Judge Judy is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by retired Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. The show features Sheindlin adjudicating real-life small claims disputes within a simulated courtroom set. All parties involved must sign contracts, agreeing to arbitration under Sheindlin. The series is in first-run syndication and distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Judge Judy, which premiered on September 16, 1996, reportedly revitalized the court show genre. Only two other arbitration-based reality court shows preceded it, The People's Court and Jones and Jury. Sheindlin has been credited with introducing the "tough" adjudicating approach into the judicial genre, which has led to several imitators. The two court shows that outnumber Judge Judy's seasons, The People's Court and Divorce Court, have both lasted via multiple lives of production and shifting arbiters, making Sheindlin's span as a television arbiter the longest.
Stream Judge Judy Now
- ExpressVPN
- From $3.49 per month
About Judge Judy
Judge Judy, an American arbitration-based reality court show that premiered on September 16, 1996, features retired Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin adjudicating real-life small claims disputes within a simulated courtroom. Participants sign contracts agreeing to arbitration under Sheindlin. Distributed by CBS Television Distribution, the show revitalized the court show genre. While The People's Court and Jones and Jury preceded it, Judge Judy introduced the tough adjudicating approach, inspiring many imitators. The People's Court and Divorce Court have more seasons, but Sheindlin holds the record for the longest tenure as a television arbiter.
Cast and Characters
What people like about Judge Judy
TV Show Score
Released
September 16, 1996
Creator
Judith Sheindlin
Cast
Judith Sheindlin, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, Steven Kamer
Genre
Crime