It's the end of an era for trashy daytime talk shows: "The Jerry Springer Show" is officially ceasing production.

The news comes from The Associated Press, which reported this week that NBC Universal, which produces the longrunning series, revealed that it will "stop making new episodes" of Springer's eponymous show. As for why the show got the boot now, after airing more than 4,000 installments throughout its more than two-decade run?

"[N]either Springer nor his bosses will talk about it," The AP said.

Still, the iconic chants of "Jerry! Jerry!" won't be absent from the airwaves entirely: NBC Universal said that the show would remain in syndication on The CW and other networks. The AP also reports that "Producers said 'there is a possibility' that more original episodes could be ordered sometime in the future but, since they wouldn't answer questions, it's not known how serious that possibility is."

"The Jerry Springer Show" started in in syndication in 1991 and quickly became one of the most popular shows of its ilk, offering shocking and salacious interviews about sex, drugs, and family drama, soundtracked by a boisterous crowd. The series was once so ubiquitous, according to TV syndication analyst Bill Carroll, that "There was a time that Jerry Springer was running at a minimum of two times a day."

At least we'll always have reruns. (And so, so many YouTube clips.)

[via: The Associated Press]