Similar to other industries, the pandemic severely influenced the television industry. Many shows deferred filming, and those that went ahead had to carry out new safety regulations to stop the spread of COVID-19. Even for Randy Douthit, who handled the Emmy award-winning courtroom show Judge Judy, for 25 years and is an experienced executive producer, the coronavirus posed exclusive difficulties to which he had to adapt.
According to Douthit, implementing extra safety protocols and tests due to the pandemic caused costs to rise while shooting production and impacted the experience of individuals working on set by requiring masks and other measures such as testing and vaccinations.
Douthit suggests that caution is key. Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings and take safety precautions, even when it adds extra steps. Initially, some people were grumpy about getting tested, but now they are the first in line because they understand the value of being safe.
When the pandemic hit, measures were taken to reduce exposure, such as tests for cast and crew members and masks for everyone. Additionally, the studio audience was left empty to reduce the risk of transmission further.
Randy Douthit’s Viewpoint on Doing Work Remotely, As Judge Judy Does
During the pandemic, office staff not only used technology to complete their tasks from outside the office: Judge Judy Sheindlin carried out court cases remotely, something that many court proceedings without television coverage adopted too. Sheindlin connected from the East Coast with a backdrop similar to those viewers of ‘Judge Judy’ were familiar with. Monitors provided evidence for her inspection before making her rulings.
Despite the many new COVID regulations, the show went right on without missing a beat – Judge Judy’s 25th and final season was aired. Afterward, Sheindlin and Randy Douthit moved to IMDb TV and set up shop, producing shows for Judy Justice. According to Douthit, “We had to create 120 episodes within three months – it was quite a challenge.” The first half of the episodes premiered in 2021, while the rest started airing early in 2022.
Even though assembling such a high count of episodes of the Judy Justice program in a limited stretch was challenging, Douthit claims that everyone collaborated to guarantee its completion. “Everyone has to work together,” he stated. “Everybody punches in and makes sure it is completed. We achieved it successfully.”