Warner Bros. cancels 'Judge Mathis,' 'People's Court' after 2 decades
What's the story
Warner Bros. has decided to draw the curtains on two of its longest-running TV shows: Judge Mathis and The People's Court. Running for over two decades, both syndicated court shows are now reportedly in their last season. While Judge Mathis will wrap up after 24 seasons, The People's Court will end after its 26th season, reported Variety.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Both shows have gained popularity with the audience over the past two decades. Judge Greg Mathis became the second-longest-running arbitrator in the history of television after Judge Judy's Judith Sheindlin. The court show followed the 13,000 cases presided over by Mathis. On the other hand, The People's Court, which has been led by Judge Marilyn Milian since 2001, is the second-longest-running court show.
Details
Reason behind WB ending both shows
The court shows have been scrapped by Warner Bros. because of "the declining nature of the daytime syndication landscape," said Varity's report. Notably, both shows have won the Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program. While Judge Mathis won the award in 2018, The People's Court bagged it four times in the years 2014, 2015, 2020, and 2021, respectively.
More cancelations
Warner Bros. canceled more shows and movies
The cancellation of shows and movies by Warner Bros. began with Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which were called off in August 2022 even before their debut on HBO Max. In the following months, it went on to remove a number of exclusive HBO Max films, including animated series, and existing originals such as Westworld and The Nevers from its streaming platform.
Other shows
Other successful shows that were shut recently
The news about both court shows soon going off air shocked the audience. Recently, it was announced that another daytime staple, Dr. Phil, will conclude after its 21st season. The past 12 months came off as transformational in television history as many popular shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, ended in this period. Some of these shows are, however, available to watch on YouTube.