Why ‘Divorce Court’ Divorced Itself From Judge Lynn Toler After 13 Years….

A new version of syndicated daytime courtroom series “Divorce Court” has come to order. Judge Lynn Toler is out after 13 years behind the bench, and Judge Faith Jenkins is in. While the split appears to be amicable (on social media, at least, where few things are ever amicable), “Divorce Court” needed to try anything and everything to divorce itself from its poor Nielsen ratings. In the most recent week available of national-syndication ratings, the one ending on Feb. 23, 2020, “Divorce Court” tied for 71st place out of 104 shows, posting a weak 0.68 national household rating, according to Nielsen.

That soft number is also exactly what “Divorce Court” is currently averaging season-to-date, so the lackluster weekly return is no anomaly. (“Divorce Court” ranks 68th out of 108 syndicated series.) Also Read: Alex Karev’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Goodbye Grows 18% in TV Ratings For an incredibly dramatic comparison, “Judge Judy” scored a whopping 6.48 rating in the same week. Now, to be fair to “Divorce Court,” “Judge Judy” is not only the courtroom show leader, it is also the top-rated show in all of syndication. But again, it’s still the same genre as “Divorce Court,” so the split-screen look is…

Faith Jenkins is approaching the “Divorce Court” bench: Judge Faith is set to replace longtime “Divorce Court” judge Lynn Toler on the syndicated daytime program in July.

Additionally, the series is relocating to midtown Atlanta, at the Georgia Public Broadcasting Studios. It had filmed nearby at Tyler Perry’s Atlanta studio following a 2018 relocation from Los Angeles.

“We are confident that Judge Faith’s energy and passion for each case will build on the legacy of this program created by the exceptional talents of Judge Mablean and Judge Lynn Toler,” Stephen Brown, executive vice president of programming for Fox Television Stations, said in a statement on Thursday.

Mablean Ephriam presided over the program from 1999 to 2006, when Toler grabbed the gavel.

Jenkins added: “I started watching ‘Divorce Court’ in law school, so to be now joining the show is quite surreal. My legal expertise combined with my personal life experience – including years of dating in the world of social media and technology – provides me a unique perspective that will inform my empathy and judgment for many of the issues couples raise on the show.”

Judge Faith has served as a barred attorney in New York for 14 years. She began her career as a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and at one of the nation’s top law firms, Sidley Austin.

Jenkins has provided legal commentary for Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC on some of the nation’s most high profile cases, including the George Zimmerman trial in Florida. This led to hosting her court show “Judge Faith,” which was nationally syndicated for four years.

“Divorce Court” is the longest-running court show on television. It dates back to late 1950’s, when actors used to reenact real divorce proceedings for television. Today, the program is comprised of real people and real cases.

“Divorce Court” is produced by Lincolnwood Productions and distributed by Fox First Run. Sonja Solomun serves as executive in charge.