You likely know Judge Judy, as she’s the host of Judge Judy, a show that will be on in the waiting room the next time you visit the doctor.
But Judy herself is branching out from the world of syndicated courtroom shows to the world of syndicated game shows with iWitness. Beyond being a groan-worthy pun, iWitness apparently intends to be a real-life game of Memory:
Created by (Judge Judy) Sheindlin, each episode will feature three contestants facing off to test their powers of observation. Their ability to recall what they’ve just witnessed will be tested through video clips and images spanning the media landscape. The winner will have a chance to advance to the final round and compete for a $20,000 grand prize.
That’s a decent premise, although it’s essentially a new version of the segment in Legends of the Hidden Temple when Olmec would tell a legend (synergy!) and the kid contestants would then be asked questions about the details.
The show will apparently debut this summer on various Fox stations, and if it goes well, it could be picked up for national syndication. Judge Judy actually has quite a presence in syndicated television:
iWitness falls outside of the mega deal Sheindlin has with CBS TV Distribution for court TV shows.
In addition to her long-running Judge Judy, which continues to be the No. 1 syndicated program in the U.S. and is licensed in 149 international markets around the world, under the CBS deal Sheindlin’s Queen Bee with her producing partner Casey Barber co-produces Hot Bench, now in its third season. It was co-created by Sheindlin who, prior to helming Judge Judy, was the supervising judge in New York Family Court.
“iWitness is a compelling game for those from 5-95,” said Sheindlin. “I’m so thrilled to embark on a new adventure with such fabulous partners. A special thanks to my friends at Fox for giving us a platform.”
If it goes well, Judge Judy may have unwittingly introduced some waiting room competition for Judge Judy, but then she’s apparently making like $47 million a year, so what does it matter? Does anything matter, if Judge Judy is earning $47 million?
[Deadline]
