Future uncertain for Springer
Over-the-top talk show filmed in Stamford may not continue
Broadcast network The CW will air new episodes and reruns of the Stamfordbased “Jerry Springer Show,” this fall, but the controversial program’s long-term future remains unclear.
In addition to CW’s airing of new episodes that have already been filmed, repeat episodes would continue to air in “traditional syndication,” a spokeswoman for NBCUniversal Television Distribution, the show’s distributor, said Friday. CW is also considering an order of more new episodes. In the meantime, however, production has been suspended, and show staff are looking for new jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The NBCUniversal spokeswoman did not respond to a follow-up inquiry asking if the show would continue to be produced at its home of the past nine years, the downtown Stamford Media Center, at the corner of Atlantic Street and Tresser Boulevard. THR reported the program would stay in the city if it were to receive an order for new episodes.
In its current season, “Springer” has been drawing an average of about 1.7 million viewers, roughly the same audience as Rachael Ray’s and Wendy Williams’ shows. But that viewership ranks only 57th among syndicated series airing in the U.S, THR reported.
“Springer” has aired nearly 4,000 episodes since its 1991 premiere. In 2009, it moved its production from Chicago to Stamford.
Starring Jerry Springer, a one-time mayor of Cincinnati, the show debuted with a serious-minded focus on political and social issues. But it would soon shift to tabloid narratives, a move that supercharged its ratings.
The show is both beloved and maligned for its outlandish story lines. Guests often reveal pregnancies and adultery, and even incest, and throw chairs at each other.
A ticker tape on the top of the “Springer” website’s home page suggests the show plans to keep its sensationalistic formula. Its solicitations for potential guests include: “Do you love to steal other women’s men?” “Do you have a ratchet person trying to interfere with your relationship?” “Are you the best stripper in your town and want to show your sexy moves?”
“Maury” and “Steve Wilkos,” the two other similar shows filmed at the Stamford Media Center, would continue their production. The three programs support some 350 jobs, according to the most recent estimates by the state Department of Economic Community Development.
DECD reported this year that NBCUniversal has received more than $30 million in state production tax credits since moving Springer, Maury and Steve Wilkos to the state and establishing a headquarters for NBC Sports Group on Stamford’s East Side.