Judge Judy is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
court show featuring former
family courtFor family court in Hong Kong, see Family Court A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children...
judge
Judith SheindlinJudith Sheindlin , better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. She passed the New York bar exam in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In 1976, Mayor Ed Koch appointed her a judge, first in criminal court and...
arbitrating over
small claimsSmall-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction: it may be known by such names as county court or...
cases. The series is in first-run syndication and distributed by
CBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation's three television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television, and King World Productions including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
, the successor company to its previous distributors Worldvision Enterprises,
Paramount Domestic TelevisionParamount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from 1959 to January 17, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
, and
CBS Paramount Domestic TelevisionCBS Paramount Domestic Television was an American television distribution/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by CBS Corporation...
.
Since premiering on September 16, 1996,
Judge Judy has been the ratings leader in courtroom-themed reality-based shows. As of 2009, the
Judge Judy program has been nominated twelve times for
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming....
s. In January 2008,
Judge Judy was extended through the 2012-13 season (the show's seventeenth).
The program earned Sheindlin a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
, which she was awarded in February 2006. Two DVDs have been released; the first in 2007 and the second the following year.
Overview
The show's creation stemmed from
Judith SheindlinJudith Sheindlin , better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. She passed the New York bar exam in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In 1976, Mayor Ed Koch appointed her a judge, first in criminal court and...
's reputation as one of the most outspoken family court judges in the country, becoming the topic of a
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
article in February 1993. The piece caught the attention of
60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American investigative television newsmagazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life,...
, leading to a segment about Sheindlin on the show, which brought her national recognition. This led to her being approached by television producers, who asked her to preside over her own courtroom reality show. The title of her show was originally going to be "Hot Bench." Unhappy with that title, however, Sheindlin convinced her
television producerThe primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
s to change it. Although
Judge Judy is the title of the show, it has also become a nickname for Judith Sheindlin. Judy Sheindlin became the first television judge whose name was included in the title of the show. Randy Douthit and Timothy Regler are the show's
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
s.
At the beginning of each court proceeding, Sheindlin gives a summary of the case; she then questions the parties regarding dates, times, locations, and other matters involved in the lawsuit. Judge Sheindlin demands decorum in her court. She will sometimes chastise participants, even audience members, for showing up in inappropriate clothing, and silence audience outbursts, even if they are in response to quips she herself made. Order is maintained by her bailiff, officer Petri Hawkins-Byrd. After this process, Sheindlin renders the judgment, either by finding for the plaintiff (typically by saying "judgement to the plaintiff in the amount of ... dollars".) or by dismissing the case. When a counterclaim has been filed, it will be handled during the same show segment.
In the first two
commercial breaks, a preview of the upcoming case is shown. When the show returns from the first two commercial breaks, it airs Jerry Bishop's voice-over,
"Real cases! Real people! Judge Judy!", followed by a recap of the current case. After the third commercial break, the voice-over is heard again, providing the show's telephone number and the
websiteA website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network...
to submit cases. Generally each show presents two cases, but infrequently an episode will present a single long case, three shorter ones, or even four shorter ones. At the end of a case, the plaintiff and the defendant express their feelings about the case, although sometimes this part of a case is omitted.
Structure
In order to ensure a full audience, the producers of Judge Judy hire
extrasAn extra, also called a background actor, is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
who comprise the entire gallery. Though tickets are not offered for the show, arrangements can sometimes be made with Sheindlin's production staff to allow fans of the show into the audience. Once all the cases are through, all of the audience members receive payment. The extras must be dressed
formallyFormal dress and formal wear are the general terms for clothing suitable for formal social events, such as a wedding, formal garden party or dinner, débutante cotillion, dance, or race...
and no logos or brand names may be visible on their clothing. Extras are also instructed to appear as if they are having discussions with each other, before and after each case, so the bailiff may make such announcements as "Order! All rise" and "Parties are excused, you may step out". As far as the court cases are concerned however, what is seen on Judge Judy is neither staged nor scripted. The plaintiffs have actually
sueIn law, filing is the act of submitting a document to the clerk of a court for the court's immediate consideration, for storage in the court's files, or both. Courts will not consider motions unless an appropriate memorandum or brief is filed before the appropriate deadline...
d the defendants and that very case is heard and decided upon by Judith Sheindlin. The court show acquires cases by people submitting claims into them via their
websiteA website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network...
or phone number.
The producers' employees call both parties and ask them questions about their case to make sure it is suitable for Judge Judy. If the parties agree to be on the show and sign a
waiverA waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.While a waiver is often in writing, sometimes a person's actions can act as a waiver. An example of a written waiver is a disclaimer, which becomes a waiver when accepted...
, agreeing that
arbitrationArbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, wherein the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
in Sheindlin's court is final and cannot be pursued elsewhere (unless she dismisses the lawsuit
without prejudiceWithin legal civil procedure, prejudice is a loss or injury, and refers specifically to a formal determination against a claimed legal right or cause of action. Thus, in a civil case, dismissal without prejudice is a dismissal that allows for re-filing of the case in the future...
), their case will air on Judge Judy. The award limit on
Judge Judy, as on most 'syndi-court' shows (and most small claims courts in the U.S.), is $5,000. The award for each judgment is paid by the producers of the show, from a fund reserved for each case. About forty percent of the cases are money judgments, while the remaining sixty percent are either dismissed or there is an order for an exchange of property.
Both the
plaintiffA plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
and the
defendantA defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute....
receive $100 for their appearance as well as $35 a day, paid to them by the show. The litigants' stay lasts for the number of days that the show does taping for that week, which is two or three days. In addition, the airfare (or other means of travel) and
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
expenses of the litigants and their
witnessA witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about a crime or dramatic event through their senses , and can help certify important considerations to the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event firsthand is known as an "eye-witness"...
es are covered by the show. If there is an exchange of property, Sheindlin signs an order and a
sheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
or
marshalMarshal is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word derives from Old High German marah "horse" and schalh "servant", and originally meant "stable keeper"...
oversees the exchange. There are no
lawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
s present and participants defend themselves on Judge Judy, as is standard in a small claims court. Sheindlin sees only a half-page complaint and a defense response prior to the taping of the cases, sometimes only moments before. Most of the cases, without any footage deleted to meet the time constraints of the show, usually last anywhere from twelve to forty-five minutes.
Recordings and airings
Three days every other week (two weeks a month), Sheindlin and her producers tape the court show. They usually produce ten to twelve cases for each day they tape the show. A week's worth of episodes consists of approximately ten cases. Anywhere from thirty to thirty-six cases are filmed over the three days they tape per week. However, Sheindlin and her producers sometimes only tape five cases per day and two days per week. The show has fifty-two taping days a year. For each season, some 650 claims are brought to the set to be presided over by Judge Judy. This means approximately 7,150 claims have been brought to Judy Sheindlin's Hollywood set as of the end of its eleventh season (2006-07).
For the most part, cases are taped all throughout the year except for two breaks Sheindlin and all of the members of her show have for the year. One of the two breaks includes an extra week off in December, as the show is only taped one week out of that month because of the holidays. The other break is from mid-July (only taping one week in July) and all through August. According to members of the show, the reason for this break is because people are more interested in taking vacations than in filing lawsuits around that time.
Altogether, there are 260 new
episodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s per season of Judge Judy. There's at least one new episode for every weekday, with the exception of a few
hiatusIn television scheduling, a hiatus refers to a break of at least several weeks in the normal schedule of a television program. It can occur during a season of a television program, or can be between television seasons...
es during most of the summer and a couple of holidays. The cases are all pre-recorded for
editingFilm editing is part of the post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selecting and joining together shots, connecting the resulting sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
purposes and will usually air one to three months after being taped. The cases are mixed up and not shown in order of when they were recorded. While the cases taped in March end the seasons, the cases taped throughout April, May, June, and July start out each season in September and last through the beginning of November.
Throughout the very beginning of each season, two new Judge Judy episodes air per day. After two weeks, it shortens down to one new airing a day, followed by a repeat afterwards. There are also various other moments throughout the year where two new episodes are shown for a few weeks. This usually includes January, when the show returns from its short winter hiatus. Two new episodes are also shown daily during the "sweeps" months of November, February, and May. Unlike most television shows, Judge Judy does not air its
season finaleA season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
in April or May. Rather, it will air its last few new episodes sporadically over the summer months, with many repeats in between, and its season finale taking place some time in July or August.
Location
Judge Judy tapes at the
TribuneKTLA, digital channel 31 and virtual channel 5 via PSIP, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
production studios, now known as Sunset Bronson Studios as of early 2008, on
Sunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
, in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. Every other week, Sheindlin flies out on her private jet to tape Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The Judge Judy set is directly beside the Judge Joe Brown set, in the same studios. Both shows are produced by
Big Ticket EntertainmentBig Ticket Television, Inc. is a production company that is a unit of CBS Television Studios , a division of CBS Corporation since the split of Viacom at the end of 2005....
. The two shows alternate taping weeks.
Despite its California location, the show displays various images of
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
upon returning from commercial breaks, including a subway train that is passing by the camera which reads
World Trade CenterThe World Trade Center was a complex in Lower Manhattan in New York City whose seven buildings were destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 terrorist attacks...
, but is only noticeable if the footage is paused. It also features the phrases "State of New York" and "Family Court" (Sheindlin was previously a New York family court judge) within the
letterboxLetterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
es used going to and from breaks since the ninth season. The set features a
New York State FlagThe Flag of the State of New York is the state's coat of arms on a blue background. It depicts two supporters:* Left: Liberty, with the Revolutionary imagery of a Phrygian cap raised on a pole...
behind Sheindlin's seat. Furthermore, the title sequence features Judge Judy posing in white robes with light emanating from a raised hand, evoking the
Statue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty , officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World , dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship...
and therefore New York City (though it should be noted that Judge Judy is actually posing as
Lady JusticeLady Justice is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.-Depiction:...
, as evidenced by the blindfold over her eyes and the weighing scale suspended from her left hand). Immediately before each episode, the Judge Judy version of Lady Justice is shown lifting the blindfold of neutrality to greet the audience with a mischievous and alluring
winkA wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of communication usually signaling, depending on context, sexual attraction or shared hidden knowledge or intent.-The West:...
.
Alterations
In the past, the show had changed very little from season to season. The show's music and graphics are the only thing that have changed repeatedly over its past twelve years. The ninth season (2004-05) is one of the few seasons in which the show made a major alteration; the Judge Judy intro had been changed drastically. A jazzed version of a theme from
Beethoven'sLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most acclaimed and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, of the Electorate of Cologne and...
5th SymphonySymphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1804–08. This symphony is one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of European classical music, and one of the most often played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata allegro, an...
was adopted as the new theme music. For its scenes, Judge Judy is shown in a different courtroom from her own (part of a proposed renovation to the courtroom but was rejected by Sheindlin for being too dark), approaching the camera, followed by folding her arms, and smiling at the camera. This is followed by showing various scenes of her presiding over different cases.
Before the ninth season, the show used an original tune for their theme music. Various versions of this original tune were used, as the song was altered every few seasons. Used as the scenes for the theme song before the ninth season, was a computer animated approaching scene towards a
courthouseA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America...
, up until that scene entered into the courthouse. From there, several shots of Sheindlin presiding over different cases were displayed, moving from one side to the other. Those shots developed into the courthouse
symbolA symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. For example, a red octagon may stand for "STOP". On maps, crossed sabres may indicate a battlefield...
that represents her program (this symbol is always displayed inside of the
letterA letter is an element in an alphabetic system of writing, such as the Greek alphabet and its descendants. Each letter in the written language is usually associated with one phoneme in the spoken form of the language....
D, in
Judy), by the end of the
theme musicTheme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
. Before these scenes, there was a scene of the courthouse symbol that represents her program, over a green background. Shots of Sheindlin, presiding over different cases, flew into the scene and moved into each of the square-shaped designs of the courthouse, correspondingly.
The colors that represent the show have altered several times over the years. The first couple of seasons of Judge Judy were represented by the colors sea green and
saffronSaffron is a shade of golden yellow resembling color of the tip of the saffron crocus thread, from which the spice saffron is derived.-Saffron:The color saffron is displayed at right.-Deep saffron:...
.
BlueBlue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and saffron represented the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. An array of many bright colors, along with blue and saffron represented the eighth season. Since the ninth season, the various graphics on the show have been
falu redFalu red or Falun red is the name of a Swedish, deep red paint well known for its use on wooden cottages and barns. The paint originated from the copper mine at Falun in Dalarna, Sweden. The traditional colour remains popular today due to its effectiveness in preserving wood.The earliest evidence...
and saffron. As of the twelfth season,
prussian bluePrussian blue is a dark blue pigment – one of the first synthetic pigments – which was synthesized for the first time in Berlin around the year 1706. It was named "Preußisch blau" and "Berlinisch Blau" in 1709 by its first trader...
has been added to the show's
color schemeIn color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in design for a range of media. For example, the use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web design....
for the opening previews of each episode.
The only changes made to the Judge Judy set were all mostly made in the early seasons of the show, which includes: the wooding that takes up most of the courtroom was a much lighter shade of brown in the beginning of the series; the wall behind Judge Judy did not always have the shiny surface it has now, with the black and dark brown color mixture (it used to be plain brown); the fake window display along the sides of the courtroom has gone from displaying designs, to going plain and only showing whiteness, to displaying the current scene of fake buildings; the carpeting was light pink in the beginning of the series; there were two different podiums that were replaced by the two currently used podiums; altogether, Sheindlin has had four different chairs throughout the show's existence. She had three smaller chairs before she got her current chair. Her very first chair was
Persian indigoPersian blue comes in three shades: Persian blue proper—a bright medium blue; medium Persian blue ; and a kind of dark blue that is much closer to indigo; this darker shade of Persian blue is referred to as Persian indigo or dark Persian blue.).Other colors...
, and her second chair was hunter green with diagonal square designs. Sheindlin's third chair was similar to her current chair, only with a lower back behind her shoulders. Though these chairs had low backs, they were all still executive chairs. They were replaced early on by the traditional, executive chair she has been sitting in for the majority of the show's existence. The chair is button-tufted, with a high back and thick padding. It is a
burgundyBurgundy is a shade of purplish red associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name, which in turn is named after the Burgundy region of France. The color Burgundy is similar to other shades of dark red such as maroon. It is often called wine red, or simply wine.The first recorded use of...
leather chair.
Judge Judith Sheindlin
Judge Judy is known for being strict towards either the
defendantA defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute....
or the
plaintiffA plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
. If the litigants attempt to lie or deter from directly answering her questions she is known to become impatient. Because of her straightforwardness of expression and impatience in making litigants get to the point, to keep them from wasting time on irrelevant and unimportant details, Judith Sheindlin is well-known as a no-nonsense
juristA jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
. Combining those qualities with her swift handling of many of the matters brought up throughout the course of each
proceedingLegal proceedings may refer to:* Trial ** Lawsuit, a civil trial** Criminal trial* Hearing ** Administrative hearing** Congressional hearing* Impeachment proceedings* Court orders**Foreclosure**Receivership*Arbitration...
, Judge Judy is touted as,
"A show where justice is dispensed at the speed of light."
Disbelieving many of the questionable affirmations of the parties that appear before her,
lyingA lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others, often with the further intention to maintain a secret or reputation, protect someone's feelings or to avoid a punishment...
is the main problem that the incredulous Judith Sheindlin has with both litigants and their
witnessA witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about a crime or dramatic event through their senses , and can help certify important considerations to the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event firsthand is known as an "eye-witness"...
es. In fact, one of her most popular catchphrases is
"Baloney!", and she is also convinced that
"If something doesn't make sense, it's not true."
Of all her characteristics, Judge Judy is noted most for her very tough, but fair attitude. If a plaintiff files an unreasonable
complaintIn general use, a complaint is an expression of displeasure, such as poor service at a store, or from a local government, etc. In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the basic facts and legal reasons that the filing party believes are sufficient to support a...
, Judge Judy may tell him or her to "get over it." Judge Judy also tends to be highly irascible generally towards both parties that appear before her, mostly in her startling explosions at litigants who speak out of turn, try to argue with her, or ramble. Sheindlin often makes such remarks as "I'm speaking!," "Liar, liar, pants on fire," "Sir, you want to say something to me? You sure you want to say something to me?", and "You mess around with me young lady, I'll wipe the floor with you. We follow each other?" In fact, the show's
taglineA tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
is
Justice with an Attitude. She has explicitly stated that she sometimes sets out to cause embarrassment "in front of ten million people", to someone who has acted badly, as a way of punishing them. Though Sheindlin has a sense of humor as well, it’s normally presented in combination with her gruff disposition. In fact even for reactions to her own humor, she will often say something along the lines of "Hey!" to an audience member who is being too noisy and has occasionally had particularly disruptive audience members removed.
Sheindlin has many catchphrases which are referred to as “Judyisms”. Many of these Judyisms are intended to provide a lesson, such as "Beauty fades, dumb is forever." and "Don't cook a pineapple if you went for a jog." Judge Judy has stated that the main message she wants viewers to take from her show, is that people must take responsibility for their own actions.
Ratings
Judge Judy went on the air in September 1996. By the end of October of that year, the show was averaging only a 1.5 rating, putting it in the midrank of the 159 syndicated shows on the air. At that time, it was never expected that the show's
ratingsNielsen ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
would ever compete with highly successful daytime TV shows, such as
Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. Three contestants compete against each other to solve a word puzzle, similar to those seen in the game hangman...
,
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is a United States syndicated talk show, hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey, and is the highest-rated talk show in American television history...
, and the now cancelled
The Rosie O'Donnell ShowThe Rosie O'Donnell Show was an American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
. According to Sheindlin's
biographyA biography is a description or account of someone's life and the times, which is usually published in the form of a book or essay, or in some other form, such as a film. An autobiography is a biography of a person's life written or told by that same person...
, producers of her show were disappointed that the show was barely making it on the radar. However, it didn't take long for
Judge Judy to pick up momentum, as the show rose to a 2.1 rating by the end of that first season. By the end of the second season (1997-98), the court show had already risen into the 4 ranges, as stated in Judy Sheindlin's
biographyA biography is a description or account of someone's life and the times, which is usually published in the form of a book or essay, or in some other form, such as a film. An autobiography is a biography of a person's life written or told by that same person...
video.
Judge Judy's ratings more than doubled to 5.6 for her third season (1998-99), making her show an early success. This led to the creation of
Judge Mills LaneJudge Mills Lane is a syndicated American courtroom show that ran from August 17, 1998 to August 31, 2001. Reruns later aired on The National Network . The show was produced by John Tomlin and Bob Young for Hurricane Entertainment Corporation, and distributed by Rysher Entertainment . The show's...
(lasting four seasons) and
Judge Joe Brown (into its tenth season as of 2007), both are also by Paramount Television. In fact, it was because of her impressive ratings that year that
The People's CourtThe People's Court is an American television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration. The People's Court was the first reality court show that did not use actors...
producers decided to replace
Ed KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.-Early life:...
with Judge Judy's husband,
Jerry SheindlinGerald Sheindlin , was a judge on the television show The People's Court from 1999 to 2001. Before that, he served on the New York State Supreme Court....
. However, he lasted only two years on
The People's Court, from 1999 to 2001, before being replaced by
Marilyn MilianMarilyn Milian, Esq. , is a former Florida state circuit court judge and currently presides over the American television program The People's Court. She is the first female judge to preside over the long-running show and the first Hispanic judge to sit on the bench of any English language...
.
During her fourth season (1999-00), Judy's ratings exploded, peaking at a 9.3, just as
Judge MathisJudge Mathis is a syndicated television legal reality show produced originally by Black Pearl Productions. In 2008, it entered its tenth season produced by And Syndicated Productions and Telepictures. It is taped at NBC Tower in Chicago, but includes cases and litigants from other U.S....
was created, and
Divorce CourtDivorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
was revived; both court shows, having made it to their ninth seasons as of the 2007-08 season. Because of Judge Judy's success, the court show aired at better time periods. At that point, Sheindlin's show was even surpassing the Oprah Winfrey Show (
King World ProductionsKing World Productions, Inc. was a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
which launched Oprah was a corporate sibling of CBS Television Studios, which distributed
Judge Judy). Not only was Judge Judy reported as the top-rated court show, but the top-rated daytime TV show at this point.
Over the next three years, however, the ratings for Judge Judy declined. This decline started in the court show's fifth season (2000-01) and lasted through its seventh season (2002-03). Sheindlin finally reversed this downward turn when her ratings average increased to a 7.1 for her eighth season (2003-04). Of the seven running court shows during the 2004-05 season, most of them earned a 3.63 rating. All of them, that is, except for Judge Judy, which pulled in a 7.8 rating for that season (the show's ninth). For her tenth season (2005-06), Judge Judy averaged a 4.8 rating. Court show ratings for the 2006-07 season: Judge Judy averaged 4.6 rating for her eleventh season;
Judge Joe Brown averaged a 2.9 rating;
The People’s Court averaged a 2.7;
Judge Mathis averaged a 2.4;
Divorce Court averaged a 2.0;
Judge AlexJudge Alex is a United States syndicated courtroom television show that debuted September 12, 2005. The host/arbitrator is the Hon. Alex Ferrer, a former police officer, lawyer, and Florida judge. The show is produced in Houston at the television studios of Fox's KRIV , as was previously done with...
averaged 1.9;
Judge HatchettJudge Hatchett is a nationally-syndicated American television program produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It starred The Honorable Glenda Hatchett and was modeled after other "court shows" such as Judge Judy and the long running The People's Court, as well as containing elements...
averaged a 1.5; rookies--
Cristina's Court averaged a 1.4, and
Judge Maria Lopez came in last, averaging a 1.0 rating.
Judge Judy producer Randy Douthit says that "they are guilty of cannibalizing each other. Most of these court shows are lucky to get above a 1 rating today."
As of the early to mid stages of the show's twelfth season, the ratings for Judge Judy have been located in the four to five range. The court show averaged a 4.4 for its premiere week of September 10, 2007. It scored the same numbers for the following week of September 16. For both weeks of September 24 and September 30, Judge Judy averaged a 4.6 rating. The court show finished out the week of October 7 with a two percent increase in its ratings, averaging a 4.7. For the week of October 14, nearly every court show remained the same or fell in ratings except for Judge Judy, which rose two percent once again, averaging a 4.8. The following week of October 21 ended with yet another two percent gain for the court show, as Judge Judy averaged a 4.9 rating. The week of October 28 saw Judy's ratings up two percent more, at a 5.0. For the week of November 4, however, Sheindlin's ratings decreased six percent, averaging a 4.7. In conjunction with the following week of November 11, Judge Judy elevated 8%, averaging a 5.1 rating. For the week of November 18, Judge Judy's ratings lowered 2% to a 5.0. For the week of November 25, Judge Judy sunk 2% again, averaging a 4.9 rating. For the week of January 13, Judge Judy averaged a 5.3 rating. For the week of January 27, Judge Judy averaged a 5.6 season-high rating.
The ratings for Judge Judy have made it one of the top ten syndicated daytime television shows. As of the early to mid stages of its twelfth season, the show's rankings has fallen mostly in fourth place among daytime television shows. In relation to the 2007-08 television season, Judge Judy is the only syndicated show to increase in ratings over the previous
seasonA season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
.
Judge Judy is reportedly watched by ten million people daily. Judge Judy's daytime audience is composed of approximately seventy-five percent women and twenty-five percent men.
Criticisms
One of Sheindlin's critics is
Joseph WapnerJoseph Albert Wapner is a former American judge and TV personality of the real-life courtroom-style show The People's Court, which ran in syndication from 1981 - 1993 for 2,484 episodes...
, who was the first
starA celebrity is a person who is famously recognized in a society or culture.Generally speaking, a celebrity is someone who gets media attention and most frequently has an extroverted personality. The desire to be notable is implied by some to be a part of Western culture and more specifically the...
of reality courtroom shows. He presided over
The People's CourtThe People's Court is an American television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration. The People's Court was the first reality court show that did not use actors...
from 1981 to 1993. On November 26, 2002, Joseph Wapner criticized Judge Judy's courtroom behavior, stating, "She is not portraying a judge as I view a judge should act. Judge Judy is discourteous, and she's abrasive. She's not slightly insulting. She's insulting in capital letters." Judge Judy replied through her publicist, stating, "I refuse to engage in similar mud slinging. I don't know where or by whom Judge Wapner was raised. But my parents taught me when you don't have something nice to say about someone, say nothing. Clearly, Judge Wapner was absent on the day that lesson was taught." Since then, Wapner has stated, "She is a disgrace to the profession. She does things I don't think a judge should do. She tells people to shut up. She's rude. She's arrogant. She demeans people. If she does this on purpose, then that's even worse. Judges need to observe certain standards of conduct. She just doesn't do it and I resent that. The public is apt to gain the impression that this is how actual judges conduct themselves. It says
'judge' on the nameplate on the bench and she's wearing a robe."
While the cases on
Judge Judy are actual small claims court cases, the show is not a court of law, but rather an arbitration, and all parties must sign contracts agreeing to arbitration under Sheindlin. Even this status has been disputed: in
Doo Wop Shoppe Ltd. v. Ralph Edwards, syndi-court justice was determined not to be an actual form of arbitration because a third party pays part of the cost of the judgment. This decision was subsequently overturned.
The
American Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
notes that:
"B.M. v. D.L.", the Family Court of Kings County, New York, overturned part of a Judge Judy decision. The parties had appeared in front of Judge Judy over a dispute involving personal property. However, Judge Judy made a decision involving child custody and visitation. The court overturned the custody and visitation part of her decision on two grounds. First, it was a matter that was not covered by the agreement to arbitrate. Second, as a matter of public policy, an arbitrator could not decide child custody and visitation rights. Considering that Judy had been a judge in New York’s family court, it is particularly ironic that she decided to overstep her arbitral authority on this particular issue.
External links
- JudgeJudy.com – the show's official homepage
- Syndi-Court Justice: Judge Judy and Exploitation of Arbitration – a critical essay on small-claims arbitration shows, at the website of the American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...