WATERBURY--They say it's hard to find a date if you have too much baggage, but Jerry Springer certainly doesn't think so.
The game-show host was holding court at the Palace Theater in Waterbury on Thursday for a taping of "Baggage: On the Road," a spin-off of the dating show "Baggage" that premieres in January.
Lisa Tucker, the executive producer of the show, says UConn was picked as a filming location because "We wanted to end up at a college that's rich in sports; we got a couple of students who participate in sports."
In all, four episodes of the Game Show Network show were filmed in Waterbury using UConn students.
The show is based on the premise that everyone has baggage, so why not expose one's dirty laundry and have daters eliminate each other until one man and one woman are left standing. Those two end up going on a date.
"It's about finding out the bad things about your potential boy/girlfriend in advance, and deciding whether or not you can accept their baggage," Tucker said.
Springer, who hosts the dating game show, got involved because he's used to dealing with relationships on his eponymous television show. "I've seen every kind of relationship go south," he said. So now he wants to see relationships succeed? "Exactly, and that's the point of this show--to have a good experience."
Springer was also game to poke a little bit of fun at himself. "This show is different from my regular show, and the first thing you'll notice is that the people on this show have teeth," he said while laughing. To pick contestants Jerry and the crew went to hang out on UConns campus, and kids sat with them in the 24-degree weather, game to play.
The UConn episodes will air in January.
