TV

An Ode To Judge Judy, The Most Savage Woman To Ever Grace Daytime Television

The only person we let judge us in this house is the one Miss Judge Judy.

by Michelle Rennex  4 March 2020
judge judy savage

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Yesterday, Judge Judy Sheindlin announced that after 25 seasons of Judge Judy, this year would be the last for the show.

While on Ellen, Judge Judy lightly spilled the tea on her departure from the CBS network. After 24 years on air, Judge Judy explained that CBS were keen to “utilise repeats” of the program which called an end to the original, beloved courtroom show.

“I’ve had a 25-year-long marriage with CBS, and it’s been successful,” Judge Judy told Ellen. “Next year will be our 25th season, silver anniversary, and CBS, I think, sort of felt they wanted to optimally utilise the repeats of my program, because now they have 25 years of re-runs.”

Thankfully, however, the shift away from CBS isn’t the end of Judge Judy’s courtroom antics. As the interview continued, Judge Judy shared that her new show, Judy Justice, would come out sometime in the next couple of years on a different network.

Until then, new Judge Judy episodes will play over until next year with re-runs to follow. While great news for the 77-year-old millionaire judge, the end of Judge Judy as we know it a major thing for anyone born in the 1990s.

Judge Judy was the show that gave our generation a warm hug whenever we were home sick from school. The ultimate sick-day Channel 10 trifecta of Dr. Phil, Ready, Steady Cook and the old faithful Judge Judy was just so reliable. Then Huey from Huey’s Cooking Adventure was really just the suspender-wearing cherry on top of it all.

Even if you weren’t home sick, if you were lucky enough to get home before 3.30pm, you’d just be able to catch the most sassy woman any of us had ever seen before. Her lace-trimmed collar, Karen haircut before Karen was even a thing, and no-bullshit take on petty-ass crimes was everything any of us needed as 12-year-olds.

Keep Receipts

Simply put, Judge Judy was easily the most savage woman to ever grace daytime television. While at times she could come off as harsh, Judy just knew what she was doing. Before she even started her series, Judge Judy spent 20 years in New York’s rough family court system as a judge. This means by 2020, Judge Judy has had over 38 years as a judge and has likely seen all that can happen in a courtroom.

To those watching at home, it can be frustrating to see a judge literally shush a defendant or plaintiff as they try to tell their side of the story. But Judge Judy’s direct approach isn’t to make an uneven trial, in fact, it makes the courtroom even fairer. She just doesn’t want to hear the fluff version of the story — Judy wants the hard facts only so that she can pick at the events to find the true case winner.

Personally, watching Judge Judy taught me a lot that I wouldn’t otherwise know. Say “your honour”, dress right, speak only when spoken to, only talk in the present and for myself, and most importantly, keep any and all receipts.

Judge Judy was truly the first to stress the importance of keeping receipts. Whether it’s for cancelling someone or for proof of a deal, receipts will truly be what makes or breaks your ass in life. And for that tip, I can thank the one and only Judge Judy Sheindlin.

An Icon Of Justice Television

Above all, no matter your thoughts are on the iconic judge, Judge Judy undoubtably paved way for all the similarly bonkers court shows that we have today like Judge Mathis, Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and Couples Court with the Cutlers.

While everyone’s working relationships on other court shows are good, none will ever live up to real-life angel Byrd. Judge Judy’s relationship with her bailiff, Byrd, is truly something that simply cannot be replicated or replaced. Petri Hawkins Byrd has been by Judy’s side since the very start and acts as a very necessary balance in Miss Sheindlin’s  sometimes hectic courtroom.

Even though we have no idea what Judy Justice will be about, it’s highly likely that Byrd will join Judge Judy on her next adventure. If not, he should have more than enough to retire with considering his million dollar plus yearly salary over the past two decades.

In conclusion, Judge Judy has solidified her place as one of television’s most savage and most loved characters of all time. And while no one can ever live up to her matter-of-fact way of dealing with law, Judge Judy‘s 25 years of (deserved) success has easily carved a place for law-based shows in broadcast tv for a long time to come.