Snap Judgment

US

Comedy
English     0     1999     US

Overview

Snap Judgment was a daily American legal comedy television program, which aired on CourtTV from 1999 to 2000, hosted by commentator Lionel, and created by The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead. Court TV described it as "an irreverent, satirical and 'judicially incorrect' look at the absurdities that exist in all areas of the legal system." According to a review in the New York Observer, "Snap Judgment, hosted by the AM radio personality currently known as Lionel, is a novelty for Court TV, a satirical examination of the process it otherwise treats so reverently. The show contains court testimony from absurd lawsuits and profiles of obscure players in the legal profession." According to The New York Times, "Shown on weeknights, the show features Lionel offering sardonic commentary on legal events in the news and video excerpts from trials, often from small-claims courts. An "expert" then joins Lionel in analyzing the cases. One recent case: a fight between two neighbors over injury to a chicken that inspired producers to book the Chicken Man, whose usual job is on-street promotion for poultry dinners."

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The People's Court is an American arbitration-based reality court show currently presided over by retired Florida State Circuit Court Judge Marilyn Milian. Milian, the show's longest-reigning arbiter, handles small claims disputes in a simulated courtroom set. The People's Court is the first court show to use binding arbitration, introducing the format into the genre in 1981. The system has been duplicated by most of the show's successors in the judicial genre. Moreover, The People's Court is the first popular, long-running reality in the judicial genre. It was preceded only by a few short-lived realities in the genre; these short-lived predecessors were only loosely related to judicial proceedings, except for one: Parole took footage from real-life courtrooms holding legal proceedings. Prior to The People's Court, the vast majority of TV courtroom shows used actors, and recreated or fictional cases. Among examples of these types of court shows include Famous Jury Trials and Your Witness. The People's Court has had two contrasting lives. The show's first life was presided over solely by former Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Wapner. His tenure lasted from the show's debut on September 14, 1981, until May 21, 1993, when the show was cancelled due to low ratings. This left the show with a total of 2,484 ½-hour episodes and 12 seasons. The show was taped in Los Angeles during its first life. After being cancelled, reruns aired until September 9, 1994.

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The People's Court
2014