By Romey Norton - January 6, 2024
Jer-ry! Jer-ry! Jer-ry! The famous chant is known all across the globe, as the hit TV show took the world by storm with its outrageous, sometimes grotesque, contestants and gentle, unbiased host.
Now Netflix might have hit the jackpot here with one of the best documentaries of the decade with this brutally honest insight into the famous TV talk show and what went on behind the scenes. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action is two episodes of pure entertainment that will have your eyes wide open and your jaw dropping and you learn some of the awful, and yet creative, shenanigans that went on backstage. From Jerry’s threesome with guests to the pressure producers were under to hit the highest ratings, this documentary series is easily a favourite.
If you don’t know what The Jerry Springer Show was, it was a talk show that did not discriminate. The guests invited on stage ranged from prostitutes, and incestuous couples, to the KKK. Hosted by the kind and easy-going Jerry Springer whose calm and collected approach to talking and dealing with people, made him instantly likable. Being the first ‘Trash TV’ show, it was slaughtered by headlines. Accused of lowering standards, ruining society, and more, the show caused many protests and upset communities. But the ratings were so high, it was not stopping anytime soon.
As fans will know Jerry passed away in 2023 and is not heavily featured in the documentary - there is footage from episodes and short interviews with him, but nothing with him talking directly about the show. What his producers and managers have to say about him is that he was a kind, loving gentle man, and that comes across in the footage used. Jerry hosted the show from its premiere in 1991 until it was cancelled in 2018.
The focus is on how The Jerry Springer Show went from a poor, boring show that had a 1:00 am slot, to knocking Oprah off her number one seat and becoming a worldwide sensation.
The producers of the show do not hold back when it comes to discussing their
pressures and how they riled up and provoked guests on the show to fight and cause havoc, as this is what made their ratings soar. The producers take us through their day-to-day lives, fondly laughing as they go down memory lane, and why they left or were fired from the show.
The main guy is the director/producer Richard Dominick who is the sole reason for the show making it and being as ridiculous as it was, and he does not hold back either. There is even a clip of him stating that if he could kill someone on TV he would. Ruthless, but he delivered results.
A big part of the mini-series develops into the death of the guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz – who was murdered by her ex-husband after they appeared on a May 2000 episode with his girlfriend. Nancy’s sons filed suit in Sarasota County against Springer, his producers, and his distributor, claiming he created "a mood that led to murder". This then looks into how no after-care was ever offered once the show had been filmed, and the implications this could have on guests.
Whether you liked or agreed with The Jerry Springer Show, this documentary mini-series is extremely well-made, with great shots and settings, it’s informative, entertaining, and eye-opening. It’s a tidy piece of film that’ll have you hooked from start to finish. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action is a must-watch!
Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action is produced by Minnow Films and directed by Luke Sewell (Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King); and will premiere on Netflix on Jan. 7. Until then, “Take care of yourselves and each other.”
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