Jenny Jones (1991–2003)

This is just another daytime talk show, comparable to other hosts' shows, with sensational topics, invited guests, and audience participation.

Stars:

Jenny Jones, Crystal Storm, Laura Nevell

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jenny Jones	...	Herself - Host (5 episodes, 1997-2001)
Crystal Storm	...	Herself (3 episodes, 1998-2001)

Storyline

A talk show similar in format to those of Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake and Montel Williams. Sensational topics, with guests chosen to maximize the chances of open conflict. One common tactic is to bring on 'surprise' guests that other guests might otherwise refuse to publicly meet with. This tactic backfired once, when a male guest on a 'secret admirers revealed' episode later killed his admirer after discovering, on camera, that it was another man.

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Plot Keywords:

audience participation | interview | non fiction | character name in title

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Genres:

Talk-Show

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1991 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

River Tower Productions, Telepictures Productions, David Salzman Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1995, the show became the focus of a sensational murder trial. On 9 March 1995, 29-year-old Jonathan Schmitz appeared on a show called "Same-Sex Secret Crushes", but having only been told that the show was about secret crushes, he assumed that the admirer was a woman. The secret crush turned out to be his neighbor, 32 year-old Scott Amedure. Feeling that he had been publicly humiliated, Schmitz killed Amedure three days later with a 12 gauge shotgun. Schmitz was tried for first degree murder, but the case was overturned due to a technical error in the jury selection. In 1999, he was tried for Second-degree murder and received a sentence of 20-25 years. In May of that year a civil trial found "The Jenny Jones Show" to have been negligent because they did not screen the guests before inviting them on the show. The show was ordered to pay the Amedure family $25,000,000 for funeral expenses and pain and suffering for each family member. This decision was later overturned on appeal. The show pressed on in spite of sluggish ratings and was finally cancelled in 2003.

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Connections

Referenced in 50 Years of NBC Late Night (2001)

User Reviews

Silly, but who cares?

As far as talk shows go, this is probably towards the bottom of the pile, but then I don't think it was developed as a medium for curing the ills of society. Instead, it exploits trash culture and provides some great guilty pleasure fun. The show is so bad that it's obviously meant to be that way.

And it didn't hurt that at least one show per week was devoted to "13 year old girls obsessed with sex".