zeebre12

Why are there no Judge Judy reruns on cable? Its the most watched daytime program and has rated very well since it started. Is it not allowed to be as its just for syndication? Over in the UK its on 5 channels on satellite and its popular. It's also repeated around the world. But then isn't Dr Phil also on OWN? I know CBS recently acquired the Judge Judy library last year. When/Where do they actually plan on airing older episodes? It's not like Judge Judy is new, it's going 22 years, you'd think it would have been repeated somewhere over the years?

Count Dooku

Because someone somewhere out there wants the kind of people who would watch JJ reruns to go out and get a job instead.

MrRound2

^^

Koby

Never understood how this hack of a Judge managed to stay on air for so long other than airing on TV during a time that non-workers are bored and just willing to watch whatever was on after their soap opera ended. I saw some episodes from time to time and she seemed to always make her mind up the instant she saw the two people and usually ignored everything they said or told them to shut up. How can you rightfully "judge" anything if you don't hear out the stories. You can't.

barelypure

You have to understand how these "judge" shows work. 1st they're not really judges on the show. They may have been a judge at some point in their career but now they're just a mediator. The decisions are decided before you see them on air. Extensive interviews elicits salacious information to make the show more interesting. Both sides get paid for their "performance". In fact everybody gets paid, the bailiff can easily pull down $1/2 million for their contributions.
In case you haven't guessed already I don't watch these shows. I used to a long time ago.

Gizmo

Judge Judy is typically #1 in syndicated ratings each week. Right now she is on a 15 week winning spree.

Its also been widely discussed her cases are real and pulled from small claims court. She is really an arbitrator, not a "judge" in a sense that a real one would be (she was, however, a real judge for many years). Her rulings are binding and they are not done before the show airs.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/29829...udge-judy-have

Plenty of other articles I can link to as well. Yes, people get paid to appear, yes, sometimes it covers all the "fees" JJ may award someone etc., but some of the cases are pulled directly from small claims court as they have an extensive amount of people that scour pending cases that might be good for TV. I've seen and met some of these people before at the court house (TMZ is also there).

Whatever JJ decides is a legally binding contract both parties agree to.

Eric F

I thought the people who appear make money for being on?

I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Frank Gorshin on one of these "judge" shows some years back, maybe JJ or Joe Brown.

fujishig

If it's on every day does it really need reruns?

Rex Fenestrarum

Because it's a first-run syndication show. It's possible that the syndication contracts don't allow the copyright holder to distribute it "off-network" (so to speak).

Also, I'm having a hard time thinking of *any* first-run syndicated shows that were later shown on cable. I'm almost certain some of the later Star Trek series were re-run on a cable channel. It's possible that Mary Hartman Mary Hartman was shown on Nick at Nite at some point. I think the original Muppet Show was on cable at some point... but other than that, I'm drawing a blank for any first-run syndicated shows being on cable.

rw2516

Syfy has shown several shows that were originally syndicated. Babylon 5, Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda, Tales From The Darkside.

Some seasons of Airwolf were Syndicated.
He-Man and G.I Joe were syndicated.

There was a lot of syndication in the 1950s. Most of these shows have slipped into obscurity, but Sea Hunt, Highway Patrol and in particular Adventures of Superman have lived on with cable.

Gizmo

Yes - both parties get paid. If one gets a judgement that is deducted from their payment.

Judge Judy has said many times when people disagree (I.e. I’m not giving that other person the car. Who cares what you say JJ etc) that she hopes they find a way back to their state since she won’t pay the return plane ticket.

Rex Fenestrarum

Wow.. I had no idea Sea Hunt and Adventures of Superman were first-run syndicated!

Defiant1

Judge Judy makes a shit ton of money. I think she's actually the highest paid person on television.

rw2516

The first season or two of Mr. Ed was first run syndication. The show was popular enough that CBS picked it up for the remainder of it's run.

Kdogg

I’m guessing having reruns on cable would dilute the show. It’s like cartoons on Nickelodeon. Most kids don’t care if it’s a new episode or not. They will watch their favorite show regardless. Having more episodes available on different channels makes the first run shows less valuable. Plus where would you put it. It doesn’t really fit with any current channel that I can think of.

Count Dooku

http://www.justicenetworktv.com/

PhantomStranger

Yes, first-run syndication is the easiest and best way to make a lot of money on television. It was how Oprah made herself a billionaire. If you ever go into television for the money, create a successful syndicated program. It's why every two-bit doctor or therapist quits their professional career and starts out in day-time talk. It's far more lucrative than signing a contract as an actor.

Most likely the syndicator is afraid ratings would dip for new episodes if reruns started showing up on cable.

Eric F

Unfortunately nobody wants to watch the Eric F show- not unless they want to watch me watching other TV shows and posting on DVDTalk about it. That's all I got.

PhantomStranger

You never know, all sorts of ridiculous content can gather quite a following on YouTube these days.

I never anticipated that millions of people would want to watch other people play videogames, but here we are.

Eric F

Nobody wants to watch me play videogames.

Nick Danger

Wasn't that the plot of Beavis and Butthead?

Jay G.

The show does rerun... in the summer when they take a break filming.

That said, CBS did spend a lot of money last year to acquire the library of past episodes:
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/jud...on-1202518969/

JuryDuty

Last year when visiting the Phoenix area, I noticed one of the stations was regularly showing an hour block of reruns from a couple years ago. It surprised me because I hadn't seen much in terms of reruns from Judge Judy.

My thought would be that they don't syndicate yet because not much has changed and syndication would take numbers away from the highly lucrative #1 spot she holds on daytime TV. But you can bet when she retires this show will last as long as there's TV.

CPA-ESQ.

Good point - I wondered why it is not available on demand, or on cable.

I record and watch JJ every day.

Her method is very precise - "the story needs to make sense - the motivation, communication between parties, etc."

I use this thinking on a daily basis - for investing, looking at a proposal, negotiation, etc.

That is why she comes into the court with almost a preconceived outcome, because she has had thousands of cases like this before her, and the show makes them write out their complaint and answer in a lot of detail - in NYC small claims court you only have like 200 characters to write your complaint - so it is something simple like "refund of auto repairs" or "payment for services"

If you file a small claims case in NYC, you may receive in the mail a letter from the show asking you if you want to go on the show. Both parties must agree. In exchange you will get a free trip, and the show will pay your judgement (even if you win in small claims - there is no grantee that you will ever collect your judgement), so there is a financial reason for agreeing to be on the show.

Her show is less drama - she controls the pace of the show. Other shows let the 2 parties argue back and forth and the judge just probes for information. Judy has very direct questions.

Gizmo

JJ re-runs all the time when new episodes are not being aired (or one new.one re-reun). Its weird because it some markets its new episodes and in others its reruns (Sep-June). I always have a hard time figuring out when its new, but I have an online tracker which helps me.