Parents' Guide to Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action

This docuseries offers a disturbing behind-the-scenes exposé of the ratings-driven formula that made The Jerry Springer Show a household name and the subject of endless criticism. It explains how executive producer Richard Dominick, a former tabloid journalist, developed what became the show's trademarks, including audiences standing up and cheering "Jerry!" at the beginning of each episode and encouraging on-stage brawls between guests as a way of boosting interest, ratings, and profits. How the show's producers often misled guests, many of whom were very troubled, about the purpose of their appearances is also discussed.

The authenticity of everything that appeared on the Jerry Springer stage isn't clear, but staffers underscore the intense pressure placed on them to find outrageous people, and note the show's lack of responsibility when it came to the potential emotional or psychological impact brought on by their participation once the tapings were over. Granted, most folks familiar with The Jerry Springer Show won't be completely surprised by what Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action reveals, but they may find the assertions made about how the show broke down ethical boundaries and its impact on today's TV industry interesting. Unfortunately, this limited series doesn't spend enough time fleshing out these details, but what it does offer is enough to make it tough to characterize Dominick and Springer's work as harmless TV entertainment.