One of the biggest names in broadcast syndication is making the leap to streaming.
Judy Sheindlin, the star of top-rated daytime strip Judge Judy, will front a new court show for IMDb TV, Amazon’s free, ad-supported streaming platform. The untitled show.
Judge Judy is airing its 25th and final season in syndication, where it has been at or near the top of the ratings for virtually its entire run. It averaged about 8 million daily viewers over the first five weeks of the current season.
“I’m over the moon to be in business with Amazon Studios and continuing this incredible journey with them on a new platform is so exciting,” said Sheindlin. “I used to yell at my husband, Jerry, for all the packages he had ordered from Amazon every day. I have enough mouthwash in the cabinets to keep the entire planet’s breath fresh until the next millennium. The doorbell never stops ringing. The dogs don’t even bark at the delivery people anymore. After I signed this deal, I apologized to Jerry. Who would have thought that the Sheindlins and Amazon would be mishpachah?”
When she announced Judge Judy‘s final season in March, Sheindlin said she was working on a new show she called Judy Justice. The IMDb TV show is currently untitled, but it’s the same project. Like Judge Judy, the new show will put Sheindlin front and center as she adjudicates an array of cases.
“Judge Judy Sheindlin is a TV icon and visionary who has entertained millions of fans for decades,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming for IMDb TV. “As we build the IMDb TV slate of high-quality, ambitious Amazon Studios originals, we are delighted to deliver customers a court program from the legendary Judge Sheindlin who, without a doubt, is the very best in the business.”
The Sheindlin show is arguably IMDb TV’s highest-profile original to date. Sheindlin is currently the highest-paid personality on television, earning $47 million annually, and owns the rights to the show’s library via lucrative deal with CBS, which distributes the show (though that deal is the subject of litigation).
Other originals on the free platform include spy show Alex Rider, debuting Nov. 13, and a new version of Leverage debuting in 2021. IMDb TV is also developing High School, based on a memoir by pop duo Tegan and Sara Quin.
Amazon Studios and Sox Entertainment will produce the new Sheindlin show. “For over two decades our honor, Judge Judy, has dominated broadcast television. Now America’s Judge will continue to reach her millions of fans through IMDb TV, Amazon’s free streaming service,” said Scott Koondel, CEO of Sox Entertainment. “I’m thrilled to help with the transition of this entertainment phenom from over-the-air to over-the-top television.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter