Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Judge Jerry Vs. Judge Judy: Fall TV's Big Court Fight

Courtesy NBCUniversal
Jerry Springer premieres as "Judge Jerry" on WSTR-TV on Sept. 9.

Order in the court! The fall TV season's biggest daytime battle will be waged by former talk show host Jerry Springer against Judge Judy Sheindlin, starting her 24th season on television.

Daytime TV viewers also will see new shows starring Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall replacing Steve Harvey, Pickler & Ben and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. See my list below.

Credit Courtesy Paramount Domestic Television
"Judge Judy" Sheindlin starts her 24th season on TV Sept. 9.

Springer, who started his career as a Cincinnati lawyer in the late 1960s, debuts as Judge Jerry, a half-hour court show starting Monday, Sept. 9. It will air at 5 and 5:30 p.m. weekdays on WSTR-TV (Channel 64), going head-to-head against Judge Judy on WXIX-TV (Channel 19). Hot Bench moves to 5-6 p.m., replacing Face The Truth.

It's not a return to TV for Springer, because he's never left.

Reruns of his Jerry Springer talk show have remained – and will continue for the 2019-20 TV season -- weekdays at 1 p.m. on Channel 64, and nationally on the CW network at 3 p.m. (Channel 12.2).

Credit Courtesy WLWT-TV
WLWT-TV's advertisement for news anchors Jerry Springer and Norma Rashid in the 1990 Cincinnati Reds yearbook.

Springer, 75, came to Cincinnati in 1968 after earning a law degree from Northwestern University, and helping on Sen. Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. He worked for a Cincinnati law firm before running for Congress unsuccessfully in 1970, winning a Cincinnati City Council seat in 1971, serving as mayor in 1975, and joining WLWT-TV news in 1982. He remained Channel 5's primary male anchor when his daytime talk show started at WLWT-TV on Sept. 30, 1991.  

Springer ceased production in spring 2018 after 27 years, although reruns air on the CW.

Judge Jerry will be taped in front of a studio audience in Stamford, CT, where he did his talk show. It's also the home for NBCU's Maury Povich and Steve Wilkos shows.

Channel 64's lineup on Sept. 9 will include Divorce Court (10-11 a.m.), Judge Mathis (11 a.m.), The People's Court (noon), Jerry Springer (1-2 p.m.), Hot Bench (2-3 p.m.) and Judge Jerry (5-6 pm.).

In addition to a third hour of Springer on TV weekdays, here are the other daytime TV changes this fall:

Credit Courtesy NBCUniversal
Kelly Clarkson's daytime show premieres Sept. 9 on WCPO-TV.

KELLY CLARKSON: (3 p.m. weekdays starting Sept. 9, WCPO): American Idol's first winner (2002) stars in a new daytime talk show from NBCUniversal. The Voice judge will replace Pickler & Ben, a Scripps production aired here on the Scripps' station. It was canceled after two seasons.

TAMRON HALL (3 p.m. weekdays starting Sept. 9, WLWT): Former NBC Today show co-host Tamron Hall replaces Steve Harvey's Steve, which was canceled after seven years.

Hall also has hosted shows on MSNBC and Investigation Discovery; reported for Dateline and NBC News; and anchored local newscasts for TV stations in Chicago, Dallas and Bryan, Texas.

Credit Courtesy ABC
Former 'Today' show anchor Tamron Hall with George Stephanopoulus on 'Good Morning America' last May.

25 WORDS OR LESS (noon weekdays starting Sept. 16, WXIX-TV): Former Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Meredith Vieira returns to TV with a new game show on which contestants try to help a partner guess 10 words using only 25 words or less. It replaces Millionaire, now hosted by Chris Harrison, which was canceled.

PROTECTION COURT (2 p.m. weekdays starting Sept. 16, WXIX-TV): Judge Carroll Kelly from the domestic violence division of Dade County, Fla., presides over this new twist on the TV courtroom show.  Two half-hours will air back-to-back. Protection Court replaces Live PD, which was not renewed.

PERSONAL INJURY COURT (2 p.m. weekdays starting Sept. 16, Channel 12.2): Judge Gino Brogdon presides over a new made-for-TV hearing in which litigants claim personal harm from the defendants' carelessness. In addition to witness testimony, cases may include re-enactments and surveillance video.

LATE NIGHT CHANGE: Channel 19 did not renew reruns of Kevin James' King of Queens,  so viewers will see a mix of The Goldbergs, Mom, Friends and How I Met Your Mother reruns starting Sept. 16. Forensic Files also will be added at 3 a.m. on that date.

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.