The People's Court
| The People's Court | |
|---|---|
| Created by | John Masterson |
| Presented by | Doug Llewelyn (1981-1993) Carol Martin (1997-1998) Harvey Levin (1997-Present) |
| Starring | Judges Joseph A. Wapner (1981-1993) Ed Koch (1997-1999) Jerry Sheindlin (1999-2001) Marilyn Milian (2001-Present) Bailiffs Rusty Burrell (1932-1993) Josephine Ann Longobardi (1997-2001) Davy Jones (2001) Douglas MacIntosh (2001-Present) |
| Narrated by | Jack Harrell (1981-1993) Curt Chaplin (1997-Present) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Ralph Edwards Stu Billett |
| Producer | Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions |
| Running time | 30 min per episode (1981-1993) 1 hour per episode (1997-Present) |
| Original release | |
| Network | First-run syndication |
| Release | 1981 – present |
The People's Court is an American court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown on television is actually a binding arbitration. Although Divorce Court is the very first court program, The People's Court is widely considered to be the first highly popular court program. The People's Court is also the first court show in which any types of court cases are able to be handled. Taped in New York City, it first ran in syndication from 1981 to 1993 for 2,484 episodes. Reruns continued to air in syndication until 1994. It has run in its present format since September 1997. It aired its 3,000th episode on November 16, 2000. The new version aired its 1,000th episode in 2003. Reruns of the original series were later aired on USA Network.
When John Masterson devised the concept in 1975, he first pitched it to Monty Hall, the producer and host of the popular game show, Let's Make a Deal, and his partner, producer-writer Stefan Hatos. The series was executive produced by Ralph Edwards, who also created and hosted the popular documentary show This Is Your Life, and Stu Billett, who later went on to create Moral Court.
Overview
Original version
The judge from the show's first twelve years was Joseph Wapner. 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 catch phrase. If a case ended with a verdict for the defendant, however, Llewelyn would end the episode by saying, "If someone files a lawsuit against you and you're convinced you've done nothing wrong, don't be intimidated. The best policy is to go to court and stand up for your rights."
The cases often had witty, pun-related names, such as "The case of the Overdone Underthings" and "A Head with a Beer on It."
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 legal consultant Harvey Levin, in which Levin would explain the legal reasoning 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 $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 $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.
Interestingly, 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) for their appearance on the show. If a monetary judgment is ordered, the losing party's appearance fee is reduced by that amount, which is then given to the winner.
Opening Monologue
In the 1981 run had this opening with:
"What you are witnessing is real. The participants are not actors. They are actual litigants in a case pending in a California Municipal court. Both parties have agreed to dismiss their court cases and have their disputes settled here, in our forum: The People's Court."
In the 1997 revival in the line was: "What you are witnessing is real. The participants are not actors. They are actual litigants in a case pending in a New York Metropolitan area court (later it was "in civil court"). Both parties have agreed to drop their claims and have their disputes settled here, in our forum: The People's Court."
New version
Today, the small claims court deals with matters up to $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 $5,000 each; this case was dismissed. The new version of the show has been headed by three judges since its premiere: former New York City mayor Ed Koch presided over the court from 1997 to 1999, and judge Jerry Sheindlin (husband of Judith Sheindlin, who's the tough presiding judge over the highest-rated court show, Judge Judy) sat on the bench from 1999 to 2001. Less harsh than his wife, Jerry Sheindlin had a good sense of humor and was straightforward.
Marilyn Milian
In 2001, the lively Marilyn Milian replaced Jerry Sheindlin as judge of The People's Court. Marilyn Milian's bailiff on the show is Douglas MacIntosh. Curt Chaplin is the court reporter, as well as the show's announcer. Attorney Harvey Levin takes comments about each case from onlookers in Times Square and explains the legal reasons behind Judge Milian's rulings. During the first season, there was additional commentary from Carol Martin, a former news anchor for WCBS-TV in New York.
Milian is known to make smart remarks and even throw tantrums at her litigants. For example, a clip of one case, that was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, shows Milian exchanging sharp comments back and forth with a litigant whom she addressed as "honey", before having her bailiff escort the litigant out of the courtroom. [1] In another case from the 2007-08 season, Milian berated a University of Miami law school student for stating, "That's your opinion." [1]
Milian has her share of smart remarks and catchphrases. For example, she frequently says:
- Pay the man [lady] !
- Watch this... (typically to a litigant who has no evidence to support his/her claim, before she turns to the other litigant for his/her expected denial)
- I wouldn't believe you if your tongue came notarized!
- Who am I gonna believe, you or my lying eyes?
- I am so done! Stick a fork in me, I'm done!
- What part of "Stop" didn't you understand?
- Not here, not today, and not in my courtroom!
- Did I breathe and give you the impression that I was done speaking?
- You redefine chutzpah!
- Is my English not as good as I think it is?
- This is the part of The People's Court where we do a little "rough justice".
- Have you confused this with your opportunity to continue to talk?
- What part is this, Douglas? This is the part where I rule and they have to shut up and listen. I LOVE this part.
Judge Milian also occasionally tosses a Spanish saying or proverb into her cross-examination, sayings (or, in Spanish, "dichos") she learned from her mother and grandmother. Some examples include:
- Un clavo saca el otro. ("One nail drives out the other.")
- Donde tú vas, yo ya fui, me senté, me tomé una soda, y regresé. (“Where you’re going I already went, sat down, had a soda and returned.”)
- Nada sin mojarse la ropa. ("He swims without getting his clothes wet.") - typically used to refer to someone described as "slick," or in other words, a liar.
- Ni tu mismo te lo crees. ("Not even you believe what you're saying.")
- El golpe avisa. ("The bump/hit announces.")
- Jugando al quien es mas macho. ("Playing the game, Who is more macho?").
British version
A British version of the show was produced by SMG Productions (STV) to replace Trisha Goddard's talk show on ITV in 2005. The court reporter was Carol Smilie, the male judge was Jerome Lynch and the female judge was Rhonda Anderson. The show failed and wasn't re-commissioned.
Production
The 1981-93 version was initially taped at Metromedia and, later, Golden West Broadcasters in Los Angeles, before moving to The Production Group. The People's Court taped episodes at MTI Television City on the 8th Floor in New York City from 1997-2006. The show is now taped at the NEP/Image Studios where ESPN's 2 Minute Drill was taped from 2000-2001, and where Maury Povich currently tapes his talk show.
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 a series of transactions, the distribution rights to The People's Court now rest with Warner Bros. Television Distribution.
Parodies
In 1995, Judge Wapner appeared on the Fox 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.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (June 2007) |
- Comedian Andy Kaufman once invited Alan Spencer, best known as a creator of the cult hit TV series Sledge Hammer!, over to his home and subjected him to a marathon of forty-eight hours of The People's Court, a series that Kaufman religiously recorded.
- The show was referenced repeatedly in the 1988 film Rain Man. In the movie, autistic Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman) compulsively watches the show and often recites the entire opening monologue. He referred to the show often as "Wapner", in reference to the presiding judge, Joseph Wapner, during the time it was filmed.
- The theme music was composed by Alan Stanley Tew (British PRS, affil. BMI)
- The theme music was used in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants and in the 1977 movie Barbara Broadcast. Also it was used in "Blue Harvest", the sixth season premiere episode of Family Guy, after John Williams' cameo appearance. The music is also used in a scene from Malibu High, an early 80's/late 70's grindhouse movie.
- People appearing on the People's Court generally received a $100 fee for appearing on the show, plus money for two nights hotel accommodations, and money for six meals.
- Harvey Levin is also the creator of TMZ celebrity news reporting and TV show.
See also
External links
- Articles with trivia sections from June 2007
- 1981 television program debuts
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- 1980s American television series
- 1990s American television series
- 2000s British television series
- 2000s American television series
- ITV television programmes
- SMG Productions
- Judicial shows
- First-run syndicated television programs
- 1993 television program series endings
- 1997 television program debuts