It started decades ago, but court television shows have finally hit their peak and gotten an Emmy category. Variety reports:

“It wasn’t really a talkshow or a reality show or a soap opera,” [Michael Rourke] says. “It had elements of all of those things. The genre was an orphan. It’s great they’re acknowledging it as its own category.”

In my current job, I actually spend most of the day with a television on behind me. I leave it tuned to one channel so my background noise for the afternoon is Divorce Court, Cristina’s Court, Judge Hatchett, Judge Alex, Judge Joe Brown, and then Judge Judy. That’s apparently only a small selection of the available shows.

The shows are pretty fascinating, especially when you consider how much of them are actually a front for what they really are. They pretend to be a court, but they are actually “binding arbitration” and most participants are paid if they win or lose.

Watching these so much, I’ve actually started to wonder if people aren’t that upset about these debts or problems, but agree to appear on the show just for the money.

While I have to admit that I enjoy the first four shows of the day, the two juggernauts of the genre, Judge Joe Brown and Judge Judy, drive me to distraction. I’m sure that Judy will sweep the category year after year until her retirement, and I think that’s a shame. But it’s a category that will reward sensationalism and she makes for good clips.

So admit it, which court shows are you secretly addicted to? I can’t be the only one!