Kriti Mehrotra
As a two-part documentary series that goes behind the scenes of arguably the most controversial talk show to ever exist, Netflix’s ‘Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action’ is simply jaw-dropping. That’s because it incorporates not just archival footage from old episodes and news reports but also exclusive interviews with those involved to really shine a light upon how it really came to be. Amongst the latter was none other than Richard Dominick, the man who made this show the rollercoaster experience that it eventually became known for across the globe.
Richard Dominick Has Always Been Involved in Creative Entertainment
While little is known about Richard’s early years, upbringing, or educational qualifications as of writing, we do know the New Jersey native developed an interest in the world of art at an early age. In fact, upon completing his education, he reportedly kickstarted his career as the Artistic Director of the New Jersey Public Theater, which gradually opened countless more doors for him. The fact he also created, wrote, and performed in the Comedy Workshop while there was also significant, especially since the latter is a group that innovated late-night weekend comedy presentations.
Little did anyone know that Richard would gradually spread his wings and decide to venture into journalism, just to end up reporting on the most bizarre things for the Weekly World News and the Sun. We say “bizarre” because his portfolio included articles such as Toaster Possessed by the Devil as well as Howdy Doody Dummy Comes Alive and Saves Drowning Man. It was the fact that he reported on these without any bias that even resulted in him making a few appearances on ‘ Late Night with David Letterman,’ which sparked his interest in television and all its possibilities.
Richard Dominick Rose Up the Ranks in the Television Industry in the 1990s
While it’s true that Richard’s experience as an entertainment director and writer helped him easily transition into television, it wasn’t until a few years later that he really became the one to watch out for. His first job in this industry was on the short-lived late-night comedy show ‘The Wilton North Report,’ following which he found a spot on the 1990 series ‘House Party.’ It was here that he proved his mettle at every step of the way, which subsequently propelled his career in a way he never even could have imagined. He was the sole writer for ESPN’s Sports Emmy Awards in 1991, did freelance work for late-night talk show host Jay Leno, contributed to ‘The Jenny Jones Show,’ and even served as a supervising producer at ‘Not Just News.’
Richard may have believed he was at the peak of his career at this point since different opportunities were coming at him from every direction, yet it was just the beginning of his career. After all, following his freelance work for publications like National Lampoon, Cracked, and Penthouse, as well as his continued reporting on tabloid stories with him as the lead for determining headlines, he joined ‘The ‘Jerry Springer Show’ when it first premiered in 1991. Richard did join as a Producer, but by the time 1994 rolled around, his experience, hard work, and tenacity had resulted in him being appointed its Executive Producer.
Richard Dominick Doesn’t Regret Any Aspect of His Work
By 1994, ‘The ‘Jerry Springer Show’ was on the verge of being canceled owing to terrible ratings and low quality of the show, driving Richard to decide they needed to take this talk show and turn it upside down. It was he whose idea it was to essentially hand over the reins to ordinary people and let them come on stage and share their stories with the world, no matter what it may be. All he wanted was drama, intrigue, honesty, and a bit of bizarreness. However, he never could have imagined that this would lead to full-blown fights on stage or a man admitting that he was not only in a relationship with but also married to a Pony.
The emotionally charged aspect of the show was unexpected, but Richard decided to embrace it with his hands wide open because that’s what worked. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was the key to creating what became a pop-culture phenomenon and opened the doors for much more. He made reality talk show television before it was even a thing, and he admittedly had to break many bounds to do so. However, he doesn’t regret any aspect of what he did because it created a show unlike any other. The high-stress working environment there, he indicates in the aforementioned production, was necessary to ensure the delivery of real, honest, and intriguing stories. However, he does deny taking the show to Jamaica in 2001 to avoid subpoenas when a guest killed a fellow guest.
Richard Dominick is Likely Still Involved in Entertainment Yet on a Different Level
It was in 2008, following more than 14 years, that Richard stepped down as the Executive Producer at ‘The ‘Jerry Springer Show’ because of the heavy load on his plate. Then, around two years later, in 2010, he launched a reality series called ‘Hardcore Pawn,’ which followed the events at the pawn shop American Jewelry and Loan in Detroit. This show’s final episode aired in 2015, and since then, Richard has likely been leading a quiet life by simply running his own production company, The Richard Dominick Entertainment Group. This company was behind ‘Hardcore Pawn,’ ‘The Springer Hustle,’ and ‘the Steve Wilkos Show.’ From what we can tell, today, at the age of 72, Richard’s priority is his family as well as his two children, so he prefers to stay well away from the limelight.
Read More: Tobias “Toby” Yoshimura: Where is The Jerry Springer Show’s Producer Now?
