Judge Judy – Real

Judge Judy is just one of many courtroom reality TV shows on the air, easily outdoing its two biggest competitors, the People’s Court and Divorce Court. The show follows the trials of snarky and witty Judge Judy Sheindlin, a real-life judge from the Manhattan family court circuit.

Technically, Judge Judy is real. However, let’s be clear: while Sheindlin is a real judge, both parties must agree to abide by her decision beforehand, there is no appeals process, and Judge Judy does not take place in a real courtroom. Also, because it’s not a real courtroom, both parties recieve settlements, simply for appearing. Two former litigants revealed this fact to Vice, explaining they had faked a case to earn an easy payday. The case? A fictional accidental death of a cat due to television crushing.