Judge Judy Show
Not long after her retirement in 1996, Sheindlin was approached about possibly starring in a new reality court show, featuring "real cases with real rulings." She accepted the offer.
Sheindlin's syndicated courtroom series, Judge Judy, debuted on September 16, 1996. It wasn't long after the show's debut that it became a success, making Sheindlin a celebrity, well known as a no-nonsense fact-finder, incisive decision-maker, and overall strict adjudicator. The program has been the number one court show since its debut, reportedly the only original show on television to increase its ratings yearly, and has integrated itself into American pop culture.
The show's ratings have been very high, reportedly averaging approximately 10 million viewers daily. It is especially popular among female viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. Author Brendan I. Koerner commented in regard to the popularity of Judge Judy:
| “ | Court-show viewers don't seem to want moral conundrums or technical wrinkles. They love Sheindlin's show because she offers them a fantasy of how they'd like the justice system to operate—swiftly, and without procedural mishaps or uppity lawyers. They get to see wrongdoers publicly humiliated by a strong authority figure. There is no uncertainty after Sheindlin renders her verdict and bounds off the bench, and there certainly are no lengthy appeals. | ” |
Sheindlin resides in Connecticut and New York, and travels to Florida in the winter. She commutes to Los Angeles every other week for two to four days to tape episodes of Judge Judy. In January 2009, Sheindlin extended her contract through 2012–13 (its 17th season) due to high ratings as well as her belief that people are still engaged in the program. Sheindlin admits the show is "seductive" and hard to give up. Said Sheindlin, "I'm not tired. I still feel engaged by what I do and I still have people who like to watch it." During the 2009-2010 season, Judge Judy became the first show in a decade to score a higher number of daytime viewers than The Oprah Winfrey Show. In May 2011, as a result of continued high ratings, CBS Television Distribution announced that the show's contract was extended to 2015.
In regards to her retirement, Sheindlin has stated that it's up to her viewers and when they tire of watching the program, which she believes will inevitably come one day. As of the present, however, Sheindlin stated that fans still seem to be interested and taking something out of the court show. She states that the number one goal of her court show is sending a message to do the right thing and take responsibility.
In 2005 Sheindlin's salary was US$25 million per year. Her net worth at the beginning of 2007 was $95 million and she ranked number 13 on the Forbes magazine top 20 richest women in entertainment. In February 2006, Sheindlin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. References to Sheindlin as "Judge Judy" have appeared on TV shows including NBC's Will & Grace, UPN/The CW's America's Next Top Model, NBC's The Weakest Link, ABC's The Practice and tapings of the Academy Awards, as well as the book America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart. she has also appeared in numerous cable news interviews. In July 2010, Sheindlin's contract was renewed, so she now will receive $45 million per year to tape her show, which is currently the top rated daytime show in the US.
On March 30, 2011, Sheindlin was admitted to the hospital after she fainted on the set of her show. She was released the next day, and it is not known what caused her to faint.
Read more about this topic: Judith Sheindlin
Famous quotes containing the word show:
“I might show facts as plain as day:
But, since your eyes are blind, you’d say,
“Where? What?” and turn away.”
—Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830–1894)