Randy Douthit Shares Lessons Learned From Judge Judy.
As a longtime Executive Producer and co-creator of Judge Judy, Randy Douthit has taken many lessons learned from the first judge show to help in his new venture. Here are some of his most important ones.
1) Look for the human angle in everything
Judy wants her decisions to come from a human point of view. Her decision-making is based on how she would feel if she was involved in the case. Judgments need to be real.
2) Keep it simple
Judy on the air is a fully scripted show. There are no surprises and no mistakes. The show’s goal is to deliver an entertaining television show that people want to watch so they will keep coming back. If a certain show is too complex, viewers won’t watch it. The experience must be this way for Judge Judy to succeed as a successful television program.
3) There are a lot of people involved in the show
The Judge Judy Show is good at delegating so everyone can do their jobs and focus on what they are good at. Every week, the staff deals with over 200 cases and finds enough people to fill those roles without making it a bigger headache than it needs to be. It would help if you had the right personnel to ensure everything is covered.
4) Time is everything
To keep the case moving, judgments need to be delivered right away. As soon as the decision comes down, Randy Douthit and his staff will think about how they can help Judy make this decision a reality. It’s not a matter of whether it takes three days to decide but when it takes place. The faster, the better to avoid making mistakes because if you wait too long, events may occur that would be embarrassing for everyone involved if aired on television.
5) You need to have a grown-up approach
Judy has been on television for 25 years, which means her judgment has been formed. Her rules and her manner of operating give the show its consistencys. It’s good to get away from that because sometimes everyone says they’re grown up, but they aren’t.
6) Do the right thing
Every decision is important; it all matters. You have to remind yourself, ‘what is the right thing?’ And that applies to both the show and real life. Randy Douthit believes in doing the right thing and appreciates that being a good person greatly benefits his shows.
