Arts·Interview

Is court TV being sentenced to oblivion?

With the news that The People's Court is coming to an end, Elamin talks to culture critic Amil Niazi about its legacy, and the future of the reality court TV genre.

With both The People's Court and Judge Mathis reaching the end of their run, is there a future for the genre?

The People's Court with Judge Marilyn Milian
The People's Court with Judge Marilyn Milian (The People's Court)

In 1981, The People's Court became the first reality courtroom show ever.

Judge Joseph Wapner ruled on actual small-claims court cases, and it inspired the reality court genre we know today.

Recently, it was announced that this season for shows like Judge Mathis and The People's Court would be the last.   

Culture writer Amil Niazi grew up watching The People's Court and other reality court shows. She joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the legacy of these programs, and the future of the reality court TV genre.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.