Exclusive: Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios has ordered We the People With Judge Lauren Lake, a daily/strip one-hour syndicated court series that will be available to broadcast TV and global cable, network and digital platforms in fall 2022. The series will be produced and distributed by Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios.
Lake, a family lawyer and legal analyst, previously hosted the nationally syndicated Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, from MGM Domestic Television Distribution. The show, which featured Lake helping litigants resolve paternity-related legal issues, ran for seven seasons and was nominated for four Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program (including the past three years in a row), winning in the category in 2019. It was not renewed for Season 8 as MGM, over the past year, pulled away from the court show arena, with all three of its series — Paternity Court, Couples Court With the Cutlers and Personal Injury Court — coming to an end.
Court genre thins out, but still viable
After being one of the most reliable genres in first-run syndication during the last decade, the courtroom show pack is thinning the herd a little bit.
According to Broadcasting & Cable, MGM (through production company Orion, the former film studio acquired by MGM) has halted production on three court shows – Couples Court With The Cutlers, Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, and Personal Injury Court, a newer strip on the air only two years. According to Wikipedia, Injury Court was canceled at the end of last season after only 120 episodes, despite a report in TVNewsCheck last year that it and the other two MGM shows were renewed.
The pandemic could be partly the blame for the end of these shows, but also blame the unstable financial condition of MGM, as the studio – now run by reality TV producer Mark Burnett is now up for sale. Earlier, MGM sold two of its diginet channels to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group – Light TV (which recently became TheGrio.TV) and This TV, a former partnership between the studio and Tribune Media and beforehand, Weigel Broadcasting.
However, it may not be the end. All three shows’ repeats are still available to local stations and will be for the foreseeable future. Recent ratings for all three are unavailable as MGM does not subscribe to Nielsen. And the article also points out MGM plans to develop more court shows, despite the financial uncertainty.
In addition, Lake has launched a podcast series based on her show.
Other shows have also ended production. Trifecta’s Protection Court shuttered last year but is also in repeats for the foreseeable future while Debmar-Mercury’s Caught In Providence was canceled after last season. The show is no longer airing on linear TV.
Part of the problem is the vast majority of these shows has a station clientele consisting of lower-rated CW, My Network TV, and independent stations – and in some markets, these shows air in either late-night or early morning time slots. And when they do air in a decent time slot, viewership is often low as viewers generally don’t seek these stations during the day. Adding to this is a lack of widespread clearances, with some shows reaching a little over 70 percent of the U.S., the minimum needed to secure national barter advertising.
But despite the shortcomings, reruns are likely to remain on stations’ schedules as replacements are far and few between with the pandemic’s after effects lasting well into 2022, putting a damper on pitches for new syndicated product.
This comes after the biggest name in court – Judge Judy, is shifting her gavel to Amazon’s IMDB beginning this fall, leaving local stations with…you guessed it, reruns. CBS Media Ventures is currently selling those repeats in multi-year deals, though it is not known if the current Judge Judy station lineup would stay intact since CBS has not released any information on sales.
Still, stations want to be in the court business, despite the glut of shows in recent years as it has been a doable genre since the premiere of the original People’s Court in 1981. As life gets back to normal, TV production should ramp up and so should pitches for new syndication product. In fact, Fox is already pitching an Ice-T court show with stations testing the program starting next month. And of course, there’s Allen’s five shows, all receiving multi-year deals to continue so even though several courtroom programs have called it quits, there won’t be a shortage of product. And that’s the final verdict.
The Cutlers and Lake both lived in Atlanta in the past and spent several months locally to shoot their respective shows. Brogdon already resides here.
MGM, the production company, did not explain why it chose to drop the shows.
Lake will be back in the fall of 2022 with a new show ordered by Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios. Allen also owns Atlanta-based Weather Channel.
“Emmy Award-winning Judge Lauren Lake is an outstanding and charismatic television host. We are extremely confident that our newest court series with Judge Lake will be very successful for years to come as she joins our outstanding roster of talent,” Allen said in a press release.
Entertainment Studios does not shoot any of its many syndicated judge shows in Atlanta. Allen’s company distributes shows with Judge Kevin Ross, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Christina Perez, Judge Karen Mills-Francis and Atlanta-based Judge Glenda Hatchett.
Judge Lauren Lake is headed to Byron Allen‘s Entertainment Studios.
The host of Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court is embarking on a new journey with a series titled, We the People With Judge Lauren Lake. The daily one-hour syndicated court series will be available to broadcast TV and global cable, network, and digital platforms. It kicks off in the fall of 2022.
“I am very excited about We the People With Judge Lauren Lake and I’m thrilled to be working with Byron Allen,” said Judge Lake, per a press release. “Byron’s creative vision and commitment to creating high-quality television programs and networks is unparalleled in this industry. I am enthusiastic and highly confident that we will deliver another first-class television court series.”
The family lawyer and legal analyst is known for her nationally syndicated Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, the series that helped families resolve legal issues around DNA test results. The daytime series recently came to an end after seven seasons.
In 2019, the show took home an Emmy for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program.
Lake’s candid relationship advice was one of the elements to her success. Back in 2019, during an interview with Moms.com, she suggested being honest with a child about divorce.
“I think one of the best things you can let your children know is that adults sometimes have to do what they believe is best for the entire family – and what’s best may not be exactly what they want, but it is up to the adults in the family to make the right decision. Assure them it is not their fault, and they didn’t cause it,” said Lake.
She added: “You can tell them that sometimes it is best for mom and dad to live apart. Be adamant that the love you and your ex share for the child hasn’t changed, only your relationship and living arrangements. It’s important to reassure the child that you are still a family and will always be a family.”
Loyal supporters of the series were known for heading to social media to comment on viral moments.
“This is another appreciation post of Judge Lauren Lake. #PaternityCourt,” tweeted a viewer.
“Emmy Award-winning Judge Lauren Lake is an outstanding and charismatic television host,” said Allen, according to the release.
Allen, whose company Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios also owns theGrio, said he sees a bright future ahead for Lake’s new program.
“We are extremely confident that our newest court series with Judge Lake will be very successful for years to come as she joins our outstanding roster of talent, including Judge Kevin Ross, Judge Mablean Ephriam, Judge Christina Perez, Judge Karen Mills-Francis, and Judge Glenda Hatchett.”
Lake also announced the news via her Instagram page:
“To God Be the Glory!!??Coming 2022! We the People with Judge Lauren Lake! ??⚖️Thank you @realbyronallen and @esglobalmedia for this incredible opportunity!! Court is back in session Family!?? Won’t He do it?? #laurenlakelimitless #limitlesspossibilities #court #courtshow #Hesstillonthethrone,” she captioned alongside an image announcing the new series.
The court show will join Entertainment Studios’ other court series – America’s Court With Judge Ross, The Verdict With Judge Hatchett, Justice For All With Judge Cristina Perez, Justice With Judge Mablean, and Supreme Justice With Judge Karen.
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