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For 90s babies, Jerry Springer was must-watch tabloid talk show TV. It first aired on September 30, 1991, and went on for 27 seasons, with nearly 5,000 episodes. It was produced and aired by NBCUniversal and CW for over 16 years, peaking in popularity around 1997 and 1998. It was taped in Chicago, Illinois from 1991 to 2009 and in Stamford, Connecticut from 2009 to 2018.
At first the Jerry Springer show was a completely different program than what it came to be. The first few seasons focused on more political issues. But by the mid-1990s it eventually led to the show as it is known now, filled with controversial topics and physical fights. In 1997, the show became the first talk show in years to beat The Oprah Winfrey Show in the ratings. During those years, the show added 6.7 million viewers every day.
With so many episodes, and the show living in syndication, you may be unaware that the Jerry Springer show is no more. On June 13, 2018, NBCUniversal ended production of new episodes of the show after 27 seasons. The show taped its final scenes on July 6, 2018, and its final episode aired on July 26, 2018. By this time, Jerry Springer had amassed a net worth of $70 million.
After the cancelation, it was announced that Springer would host a new courtroom show titled Judge Jerry, which premiered on September 9, 2019, and is also distributed by NBCUniversal. But why did he walk away from both shows?
Jerry Springer Was Once A Councilman Who Was Forced To Resign In Disgrace
Jerry Springer moved to Cincinnati in 1968 after earning a law degree from Northwestern University. He worked on Sen. Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. After Kennedy’s assassination, he joined a Cincinnati law firm. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1970, but won Cincinnati City Council seats in 1971 and 1973. But he was forced to resign in 1974 after being caught writing checks for intimacy.
On April 29, 1974, he made a public confession and a groveling apology in a press conference. His heartbroken wife couldn’t stand it and rushed out while Springer, nearly in tears, was struggling to answer questions from reporters.
The scandal rocked City Hall and local politics. Springer was due to become mayor after the next election. However, Springer’s honesty helped him win back his council seat in 1975 by a landslide.
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Jerry Springer Was Involved In Controversy After A Guest On His Show Committed A Homicide
In 2000, Jerry Springer was given a five-year, $30 million contract extension to continue making Jerry Springer episodes. The same year, a married couple, Ralf and Eleanor Panitz, were guests on an episode of the show entitled “Secret Mistresses Confronted.”
The couple confronted Panitz’s ex-wife, Nancy Campbell-Panitz, and accused her of stalking them. Hours after it was broadcast on July 24, 2000, Nancy Campbell-Panitz was found dead in a home the three were fighting over.
Upon news of the 52-year-old woman’s murder, a spokeswoman for the Jerry Springer show issued a statement saying that it was “a terrible tragedy.”
In August 2000, Springer appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live to discuss the incident, claiming that it “had nothing to do with the show.” On March 27, 2002, after a 10-day trial and 18 hours of deliberating from jurors, Ralf Panitz was convicted of homicide and sentenced to life in prison.
‘Jerry Springer’ Ended Quietly In 2018 With No Real Announcement
In 2018, The Jerry Springer Show ended. The AP reported that NBC Universal quietly made the decision to end the show. However, the producers told AP that “there is a possibility” of more originals in the future. Springer, 78, did not release a statement about the show’s cancelation, but he spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the demise of the once popular talk show. “We’ve stopped production of the show,” he said. “Whenever you make changes, it’s sad.”
In 2019, Springer launched a new show called Judge Jerry. But the daytime show was canceled by NBCUniversal after three seasons. It caused Springer to “wind down” and devote more time to family time. “I’m 78 and have been in front of the camera now for 40 years, plus 10 years in politics. I’m winding down,” said Springer, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., with his wife Micki.
“We taped Judge Jerry for the entire season, and I want to try out retirement while I’m still healthy,” he said. He’s looking forward to his 13-year-old grandson coming to Florida from Chicago for spring break this weekend with the Springer’s daughter, Katie, and her husband Richard. “Everybody calls me and says, ‘Why don’t you do this?’ or ‘Why don’t you do this? (TV project).’ But right now I’m just going to take a deep breath. And if something strikes my interest I might consider it,” Springer said.
“It’s been a 50-year run of being such a public person. I’m looking forward to getting up in the morning” and not have a busy day filled with television production and promotion, he said. “I don’t have to make a living. I want to enjoy life,” he said.
