The longest-running court show, Judge Judy, finally wrapped up on July 23, 2021, after 6,280 episodes and 25 seasons. Yes, read that again, you aren’t going to be able to binge-watch this one all at once. If you have not followed Judge Judy since its premiere on September 16, 1996, (because, you know, some of us weren’t even born then), I found the best course of action for you. Here is a link to the best and worst episodes of Judge Judy. Take your pick.
Judge Judy Season 26 Release Date
After a very successful 25-year run that saw the courtroom show winning three Emmy Awards, Judge Judy came to an end on July 23, 2021. The reality court show will not be coming back for season 26. However, a two-year contract has been arranged with CBS for the production company to distribute syndicated reruns of Judge Judy from 2022 to 2023.
Two courtroom spin-offs have also been created by Judy Sheindli, titled Judy Justice, and Tribunal. Judy Justice features Sheindlin as a judge and premieres on November 21, 2021, on Amazon Freevee. Tribunal features Sheindlin’s bailiff, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, and is set to premiere on Amazon Freevee sometime in the fall of 2022.
Judge Judy Season 26 Plot
Judge Judy is an arbitration court show featuring Judy Sheindlin, the world’s most straightforward and hilarious family court judge ever seen on reality TV. (That qualification is not a record thing, although she does hold the Guinness World Record for longest-serving judge or arbiter in a courtroom-themed programming history). Here is how Judge Judy works.
Judge Judy features small claims and non-criminal court cases involving broken relationships, minor property damages, broken contracts, pets, and other equally minor issues. The litigants involved in each lawsuit represent themselves in court, recounting their previously submitted legal statements, and bringing their own witnesses. With a no-nonsense attitude, Judge Judy then judges the case and gives a final ruling. Although her ruling is not technically backed by law, seeing as the courtroom isn’t even a real one. litigants sign a binding contract prior to the bench trial agreeing that Judge Judy’s ruling is final. Litigants can’t take the case anywhere else unless the lawsuit is dismissed ‘without prejudice’.
Financial settlements in each lawsuit are taken out of money set aside by the show for that purpose, which is why any lawsuit brought to court cannot have a settlement over $5000. If Judge Judy perceives foul play, for example, if litigants fabricate a case for financial gain or bring a completely stupid case to court, Judge Judy can completely dismiss the lawsuit. In this case, none of the litigants get the settlement, and might not be paid the appearance fee ($100-500) as well.
Each episode of Judge Judy begins with a cold open trailer that dramatically highlights the most important parts of a case. Through voice-over commentary, we are made to know the details of the lawsuit, like who is suing who and why. Judge Judy then enters the simulated courtroom and the bailiff (Petri Hawkins-Byrd) calls the court to order. The judge summarizes the details of the lawsuit again after which the questioning begins, and witnesses are called to the stand.
Whilst defending themselves, Judge Judy enforced that the litigants maintain eye contact with her, answer questions without hesitating, stand properly, and state verifiable points rather than hearsay. With this no-nonsense attitude, Sheindlin has imparted some remarkable lessons to both the people present in the courtroom and the audience watching from home. She is known for saying it as it is, and her catchphrase, ‘don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining’, which she uses various variations of throughout the show. The point of it all, you don’t and can’t lie to Judge Judy.
Each episode of Judge Judy wraps up with a fourth-wall-breaking segment where litigants share their feelings about the bench trial. However, this segment was skipped in some episodes where litigants were too upset by the court ruling and acted out because of it. In the end, litigants are allowed to file a counterclaim, which is handled the same way as the trial.
Judge Judy Season 26 Cast
Judge Judy was created by Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman for Syndication back in 1996. The arbitration-based courtroom series was directed and executive-produced by Randy Douthit. Judge Judy is presented by Judy Sheindlin as Judge, and Petri Hawkins-Byrd as Bailiff, while Michael J. Still, Jerry Bishop, and Steve Kamer narrated some parts of the show. Judy Sheindlin was originally supposed to present the show until 2006, but Judge Judy was so well-received that they just kept on going for fifteen more years.
The show is a production of Big Ticket Television, and Queen Bee Productions, a CBS Primetime Special. Distribution rights for the show have passed through five companies including Worldvision Enterprise (1996-1999), Paramount Domestic Television (1999-2006), CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-2007), CBS Television Distribution (2007-2021), and CBS Media Ventures for 2022-2023 season 25 syndicated reruns.
Where to Watch Judge Judy
You can watch seasons 1 and 2 of Judge Judy for free with ads on Pluto TV, and the Judge Judy channel. Also, watch out for syndicated reruns on CBS. Judge Judy has a rating of 6/10 on IMDb, but don’t let that discourage you.
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