The 1,000th episode of “Hot Bench” airs Monday — yet another milestone for the biggest daytime success story in recent memory.
TV’s only court show featuring three judges (Tanya Acker, Patricia DiMango and Michael Corriero) is averaging 3.3 million viewers nationally in its fifth season — behind only “Judge Judy” in the court-show arena and third in daytime overall (behind “Dr. Phil”).
That’s somewhat poetic, since “Hot Bench” (9-10 a.m. weekdays on WCBS/Ch.2) was created by “Judge Judy” host Judy Sheindlin — who hatched the idea when she and her husband, Judge Jerry Sheindlin, visited the courts while in Ireland and watched a proceeding featuring a three-judge bench. A TV show as born.
“Obviously there are a lot of judge shows [on TV], but none of them have a situation where the judges retire to chambers to discuss their views and opinions … of a case,” says DiMango, a former New York State Supreme Court judge. “The viewer at home gets a sense that they’re part-and-parcel of the judicial decision. It’s an amazing and special and unique aspect [of the show].”
Part of its success is the “Hot Bench” interplay between DiMango, Acker and Corriero, who joined the show in Season 3 (replacing Larry Bakman, who returned to his law practice).
“The audience is curious, very often, about how we interact with each other — how we talk to each other and especially when we disagree . . . how we do that and walk away at the end of a case even if we disagree with each other,” says Corriero, who also served on the New York State Supreme Court. “Whenever you put three very strong, passionate personalities together, the dynamics are quite interesting . . . I think the public gets to learn a lot from that.”
‘I think viewers like seeing justice happen.’
(Sonia Montejano is the show’s bailiff, David Theodosopoulos its executive producer.)
“There’s a particular skill set to adjudicate a case and do it fairly and communicate that information to the audience and entertain them,” says Acker, an experienced litigator and TV personality. “Frankly, if people went to some of the courts in local neighborhoods they’d be bored out of their minds. What makes us different is that viewers like to see people have the opportunity to make their case with three very different personalities . . . and let someone who’s acted horribly really have it.
“I think viewers like seeing justice happen and like seeing somebody who’s acting unfairly get their comeuppance.”
The “Hot Bench” judges shoot the show at Sunset Bronson Studios in LA three days a week, every other week, handling between eight and 11 cases each day. “It’s a very forgiving schedule in terms of what we’re allowed to do when we’re not working [on the show],” says Acker.
”Before this job I was billing hours and keeping track of my time in six-minute increments. The show has led to some really great opportunities. I just launched a podcast. It’s been such a blessing, a real joy.”
DiMango points out that there is “homework” that’s also factored into their shooting schedule. In other words, the judges just don’t show up, shoot the show and go home.
“We don’t put in as many days on the bench, but just like any other court we get cases in advance . . . and that takes some review,” she says. “They’re long days.”
“These are real cases coming from small-claims courts around the country,” Corriero says. “So we’re resolving real, actual cases. The litigants let us decide the case. We’re an arbitration panel for them.”
The show has a big reach, not only in the US but around the world, as DiMango discovered on a trip to Europe.
“I was noticed in a store in Italy, in Rome,” she says. “The woman in the store said, ‘Oh my God, is it you?’ She called her husband over, and said his brother was very ill and was dying and absolutely loves the show. I said, ‘Do you have a camera with you?’ and made a video in the store for her brother-in-law and put them in it. The Italian girls in the store were saying, in Italian, that I was a celebrity.
“It was a very unique experience.”
