After 13 years as an exec in first-fun syndication (does that mean I have to use that "veteran" word?), I'd certainly seen my share of Judge Judy wannabes. Lots of judges who thought they should be on TV. Just as many lawyers who thought they should be TV judges. And a handful of judges who SHOULD be on TV, but couldn't fathom anything less dignified! When we saw Judge Penny, we instantly knew that she was in the "should be on TV" category. Now the question was would she WANT to be on TV? Luckily, the answer was yes. We happened to meet her at a time in her life when she was ready to take this next big, bold step into the unknown. And we feel fortunate to be taking the step with her!
What caught our attention? She was dynamic, confident, firm and funny (without realizing it-- that's the best kind of funny). But for a judge, she was expressive in a way we hadn't seen before. Her eyes really communicate what's in her head and heart…and in watching her interact with people, it was clear she had something special. We had to see her in action!
Next stop was Atlanta, to see how she ran her courtroom and interacted with litigants. Glenn Meehan, our VP of Development, and I have sat in many courtrooms over the years, checking out judges "in action" (strictly for research purposes, we assure you!). We have never seen one get a standing ovation for how she handled a case. This was a first! She's definitely tough and exacting. She is precise with her questions. She expects honest, straight-forward answers. She is a strong believer in taking personal responsibility for one's actions…no excuses in her courtroom. That said, it's clear she realizes that there is usually a "story behind the story," so she wastes no time in getting to the bottom of why they're REALLY standing before her. What became clear after watching her in action is that the Penny we saw on television a few months earlier was even more dynamic in person. We had to get her a series!
After observing Judge Penny in court, she shared her outlook with us. After her almost eight years on the bench, she considers herself to be people’s “last resort”-- something must've gone terribly wrong in their lives for them to be standing in front of her. And if it's a family-related case, she sees it as her mission to help them repair what's gone wrong with her unique brand of home-spun Southern wisdom (her mother and grandmother are her heroes) and city-tough common sense.
And not that she’s a pushover—far from it. She follows up! If you tell Judge Penny you're gonna do something-- you better do it! Whether it was making someone take anger management classes, or ordering completion of a G.E.D., Judge Penny expects people to live their word and requires that they come back to "compliance court" to let her know how things are going. They're no slackin' allowed with Judge Penny!
“Family Court with Judge Penny” will be, as the name suggests, the first court show to truly focus on family issues. This is a great opportunity to show the drama and high stakes involved in family legal disputes. From the mom who is forcing her teenage son to sell his car because she found beer cans (and he paid for half of the car), to the concerned dad of four who's asking the court to make his party-loving ex-wife take parenting classes, we will be covering a wide range of stories that daytime audiences will find both relatable and entertaining. A ruling involving strangers or even friends is one thing, but family is family. Forever. As they say, you can pick your friends, but not your family!
We’re currently in active pre-production on “Family Court with Judge Penny” with production to start in a few months in Los Angeles. I’m excited when I think of the show we’re putting together and of its potential to help fix families. We can hardly wait to bring Judge Penny and her years of real-world experience to a national audience.
Stephanie Drachkovitch
Executive Producer "Family Court with Judge Penny"
44 Blue Productions
