Netflix's newest No. 1 show is a shocking doc exploring some of the biggest 'Jerry Springer Show' scandals

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'Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action' is proving a popular Netflix doc

Jerry Springer seen in profile from promotional art used for Netflix's "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action"
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix isn't just home to must-watch shows and movies, it's also built up an impressive range of documentaries over the years.

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".

What is 'Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action' about?

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Netflix's "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" reveals how the infamous talk show became the success that it was, and exposes some of its biggest scandals.

Through a combination of archival footage, first-hand testimony from producers on the show, media critics, a former guest, and more, "Fights, Camera, Action" shows what drove the show's success, while also exposing some of the outrageous series' secrets.

It goes on to ask questions about who was responsible for the destruction it caused, and how things have gone in the name of raw entertainment.

Should you stream 'Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action' on Netflix?

TV exec Richard Dominick as seen in Netflix's "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action"

Richard Dominick in "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action." (Image credit: Netflix)

"Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" feels difficult to recommend, in my eyes. It is fascinating to see how a show like this became the ratings juggernaut it was.

However, this shocking Netflix doc frequently makes for grim viewing across its 90-minute runtime. It exposes how guests were manipulated and worked up to ensure the show's trademark explosive confrontations played out on stage, for the crowds to jeer at, and it all culminates with an example of the tragic consequences that befell one of its guests, who was murdered not long after their episode appeared on TV.

Despite the promise of asking questions about who was responsible for the fallout from "The Jerry Springer Show", there's still a feeling that accountability hasn't truly been accepted here; talk is mostly about doing things in service of ratings, and keeping the show on-air by chasing controversy.

As a show in its own right, "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" is compellingly strung together, and will no doubt be a welcome addition to many Netflix viewers' watchlists, but it only feels partially like an exposé.

At other times, it plays more like a highlight reel of some of the long-running talk show's most shocking moments. As we're repeatedly told, it was always about chasing the headlines or the next outrageous shock, and not about helping the guests.

Toby Yoshimura as he appears in Netflix's "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action".

(Image credit: Netflix)

That said, "Fights, Camera, Action" does come well recommended. At the time of writing, the show holds an 86% rating on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes.

The Guardian's Lucy Mangan gave the series a 4/5 star rating, calling it a "gobsmacking documentary [that] shows that the people who worked on it still have no shame – despite possibly ruining countless lives."

Reviewing for ScreenRant, Ben Gibbons gave the Netflix doc an 8/10 score, writing: "The quality of the documentary is fantastic overall" and adding ""Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" manages to take a show that has been explored in the media time and again and provide new insights, spark thoughtful conversations, and expose details that have remained hidden for too long, all with incredible flair."

If you're intrigued to learn more about the show's darker side, you can stream "Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" on Netflix right now. But if you'd prefer to watch something else instead, be sure to check out our guide to the best Netflix shows you can stream right now.

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Martin Shore
Martin Shore
Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.