Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer

by Leon Neyfakh

From Leon Neyfakh and Prologue Projects — the award-winning team behind Slow Burn, Fiasco, Think Michael Jackson, and Backfired — comes Final Jerry Springer.

You may think you know Jerry Springer—the iconic TV host who presided over America's most controversial daytime talk show for 27 years. In that time, Springer’s name became synonymous with outrageous guests, taboo confessions, and vicious on-stage fights. But before The Jerry Springer Show made him infamous all over the world, Springer was something else a respected Midwestern politician whom many saw as a future leader in the Democratic Party. So how did this serious-minded idealist with lofty political aspirations take such a turn in such a radically different direction?

Final Jerry Springer tells the fascinating story of a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who became the beloved mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio before morphing into a symbol of cultural decline. Through dozens of intimate and revealing interviews with those who knew Springer best—from his big sister to his early political aides to the producers who shaped his show—listeners will be transported into the world of this singular figure’s rise to notoriety, and his fascinating struggle to reconcile his status as “the king of trash TV” with his lifelong dream of returning to politics.

Final Thoughts examines timeless questions about ambition, compromise, and whether we can ever truly separate who we are from what we do for a living. Was Jerry Springer a principled would-be statesman who took a detour into the gutter, or did his show reveal something essential about his character – not to mention ours?

Final Thoughts was hosted and produced by Leon Neyfakh. The senior producer was Sam Lee. The editor was Diane Hodson. Sound design by Andrew Parsons. Producers were Katherine Sullivan and Arlene Arevalo, with additional production by Dustin DeSoto and Madeline Kaplan.

Archival research by Laura Coxson, with additional archival research by Francis Carr. Fact-checking by Maggie Duffy, with additional fact-checking by Madeline Kaplan. Theme song composed by Billy Libby. Audio mix by Erica Huang. Andrew Parsons is the executive producer at Prologue Projects.

Listening Length: 5 hours and 23 minutes

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics

218 pages, Audiobook

Published May 1, 2025

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to author Leon Neyfakh for this nuanced look at a controversial, conflicted man. Gerald Springer, the son of German Jews who fled the Nazis, entered politics and became a Robert F. Kennedy liberal (that’s the assassinated, inspiring father, not the conspiracy theory-imbibing son). He envisioned a lifetime of helping the working class and the marginalized took what he thought was a temporary foray into becoming a local TV newsman. From there, Springer stumbled into hosting the show that came to epitomize trash TV.

At various times, Springer weighed breaking away from the show to return to his real passion: making Ohio better for the forgotten. But it never worked out. His choices and deeply held love for the working class were at such loggerheads that I could not help feeling both contemptuous disappointment and a broken heart. Five deeply flawed stars for this Audible Original on the late, great Jerry Springer.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am guilty of missing, Jerry Springer.

Much of who he was as a young man I already knew, and nothing of his early years shared in Final Thoughts surprised me at all. Actually, nothing really surprised me at any point of his life, even if there were new things I learned.

The big question Final Thoughts pretends (because it really seems to decided ahead of time) to wrestle with is how responsible is Jerry for the Fascist States of America that is the second turn of the Turnip? Leon Neyfakh is careful to point out Jerry's derision towards the Turnip, but there is a more than an implication that Turnip could not be who he's become if Jerry hadn't pandered to the lowest common denominator.

I'm not convinced that Jerry made the United States into the image of his show rather than that he revealed the truth of the United States through his show, and with Final Thoughts we simply ignored the rot. I think the latter is more realistic.

Regardless, Final Thoughts is a good listen, and I mostly enjoyed what it had to say.

The F.S.A. is cesspool. We all know it. I think Jerry knew it and tried to reveal it before most of us had a clue ... his motivations be damned.

[Ally Marov · Rating 3 out of 5]

’Whether you like it or not, this show stuck with us. It hit a nerve and lodged itself into our collective memory.
Even if you’ve never watched it, you remember it and recognise it as a step along the way to wherever we are now.
How did that happen? And how did Jerry Springer, of all people, turn out to be the guy who led us down that road?…

Our goal in this series is not to render judgement on whether Jerry Springer deserved to go to hell for his TV show. Or even try to resolve his apparent contradictions.
Rather it’s to tell a story about choices, how we make them, how we justify them to ourselves, and how we transcend them… or don’t’.

✨2.75 stars✨

Been in a bit of a slight reading funk lately so I wanted something quick and easy to listen to on audio.

While Jerry Springer wasn’t aired on Australian TV’s (that I’m aware of at least 😂) when I was a teenager, I remember whenever I used to stay with my dad on weekends or the year long stint I did living with him, I was all over YouTube watching clips from segments of Maury Povich/Steve Wilkos/Jerry Springer.

To put it simply, this was a great informative piece on how Jerry Springer shaped the world of “reality” talk shows but I think I could’ve lived without listening to the excerpt of the man who married a horse… if you know, you know and if you don’t, thank god 🥴

Overall, it’s not a must listen but if you’re interested in hearing about Springer prior to his infamous talk show or if you’re interested in hearing about his stint in politics. It’s more focused on him than the overall show itself 🌻✨

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was represented more or less like a talkshow therefore it got the right vibe, just like back in the days where Jerry Springer had his heyday as a controversial talkshow host.

In the book we become more familiar with who Mr Spring was and we learn about a scandal he had to face due to some payment he made to a lady (no spoilers here) and his involvement in politics.

We get a look behind the scenes and learn how some guests was staged to make the outrage. Well, I remember watching the show back then, and I always said to people I thought the show was staged and here we are after all those years now we know at least some of the Jerry Springer show actually was staged.

Most of the personal information about Mr. Springer was new to me.

A book worth the time for anyone who saw the show and would like a bit of nostalgia back to a long gone area

Instagram: @booksherlocked

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a podcast about Jerry Springer and his long running show. It focuses more on the show and its effects with a bio of Jerry himself. I’ve always liked Jerry, he was an interesting person. His show was theater, it evolved into entertainment for the masses with him as ringleader. He was at times a journalist, a politician, which is where his heart truly lay. I was sorry to hear of his passing. This was an interesting and informative podcast.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light listen

Well, I did learn a lot about Jerry Springer that I never knew (wouldn’t have guessed he was a former lawyer and mayor!). I never liked the sensationalism of his show, so it was interesting to get the story behind all that. I would refer to this as a podcast series bundled up and called an audiobook, versus a purpose written book, but that didn’t get in the way. This was a free title for me, as part of Audible Plus, so I can’t complain about the price!

[Rebecca Inch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, I had assumed Jerry Springer was some rich asshole profiting off others pain, and while that is true - he has more depth than I thought. He was actually a popular liberal politician for most of his life. Makes me like him more after hearing all his liberal takes. However, I fear that is the point.

[Sveinbjörn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit unsatisfying, since its hard shoring up the show’s malignancy with the host’s mostly decent character. So its marred by the author’s fumbling attempts at making moral points, which brings down its often insightful analysis and interesting story.
But all in all its fun enough.

[Erika Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really well done production by Audible. It’s almost like a podcast, interviewing people who worked on the Jerry Springer Show or in politics with Springer in the 70s. It also included clips of old interviews with Springer himself. This didn’t go super in depth, but I learned some things and found the format interesting.

[Jen Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this expecting it to be an audiobook, buts it’s a podcast. While the information may be the same, I would’ve preferred this presented as a book, not a podcast.

Always been a big fun of Jerry Springer and it was an interesting look into his political career and the effects of his TV show.

[LaLa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not something I typically gravitate to when selecting a book but I enjoyed it.

I used to watch Jerry Springer for the crazy topics and I also used to watch Baggage.

It was interesting to get a different glimpse in his life and see where he came from what he did and so on.

[Shaylyn Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was literally a podcast. It was pretty basic information, was hoping they would dive into why the show was so popular and the human dynamics.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea Jerry Springer was in politics. I guess you learn something new every day.

[Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting listen. Of course I watched his show as a kid, but lovely to hear more about his politics.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about Jerry Springer’s political career and early life. I was interested to hear about his nuclear family.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

More podcast than audiobook.

[Sarah Renn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Macey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually listen to biographies (or tune in to trash TV) but I thought this was a fascinating listen. The story of his entire life proved to be so much more profound than the legacy his talk show left behind.

[Regis]

Fair and fascinating look at one of the moset controversial public figures of our time..