Starsky & Hutch's David Soul Had A Much Wilder Role ... As Jerry Springer?

David Soul was best known for playing the titular Hutch on the 1970s series "Starsky & Hutch." However, he had an extensive filmography over a career that spanned decades, appearing in movies like "Salem's Lot" and "Filth." But there's one role that may have flown under the radar for many — Soul took on the part of the Sultan of Saliciousness, Jerry Springer.

Springer himself claimed shortly before his death that his infamous talk show, "The Jerry Springer Show," ruined the culture, but it was entertaining while it was on. In fact, the series spawned the creation of a British musical titled — what else — "Jerry Springer: The Opera." The show kicked off in London in 2003 with Michael Brandon in the lead role, but eventually, it was taken over by David Soul, who can be found in the filmed version. When the show came to New York, "Pulp Fiction" star Harvey Keitel took on Springer duties. While physical copies are sparse but available, you can also currently watch "Jerry Springer: The Opera" in its entirety on YouTube if you want to see the depravity for yourself.

In the opera, things start like a typical episode of "The Jerry Springer Show," with rampant fights and adulterous accusations. Suddenly, Springer is shot and finds himself being brought to hell by Satan to do a show for him, with Jesus, Adam, and Eve as some of the guests. It didn't exactly go over well with a certain percentage of the population.

Jerry Springer himself was a fan of the musical, having seen an early version of it in 2002. The talk show host told The Observer, republished by The Guardian, "I only wish I'd thought of it first. I don't object to anything in it. The whole show is tongue-in-cheek, so what is the problem?" However, the show had ample critics, particularly religious groups who objected to the depiction of Jesus and other Christian concepts.

BBC reported on a protest that occurred during the show's run in Birmingham, where one of the dissenters explained, "We're protesting about the show and want to make people aware of what they're going in to see. We think this is a shocking show and we think it's very degrading for society to be faced with this as an evening's entertainment." 

But to the opera's credit, many critics were fond of the proceedings. Kevin Bourke of the Manchester Evening News wrote, "It's vulgar, foul-mouthed and unashamedly blasphemous. But the satirical show ... is also original, provocative and hellishly funny."

David Soul also came to the opera's defense when it received backlash for being broadcast on BBC. Soul said, via Digital Spy, "We have a right to enjoy the quality entertainment that Jerry Springer is. The show wouldn't have got anywhere if it was simply about blasphemy and bad language." Much like "The Jerry Springer Show," the opera may have ruffled some feathers, but if you pay attention closely, you might learn something valuable about the human condition. That's truly the beauty and paradox of what Springer is all about.