Steve Wilkos Show

Steve Wilkos is an American Television personality, and a former U.S. Marine and Chicago police officer. He currently hosts his own talk show, The Steve Wilkos Show , but is best known as the former director of security on The Jerry Springer Show . Wilkos had previously substituted for Springer as host on many occasions before being given his own talk show.

Prior to starting a show of his own, Wilkos filled in for Jerry Springer as host of the long-running "The Jerry Springer Show" on more than 50 episodes, using his law enforcement background and no-nonsense style to create his own identity as a talk show host.

  In May 1994, the producers of The Jerry Springer Show , taped in Chicago, needed security guards for a Ku Klux Klan-related show, so they decided to hire off-duty police. Wilkos then worked part-time for Springer security. He recruited several fellow officers for the job, and worked exclusively for the show, leaving the police department in 2001.

Wilkos' show deals with more serious topics than Springer usually covers. Wilkos will often refuse to let guests accused of misbehavior, convicted of certain crimes (especially sex offenses and spousal/child abuse) to sit down in the chairs on his sound stage. With no importance to heinous behavior, Steve typically lets pregnant women and teenagers sit on his stage.

Wilkos will sometimes toss these chairs aside when he is angry and for dramatic effect. He often notes in his show that the reason he does so is because when the accused committed the crime against the victim, they weren't making them "comfortable" and as such, they don't deserve to be "comfortable" while on his show. Steve typically lets pregnant women and teenagers sit on his stage. He often gets "nose-to-nose" with guests and raises his voice, but he avoids physical contact with them unless necessary to defend himself or his guest if they get physical with the guest.

On his show, each episode of the show focuses on topics such as adultery, divorce, spousal abuse,sexual violence, homophobia, homosexuality, child abuse, child molestation, cyber crime,deadbeat parents, incest, pedophilia, pornography, gangs, missing children, teenage pregnancy,alcohol addiction, drug addiction, homelessness, prostitution, racism, obesity, eating disorders,lie detector tests and paternity.

Jerry Springer may have some major competition with the Steve Wilkos Show. Unlike Springer which is nothing but pure exhibition with sexual innuendo and brawls, this show offers tough love with compassion from the big bad bald guy himself: Steve Wilkos. One episode that incensed me was "Devil Mom" where a woman used her own daughter to perform sexual intercourse in exchange for cash. I really felt for Steve when he tried to help her stop doing what she was doing to her daughter. That episode was really powerful.

All in all the show is great, the host is great, the stories are engaging and poignant with some glimmer of hope for the guests and so on. So what if it's not Springer. Give this show a chance and you will not be disappointed.