Judge Judy was a staple for 15 years on CBS. Judge Judy Sheindlin became an instant hit with daytime television fans. So, it was a surprise when, as season 25 approached, Sheindlin announced that the season would be the last of her eponymous program. However, she reassured fans that she wasn’t truly going anywhere – she had a new show to shop around called Judy Justice. That series currently airs on Amazon’s Freevee platform. But, fans of Judge Judy still wondered why the popular show was canceled and replaced with Judy Justice.
We have some of those answers, plus fan reactions to the news below. So keep reading to learn more about how Judge Judy shifted into Judy Justice.
Why did Judge Judy end?
There have been multiple reports about why Judge Judy ended after 25 seasons in summer 2021. According to Deadline, Judy Sheindlin revealed that tensions between her and CBS warranted the conclusion of the long-running series. Another contributing factor was CBS’ handling of the show Sheindlin created called Hot Bench.
Per Entertainment Weekly, she said that she felt disrespected by the network because she thought they gambled with replacing it with The Drew Barrymore Show in some markets. A final reason was CBS’ purchase of Sheindlin’s Judge Judy episodes, which prevented her from selling them to another network.
Some fans have other theories about why Judge Judy ended though. A fan named SpikesEvilTwin on Reddit wrote the reason behind it was: “Greed. She wanted more and CBS wouldn’t pay. They already paid her a boatload of $$ for the show library, which they will play forever, basically she got out played and got pissed and walked.”
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Another user, mrbeck1, added: “She probably ultimately did it so she could totally produce the show herself. Have more control and make more money.”
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Why was it replaced with Judy Justice on Freevee?
Although Judy Sheindlin departed from CBS, she did manage to successfully debut her new show Judy Justice on Amazon Freevee in fall 2021. She told CBS that “Judy Justice is still in my lane, only we’ve decorated the house differently.”
With a change in robe color and new cast members, Judy Justice has its own set of fans, and the ratings to back it up. It’s already in its third season, which premiered in January 2024. Recently, this spinoff/continuation’s success comes full circle with the news of syndication. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sheindlin landed a multiyear deal to put Freevee’s Judy Justice onto more than 100 channels. Of course, this doesn’t mean it won’t stay on Amazon’s Freevee. New episodes still premiere and stream there.
Additional comments from fans echoed the earlier statements above. One Reddit fan, Jmm1272 wrote: “It changed because she is now the creator and executive producer and has more control and makes more of the profits,” while McBraas stated: “Judy decided to keep the good times rolling on another network. Format is the exact same, except she has a stenographer and a legal assistant (Sarah, her grand daughter) next to her, during the case.”
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“Judge Judy left for Amazon because she had ongoing bad blood with CBS,” reiterated mime454. With the success of Judy Justice on Amazon’s Freevee, it seems clear that Judy Sheindlin has left her past with CBS behind and is more than ready to continue moving forward with her current show.
Episodes of Judy Justice will air on broadcast television later this year. Until then, you can stream Judy Justice on Amazon Freevee, with new episodes daily.
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