Warner Bros. has ended Judge Mathis after running for 24 seasons. The People’s Court was also canceled.
According to Variety, the decision to drop Judge Mathis, produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television and Telepictures Productions, stemmed from the decline of daytime television viewership. Low views meant no point in spending money on advertising.
Judge Greg Mathis took to Instagram on Monday wearing the familiar black judge robe and clarified that Warner Bros. dropped his show, but it didn’t mean it was the end for Judge Mathis.
“Hey folks, I’m sure by now you know that Warner Brothers is getting out of the judge show business, canceling me and The People’s Court,” Mathis explained. “But the good news is the other studios aren’t getting out of the judge business. And as you can see with this robe still on, something might be happening real soon. And, in fact, if it does happen, it’s going to be, and it will, with a Black studio this time. I want to be able to empower Black businessmen and Black studios so that they can hire more Black people and put more Black shows on the air.”
He continued, “Because the commitments we receive from corporate American Hollywood have been rescinded for the most part. One of the studios dismissed all of the people of color and hired white males to take their places, reportedly. Others are dropping shows, as you see. When there’s this push for African American images.”
“Nonetheless, I’m happy to be able to announce to you that you’re still going to have me around…perhaps for a judge show, perhaps for a judge show and a talk show on political issues? Or perhaps just a talk show. We’ll have to wait and see. This week, you’ll hear.”
He thanked his viewers and followers for their support and told them to stay tuned.
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Judge Mathis has been on the air since 1998 and has earned a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Court Program. Although there are doubts surrounding the authenticity of reality TV shows, Mathis is a former Michigan 36th District Court judge.
