Court TV Shows Reality?

My husband tolerates my love of reality shows, but he really shakes his head when he catches me watching tv judge shows. I've been watching "The People's Court" since the days of Judge Wapner. He was followed by Ed Koch and Jerry Shiendlin, but the current judge, Marilyn Milian, is my favorite. Not just of the judges on that show, but of all the tv judges I've watched.

I also watch "Judge Judy" regularly even though I usually find her abbrasive and prone to decide her view of a case before actually facing the parties in the case. Sometimes she listens and changes her mind. Sometime she's funny, so I keep watching.

Few court shows can change hands, since who else can play Judge Mills Lane, but Judge Lane? "Divorce Court" is one of those shows. I loved Judge Mablean Ephriam and hated it when she left the show, but Judge Lynn Toler has turned out to be fun to watch. It's another regular part of my day.

Judge Cristina Pérez of "Christina's Court" is another favorite. She has a heart and has never yelled at anyone in her courtroom. She has also had a few low level celebrities on her shows, and doesn't seem embarrassed to fawn over them, even if her judgement is fair in the end.

Sometimes I watch "Judge Mathis" or "Judge Joe Brown", but they each annoy me one way or another. The male judge I like best is Judge Alex E. Ferrer. His "Judge Alex" is a pleasant show often sprinkled with humor that doesn't belittle the people who appear before him.

I've probably watched every court show at least once. They seem real. Someone my husband works with was on "Judge Maria Lopez" so I watched a whole season of the show, but I could never warm up to the judge. How they get so many people to go on tv and humiliate themselves I will nver know, but sometimes the emotions are so strong that I have to think they are true.

Even if they aren't, it's way to spend my day feeling that there are people in the world who are more screwed up than I am.