The Jenny Jones Show
A logo for the American talk show The Jenny Jones Show, featuring a black and white oval with inverted text displaying the show's title.
Logo used from 1999 to 2002
GenreTalk show
Presented byJenny Jones
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons12
No. of episodes2000+
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsNBC Tower
Chicago, Illinois
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkSyndication
ReleaseSeptember 16, 1991 (1991-09-16) –
May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)

The Jenny Jones Show is an American first-run syndicated talk show hosted by television presenter Jenny Jones. Taped in Chicago, Illinois, the show ran for twelve seasons from September 16, 1991, to May 21, 2003. Conceived as an alternative to the sensational tabloid talk shows of the early 1990s, the show's first season primarily focused on celebrity interviews and lifestyle segments. Following mild ratings, the show shifted to a new format for its second season; it centered on interviews with everyday people. Episodes typically involved emotional or provocative topics, which were discussed among a panel of guests who had varying viewpoints. These discussions were moderated by Jones, who allowed studio audience members the opportunity to ask questions and give advice to the guests. The Jenny Jones Show frequently featured live musical performances from artists of various genres.

The Jenny Jones Show was produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Studios. A former stand-up comedian, Jones was approached by Warner Bros. Television Studios with an offer to host a talk show after producers watched her "Girl's Night Out" comedy show. The show debuted on 178 television stations nationwide, which was the largest launch in syndicated talk show history. The Jenny Jones Show was one of the highest-rated talk shows of the nineties. It received the Excellence in Media’s Silver Angel Award and two SHINE Awards. However, the show also received criticism from media commentators and audiences over claims that it exploited its guests. Common topics discussed on the show included makeovers and out-of-control teenagers.

In 1995, The Jenny Jones Show experienced controversy after a former guest murdered another three days after they were featured in a taping of the show. Titled "Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush", the episode depicted self-proclaimed secret admirers revealing their crushes to guests. Jones was required to testify at the ensuing criminal trial, which received wide coverage by the news media. In 1996, the victim's family filed a negligence lawsuit against The Jenny Jones Show. The litigation resulted in a national media frenzy, with criticism directed at the use of "ambush" tactics by tabloid talk shows. It additionally resulted in a national debate over shock value and tabloid television in the United States. The Jenny Jones Show ultimately prevailed in the suit, in which the court held that the guest's actions following their appearance on the program were unforeseeable.

Format

The Jenny Jones Show is a talk show hosted by television presenter Jenny Jones. The show depicted unscripted discussions led by Jones, with frequent participation from members of the studio audience. In its first season, the show predominately focused on human-interest stories; Jones hosted exercise, cooking, and fashion segments in addition to having discussions on topics meant to appeal to women, such as sex, divorce, and dieting. Jones regularly interviewed celebrity guests, such as Martha Stewart and Ivana Trump, who sometimes assisted with these segments. The show additionally featured several recurring segments, which further encouraged audience participation. In "Purse Check", Jones asked audience members to search their purses for a specific item; whoever produced the item first received $100. "Jenny's Male Bag" asked male viewers to write in with their pet peeves, while "Jenny's Baby Book" asked viewers to send in their baby photos. Finally, "Take a Bow" highlighted a person who had done something special for their local community.[1] After the show averaged mild ratings for its first season, The Jenny Jones Show shifted to a new format with its second season.

Beginning with its second season, The Jenny Jones Show featured single-topic episodes, often sensational in nature, with increased audience participation. The topics varied throughout the show's run, although common subject matters included paternity tests, makeovers, and unruly teenagers. While the show still occasionally featured celebrity interviews, most episodes depicted a discussion with a panel of guests, which consisted of everyday people. These guests were often split into separate segments, with each segment focusing on the respective guest's story. While a guest shared their relevant experiences and viewpoints, the other guests were backstage in a green room. Following each segment, Jones called on subsequent guests to enter the stage and join the discussion. Jones moderated these discussions, in which she allowed the studio audience the ability to ask questions and offer advice to the guests. The show had several recurring guests, who were invited to appear as advisors in certain episodes. For example, Rude Jude made appearances in several episodes about bullying while Sergeant Raymond Moses often appeared in episodes about boot camps for out-of-control teenagers. In addition to these discussions, the show frequently featured live musical performances from artists of various genres.

Production

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. She toured with Engelbert Humperdinck for a year and a half; after receiving positive audience reception, she embarked on her own comedy tour, Girls' Night Out.[2] A women-only show, Girls' Night Out was successful among audiences and received wide coverage by the news media.[3] Following a story by 20/20, the show caught the interest of several television producers, including those at Warner Bros. Television Studios. The studio offered Jones the opportunity to host a talk show, which Jones enthusiastically accepted. She stated: "I've always considered myself a talk show junkie. All my car buttons are on talk radio stations. I always wanted to do a talk show, but I just figured no one would let me have one."[4]

The show was conceived as an alternative to the "harder-edged" tabloid talk shows that aired in the early 1990s, such as Geraldo and The Phil Donahue Show.[4] According to executive producer David Salzman, the studio wanted to duplicate the success of Girls' Night Out with The Jenny Jones Show, 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."[5] Jones envisioned the show as "part pajama party, part group therapy, part Oprah."[6]

In preparation for The Jenny Jones Show, Jones attended a taping of The Phil Donahue Show; she claimed "[i]t was the closest I could come to a talk show lesson".[7] In summer 1990, three shows were taped over the course of two days, which were then edited into the pilot episode.[8] To further prepare Jones for her role as a host, Warner Bros. Television Studios scheduled a trial run of the show, which aired from April 15 to May 24, 1991.[9] This trial run was set in Las Vegas, which was not a metered market; as a result, the show avoided discussion of its ratings by the news media.[10] Rather than The Jenny Jones Show, the show was titled Just Between Us "to avoid a perception in the market that the program has been canceled after the six-week run ends."[9] Following the end of each taping, audience members were asked to fill out questionnaires about their reaction to the show and suggestions for topics.[9] Warner Bros. Television Studios had not used this strategy before, although the studio wanted the show to premiere with "the best product we can put on the air".[9] These test run episodes included interviews with celebrities such as Phyllis Diller, Rip Taylor, Kenny Kerr, and Sybil Goldrich.[9] Following this trial run, Jones relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where the show was taped at the NBC Tower.[11]

Topics

The Jenny Jones Show is a platform for everyday people, and I'm proud to give them a place to be seen and heard.

Presenter Jenny Jones on the show's philosophy[12]

Topic selection was the responsibility of the show's producers, who typically presented Jones with an episode's topic the night before its taping.[13] Jones was provided with a folder of background information on the guests and a loose script to follow for each episode.[14] With the show's premiere, Jones rejected the tabloid talk show label, stating, "[The show is] 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."[15] The target demographic of the show's first season was primarily women, in which it focused on human-interest stories, such as sex, divorce, and dieting.[16]

On March 3, 1992, toward the end of season one, The Jenny Jones Show broadcast a single-topic episode where Jones revealed her complications with breast implants.[17] Following this episode, Jones and the show's producers were inspired to reformat the show to have "more serious topics", with the season two premiere featuring a discussion on sexual abuse.[18]

Music

The show's theme songs were composed by Jones, who had previous music experience as the drummer of a rock band and back-up singer for Wayne Newton.

Notable episodes

The Jenny Jones Show broadcast over 2000 episodes by the end of its run. On April 11, 1994, hoaxer Alan Abel appeared on an episode titled "Getting Revenge on an Unfaithful Loved One".[19] Under an assumed name, Abel claimed that his wife superglued his penis to his leg after she caught him having an affair.[20] Producers had put the episode on hold for medical verification of Abel's claims, although some television stations accidentally aired the episode.[19]

On March 6, 1995, The Jenny Jones Show taped an episode titled "Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush", in which a group of guests were invited to meet their self-proclaimed secret admirers. Three days after the episode was taped, one of the guests, Jonathan Schmitz, killed his secret admirer, Scott Amedure. The episode was shelved and Schmitz was charged with first-degree murder.[21] In August 1995, Amedure's family filed a civil lawsuit against The Jenny Jones Show, Warner Bros., and Telepictures Productions.[22]

Reception

Critical response

The premiere of The Jenny Jones Show garnered positive reception among television critics. Laurence Vittes of The Hollywood Reporter stated that "Jones' charm and the warmth and intelligence of the Chicago audience made a very pleasing first impression."[23] Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune praised the show's viewer-friendly nature, in which he claimed that "Jones hits TV in full—likable and capable—stride."[24] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times praised the show as the best new daytime talk program of 1991. He commented: "There is no one funnier or fresher in daytime [than Jones]."[25] Jefferson Graham of USA Today positively compared the show to The Oprah Winfrey Show, in which he praised Jones' "upbeat" commentary.[26] Despite this positive reception, The Jenny Jones Show premiered to mild ratings.

The Jenny Jones Show won three Excellence in Media Awards.[27] In 1995, The Jenny Jones Show won a Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for the episode "People Who Contracted HIV as Teens"; the award honors "outstanding portrayals of family planning, sexuality and reproductive health in the entertainment media."[28]

Ratings

The Jenny Jones Show premiered on September 16, 1991, in which it debuted on 178 television stations nationwide; this debut was the biggest launch in syndicated talk show history.[4] The show premiered to a ratings share of 2.2/9.[29] The first season averaged a 2 in national ratings, in which it ranked 104th out of 189 shows tracked by Nielsen Media Research.[30] These mild ratings led to speculation that the show would be cancelled and replaced by stations with the then-upcoming talk show Vicki![31]

The show's ratings surged with its fourth season; The Jenny Jones Show averaged a 4.5 rating, in which it became the third most watched talk show of the television season.[32]

By its final two seasons, the show had dropped heavily in the ratings[citation needed]. It was nearly cancelled at the conclusion of season 11, but was saved by a last-minute deal with the Tribune Broadcasting station group, although the subsequent station shuffle necessitated in such key markets as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles didn't help the ratings erosion. In the 2002-2003 TV season, Jones' program became the lowest-rated daytime talk show[citation needed], and after the last episode aired that spring, Jenny Jones was canceled in the summer of 2003. Reruns continued to air until September 12 of that year.

With its twelfth season, The Jenny Jones Show experienced a ratings drop of 21 percent from the previous season and 70 percent from its peak.[33] Following its cancellation, The Jenny Jones Show was replaced with the short-lived talk show The Sharon Osbourne Show.

In popular culture

The show is referenced in the song "No Pigeons" by Sporty Thievz, in which the group raps "Get some cash and a Jenny Jones makeover".[34]

References

  1. ^ Glink, Ilyce (September 15, 1991). "Daze of Talk". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  2. ^ Lipton, Lauren (September 15, 1991). "Jenny Jones: Where the Girls Are". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Lipton, Michael (November 10, 1997). "True Confession". People. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Abramowitz, Michael (October 22, 1991). "The Mild-Mannered Talk Show". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  5. ^ "'Jenny' Blows Into Windy City". Variety. January 27, 1991. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "Let's Hear It For The Girls". Newsweek. January 13, 1991. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Jones & Cox 1997, p. 249-250.
  8. ^ Jones & Cox 1997, p. 247.
  9. ^ a b c d e Mahoney, William (March 18, 1991). "Warner sets 'Jenny Jones' trial run in Vegas". Electronic Media. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Jones & Cox 1997, p. 252.
  11. ^ Jones & Cox 1997, p. 254.
  12. ^ Jones & Cox 1997, p. 289.
  13. ^ Carter, Bill (November 1, 1996). "Talk-Show Host, Testifying at Murder Trial, Plays Down Her Role in Program". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  14. ^ "Talk show host testifies at trial". Tampa Bay Times. November 1, 1996. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  15. ^ Bark, Ed (November 14, 1991). "Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak; There's More Talk on TV Than Ever, but Audiences Have the Final Say on who Survives". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 25, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  16. ^ Breu, Giovanna (March 2, 1992). "Body of Evidence". People. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  17. ^ Lipton, Lauren (February 24, 1992). "Speaking of Implants : TV's Jenny Jones Goes Public With Traumatic Tale". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  18. ^ Johnson, Peter; Donlon, Brian (September 10, 1992). "In Year 2, 'Jenny Jones' takes on a harder edge". USA Today. Retrieved December 25, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  19. ^ a b Carmody, John (April 12, 1994). "The TV Column". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  20. ^ Benson, Jim (April 13, 1994). "'Jones' show unglued". Variety. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  21. ^ Peyser, Marc (March 19, 1995). "Making A Killing On Talk Tv". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  22. ^ James, Meg (October 24, 2002). "'Jenny Jones' Not Liable for Guest's Death". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  23. ^ Vittes, Laurence (September 18, 1991). "TV reviews 'Jenny Jones'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  24. ^ Kogan, Rick (September 18, 1991). "Viewer-friendly fluff on 'Jenny Jones'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  25. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (November 20, 1991). "Look Who's Talking XXIV : Television: Maury Povich, Cristina Ferrare, Chuck Woolery and Montel Williams join the horde of talk shows. Best of the new hosts: comic Jenny Jones". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  26. ^ Graham, Jefferson (October 10, 1991). "'Jenny,' Jones' morning with the girls". USA Today. Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  27. ^ Kennicott, Philip (April 18, 2022). "Theater of the Odd Birds". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  28. ^ Snow, Shauna (September 30, 1995). "Kudos: More Honors". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  29. ^ Mahoney, William (September 23, 1991). "Getting started; A look at how the new offerings fared". Electronic Media. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  30. ^ Mahoney, William (March 9, 1992). "First-run shows await sweeps fate". Electronic Media. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  31. ^ Mahoney, William (December 30, 1991). "Warner faces job of lining up 'Jenny Jones' renewals". Electronic Media. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  32. ^ Graham, Jefferson (December 20, 1994). "Jenny Jones' ratings rise on relationships". USA Today. Retrieved December 26, 2023 – via LexisNexis. (subscription required)
  33. ^ Gorman, Steve (February 5, 2003). "'Jenny Jones' Talk Show Expected to Be Canceled". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  34. ^ Gracie, Bianca (April 11, 2019). "The 13 Most Gloriously Dated Lyrics of 1999". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2024.

Sources

External links

Daytime news and talk TV shows in the United States
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