Randy Douthit Discusses the Difficulties of Producing in a Pandemic
In the wake of COVID-19, it seemed like nothing in America could go on as normal. The production became even more challenging for Randy Douthit, an experienced executive producer who helmed the Emmy award-winning courtroom program Judge Judy for 25 years. It also changed the way he looked at production forever.
“We had to have everyone get the proper PAP tests, and you had to have an area cleared of all air,” he says. “The whole mood was affected, affecting the budget on shows. You had to have everything tested regarding the gear and the people. We were wearing masks, and you had to test all of your crew on that stuff. I’m not sure what the final cost was, but it was much more than we’d ever done.”
While the production may have been more expensive, the technology in the courtroom had to be upgraded to handle the remote production. In addition to having a video monitor installed in front of Sheindlin, Judge Judy could also be viewed via virtual reality headsets.
“The VR was pretty cool, especially in that early stage of the disease. You don’t want anyone to get sick on your set, but people were coming up with all sorts of ideas, things they could do with this technology that they would never have thought otherwise. It was whole creative energy that you didn’t feel before.”
How the virus affected the production of Judge Judy and other HLN programming had a ripple effect in the industry. Several cases were settled on live shows, and producers had to deal with clients who were telling them they couldn’t work on a certain show until the certain crisis was over.
“I think that the biggest thing that came out of it was headaches and fatigue,” Randy Douthit says. “And we also had to put together many PAP tests and ensure we were staying healthy. It was a very physical job, but I think the hardest part was catching up on all the shows that we missed while it was going on. It was a grind, but it gave us some great stories to tell.”
Randy Douthit says that despite the struggles of producing in the outbreak, he’s a fan of TV production.