It had to happen. And at 3:30 a.m. on Monday, it finally did.

In town for no other reason than to appear on "The Jerry Springer Show," Robert Pruitt, of Alabama, was charged with third-degree assault for allegedly hitting a Texas man "several times in the face" at the Stamford Hampton Inn & Suites. Pruitt suspected the man, who was also due to be on "Springer," of stealing his girlfriend's wallet and prescription drugs, according to Stamford Police Lt. Sean Cooney.

The veritable dress rehearsal occurred in the hotel's lobby, though both men and many other guests of the "Springer Show" were registered on the hotel's fifth floor (i.e., where the party's at).

In an effort to reach a spokesperson for the show, we called phone numbers listed on the show's official MySpace page, which direct strippers, overly hairy men and women and anyone caught in a love triangle to the appropriate producer.

"Springer" spokesman Gary Rosen told us the alleged victim and assailant "were brought in for two separate shows and the altercation had nothing to do with the shows they were here for. But given the circumstance of what happened, neither story will be on the program." (Pruitt's girlfriend was to be on a show with him.)

Rosen had no comment on whether this was a typical pre-show occurrence for the show's guests, who, had they waited a day or so, would've been applauded instead of arrested.