Warner Bros. Cancels ‘Judge Mathis,’ ‘The People’s Court’ After Decades on Air
The gavel will soon come down for the last time on two long-running, syndicated court shows. Warner Bros. has canceled Judge Mathis, which will end after its current 24th season, and The People’s Court, which will wrap up at the end of this 26th season.
The cancellations come as local TV stations prioritize cheaper news broadcasts over syndicated programs and as advertisers pay less for spots in daytime syndication, Variety reports.
Judge Mathis and The People’s Court are both produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television and Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. The former is also produced by AND Syndication Productions, while the latter comes from Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions.
With Greg Mathis holding court, Judge Mathis premiered in 1999 and won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program in 2018. Mathis, a former judge for Michigan’s 36th District Court, is the longest-serving Black male host on television and the second longest-serving TV judge, behind Judy Sheindlin, Variety reports.
In an interview with Parade in October 2022, Mathis gave his take on his show’s longevity. “I think the main reason we can point to is my ability to relate to all the viewers and their reality, and that in many instances I have the same sensibilities as they do, as a result of having lived their reality,” he said. “That’s what I think is the uniqueness I bring to the court genre. … Everything that comes before me I have the ability to analyze right alongside the viewers, I think that interests them.”
The People’s Court, on the other hand, debuted in 1997 as a revival of the 1980s-era syndicated court show of the same name. Lawyer and former New York City mayor Ed Koch served as the show’s first judge, followed by Sheindlin in 1999 and current judge Marilyn Milian in 2001. The show has won the Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program Daytime Emmy four times now, more than any other show. Milian, a former Florida Circuit Court judge, ranks as the first Latina judge to host a nationally syndicated television court show, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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G
I really hate to see these shows gone,but everything comes to an end! Farewell to these great judges.
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O
Everything has an expiration date, he is still King of his genre.
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O
Sad to see The Peoples Court go. I love Judge Milian.
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G
Wish they would bring back The Peoples Court. I enjoy watching it over the junk that is on TV now.
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R
Watched The People’s Court as a youngster and actually learned a few things - really sad to see it end. Wasn’t a big fan of Judge Mathis but he did bring that comedic and entertainment value to the TV court genre.
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B
Judge Mathis was so funny and relatable. Back in the day I loved watching his show. All good things must come to an end. Farewell to an awesome Judge
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C
I hate to see Judge Mathis go..not only was he realatable, knowledgeable of the law, but also funny with a great sense of humor..
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P
Mathis will live forever thru reruns. Long live the king 🤴🏾
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G
It's about time.
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