Former talk show host Jerry Springer is returning to daytime syndication and is reteaming with NBCUniversal TV Distribution for a foray into a new genre. Springer is set to take the gavel and the bench in Judge Jerry, a daily, first-run half-hour court program from NBCUniversal Television Distribution. It will debut in national syndication in fall 2019 and has been sold in 75% of the U.S. to stations from such station groups as Tribune, Sinclair, Weigel, Hearst, Cox, Sun Beam, Block, Raycom, Tegna, Scripps, Meredith, Capital and more. 
 
 Springer, who has a J.D. degree from Northwestern University and worked for two law firms before transitioning to politics and then television, hosted the long-running NBCU daytime confrontational talk show The Jerry Springer Show, which ended this summer after 27 seasons. 
 
 Fall 2019 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years for new syndicated show launches with a slew of high-profile newcomers, including several talk shows such as a Kelly Clarkson-hosted one from NBCU, as well as talkers hosted by Tamron Hall and Mel Robbins. There is also a RuPaul talk show project targeted for next fall that has yet to find a home, and the Fox stations are testing a Dr. Steve Perry talk show in January. 
 
 “Judge Jerry will merge Jerry’s talent for connecting with people, his incredibly relatable and funny personality and his legal training and governing experience to bring viewers a more entertaining court show,” said Tracie Wilson, EVP, Creative Affairs, NBCUniversal TV Distribution. “We are so happy to continue our fantastic partnership with Jerry, who is a proven TV icon with a dedicated and broad fan base.” 
 
 Springer’s self-titled daily talk show, which became a cultural phenomenon, featured scandalous stories and many people engaging in fisticuffs to the signature “Jerry! Jerry!” chant. Now, with Judge Jerry, Springer will be settling disputes in a new context. Judge Jerry will take on actual cases from real people. In each episode, Springer, as a Judge, will hear cases and render a verdict with a fair yet firm hand and always leave litigants with a dose of classic Springer wisdom. Whether or not it will be as scandalous and action-packed as his talk show — we’ll just have to wait and see. 
 
 “For the first time in my life, I am going to be called honorable,” said Springer. “My career is coming full circle and I finally get to put my law degree to use after all these years.” 
 
 Judge Jerry will be produced and distributed in the U.S. by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. It will be taped in front of a live studio audience at the Stamford Media Center in Connecticut which is also home to NBCU talks shows like The Steve Wilkos Show and Maury. Judge Jerry will be produced and distributed in the U.S. by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. 

 Daytime talk show veteran Jerry Springer is moving into a new arena next year as the star of “Judge Jerry,” a syndicated court show to be distributed by NBCUniversal Television Distribution. 
 
 Word of the plan to launch “Judge Jerry” in fall 2019 comes nearly six months after production stopped on “Jerry Springer Show” in June. Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati, hosted the talk show for 27 years. 
 
 The new hourlong strip is expected to be picked up by many of the same stations that carry the talk show, also from NBCUniversal. “Judge Jerry” has been sold to stations covering 75% of U.S. TV households. 
 
 ” ‘Judge Jerry’ will merge Jerry’s talent for connecting with people, his incredibly relatable and funny personality and his legal training and governing experience to bring viewers a more entertaining court show,” said Tracie Wilson, exec VP of creative affairs for NBCUniversal Television Distribution. “We are so happy to continue our fantastic partnership with Jerry, who is a proven TV icon with a dedicated and broad fan base.” 
 
 “Judge Jerry” is described as a traditional court show with Springer presiding over legal disputes. NBCUniversal promises Springer will “render a verdict with a fair yet firm hand and always leave litigants with a dose of classic Springer wisdom.” 
 
 Related Neal Boyd, 'America's Got Talent' Season 3 Winner, Dies at 42 Off Broadway Review: 'Jerry Springer -- The Opera' 
 
 The new series is an effort to NBCUniversal to capitalize on Springer’s popularity in a new format that may not be as much of a turn-off to major advertisers. “Jerry Springer Show” at its peak in the late 1990s earned a reputation for raunchy, sexually charged topics and frequent violent outbursts from guests. The show has toned down the volume of hair-pulling and chair-throwing in recent years but the sleazy stigma has persisted. 
 
 “For the first time in my life, I am going to be called honorable,” Springer said. “My career is coming full circle and I finally get to put my law degree to use after all these years.” 
 
 “Jerry Springer Show” in 1999 briefly de-throned “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as daytime TV’s top-rated talk show. After being elected mayor of Cincinnati at the age of 33, Springer began his TV career in 1991 as a talk show host for Cincinnati’s WLWT-TV. The show was picked up for national distribution the following year. NBCUniversal acquired “Jerry Springer Show,” the “Maury” talker hosted by Maury Povich and other syndie series in 1998 when it bought Multimedia Entertainment. 
 
 Springer started out as a topical talker in the Phil Donahue mold, but he turned to racier material to stand out from the pack. The show’s viewership has dropped off significantly in recent years, averaging about 1.7 million viewers in its 2017-18 final season of original production. But reruns of “Jerry Springer Show” are still airing this season in syndication and on the CW’s daytime lineup. With 4,000 episodes in the can, NBCUniversal has enough material to keep the show going even without fresh installments while leveraging Springer’s popularity with a new format. 
 
 “Judge Jerry” will be taped before a live audience at NBCUniversal’s Stamford Media Center facility in Stamford, Conn. There’s no word on producers for the show.
– Meet Judge Jerry—Judge Jerry Springer. Yes, the former daytime talk show host has a law degree, and he'll be putting it to good use back in daytime syndication. Springer is returning to the small screen for Judge Jerry, a daily, first-run half-hour court program debuting in national syndication in the fall of next year, Deadline reports."For the first time in my life, I am going to be called honorable," says Springer, who got his J.D. degree from Northwestern University. "My career is coming full circle and I finally get to put my law degree to use after all these years." Springer, who is reteaming with NBCUniversal TV Distribution for the show, worked for two law firms before getting into politics (he was also mayor of Cincinnati) and then TV. A statement promises Springer will preside over cases and then "render a verdict with a fair yet firm hand and always leave litigants with a dose of classic Springer wisdom," Variety reports. "Judge Jerry will merge Jerry’s talent for connecting with people, his incredibly relatable and funny personality, and his legal training and governing experience to bring viewers a more entertaining court show," an exec adds. (The Jerry Springer Show had its final show this summer after more than 4,000 episodes.)