Original “The People’s Court” Judge Joseph Wapner, who’s turning 90 this Sunday, returns to his TV “bench” on Friday’s show (10 a.m./Ch. 9) to preside over a case. Wapner’s TV return is tied to both his birthday and his new star on the Holly wood Walk of Fame.
“He was great. It was vin tage Joe,” says “People’s Court” Judge Marilyn Mi lian. “It was just like seeing him all those years ago. He just came right in, sat right down . . . you can’t fake that. There’s no script on our show. He’s really on the ball — we should all be so blessed.”
“Judge Judy“ Sheindlin, meanwhile, will be honored by NATPE in January with the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award.
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“Lopez Tonight” (George Lopez) premiered to 3.2 mil lion viewers across TBS, TNT and truTV Monday night (11 p.m.) in a one-night-only si mulcast. It pulled in 1.7 mil lion viewers on TBS, its per manent home.
My colleague Linda Stasi, meanwhile, programmed last Saturday’s “Night of Married Murder” slate on cable’s ID. It pulled in 236,000 women 25-54 — up 54 percent over the timeslot average.
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Music: Irish band The Script, who’ve opened for Paul McCartney and appeared on “Ellen” and “90210,” perform their new single, “Breake ven,” Monday on MTV’s “It’s On With Alexa Chung” and on Tuesday’s “Late Show.”
Kinks legend Ray Davies, meanwhile, visits Q104’s Jon athan Clarke Sunday (9 p.m.)
Last, but not least:
* “Apocalypse: The Second World War,” narrated by Martin Sheen, premieres to night (8 p.m./Smithsonian Channel) . . . SNY debuts 27 vintage “Mets Yearbook” shows starting tomorrow (7:30 p.m.) . . . Gilles Marini (“Brothers & Sisters”) at LA’s French Connection Holiday Shop . . . Congrats to Jim Dowd, who’s merged his Dowd Agency with Middle berg Communications and will serve as managing director/head of Middle berg’s consumer division.