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.
2002
2021
Two childhood friends go from high school dropouts to the most powerful drug kingpins in Miami in this true story of a crime sage that spanned decades.
2022
Three lawyers with strong and unique characters settle disputes that fall under the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court. In addition to hearing the cases, the champions of justice give us privileged access to the debates leading up to the verdict. Who will win the case? How much will be paid as compensation? It will be up to the three lawyers to decide... and the production to pay the damages!
2014
Judge Mablean Ephriam, who presided over "Divorce Court" from 1999-2006 as the first star of the revived version of the show, returns to the courtroom genre with his half-hour series that deals with life and the law. The former Los Angeles-based prosecutor takes on the typical cases that are found on TV court shows. The arbitrator says that her show "will be life because everything we do, it involves the law."
Under the watchful eye of Judge Rhonda Wills, the show pulls back the curtain on family disputes, moving the drama from the dining room to the courtroom.
2010
The tragedies and triumphs of five earnest twenty-something first-year associates fighting to stay afloat in one of Los Angeles' top law firms.
2023
