I want the show to demonstrate outrageousness,” Jerry Springer, the late host of the eponymous talk show, once said.

Luke Sewell spoke about the complex legacy of the notorious talk show, which both coarsened American culture and affirmed the values of free speech.

Its latest effort reexamines the history of "The Jerry Springer Show", which ran for 27 seasons from 1991 through to 2018, becoming a key proponent of what's been dubbed "Trash TV". The show was the home of jaw-dropping confessions and countless clashes between guests.

The Jerry Springer Show,” which aired nearly 4,000 episodes between 1991 and 2018, was home to all four. Yet at its center, host Jerry Springer (who died in 2023) was an ocean of calm wading through a sea of muck and controversy.