Much like other businesses, television production was severely influenced by the virus. Programs scheduled for filming were delayed, and those that managed to go ahead had to implement fresh safety precautions to limit the propagation of COVID-19. For Randy Douthit, a veteran executive producer who led the Emmy award-winning courtroom show Judge Judy for 25 years, this pandemic posed a distinct set of hurdles that he required to adapt to.
With the onset of the pandemic, production safety protocols changed with increased budget costs due to the need for extra testing and precautions. Everyone was required to wear masks and get tested regularly, which proved worth it. Initially, some staff were reluctant, but after seeing how it benefited them, they embraced it.
Apart from testing and face masks, other precautions were taken. Ordinarily, the studio audience would be full of paid extras; however, when the virus began, they were eliminated to reduce contact.
Throughout the pandemic, those in the office weren’t the only ones to use technology for remote work: Judge Judy Sheindlin managed cases from a distance, similar to how multiple non-television courts were migrated to video conferencing applications. Sheindlin would link up from the East Coast while sitting before an imitation of her show’s usual backdrop. Any testimony was broadcasted to Sheindlin through a screen for her to evaluate before delivering her decisions.
Despite the COVID-19 regulations, the show stayed caught up. After Judge Judy’s 25th and last season aired, Sheindlin and Randy Douthit shifted to the streaming service IMDb TV, beginning to produce episodes of Judy Justice. According to Randy, they made 120 shows in three months. After broadcasting their initial set of episodes in 2021, the remainder was transmitted in early 2022.
Randy Douthit affirms that although putting together, so many installments of Judy Justice in a limited period was intense work, everyone united to achieve it. “Everyone has to collaborate,” continues Douthit. “Everybody must roll up their sleeves and make sure it’s properly done. And we got it accomplished.”
Amid the pandemic’s peak, people had trouble staying focused. On the other hand, Douthit reveals that after a time, his team wasn’t fazed by the virus. “We became accustomed to the suits, the masks, and all of that stuff,” he says. “It wasn’t anything that anybody was fearful about or nervous about.”