The People's Court
Encyclopedia
The People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court
cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration
.
The People's Court (1981) was the first reality court show that did not use actors, but showed the actual cases with the actual parties involved. Prior to The People's Court, popular TV courtroom shows such as Traffic Court (1957) and People's Court of Small Claims (1959) only presented recreated or fictional cases (as did radio before that).
Originally taped in Los Angeles
, it first ran in syndication from September 14, 1981 to May 21, 1993 for 2,484 ½-hour episodes, with reruns airing until September 9, 1994. Reruns later aired on the USA Network
from October 16, 1995 to June 6, 1997. Currently taped in New York City
, it has run in its present 1-hour format since September 8, 1997.
When John Masterson devised the original camera-in-court concept in 1975, he first pitched it to Monty Hall
, the producer and host of the game show, Let's Make a Deal
, and his partner, producer-writer Stefan Hatos, but the networks did not buy it. It was then pitched for the first run syndication market, and did sell. John Masterson, who many consider a pioneer and originator of "reality TV" also created "Bride and Groom" and "Breakfast In Hollywood".
The series was executive produced by Ralph Edwards
, who also created and hosted the documentary show This Is Your Life
, and Stu Billett, who later went on to create Moral Court
.
. Rusty Burrell was his bailiff
, Jack Harrell was the announcer, and Doug Llewelyn was the host and court reporter, who would announce the matter of the dispute at the beginning of each trial. He would also interview the plaintiff and the defendant after the court ruling, to gauge their responses to the verdict. Llewelyn would often end each episode with a jaunty "Don't take the law into your own hands: you take 'em to court", which became something of a 1980s catchphrase. If a case ended with a verdict for the defendant, however, Llewelyn would instead end the episode by saying, "If someone files a lawsuit against you and yet you're convinced you've done nothing wrong, don't be intimidated. Just be sure to stand up for your rights: go to court".
The cases often had pun-related names, such as "The Case of the Overdone Underthings" and "A Head with a Beer on It".
Judge Wapner would greet his litigants by saying, "I know you've been sworn. I've read your complaint..."
Occasionally, if an episode wrapped up a few minutes early, Judge Wapner would field questions from the courtroom observers, or there would be commentary from the legal consultant explaining the legal reasons behind Judge Wapner's decisions.
The People's Court deals in small claims matters. When the show premiered in 1981, litigants could not sue for more than US$1,500, which was the limit for small claims court at the time in California. As the laws in California changed, so did this amount. By the end of the original run in 1993, litigants could sue for up to US$5,000, which is now the law in most states.
Researchers for the show would examine small claims filings in Southern California
and approach the plaintiff and defendant in interesting cases. The producers would offer to have Judge Wapner arbitrate the dispute if they would agree to dismiss their action and be bound by Judge Wapner's decision. Through this approach, the show could get real people with real cases. However, even though the show is decorated and run like a real courtroom, it is not a real court or part of any judicial system, but instead a form of binding arbitration
.
The losing party does not actually need to pay the judgment, as such. Instead (as is stated in the disclaimer at the end of each show), both parties are paid from a fund (set up by Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions). This fund was based on the amount of the lawsuit claim, but an exact formula was not stated. The fund was to be first divided equally, then any monetary judgment ordered was subtracted from the loser's half (and presumably both halves in the case of cross judgments). Each litigant received at least what remained of their half in shows concluding with that disclaimer.
The disclaimer did not call this fund an "appearance fee", a term which appeared later in connection with The People's Court and other court shows. There may have been a later period when The People's Court paid the judgment, plus expenses and only a modest appearance fee to each litigant.
This version of the show was referenced repeatedly in the 1988
film Rain Man
. In the movie, autistic
savant
Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman
) compulsively watches the show, recites the entire opening monologue and frequently refers to the show as "Wapner", in reference to the show's presiding judge.
deals with matters up to US$7,500 (depending on the statutory maximum in the claimant's state), although the show did have a case where all four plaintiffs each sued the defendant for US$5,000 each; this case was dismissed. Another case during the Koch run (the second-season premiere) featured a US$15,000 lawsuit based upon the laws of the state of Florida
. One case on the Marilyn Milian version featured a case where the plaintiff had four separate lawsuits against the defendant for a total of US$20,000.
When the new People's Court premiered in 1997 former New York newscaster Carol Martin of WCBS-TV
hosted from a studio with Harvey Levin
, who was involved with the prior edition of the series as a legal consultant, serving as a co-host in the field taking questions and opinions from people at the Manhattan Mall
, then returning to the studio at the end of the show for a wrap-up. Curt Chaplin was hired to serve as the show's announcer and court reporter, which he still does to this day.
Several months into the run Martin departed the series for reasons that were never explained and Levin became the series' sole host. The studio segments were done away with and Levin hosted the entire episodes from the viewing area, which eventually moved from the Manhattan Mall to the Times Square visitors' center. Since Levin is now based in Los Angeles with TMZ
, the viewing area has moved to the Third Street Promenade
in Santa Monica, California
while production of The People's Court remains in New York.
The new version of the show has been headed by three judges since its premiere.
The season premiere begins September 12, 2011.
mayor Ed Koch
presided over the court from 1997 to 1999. Judge Jerry Sheindlin
(husband of former New York Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin
, the presiding "judge" over the court show Judge Judy
) sat on the bench from September 13, 1999 to March 9, 2001. Less stern than his wife, Jerry Sheindlin displayed more humor and was straightforward, often registering mock indignation whenever litigants referred to him (as they sometimes did) as "Judge Judy's husband."
replaced Sheindlin as the judge. Marilyn Milian's bailiff on the show is Douglas McIntosh.
In 2008, The People's Court, under Judge Milian's reign, was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award under a new Courtroom/Legal Show category created by the academy. In 2009 and 2010, the show was nominated again for the Daytime Emmy Award under the same category, but did not win.
In November 2009, The People's Court welcomed back Judge Joseph A. Wapner to preside over a case for his 90th birthday.
's talk show
on ITV
in 2005. The court reporter was Carol Smillie
, the male judge was Jerome Lynch and the female judge was Rhonda Anderson. The show failed and was not re-commissioned.
and, later, Metromedia
in Los Angeles, before moving to The Production Group. In New York City, The People's Court first taped episodes at the NEP/Image studios in the former Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Pennsylvania
, which was also the studio for the talk show
Maury
. Since 1998, the show has taped at the MTI Studios on the 8th Floor at 401 Fifth Avenue, where the courtroom received a makeover in 1998. In 2006, the MTI Studios was sold to NEP/Image. At the end credits of some episodes, it says the show is taped at the NEP/Image studios. The former MTI studios are officially part of NEP Broadcasting
's NEP Penn Studios
The aired episodes are sometimes spliced together in a different order from which they are taped. This is why the judge's blouse color may change and why there may be fewer courtroom observers during the second half of the show than there are during the first half.
The People's Court is "A Ralph Edwards
-Stu Billett Production". Telepictures Corporation
was the original distributor of the series. Through the latter acquisition of Lorimar-Telepictures
, the distribution rights to The People's Court now rest with Warner Bros. Television Distribution
.
Later, the show opened with:
In the 1997 revival the line was:
When Marilyn Milian replaced Sheindlin in 2001, the previous intro was revised:
Later, Milian's intro was revised:
Then the opening was changed to:
After a few months the soundbites of Judge Milian's voice were dropped from the opening, and the wording of Curt Chaplin's introduction was slightly changed:
In September 2009, the new opening was revealed when the new season premiered:
"Both the plaintiff and the defendant have been paid from a fund for their appearance. The amount, if any, awarded in the case, is deducted from this fund, and the remainder is divided equally between both litigants. The amount of the fund is dependent on the size of the judgment." No information is given as to what relation the amount of the fund bears to the size of the judgment, nor the amount of the fund if a verdict for the defense is rendered.
In a talk show appearance, Judge Wapner gave a few more specifics as to how compensation was typically calculated. In his words, if the plaintiff won, the show would pay his/her judgment and give the defendant $50 for his time, whereas if the defendant won, the parties would "split $500."
In 1989, a litigant sued the producers, claiming, "I was only willing to appear because they guaranteed me $1,500. I never would have appeared on that show and made a fool out of myself for a chintzy $250." (In response, an associate producer said that before going on the show, participants are given a packet of information "where everything is clearly outlined to the nth degree.")
(British PRS
, affil. BMI
). Rapper Nelly
sampled it for his song "Iz U
", from the film The Haunted Mansion
, and also featured on his album Da Derrty Versions. The tune was also used in two episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants
and "Blue Harvest"
, the sixth season premiere episode of Family Guy
. This theme was also used on an episode of WWE Raw
in "The Trial of Eric Bischoff
" and first featured in 'Barbara Broadcast'. The song was used in the 1980 film The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue. Jay-Z also recorded a song called "People's Court" which sampled the theme.
The theme music also appears in the movie "Malibu High" (1979). It is played during the chase scene near the end of the film. It is also used as the theme music for the Balls of Steel
segment 'Big Gay Following'. They also used the same theme song on one show called "Boy Meets World
". There is also a sample from Frankie Valli's song "Who Loves You".
network's science fiction
show Sliders
as himself in the parallel world version of this program where, as a Soviet judge, he sentences Rembrandt Brown
to 15 years in the Alaskan gulag
for being a subversive. The parody show's logo uses a faux Cyrillic
"Я" in place of the "R" in "Court".
The show's opening, where the announcer introduces the litigants in a dramatic fashion, is commonly imitated. Judge Milian's mannerisms and catchphrases have also been the subjects of comedy sketches on shows such as MADtv
.
The December 21, 2009 edition of WWE Raw
in Tampa, Florida
featured a parody skit called the "Little People's Court", in which Degeneration X members Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
had to appear before a mock makeshift court of dwarves to testify about their continued mistreating of Hornswoggle. The videos that were shown during the "trial" even used the litigant introduction music of the original People's Court theme.
In the show SpongeBob SquarePants, whenever a character has to go to court, the same opening music is played and the trial is conducted in a form similar to The People's Court.
Small claims court
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction; it may be known as a county or magistrate's court...
cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
.
The People's Court (1981) was the first reality court show that did not use actors, but showed the actual cases with the actual parties involved. Prior to The People's Court, popular TV courtroom shows such as Traffic Court (1957) and People's Court of Small Claims (1959) only presented recreated or fictional cases (as did radio before that).
Originally taped in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, it first ran in syndication from September 14, 1981 to May 21, 1993 for 2,484 ½-hour episodes, with reruns airing until September 9, 1994. Reruns later aired on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
from October 16, 1995 to June 6, 1997. Currently taped in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, it has run in its present 1-hour format since September 8, 1997.
When John Masterson devised the original camera-in-court concept in 1975, he first pitched it to Monty Hall
Monty Hall
Monte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
, the producer and host of the game show, Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, and his partner, producer-writer Stefan Hatos, but the networks did not buy it. It was then pitched for the first run syndication market, and did sell. John Masterson, who many consider a pioneer and originator of "reality TV" also created "Bride and Groom" and "Breakfast In Hollywood".
The series was executive produced by Ralph Edwards
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
, who also created and hosted the documentary show This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
, and Stu Billett, who later went on to create Moral Court
Moral Court
Moral Court was a court show that was hosted by Larry Elder, and originally ran from 2000 to 2001.The program had the same concept as a legality court show however the cases were based on ethics and morality with the winner of the case leaving with a cash prize. The judge decides after hearing the...
.
Original version
The judge from the show's original 12 years was Joseph WapnerJoseph Wapner
Joseph Albert Wapner is a former American judge and TV personality of the real-life courtroom-style show The People's Court, which ran in syndication from 1981 to 1993 for 2,484 episodes....
. Rusty Burrell was his bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
, Jack Harrell was the announcer, and Doug Llewelyn was the host and court reporter, who would announce the matter of the dispute at the beginning of each trial. He would also interview the plaintiff and the defendant after the court ruling, to gauge their responses to the verdict. Llewelyn would often end each episode with a jaunty "Don't take the law into your own hands: you take 'em to court", which became something of a 1980s catchphrase. If a case ended with a verdict for the defendant, however, Llewelyn would instead end the episode by saying, "If someone files a lawsuit against you and yet you're convinced you've done nothing wrong, don't be intimidated. Just be sure to stand up for your rights: go to court".
The cases often had pun-related names, such as "The Case of the Overdone Underthings" and "A Head with a Beer on It".
Judge Wapner would greet his litigants by saying, "I know you've been sworn. I've read your complaint..."
Occasionally, if an episode wrapped up a few minutes early, Judge Wapner would field questions from the courtroom observers, or there would be commentary from the legal consultant explaining the legal reasons behind Judge Wapner's decisions.
The People's Court deals in small claims matters. When the show premiered in 1981, litigants could not sue for more than US$1,500, which was the limit for small claims court at the time in California. As the laws in California changed, so did this amount. By the end of the original run in 1993, litigants could sue for up to US$5,000, which is now the law in most states.
Researchers for the show would examine small claims filings in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and approach the plaintiff and defendant in interesting cases. The producers would offer to have Judge Wapner arbitrate the dispute if they would agree to dismiss their action and be bound by Judge Wapner's decision. Through this approach, the show could get real people with real cases. However, even though the show is decorated and run like a real courtroom, it is not a real court or part of any judicial system, but instead a form of binding arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
.
The losing party does not actually need to pay the judgment, as such. Instead (as is stated in the disclaimer at the end of each show), both parties are paid from a fund (set up by Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions). This fund was based on the amount of the lawsuit claim, but an exact formula was not stated. The fund was to be first divided equally, then any monetary judgment ordered was subtracted from the loser's half (and presumably both halves in the case of cross judgments). Each litigant received at least what remained of their half in shows concluding with that disclaimer.
The disclaimer did not call this fund an "appearance fee", a term which appeared later in connection with The People's Court and other court shows. There may have been a later period when The People's Court paid the judgment, plus expenses and only a modest appearance fee to each litigant.
This version of the show was referenced repeatedly in the 1988
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
film Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
. In the movie, autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
savant
Savant syndrome
Savant syndrome , sometimes referred to as savantism, is a rare condition in which people with developmental disorders have one or more areas of expertise, ability, or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations...
Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
) compulsively watches the show, recites the entire opening monologue and frequently refers to the show as "Wapner", in reference to the show's presiding judge.
New version
Today, the small claims courtSmall claims court
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction; it may be known as a county or magistrate's court...
deals with matters up to US$7,500 (depending on the statutory maximum in the claimant's state), although the show did have a case where all four plaintiffs each sued the defendant for US$5,000 each; this case was dismissed. Another case during the Koch run (the second-season premiere) featured a US$15,000 lawsuit based upon the laws of the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. One case on the Marilyn Milian version featured a case where the plaintiff had four separate lawsuits against the defendant for a total of US$20,000.
When the new People's Court premiered in 1997 former New York newscaster Carol Martin of WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
hosted from a studio with Harvey Levin
Harvey Levin
Harvey Robert Levin is an American television producer, lawyer, legal analyst and a celebrity reporter. He is the founder of celebrity gossip website TMZ.com.-Education:...
, who was involved with the prior edition of the series as a legal consultant, serving as a co-host in the field taking questions and opinions from people at the Manhattan Mall
Manhattan Mall
The Manhattan Mall, one of the few traditional indoor malls in New York City, is located at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue. There are entrances to the 34th Street – Herald Square subway station and the 33rd Street PATH station, on the second basement level.This mall is a high-traffic shopping venue...
, then returning to the studio at the end of the show for a wrap-up. Curt Chaplin was hired to serve as the show's announcer and court reporter, which he still does to this day.
Several months into the run Martin departed the series for reasons that were never explained and Levin became the series' sole host. The studio segments were done away with and Levin hosted the entire episodes from the viewing area, which eventually moved from the Manhattan Mall to the Times Square visitors' center. Since Levin is now based in Los Angeles with TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
, the viewing area has moved to the Third Street Promenade
Third Street Promenade
The Third Street Promenade is a public entertainment venue in the downtown area of Santa Monica, California. It is considered a premier shopping and dining district on the Westside and draws crowds from all over Los Angeles County...
in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
while production of The People's Court remains in New York.
The new version of the show has been headed by three judges since its premiere.
The season premiere begins September 12, 2011.
Ed Koch and Jerry Sheindlin
Former New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mayor Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
presided over the court from 1997 to 1999. Judge Jerry Sheindlin
Jerry Sheindlin
Gerald "Jerry" Sheindlin is an American author and television personality, he was also a judge on the television show The People's Court from 1999 to 2001...
(husband of former New York Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy, and is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick...
, the presiding "judge" over the court show Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
) sat on the bench from September 13, 1999 to March 9, 2001. Less stern than his wife, Jerry Sheindlin displayed more humor and was straightforward, often registering mock indignation whenever litigants referred to him (as they sometimes did) as "Judge Judy's husband."
Marilyn Milian
On March 12, 2001, Marilyn MilianMarilyn Milian
Marilyn Milian, , is a former Florida state circuit court judge and currently presides over the American television program The People's Court. She is the first female judge to preside over the long-running show and the second longest-running judge overall.-Early life and education:Born to Cuban...
replaced Sheindlin as the judge. Marilyn Milian's bailiff on the show is Douglas McIntosh.
In 2008, The People's Court, under Judge Milian's reign, was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award under a new Courtroom/Legal Show category created by the academy. In 2009 and 2010, the show was nominated again for the Daytime Emmy Award under the same category, but did not win.
In November 2009, The People's Court welcomed back Judge Joseph A. Wapner to preside over a case for his 90th birthday.
British version
A British version of the show was produced by STV Productions (then known as "SMG TV Productions") to replace Trisha GoddardTrisha Goddard
Patricia "Trisha" Goddard is a British television presenter and actress best known for her morning talk show, Trisha Goddard, which is broadcast on a mid morning slot on Channel 5 in the UK. In Australia she is known as a long time presenter of Play School.-Background:Goddard was born in London,...
's talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 2005. The court reporter was Carol Smillie
Carol Smillie
Carol Patricia Smillie is a Scottish television personality, model and actress. Smillie is well-known for presenting the award winning BBC series Changing Rooms, which won her a National Television Award for Most Popular Factual Programme in 1998.She became the hostess of the British version of...
, the male judge was Jerome Lynch and the female judge was Rhonda Anderson. The show failed and was not re-commissioned.
Production
The 1981–93 version was initially taped at Golden West BroadcastersKTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
and, later, Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
in Los Angeles, before moving to The Production Group. In New York City, The People's Court first taped episodes at the NEP/Image studios in the former Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Pennsylvania
Hotel Pennsylvania
The Hotel Pennsylvania is a hotel located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City.- History :...
, which was also the studio for the talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
Maury
Maury (TV series)
Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
. Since 1998, the show has taped at the MTI Studios on the 8th Floor at 401 Fifth Avenue, where the courtroom received a makeover in 1998. In 2006, the MTI Studios was sold to NEP/Image. At the end credits of some episodes, it says the show is taped at the NEP/Image studios. The former MTI studios are officially part of NEP Broadcasting
NEP Broadcasting
NEP Broadcasting, LLC is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based privately owned international production company that provides outsourced teleproduction services for major events throughout the world....
's NEP Penn Studios
The aired episodes are sometimes spliced together in a different order from which they are taped. This is why the judge's blouse color may change and why there may be fewer courtroom observers during the second half of the show than there are during the first half.
The People's Court is "A Ralph Edwards
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
-Stu Billett Production". Telepictures Corporation
Telepictures
Telepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
was the original distributor of the series. Through the latter acquisition of Lorimar-Telepictures
Lorimar-Telepictures
Lorimar-Telepictures was a production and television syndication firm established in 1986 with the merger of Lorimar and Telepictures until both TV divisions became separate in 1988...
, the distribution rights to The People's Court now rest with Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed circa 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros...
.
Opening monologue
When the original People's Court first hit the air, The monologue was as follows:Later, the show opened with:
In the 1997 revival the line was:
When Marilyn Milian replaced Sheindlin in 2001, the previous intro was revised:
Later, Milian's intro was revised:
Then the opening was changed to:
After a few months the soundbites of Judge Milian's voice were dropped from the opening, and the wording of Curt Chaplin's introduction was slightly changed:
In September 2009, the new opening was revealed when the new season premiered:
Litigant compensation
At the end of each show, the following disclaimer appears:"Both the plaintiff and the defendant have been paid from a fund for their appearance. The amount, if any, awarded in the case, is deducted from this fund, and the remainder is divided equally between both litigants. The amount of the fund is dependent on the size of the judgment." No information is given as to what relation the amount of the fund bears to the size of the judgment, nor the amount of the fund if a verdict for the defense is rendered.
In a talk show appearance, Judge Wapner gave a few more specifics as to how compensation was typically calculated. In his words, if the plaintiff won, the show would pay his/her judgment and give the defendant $50 for his time, whereas if the defendant won, the parties would "split $500."
In 1989, a litigant sued the producers, claiming, "I was only willing to appear because they guaranteed me $1,500. I never would have appeared on that show and made a fool out of myself for a chintzy $250." (In response, an associate producer said that before going on the show, participants are given a packet of information "where everything is clearly outlined to the nth degree.")
Theme music
The theme music, "The Big One (People's Court Theme)", was composed by Alan Stanley TewAlan Tew
Alan Tew is a British composer and arranger.He got his start as the pianist/arranger for the Len Turner Band based in London, in the 1950s.He is known as composer of library music, including the theme songs for British TV programmes, Doctor in the House called Bond Street Parade, theme from Mother...
(British PRS
Performing Right Society
PRS for Music is a UK copyright collection society undertaking collective rights management for musical works. PRS for Music was formed in 1997 as the MCPS-PRS Alliance, bringing together two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and Performing Right Society...
, affil. BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
). Rapper Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
sampled it for his song "Iz U
Iz U
"Iz U" is a single by the rapper Nelly, released in 2003, from the 2003 album Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention. It was released in the United States but had little air-play, though was very popular. It also moderate success in the United Kingdom, peaking at #36...
", from the film The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion (film)
The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American comedy horror family film which is based on The Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney theme parks. The film is directed by Rob Minkoff, and stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, Marsha Thomason, and Nathaniel Parker...
, and also featured on his album Da Derrty Versions. The tune was also used in two episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
and "Blue Harvest"
Blue Harvest (Family Guy)
"Blue Harvest" is the hour-long premiere to the sixth season of the FOX series Family Guy and the first part of the series' trilogy Laugh It Up, Fuzzball. It originally aired on September 23, 2007. The episode is a retelling and parody of the 1977 blockbuster film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New...
, the sixth season premiere episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. This theme was also used on an episode of WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
in "The Trial of Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
" and first featured in 'Barbara Broadcast'. The song was used in the 1980 film The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue. Jay-Z also recorded a song called "People's Court" which sampled the theme.
The theme music also appears in the movie "Malibu High" (1979). It is played during the chase scene near the end of the film. It is also used as the theme music for the Balls of Steel
Balls of Steel
Balls of Steel may refer to:* Balls of Steel , a pinball video game* Balls of Steel , a British comedy show hosted by Mark Dolan* Balls of Steel , Australian TV series based on the British show...
segment 'Big Gay Following'. They also used the same theme song on one show called "Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
". There is also a sample from Frankie Valli's song "Who Loves You".
Parodies
In 1995, Judge Wapner appeared on the FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
show Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
as himself in the parallel world version of this program where, as a Soviet judge, he sentences Rembrandt Brown
Rembrandt Brown
Rembrandt Lee Brown is a fictional character played by Cleavant Derricks on the science fiction television show Sliders. In 1994, Rembrandt was living in San Francisco. Rembrandt is a musician, whose stage name is The Crying Man because of his ability to "cry real tears" on stage...
to 15 years in the Alaskan gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
for being a subversive. The parody show's logo uses a faux Cyrillic
Faux Cyrillic
Faux Cyrillic, pseudo-Cyrillic, pseudo-Russian or faux Russian typography is the use of Cyrillic letters in Latin text to evoke the Soviet Union or Russia, regardless of whether the letters are phonetic matches. For example, R and N in RUSSIAN may be replaced by Cyrillic Я and И, giving "ЯUSSIAИ"...
"Я" in place of the "R" in "Court".
The show's opening, where the announcer introduces the litigants in a dramatic fashion, is commonly imitated. Judge Milian's mannerisms and catchphrases have also been the subjects of comedy sketches on shows such as MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
.
The December 21, 2009 edition of WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
featured a parody skit called the "Little People's Court", in which Degeneration X members Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
had to appear before a mock makeshift court of dwarves to testify about their continued mistreating of Hornswoggle. The videos that were shown during the "trial" even used the litigant introduction music of the original People's Court theme.
In the show SpongeBob SquarePants, whenever a character has to go to court, the same opening music is played and the trial is conducted in a form similar to The People's Court.
External links
- The People's Court Official website
- People's Court Raw
- 'People's Court': the Show the Networks Spurned (includes photo of Stu Billett)
- Certain Cases on 'People's Court' Come Readily to Wapner's Mind (includes photos of the show with Judge Wapner)
- 'People's Court' Returns to the Air but Without Wapner (includes photo of former NYC Mayor 'Judge' Ed Koch)
- Judge Wapner vs. Judge Judy: What A Match That Would Have Been
- Jump The Shark entry for The People's Court