TVSquad

As I type this, there are 11 court shows currently in first-run syndication, with Judge Judy leading the pack. These shows have become one of the more stable franchises for stations across America, as original programming has made way for pre-packaged fare. With the market seemingly saturated by the amount of court shows, you would think that the studios would be holding off in producing any new series.

Hello! It's television -- the obese glutton of the media world!

Four new series are being worked on right now. Three of these will make their first appearances as the fall season officially begins in a few short weeks. The fourth may not appear until 2009. However, when it does, it may push Judge Judy out of the top spot its held for several years. According to TV Week, former Minnesota governor and pro-wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura is currently in negotiations to host a court show aimed at the daytime television audience. Should the negotiations work out, Jesse could be presiding over some type of court cases by the fall of next year.

But, how will "The Body" complete in a market filled with similar court shows? The answer, according to Bill Carroll, VP and director of programming for Katz Television Group, is big personality. Carroll says that Jesse's bigger-than-life personality "could especially work well in the court genre, where he could break through in a crowded field." Regardless if that works or not, Carroll says that it would be hard to confuse Ventura with the other judges. I'm not too sure about that; I think Judge Judy could give Jesse a run for his money.

I hope it all works out for Jesse. I can only give him two words of advice to close the deal: wrestling ring. If the show doesn't involve the opposing parties pinning each other to the mat to resolve their differences then I'll be sorely disappointed.