>>> WELCOME BACK. OUR NEXT GUEST IS THE KING OF
TABLOID TELEVISION.
TABLOID TELEVISION. >> FOR 27 YEARS, THE "JERRY
SPRINGER SHOW" NEVER STOPPED
SHOCKING VIEWERS.
SHOCKING VIEWERS. >> NOW, HE’S LAYING DOWN THE LAW
AND STEPPING BEHIND THE BENCH IN
HIS LATEST TV PROJECT, "JUDGE
JERRY."
JERRY." >> I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE
ABOUT THAT.
ABOUT THAT. >> STOP.
>> STOP. >> I’M THE JUDGE.
THAT’S WHY I’M TELLING YOU.
>> I’LL WALK OUT.
>> GET OUT OF THIS COURT RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. >> ALL RIGHT.
JERRY SPRINGER, WELCOME.
>> I’M NORMALLY NOT LIKE THAT.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? >> NO, NO.
I DON’T YELL AT PEOPLE.
THAT SCARED ME.
ACTUALLY, WHEN WE SHOT THAT, AND
AFTERWARDS, THE CREW, BECAUSE
THEY NEVER IN ALL THE YEARS SEEN
ME -- YOU KNOW, I DON’T YELL AT
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THEY SAID, OH, MY GOD, WE DON’T
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. >> HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?
>> I WAS DRINKING.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> NO, NO.
ACTUALLY, SEAN O BOYLE, THE HEAD
OF SALES FOR NBC, CAME TO ME ONE
DAY ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE MY
REGULAR SHOW STOPPED TAPING, AND
SAYS, HEY, I GOT THIS IDEA.
WHAT ABOUT JUDGE JERRY?
I STARTED OUT BEING A LAWYER.
WHY DON’T YOU DO THAT?
I’LL TELL YOU, 12, 14 SECONDS
BEFORE I SAID, YEAH, SURE!
WHY NOT?
WHY NOT? >> THIS IS KIND OF NEAT.
IT’S THE FIRST GROWN-UP JOB I’VE
HAD IN 30 YEARS.
I GET TO BE A JUDGE AND LEARN
WHATEVER I USED IN LAW SCHOOL
AND PRACTICING LAW.
I’M REALLY ENJOYING IT.
>> I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU WERE A
LAWYER.
LAWYER. WENT TO NORTHWESTERN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SO THESE ARE REAL CASES.
THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE.
SO YOU’RE REALLY -- IT IS IN
YOUR HANDS.
YOUR HANDS. >> THEY ARE.
FRANKLY, I DIDN’T KNOW THIS WHEN
I FIRST STARTED.
BUT THESE -- YES, THESE ARE
CASES THAT ARE FILED IN ANY OF
THE 50 STATES.
WE HAVE STRINGERS WHO EVERY
MORNING THEY GET UP AND LOOK AT
WHAT CASES HAVE BEEN FILED IN
THEIR REGION THE DAY BEFORE.
IF IT IS INTERESTING, THEY CALL
THE PLAINTIFF.
THE PLAINTIFF. THEY CALL THE DEFENDANT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE YOUR CASE
ADJUDICATED ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION WITH ME AS THE JUDGE?
IF THEY SAY YES, WE FLY THEM TO
CONNECTICUT.
CONNECTICUT. WHEN THEY FILE THE CASES, THEY
DON’T KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE
ON TELEVISION.
ON TELEVISION. THEY DIDN’T KNOW I HAD A JUDGE
SHOW.
SHOW. IT IS NOT, OH, LET’S DO THIS.
THIS IS REAL.
THE CONSEQUENCES ARE REAL,
WHATEVER DECISION I MAKE.
THAT STANDS.
THAT STANDS. THEY CAN’T GO TO A COURT OF
COMMON PLEAS AND GET AN APPEAL.
I HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT
WHATEVER DECISIONS I MAKE.
>> JERRY, I HAVE TO ASK YOU, THE
"JERRY STRINGER SHOW" WAS SO
SUCCESSFUL, DISTRIBUTED BY NBC
UNIVERSAL.
UNIVERSAL. >> YES.
>> YES. >> IT ALSO WAS CONTROVERSIAL.
MOST RECENTLY, THERE WAS A
WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST A
GUEST WHO APPEARED ON YOUR SHOW
AND TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
I WONDER AS YOU SIT HERE AND
LOOK BACK AT THE LEGACY OF THE
"JERRY SPRINGER SHOW," IS THERE
ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT
IT?
IT? >> NO.
>> NO. I THINK WHAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY
GOOD THING ABOUT THE SHOW, AT
LEAST THE PART THAT I THOUGHT,
IS THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
THAT WE REALLY SAW REGULAR
PEOPLE ON TELEVISION.
WHEN PEOPLE CRITICIZED THE SHOW,
THE YOU’RE HONEST ABOUT IT,
THEY’RE NOT CRITICIZING WHAT
THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT.
CELEBRITIES WILL DO THE EXACT
SAME THING.
SAME THING. CELEBRITIES WILL GO ON THE LATE
NIGHT SHOWS.
NIGHT SHOWS. THEY WILL TALK ABOUT WHO THEY’VE
SLEPT WITH, WHAT THEIR LIFE HAS
BEEN LIKE, WHAT DRUGS THEY’VE
BEEN USING, WHAT MISBEHAVIOR
THEY’VE HAD, AND WE CAN’T BUY
THEIR ALBUMS QUICKLY ENOUGH.
WE CAN’T GO TO THEIR MOVIES
QUICKLY ENOUGH.
QUICKLY ENOUGH. WHY?
WHY? BECAUSE IF YOU’RE RICH, IF
YOU’RE FAMOUS, IF YOU’RE GOOD
LOOKING, WE GIVE YOU A PASS.
THE THINGS -- HOW MANY TIMES DO
PEOPLE TAKE THESE TALK SHOWS AND
SAY, OH, THESE PEOPLE ARE TRASH?
NO.
NO. MAYBE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE SAME
LOOK AND THE GENE POOL OF
PARENTS.
PARENTS. MAYBE THEY WEREN’T BORN WITH THE
SAME BRAIN.
SAME BRAIN. THEY DIDN’T GET THE SAME
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. BUT WE’RE ALL ALIKE.
WE’RE NOT BETTER THAN THESE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WE JUST DRESS BETTER.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS,
OFTENTIMES, IT WAS REGULAR
PEOPLE JUST BEATING EACH OTHER
UP.
UP. REGULAR PEOPLE DON’T DO THAT ALL
THE TIME.
THE TIME. >> WELL, LET ME TELL YA.
YOU HAVE A PROFESSOR FROM
HARVARD WHO TEACHES ENGLISH.
HE COMES HOME ONE NIGHT AND
FINDS OUT HIS WIFE WAS SLEEPING
WITH THE NEXT-DOOR NAY POOR.
HE
HE NEIGHBOR.
NEIGHBOR. YOU THINK HE SAYS, OH, WHAT HAVE
I FOUND?
I FOUND? PLEASE GET OUT OF THE BEDROOM.
NO.
NO. HE THROWS SOMETHING, GETS ANGRY,
PROBABLY STARTS CURSING.
I’M TELLING YA, WE’RE ALL ALIKE.
WE GET A -- THESE PEOPLE ARE
COMING ON TELEVISION WHEN THEY
CHOOSE TO, PURELY VOLUNTARY, AND
THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON
IN THEIR LIFE.
NEWS NEVER DOES THAT.
WHAT NEWS DOES, IT IS THE SAME
THING ABOUT TELLING ABOUT PEM
PEOPLE’S LIVES BUT THEY NEVER
ASK PERMISSION.
ASK PERMISSION. A NEWSCASTER DOESN’T SAY, IF
THIS STORY MAKES YOU FEEL BAD,
IF IT HURTS YOUR FAMILY, IF THIS
STORY RUINS YOUR REPUTATION, WE
WON’T RUN IT.
NO.
NO. NEWS PLOWS RIGHT THROUGH.
AT LEAST ON THE TALK SHOWS, IT
IS ALL VOLUNTARY.
YOU CHOOSE TO COME ON THE SHOW.
YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE
TALKED ABOUT.
TALKED ABOUT. I FIND THAT MUCH MORE DEMOCRATIC
THAN WHAT WE DO NORMALLY IN THE
IMMEDIATE JAH
IMMEDIATE JAH IMMEDIATE
IMMEDIATE MEDIA.
MEDIA. >> WE’LL GET MORE ON "JUDGE
JERRY."
JERRY." >> I DIDN’T MEAN TO GET SO
SERIOUS.
SERIOUS. >> OH, TOO LATE.
KUMBAYA, KUMBAYA.
KUMBAYA, KUMBAYA. >> "JUDGE JERRY" PREMIERES