Jerry Springer: Kämpfe, Kamera, Action

The documentary series "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" offers a captivating plunge into the inner workings of a show that left a significant mark on the American television landscape of the 90s and 2000s. One of the main strengths of this program lies in its ability to take us behind the studio doors, providing privileged access to the internal dynamics and mechanisms of this scandal-generating machine.

The testimonies scattered throughout the series are often damning, offering an unvarnished look at how the show was conceived and produced. We discover a reality where boundaries were constantly pushed in the name of ratings.

However, a slight reservation arises regarding the sometimes sugarcoated statements from former production members. While their memories shed interesting light, one can sense a certain reluctance to fully acknowledge the show's most controversial aspects.

Nevertheless, the series successfully highlights a segment of our society, albeit marginal but very real, where conflicts and personal dramas were exposed without filter. The show then appears as a modern-day gladiatorial arena, where individuals were thrown to the public.

The words of the main producer, quoted in the series ("if I could kill on TV, I would"), are particularly chilling. They brutally illustrate a relentless pursuit of ratings, where the well-being of participants and viewers seemed secondary.

In conclusion, this show is an informative and unsettling documentary. While it sometimes suffers from a certain self-censorship from its subjects, it remains a fascinating insight into a controversial show and the potential excesses of spectacle television. It raises important questions about media ethics and our own fascination with the sensational.

I should begin by disclosing that I worked as a production assistant for "The Jerry Springer Show", when it was still plain vanilla and before it moved from Cincinnati to Chicago, sometime between September 1991 and September 1992. By the late 90s, I'd tuned out as the show descended into its infamous chaos. This entertaining 2-episode docuseries pulls back the curtain on how the talk show spiraled into a cultural phenomenon. As sleazy as the show itself, it showcases an unapologetic executive producer and offers a fascinating, if completely cringeworthy, look at its rise. Viewed through today's fractured reality, though, the show almost feels quaint, and Jerry comes across as a decent guy (even with the bounced check to the prostitute). For anyone with ties to Jerry or memories of his WLWT Channel 5 news days in the '80s, this is a quick trip down nostalgia lane.

Not really about Jerry Springer and more about his executive producer and gopher and two female producers, being all glib and cocky about how great their obviously phony JERRY SPRINGER SHOW was until they finally say they had had enough...

The men eventually quitting while, somehow, god knows how, Jerry stayed on the air for another 18 years after peaking and after stopping the fighting right before a murder he was blamed for since the killers were former guests...

There are so many things missed here, like the crazy idea to make a fictional movie (Ringmaster I think it's called) about the show, that ended up bombing instead of getting viewers into the theater like the show got their audience onto the couch, basically the lowest denominator...

Meanwhile, Jerry, in archive interviews, seemed like an alright guy, and he made a few bucks, that's good since this is America...

But these kind of new-style documentaries on Netflix and Amazon are mostly just propaganda for the subject... and yet they act as if this kind of niche was somehow edgy since they admit upfront that the documentary is basically shilling for people that, because of that fact, will supposedly be more honest about themselves since the documentary is in their favor...

It's too difficult to figure out these new promotional videos masquerading as docs but, this one drops the ball by not having anywhere to throw it: and could have been one episode instead of two since the cliffhanger didn't really lead anywhere...

Showing both sides and opinions equally actually has the subjects being more honest instead of repeating the same thing over and over like they do here....

But it's still interesting to see some of the old shows in the 1990's when trash was king.

The producers are mentally ill, and I can't even fathom the audacity of them coming out now and boasting about their product, knowing they contributed to the death of a woman and who knows how many others they exploited. We don't even know the mental and psychological state of those other people who were used. Their actions are a blatant disregard for human life and dignity, and they should be held accountable for the consequences of their selfish and unethical decisions. Everyone who appeared on the program should now face prosecution, as their participation enabled this injustice. It's imperative to bring them to justice and prevent further harm.

As other have stated this documentary is about the show not the man, and more about the produceur of the show then Jerry also.

As someone that was young and not from the usa but had acces to the show while growing up I was interested by this documentary, sadly its not that interesting.

It retrace the story of the show, describe the event, talk to some ex participant, but not a lot. It could have been more interesting if they were more interview with ex participant, if someone asked them directly if it was fake and about their life after the show . All in all, it not bad, you learn a little but not that much, it could have been more.