The Jenny Jones Show
The Jenny Jones Show is an American daytime talk show that was hosted by Jenny Jones. The show ran in syndication for twelve seasons from September 16, 1991, to May 21, 2003, in which it broadcast over 2,000 episodes. Taped at the NBC Tower, the show premiered as a traditional talk show with a focus on cooking, fashion, and celebrities. It reformatted into a tabloid talk show for its second season, where its focus shifted to single-issue panel discussions with everyday people. Guests discussed their personal experiences over a given topic, which often involved relational transgressions. These discussions were moderated by Jones, who placed a heavy emphasis on audience interaction. The show frequently featured music performances during makeover segments or at other breaks in the show.
The show was produced by River Tower Productions in association with Telepictures Productions and David Salzman Enterprises, and it was distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It was conceived as an alternative to the tabloid talk shows of the early 1990s, with producers hoping to replicate the success of Jones's nightclub act Girls' Night Out. Prior to its premiere, the show received a six-week trial run on KVVU-TV under the title Just Between Us. The show received the largest launch in syndicated talk show history, although its first season was met with modest ratings. After it reformatted, the show became one of the highest-rated talk shows of the 1990s. It was canceled in 2003 following a general decline in popularity of the tabloid talk show subgenre.
The show received a positive reception from television critics upon its premiere, with some citing it as the best new daytime talk show of 1991. However, it experienced a negative reception after its reformat, with criticism directed at its sensational topics and purported exploitation of guests. It received two Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards and three Excellence in Media's Silver Angel Awards. In 1995, the show became subject to a national media frenzy after a guest murdered another guest three days after an episode's taping. The show prevailed in a highly-publicized negligence lawsuit filed by the victim's family, and a national discussion over shock value and tabloid television ensued. The show has influenced other television shows, films, and plays, and it launched the careers of celebrities such as Rude Jude.
Format
The Jenny Jones Show is an hour-long daytime talk show that was hosted by television presenter Jenny Jones. It primarily featured stand-up, audience interaction, and guest interviews. Jones hosted segments and moderated interviews in front of a studio audience, who frequently engaged in these discussions. According to Jones, the show was "carefully scripted" and segments often pertained to cooking, fashion, and celebrities. In addition to how-to and expert advice segments, Jones hosted recurring segments such as Purse Check, where Jones gave $100 to whoever could produce a specified item from their purse first; Jenny's Male Bag, where male viewers shared their pet peeves; Jenny's Baby Book, where viewers sent in their baby photos to be shared on the show; and Take a Bow, which highlighted a person who had done something special for their local community.Upon its second season, the show reformatted into a tabloid talk show. Most episodes now focused on a single topic, often sensational in nature, that was discussed among a panel of ordinary people. In a typical episode, the guests, usually in pairs, were seated on a stage situated in front of a studio audience. The guests discussed their personal experiences, which often involved some type of relational transgression. Jones moderated these discussions, in which she asked the guests questions or offered advice. During these discussions, Jones walked throughout the studio audience and periodically handed off her microphone to audience members to make additional comments. These audience members generally offered further advice or expressed criticism of the guests. The show also invited various musicians to perform during breaks in the show.
Production
Conception and development
In 1986, Jones became the first woman to win the comedy category of Star Search, which boosted her career as a stand-up comedian. Following Star Search, Jones served as a supporting act for other performers, such as Dionne Warwick and Engelbert Humperdinck. Jones's performances received positive reception from audiences, which inspired her to develop her own nightclub act, Girls' Night Out. Promoted as a show for women only, Girls' Night Out was a commercial success and it received wide coverage by the news media. Following a story by 20/20, Jones received various offers for sitcoms, game shows, news programs, and commercials. Jim Paratore, senior vice president of Telepictures Productions, offered Jones her own talk show, as he believed that audiences would find her relatable. Jones enthusiastically accepted the offer, stating, "I always wanted to do a talk show, but I just figured no one would let me have one."The Jenny Jones Show was initially conceived as an alternative to the sensational tabloid talk shows that aired in the early 1990s. According to executive producer David Salzman, the studio wanted to replicate the formula of Girls' Night Out, in which Jones would "tell jokes, sing comic songs and discuss casual topics, always leaving time for the crowd to air a few pet peeves." Jones further described her vision of the show as "part pajama party, part group therapy, part Oprah." A production staff of approximately 60 people were hired for the show, several of whom had previously worked for The Oprah Winfrey Show. According to Jones, she attended a taping of The Phil Donahue Show in preparation for the taping of the pilot. The pilot was taped at WTTW-TV's studio in the summer of 1990, and it was produced by Bonnie Kaplan. Jones stated that three shows were taped over two days, which were then edited together to form the pilot.
To further prepare Jones for her hosting responsibilities, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution scheduled a trial run of the show titled Just Between Us, which aired from April 15 to May 24, 1991. The trial run was tested on KVVU-TV in Las Vegas—an unmetered market—which allowed Jones to gain experience and for producers to fine-tune the show without concern for overnight ratings. The trial run episodes included interviews with celebrities such as Phyllis Diller, Rip Taylor, and Kenny Kerr. Following the end of each taping, audience members filled out questionnaires about their reaction to the show and suggestions for topics. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution had not used this strategy before, although the studio wanted the show to premiere as "the best product we can put on the air". Following this trial run, the show's production relocated to Chicago, where it was taped in WMAQ-TV's Studio A at the NBC Tower.
Topic selection
Topic selection was primarily the responsibility of the show's producers, who relied on news stories, suggestions by viewers, and their own experiences. The producers typically presented Jones with an episode's topic the night before it was taped, in which they provided her with a folder of background information on the guests and a loose script to follow. However, Jones claimed that she was "fairly vocal" about the types of topics she was comfortable with discussing on the show and she often revised the scripts. While Jones was not charged with any production responsibilities, she chose to become more involved as the show progressed. She claimed that, by that the second or third season, she was involved in every aspect of the show aside from guest recruitment. As Jones's involvement increased, the show shifted its focus from multiple topics per episode to single-topic discussions.Original format
The show initially focused on several topics per episode, often alternating between heavy and light subject matters. Giovanna Breu of People summarized the show's typical content as "sex, divorce and dieting", while Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune described it as "viewer-friendly fluff". The show's premiere featured discussions about eating, in which the audience was provided cake, and an interview with a pet expert who brought puppies and cats. Subsequent episodes featured interviews and segments such as the secrets of soap-opera actors, a boy who is allergic to everything, a woman whose husband fled the country with all her money, and a female photographer for Playgirl. Jones attempted to distance the show from the tabloid talk show subgenre, stating, " not for people who are looking for the sensational tabloid stuff. We will still do serious topics, but we will do them with a smile."On February 27, 1992, a single-topic episode was broadcast where Jones revealed that she had suffered complications from silicone breast implants for the past eleven years. Jones, whose implants ruptured in December 1991, was inspired to share her experience after an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended that silicone breast implants be severely restricted for cosmetic use due to health concerns. The highly publicized episode marked a turning point for the show; it inspired the producers—who believed the show needed a "content transplant"—to focus on "more serious topics". According to Paratore, producers specifically wanted "to draw more on Jenny's deep sense of caring". Executive producer Stuart Crowner was replaced with Ed Glavin and Debbie Harwick Glavin, former producers of The Phil Donahue Show. The duo planned to focus more on relationships rather than comedy and entertainment.
Reformat
The show reformatted into a tabloid talk show for its second season, which included a shift to single-topic episodes. In an effort to boost the show's modest ratings, Glavin claimed that the new production staff "went all out ". It began to feature more controversial and sensational topics, such as "I Hate My Father for Marrying a Black Woman", "My Stepfather Is Now My Lover", and "Pregnant Women Who Cheat". The show primarily discussed sex, relationship issues, family conflict, and unconventional romances. However, Jones and the producers made a conscious decision to avoid nudity and physical confrontations, which frequently appeared in other shows in the subgenre. Jones believed it would detract from the show, stating, "we try to use a little restraint. In the end, we’d like to think people can get some help ."Two of the shows most common topics were makeovers and boot camp for misbehaved teenagers. The New York Timess David Sedaris claimed that the show limited itself to makeovers following the 1995 murder of guest Scott Amedure. Other television critics claimed that the show softened its content in response. However, Jones rejected these allegations, stating, "We do the same kind of show... We haven't changed a thing." In addition to makeovers and boot camp, the show continued to feature topics such as paternity tests, secret crushes, neighborly disputes, and unruly teenagers. In August 2000, Kerrie Moriarity replaced Glavin and Harwick Glavin as executive producer after the latter two exited the show to work on The Queen Latifah Show. Similar topics were discussed under Moriarity, with the Chicago Tribunes Steve Johnson describing a typical episode topic as "your big-breasted teen daughter is obsessed with sex".
The show attempted to provide a balance between light and serious topics. According to Jones, the show produced one or two "newsier" episodes a week and its lighter episodes still conveyed important information. For example, an episode about uncommitted relationships may feature a discussion about the importance of safe sex. Some of the show's more topical episodes included discussions about the AIDS epidemic, Iraq–United States relations, racism, and wrongful convictions. Despite its broad range of topics, the show was "known primarily for its low-road approach". A Chicago Tribune staff writer summarized the show's typical subject matter as "give a lie detector test to my cheating, DNA-test-taking baby’s daddy so my bad kid can go to boot camp". Its topics were typically reflected through exaggerated episode titles, such as "I Roll with My Teen, Because Ecstasy Is Our Scene" and "I Flash My Body 'Cuz I'm the Next 'Girls Gone Wild' Hottie!"