The inimitable star will be saluted Sept. 22 with the CBS/Paramount+ special 'Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable' If Judge Judith Sheindlin had never been profiled in a “60 Minutes” segment that caught the eye of a TV producer, and if she’d never made the segue into TV jurisprudence with “Judge Judy,” Sheindlin has no doubt what she would have done in the second half of her professional life. I loved the family court. I really did,” Sheindlin tells Variety.
Some you really did get an opportunity — if you broke sweat — and you were able to change a life. And that doesn’t happen to people often.” Sheindlin spoke to Variety in a wide-ranging interview about her 30-plus years in television in advance of the “Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable,” a two-hour special celebrating her career that premieres Sept. 22 on CBS and Paramount+. Sheindlin’s signature style of dispensing no-nonsense rulings and life advice from the New York bench drew the attention of “60 Minutes” correspondent Morley Safer, who profiled her in a 1993 segment.
That segment caught the attention of TV producer Larry Lyttle, who persuaded Sheindlin to try TV through his Big Ticket Television imprint, which was owned by Spelling Entertainment. (Paramount Pictures acquired Spelling in 1999.) “I would have stayed in the family court and that meant retirement at the age of 72,” Sheindlin reflects. We would have moved down south where it was warm in the winter time – a beach condo. I think I would have been very happy, and fulfilled.” But that was not the destiny of the woman known to tens of millions of fans as Judge Judy.
Her syndicated daytime court show single-handedly revived the court show genre after its premiere in 1996. She went on to become one of the most beloved and most-watched personalities in TV. At her peak, Sheindlin was among the highest-paid stars in all of television, commanding more than $45 million a year thanks to the boffo ratings for “Judge Judy.” After more than 30 years in television, Sheindlin has handed the on-air gavel to her son, Adam Levy, who launched his own daytime court show, “Adam’s Law,” with CBS on Sept. 14.
Behind the scenes, however, Sheindlin is busier than ever as a producer with a half-dozen shows airing including “Adam’s Law,” the long-running “Hot Bench,” vintage episodes of “Judge Judy” and the “Judy Justice,” “Tribunal Justice” and “Justice on Trial” series that are available via Amazon Prime Video. Sheindlin’s latest endeavor is to develop content based on the enduring memes that feature a baby’s head superimposed on Sheindlin’s distinctive black robe with lace collar delivering plain-spoken advice. Those memes have zipped around the internet world since memes have existed.
Sheindlin is hoping to tap into all of that existing energy for an animated series dubbed “Baby Judy.” She’s actively developing the property through her Queen Bee Productions banner. Sheindlin promises that the “Baby Judy” show she envisions will offer edgy takes that will get noticed. The boss finally says to forget it, this is not the place for you.
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