 'Jer-ry!, Jer-ry!' and instead of fostering debate and discussion, stoked the fires that almost always resulted in the brawls that became a trademark of the show.
The talk show shifted towards more provocative topics in the constant search for higher ratings, featuring topics such as 'My boyfriend turned out to be a girl,' 'I want my man to stop watching porn,' 'I'm sleeping with my brother,' and 'Gay cousins in love.' It gained so much popularity that it even became the top-rated daytime talk show in the country.
With these topics came controversy as well. In 2000, the year Springer was given a five-year, $30 million contract extension paying him $6 million per year, Florida half-couple Ralf and Eleanor Panitz appeared on an episode titled 'Secret Mistresses Confronted' alongside Ralf's ex-wife, whom the couple accused of stalking them. She was found dead on the day the episode premiered and Ralf was convicted of her murder.
The show has dwindled in popularity in recent years with the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres, and Steve Harvey taking over. However, with the sheer number of episodes made so far, CW can reasonably air reruns for at least 10 years without a significant drop in ratings.