By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Judge Judy Sheindlin is returning to television on Nov. 1 with a new red robe, a granddaughter in tow and the challenge of competing with herself.
She announced on Thursday the start date and name of her new show, "Judy Justice," which will be available weekdays on the little-known IMDb TV, a free streaming service offered by Amazon.
Sheindlin, 79, moved to the new show when her syndication deal with CBS Media Ventures ended with some acrimony after 25 years. For more than a decade, "Judge Judy" has been syndication's most popular show with the tart-talking New Yorker arbitrating small claims cases.
CBS promptly cut a deal to keep "Judge Judy" reruns on the air.
Sheindlin will be joined on "Judy Justice" by a new television bailiff and stenographer. Sarah Rose, a law clerk and Sheindlin's granddaughter, will be a legal analyst.
"She's smart, sassy and opinionated," her grandmother said. "Who knows where she gets those traits?"
Filming for the old "Judge Judy" ended after CBS bought the show's old episodes from Sheindlin. That enabled CBS to continue selling rights to air them through the syndication market without having to pay her to make new episodes. Sheindlin was widely believed to be the country's highest-paid television star.
Sheindlin, a former New York judge, was also said to be unhappy with CBS for giving priority time slots to Drew Barrymore's new show at the expense of "Hot Bench," another court show that Sheindlin created, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"We had a nice marriage," Sheindlin told the Journal earlier this year. "It's going to be a Bill and Melinda Gates divorce."
Two of her longtime producers, Randy Douthit and Amy Freisleben, will join her on "Judy Justice."
"Judge Judy" viewers have been conditioned through the years to seeing reruns, said Bill Carroll, a veteran analyst of the syndication market. Some stations would run back-to-back episodes, one new and one rerun, he said.
The show's look and format was kept so consistent through the years that to many viewers it is timeless, Carroll said.
"If you were to say to most viewers that these are not new shows, they would say, 'Oh, really?'" he said. They're almost certain to surpass "Judy Justice" in viewership although, to be fair, streaming audiences are smaller than most TV shows, he said.
Still, its value to IMDb TV will be in driving new viewers to the service, where they may be exposed to other offerings.
"For them, it can't be anything but good," Carroll said. "For her, it allows her to do what she loves to do."
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More