We may have reached the end of an era.
Studio NBCUniversal has halted production on the long-running daytime series The Jerry Springer Show for the time being, Broadcasting & Cable first reported. The CW recently signed a deal to syndicate the talk show starting in the fall, and the network is set to air reruns of the show — along with new episodes that were already taped — but the network has not ordered any additional episodes so far, calling its future into question. It is not currently in production.
The series premiered September 30, 1991 on NBC and quickly made a name for itself as one of the trashiest shows on television. Breaking from traditional daytime series which featured composed guests, this series reveled in outlandish fights, bleeped expletives and an enthusiastic audience eating up every second of the action. At the height of its success in 1998, the show broke Oprah’s decade-long streak, toppling The Oprah Winfrey Show in ratings during May sweeps that year.
In 2007, the show launched the spin-off The Steve Wilkos Show hosted by Springer’s former head of security Steve Wilkos, who gained massive popularity for his firm but fair approach to guests. Taking on a darker tone, Wilkos’ show tackles serious crimes such as sex and child abuse and often features him throwing chairs or yelling at guests he perceives to be guilty. According to Broadcasting & Cable, the spin-off show has been renewed for two more seasons alongside Maury.
Meanwhile, Jerry Springer‘s popularity has waned in recent years but the show did beat The Ellen Show’s ratings back in 2010. The CW could order new episodes under the terms of its deal, but no word yet on whether or not the network plans to do so.
(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of The CW’s parent companies.)
Source : TVGuide
