Doug Llewelyn

The Peoples Court is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by retired Florida State Circuit Court Judge Marilyn Milian (her 16th season as the shows arbitrator by September 5, 2016). Milian, the shows longest-reigning arbiter, handles small claims disputes in a simulated courtroom set.The Peoples Court is the first court show to use binding arbitration, introducing the format into the genre in 1981. The system has been duplicated by most of the shows successors in the judicial genre. Moreover, The Peoples Court is the first popular, long-running reality in the judicial genre. It was preceded only by a few short-lived realities in the genre; these short-lived predecessors were only loosely related to judicial proceedings, except for one: Parole (1959) took footage from real-life courtrooms holding legal proceedings. Prior to The Peoples Court, the vast majority of TV courtroom shows used actors, and recreated or fictional cases (as did radio before that). Among examples of these types of court shows include Famous Jury Trials and Your Witness.The Peoples Court has had two incarnations. The shows first life was presided over solely by former Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Wapner. His tenure lasted from the shows debut on September 14, 1981, until May 17, 1993, when the show was cancelled due to low ratings. This left the show with a total of 2,484 half-hour episodes and 12 seasons. The show was taped in Los Angeles during its first life. After being cancelled, reruns aired in syndication until September 9, 1994, and on the USA Network from October 16, 1995, to June 6, 1997.On September 8, 1997, after being out of production for four years, The Peoples Court was revived for a second life in first-run syndication as a 60-minute program. Former lawyer and Mayor of New York Ed Koch was chosen as arbiter, which he maintained for two seasons. By the 1999–2000 season, former New York State Supreme Court Judge Jerry Sheindlin (husband of Judy Sheindlin from Judge Judy) succeeded Koch. Sheindlin only lasted one and a half seasons and was replaced towards the end of the 2000–01 season. Since spring 2001, Marilyn Milian has been the judge.With 32 seasons as of September 5, 2016, The Peoples Court ranks as the second-longest running courtroom series in history (behind Divorce Court). Its current production life entered its 20th season on September 5, 2016.

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