Amazon’s Freevee embraces the Judy-Verse

In 2021, Judge Judith Sheindlin, the razor-sharp star of the court show, left the dying medium of daytime syndication and joined Amazon for a streaming-era experiment.

Fewer people watched traditional daytime television, including programs like “Judge Judy.” Was it because they were tired of the content? Or was the decline – as Amazon suspected – more about convenience and the delivery route? To find out, the company hired Judge Sheindlin to produce and star in a new court show, “Judy Justice,” and made it available on Freevee, a little-known, free, ad-supported streaming service.

“It was a risk,” Judge Sheindlin recalled over lunch this month, “but one that intrigued me.”

“Judy Justice” quickly became Freevee’s No. 1 original show, racking up more than 150 million hours of viewing in two years, according to Amazon, and recently prompted the company to release Judge Sheindlin, 80, two spin-off shows and a fourth unscripted show that is still under wraps. Some people at Amazon Studios, in Culver City, California, have jokingly referred to Judge Sheindlin’s programming expansion as the Judy-Verse, a play on the interconnected stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While building a mini-empire at Amazon, Judge Sheindlin also contributes to what has come to be known as the Nepo verse. (Insert an exasperated roll of her eyes at that sentence.) Nepotism has always been rampant in Hollywood, but recently the number of actors, directors, singers, and reality stars who have benefited from family ties has increased. surprisingly large. New York magazine called 2022 “the year of the nepo baby.”

Judge Sheindlin’s granddaughter, Sarah Rose Levy, appears as a court clerk on “Judy Justice,” which Amazon recently renewed for another two seasons. (“I’m more comfortable in front of the camera and more comfortable interrupting – in a respectful way – to share my perspective,” said Ms. Levy.) A spin-off: “Tribunal Justice”, with cases being reviewed by three legal professionals, one of whom is Judge Sheindlin’s son, Adam Levy, arrived at Freevee last Friday. New episodes will roll out every weekday through December.

The upcoming “Justice on Trial” series will explore groundbreaking court cases, partly through reenactment, and feature films Daniel T. Mentzer, a New York City criminal defense attorney who happens to be married to one of Judge Sheindlin’s daughters. One hour-long episode focuses on the 1925 Scopes Trial, in which a science teacher was prosecuted for educating students about Darwin’s theory of evolution. “Today more relevant than ever,” Judge Sheindlin said of Scopes, pointing to Florida’s Prohibition about classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Judge Sheindlin and Amazon declined to discuss the fourth show, which is in development for release on Freevee sometime next year.

“Judge Sheindlin is a brand,” said Lauren Anderson, the head of original programming for Amazon’s ad-supported streaming operation. “It’s not like we’re saying we want 20 more lawsuits. But we always listen when she is pitching something.”

Freevee is in court. Formerly called IMDb TV, the service is also home to “Jury Duty,” a popular documentary sitcom in which an unsuspecting man unwittingly takes part in a staged trial between actors. Free, ad-supported streaming platforms — others include Pluto TV, Tubi, and Roku Channel — have become one of the fastest-growing areas in media, in part because some subscription streaming services have pushed up prices, driving budget-conscious viewers to look for alternatives.

But Judge Sheindlin remains a star attraction. As for casting family members in her shows, she suggested anyone who didn’t like it could pound sand. “I wouldn’t bring someone in, support someone, unless they’re great,” she said. “End of story.”

Judge Sheindlin took a bite of rigatoni Bolognese, and this reporter tried again: Why was her son Adam the best possible option for the third “Tribunal Justice” arbitrator?

“Look, everyone wants to be in the entertainment business — it’s glamorous,” she said. “But not everyone has the ability to connect with an audience And have legal credibility. Adam is a meticulous lawyer with a personality.”

Perhaps a “Kardashians”-style reality show would be next, a reporter dryly offered. She brushed off that idea, joking that it would consist of her and her husband, Jerry Sheindlin, 89, chanting “Jeopardy!” He shouts out the answers, she added with a hint of annoyance. (He also apparently enjoys scrolling Instagram. “Horses,” she said with a sigh. “Nothing but horses.”)

“Tribunal Justice” links Mr. Levy, a former district attorney for New York’s Putnam County, to monarchic judge Patricia DiMango, who stepped down from the Brooklyn state Supreme Court in 2014, and Tanya Acker, a Yale-trained civil trial attorney. Justice DiMango and Mrs. Acker previously starred in “Hot Bench,” a show created by Judge Sheindlin that continues in syndication.

“The elephant in the room is favoritism,” said Mr. Levy preemptively begins an interview at his Beverly Hills hotel. “If it wasn’t for Judy as the creator and executive producer, I wouldn’t be here. I know that. But if I put that aside, I know I’m good at what I do in a courtroom.”

He continued: “I’ve worked too hard to develop my reputation as a lawyer, as someone of substance who really respects the law and the judicial process, to be diminished in that way.”

Mr. Levy, 54, began his career as a Long Island district attorney in the early 1990s. Ten years ago, when he was the Putnam County District Attorney, he got caught up in a nasty feud with a local sheriff who charged him with interfering in a rape investigation. Mr. Levy denied any wrongdoing and sued for libel. He won with the sheriff forced to apologise for lying and pay $150,000.

The judges on most court shows don’t examine piles of evidence before hearing a case. (Once you’ve ruled on one dog grooming incident gone wrong, you’ve more or less tried them all.) Levy, however, has refused to work that way on “Tribunal Justice,” pressuring producers for voluminous paperwork and forcing justice. DiMango and Ms. Acker to up their game, Judge Sheindlin said.

An early episode of “Tribunal Justice” featured a sunburnt defendant, Brenda Biever, accused of absconding with $760 worth of property. Mr. Levy began with gentle questions. But his attitude turned on a dime when he appeared to catch the accuser in a lie.

“Stop!” he screamed. ‘Show me some evidence! Straight away!”

As part of her recent deal with Amazon, Judge Sheindlin will continue to star in ‘Judy Justice’ until at least 2025, when she turns 82. Has she begun to think about passing the baton?

“The short answer is yes,” she said. “But it’s not just passing a baton.” She wants her worldview to be reflected, she said. “Like me, Adam is a person with personal responsibility,” she said.

In a separate interview, Mr. Levy on his style.

“If someone comes into a courtroom and lies or exaggerates or does something they shouldn’t, I want to make sure they walk out of there embarrassed and humiliated so that they’re less likely to do it again,” he said.

Sound like someone you know?