In ‘Court Night Live’, A&E Finds Spiritual Successor To ‘Live PD’

Peter White
·2 min read
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A&E is heading to court, live.

The cable network has ordered Court Night Live, a reality series that will bring live trials to television.

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The series comes from Big Fish Entertainment, the company behind controversial series Live PD. Although it will air on Wednesday nights at 9pm, starting August 10, rather than on Friday and Saturday nights, Court Night Live appears to be the network’s spiritual successor to live cops series.

Summer Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Deadline revealed that Live PD, which was one of the highest rated series on cable, was canceled in June 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s death and after a controversy that video allegedly captured by the Live PD crew of the death of Javier Ambler during a police stop had been destroyed.

A Live PD successor On Patrol: Live recently premiered to strong numbers on Reelz.

Court Night Live will be hosted by Vinnie Politan, the lead anchor for Court TV, and Judge Greg Mathis, who hosts Judge Mathis, with analysis from retired Judge Vonda Evans. It will see civil cases from across the country litigated live from pop-up courtrooms in Philadelphia, Tampa, and Chicago in front of a gallery of community members.

During each broadcast, viewers will have the chance to vote on the verdicts in select cases in real time via text message. Politan, Mathis, and Evans will provide context and bring their legal perspectives to viewers so that they can better understand how the wheels of justice turn.

Court Night Live is produced by Big Fish Entertainment. Dan Cesareo, Lucilla D’Agostino and John Zito are executive producers for Big Fish, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro, and Sean Gottlieb are executive producers for A&E.

“Court Night Live will combine the inherent drama of live civil court proceedings with context and expert legal analysis, elevating the traditional court shows that have been a staple of the television landscape for decades,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming for A&E.  “Court Night Live gives viewers a chance to experience public trials live in the virtual courtroom gallery on air.”

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