Denman

Watched the first episode this evening. Good points I like the new idea of Judy commenting on the case in the Judge's Chambers after her ruling. Sort of Harvey Levin style - a comment encapsulating her ruling, or a smart quip. However, this post-ruling chat would be much better if she was having it with Officer Byrd, rather than her wooden granddaughter. The new court stenographer will have her uses, although she didn't say a word during the first episode of the season. It's a potentially interesting addition to the show. However, I don't think the regular camera cuts showing the stenographer typing as Judy was speaking, added anything to proceedings. Criticisms The featured case in episode one of Judy Justice felt padded-out, which was rarely an issue with the fast-paced Judge Judy. I suspect that if that case had featured on Judge Judy, it would have been cut to be part of a two-case episode. Judy's granddaughter, though pretty and I'm sure a nice person, adds nothing to the show. She just sat there silently and almost completely emotionlessly (though that didn't stop the producers constantly showing her non-reactions to what was going on), and only spoke after the ruling. She might as well have been sat in the audience. Petri Hawkins-Byrd is missed. I've nothing against the new bailiff, but he barely said a word and there was no evident rapport between him and Judy. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Bring back Officer Byrd. The new intro, theme music and graphics feel like a downgrade on the ones in Judge Judy. I'll watch some more episodes to form more of an opinion, and I'm glad Judy is still on the air, but at the moment this show is looking like a slightly degraded version of Judge Judy, and not much more than that.

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Just seen this episode. The most shocking thing about the first case was certainly that the defendant actually had proof of having paid all but one month's rent. Also, it appears that JJ bought his excuse about his "buddy helping him out" with the month he didn't pay (hence why it didn't show on his bank statements) because she never said he owed that month's rent. The defendant's pathetic 'it wasn't me in the video' claim was quickly proven to be wrong, but what was he thinking? Not that JJ had any respect for him after seeing the footage for the first time anyway. In the second case, the defendant certainly was an oddball. He tried to pull the old "it's valuable... to me" line, but JJ was having none of it. Interesting to see Byrd visibly sighing as he trudged to and from the defendant repeatedly to hand JJ various photos. And JJ's dismissal of his supposed 'diagram' was bang on the money. He did seem to be playing a game of 'grandma's footsteps' with JJ towards the end of the case. Every time she glanced at him, he had shuffled backwards a little bit more! A sure sign that a case has been won and lost.