Kids Court is a children's television/nontraditional court show aired by Nickelodeon. First airing in 1988 and ending in 1989, it was hosted by actor Paul Provenza. It was created and executive produced by Alan Goodman, Albie Hecht, and Fred Seibert; produced by Chauncey Street Productions, a division of Fred/Alan, Inc., in New York.
It claimed to utilize grievances made by children mailed to the studio -- each side of a grievance would be represented by a child in the audience, and at the end of their argument, children in the audience would cheer. The "Judge-o-meter", a cardboard rendering of an English judge (with wig) with peak meters for "eyes", would measure the decibels of the screaming, cheering children, and the side that generated the most screaming and cheering would win the argument. The "Judge-o-meter" system would also be used to "sentence" the guilty party -- sentences would be suggested by children in the audience.
The show also had two courtroom sketch artists during the course of the show (1 appearing at a time), Nobi Nakanishi and Asha Canalos.
During commercial breaks, the show would have quick quiz questions for children, about the legal system. Kids Court was part of Nickelodeon's "Cable in the Classroom" promotion.
At the closing credits, host Provenza would ask the child audience what they thought was unfair. He would ask the audience "Fair or Unfair?", wherein the audience would almost always shout "Unfair!" in unison.
Famous quotes containing the words kids and/or court:
“Kids won’t come out and thank you each and every time you make a decision they aren’t totally fond of....But in their hearts kids know you’re doing your job, just like they are doing their job by arguing.”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“If a walker is indeed an individualist there is nowhere he can’t go at dawn and not many places he can’t go at noon. But just as it demeans life to live alongside a great river you can no longer swim in or drink from, to be crowded into safer areas and hours takes much of the gloss off walking—one sport you shouldn’t have to reserve a time and a court for.”
—Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)