Jerry Springer was planning documentary about show in preparation of death while ‘suffering in private’
JERRY Springer had been planning a documentary about his longtime talk show in preparation for his death, a source close to the show has said.
Springer died at age 79 just months after being diagnosed with cancer.
The television star died at his home in suburban Chicago on Thursday, his family confirmed to local NBC News affiliate WLWT.
But Springer was planning for a documentary about his hit show, which ran for 27 years from 1991 to 2018 on NBC and CW, in the months leading up to his death.
“We suspected because we had been asked for interviews since the end of February for documentaries about the show,” a source close to The Jerry Springer Show told The U.S. Sun.
“So, we were certain he was dying. He died of pancreatic cancer.
“He’d been suffering in private.”
Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend and spokesman for the family, confirmed the news to WLWT.
“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Galvin said.
“He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”
The iconic talk show host was diagnosed with cancer just months before his death, and the diagnosis took a turn for the worse this week, a family spokesperson told TMZ.
A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
INTERNATIONAL SENSATION
After a failed campaign for US Congress in 1970, a stint as mayor of Cincinnati, and years as the primary news anchor on WLWT, Springer would go on to become an international sensation for his talk show.
The first season of The Jerry Springer Show received low ratings due to its focus on political issues.
However, the structure then took a complete turn in the mid-1990s, ushering in a new style of television content.
The Jerry Springer Show became highly popular for its topics on incest and adultery, featuring moments of profanity and guests participating in fights and nudity.
Each episode began with Springer being greeted by an enthusiastic audience pumping their fists in the air, chanting “Jerry!, Jerry!, Jerry!”
Often, the guests would be emotionally overwhelmed and get involved in heated arguments that escalated into outbursts and rows.
On-screen security guards would then jolt towards the stage and separate the guests.
Springer also became known for declaring the results of paternity tests on the show, which would further escalate his guests during certain episodes.
The show received blowback from some viewers, who dubbed the program “trash TV.”
Nevertheless, The Jerry Springer Show was a homerun, smashing TV ratings, with Springer taking a jab at the critics at the start of each episode by introducing the program as the “worst TV show of all time.”