It’s the end of an era of daytime television. The Judge Mathis TV show has been cancelled after 24 seasons in first-run syndication.
Debuting in September 1999, the Judge Mathis TV series follows Judge Greg Mathis as he adjudicates small claims disputes from his studio courtroom at the NBC Tower in Chicago. Mathis is a former judge of Michigan’s 36th District Court and is the second-longest reigning judge in television court show history. He trails only Judy Sheindlin of Judge Judy and Judy Justice by three years.
Mathis is the longest-running Black male host on television and won a 2018 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program. Mathis tweeted that he had finished production on season 24 in November and has presided over more than 13,000 cases.
The news of the Judge Mathis series cancellation comes as the result of changing and challenging conditions in the daytime syndication market. Last month, it was announced that Dr. Phil is ending after a 21-year run. Many other syndicated informational series ended in 2022, including Dr. Oz, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Good Dish, Maury, The Real, and The Wendy Williams Show.
Judge Mathis is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with AND Syndicated Productions and Telepictures Productions, and is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
The current incarnation of The People’s Court, which is also distributed by Warner Bros., has also been cancelled, after 26 seasons.
What do you think? Have you enjoyed watching the Judge Mathis series over the years? Will you miss seeing this program on the schedule?