‘The Jerry Springer Show’: Where to Watch Old Episodes of the Controversial Talk Show
Jerry Springer has died at age 79. The politician and news anchor became a household name in the 1990s as the host of the controversial series The Jerry Springer Show. The wild and raucous daytime talk show premiered in 1991 and went off the air in 2018. But select episodes of the notorious show are available to watch on multiple streaming services.
The origins of ‘The Jerry Springer Show’
The Jerry Springer Show made its debut on September 30, 1991, airing on just five stations (via WXVU). At first, the show followed a conventional talk show format, similar to the relatively staid The Phil Donahue Show. The ratings weren’t great, but that changed after the show’s executive producer suggested a major change to save the show.
“We kind of knew we were getting canceled,” EP Richard Dominick said in an episode of Dark Side of the ‘90s titled “Trash TV: Dirty and Deadly Talk.”
“So that’s when we decided, let’s go have some fun,” he added. “So right away, boom, we changed everything.”
The more dramatic and, at times, sleazy, version of The Jerry Springer Show was a hit, with eyebrow-raising episodes such as “I’m Having Your Man’s Baby” and “I Strip With My Family.” It continued to air for nearly 30 years, finally going off the air in 2018 after more than 4,000 episodes.
Where to stream ‘The Jerry Springer Show’
Want to revisit some of those old Jerry Springer episodes? Select seasons of the show are streaming for free on Pluto TV. You can also watch past episodes of The Jerry Springer Show on Roku TV, such as “Holiday Hell With My Feuding Family” and “Attack of Scorned Lovers!”
Clips and compilation videos from some of the most memorable episodes of Springer’s talk show are also available to watch on the show’s official YouTube channel. Episodes also stream on the Nosey TV app.
Jerry Springer recently said he was ‘so sorry’ for his talk show
For better or for worse, The Jerry Springer Show left an indelible mark on American culture. But it wasn’t necessarily a mark Springer was proud of. During an appearance on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast in November 2022 (via YouTube), host David Yontef asked him how he felt about being “the granddaddy” of reality TV.
“No, I just apologize,” Springer replied with a chuckle. “I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture. I just hope that hell isn’t that hot because I burn real easy.”
“I’m just a schlub who got lucky,” he added as he reflected on how his path to talk show fame began when he was working as a newscaster in Cincinnati and his bosses assigned him to work as a host “There was never a thought in my mind growing up that I’d be in show business … how the show happened was pure luck … I wound up in show business through no thought of my own.”
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