The pandemic heavily hit the television industry, and several shows delayed shooting and the ones that went ahead to implement novel health regulations to counter the spread of COVID-19. Even for Randy Douthit, a veteran executive producer working on the Emmy award-winning courtroom show Judge Judy for 25 years, the pandemic created a unique set of issues he had to cope with.
Douthit states that it has become a financial burden. Further testing and safety precautions necessitated by the pandemic increased the need for more shooting time, thus increasing the final expenditure of producing a show. Aside from money matters, those on set felt the physical aftermaths of COVID-19. It was very different from having had to mask up, with more testing and immunization requirements instigated and a whole new outlook towards this period in time.
“It is additionally about being extra careful,” Randy Douthit states. “Each person needed to be aware simply.” Although the safety protocols involved additional steps, after recognizing their worth, the crew grew comfortable with them. “Those that grumbled about getting a test in the beginning, when they witnessed some cases, were the initial ones to take those tests,” he adds.
Tests and facemasks weren’t the only solutions carried out, however. To reduce exposure -the studio audience usually filled with paid extras – the tv studio target market was kept uninhabited as soon as the pandemic started.
Apart from tests and facemasks, other initiates were set up as well. Usually stuffed with paid persons, the studio assembly was deserted once the outbreak began as a way to curtail contact.
Judge Judy Sheindlin transitioned to ruling on cases remotely via webcam, and evidence was passed to her through the screen. Despite the new COVID regulations, Sheindlin and Randy Douthit still produced 120 episodes of Justice Judy within three months. These episodes began airing in 2021, with the remainder airing early in 2022.
Douthit states that forming numerous episodes of Judy Justice in such a limited time was “laborious,” yet everyone united to ensure the show continued. “Everyone has to collaborate,” Douthit affirms. “Everyone had to roll up their sleeves and ensure it was done. And we succeeded.”