document_title: First Fleet

question_text: when did the first fleet land in sydney cove

text: First Fleet

text: History[edit]

text: Background and planning[edit]

text: Convicts were originally transported to the Thirteen Colonies in North America, but after the American War of Independence ended in 1783, the newly formed United States refused to accept further convicts.[1] On 6 December 1785, Orders in Council were issued in London for the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales, on land claimed for Britain by explorer James Cook in his first voyage to the Pacific in 1770.[2][3]

text: The First Fleet was commanded by Commodore Arthur Phillip, who was given instructions authorising him to make regulations and land grants in the colony.[4] The ships arrived at Botany Bay between 18 January and 20 January 1788:[5] HMS Supply arrived on 18 January, Alexander, Scarborough and Friendship arrived on 19 January, and the remaining ships on 20 January.[6][7]

text: The cost to Britain of outfitting and despatching the Fleet was £84,000[8] (about £9.6 million as of 2015).[9]

text: Ships of the First Fleet[edit]

text: Naval escort[edit]

text: The First Fleet included two Royal Navy escort ships, the ten-gun sixth-rate vessel HMS Sirius under the command of Captain John Hunter, and the armed tender HMS Supply commanded by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball.

text:
Naval escorts (depart England 13 May 1787)[10]

Ship
Type
Master
Crew[11]
Dep. England
Arr. Botany Bay
Duration (Days)

HMS Supply
Yard craft
Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball

13 May 1787 from Spithead
18 January 1788
250

HMS Sirius
10-gun ship
Captain John Hunter

13 May 1787 from Portsmouth
20 January 1788
252

text: Convict transports[edit]

text:
Convict transports (depart England 13 May 1787)[10]

Ship
Type
Master
Crew[11]
Arr. Botany Bay
Duration (days)
Male convicts arrived (boarded)
Female convicts arrived (boarded)

Alexander
Barque
Duncan Sinclair
40
19 January 1788
251
210 – two were pardoned
none

Charlotte
transport
Thomas Gilbert
30
20 January 1788
252
100
24

Friendship
Brig
Francis Walton
20
19 January 1788
251
80
24 – to Cape of Good Hope only

Lady Penrhyn
transport
William Cropton Server
31
20 January 1788
252
none
101

Prince of Wales
Barque
John Mason
25
20 January 1788
252
2
47

Scarborough
transport
Captain John Marshall
35
19 January 1788
251
210
none

text: Food and supply transports[edit]

text: Ropes, crockery, agricultural equipment and a miscellany of other stores were needed. Items transported included tools, agricultural implements, seeds, spirits, medical supplies, bandages, surgical instruments, handcuffs, leg irons and a prefabricated wooden frame for the colony's first Government House.[12] The party had to rely on its own provisions to survive until it could make use of local materials, assuming suitable supplies existed, and grow its own food and raise livestock.

text:
Food and supply transports (depart England 13 May 1787)

Ship
Type
Master
Crew
Arr. Botany Bay
Duration (days)

Golden Grove
storeship
William Sharp
N/A
20 January 1788
252

Fishburn
storeship
Robert Brown
N/A
20 January 1788
252

Borrowdale
storeship
Hobson Reed
N/A
20 January 1788
252

text: Scale models of all the ships are on display at the Museum of Sydney. The models were built by ship makers Lynne and Laurie Hadley, after researching the original plans, drawings and British archives. The replicas of the Supply, Charlotte, Scarborough, Friendship, Prince of Wales, Lady Penrhyn, Borrowdale, Alexander, Sirius (1786), Fishburn and Golden Grove are made from Western Red or Syrian Cedar.[13]

text: Nine Sydney harbour ferries built in the mid-1980s are named after First Fleet vessels. The unused names are Lady Penrhyn and Prince of Wales.

text: People of the First Fleet[edit]

text: The people of the fleet included seamen, marines and their families, government officials, and a large number of convicts, including women and children. The majority were British, but there were also African, American and French convicts on board.[14][15] The convicts had committed a variety of crimes, including theft, perjury, fraud, assault and robbery, for which they had been sentenced to penal transportation for 7 years, 14 years or the term of their natural life.[16][17]

text: The six convict transports each had a detachment of marines on board. Most of the families of the marines travelled aboard the Prince of Wales.[18] A number of people on the First Fleet kept diaries and journals of their experiences, including the surgeons. There are twelve known journals in existence as well as some letters.[19]

text: The exact number of people directly associated with the First Fleet will likely never be established, as all accounts of the event vary slightly. A total of 1,420 people have been identified as embarking on the First Fleet in 1787, and 1,373 are believed to have landed at Sydney Cove in January 1788. In her biographical dictionary of the First Fleet, Mollie Gillen gives the following statistics:[20]

text:
Embarked at Portsmouth
Landed at Sydney Cove

Officials and passengers
15
14

Ships' crews
323
269

Marines
247
245

Marines' wives and children
46
45 + 9 born

Convicts (men)
582
543

Convicts (women)
193
189

Convicts' children
14
11 + 11 born

Total
1,420
1,336

text: While the names of all crew members of Sirius and Supply are known, the six transports and three storeships may have carried as many as 110 more seamen than have been identified – no complete musters have survived for these ships. The total number of persons embarking on the First Fleet would, therefore, be approximately 1,530 with about 1,483 reaching Sydney Cove.

text: Other sources indicate that the passengers consisted of 10 civil officers, 212 marines, including officers, 28 wives and 17 children of the marines, 81 free people, 504 male convicts and 192 female convicts; making the total number of free people 348 and the total number of prisoners 696, coming to a grand total of 1,044 people.

text: According to the first census of 1788 as reported by Governor Phillip to Lord Sydney, the white population of the colony was 1,030 and the colony also consisted of 7 horses, 29 sheep, 74 swine, 6 rabbits, and 7 cattle.[21]

text: The following statistics were provided by Governor Phillip:[22]

text:
Male
Female
Children
Total

Convicts & their children
548
188
17
753

Others
219
34
24
277

Total
767
222
41
1,030

text: David Collins' book An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales gives the following details:[23]

text: The Alexander, of 453 tons, had on board 192 male convicts; 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 29 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

text: The Scarborough, of 418 tons, had on board 205 male convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 26 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

text: The Charlotte, of 346 tons, had on board 89 male and 20 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 35 privates, with the principal surgeon of the colony.

text: The Lady Penrhyn, of 338 tons, had on board 101 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, and 3 privates, with a person acting as a surgeon's mate.

text: The Prince of Wales, of 334 tons, had on board 2 male and 50 female convicts; 2 lieutenants, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 24 privates, with the surveyor-general of the colony.

text: The Friendship, … of 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony.

text: There were on board, beside these, 28 women, 8 male and 6 female children, belonging to the soldiers of the detachment, together with 6 male and 7 female children belonging to the convicts.

text: The Fishburn store-ship was of 378 tons; the Borrowdale of 272 tons; and the Golden Grove of 331 tons. Golden Grove carried the chaplain for the colony, with his wife and a servant.

text: Not only these store-ships, but the men of war and transports were laden with provisions, implements of agriculture, camp equipage, clothing for the convicts, baggage, etc.

text: The Sirius carried as supernumeraries, the major commandant of the corps of marines embarked in the transports* [*This officer was also lieutenant-governor of the colony], the adjutant and quarter-master, the judge-advocate of the settlement, and the commissary; with one sergeant, three drummers, seven privates, four women, and a few artificers.

text: The chief surgeon for the First Fleet, John White, reported a total of 48 deaths and 28 births during the voyage. The deaths during the voyage included one marine, one marine's wife, one marine's child, 36 male convicts, four female convicts, and five children of convicts.[24]

text: Voyage[edit]

text: The First Fleet left Portsmouth, England on 13 May 1787.[25] The journey began with fine weather, and thus the convicts were allowed on deck.[26] The Fleet was accompanied by the armed frigate Hyena until it left English waters.[27] On 20 May 1787, one convict on the Scarborough reported a planned mutiny; those allegedly involved were flogged and two were transferred to Prince of Wales.[27] In general, however, most accounts of the voyage agree that the convicts were well behaved.[27] On 3 June 1787, the fleet anchored at Santa Cruz at Tenerife.[25] Here, fresh water, vegetables and meat were brought on board. Phillip and the chief officers were entertained by the local governor, while one convict tried unsuccessfully to escape.[28] On 10 June they set sail to cross the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro,[25] taking advantage of favourable trade winds and ocean currents.

text: The weather became increasingly hot and humid as the Fleet sailed through the tropics. Vermin, such as rats, and parasites such as bedbugs, lice, cockroaches and fleas, tormented the convicts, officers and marines. Bilges became foul and the smell, especially below the closed hatches, was over-powering.[29] While Phillip gave orders that the bilge-water was to be pumped out daily and the bilges cleaned, these orders were not followed on the Alexander and a number of convicts fell sick and died.[29] Tropical rainstorms meant that the convicts could not exercise on deck as they had no change of clothes and no method of drying wet clothing.[29] Consequently, they were kept below in the foul, cramped holds. On the female transports, promiscuity between the convicts, the crew and marines was rampant, despite punishments for some of the men involved.[29] In the doldrums, Phillip was forced to ration the water to three pints a day.[29]

text: The Fleet reached Rio de Janeiro on 5 August and stayed for a month.[25] The ships were cleaned and water taken on board, repairs were made, and Phillip ordered large quantities of food.[26] The women convicts' clothing had become infested with lice and was burnt. As additional clothing for the female convicts had not arrived before the Fleet left England,[26] the women were issued with new clothes made from rice sacks. While the convicts remained below deck, the officers explored the city and were entertained by its inhabitants.[30] A convict and a marine were punished for passing forged quarter-dollars made from old buckles and pewter spoons.

text: The Fleet left Rio de Janeiro on 4 September to run before the westerlies to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, which it reached on 13 October.[31] This was the last port of call, so the main task was to stock up on plants, seeds and livestock for their arrival in Australia.[32] The livestock taken on board from the Cape of Good Hope destined for the new colony included two bulls, seven cows, one stallion, three mares, 44 sheep, 32 pigs, four goats and "a very large quantity of poultry of every kind".[33] Women convicts on the Friendship were moved to other transports to make room for livestock purchased there. The convicts were provided with fresh beef and mutton, bread and vegetables, to build up their strength for the journey and maintain their health.[32] The Dutch colony of Cape Town was the last outpost of European settlement which the fleet members would see for years, perhaps for the rest of their lives. "Before them stretched the awesome, lonely void of the Indian and Southern Oceans, and beyond that lay nothing they could imagine."[34]

text: Assisted by the gales in the "Roaring Forties" latitudes below the 40th parallel, the heavily laden transports surged through the violent seas. In the last two months of the voyage, the Fleet faced challenging conditions, spending some days becalmed and on others covering significant distances; the Friendship travelled 166 miles one day, while a seaman was blown from the Prince of Wales at night and drowned.[35] Water was rationed as supplies ran low, and the supply of other goods including wine ran out altogether on some vessels.[35] Van Diemen's Land was sighted from the Friendship on 4 January 1788.[35] A freak storm struck as they began to head north around the island, damaging the sails and masts of some of the ships.

text: On 25 November, Phillip had transferred to the Supply. With Alexander, Friendship and Scarborough, the fastest ships in the Fleet, which were carrying most of the male convicts, the Supply hastened ahead to prepare for the arrival of the rest. Phillip intended to select a suitable location, find good water, clear the ground, and perhaps even have some huts and other structures built before the others arrived. This was a planned move, discussed by the Home Office and the Admiralty prior to the Fleet's departure.[36] However, this "flying squadron" reached Botany Bay only hours before the rest of the Fleet, so no preparatory work was possible.[37] Supply reached Botany Bay on 18 January 1788; the three fastest transports in the advance group arrived on 19 January; slower ships, including Sirius, arrived on 20 January.[38]

text: This was one of the world's greatest sea voyages – eleven vessels carrying about 1,487 people and stores[33] had travelled for 252 days for more than 15,000 miles (24,000 km) without losing a ship. Forty-eight people died on the journey, a death rate of just over three per cent.

text: Arrival in Australia[edit]

text: It was soon realised that Botany Bay did not live up to the glowing account that the explorer Captain James Cook had provided.[39] The bay was open and unprotected, the water was too shallow to allow the ships to anchor close to the shore, fresh water was scarce, and the soil was poor.[40] First contact was made with the local indigenous people, the Eora, who seemed curious but suspicious of the newcomers. The area was studded with enormously strong trees. When the convicts tried to cut them down, their tools broke and the tree trunks had to be blasted out of the ground with gunpowder. The primitive huts built for the officers and officials quickly collapsed in rainstorms. The marines had a habit of getting drunk and not guarding the convicts properly, whilst their commander, Major Robert Ross, drove Phillip to despair with his arrogant and lazy attitude. Crucially, Phillip worried that his fledgling colony was exposed to attack from Aborigines or foreign powers. Although his initial instructions were to establish the colony at Botany Bay, he was authorised to establish the colony elsewhere if necessary.[41]

text: On 21 January, Phillip and a party which included John Hunter, departed the Bay in three small boats to explore other bays to the north.[43] Phillip discovered that Port Jackson, about 12 kilometres to the north, was an excellent site for a colony with sheltered anchorages, fresh water and fertile soil.[43] Cook had seen and named the harbour, but had not entered it.[43] Phillip's impressions of the harbour were recorded in a letter he sent to England later: "the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security ...". The party returned to Botany Bay on 23 January.[43]

text: On the morning of 24 January, the party was startled when two French ships were seen just outside Botany Bay. This was a scientific expedition led by Jean-François de La Pérouse. The French had expected to find a thriving colony where they could repair ships and restock supplies, not a newly arrived fleet of convicts considerably more poorly provisioned than themselves.[44] There was some cordial contact between the French and British officers, but Phillip and La Pérouse never met. The French ships remained until 10 March before setting sail on their return voyage. They were not seen again and were later discovered to have been shipwrecked off the coast of Vanikoro in the present-day Solomon Islands.[45]

text: On 26 January 1788, the Fleet weighed anchor and sailed to Port Jackson.[25] The site selected for the anchorage had deep water close to the shore, was sheltered, and had a small stream flowing into it. Phillip named it Sydney Cove, after Lord Sydney the British Home Secretary.[43] This date is celebrated as Australia Day, marking the beginning of British settlement.[46] The British flag was planted and formal possession taken. This was done by Phillip and some officers and marines from the Supply, with the remainder of Supply's crew and the convicts observing from on board ship. The remaining ships of the Fleet did not arrive at Sydney Cove until later that day.[47]

text: First contact[edit]

text: The First Fleet encountered indigenous Australians when they landed at Botany Bay. The Cadigal people of the Botany Bay area witnessed the Fleet arrive and six days later the two ships of French explorer La Pérouse sailed into the bay.[48] When the Fleet moved to Sydney Cove seeking better conditions for establishing the colony, they encountered the Eora people, including the Bidjigal clan. A number of the First Fleet journals record encounters with Aboriginal people.[49]

text: Although the official policy of the British Government was to establish friendly relations with Aboriginal people,[41] and Arthur Phillip ordered that the Aboriginal people should be well treated, it was not long before conflict began. The colonists did not understand Aboriginal society and its relationship with the land and the Aboriginal people did not understand the British practices of farming and land ownership. The colonists did not sign treaties with the original inhabitants of the land.[50] Between 1790 and 1810, Pemulwuy of the Bidjigal clan led the local people in a series of attacks against the British colonisers.[51]

text: After January 1788[edit]

text: The ships of the First Fleet mostly did not remain in the colony. Some returned to England, while others left for other ports. Some remained at the service of the Governor of the colony for some months: some of these were sent to Norfolk Island where a second penal colony was established.

text:
15 February – HMS Supply sails for Norfolk Island carrying a small party to establish a settlement.
5/6 May – Charlotte, Lady Penrhyn and Scarborough set sail for China.
14 July – Borrowdale, Alexander, Friendship and Prince of Wales set sail to return to England.
2 October – Golden Grove sets sail for Norfolk Island with a party of convicts, returning to Port Jackson 10 November, while HMS Sirius sails for Cape of Good Hope for supplies.
19 November – Fishburn and Golden Grove set sail for England. This means that only HMS Supply now remains in Sydney cove.

text: 23 December – Guardian carrying stores for the colony strikes an iceberg and is forced back to the Cape. It never reaches the colony in New South Wales.

text:
19 March – HMS Sirius is wrecked off Norfolk Island.
17 April – HMS Supply sent to Batavia, Java, for emergency food supplies.
3 June – Lady Juliana, the first of six vessels of the Second Fleet, arrives in Sydney cove. The remaining five vessels of the Second Fleet arrive in the ensuing weeks.
19 September – HMS Supply returns to Sydney having chartered the Dutch vessel Waaksamheid to accompany it carrying stores.[52]

text: Last survivors[edit]

text: On 26 January 1842, the Colonial Government in Sydney awarded a life pension of 1 shilling a day to three surviving members of the First Fleet. The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser reported, on Saturday 29 January 1842: "The Government have ordered a pension of one shilling per diem to be paid to the survivors of those who came by the first vessel into the Colony. The number of these really 'old hands' is now reduced to three, of whom, two are now in the Benevolent Asylum, and the other is a fine hale old fellow, who can do a day's work with more spirit than many of the young fellows lately arrived in the Colony."[53] The names of the three recipients are not given.

text: William Hubbard: Hubbard was convicted in the Kingston Assizes in Surrey, England, on 24 March 1784 for theft.[54] He was transported to Australia on the Scarborough in the First Fleet. He married Mary Goulding on 19 December 1790 in Rose Hill. In 1803 he received a land grant of 70 acres at Mulgrave Place. He died on 18 May 1843 at the Sydney Benevolent Asylum. His age was given as 76 when he was buried at Christ Church St. Lawrence, Sydney on 22 May 1843.

text: John McCarthy: McCarthy was a Marine who sailed on the Friendship.[55] McCarthy was born in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, circa Christmas 1745. He first served in the colony of New South Wales, then at Norfolk Island where he took up a land grant of 60 acres (Lot 110). He married the first fleet convict Ann Beardsley on Norfolk Island in November 1791 after his discharge a month earlier. In 1808, on the close of Norfolk Island settlement, he resettled in Van Diemen's Land and later took a land grant (80 acres at Melville) in lieu of the one forfeited on Norfolk Island. The last few years of his life were spent at the home of his granddaughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Budd, at a place called Kinlochewe Inn near Donnybrook, Victoria. McCarthy died on 24 July 1846,[56] six months past his 100 birthday.

text: John Limeburner: The South Australian Register reported, in an article dated Wednesday 3 November 1847: "John Limeburner, the oldest colonist in Sydney, died in September last, at the advanced age of 104 years. He helped to pitch the first tent in Sydney, and remembered the first display of the British flag there, which was hoisted on a swamp oak-tree, then growing on a spot now occupied as the Water-Police Court. He was the last of those called the 'first-fleeters' (arrivals by the first convict ships) and, notwithstanding his great age, retained his faculties to the last."[57] John Limeburner was a convict on the Charlotte. He was convicted on 9 July 1785 at New Sarum, Wiltshire of theft of a waistcoat, a shirt and stockings.[58] He married Elizabeth Ireland in 1790 at Rosehill and together they establish a 50-acre farm at Prospect.[59] He died at Ashfield in September 1847 and is buried at St John's, Ashfield.

text: John Jones: Jones was a Marine on the First Fleet and sailed on the Alexander. He is listed in the N.S.W. 1828 Census as aged 82 and living at the Sydney Benevolent Asylum.[60] He is said to have died at the Benevolent Asylum in 1848.[61]

text: Samuel King: King was a scribbler (a worker in a scribbling mill[62]) before he became a Marine. He was a Marine with the First Fleet on board the flagship Sirius (1786).[63] He shipped to Norfolk Island on Golden Grove in September 1788, where he lived with Mary Rolt, a convict who arrived with the First Fleet on the Prince of Wales. He received a grant of 60 acres (Lot No. 13) at Cascade Stream in 1791. Mary Rolt returned to England on the Britannia in October 1796. King was resettled in Van Diemen's Land, boarding the City of Edinburgh on 3 September 1808, and landed in Hobart on 3 October.[64] He married Elizabeth Thackery on 28 January 1810. He died on 21 October 1849 at 86 years of age and was buried in the Wesleyan cemetery at Lawitta Road, Back River.

text: John Small: Convicted 14 March 1785 at the Devon Lent Assizes held at Exeter for Robbery King's Highway. Sentenced to hang, reprieved to 7 years transportation. Arrived on the Charlotte in First Fleet 1788. Certificate of freedom 1792. Land Grant 1794, 30 acre "Small's Farm" at Eastern Farms (Ryde). Married October 1788 Mary Parker also a First Fleet convict who arrived on Lady Penrhyn. John Small died on 2 October 1850 at age of 90 years.[65][66]

text: Elizabeth Thackery: Elizabeth "Betty" King (née Thackery) was tried and convicted of theft on 4 May 1786 at Manchester Quarter Sessions, and sentenced to seven years transportation. She sailed on the Friendship, but was transferred to the Charlotte at the Cape of Good Hope. She was shipped to Norfolk Island on the Sirius (1786) in 1790 and lived there with James Dodding. In August 1800 she bought 10 acres of land from Samuel King at Cascade Stream. Elizabeth and James were relocated to Van Diemen's Land in December 1807[67] but parted company sometime afterwards. On 28 January 1810 Elizabeth married "First Fleeter" Private Samuel King (above) and lived with him until his death in 1849. Betty King died in New Norfolk, Tasmania on 7 August 1856, aged 89 years. She is buried in the churchyard of the Methodist Chapel, Lawitta Road, Back River, next to her husband, and the marked grave bears a First Fleet plaque. She was one of the first British women to land in Australia and was the last "First Fleeter" to die.

text: Legacy[edit]

text: Smallpox[edit]

text: Historians have disagreed over whether those aboard the First Fleet were responsible for introducing smallpox to Australia's indigenous population, and if so, whether this was the consequence of deliberate action.

text: In 1914, J. H. L. Cumpston, director of the Australian Quarantine Service put forward the hypothesis that smallpox arrived with British settlers.[68] Some researchers have argued that any such release may have been a deliberate attempt to decimate the indigenous population.[69][70] Others have suggested that live smallpox virus may have been introduced accidentally, when Aboriginal people came into contact with variolous matter brought by the First Fleet for use in anti-smallpox inoculations.[71][72][73] Hypothetical scenarios for such an action might have included: an act of revenge by an aggrieved individual, a response to attacks by indigenous people,[74] or part of an orchestrated assault by the New South Wales Marine Corps, intended to clear the path for colonial expansion.[75][76]

text: Other historians have disputed the idea that there was a deliberate release of smallpox virus and/or suggest that it arrived with visitors to Australia other than the First Fleet.[77][78][79][80][81] In 2002, historian Judy Campbell suggested that smallpox had arrived in Australia through contact with fishermen from Makassar in Indonesia, where smallpox was endemic.[79][82] In 2011, Macknight stated: “The overwhelming probability must be that it [smallpox] was introduced, like the later epidemics, by [Indonesian] trepangers ... and spread across the continent to arrive in Sydney quite independently of the new settlement there.”[83]

text: There is a third theory, that the 1789 epidemic was not smallpox but chickenpox – to which indigenous Australians also had no inherited resistance – that happened to be affecting, or was carried by, members of the First Fleet.[84][85] This theory has also been disputed.[86][87]

text: Commemoration Garden[edit]

text: After Ray Collins, a stonemason, completed years of research into the First Fleet, he sought approval from about nine councils to construct a commemorative garden in recognition of these immigrants. Liverpool Plains Shire Council was ultimately the only council to accept his offer to supply the materials and construct the garden free of charge. The site chosen was a disused caravan park on the banks of Quirindi Creek at Wallabadah, New South Wales. In September 2002 Collins commenced work on the project. Additional support was later provided by Neil McGarry in the form of some signs and the council contributed $28,000 for pathways and fencing. Collins hand-chiseled the names of all those who came to Australia on the eleven ships in 1788 on stone tablets along the garden pathways. The stories of those who arrived on the ships, their life, and first encounters with the Australian country are presented throughout the garden.[88] On 26 January 2005, the First Fleet Garden was opened as the major memorial to the First Fleet immigrants. Previously the only other specific memorial to the First Fleeters was an obelisk at Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales.[89] The surrounding area has a barbecue, tables, and amenities.


document_title: A Star Is Born (2018 soundtrack)

question_text: the song at the end of the movie a star is born

root

text: A Star Is Born (2018 soundtrack)

text: Background and development[edit]

text: In March 2015, Warner Bros. announced that Bradley Cooper was in talks to make his directorial debut with A Star Is Born, the fourth remake of the 1937 film of the same name.[2] Lady Gaga was officially attached to the film in August 2016, with the studio green-lighting the project to begin production in early 2017.[3] Cooper plays Jackson Maine, "a veteran country singer who discovers and eventually falls in love with a struggling singer-songwriter named Ally, played by Gaga."[4] Gaga "helped inform Cooper's performance as a musician".[5]

tag: p

text: Cooper spent two-and-a-half years prepping for the film and determining what kind of musician his character would be. He worked with a number of musicians and vocal coach Roger Love.[6] Cooper said, "by the end he just kind of started developing into his own sort of creation. If I had another year of prep, it would have been complete rock, but now it's some sort of hybrid."[6]

text: Writing and recording[edit]

text: Cooper described the soundtrack "an evolution, like the story."[7] Gaga and Cooper were writing songs for the soundtrack during filming, leading to "so many different incarnations of each song."[7] Cooper added that "the music really became a character in the movie. There is no lyric that's ever in any point of the movie that doesn't have exactly to do with where one of them is or hopes to be or regrets being. That was our launching pad and then it was just about discovering what songs fit in the right places."[7] Jason Isbell wrote a song for Cooper's character, which became "the sword with which a lot of the music spawned from [Cooper]". Isbell sent the song through Dave Cobb, a Nashville-based producer with whom Cooper had been collaborating.[8]

text: Cooper approached Lukas Nelson (son of country music singer Willie Nelson) after seeing him perform at Desert Trip in October 2016 and asked him to work on the film as a music consultant.[9] Nelson said he began "writing songs for the movie, just for the heck of it, and sending them over to the producer, and they started liking them. Then Lady Gaga came by and I met her and we clicked. We became good friends, and we started writing together."[10] Gaga, in turn, provided backing vocals on two tracks on Nelson's self-titled album released in 2017.[11] Nelson and his band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, appear in the film as Cooper's backing band.[6]

text: Gaga reunited with producer Mark Ronson and songwriter Hillary Lindsey, who had both contributed to her previous studio album Joanne (2016).[6] She worked with recurring collaborator DJ White Shadow on the soundtrack's more pop-oriented numbers performed by her character Ally. Much of the album was recorded live on set, at Gaga's insistence.[1][6]

text: Music and lyrics[edit]

text: Billboard described the soundtrack as "integral to the plotline", adding that "many of the lyrics are about wanting and longing for change, but noting the struggle. Some express the great love and beautiful bond the booze-addled rock star (Jackson Maine, played by Cooper) and neophyte singer-songwriter (Ally, played by Lady Gaga) have for each other", and concluding that "the music stands up, movie or no movie. They are timeless, emotional, gritty and earnest. They sound like songs written by artists who, quite frankly, are supremely messed up but hit to the core of the listener."[12]

text: Release[edit]

text: The soundtrack's track list and release date were announced on August 30, 2018.[4] Interscope Records tweeted that the album "features 19 songs in a wide range of musical styles + 15 dialogue tracks that will take you on a journey that mirrors the experience of seeing the film."[13] Its track "Shallow" was released on September 27 as the album's lead single.[14]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: Professional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingMetacritic78/100[15]Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic[16]The Daily Telegraph[17]The Guardian[18]NME[19]Pitchfork7.4/10[20]Rolling Stone[21]Slant Magazine[22]

tag: table

text: The soundtrack received positive response from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album has an average score of 78, based on 8 reviews, indicating  "generally favorable reviews".[15] In a positive review, The Washington Post called the soundtrack a "five-star marvel" and stated that it is a possible contender to win a Grammy Award.[23] Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian gave the album a positive review, acknowledging "Bradley Cooper shows he can sing as well as act and direct", but that "it is Lady Gaga’s pop prowess that lifts each track, be it spectacular piano ballads or heart-rending duets"[18]

text: In a positive review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing for AllMusic, said "All the songs make sense narratively and on their own, so they hold together well and would amount to a first-rate soundtrack", but criticized the dialogue included in the album.[16] Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos gave the soundtrack four stars out of a possible five, saying "The music Gaga helps write for this stretch in Ally’s career...is gorgeous--romantic without being trite and powerful."[21] Nick Reilly of NME complimented the album's "emotionally charged songs that feel entirely appropriate for this heartfelt tale of doomed romance", adding that the album is "one of the best Hollywood soundtracks of recent years."[19]

text: Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick gave the album a moderately positive review, saying the soundtrack was enjoyable, but criticized the "slightly awkward journey from rock balladry to slickly superficial pop" and stated that "there is also a weird disconnect as the soundtrack shifts gear to anodyne modern pop".[17] Jeremy Winograd of Slant Magazine, in a mixed review, was critical of the album, saying "There’s undoubtedly a strong 10-song album lodged at the core of A Star Is Born, but unlike the film, wherein an outsized sense of sentimentality is rendered affecting by the more grounded performances, there’s not nearly enough substance here to justify all the bombast."[22]

text: Commercial performance[edit]

text: A Star Is Born opened atop the US Billboard 200 with 231,000 album-equivalent units, including 162,000 pure album sales. It had the biggest overall sales week for a soundtrack in over three years, and is Gaga's fifth US number-one album as well as Cooper's first. Gaga extended her record as the female artist with the most chart-topping albums during the 2010s, breaking her tie with Taylor Swift. Beside its pure album sales, A Star Is Born earned 37,000 in stream-equivalent units and 32,000 from track-equivalent units.[24] The soundtrack spent a second week at number one there with 143,000 album-equivalent units (86,000 being pure sales), and became Gaga's second album to top the chart for two consecutive weeks after Born This Way (2011).[25] It then held the country's summit for a third week in a row with 109,000 equivalent units (61,000 pure sales), becoming the first soundtrack since High School Musical 2 in 2007 to top the chart for its first three weeks. Additionally it became Gaga's longest running chart-topping album in the country.[26]

text: A Star Is Born entered at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 18,000 equivalent units, earning the top sales and digital song download honors and the seventh highest on-demand streams for the week. The soundtrack was Gaga's third album to reach the summit in the nation and her first since Born This Way.[27] The soundtrack held the top position for the next week, with another 12,000 equivalent units and was also the top-selling album.[28] It had an 11% increase in sales during the third week and remained atop the charts, selling close to 14,000 equivalent units. Like in the United States, the soundtrack became Gaga's longest running chart-topping album in Canada for Gaga.[29]

text: In the United Kingdom, A Star Is Born faced competition from Twenty One Pilots' fifth studio album, Trench, with the midweek chart suggesting the latter to emerge as the top album. A Star Is Born pulled ahead at the last moment according to Alan Jones from Music Week, and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with 31,816 units (including 6,178 from stream-equivalent units). It became Gaga's fourth album to reach number one in the nation and first since Artpop (2013), as well as Cooper's first entry on the chart.[30][31] The soundtrack was then displaced by Jess Glynne's Always In Between the following week, and it fell to number two, selling 24,732 equivalent units.[32][33] For the week ending November 1, 2018, the soundtrack moved back atop the chart with 24,982 copies sold (including 6,645 from sales-equivalent streams). "Shallow" also reached the top of the UK Singles Chart that week, making Gaga and Cooper score an Official UK Chart double, this being Gaga's third time to do so.[34][35]

text: A Star Is Born opened at number one in Ireland and Scotland,[36][37] and was Gaga's third number one in the former.[38] During its third week atop the Irish chart, the soundtrack attained its highest sales tally.[39] In France, the soundtrack sold 8,700 units and debuted at number seven on the SNEP Albums Chart, and held the same position the next week with another 8,000 units.[40][41] In Australia, A Star Is Born entered at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, giving Gaga her seventh top 10 album in the country and her sixth to reach the top three.[42] Two weeks later, the soundtrack reached the top of the charts, becoming Gaga's third album to reach the Australian charts summit after The Fame Monster and Born This Way.[43] The soundtrack debuted at number six in the New Zealand Albums Chart, and after two weeks reached the top.[44]

text: Track listing[edit]

text: Standard version[45]No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length1."Intro"  0:202."Black Eyes" (performed by Bradley Cooper)CooperLukas NelsonCooperNelsonLady Gaga[a][b]3:033."Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (dialogue; featuring Lady Gaga)Harold ArlenE.Y. HarburgClaire Louise Whittleston[46] 0:424."Fabulous French" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Anthony Ramos and D.J. "Shangela" Pierce)  0:195."La Vie en rose" (performed by Lady Gaga)LouiguyÉdith PiafGagaBrian Newman2:596."I'll Wait for You" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:197."Maybe It's Time" (performed by Bradley Cooper)Jason IsbellCooperBenjamin RiceGaga[a]2:398."Parking Lot" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:319."Out of Time" (performed by Bradley Cooper)CooperNelsonCooperNelson2:5210."Alibi" (performed by Bradley Cooper)GagaCooperNelsonGagaCooperNelson3:0311."Trust Me" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:32[e]12."Shallow" (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)GagaMark RonsonAnthony RossomandoAndrew WyattGagaRice3:3513."First Stop, Arizona" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:1014."Music to My Eyes" (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)GagaNelsonNelson3:1915."Diggin' My Grave" (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)Paul KennerleyGagaNelson3:5716."I Love You" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:1917."Always Remember Us This Way" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaNatalie HembyHillary LindseyLori McKennaDave CobbGaga3:3018."Unbelievable" (dialogue; featuring Lady Gaga and Rafi Gavron)  0:2819."How Do You Hear It?" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:1420."Look What I Found" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaMark Nilan Jr.Nick MonsonPaul "DJWS" BlairNelsonAaron RaitiereGagaNilanMonsonBlair2:5521."Memphis" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:2422."Heal Me" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaNilanMonsonBlairJulia MichaelsJustin TranterGagaNilanMonsonBlair3:1623."I Don't Know What Love Is" (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)GagaNelsonGaga[c]NelsonNilan[b]Monson[b]2:5724."Vows" (dialogue; featuring Lady Gaga)  0:1725."Is That Alright?" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaNilanMonsonBlairRaitiereGagaNilanMonsonBlair3:1126."SNL" (dialogue; featuring Alec Baldwin, Donald King, Michael Mancini and Gena Rositano)  0:1327."Why Did You Do That?" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaDiane WarrenNilanMonsonBlairGagaNilanMonsonBlair3:0428."Hair Body Face" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaNilanMonsonBlairGagaNilanMonsonBlairRice[d]3:2229."Scene 98" (dialogue; featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga)  0:35[f]30."Before I Cry" (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaNilanMonsonBlairGagaNilanMonsonBlair4:1831."Too Far Gone" (performed by Bradley Cooper)CooperNelsonCooperNelson1:2632."Twelve Notes" (dialogue; featuring Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott)  1:0333."I'll Never Love Again" (film version) (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)GagaHembyLindseyRaitiereGagaRice4:4134."I'll Never Love Again" (extended version) (performed by Lady Gaga)GagaHembyLindseyRaitiereGagaRice5:28Total length:70:01[g]

text: showVersion without dialogue[47]No.TitleLength1."Black Eyes"3:032."La Vie en rose"2:593."Maybe It's Time"2:394."Out of Time"2:525."Alibi"3:036."Shallow" (radio edit)3:377."Music to My Eyes"3:198."Diggin' My Grave"3:579."Always Remember Us This Way"3:3010."Look What I Found"2:5511."Heal Me"3:1612."I Don't Know What Love Is"2:5713."Is That Alright?"3:1114."Why Did You Do That?"3:0415."Hair Body Face"3:2216."Before I Cry"4:1817."Too Far Gone"1:2618."I'll Never Love Again" (film version) (radio edit)4:4119."I'll Never Love Again" (extended version) (radio edit)5:28Total length:63:37

text: Notes

text:
^[a]  – additional vocal production
^[b]  – additional production
^[c]  – main and additional production
^[d]  – vocal production
^[e]  – 0:31 on clean version of the album
^[f]  – 0:34 on clean version of the album
^[g]  – 69:59 for clean version of the album

tag: ul

text: Charts[edit]

text:
Chart (2018)

Peak position

Argentinian Albums (CAPIF)[48]

3

Australian Albums (ARIA)[49]

1

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[50]

2

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[51]

4

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[52]

4

Canadian Albums (Billboard)[53]

1

Croatia International Albums (HDU)[54]

3

Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[55]

1

Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[56]

3

Estonian Albums (IFPI)[57]

1

Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[58]

12

French Albums (SNEP)[59]

7

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[60]

5

Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[61]

4

Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[62]

15

Icelandic Albums (Tonlist)[63]

4

Irish Albums (OCC)[64]

1

Italian Albums (FIMI)[65]

4

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[44]

1

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[66]

2

Polish Albums (ZPAV)[67]

32

Portuguese Albums (AFP)[68]

2

Scottish Albums (OCC)[37]

1

Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[69]

1

South African Albums (RiSA)[70]

18

South Korean Albums (Gaon)[71]

37

South Korean International Albums (Gaon)[72]

1

Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[73]

2

Swedish Compilation (Sverigetopplistan)[74]

1

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[75]

1

UK Albums (OCC)[76]

1

UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[77]

1

US Billboard 200[78]

1

US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[79]

1

US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[80]

1

text: Release history[edit]

text:
Region

Date

Format

Label

Ref.

Various

October 5, 2018

Digital download
Streaming
CD
LP

Interscope

[81]

Japan

November 7, 2018

CD
LP

[82]


document_title: Judge Judy

question_text: where is the judge judy show filmed at

question_tokens: where is the judge judy show filmed at

text: Judge Judy

text: Court show background[edit]

text: Origins[edit]

text: Sheindlin's pre-court show reputation as one of the toughest family court judges in the country was the topic of a February 14, 1993 edition of The Los Angeles Times written by—perhaps the man responsible for initiating her entertainment career—Josh Getlin (copy of the article here).[15][16] On May 21, 1993, Joseph Wapner was released from The People's Court. Sheindlin called up the program and said, "You know, if he doesn't want to do this show any more, I can do it." The receptionist snapped, "Are you crazy, lady?" and hung up.[17] Getlin's Los Angeles Times article on Sheindlin caught the attention of 60 Minutes, which aired a segment on her on October 24, 1993.[18] The segment brought her national recognition and first led to an offer for her to write her own book. Sheindlin accepted the book offer, writing Don't Pee On My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining.

text: In early 1995 two former People's Court producers, Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman (now involved in a lawsuit against Sheindlin and CBS as of January 2018, claiming they are owed compensation for discovering her[19]), asked Sheindlin if she would like to preside over her own courtroom series,[20] and she eventually accepted.[20] Sheindlin and her producers originally wanted the show title to be "Her Honor" but the production company, Big Ticket Television, decided on calling it "Hot Bench" instead,[21][22] even promoting the show as "Hot Bench With Judge Judy" for some time prior to the show's début.[23] However, Big Ticket ultimately decided on "Judge Judy".[24]

text: Petri Hawkins-Byrd, the court show's bailiff, was also Sheindlin's bailiff throughout her career in the Manhattan Family Court system. When Byrd found out about Sheindlin's show, he sent her a congratulatory letter, stating, "If you ever need a bailiff, I still look good in uniform." She phoned Byrd at his home in California to accept his offer and he has been the show's bailiff since its debut. Byrd is the longest-running bailiff in courtroom programming history. Sheindlin has stated that the show's producers desired different individuals for the role, but she refused.

text: Sheindlin appeared again on 60 Minutes on April 30, 2003. During the interview, Sheindlin stated:

text: I have a contract with the company to do the program through the 2006 season. At that point, we will have produced this program for 10 years. Right now, I would be satisfied with a good 10-year run. I think that would really be phenomenal. It would be lovely if we could end on a high note and for me to say "10 years and I still had people watching and I had a second career that was a blast."[21]

text: On September 14, 2015, Sheindlin began celebrating her 20th season anniversary presiding on Judge Judy. The program is the first in the court show genre to make it to 20 seasons without cancellation as well as the first to make it to this extent under one arbitrator. Her distinction as television's longest serving judge or arbitrator rewarded Sheindlin a place in the Guinness World Records on September 14, 2015.[25]

text: On-air format[edit]

text: Each episode of Judge Judy begins with an introductory preview of the main case, sensationalizing various moments of the case with dramatic music, voice-over commentary, graphics, etc. This is followed by the show's opening music video. At the beginning of each court proceeding, information regarding who is suing whom and what for is revealed originally by voice-over artist Michael Stull, who was later replaced by the show's current voice-over artist Jerry Bishop. Sheindlin typically begins each case by questioning the parties as to dates, times, locations and other facts central to the lawsuit. Monopolizing the discourse throughout the cases, Sheindlin will sometimes only listen to bits and pieces of each of the testimonies as she is quick to reply, impose her spiel and disallow responses that are not concise or made during her desire to speak.[26] Sometimes, however, Sheindlin will allow one or both of the opposing litigants to recount the entirety of their testimony. While delivering their testimony, litigants are not allowed to hesitate and must maintain fixed eye contact with Sheindlin at all times. Further, litigants are not allowed to speak out of turn or talk to each other. Small children who do not testify are usually removed from the courtroom at the start of the litigation, and unruly co-litigants and witnesses (and once an audience member who laughed too awkwardly during the proceedings) are ejected for disobeying the judge.

text: Like most modern court shows, cases on Judge Judy imitate small claims court cases in which civil trials (non-criminal cases) are heard and ruled on. Typically Sheindlin handles cases among former lovers, disputing neighbors, or family and friend relations.[27] Disputes generally revolve around issues such as broken engagements, unpaid personal loans, contract breaches, personal injuries from other litigants or their pets, minor property damages (e.g., fender benders, carpet stains, etc.), the fate of jointly purchased household appliances and rightful ownership of property.[27] As is standard practice in small claims court and most reality court shows alike, Judge Judy proceedings operate in the form of a bench trial (as opposed to its more common counterpart, the jury trial). Moreover, lawyers are not present and litigants must defend themselves.[28]

text: When the show goes into the first two commercial breaks, the voice-over sounds, stating "Judge Judy continues in a moment", followed by a preview of the remainder of the ongoing case, sometimes along with the following case, is typically shown. When the show comes out of the first two commercial breaks, the voice-over sounds, stating "Real cases, Real people, Judge Judy", followed by a verbal recap of the ongoing case. When the show comes out of the last commercial break, the voice-over sounds again, this time providing the show's telephone number and website to submit cases.[4] Generally each show presents two cases, but infrequently, an episode will present a single long case, three shorter ones, or even four shorter ones.

text: After expressing her views of the circumstances and behaviors of the litigants with regards to their testimonies, Sheindlin renders the judgment either by finding for the plaintiff (typically with the statement, "Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of x dollars. We're done."), by dismissing the case, or by dismissing the case specifically without prejudice. Any counterclaims filed are handled similarly to this. Counterclaims are handled subsequently in the same segment, though often cursorily by Sheindlin as many counterclaims on the program have been filed out of vindictiveness as opposed to legitimacy. At the end of each case, there is typically an afterthoughts segment for the litigants. In these segments, the plaintiff(s), the defendant(s), and sometimes their witnesses deliver a monologue, expressing their feelings regarding the case directly to the viewers at home by speaking into the camcorder. Sometimes, however, these segments are omitted, especially after cases involving resentful litigants, too upset over the circumstances to remain in the studio and provide comment.[29]

text: Inner workings[edit]

text: The producers of Judge Judy hire extras from an audience service who compose the entire studio. Paid audience members are easier to control due to agreements and employment. They don't have to be trained or debriefed as much as your average person on how to act to make those in the spotlight look good. Producers also seek a certain demographic of individuals and seat them strategically throughout their audience. Most of these paid extras are aspiring actors.[16][30] Though tickets are not offered for the show, arrangements can sometimes be made with Sheindlin's production staff to allow fans of the show into the audience. The extras must not dress casually, and no logos or brand names may be visible on their clothing. Extras are also instructed to appear as if they are having discussions with each other before and after each case, so the bailiff may make such announcements as "Order! All rise."[31]

text: Audience members are not to make any noises during the proceedings and, unlike other court shows, may not applaud the judge or rightful litigant upon praiseworthy remarks; although on some occasions when Sheindlin delivers a crushing remark for a particularly egregious or ludicrous act, the audience is seen laughing or applauding without Sheindlin silencing them. For the most part, however, Sheindlin is seen bringing the audience to order (with a fountain pen; she never uses a gavel) and admonishing them for engaging in any such noise throughout the cases.

text: To acquire cases, the show generally uses one of the following three options:

text:
Its 60 to 65 researchers, spread out across the country, enter small claims courts and photocopy numerous cases. These photocopied cases are then sent to Judge Judy producers, who review them all in search of lawsuits they believe will make for good television. According to the show's producers, only 3% of the photocopied cases are worthy enough for television.[16]
Its telephone number posting/announcement presented on each episode for interested individuals to call in with lawsuits.
Its website whereby lawsuits can be written out and submitted into the show.[32]

text: After one of these three processes, if the producers are interested, their employees will then call both parties and ask them questions relating to their lawsuit, making sure they're suitable for Judge Judy. If the parties agree to be on the show and sign a waiver, agreeing that arbitration in Sheindlin's court is final and cannot be pursued elsewhere (unless Sheindlin dismisses the lawsuit without prejudice), their case will air on Judge Judy.[33]

text: The award limit on Judge Judy, as on most "syndi-court" shows (and most small claims courts in the U.S.), is $5,000. The award for each judgment is paid by the producers of the show from a fund reserved for the purpose.[34] Sheindlin rules by either A.) issuing a verdict of a specific dollar amount (not always in the full amount of what is requested and rarely if ever in excess of what is requested even if she believes complainants are deserving of more) or B.) by dismissing the lawsuit altogether. When ruled on in these manners, cases cannot be refiled or retried elsewhere. However, if Sheindlin specifically dismisses the lawsuit "without prejudice", that lawsuit may be refiled and retried in another forum. In some instances, Sheindlin has dismissed cases without prejudice deliberately so that complainants pursue defendants in an actual court of law so that the defendants themselves are held financially accountable, this as opposed to the show. In such cases, Sheindlin has expressed particular aversion to the defendants in question.[35] Further, Sheindlin has dismissed cases without prejudice when she has suspected both the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) of conspiring together just to gain monetary rewards from the program.[35]

text: Both the plaintiff(s) and the defendant(s) also receive an appearance fee. The appearance fee amount has varied as between different litigants of the show: certain litigants have reported receiving a $500 appearance fee while others have reported receiving $100, and others $250.[36][37] In addition to the appearance fee amount, litigants are paid $35 a day by the show.[37] The litigants' stay lasts for the number of days that the show does taping for that week, which is two or three days. [38] In addition, the airfare (or other means of travel) and hotel expenses of the litigants and their witnesses are covered by the show, and the experience is generally treated as an all-expense-paid vacation outside of the actual court case.[37] If there is an exchange of property, Sheindlin signs an order, and a sheriff or marshal oversees the exchange.[39] Sheindlin sees only a half-page complaint and a defense response prior to the taping of the cases, sometimes only moments before.[40] Most of the cases, not including any footage deleted to meet the time constraints of the show, usually last anywhere from twelve to forty-five minutes.[41][42]

text: Judge Judy, like most court programs, is inexpensive to produce and thus creates considerable income. A budget for a week's worth of Judge Judy episodes is half the cost of a single network sitcom episode.[43]

text: Recordings and airings[edit]

text: Three days every other week (two weeks a month), Sheindlin and her producers tape the court show.[24] They usually produce ten to twelve cases for each day they tape the show. This makes for about a week's worth of episodes, all done within one day. Anywhere from thirty to thirty-six cases are taped over three days during the week. Sheindlin appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 13, 2011. When asked by Kimmel how many days a month she works, Sheindlin replied, "Five days." [44]Sheindlin and her producers sometimes tape only five cases per day and two days per week.[10][45] The show has fifty-two taping days a year.[46] For each season, some 650 claims are brought to the set to be "presided" over by Judge Judy.[10] This means approximately 8,450 claims have been brought to Judy Sheindlin's Hollywood set as of the end of its thirteenth season (2008–09).

text: For the most part, cases are taped all throughout the year except for two breaks Sheindlin and all of the staff members of her show have for the year. One of the two breaks includes an extra week off in December, as the show is only taped one week out of that month because of the holidays. The other break is from mid-July (only taping one week in July) and all through August. According to members of the show, the reason for this break is that people are more interested in taking vacations than in filing lawsuits around that time.[47] When the show premieres in September, only the best episodes of the ones taped before Sheindlin's break are selected to begin out the season. Thus, the first few weeks (the first week in particular) will consist of what the show feels to be its best episodes. In Sheindlin's words, "It's like drinking wine. You don't serve the really good bottle of wine third."[48]

text: Altogether, there are 260 new episodes each season. There is at least one new episode for every weekday, with the exception of a few hiatuses during most of the summer, a couple of holidays, and as of more recent seasons, early spring as well (much of March and April).[49] The cases are all pre-recorded for editing purposes and will usually air one to three months after being taped. The cases are mixed up and not shown in order of when they were recorded.[50] While the cases taped in March end the seasons, the cases taped throughout April, May, June, and July start out each season in September and last through October.[51] Throughout the very beginning of each season, two new Judge Judy episodes air per day. After two weeks, this is reduced to one new airing a day, followed by a repeat. There are also various other moments throughout the year where two new episodes are shown for a few weeks. This has sometimes included January when the show returns from its winter hiatus. Two new episodes are also shown daily during the "sweeps" months of November, February, and May. Unlike other television programs, the Judge Judy season finale does not air in April or May; rather, it airs in June, July, or August. When the season finale is extended to July or August, most of the summer episodes preceding it are repeats with new episodes that are few and far in-between.

text: Two DVDs, featuring "memorable cases," have been released by the show: the first in 2007, "Judge Judy: Justice Served," and the second in 2008, "Judge Judy: Second To None."[52]

text: Location[edit]

text: Judge Judy tapes at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.[53] In alternating weeks, Sheindlin, who owns a home in New York among other cities/states, flies out on her private jet to tape Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.[24]

text: As of 2014, the Judge Judy set is located directly beside the set of the courtroom series Sheindlin created and produces, Hot Bench. Both shows are taped in the same studio. Previous to that, the space directly beside Sheindlin's set was used for the courtroom series Paternity Court for the 2013-14 season.[54] Prior to that, the space was used for Judge Judy's long-running sister show Judge Joe Brown until Judge Joe Brown's 2013 cancellation. Like Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown was also produced by Big Ticket Entertainment.[41] The two shows alternated taping weeks. Despite the show being taped primarily in California, it displays various images of New York City upon returning from commercial breaks, including a subway train and official signs bearing "State of New York" and "Family Court" (Sheindlin was previously a New York family court judge)[55] within the letterbox-like graphics used going to and from breaks since the ninth season. The set features a New York state flag behind Sheindlin's seat.

text: Remodeling[edit]

text: Over its existence, the show has changed very little from season to season.[56] Most modifications to the program have been done in minute detail, such as to the show's book shelf display seen near the courtroom entrance. Aesthetically, the show's theme song, graphics, and color scheme are the only aspects that have changed repeatedly over the course of its lifespan.[57] The ninth season (2004–05) is one of few seasons in which the show underwent major remodeling when music for the show's opening, closing, and to/from commercial portions were modified. A modern version of a melody from Beethoven's 5th Symphony was then adopted as the show's opening theme song. This arrangement was composed by Non-Stop Music Productions.[58] For its scenes, Sheindlin is shown in a different courtroom from her own (part of a proposed renovation to the courtroom that was rejected by Sheindlin for being too dark), approaching the camera, followed by folding her arms and smiling at the camera. This is followed by showing various scenes of her presiding over different cases. As part of these modifications, the show's introductory previews, graphics, and images all began showing up in falu red.

text: Prior to the ninth season, the show used an original tune for its theme song composed by Bill Bodine. From the show's debut through its eighth season, various versions of this original tune were used, the show making moderate modifications to the tune every few seasons, as shown here and here. The actual full-length version of this original musical, which never played during the show's intro, played during the lengthier litigant-afterthought-segments as shown (full-length musical used for 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02). From seasons four through eight, the opening music video commenced with an approaching scene towards a computer animated courthouse display up until that scene entered into the courthouse. From there, several shots of Sheindlin gesticulating from her bench—as though presiding over various cases—were displayed in motion. These motioning images eventually developed into the courthouse logo that represents the program (the logo always displayed within the letter "D" in "Judy") by the end of this opening music video. The music video in seasons prior to this used relatively similar music with disparities in scenes, images, instrumental sound type and theme song length.

text: Further, early seasons of the show used graphics and images that were sea green and saffron. Blue and saffron then came to represent multiple seasons of the show before the show's current color scheme. By the show's sixth season (2001–02), music and graphics used in the introductory previews no longer resembled the rest of the program as they had previously, but instead used a high blue color scheme and a different song for each episode/intro preview. While the introductory preview's inconstant tunes have continued to the present season, the color scheme in the introductory previews began resembling the color scheme used in the rest of the program (falu red) once again by the ninth season.

text: Each opening music video consists of Voice-Over Artist Jerry Bishop stating: "You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin. The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. This is Judge Judy."[59] Originally between the statements "The rulings are final" and "This is Judge Judy" was the statement, "This is her courtroom."[60] This was removed in 2004. Beginning in September 2012, the show made a switch to high definition with its 17th season. The bumpers between commercials are also in HD, although most on-screen graphics such as plaintiff and defendant descriptions are framed to fit a 4:3 aspect ratio.[61]

text: By the 20th season beginning in September 2015, the show began using a shortened, scanty version of the same intro it had been using for 10 years since its 9th season. Both the Beethoven remix and lyrics have been curtailed. The present lyrics state only "You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin. This is Judge Judy." In addition to not using much of an intro theme any longer, a "20th anniversary" caption is depicted above the "Judge Judy" logo in the intro. These are the only two updates for season 20.

text: Episode Specials[edit]

text: Primetime Judge Judy[edit]

text: On May 20, 2014, CBS aired a one-hour special called Judge Judy Primetime which aired at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The special was a combination of reshown clips from the 1993 60 Minutes Special on Sheindlin, as well as a few never-previously-seen cases. The special marked Judge Judy's first airing in primetime, a landmark for court shows which are typically limited to daytime or late night hours.[62][63] Although the special didn't rank nearly as high as Dancing with the Stars (14.86 million) and The Voice (11.57 million), it brought in 5.66 million viewers, enough to make it the night's top rated show on CBS. In addition, the special came in just behind American Idol, which brought in 6.61 million viewers.[64]

text: Contrived case[edit]

text: At least some of the cases on the series have been circumstances that were allegedly contrived by the litigants just to receive monetary payment from the program.

text: In April 2013, former litigants from a 2010 airing of the show revealed they conspired together in fabricating a lawsuit in which the logical outcome would be to grant payment to the plaintiff. The operation, devised by musicians Kate Levitt and Jonathan Coward, was successful: Sheindlin awarded the plaintiff (Levitt) $1,000. The litigants involved also walked away with an appearance fee of $250 each and an all expense paid vacation to Hollywood, California. In reality, all the litigants in question—plaintiffs and defendants alike—were friends who split the earnings up among each other. It was also reported that the show's producers were in on the sham and knew of the contrivance all along but went along with it. The lawsuit was over the fictitious death of a cat as a result of a television crushing it.[65][66]

text: Curb Your Enthusiasm pseudo-Judge Judy case featuring Sheindlin[edit]

text: Sheindlin and her program appeared on the November 26, 2017 broadcast of Curb Your Enthusiasm, presiding over a sketch comedy court case with Larry David as the plaintiff. The pseudo-Judge Judy case assumed the appearance of an actual case from Sheindlin's program, taking place from the show's courtroom set with trademarked voice-over briefs, theme music and audience response.[67]

text: Judge Judy Sheindlin[edit]

text: Judge Judy was born on October 21, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, to German-Jewish parents Murray and Ethel Blum. Sheindlin described her father, a dentist, as "the greatest thing since sliced bread" and her mother as "a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal." It was reported in October 2012 that Sheindlin had a $45 million yearly contract with CBS Television Distribution, in effect until 2015 and up $20 million from 2007.[68] It was later reported in October 2013 that Sheindlin is the highest paid TV star, earning $47 million per year for Judge Judy, which translates into just over $900,000 per workday (she works 52 days per year).[69]

text: Judy has gained a reputation for her tough judicial approach in both the family court and televised court, also known widely for her no-nonsense fact-finding, restive nature, and incisive impositions that dismiss attempts at debate.[70][71] In line with these attributes, her program has been touted as "a show where justice is dispensed at the speed of light." Loosely related is her resoluteness in opinions and rulings, often resulting in the parties arguing, debating and excuse-making to no avail.[72]

text: Strict in her management of the proceedings,[73] Sheindlin coerces precise compliance of rules and is very quick to scold or even punish what she perceives as disobedience, misbehavior or even annoyance. And as result of her gruff disposition,[74] volatile temper,[75] and cheeky treatment,[76] taglines such as "Justice with an Attitude" have been used to characterize the program.[77] As examples of this, Sheindlin has regularly made such remarks as:

text: "Baloney!", "Do I have 'stupid' written over my forehead?",[78] "I'm here because I'm smart, not because I'm young and gorgeous, although I am",[78] "If you live to be 100, you will never be as smart as I am, sir",[78] "Clearly you are not wrapped too tight",[79] "Where did you think you were coming to today, a tea party?!",[80] "I'm speaking!",[80] "If you interrupt again madam, your case is dismissed, and I'm throwing you out. Do we understand each other?",[80] "I've been in this business for over 40 years",[80] "Do I look like I need help from you?",[80] "That's a lot of who shot John",[81] "This is my playpen",[80] etc.

text: Spawning from her "Judge Judy: Justice Served" DVD, Sheindlin's regular phrases on the program have become known as "Judyisms".[82] Some of these Judyisms are intended to provide a lesson, such as "A good deed never goes unpunished", "Beauty fades, dumb is forever", "If It doesn't make sense, it's not true", "Do you know when teenagers are lying? When their mouths move."[80] Sheindlin has used the position of television arbitrator to impart guidance, direction, and life lessons not only to her litigants but her viewers and public at large. An example of guidance often stressed by Sheindlin is to be independent through employment, especially so as to not live off the government where unwarranted or other people directly where oppression from or friction with the provider may eventuate. In the former, Sheindlin can often be quoted as stating, "No, you aren't supporting yourself. Byrd and I are supporting you."[83][84] Sheindlin has stated that the main message she wants viewers to take from her program is that people must take responsibility for their actions and do the right thing.[49][85]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Nielsen Ratings by season[edit]

text: Judge Judy went on the air in September 1996. By the end of October of that year, the show was averaging only a 1.5 rating, putting it in the mid-rank of the 159 syndicated shows on the air. At that time, it was never expected that the show's ratings would ever compete with highly successful daytime TV shows of the time, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Jerry Springer Show.[49] According to Biography's documentary film on Sheindlin, "Judge Judy: Sitting in Judgment" (aired February 21, 2000),[86] producers of Judge Judy were disappointed that the show was barely making it on the radar. However, it did not take long for the court show to pick up momentum as Judge Judy rose to a 2.1 rating by the end of that first season. By its 2nd season (1997–98), the court show had already risen into the 4 ratings ranges, averaging a 4.3.[87]

text: The 3rd season (1998–99) of Judge Judy was the show's first season as the highest-rated program in daytime television, having surpassed the highly rated Jerry Springer Show and even then daytime powerhouse The Oprah Winfrey Show for the first time[88] (King World Productions which launched Oprah was a corporate sibling of CBS Television Studios, which distributed Judge Judy): the program's ratings more than doubled to a 5.6 for that season, marking Judge Judy as an early success.[89]

text: It was due, in part, to this early success that daytime television began to feature more court programming, such as a revival of The People's Court that re-debuted in fall 1997. In 1999, Judge Judy moved from Worldvision Enterprises to Paramount Domestic Television, which also distributed her stablemate Judge Joe Brown and eventually Judge Mills Lane. Many other retired judges were given their own court shows in syndication due in large part to Sheindlin's popularity. These include Greg Mathis, Glenda Hatchett, Alex Ferrer, Maria Lopez, Karen Mills-Frances, Cristina Perez, David Young, and many others. In addition, the series helped to spawn various nontraditional court programs. These include the reality-based revival of Divorce Court, which was originally presided over by Mablean Ephriam and now helmed by Lynn Toler; the short-lived Power of Attorney, capturing various high-profile attorneys arguing cases for litigants in front of Andrew Napolitano; Street Court, which took litigation outside of the courtroom; Jury Duty, featuring an all-celebrity jury hearing cases presided over by Bruce Cutler; etc. Furthermore, the role of Judge Judy in the rise in popularity of daytime court shows enabled several other non-real life judges to preside over courts, such as Nancy Grace, Jeanine Pirro, and Gloria Allred.

text: Also, partly due to Sheindlin's popularity, the producers of The People's Court decided to replace Ed Koch with Sheindlin's husband, Jerry Sheindlin, as their presiding judge during The People's Court's 3rd present life season/15th overall season (1999–2000); this meant that husband and wife would be either part of the same afternoon lineup or competing for ratings against each other. This experiment, however, did not last long as midway through The People's Court's fourth season, Sheindlin was replaced by the show's current judge, Marilyn Milian.[89][90]

text: For its 4th season (1999–00), Judy's ratings exploded to their highest to date, peaking at a 9.3 rating. At this point, Sheindlin's courtroom series was still more than ever the highest rated program in daytime. It was also at this point that Judge Judy held a record of increasing its ratings for each successive season since its debut. Because of the program's success, Judge Judy began airing at better time periods.[89]

text: It was by the show's 5th season (2000–01) that Judy's streak of growing in ratings from season to season since its debut had ceased. However, the court show still remained the highest-rated program in daytime that season with a 5.6 rating.[57] By the 6th season (2001–02), Judy was no longer the highest-rated program in daytime, beaten out by The Oprah Winfrey Show. The court show averaged a 5.0 rating that season.[57] Likewise, for her 7th season (2002–03), she also averaged a 5.0.[57] For her 8th season (2003–04), Sheindlin finally reversed the season-to-season downward turn in her ratings by averaging a 7.1.[91] Of the seven running court shows during the 2004–05 season, most of them earned a 3.63 rating; however, Judge Judy pulled in a 7.5 rating for that season (the show's 9th).[89] For her 10th season (2005–06), Judge Judy averaged a 4.8 rating.[92] Judge Judy averaged 4.6 rating for her 11th season (2006–07). Meanwhile, other programs in the genre were trailing Sheindlin from a vast distance (as has been the case since the debut of Judge Judy): Judge Joe Brown averaged a 2.9 rating; The People's Court averaged a 2.7; Judge Mathis averaged a 2.4; Divorce Court averaged a 2.0; Judge Alex averaged 1.9; Judge Hatchett averaged a 1.5; rookies--Cristina's Court averaged a 1.4, and Judge Maria Lopez came in last, averaging a 1.0 rating.[93]

text: For its 12th season (2007–08), Judge Judy averaged a 4.8 rating (4.8 HH AA%/7.4 HH GAA% rating) and 9.9 million average daily viewers.[52] Judy was the only first-run syndication program to increase in ratings for that season from the previous, leading CBS to immediately extend her contract through the 2012–13 season.[94] For its 13th season (2008–09), the show averaged a 4.2 rating (4.2 HH AA%/6.5 HH GAA% rating) and 9.02 million average daily viewers.[95] Its 14th season (2009–10) marked the first season in nearly a decade since the 2000–01 season that any daytime television program had been able to surpass The Oprah Winfrey Show's ratings (Judge Judy is also the show in question that during the 2000–01 television season surpassed The Oprah Winfrey Show in daytime TV ratings): Judy broke Winfrey's near decade-long streak with a 4.4 rating (4.4 HH AA%/6.9 HH GAA% rating) and 9.6 million average daily viewers.[96] It was also at that point that Sheindlin's courtroom series became the highest rated show in all of daytime television programming.[97] Judy secured this title in its 15th season (2010–11) as the program remained ahead of Oprah in her [Oprah] final season and the highest-rated daytime television offering, averaging a 5.11 rating[98] and 9.6 million viewers.[99] During this season, Judy also became the highest rated show in first-run syndication.[100] Late that same season in May 2011, as a result of continued high ratings, CBS again extended Sheindlin's contract, this time through the 2014–15 season (the show's 19th).[101]

text: In the first post-Oprah television season, the court show continued its reign as the most dominant show in daytime and also became the top-rated show in syndication, its 16th season (2011–12) racking up a 7.0 rating and 9.29 million average daily viewers.[102] As the top-rated show in all of syndication at this point, Sheindlin defeated first-run syndication programs and off-network syndication programs (rerun episodes of programs off their original network).[103] The title of overall syndication leader was previously held by off-network syndicated program Two and a Half Men (2010–11) and before that, first-run syndicated program Wheel of Fortune (2009–10).[104][105]

text: For its 17th season (2012–13), Judge Judy once again pulled in a 7.0 household rating.[100][107] The series delivered 9.63 million average daily viewers that season, growing by +32,000 viewers over the prior season.[108] Despite this, Judy lost its 1st place spot as the ratings leader in all of syndication that season, descending to 2nd place, only a tad behind The Big Bang Theory (off-network syndicate) which took home a 7.1 for that season. Still and all, this was the 3rd season in a row that Judy earned the title of ratings leader in all of first-run syndication.[100] Moreover, this was the 4th consecutive season that Judy was the ratings leader in all of daytime television programming.[109] For the 18th season (2013–14), Judy rose to a 7.2 household rating and brought in 9.94 million viewers, gaining 8% over its prior season. Also for this season, the show reclaimed the title as highest rated program in all of daytime (5th consecutive time, 8th time overall) and all of syndication (3rd time).[110][111] The show's 19th season (2014–15) pulled in a 7.0 household rating and remained the highest rated program in both daytime television as well as all of syndication.[112] The 20th season (2015–16) was Judy's 3rd consecutive year as syndication's top strip, the court show averaging a 7.0 full-season household rating.[113]

text: For its 21st season (2016-17), Judge Judy trounced all of its competitors in daytime and all of syndication. The court show scored a 6.8 household rating for its 21st season.[114][115]

text: Pre-eminence and success in struggling genre[edit]

text: The success of Judge Judy is particularly noteworthy in that, generally speaking, courtroom programming has a very limited shelf life. The shows in this genre are lucky to make it past a few seasons. In addition, most of the programs in this genre do not score very highly in ratings. The annual Forbes magazine Celebrity 100 for 2015 lists Judge Judy Sheindlin at number 43, along with Vin Diesel, with estimated earnings last year of $47 million.

text: Of the long list of court shows, the only programs still existent in the genre originating in the 1990s or prior are Divorce Court (1957), The People's Court (1981), Judge Judy (1996) and Judge Mathis (1999). Of those four, only Judge Judy and Judge Mathis have not suffered a temporary cancellation in their series run before a revival. Also of the four, Sheindlin and Mathis are the only two to have hosted their program for their entire run. This makes Sheindlin the genre's longest serving courtroom arbitrator. Greg Mathis is the second longest serving court show arbitrator, trailing Sheindlin by three seasons. As Divorce Court and The People's Court have both suffered temporary cancellation(s), Judge Judy has had the longest individual life of any court show followed by Judge Mathis.

text: Judge Judy producer Randy Douthit has stated that "they are guilty of cannibalizing each other. Most of these court shows are lucky to get above a 1 rating today."[116]

text: Addressing the subject in a September 2015 interview, Sheindlin stated: "It's clearly not the format since there are many court shows. So it has to be the message and the messenger and some excellent directing, which is why the show looks so good. The message is a simple one: it's your life, take responsibility for it, say you're sorry and fess up when you do something wrong. That has to be delivered in an entertaining way and, fortunately, I don't have to act. I don't have a script. It is what it is."[117]

text: Judge Mathis's emulation and admiration of Judge Judy[edit]

text: In a January 2018 interview, Judge Mathis—the second longest serving arbitrator in the court television genre, surpassed only by Judge Judy's 3 year lead over him—suggested that he tried emulating her early on and received input that his gender and race made this approach short lived.

text: In speaking on the early days of his courtroom series, Mathis stated:

text: With that in mind, Mathis added that he decided to change things up and be “a little comical and a little socially conscious.”

text: Mathis also took care to note of his high opinion of Sheindlin. Ever humbly, he stated that he did not deserve her salary, that Sheindlin's salary is owed to her because of her impressive ratings and that she even "ran Oprah off television" with ratings that surpassed hers [Oprah]. He added [laughingly] that he is way behind Judge Judy.[118]

text: Audience makeup[edit]

text: Judge Judy's daytime audience is composed of approximately seventy-five percent women and twenty-five percent men.[47] In February 2014, it was reported that Judge Judy's audience is mostly composed of older women, blacks, and Latinos.[119]

text: Criticisms[edit]

text: Sheindlin vs. Joseph Wapner[edit]

text: Despite her widespread popularity, Sheindlin's behavior and treatment of the parties that have appeared before her has often been the subject of criticism. Regular viewers of the program have also been criticized as sadistic for their delight in watching Sheindlin engage in her typical behaviors.[120] One such example of criticism has come from the first star of arbitration-based reality court shows, Joseph Wapner. Wapner, who presided over The People's Court from 1981 to 1993, was a long-time critic of Sheindlin. On November 26, 2002, Wapner criticized Judge Judy's courtroom behavior, stating "She is not portraying a judge as I view a judge should act. Judge Judy is discourteous, and she's abrasive. She's not slightly insulting. She's insulting in capital letters."

text: Judge Judy replied through her publicist, stating, "I refuse to engage in similar mud slinging. I don't know where or by whom Judge Wapner was raised. But my parents taught me when you don't have something nice to say about someone, say nothing. Clearly, Judge Wapner was absent on the day that lesson was taught."

text: Since then, Wapner has stated, "She is a disgrace to the profession. She does things I don't think a judge should do. She tells people to shut up. She's rude. She's arrogant. She demeans people. If she does this on purpose, then that's even worse. Judges need to observe certain standards of conduct. She just doesn't do it and I resent that. The public is apt to gain the impression that this is how actual judges conduct themselves. It says 'judge' on the nameplate on the bench and she's wearing a robe."[121]

text: Sheindlin has since stated, "As a young person, when I had watched The People's Court. . . I said 'you know what, I could do that.' And at least as well because while Joe Wapner is a very good judge, [he] didn't have much of a sense of humor. And I always knew from a very practical perspective that you have to marry those two things in order to be successful in entertainment."[20]

text: In a November 2013 interview with Larry King, Sheindlin was asked whether she enjoyed watching Wapner on The People's Court. She replied, "Meh! Oatmeal!" Following this, King asked her what if any other television judges then did she enjoy, to which Sheindlin answered "Mills Lane" of Judge Mills Lane.[122]

text: Acclaim[edit]

text: In a September 2014 Rickey Smiley Morning Show interview, Judge Mathis was asked what 3 other court show judges he'd most enjoy sharing a meal with. For his first choice, he answered (laughing) "Are you kidding?! It would be Judge Judy at the head of the table. Oh my goodness, that Judge Judy is something else." His second choice was Judge Marilyn Milian, and third Judge Mills Lane.[123]

text: In August, 2010, rapper, singer and songwriter Nicki Minaj stated that she has an obsession with Judge Judy and that all of her free time is spent watching the program.[124]

text: In February 2013, then head Football coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Harbaugh, was asked about the importance of truthfulness and enthusiastically remarked, "Somebody that's not truthful? That's big to me. I'm a big fan of the "Judge Judy" show. When you lie in Judge Judy's courtroom, it's over. Your credibility is completely lost, and you stand no chance of winning that case. So I learned that from her. It's very powerful and true. If somebody lies to you, how can you trust anything they ever say after that?"[125][126][127][128]

text: A couple months later, Harbaugh would even attend tapings of Judge Judy along with his father as audience members. As part of the experience, Harbaugh and his father had lunch with Sheindlin and visited with her both before and after tapings. After meeting Sheindlin and seeing cases in person, Harbaugh stated, "I've never seen Judy adjudicate one improperly. She is so smart. She is so good. I could sit there and watch those cases all day. I really could. It's fun to watch somebody that does their job well. I could watch Judge Judy do cases all day. I could watch people play football who do their job really well. People who direct traffic. I get a real kick out of watching people who direct traffic do it. I've done it for hours. I like football the most, but Judge Judy is right up there. She's the best."[125][126]

text: Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research for Horizon Media, said "Judge Judy is the new Oprah of daytime TV-actually, she was [already] beating Oprah while Oprah was still on."[12]

text: President and CEO of CBS, Leslie Moonves, stated "Over the last few decades, there have been very few shows that have achieved the remarkable success that she has. Not only has Judy sustained that success year after year, how many shows grow in their 15th or 16th year in syndication? She started as a fresh voice and she's been a remarkable presence in daytime television ever since."[129]

text: Many regular viewers and supporters of Judge Judy have defended Sheindlin's treatment of the parties that have appeared before her by describing the parties as an "endless parade of idiots" that Sheindlin has had to put up with.[130][131][132]

text: Lawsuits involving Sheindlin, executive producer, Big Ticket, and CBS[edit]

text: Judge Judy executive producer Randy Douthit has been sued twice by former staff members of the Judge Judy program for alleged wrongful termination, discriminatory practice, and mismanagement while on the job.

text: Racism termination lawsuit[edit]

text: In December 2007, Jonathan Sebastien, a former producer of the Judge Judy show of 7 years, filed a lawsuit against the production company in L.A. County Superior Court for wrongful termination. Sebastien claimed that when he proposed certain cases for the show involving black litigants, Douthit turned them down with his alleged reasons being he didn't want to see any more black people; their behaviors were too ghetto and more suited for then active television jurist Joe Brown; and they needed more pretty, upscale white people. Sebastien claimed that in January 2007, he objected to the alleged discrimination in a meeting and was verbally abused by Douthit. Three months later on March 30, Sebastien stated he was fired with the reason given that rating numbers were down. Sebastien claimed that the real reason he was fired was because he opposed his boss's alleged "discriminatory selection process."[133][134]

text: Ageism lawsuit[edit]

text: That same day in December 2007, the show's former associate producer Karen Needle was also fired. She later sued Douthit, claiming that she was wrongfully terminated because she was too old, 64 at the time. Sheindlin was not named as a defendant. Needle, who helped book audiences for the program, stated the reason she was given for being fired was "unspecified conflict from her audience work." Needle said she began suffering from back pain, sometimes even resorting to lying on the ground in pain, and when she asked her bosses for a new chair, nothing was done. According to the complaint, two weeks before Needle was fired, she took off four days to assist her ailing 88-year-old mother. Needle stated, "There is a lot of terrible stuff going on if two people file separate lawsuits. It's a toxic situation over there. This is supposed to be Judge Judy, the voice of justice, and yet her own staff isn't treated well. What is she getting paid all that money for if her own staff is treated with such little decency?"[134]

text: Conspiracy/fraud allegations[edit]

text: In March 2013, a lawsuit was filed against Sheindlin by Patric Jones, the estranged wife of Douthit. Jones alleged Douthit and Sheindlin had conspired to permit Sheindlin to buy Christofle fine china and Marley cutlery owned by Jones. She said Sheindlin had paid Douthit $50,815 for the items without her knowledge to deprive her of her valuables,[135] and she sought $514,421 from Sheindlin. The suit ended after Sheindlin returned the tableware to Douthit and Jones agreed to pay Douthit $12,500 and have the tableware handed back to her.[136]

text: Lawsuit by production against YouTube user[edit]

text: On October 17, 2013, Big Ticket Television and producers of Judge Judy filed a lawsuit against Ignacio De Los Angeles. The suit was made against the individual for posting an episode of Judge Judy on YouTube. According to the suit, Big Ticket directed Ignacio to remove the 2006 episode of Judge Judy that he had posted. Ignacio ignored the command.[137][138]

text: Copyright lawsuit filed by Judy Sheindlin[edit]

text: On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, Sheindlin filed a lawsuit of her own for the first time in her life. The suit was filed against Hartford, Connecticut, personal injury lawyer John Haymond and his law firm. In the lawsuit, Sheindlin accused Haymond and his firm of using her television image without consent in advertisements that falsely suggested she endorsed him and his firm. In March 2013, Sheindlin's producer allegedly told the firm that the use of her image was not permitted, but ads continued. The lawsuit filed in federal court sought more than $75,000 in damages. Sheindlin said in her statement that any money she wins through the lawsuit will go toward college scholarships through the Her Honor Mentoring Program. Sheindlin described the unauthorized use of her name as "outrageous", stating, "Mr. Haymond is a lawyer and should know better."[139][140][141] Haymond later filed a countersuit for punitive damages and attorney's fees, alleging defamation of him and his firm by Sheindlin.[142] Haymond insisted that local affiliates asked him to appear in Judge Judy promos to promote Sheindlin for which he obliged.[143][144] On August 8, 2014, it was reported that the case between Sheindlin and Haymond settled out of court in a resolution that favored Sheindlin. Haymond will be donating money to Sheindlin's charity, Her Honor Mentoring Program.[145]

text: Lawsuit by Rebel Entertainment aimed at CBS and Sheindlin's salary[edit]

text: On March 14, 2016, talent agency Rebel Entertainment and its president, Richard Lawrence, filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against CBS Television, claiming the media giant failed to pay the agency millions of dollars in profits. Rebel claims they are owed profits and contractually agreed to for their contributions to launching the program and discovering Sheindlin through their terminated employees Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman. The lawsuit alleges CBS hasn’t paid Rebel for the past six years because CBS told them the net profits that go to “Judge Judy” have been wiped out due to Sheindlin’s annual salary boost to $45 and then $47 million. The lawsuit goes on to attack Sheindlin's salary as being far too high. Rebel described it as "exorbitant" and "grossly inconsistent with customary practice in the television industry," that similarly successful talk show hosts aren't paid nearly as much. Further, Rebel claims they were to be consulted before any spin-offs of the show were produced, but were not when Hot Bench (another courtroom arbitrated show launched by Sheindlin and her producers) was created.[146][147] In response to the lawsuit, Sheindlin has stated:

text: When Sheindlin was deposed for this case in the summer of 2016, she matter-of-factly let CBS know as follows: “CBS had no choice but to pay me what I wanted because otherwise I could take it wherever I wanted to take it or do it myself. Their back’s to the wall. They pay me the money that they do because they have no choice. They can’t find another one.” This case, which seeks widespread unspecified damages, is ongoing and faces a March 2018 trial start.[148]

text: In a April 2018 verdict on this case, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell found that Sheindlin is not grossly overpaid and that her salary does not constitute a breach of contract, rather her salary is as result of the "resounding success of her program and without its namesake star would not continue." In another motion however, Judge O'Donnell ruled in Lawrence's favor that it was a breach of contract for the Defendants to have failed to consult him before launching "spin-off" series Hot Bench. Dissatisfied with being granted one part of their motion while denied the other, attorney for Richard Lawrence, Bryan Freedman, has revealed that the Plaintiffs intend on appealing Judge O'Donnell's verdict. Freedman is quoted as stating, "As for admitting and then ignoring Rebel’s uncontroverted expert opinion evidence that frontloading the 45 million dollar salary of Ms. Sheindlin was not consistent with the United States television industry, the court committed a reversible error. That issue will be decided by the court of appeal."[149]

text: Lawsuit by Kaye Switzer and trust of Sandi Spreckman against Sheindlin, CBS and Big Ticket[edit]

text: On Friday, January 19, 2018, a breach-of-contract lawsuit—similar and loosely related to the case filed by Rebel Entertainment—was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Sheindlin, CBS Corporation, CBS Studios and Big Ticket Television by Kaye Switzer and the trust of the now deceased Sandi Spreckman (copy of the lawsuit here). Switzer and Sandi Spreckman are former employees of Rebel Entertainment, terminated by the employer. Switzer and Spreckman’s trustee, Jay Robinson, claim they discovered and introduced Sheindlin to producer Larry Little, asserting that if not for this move that there would be no Judge Judy and thus they are owed monetary royalties. The lawsuit also states that Sheindlin sold "The Judge Judy Library" to CBS Television Distribution for a sales price of over $95,000,000 to the House of Leslie Moonves. Switzer and the Spreckman's trustee contend that they were not paid any monetary rewards by Sheindlin, CBS or Big Ticket in this transaction.[150] It's important to note that the two women have a long history of filing lawsuits over the same matter against Sheindlin and her Judge Judy business partners dating back to the year 2000.[151]

text: Not taking the lawsuit as a concern, Sheindlin was quoted as regarding the subject of "Who is owed what as just background noise," and that the monster success of her show came from nothing more than the sweat of her brow and the force of her personality. Sheindlin was also quoted as stating she has "fond feelings of Kaye and Sandi" but that they were fired before her show ever started and that she personally never entered into a contract with either of them.[152]