Courtrooms as TV Entertainment: Charasmatic Courtroom Jurists

Judge Marilyn Milian, from "The People's Court, and Judge Alex Ferrer, from "Judge Alex," were fantastic guests of the Forum. Everyone in the audience was treated to two articulate, telegenic, passionate, and hilarious jurists. Indeed, while their syndicated television shows are wildly successful, I think they both agreed that when not filming their TV shows they should consider taking their act, as a pair of TV judges, on the road. Even a sitcom would work. They are obvious friends who finish each other's sentences and almost know what the other is about to say. It was funny when Judge Milian, at one point, invoked Lucy at the chocolate factory, because the good judge is very much cut from the same cloth as the charismatic Lucy Arnez/Ball, which is ironic, since both Milian and Ferrer are Cuban Americans, as was Desi Arnez. The rapport and chemistry of our TV judges, and their ease in front of a live audience, was interesting to observe, because unlike our past Forum guests, these judges are on television, so they have a burden to entertain in front of the camera, whereas our prior guests were mostly writers whose words are read by others and who live mostly on the page.